14 Jan 2022

Written By Matthew Eastley

Two Desmonds…but no Clark’s Commandos

Recognise any of these lads? They all started in September 1974 and this photograph was taken when they were third formers.

Front row, second from the left, is Patrick Calnan who has shared some fantastic material from his treasure trove of St Mary’s memorabilia.

This is the cross country squad which represented Patrick’s year. The 1970s was something of a golden decade in terms of cross country running at the school with some excellent athletes.

When Maths teacher Mike Parle joined (also in 1974), Games Master Rod Turner charged him with managing cross country and Mike did much to organise the sport and drive up standards.

The white athletic singlets with the two purple hoops around the chest shown in this picture were introduced by Rod at some point in the mid 70s. They were part of the St Mary’s ‘starter pack’ we all had to get when we entered the school.

Of course, we all had to get used to the dreaded AA Box route which took us around the back of the school, via Upperton Road, through the 1960s-built Tyron Way and Felton Lea estate, before doubling back on ourselves along the A20 and hanging a left at the lights.

I’ll never forget the day when a lad forgot his plimsolls and had to complete the course wearing full athletics kit but with a pair of Clark’s Commandos shoes on his feet. These were de rigeur for any self-respecting lad in his early teens in the seventies. The Clark’s Commandos did the trick because that day the boy in question recorded his best time!

No Clark’s Commando’s in the main shot, only brilliant white plimsolls, probably made by Dunlop or Gola and smartened up by Meltonian whitener with its special padded applicator.

The picture shows, top row, left to right, John Reidy, Neil Duncan, Robert Allen, Justin Pratt, Michael Whitaker

Front row, left to right, Terence Brown, Patrick Calnan, Desmond Littlefield, Desmond Holden