Saturday 2 October. It is with great sadness that we announce the death today, in the very early hours, of one of our Past Presidents Patricia Mead. She had struggled with a severe illness for fifteen months but quite typically never, ever, gave up hope.

Belgrave Harriers officially opened its doors to female members on 1st July 1976 but Pat had helped "force" the issue by regularly training from Belgrave Hall for months beforehand with two colleagues, their washing facilities being merely a hand basin in the upstairs room known as "the ladies". Their offer to pay subscriptions and become associate members of what was up to then a men's athletic club was accepted without any dissention and, as soon as the club officially became "mixed", a further score or more females signed up.

A member of Selsonia Ladies AC since the age of 11 until that club disbanded in the '70s, Pat's early athletic days involved sprinting and jumping but in more mature years, in the company of husband Alan, she loved to run on a Saturday from Belgrave Hall across the Common, around the perimeter of Richmond Park and back to Denmark Road again.

Back in the mid-'60s to '70s Pat served up Tuesday and Thursday night teas and sausage rolls after training at Belgrave Hall, worked in the Southern Counties AAA offices and helped organise the legendary SCAAA Open Meetings and Championships.  She acted as pilot on the back of a motorbike for the Belgrave 12-Stage Road Relay, helped produce results at any number of meetings, typed articles for The Belgravian and operated the electronic scoreboard at Crystal Palace internationals. 

After a maternity break and spending time as a mum she competed again as a veteran, qualified as a track judge to reach level 4 and regularly acted as track referee at our, and many other clubs', meetings. For six years she managed the men's Rosenheim League team and didn't lose a single match during that period - 42 meetings including the finals. For fifteen years, up until her illness struck, she produced an endless supply of tea and homemade cakes for the road & cross country boys after their races - where ever they were competing, from Bishop Auckland to Exeter.  She acted as first-aider at our matches, was an ever-present member of the tent party, sometimes hoisting claret and gold "canvas" in Sutton Park before dawn had broken. She took photographs for the website ... the list goes on; she was totally immersed in our club life.  And of course she was the mother of our current President Hazel and ever supportive of her Belgrave obsessed husband Alan. Pat was herself elected President for the year 1998-99.

Tributes

The funeral was held at the Putney Vale Cemetery & Crematorium on Monday 18 October at 12 noon. If you wish to make a donation in Pat's memory to The Princess Alice Hospice it will be well received. Donations to A & E Longhurst, 21-23 Kingston Road, Ewell, Epsom, Surrey KT17 2DX. Please write your name and address on the back of your cheque so that tax relief can be claimed.