Sporting Personalities

Congratulations are due to Alfred Saunders, the 13 year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred L. Saunders, of “Jene-dene,” Central Park Rd., Laindon, and to Ivy Diment, aged 14 the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. S. Diment of “Mispah,” Church Lane, Laindon who gained the highest number of points in the Laindon High Road School Sports held’ on Saturday, May 5th. 

Master Alfred won the long jump with a leap of 14ft. 9ins., and was first in the 100 yards flat. He is a member of the school football team and champion boy of his house  “Shoremen.” 

Miss Ivy won the open skipping race, the long jump, and the 85 yards flat race. She jumped 12ft 5ins and did the 100 yards in eleven and four-fifth seconds. She was also a member of the winning relay team. She is already a proud possessor of no less than nine silver medals for various sports performances.

William made the following comment:

On re-reading the news cutting it would appear that either the reporter or the race timekeeper made a mistake in giving a time of 11.8 seconds for the 100 yards.

I do not believe any young girl on an unprepared school sports field could have achieved this at a period when international male sprinters were endeavouring to better 10 seconds.

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  • The year of this newspaper article was 1933. A couple of years later and my father was signed up working as a sailor on T.S.S Stuart Star, collecting his mail in Teneriffe. Childhood didn’t last long at that time!

    I agree Laindon is a country village ruined, but I’m not sure all the old days were good!

    By Jane Jones (nee Saunders) (25/11/2015)
  • Apparently the women’s record for 100 yards in 1954 was 10.8 seconds. Therefore for Miss Ivy to have turned in 11.8 seconds may have just been possible, certainly an extremely fast run. This clipping doesn’t have a date but is certainly fascinating.

    Interesting too that sports day was on a Saturday, in my time at LHR they were on a school day, extending well into a summer’s evening usually in July. The field was very well prepared indeed but clearly couldn’t compare with today’s modern surfaces. So many memories then, lost and buried under the new housing estate. Happy, glorious times never to return.

    By Richard Haines (19/11/2015)
  • That’s my Dad! I have a copy of the newspaper article. Not sure who has put this on a website.

    A rather parsoimonious remark, this was over 70 years ago! Lots would be wrong, measurement of 100yds not metres, and quality of watch, but that doesn’t deminish her achievement.

    My Father’s preparation included running to school each day. That was 3 miles each way. Not sure about Ivy, she lived closer to the school. She, like my Dad was a good alround sports women, special for her time.

    By Jane Jones, nee Saunders (18/11/2015)

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