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MASTERS ATHLETICS SPRING 2014.

Veteran’s athletics Tom was heavily engaged at both Welsh Patrick’s Church Hall in Coatbridge. Bill was in fine form and
and United Kingdom levels. In the latter he served as Welsh it was a great night.
representative on the British executive committee and more
Bill is survived by his six children James, John, Steven,
recently as a Life Vice President up to the current time. In David, Mary and Diane, and eight grandchildren.
parallel, he was until a few years ago an officer of the Welsh
Masters association from its formation. Initially he served as David Fairweather
Secretary and then successively Chairman and President.
JAROSLAV HANUS
Up until recently, he was also still a regular competitor in
Master’s events, particularly the annual international
master’s cross country match.

All in all, a magnificent record of service and achievement in I regret to inform you that Jaroslav Hanus, multiple British
our sport extending well over seventy five years. Outside of masters record holder in the throws, passed away on March
sport, Tom was a keen artist and taught art; an interest he 8th, following a stroke. The funeral was at Breakspear
shared with his wife, Rosemary, to whom we express sincere crematorium, Ruislip, on Thursday 20th March at 1pm.
condolences.

JHC/Jan2014

William McBrinn,
30/7/1930 – 22/9/2013

On Sunday 22nd September we were saddened to learn that Jaroslav was born in Czechoslovakia in 1930, After the war
Bill McBrinn had died, aged 83. he participated in many sports - Athletics, including throws
and Decathlon, Basketball,Ice hockey, and Volleyball. He
Bill had been a member of the Scottish Veteran Harriers eventually concentrated on the throws, becoming Czech
Club for longer than I can remember, served on the Hammer champion in 1950 or 1951. During his national
Committee for many years including a year as President (88- service he made the elite army team, and among his team
89), and was given Honorary Life Membership in 2006. mates was one Emil Zatopek. He gave up his athletics when
he qualified as an architect, and immigrated to Britain in
He will be fondly remembered for his McBrinnlets, which 1968 to continue his work as an architect. When he retired in
were a Newsletter feature from 1989 (or earlier?) until 2008. 1995 he took up athletics again, and set 33 British Masters
and his promotion of the annual Snowball® race (originally records in the throws. He competed all over the world in
the Alastair McInnes Memorial Race), where he provided masters athletics, winning many medals in the process. He
Snowballs® to every competitor, and to all the helpers. He was a character, and will be sadly missed.
also provided countless prizes at his own expense. He would
also often hand out diaries, and more Snowballs®, after the Chris Melluish
annual 10,000m track race.

Bill was born in Coatbridge, where he lived for the whole of
his life. There he met Margaret, who became his wife for 51
years. The other loves of his life were athletics and magic, as
well as a bit of acting. He was an Equity card holder, and
appeared in many Scottish TV dramas such as Taggart and
Edge of Darkness, under his stage name Billy Stevens.

He was also a member of the Magic Circle, and in 1975 was
President of the Scottish Association of Magical Societies.
He would often perform tricks at SVHC social and athletics
events, and was still performing 2 weeks before he died.

Bill was a regular competitor in Masters events, and
represented Scotland regularly in the British & Irish Cross
Country International. He competed at every distance from
800m up to marathon. In the latter he set a British M55
record of 2:34:24 at Greenock on 25/08/85, and a
British M60 record of 2:46:36 on 21/04/91 at Fort William.

Bill suffered a heart attack in the BVAF Indoor Track
Championships at the Kelvin Hall. He won the 800m, and
had qualified for the 1500m final, when he suffered chest
pains and had to be taken to the Western Infirmary. He
had to be dissuaded from returning for the final, which he
reckoned he would have won when he saw the winning time!
He kept on racing into his late 70s and ran 22:50 in the
SVHC 5km in 2007, but the loss of half a lung to cancer
curtailed his running somewhat It didn’t stop him completely
and he continued training until just 3 months before his
death.

My wife and I, along with many other SVHC members, were
privileged to be invited to his 80th birthday celebrations at St

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