Thanks Jim, random links led me to the "Kestrel" and its story. Follow it if you can...involves a bit of cross country running from 1975!
A quick summary
Back in 1975 the young Falcon, was a young Harrier, and the Harriers took the train from Newcastle to Shiremoor to compete in the Sherman Cup. The rendezvous point was Newcastle Central Station at "The Electric Trains" at the eastern end of the station. I found a couple of photo's of the electric trains bit from the Armstrong Trust Railway Photographic Collection. Further googling of the collection, took me to a blog which came up with this anecdote on the Railway photographer Ian S Carr
…I first met Ian at a Durham University Railway Society meeting in New Elvet, Durham. I was then about 15 years old and Ian was showing his photographs in the lecture hall, however the episcope (print projector) had broken down, so he laid out all the photographs across the hall and talked us through them individually. I admired one in particular of the diesel prototype 'Kestrel' crossing Durham viaduct. Unprompted he gave me the print to take home.
Hence yesterdays Kestrel feature on the thread.
The running bit is in the spoiler...fascinating for me as a memory...bit of local history of the Sherman Cup!.
- Spoiler: show
- The Running bit....mostly a tangental aside but bear with me!
The Sherman Cup...New York 1975. Yes not the big Apple, but an Area known as New York in North Tyneside near Shiremoor, and a local Harrier League Race with a tradition back to the late 40's. The detail is here but I'll give you a shortish quote for a flavour...
After World War 2, the Northumberland & Durham Paperchase League committee were under pressure to organise an `all-out` race, rather than the handicap league runs, in order to prepare clubs for championship races. Also, an attempt was to make courses `all country` with no road sections. The solution came in the form of a new race the `Sherman Cup`, donated by Sherman Pools. The competition was designed to show a club`s overall strength. With three to count, the result was decided on a club`s aggregate points over three races, all starting at the same time, the youths ran 1 lap (3 miles), the juniors 2 laps and the seniors 3 laps equating to the favoured championship distance of 9 miles. The first of these mob runs was in January 1949 and after `the Morpeth` on New Years` Day, the Sherman Cup for male runners only was to become the second fixture of the year.
The "Electric Trains Meeting Place" Armstrong Trust Railway Photographic Collection
Neil
- Spoiler: show
- Armstrong Trust Railway Photographic Collection
