JM Judokwai was formed in the spring of 1985 June and I were dissatisfied with the Club we were then members of, and decided to start our own Club in Royston. We waited for 6 months after leaving our original Club, and set about searching for premises to stage sessions for any would-be enthusiasts.

On a trip to a friends Club in Comberton, we had an idea to ask the Company where June worked (Johnson, Matthey) if they would consider letting is stage the our sessions there in the Company's Sports and Social Club, and a swift reply from the social Club secretary - Ray Perkiss - was just the answer we needed. His idea was to stage the Club in the Works Canteen, as that provided access to an area where the Mat could be stored.

Big problem was that each evening the tables and chairs from the canteen had to be moved out of the way, and after the session moved back again! But undaunted we decided to go ahead and start our own Club. First decision was to create a name, and as the Company was known locally by its initials 'JM', and June and I also had the initials 'JM', it wasn't rocket science to come up with the Club name.

Our very first members were :- Ben and Paul Buey, Tracey Knott, Debbie Lawrence and Dawn Lawrence, John Gallifant and Tony Cook to which we added our own children and that of June's sister who had two sons also involved in the sport. So we went, Tuesday December 5th. 1985 was our very first session as 'JM Judokwai'.

In the photo of one of the very first sessions you can see June in the foreground casting a watchful eye over Dawn Lawrence who is executing a nifty O Goshi on our nephew Stuart Hughes, and it's a good job he is an experienced player as he certainly needed a good break fall from that throw! In the background you can see me trying to get a very young Ben Buey to attempt another try at the throw, and immediately to the right foreground is the blue track suited Tracey Knott with Debbie Lawrence about to be introduced to the Mat.

Our daughter Clare is behind Tracey and Debbie, and is coaching John Gallifant. Notice the tables and chairs stacked in the background. When you view the tiny mat area we had then, just 8m x 4m, it is hard to envisage how we got through the sessions as our present mat is three times the size of the first.

From just the bare 7 new members, added to our two children and two nephew's, we forged a Club that in later years numbered over 100 members, and boasted some considerable successes both at Area and National level. The aforementioned Tracey Knott went on to become National Champion at her very first attempt, and later carried a distinguished career with others to eventually win through to her Black Belt.

Just a glimpse at the honours page on our website will show the successes we have had over the years, and this does not detail the many trophies earned at Local and Area level.

June and I are immensely proud of the high standing that our local Club has gained with the British Judo Council, and a recent survey at the Headquarters placed the JM Club at number ten in the country! This is a huge compliment to the many people that work diligently behind the scenes, organising and administering the now complex organisation that the Club requires.

5 year awards proliferate over the years, and we have just made our very first 10 year membership award to Rebecca Bayliss, and we are reasonably confident that our present membership level at the elder end of the Junior spectrum will stay on into Senior Judo, and hopefully kick-start our Senior Section back into life.