King's Lynn Cycling and Athletic Club** held their first sports meeting on Wednesday afternoon June 1st 1892 at the Walk Field, this was the first bicycle racing that had been held on the ground. The attendance was quite high, there were nearly two thousand spectators. The race card consisted of three running races and three bicycle races. The one mile bicycle handicap race was won by A Strachan, who received a marble clock. In the half mile junior handicap, SW Miles won by twenty five yards and collected a cup. The main event was the two miles scratch race for the ‘T Gibson Bowles challenge cup'++. TC Sneath made the pace for five laps and won the lap prize, but he fell back and Strachan scored his second win of the day. Admission to the meeting cost three pence and the Police Band played a selection of music throughout the afternoon.
The event became an annual event with Strachan dominating the 1893 and 1894 meetings. A second sports meeting was held on July 18th 1894 and included the NCU Eastern Counties ten miles Championship. W Sharp of Ipswich BC won the Championship race but Strachan fell and lost three quarters of a lap, he remounted and chased the field, catching all but the winner to come in second place. There were 3,000 spectators.
King's Lynn C&AC organised a sports meeting to celebrate the Royal Wedding^^ on the afternoon of July 22nd 1896. The bicycle handicap events were ½ mile members , 1 mile novices, 1 mile open to Norfolk and a 2 miles scratch race for the club championship. AM Strachan repeated his win in the club championship and also won the 1 mile Norfolk handicap off scratch. This was probably the last bicycle racing to be held at the Walk Field.
King's Lynn C&AC jointly promoted the Summer Show and sports on August 28th 1901, but unfortunately there were no bicycle races. At the club's AGM on May 5th 1902 the secretary reported that the club was financially healthy but attendance on club runs "seems to have had its day". It was proposed that the club name should be changed to include "King's Lynn Cycling, Athletic and Motor Club" which was passed.
The club was in decline in the early 1900s, they organised a sports meeting on August 2nd 1909 which included bicycle races but there is no report in the press that this meeting was actually held. On May 22nd 1911 the King's Lynn CA&MC held a committee meeting and disbanded the club "owing to the lack of interest taken in the club."
** The King's Lynn Bicycle Club was founded in 1874 with HQ at the Black Horse Hotel in Chapel Street, George Reddie was their captain and the subscription was five shillings. Their uniform consisted of a light brown tweed jacket, highly buttoned to allow a stiff white collar and tie to show. Matching breaches with high stockings completed the outfit. Headgear was a 'pill-box' hat, held in place by a chinstrap, and was embellished with the club badge - the letters K.L.B.C. intertwined in the form of a monogram.
The club died out after 1877. A new club called Kings Lynn Cycling Club was formed on May 5th 1891 with headquarters at the Duke's hotel. SA Gurney agreed to be president, Mr Knights was appointed captain, 52 members signed up at the meeting and the uniform was grey. In 1891 the club was renamed as King's Lynn Cycling and Athletic Club. King's Lynn Cycling Club as it is known today was formed in 1931.
++ Thomas Gibson Bowles was a publish, he founded Vanity Fair and The Lady magazines. He became the MP for King's Lynn in 1892.
^^ The wedding of Princess Maud, the youngest daughter of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) to Prince Carl of Denmark.