Walters, Albert Edward (1872-1956), cyclist

• Walters, Jenny

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.