Claremont @45, 20th May 2026
1981 was a turbulent year for the United Kingdom. There were riots throughout the land, most notably in Brixton and Toxteth, Liverpool, and the continued troubles in Northern Ireland with the related IRA bombing campaign on the mainland. On a brighter note, Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision Song Contest and we all got a day off work because some royal people got married!
We may have only had three television channels to watch, but 1981 saw the launch of classics such as Only Fools and Horses, Dynasty, Postman Pat and Bullseye. Who could ask for more!
In the world of sport, English teams continued their dominance of European football. Ipswich Town, managed by Bobby Robson, won the UEFA Cup, and I was in Paris to see the mighty Liverpool win the European Cup for the 3rd time in five seasons with a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Parc des Princes. Cricket saw the legendary Headingley test match where England, inspired by Ian Botham and Bob Willis, came back from a seemingly impossible position to defeat the Aussies.
It was also a great year for British middle and distance running. Seb Coe and Steve Ovett continued to set the pace in the 800 and 1500, though a young Steve Cram was fast catching them up. The year saw the first ever Great North Run and London Marathon, and this running boom also saw the birth of the best running club in the North East … Claremont Road Runners.
So, in the tradition of doing something special every 5 years, we held a “1980s style Sports Day” to celebrate turning 45. Claremont Road Runners past, present and future gathered at the RGS playing field to run a series of races, some in 1980s style outfits (or an approximation thereof). Izzy Neatrour got proceedings underway with a brilliant (and funny) warm-up routine in the style of an 80s fitness routine. Izzy wouldn’t have looked out of place inspiring the nation to get fit on breakfast TV (though breakfast television, and with it Diana Moran, aka the Green Goddess, didn’t start until 1983).
Once warmed up, we competed in a series of races over 100, 400 and 800 metres with participants grouped by their 5K times to ensure fair competition. Finally, there was the more serious business of the egg and spoon race. Points were awarded for positions in each race, with the egg and spoon race counting double. There were also points for best costumes, as judged by our club chair, Anton Mirafsari.
In true Claremont tradition, we then ate cake and headed off to the pub! It was great fun and thanks go to everybody who made the event happen, particularly Izzy and Anton for all their hard work, Janet Palmer for designing and delivering the souvenir “Claremont 45” mugs and Clare Jaffray for baking the birthday cakes and acting as photographer.
I, for one, am already looking forward to 2031 and our 50th birthday.
| Prize Winners | |
| 1st | Michael Teasdale |
| 2nd | Niamh Garratt |
| 3rd | Jonathan Smith |
