Evergreen

98 EVERGREEN Autumn
The Editor invites letters from readers
for this feature but regrets that she is
unable to reply or acknowledge them,
except by occasional comment in these
columns. Letters must contain the
writer’s full name and address (not
necessarily for publication) and the
Editor reserves the right to abbreviate
where necessary.
Please address your letters to:
“Clippings”, Evergreen, The Lypiatts,
Lansdown Road, Cheltenham,
Glos., GL50 2JA.
Email: editor@evergreenmagazine.co.uk
DEREK IBBOTSON
MADAM: The Derek Ibbotson article
(Summer 2017) reminded me of the
time when I briefly crossed paths with
him during my National Service in the
RAF. In the late summer of 1955 I was
posted to RAF Yatesbury in Wiltshire
to be trained as a radar mechanic. Derek
was stationed there and, as a qualified
electrician, he was in charge of the
standby batteries for all the equipment.
This duty apparently gave him time
for extensive training as 1955 was the
year when he started to break track
records.
A few of us who tried to maintain
a reasonable level of fitness were
sometimes joined by Derek, and
during our two circuits of the grass
track he would be doing three or more,
always with a smile and words of
encouragement.
A good pub quiz question concerns
Derek: Who was the first person to run a
four-minute mile?
Answer: Derek Ibbotson, not Sir
Roger Bannister.
Explanation: Roger was the
first person to run UNDER four
minutes, whereas in 1958 Derek was
clocked in EXACTLY four minutes
when finishing second to the great
Herb Elliot at the White City
stadium. — MICHAEL CHERRY, WARWICK,
BERMUDA.