About Jack Bloor

History

Born in September 1926 in Castleford, West Yorkshire, he was the son of a glass blower. The family moved to Hull in the 1930’s to look for work during the ‘great depression’. Jack had a sister called Molly. He was a promising pupil and began his career in engineering as an apprentice helping to produce Lancaster bombers during the war. Jack achieved membership of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 1953 and later became Senior Lecturer at Leeds Polytechnic.

Living in the city of Hull, his only way to get out was to cycle, he soon realised he had a talent for endurance, eventually excelling at long distance running too. Spanning 40 years his running career included the 880 yards, two miles and marathons together with orienteering, fell running and cross- country. By the age of 22 he had travelled on the train to the Alps (on wooden seats) many times during his summer holidays. He had a successful ascent of the Eiger (1947) and attempted Mt Blanc and Matterhorn and many more Alpine routes. Arthur Dolphin had introduced him to rock climbing when they met at Leeds Harehill Harriers (1948) and they climbed many first ascents together. They lived together in Arthur’s sister’s house in Old Farley.

In Aug 1952 Jack travelled to Ingleton with the intention of walking the Three Yorkshire Peaks with Arthur Cockcroft, but suffered a motorbike accident on wet roads one mile from Ingleton, where Jack broke his shin bone. He convalesced in Ingleton at the YHA hostel, helping out where he could, walking over the local hills, Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-gent which progressed into running. It is now the famous Three Peaks Race. which Arthur Dolphin, Des Birch and Jack all helped to create.

Family

Their grandchildren Alistair, William, Max, Ella, Mitch, and Lucia have all in one way or another fallen in love with the outdoors. To recognise Jack and Pat’s extended family, we (their children) commissioned a trophy using the ‘Tree of Life’ rock carving. The Bloor Family Trophy is presented to the 1st 040 Man. Alistair, William and Max are now involved in the running of the Jack Bloor Fund and Race. Pat was one of the founders of the Jack Bloor Fund and Races and initiated the idea of reflecting Ilkley Moor’s rock markings on the trophies. To celebrate this, Hilary, Vivien, Robert and Roger commissioned a carved Trophy designed by Shane Green for the 1st U23 woman.

Hilary was Chair of the Fund for 25 years and now Robert has taken over.

Memories from the Family

Dad always insisted we stopped at Bernard and Alice Robertson cafe ‘Bernies’ a classic outdoor activity cafe in Ingleton, on our way home from the Lakes. This and the Youth Hostel were a hub to climbers, potholers, runners, cyclists in the 1940s-50s. Dad lived there when he was recovering from a broken leg and made many life long friends.

The Gritstone Club had their club hut in Elterwater. The family shared the use of a separate hut with other climbers’ families nearby. We spent many happy weekends exploring Elterwater, Langdale Pikes and the surrounding fells.

In the beginning, the Three Peaks Race was a family affair. Dad would run it, Mum (Pat Bloor, nee Travis) and the children would cheer him on, Pat’s father Frank Travis would time it, Pat’s Mum, Janet Travis would make the teas.

Jack Died in December 1984

Jack died after a glorious run through the Meanwood winter woods during the University Relays. He collapsed after finishing the last leg for the ‘Cookridge University Team’. Unfortunately members of the St John Ambulance were unable to revive him. Running was Jack’s passion, so he spent his last day doing something he loved and surround by his many friends.

Tributes

CLIMBING with The Gritstone Club and Mountaineering

Jack was a life-long member of the Gritstone Club and its President from 1973 to 1978. On behalf of the Gritstone Club, the Arthur Dolphin Trophy is presented to the first MU23 at the race.

In 1952, Jack and Arthur Dolphin were put forward as potential candidates for the 1953 South Col Everest expedition. However, their application was unsuccessful. Hilary was born soon after the successful expedition and was named after Sir Edmund Hillary. In fact all the children were all named after climbers, mountaineers, explorers. Vivien was named after Vivian Fuchs (Antarctic explorer), Robert Arthur was named after Arthur Dolphin and Roger was named after Roger Bannister (4 minute mile runner).

Unfortunately Arthur Dolphin was killed in the French Alps in 1953. Jack and Pat were in the Alps on their way to meet him, he is buried in Courmayeur.

In 1963, Jack and Des Birch, were invited as expert mountaineers on the Jan Mayen expedition (Norwegian, Island in Svalbard), where they explored the Beerenberg crater, making first ascents and descent into the crater itself.

Des wrote after Jack’s death: On one occasion we were both near to death in a blizzard and I would not have wished for a more reliable friend.

In 1964, Jack helped start the legendary Leeds University Climbing Wall, one of the first climbing walls in the UK.

Dick Courchee, Gritstone Club member and friend: I first met Jack during the 1968 Ennerdale Horseshoe race. Being inexperienced and starting too fast, I was seized with cramp after about two hours. As I lay writhing on the wet ground, along came Jack, pummelled me back into shape and ran with me until I was ok. Jack seemed to be everywhere; competing, organising, supporting, spectating or socialising. Sometimes all of these at once. Nothing was too much trouble and he never lost his cool. Above all he had to be active, to live for the day.

Dick was one of the founders of the Jack Bloor Races and Fund.

Mike Rose, a committee member of the Gritstone Club, secretary of the FRA,
and a close friend and lover of the fells.

Thus it was entirely natural when the Jack Bloor Race was set up in 1985, Mike offered the club to marshal the checkpoints, which have been provided
by the Gritstone club ever since. Mike was a loyal JB Trustee from 1985 to 2003.

The JB Trustees presented the Mike Rose trophy for the 1st U40
woman.

British Mountaineering Council: Jack was mature in his judgements, sound in his advice and wisdom, he was a father figure to whom we naturally turned to. Jack put so much of himself back into things he really cared for, his work, his family, his students.

POTHOLING, Leeds Cave Rescue Team

Jack was a member of the Leeds Cave Rescue Team and would often get called out when his experience was needed. In 1967, he was part of the big rescue attempt at Mossdale located a few miles north of Grassington. This was the worst caving disaster in the history of British potholing and reported in the national news. Ten top young cavers entered the notorious Mossdale system which is classed as a ‘super severe cave liable to flooding’. Four came out after a short trip, they found that what had been a fine day had turned to heavy rain and the flow into the cave was increasing. One of the four ran down to raise the alarm and so commenced a major and very dangerous rescue effort culminating in the loss of six lives. It was considered too dangerous to bring the bodies out and they were later buried in the cave. There is a cairn on the moor vertically above the burial. The cairn has a
plaque with the names of those lost.

Jack was called out in the middle of the night to help with the rescue (both Hilary and Vivien remember this). Jack was significantly involved with the rescue underground and anyone that he helped to get out was probably another member of the rescue effort. Jack returned distressed and exhausted after nearly 14 hours in the caverns
with horrendously scraped knees from the rescue attempt.

RUNNING with Harehill Harriers (now Leeds City AC)

In 1951, Jack won the classic Burnsall Fell Race, followed in 1956 by a win at the Three Peaks, plus numerous Karrimors (KIMM is a two-day mountain marathon) and a successful Bob Graham 24hr challenge in 1979. He loved running, cross country, all types of running, he would run every lunch time with the students.

The KIMM started in the late 1960’s, the first based in Muker, Yorkshire Dales. Jack’s partner, was Neil Mather, a noted Himalayan mountaineer: The early races were very social occasions, they always had a large fire and a sing-song at the overnight camp, we always stopped for a chat when we passed another team.

The KIMM was an event that Jack loved. He passed on his enthusiasm to Robert, Roger and Hilary and those who have been humbled by their presence at a mountain marathon will know how well he schooled them.

At the 1981 KIMM on the Isle of Arran, Robert aged 21 & Roger aged 19, the youngest ever team, finished 2nd in the 80km elite class, only beaten by a team of Swiss champions.

Roger remembers; in true Yorkshire style, Jack supplied us with an experimental leaking tent and a pair of old climbing rucksacks.

John Lunn, Leeds City AC Chairman: Jack was one of the most genuine ‘gentlemen”, in every sense of the word, that ever graced Leeds City club. On reflection, many of us feel that Jack met his end in the most appropriate way; active and participating in one of the many things he enjoyed so much and gave so much to.

He described him as a ‘never give up’ athlete that kept up running all his life. John helped set up the Jack Bloor Races and Fund.

Dave Hodgson, Leeds City AC: Jack was an outdoor enthusiast who excelled as a mountaineer, fell runner and orienteer. His sheer enthusiasm and willingness to give the benefit of his experience to others inspired all who knew him. I was at the University relays in December 1984 and spoke to Jack as we both warmed-up. He seemed so fit and well and very happy to be at an event. His last afternoon of his life was spent with friends.

Dave helped set up the Jack Bloor Races and Fund and was Chair for many years.

Arthur Cockcroft, Harehill Harriers: Remembers Jack camping at the head of Wastwater. Saturday was glorious but Sunday was awful and we spent the day battling on the tops against wind, rain, sleet, and a thunderstorm. Jack was in his element. That’s where I will look for him now.

Arthur was pillion to Jack when he skidded off the road and broke his leg.

ORIENTEERING with Airienteers (AIRE) and West Cumberland (WCOC)

In the late 1960’s orienteering arrived in the UK. Jack and Pat were founder members of West Cumberland OC where Pat’s father, Frank Travis, was also involved.

In Leeds, Jack and Pat were members of AIRE. Jack was a member of the British Orienteering Federation International Committee. He was also instrumental in founding the Yorkshire & Humberside Orienteering Junior Squad.

Encouraging fellow orienteers to get fitter, Tuesday evening runs from the family house in Cookridge became a regular event – ‘Jogging with Jack’.

Alistair Wood, AIRE: I first met Jack in 1974, and again in 1976 when I was privileged to coach his two sons, Robert and Roger, who by then had obviously shown their inheritance of their Dad’s genes by doing extraordinarily well at cross-country running. Active until the very end, Jack did not allow trauma and difficulties to dissuade him from ‘getting out there’. His courage and determination amazed us.

Alistair’s son, Jack (named after Jack Bloor), is a talented fell runner and has
won the Jack Bloor Race five times in a row. He is now a Trustee of the Fund.

Pete Haines, Leeds University, AIRE and friend:

I first met Jack when I came to Leeds University in 1972 age 17. We would meet up at Cromer Terrace Gym for a lunchtime run round the parks, woods and canals of north Leeds. He became a friendly face to a lot of aspiring runners and welcomed everyone regardless of ability.

Jack was very much in charge of the pace and would slow down over-enthusiastic student runners with stories of his weekend exploits on the fells, in mountains and his many related adventures. He was the responsible adult we all needed at that time in our lives and would help us sort out our lives as well as our running.

At the end of each academic year he would hold a garden party for all his extended running friends and I got to know his family as well.

I stayed in touch, and a few years later post-graduation, I moved back to Leeds. Jack was extremely kind and a great help to me by inviting me to stay with him and Pat while I sorted myself out with somewhere to live.

Our friendship grew stronger in spite of the generational age difference and we had many adventures together; running, orienteering and mountaineering. He was like a second father to me and became one of my best friends.

His early death in the 1980s came as a great shock but I will always remember him for his inspiration, kindness and companionship and as a good example of a life well-lived.

Pete Haines lives in Ilkley and was the Jack Bloor Race Organiser for many years.

Central Yorkshire Scouts

Jack was a County Mountain Advisor from 1968. He took a leading role organising a wide range of outdoor pursuits, rock climbing, pot holing, fell walking, camping. He was always available for advice and was an inspiration to young people.

Leeds Polytechnic, Head of School Bob Schofield: Jack was always a stalwart in the Department of Engineering and, along with Bill Edwards-Smith, the first two Production Engineers in a department dominated by mechanical engineering. This resulted in the Leeds School of Mechanical and Production Engineering becoming one of the top schools in the country.

The staff, students and his many friends at Leeds Polytechnic donated money towards the trophies for the best Men’s and Women’s performance in the senior race.

To commemorate Jack’s life, many of his friends and family set up the Jack Bloor Memorial Races and Fund to help young people undertake challenging activities in the outdoors.

The Yorkshire Post’ reported in September 1985: ‘Jack’s races off to good start’ The navigational event attracted top-class names in orienteering and fell running’. A fine memorial to Jack and an excellent idea to set up a Fund to help young Yorkshire sports people.

Thank you to Dick and Sue Courchee, Ruth and Pete Jones, Mike Rose, the Gritstone Club, Bruce Kilner, John Lunn, Dave and Shirley Hodgson, Airienteers and especially Pat Bloor and family for starting something very special, it’s now over 35 years and still going strong.

Ruth and Pete Jones remember:

I first got to know Jack and Pat when Pete and I started going to the Tuesday night runs from their house in Cookridge in 1982/3. These became something of an institution. We’d run all over north west Leeds, then back for a pot luck supper and Jack would always have some anecdote to share with us. Pete and Jack had talked about putting on a fell race visiting various rock formations on likley Moor before Jack’s death, and the route Pete had started planning became Jack’s race. I was the organiser for a number of years, and then continued as a trustee.

It was a privilege to know both Jack and Pat; to receive encouragement and support from them, and to benefit from their experience of and expertise in the outdoors. Jack always made time for everyone, and was very modest about his own achievements. He inspired others to achieve their dreams.