Like many other clubs of the time, the Crest CC started out in the 1930s with road races and time trials and clubruns. Most time trials were held on the E1 course (today’s B1383 Newport to Sawston in north Essex, passing the 32nd milestone to London). Very few people owned cars so cyclists would ride up to Newport the day before, camp or stay b&b at Ugley, race the next day and ride home. There was a need for cheap overnight accommodation and through the generosity of some landowners, including the de Waldens and others, a group of East London cycling clubs each found themselves a plot of land to build a small bungalow (colloquially known as a “hut”) each with dormitory bedrooms, kitchen, lounge, toilet and bike shed.

The Crest hut, Stag Hall, was built with a grant from the National Playing Fields Society to purchase the land. The original Stag Hall on another site was replaced in 1964 by the current Stag Hall. Club stalwarts Bob Hobbs, Bob and Stan Millett, Ken Grant, Ken Kipping and Pete Bolton were among the senior members at that time who put a lot of work into construction, with Bob Hobbs then becoming maintenance-manager of the Stag until his passing in 2008.

In the 1960s the Crest organised events at Victoria Park in Hackney which attracted a raft of teenage boys, all of whom are now senior members in their 50s. Through Bob Hobbs, the Crest was also heavily involved in the original set-up of Eastway Cycle Circuit in Hackney (now the Olympic venue) and its Thursday night road race league. This now lives on at the new Hog Hill Circuit in Redbridge.

Below: Crest promoted the National Junior 25 in 1987. Presenting the prizes was Page Three Model Linda Lusardi (below right), shown here alongside Crest promoter Bob Hobbs and on the left, Bill Thorncroft from the time trials council. (Photo courtesy of Rob Marcus)

Below: News clipping from Cycling Weekly 16 July 1980

Below: Crest's Dave Ford (aka Wep) is fondly remembered with this memorial bench, originally installed at Eastway Cycle Circuit, now relocated to Hog Hill Circuit.

Below: Annual awards list from club dinner and dance 1978

Below: Annual awards list from club dinner and dance 1979

Below: Bob Hobbs

Below: A 1980s road race finish in early March