BIRTH OF
People were running around the streets all over
the
Round about that time John Baldwin, Bob Bamber and myself
started running. As we were all members of Lancashire
County Fire Brigade, it wasn’t long before we were all running in their
colours, this was mainly because there weren’t many clubs around and the
Brigade was a member of the 3A’s
(Amateur Athletics Association). So saving on our race entry fees.
John and
Bob being residents of Wesham introduced me to other people
who either lived or worked in the area, who also ran. One of those people was Mike Carter who was the then Headmaster, (in those days you could
use words like Headmaster/mistress)
at St. Joseph’s R.C. School. Mike suggested that we met on Monday nights, for a group run and that
we could use the facilities at the school. This offer was taken up, so each Monday night off we would go and on
route discuss the previous day’s race.
New running clubs started to
emerge during the next two years and probably with this in mind, Mike and John may have met in the early part of 1984. An advert was placed in the Kirkham & Wesham Advertiser asking for anyone who was
interested in running to attend a meeting on the last Monday in January 1985
at the Lane Ends Pub. 36 people turned up and Wesham Road Runners was formed.
Initially the runners met at St. Joseph’s Primary School for a few
months and possibly due to the numbers attending the club transferred to the Community Centre.
A Committee was chosen
with Mike Carter being elected Chairman. Wesham Road Runners &
Athletic Club was up and running. Soon after the meeting we became full
members of the 3A’s and a club constitution was drawn up which has held good,
with one or two minor amendments, to this day.
An
original Membership Card. Note
the Joining Fee £1 – Subscription
£1
Mike’s autocratic style of leadership
was exactly what was required at that time with his experience as a Headmaster
being used to good effect. It wasn’t long before he became affectionately known
as CAPTAIN CARTER. (Who remembers him ordering us
to take “one sandwich each, from the tray”, and no one dare disobey
him).
Within no time at all Club membership had soared to well over 200. Don’t we wish we had that many today!
Mike
stood down as Chairman at the A.G.M. in
1988 after ensuring that the Club had
become well respected and certainly one of the largest in the
Around 1990
the Landlord at the “Lane Ends” moved on, a change of attitude to the
club saw us moving our ‘drinks station’ to the “Royal Arms”.
As I indicated earlier in the report, when we
first used the Community Centre in 1984, the facilities were given to us
free of charge. We did however pay a token fee for a number of years, but into
the 90’s the Council gradually
increased the charges. Towards the end of the 90’s it was felt that the fees being asked were becoming more than
the Club could afford. Couple this
with the numerous requests from the club asking for the showers to be repaired
and nothing was being done, it was decided that alternative arrangements should
be sought.
In 1999
we moved our base to Ribby Hall along with our ‘drinks station’.
Unfortunately, this venue didn’t meet our requirements. So, in 2001 we once again moved our base, this
time to
December 2003,
Dave Waywell
was at the helm and after a number of lean years, (due mostly to the running
boom slowly declining), we were on the up again having more than 120 members.
2005 was our 21st year as a club and also the 20th year for our Annual
10K Race. Talking about the Annual
10K Race, the history of that event is another story. See item below.
2009 is now upon us.
Since 2005, the Club has made further progress by entering even
more Regional & National events, for example our V50 team has
become National Champions in the Veteran category. We have gained
many individual honours with Steve Littler, Alex Rowe, Alan Hudson, Dave
Waywell, Mike Walsh to name but a few who have won many races in
their age groups. Not to leave the women out, they have grown in numbers and
have now become the Club’s best success story. Without naming
individuals they win races in their age groups and team prizes on a weekly
basis.
Dave Waywell is
still at the helm and we now have around 150 members. Carr Hill
School is still the base for our Monday Night ‘get togethers’. As
far as our after ‘drinks station’ is concerned, we have gone full
circle, because we are back at the ‘Lane Ends Pub’, where Chris
and Kelly make us very welcome supplying the Monday night butties
etc. The Club Website is now in the capable hands of Brenda Earnshaw.
What an excellent job she is doing.
Check out www.weshamroadrunners.com
The Club has now reached another ‘Landmark’
for this year 2009 is our 25th Anniversary.
AS
SEEN BY JOHN WHITEMAN (AN ORIGINAL MEMBER)
The origins of the “Club” as seen by John Baldwin
Almost a quarter of a century ago, after a 10k race in Goosnargh
in September, a few of the locals who had competed, decided to return to
the Lane Ends for a pint or two. During the conversation Mike Carter
and myself thought that, maybe, we could form a local running club. I asked, the ‘then’ landlord, (Barry
Goddard and his wife Beryl), of the Lane Ends, if we could
use the upstairs function room to hold a meeting. They agreed and we set a date
for early November and placed an article in the local Advertiser.
Here, I add, that the first six who were in agreement were Mike Carter,
first Chairperson; Mick Ward, first Club Captain; Bob
Bamber, Jack Bell, Mike Gallagher and myself. Around forty people
attended that meeting, including first secretary, Val Tudgy, and first
treasurer, Frank Glenholme.
Regarding the club November Road Race: the first one was the Club
Championship – seven miles for the men, five for the women and, contrary to
a Wrinkly comment, both courses were measured with a surveyor’s wheel by
Mike Carter, Steve Ball and myself. I also had input to the first
eleven races by being given the dubious title of Race Director. I also obtained sponsorship for at least
seven of the first eleven.
I could go on for a while yet but it is all in the past and tide and time
wait for no man. I wish you all continued success for the future.
Written by John
Baldwin
Submitted: April
2007
HISTORY OF THE WESHAM 10K
The first ever club race was round the sports
field by the side of the Community
Centre and it was for Wesham members only. I can’t recall how
many laps there were but it didn’t amount to anywhere near 10K. Terry Maunder won
the race.
Our next effort came in November 1985 and was again for Wesham members only. The weather was
freezing and there was ice everywhere. The distance was again a little dubious,
(no Jones Counters, Surveyors Wheels or GPS monitors
used then), and the course was measured by Mike
Carter’s car. The start was on Mowbreck
Lane outside St Josephs, through
to the end of the lane, on to the Derby
Arms, left up Church Rd, left
down Cross Lane, left down Moss Lane, right at Mowbreck Lane back to the start to the finish on the sports field.
But this was for the ladies – the men ran an additional distance by having to
carry on along
1986 was to become the year of our
first ever officially recognized open 10K
race. This was only open to club members, (unattached members did not take
part). It was held on the last Saturday in November and has been every year since. The start was on
For the next few years the same course was
used, with one or two minor alterations. Probably the most notable of these was
the year a cow that had escaped from a field on Bradshaw Lane decided to join in, it ran all the way to Weeton Village before dropping out
‘knackered’, (sorry ‘exhausted’), and it probably went to the “knacker’s yard” afterwards. When the
new roundabout and Wesham Bypass was
opened the police quite rightly refused the Club permission to use the route on safety grounds, so an
alternative course had to be found.
There is plenty of countryside around the Wesham area, so finding a new course
wasn’t too difficult but finding one that would satisfy the police would prove
to be more onerous. The Derby Arms
at Treales was to be the race HQ and also the start and finish.
This course wound its way round the lanes
through Treales and Wharles then back to the Derby Arms. This was an excellent,
flattish course on quiet country lanes so how the police could say that, “There
was an accident waiting to happen”, beggars belief. Unfortunately after
a couple of years at this venue it had to change. Another venue would have to
be found.
This time we were off to HMS Inskip. The people there were kind
enough to allow the use of their facilities for the start and finish. This
course was over many of the lanes used from the previous venue and the police,
however, were happy for them to be used from HMS Inskip. After two years using this course there were some staff
changes at the site and once again another course would have to be found.
Coming to our rescue this time was BNFL Salwick. The Social Club there was, and has proved to be, an excellent venue for
the start and finish. Currently there is a limit of 600 entries and the event
is usually closed as being ‘full’
long before the closing date and this has been so for a number of years now. Long may it last!
Written by: John
(Boss Wrinkly) Whiteman in conjunction with Keith and Marian Rhead
Additional Information from John Bertenshaw
Hi Boss Wrinkly I read your report on the Wesham
10K: it was a good read, nice to know the history of this famous race! On
reading it, my few, (remaining), memory cells were kick-started. This is my
recollection of the last years of the Bradshaw Lane/Weeton course:-
The course was run on the
I hope this helps to fill in some gaps.
Cheers
Bertie.