Messages

Rich - firstly you should know by now that you can rely on the Mercury for accurate reporting and clearly it was an innocent error mistaking me for the Welsh table tennis player who rose to Olympic standard in the 1920's. Little is known about my names sake other than he was born in Mertha tydfil, one of the17 children of Myfanwy and Geraint. In an attempt to better himself and earn some much needed money to help his parents... you see on a day trip to Port Talbot his poor Mam had taken fall on the Co- op escalator getting her boot lace caught, this then dragged her leg into the workings and she sadly lost it, a tragedy made worse by the fact that she had cycled down from the valleys and couldn't get herself home for days. Despite trying to return to work it became clear that working down the mines with one leg was never going to work. Any family would find difficult to recover in these circumstances yet Robert knew he had a talent and encouraged by 1920's Welsh national champion Jones the butcher he would practice day and night on the white marble slabs of Jones's shop until he made it into the Olympic squad. Sadly world titles and medals seemed to allude him yet for me its a honour to share his name. A little known story yet impressive that the Weston Mercury should believe the 1950's sporting legend, who would now be 108 is alive and in Weston donation money to charity..... a simple mistake we can forgive them for. Secondly it was a cold morning and both the club vest and shorts are beneath my suit.... im surprised you should ever doubt I leave the house without them on.