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Ben Knifton attended the Quintin School/Regent Street Polytechnic Secondary School in the early 1920s. These exam papers were gifted by his son, John Knifton, who attended the School in the 1950s.
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fl.1892
City Guilds Silver Medalist Polytechnic Photographic classes, 1892Joined teaching staff of the Photographic Department in 1893
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d.1958
Vice president of the Harriers
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11 May 1890-5 Dec 1958
Willie Applegarth made his debut in the AAA Championships in 1910 when, as a 20-year-old Post Office worker representing Polytechnic Harriers, he finished third in the 100 yards. Two years later he won the 200 yards and finished second in the 100 yards, and these performances won him a place in the 1912 Olympic team in both the individual sprints and the relay. Applegarth was eliminated in the semi-finals for the 100 metres in Stockholm, but after some great running the early stages of the 200 metres final he held on the take the bronze medal; then as lead-off man, he put Britain on their way to the gold medals in the relay. He maintained his brilliant form in post-Olympic meetings, setting a world best of 19.8 seconds for 200 yards and equaling the world 100 metres records of 10.6 seconds. He also claimed a new British record of 21.8 seconds for 200 yards and equaled the British 100 yards record of 9.8 seconds. In 1913 he twice equaled his British 100 yards record and set a world best of 14.6 seconds for 150 yards, but the highlight of the season came at the AAA Championships where he had become the first home athlete to take the sprint double. His winning time of 21.6 seconds in the 200 yards was yet another British record. 1914 was Applegarth’s last season as an amateur, and after equaling his own British records in both the 100 yards and 200 yards he won his second AAA double, with the finest performance of his career coming in the 200 yards as he set a world record of 21.2, which was to remain unbeaten for 18 years.
In November 1914, Applegarth turned profession and twice beat the Australian Jack Donaldson, the reigning “world champion.” He continued to run as a “pro” after the war but in 1922 he immigrated to America, where he took up an appointment as a soccer and track coach at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. During his early days in the US he played for Brooklyn in the American Soccer League and took part in a few exhibition races. On one notable occasion, at Fordham University, he beat Robert McAllister who was one of the leading American sprinters of the time. Willie Applegarth’s coaching appointment at Mercersburg was relatively short-lived and in 1925 he joined the General Electric Company as a welder. He remained with the company for 30 years until his retirement in 1955.
Served in the Royal Army Service Corps during WW1.
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10 Apr 1886-25 Aug 1965
American athlete who competed at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. Hayes won the gold medal for the Olympic marathon when Dorando Pietri was helped over the line by officials.
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1867-1936
English editor, serial fiction writer and father of crime novelist Margery Allingham.
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1881-23 Jun 1917
Cyclist, Service No. 1887, No. 8 Platoon, 2/25th London Regt. No. 2 Coy., 1/25th London Regt. B. Coy., 1/25th London Regt. 5th Platoon.
He succeeded in joining the 25th London Regiment at the end of November 1914, having been rejected several times on account of his eyes. Early in 1916 he went with his Battalion to India and died from wounds inflicted during a fight with insurgents on the NW frontier in the Waziristan campaign. Obituaries feature in the various Poly publications of the time, with comments such as: "He was a real brick, willing to do a good turn for everyone."
At the end of the war, it was proposed by the Poly Cycling Club to establish a Memorial Trophy in Gayler's name:
"It will of course be impossible to ever replace Bert Gayler in the hearts of those who had the luck to work with him and share his companionship, but it would seem very desirable that stpes should now be taken to show our appreciation of his good work by endeavouring to perpetuate his memory for all time by means of a Memorial Trophy bearing his name.... Is not the time ripe for an "Open 12" on the North Road, and would it not be well to associate Bert Gayler's name with a classic "open" on the road he loved so much?"
By July 1919 the Gayler Memorial Fund had raised £60-4-6 and the conditions of the Trophy had been finalised:
The Trophy shall be named 'The Gayler Memorial Trophy' and it shall be a perpetual Trophy in memory of all the Club members who laid down their lives in the Great War 1914-1918. It was to be awarded annually, to the rider who covers the greatest distance in a twelve-hour unpaced road ride on a single machine. The competition was open to all amateur members of the PCC and other cyling clubs. The first winner, on 23 August 1919, was M G Selbach.
Bert Gayler joined the Polytechnic Cycling Club in 1909, becoming Hon General Secretary in 1913. In 1909 Gayler completed the "50" in 2h30m1s; in 1914 he completed the "50" in 2h19m30s with an average speed of 21.5 miles per hour. His last "50" was an army event, promoted by his Battalion in which he made the fastest time, being attired in full army uniform and marching boots. His time was 2h49m54s. Gayler's record for the Poly was the "12" at 223 1/4 miles (unbroken until 1928). He also held the world record in 1917 for an out and home "12". Gayler's last season was in 1914, in which he completed the "25" in 1h7m53s. He was also the first man to win the NCU Gold Proficiency badge for breaking 5h4m for 100 miles.
Competed in the 1912 Stockholm Olympic games.
Buried at Kandiwam, Waziristan N.W.F. India. H H Gayler's name is included on a brass tablet was erected in the church at Jullundur, India, in memory of the men killed at Waziristan.
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1872-12 Feb 1956
A E Walters, known familiarly as "Jenny", joined the Polytechnic Cycling Club (PCC) on 20th June 1892. His address at the time was 48 Carnaby Street, just off Regent Street in London's West End. Records show that Walters paid an annual membership subscription of 10 shillings.
The University Archive holds an album of press cuttings and photographs relating to the career of AE Walters (ACC2001/10). It covers his most successful period, 1899-1901 when he was world champion at long distance endurance racing. On 8th and 9th July 1899 Walters won the coveted Bol d'Or in Paris. This was a paced 24 hour endurance event founded in 1894. Riders were paced by tandems or triplets and in 1899 they introduced pacing by electric tandems for the first time. Walters won with a world record time of 1020km 977m (634miles, 1710yards). The Bol d'or was raced annually until 1950 and in all its history, Walters was the only British winner. His time was not beaten until 1925 by Opperman in Australia. The victory is well-reported in both the French and British press of the time.
Interestingly, Walters appears to have been as well-regarded in France as he was at home, with the following article translated from Le Vélo, November 16th 1899: "Jenny Walters is the marvel of 1899, having won all the important races in which he has entered, there being ten firsts among his list of successes and has won in the aggregate 50,000 francs. May a good voyage, a rest and safe return see him next year back
with us and with his friends the Parisian public, who admire his straightforward and genuine methods, which have made him so popular in the professional side of cycling."
On his return to the UK that winter, Walters was guest of honour at a special dinner organised by the PCC to celebrate his successful season. It is reported that: "Jenny as he is familiarly called by his friends, is anything but boastful, has a good head and is a real good plucked 'un - three very desirable qualities in a champion."
In 1900 Walters was again racing professionally in Europe. On 13th May he won the 4-day International Race in Berlin with a distance of 372 miles and 812 yards; and in August he won the 100km race in Paris. The Cyclist of 12th September 1900 reports: "Walters seems to be in the pink of condition. He has trained specially in view of the big trophy; he has shown that he now possesses pace and stamina in the right proportion; he has undergone a special course in training with plenty of road work thrown into it; he is gifted with a bull-dog pluck, with true British grit."
In November 1900 leading members of the PCC had their photograph taken. Mindful of the absent Jenny, they insisted on posing with a large photograph of him in the centre of the group.
The Cyclist of November 24th 1900 published a table of "Records to Date". Walters is listed as holding the following World Records:
6 hours - 183m 879 yds, won at Auteuil, Paris 15-16th September 1900
12 hours - 349m 1447yds, won at Auteuil, Paris 15-16th September 1900
24 hours - 634m 1710 yds, won at Autueil, Paris 8-9th July 1899 (stood for 35 years)
And the following Road Records:
50 miles paced - 1h 55m 50s
12 hours paced tandem with M A HOLBEIN - 230 miles
In March 1901 comes the surprise announcement that Walters is retiring from professional competition. The news reported in Cycling News as follows: "Walters retires a champion, which few men have the strength of mind to do. It is safe to say "Jenny" will be as much missed abroad as at home, for he possessed the reputation of being thoroughly "straight" and one of the gamest riders who ever set on racing tyres."
Further details appeared in the press: "Unlike the many champions who retire yearly, Walters has thoroughly considered matters before making his announcement public, and bearing in mind the fact that he cannot be a champion for ever, and also that he has close on ten years of hard racing, he prefers to retire at the top of the racing ladder and now devote his energies in another direction, vis. That of running a high class tailoring establishment in Regent Street where he will be assisted by his brother, who is one of the leading West End cutters. Walters spent a good deal of time in the tailoring business before turning professional."
Walters disappeared from public view after this date. However, he continued his membership of the Polytechnic Cycling Club, supporting club fixtures and attending the annual dinner each winter. In November 1925 he is elected one of 25 Vice-Presidents of the Club, a title he retained until his death.
In January 1931 he generously presented the Club with one of his own trophies - the Molinari Cup - to be awarded annually to the Polytechnic members showing the best average time in open road events of 25, 50 and 100 miles and 12 hours. It is noted that the shield is to perpetuate AE Walters' name and therefore cannot be given outright.
The Polytechnic Cycling Gazette of April 1956 announced the death of Walters who passed away on February 12th at his home in Hayes, Kent in his 84th year. The obituary reads: "When he descended to the safety machine he became the fastest long distance rider on both road and path in the world. After many successful years as an amateur, he became professional, racing all over Europe, amassing some wealth. His win in the Bol d'or 24 hour path race was a marvellous feat, his record stood for 35 years . Walters went into trade as a tailor in Abermarle Street but gave up the business when the lease ran out. If I was asked who was the most honest and modest racing cyclist my instant reply would be Jenny. He was a fellow member of the F.O.T.C. and on the previous Saturday to his death, after a committee meeting of the Fellowship in Covent Garden, I walked with him to Charing Cross Station, little knowing it would be the last farewell he would have.
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7 Oct 1920-14 Aug 1996