Photo no. 101:- What is the significance for the History of Coventry Godiva Harriers has this photo copied from e-bay??
Dear Blog,
I do apologise for not writing for a couple of days, you must really be wondering about what exciting things I have been doing. Basically I have been collecting vitamin D full time, and I do mean full time, from sund arise in da mornin ‘til de going down of the Sun. I had to carefully check Phoebus’ progress from East to South to West to ensure there were no short cuts, or a crafty diversion up North for a quick sunspot or two. Once or twice I had to move as there was a smell of burning. I find that there is nothing as unpleasant as the smell of burning human flesh. When I was nicely done front, back and sides, I went for a trudge. I don’t know about you Blog, but I do find a gentle trudge in the midday searing heat acts as a nice fixative for the stores of vitamin D built up during the mornings.
Oh I nearly forgot …. Yesterday was my wedding anniversary. 41 years Blog. Forty one years. FORTY ONE YEARS. It seems like only forty one years since I walked down the aisle. Did I ever tell you Blog that we had our wedding reception in a castle and cut the wedding cake with a sword? A real sword, Blog, I kid you not. A castle AND a sword. Of course I had the dilemma of what to do to celebrate this memorable event. I asked Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II if she would mind if I could share the weekend’s festivities with her and Phil, but she wrote back telling me to Bog Off, Blog. She said that she could easily find another use for a sword on unruly subjects besides cutting a wedding cake! I won’t vote for her at the next General Election that’s for sure. I shall have to cast my cross for that nice Mr Cameroon again, after alls he has changed his mind on that pasty tax thing after I wrote him a very stern letter, telling him that I had enough expense travelling all the way down to Truro to get my Cornish Pasty without having to pay a substantial fee in taxes every time I wanted a snack. So with the shared party idea a non-starter, how to impress my wife of 41 years Blog? Forty one years. FORTY ONE YEARS. Then I cracked it … you know how she likes to help the Estate gardeners cut the grass, I mentioned it in my last letter to you I think, well I thought of how I could ease her task. She has been struggling for some time pushing her hand mower up and down beneath the trees in the orchard. It is really hard work with her bad knee. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. OBVIOUS really. She is struggling with the hand mower, so what is the solution Blog? Of course. Buy her a metal file to sharpen the blades and not only that, buy her a small can of oil to lubricate the axle so the blades can rotate more freely. Am I brilliant Blog, or am I brilliant? No expense spared on such special occasions. And of course, instead of a romantic meal out in the evening at one of the county’s better restaurants, all she wanted to do was walk up and down, back and forth in the Orchard clipping away to her heart’s content. As I sipped on my wine, a nice little Chateau de Chagrin, in the morning room, I could just see her slow progress back and forth, up and down in the Orchard. I had to call her in when it was getting dark, enough is enough after alls. Anyway, in the gloom, she was tending to go off the straight line cut, which was spoiling the effect of the stripes in the grass pattern. Roll on forty two years. I can hardly wait.
Blog, I am impressed or am I impressed?. I don’t know how you did it, but I am impressed. Very impressed indeed. It has to rank as one of the best tricks ever. Do you use a hat? I told you yesterday that I had onHowsaboutthatthen? So what’s the jam sandwich Blog? How come you have these powers? I mention to you the lack of birds, one only seen in twelve hundred hours plus, a couple of minutes and within eight hours of our communication, I have three dickie birds strolling along in the sunshine waiting for peanuts and birdseed as if nothing had happened; there had been no ***. I’ll tell you what Blog, my wife was not too happy when I sent the butler upstairs to wake her and to tell her that the pheasants needed feeding. I said to her that by using some of the sacks of seed we have stored for months, we would have a little more room to move in the bedroom. She agreed.. I said to her that because she was up so early she may as well help out the gardeners and start to cut the lawns, give them a little surprise when they clocked on for work.I said she should start with the orchard first and the noise from the mower woiuldn’t disturb me too much. I do so hate having a background noise whilst I try to concentrate on the ‘Guardian’.
The post lady delivered my England Athletics’ Licence to run earlier this week ….. I am just going for a trudge to calm down …………..
Well now Blog, there’s a turn up. Tonight whilst out for my trudge I was hailed for the first time inyonks, nay yonks squared … certainly since I have been writing to you. Not many years ago it used to be a common occurrence. What you ask?. Well on my first circuit of the park, which incidentally was stacked out with those ordinary type persons, I passed a group of girls, about 13 or 14ish. Giggles and whispers. Well I don’t have a fly in my shorts so I didn’t have my zip undone, a not uncommon happening when I had to work for a living, believe it or not Blog!!! So why the bashfulness. My athletic body? Blog I kid you not!! My running style a la Sebastian Coe? Blog I kid you not! My flowing locks streaming out behind me in the cooling breeze? I kid you not Blog! I continued my trudge … and on my second lap of the park, said group was still in situ, as they say in Rome. Giggle, giggle, nudge, nudge, wink, wink ….. and then it comes out ‘Go on 118!’ So there you have it, as the Queen might say. When the 118 118 advertisement on the TV was first aired, I was continually having to put up with the ‘118’ comments, mildly annoying at times especially when I was knackered from a long run and it was too much of an effort to raise a single digit, but nothing I couldn’t cope with. Some of the lads down the club bought me an ‘England’ running vest with the number ‘118’ which I didn’t mind, as they were being sold at the time to raise funds for some charity or other. But, as I said to you Blog at the start of my letter, it is a long, long time since the call last went out!!!!!!!! I wonder if the ad is still aired on TV as much as it used to be. Presumably if the girls have suddenly caught on …….. or perhaps I hadn’t seen the mushrooms growing nearby where they were sitting???
Ten days ago the swallows finally arrived and on Tuesday, the swifts appeared … but not a sign of the house martins. And more curious, where have my pheasants gone. Since the end of February, a single visitor on a single occasion. One! Only one!! For a couple of decades now, upwards of a dozen pheasants have visited daily, males and females. Now none. Blog, I don’t get it. There hasn’t been a local shoot for ages as far as I know. It is pretty obvious when a shoot does takes place because of the blasted noise and the beaters traipsing across the nearby fields. I haven’t seen many foxes around; if the number of bunnies in my vegetable garden is indicative of fox population, there ain’t none cos I’ve got lots and lots of bunnies …. and not too many unnibbled greens!!! And I don’t think the badgers are interested in pheasants? Perhaps the local butcher has a contact in the Chinese mafia or in the Italian triads who have contracts with the restaurant trade??? My red legged partridges are back, I am pleased to confirm; I was getting a bit worried as they are late appearing from their winter holidays this year. I expect they will bring the kids round to see me on a brief visit as per usual when they are strong enough. My blue tits have flown as have my great tits .. and the wood pigeons are so randy that you don’t want to know about their antics Blog. Quite embarrassing. Makes me blush it does.
Must finish now Blog, if I want to catch the evening post … will conclude tomorrow.
Photo 101:- Steam trains used to chuff, chuff along here, then it was the site of Europe’s super coal pit before Maggie buried the miners; now it is a cycle path, but watch out because a 180mph high speed train is due any time now.
Busy, busy, busy Blog. In my last little missive to you Blog, I told you that I had presented the awards at the Joe O’Brien Memorial Run at the War Memorial Park, in Coventry on Tuesday. Wednesday, was spent helping to dole out future health problems to young kids by selling them sacksful of sugary sweets at an Inter Schools Competition at the Coventry Track at the University of Warwick where we have our clubhouse / cafeteria; all profits from sales help to fund the good work done by Coventry Godiva Harriers in fostering an interest in athletics amongst the young people of the city. Thursday, followed by Friday as usual, was devoted to a trudge or two, going here there and everywhere trying to find some sun; it was a failure. Have you ever cut your lawn in a mackintosh Blog? Especially if it is tipping it down with rain.
Up nice and early with the larks on Saturday to have an early breakie to give myself plenty of time to trudge to Kenilworth to watch my younger daughter relay run the Kenilworth Hilly 10 kilometres; at the best of times, it is a punishing race run around the Abbey Fields; this year it was made worse by the wet long uncut grass making underfoot conditions none too safe. Her three man [two women and a man] team won easily. I trudge to and from the race via the proposed route of the high speed train track from London to Birmingham onwhich Sustrans is building a connecting cycle path between the University and Kenilworth; the high speed train project will cost mega bucks but will save the travellers a vital 40 minutes, so that’s alright then Blog. 40 minutes. FOUR ZERO minutes!! Blog, I kid you not. Years back when I used to organise four ‘5’ mile races per year, I used to run this route with a bag on my back containing race flyers to dish out to finishers of the race. After Tuesday, I was expecting to be asked by the organisers of the Kenilworth Hilly 10 kilometre race to present the awards but the invitation never materialised; presumably the organisers had not heard of the superb job I did on Tuesday. I expect they will be on the telephone on Monday to book me up for next year. Little tip for you Blog => earwigging this morning, I had trouble containing myself. Achilles problem has got some athlete. Had it a long time. From the back the ‘physio’ says. Look at your tight socks boyo. Training and work and leisure socks. They might be the cause, restricting blood flow to aid recovery. Look at your work shoes, not your trainers, your WORK shoes. Worn down. Oh the ‘physio’ only wanted to see the wear on your trainers. Well there is a surprise. Well there is a surprise, I repeat; worn down work shoes and tight socks, a recipe for Achilles tendon problems, all Greek athletes know that!!! As Luke said “Don’t waste your quids on ‘physios’, heal thyself!”. Tomorrow sees a return to the track at Stoke on Trent for a Young Athletes League. So busy, busy, busy, am I busy Blog?
Oh yes Blog, and have you seen that I have been providing three explanatory pieces for the Historic Coventry super highway thingy and another for the Keighley History Society Forum. At this rate, I am not going to have time to write to you Blog or raise money for the Tiny Tims Children’s Centre which provides facilities for disable children … and remember Blog, those spare places going for the Great North Run and the Birmingham Great Run. In January last year, I only let you be my friend to get some quids out of you. Fat chance!!!
Presumably I have mentioned to you this habit of words coming into vogue, haven’t I Blog.Absolutely. Of course we have the elephant in the room, the room no doubt having a glass ceiling. Absolutely. Of course the white van man has driven off down the road yonks ago with the new kid on the block in the back, no doubt. Absolutely. So I am pleased to observe that, NEW, NEW, NEW, along with General Motors new investment in the Astra at Ellesmere Port, that the slow car crash is happening where ever you look! ABSOLUTELY. Greece according to the economists is heading for a slow car crash; Ranger F.C. in particular and Scottish football in general according to football pundits, are heading towards a slow car crash. Absolutely. Where will the next accident happen?? A slow car crash somewhere?? Watch the TV and listen to the radio carefully Blog and let me know.
Colin
Fact: Am I the first person to receive their Olympic tickets Blog? I am according to my post lady when she made the delivery yesterday!!!
Today I was given the honour of starting the Joe O’Brien Memorial Race at the War Memorial Park in Coventry, and also of presenting the awards to the various winners afterwards. Nearly 100 police men and women from the local force turned out to honour the memory of Joe. Joe died 30 years ago while on duty.
Joe was a community policeman in Coventry and was knocked down and killed as he marshalled a Fun Run on his patch. The initial trial of the motorist who drove the car into Joe caused a stir at the time and was regarded as a disgrace, the motorist being found not guilty of careless driving but later, a different judge made the motorist pay damages to Joe’s widow. He had two children.
Joe was a member of my club Coventry Godiva Harriers. He must have joined a couple of years before me, roundabout 1965. He was a member of the walking section at a time when Godiva was indeed a very strong walking club. He was a regular member of the scoring team, walking at all distances, including competing in events such as the National 20 miles Championships. Usually about the 3:05:00 mark for the ‘20’, which means he was able to walk at a faster pace than I managed to trudge at the London Marathon last year ….. so if you are up there and watched this afternoons race, Joe, think about me in next year’s London and give us a few tips, please.
About 33 years ago, another Godiva Harrier, Jack Selby, who is about to celebrate his 95th birthday was knocked down in a hit and run accident. It was a quiet Saturday morning. Luckily a policeman on his way to work, saw Jack on the ground and saved his life by administering CPR. When I went down to visit Jack in Hospital, walking along the ward to Jack’s bed, who should I pass in another bed, wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy, with eyes bulging and a face (what you could see of it), all the colours of the rainbow, was Joe; a victim of a violent affray in the City. I went to chat with him and he asked what I was doing there. I told him about Jack and said he was a couple of beds away. Not concerned for the state he was in, Joe got the nurses to push him along to see Jack and cheer him up …. It was a toss-up who was in a worse state. But that was the sort of bloke Joe was … he cared about others.
Yesterday was another beautiful day Blog. One of the joys or trudging on an early Sunday morning is the peace and quiet. No one else was around on the deserted country lanes. Even the M6 which is a couple of miles away hardly creates a drone, the noise from the A45 over the hill is nothing but a slight hum which you would not notice if you were unaware of the road’s presence.
After a shower, it was over to the Saffron Lane Athletics Track in Leicester for the second part of the joint county championships; specifically I went over to watch my elder daughter run the 2000m steeplechase. She made a valid point about the event. A couple of years back, the steeple was accepted as an acceptable official recognised event for women, so why is it not part of the Midland Women’s Track League programme? Yes there is usually an open event, but not one where a club can gain points in the league competition. The pathetic excuse is that not many women run the event; tell me all about the chicken and egg please Blog. The League administrators quite happily let a pole vault competition take part for days never ending with a very few women competitors, many of a poor standard. It is quite acceptable for five officials to be occupied for hours and hours and hours while the event painfully proceeds through small centimetre increments as the bar creeps slowly skyward. But will they League administrators grasp the nettle and introduce the steeplechase into the league programme? Will they nelly!!! Another case of weak leadership from England Athletics or whoever implements such things. Anyway my daughter duly got a county medal. The same fate that befell one of the youngsters on Saturday at the water jump happened to the sole competitor in the younger age group race. She fell so badly that an official went to her aid. After a little reassurance to a great roar of encouragement from spectators and competitors, she picked herself up and completed the race. Well done to her. If you flick back through my correspondence to you Blog, you will find a photo of an incident at the Yorkshire Championships at the Huddersfield track the home of Longwood Harriers. The photo was featured in the News of the World, Blog, I kid you not.
Before I left the Leicester track, I went up to have a last look at the crater that was the velodrome to have a little cry by myself. So sad.
Playing roly-poly on the steep grass banking on the back straight, I noticed a red kite in the sky. Now if someone had told me they had seen a red kite in the sky above the city of Leicester, I would have said that they were telling me porkies. If I had told my son in law, who is a keen ornithologist that I had seen a red kite in the sky above the city of Leicester, there is no way that he would have believed me, Blog. A red kite in such circumstances is a nono, with a capital ‘N’. LUCKILY when I saw the red kite in the sky above the city of Leicester I was able to turn to my son in law who was photographing the kids roly-polying down the steep grass banking and say “Look there is a red kite in the sky above the city of Leicester.” My son in law who is a keen ornithologist looked up into the sky above the city of Leicester and confirmed that indeed the bird was a red kite. He told me that if he had he not been there to witness the bird himself, he would not have believed me when I told him that I had seen a red kite in the sky above the city of Leicester. Strange world we live in Bloggy.
From what I said to you last week Blog about the iniquities of some of the mobile home site owners, I was interested to see a huge bill board at the side of the M69 advertising ‘Retirement Homes in a Leisure Park’, sounds so much better than a ‘mobile home park’? Let us hope that the tenents are treated better!
Nice weather for a trudge today, methinks. I am now trudging so slow that my wife has hired a bloke to walk in front of me with a red flag while I trudge. I told her that I am not an old crock, a veteran car … in the early days of the automobile, a red flag bearing gentleman in front of said car was a legal requirement for safety reasons! She said that that was the reason she had hired the bloke … for safety reasons. My safety. If I fell over and did some damage, he could summon help if it was serious; if it wasn’t, he could have a rest until I had recovered enough to trudge on. I do think the old gentleman appreciates the employment, however. It may be only an hour or so a day but it gives him a focus in his life. And the small fee my wife pays him goes towards supplementing his old age pension. I must confess that I find it most annoying on the frequent occasions I have to tell him to slow down. Each time it happens, I think his fee should be reduced pro rata.
It was the first part of the country track championships today Blog. Warwickshire County combines with Leicestershire and Rutland to hold a joint Championships with medals awarded to each separate county winner. The meeting was held at the track in Leicester, Saffron Lane. Did you know Blog that the first all-weather track in this country was built at Saffron Lane? The porous surface that was laid down turned out to be too thin and, because it was such a novelty, no one knew for certain what size spikes to wear. In reality, no spikes were really suitable. The result was that athletes ended up either blistered or with seriously aching feet from the pressure of the spikes. Too often the spikes were too long and the track got ripped! The first appointed manager was a Godiva club mate, European and Commonwealth Marathon Champion and Olympic marathon fourth placer, Brian Kilby. The complex also included a velodrome, with spectator stand and state of the art surface. What a state it was in on my last visit; neglected infield, ruined stand, wrecked surface, the whole area debris strewn. Clearly unused for years. Today, all that exists is an enormous weed covered hole, the concrete steps which linked both sporting venues stand in splendid isolation, the flight of steps lead to nowhere, a pointless climb to view nothing. Sad. Really sad, Blog. An unusual feature of the stadium was the building of the steeplechase water jump on the outside of the track rather than the more usual siting on the inside top bend. Alexander Stadium, the home of Birchfield Harriers in Birmingham, has a similar arrangement. A couple of years ago I had an on-going discussion with a senior member of NUTS about the water jump in steeplechases. YAWN. As I started in athletics as a steeplechaser, I claimed that the distribution of effort in a race would be different for the different sitings of the water jump. And because the spacing of hurdles would be different, records for an inside / outside jump should be considered separately, because the events were not the same. YAWN. He disagreed. YAWN. I pointed out the case of the water jump in Eugene, USA, where the barrier is basically just off the end of the back straight. What would happen if a world or national record was set on such a track? Would it count as valid?? YAWN. I do believe a book is to be published on the steeplechase very soon by the NUT. Note Blog, I TOLD YOU FIRST. I kid you not. Make a note of the date!!!!Yawn. Sorry Blog, my apologies … NUTS is an acronym for National Union of Track Statisticians. An association of anoraks to you Blog!! A dedicated band of athletic enthusiasts to me, Blog.
The senior steeplechase at the county championships had only one competitor. He bravely ran the race by himself. Do you know Blog, the finish for both steeplechases was in the back straight. The officials forgot to take the bell with them across the track from the usual finish. The bell is rung to signal the start of the last lap. Although they had time to rectify the situation before the race started, they couldn’t be arsed. An official shouted “tingalingaling” as the runners passed for the final 4oom. Blog, I kid you not!!Watching the 1500m steeplechase for youngsters …. The lead runner came to the water jump on his penultimate lap, his spikes caught on the top of the barrier as he went over and he belly flopped face down into the water. All due credit to him, undeterred he bravely sprang up and continued his race. On the last lap he showed no hesitation as he approached the final water jump, his spikes caught on the top of the barrier as he went over and he belly flopped face down into the water. All due credit to him, undeterred he bravely sprang up and continued his race. Blog I kid you not. I don’t think I would have showed the same degree of aplomb as he did.
I only hope my elder daughter doesn’t have the same problem tomorrow when she runs the steeplechase at the same county championships.
So Blog, that’s the cross country out of the way for another six months or so. And now to the track and road ….
You probably are aware that, until a few years ago, the men and women’s competitions on both track and over the country were kept apart, never the twain to meet. Each year, one week my wife would race the Midland Women’s Cross Country Championships and I used to run around cheering her on – the following week I would ran the Midland Men’s Cross Country Championships and she used to run around and cheer me on. Two weeks later we repeated the process; one week she would run in the Women’s National Cross Country Championships and I cheered her on and the following week I would run in the Men’s National Cross Country Championships and she used to cheer me on!!! One particular year, presumably because of the way the calendar panned out, we ran on the same day miles apart in our respective National Championships …. It was complicated but we met up to travel home together. The meeting place was a service station somewhere on the M6, quite romantic!!!!!! She was dropped off and I picked her up!!!!!!!!!
One of the features of all road and cross country races in those far off days, was the sale of athletic kit and running shoes from the backs of a cars by several different runners all vying for custom. The car boot grew into a small van, the small van into large van, the large van then got a trestle table, the trestle table then moved indoors, the indoors moves to mail order and finally, the retail sector was born healthy when the first joggers shuffled down the streets with quids jangling in their lycra bottoms.
So, let us imagine … turn the clock back to a time when the men’s league and the women’s leagues took place at different times in different places, sometimes on the same day sometimes on different days …. But the kit cars were there!!! The only difference was that the women had to put up with some appalling courses …. Read on………….
1990 or sometime thereabouts … two men deep in conversation on a Friday afternoon in the gathering gloom of a winter’s day.…….
“LOOK, if the ladies are racing here tomorrow we have got to get this course sorted out today. Agreed?”
“Agreed”.
“Right then. I suggest that we have the ‘Start’ here, which means that they can use the two miles from the school they are using for changing, as a warm up …”
“….and the two miles back as a warm down-brilliant”.
“Have you checked with the caretaker about using the school?”
“Yes – we can have the one small changing room. You know, that grubby smelly one where the showers don’t work.”
“I know, the one we tried to give to the men last month and we nearly got lynched until we agreed to open up both gyms and the new shower block. Lucky we could use the sports hall as well or they’d probably have killed us.”
“Thank goodness, we won’t have that expense this time. You know, thinking about it, if we shift the start line a little this way, the field will head straight from the start for those big oak trees after about 50 metres, it will split the field right apart. Those that go to the left go through that gorse while the others will have to be careful going overs those broken house bricks. The rubble is from that other small changing-room, you know, the one that was blown down in that gale. After the storm, the council never did repair the roof properly on the one we’re using, did they? Can be right draughty at times.”
If we send the field through that narrow gateway just past the oaks, it will funnel the field back together again. It’ll also give those that don’t get a fast start a chance to get their breath back while they wait to get through …”
“… and the very slow ones that got left at the start will have time to catch up. Brilliant.”
“We must be careful which marshal we put by the gate. Some of the words the women use – can’t half swear some of them y’know.”
“Sending them through the gateway will save us knocking down the fence like we had to do for the men.”
“We could send them along that narrow concrete path next to the barbed wire fence… they shouldn’t damage their spikes too much on the concrete. Better warn them to look out for the electric fence though; health and safety and all that. Anyway we don’t want too much torn kit, do we?”
“Or torn flesh … can’t stand the sight of blood myself. Nor young girls crying.”
“After the path, let them wade through that stream. It’s not too muddy and anyway, the water should’ve gone down a bit by tomorrow if we don’t get any more rain.”
“I wanted to send the men through there you know, but they reckoned it was too dangerous, not being able to see the rocks under the water. In the end, it was easier to miss it out ‘cos they weren’t too happy about the concrete path either. They finished up just running around the school playing fields and the parkland. Anyway, if we bring the girls along that shale roadway, across those ditches, through the small gap in the hawthorne hedge, down the wet part of the plough and back up this side of the hill, it means they can have a fast downhill run along this road side verge before they cross back over the tarmac to the start/finish area.”
“Having the start and finish in the same place?”
“Oh yes, I think so. Don’t you? We don’t want to make things too difficult for the officials. It’ll mean that they can drive from the school and park their cars here alongside the road. Which reminds me of two more things. Number one - parking is for officials only. Number two. Must remember to ask the farmer to shift his cows.”
“Three laps for the seniors?”
“Yes, three laps should be about right, I reckon.”
“Oh we must try to remember to see the police about stopping the traffic while the race is in progress. It might be a bit difficult because the City have a cup match on their ground just over there and all the supporters come this way to get to the ground. But we had better try I suppose.”
“First Aid?”
“No not really … we already have our permit and if there is a problem, there’s usually somebody about to help.”
“We have got all the jobs allocated then?”
“Yes, I think so. What are you doing?”
“Oh I’ll be selling my kit as usual. And you?”
“Me … I told you. City have a cup match on their own ground over there.”
Photo no. 98:- So who is this lookalike? Or is it a lookalike? Is it my bruv??
Dear Blog,
And today we have no track meeting!!! I did introduce a ‘MayDay 5’ a few years ago to be held on May Day. It was a 5 mile race around the War Memorial Park in Coventry at a time when no one used the paths for running races; on the Jubilee Anniversary of the opening of the War Memorial Park, the Council offered a small sum in sponsorship and gave medals and certificates for a Fun Run for kids. The War Memorial Park has the large War Memorial in the formally laid out section of the park, and most trees have a plaque at the base of the trunk dedicated to the fallen in the two World Wars, including more than one Godiva member. Latterly, this exclusivity to the fallen of the two great wars has given way to plaques commemorating particular ex-service men in general; the club member who help reform the Ladies Section of Godiva harriers and who was instrumental in organising the Warwickshire Track activities for a number of years, has a tree dedicated to his memory; his ashes are scattered at the start of the 100m straight at the running track, a fitting place considering the time he spent coaching the sprinters at the club at the Butts Stadium. The May Day race was not held this year, partly as a consequence of the never ending weekly series of 5 kilometre fun runs held every Saturday around the War Memorial Park …. and of course, not to forget the free entry the fun run offers.
Saturday was the first Midland Counties Track League for men and women at Stoke-on-Trent. Freezing cold, but there was the consolation of the Stoke club having the use of a grandstand; needless to say, it was built mainly for the local amateur football club that plays their games inside the track arena. A sign of the times when the local athletics club has just had its yearly rent increased 300%. THREE HUNDRED PERCENT; which is slightly more than that nice Mr Cameroon’s rate of inflation? It is a good job that Stoke is a city of high wages and full employment; otherwise the club might find it difficult to pay. Sunday was the occasion of the Young Athletes League at Coventry; I changed into kit there before I went for a trudge in the sunshine. It was worth noting that (1) the changing rooms were filthy following a football match from the previous afternoon. What is it about footballers? Run round any park after a game and you see piles of litter; contrast that with the leagues at both Stoke and Coventry where there was the minimum amount of debris left, certainly nothing excessive. (2) At Coventry the parking was chaotic; on the roadside verges, on the pavement and worst of all, in the dedicated reserved spaces for ‘Disable Parking’. Now that is plain rude; downright inconsiderate. I could manage by using the car park at the back of the track for my grandson who uses a chair; but supposing I couldn’t? Suppose I was disabled? This car park was free to everyone, plenty of spaces and about 100m from the track, certainly a shorter walk than the idle individuals who were double parked at the bottom of the car park adjacent to the track, or those parked out on the public highway. (3) The number of kids who were filling in events ‘just for a point’ seemed considerable. I could see the kids were keen on their competition and did it for their club as a club event and some didn’t mind filling in; other clearly did, and I regarded that as a mild form of bullying. The day before, the same thing happened. For adults I cannot condone ‘filling in for a point’ when the time /distance / height achieved is pathetic; pathetic Blog, with a capital ‘P’. How can someone justify their endeavour as an athletic performance when they just manage to get the hammer onto the grass to record a distance, or someone who has to ask for the high jump bar to be lowered at the start of competition so that a height can be recorded, is beyond me. Take for example when I have filled in for the hammer, the high jump, the javelin, the shot in Midland Leagues …. obviously I was the ‘B’ string (but only just, sometimes), but ironically although I was only ‘doing it for a point’, I was achieving more points than a good class track runner, so poor was my opposition; how can this be considered to be valid league competition?? I was embarrassed to perform at such a level and be rewarded for so doing. Pathetic. And it goes on in every league competition at every age group up and down the country. Is this really what athletics should be about? UK Athletics or whoever is in charge, (England Athletics?) should grasp the nettle for a change, show a bit of leadership and introduce a minimum standard for a point(s) scored to be valid; it need not be Olympic Qualifying Standard, but at least it would make competition more meaningful than at present.I went to a committee meeting sometime back, full of important people … and me. A motion was passed giving a grant of £9000, I am pretty sure that that was the amount granted though I stand to be corrected, for a handicap system to be developed and run out across the country.(no pun intended Blog.) I assumed it was to be based on the old fashioned handicap racing system f yesteryear, the one used when I started. But it looks as if it metamorphosed into this strange hybrid that is ‘runbritain’ which fails to inspire? Ok if you are interested, but it is impassive, not a handicap on the ground in real time that inspires competitive competition as it happens. What a wasted opportunity????
I saw a case of adult bullying at the running club a few weeks ago and when intervention took place, the person doing the bullying was clearly oblivious of what was being done, was a real case of bullying and certainly not just a case of micky taking. It was cruel, pure and simple. Did you see the conclusion of the case concerning the old people who were harassed into selling their mobile homes for £1 in the newspaper reports of last week? With no home, the pensioners had to be rehoused by the local authority because the old people had no money left, having been swindled out of their life savings and sole investment. The perpetrators were jailed after a two year long investigation by the police. I thought that sort of criminal activity had ceased long ago. In another life, a long time ago, when I lived in a caravan, I was involved with the activities which site owners employed to get rid of tenants. (N.B. I lived in a caravan not a mobile home; in a caravan you froze to death in winter and suffered heat stroke in summer; you didn’t in a mobile home which enjoyed the benefits of a ‘normal’ house!!) The mobile home owners of the late 60s still suffered from Rachmanism. Legislation had been passed in Parliament earlier in the decade which purported to curb the worst excesses of landlords of the Peter Rachman ilk, but the act did not include anyone who lived on a mobile home site. An attempt (a private members bill?) was made to broaden the legislation to include mobile home dwellers, but the only way to ensure success was to adopt a Liberal Party amendment which included a clause to provide added security for travellers and the need for local authorities to provide sites where travellers could camp. Because the parliamentary majority was wafer thin for the ruling party, the backing of the Liberals was a requirement for the Bill to pass through both Houses of Parliament. The fact that people who lived in mobile homes paid their taxes, paid their rates and obeyed the law of the land while travellers might not do any of these three, did not seem to matter to our political masters. The law was enacted but the owners of mobile parks did exactly what Rachman did to his tenants; found new subtle ways of harassing and in some cases terrorising them. The National Mobile Homes Residents Association did what it could to protect vulnerable tenants, but the tenants lived on private sites and were more than reluctant to put their head above the parapet for fear of further victimisation. Many site owners retailed electricity at an inflated price (illegal), they made tenants pay local rates (illegal until 1973), they made tenants pay excessive ground rent which increased uncontrollably year on year eventually forcing tenants to sell up when fees exceeded income; and because second hand homes had little actual value as new sites were unavailable for resiting, the homes fetched a paltry amount, scrap value. The vacated site was soon filled with a brand new home, the site owner receiving a fat fee from the manufacturer as well as another substantial payment from the new gullible tenant. If an old home was sold on site a huge percentage was demanded from the seller to facilitate the deal to go through. Gas had to be bought from the site owner, again at an inflated price (illegal). Although against the law, the tenants were at the mercy of the site owners who were nearly all members of an Association, the name of which escapes me. They policed themselves and went through the motions of legal operation!! I was a member of the executive which tried to sort problems of site tenants. Our hands were tied. Tenants were too scared to complain for fear of reprisals and we couldn’t act without their backing. Meetings could not be held on site as it was private owed land. If a local hall was hired for a meeting for tenants to discuss their predicament near one of the troublesome sites, the sight of the site-security guard seated with a clip board recording names of residents attending, did nothing to boost attendance. When an individual or group complaint came in, an increase in site membership of the NMHRA was a requirement if any meaningful action was to be attempted.A successful outcome of that action meant solidarity amongst site residents. To gain more members on a site, we had to try a recruitment campaign, achieved by means of a leaflet drop; the sites were privately owned, our presence on site would be deemed as trespass. So a Sunday morning was always chosen for obvious reasons. Early on a Sunday morning, usually with the aid of a member living on site, a group would enter the site and target as many homes as possible, posting information on leaflets shoved as fast as possible into as many letterboxes as possible before the site guard with his dogs invariably came on the scene. No mobile phones in those days, so, being a Sunday morning, the guard had to cope on his own until reinforcements had time to assemble. And my job? A decoy who had to coax the guard into believing he could catch me, leaving the others free for a few more valuable minutes to get rid of more leaflets. It was never too long before the guard got fed up and released the dogs. It was common knowledge that the doge had to be well trained to be released otherwise the site owners would have been in serious trouble if injury was caused by the dogs, trespass or not. Once the dogs were unleashed, you had to stop still, put your arms by your sides and not look at the dogs. Was that scary, Blog, or was that scary Blog??? S**t scary, believe you me Blog, with a capital ‘S’. In fact, two capital ‘S’s!!!! We were escorted off the site. Not once was action pursued in the courts against us for trespass, as it was not in the site owners’ interest to arouse public interest into what was taking place on their sites, what tricks they were up to. I was the decoy because I was the fittest and perhaps could maintain the guard’s interest longest!!! With hind sight, we achieved very little in the time I was involved. When such events did get into the press, everything was watered down and interest focused on the travelling communities who took over the agenda. And just think Blog, if I was stuck in the rates scam, the gas scam and the electricity scam, what chance had a poor old lady have who was terrorised by the agents of an unscrupulous site owner?
I did meet an old friend yesterday who I had not seen for some time … he reminded me of the race on cinders at Nuneaton when he just beat me on the dip in a half mile race; the race he said had been won by my son in law …. But he has no recollection of the event when I asked him when the family came to dinner tonight; it was pleasing because, not keeping a record of my own times, he was able to tell me the finishing time, which was notably quicker than I thought I had ever run a half mile!!! Then I was reminded of a half mile run the Butts Stadium in Coventry in a ‘bob-a-nob’, again on cinders, when I was just beaten by another fellow club mate in an even faster time. The way my times were coming down, I was wishing it hadn’t been a club reunion ….
Photo no. 97:- Dead easy. Ebenezer Square. But which was the house in which I spent the first decade plus of my life? What was this area of the town called? What was the mill in the foreground called? What did it make? What was the name of the Chapel… and why does the second building (just visible on the left), actually the chapel, stand back from the other? What has the Worth Valley Railway to do with it???
Deja vu, Blog, deja vu.
Boyho, boyho…. Around and around we go and get nowhere ……………… Fall over October, crack a collarbone??? Possible. The pain, the pain. Trudging but going nowhere fast.
Marchish, put on spikes to try a few strides, fall over, crack a couple of ribs???? Possible. The pain, the pain. Trudging after a time but going nowhere slowly.
Yesterday. Been here before Blog??? Put on spikes to try a few strides and set a Personal Best ……A personal best at my time of life? Possible. The pain, the pain.
The session:- couple of miles warm up to track. Put on spikes. 10 laps strides. Couple of miles warm down. And the Personal Best you ask Blog??
Well the good news is … I did not fall over once.
The bad news is … I fell over twice.
Did I fall over or did I fall over. Yes I did. Yes I did. Twice. Blog I kid you not. Crashing to the track TWICE. The pain, the pain.
The good news is …. Did not crack a single thing.
The bad news is ….. I can hardly move my neck.
The good news is … I could not spend the rest of the day in bed, recovering.
The bad news is … I could not spend the rest of the day in bed, recovering.
The good news is that Hercules was only busy for a day
The bad news is that I’ve been shovelling away since last October and trudging nowhere. But you wait Blog. Wait till I get cracking … just you wait.
Fancy a trip down Memory Lane or a quick flip up the Super Highway?
I believe 1886 was a good year for Sauvignon Blanc, won the Grand National at Doncaster as a rank outsider at ten to one on???
~ ~ Jan 2nd The Times reported that the ‘weekly runs will be looked forward to with increasing interests [to the championships]. The muster was a good one and most of the crackswere out.’ A.Mills and G.Harris set off 20 minutes before the pack (J.E.Hickman, E.Lewin (capt), C.Smith, W.J.Mills, A.Davoile, S.Jones, F.W.Smalley, A.Gupwell, C.Marlow, H.Davoile, C.Mortimer, J.Hewitt, W.Sharpe, F.Alexander, I.Clay and A.Tye.) ‘having sped on their way, laid about one of the finest trails they have had this season.’ [Notice the change in terminology in the next few weeks...]. H.Q. to Earlsdon Jetty, to Whor Lane cross country to Kirby Corner, plough fields to Tile Hill, left at the main road and back again via Kirby Corner, cross country to Earlsdon and home, ‘a good spin of ten miles’.
~ ~ Jan 9th. It was announced that the handicap from Nuneaton tom Coventry had been postponed for a few weeks, but there is no evidence of it ever having taken place. The postponement might have had something to do with the severe weather conditions. The Times reported that ‘not daunted by the frost, the handicap course was taken. the following braved the elements; F.H.Dalton (deputy capt.), A.Davoile, F.W.Smalley, A.Tye, I.Clay, W.J.Podbury, W.Sharpe, C.Daly, J.O.Mills, S.Jones, F.Alexander and W.Goddard.
~ ~ Jan 30th. With the Midland looming, ‘a final trail of about eleven miles over splendid hunting country, with a view to testing the pack.’ The top four (Hickman, Smith, W.J.Mills, E.Lewin) were given the bags. The packwas A.Davoile, Williamson, J.O.Mills, A.Mills, Smalley, Gupwell, Marlow, Dalton, Clay, Jones, Podbury, Sharpe, G.Harris, Goddard, W.Lewin, M.Read, Mortimer, Hewitt, Alexander.
~ ~ The following week, Godiva provided 22 runners for a combined run over 8 miles with Birchfield and Edgebaston in Birmingham, although Edgebaston only managed 3 starters. Birchfield had Snook, Thornton, Savage and Slyn out so it was hardly surprising that the pace was ‘clipping’ and the field was in ‘straggling order before half the distance had been traversed. .. A large number of spectators assembled to witness the start and finish.’ where the first four were Hickman, Mills, Snook and Savage. The evening was spent ‘in harmony’ with Podbury in the chair assisted by W.W.Alexander, C.Smith and R.Hewitt from the respective clubs.
~ ~ Feb. 20th The club finally ‘decided to send a team to represent the city of three spires in the National Championships.’ (Times Feb. 24th) after the ‘final run prior to the championships.’ They covered 12 miles ‘with plenty of plough.’
Not only were the clubs like Birchfield and Godiva having varying degrees of financial difficulties, the Midland Association ‘was in want of funds’ and were helped out of the championship staging costs by Long Eaton Athletic Grounds Society who ‘came forward with a free offer of the use of their grounds for this occasion.’ The Athletic News (23rd Feb.) predicted that ‘If assiduous training and perseverance has anything to do with the result then the representative from the “City of 13 spires” (sic) may properly expect to occupy the premier position., They will come to the post thoroughly trained, and, what ever the result may be, they are certain to make a very close race.... Hickman had done very little running of late ... J.O.Mills .. great things are expected of him .... C.Smith ..is so enthusiastic in the sport .... Lewin, if he can stand the rough country, should be in the first flight .... Smalley is said to be a veritable “demon” across country’. Of the result Godiva were second (56 pts => 2. J.E.Hickman, 4. E.Lewin,11. W.J.Mills, 12.C.Smith, 13. C.Marlow, 14. J.O.Mills (Davoile ref: Times! J.O. as 30th), and also entered A.Tye, 22. A.Gupwell, Sid and 16. Sam Jones and F.Smalley, res. F.Dalton, J.Mortimer.) to Birchfield’s 33 points, the club also having the ex Moseley National champion in first . (Snook 47 mins)
After the race the Athletic News (Mar 2nd) was rather scathing in its reporting about the Godiva performances. ‘The Godiva team cut up rather in differently .. they were, so to speak never in the hunt, the result being that they suffered a crushing defeat.. the Coventry men were some what over trained..’. As to the race ‘The Coventry lad stuck to the National champion in the most persistent manner, but when about a mile from home, the “Little Wonder” tested the Godiva representative the utmost degree, and though the latter put forth every effort, he was unable to respond when the vital time arrived, and Snook commenced to rapidly draw away, and was never again in danger of being collared, finishing up as fresh as paint about 100 yards in front of Hickman.’. The Sporting Chronicle commented that ‘W.J.Mills and C.Smith .. showed symptoms of staleness, the result of too much training. Hickman ran as he always does - brilliantly, and with excellent judgment. E.Lewin also showed better form... C.Marlow turned up a trump card [for his fine run].’ (Mar 2nd) 10 teams and 98 runners started in ‘glorious weather to cover the two laps of stiff country interrupted several times by the windings of the river Erewash.’ (Times Mar 3rd)
Note inpassing that J.Birch (Walsall) was 6th In the ‘82 race, he had finished one behind Hickman. After the Hickman’s terrible misfortunes of the ‘90s, it was his friend Birch who was to help out.
~ ~Mar. 5th Godiva finally got their act together andfielded a team. in the National Cross Country Championships. (see accompanying article). It was noted in the National sporting press that Godiva was the only team made up of local runners!! (‘Sport and Play’) 6 teams ran at Croydon, Godiva2nd team (63 pts=> 1. J.E.Hickman, 5. C.Smith, 6. E.Lewin, 10. W.J.Mills, 18. A.Devoile, 23.C.Marlownon-counters 26.A.Gupwell,?? J.O.Mills) withBirchfield 1st (50 pts).
National Cross Country, Croydon Racecourse
The morning which promised a fine and glorious day failed to keep that promise (writes our own reporter), and heavy clouds obscured a view of that stranger to London “Old Sol”. One of two things was certain, rain or snow, and, according to the general opinion expressed, it was about evens on either, and not above against the pair coupled. But with that cheerful characteristic of the jolly paperchasing dawg, it was evident that what ever the weather the race would not suffer much from it, ......Fortunately or unfortunately, from whichever point of view it is taken, permission could not be obtained to run across country, and consequently the whole of the race was run round the [race] course, seven laps being compounded; the runners being visible the whole time, so that though from a cross-country point of view, it was unfortunate that the committee were unable to run part of the race upon adjoining land, still from a spectator’s view it was just the thing. As usual the bookmakers were in fair force. Snook being installed at evens, whilst as much as 4’s, 5’s, and 6’s were obtainable about Hickman. At length the runners were marshaled at the starting point, and T. Shore, the president, having given the word to go, Snook immediately went away, being followed by Coad (the Southern champion) Hickman and Mabbut, (2nd and 3rd in the Midland) with several of the Birchfielders in close attendance. Finishing the first lap Snook was leading , but when another circuit had been wiped off, Hickman held the post of honour but was deprived during the following lap, the South London pet then making the pace. Hickman, Snook and Mabbutt, however, repeatedly troubled the leader, and when another lap had been completed, Coad was done for and Hickman went to the front, being closely followed by Snook, Mabbutt being third, Savage and Thorton being well up at this point of the race; and shortly afterwards Alexander, having an attack of the “stitch,” dropped out and coached the (Birchfield) team. Snook went up to the leader several times, but could never hold him, and ultimately, after a good finish, the Godiva cum Birchfield man won by 30 yards, about 100 yards separating Mabbutt from Snook. Coad came in next, but was over a minute behind the winner. Lewin and Smith of Godiva were next in and then came Savage and Thorton. Slynn and Wright completed the “Stag” half dozen, arriving 14th and 15th respectively.
This contemporary report, which appeared in the popular magazine of the time ‘Sport and Play’, only scratched the surface of events that were to have such a devastating effect on the lives of two men, one man being ruined, and the reputation of the other tarnished for a number of years. And the satisfaction of winning a Championship Team Trophy for one athletic club was delayed for nearly eighty years!!A century after the Birchfield-Godiva struggle of 1886,newly uncovered documents have enabled that tarnish reputation of one athlete to be rightfully restored to it’s former glory but have not fully resolve the suspicion of a cleverly sprung double bluff by the other runner.
The time when these events started to unfold was the Monday evening before the National Cross Country Championships which were to be held the following Saturday at Croydon. The place was the pleasant surroundings of Anderton’s Hotel in London’s Fleet Street. The main business of the meeting was to scrutinise and ratify the arrangement for the race in five days time. The nitty gritty of the various official posts were confirmed quickly, as was theitem to do with anew medal design. But everyone knew what the main business of the evening was to be. Following the bad feelings generated from the previous two years’ championship races, the club delegates were waiting for the expected conflict to erupt when the scrutinizing and confirming of the various team members began. The assembly was not disappointed, when Liverpool’s resentment of the recent past boiled over with their objection to the inclusion of Snook in the Birchfield colours. As the only northern club present, they were aware of the uphill struggle they faced with their lodging of an objection, but felt justified in referring to the new ruling on first claim qualification. Less than twelve months on the statute book, this was it’s first test of any substance.It was questionable whether the argument put forward by the reigning champions would successfully sway the support away from the 1885 individual National Champion. It was openly acknowledged that the Northern club were ‘acting quite within their rights by lodging an objection’ but it seems to have been suggested ‘behind the scenes’ that as Bannister and McFee were included in the Liverpool line up, then ‘people in glass houses should not throw too many stones’!!! So, ‘after some amount of discussion over the entry of W. Snook on behalf of Birchfield,’ compromise prevailed and ‘.... with the consent of the meeting (it was) withdrawn.’.
The bad blood existed because of the athletic authority’s lack of policy in the sport regarding club allegiance. Until the recent ruling on ‘First Claim Qualification’, an athlete could chose to run for which ever club he wished. The club who could offer the best inducements, generally got the best team. This switch between teams even took place in the dressing room immediately prior to a race. It was far from an unusual practice. The Godiva Harrier Captain, Sam Jones, switched to Birchfield twenty minutes before the start of the 1883 Midland Cross-Country Championship, ......and then appeared to have been somewhat miffed the following week, when he was thrown out of Godiva! Poaching was not the sole preserve of the national scene either. At local level, clubs helped smaller outfits in the same city to prosper in the certain knowledge that they could cream off the best runners when it suited. In Coventry, Godiva members made no bones about being ‘a member of four of these (other clubs). When we got a good runner, we got him to join Godiva’. Eve of race poaching became so bad in 1984, that Liverpool withdrew from the National Championships as a matter of principle becauseMoseley (a Birmingham based club) had two Godiva men, Flyer Hickman and C. Smith, plus Carter of Bristol and Finchley Harriers, while Birchfield also had two Godiva men.’ (E.Lewin and W.Mills).
In 1885, Liverpool, employing the maxim ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’,‘played the same game and beat Birchfield Harriers’ with a closing score of 41 points to 49. This, inspite of the fact that the Stagbearers were able to mop up the free agents caused by the disbanding of the all conquering Moseley Harriers. Even the talent ofArthur Mabbett, who was to be third in the ‘86 National, was not enough to swing the result the Midlanders way!This time, it was the turn of Godiva and South London Harriers to walk away in disgust!
So in 1886, with Godiva as unexpected starters in the Championships, there were wrongs to be righted and old scores to settle. Smoldering from defeat in the committee room because the new First Claim Rule could not be brought successfully to bear, certain factions left the pre-race meeting less than happy..
But the feelings of injustice were certainly strong enough to continue the battle both on the Race Course of Croydon and afterwards, in the committee rooms where decisions were taken which had those far reaching effects on the future lives of the gold and silver medal winners.
After the race, the knives were being honed before the protagonists had time to scrape the mud from their spikes. A newspaper reported that ‘the chief topic of conversation after the race was whether Snook could not have beaten Hickman had he wished to’. A contemporary was to write years later about the National that ‘..(Hickman) was objected to for not completing the whole of the course’ and Billy Snook stood down for him’. The same writer reinforced his belief with the widely held view that Hickman was party to a fixed result because ‘ Flyer did not get his Gold Medal till over 20 years afterwards’. Changing room speculation centred on the common knowledge that‘Snook gambled very heavily’ and the quoted odds meant that a killing could have been made. Two weeks later the bomb shell really burst with the formal expulsion of Billy Snook. The Southern Counties would not accept the runner up’s excuse that his feet were badly cut and ‘he was entitled to help his team mates’. The A.A.A. backed the Southern’s decision. With little right of appeal, or any chance for the ordinary athlete to overturn harsh decisions, the die was cast for both athletes. Dwindling public interest andthe passage of time meant that the goings on of 1886 only had a lasting effect on the first two National finishers and interestingly the first two teams. (cf. footnote.)Snook was subsequently given a life ban, and although he tried unsuccessfully to compete in the professional ranks both in England and in France, he spent the rest of his life in penury and diedin the workhouse at Highcroft Hall, Birmingham in 1916 at the age of 56.
As Coventry Godiva’s centenary approached in 1979, there was an aborted attempt to up date the Club’s history and an appeal went out for information about the club. The history was never written and all the old materials were put in a cardboard box with other club ‘rubbish’ and left to gather dust, much presumably lost or in someone’s loft?
With the diamond jubilee of the Coventry club imminent, some of the old records have been examined. And amongst that rubbish were some gold nuggets, including letters from contemporaries of the events of 1886, clearly stimulated by the ‘43 newspaper article. The crown jewels were in the form of a series of increasingly confidential letters from ‘Flier’ (sic) Hickman’s friend and best man at his wedding. Slowly the writer, over a period of weeks, went from the formal stiff correspondence to the friendly letters of one wanting to share his knowledge of past wrongs but still requesting that Godiva’s dirty linen need not be washed in public. Perhaps Mr. Kennell was honouring this request by his omissions and lack of follow up articles.
The letters firstly rubbished the idea that Hickman was involved in any way. All other contemporaries with few exceptions, as well as press reports mentioning ‘Flyer’,described him as ‘a honest man’ or ‘a man of integrity' and ‘a very charming man of very high character’.Even one primary source suggesting skullduggery, says in capitals ‘I COULD BE MISTAKEN’ and requesting that his facts be confirmed or denied by other contemporary club members.
The accusation that Hickman cheated by hiding behind a bush, was obviously a non starter, as the press reports of the time, clearly assert that the race was on a race course and visible for the whole time by the spectators. One of the letters to Mr. Kennell points out that the athletes had to run each lap next to, but inside, ‘the white rails of the horse circuit. There was no vegetation on the course’. The fact that Hickman never showed his medal to anyone for years fueled speculation of dishonesty inspite of the fact that ‘all the medals were presented after the race.’ . Quite simply, ‘Flier got into “low waters” and Tommy Birde of Walsall lent him money on security of his medals. He got that medal back, some years after. And that is why he never had it for years.’ .[The writer is obviously confusing the comments from the 1887 National!]
In the newspaper report in the following week’s sports press following the ‘86 National, it stated that ‘considering the state of Snook’s feet, and the general heaviness of the course, it must be granted that he ran well, but, despite all opinions to the contrary, I certainly think that he was only second best man upon the day of the race’. Freddie W.Smalley, Hickman’s team mate confirmed the shocking state of Snook’s feet, but wrote sixty years later, ‘I was talking to Flier H. in the dressing room when Billy Snook came up (you must understand that a fortnight previous at Long Eaton, Snook beaten Flier in the last fifty yards in the Midland event), Snook said that he was not exactly well and ask Flier if he could beat Coad, the Southern Champion. To use his own words he said, “why I should think so”. “Very well then you can win” and he did so by nearly 40 yards. No man in England could have beaten him that day.’.
Coupling together the newspaper report of that Midland Championship Race, which did comment on the fact that ‘the Godiva man did look heavy legged and over trained by about a fortnight.’, the fact that Snook had a huge 200 yard victory and the fact that he was victorious over Hickman the previous year, had the obvious effect of lengthening the odds given for a Godiva man’s victory, making them look extremely attractive tothe eyes of a gambling man.
Events seem to have exonerated Hickman of any wrong doing. He retained his title the following year and ran for Godiva for another ten years. But we are left to wonder if Snook’s unprecedented appearance and conversation in the Godiva dressing room before the race with witnesses present, was a carefully calculated double bluff.
After more than 110 years, we are unlikely ever to know.
An interesting footnote to the events of 1886
Godiva could justifiably claim that they were denied their rightful Championship Trophy and set of National Cross Country winners medals for first team place.
In the team event for 1886 National Cross-Country,Birchfield lifted the team award with 49 points to Godiva’s 63. However, Bichfield’s last counter was actually 15th, but with the Stagbearer’s disqualification, the 17th finisher, H.Humphries should have been promoted into the team to become their last counter. With Snook’s elimination the new calculated total for Birchfield would have been 58 points but the new Godiva total would also have become 58!!! It should be noted that the count back rule used in modern day championships, had not yet been introduced and the result should have been declared a TIE. (As happened subsequently in 1892* and 1897)
The Southern Counties, with the A.A.A backing, decided to let the result stand.
The actual and comparable theoretical results were:-
Birchfield:Godiva:
W.Snook2(sus)J.E.Hickman1(1)
A.Mabbett3(2)C.Smith5(4)
G.Savage7(6)E.Lewin6(5)
T.Thornton8(7)W.J.Mills10(9)
G.Slynn14(13)A.Davoile18(17)
S.Wright15(14)C.Marlow23(22)
H.Humphries17(n/s)(16)
TOTAL4958TOTAL6358
This should have been Godiva’s first set of gold medals. But they were denied and had to wait nearly ninety more years before they could unquestionably claim their first English National Cross Country title!!
An interesting footnote: Writing in the National press as part of an obituary to ‘Flyer’ Hickmanin 1927, W.J.Harris, who wrote under the pseudonym ‘Historian’ for the Midland Daily Telegraph, observed that ‘had the Coventry contingent run for them, they would have had eight in the first nine to finish.’ indicating that Mabbett, Savage and Thornton were also Coventry residents. What about Liverpool’s********? (See end note)
notes ...had 7 circuits to do, 59 starters, a little under 10 miles....
~ ~ April 21stSettle dies Bicycle and watch manufacturer ...first Hickman boss...
*****form mar 17th to may end nothing in the Times and ed.****
~ ~ (Times June 16th.) On June 14th an announcement that the new track was opening ‘best four lane track in the country.’ then ‘The track was in such a condition that Howell and Wood both declined to run upon it last year, and often such a palpable protest and being convinced that an improvement was necessary, the committee in charge set about effecting the construction of a path which would be free from objection. it was re-laid, widened, and banked, corners have been obviated as far as possible, ...and it is claimed to be one of the fastest and best four lap paths in England .. the seat of the cycling trade ought to hold a more prominent post in the cycling world.’ Certainly in the press through out the summer months there were repeated reports of Coventry man Howells making attempts on a whole variety of the professional world records at the track in Leicester. It was big business. Advertisements, like the one on June 9th in the Times, stressed that the meeting was on the new track and that ‘The improvements effected by raising the track at the corners has placed it amongst the best paths in the kingdom and the prizes offered have had the effect of inducing some excellent entries.’ The meeting was held to ‘celebrate the opening of a practically new track’. In the event, despite ‘the unfavourable weather, the absence of the best known racing men and the slight errors of omission on the part of the committee’ , the Times declared the meeting ‘a success.’ especially as 4 prizes were given for each competition. (Judges .A.Rotherham and Rev. G.Cuffe, referee S.Golder, handicapper A.A.Alexander, starter J.Godsell and W.Wareham(prof.) clerk C.Wareham) The committee was basically the cricket and football clubs of the city.:- *120y hcp(4h): hts J.Payne(4)=>> 13s, J.Lucas(4)=>> 13.2s,W.J.Podbury(3)=>> 12s {3f}N.B. also W.H.Hayward(4½), J.Williamson(scr) (as Birch), J.Hewitt() (Melbourne H.), T.Humphries() (Melbourne H.) unpl. *440y hcp(3h): hts. T.H.Dalton(16) (Stoke Harriers)=>> 59.6s {4f}, J.Steer(17)=>> 58.6s {3f} *mile hcp(28e,20s): 1. E.Gupwell(120), 3. W.J.Mills(45), 4. I.Clay(90) (Chey C.C.) ‘won as he liked’.
~ ~ June 12th Nuneaton Cricket Ground (5000 spectators):- *mile hcp: 1. J.E.Hickman(30) 2. F.Mills(110) (Astley) *½ mile hcp: 1. J.E.Hickman(16) [2. J.D.Johnson(25) (Chester Tally Ho)]. All competitors were local, one is left to put two and two together when questioning why Hickman ran here when there was the big meeting in Coventry.
Another Godiva man marries, Tom Percy Yardley.(Tues 23rd June ck if married or died
~ ~ ?? Meeting was ‘promoted by the city’s cycle manufacturers and other gentlemen’ Most events were cycle races, but one is left to wonder how many of these gentlemen were also involved in the original track venture eight years before:- 120y hcp: ‘only two finished, W.J.Podbury(3½) ‘did not cross the line’ Things were no going Godiva’s way .. ‘J.Williamson(1) dead heated, but lost out on the rerun with James Askew(10) (Hillfields Rovers F.C.), J.Lucas(4½)=>>12.4sec {1f=>>21.2sec} *mile hcp(20e,11s): 3. J.E.Hickman(scr) ‘three finished’.
~ ~ July 24th Foleshill Sports. (handicapper William Hosier, judge Dr. Orton, referee S.Golder) :- *250y hcp(3h): 1. J.Lucas(7)=>>27sec. 2. J.Williamson(scr) 3. W.J.Podbury(5) ‘finished so closely that they were with difficulty placed.’ 120y hcp: 1. J.Carpenter(8) (Fol)=>>13.4sec 2. W.H.Cowley(4) [winning a copper kettle] *½ mile hcp(22e,20s): 1. J.Hewitt(60) [silover lever watch £4] 2. A.Tye(60) [10/- cutlery] 3. J.E.Hickman(scr) leading with 50 yards from finish but fell over a peg but pluckily finishing took third’. *mile hcp(18e,13s): 1. W.J.Mills(70)=>>4m 32sec. 2. T.Woodward(145) (Stoke) 3. E.Lewin(75) 4. A.Tye(145) *2 mile hcp(15e,13s): 2. E.Lewin(20) 3. J.E.Hickman(scr), the first 3 men beating 10 minutes (1st Hayden=>>9m 55.4sec of Edg. H.)
~ ~ July 31st. Coventry Philanthropic with an 8000 crowd and the usual Coventry ‘who’s who’ in charge viz - judges Dr. Iliffe, John Herbert, Walter Turrell, handicapper H.M.Oliver, referee H.Sturmey, clerks C.Wareham, W.Lines, starter W.Wareham(prof.), timekeeepers J.H.Godsell, W.Hosier:- *mile hcp: 1. Jonathan Hewitt(150)=>>4m 33.4sec. 2. T.Woodward(130) (Stoke Harriers) 3. F.H.Dalton(115) ‘led all through’ won by 8 yards *¾ mile s/c(9h+w/j): 1. E.J.Smith(50) (Leam H.)=>>3m 36.5sec 2. Samuel Jones(45) (Sparton H.) 3. F.H.Dalton(80) ‘Won by 6 yards’. I.Clay(75) became ‘a little bit lame, therefore retired’. *440y hcp: hts. J.Williamson(8)=>>53.0sec {2f} Jon. Hewitt(30) *120y hcp(4h): ht. J.Payne(7¼)=>>13.2sec
~ ~ Aug. 21st. Cheylsmore C.C. 2nd Annual Sports (mostly cycle races):- *120y hcp(4h): 1. J.Williamson(6½)=>>11.4sec. 2. W.J.Podbury(9) 3. J.Lucas(8½)*mile hcp(31e,25s): 1. A.Tye(150) (Stoke A.C.)=>>4m 26.2sec) 2. F.H.Dalton(120) 3. T.Birch(55) (no club) ‘J.E.Hickman retired at the half mile being still in the rear’.
~ ~ Sept. 28th at the Coventry Cricket Ground two cycle and one flat organised by the club for the benefit of the keeper, Mr. Collier. (Timekeeper W.Hosier, handicapper S.Golder):- *mile hcp: 1. T.Woodward(10)=>>4m 56.4 (Stoke H.) E.Jones(35) A.J.Gupwell(scr) (Cov)
On the same day at Hinkley, the meeting still attracted entries from a wide area despite the cyclists having an ‘uneven and stiffish hill having to be negotiated’. The racing was ‘of average quality’ but the sprint ‘was as good a one as is generally seen’ (Times Sept. 1st) Of the 11 events, 6 were ‘open’:- *¼ mile hcp: 2. W.H.Venn(23) *mile hcp(18s): 1. Charles Smith(130) (Cov) =>>4m 36.0sec, the Godiva Secretary ‘only two finished’. Dalton (½ mile) and Williamson(300H) also ran. One is left to wonder how they managed to double up at the two meetings!
The beginning of September saw the ‘Reporter’ Sports (Sept. 4th). As arguably the most sports minded paper in Coventry, it is surprising at the number of non athletic events (obstacle, donkey etc.) and the poor quality of entrants and results:- *mile hcp: W.Lewin(150)=>>4m 24.0sec *120y hcp: hts. T.Busby(12) (Warwick)=>>12.0 sec J.E.Hickman(8½)=>>12.4sec W.H.Cowley(9¾)=>>12.0sec {1f ‘a suit of clothes} *220y hcp Y<18yrs(6h): hts. J.E.Kirkman(3) (Melbourne H.)=>>24.6sec J.Athersuch(6) (Wellington H)=>>23.0sec
On the following Monday, Rugby Cycle Club 3rd Annual Sports:- *120y hcp(6h): hts J.Lucas(5)=>>12.2sec {1f=>>12.8sec} R.Swire(8)=>>13.2sec*mile hcp: 1. C.Smith(100)=>>4m 24.2sec 3. W.Lewin(155) *¼ mile hcp: hts J.E.Hickman(6)=>>56.4sec W.H.Venn(10) (Cov C.C.)
~ ~ Thursday Sept. 9th. Perhaps one reason that Birchfield Harriers failed to fulfill their inter club commitments might have been the parlous state of their finances? ‘In connection with the tour of Birchfield Harriers, the object of which is to restore the finances of the club to a flourishing condition, an athletics meeting ... [drew 500 spectators, the cold wind mitigating against their enjoyment ... Most of the amateur flyers were carded, but several of them failed to put in an appearance.’ [All the top locals, amateur and professionals, were named in the pre meeting advertising!] (Times Sept. 15th):- *½ mile cycle: 2. S.H.Brown(28) *300y hcp: hts W.J.Podbury(16) {2f}, J.Lucas(16), J.E.Hickman(16) (Birchfield)=>>33.4sec. J.Williamson(10)=>>34.5sec {3f}
~ ~ September 18that the Cricket Ground:- ‘The programme was an attractive one, not withstanding that the compilers descended to the transparent device of swelling the numbers of entries by inserting dummy names - a practice which was as objectionable as it was devoid of wit.’ (Times Sept. 22nd). And that was not the only controversy surrounding the meeting, the other having far more serious consequences. Remember that Mr. W.W.Alexander was a respected handicapper and timekeeper. He was also the driving force behind the Birchfield Club. The Times continued ‘A.P.Engleheart and E.Oxborrow had entered[the meeting] and inspite of their recent suspension by the N.C.U., they insisted on competing, though they were not recognised by the judges nor were their numbers telegraphed. As a further sage guard protests were lodged against them by other riders. In the ½ mile race, Oxborrow was put on 18 yards but preferred to ride the whole distance with the view of making a new time, and did his heat in 1m 17sec.. In the mile cycle event both Oxborrow and Engleheart won their heats and took part in the final, Engleheart finishing third but taking no prize, while Oxborrow established a new safety record of 2m 43secs.’ A week later the N.C.U. promptly suspended the five cyclists who took part in the finals as they were regarded as guilty of complicity sine die. And ‘attention was called to the fact that Mr. Alexander, the official handicapper to the Union, had read of the notification the suspension, and had, in spite of this, handicapped the riders. The secretary was instructed to ask Mr. Alexander for an explanation.' (Times Sept. 29th) This was by no means that Alexander was called to account by the authorities!!! It hardly seems credible that the events could have taken place without a nod and a wink from the officials? (Judges A.Rotherham, Dr. Aitken, referee H.Sturmey, starter W.Wareham(prof), clerks W.Seymour, R.Barton, R.Beesley, telegraph steward C.Daly, H.W.Smith, competitors stewards J.Player, W.J.Mills, hon. sec. C.Smith handicapper and timekeeper W.W.Alexander):- *mile hcp(32e,26s): 3. H.H.Davoile(150) was the only Godiva to place. But then we have the interesting members 300 yard handicap heats, note the number who must have had dual membership: ht1. R.Swire(scr.) (Weston A.C.) ‘walk over’ {3f}, ht2. C.C.Wise(9) (Leam), J.H.Brownson(15) (Hinkley), J.Williamson(1½), J.Simpson(24) ‘the pistol hung fireand Williamson did not start, Wise won easily by five yards. Subsequently Williamson and Wise ran again, and Williamson who could have won retired amid the jeers of the spectators.’ ht3. W.J.Peel ‘walk over, ht4. J.Lucas(8) {1f=>>33 sec}, W.Steer(21), T.Birch(12) (Walsall) Ht5. E.Lewin(25), J.E.Hickman(8), A.King(15), C.Wareham(scr) (Cov. F.C.), the starter’s son! ht6. W.Lewin(35) {2f} ‘walk over’ ht7. J.M.Player(8), A.Tye(22)
~ ~ Sept. 25th. at Aston Lower Ground where a considerable number of Godiva members entered:- *120y hcp: hts J.Wiliamson(6¼)=>>12sec W.J.Podbury(9¾) J.Lucas(10½) (Hillfields Rovers F.C.)=>> 11.6sec {2f} *mile hcp: 2. F.H.Dalton(120) ‘narrowly beaten’ *mile hcp s/c: 3. F.H.Dalton(130)
~ ~ On Dec. 15th, the Times reported that ‘The combined run between Birchfield, Edgebaston and Stratford upon Avon Harriers ... turned out to be a “frost” on account of the non arrival of Birchfield and Stratford while Edgebaston were poorly represented [with 7 men] while most of the crack men of the local club were conspicuous by their absence. [E.Lewin, Sam Jones, A.Tye, F.H.Dalton, A.Davoile, W.Lewin, F.W.Smalley (whipper in) and the hares C.Seymour, J.Hewitt] The run being a slow one all kept well together until two miles from home when the visitors began ‘to warm the pace up’ and after a good finish A..Mabbett [pa Birchfielder] arrived first, E.Lewin second Sam Jones third. After the usual tubbing, about thirty sat down to a knife and fork tea.’ The harmonious evening finished with a rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’!
~ ~ On Dec. 18th the club had a handicap with W.Seymour as judge, C.Smith as handicapper, the prizes for which were presented at a smoking concert on the following Monday, Liggins presiding over the proceedings. 15 started with scratch man, J.E.Hickman coming 9th, W.Lewin (3 30), A.Davoile (2 50), and E.Lewin (0 45) taking the honours.
Ref perf folder for individual profiles of above club memebers#
IMES FINISHED AND needs editting,and photos in,EDS >>>>>>>>
OK OK .... so it was more like a slow boat to China….Chill Blog, chill. There’s another 131 years of this stuff to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Colin
PS Lord Leveson will deal with Godiva’s appeal once he has finished reading the ‘Sun’.
