Autograph Book John Currant December 2022
Local newspaper cutting in 1950s scrapbook (unknown attribution)
My interest in collecting autographs developed as a schoolboy following a running race from Box to London in 1953. It featured many famous celebrities of the time: Arthur Newton, Jackie Mekler, Wally Hayward and David Morrison. They were an international group. Jackie Mekler had a difficult background, brought up in an orphanage in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was entirely self-taught, determined to achieve despite his poverty. In 1953 he was at the start of his running career and testing himself in ultramarathons. Wally Hayward was another South African and he specialised in long-distance racing. In 1953 Hayward accepted a small donation to cover travelling expenses and was declared a professional runner, which banned him from the Olympicas and many other sporting events. Fred Morrison was the third South African from Cape Town. The following extracts are from my autograph book of 1953.
Back Row: Derek Reynolds (Blackheath Harriers runner), Joe Binks (organiser), W Pepper (AAA judge), Arthur Newton. Front Row: Wally Hayward and Jackie Nekler (both competitors). Local newspaper cutting in 1950s scrapbook (unknown attribution)
100 Mile Race
The 100 mile race from The Bear pub to Hyde Park Corner, London, was a famous annual race which attracted national and international interest. It had started in the 1920s as a motor bike road trial and soon was adopted by long-distance runners attempting to complete the distance on foot. In January 1928, a 46 year-old South African, Arthur FH Newton, ran the event starting in steep banks of snow which are thawing and making them treacherous.[1] He had enjoyed a hearty meal of mutton, and was fed mincemeat and tea on the run. He completed the event in 14 hours 22 minutes and 10 seconds, a world record, until he broke his own record in 1934.[2]
The 1953 race was organised by Joe Binks, an ex-mile record holder (4 minutes 16.8 seconds in 1902 which lasted for
10 years). Binks was the athletics correspondent for the News of the World who predicted the four-minute mile after the Second World War and arranged several attempts by Roger Bannister on the record from 1951 until 1954. Binks was the leading expert in athletics of the age, a speaker at many athletics clubs, an expert for Midas Football Pools and a man who had attended every Olympic Games from 1908 to 1956.[3]
The 100 mile race from The Bear pub to Hyde Park Corner, London, was a famous annual race which attracted national and international interest. It had started in the 1920s as a motor bike road trial and soon was adopted by long-distance runners attempting to complete the distance on foot. In January 1928, a 46 year-old South African, Arthur FH Newton, ran the event starting in steep banks of snow which are thawing and making them treacherous.[1] He had enjoyed a hearty meal of mutton, and was fed mincemeat and tea on the run. He completed the event in 14 hours 22 minutes and 10 seconds, a world record, until he broke his own record in 1934.[2]
The 1953 race was organised by Joe Binks, an ex-mile record holder (4 minutes 16.8 seconds in 1902 which lasted for
10 years). Binks was the athletics correspondent for the News of the World who predicted the four-minute mile after the Second World War and arranged several attempts by Roger Bannister on the record from 1951 until 1954. Binks was the leading expert in athletics of the age, a speaker at many athletics clubs, an expert for Midas Football Pools and a man who had attended every Olympic Games from 1908 to 1956.[3]
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The signatures of the contestants in the 1953 race (shown above) started my autograph book. They included British althletes, Derek Reynolds of Blackheath Harriers and Ron Hopcroft from Thames Valley Athletic Club.
Accompanied by John Legge and Bill Wortley, Ron Hopcroft took on Wally Hayward's 100-mile world record from Box in 1958. His fellow athletes dropped out before the half-way point and Ron carried on alone. For the last 5 miles he was led by motor cyclists and cheered on by spectators who lined the streets and encouraged by Percy Cerutty (of whom, more later). He broke Hayward's record by an amazing 2 minutes in a time of 12 hours, 18 minutes and 16 seconds which I included against his name in my autograph book to record it for ever with the man's name. |
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I was later able to get some other famous people to sign the book. These included Max Robertson (below left), who I believe was a friend of Dr Davey at Ashley Grove. Robertson was a sports commentator on the BBC for four decades after the Second World War, who became a world authority on lawn tennis. I was also able to get the signature of David Eccles (below right) who was the Chippenham Member of Parliament from 1943 until 1962. He served in the governments of all four Conservative prime ministers from Churchill to Edward Heath.
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The 4-minute Mile Record
One of the most famous athletics trainers of all time was an Australian man, Percy Cerutty MBE. He advocated training in sand dunes to build up strength, a Spartan lifestyle and a natural food diet. All this was mixed with an emphasis on courteous behaviour, listening to poetry and debating philosophical theories. Out of this unique training regime came two of the world's most famous mile runners, Herb Elliott, winner of numerous gold medals at the Empire Games of 1958 and the Olympic Games of 1960, and John Landy, the second man to break the 4-minute mile record in June 1954 after Roger Bannister became the first man a month earlier.
One of the most famous athletics trainers of all time was an Australian man, Percy Cerutty MBE. He advocated training in sand dunes to build up strength, a Spartan lifestyle and a natural food diet. All this was mixed with an emphasis on courteous behaviour, listening to poetry and debating philosophical theories. Out of this unique training regime came two of the world's most famous mile runners, Herb Elliott, winner of numerous gold medals at the Empire Games of 1958 and the Olympic Games of 1960, and John Landy, the second man to break the 4-minute mile record in June 1954 after Roger Bannister became the first man a month earlier.
To children growing up in the 1950s, these were amazing times with a crop of athletes in competition to break records which had seemed impossible only a few years before, and many of the races were shown on television and in cinemas to millions of viewers. The records tumbled still further as soon as the barrier of the four-minute mile was broken: John Landy had statues made of him especially a race in 1956 when he stopped and went back to help a fellow athlete Ron Clarke, fearing that he had injured Clarke with his spikes, causing him to fall. Herb Elliott went on to break the four-minute mile record on an amazing seventeen occasions. And Percy Cerutty gave me his autograph and his encouragement for the future.
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Conclusion
In the days of amateurism in many sports, contestants competed for glory alone and the praise they received from autograph hunters was part of this. Amateur cricketers had their initials placed before their surnames and professionals after the name until 1962, Wimbledon only admitted professionals in 1968 and rugby turned professional in 1995. The days of the glorious amateurs were epitomised by Roger Bannister, who broke the four-minute mile in 1954 whilst studying medicine, accompanied by friends Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway (autograph seen right). |
Chris Chataway, one of my most famous autographs
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Reference
[1] The Daily Herald, 6 January 1928 and Western Daily Press, 7 January 1928
[2] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 21 July 1934 and The Wiltshire Times, 28 July 1934
[3] Lancashire Evening Post, 15 November 1956
[1] The Daily Herald, 6 January 1928 and Western Daily Press, 7 January 1928
[2] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 21 July 1934 and The Wiltshire Times, 28 July 1934
[3] Lancashire Evening Post, 15 November 1956