I first met Alf Tupper during the snowy Winter of 1963. I was a
schoolboy with a fresh interest in skiing. I was with my father
on Hampstead Heath along with other members of the United
Kingdom Ski Club.
We had gathered together to enjoy the rare opportunity to ski in
the capital. Previously, I had been lucky enough to ski abroad
in Austria. We had travelled there by rail, leaving me with a
lifelong enthusiasm for that particular form of transport.
A chap we did not know powered by, on a pair of long wooden
skis. He was going at a cracking pace and had a beaming smile on
his face. It was obvious that his ski equipment could have been
better, but it seemed to be no hindrance to him.
We stopped for a break and Alf said ‘Hello‘. It transpired Alf
was a notable runner, but athletic events at tracks around the
country had been severely disrupted by the weather. Alf’s mate,
Nobby Clark, had a copy of ‘Practical Woodworker’ magazine and
together they had built some sledges, some of which they gave to
the local orphanage and the rest they sold to well-heeled
citizens of Greystone. Alf then made some skis for himself.
We were soon joined by Sir Arnold Taylor-Gun, the kindly
president of the club. Sir Arnold had worked as a diplomat in
the foreign service for many years. He had considerable personal
wealth and a large house nearby in Hampstead. Sir Arnold was
looking to improve the standard of competitive skiing in the
British team and it was immediately obvious that Alf had a
natural ability which helped overcome the limitations of his
home-made skis.
This was still the day of the enthusiastic amateur. Individuals
played association football for clubs like Arsenal and then
played cricket for England in the Summer. The British still
disapproved of athletes trying too hard and believed that
natural talent would out. However, Alf still had a living to
make and could not neglect his welding work.
Happily Sir Arnold took him under his wing, providing better
equipment, advice, training tips and even transport and
accommodation for competitions in Europe. Alf soon became a
regular visitor to the club’s swish headquarters in a very large
house in Berkeley Square. Not everybody was keen on this. In his
fifty shilling suit, Alf stood out amongst the old school ties
and cravats of the other club members. One of the UKs leading
skiers, Jeremy Tompkins-Barker, let it be known that it was
unseemly for Britain to be represented at skiing by a ‘working
class ruffian’ like Tupper. Tompkins-Barker had a following with
pupils of a rival school of mine. Jennings major and minor and
their chum Venables also made no attempt to hide their disdain
for Alf.
Despite all this, Alf went on to represent the UK successfully
at many cross-country events that Winter. The continentals did
not know what had hit them . The Austrians and French were
dubious about Alf. However, the Italian duo of Tardelli and
Gentile recognised the clear threat to their medal chances and
managed to tamper with Alf’s skis before one race. Little good
it did them though, Alf still won in the end.
Tupper was a rare talent that emerges once in a lifetime. He was
capable of excelling at many sports. He would not have required
a great deal of sponsorship. He seemed to thrive on his fish and
chip diet. Before setting off at the weekends Alf would have a
slap-up feed at a handy chippy. That seemed to set him up for
the weekend’s competitions. He was not at all keen on foreign
food. However, at the end of that Winter Alf decided to give
away his skis and return to concentrate on his beloved running.
I often wonder what became of him.
Dave Goldsmith
