It wasn't so long ago that someone asked what
gave me the urge to write these weekly columns for
the paper. And do you know I gave them an answer
which seemed to satisfy the person. I told him I
have loved all sports from the time I could read in
our locality in England. Soccer and cricket were the
top drawing cards in a period which encompassed
the years between the first World War ~d my
departure for Canada, prior to my 17th birthday in
1929.
I also watched the runners and jumpers and
used to write compositions in my school tests about
the sports. The culmination of my pleasure was a
trip to the F .A. Cup final, played in London where
we lived.
So you can see from the foregoing that when
Gerry Long, who wrote a column for the old
Rossland Miner, asked me if I would like to try my
hand at it, I literally jumped at the chance. Gerry
said, "Go see Fred White, and he'll tell you how to
go about it." Fred told me to write a couple of
essays about people in local sports whom I knew
well enough to be able to do so. I happened to have
two very good friends at the time whom I had
learned a lot about over my years in Rossland. They
were Joe Haley and Ken Stanton.
Fred enjoyed reading my stuff and gave me the
job.
When Bruce Ramsey came along we spent
many hours together as I did my weekly stint.
Bruce, who now lives just outside of Fernie, was a
noted author in his own right and gave me a lot of
direction, along with a couple of girls who worked
there and typed up my stuff. The girls would pick
out grammatical faults and would always point
them out to me for which I'll be forever grateful.
Today we hve every form of sport on TV but I
still love to watch our local Junior Warriors and
kids' soccer, which I helped to get going in Rossland
along with John Hughes, who has since passed
away. Golf of course is the only game I play and that
I don't excell at by the longest'stretch of the wildest
imagination but I love the exercise I get and the hit
and the crack as it leaves the club on a good one

and the occasional ten-footers that you sink when
you need a lift.
As you get older your memory sometimes lets
you down and when I try to remember the name of
the young man who asked me if I'd like to do a
column for The Times. The old Miner had closed
down and this young chap came to see me and offered me the chance to continue writing. I jumped
at the offer and do you know I've enjoyed every
minute of it.
Despite the fact that it was not a very nice day,
cold in the early morning and didn't really warm up
until about noon, we had 68 golfers out on the tee for
Tuesday's Retirees Day at the upper course. Chris
Christiansen and Carl Seefeldt were on the desk for
the day and did the usual good job.
I went out with the first foursome, composed of
Jack MacDonald, Al Dixon, Wilf Woodhouse and
myself. I had my usual not-good round while nobody
else in the foursome did any better.
The winners Tuesday were for low gross
Sam Anselmo with a 40, low net was won by Barry
Zanier with a 34, Dan Burnett, our retirees curling
club president, was closest to the pin on No. 5 with a
shot that stopped a couple of feet away from being a
hole in one. The hidden holes were No. 4 for low, won
by Ray Gar.iepy with Gil Laycock,.taking high on No.
2. Lou Freeman had a 16-18-footer to take the long
putt on No. 9.
Roger McEwan and Peter Browne will be in
charge of next week's show and they will tell you the
game they'll play. We have to offer a vote of thanks
to the group of retirees who worked on the No. 5 rope
tow and other assorted cleanup projects. I understand that Joe Bielli had a big hand in the
organizing of it. There have been several of these
projects and I know who was in charge but I would
like to have a little more information so that I will
be able to try to give credit where it is due.
Dave told me the other day that they will endeavor to put up a good snack for us every golfing
day. I like the idea and think we should give the boys
our full support.
And now I think it's time to say bye for now, so
'Til next time, then!