THE names Bert Loveday and Jim Halliday will not spring to mind as modern-day sportsmen. In their day, though, they were big names.

And when at the third annual Tom Temperley Re-union Dinner on September 18 they were presented with a trophy not only for success in their own particular field, but for their contribution to the community and to people throughout the world as role models, the presentation will be richly deserved.

Both have a catalogue of titles and achievements behind them, ranging from winning the a Commonwealth Gold medal by Jim Halliday, to Mr Britain and European titles for Bert Loveday.

Since retiring from their sport, both have written extensively in magazines for about 30 years, and Bert's organisation of his sport in the North West brought many bodybuilders here, not the least being Arnold Scharzenegger when he was a virtual unknown!

Bert, who lives in Highfield Road, Bolton, won his "Mr Britain" title back in 1939. He had started weight training 10 years previously when he was only 16, and his first major success was winning a contest for Lancashire's Best Developed Man in 1937. After winning the "Mr Britain" contest he had a shot at the "Mr Europe" contest in France, and was placed seventh in a formidable field. When war broke out he joined the army as a physical training instructor. but continued his winning ways by being judged "The Best Developed Man in the Services" in competitions in 1943 and 1944.

In 1948 he was chosen as offical masseur to the British Weight Lifting Team for the Olympic Games in London, and became a noted judge, officiating at eight "Mr Universe" contests and around the same number of "Mr Britain" contests. He also ran a health club in Halliwell Road, and gave instruction to many young people over numerous years, and many Bolton young men owed their fine physique to Bert's expert training.

And another claim to fame that will make the men jealous - he was once pictured with the Hollywood sex kitten Jayne Mansfield, who at the time was the wife of a well-known American physical culturist.

Jim Halliday, who lives in Kearsleyis a former Olympic and Empire Games weightlifting medallist. At the age of 14 he became interested in gymnastics and wrestling, and began training - a course of action which was to save his life.

When he was serving in the war, he was captured by the Japanese and was a prisoner-of-war for three and a half years, working on the infamous Burma railroad. When he was sent home in 1945, he weighed about seven stones, but he had got through the horror because of his earlier physical training.

The next year, believe it or not, Jim was in the World Championships in Paris! His lifting career peaked ion 1948 when he won bronze in the Olympic Games in New Zealand in the lightweight class, and although he was "old" for weightlifting, he went on to win England's first individual gold medal at the 1950 Empire Games in New Zealand, establishing a new record for the jerk with a lift of 310lbs. In 1952 he was chosen to captain the British team in the Olympics in Helsinki.

Then in 1954 there were headlines when Jim took another gold medal in the Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, smashing two middleweight records. Some of his records stood for 20 years, and he might have been world champion but for the fact that he was poor at one of the three lifts (it was later dropped) required for championship competition.

Anyone wishing to go to the reunion, or wanting further details about it, please contact Frank Fletcher on 01706 831295, or Kenm Heathcote on Bolton 306413.

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