PREFACE 



When a mere layman writes a book it is 

 customary for him to inscribe a preface or, as 

 Izaak Walton would say, an "epistle" to the 

 readers. My original idea was to write and have 

 printed a few personal reminiscences of the days 

 and weeks I have spent in various sports, for the 

 young folks who may come after me ; in fact, I 

 contemplated writing a sort of boys' book. How- 

 ever, it came to pass that I met, and discussed 

 the subject with, Mr Arthur F. Meyrick who, like 

 myself, is getting on in years. He is a most 

 enthusiastic student of racing and other sports, 

 and in addition to suggesting that I should write 

 a larger volume, on more general subjects, he 

 volunteered to contribute to my book by supplying 

 details of the Grand National from Lottery to 

 Troytown. 



Gradually, as the copy grew, so did the number 

 of new ideas. Thus it came about that causeries 

 on other sports suggested themselves to me. 



When a young man, Mr Meyrick followed in 

 the footsteps of his father in the journalistic world, 

 and knew most of the celebrities of his time. 

 II 



