121st Season

George Dobson in full flight.

The 121st season opened with huge anticipation. A full list of fixtures was to be complemented by a number of special events to celebrate anniversaries in the club’s history. Central to this was the celebration of the 100th running of the club championship, which coincided with the 25th run on the Crighton Course at Delamere. There was to be the video recording of the course of action of an ordinary club run. The purchase of engraved glass tankards in celebration of the event and a Dinner dance were to be organised. Finally, a video was organised of the Championship, and there was to be a joint run with Cambridge University Hare and Hounds Club. It was to be a busy season.

As usual it all started with a pre-season meeting at the Rambler in Edale, this year held on the 12th September. The members took various routes, mainly involving reaching the top of Kinder Scout. An informal discussion was held in the bar afterwards concerning the Video, the Dinner Dance, and of Bowler’s arrangements for the Cambridge joint run. T.A. White turned up after a prolonged indisposition, as did David Callum, whose son was recovering from a severe injury. The President, Tom Cropper, had returned from a family visit to the U. S. A.

The following weekend saw the start of the special events. It was held from the Rose and Crown at Allgreave on Saturday 19th September, where the video recording took place. The planning for this venture had taken place over several months, and was only possible because an infrequent runner with the club, Nick Jones, was involved in a company called Video in Sport. It was Nick’s expertise, offered at a nominal cost to the club, that was used to film the various scenes, and to edit some hours of footage into a usable and understandable length. Nick and his assistants, Mike Shipley, Tony Taylor and Jim Morris set off at 7.0 am to check the selected sites for their suitability. Unfortunately the weather had turned to fog and light rain, which did not let up until 10 am. Work was started on the trail laying sequences in the fields of Bartomley and Hill Top Farm, then along the bank of the river Dane, the fields of Blaze Farm and Wildboarclough Stream. The mornings work was completed with shots around the Rose and Crown, before gathering the packs together to film them starting off on the trail. The action then moved onto the previously laid sections of trail to film the packs running this way and that, before the final running scenes at the finish. Inside the pub, Nick filmed all the sordid details, the bathing and changing, and drinking and eating, and then a discussion of the aspects of Tally Ho Life.
This was a magnificent effort by Nick Jones, and all who participated. Those who turned out were:-

“The Walkers”;               Tom Cropper, Philip Quayle and Fred Taylor.
“Slow Pack”;                   John Hughes, Tony Taylor, Pat Scally and Arthur Walton.
“Medium Pack”;                David Callum, David Bell, Peter Bowler, Tom Foley, Graham Hughes,
 John Mercer, George Dobson and TA White.
“Fast Pack”;                   Mike Burston, Paul McLoughlin, Walter Mason, Joe Park, Mark Taylor and John Wilson.
“Hares”;                                   Mike Shipley and Jim Morris.
“Winer and Diner”;          Ian McDonald.

The next day, Sunday the 20th September, there was a joint run with Cambridge University. The University men were up for a training weekend at Gradbach Youth Hostel. Peter Bowler had managed to lay some of the trail during the filming, and finished the 13 mile run, aided by George Dobson and Graham Hughes who laid trail leapfrog fashion, using cars, to complete the distance before the hounds. Peter Bowler laid trail till halfway, and Graham Hughes started at halfway, but unfortunately the two points were not the same. There was a significant gap that the hounds somehow managed to overcome. Peter and Hilda Bowler provided the after run hospitality at their home, “Greenacres”.

The first counting run of the season was held at The Abbey Arms at Delamere on the 26th September, a venue that was re-arranged due to the illness of the Landlord of the Jug and Glass at Newhaven. John and Graham Hughes devised a trail on the railway side of the forest. There was a choice of a short and long version, with a scout sign system to indicate the long way round, used by the fast pack.  The Centenary Championship tankards were on sale for the 26 who turned out.

Richard Huddy and his son laid a splendid trail at the Rose and Crown at Tunstead Milton on the 10th October. The trail had been laid sparsely, but all the hounds made it back. The pub was criticized for the lack of facilities and the attitude of the landlord, although the meal was excellent. Some doubts were cast on returning to the venue if an improvement was not forthcoming.

There had been consternation about the lack of pack running at recent events and a meeting was held before the run from the Old Barn at Rivington on the 24th October. Members were asked to nominate their start time for a 1600 hour finish to an 8 mile trail of nominal difficulty. The packs were then formed from these replies, and from the judgment of the Hon. Sec. for those not present. The results were as follows:-

Walkers:                                                Cropper (leader), Mather, Quayle, Taylor F, Walker, Wilson, Yates.
Slow Pack; Start time 13:30:                    Hughes J (Whip), Scally, Taylor A, Walton.
Medium Slow Pack; Start time 14:00:         Mercer (Whip), Mamwell, Morris, Wells, White TA, Pearson.
Medium Fast Pack; Start time 14:12:          Dobson (Whip), Bell, Bowler, Callum, Edwards, Foley, Huddy, Hughes G, Mason, McKinstrie, McDonald, Shipley, Sidebottom, Walley, Chalmers, Cartwright, Worsell.
Fast Pack; Start time 14:30:                    Eastwood (Whip), Burston, Howarth R, McLoughlin, Park, Taylor M, Wilson J, Winterbone.

As for the run itself, Charles Mamwell and Ray Howarth laid the trail to the west of the M6 motorway and found some new fields on the return route from Limbrick. Two weeks of rain had made the paths very muddy, and along the River Yarrow we were sometimes up to our knees in water. The management of the Old Barn had installed a shower for the benefit of the chef, and the club took full advantage of the facility.

The following Saturday, the 31st October, 83 members, family and friends turned out to the Davenport Park Hotel in Stockport for a Dinner Dance to celebrate the 121st Season and the 100th Championship. It was well organised by Mike Eastwood and John Wilson, and after dinner we were entertained by reminiscences from Ralph Walker and the President, Tom Cropper. The menu contained an account of our first recognised championship in 1880. Philip Harrison came down from Cumbria and Ben and Robin Johnson came up from Cambridge, and at the conclusion of the formalities, at around 9:30, the dancing started and continued well into the feast of All Saints.

A further week and on a dull and miserably misty day, the 7th November, White and Walley laid a glorious trail from the Crewe and Harpur Arms in Longnor. A huge turnout of 36 members attended and followed the trail through the saturated fields beside the River Manifold, returning by way of Reaps Moor. There was also provision for a junior pack, by shepherding them over the final 4.2 miles. A committee meeting elected Mike Blackburn and ?? Proctor, and accorded Mike Eastwood and John Wilson a vote of thanks for their efforts in organising the Dinner Dance.

Peter Bowler and ?? White laid a longish trail through mud from the Rose and Crown at Allgreave on the 21st November, ending in a crossing of the river at Back Dane. The route was well chosen, but a little long, so that one pack finished at about 45mph in the dark thanks to Rick Howarth, in his car. After the hot-pot meal the edited video was shown and received with enthusiasm, and a few orders.

The following week saw the club at the East Lancs. Cross Country Championships, under the management of Ernie Wilson. The team of Paul McLoughlin, Mike Eastwood, Mike Burston, Ray Howarth, John Wilson and Joe Park performed well over the 3 lap course of approximately 6 ½ miles, held at the University Playing Fields, Sale on the 28th November.

A snowstorm greeted the hares at the Cross Keys in Uppermill on the 5th December, but the hounds hardly got wet. Pat Scally, Ernie Wilson and Arthur Walton laid the trail to near perfection, Vincent Jones was elected a member and some panic was caused by the non-appearance of the handicap committee, or the handicap sheets. In view of the next fixture, this caused a number of frantic telephone calls.

Saturday 19th December 1992 was the date of the long awaited 100th running of the Club Championship. It was the 25th to be run over the Crighton course, a distance of 5.6 miles or 9 K. On a cool crisp winter day with a clear sky overhead the event proved to be well worthy of the occasion. 36 runners attended in one capacity or another and 25 started at the command of Philip Quayle. They were under the watchful eye of the judge Fred Taylor and a video camera operated by Jim Morris and Ernie Wilson. Up the hill they pounded following trail which was actually laid that morning by Arthur Walton and Jim Morris. The gap opened up by Paul McLoughlin by the halfway point was very wide indeed, but he was running at great speed and reached the turn in 17 min. approx. fully 90 sec. before the next man, Mike Eastwood. Paul McLoughlin continued to gain on the others and finished in a time which was initially recorded as 33min 19 sec. but was later agreed as 34 min. 40 sec., a Championship record for the course. The discrepancy was due to the timekeepers who had problems with the official timepiece, which ran slowly. The official results were compared with those recorded individually, and a time of 1min 20seconds was added to the official time to correct it.
He later admitted that he had kept the pressure on until the end as he realised that he could set a new record and he wanted this to be as fast as possible. It was a great effort and although the handicap sub-committee were within 1 min 40 sec. in their estimate of his time he also won the handicap. The second man in was Mike Eastwood in a corrected time of 37:45 with Mike Burston third in 39:30. The second man in the handicap was John Wilson with a corrected time of 39:43 and a handicap of 5 mins, which still left him 34 secs away from Paul McLoughlin, and third was Des Winterbone with a corrected time of 45:59 and a handicap of 11.
The cameras at the 1-mile point near Hindswell Gutter and at the turn and the finish recorded the determination of the competitors but it did seem to be a very fine event enjoyed by all the participants.
At Hindswell Gutter on the outrun, John Hughes remembered that he had not brought from Warrington the crystal glassware for the winners. He therefore abandoned the race and went home to retrieve them in record time.
There was a splendid meal with wine that was provided by our President who was present when we toasted his health before he left for the USA to visit his family. The President distributed the prizes and he presented John Hughes with 2 Heaton Cooper prints to commemorate John’s long stint (over 21 years) as organiser of the Lakes weekend. The President reminded us of the onerous nature of that task, how John had taken it over from Harold Crighton and how well John had carried out the duties. John made a fitting response and sat down overwhelmed.
For the record the names of those attending: -

All champions this TallyHo century took part and thus all the winners over the 25 years of the Crighton Course. In fact all champions for a quarter of the TallyHo’s existence attended.

Mike Shipley and Brian Whitworth

The New Year brought us to the now traditional outing from the Mersey View Club at Frodsham, held on the 2nd January. Joe Park and Mark Taylor took trail on a very misty day through the golf course area and Newton Hall, past Paint Ball wood to the Weaver and then turned for home. They were back before 2 pm which was just as well for, not wanting to get lost in the thick mist, most of the hounds including the fast pack were back by mid-afternoon. However the walkers, Ernie Wilson and Jim Morris, having lost trail, soon found themselves at the 19th hole where they spent an entertaining afternoon on Robinsons and single malt. 24 turned out for the first run of 1993 including the newly elected Vincent Jones who, although delayed at work appeared in time for the meal.

Only a week passed before the next event.  A team was assembled to run in the 100th Northern Cross Country Championship held on Pontefract Race Course on the 16th January. 8 TallyHo members competed and did their best on a splendid course within the inner rail of the racecourse. There was a gale force wind that blew in the face of the competitors whenever they turned up hill. The race of two laps was keenly contested by Hassain of Stockport club and Pearson of Longwood club and went all the way to the line which Hassain eventually reached a foot or so in front. Captained by Eastwood, meanwhile, our team battled on bravely. The names of the eight and their supporters are below. There were 970 competitors.

Ernie Wilson managed the team into 88th place. Arthur Walton and Jim Morris distributed the commemorative medals.

On the 23rd January we returned to normal running from the Devonshire Arms at Peak Forest. At mid-day as the hares Jim Morris and Vincent Jones started, the heavens opened and released a veritable deluge of rain which must have been close to freezing. 80 minutes into the trail, in the shelter of Dale Head things improved and on Wormhill Moor with no rain and less wind it was positively tropical. 25 members turned out, including ?? Pearson, ?? Edwards. Tom Foley attended for the first time this season and Paul Wells and Mark Taylor were late having first gone to Newhaven by mistake. Bathing and changing returned to the Reading Room but the increased per capita charge was not to the liking of all.

For the fourth event in January the club visited the Bulls Head in Kettleshulme on the 30th.  It should have been at Newhaven, but the Jug and Glass has changed hands and the club was no longer welcome. After a suggestion by Peter Bowler and good work by John Mercer the venue was changed to Kettleshulme, which was last visited in 1959, and which is also memorable for being the inaugural run of our current President, Tom Cropper. The route looked good on the map and only about 9½ miles in total. The terrain underfoot was horrendous so that a normal 4½ miles back from the top of Shining Tor to the pub, all downhill, took one of the medium packs about 1 hour 5mins. Trail layers Mike Eastwood and John Wilson led the hounds fairly well due south from the pub through Dunge Farm, Green Stack, Howlersknowl and Thurslater to Shining Tor. The trail then led north along the ridge top, Cats Tor, Pym Chair, Windgather Rocks and Taxal Edge to turn west just on the south edge of Taxal Moor. The final section was through fields to Kettleshulme where the facilities of the village hall were quite acceptable (with the aid of the club tub) and the Landlord, Mr. Samuel Read at the Bulls Head was in good form and quite pleased to see us. The members all had a good day and it was intended to book this venue as one regular fixture, if not two. 24 members turned out. We were accompanied for part of the trail by a sheepdog (properly on a lead) owned by Richard Huddy the financier and retired medical man.

The venue for the next run on the 13th February also had to be changed. The long fore-shadowed closure of the Crewe and Harpur Arms in Longnor had occurred. The committee had already reconnoitred an alternative, the Pack Horse Inn at Crowedicote. However the Landlord at the time, who was agreeable to the changing and bathing facilities, had left, and the new management were unable to provide such facilities at short notice. Thus we were left to change in the, thankfully, dry car park. Mike Shipley and Geof Walley provided an excellent trail, and all 28 enjoyed the hospitality of the pub after the run.

A cold February day, the 27th, saw the club assemble at the Abbey Arms at Delamere. Walter Mason and Paul McLoughlin laid trail perfectly over a splendid route of 8 miles. No-0ne had difficulty in following the trail and almost everyone was back in the bath by about 3:40 having been able to run most of the gradients. The facilities and the meal were of the usual high standard and the 28 members who turned out were well satisfied. Amongst those attending was Ian White who now lives in Berkshire from which base he is employed in the oil industry.

The annual trip to Cambridge for the joint run along the Via Devana with the Cambridge Universiry Hare and Hounds Club was remarkable for the high temperatures encountered. It was hot enough to justify a watering point at the Newmaket Road, and for some runners to beg succour from passing walkers. The going was generally hard and the light wind was not helpful. Joe Park won the Decanter in 65 minutes, Tom Foley’s 78 mins was a poor time for him, Richard Huddy achieved 83:30, Bill Sidebottam managed 87:30, Jim Morris 99 and George Dobson 94. Peter Bowler, who was plagued by a hamstring tear and having great difficulty with his breathing due to a heavy cold, provided some nourishment at 6 miles. Tea was provided at Ben and Robin Johnson’s establishment, who once again provided the hospitality at Great Wilbraham on the Sunday.

Peter Bowler was still injured for the final club outing of the season, held from the Rose and Crown at Allgreave on the 20th March. However he managed to lay trail over High Moor, south of Macclesfield Forest. 22 members turned out to enjoy the trail and a substantial meal.

The club steeplechase was held at the Old Barn at Rivington on the 27th March. This was, for most, a wonderful event. The overhead conditions were perfect for running, the conditions underfoot were well suited to all who could find the energy to pound downhill on the return from the Belmont Road where Dick Howarth officiated in his cheerful and efficient way. He even found time to log the ½ way times of all competitors so that we can do a pretty good analysis of the race.
Trail had been laid in sawdust during the preceding 24 hours by Arthur Walton and Jim Morris along the now accepted route for this race and, Peter Bowler apart, no-one had difficulty following it. Even so, the wily Mike Blackburn ran all the way out with Jim Morris just to make sure before picking up 3 mins on the return. Mike Eastwood did a very fast time of 45:30 for the 7½ miles with Mike Burston only 30 seconds longer.
Paul Wells nearly shocked the handicap sub-committee with 60 min 30 sec to take the second place, but Arthur Walton outshone them all with 88min 15sec to reduce his time for the slightly shorter course of 1992 by 6 minutes and so take the Devey Trophy for the winner of the steeplechase and, with only a 4 min bonus, also the Indian Shield.
Philip Quayle assisted by Ron Jackson performed well as starters and judges.
The President presented the trophies in his usual charming way, including the Dickin Cup, neatly parcelled by Ray Howarth, to that worthy member Mark Taylor.
Whilst the “end-man” got away, the competition in mid-field was fairly tight and so the handicappers got 11 home in the space of 5 mins.

 The Lakes weekend was held over the weekend of the 2nd to the 4th April at Eskdale. This, the first Lakes weekend organised by Graham Hughes, was a continuation of the splendid series previously organised by his father. A number of the members spent Friday in the vicinity in glorious sunshine on various mountain and fells so that by 7pm at the first meal there was already many tales of splendid walks. The primary brew at the Burnmoor pub in Boot village is Jennings. Members were well content to take in a few samples of it’s qualities in the evening whilst a few attempted to accompany the music played by the Landlord, son-in-law of Josie who gave up the tenancy about 10 years ago.
Some members visited Ulverston market on Saturday morning, others visited Stan Laurel’s birth residence, and some sampled the delights of a corn mill whilst others went to the Roman Fort on Hardnott Pass. The trail, by Walter Mason and Graham Hughes was one of their best and took in some high ground to the south of the river Esk .
The slide show contained much that was new and was accompanied by the updated version of the Championship video.
According to Alan White’s own words, by the time he arrived at Burnmoor on Saturday evening he had consumed a fair quantity of wine and then proceeded to down 5 pints of lager in order to obliterate all thoughts of the tortuous fell race the next morning when he was first off at 7:30. He was first man down to win the bottle in a time of 20:10. So much for abstinence on the eve of Palm Sunday.  17 ran, with the fastest time was of 12:54.
Once again the walks were many and varied, some did part or all of the Mosedale (Wasdale) Horseshoe, some tackled in reverse the 1975 trail, the old corpse road, Illgill Head, Whin Rigg and Mitredale; some varied this with Slight Side but all enjoyed glorious sunshine for most of the day.

Finally, there was the Hartley Folly, held on the 17th April, which finished at the Werneth Low Restaurant.  Mike Burston, Mike Eastwood and John Wilson selected a varied and always interesting route. The parkland golf courses and fields and canal banks of the first part were all fine cross-country, the moorland of Cown Edge overlooking many fine vistas was first class running country. In fact until we reached Bill Sidebottom’s former training paths up to the Werneth Low almost every gradient was runnable by the slow pack. The weather was warm and sunny and the halfway tea was most acceptable having been arranged once again for a grateful club by the Hughes family. 23 members ran, 16 walked and 61 in total attended a splendid meal at the Werneth Low Restaurant.

The proceedings were routine at the AGM, held on the 4th May at Sale Cricket Club, with the exception of the election to Vice-President of Ralph Walker. Philip Harrison travelled down from Cumbria to propose the motion, and was seconded, in absentia, by Zeronian. Ralph Walker had been a member since November 1945, but had run with the club in 1932 as an Old Mancunian. The proposal was carried with acclamation.