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Westies in the mid 1980s
More old photos from the archive. This lot are around 1985-87. Again, I'd be grateful if you could supply names and details where I haven't been able to.
Posted by Johnston Orr on Sun 30 Aug 2009 | 7 comments
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Comments
Dave said...
Well, for the Christmas Handicap photo of 1985, the line-up is as follows:
Ian Marshall (aka Nixon, HBT), Bill Blair (HBT), John Tolmie, Ian Struthers, John Wellings (he of the infamous Cairngorms mountain rescue incident), DC, Big Al, Tom Gillespie (HBT), Alistair Hunter (a 1:52 800metre runner, as he never tired of telling the rest of us), Don't know who's peering out at the back in the bunnet, Matt Ogston (HBT), Tom Donohue (for years a photo of Tom taken in the GU Road Race featured in Glasgow Herald adverts), Mike Donohue and Willie Reid.
Although the caption says the 1985 Xmas Handicap, I wonder whether this is in fact correct. Prior to the Xmas Handicap, we held an early grudge match on the same trail and the presence of so many trotters suggests that it may be taken from this event. But then again, my memory's suspect.
But ah...didn't we look good!
For the record, in the previous photo, although it bears a passing resemblance to me, it is in fact a doppleganger called Dugdale Christie. He often used to cause mayhem and confusion at events in the mid-80's by turning up at races wearing a (presumably stolen) Westies vest. However, the leggings are a dead giveaway; he always wore these which he borrowed from his brother Linford. Other than that he did bear a striking resemblance.
The photo of Ian Struthers at Glen Clova is of a slightly different vintage. I reckon it was taken in 1990, when a Westies entourage consisting of Ian, Isabel, Pat, Sandy Bennet, myself and possibly a few others ran this fantastic not-quite-half-marthon (the length was subsequently increased). All of us except Ian stayed overnight for the post-race ceilidh. After a few drinks we decided to send a postcard to Ian telling him how good a race it was and expressing our disappointment and puzzlement that he hadn't turned up. As expected, this cruel joke didn't go down too well with Sally and Ian had some explaining to do. Ian got the last laugh though, but that's another story and honestly....you really don't want to know the details!
Of course in these days Westies set incredibly high standards, and in order for Isabel and Ann McDonald to join Westerlands, they needed to prove they were real runners, hence their completion of the WHW race. The brave efforts of these fine women resulted in a change to the constitution whereby a woman could be considered for full membership, following a suitable period as an official groupie!
Monday 31st August 2009 6.05pm
Hamilton said...
Ah our own Mr.DC, i.e. Mr. Dugdale Christie showing off "the absence of his abdomen", a finer Rectus Abdominis you will not see.
Where did it all go wrong?
Monday 31st August 2009 7.02pm
Johnston said...
Thanks Dave; fascinating, and some of it might even be true!
I'll add the last of the 80's photos in another few days.
Monday 31st August 2009 8.34pm
Archie said...
Apart from hitting the ‘wall’ big time I recall wearing my favourite, almost vintage Westerlands vest which was subsequently lent, about 15 years later, to a newcomer by the name of Mr. John Donnelly. I haven’t seen the vest since…
Friday 4th September 2009 11.36am
David Bedford said...
...and a fine vest it was too. Ron Hill "Polyviloft" if I remember correctly, very smooth to the touch?
It's probably fair to say, Archie, that it was your lucky vest. Your racing performances have never been quite the same since you lent it and from my observation , I haven't seen a commensurate improvement in Mr Donnelly's times.
So come on JD, what happened to Archie's vest? How about returning it to it's original owner so that Mr Cameron can once again demonstrate his fluent and economical stride?
Friday 4th September 2009 4.25pm
Johnston said...
Cracking time in the 1984 marathon, Archie. I guess the magic vest must have been in its prime back then. It doesn't seem to have survived into the era of colour photos.
Friday 4th September 2009 9.00pm
GrimOrr said...
I note that my namesake Johnston of the Orr tribe is dredging up
photos from the 1980s. I've uploaded a picture from that era (see above), back to the good old days before wine, wummin and Westies made me the terrible runner I am today!
Notes on the photo:
1. It's raining! (it rained for the entire race).
2. I'm smiling! (broke 3 hours for the first and only time, ie I quit
marathons afterwards).
3. I'm wearing a GUH&H black vest of 1960s vintage. Westies came later for me (1991?) by which time the yellow cotton vests with black piping round the oxters were unobtainable, except for the fine repro model from D.M. Hoey's emporium which I have embellished with a wicked "W".
Finally...isn't it time JonDon produced a Hall of (in)Fame of Westy
marathon PBs? I believe that Dave Calder, Archie, and Damon have sub-3hour, even sub-Grim times to their credit. Any more?
Saturday 5th September 2009 2.22pm