ISSUE 275 – SEPTEMBER 2006
EARL’S COLNE INFO
UK/RWA 50km and 10km Champonships,
Including RWA under 17 Championship,
For Men and Women.
Sunday 10th September 2006
Essex Golf and Country Club
Earls Colne, Colchester, Essex
Timetable
10.00 50kms
13.00 10kms
Entry Fees £6.00 for all events
To Peter Marlow
The Picture House
134g Southgate Street,
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk. IP33 2AF
By 4th September 2006-07-22
Cheques payable to RWA Leamington 2007
All proceed from this event to the
EAA 2007 Race Walking Cup Championship
There will be a buffet/prize giving at the Golf Club at 16.30
BAGWASH
In 2003 ALAN O’RAWE left his kitbag behind after an Enfield League race. RON & JOAN WALLWORK took it home and brought it back to the next meeting – with its contents washed and ironed! Alan left his kitbag behind after August’s Enfield League 5 Miles race – and this time MARTIN OLIVER took it home. Asked if he was also going to return its contents washed and ironed, Martin had a firm reply. The gist of his response was No!
ESSEX 10,000 METRES CHAMPIONSHIP
This is also an Essex League event, and is to be held on Saturday 23rd September at noon. Venue is the Blackshots Lane Arena, Thurrock (which is within sight of the Civic Centre).
Important: This is part of an Essex AAA Championship meeting, so we need to put on a good display of well-supported walking. Maximum turnout please – by everybody!
CHELSEA AWAY IN GERMANY
No we’re not writing about Champions League football, but another feather in the cap of promising CHELSEA O’RAWE-HOBBS from CanveyIsland. Chelsea’s fine form has attracted the attention of the International selectors, and August saw an appearance in Germany. Well done to Chelsea, her coach and thanks to all who encourage her. We’ll give full details of the outcome in our next issue.
YET ANOTHER GOLD
The AAA Under 17 5,000 metres title has been won by CHELSEA O’RAWE-HOBBS in 26 minutes and 44 seconds. The Championship meeting was staged in Birmingham on a very hot Sunday in August. ALAN O’RAWE again did the driving honours, while officials with Essex connections at the event included PETER CASSIDY, PAULINE WILSON, BOB & OLIVE DOBSON. Well done to all who raced, officiated or supported.
EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION LIST KEEPS GROWING
When we first offered Essex Walker on email, the first applicant was CHRIS FOSTER and in the first year of offering this service, just 8 signed up. We now have 222. If you can possibly take an email copy, it really does save the printing, paper, postage and sundries. So if you take a paper copy and could possibly accept it electronically, then please let us know on . Please state whether you require a formatted or unformatted copy. And please tell your Club Secretary, as we don’t want to duplicate the issues. Email has saved Essex Walker, and helped it remain free (except to postal subscribers who are registered with Tony Perkins). Since 3 honorary printers all retired from work within 6 weeks of each other and another is now ‘off the scene’ we’ve relied on Clubs to run off their own copies. So thanks – and please sign up for email copies if you can.
THE OLD ONE-TWO
Essex athletes were the first 2 Brits home at the Norwich Union/AAA Championships in Manchester. No prizes for guessing who they were – the KING twins of course. Over 5,000 metres DOMINIC clocked 21.21.16 and DANIEL 21.28.87. However in the overall shake-up a couple of Irish lads were well ahead – both finishing in the 19s – Colin Griffin (1st) and Jamie Costin (2nd). LUKE FINCH was 6th overall (4th Brit) in 22.27.28.
WRITES BASILDON COUNCIL
Dear Mr. Ainsworth,
Basildon Council is no longer the responsible authority for highways, including cycle paths and footpaths. However the County Council does have a programme of improving all these surfaces, but due to the lack of government investment this is expected to take very many years to complete.
In connection with a particular site which you mentioned, Gardiners Lane South, English Partnerships are in the throes of developing a major industrial and residential scheme on the site and part of the development will include improvements to highways and footpaths in the area. It is unlikely that further work will be undertaken in the immediate vicinity of Gardiners Lane unless there is a significant risk to health and safety.
In terms of priorities, the Council’s priority is to promote the resurfacing of footways and in many parts of the District these are actually combined with cycle ways to the benefit of all concerned.
Yours sincerely,
Councillor Malcolm Buckley.
Leader of the Council
Adds Hon. Ed.The major industrial and residential scheme (referred to above) will see the obliteration of the Fords Sports & Social Club – our venue for decades!
WRITES THE ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
Dear Mr. Ainsworth,
POOR SURFACE CONDITION OF CYCLE PATHS – GARINERS LANE SOUTHCRANES FARM ROAD, BASILDON
I will arrange for the inspector to visit these cycle paths and arrange for any necessary repairs to be carried out.
Unfortunately due to limited funding available, only those areas classed as category 1 defects (immediate hazards) will be repaired as these are the highest priority in terms of safety. The condition of cycle paths, footways and carriageways are inspected on a regular basis and monitored to detect any further deterioration. When funding is available, larger areas are treated wherever possible. However, it is more common for isolated areas to be repaired as explained above.
Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention. Please contact Mr. Don Ringer on 01268-297500, fax 01268 297 501, if you require any further assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Nick McCullagh
Area Highway Manager, South.
Adds. Hon. Ed.Race walkers like BOB DOBSON, ARTHUR THOMSON and a host of other fallers on poorly maintained surfaces may have their own ideas about what passes for Category 1.
EUROPEAN VETERANS
– POZNAN (POLAND)
Many athletes supported this event, so courtesy of CHRIS BENT we give you some selected results of those with Essex affiliations. The full list can be found in AW (we hope) and the Record.
5,000 METRES TRACK
Men 553rdJohn Hall25.44.06 (bronze)
Men 652ndEd Shillabeer28.21.56 (silver)
Men 7012thKen Livermore35.20.81
13thEric Horwill35.28.41
Men 751stDoug Fotheringham31.44.59 (gold)
20 KILOMETRES ROAD
Men 551stJohn Hall1.55.59 (gold)
7th Dave Kates2.05.28
Men 605thChris Bent2.05.28
Men 652ndEd Shillabeer2.03.15 (silver)
Men 708thEric Horwill2.39.32
9thKen Livermore2.40.41
Team (55-54) Silver (John Hall, Dave Kates and Chris Bent).
Team (65-75) Gold (Ed Shillabeer with team colleagues ARTHUR THOMSON & JOHN PAYNE).
In the Women’s W53 Marathon ANGELA BENT came 2nd in 3.39.33. Angela is a talented athlete who won the inaugural ladies Leicester Mercury 20 Miles Walk in the 80s.
Loughton 2nd claimer ERIC HORWILL accepted a late call to action as the 3rd leg runner in the Over 70s 4 x 400 metres relay and helped secure bronze medals!
“DEVELOPMENT SELECTION CRITERIA”
This term was much bandied around during the build-up to the EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS in Gothenburg. Basically this enabled some UK athletes to be selected, even though not quite up to the required standard, in order to gain “major Games experience” with London 2012 in mind. So why not any UK race walkers? Surely we can’t keep having major Games after major Games without any of our walkers to cheer on?
At Leamington Spa, by all accounts, the best after-dinner was BILL SUTHERLAND BEM. He was unbilled and had the confidence to grab the microphone and say something worth listening to as attenders were rising from their tables after a motley of any speakers had tested their patience (with one exception). Among the points he made was one reminding folk that the UK had led the fight (and it was a fight) against the exclusion of race walking from the Olympic Games. We won that battle, but what do we not get? OLYMPICS – NOUK WALKERS, IAAF WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS – NOUK WALKERS and now EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS - NOUK WALKERS. Was this what we all fought so hard for in the 70s? What do you call a British walker at a major Games? Answer = A Judge! Surely the “Development Selection Criteria” could have been of benefit to our race walkers?
EUROSPORT
Again, yet again, EUROSPORT excelled itself with perhaps the best-ever camera shots of top-class walking and informative commentary. And this time we saw the earliest-ever watering station, which was set up INSIDE THE STADIUM while they were doing their track circuits before heading for nearby roads. Among Essex visitors to Gothenburg was international distance man PETER RYAN. For future reference EUROSPORT can be received on Channel 410 (Sky), 112/43 (NTL) and 521 (Telewest). For walking, it leaves BBC standing.
EMAILS MIKE HINTON
Hello Dave,
Good to hear Walking results still being aired on BBC ESSEX RADIO. I just listened to Chelsea O’Rawe-Hobbs exploits at Grangemouth in the schools under-17 international, what a cracking win. I presume her 14.52 3kms was another p.b. Well done! Also mentioned another good win for young Phil Barnard at Blackheath, he’s making good progress. I would just like to say well done to Bill Sutherland. It’s good to see him out competing again, and with five efforts under his belt, the times are coming down.
Regards Mike.
AN ESSEX WIN-DOUBLE
At the AAA Under 20 5,000 Metres’ Walk in Bedford, 15 year old Canvey Island hot prospect CHELSEA O’RAWE-HOBBS came from behind to take victory in a personal best time of 26 minutes and 22 seconds, knocking a whopping 28 seconds off her previous track best time. There was drama on the final lap as she trailed Thanet’s SARAH FOSTER, before the Kent lass was disqualified with the tape in her sight enabling Chelsea to pound past and collect yet another medal for her now bulging wall unit!
Only 4 competed with 2 seeing red (Birchfield’s HOLLY SMITH the other). In 2nd place came Leicester’s FIONA McGORGUM in 27.58
In the Men’s Under 23 10,000 Metres race, just one competitor appeared, but there were redeeming features for he produced a display worthy of medal status and also did so in the colours of an Essex Club! LUKE FINCH of COLCHESTER HARRIERS was timed-in at 47.49.
But seriously folks, these small fields for major younger-aged group championships must cause concern. The August issue of EW looked back at the National Junior and Boys squads for 1973, where long lists of names were published. Another nostalgia item recently looked back at THE PHIL EVERARD B/Y/J meetings in the early 70s at Chigwell Row (organised by the infamous DAVE CREMIN), where over 70 youngsters appeared. Yet youngsters coming through the ranks in many regions are now numbered in single figures. With walking fields now showing an average age in the 50s, more youngsters are urgently needed! Not just to get Team GB back onto the International stage as a feared outfit, but also to retain the great numbers of ‘clubmen’ who have formed the backbone of our sport – and have over countless years, provided many of the National Area and Local officials necessary to maintain the sport as a going concern. Indeed when RON WALLWORK appeared as guest speaker for the Northern Area Diamond Jubilee Celebration in Bolton, he used his speech as an opportunity to praise officials more than participants. He said, “Today we honour the officials of the Northern Area, who have kept the sport going over the decades. Walkers come and go. But it’s officials who provide the continuity”. So folks, we need more youngsters to be our future competitors and future officials. We can’t have too many more AAA Junior Championships where single figures face the starter – and in some cases – just ONE!
CABBIES STRIKE GOLD AT OLYMPICS
London Cabbies could he paid to be friendly and helpful to impress tourists at the 2012 Olympics.
The government wants them to he ‘Olympic Ambassadors’ and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has announced plans that could see them given cash incentives to be helpful.
A department source said: “As the first people visitors talk to, cabbies can play a key role in the success of 2012”. But ‘Cab Driver’ editor Dave Allen said, “Most are courteous and friendly already”.
TROUBLE AFOOT
We’re sorry to report that a couple of the Penhow Striders lads, who both support Essex events, are experiencing foot trouble. JACK THOMAS has fractured a small bone and can’t race or even lightly train for a while. And colleague ROB HARPER got bitten by something while on holiday in France, and has seen a foot swell up to a considerable size. We hope that both walkers will be back on their feet soon!
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
Ilford AC staged a home meeting for young athletes at Walthamstow in late July (Cricklefields being closed for re-surfacing). DAVE SHARPE can now number campanology among his interests for he did a great job as bell-ringer, among many other tasks that he undertook during a truly hot afternoon. In the crowd giving encouragement was 1978 Commonwealth Games Walk Champion OLLY FLYNN. On the ground staff at Walthamstow is Olympic, European and Commonwealth Games steeplechaser COLIN REITZ who spotted Hon. Ed’s 2001 Leamington Grand Prix T-shirt (containing PETER MARLOW, PAUL NIHILL and BOB DOBSON in their heydays). He thought that ROGER MILLS should be on a T-shirt. Said Colin, “Remember me to Roger Mills – I remember his great 1 mile walks at the Palace and his many collapses”. So do we Colin. Roger walked past the state of exhaustion and when he started to wobble, a collapse was sometimes what came next. He hit the deck at the 1974 European Games 20K finishing line, 600 metres short in the 1976 Olympic Games 20K trial around the leafy lanes of Thorpe Bay, at the 1977 Lugano Cup Final finishing line in the walking Valhalla of Milton Keynes – and, of course, after an all-out sprint at Crystal Palace. Walking lost a great showpiece when its top officials decided to pull out of Grand Prix and Sponsored meets at top arenas. Most collapses were dramatically caught on camera and TV – indeed informed commentators could see it coming and predicted falls before they commenced on 2 occasions. But perhaps his most dramatic fall was far from the media spotlight, when he went down IN THE FUNNEL at the end of the Essex County Veterans Cross-Country Championship, causing bodies to pile-up in the funnel as runners tried to step over him in the confined space between the ropes. Roger – he always gave his all!
THE RECORD – WORTH £1.14 A COPY
Hon. Ed got his Race Walking record, but as it was under-stamped by 14p had to pay £1,14p postage due at the door in order to obtain it! And when reading the Leamington Spa Grand Prix events, found out that he raced the ‘ALLCOMERS 5K’ for England – despite having appeared in Welsh Championships for decades. And I also spotted that CHELSEA O’RAWE-HOBBS appeared for Ilford AC when her club affiliation is for BROMLEY & BLACKHEATH HARRIERS AC. Still Hon. Ed got a Christmas card from one grateful reader which had no stamp at all, costing £1.21 at the door in order to be wished a Happy Christmas!
AND THEY GET PAID FOR IT
Sky Sports News Cricket Update:“It’s ten past one now. Play resumes in 40 minutes. That’s half past one”.
Martin Joll:He’s scored one and missed a couple. But that’s Jermain Defoe. Nine times out of ten he’ll find the net”.
Wayne Grady:“Retief Goosen’s fiddled with his shaft. A little thing but it can make a big difference”.
WELL SPOTTED
Several readers on route to Ilford’s home meeting (staged at Walthamstow track) on July 29th saw a great display of all-put training by COLIN YOUNG and STEVE UTTLEY who were seen to be giving their all along Woodford Avenue in oppressive conditions.
ESSEX 50K CHAMPIONSHIP
Please note that ourCountyChampionship is to be held in conjunction with the NATIONAL and SOUTHERN CHAMPIONSHIPS, at Earls Colne Airfield on Sunday 10th September. Change at the upmarket Golf and CountyClub. It will also count in the Essex League. Please ensure that you enter the National and Southern races if you wish to race the Essex 50K. Start time is 10 am (Note: The RWA 10K starts at 1 pm).
NEWS FROM GEOFF –
AND A SUGGESTION
Former Junior International and Essex County Champion GEOFF HUNWICKS has hosted a special Olympics Workshop at Hart House. News of Geoff’s athletics prowess is known around The Gambia; for he was asked to attend the local school’s Upper House athletics meeting, where he handed out certificates. Geoff and his wife Rohey have also accepted invitations to attend Admiralty House – the official residence of the British High Commissioner. Hart House’s roof and window leaks have been attended to thanks to fund raising and expertise from the American Embassy. Sadly Rohey’s mother has passed-on after suffering failing health – and, on behalf of all readers, condolence is expressed on the occasion of this sad loss. Geoff reminds us that Hart House needs your support – indeed readers were given details of the sort of assistance required in a recent issue of Essex Walker. Geoff points out that nothing has yet materialised. So we draw your attention to his appeal letter again (see June issue). Finally Geoff wishes that you all had an enjoyable summer….and suggests that you consider taking a holiday in The Gambia!
“ALL THE HALLMARKS OF A FIASCO”
This was the view of Southern Area Hon. Sec. CHRIS FLINT who was making reference to this year’s NIJMEGEN MARCH in the Netherlands, which he also described as “most disappointing”. In oppressive heat hundreds had required medical treatments and many were taken to hospital and 2 participants died. The organisers held a crisis meeting and cancelled the event on the 2nd day. The marchers were stopped in their tracks faster than marchers on a parade square at the shout of “Halt”. “Why was there no contingency plan?” asked Chris. “Why did they not get around the heat concerns by reducing the daily distance, say by 10K, or starting earlier to get in more distance before the intense heat later on?” was another of his questions to the organisers. You see, this left many folk with pre-paid and booked hotel accommodation, yet with no event to attend. Some had come long distances – indeed this famous 4-day event attracts participants from around the globe. The Met. Police team had one retired member from Australia (MICK PAUSEY) and another from the USA. Some 45,000 appear for this one, many taking annual holidays in order to be present. Called the Vierdaagse, it commenced in 1909 and has been completed every year since (bar Wars), until now.