Is Gerald Shropshire’s oldest Segway rider?
Monday 14th November 2011, 10:59AM GMT.
Is this the oldest rider on two-wheels in Shropshire? Eighty two-year old the Reverend Gerald Davies, from Bronington, near Whitchurch, has begun riding a Segway after finding out about the vehicle just a few weeks ago.
Gerald Davies out in Whitchurch, with Kevin Gee from Shropshire Segway
The two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle was invented by Dean Kamen in the USA 10 years ago and has become a well-used form of transport in parts of mainland Europe.
The Rev Davies, a former vicar of Hanmer for 11 years, took up the craze just three weeks ago after discovering it, completely by accident while on a stroll around Dearnford Lake, near Whitchurch.
He said: “Shropshire Segway was there. I paid my money, had a short introduction course and once I got used to it, I went around the lake.
“It’s a bit like riding a bike, except you learn how to ride a segway in about five minutes. The machine does it all for you and you learn to trust it. To my knowledge, I’m the oldest person in Shropshire doing it which is all a little bit unbelievable because it’s a young person’s sport.”
Shropshire Segway has been providing tours around Dearnford Lake for riders since August and about 1,000 people have taken up the craze in just over two months.
The Rev Davies said: “The Segway seems to defy the laws of gravity by staying upright. You stand on a little platform, with two wheels below you, two handlebars for grip, you lean forward very slightly and away you go.”
Kevin Gee, of Shropshire Segway, said: “Gerald is very proficient, very competent and very steady. Gerald is certainly the oldest rider we’ve had in Shropshire and we’ve not heard of anybody older than him.”
UK News
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Shrewsbury’s broadband speed one of slowest in UK
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Shame you can’t use them on the highway or other public areas in the UK. other countries in Europe and beyond have no problem with them, niether would the UK if they treated users as adults. It’s not as if they can cause a huge amount of damage, after all they’re hardly hot hatch racers, are they?
Report abuse
A spokesman for Segway said “Well, God does indeed move in mysterious ways.”
A spokesman for God replied “Yes, but not as mysterious as the Segway.”
Report abuse
As they have banned these from the pavements & highway why haven’t they banned mobility scooters. They are a far greater hazard as the drivers are infirm, some with bad eyesight and old with slow reactions. Quite the opposite of the normal Segway driver I suspect!
Report abuse