The Troubles in Ulster

Photograph Quiz:

Photo number 116 in the born again photo counting:- I thought I would give you a clue about the College question I set you two letters ago to encourage you to have a speculative guess, Blog. Interesting medal?????

Dear Blog,

         Returning from this morning’s trudge, as no one else was in the manse, I switched on the radio just as the news bulletin was being broadcast. The headlines reported an estimated 25000 Unionists  marching through the streets of Belfast to celebrate the Centenary of the Ulster Covenant which opposed Home rule for Ireland and led to the Partition of the State half a dozen years later. The Centenary bit rang a bell in my mind and after showering I checked to confirm that the dim recesses of my mind were not playing tricks. The march might have been a 100 year celebration but it was 50 years to the day that I encountered my first experience of bigoted sectarianism in Ulster. Hearing the headlines on the radio I assumed that the dates were a coincidence but having had time to mull over the situation in the shower I am now no longer sure; I suspect that the whole experience might have been engineered because of the date. What has this to do with athletics I hear you ask Blog. Read on. I’ll tell you what it has to do with athletics Blog.

 In September 1962, three weeks after joining Bingley Harriers, the secretary asked me if I was interested in going with the Bingley team to the bi-annual fixture in Northern Ireland against the Belfast 9^th Old Boys. I told him that although I would like very much to go, I was afraid that there was no way could I afford it. I didn’t explain the financial plight of home. I was in the upper sixth at school, mum worked in the mill on the evening shift, dad during the day. With two kids, money was tight. My pocket money did not exist. No way could I be kept in the sixth form at Grammar School and be given pocket money; I had to ask for any required money as to when and why it was required. The furthest I had been from home on holiday was the yearly week we spent with relations in Nottingham, although one year we did have a caravan near Bridlington, easily the greatest distance I had travelled from Keighley. I never found out what went on in discussions down the club during the next few days but the following week the club coach took me on one side and explained that someone had dropped out of the trip to Northern Ireland and it was too late to get a replacement; the club was in a fix as we were one short of our eight counters required for the Inter Club. It would be appreciated if I could help out by running. There would be no cost to me as the athlete who dropped out had forfeited his deposit. Bullshit, but I was too naïve to realise that at the time. This world of athletics was all new to me.

Two weeks later the club were met off the overnight ferry steamer from Heysham to Belfast, treated to breakfast and took on a trip by coach around Northern Ireland. I knew nothing about the past troubles in Northern Ireland. I knew nothing of the Easter Rising in Dublin. I was unaware of the bubbling sectarianism that went on in Belfast. What was the IRA? I was 17 years old attending a Northern Grammar School who’s only concern was to get to University against all the odds that my background had stacked against me. No one in the family had stayed at school beyond the age of 14. No one had ever been near a Grammar School. I was expected to leave before my GCEs and get a job in the office of the local mill, a much better paid job than anyone in the family could have ever hoped for in the past. I managed to stay at school in the sixth form. The only world event which threatened to impinge on my life was the events going on in Cuba with the very real fear of nuclear conflict. I knew all about that. For a 17 year old that was frightening. The newspapers were full of it.

I knew nothing about the tentative peace that had held for a number of years in the six provinces, although the border unrest had been in progress since ’56, it hardly impinged on the British population at large. Open sectarian violence was for the future with the emergence of the UVF in May 1966 with the first assassination occurring in the following month.  So. A morning coach trip around Belfast and environs, something for me to look forward to before the afternoon race. The coach trip organised by our hosts turned out to not be a trip to the Mountains of Mourne to enjoy the views.  So many policemen were killed by a bomb at that Police Station. An assassination took place at that pub. Four marchers were shot during such and such a parade near that chapel. Two civilians were blown up in a car bomb in that village centre. All this happened years ago we were informed. BUT. And a big ‘but’, the troubles will be starting soon, it was repeatedly emphasised. There will be more killings. Many more killings. It all seemed highly fanciful to me; I had an Inter Club race in three hours’ time, and lunch was ready. After all, shootings and killing only took place in far off lands and on the cinema screen. Not in this country.

The ferry started its return journey at midnight, steaming slowly out of Belfast harbour to the dying strains of ‘Danny Boy’ sung in the cold night air by a lone baritone on the quayside;  all the Irish passengers pressed around me on the rails above the stern deck, weeping openly, the men as well as the women. It was so sad. The memory of that chill dark early morning departure has stayed with me. As have all the dire warnings of future bloodshed.

My first task on returning home was to research the Irish Question at the local library. Interesting.

Six months later I sat an ‘A’ level in the General Studies Paper along with my ‘A’ and ‘S’ level papers in Physics, Mathematics  and Further Mathematics. On the General Paper was a question about the ‘Irish Question’.

My grade in the General Studies Paper was rather good. I felt my trip to Northern Ireland and the two hour intense enforced doctrinal history lesson to which I had been subjected on the coach trip helped me gain admittance to one of the country’s top universities!

                                                       Colin

PS Sorry Blog, I have no idea what the result of the races was. I do remember feeling very weary as we ran up and down the sloping park course.

Our Olympic Legacy

Photograph Quiz:

Photo number:- Let’s say 115, shall we?? How many quids did these cost before and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games? Did you get one or two Blog? How many quids do they cost now on the Amazonial Baywatch? But how many quids are they now on Coventry Market, is the real question for today?

Oohhh Blog, you are such a naughty tease. Fancy suggesting that, following the departure of some of the top athletic officials since just before and just after the Olympic Games, the next part of our Olympic Legacy will be the abandonment of all of our cherished National Road Relay Races …. lost, gone for ever, no more Sutton Park, no more hot dogs, no more seeing Mark Sherman enviously eyeing up my Kodak instamatic camera. Sad. So sad. It’s a sad, sad situation. Never mind. Let’s move on. Turn over a new leaf. Try to think of more vacuous aphorisms. It could be worse. Look on the bright side of life. There is always a Park Run to look forward to every Saturday. Oh what a card I am. Park Run, a poor man’s Fun Run? And I suppose that you will be telling me next that despite all the political promises, the third Olympic Legacy will be a cut in funding? What rubbish. Of course we will continue to support a thousand athletes .. as in athletics. I think that the cost of funding athletics to the tune of £2.3m per Olympic medal was excellent value, worth every quid. Just think of all those unfortunate athletes who had to bask in the warm sun whilst the rest of froze to death in the last four winters; all those poor athletes who had to train full time in the sunshine and never got near a sniff at selection. Poor sods. The sacrifice they made. Very patriotic.

So. Olympic Legacy? What can I do Blog? I’ll tell you what I can do Blog. If you or any of all those mates of yours who live around the world, scattered far and wide, are interested in Olympic memorabilia now is the time to act. Now. In Coventry centre, a couple of the shops are flogging off Mandeville and Wenlock in various poses, plus other stuff, dead cheap, real knock down prices just to off load all the original stock that didn’t sell. Its not second hand stuff or tat, but the real McCoy. If you or your mates are keen to purchase a memento let me know and I’ll post it out to you. No kidding Blog. If you want me to find a list of what is on offer and the quids they will cost, and the postage involved, I’ll pop a list in my next letter to you. They are certainly cheaper than your actual Amazonial Baywatch. Blog I kid you not.

                              Colin

P.S. This week I was asked to write an article on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers – the Early Years’ but the amount they were prepared to pay me was chicken feed, a poultry amount. So I declined amo amas amat. I will be giving a lecture to the local Rotary Club instead, in exchange for a free meal. Honestly Blog. Would I lie to you?  

National Road Relay October 2012

Photograph Quiz:

Photo number ….who knows????? What was the importance of this College to the development of athletics in Coventry? Who was the Head? What was his standing in the city?

Dear Blog,

        It appears that the National 6-stage Road Relay for men and the National 4-stage Road Relay for women has been cancelled … another one bites the dust, another one bites the dust. Could this be the thin edge of the wedge for the National Relay? There has been talk for some time about the composite make-up of the teams and distances for the National Road Relays. Is the idea of change of format a case of evolution or devolution? Could the cancellation be an excuse for destruction rather than a reason for construction?

The major step in road relay running was the conception of running a relay from London to Brighton in stages in the 1920s for an exclusive band of southern, mainly London, based clubs. Over the years, relays developed and were a means of binding the winter cross country season to the summer activities and then those to the new winter season. Relays were very popular amongst club members for competitive and social reasons. The London to Brighton was regarded as the National Championships long before it was official recognised as such. Increase in traffic volumes drove most relays into extinction, the ‘National’ finally finding a home at Sutton Park. That is not to say all relays died. Some struggled to continue on roads, some went off-road, some modified the Japanese ‘ekiden’ which incidentally predates the London to Brighton. But Sutton Park in the 70s became the home of the National 12-stage … the women’s 6-stage and the autumn 6 and 4 stages were to come later, eventually also settling at the park.

Now, as most monies in athletics has been target towards one end for the last half dozen years, it will be interesting to see if there is the will and the cash to rescue a race for the little people in athletics. When traffic made conditions impossible for the National Relay to continue on open roads, there was a ground swell of determination that the event should under no circumstances die. We now live in a different world. It is ironic that there now exists thousands more running clubs than in the 70s which one would have expected to engender keen competition between clubs but the focus has changed from a desperate desire to succeed and improve to a world where participation has become the mantra.

I wonder if the weekly and monthly magazines would see the retention of relays as a worthy cause to take on board, to highlight and support. I suppose any such support would be driven by commercial interests, like most of athletics? Certainly amongst their readership, some athlete must be aware of potential venues for a National Relay, ‘it ain’t hard to find one??’ I have mentioned to you before Blog, that in 2008 I organised a five day marathon celebration called the Tour of Coventry and Warwickshire which  celebrated the Centenary of Britain’s first ever recognised marathon (According to Roger Gynn’s book about marathons). It was no coincidence on my part to organise, at short notice, such a race on the centenary of London’s 1908 Olympic Games. The ‘first’ marathon ran from Spon End in Coventry to the West Bromwich football Ground, a distance of about 22 miles; remember the marathon distance as we know it was not fixed until the early 1920s. I set myself the task of finding 5 road course of about 5 miles each, some longer to make up 26 miles, as near as possible to the original marathon from Coventry in 1908. So the parameters were 5 races, road, 5ish miles, very close to a particular ribbon of road, and 5 sponsors. And the result was that, I succeeded in my task, with the bonus that four out of the five races were on new courses, most of which could easily be adapted to a relay of substance given that the goodwill I engendered five years ago still exists. My point being that if I could find a set of courses with the time constraints under which I was working, there must be dozens of likeminded individuals up and down the country who could come up with a fist full of realistic suggestions of a replacement for Sutton Coldfield. If the is a will, there is certainly a way … or a road?

                                                  Colin

Running Machine

Dear Blog,

  Are you a child of the eighties or what? You certainly can’t blame flower power, that’s for sure!!!!!!! To answer your question …. the jogging machine, or the “Running Machine” as you would have it, doesn’t have a switch to turn it on because there is nothing to turn on, except the jogger, ooopps, sorry, “Runner”. It doesn’t have an electric motor! We are not talking i-pods here, you know. When this “Running Machine” was created, man had just descended from the trees! We are not talking high top spec treadmills here. No, but seriously Blog. The machine is powered by the footfall of the trudger driving the very many spindles on the floor which are free to rotate … and only rotate when the foot drives off. This often necessitates grabbing hold of the supports so you don’t fall arse over tit. You can see why this machine never sold in millions; it manufactured as a stop gap while the production line waited for the completion of a new model to come on stream. Question Blog:- What product am I talking about???? Clue Blog:- Quality Japanese imports decimated this British Industry and came to dominate a particular sport. This “Running Machine” typifies so much of the ‘60s. Archaic design. Industrial relations soured. Strife and strikes abounded. The poor design and poor quality production dissuaded the general public from ‘Buying British’. How was Godiva involved? From a personal point of view I came down to Coventry to join Godiva. I found a rich, vibrant city awash with money …. After four years at the Pink Panther University with a degree and a year’s postgraduate training, I was being paid less than a toolmaker in the car industry was paying in tax. Blog, I kid you not. That was FACT. I was told, rather crudely, that there was more money peed up the side of a wall in Coventry on a Saturday night than most Brummies earned in a week!!! Godiva members were involved in the industrial troubles of the motor industry on both sides. Members in the club were in management and on the shop floor. We had Union officials advocating one policy towards the industrial conflicts and other members on the picket line advocating the opposite. Red Robbo hardly got a look in. One Godiva member on night shift, worked in a gang of six on the production line, he told me. Only five ever clocked in, the sixth being ghosted in by one of the others. They took it in turns to have a week off. The six operated a milk round between them, the worker having the week off did the milk round, doing Saturday as well (no delivery on a Sunday). Whoever did the round kept the money from ‘the milk’ for that week as a bonus. True or not, that was what I was told, Blog. I knew the person very well, so I have no reason to doubt his word …. Boy did he run crap when it was his turn ‘for the milk’! Another story I was told, this time by management, was that the annual summer problems in the motor industry which resulted in industrial conflict and often official or unofficial strike action, was engineered by management when annual sales were down and production was over running targets resulting in cars having to be stock piled. A strike and therefore a stoppage of the production line was an economic way of reducing stocks. No extra costs to the company. It was suggested by this management person that some of the more militant agitators were secretly being rewarded by the company to stir up unrest amongst the workers when a situation arose whereby a stoppage would be of financial benefit to the Company. True or not, that was what I was told, Blog. I knew the person very well, so I have no reason to doubt his word …. Boy did he run well when it was the time of a shut down!

So Blog, back to this “Running Machine”. It was meant to help a particular section of the automotive industry out of a tight spot. Which Company? What happened?

What sort of reserve do I put on the “Running Machine” if I sell it on e-bay? Remember all monies raised if I sell it will go to the charity for disable children, TINY TIMS CHILDREN’S CENTRE. It must have a rarity value. It’s worth a few quids in scrap alone; it weighs a ton (Tonne to you Blog). I could do a deal with the Brownlee brothers, we have a mutual friend … and they do come from God’s own county. Or. It would be a prize exhibit in any collection of athletic memorabilia … or industrial memorabilia … or Union memorabilia … or the History of Coventry memorabilia … or the History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and Other Athletic Clubs in the City with Particular Reference to the Influences of Education, Politics, Industry and Social Change memorabilia. That’s sounds interesting …. I think I will keep the “Running Machine”. Period.

                                              Colin

PS Back to this Midland Relay cancellation thing Blog. It wouldn’t have happened years ago when I wur a lad. Interesting how the sport coped in the winter of 1967 when the whole of the English country side went into total lock down because of the terrible wide spread outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease. Races were NOT cancelled. Lateral thinking took place; the overriding concern was the provision of races for athletes. Races and venues were modified and the sport continued as usual. OK the whole country smelled of disinfectant. And running in soggy socks did nothing to help performance. Sales of tin baths rocketed as every race had a mandatory disinfectant bath which every runner dutifully waded through, to and from a race. As the country side was a ‘No Go’ area, parks were pressed into service. So were school fields. So were some Commons. The consequence was that races often consisted of a high number of laps, the backmarkers being passed before the end of a race. Sometimes the backmarkers were passed twice before the end of a race. So what? We coped. The officials got things sorted with no fuss or bother. The situation demanded it. From a personal point of view, instead of my six mile trudge to and from work, I was suddenly faced with an eleven mile plod to and from work. Knackering or what??? It did mean that, in the December, with such a high mileage bank in my legs, I was able to win my first County Cross Country title, beating a European gold medallist into second place. True Blog. Would I lie to you? Mind you Blog, I was doing a similar mileage in my final year at university …. It was a long way from the Pink Panther University to Sunderland … and back. Each and every day.

Midland Counties Road Relay 2012 .. that wasn't.

 Boy Blog, that was a week that was.

Tuesday …………. The spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics is dead and well and truly buried by those taking advantage of the pleasant tow path of the Coventry Canal. The run from Hawkesbury Junction to the Coventry Canal Basin is peopled by the most miserable bunch of walkers / cyclists it would be hard to find elsewhere. Just imagine. A legacy. Blog you must be joking. A greeting or two?? An occasional grunt might not missed?? A cough and a spit?? At least the kingfisher seemed happy enough.

Wednesday  …… up past the barns and the swifts have finally left for their holidays. They hadn’t packed their bags on Monday, so it must have been a late booking on the flight down South.

Thursday …… trudging past the old factory reminded me of the time I used to run past the picket line on my way to work. Always a friendly greeting (see Tuesday). And so to the =>

Photograph Quiz: How much would this jogging machine fetch on e-bay?

Is it the oldest jogging machine in the world? Is it the only one left in existence? Was it the first ever jogging machine? Where was the factory where it was made? What happened to the factory and the company? Was it a Triumph of Trade Union support for a workers’ cooperative? Which Member of Parliament was involved and what happened to him?

Photos nos. 108, 109, 110, 110 etc., etc., etc.

Set for an uphill session!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Set for a tempo run – don’t let go of the bars!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Set up (down?) for a downhill session!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For the clever athlete, the uphill setting could be used with the athlete running in the opposite direction. Did you spot that Blog?

And then we had Friday ……………Whether Oscar (Wilde not Pistorius) might have noted that the late notice of the cancellation of the Midland Counties Road Relays was more misfortune than carelessness, might be considered by Mr Gove as an appropriate question on the new English Baccalaureate; but for the youngsters who missed out, a quote from one of William’s (Shakespeare not Prince) tragedies might be more apt? Little time was given for clubs to approach other Area Championship organisers for permission to guest in their respective relays; unforgiveable when the Birmingham Council were advising parents not to take their children to the Sutton Park the previous week. Similarly, notice was issued that the car parking was closed. So why the delay? Any attempt to relocate?? An approach to affiliated clubs for help / advice / comment on new venues / rearranged dates?? Let us hope that more decisive decision making takes place more than three days before the National Relays!! I believe that Notts A.C. approached the Northern Relays to guest, and a couple of others took action to guest in the Southern’s. All power to the elbows of secretaries who were proactive on behalf of their seniors in seeking replacement competition but the task for provision for the youngsters was much harder. Ironically, it might be said that it was the youngsters who will have missed out the most, many relying on clubs for their source of competition when serious school athletic provision is far from a standard component of the curriculum. Not too many competitions around for them at this time of year.

And what is going to happen regarding the invitation to clubs from the Midlands to compete in the National event if / when /where it is held. Will second teams be invited when clearly some clubs are strong enough as evidenced by the last few years’ events? Will newish / emerging clubs miss the cut? Will the old clubs which are experiencing a resurgence in new young talent, suffer? Interesting or what Blog? It will also be enlightening to compare the Park Run numbers this week in the Midland area to the last two or three weeks to see if there was a significant increase in participating numbers, the club athletes using their heads to seek replacement competition.

Saturday ……. Looked up the results the Relays of the past 25 years so that the withdrawal symptoms could be kept under control. Glad to report that the shakes had stopped by midday, buy the nosebleeds continue.

                                   Colin

Midland Counties Road Relay September 22nd 2012

Dear Blog,

Have you heard that the Midland Counties have decided to cancel this year’s September Road Relays because of difficulties caused by the recent outbreak of e-coli in the area with the rumour that Sutton Park is the source of the problem. Now the interesting question is … will the clubs just roll over and accept the decision or will the more enterprising clubs in the Midlands area seek permission to run as guests in other area championships??? Will any club do a ‘Universities’ whereby, last year, the Universities Cross Country Championships to be held in snowy Scotland was cancelled at the last minute because of the weather conditions but many universities acted unilaterally, and held an unofficial Championships at the venues anyway!!!! Perhaps there will be a last minute appeal to Draycote Water aka Seven Trent Water Authority, to use their pathway around the Reservoir for a last minute ad hoc event?? The course and facilities are used for races a couple of times each year so it is a proven event venue.

The Coventry City Council Red Can brigand have just passed at the end of my driveway on their annual hole search. The council are paranoid about the public taking out a legal claim against them on Health and Safety grounds. Just like parents, making a claim against a school for injury caused by Health and Safety issues, the Council seems to pay up rather than them call a parents’ bluff and go through the court process; so it is with the Red Can brigand ….. the Coventry Half Marathon is nearly upon us, so the council do a quality repair on every hole, crack, cranny and dint they can find on the course. A team go out to inspect the course with their spray cans firing away here, there and anywhere, followed in the next week with the Blackstuff Boys. While all the rest of the citizens of Coventry continue to moan about the state of the roads and about the state of the pavements, those of us who live on the Coventry Half Marathon course know full well that we will have the luxury of an annual update and upgrade of our little bit of tarmac. Not just major pot holes, but every tiny indentation in the road surface is nicely smoothed over. The moral being that a petition should be raised by the Lady Godiva citizens to demand that the council have a different course for their Half Marathon every year!!!

                                                     Colin

Am reight sorry

OK fairon Blog, ah shud a sed. In’t reply t’query Blog, village wur Warverton an right on by t’tent wur t’Plough Inn. It wur abart a hos throw darn t’lane. Did reight gud food sowesest local, even t’ice cream wur fre next farm. Nowt wur whammed up like, allus new grub.

                                                         Colin