He was from Harrow, where I grew up, and his sister was my primary school headmistress.He was much more than a great athlete though, Goldie. He was a great man.
There was a running track named after him where the local schools would compete. I dropped in to support my mates after school when about 15 or 16. Our PE teacher (“4 foot 2, eyes of blue, Arthur Peel is after you”- he was short but also played on the wing for Wealdstone, Hendon and England amateurs in the sixties) spied me and discovered that I had my kit, including ancient second hand spikes, with me. I protested that I was a cricketer (in summer) not an athlete, but somehow found myself running the 400 metres, which was a killer. Think I finished sixth, half dead, classic mistake of starting too fast. Arthur was delighted - “two more points lad”. Never went to a schools athletics competition again.
When playing football for the school once I fell awkwardly and did my elbow in, but it didn’t hurt straight away. Overnight it froze completely and was agony, so went to see Arthur, who informed me that he had seen me fall and was surprised I could continue, but I was playing ok so he let me get on with it. He reckoned I had cracked my elbow, confirmed by x-Ray, couple of weeks in a sling. Just read that he died last year, still living in South Harrow. RIP Arthur. Or Mr Peel as I knew you.
