Give that man a medal!

When Katkatkat was down for the weekend she was going through some drawers sorting out and disposing of things which remained from when she lived at home. Some how in among those things she found a box containing all sorts of small odds and ends (I suspect most homes have one). She suggested a number of them should be blipped and their story told.

As today has been wet and I have hardly been over the door step I decided I would use one of them as an emergency blip. This is one of the items she particularly remarked on.

I never knew my Granddad (either of them) as he died before I was born, However this item belonged to him. Going by what my Mum told me he was a keen cyclist having ridden every style of Bike invented up to his death - yes including the "hobby horse" and ordinary (Penny farthing). All I know about this item which looks as if it was designed to be worn on a watch chain is that it was won for cycling. The inscription (obviously hand engraved) reads won by Joseph Berwick June 30th 1888. On the back is stamped Vaughton & Son Birmingham. Out of curiosity I put this into a well know search engine and I find the firm of Vaughton still exists still turning out medals and chains of office etc. One interesting point from their website - they made the medals for the 1908 Olympics.