Bredin on Running & Training

MY CAREER AS AN ATHLETE. 129 dinner, or species of cross between dinner and tea, I learnt a short history of the premier prize-how it had figured as a local challenge cup, until no one could be persuaded to enter in the race for which it was offered without extra prizes being presented at the same time, and in short, how in desperation the committee decided to get rid of it by means of an open race, the winner to be the absolute owner, and my ;nformant added, " It shows the character of the men who presented it to the club to give twenty-five guineas for a huge, gaudy, electro-plated article instead of purchasing something a quarter the size in silver." All this was very interesting, but I began to wonder whether what was regarded so lightly by the Southport Amateur Athletic Club could be considered a welcome addition to my store of trophies; so before leaving Southport I asked the secretary if he would mind my leaving the cup with him, and added that I would prefer something a little smaller, that did not occupy quite so much space, and that if his committee would send me any silver article about the value of ten guineas, I should be pleased to cry quits. The secretary said, "That will be all right," but I was not quite so certain, being somewhat in the know . A week or so afterwards one of Pickford's men staggered up the steps to my front door with a box measuring about three feet by two-and-a-half, and the next morning's post acquainted me with the fact that the committee presented their compliments, but were sorry to inform me that they could not see their way to exchange my prize for any other article, and had duly forwarded the original trophy. R.T. K