Outside the world of club cycling the name Johnny Helms means very little. But with the rank and file cyclists who spend every spare hour in the saddle, the name Helms is legendary.

The Second Edition of the Johnny Helms Memorial Grand Prix des Gentlemen was held on 9th October 2011 (Starting from Marthall Village Hall near Knutsford) in honour of the late great cartoonist and passionate cyclist.

I can't remember the exact date but probably sometime early September I received a very excited call from Arthur. He wasn't making too much sense and I couldn't get a word in. "We've been invited to ride the Johnny Helms but I'm gutted," he spluttered. "What?” "I'm gutted we've been invited to ride the Johnny Helms!" he repeated. Still not with it I managed to interject "What you on about Arthur?" "I'm going on a cruise, if I could cancel I would but Ang would go crazy, I'm really sorry.” Finally the penny dropped and when Arthur paused for breath I managed a summary "You've been invited to ride the Johnny Helms and you're going on a cruise?” "yeh and I'm gutted. We've both got an invite! Trevor just phoned and we've both been invited to ride" he went on excitedly. "The Johnny Helms, are you sure?” my eyebrow now raised and interest building. "I was just speaking to him, but I'm going on a cruise and I'm gutted, I'm really sorry" he said again apologetically. "We've been invited to ride together" he added. Now it's starting to make sense. Arthur can't ride because he's cruising so I wouldn't be able to ride because I'd have no partner. The conversation went on like this for several minutes and I tried my best to console Arthur in his moment of grief.

As I reflect upon my feelings at this point I was in comparison to Arthur relatively unmoved. It would have been a nice way to close the season but it wasn’t the end of the world. My life does occasionally spin out of control but not because I’d briefly been invited to ride the Johnny Helms. Don’t get me wrong I would jump at the chance to ride but some things just don’t work out. I then got a call from Trevor himself but after talking to Arthur I fully expected an invitation with an apology. “Do you want to ride the Johnny Helms?” he enquired. “I’ve spoken to Arthur and he’s on a cruise” I answered. “Would you pace for someone else?” he asked. “Of course,” was my unflinching reply. I couldn’t believe my luck, I was in! I didn’t know who I’d be riding with but I’d been invited to ride the Johnny Helms. After I thanked Trevor two thousand times I phoned Arthur to rub it in. Although slightly unmoved by the invitation and subsequent retraction, I was then genuinely elated to be invited.

SR