You may notice I have removed the word race from the title, as to describe yesterday’s event as a race would be wholly in adequate. Regrettably, we only had 5 senior men so despite our best efforts we were unable to count in the team placings. This is very disappointing.This club was established so its members could take part in healthy competition against other teams in the noble pursuit of cross country running! Read the clubs history by Mick Watson. By joining this club dear member, you have signed up to follow that tradition, and the club has every right to expect you to turn out in the blue and white hoops at championship races. Where were our modern day equivalents of Waterhouse, Spence, Spink, Slater, Binns, Moore, Nerukar, Brooks, Hawkins, Croasdale, Carriss and many more too numerous to mention who did the club proud. Though far less talented, I am proud to say that I was 2nd Bingley runner home yesterday, but at the age of 56 should that really be the case. Those wearing our colours yesterday were, Ben Marriott 79th Myself 313, John Parkin 334, Clive Smith 337, Dave Potter 344. I won’t try and describe the day yesterday, other than to thank Tony Kingham and Graham Smith for being there to witness our toil.
I will just say we did our duty and leave it to the words of Wilfred Owen to set the scene. ” Bent double, like beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, and towards our distant rest began our trudge, men marched asleep, many had lost their boots, but limped on blood shot,all went lame; all blind: Drunk with fatigue, deaf even to the hoots, of tired, out stripped five – nines that dropped behind.