Towering memories

"Have you stayed with us before" the receptionist asked me as I checked into the Tower Hotel in London on Saturday.

"Yes" I replied. "But it was 31 years ago." I didn't tell her that by the time I checked out on the previous occasion I effectively ended my race walking career after failing in my attempt to win the National 50km championship and ending up in the position below.

Nor did I tell her that I was there to meet some of the people I had raced that weekend at Enfield in July 1983 - even I did not know that I would be seated on the same table as Roger Mills (left) and Amos Seddon (right) at the lunch to celebrate British walkers at the Commonwealth Games since 1966 - had Graham Young been between Roger and I and Chris Maddocks between myself and Amos this would have replicated the seating plan!

In 1983 the 50km championship started at midday in temperatures high into the 80s. So what has changed other than that we measure the heat in centigrade?

There used to be four national road walking championships at 10 miles (March), 20km (May), 20 Miles (June) but replaced by 35km, and 50km (July). They were all preceded by regional championships at the same distances.

30 or 40 years ago there were calls for reform. Too many championships, so they introduced another at 100km.

Who would have thought that in the Isle of Man 30 years later we were disappointed at a field of just over 200 for the End to End walk. On the other side of the coin, who would have thought that great clubs like Sheffield and Leicester would have vanished.

 

Or that Stella Corlett, pictured with me on the Steam Packet ferry on the way to the race, would have achieved 9 finishes in the 85 Mile Parish Walk - more than her husband Roy, who took the photo, and myself combined.

 

Some things don't change. Amos Seddon, who was leading the race in the photo above, can still eat everyone else under the table and 1974 Commonwealth Champion, John Warhurst on the left of the photo above, still has the same hairstyle!

Friends were just as important than as now and I was so grateful to Roy (in photo with me) and Stella for going to support me and record the moments in 1983.

My sister Margaid used to support me at quite a few races so it was nice that she and her husband Alan joined me for breakfast on Sunday.

This blog has not really gone the way I intended so I shall just concentrate on my last 50km race. Here are the reports:

"How was your stay sir? I hope you won't wait another 31 years before you return" she said. Not sure that I will be round in 31 years but you won't have to wait that long to read, or avoid, my next story from the Tower Hotel as I have some more stories to tell reflecting on the past 30 years.