My first athletics event I attended

After some research in The News and Sports Mail, I can now proudly present my first athletics event I attended.

Happy Birthday, Neil Gray, 30 August!

It was the Hampshire Schools Championships held at the Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth, on Saturday 9 June 1984.

 

It was a warm, sunny afternoon, but I watched about two hours of the event. There appeared to be hundreds of competitors present and it was all of a blur, however, I actually remembered Neil's name mentioned over the public address system.

It was the only athletics event I attended that year. 

 

 

I was alerted to this event a week before in the Sports Mail on 2 June 1984.

I knew Neil initially at Greenfields, later named Westfield Junior School; I was one of his friends and playmates including Richard Devine, Phillip Pinhorne and Ian Murphy. Even then he was sporty and often played football in the playground; in the final year of junior school, he wore a monitor badge.

 In September 1977, he began his secondary education at City of Portsmouth Boys School, I went to Priory School, lost touch, attempted to meet him in 1983, but that fell through.

 

On Saturday 16 June 1984, an article appeared in the Sports Mail about him.

 

 

The bound volume of The News and Sports Mail which contained the articles at the British Library in Boston Spa. 

 

All outstanding gaps are now filled in my definitive list of athletics events I attended (see 20 July 2018 entry)

 

Subsequent developments from attending my first athletics event 

At the time I worked in the library at Portsmouth College of Art, Design and Further Education as a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) trainee, later taken on as an employee, and was interested in athletics to a big degree (this was the Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram and Steve Ovett era) as well as my model and prototype railway interests.

After reading Neil's Sports Mail article, it dawned on me that I had better chances seeking him out directly at athletics events than contacting him at home because his training and coaching commitments meant he was out much of the time.

On Sunday 19 May 1985, I recognised him for the first time since leaving junior school competing in the shot put at the Hampshire County Championships, Mountbatten Centre.
(Incidentally he finished in 5th place with a 14.70m best throw)

In September 1985, I moved to London to study for a degree in library and information studies at Ealing College of Higher Education. I wrote to him enclosing a passport photo of myself so he could recognise me at events, because by then I didn't wear glasses. About that time or just afterwards he joined Shaftesbury Harriers club in north London.

I saw him compete 11 times in all, but every time Sod's law dictated I was unable to say hello or introduce myself!

At three other events during my time I was interested in athletics, I heard his name over the public address (twice) or saw his final ranking on results sheets posted in the stadium (once), but didn't see him in person.

(Full details can be supplied on request)

I attended 39 events between 1984 and 2002, including the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and finally the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
However I was unsuccessful getting a ticket for the 4 August 2012 "Super Saturday" athletics evening session at the London Olympics, although earlier on in the day I watched the Mexico-Senegal football game at Wembley Stadium.

I was always interested in the bigger picture - over the years I attended a broad spectrum of events from major internationals down to national, regional and local meetings.

I don't know how many of Neil's old schoolmates and friends saw him compete, but I guess I saw him more often than most!

I felt it was time to reveal my past interest in watching athletics events because it developed only after I left school.

As a complete aside in 1986 I was one of the studio audience who saw former shot putter Geoff Capes perform live on BBC's That's Life programme in London throwing a wellington boot and describing the injury phenomenon known as "welly finger".

If Neil's reading this, please contact me as I'm delighted to hear more about his side of things and views what I've raised in this blog post ... and an opportunity to ask burning questions about his athletics career ... and meet up with him again please ...


[Posted just after midnight UK time 30 August, but time-stamped for Californian time 8 hours previously]
[Revised 1 September 2018]
[Revised 10 October 2018 removing Neil Gray's hyphenated surname as he prefers to be known by his original surname]

"Greenfields Jubilee Harriers" model railway layout diorama - part 2

In April this year, I decided at last to model the fictitious athletics club "Greenfields Jubilee Harriers" as though it existed during the 1980s and 90s, when I attended athletics events as a spectator.

On 20 April, I opened my box of sports and travel memorabilia in my spare room and unpacked a few of my stash of athletics programmes which had lain forgotten for years.

That very same day I first revealed them on a model railway web forum, I only later posted this image on Facebook.
It was a random selection consisting of five examples to show the variety of events I attended.

In parallel with disclosure of my experiences initially on Facebook and now here, I started accumulating materials to build a diorama so I could reasonably depict that era.

 

 

 

This is the rail-side view of 1980s/90s "Greenfields Jubilee Harriers" (715 x 297 mm). 

Note the club's more extensively developed, including:

Purpose-built 1950s style club house with "Lord Westgrove's Bar" on first floor (modified Triang-Hornby structure) with 1980s disabled persons' lift addition (white tower, scratchbuilt);

1950s style toilet block (modified Triang-Hornby structure);

"Westgrove Stand" covered spectator area (modified Subbuteo football stand)

The original private railway station "Westgrove Halt" shown in part 1 (the interwar era) fell into disuse and was demolished due to the rise in private transport.

A yuppie using a mobile stands to the right of the main public club house's entrance.

[On this diorama, a degree of imagination is needed, I'm imagining there's a huge car park on site as well as the 400m track finish and field event areas elsewhere]

 

In order to avoid damage to the ends of the railway track, they end 50mm from the edge and special 100mm linking pieces attached to bridge the gaps between boards.

 

 

This is the athletics track side of the club house and toilets.

There's a few athletes waiting for their mates outside the toilets and the club house entrance. Two onlookers are standing on the balcony.

 

 

Here's the spectator stand.

It represents an "open meeting" scenario, 30 years ago, with a few die-hard athletics followers sitting down and cheering, outnumbered by athletes resting and/or chatting.

Yours truly is modelled in his most garish 1980s outfit, wearing a lemon yellow shirt and dark turquoise trousers (I was mistaken for a shop assistant once)

Both model athletes wearing black and white striped kit (Shaftesbury Harriers) were modelled from memory in the mid-1990s for an abortive track and field athletics model layout scene. The tall, well-built white guy who's standing on his own on the left is based on someone I knew at school who competed at a high level.          

 

At long last, I'm now satisfied I've translated into model form something from my past experiences which has turned out to a reasonable standard.

 

 

Algeria still tops countries all-time on number of page views

I've been looking at my page view stats since my blog started here and as of today, 18th August, there are now all-time NINE page views from Algeria, three from the USA, two from the UK and one each from Belgium and the Netherlands.

I'm still very intrigued by the showing from Algeria even though there hasn't been much activity from there lately.
It seems my blog has generated a surprising amount of interest from abroad.

More material is being prepared as I speak, so I'll expect a rise in readership soon.

"Greenfields Jubilee Harriers" model railway layout diorama - part 1

In parallel with disclosure of information about my experiences as an athletics spectator and other untold stories, I've also been translating some of my past into model form.

For some time I've wanted to create a fictitious athletics club, because they've rarely been modelled, it's probably because of the size of a typical 400m/440yds running track, which in 1:76 scale (OO - as popularised by Hornby) would take up about the space of a double bed.
I've no room for a full running track, but have room for a club house diorama.

The diorama is 715 x 297 mm, based on B&Q's door panels.

It represents "Greenfields Jubilee Harriers" (founded 1897) during the interwar period, 1918-1939, although the Austin 7s date it to the mid-1930s.
It's served by a private station called "Westgrove Halt" served by request to the guard, for Lord Westgrove's private estate. The club house is built from two surplus railway carriages joined together with a shelter bolted onto the sides.

It represents a quiet mid-week training session, but with Lord Westgrove and his entourage in attendance outlining their plans for the club.

From left to right: Lord Westgrove (in bowler hat), A. Smith-Crisp, C. Lane, P. Grove, P. Castle.

Prominent sign publicising the club with two of Lord Westgrove's Austin 7s.

In reality, I attended Greenfields Junior School in Jubilee Avenue, Paulsgrove, Portsmouth. There was a special unit there for pupils with speech and communication difficulties; I first arrived in November 1974.
Pupils arrived from all over Portsmouth and SE Hampshire by minibus and taxi; I lived in Southsea at the time and came by minibus.
At the time, there was also Westgrove Junior School next door. There was a complex of four schools on that site built in the 1950s, including Paulsgrove West and East Infant Schools; they no longer exist, replaced by a housing estate, but a few remains survive.

[As an aside ...]
In September 1976, both schools merged to form Westfield Junior School. By then I was integrated into normal classes and considered myself for all intents and purposes to be a full member of the school year group.
In that school year, I was in Peter Collett's class, together with pupils including Bruce Baker, Mark Aubry, Denise Copplestone and John Sweetman. For certain classes, maths in particular, I attended Mrs Burden's class. Neil Gray was in her class.
I left Westfield in July 1977 and attended Priory School, the nearest to my home in Southsea; my family didn't want me to go to a single-sex school; I don't know anyone else who went there with me from my old junior school.

[By the way ...]
I'm working on a second diorama of the same size representing the fictitious "Greenfields Jubilee Harriers" if it existed during the 1980s/90s when I attended athletics events as a spectator.
This is in an advanced state of construction and may be completed by late August or early September.

Thursday 30 August 2018 announcement

On Thursday 30 August, I hope to announce:

Definite confirmation of the first athletics event I attended - that started the whole experience off - at the Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth, in 1984;
Hopefully, confirmation of which two athletics events I attended as a spectator at the same venue in 1985, and which year the Loughborough v AAA U23s event I considered attending either in 1986 or 1987.


UPDATE 8 August:
I've scanned all four requested volumes of The News and Sports Mail, 1 April-30 September 1984.
I've identified the first event I attended based on advance published information and will photograph the articles and the bound volume in the next day or so.
UPDATE 9 August:
Ordered entire 1986 and 1987 volumes of Athletics Weekly for consultation on Monday 13th to identify advance information, dates of events and results of Loughborough v AAA U23s competitions for those years.
I photographed newspaper articles for the 1984 event that I attended and will upload them onto my home laptop tonight to check if they appeared OK.
UPDATE 13 August:
Completed photography of articles published in 1984 and cover of bound volume to my satisfaction. Only the first six issues (January-February) of Athletics Weekly for 1986 and 1987 arrived for me to check, so returned straight away; re-submitted request to consult issues from May to July inclusive for each year.
UPDATE 17 August:
Identified most likely Loughborough v AAA U23s event from Athletics Weekly that I considered attending.
Today, requested four volumes of The News and Sports Mail, 1 April-30 September 1985, for consultation from Tuesday 21st, to identify which two athletics events I attended that year at the Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth.
UPDATE 20 August:
All four volumes of The News/Sports Mail arrived sooner than anticipated, I've already scanned the first volume, 1 April-15 May 1985. Both events which I attended may take longer to identify this time round.
UPDATE 23 August:
I've identified one of the 1985 events that I attended, but hampered by incomplete results reported in the paper for a competitor I remember in order to identify the other event, so I'll have to call up Athletics Weekly for May-July 1985. Will photograph news reports of my confirmed event in the next day or so.
UPDATE 24 August:
All The News/Sports Mail articles I wanted for my records successfully photographed, all volumes now returned to store. I've requested issues of Athletics Weekly for May-July 1985 for 29th August. I may be on the cusp of remembering the other event which I attended in 1985.
UPDATE 28 August:
Today the requested Athletics Weekly issues arrived, they were consulted, details noted and immediately returned back to store. By a process of elimination and putting on my thinking cap I now know the other event which I attended in 1985.
Now it's ready to roll for the 30th!

Welcome back from an old friend ... The News (Portsmouth) - part 1

Today in my lunch break I started scanning the first of four volumes of The News and Sports Mail, going through the April 1984 issues.
Having in the past consulted other newspaper titles on microfilm and struggling with scratchy film and varying quality microfilm readers, it's a pleasure to see old newspapers in print again! I quickly became reacquainted with The News and the pink football Sports Mail edition; my family never bought the pink editions.
At least the British Library provides decent trolleys for these huge, bulky volumes and sturdy angled rests at desks for examining them; I quickly paged through the April issues whilst standing up.
There was little reporting of local athletics news apart from a Thursday 5 April report on the first Fareham Athletic Club open meeting at Alexandra Park, Portsmouth. The weather was described as "near Arctic conditions".

It's permissible to photograph newspapers (subject to copyright rules) using mobiles and compact cameras in the reading room.
Once I've identified the event I attended, I'll photograph the accompanying newspaper report and its bound volume.