Memories that last as long and stand as firm as the dry stane dykes he has built throughout his working life.

On his 80th birthday just over a week ago, these memories were restructed.

For Jim received a birthday present from The Southern Reporter – he was presented with two DVDs on the sport that has been a passion of his for many, many years.

The discs feature professional athletics from the 50s to the 70s, with hours of footage ranging from Border Games meetings to racing at the Powderhall Stadium, back when Jim was greatly involved as a runner and coach.

Few people realised that the film footage even existed until it was discovered by games handicapper Don Campbell while he was in Australia.

Don brought reels of film back home with him and these trips down memory lane have been put onto DVD by Videoscot of Bonchester.

TheSouthern covered an article on this and Jim has been keen to get his hands on these DVDs ever since.

None were available though, until we stepped in to give him the discs as a birthday present in a surprise visit to his Ashkirk home.

Jim was stunned and delighted.

He said: "I normally have plenty to say, but I am lost for words, as this is such a surprise.

"I have been trying to get my hands on the DVDs since I read about them in the paper as they are all about the runners I knew and the games I used to attend.

"These years were very special to me, and it will be great to recapture them. I couldn't have wished for a better birthday present."

TheSouthern also took the opportunity to share a trip into the past with Jim.

He revealed: "My father was a great middle distance runner. He had no coach or anything like that, he just went out and ran and won a lot of races.

"The biggest was the half-mile at the Powderhall Stadium at the New Year meeting. The race was actually held on the Christmas of 1919, but it was the New Year meeting and the gold medal he won – which I still have – which has 1920 on it.

"Professional running was a huge thing then and the prize money was unbelievable for those days as he got £350 for winning. He went and bought a motor car and a horse for the flapping with his winnings."

It was inevitable that Jim would become a runner himself.

He told us: "People told me when I started, that I would never be as good a runner as my dad. And I never was. He was a natural, while I had to work at it. I did OK, though, and managed to win a few races. My biggest thrill, though, was doing the same as my father had done, winning the New Year half-mile. It was in 1955, and I had reached the final of the mile that day as well. I could only run in one of them and was undecided what to do.

"But this was soon sorted out when Dad told me: 'Go and win the same race that your father won.' And that was it.