On Saturday 14th September, a coach-load of 44 YA's & 5 adults made their way to Thorpe Park for the annual reward trip. The weather was great and although there was some wait for rides, they had a really good time, going up and down and every way you can think of, and not forgetting eating their way through lots of food and guzzling drink along their way. They really did let their hair down and showed that after a long and hard season they could have a great time. GO TEAM WOODFORD JUNIORS.

We are saddened to report the death of June Robinson, who passed away on 13th September, 2019. June was a fine official and operated the club kitchen/refreshments facility for many years. Her husband Fred was a WGAC (as it was then) timekeeper for decades.

June's children have told us that there will be a short memorial service to celebrate her life on Tuesday 1st October, 2019.

Former Athletics Weekly editor Mel Watman has written a tribute about our former member Neil Allen, who died last Friday.

NEIL ALLEN (14.11.1932-13.9.2019)

It is with deep regret that I report the death, at the age of 86, of my good friend Neil Allen. Of all the athletics writers I have worked alongside since the 1950s, Neil ranks as among the most knowledgeable, compassionate and stylish. He was deservedly a sports journalism award winner and was both a friend and mentor to generations of Britain's leading athletes.

Neil, a modestly talented middle distance runner who joined Woodford Green AC in 1950, began his journalistic career in the best possible way, learning his trade on a local newspaper – the Stratford Express in East London – and in 1952 he became an editorial assistant to Norris and Ross McWhirter on their marvellous, ground-breaking monthly publication Athletics World. His assignments included being present at Iffley Road on May 6 1954 for a certain mile race. That year he started a lively gossip column in Athletics Weekly entitled "News Commentary" which later, for contractual reasons when he became athletics correspondent of The Times in 1955, was transformed into "On My Travels" by "Roamer".

We are extremely saddened to have to report the death, on Friday, 1st March, of Phil Sharkey, who managed our National Young Athletes team and was one of the founders of our "Wasps" section on Saturday mornings.

It was Phil and Steve Dunn's idea to add another training option for our Under 11s back in 1994-95. During the first few years training was irregular, but from 1998 it became more formalised, with membership fees and t-shirts, and the name "Wasps" was adopted.

In June 1964 Track and Field Captain, Tony Maxwell, led a Woodford Green AC to West Berlin for a four-sided international inter-club match which after 18 events, the hosts Olympischer Sport Club, Berlin and Woodford Green were locked on 67 points, ahead of teams from Stockholm and Berne. Our hosts from OSC very kindly awarded the match to WGAC as we had 7 victories to their 6.