The Launch
of
Recycled Memories
The four people who compiled Recycled Memories: May Farrar, Isabel Woods, Rab Collins and Billy Kirk with Pat McQuaid and Dame Mary Peters
Frankie's Speech
This is the original speech I wrote before we realised my story
had been left out of the book:
Good Evening ladies and gentlemen and our special guest, Mr Pat McQuaid, President of the World Cycling (UCI).
Well I am very proud and privileged to be in this book, re-cycled memories and I would like to thank all my friends who have come here tonight.
Firstly, my best friend and wife, Lesley, thank you,
Dan and Kathleen McGuirk
Dave and Sylvia McConkey
Bill Leathem
Valerie Loughuins
And to all of you good people who made the effort to come here tonight, thank you, and I hope you enjoy the evening.
The important people to say thank you to are, Isobelle Woods, Billy Kirk, May Farrar and Rob Collins. The hours, days and months of all their hard work to make the book so special and wonderful.
Memories for all of us to read and look back on and of course all the young up-and-coming cyclists to read and perhaps even get some tips and inspiration on how to win races with hard training and NO DOPE!
All the best to all of you for the future, health and happiness.
Thanks and enjoy!
This is the modified version and the speech I finally made at
the launch of Recycled Memories:
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen and our special guest Mr. Pat McQuaid,
President of the World cycling (U.C.I.) and I would like to thank my best friends who
came here tonight -
First my wife and best friend, Lesley - Thank you.
Dan and Kathleen McGurk
Dave and Sylvia McConkey
Bill Leatham
Valerie Loughuins - Thank you
And all you good people who made the effort to be here. Please have a wonderful
evening and enjoy the night of (RECYCLED MEMORIES).
Well, I come from South Africa 6,000 miles away. South Africa has 11 official
languages, I speak 10 fluently - English I am still battling with, but I hear in Belfast I
will probably get away with it - so here goes.
I was told that the photos of me, me, I, I, were not in the Book but in the System, I
thought ah, every one of us makes mistakes, so what, the story of my cycling career
was in there for everyone to read and enjoy.
We collected the book at the reception and went to our room to see this great story
and career of cycling by the legend "Frank Thompson". I looked through the book at
great length - no story..... Bill, my brother-in-law looked through the book, no
story. .... my wife, Lesley, says "that's impossible let me see - you two are
useless''.... After 10 to 15 minutes, she said "you know what this book is all Billy
Kirk and Isabel Woods, they had no pages left for you my dear....maybe you are
not the legend you thought you were. She said, if only the photos were in the book, as
they say in the classics 'a picture paints a thousand words" - "that'd be 5 photos,
5,000 words." We had a real good laugh and that's how we are going to deal with it.
"Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone."
The most important people here to thank are:
Isabel Woods, May Farrar, Billy Kirk and Rob Collins, The hours, days, weeks
months and all the hard work they spent to make this book so special, for all the
wonderful memories for all of us to read and look back on, and of course all the
young up and coming cyclists to read and get some more tips and inspiration on how
to win races, with hard training and no dope.
Thanks aganto everyone who made this book so special, 'health and happiness"
enjoy the night - one other thing.... The photo of "Frankie Thompson - the Legend"
- I was telling my sister in law about the book launch and I said "you know its 50
years plus, since I have seen any of the people - I won't recognise them - she said
"Don't worry Frankie, I'll do you a name tag to put on the lapel of your suit" and that
was it - I showed Tom Morgan, and now you see the result....
Valerie Loughins, Dan McGurk, Frankie Thompson and Bill Leatham
Lesley Thompson, Isabel Woods and Frankie Thompson
Frankie Thompson and Gene Mangan (2010)
The adventurous pair who follwed their dream to turn professional in Spain in 1959
Frankie Thompson, Billy Kirk and Lesley Thompson
Dan McGurk and Bill Leatham
Bill Leatham, Davey McConky and Dan McGurk
Sylvia McConky and Lesley Thompson
May Farrar, Frankie Thompson and Isabel Woods
Frank was visiting Ireland prior to the book launch
