I am a bit curious about Ossie Nicholson, my compatriot and the only cyclist to have held the "Tommy Godwin" record twice. There's not even a wikipedia entry for him and now that the new contender, Miles Smith, is following pretty precisely in his wheel ruts, I thought I'd put down what I found.
Osrick Bernard Nicholson was born in Melbourne in 1910 or 1911.
From
wikipedia, he claimed the record first in 1933 with 70,756 km, then again in '37 where he beat two other contenders with a total of 100,837km. Of course two years after that he was beaten by Tommy Godwin by 20,000km, and also by Bernard Bennett by a "mere" 4000km.
Ossie
set the record by riding from Melbourne to Portsea and back every day, which is something like 95km each way (and 70,756/365 = 194). He reset the record by then doing it all again, and twice some days.
This is him around 17 or 18
Making some money after he set his record for the second time. Is it just me, or is that a distrustful glance he's giving that saddle?
And
dining in a shop window!
And then finally, this
sad little story Ossie Nicholson on Bigamy Charge
MELBOURNE. Monday. - Bail of £25, with a similar personal security, was allowed at Fitzroy Court to-day to Osrick Bernard Nicholson (29), cycle mechanic, professional cyclist and record breaker, of Richmond, when he was committed for trial on a charge of having gone through the form of marriage with a woman on January 34, 1940, while his wife. Annie May Nicholson, whom he had married on December 23, 1929), was still living.
Nicholson pleaded not guilty.
Detective Heath said that Nicholson told him he realised he had made a mistake, but had done nothing wrong wilfully, and wanted to help in clearing up everything. Nicholson had separated from his wife in 1932. and had been told by her three years later that she wanted a divorce. He had given her £25 for the divorce, and had seen a Nicholson v. Nicholson divorce case listed and had assumed that it was his. Mrs. Nicholson denied having received money from her husband for a divorce.
Do you think Miles will follow up this way, too?
