Mornington

WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES

Tickets for the R.D.S, Croke Park and the Phoenix Park are no longer available.

The Launch of the world meeting of families’ deanery gathering takes place on Tuesday 21st of August in St Marys Church Drogheda.

CARE COURSE FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES

Expert dietician care course for type 2 diabetes begins in St Theresa’s building, Hardman’s Gardens, beside the Lourdes church, on Mon Aug 20th. This is a free course that runs for six weeks. If interested in attending, please contact Ger Nolan on 0416850675 for more info.

KNOCK PILGRIMAGE

Taking place on Sunday 12th August; Cost €40 including Bus Fare, Tea & Scone going and Dinner coming back in Longford Arms Hotel Bus will depart Mornington Church at 8am There are a few seats left on the bus for Knock. Please sign your name on the sheet at the doors as you leave the Church.

GLORIOUS GOODWOOD

1963 it was. The Goodwood race meeting was on. It was better known as Glorious Goodwood. It’s generally run over the end of July and a couple of days in August. It’s a five-day meeting. Gambling had just been only legalized in England. If one needed to do a bet one had to look for a bookies runner.

These elusive chaps could be found outside a pub sometimes. My first and only bet with a bookies runner was a winner, at 100/9 (11/1) there used to be prices of 100/6, 100/7, 100/8 and 100/9. Those prices are no longer used nowadays. The horse’s name was Pacifico.

Shortly afterward gambling on horses was legalized. It was a Friday. I was due back at work on the following Monday. The money in my pocket totalled ten shillings. Having decided that the bookie needs all he can get. The ten shillings ended up in the bookie’s satchel. Hopefully just a temporary lodgement.

Last Friday was the fifty-fifth anniversary of the bet. Four horses were selected for a straight win accumulator. The average price of each horse was seven and a half to one 17/2, 15/2, 15/2 and 13/2. The bet of ten shillings was (a small fortune in those days). All four horses had to win to hit the jackpot. The first three had all won. I had just popped into the bookies to see how they had done. The bookies was located on the Walworth Rd near to Camberwell Green, S.E London. Now it all depended on the last race. Two horses went past the post together and it was a photo finish in which my selection was involved. It took forever to get the result. There was no telly back then. Just the intercom. Eventually, the result was declared.

A small fortune awaited me or a ten-shilling loss. The successful bet would give me an 80 percent price of a house in London. Though it didn’t work out a disaster I had just lost ten shillings.