With a zest for life more in tune with someone half her age Cynthia Chandler who last week celebrated her 90th birthday could well serve as an example to us all. Still driving and until just five years ago when a virus played havoc with her balance still riding a bike Cynthia, pictured here at one of MBC Lunch Club’s regulars Wednesday get-togethers is facing the rigours of lockdown with a mix of solid stoicism and good old Yorkshire grit.
Born near Wakefield in 1930 Cynthia’s love of cycling has spanned eight decades. Her first bike, which owing to its robust build won itself the nickname “Roundhay Park gates” was a hand me down from her dad. However, by the time she was fifteen Cynthia not only had her own slightly less weighty Norton, fixed wheel and with just one brake, but along with some of her friends had become a member of the first ever junior section of the Cycling Club.
The friendships Cynthia formed in those teenage years were to last for years, or should that be for thousands and thousands of miles. Both on and off the saddle Cynthia and her friends became inseparable. “When we weren’t riding round the Yorkshire Dales or peddling to somewhere like York for a rally,” she says “we were on holiday together or at weekends out dancing at the Capitol, the Mecca or the Majestic.”
However, as the cycling bug bit harder, Cynthia, who would go on to work for Leeds Social Services for more than 25 years quickly learned that as far as competitive cycling was concerned she was never going to be a sprinter. “No,” she says, “time trials were my event – anything from however long it took to cover 25 miles to punishing 12 hour marathons.”
Cynthia and her late husband Reg married in 1950 and have a son who makes frequent visits from his home in Gibraltar. So thinking back over the last three months how I ask has she been? “I can’t say I’m suffering that much,” says Cynthia. “I have some lovely nieces and nephews who live in Meanwood and they make sure I’m OK, they do my shopping for me and despite me perhaps making it sound as if I’m a real live wire I’ve always enjoyed my own company.”
As restrictions start to ease, besides pottering in her garden and tending to her flower tubs one of the things Cynthia is particularly enjoying are John Hornby’s alfresco street concerts. “Even though we all have to keep apart” she says, “it’s lovely to hear him playing and to join in with the singing.”
As the uncertainty surrounding all things Covid continues, speaking with Cynthia and having been both touched and inspired by her outlook and spirit I have to say it’s a pity we can’t find some way of bottling it. Because if we could I’m certain that after just one small glass looking forward to what remains of 2020 would be a far more pleasant experience than many of us are currently imagining.
The old pictures in the body of the story show Cynthia competing in the Isle of Man 25 mile time trial in 1959 and one taken in 1962 during a 12 hour time trial. The ones in the collage were taken at home in 1954, at Roundhay Park in 1959 and a snowy day in the Dales in 1958.
As if to underline my point I need to tell you that all our pictures you see here were copied and emailed to me by Cynthia on her Samsung tablet. The only exception being the much more recent one that I took on one of my visits to Lunch Club.
The idea of a constructing a living wall sounds a fascinating idea. But for Kate and Howard Slater an idea is fast become reality. Let Kate explain: “We’ve started making a living wall in the rear garden and Howard is having a second go at growing tomatoes; his first attempt was curtailed when our dog dug them up!
As you can see from the picture as and when it’s complete the wall will be covering what can only be described as a very boring fence panel. It needs more plants but its a start. The framework is made from some old metal wine racks that we brought back from France (huge expense, they cost us 5 Euros) and I have cut the bottom off some plastic tonic bottles, put pots inside to make them longer enough and slotted them in where the bottles would normally sit.”
How successful the Slater’s efforts will be is something only time will tell, but no one can say they don’t deserve 10 out of 10 for imagination and ingenuity.
Staying with Kate she has also sent us this picture and a lovely bit of video, shot in her garden which she says shows two sparrows nesting. That might be one word for it Kate, but to me it looks as if these two love birds have their minds set on something far more romantic than building a nest. You can watch the video HERE
Staying, loosely, on a nature theme many thanks to Susie Newhall for sending in two pictures that she took whilst walking Murphy in Roundhay Park. “They might be too boring,” said Susie half apologetically in the note that accompanied the snaps.
Never, Susie, the day I tire of walking through the woods and watching sunlight dance you can nail the lid down.
Thanks also to Jane Coates for sending us this link to another epic choral work. This unlike the UK Blessing and for that matter MBC’s own Penteost song reaches out across the entire world as singers from countries as far apart as Iran, Ireland, the USA and China come together to present their rendition of John Newton’s Amazing Grace.