1925

In 1925 my mother was a student at the Godolphin and Latimer School in London, she used to “train” at the sports ground of the Battersea Polytechnic annual sports meet. Very tactlessly she won the Victor Ludorum by winning several events including the long jump as shown. This picture was published in The Times the following day, and she never lived it down.

Her victory was protested as she was not a student at the Polytechnic, but was allowed to stand as she had been permitted to enter. The costume she is wearing for the event is a little different from what you would see on a lady long jumper today. As far as I know she never kept up with athletics herself, but her husband was a long distance runner when she met him, so maybe she ran after him, but history does not tell me if that is true.

She would be very proud of the athletic achievements of her grand children.