Bray "Mr. Telephone" has rung off for the last time!

FOR well known local character Joe Loughman is retiring after nearly 40 years with the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and more recently Bord Telecom. And during most of that time Joe has worked in Bray where he has played a key role in thedevelopment of the town's telephone exchange since it opened in the 1960s.

As he looked back over his career this week. Joe explained that he has always enjoyed working in Bray because his job brought him into contact with local people. "There's a big difference working in an exchange in a place where you don't know anyone. In that case. telephone numbers don't mean anything. In Bray on the other hand, if you had to repair a number you would know the person who was affected and you felt you were helping somebody", he added.

But while Joe might be hanging up on the world of telephones, there is little danger that he will be idle in his retirement. In fact, he should be fully engaged. To begin with, he is a founding member of the Cualann Society which over the years has established an excellent reputation as a local historical society. This is in no small part due to Joe, who along with a small band of fellow enthusiasts has developed the society to the stage where it successfully opened a town museum and heritage centre last year.
Within the society, he is not only a skillful organiser, but also has an encyclopaedic knowledge of local history and is a witty and entertaining speaker to boot.

Joe is also keenly interested in sports, most notably Bray Wheelers where he was a keen competitor in his younger years and is still a life President of the club. He is also closely involved with Bray Camera Club.

Joe's retirement from his position as a senior staff member at the Bray Exchange was marked by his colleagues when they made a presentation at a function in Bray last Thursday.

The Guinness Grand Prix is a new event to the Irish cycling calendar this year. It is the revival of a race that was first run in 1951 around the town of Bray, a race which lasted for 16 years until its demise in 1966.

With the advent of widespread press and television coverage for city centre cycling, local authorities and the Gardai realised that with goodwill and co-operation cycle races could be facilitated Hence the revival of the race this year, which was last won by a local cyclist, Peter Doyle in 1966.

The Guinness Grand Prix is being organised by Bray Wheelers under the direction of Pat Ryan. Ryan has been in-volved with the sport for many years and is delighted that the townspeople are including this race as one of the highlights of the Bray Festival (4th-13th July).

It's expected that the viewing audience will be in excess of 12,000 and the organisers plan to make it an entertaining event for them. The Guinness Bray Grand Prix, with the full circuit of Bray being used as the course for a top cycling event for the first time in over twenty years, will be routed over 24 laps of a 2.2 mile circuit. The route takes in the seafront and the main thoroughfare of the town.

MICHAEL CAHILL of Bray Wheelers won the the major event of the Annual Strawberry Fair road cycling races at Enniscorthy yesterday.

SENIOR-1, M. Cahill (Bray Wheelers) 2, C. Kelly (Carrick- on-Suir): 3, J. Darcy (Bray Wheelers) 4, D McCarthy (Carrick-on-Suir): 5. R. O'Gorman (Bianconi Wheelers)

Senior B- 1. C. Maye (Clonard Wheelers 2, M. Murphy (Bray Wheelers 3. R. Whitty (Wexford Wheelers)

On Saturday last the National 50 mile time trial championship was held in Clonee. The tough 50 mile course was made even tougher by strong winds.

Sean Glimore riding the Junior event did a very fast time to take the gold medal. He beat the next competitor by 10 minutes. This was a performance by Sean who is only a first year Junior.

The senior team also did very well in their event with Paul Fahy finishing 5th place with Paul Byrne and Mark Murphy finishing well up the list of competitors, this secured the team prize for Bray.

The team for the senior event were, Paul Fahy, Paul Byrne, Mark Murphy and Eddie McCann.

ON Saturday last the national 50 mile time trial championships were held in Clones. The tough 50 mile course was made eve tougher by strong winds. Sean Gilmore, riding the junior event did a very fast time to take the gold medal. He beat the next competitor by 10 minutes. This was a performance by Sean who is only a first year junior. The senior team also did very well in their event, with Paul Fahy finishing in fifth place, with Paul Byrne and Mark Murphy finishing well up in the list of competitors, this secured the team prize for Bray. The team for the senior event were Paul Fahy, Paul Byrne, Mark Murphy and Eddie McCann.