I see cycling as something that anyone and everyone can do
Recorded 4 years ago
About this recording
"I had a bad habit of crashing," says George Ewing as he recalls his boyhood passion for cycling.
He tells of some of his early exploits and mishaps on two wheels and how he would go back and fore to Benny Harper's bike shop in Bank Row - something of a Wick institution.
"I started trying to learn from Benny," George says. "He always used to give me laldy every time I was involved in some kind of stramash or crash on the bike."
In later years, George would compete in the Highland Cross fundraising duathlon and become a member of the local cycling club, Wick Wheelers, and Wick Triathlon Club.
A retired police sergeant, George has a voluntary role as captain of the Wick chapter of Cycling Without Age, an international charity. He and other volunteers take elderly or less able people on leisurely rides in a trishaw (a three-wheeled bike). He explains how Wick care home residents were delighted to be taken out in the run-up to Christmas to see the town's festive lights.
In 2021 George took up the role of development officer with Cycling UK and leads the charity's Rural Connections activity in Caithness. The aim is to promote walking, wheeling and cycling for all.
He says: "I see cycling as something that anyone and everyone can do, and it's something that everyone should have the opportunity to do as well. If there are people out there that would rather cycle than use a car or use a bus, then my view is I would love to be able to try and help them to achieve that goal."
The Cycling Without Age Scotland Facebook page is www.facebook.com/CWAScotland
The Cycling UK Scotland Facebook page is www.facebook.com/CyclingUKScotland
George can be emailed at george.ewing@cyclinguk.org
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