Signed photo stirs memories for cycling hero Hugh six decades later

Hugh Porter was visiting a group at the All Saints Action Network in the city on Tuesday) with his wife Anita Lonsbrough when he was shown an autograph he gave to Georgina Mahoney back in 1960, following his victory in a cycling race.

Hugh had been competing in the North Wolverhampton Road Road in July 1960 and had finished at the Golden Lion in Low Hill when he was approached by a young girl asking for his autograph on the back of a photo of her father.

Georgina, who is now 75, said she had been a 13-year-old watching the race and had run into the pub asking her father Thomas Rowles for something Hugh could sign.

She said: "I remember a lot of people inside the pub, including my dad and I ran in and said 'Daddy, I need some paper' as I wanted to get Hugh's signature, so he's pulled out a photo of himself from his pocket and given it to me and I got Hugh to sign that.

"I knew about him at the time as I followed him and Anita Lonsbrough, who was a hero of mine as I was a keen swimmer and when I found out they were coming in today, I wanted to bring the photo with me.

"I never imagined, 63 years later, I'd ever get the chance to do this, but it's lovely to be able to meet Hugh and Anita and I think my dad would have loved it as he was a keen sportsman himself."

Mr Porter said seeing the photo and the signature had been a great surprise to him and brought back a lot of memories of the race.

He said: "That race was a sort of classic around the area, going on a circuit along Bushbury and Sandy Bank and finishing at the Golden Lion.

"We used to get changed there as well, so I think that's where they might have seen me and I still remember the group of us at the front and the crowds down there, which were phenomenal.

"It was a great surprise to see this today and really nice to Georgina to bring it in as it brought back so many memories for me as a 20-year-old in that race."