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11/28/2003 Entry: "Nov 28, 2003"

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NEWS:
Ron Thompson, AAU Mr. America 1974, died on Monday, Nov 10, 2003, about six weeks before his 60th birthday on Dec 26 upcoming. Some of his contests, with winner in brackets were:

Jun 12, 1971 � 30 AAU Mr. America [Viator]
Jun 11, 1972 � 7 AAU Mr. America [Michalik]
Aug 6, 1972 � W AAU Jr. Mr. USA
Sep 17, 1972 � 6 AAU Mr. USA [Morris]
Nov 11, 1972 � Win Mr. World
May 13, 1973 � not top 8 AAU Jr. Mr. America [Hill]
Sep 9, 1973 � 5 AAU Mr. USA [Hill]
May 5, 1974 � Win AAU Jr. Mr. America
Jun 9, 1974 � Win AAU Mr. America
Sep 21, 1974 � 2 medium NABBA Amateur Universe [Duval]
Sep 27, 1975 � 4 medium NABBA Amateur Universe [Lawrence]
Sep 11, 1976 � 3 WBBG Mr. World [Emmott]

Culled from the articles by and about Ron are the following: For Strength & Health magazine Ron and Dennis DuBreuil collaborated on some training pieces in 1974 and 1975, and for the latter year in Muscular Development.

I am unaware of any updates on Ron after about 1976, and hopefully will have more information for you later.

NEWS: Paul Grant died the morning of Sunday Nov 23, 2003. Not sure of his birth year but probably 1943-1946. He was a salesman around 1970, living in Llansanlet, Wales, who upon leaving the school system at age 15, weighed 95 lbs. He had married Christine in 1968 and about the year 1970 was using five sets of five reps for his workouts.

Apparently he had endured kidney problems for many years.

In more recent years he was an official in the IFBB.

Muscle Training Illustrated Sep 1973 and May 1974 presented stories on Paul, as did Muscle Builder Feb 1976, Muscle & Fitness Jan 987, Ironman Jul 1972, May 1975, and Health & Strength Sep 1970. Other stories featured him at the time of some of his competitions which included the following wins:

1971 Mr. Wales, and his wife Christine was declared Miss Wales
1971 Mr. Europe
1971 Mr. Britain (which took place the following year on May 13, 1972) and about which the following explanation is offered.

The Dating System used for the Mr. Britain Contest:

The Mr. Britain contest began as a photo appraisal event in 1930, though it was not then called the Mr. Britain. It was run by Health & Strength magazine, and not by NABBA which was not instituted until 1950. The selection continued annually until 1942 when the title was skipped, though oddly, H&S mag Jul 1944 p 270 says Don Dorans won.

Anyway, the event continued through 1955 when on Dec 3, 1955 Bill Parkinson won the title.

Then the confusion begins. During the calendar year of 1956, no Mr. Britain event was held , but the photo submission deadline was Oct 31, 1956. The issue of H&S for Jan 17, 1957 announced that though the deadline had passed, the finals for the 1956 Mr. Britain would be held on Mar 30, 1957. Henry Downs won.

On Mar 29, 1958 the 1957 winner was declared to be Len Sell, and Oscar Heidenstam wrote in H&S Apr 24, 1958: "I have not made a mistake, the judging at St. Bride's Institute, London, and the show at the Scala Theatre London on March 28 and 29 respectively were the culmination of the Area Contests held during 1957. Therefore the big week-end in London was for the selection of the winners for the 1957 titles. The 1958 Area Contests are now in full swing, and the finals will be held this time next year, all being well. "It may seem confusing, but that is how it is; so let's get our facts straight as a start."

Apr 4, 1959 John Hewlett winner. H&S Feb 12, 1959 Oscar wrote: "It is the 1958 finals that are being held on April 4 [1959], because the finalists are the winners and selected runners-up from the Area contests held during 1958 in all parts of Britain."

Apr 9, 1960 winner Tony Rothwell. Now the confusion starts because the advertisement for this event did not indicate it was for 1959, nor do the flash reports of the event indicate that, but Don Dorans in his full report confirms that this event was the 1959 Mr. Britain. See H&S Apr 9, 1960.

Apr 22, 1961 Winner Adrian Heryet. Again Dorans explains the year lag in the June 1, 1961 H&S, saying this was the 1960 event.

Mar 31, 1962 Winner David Stroud. Dorans again rescues continuity and mentions in his May 17, 1962 coverage that the event is for 1961.

Mar 30, 1963 Winner Ted Gutteridge. See Dorans' details H&S May 16, 1963 explaining "As the 1962 Mr. Britain passed into history�"

Apr 25, 1964 Winner Paul Nash. This would, by all logical progression be the 1963 event but I have found no confirmation.

Apr 24, 1965 Winner Terry Parkinson, for 1964, one assumes.

Apr 16, 1966 Winner John Citrone. The advertisement in H&S Feb 3, 1966 refers to this as the 35th, but Oscar in his May 12, 1966 report says it was the 36th. At any rate we know the progression is still out of step because Colin Sheard in H&S May 26, 1966 wrote, "The first bars of music and the 1965 Mr. Britain show was on."

If you'd like to run get a cup of coffee at this point to stay awake, you may need it because the story now begins to take more turns than a power lifter at an unlimited free buffet:

Some references indicate that John Citrone won the Mr. Britain for two consecutive years, that is, for 1965 (mentioned above, though it happened in 1966) and for 1966. But was he just 'given' an extension because the title had gotten back on track date wise on Apr 8, 1967 which was the 1967 event? Indeed some men on page 16 of H&S Feb 16, 1967 are shown and referred to as finalists who will compete in the 1967 Mr. Britain!?

Got that coffee yet? The story now becomes more twisted: In H&S May 11, 1967 p 12 John Citrone is referred to as 'last year's winner' [he won in 1966 for 1965 remember]. And let me now tell you that on April 8, 1967 the winner was Wilf Sylvetser.

There were no Mr. Britain events in between Apr 16, 1966 (for 1965) and April 8, 1967 which was for either 1966 or 1967? If 1966, then how did Citrone win two in a row? The cover of H&S May 25, 1967 features Wilf as "Mr. Britain 1967" and on page 20 Bernard Bradford is shown and referred to as "1967 Mr. Britain runner-up" and pages following also identify competitors as in the 1967 event.

If Wilf won in 1967's calendar year, as he did, was it retroactive for 1966 or current for 1967? If for 1967 this would explain Citrone 'winning' twice, I suppose.

Apr 28, 1968 (for 1967) Winner Brian Eastman is called the 1968 winner, but I think this to be incorrect because Citrone is referred to as a former Mr. Britain, not as a former two-time Mr. Britain. Stay with me now, I see the light approaching.

Apr 19, 1969 Winner Frank Richard. H&S May 1969 "The weekend of April 18th-19th brought to London NABBA enthusiasts and friends from all over Britain for what was really the 1968 Britain finals, though taking place in 1969. Our newly crowned winners are really the 1968 winners, confusing at that may seem." So all the years we have been discussing are in fact as I suspected, retroactive for the previous year.

Now, I lack some magazines, but the sequence based on dates I know, seems to be the following:

May 23, 1970 Winner Al Beckles for 1969
May 15, 1971 Winner Al Beckles for 1970

Now we come to the contest Paul Grant won: the May 13, 1972 Mr. Britain, which was really for 1971.

After 1971 I have never encountered another reference about the retroactive dating of the Mr. Britain- but that is because I lack the relevant issues of H&S. So to be honest, it is only my opinion that the Mr. Britain is still being incorrectly dated each year, and I certainly welcome information to either correct my opinion or support it.

But I am confident, based upon the references presented above, that at least to the dates covered, my conclusions are correct, and that you will find no such detailed description elsewhere.

No go wash and rinse your coffee cup! And sign up for the free forum!

See you Dec 5th!