A follow-up to December 9th.

I posted about this here:

johnny9fingers.dreamwidth.org/333624.html

As a follow-up:

www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/dec/16/chess-champion-magnus-carlsen-top-of-world-fantasy-football-rankings-premier-league

Some chaps... hey? I recall Jackie Stewart was both an F1 world champion and a champion shot, but I wonder how many folk can think of someone doing well in two completely separate international events. I represented my secondary school in chess and bridge, as well as cricket for a year, and table tennis for a good number. I also swam for the school team. These facts seem unreal to me now. But let’s be candid, the only reason I was ever in any team was because the rest of the folk were worse than me. Excepting in table-tennis, I guess; age 16 I took 12 points off the then UK champion in a set in an exhibition match; so I was alright there I suppose.

Even so there were folk who played cricket and football and tennis or sailed or whatever far surpassing my meagre attempts at taking part. I tried hard at things if I got the bug but I doubt I was naturally talented at any sport or game. But looking back at my childhood I am stunned by how much of it was taken up with sport. In my childhood and youth, physical development was an integral, and vital, part of education. Sport was a natural part of growing up; our schools all competed with each other in everything. All schools played inter-school games and tournaments; the state schools, and the private ones. It wasn’t just St Custards and Porridge Court playing every sport under the sun, but the Gaswork’s Secondary Modern and the town grammar schools all had teams in the major sports. Learning the rules and how to play our national team sports seems a necessary part of a citizen’s education.

And if I recall my youth correctly I would have done any sport or game rather than have to face the cross-country run.