Information re Mystery Photograph

Brighton Ladies’ Athletics Club

Following on from Peter Groves’ photograph of the sports day at Preston Park which appeared on this site on 15/11/2017, I just had to offer this one for publication.  It was taken at Preston Park in the spring of 1930 and shows the same background as Peter’s photograph.

In 1929 my mother Florence Chate together with her sister Elsie founded the Brighton Ladies’ Athletics Club.  Elsie was enrolled as the first member and soon there were about thirty who met regularly at  Preston Park and held intraclub events.  The club prospered and included some notable athletes in the 1960s and 1970s, but, I believe, folded in the late 1980s.

The photograph shows my aunt Elsie Chate second from the left, aged about 20 at the time, lining up with others for a 100 yards race.  Unfortunately, neither the names of the other runners nor the officials are known.

In comparing the backgrounds of the two photographs, I am able to gauge that the trees on the edge of the park adjacent to Preston Drove have added about six or seven years’ growth which, therefore, fairly accurately dates Peter’s sports day at Preston Park photograph as about 1937