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The first issue of the BMC News was two sheets of foolscap, folded, to make 8 pages, hand typed, artwork hand drawn.  The latest issue runs to 48 pages in full colour, 61 full colour photographs, 7 black and white photographs (Peter Snell, Lindsay Dunn) and several tables also in colour.  The whole was professionally produced and the magazine is Volume 17 Issue 1, dates Spring 2020.   The magazine has come a long, long way since 1963 and this only reflects the journey that the club has taken.   One only has to take a look at the relative statistics for the period of the club’s founding and for the current period – they will go up on a separate page.   Let’s look at the covers from 2010 to 2020.   

The new millenium   came and the most striking thing when the new issue of the News was opened was the use of colour.   The whole thing was even more professional looking than before: the mix of pictures on the cover was skilfully done and there was colour through the magazine.  The layout of the pages was varied and the range of content quite amazing.   Without wanting to offend anyone, I can honestly say that it was mire professionally executed the Athletics Weekly and on quality paper so that it would live in an athlete’s library for his entire career and beyond.   You can see them in their entirety, and you really should at  

http://britishmilersclub.com/bmcnews/news00.asp

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Into the 1990’s and there were more developments with the magazine paralleling those in the club.  The REAL big one was the news of the three year sponsorship of the club Grand Prix by Nike, announced in the Spring 1997 issue.   The magazine had gone from being numbered in sequence from Number 1 to becoming a more professional Volume 1 and  now BMC News Volume 2 Issue 1 appeared in Autumn 1990.   There were also experiments in layout both inside and on the cover of the magazine.  You can see all the changes in the magazines and information of the Nike sponsorship by looking through the magazines

at http://britishmilersclub.com/bmcnews/news90.asp

The 80’s saw a major change in the size and format of the magazine.   It was right from the beginning professionally printed in black and white with real photographs on the cover.  As the decade progressed the size of the publication increased.  With two wide columns per page it could take much more in the way of content and Frank Horwill’s original wishes for the magazine were being realised at last.   The entire magazines can be downloaded at the BMC website – http://britishmilersclub.com/bmcnews/news80.asp 

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The ‘News’ continued to develop and for a while there was a standard cover design but it was still foolscap folded in half and produced on a Roneo or Gestetner machine.   But it was the content that mattered and it stands up well today.   These are only the covers – to read the entire magazines go to 

http://britishmilersclub.com/bmcnews/news70.asp

Appearing in Spring, 1970, it had 24 pages and covered –

• Book List and Reviews.
• John Boggis Profile.
• Achilles Tendon.

28 Pages:

• Spotlight on Youth.
• Athletic Injuries.
• Keith Penny Profile.

The August 1972 issue was the first with the new standard cover – BMC down one side and NEWS down the other and a line drawing of a runner in the centre.   The runner could be male or female, could be seen side on or from the front.  The print was neater, smaller and there was more per page.   It was a good eyecatching design for an organisation without too much cash in the bank.   This issue had 20 Pages and the main articles were 

• Kevin Steere Profile.
• Altitude Training.
• Blood Conditioning.

20 Pages:

• Lest We Forget.
• Close Look at Jim Ryun.
• Physiology of Middle Distance Running.

24 Pages:

• Liz Conners Profile.
• Reflections on Approach.
• Class of 1972.
• Report on S. Counties Coaching Conference.

12 Pages:

• Phil Banning Profile.
• Closing the Gap.
• The Junior Scene.
• Fartlek Variations for XC Training.

16 Pages:

• Paul Lawther Profile.
• Review of Commonwealth Games.
• The Coach-Athlete Relationship.

16 Pages:

• Lesley Kiernan Profile.
• Try, Try, Try Again.
• Middle Distance Events at Rome.
• Distance Running Research.
• 3000m Running for Women.

16 Pages:

• Vit. C.
• Farlek.
• Paul Williams Profile.
• Something Afoot?

16 Pages:

• Janet Lawrence Profile.
• Look Back at 1975.
• The Anaemia Problem.

16 Pages:

• Dave Moorcroft Profile.
• Through The Looking Glass.
• Frank Speaking.

16 Pages:

• Micky Morris Profile.
• Montreal Distance Events.
• Canadian Game Plan.

16 Pages:

• Sebastian Coe Profile.
• Peaking.
• Training Cycles or Periodisation?
• The Warm-Up.
• Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

16 Pages:

• Chris Sly Profile.
• Thoughts on 800m.
• Developing Finishing Kick.

16 Pages:

• Tim Hutchings Profile.
• Art & Science of Middle Distance Running.
• Improvements in Womens Standards.

16 Pages:

• Josephine White Profile.
• Comments from Gordon Surtees.
• How to Adapt Training.
• Scotland’s Problems.

16 Pages:

• Tim Hutchings Profile.
• Art & Science of Middle Distance Running.
• Improvements in Womens Standards.

16 Pages:

• Steve Emson Profile.
• Physiological Impact of Interval training.
• Vitamins.
• Coaching at the World Cup.

The club was only a year old when the magazine appeared for the first time.  Two, or even three, sheets of foolscap paper with the text typed on to a gestetner skin, and then printed using and hand operated machine.   The two sheets were then folded in half and stapled together.   All art work was hand drawn and, interestingly enough the BMC logo from the very first issue was being used at the end of the century too.    

These are only the covers and list of main contents: the whole magazine however is available at    http://britishmilersclub.com/bmcnews/news60.asp  

Above is the cover of the very first BMC News.   Hand drawn picture, 8 pages (ie two sheets, folded and stapled) with three principle articles – Spotlight on Members, News and Views, and List of Members.   The List of Members included nine Senior Coaches, five Honorary Coaches, and 23 seniors, five juniors, 19 Youths, 3 women and several coaches who were available to coach runners in their area, which list included John Anderson in Glasgow.   The Scots on the list included Hugh Barrow (Senior), Ian Young (Junior, Springburn), and Alistair Blamire (Youth).   It was however the beginning of a magazine that would be one of the best in the country, no in the world, on the topic of Middle Distance Running with athlete profiles, statistics and their analysis, reports on research, book reviews, training techniques and much more.   These magazines can all be seen and read at the BMC website.   The remainder of the first ten covers are reproduced here.

This, the second issue had 22 Pages and dealt with 

• Middle distance Injuries.
• Notes on Training Techniques.
• Physiological Basis for Interval Training.

This one had 20 Pages and covered 

• Your Personal Best.
• The Frank Horwill Column.
• Running Problems Answered

Number 4 had 28 Pages covering

• Books Reviewed.
• Weight Training for Milers.
• The Frank Horwill Column.

24 Pages:-

• Quotes from the Greats.
• Doris Brown (USA) Training.
• Striking a Balance.

This time tehre were 28 Pages:-

• Staff Coach Report.
• Quotes.
• Frank Horwill Column.

Issue No. 7. (Incorrectly numbered 6) had 26 Pages:-

• Mile and 1500m Conversion.
• Adaptation to Stress.
• Carol Firth Profile.

Issue No. 8. (Incorrectly numbered 7) had 22 Pages covering

• Importance of Nutrition.
• Reassessment of Farlek.
• That Third Lap.

And that was the first ten issues done and dusted.  Numbers 9 and 10 were never ever produced hence the number 11 coming where it does.   Unmistakable signs of Frank Horwill all over it – look at the range of topics covered which were domestic and international, training and diet (he was always interested in diet), personalities and books.   They were all there.   This was the start of something big although maybe not realised by all at the time.

Hugh Barrow (BMC Member 1) with some of the runners at the 1999 BMC Meeting: Hayley Haining on his right.

After several years of discussions the British Milers Club agreed to hold one of their five annual Grand Prix Meetings, sponsored by Nike, in Scotland and at Scotstoun.   Everything was in place – the new, blue, runner-friendly track, a well disposed local authority team led by Ken Kelly and Frank Clement, a competent local BMC group of coaches of Brian McAusland, Alex Naylor and Mike Johnstone, good comfortable accommodation just quarter of a mile away at Jordanhill College and good rail, road and Plane links with England.  To encourage the runners from the other home countries to come, it was agreed to hold the last meeting, the final chance for the athletes to gain points f=towards the club championship, and to hold it on a Saturday  since it would be easier for English and other athletes to travel up on the Friday and get a night’s sleep beforehand.  The first one was held in 1999 and we start with some pictures from that one.

The event was a great success – look at the names competing – and after the cheques were distributed to the winners in each category, it was pretty well decided that the event would be back the following year.    There was one wee thing though: despite Evelyn McMeekin having been invited to present some of the awards, Peter Thomson, who was the announcer at the time, seemingly unaware of her presence and announced Frank as the sole presenter of the awards.  His comment that it was a glitch did not convince.    However one very well known Scottish official said at the time that it was the first time he had ever just watched a meeting of two hours plus consisting solely of middle distance events – it was bliss, he said.     

It was back in 2000 and many of the same athletes were in evidence with bigger fields than the year before.   The only disappointment was the failure of the |British Endurance Initiative to follow through on the promised 5000m.   The BMC National Committee had been asked to put on a BMEI event at the meeting but after the invitations had been sent to the Scottish runners, the BMEI decided to hold their event at a meeting in Ashford in Kent which kind of spoiled the event – the domestic race was a good one however and we were all pleased with the standard of competition.   Some of the pictures from the BMC News – 

There were more – the races lasted until 2002 before they ceased coming to Scotland altogether.   Reasons?   Well, the date at the end of the season was changed to mid July and the fourth in a series of five.  This meant that the whole point of runners trying to get last minute points to win the £1000 cheques was removed – the main incentive was lost.   In addition it was moved to a Friday night and runners from outwith Scotland were reluctant to travel straight from work to Scotland and race the same night.   Finally, the races were moved to Meadowbank and the successful formula was broken.  It shouldn’t, and may not have, made a difference but the thread of successful meetings was broken.

This is the second half of Part Three .

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It’s a fine mix of photographs and cuttings this time – put up during the covid-19 pandemic the first item is an illustration of how the Glasgow Academy is keeping its string of annual sports going.  It is important to keep these events going even although at times it requires a degree of ingenuity.

We all know of Hugh as a runner but as a promoter on behalf of Strathkelvin District he put on some excellent races, including the Gallery Mile event, a street mile while the Luddon Half Marathon was in progress.   Lady’s winners included Liz Lynch and Yvonne Murray and above is another superb athlete winning the race.  Note the U17 man finishing behind her.    Below is multi event winner Adrian Callan crossing the line.

Hugh also helped with BMC Coaching Days which were held at Huntershill in 1982, 1983 and 1984.   The programme was similar for all of these days – Frank Horwill would come up from London, a local coach would deal with some aspect of middle distance running, and a famous runner would be interviewed.   Look at the line up for 1984.

The picture below is illustrative of the fact that one athletics enthusiast can really make a difference in practical terms.   Who knows, even now in 2020, where Lennoxtown is?   Or what if any bus will take them there?   And yet one enthusiastic priest organised some of the very best of athletics events on a grassy field north of Kirkintilloch.

Back Row:  Dick O’Rafferty, Dave Guiney (1948 Olympian), Jim Reardon (1948 Olympian), John Joe Barry, Jack Gregory (GB OLympian, 1948 and 1952), Paul Dolan (1952 Olympian), Ulick O’Connor, Con Sheehan.

Front Row: Prince Adedoyin (1948 Olympian), Canon Denis O’Connell, Charlie McManus , Liam Brown

Irish Athletics was always divided however: there was the Irishman who ran under NACA rules and was therefore banned for a spell when he came here since Scotland was linked to the NIAAA, then suspended when he returned because he was running as a member of NACA.   When he returned to Scotland for good, there was a wee hiatus before he could compete in team competition.   Hugh has some documentation on this.

And it wouldn’t be Hugh without Herb …

Like many of his generation Hugh is interested in a multitude of sports and in the history of them all.   The following refer to the Clydesdale Cricket and Football Club, not the Clydesdale Harriers.

Part Three is a large chapter and goes from 1890 to 1903, a total of over 50 pages.   It will appear here in two sections: 1890 to 1896  and  from 1896 to 1903.  

To the second half –