CLUB PRESIDENT – ABOUT ME

I first saw the light of day on 22nd February 1929 in Battersea, London. The fact that I got involved in sport has often puzzled me, as I suffered many serious illnesses in my childhood, some of which I was hospitalised with diseases like scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough twice, pleurisy pneumonia, besides the usual childhood illnesses, which restricted much of my schooling. However, despite all that I eventually recovered and became a keen footballer and athlete.

WORLD WAR 2 AND THE MOVE TO BASINGSTOKE

I was evacuated from London to Brighton at the outbreak of WW2, but returned to London after just a few months and then moved to Basingstoke in November 1939 with my parents and younger brother. My mother eventually found a vacancy for me at Fairfields School in 1940. Many of the local schools were overflowing with evacuees from London and other major towns and cities, so I was lucky. I enjoyed what sport there was at Fairfields School, until I left at 14, in1943. My father was working at the local motor war vehicle manufacturer, at J.I.Thornycroft in Worting Road, where Morrison’s is to-day. He suggested I took an apprenticeship as a motor engineer, which I did and I trained until I was 21. Meanwhile, during the war I joined the St John’s Ambulance Brigade Cadet Division and on one occasion the brigade cadets assisted the senior ambulance officers to transport the wounded troops from the ambulance trains to Park Prewett surgical unit at Rooksdown for treatment of their wounds sustained in the Normandy Invasion Armada at the various beach landing sites in June 1944. A large amount of the injuries were severe burns to the skin over large areas of their body, pretty gruesome to see. I later joined the Air Training Corps serving with 443 squadron headquartered at the old Queen Mary’s Grammar School, now the Vyne School. Here is where I became involved with athletics, becoming a member of the ATC Athletics Team, under the watchful eye of the coach Wilf Stocker, who eventually helped reform the Basingstoke Athletic Club in July 1948 and there was the beginning of my lifetime of sport in athletics. I did not envisage being still involved 63 years on, so I guess the club and I have grown old together.

THE CLUB’S REFORMATION

The news of the club’s reformation appeared in 23rd July 1948 issue of the Hants and Berks Gazette (now the Gazette), it reported that on 14th July at Church Cottage,  athletics had returned to the town. At the inaugural meeting, the Chairman was a Mr R.B.W.Curtis and among those elected to the new committee was Mr Wilf Stocker, who eventually became the General Secretary. I joined the club at that inaugural meeting, as did most of the ATC Athletic Team, and when the club held its first track championships in the Memorial Park in September, I won the first junior 100 yards and 220 yards sprint titles. I was perhaps inspired by my visit to Wembley Stadium, to see the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony and the first three days of the athletics programme in July, 1948 and there I got a kick start into the sport I have been involved in for so long. When Mr Stocker died in November 1967 a young keen athletic enthusiast took over the role of Secretary, he was of course Ian Byett, now Life Vice President and has been a devoted member for over 45 years.
 
SERVICE WITH THE RAF

Apart from about 3 ½ years service with the RAF, in which I remained an honorary member, I have had unbroken membership. While in the RAF I was fortunately able to continue the two main sports of my choice, which were athletics and football. I represented my squadron at both and in the Far East Air Force Athletic Team in 1952 in Singapore and Kuala Lumpa.

 I married a young girl club member Marie Weeks in February1951 and she joined me in Singapore in the October. We later moved to Sri Lanka in September 1952 for married quarters and our first daughter Linda was born in the Medical Centre at RAF Negombo in January 1953. We returned to the UK in April 1953 and I was demobilised late 1953, after the Korean conflict ended with a fragile truce, which still continues to-day.

RETURN TO WORK AND BASINGSTOKE A.C

I returned to work at John I Thornycroft and picked up where I left off in 1950. I also returned to the athletic club and I became club captain in 1955 and joined the committee at the AGM that year. As well as competing, I assisted with coaching in sprints, high and long jump. There were no League competition in them days only inter club events, open trophy meetings and of course club and county championships. After about 10 years or so I became hampered by leg injuries, so I moved on to middle distance running, but eventually I was troubled again by leg injuries.

However, I did not want to give up competition, so I found another discipline when I was persuaded to join the race walking team by the club’s race walking secretary Joe Wrey. This enabled me to continue actively for another 28 years, which took me into my late sixties competing as a veteran athlete. The competition was rewarding, as I did not suffer with so many injuries and I gained various medal awards at 3000 metres up to 20kms, at club, county, inter-county, European and World Masters Championships events.  Perhaps one of my best performances, was a bronze medal for the 45-50 age group 20kms road walk at the inaugural European Masters Track and Field Championships at Via Reggio in Italy in September 1978. There is an article I wrote on those Championships, on the club website.

CHANGES OVER THE YEARS

There have been a number of changes within the club in the developing years. The first notable change was when the club moved from its original track and field HQ site at the old Queen Mary’s Grammar School (later the Vyne School) to the present HQ at Down Grange in the 1970s, but still only had a grass surfaced track. Much of the field events facilities were engineered by club members, which included the hammer/discuss cage. The club’s HQ was first and old caravan standing on the same site as the present HQ, this old caravan was eventually vandalised and burnt down. Two Portakabins were acquired from the A.A, as a temporary replacement until the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council provided our current administration building, called the John Lansley Pavilion, in memory of the last Club President, who died in December 1996.
 
However, the next big change came in the late 1970s after a long drawn out wait, when the grass track was replaced by a synthetic all weather surface. The wood and wire mesh fence was replaced by a metal one metre fencing. A vast improvement for the club and a great boost as well. Now in 2011 we are finally going to have a facility that goes part way of bringing our arena up to the 21st century track and field facilities we deserve.

Change to the club’s name came, when we merged with the all ladies Mid Hants A.C.  In late 1990 Basingstoke A.C joined with Mid Hants A.C, hence we have been better known as Basingstoke and Mid Hants A.C or BMHAC for all of 21 years. This also prompted a change of competition strip from an amber and black diagonally striped vest with black shorts to red, black and amber vest with black shorts, red and black being the former colours of the Mid Hants A.C team. This was the fourth change to the club competition strip since its reformation in 1948.

The club administration has changed immensely from the days when I joined the committee in 1955, which was the year our second daughter Carol was born. The 21st century highly efficient management and administration team we have to-day, bears no resemblance to the small committees of the 1950s and 1960s.
   
HONOURS, AWARDS AND CELEBRATIONS

I served as chairman during the 1970’s as well as assisting the then race walking secretary, Joe Wrey, with managing and coaching the race walking team’s junior and senior members.

I was elected as President and race walking secretary at the 1986 AGM and also took over as race organiser of the club Open 10 mile road walk and junior events in the same year. The club was always short of officials, so when I retired from competition I turned my attention to track officiating and became a qualified track judge in 1997 and in the same year, I was elected as President of the Hampshire Athletic Association. In 2004 the club committee awarded me with the Honour of a Life Presidency. I have also received other local and regional volunteer awards for service to sport, which I treasure in my collection of medals and award certificates, which included the Long Service Award presented, by the South of England A.A and at the Gazette Service to Sport Awards in 2000.

I celebrated my 50 years with the club during the club’s golden jubilee celebration year in 1998 and in the same year for health reasons, I retired from active competition, enjoying representing the club, county and the great Britain Masters Team during those years. Ten years on, I celebrated my 60 years with the club at the club’s 2008 diamond jubilee anniversary year. Also in February 2011, I celebrated 60 years of marriage with my wife Marie, at a Diamond Wedding Anniversary celebration party with our family at the Audley’s Wood Hotel. She has been of great support to me during my long life with the club, as well as bringing up two daughters, who were both ex members, as was our grandson Gareth. We have three grandchildren all grown up and married now and three great grandchildren. Marie and I have enjoyed 18 years of retirement, continuing our passion for walking in many areas of the UK, especially in the Lake District and Scotland, as well as my involvement with BMHAC.

Also at the 2011 AGM, I celebrated 25 years as President and I am very proud of the honour and proud of the successes this club has achieved over the years, particular in the 21st century, the club is making many improvements in the memberships league, county, regional and international activities and we look forward to the track upgrade being completed this year.
I am the fourth President of the club and the longest serving, and long may it continue.
In this brief look at my life in our sport, I hope it has given some insight of the 63 years I spent as a member of this great club and have learned a little ABOUT ME and THE CLUB.

Reg Eade Club President. Below a picture as Hampshire A.A President 1997/98
 

REG EADE. HONORARY LIFE PRESIDENT