A Cycle Instructor from Cambridgeshire who has taught hundreds of schoolchildren to ride their bikes safely over the past three decades, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List.
Janice Nightingale, aged 60, was one of the county council’s first volunteer instructors in the early 1980s after finding out about the council’s Safer Cycling scheme at her daughter’s primary school, the John Paxton School in Sawston.
Three decades on, she continues to provide training at the school, now renamed the Bellbird Primary School, and at others throughout the county. She also helps deliver 'Pedal Power' cycle training for younger children, at Ditton Lodge in Newmarket, which her granddaughter used to attend.
In the past, Ms Nightingale also helped train and monitor other instructors for Cambridgeshire County Council, which claims that its on-road training scheme for 10 and 11-year-olds, launched in the late 1970s, became the national benchmark for such schemes. Currently, soe 5,000 schoolchildren throughout the county receive training annually, provided by 400 volunteer instructors.
Linda Oliver, chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council Chairman, said: “This is a well deserved honour for Janice who has given around 30 years’ unbroken service in helping the county’s youngsters enjoy cycling safely. She is very well respected by both school staff and pupils and has been a huge support to the Road Safety Team. Her impressive track record of training well over 1,000 children, with outstanding commitment over such a long time, is unique.”
“It is a real honour and surprise to have been nominated,” said Ms Nightingale. “This is really in recognition of all the instructors who give their time to help our youngsters. It has been a real pleasure seeing children learn to ride a bike safely and enjoy cycling while having fun.”
She added: “I see my role has providing lifelong road safety skills. Many of the areas that we teach in schools, whilst on our bicycles, can be applied later on in life, such as learning to drive. I had no idea 30 years ago that helping at my daughter’s school would have led to an invitation to meet the Queen.”
I've lost count of the number of times I've been swerved at or seen a driver swerve to knock someone off in London. Managed to dodge most of them....
The first few seconds of this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GTqGr6X42M
"and where it does so is quite important too"...
In the meanwhile on the roads the average frontal height, initial acceleration and mass of motorcars relentlessly rises leading to ever more likely...
I was going to say "don't mention side-roads!" - although I presume the response is "but people can can hear the cars coming but not the cyclists"...
They werern't cycling for pleasure when that was taken, but many did in those days. Those bikes were often out and about in the local countryside...
I think looking at the frame pictured it is immediately obvious why it is a harsh ride, very steep angled rear stays directly to the short seat...
Also, isn't......
Given that its 12-14nm and the torqwrench in accurate for 5000 cycles up to 12nm its going to be perfect for doing up those bolts
Surely half the point of doing sessions on the trainer is to build up mental toughness. Making it less horrible defeats the purpose of the exercise.