Kenton Bar Celebrities – Mr. Todd the Pools Man
First – pools. This was a kind of competition whereby each week people would pay a small amount of money into a “pool” and then mark a kind of form with their predictions of which football teams would draw their Saturday games. Depending on the number of draws each week the size of the pool prize or dividend for a correct predition varied from a few pence to a few million quid. You can find out more about pools HERE.
If you managed to predict the results correctly then you could win a fortune and escape forever……
Now – Mr. Todd was a legend. Hot on the heels of Dave the Milkman, and sometimes faster than him, used to hurtle Mr. Todd. He used to run – yes RUN around the estate collecting the weekly pools money for Littlewoods. He actually lived at the top of the estate in one of the electric houses. He was not a full time pools man however – I think he was some sort of civil servant at the local ministry. He also ran the “Ren Bu Kan” judo club at the local YWCA of which I was a member!
Any idea what 'Ren Bu Kan' meant?...
ReplyDeleteroughly translates as "the way to train in the martial way"
ReplyDeleteAlison - how do you know this?
ReplyDeleteLol, Googled it!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kenbrown2000.btinternet.co.uk/NJC/History2.htm
ReplyDeleteThe Ren Bu Kan is still alive!!! See this website. I "fought" against Paul Ajala and remember Ken Brown very well. Great to see the martial way is still alive. happy days indeed.
Alison - were you on this photo? I was a member of Ren Bu Kan but cannot remember if you were.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kenbrown2000.btinternet.co.uk/NJC/History2.htm
No, I was never a member!!
ReplyDeleteMr. Todd was a third Dan black belt - so beware!!
ReplyDeleteBTW Alison - Ren Bu Kan means "Hall for the Training of Chivalry" - Google almost got it right!
ReplyDeleteHi all, stumbled on this blog by accident whilst looking for any information on this very club ! Unfortunately Colin Todd passed away in 2007. The link to the Newcastle Judo Club (as the RenBuKan was renamed when they moved from North Kenton)is no longer active. I'd be very interested in obtaining any photos of the building or the judo club if anyone would like to chat by email.
ReplyDeleteI was a memebr of the judo club from about 1968-1978 and still practice judo here in Australia.
Colin todd's page has some photos on it
Deletehttp://www.gotodd29.webspace.virginmedia.com/Newcastle_Judo_Club/COLIN_TODD.html