The jogging boom hit the UK in the early seventies following several years of mass hysteria in the United States. Jim Fixx and others wrote best selling books listing the lasting virtues of putting one foot in front of another - it was a sport for all ages and groups formed encompassing a complete age spectrum. The whole family could join in and the only gear needed was a pair of trainers, shorts and a t-shirt (at least during the summer months). Here in the UK, jogging became the 'in' word and groups of like-minded people began to form clubs. In Watford, Jack Harris of the Harriers tried to form a jogging section but after several months of press advertising and patiently waiting for the masses to appear he gave up the struggle. The only person to join Jack was a guy from Hemel Hempstead - Derek Greggains, who later became a Watford Jogger. Following the failure of the Harriers to excite the populous of Watford to jog, I received a call from Alan Flint and with his wife Pat, Audrey and I joined them for dinner at the Belair Restaurant in Northwood where the idea of Watford Joggers was conceived. The inaugural jog took place from the Gade Avenue car park in Cassiobury Park, on a Sunday in November 1976. I race walked and Alan jogged with a group of about 20 who managed to reach the hill leading up the park past the paddling pool. At that stage I recall they walked to the top of the hill and jogged to the tea pavilion before crossing the park and gently jogging back to the car park - Watford Joggers came alive that November day.
The jogging boom hit the UK in the early seventies following several years of mass hysteria in the United States. Jim Fixx and others wrote best selling books listing the lasting virtues of putting one foot in front of another - it was a sport for all ages and groups formed encompassing a complete age spectrum. The whole family could join in and the only gear needed was a pair of trainers, shorts and a t-shirt (at least during the summer months). Here in the UK, jogging became the 'in' word and groups of like-minded people began to form clubs. In Watford, Jack Harris of the Harriers tried to form a jogging section but after several months of press advertising and patiently waiting for the masses to appear he gave up the struggle. The only person to join Jack was a guy from Hemel Hempstead - Derek Greggains, who later became a Watford Jogger. Following the failure of the Harriers to excite the populous of Watford to jog, I received a call from Alan Flint and with his wife Pat, Audrey and I joined them for dinner at the Belair Restaurant in Northwood where the idea of Watford Joggers was conceived. The inaugural jog took place from the Gade Avenue car park in Cassiobury Park, on a Sunday in November 1976. I race walked and Alan jogged with a group of about 20 who managed to reach the hill leading up the park past the paddling pool. At that stage I recall they walked to the top of the hill and jogged to the tea pavilion before crossing the park and gently jogging back to the car park - Watford Joggers came alive that November day.
