Birmingham and District cross Country League Nov 7th 2015 at Leamington

Photographic Quiz.

Photo no:- you guessed wrong last time Blog, try again.

 

Question:-  Who was this Liberal Prime Minister credited with winning the WW1? Which two harrier clubs did he compete for??? [Blog I kid you not, not a lot of people know that including all (??) athletic statisticians!!!!]

Dear Blog,

                   I went to the first Birmingham and District Cross Country on Saturday at Newbold Comyn, Leamington Spa; the fixture combines all Leagues so the fields for the two races are big, this year bigger than ever, especially the Ladies field.

                 And what a co-incidence? Blog, I kid you not. As you are well aware, being a man with historical interests above and beyond the norm, so to speak, in the 1920s the National Cross Country Championships were held here and because of bad organisation on the part of the officials, the runners were required to pass through a farm gateway after about 400 yards (400 metres to you Blog)  of running. And the inevitable happened. The field funnelled into the narrow gap at the gate, kettled as they say these days, Blog, and the runners were squashed into a confined space, all but the first few runners getting through the space unimpeded. Tempers flared and fighting broke out. THE POLICE WERE CALLED.

               On Saturday, the Women's race completed, the men's competition started. With such a large field, the runners were soon strung out around the course, and after the first lap offered the spectacle of an almost uninterrupted line of competitors all around the course - quite a sight!  Being a public park, there is the usual number of tarmac paths, which the runners had to cross as part of their 3 lap course; the solid stream of runners afforded few gaps for the public to slip through the field. No one minded. Indeed, the race offered something different on their usual Saturday afternoon stroll.

 EXCEPT.

             One gentleman on a bike with two young children took exception to having his ride interrupted and lost his temper with the marshal big time. Presumably he was in the habit of using this public path every Saturday and was not going to let a thousand runners interrupt his routine? No way Josa, or as we say in God's Own Country, 'No way hosa'! He allegedly went into a rage, throwing his bike at the runners, and then when he was told that a member of the public had called the police to the incident, got on his bike and rode off at speed. THE POLICE WERE CALLED. It must have dawned on him after a little time, that he was minus two children, which might not have gone down too well with his wife / partner over the Sunday roast . He return to the scene of the outrage and was interviewed by the boys in blue. Luckily for the poor marshal caught up in the fracas, the events were recorded on video by spectators.

               If I remember, Blog, I will tell you about another couple of complex co-incidences which have happened in the last couple of months.

                                             Colin