OLD WALLASEYANS WORLD WIDE

Newsletter 48 September 2007

 for former pupils of Wallasey School, Henry Meoles, Oxley  & WGS

Editor: Tony Simpson   97 Fairdene Road, Coulsdon, Surrey   CR5 1RJ   Tel. 01737 553462

Secretary: Vic Green   <vic.green@blueyonder.co.uk>

Chairman and Webmaster: Bob Bryans   <robert.bryans@oldwallaseyans.co.uk>   Treasurer: Clive Lewis-Jones    <clive@lewis-jones.co.uk>   

www.oldwallaseyans.co.uk

THE 76TH ANNUAL DINNER OF THE OLD WALLASEYANS WORLDWIDE WILL BE HELD AT THE RAF CLUB 128 PICCADILLY LONDON W1V OPY  ON FRIDAY 19^th OCTOBER –BOOKING FORMS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE EVENTS PAGE OF THE WEB SITE AND SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THE TREASURER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

 

Dear Old Wallaseyan,

 

The Old Wallaseyans Worldwide have produced a DVD of clips taken from the newsreel film made by the School Film Society in the years between 1948 and 1970.  The DVD contains images of many boys and masters of that time.   Whilst these will be preserved for posterity on the DVD, we know little about who these people were, what they were doing when they were filmed and what became of them.  Without this information an important historical aspect of the DVD project will be lost as memories fade.

Consequently, I am appealing to as many Old Wallaseyans as possible to get a copy of the DVD, view it and then report back to me or any other OWW committee member with details about the people including yourselves whom you recognise.  As information is received the names of those appearing will be published on the web site on the Visual History page and it is hoped to produce a booklet about the "faces" on the DVD to accompany future editions.

Copies of the DVD are obtainable from Derek West, 11 Back Lane, Ducklington, Witney, Oxon   OX29 7EU and cost £ 12 inc. p&p anywhere in the world.  They can be obtained in a version suitable for DVD players using the American system.

 

I look forward to seeing as many as possible of you at the annual dinner on the 19^th October

 

Kind regards,

Bob Bryans, Chairman & Webmaster.

 

News from Members

 

Roger Burgess   53-60  <rogersheilaburgess@tiscali.co.uk> 

I want to thank you all for producing the excellent DVD of extracts from WGS School Newsreels.  John Williams sent me a copy, which was a welcome gift, but he failed to say whether it had been a "Buy One Get One Free " offer.   Nevertheless [Oh I do like that word], I surprised my wife by spending a rainy morning watching it right through, with only the occasional gasp and chortle emerging from my study.  She didn't go to WGS, so she couldn't possibly understand.  It was interesting to see that M J M Brown smoked a pipe, so he and M Riddle were probably responsible for a large part of the smoke, which floated in Remove L2 from the staff tearoom after every break.  S F Moscrop smoked cigarettes, as we knew from the yellow stain on his moustache.  I think I was in UVA1 when he started his Latin lesson by announcing that he was "going to get tough."  He never did, or at least he was never sufficiently "tougher" for us to notice.  He was a lovely man, but I doubt if he or many of the masters would survive today.  Ralph Marsh [Revd] says Dr Pollard was teaching us "Sur Le Pont d'Avignon" , but I appear in the same extract, which was shot by one of the "big boys"  through the open window, I remember it as "Savez Vous Plantez Les Choux?   In view of Ralph's elevation to Holy Orders, we shall to settle this matter in a Consistory Court under Charlie Cannon  law.

I also appear in your DVD on the Tal-y-Llyn Railway, being the photographer leaning out of the carriage.  Obviously I was representing the Photographic Society that day, but on behalf of the Film Society.   I was the cameraman on the History Society trip to Chatsworth.  With all these societies, it's a wonder we don't all suffer from split personalities.  "Don't you agree?" " Yes, I do. "

   It was a privilege to use a colour film on the Chatsworth trip, and you will have noticed that we pre-dated BBC Top Gear with action shots of our coach climbing the Cat and Fiddle Pass to Buxton.  Observant viewers will have noticed the speedometer even veering towards 30 mph!  Jeremy Clarkson - eat your heart out.  So precious was our film, that, despite the Film Society possessing a splicer to edit our efforts, we never did cut out anything, and it all had to be taken at first shot.  I was always proud of our results, and in collaboration with Peter Dill [another Revd], PAV Jones who could borrow his Dad's car, and the many other chaps, we still managed to find enough to show something at the end of term.  Once the School Newsreel was shown, you knew you only had to survive "The Titfield Thunderbolt" and then it was the holidays!

   We in the Film Society like to claim to being the training ground of one Benson PHB, now better known as Peter Benson, or Bernie Scripps in "Heartbeat".  In your selection, Bob, you have judiciously done some product placement by showing young Pete B in Mr Oxbould's Art Room, in the huts getting a jam buttie, and of course in the afore-mentioned colour film of Chatsworth.  Can we claim an agency fee?

It was over 25 years ago that I watched  a Granada TV programme, in which Chris Kelly showed us the work of the [new] North West Film Archives in preserving old films from the north west of England.  He told us that these films were prone to deterioration, and emphasised how much the NWFA wanted to protect our history, by restoring them.  I wrote to the NWFA about the WGS Film Society, but the move to Leasowe had taken place, and they told me that the School had not been able to find them.  So., quite a number of years later I was delighted to learn that they were in the safe custody at NWFA, and, better still, you and your chums were making DVD for us all to enjoy.

   I don't claim complete credit for the saving of these pieces of history, but I am glad to have played some part in perpetuating the memory of a very special school.

 

Elanor Carney                 <bernardcarney@westnet.com.au>

I am writing the history of my family and believe my father Edward Langhorne Kenworthy (1910-72) attended Wallasey Grammar School.  He kept his purple and gold striped blazer in his wardrobe for many years.  Does your association have access to any lists of students, school records or information about school activities during the time when he was there?  He was born in Rake Lane and later lived in Elleray Park Road until moving to Preston in 1937.  After leaving school he worked with Dawson, Graves and Co., in Liverpool and was admitted to membership of the Institute of Charted Accountants in 1932.  He was a keen pianist.

 

Don Cropp    46-53   <cropp@personainternet.com> 

It is a little frustrating not to see the complete episode in the Day in the Life of WGS  (1948), but I have to be very grateful to Mike Lewis for providing the snippet from the Open University programme.  I do not even remember seeing the film after it had been produced in an edited form but I do remember my part in it as a bit "actor" in the dramatic section set in Form IVA.

The IVA part was obviously filmed in the summer, the class being chosen, presumably, because the classroom was illuminated from the south and west sides.  In view of the number of notices on the tack board, I think that it must have been filmed in late June when all examinations had been completed and the results displayed for all to see on the board.  Even though we were in the lower school, I doubt that anyone would have countenanced an interference with the academic programme for a mere film.   (My experience in Ontario schools, which is probably mirrored by schools in the U.K., is that every opportunity to interfere with academics is taken under the context of "broadening " the students' education.)

As can be seen at the start, Tom Howard enters the classroom to commence the usual day's "administrivia", attendance, announcements for the class etc.  I do not remember exactly, but this must have occurred before the class filed out to the morning assembly in the hall.  The benches for the treble section of the choir are visible through the open classroom door.  Unfortunately, Eggleshaw used a fixed focus and aperture camera, which tended to put most people inside or beyond the depth of field and I cannot recognise many of the faces to say nothing of those faces cut off by the limited field of view.  Over-exposure is also evident in some of the shots towards the windows.  (Entropy has dimmed my memory as much as it has probably diminished the clarity of the old film stock.)  Eventually, the camera pan to an empty desk and Tom Howard asks the neighbouring students about the absentee.  Seated in the front row of desks at the window looking out on to the front pitch is a fellow who I think is Barry Dunn.  (This was immediately prior to his family emigrating to Australia.)  He was a fair haired good looking athletic boy in those days (with an excellent academic record) and he finds some thing of interest outside such that he is prompted to lean forward and tap me on the shoulder to bring my attention to it.  I had dark brown hair in those days (not athletic or so academically successful.)  I turn to Barry and then join him in gazing out of the window.  (Was it through these windows that the "defenestration" occurred on the occasion of Fred Perry's pre-war visit to WGS, as described in Eggleshaw's History of WGS? )  The object of our interest was a tardy John Warden hurrying to school along the driveway at the side of the front pitch.  The latter part of his interview with a prefect, I do not remember.  (Interestingly, the senior members of the school were expected to take part in its organisation and discipline, a far cry from the "modern" approach of perpetuating childhood without responsibilities.)  It was a common practice to show the recently filmed activities of the school in assemblies at the end of the academic year, school camp often being a significant part.  I do remember Eggleshaw wandering about the orchard with his trusty camera, taking shots of us up ladders, supported by thin twigs at the tops of plum trees.  Perhaps your first edition of the WGS DVD will prompt some memories to the extent that more names can be attached to the faces in the films for the second edition.

   During our visit to the UK last autumn, we visited my sister who had been taking care of the family memorabilia, and I recovered copies of the WGS school photographs for the years of 1948, 1950 and 1952.  I have had all three photographs copied digitally to a CD.  (The originals are some 45 inches long) and have sent copies to ED Haws and Harry Milburn.  We have attempted to identify as many of the 1948 personal as our memories permit.  Should you be interested in any of this , I could send copies, preferably by snail mail since I have used Word Perfect for the text.  Anyway, enough of that for the present.  I look forward to your comments.

 

Alex Crowther   1950-57             <crowther_alex@yahoo.co.uk>

I have changed my name by Deed Poll since leaving School so no-one will recognise me as "Crowther".  When I was at School my name was Alex Jones.

 

Eric C Foster 33-40      

At WAC Centenary weekend the Page Watsons were our houseguests, which led to correspondence with well-remembered Bob Leach.  Now Bob has beaten me to the Fred Perry/Helen Vinson visit to WGS story - I was in 4A next to the Head's study where F P was being welcomed, while the braver elements of 4A nipped out of the window to receive H V's autograph. 

My RAF service introduced me to squash, but I gave it up when turned 60 when my younger son showed signs of defeating me.  And my exercise bike is rusting in disuse.  A war time memory - rising early one morning after staying at the YMCA in Great Russell St & looking out of the window to espy Fred Allen in his red tabs striding to the War Office.  Sadly the Allendale Youth Club (which he founded in Seacombe) is on its last legs despite the efforts of my Lion Club to resurrect it.

 

Dr Alan Giles   51-59          <alan.giles@mac.com>    My email address has changed to the above.

 

Edward Godfrey    59-66   <ejgodfrey@netcabo.pt>     

Replying to Prof. Stephen Harding:    I think the photograph may be in the Club Archives.  I was recently given a book entitled "Around Wallasey and New Brighton", author Ralph Rimmer, publisher Nonsuch Publishing Ltd.  Any good bookshop on the Wirral should have it.  On Page 23 is a photograph of The Duchess of Kent, Lord Leverhulme &  Rex Bird on the opening day.  The book was first published in 1996 (new edition 2006).  The late Jack Vernon who was, I think, the club archivist in 1996 or thereabouts, is mentioned in the Acknowledgements for proving material and information.  In fact, the acknowledgement is to Mr. J E Vernon (Old Wallaseyans).

 

Prof. Stephen Harding   66-71  <Steve.Harding@Nottingham.ac.uk>    27 Sycamore Road, East Leake, Loughborough   LE12 6PP  Tel. 01509 820 639

Can anyone remember when the Leasowe-West Kirby  (and back!) school sponsored walk was  (sometime in 67 or 68 I think?)  From what I remember it was used to raise money for the new school in Leasowe.  If anyone has any recollections of it (or better, any photos) it would be much appreciated.  Also does anyone have a photograph of the Duchess of Kent opening the building in 67.  I'm giving a talk on 22nd October to Thurstaston Rotarians (they also host the Wirral Coastal Walk every May which attracts thousands).  Although it is not specifically about WGS they want me to mention our walk.  Also, does anyone know who is the current longest serving teacher at the School whom I can ask? I think Johnny Egan who was my form teacher (4B) when we moved to the new school has now retired.

Many thanks indeed to all those who responded.    For a photograph of the Duchess of Kent/Leasowe School opening many directed me towards the School DVD or a book "Around Wallasey and New Brighton" by Ralph Rimmer.  Oldest serving teacher is Rob Hughes (has been there since the early 80's) but I don't think anyone can remember the 67/68 sponsored walk.

 Peter Duff   40-47  writes: Rob Hughes (Deputy Head Teacher) has been at the school for at least 25 years, maybe 30.  That doesn't necessarily make him the longest serving, of course, but he will probably know who is.  Try: <rphughes@wallasey.Wirral.sch.uk>

 

Dr Robert Hawley    1947-52    <robert.hawley@btinternet.com>

At a recent forum of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, Dr R Hawley CBE began by giving an overview of the nuclear power industry, emphasising its potential role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions as well as ensuring security of supply.  He also detailed recent breakthroughs in reactor technology. 

    Dr Hawley stated that the introduction of pre-approved modular designs meant nuclear power stations are increasingly being built to time and to budget, giving examples from the US and especially in the Far East.  He stressed that improvements in technology mean that the latest generation of reactors make more efficient use of fuel. 

   Looking at the longer term, he talked about the dream of nuclear fusion.  While there are worldwide efforts apace to harness this power source, he stressed that the largest stumbling block was finding a way to sustain temperatures of 1000 000 000 degree C that are required to start the reaction.  While the technical changes are almost as immense as the temperatures involved, if realised the rewards would be in a similarly large order of magnitude.  To put this in perspective Dr Hawley explained that the amount of lithium contained in a typical mobile phone battery and water contained in a bath would produce the energy typically consumed  by an average person living in the developed world for 30 years!

 

George D Johnston  38-45  <geo.Johnston@ntlworld.com> 

I have just heard that Denis Haslehurst died on the 8th June.  There is a small piece about him on the NB rugby club website.

 

Stuart King 1942-49  <stuartreidking@yahoo.co.uk>    120 Grove Road, Wallasey    CH45 0JE    Tel. (0)151-639 3471

A group of Old Wallaseyans living in the Northwest met at Willington Hall Hotel near Tarporley, Cheshire, for a re-union lunch on 13th March 2007.  Eight O.W.'s attended and each gave a short personal history since leaving W.G.S.  Present were:

Don Mudd (Junior School)        1941-51  Civil Engineer, New Zealand/Hong Kong

Stuart Joynson                            1944-49   Banker, Liverpool

Ken Binns                                   1942-47   Farmer, Nantwich

Tony Davies                               1944-50   Musician, Wallasey

Les Stockton                               1944-51   Developer, Sale

Ray Brunskill                              1942-48   Architectural Technician, Cumbria

Norman Cannon                          1944-50     Hotelier, Staffordshire

Stuart King                                  1942-49   Architect, Hong Kong/Philippines

It is hoped to meet again in July and October.  Any O.W.'s who are in this age group and would like to come to another lunch are invited to contact Don Mudd 01270-628 713 or Les Stockton 0161-976-3271

My greetings to Bob Leach whom I knew in the Wallasey Athletic Club.

 

John Melsom  1942-49  <john.melsom@virgin.net>

I often wonder what became of two of my friends from WGS.  I studied (?) there from 1942 to 1949, finishing in Form M2.  The two friends were Bernard Rish who always said he was going to join the Israeli navy  & Geoffrey Goldstone, who lived on Penkett Road just where Manor Lane crosses it, about 100 yards from school; his father was a doctor.

I'd appreciate it if you could put a message to this effect on the Lost OWs web page sometime, together with my email address, john.melsom\@virgin.net. [Webmaster Bob Bryans has done this - Ed.]

 

Angus Moyes  63-71  <Malfam9455@aol.com>

Just browsing the site and have found out that I have forgotten to advise my new email address. [see above. Ed.].

 

Don Mudd  41-51  <muddlin@along.plus.com>                       

Please note our new email address with immediate effect.

 

Jim Richardson   26-29                         44 Jetty Road, Brighton, S.Australia .5048  .

  If not me, Bob will recall my brother, Bill, Captain of the Club for a few years both pre-and post war.  I would dearly like to have been at the October Reunion.  However, age and distance make it impossible.

 

Winfried Roll     Exchange 1963  <winfriedroll@berlin.de> 

…Yes, I surely plan to attend this year's OWW Dinner…health, weather and the international situation permitting, of course.  Friday, 19th October, "London - Old Wallaseyans" was the first thing I entered in my 2007 calendar!  So thank you for your kind invitation  - and put me on the list please.  And yes, there was much ado about the European Union anniversary celebrations, this weekend, with convoys of VIPs dashing to and fro causing traffic jams all around my place.  I preferred to watch it all on TV and didn't go out to the fete at Brandenberg Gate.

 

Alan Stears    54-61   <alan.stears@tesco.net>

It was good to see you [Bob Bryans] and all our former colleagues at the House of Lords last October.  I thoroughly enjoyed the event.  Unfortunately I am not available for this year's dinner, but would hope to attend in future years.  I am no longer in touch with any other OW's - the last two I met through work are, like me, now retired. 

   I have enjoyed watching the DVD of school films, and was amazed to see myself, at school scout camp at Lake Llangorse, near Brecon.  This was the summer of 1956, and on our return to "civilisation", we read of the Suez campaign in the newspapers at Hereford station, where we changed trains.  We thought we were at war, but were assured by Arthur Hurrel (head of maths who subsequently went as a missionary to the Pacific Islands) and Bruce McGowan (who never taught me, but I think his father was a bishop in Scotland) that it wasn't as bad as that.  Incidentally the train we should have caught was delayed and we were sent forward by a local "stopper" and eventually got back to Birkenhead Woodside three hours late!

Ah well, enough of the old days.  I must get back to present times and sort myself out for tomorrow (more training of a new JP).  Still, it keeps me busy.

 

Dr Ian A Thomson    -1976  <ian.a.thomson@dsl.pipex.com>

I was at Henry Meoles Senior Comprehensive, being Head Boy 1975-76 and leaving in 1976 to go to St. John's, Oxford.    I was wondering whatever happened to the then Headmaster, J A Bruce.  I have strong memories of him, which were reawakened by my daughter asking which were my best school memories.  [Sadly, Alex Bruce died some years ago.  His widow, Mrs Margaret Bruce, now lives, Wetherby, West Yorks   address supplied.- Ed.]

 

David Walker   36-45  

I will be sending out the  2nd Wallasey Scout Bulletin and  Dinner Booking form in early September.  I should be pleased to receive any articles or reminiscences you wish to include in the Bulletin.  This is the 100th year of Scouting and we hope to have a good attendance.

 

Derek Wardle     38-46         

…….I phoned Terry McKivrogen recently and established that he is an artist.  His wife died ten years ago, and he has two sons, both in their forties, one of whom lives in Scotland.  Tony, Denis Haslehurst , Frank Carlyle  and me were all contempories at WGS.   Terry would be at Withens Lane 1941 - 46.  He tells me that he paints in his studio every day.  I advised Tony of the sudden death of Denis Hasleshurst…..

I confess that I have a serious love of cricket, and retired at 52 years of age.  I was very fortunate in that I was in the WGS 1st Xl 1945 and 1946.  The captain in 45 was Colin Cannon, a gifted and accomplished all rounder.  He was in the WGS 1st Xl   for four seasons.  Having left school (in 1946) I played at Wallasey Cricket Club, where I had been a member since I was 8 years old.  I played at The Oval with Val Rowe, Reg Radcliffe, Harold Flynn, Ronnie Smith and Colin Cannon.

   Having obtained a job with J Bibby and Sons Ltd, Animal Feed Manufacturers, I was put on the sales force, which resulted in my moving about the country.    First appointment was as an assistant at Ribchester, in the Ribble Valley; after 18 months I was moved to Penrith, where I met my wife.  After four years the next move was to Worcester, and, after a further four years, we were sent to Stone, and  we have been here for 46 years.  During all that time, I played a great deal of cricket.  Suffice it to say that I am exceedingly grateful to the wonderful Old Walls organisation, ie, Tony Simpson etc, for being a tremendous help to me.

   As I write we are enduring heavy and constant rain here in Staffordshire.  Fortunately we get little or no flooding in these parts.  I am in regular contact with Roy Storer who was my House Captain (Seacombe House) in 1945.  Now resident in Newcastle upon Tyne, he was Professor of Prostodontics, Newcastle University, and for three years he was Director of Durham County Cricket Club.  In his student days at Liverpool University, he played cricket for New Brighton C.C., during which time, he had a golden moment when batting against Ken Cranston, whom you will know passed away fairly recently.                                                                                                                                                   

 

Andrew P Watson    30-36   <noctule14@yahoo.co.uk>   

…Mary and I had a wizard time in Madeira recently…

 

Prof   Robert J P Williams 37-44    < Bob.Williams@chem..ox.ac.uk>  

….I shall miss this year's dinner I fear.    I enclose a cheque for £ 20 for general support….

 

Wallasey Athletic Club by Bob Leach

In 1934 Mr Nicholson saw me run in the Wallasey Grammar School Sports where I won the Quarter mile, the half mile, the mile, the three miles and the steeplechase in the space of Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.  He invited me to join Wallasey Athletic Club, which I did with pleasure.  Track running is a lonely job sometimes and I found it refreshing to belong to a friendly group, a club.  Mr Nicholson also invited me to his home and he gave me much valuable advice.  One tip became a religiously kept Good Luck omen for me.  It was to pour the juice from a tin of fruit into a bottle and drink it half an hour before a race.  "The sugar will go straight into your blood stream" he said. 

   In 1935 he told me that the county of Cheshire was entering the inter-county track running world, hitherto it had been confined to cross country running, and he tipped me to win the mile.  Thus, in 1936 Cheshire began their campaign with two races, the 100 yards and the mile.  Alan Pennington won the sprint and I duly won the mile.  In those days the gold medal was made of real gold.  Well done, Wallasey.

  The inter counties meetings were held at White City Stadium.  That, to an athlete, was what playing at Wembley was to a footballer.  The White City track was made of red cinders, and on a wet day the runners in front threw up the cinders and those behind had red wet cinder marks down the front of their vests.  Nothing was free except at White City we did get a free cup of hot Ovaltine (or was it Horlicks?)  And one humorist shouted out, "Hey lads, we are the world's best athletes", and he held up the back cover of the programme which proclaimed, "The World's Best Athletes Drink Ovaltine".  Modern runners would never have accepted the fact that 220 runners dug holes as starting blocks, using a garden trowel.  It was not unlike running on sand.  How world records were broken there is a mystery.

  Wallasey Athletic Club introduced me to two types of track running:-  Handicaps and Invitation Events.

  For Handicap running one needed to lose races to move forward to a maximum handicap mark.     For a mile the maximum handicap was 185 yards and each time you won you moved back 15 yards; 170, 155 and so on, lesser numbers for second or third place results.  I began the handicap mile on a middle mark (say 150) and had strict instructions not to win until I was on 185.   Thus I went on my first handicap race, in Preston at Pilkington's Sports with the intention of losing, to improve my handicap.  That is how it was, the Club assured me.  It was strange going all the way to Preston to deliberately lose a race.

   The first Invitation Race was the Wallasey Mile Championship held at the Annual Gala in Central Park.  In 1937 my job moved me to Southampton.  I came up from Hampshire and won my first Invitation Race after a titanic battle with my old friend Andrew Page Watson.

   Southampton was a hive of youthful activity on Sundays.  Football, hockey, cricket, all open.  I played football but they were not interested in a non-scoring centre forward!  I excused myself by saying I was really a runner and one of the chaps took an interest.  The result of this was that I joined Trojans Athletic Club (Newport) and won my second Invitation Race, the I.O.W. Cross Country.  Later I joined Southampton Athletic Club (2nd Claim Member.  Wallasey remained 1st Claim) and we won the medley relay from the RAF AAA champions.  I ran the opening leg, 220 yards!

   In 1940 I went to Egypt.  The war had not really hotted up and such countries as Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Palestine, Egypt   Morocco and South Africa had Olympic teams ready but Hitler made sure there would be no 1940 Games in Helsinki.  The International Red Cross arranged a mini Olympic Games in Cairo and the British Empire Forces, with New Zealand , Britain and Australian troops available held trials and I was picked to run the 800 metres.  Austin Littler, the Northern Counties Mile Champion, saw I was worried and in conversation he said to me, "Run the first lap in 58 and you will have over a minute for the second.."  I followed his advice and ran my first sub 2 minute 800 metres.  Those in the British Empire Forces team who were not already internationals were encouraged to claim to be wartime international.  A few weeks later all Hell broke loose.  Italy came into the war,  the Germans invaded the Balkans, and the Battle of Britain was ON and no one cared about the April meeting in Cairo.

   As I approach my 90th Birthday I find great pleasure in seeing the happy faces of the fun runners in cross country races and marathons.  The DVD of Wallasey Athletic Club is a great advertisement for Club running.  I personally remember the animal-like primeval ecstasy of running muddy cross country in the pouring rain.  In 2002 my wife and I visited Wallasey.  The prom was deserted.  Then a girl jogger appeared.  Eric Foster wrote and suggested that this glorious girl was probably Helen Sweeny.  If so, Good on You, Helen.  I urge all youngsters to join a Club like Wallasey.  The older members will help the young to get fit enough to actually enjoy running, even in the rain.  I adored it.  To paraphrase the words of a song, "It's almost like falling in love."

 

Obituary

 

Denis F Haslehurst  (38-45) died on the 8th June 2007

Ron Leach who was 78 years old died on the 30th June 2007