South Yorkshire Times July 21, 1939
Off to Paris
Jump Miners Bid for Physical Culture Prize
Among Best in Europe
Charles Jarrett.
A colliery worker who has gained the admiration of physical culturists throughout England, and who has admirers in foreign countries, has earned for himself the recognition of the official body of Physical Culture in France, Federation de Culture Physique.
He is Charles Jarrett, of Church Street, Jump, who at the age of 21 is now classed as being the possessor of one of the best developed physiques in the world. The preliminaries to the contest, to which Jarrett is invited, for competition for the title of “Le Plus Bel Athlete de Europe,” have attracted an entry of some thousands, and of these 50 have been invited to appear for final judging this week-end at the Casino Theatre, Le Touquet, Paris-Plage. France.
Charlie jumped into the news last year, when, persuaded by his club mates of the St. George’s Health and Strength Club, he decided to enter physical excellence contests. In July he won a “Search for Talent” contest promoted by the leading official body of physical culture in England “The Health and Strength League.” In October, at Leeds, under the auspices of the National Fitness Council, he gained the title of Yorkshire’s Best Developed Man and again at Bradford he took the title of “North of England’s Best Developed Man.” In March this year he was accepted as finalist for the all-England contest, staged in the Palladium Theatre, London, and gainedfourth place.
Constant Training.
Since appearing in London, Charlie has been in constant training with a view to qualifying for the all-Europe contest, and in spite of the nature of his occupation, which also entails shift work, he has gained importantly increase of measurement in this development and, what is just as important, a high degree of physical excellence
as always been interested in physical culture and he has been a member of the Jump St George’s Health and Strength Club for seven years. For the past year he has always he has also been a member of the Wombwell Boys Own Gymnasium, and that these two places he does the majority of his training.
His chief method of training is by the use of barbell and disc weights, and while he does not profess to be a strongman, this method of training has developed a remarkable degree of strength which has made it possible to enable him to lift above his head as 252 lbs. His exhibitions of weight-lifting have been much appreciated at hospital carnivals and fetes in aid of charitable organisations.
Charlie does not believe in any fancy diet, and it is left to his widowed mother to serve up the wholesome meals of the kind which one associates with the Yorkshire table. All kinds of sport have their attractions for Charlie, and he has proved outstanding in all kinds of gymnastics, weightlifting, cycling, football, swimming and high diving.
His proficiency in the water enabled him to rescue a woman from the sea while on holiday at Blackpool last summer
Popular Figure.
His popularity among the members of the gymnasium is evidenced by the fact that as soon as it was known he was invited to contest in France, the members immediately took it upon themselves to provide the necessary funds for his training and expenses. Each member has made his own contribution and a subscription list was opened to which prominent people in the district were invited to subscribe. The response to the appeal has been most satisfactory and this paper has been asked to extend to all those who so kindly contributed, the thanks of the organisers
Charlie will be accompanied on his continental trip by Mr. J. W. Oxspring, the secretary of the St. George’s Club, who told our representative that this honour of being invited to France, was the more remarkable in that his opponents will include experts of physical culture, artists’ models, gymnastic trainers, etc. who are able to devote the majority of their time to the study and development of physique. It is Charlie’s ambition to attain to such a standard so as to enable him to qualify for the position of trainer in gymnastics.