Westbury Harriers
Home Contents Notices Training Message Board Information Sports & Social Contacts Races Coaching History Photos Links

 

Notices

  

Please note: Listing of goods/services on our website does not imply any specific recommendation or warranty!

Message Board  is up and 'running' . This can be as a useful tool of communication, please use it

 Old Newsletters (Word doc. or web page)

May 09 Apr 09 Mar 09 Feb 09 Jan 09 Dec 08  Nov 08 Oct 08  Aug 08  Jul 08  May 08

 

E-News Christmas 2009; January 2010; February 2010 Volume 15; Volume 16

Latest E-News: Volume 17

 

Next Club Supper on Monday 15th March

Enjoy a meal after training at Coombe Dingle. Choose from Chicken Curry & Rice, Vege Pizza & Chips or Fish & Chips, all at £2.50.  Place your order with Sandra Baily-Gard at training or on 0117 9505 285 (eve), alternatively  e-mail Once ordered, you are obliged to pay, but cancellations can be accepted up until 9.00 pm Sunday evening.

Running Kit

Club kit - vests, jackets etc. are available from Up & Running, North View, Westbury Park. The prices for these items are fixed and include a club subsidy. Up & Running offer a 10% discount on anything else with your Membership card.

 

Peter Griffin

Peter Griffin at a Westbury Harriers awards evening at Blaise

 

It is with great sadness that we announce that our President, Peter Griffin, passed away on the morning of February 12th 2010 at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. For most of us, he was Westbury Harriers.

Peter was a member of Westbury Harriers for over 60 years and served the club with distinction, both as an athlete and club official, being chairman for 23 years and president since 1999. He was also President of Avon Athletics from 1999.

As an athlete he represented Wales at 440 yds and 880 yds with personal bests of 50.0 at 440yds and 1:53.6 at 880yds. How many of us would like to run that pace today on modern tracks with modern equipment? He was Gloucestershire Track and Field champion for seven consecutive years at 440yds.

  A tribute to him appears in the Bristol Evening Post   See the  E-newsletter for more information.

 

 

 

2010 subscriptions

Don't forget to renew your membership - pay the membership secretary as soon as possible please. The fees are unchanged at £25 for seniors, £10 for juniors/students and £40 for a family. See Sandra Baily-Gard or send to The Westbury Harriers Membership Secretary, 10 Thornmead Grove, Brentry, Bristol BS10 6QG.

 

The last Monday of each month (year round) will be new members' night, as well as a normal training session. This is aimed at welcoming newcomers to the club and organising them into an appropriate training group.

 

 

 
BRISTOL TO BATH TRAINING RUN - SATURDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2010
 
 

 

 

Thanks to all who turned up to do the run to Bath on Saturday 6 February, and especially Roger Long, who took bags for people in his car.  Two groups of runners left Bristol (one group being led by Jane Thornton from Temple Meads and the other by Jullian Bailey-Gard junior from St James Barton Roundabout in Bristol).  Again the weather had been kind to us - it was a slightly chilly morning, but no rain!  The first group had left from TM at 10:45am and the main group from SJBR at 11:00am.  About 30-40 people had turned up through out the day.

 

The plan as with every year was to run along the cycle track, through Bitton train station, alongside the river and meet outside Bath train station. Once in Bath to go for a few beers (and possibly a curry if people were game).  All the runners arrived in Bath within 20 minutes of each other. Some would have arrived in Bath a bit sooner had they not stopped for Tea & cakes en route (Mr Bloss & Mr Attwood)!  Terry Jewell-Davis assisted Roger with the Bag carry, and joined in the run from Bitton train station.  Whist Roger waited at Bitton train station to see the runners come through, cheer them on, and drink more tea.

 

It was nice to see Life Member and former popular group leader John Canning along the route, who took some photos.  He joined us for a drink afterwards and showed us the fruits of his superb photography skills.  Also to mention a few people who came on their bikes Andy Gordon, Dean Thornton, Steve McDonnald and Vanessa Smith (and possibly one or two others). 

 

Now as everyone knows a runners body is a temple, and after a long run you would expect the priority would be making sure we stretch our muscles correctly, drink lots of water, and putting on some warm clothes.  Not this lot!  Someone (who shall remain nameless) was in such a rush to get to the pub that they forgot their bag.  We all headed off to the pub and Roger being the good samaritan had stayed at the train station with the bag.  Little did he know the runner was already at the pub.  Roger has not been seen since....rumour has it he's still outside Bath train station now!

 

The social activities started with a trip to the Salamander pub, at the top of Bath high street.  A favourite from past years due to its selection of Bath Ales.  Various people came and went throughout the afternoon (some to watch the international rugby), or to get home on their bikes (before it got too dark). Once back in Bristol about 20 people headed for a curry on Gloucester road, where some who had earlier left, had come back for a bite to eat (and some more beer). 

 

Thanks to all for a good day out and see you next year.

 

Jullian

 

The Bristol Evening Post has revamped it's  athletic page (June 2009), which can be found at:  http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/athletics 

 

 

Sports News

Check out http://www.sportywest.com a website dedicated to local sports news, described as the community of sport for the West.

 

A New Website for Runners

Check out www.runningforfun.co.uk/home.htm Much of the information is aimed at newcomers, but it has a lot of interesting information on all aspects of running.

 

 

CRAMtag offer

The club has decided to provide a CRAMtag free of charge to each member should they want one. A CRAMtag is an identification tag that is placed on your trainer that provides your id and emergency contact information should you have an accident whilst out running. Hopefully it’s something that will never be used.

If you would like one send your details to secretary@westburyharriers.co.uk.

For more information on the CRAMtag see www.coco.org.uk/index.php?p=cramtag.

e-mail addresses

To enable the club to communicate with it's members more easily, it would be useful to get as many member's e-mail addresses as possible. They would normally be used for sending newsletters or subscription reminders which would otherwise be sent by post. Please send an e-mail to membership@westburyharriers.co.uk, cc to newsletter@westburyharriers.co.uk.

Have You Lost Kit?

Changing rooms at race events are often crowded, and it's all too easy for items to get lost, either left behind or mixed up with someone else's kit. There is now a website you can try which may help.  It's http://www.lostkit.co.uk  and aims to match found kit with the rightful owner.

Can you spare a little time

to help out with tasks which are vital to the smooth operation of the Club, such as:
Running with or helping organise youngsters on training evenings
Introducing newcomers to the right people.
Entering teams for Gwent League events (5 per year, take place on Saturday or Sunday).
In addition, we need someone who is retired from running or an interested non-runner. He/she would be able to turn up at Coombe Dingle from September onwards on some Thursday evenings, with a view to assisting in the running of competitive events for members.
Speak to Neil Miller (0117 9514097) or any of our coaches about any of the above.

Are You qualified in First Aid - or interested in a course?

It would help the club if members and interested parents who are certificated First Aiders would contact me so that I can make a register of their names. If you need to update your skills or are interested in becoming a First Aider we will try to arrange a suitable course.
Contact:  Contact Jim Murphy (0117 9085464) or mobile: 07790 834216, or e-mail

Training Evenings - Personal Alarms

There are a small number of personal alarms available for loan on Mondays and Thursdays. These are kept by Sandra Baily-Gard,  and may also be ordered if you wish to purchase one at a discount.

Lists of Coaching Courses

The Coaching page now contains a list of coaching courses, as far as I have been able to find them out. The club needs more coaches to take groups of runners on training nights.

Sports Injury Clinic

Club Chairman Jim Murphy has a Sports Injury and Rehabilitation clinic, which is always available for members needing treatment. Contact Jim for details on 0117 9085464 or mobile: 07790 834216, or e-mail

Essential Wear! - Club T shirts and caps

Sandra Baily-Gard has a stock of 80th Anniversary T shirts (all sizes) and caps.  The T shirts are white with blue lettering, the caps blue with just a club logo.  Both at £7 each. E-mail Sandra at membership@westburyharriers.co.uk

Assistance required

Volunteers are often required to help out with various, fairly easy tasks. If you are willing to lend a hand please speak to Neil Miller (0117 9514097). 

Child Protection Course

All club members in contact with young athletes need to be in touch with Child Protection issues.  Courses are thin on the ground (and the governing bodies have yet to come up with policy templates), but we could arrange one if a minimum of 12 sign up.  If you are interested, please contact Peter Miller on 0117 9621150 (no relation to Neil!) or Jim Murphy on 0117 9085 464.

Missing Trophies

Over the years, we have lost track of some of our club trophies.  Do you happen to have one on your mantelpiece, or hidden in a cupboard?  If so, please do get in touch

A Reminder To Inhaler Users

If you use an Inhaler which is a 'Beta 2 Antagonist', then you ought to register this with UK Athletics.  Contact Neil Miller for details and an application form.

Membership Forms

Membership forms are available on-line - see the Information page
 
 
 
 
 

A Challenge from Chris Bloor of TACH

 

The Green Man Challenge

Are you mad enough to run or walk 45 miles? 
Are you fit enough to do it inside 24 hours? 
Then you could be a 'woodwose'.  Further details can be found at

  www.closertothecountryside.co.uk

 

 

Obituary - Eddy Cawley

Our president Peter Griffin has received the sad news that Life Member Eddy Cawley passed away in November at the age of 89. Read more.

 

 

Obituary - Syd Pow

A tribute by our president Peter Griffin, and photos - click here.

 

 

Westbury Bristol Yate Composite Team 

Gone West!  A brief history.......Although ultimately torpedoed, some very useful discussions took place between Bristol Athletic Club (now Bristol & West AC), Westbury Harriers and Yate & District Athletic Club, on the possibilities of forming composite teams.  Much common ground was established, there was great enthusiasm from athletes and general backing from committees, and we went all the way to preparing for a formal ballot before internal politics forced one of the key players out of the equation read more

Return to Westbury Harriers Home page