George Pilkington Mills: an extraordinary life
George Pilkington Mills dominated early cycling with his racing and record-breaking exploits particularly those on an Old Ordinary and a tricycle. He also had numerous successes on tandems with 2 and 3 wheels and safety bicycles. Over a decade, 1885 to 1895, Mills was Britain’s leading rider. He won the inaugural Bordeaux -Paris in 1891. His early professional career was in cycle manufacture, with Ivel, Humber and Raleigh amongst others. He moved on to motorcycles and then to motor cars. He served with distinction in World War I (he was a noted sniper) becoming a Lt Colonel and was awarded the DSO before resuming his business career in the world of motoring. Widowed just before World War II, at 73 he joined the Home Guard, despite being well over the age limit, and he continued to work for an instrument -maker (8 in the morning to 5.30, 6 or 7 days a week) and died very much ‘in harness’ in 1945. Roger Alma’s book, 118 A4 pages between soft covers, has lots of illustration that are not regularly seen and is packed with information – the way racing was organised, his brush with death when a well-meaning helper gave him enough cocaine to lay him out for 7 hours (he recovered to beat the record), his contribution to cycle, motorcycle and car design and the lives of his family are in superb detail. Book Specification: Twelve chapters and eight appendices 210 x 297mm (A4) with 118 pages. Copious illustrations. Perfect bound. Published by Veteran-Cycle Publications, 2024.
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