SPORTS DAY

 

Sports Day, July 12th, 1979.

One of the highlights of the year at Tulketh was the annual Sports day. Usually, it was held in the second week of July on a Thursday afternoon after lunch. There would be some field events during the run up to the main day like High jump and long jump. I competed in the Long Jump and came second out of the four competitors. One thing I wanted to do is win the last event of the day which normally was the 400 metres mixed relay race for my House – Fylde which this year I was involved and gain some schoolyard credit. I was confident of the other three members of our relay team.

The Competitors in the Sports Day was usually the four houses-Bowland, Fylde, Furness and Lonsdale between the years one to four because the fifth year had by then left the school. On the main day it was track events only. The teachers were involved in the organizational part of the events with Mr. Yates (Metalwork), Mr. Smith (Physical Education) and Mr. Reese (Music), with their trusty starting pistols and clipboards. Pupils and teachers were usually on the side of the playing fields near the houses watching on.

My part in the relay would be on the final 100 metres with pupils from years 1-3 filling in the other parts of the relay. In the 1978 Sports Day I was the third part of the relay team when Fylde House came second overall.

Normally the Schools Sports Day was bathed in sunshine and this year was no exception. I fancied my chances this time because hot shot runner for Bowland House Vinny Clarke wasn’t present on the day of the race. The 400 metres relay race was scheduled for the last event of the day. As Mr. Reese fired the pistol for the start of the race and off the first years went off. It was looking pretty good as I expected we were neck and neck with Furness. As the third-year student handed me the baton for the final 100 metres I was a few metres behind but had the confidence to overtake the other three competitors. This I managed to do, and it looked good as I approached the winning line and then snap! I completely pulled up to an agonizing stop. The other pursuing runners went passed me to finish; I came last.  As I stumbled past the finish line Mr. Smith (P.E) said with some sympathy “You have pulled your hamstring, hard luck”. I eventually made my way to the changing rooms which were virtually deserted by the time I hobbled in forlornly with the help of my mate at the time Chris Sutton. I had a few days off school after a trip to the Doctors who said I had a strained hamstring. By the time I came back to school it was nearly the end of the school year. The summer of 1979 was the final one I and many others had before the final year of Secondary education.

One foot note from the summer of 1979 was a trip to the school in the August with Chris Sutton, and Paul Walsh who had done their O-Level Maths exam a year earlier some feat along with quite a few others like Paul Sapsford to meet the secretary at the school to pick up their results. Chris and Paul passed their O-Level Maths a year earlier. Congratulations guys!!!

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