THE NOBLE ART

THE NOBLE ART

Walking slowly through the huge crowd of screaming people Danny Wellard made his way towards the ring. His mind was flooded with things from his past. Would he be able to go through with it? Or would he cower away like he’d done in the past? He felt the urge to run and needed to use the toilet again, but it was too late to turn back. Closer and closer he got to the ring led by his coach Joe Myers, and his second Eric Clarke who kept on giving him encouragement and a comforting rub of his shoulders. When they reached the ring apron Benny looked up and his opponent who was already in the ring and dancing about confidently. He wore a pair of silver boxing trunks with a green trim. He had some badges sewn on each leg to signify that he’d won some title or other and a white singlet with his club badge and his name on the back and a brand-new pair of white socks and a pair Lonsdale boxing boots with white laces. Joe gave Danny a drink of water and rubbed some Vaseline over his eyebrows as he shuffled about nervously. Danny in contrast was wearing an old pair of football shorts that were too big for him and kept sliding down until Eric tied the blue sash around his skinny waist. The string vest, he wore had a knot tied at the back because that too was too big for him as well. His black plimsoles were well worn as he stepped into a resin tray and shuffled both feet inside.

Danny thought about the first time he stepped into his local Boys Club in North Shields, a small fishing town some six miles from Newcastle upon Tyne in the Northeast of England. He was greeted by the Club Leader who took one look at him and told him that there would be sixpence subs to pay every week as he showed him around. There was a snooker room, a table tennis room. He went behind the canteen counter and found a set of darts and handed them to Danny.

“There’s a dart board in that room there, if you want to go through and have a game.”

Danny thanked the gentleman called Harry Martin, who he later discovered was a local councillor.

When he opened the door, he got a shock because the dartboard had seen better days and it resembled the back of a camel’s bum. The lime-coloured wall where the dartboard hung with an old car tyre around it and a small blackboard to the left-hand side with a tiny piece of chalk on a piece of string to write down the scores. There were thousands of pin holes in the wall where the players had missed, and it was the same story on the red coloured lino on the floor. Danny took a dart in his left hand and threw it and it just bounced out and stuck in the floor, Danny discovered that you had to throw the darts like spears to make them stick in the board.

Danny was just about to launch another dart when the door opened a crack and a head popped in.

Danny saw that it was a black skinned man with big brown eyes, and he was wearing a trilby on his head.

“Has you seen ma boys.”

He spoke with a soft Jamaican accent as the young boy turned fully around.

“No, I haven’t seen anyone mister.”

The tall man came into the room and began pulling what looked like coiled up rope from a cupboard. He pulled them along the floor then unravelled them then went back into the cupboard again. This time he took out these heavy iron bocks with a screw thread with a hook on each end He attached the hook to the rope that had a metal eye socket on each corner.

“Could I help you.” asked the young boy.

“Yes, if you think you can.”

Danny picked up the rope and dragged it to the far corner of the room whilst the man fixed another hook and eye to the wall.

“You is stronger than you look boy. How old is you?”

“I’m nine.”

“Do you know what I’m fixing here?”

“No what is it?” said the boy looking at the man strangely.

“This here is a boxing ring.”

When the man had fixed each corner to the wall and then tightened the blocks it suddenly became apparent.

The boy looked at the man wearing a white shirt and tie with a blazer. he took off his Jacket and undid the tie and hung them up on a rail near another door. He also undid the top button on his shirt and then opened the window.

“Pretty hot in here ain’t it”

It was more of a statement than a question, but he was right, it was hot for April. Looking out of the window Danny could see the Hawkey’s Lane open air baths that he frequented with his two brothers. No matter what time of year it was the water was always stone cold.

“My name is Joe, Joe Myers and I run this here boxing team.”

“Really.”

“Yes, would you like to be a boxer?”

“Me no, I get bullied. I’m not a fighter. Anyway, I’ve got to wear this calliper on my leg.

Joe looked down and saw that the boy had a metal brace on his leg and large boots.

“What is wrong with your leg?”

“I have what they call a club foot, and my left leg is thinner than the other.”

“What would you say if I taught you how to beat the bullies and helped you to strengthen that leg of yours.”

“Could you?”

“Yes, but it won’t be easy; You’ll have to work hard but if you are determined which I think you are then I think I can make you into a champion.”

“I am, I mean I will.”

“What’s your name sonny?”

“Danny Wellard.

“Is you a southpaw or orthodox?

“None of those, I come from the Ridges in North Shields.”

Joe threw back his head and began to laugh.

“What’s so funny.” said the boy looking at Joe seriously.

“Nothing sonny, I meant if you were to punch someone how would you hold up your fists.”

“I told you; I don’t fight.”

“Just pretend that you are going to punch something.”

The boy held up his fists then looked at the man.

“You is going to be an orthodox boxer, that means you will lead off with your left like this.

Joe began throwing punches at lightning speed and the young boy stood watching with his mouth agape.

When Joe stopped, he asked Danny if he could do what he had just done.

Immediately Danny began throwing punches in the air.

“Okay, you can stop son.”

“I told you I was no good.”

“Come will me Danny.” Joe walked into the next room where hung a series of punch bags, mirrors, and a speedball. In the corner was an old bike on rollers. The floor in the room painted scarlet had thick black rubber mats down the sides of them.

“Lie down on the mat Danny and I want you to lift this here medicine ball with your legs.” Joe gave a quick demonstration and Danny obeyed.

“Good boy, now keep doing that until I come back. If you get tired, take a rest.”

Joe disappeared and Danny using all his six stone ten pounds he proceeded to lift the medicine ball to the left and then the right.

After a couple of minutes beads of sweat began to form on Danny’s brow but he continued. His breathing became heavier, and he was also thirsty.

Joe returned with two drinks, one with water the other tea.

“Here sonny, take a sip of water.”

Danny got unsteadily to his feet; his legs felt like jelly after lifting the heavy ball. He took the cup and drank the cooling liquid.

“Okay now, I want you to hold up your hand like you did before, and I want you to hit my open hand.”

Danny punched the massive hand in front of him three times.

“Okay, I want you to hit my hand again.” This time Joe moved the hand in all directions and Danny missed each time.

Joe stopped then pointed a finger at Danny.

“Now this is lesson number one, if the hand which could be my head stays stationary how many times is it going to be hit?

“Three times?

“Every time son, but if you keep your head moving like this then you will hardly take a punch at all and that’s the art of boxing. To hit your opponent but not take a punch. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Okay, that will do for now. I want you to stay and watch the other lads whilst they train, and then you will see what will be expected of you.”

Danny saw four older boys enter the gym with another man who came over towards Joe.

“Who is this asked the man who had a distinctive well-trimmed beard and a cap on his head.

“This is Danny Wellard, he is going to be a champion.”

The man took one look at the boy and said” Joe this kid will never make a boxer as long as he has a hole in his backside.”

“We will see then won’t we Eric said Joe calmly. Danny this is Eric Clarke my assistant coach.”

Danny looked at the man and then politely said hello. He didn’t like the remark that Eric had made but maybe he was right. Maybe he would never make a boxer.

Danny stayed and watched as the young lads who had entered the gym had now changed into tracksuits and baseball shoes and began to skip at blinding speed as Eric held a stopwatch and then called time after three minutes had elapsed. Six three-minute rounds they skipped and when they had finished, they all got gloved up. The four boys began sweating and droplets fell onto the red lino on the floor. The gloves were massive Danny thought, they practically came up to the elbow of each boy as a glove was placed onto each bandaged fist. Joe and Eric chatted away as they tied them then they used a house key to slip the laces inside the binding to prevent any eye injuries. The boys put on at headguard and Danny watched intently round after round of sparring, and he was fascinated at how light on their feet they were. They were as graceful as ballet dancers as they slid around the ring. The ducked and swayed and parried the blows. The thudding sound from the leather gloves revealing the power of the blows from both boxers. When the first two lads had done three rounds, the second couple got into the ring and sparred. Then they swapped sparring partners and did another three rounds each. When they finished each round, they sucked in air until their breathing returned to normal. Each of the lads had something white in their mouths. Danny found out later that they were gumshields made from a substance called gutta Persia. The lads went for a shower after their six rounds of sparring. Joe said he was leaving so Danny walked home with Joe. The smell of smoke from the chimneys made by coal fires hit his nostrils. They made their way towards the Ridges Estate, a place that was regarded by many as a slum area. Danny couldn’t stop asking questions about boxing.

“If you come to the club tomorrow night at 6pm I will give you another lesson. Bring a towel with you so you can have a shower when you are done.”

Having a shower was something that Danny had never known before, he was used to getting washed in a galvanised tin bath that hung up in the yard. His family, like many on the estate were poor and relied on the charity of their neighbours for food and often borrowed money or cigarettes. Danny ran errands and cleaned out fish boxes on the fish quay to help his mother. Who used the money he made to put shillings in the gas meter. He would bring home a few stone of herrings and the odd mackerel on his bogie made from old fish boxes and pieces of four by two and old Pram wheels. His mother Annie Wellard would cook them in the oven as roll mops. Jimmy Wellard, his father worked in Welches toffee factory as a sugar boiler. The wage that they paid wasn’t a lot and Annie had to work a part time in a news agency at the bottom of Marina Avenue to try and make ends meet.

Danny said goodnight to his newfound friend, Danny did not mix with many people, people alienated him because of his disability.

So it was that every night for two years Danny did leg exercises for one hour at the Boys Club. He made a skipping rope from a length of clothesline and burn holes in some old bicycle grips. He would try and skip in the path each night. He couldn’t put weight on his left leg at first but then with the exercises Joe was giving him eventually was able to do what the other boys could do. He felt fitter and stronger. He was learning many boxing skills too but had not sparred with anyone yet. When his father found out he proceeded to take him and his older brother into the back garden whereupon his brother Tom knocked him up and down the garden leaving him bloodied and bruised.

“See you’ll never make a boxer.”

Danny cried and shouted defiantly I will, I’ll show you one day. The truth was that Danny didn’t want to hit his own brother.

It was whilst at school one day when he was picked on and then he was tripped up in the corridor. Danny retaliated.

“Right then you two.” said the teacher who had come from the headmaster’s office and found the two boys fighting. He took them into the classroom and caned them both.

“When the lunch bell rang, the boy who had tripped him up came over to Danny’s desk.

“I’m having you tonight Wellard. On the Needle after school, you’d better show up or I will get you one way or another.”

The Needle was a monument erected in honour of Sir Ralph Gardner who the school was named after. It had poplar trees and a neatly cut grassed area that sprouted daffodils and other spring flowers.

Danny’s heart began to beat very fast and when he sat in the dining hall, he could not eat his lunch. He felt physically sick. He thought of ways that he could get out of the confrontation. When the school bell rang Danny walked slowly back to his classroom. During the lesson, his hands began to sweat, and he wanted to go to the toilet again but was afraid to go in case Jimmy Stapleton followed him and set about him. Danny kept watching the clock in the classroom, he wished he could turn back time, but he couldn’t. He had to face his greatest fear. He tried to remember everything Joe Myers had taught him. He was now beginning to hyperventilate as the clock turned to 4.15 and the lesson was over. Everyone including Jimmy Stapleton filed out of the classroom and headed towards the grassed verge of the Needle for the best vantage point.

Danny walked slowly to meet his fate.

Jimmy Stapleton was taller and heavier than Danny for his age he wore a school uniform unlike Danny who was in clothes that his mother bought from the rag and bone man. Jimmy walked calmly towards Danny and stuck out his hand. Danny thought that Jimmy had decided that it was better to shake hands and not get into a fight in case the headmaster found out and they would be punished again. The large crowd of school children urged the two boys to fight. Jimmy suddenly took hold of Danny’s hand and pulled him towards him, and head butted him. Danny fell to the ground dazed and blood began oozing from his nose. He got up unsteadily on his feet and wiped the blood on his hand and put up his fists the way Joe had taught him. Jimmy rushed forward and Danny threw a left jab into the face of his challenger. Blood was now coming from Jimmy’s nose and Danny proceeded in throwing more punches at blinding speed with both hands until Jimmy fell and lay un-moving like a starfish on the grass. The crowd were now shocked into silence as Danny picked up his coat. Jimmy Stapleton came around and was helped to his feet as Danny walked through the crowd and made his way home. Never again would he be picked on in the schoolyard. A point had been made and Danny could now hold his head up and stand on his own two feet.

Danny Wellard stepped through the ropes and into the ring, he’d faced his fear before and now he was ready to do it again.

THE END