Re-reading, this is rather long...
Why so much intolerance?
I cycle, am a motorist and walk.
It is true that only children (ten and under) should, by (a rather vague) law, cycle on pavements and although I always use the road (and wonder each time I leave the house whether I will cycle back to it...) I can understand why people cycle on the pavement.
To those who don't cycle, have you ever stood at a traffic light or zebra crossing whilst a huge articulated lorry or bus has passed? Have you not felt the weight of the thing, the whoosh of air, the rumble of the engine? Now, imagine being a few inches away from such a vehicle as it passes - too close to you - whilst you trundle along on the road beside it. It is utterly terrifying.
My daughter was driving last week and watched, appalled, as a cyclist just ahead of her suddenly reared up in the air and came crashing down into the road. She was able to stop, manoeuvring her car across the road as she leapt out and attended to him. His wheel had caught in a pot hole and thrown him off. He was fortunate not to have been thrown into the path of a car and exactly proves why cyclists should not cycle close to the kerb. It just isn't safe.
If you see a cyclist in the middle of the road overtaking parked vehicles, it is because if anyone in one of those cars should open their door, the cyclist would be knocked off and possibly thrown into the opposing traffic. We are not being difficult!
We cycle (cancelled of course, this year) in Belgium each year. There, they have shared pedestrian/cyclist pavements - works beautifully. No problems with aggression on either side. In Belgium cars have to stay a minimum distance from cyclists when they are on the road (no pavements etc.) and if there should be an accident, it is presumed always the motorists fault. I have no idea if this is popular or not in Belgium but, motorists certainly show a huge amount of respect to cyclists (not so here) which means that everyone can travel safely. We are always shocked to be cheerfully waved through, ahead of a motorist at a crossing etc. There is NO aggression.
Yes, I know it can be frustrating if a cycle is ahead of you and you are in a hurry - happens to me too but surely, the ten or twenty seconds that one is held up is negligible overall.
Final point: I have been self-isolating for 4.5 months but two weeks ago for the first time, visited a very very badly 'policed' supermarket. No hand gel, aisles blocked forcing shoppers to pile up etc., etc. The following day, I went for a cycle ride and in a narrow road, a van passed me going in the opposite direction. As he passed the driver spat at me, scoring a direct hit on my lip.
A few days later I caught Covid-19 and showed positive on my test. Thankfully, it was a mild case and could have been so much worse. I had to have caught it in one of the two incidents mentioned above (they were on subsequent days).
This is the level of intolerance that only prevails in the UK. Are we really such a nasty aggressive country?
Going back to the original poster, the boys if ten or under, probably should have been on the pavement. Over ten they should be on the road but please re-read paragraph four, would you really enforce an eleven year-old made to cycle on the road?
Finally, I understand the frustration of those of you who have had encounters with badly-ridden cyclists and can only apologise for their behaviour. I am a seventy-something old woman on a cycle, keeping as fit as I can but each outing fearful for my life As I am sure you will agree, there are many many badly driven motorists and there have always been aggressive ten-year-old boys on cycles! What has probably changed is the attitude of their parents who in the 'olden days' would have made their children apologise for their behaviour!
Surely we all need educating?