I'm delighted to tell you that Bob Eberhard has been awarded the Arthur Jessop Shield, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to our club. David Ward proposed Bob for the award but was unable to attend due to illness, so the following citation was read by Dave Vine, and unanimously supported at our AGM.
Those of you who have never ridden with our Sunday section, the Cheam and Morden, may be wondering who Bob Eberhard is, but, if you have ever ridden with the Cheam and Morden you will certainly know him. Bob has been a fixture on Sunday rides since forever. Exactly when he did join is now lost in the mists of time, but we know that by 1969 he was already sufficiently established to be Auditor for the group. Between 1972 and 2001, a period of about 30 years, he was Rides Secretary for the Cheam and Morden, and he also ran the annual map reading competition for most of this time. We know Bob was a loyal member and serial attender because he regularly won the group's attendance points competition. Bob is still a frequent attender at Sunday elevenses today even if, understandably, he now limits himself now to venues within a reasonable distance of his home.
More generally, Bob has been a very active campaigner for cycling and walking interests in Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead, Mole Valley and Tandridge and he has given considerable time and energy to improving access for cyclists in his home area of Epsom & Ewell. Since 1990 he has served on five forum groups and Epsom Borough can now claim to have the most extensive cycle routes network in Surrey. It is rumoured that Bob once single-handedly defeated the introduction of a one-way traffic scheme in Epsom! Bob is well known for his opposition to the motor car with its damaging effects on cycling and the environment. There are anecdotes about Bob's unexpectedly fierce, verbal treatment of motorists whom Bob has believed to be behaving unreasonably. His opposition to the car was also seen in his advocacy of train-assisted rides. He planned these for the Cheam and Morden with a special knowledge of Sunday timetables, platform changes, best value ticket buys and bike capacity.
Bob is a very modest and self-effacing person who avoids the limelight and will certainly play down what he has achieved over the years, but he is an extraordinary person. Cycling is far from his only passion - he also travels all over south-east England tracking down and recording examples of stained glass, and maintaining a website for this. Others in the field describe him as a 'stained glass hero'! He is also a long-term member of the Ramblers' Association, and still regularly leads walks for them. HIs walking activities take place on Wednesdays which explains why, although he would have been an ideal
member, he has never joined us as a Midweek Wayfarer!
Bob's long-term commitment to our club and to cycling in general is surely an unparalleled achievement and, in 2001 the South West London DA went so far as to nominate him for a CTC 'certificate of merit' in recognition! I know Bob's wife had this framed and that it has a proud place on his wall. After another 20 years it is high time we gave him the award he now so richly deserves. We are honoured that Bob has been able to make an exception and join us this Wednesday and I am delighted to nominate him to receive the Arthur Jessop Shield for 2023.
Janice Dawes, also a long-time Cheam & Morden rider in earlier days, added the following
When I first started cycling with C&M Bob would be there riding with us. He would be dressed in every day clothing, his trousers held in with cycle clips and he’d be wearing a shirt, jumper and jacket. This must have been in the mid to late 1980s and mountain biking was making its presence known. I recall that on ‘rough stuff’ Bob, dressed as he was and on his touring bike, flying past fully Lycra clad mountain bikers with surprising speed and skill that must surely have shocked the mountain bikers!
When Bob stopped cycling regularly he would still pop up at elevenses and sometimes lunch, even if it was a long distance ride to the coast.
Congratulations, Bob, on this very well deserved recognition.
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