The Great Bicycle crash at Devil's Drop
By Jezza Bear
Many years ago as a young bear cub, I think I was 10 years old, I owned a beautiful bright red bicycle. I was very proud of my red bicycle because I payed for it from my own pocket money and it cost me £8.00. I had to clean neighbours cars, help Pa Bear in the garden and I even helped the Old lady Bear with her shopping. That bike was mine and mine only and I was really proud of it, even though the other boys had really posh and trendy Chopper bikes with a long saddle and a gear shift on the cross bar.
In those days, Evil Knevil was the man to be, he was great, he had a super duper motorbike and he used to jump over big red busses and fall off and hurt himself. A few weeks later it seemed he would be up and about and jumping through burning hoops. Evil Knevil had a bright white jacket with tassels and he had toys made like him...he was really cool and I wanted to be like him, as did all the other members of the Devil's Drop Club.
Oh, do forgive me, for I haven't introduced you to the Devil's Drop Club members, they were Neil Scotty Dog, Robin the Robin, David Windsock and me, Jezza Bear.
In the Magic Forest there is an area that all the Mum and Dads told us kids not to go to and that was an area called Fox's Wood. We were told there may be some nasty characters in that part of the Forest and it was dangerous. This didn't frighten the gang as we had been told by one of the older kids that there was a hill there called Devil's Drop and that no kid had ever gone down it as it was too dangerous. This was when the Devil's Drop Club was formed. It was to be a secret club as we did not want the Forest seniors finding out that we were breaking the rules.
I hear you ask, "What is the Devil's Drop and why is it so dangerous?", then I shall tell you.
Devils Drop was part of a great bomb crater created in the 1940's during World War II and it had great steep sides, about 60 degrees from the horizontal at its steepest and was about 30 feet deep and went on for about 70 feet. Towards the end of the steep hill there was a tree on a little hillock and had great roots. This tree and hillock formed the perfect ramp. The sole purpose of the Devil's Drop Club was to be able to cycle down the hill and then go over the bump and land on the other side, the more stylish you did the better.
I had arranged to meet the gang at the entrance to Fox's Wood just after school and I ran home, changed into my kit and told Ma Bear that I was going to David Winsocks house to watch his new TV (he had a colour television and was really cool). So that Ma Bear was not suspicious I cycled in the direction on David's house but then went through a short cut in the forest and got to the wood the long way around.
We all whooped with joy when we met up and we went into the Wood pretending to be brave but I kept thinking I saw a stranger but in fact is was just an old tree.
We finally got to the top of Devil's Drop and Neil announced that he was in charge of the Club and had a sealed envelope with our names in it on a piece of paper. This evening was the initiation ceremony and that we all had to cycle down Devil's Drop successfully and to the satisfaction of the other Club members, failure to do so would mean expulsion from the club. Wow this was serious stuff. I pulled the short straw and had to go first. I was absolutely scared stiff and the gang were chanting " Jezza, Jezza, Jezza" over and over again. I kicked off, I started to go down the hill, my back tyre scraping and fish tailing down the hill, my fur flapping behind me and my bones rattling, I got to the bottom and went over the hillock....safe...phew. I cycled back to the gang..."Not bad Jezza, let's see how David does it" David Winsock's Dad was the Magic Forest Bank Manager and he had loads of money (Ma Bear reckoned he stole the money from the bank and that is why Old Lady Bear was poor, but I think Ma Bear was jealous). David had a bright yellow Chopper and he changed the gear and rolled down the hill and over the hillock, wow his Chopper was great. The gang cheered, then Neil did it and then Robin did it, both getting cheers after they did it.
The gang came up to me and said " Jezza Bear, we have done it and we feel you have not done it properly, we didn't use our brakes like you, you may have to leave the club unless you do it properly"
I was distraught, leave the gang, no way, I'll show them. I was really angry now and I got my lovely red bike to the top of Devil's Drop and pushed off and plummeted down, this time though with NO brakes and PEDALLING. I went faster, faster and faster soon the whole world was a blur, all I could focus on was the hillock, I hit it, WHAM I went up, up and up. I held onto the handlebars but the seat moved away. I landed on my back tyre on the other side and my bottom hit the seat with a thwack and landed. The front wheel came down and I moved forward but didn't see the tree root coming up fast. My wheel hit the root and the bike stopped dead, I didn't and went flying to the side elbows and knees out. BANG, CRUNCH......Slide I came to halt all pain and dust.
The gang came cycling towards me ( They came the long way as I later found out that David had actually wet his pants he was so scared when he did it)
The gang cried "Jezza Bear, you are the best, you landed on your back tyre just like Evil Knevil, you are the king of the club, you're the best" I was so proud, but what a painful way to do it.
I never told my parents how I came to have a 1 inch gash in my elbow, I told them I fell over in David's garden, but Pa Bear told me years later that he knew I was lying as David didn't have a garden, he lived in a flat.
