Double gold for cyclist Roly, 75
A KINGSWOOD cyclist has be- come a double world champion –atthe ageof75. Roly Crayford, a member of
the Marden-based San Fairy Ann cycling club, recently took part in the UCI World Masters Track Championships at the Na- tional Cycling Centre in Man- chester, winning the goldmedal in themen's scratch race, for the 75+ age group. The next day he took the gold
medal in the 500m time trial. Roly's time of 41:31 secs was
just a fraction outside the world record time of 41:22secs, and corresponded to an average speed of 43.57km/h (27.07mph). Roly's winning performances helped Great Britain to first place in the medal table, with the men winning 19 golds – ahead of the United States with nine and Australia with seven. Roly joined San Fairy Ann as
a 16-year-old in 1954 and had a successful early career as a club cyclist, being crowned Kent di- visional road race champion in 1981. In the early 1990s, riding a tan-
dem with fellow San Fairy Ann stalwart RoyManser, he set a na- tional veterans record of 18.47mins for a 10-mile time trial.
Roly, who lives in Ivy Close
with hiswifeAnn, attributes his success partly to the training
support he has had from Roy and the fact that he is kept on his toes by riding with younger rid- ers.
He still goes out with the club
on Saturday mornings, riding with the intermediates. Sixty miles is nothing out of the ordi- nary for a typical Saturday. Although Roly enjoys road cy-
cling, his success has come pri- marily indoors, which is where he gets his adrenalin rush. He said: “There is an element
of danger which makes it more exciting, I guess.” To date, Roly has won five
world championship gold medals for his age group. He has also won 26 world champi- onship silver medals, and half a dozen bronzemedals. He has also had success at Eu- ropean championship level, winning gold in the sprint three years ago, and in the points race two years ago. Next autumn he aims to be
back at the Manchester Velo- drome to defend his world titles. Roly (right) said: “I've made some great friends in the club. I intend to keep cycling as long as I amable.”
Kent’s newest brewery opens with a bang
OPERATORS of a new microbrewery in Linton wanted to make sure their launchwent with a bang – so they brought in a group of musketeers. After a few words from KCC chairman Cllr Eric Hot-
son, gunfire echoed around Loddington as guests raised a glass to toast the opening of the Musket Brewery in Loddington Lane. Itwas started by two church choristers with a fasci- nation for fineale. TonyWilliams andMarkStroudboth
sing in Holy Cross Church choir, Bearsted, and have been brewing beer at home for many years. Nudging60and withahistory of heartdisease, Tony
was looking for a new project, having been made re- dundant from his role as aide to localMPHelen Grant. The choice of name was easy once the brewers learned that nearby Coxheath was a training ground for more than 11,000 troops in the 18th century. Mark lives with wife Beccy, a former parish council
clerk, in Musket Lane, Hollingbourne. The names of the beers will stick to the military
theme – the first two being Fife and Drum and Flint- lock. They are already on sale in the Fox and Goose, Weavering Street, and The Windmill, Hollingbourne. Tony said: “We aren’t aiming to make the strongest
ales in theworld, but theywill be more flavoursome. Members of Maidstone Council who attended the opening and the costume-clad volunteers dressed as the 3rd Foot East Kent Regiment (the ‘Buffs’) were keen to raise their glasses to that!
12 South
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