A Lad from Featherstone

Two reports, best one first. December 2025. Bridlington East Yorkshire. I can still remember my end-of-term reports from Normanton  Grammar School; Hamilton, the head, always signed the last page. He once said, ‘There  is more to education than sport, you make no effort’.    Followed by  his scribbled autograph. Hey ho. Lambo has gone to see his dad, he does look knackered, after 1,363 Zone minutes last week and 16,000 steps on a jolly (expenses paid) in London. He is down to 92kg and BMI 28%. He still has to manage his replaced hip joint (not that joint silly) as it easily stiffens up and I told him to take the day off as his fitness report says, 'Good keep it up', my editor's report not so good as you will hear. I am sitting in bed, 1052am with an ever-present feeling of guilt that I should be doing something more productive than writing.  I then remind myself that Lambo and I have a story to tell and this is the only way. We have a mantra, ‘I am the left...

Crystal Palace 1967 Thursday 4 th December 2025 . I wrote some important emails this morning, booked a holiday and went to the gym for two hours, a record. I use the ski trainer, pull two handles together and pretend your skiing, or as Lambo uses it, pull the handles alternatively, with his back to the machine, sporting his new headphones with Paul VanDyke trance music playing at 140 bpm. He thinks he is on the dance floor, looks silly but I can’t help but love him. After all, he is the left eye, I am the right and it would be madness to fight. We come as one. After half an hour,  his second wind arrives, the pain subsides and Lambo is in the zone with eyes closed. His feet bounce ever so slightly off the floor. He visualises he is coming off the bend in the 200m final those 57 years ago when he was known as Slam (junior). Let's go back in time. Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium August 1967 Crystal Palace is an area in south London, England, named after the Crystal Palace Exhib...

Slam senior, December 2025. LINPAC were the Rovers' sponsors back in time, Dad still has the shirt. July 1973 LINPAC Factory Featherstone, West Yorkshire UK Bungalow – still Slam junior at home - cut a very lonely, Lad from Featherstone in the summer of 1973, he had just failed his teaching practice at Loughborough Colleges and was waiting to hear if it was game over (thrown out) or given a second chance. He had a summer job at LINPAC factory, cycled there to stay fit, and saved petrol, from his mum and dad’s house, 32 Bedford Close Featherstone. Next to Purston Park so heaven from the age of 14.  He was back sharing a bedroom with brothers Mick & John.  When Lizie – His fiancée of one year- stayed, they used the six-berth touring caravan sat on the drive. He had reunited with Lizie two years earlier in the same house but that’s for later. The LINPACK was a steel frame, 25ft eaves, metal-clad, factory/warehouse full of highly flammable cardboard. It was a cutting and prin...

Sunday 30th November. My phone would have rung at 4am had it been on. Dad had fallen and I'm delighted to say his care plan kicked in and did its job. At dad's now, sat at his computer. Tom Stoppard died yesterday. One of his immortal lines from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead states, ‘Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else’. Time for Slam to  exit Yorkshire and enter the Loughborough Towers with a soon to be aquired new nickname of Bungalow.  The Towers Loughborough hall of residence. 1972-75 At the age of 16, Slam (first nickname) received (here somewhere) a letter to sign up for the mighty Wigan Rugby League team. Having tasted another life – London, England U15 rugby & athletics Slam wanted more, so his dad politely replied saying we were going to put education first. His plan was to spend 3 years at college, qualify as a schoolteacher, marry Lizie his fiancé, sign for Leeds Rugby League Club and teach PE in a school nearby.  He would see out...