STEVEN Blockley grew up listening to incredible tales about his great-grandfather.

“I always knew I wanted to write a book, to bring the stories to a wider audience,” says Steven, who is from Partick.

“As I dug further into his past, however, even I was surprised by what I found.”

Steven’s great-grandfather Jack Lemm was a household name in the early half of the 20th century.

Glasgow Times: Jack in his heyday

As the strongman star of fairgrounds and music hall, he was famed for his feats of strength, wrestling and his dangerous headlining act, The Whirl of Death.

Times and entertainment trends changed, however, and the once-famous showman, who became known as the Welsh Hercules, is almost forgotten.

Glasgow Times: Even in his 80s, Jack stayed in shape

Steven had always thought Jack deserved to be better known, so he and fellow author David J Thacker set out to write a book about him.

“I never actually met him,” he says. “I grew up listening to my uncles and aunts telling fascinating stories about all his incredible achievements.

“Jack lived through some harsh years – he was on HMS Lion at the Battle of Jutland in World War 1 and was a survivor of the Swansea Blitz in the Second World War.

Glasgow Times: Cover shot

“However, his focus was always to put family first and to provide for everyone at home, even if doing so took him away from them.”

In the early 1900s, strongmen were circus performers and showmen, who would tour the country displaying fantastic feats of strength.

They were unlike modern strongmen, who tend to take part in competitions, demonstrating their vast skills in pulling trucks or lifting trains.

Some early strongmen, like Jack, achieved celebrity status and he became a household name in Wales, where he lived with his family.

David, who is originally from Manchester and now lives in Partick, explains: “Jack came from a Greek family and his given surname was actually Lamnea.

“His exploits on stage and at fairs all over the UK, including here in Glasgow, were not always popular, especially with his authoritarian father.

“A lot of the tension in our book comes from that relationship, of a son trying to live up to the ideals of his father.”

The book, entitled The Welsh Hercules, took more than a year to research and write but in doing it Steven found “a kind of resolution”, he says.

“While we were writing the book, I turned 60,” he says, adding with a smile: “At that age, Jack was still doing 40 shows a day at the fairgrounds.

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“Even after he retired, he was helping roadworkers outside his house to fix the roads. Age really was just a number for him and I think that’s a great attitude to have.”

*Do you have an interesting relative you’d love to write a book about?

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