LOUGHTON LINESNEW SERIES: Number 3, February, 2018

A GOOD YEAR FOR SPORT

We mentioned in LL2 that our Club was founded in 1908; the second most important sporting event of that year was the holding of the Olympic Games in London. They should have taken place in Rome but, following the eruption of Vesuvius in 1906, that city was unable to stage them and, at two years’ notice, London took them on, a new stadium being built in Shepherd’s Bush and subsequently named The White City. Many sports were held in other already-existing venues, but I shall concentrate largely on the stadium.

“Largely” is perhaps the correct word, because the place was truly enormous; the running track was one-third of a mile (about 537 metres) and outside it was a banked cycle track thirty-five feet wide and three-eights of a mile round (that is, 603m). The infield was 235x96 yards (215x88m), which included a ninety yard square section for the tennis courts and a “swimming tank” 110 yards x 50 ft (100x15m), which was along the home straight of the tracks. (Interestingly, despite all the yards and feet, all the events in the Stadium except the ten mile walk, the five mile run, the three mile team run and the one-lap cycle race were over metric distances.) So huge was the place that the correspondent of The Sportsman (a popular paper of the time), apparently overwhelmed by one meeting, when running, swimming, motor-cycling and a band were all taking place simultaneously, wrote, “Man alone appears altogether too small – too insignificant in such a vast place. Elephant races might go well.”

There was a strange outcome to the 1000m cycle event, which had a time limit of 105 seconds: “FINAL This was declared void owing to the time limit being exceeded. Kingsbury and Johnson punctured. Schilles and Jones rode out a close finish which the Frenchman apparently won by inches, but the Judge did not officially place the riders.” (The two had recorded 98·2 and 100·8 in the semi-finals, from which only the winners of the four races went to the

abortive final; two of the first-round heats had also been declared void for being too slow.)

As to the athletics events, perhaps the most noteworthy was the famous marathon, in which the Italian Dorando Pietri (to use the most common variant of his name) collapsed in the Stadium and was helped over the line, subsequently being disqualified. The race started at Windsor Castle East Terrace (“700 yards from Queen Victoria’s statue”) and finished in front of the royal box; the odd distance was seemingly not caused by the finishing point itself, which was always intended, but by the fact that at the last minute it was realised that if the competitors ran round inside the Stadium as was initially intended most of the spectators would not see them, so the direction of the track section was reversed.

Some of the instructions to the marathon runners, given the elaborate arrangements made nowadays, are amusing, such as the information that for competitors and officials (aiming at a 2:30 p.m. start) the last train was the 1:03 from Paddington. With reference to standards of dress, the runners were instructed: “Every competitor must wear complete clothing from the shoulder to the knees (i.e., jersey sleeved to the elbows and loose drawers with slips). Any competitor will be excluded from taking part in the race unless properly attired.”

What were the performances of the athletes like, by modern standards? Here are some of the winning performances, with the present world records in brackets: 100m 10·8 (9·58) 200m 22·6 (19·19) 400m 50* (43·3) 800m 1:52·8 (1:40·91) 1500m 4:00** (3:26·00) HJ 1·90 (2·45) PV 3·71 (6·16) SP 14·21 (23·12) JT 54·44 (98·48)

* The 400m was, if anything, even more peculiar than the 1000m bicycle race. Of the sixteen first-round heats (from which the winners only were to go to the second

round) eight had only two starters, one had only one and one had none at all and was (rather superfluously) declared Void. The second round was unremarkable, except that an additional finish tape was placed 2·5 yards beyond the finish so that quarter-mile times could be taken as well. It was in the final that fantasy seems to have taken over. Coming from the second round winners, the final contained three from the U.S.A. and one Briton, W.Halswelle. After allegations of obstruction, the American Carpenter was disqualified; as it appeared that the offence had cost Halswelle his place, the race was declared void and rerun. The two innocent Americans, in a show of solidarity with Carpenter, did not appear at the start and Halswelle “ran over” unopposed in what was loosely recorded as 50 seconds; in the first two rounds he had done 49·4 and 48·4. To say that the ramifications were severe would be to understate the matter, the Americans complaining bitterly that Carpenter had been robbed by British perfidy. They were equally unhappy about the Tug of War, in which they did not approve of the British footwear; all three places went to Great Britain; 1 City of London Police; 2 City of Liverpool Police; 3 K Division, Metropolitan Police. Here, as in other events, the organisation was rather odd; five teams were entered, but only Liverpool Police v U.S.A. entailed any action in Round 1, the other two British teams and Sweden all having byes.

** Some of the times recorded were rather imprecise and others in the Official Report were clearly wrong. They were all given to the nearest fifth of a second (except when the fraction was a half!); I have shown them in the modern

style.

The Games as a whole were sprinkled with mishaps. In one particularly bizarre incident, resulting from the multi-disciplinary nature of the Stadium, one of the judges in the 10 mile walk, presumably manoeuvring to obtain a good view, brought down a Belgian competitor in the 100 kilometres cycle race, which was actually in progress at the same time, both having started at 10:00 a.m.!

On the matter of how much the Games contributed to a spirit of international friendship, who is to say? They are sometimes known as “The Battle of Shepherd’s Bush”

[While not actually being present at the 1908 Olympic Games, your Editor has a highly tenuous link. The Games were a success largely due to the tireless efforts of the President of the British Olympic Council, Lord Desborough, who had been a silver medallist in fencing at the Games of 1906, rowed for Oxford in the Boat Race and served as President of the M.C.C., the Lawn Tennis Association. and the Amateur Fencing Association; he was also the father of the First World War poet Julian Grenfell. In his very first paid employment, the Editor was doing mathematical things at Taplow Court, near Maidenhead, which had been the home of Desborough and his family. (Well, I did say that it was highly tenuous!) A rather less tenuous link between L.A.C. and the village of Taplow is that Loughtonian Chris Salvary was born there. (Terry Wogan and Dusty Springfield once lived there, but there is no record that they ever appeared in the purple and black hoops.)]

The vastness of the Stadium can be judged from the photograph below of the opening parade. The athletes are walking on the running track; the cycle track is the light-coloured banked item outside it. Note the “swimming tank”; the diving boards can

just be seen on its right-hand side, half way along.

(All Official Olympic Reports can be found free of charge at library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/)

CORRECTIONS AND APOLOGIES

With a bang up-to-date journal like Loughton Lines, rushed out against a tight deadline of two months away, there are sure to be one or two slight mishaps.

Due to an apparent attack of cloth ears, your Editor

seems to have misheard George Richardson on the subject of the North of the Thames Cross Country Association Centenary History; there are, in fact, copies available and you may have one from George in exchange for a contribution to the Association

THE WARE CUP

George Richardson reports that, despite the cold – but sunny – weather, there was a record turnout for our cross-country promotion on the 9th December. The field for the Inter-Club Vets’ race early in December had been 20% larger than last year, so Loughton’s promotions still seem to hold their attractiveness. The Editor’s belief is that turning up to an invitation race on the day, taking a number (without an entry fee), running over a decent well-marked course, having a minimalist presentation a.s.a.p. and taking a cup of coffee and a chunk of Doris’s bread pudding (with only a donation to pay if you feel like it) is a lot more inviting than the rigmarole of entering in advance so that your registration credentials can be checked and – from the organiser’s viewpoint – having to obtain a Permit and make a return. A good old-fashioned event; “Here’s your number, over the bridge, three times round, back to the start, have a shower and go home!” Now that the Editor is feeling better after his rant, here are the leading results, L.A.C’s performances and the Team scores.

Men

1 Aaron McReady VPH/TH 27:092 Joe Dale VPH/TH 27:113 George Day (U/20) Orion 27:404 Dan Moses Orion 27:485 Carl Salya-Hammer VPH/TH 28:116 Gary Towers (V40) EM 28:21

L.A.C.

34 Jon Whitehouse (V40) 32:2947 James Lamsden (V55) 35:3064 Jason Sewards (V45) 37:3971 Alan Fricker (V40) 38:4774 Trevor Robinson (V40) 39:18101 Andrew Gwilliam (V40) 49:20

Teams(Four to score)

1 Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets 152 Orion 313 Eton Manor 604 Ilford 1555 Loughton 216

Women

1 Sophie Donges VPH 32:262 Naomi Dews EM 33:273 Annie Byrne VPH 33:324 Hannah oSmani VPH 34:085 Holly Wood Orion 34:316 Taryne McPherson EM 35:35

L.A.C.

12 Lorna Gaffney (V50) 38:0933 Melanie Peddle (V45) 48:50

Teams(Four to score)

1 Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets 152 Eton Manor 253 Orion 604 Ilford 1035 Loughton 121

Pictures of the event from Doris De Souza Brady:

Some of our squad thinks about warming up. Is John Cash trying to help our cause by sending the others off the wrong way?THE MINCE-PIE RELAY, Boxing Day

The highlight of the Club’s winter season, the Mince-pie Relay, was held at Loughton on the 26th December. For those who have not met this event, teams of three run relay-style over a short grassy course, covering six legs in all; apart from the fact that each runner must do at least one leg, the arrangements are up to the team members to do as many or as few as they can negotiate with their colleagues When the sixth-leg runner comes home, the complete team does one circuit of the tennis courts by the Club-house to complete the job, the first to have its three members over the line being the winner.

For fairness (and to avoid the passing of bribes) the team make-ups are decided beforehand by David to try to make things fairly even; he did it very successfully (as always), the first two teams actually being on the tennis court lap together. As it turned out, we were a little short of participants this year and David found himself making up the numbers for Team D.

The result:1 Team D Frida, Jim W., David2 Team C Cliff, Amie, Jean3 Team B Jim H., Irene, Michaela4 Team A Lorna, Fiona, Abi

The formalities of presentations are dispensed with, all competitors, helpers and bystanders flinging themselves upon the tea, coffee, mince-pies, chocolates, truffles, biscuits and other succulents.

What may be a feature unique in the athletic world is that the score-sheet is a length of wallpaper provided by David and Jean and stuck with Blu-tak to the Pavilion wall. (It was an embossed pattern this year, challenging your Editor’s Olympic-level scribing abilities to the utmost.) When the stock is exhausted, presumably they will have to redecorate a bedroom or two to replenish the supply of offcuts.

MORE FROM THE SLIPPING AND SLIDING DEPARTMENT….

2017 slithered to its finish on the 30th December with Chingford League race No. 4 at Alexandra Palace (“Ally Pally” to those in the swim). The Club, with a modest turn-out, pretty well performed at its normal level and David Hobbs points out that it was good to see Lorna maintaining

her fourth position overall in the Supervets Division. (Where do they find these names? Lorna doesn’t look like the Editor’s idea of a Supervet, which is surely an elderly granny who beats up an unsuspecting pickpocket with her walking frame!)

Men

35 Jon Whitehouse 33:2488 David Hobbs 47:53

Team 9th Position after four races 9th Vets’ Team 8th Position after four races 9th

Women

15 Lorna Gaffney 39:3519 Helen Real-Slavicky 41:1439 Jean Hobbs 49:3549 Michaela Davis 57:04

Team 6th Position after four races 6th

Vets’ Team 6th Position after four races 6th

********The Essex League Cross-country match at Writtle

resulted in the normal ladies’ (comparatively) mass turn-out and a team of three on the men’s side as well This is how we fared:

Men

69 Jon Whitehouse 33:32160 Trevor Robinson 41:08201 David Hobbs 49:40

Team 9th Position to date 9th/13 Vets’ Team 17th/24 Position to date 18th/24

Women

34 Freda Petersen 29:15 41 Lorna Gaffney 29:52 96 Irene Petersen 35:43

111 Fiona Petersen 36:28115 Michaela Davis 40:47

Team 2nd Position to date 3rd/11Vets’ Team 13th Position to date 8th/22

********

The Essex League campaign came to an end on the 11th

February at Basildon, on a high note for L.A.C., as our women clinched third place overall in Division 2 and thus earned promotion to the dizzying heights of Division 1.

Men

82 Jon Whitehouse 35:07148 Trevor Robinson 41:24

Team 12th Position Overall 10th Vets’ Team 19th Position Overall 18th

Women

39 Lorna Gaffney 28:30 91 Jean Hobbs 34:16108 Michaela Davis 39:02

Team 8th Position Overall 3rd Vets’ Team 17th Position Overall 11th

The overall results to hand as we go to press do not show all the competitors, so we have to be content with listing Lorna Gaffney (5th V45/V50), Michaela Davis (26th

V45/V50), Jean Hobbs (3rd V65/V70), Jon Whitehouse (16th

V40/V45), Trevor Robinson (29th V40/V45) and David Hobbs (3rd V70+).

….AND STILL MORE – WITH ANOTHER TEAM TO BOOT!

In the Essex Cross-Country Championships at Great Notley on the 6th January, while Jon Whitehouse was coming in a fine 84th place in 51:28 as our only man on the spot, the ladies finished a full team and were half way to having a “B” team as well, with following individuals: 57 Frida Petersen 37:39 73 Caroline Real 39:08122 Irene Petersen 45:14130 Jean Hobbs 46:47

137 Fiona Petersen 48:40148 Michaela Davis 54:00

This finished the team in 21st position (out of 28 closing in) with 382 points, ahead of, among others, the “specialist” Running Clubs, Witham R.C. and Pitsea R.C. This was a very encouraging performance by the Club and, in fact, if we had fielded two more runners finishing in the last two positions, our B team would have been only twelve points behind 28th-placed Tiptree Road Runners “B”.

A FINANCIAL NUDGE – IN CASE YOU’VE FORGOTTEN!

The Club Membership Subscriptions for 2018 have been agreed by the Committee as follows:Senior £51 (less £15 if you DO NOT wish to be registered with England Athletics)Age 16-18 £24Under 16 £20Second claim £18Social member £5(The EA subscription has gone up by £1 since last year.) Can anyone wishing to be EA registered make sure their

subs are paid before the end of March 2018; my address is 32, Parkmead, LOUGHTON, IG10 1LW.

Should anyone wish to help our funds by rounding-up the amount they pay with a donation, it will be most gratefully received by the Treasurer.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO….

….the “all around” event?

Those of our readers who do, fancy doing, or turn faint at the thought of doing, the decathlon, might be interested in a brief glance at the event in the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. There wasn’t actually an event called “Decathlon” but there was a ten-discipline contest called the “All-around Championship”, which seems to have been how it was known in the U.S.A. The schedule included many of the current decathlon items (albeit in imperial rather than metric form) – 100 yards, shot put, high jump, pole vault, 120 yards hurdles, long jump and 1 mile. Compared with the modern decathlon, the discus, javelin and 400 metres were missing; in place of those were the hammer, 880 yard walk and 56 pound weight throw. The weight, which was three and a half times as heavy as the modern men’s shot and hammer, was thrown hammer-style with a handle not much bigger than the weight itself. The throw, which was sometimes contested for height as well as distance, is still pursued, particularly in the United States, Ireland and Scotland.

There were only seven competitors in 1904, five of whom were American, the other two representing the United Kingdom, although one, the winner Tom Kiely, was Irish; at the time, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, in whose colours he had to compete, while always maintaining that he was not British. Being basically a hammer-thrower, Kiely

had a marked advantage in that event and the weight throw, both of which he won.

By way of comparison with today, these were the winning performances, item by item: 100 yards 10·8; SP 12·21; * high jump 1·68; * 880 yard walk 3:59; * HT 36·76; PV 2·97; 120y hurdles 17·8; * weight throw 8·91; LJ 6·07; mile 5:40·0, there being only four competitors left by this point. (* indicates an event won by Kiely). By the scoring tables of the time, Kiely had 6036 to the 5907 of the American Adam Gunn in second place.

And what, to answer the Editor’s own question, did happen after 1904 to the All-around Championship? It was never held again in the Olympic Games; there was no combined event at all in 1908 and the modern-style decathlon appeared in 1912, together with the short-lived pentathlon (LJ, JT, 200m, DT and 1500m), which itself lasted only to 1924. Women, of course, had to wait until 1964 for the appearance of the Olympic pentathlon (80mH, SP, HJ, LJ, 200m); in those early days, pentathletes seem to have been the speed experts, before the event became specialized. The winner and silver medallist were Galina Bystrova and Irina Press, both Soviet hurdlers, and the bronze medallist was the long jumper Mary Rand; the shape of things to come, perhaps, was shown by Mary Peters in fifth place.

SUMMER FIXTURES, 2018

Please note that these are the draft fixtures and that things may change; we’ll try to keep you up to date.AprilSat 14 Southern Athletics League Lee Valley, 12 noon

(Harlow hosts)Sun 29 Loughton Fun Run MayWed 2 Eastern Vets League venue?, 7:00 pmSat 12/Sun 13 Essex Champs Chelmsford?Tue 15 Club Champs, day 1 - 10 000m (S,V M & W LoughtonSat 19 Southern Athletics League Perivale, 12 noon

(Ealing, Southall and Middlesex hosts)Tue 22 Club Champs, day 2 - 200m and 400m Loughton

(all, including Young Athletes races)JuneWed 6 Eastern Vets League venue?, 7:00 pmSat 9 Essex Schools ChampsTue 12 Club Champs, day 3 - 100m and 800m Loughton

(all, including Young Athletes races)Tue 19 Club Champs, day 4 - Walks LoughtonSat 23 Southern Athletics League Parliament Hill, 12 noon

(Highgate hosts)July Wed 4 Eastern Vets League venue?, 7:00 pmSat 7Tue 10 Club Champs, day 5 - 5000m (S/V M & W) LoughtonSat 14 Southern Athletics League Braintree, 12 noon

(Braintree hosts)Sat 15Tue 17 Club Champs, day 6 - 1500m (S/V M & W) LoughtonSat 28AugustWed 1 Eastern Vets League venue?, 7:00 pmSat 18 Southern Athletics League Hemel Hempstead, 12noon

(Dacorum & Tring hosts)Sept Sun 23 or Sun 30 Eastern Vets League Final (if we qualify!) Milton Keynes

There will be no separate Club field event championships this summer. The event winner will be based on best performances in the Southern Athletics League and Eastern Veteran's League.

All Senior Men's and Women's Championship races begin at 7:30pm. Young Athletes Championships will begin at 7:15pm.

Southern Athletics League: Men's Manager - Gavin Harper (07745 206589)Women's Managers - Barbara Higgins (0208 508 3230) and Michaela Davis (0208 508 4435/07780 46 5713)

Eastern Vet's League: Men's Manager - Mike Higgins (0208-508-3230)Women's Manager - Barbara Higgins (0208-508-3230)

All competitors must wear a number, and they must report at least 15 minutes before the start time.

NOTES FROM THE PEDS

(Once upon a time, walkers were known as pedestrians, or “peds” for short.)

No sooner had the Enfield Walking League finished, than it started again, with a five miles at Donkey Lane, Melanie Peddle finishing third woman (48:51), John Borgars twelfth man (52:15) and Peter Cassidy nineteenth man (61:57).

Presentations for the 2017 season were made after the race, with Loughton A.C. taking more than its proportionately fair share. Melanie was third woman (seventh overall), John was second man and first Centurion, Peter twenty-third man and Françoise (who wasn’t able to do more than a couple of races) thirteenth woman. We just missed out on the team awards, finishing in fourth place.

Seán Pender, who was a Loughton second-claimer in the days of the Essex League, has presented a trophy for the “leading” official in the League over the year and in 2017 the honour fell to me, for the second time.

Our own Club’s promotion, the London Open Walks, was on the 4th February (Donkey Lane again!). This year, as in 2017, it incorporated the Southern Race Walking Association Championships because of a double booking at our normal venue in Hillingdon and continuing building works at the usual Southern venue at Sutcliffe Park in Eltham. The turn-out was somewhat disappointing, several of the entrants falling ill just before the day, but our two participants distinguished themselves, John being sixth Senior Man in 67:21 for 10k and Melanie third Senior Woman in the 5k (29:37); she was also second Senior in the

Southern Championships. The London Open includes the Reg Jacobs Memorial Trophy – Reg having been a long-serving member of the Club and founder of the event – in which every finisher counts. It is that strange thing, a theoretical trophy; there was once an actual shield but a few years back the holders lost it and are – at least in theory – still looking for it.

Peter and I are grateful to the Club members who turned out to help with this meeting – George Richardson (timekeeper), David Hobbs (starter, who was also on duty at the Essex Indoor Championships at Lee Valley), Tony Maycraft (results) and Jean Hobbs, who was in command of the refreshments. Former second-claimers Pam Ficken and Ken and Margaret Livermore were also well in evidence and we could never have done it without the assistance of Ron Wallwork of Borough of Enfield and Haringey A.C. and of John Hall of Belgrave Harriers, who used their local knowledge and powers of persuasion to get us the accommodation at fairly short notice – and fairly short cost.

On the 3rd February, that is, the day before her appearance at Donkey Lane, Melanie was in action at Lee Valley, winning the Essex Mile Walk title in 9:09·54 and falling only a second and a half short of repeating last year’s Essex 10k performance of beating all the men as well.

SOCIAL NOTES AND OTHER THINGS

The Club’s Annual Quiz was held on the 20th January at the Loughton Club and was, as usual, a great success. The list of runners and riders has not come to hand, but your Editor can report that his (small) table did not win the Booby Prize of Smarties this time, not because the geriatrics’ knowledge of grunge, garage, pop and all that kind of thing has increased, but because this year’s award to the woefully outdated consisted of lollipops. Thanks and congratulations to the Social Department – largely consisting of assorted De Souza Bradys and Maycrafts – for their continuing efforts.

You will have heard of the reappearance of the Loughton A.C. 100 Club, which is to be a monthly draw held on the first Tuesday of each month. The cost is £2 a month – or £24 a year, if you prefer to pay a lump sum. The “normal” monthly prizes will be as follows: 1st 30% of the contributions, 2nd 15% and 3rd 5%. In June and December there will be enhanced prizes of 50%, 25% and 15%. All profits, of course, will go to Loughton A.C’s funds. Shaun De Souza Brady is the man to contact. (Our policy is not to make our Members’ addresses, etc., public knowledge

without permission, but if you need to know Shaun’s, please contact the Editor, whose details are to be found on the last page.)

Don’t forget to make a note of the date of our Annual General Meeting at 7:30 p.m. on the 19th March at Loughton Club, Station Road, Loughton and, having made the note, don’t forget to come. Items on the Agenda will include Reports from the various Club Sections, Adoption of new Rules, Election of the new Committee and Voting for the Sports Personality of the Year. It’s not a boring old waste of time, it’s not long-winded and it gives you, the Members of L.A.C. the chance to comment on what the Club has done and is going to do. You might even wish to become a member of the Committee and help to run the Club, which again will not take up much of your time; meetings are always on Monday evenings, normally five or six times a year. Excitement should be intense as the first 100 Club draw is scheduled for the A.G.M. Formal Notice of the A.G.M has been circulated to members by Tony Maycraft.

LOUGHTON’S MARATHON MAN, 2018

For those that do not know me my name is Richard Berry and I am honoured to be representing Loughton Athletic Club at the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon.

I discovered my love for running by accident in 2013 when I went to support a friend who was running in that year’s instalment of London’s running major. In actual fact I did not see my friend despite standing on the course for 4 hours but I was inspired by all the runners that passed by me and the support of all the other spectators.

My first steps on my running journey began in the summer of 2013 when a work friend took me to Runner’s Need to buy my first pair of running shoes and after work evening runs followed. Fast forward to 2014 and I had become a regular participant at John Hart’s Tuesday night

sessions meeting at the top of York Hill and had entered and run in my first half marathon (Royal Parks) and marathon (Portsmouth). In the past 3 years I have continued to enjoy both the running and the company on the Loughton AC Tuesday night sessions. Those sessions have been important parts of my training for the various races I have entered in that time.

My aim for London this year is the same as all my previous marathons, just to enjoy the atmosphere and support of the crowd and to finish. A personal best in our capital city would be an added bonus. My secondary objective is to finish ahead of anyone dressed as a rhinoceros!

I hope to see some of you along the route on April 22nd.

MEMBERS’ NEWS CORNER

Our best wishes go to Jo Whiffin, who was taken ill just before Christmas. Happily, we understand that she is making good progress.

Many happy returns for February and March to Jackie Brown, Paul Brown, John Cash, June Chapman, Irene Petrsen, Mary Ryan, Cliff Warren and Jim Whiffin.

A COUPLE OF INFORMATIVE FOOTNOTES

For those who have not come across such strange beings as Centurions, mentioned in Pauline’s piece on The Peds, they are people who, under properly judged conditions, have walked 100 miles within 24 hours. Pauline is one herself, having covered 400 laps of the slightly modified track at Ashton Playing Fields.

If that strikes you as totally barmy and you think that you’ve caught the Editor nodding and making a mistake in “A Good Year for Sport”, he didn’t mean 10 kilometres;

there really was a 100 kilometre cycle race on the 603 metre track; an engrossing 166 laps. Qualification for the final was by way of two heats, one of which had seventeen starters and the other twenty-six. There were seventeen in the final; it appears that there should have been only sixteen, but a Canadian rider was permitted to compete, “having satisfied the judges that he had not been lapped in Heat 2.” To make things a little worse, as the Official Report says, “The track was under water in parts when the seventeen riders made their appearance, and J.H.Bishop was wearing goggles to

protect his eyes from the grit and rain.” Oddly, some photographs in the Official Report (although they may have been posed) suggest that the cyclists rode right-hand inside,

the opposite way to the runners and walkers, who competed in the normal modern left-hand inside fashion. It was all very strange.

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS

George David Pauline Michaela Richard Peter Richardson Hobbs Wilson Davis Berry Cassidy

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PETER CASSIDY

Postal address: Hufflers, Heard’s Lane, Shenfield, BRENTWOOD, CM15 0SF: Telephone: 01277 220687: E-mail Peter.Cassidy@btinternet.com I am generally present at the Club on Tuesdays. All items will be credited to the authors (unless the Editor wrote them) Rates of pay for contributors? You must be living in a dream world,

sunshine; times are hard! Come on, then; I’ve not had much so far! What do you want to say? What do you want someone else to say? What, even, do you want someone to stop saying? All courteously phrased contributions will be greeted with enthusiasm. Now – you can use the rest of this page to draft your contribution; I am on tenterhooks!