Coincidence

Photograph Quiz:

Photo number 119:- Although this appeared in the ‘Graphic’ as depicting a ‘night harrier’, in the grand scheme of things what or who, were the night harriers in Coventry? And what was the unusual names of other harrier clubs in the city??

Dear Blog,

Yes my toe is sore but much, much better thanks. Trudging a OK.

In the last two weeks, you might be interested to know that I have had four enquires from around the world about former members of Coventry Godiva Harriers. Australia providing two, one of which concerned a cyclist from the running club; remember Blog, we had a harrier section (men), a women’s athletic section, a walking section (men and eventually women) and we had a cycling section (men and women). Now this particular one was of interest for several reasons, not least of which was the offer of three photographs for my ‘History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other Athletic Clubs in the City’. I was able to supply information that another Godiva member, a female, was also a cyclist of some repute and who was the sister of the cyclist about who information was being sought!! It is worth relating that the Australians were visiting this country and wished to meet. On the appointed day of the meeting, I dropped my wife off at home after visiting the old College theatre in Coventry (thereby hangs another tale which I will recount at some future date as the visit has thrown up all kinds of unanswered questions). Getting out of the car at home she noticed on the dash board the address and name of the Australians I was going to set off to meet; they were visiting relatives in Coventry. The surname was unusual and my wife commented that the old lady who was her next door neighbour as a child had the same unusual surname. The neighbour also had an older sister who lived up the road. I commented that the cyclists who’s descendants I was about to meet, were raised in the same neighbourhood as she was. Suddenly my wife took an interest in my ‘History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other Athletic Clubs in the City’ and remembered that she would have time to spare to come with me!! Blog is she nosey, or is she nosey?  And believe it or not her maiden name was Parker!!! Blog, I kid you not. A fat lot of information I got for my history that afternoon!!! Yakkety yak yak. The old lady who lived next to my wife as a child was the Gran of the lady from Australia and she used to visit her gran when a child, and because my wife’s mother used to pop next door to keep an eye on her, my wife and the Australian lady had met as kids and played together!!!!!!! Coincidence or coincidence Blog? ‘Small world’ as they say. And the older sister who lived up the road was the cycling aunt!!!!

Another enquiry came from Germany and concerned a former President of the club who rescued the Harriers when they were in some financial plight. He was also involved in a certain amount of anti-Semitic feeling before the war. I was able to provide information to the enquirer to help him with his forthcoming book.

Then along comes an enquiry about the club’s first record holder. The grandson was replying to a query I had sent to a running club following a little note I had read in that athletic club’s history. It was a long shot on my part, but one of those that sometimes pays off handsomely. Again, most of the information flowed from me but a couple of nuggets were unearthed for my ‘History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other Athletic Clubs in the City’.

The fourth was from a childhood friend of one of the club’s late Olympians. I supplied a contact of living relatives.

When people refer to my ‘History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other Athletic Clubs in the City’ and talk about a possible publication, they do not seem to appreciate the logistics and financial implications of such a venture. The potential readership would be small, with circulation strictly limited; the financial layout would be high as the appeal to a publisher of such a tome would not be attractive and it would be a case of self-financing; to hope to cover a minute part of any outlay, a high cover charge would have to be levied. Shame.

                                Colin