Old Blues Email News 6 May 2002
- 1. CHCOGA Reunion - 26-27 April
There was a reunion of 102 Old Girls at Horsham over 26-27 April. Not only did lots of people attend who had never visited Horsham, but the school made them really welcome. It was very informal, very relaxed and the atmosphere was warm and friendly, throughout.
- 2. OBRFC
Club Blazers; with crest or in full colours. If anyone is potentially interested in these at around £80 a shot, please let Giles Simmons (Club Secretary) knowat gilessimons@firthrossmartin.com. We are considering ordering a supply but need at least 30 people to show interest to get cost down.
There are now more photos on the OBRFC website of teams of previous years. This includes now includes a photo of the 1956 Easter Tour submitted by Jerry Fitzpatrick which can be found in the Old Blues Gallery.
- 3. Doing business with Old Blues
This section of oldblues.com [now located in the Old Blues section of the CHA website] is continuing to grow! John Cugley has just recorded his first booking from an Old Blue at his accommodation in Scotland (his website, including photos, is now complete at www.sithemor.com!
Can anyone find a job for an Old Blue? Richard Smith (Ma B, La A 93-00) writes "I have recently withdrawn from University College London due to personal reasons, and am currently seeking to find a career within the Financial and Investment sector, preferably in London as I would be able to commute from my home in East Croydon." Please contact him on 07765 583 205.
- 4. Stoolball?
From Mike Gibson (Ba B 36-43) at MGIBSON829@aol.com
"Whilst I was in Prep 'B' I remember playing an officially organised game, possibly called Stoolball. The essential equipment consisted of two wickets where the actual target wicket was a board about one foot square mounted on a stand, say about four to five feet tall. (We were all a bit smaller then !). The wickets were placed either end of a pitch, how far apart I cant remember. The batsmen wielded bats made of wood, somewhat larger than a table tennis racquet but smaller than a tennis racquet. The batsmen were faced with an underarm bowler casting a 'hard ball ' this was not soft like a tennis ball and not as hard as a cricket ball.
The object was to hit the wicket which then dismissed the batsman. On his side the batsman after striking the ball ran between the wickets. Either batsmen could be run out by a fielder striking the wicket with the ball before the batsman got there. So long as the sides were equal in number and not too large rules were fairly elastic. The great advantage was that it did not require a marked out, mown pitch. My interest lies outside Old Blues interest in that we are trying to make sure that one of our local playing fields which is vulnerable to development, stays a greenfield site. A children's game that requires a minimum of ground maintenance has its attractions. I hope that some of our older members can remember something of this. It was a properly organised and equipped game. As a marker Mr Willink was house master of Prep B. I would like to find out about the rules and any description of how to play and of the equipment needed."
- 5. East Midlands Old Blues
Details from Wyn Parry at wandkparry@dsl.pipex.com
11 May 1030hrs
A walk and pub lunch from Ecton, near Northampton, in Sywell Country park. Meet at the World's End pub (tel 01604 414521) for a 4.5 mile walk round the reservoir; birds, flowering trees and bluebells. Non-walkers will be welcome for lunch at the pub at 1230hrs. Ecton is a few miles NE of Northampton on the A4500. OBs planning to attend should ring Wyn (01126 301054) or David Pierpoint (01604 810310) before 4 May so that lunch can be arranged.
30 June 0930hrs
Canal boat trip from Kilworth Marina near the A6 between Leicester and Market Harborough. Lunch at The Black Horse near Foxton Locks at 1230hrs. Return expected around 1700hrs.
Cost including lunch, £20 per adult, £10 per child; any profit to the BSB. Cheques to Wyn Parry before 11 May to reserve a place on the boat.
Further ahead are a garden party at the home of Tim and Cathy Cockrill in Weston Favell near Northampton on 17 August, 1230hrs and Founder's Day Dinner at Quorn Grange, 3 miles south of Loughborough, on 18 October, 1900hrs. Dick Gerrard-Wright, (Ba A 42-47) will be the speaker.
- 6. Oxfordshire Old Blues
Stratford Theatre visit. Friday 10 May at 7.30 p.m. to see 'Anthony and Cleopatra'. Contact Kate Hodgson at Hodgson.Kate@btinternet.com.
Summer BBQ Lunch. Sunday 30 June, 12.30 - 3.30 pm, at Wood's Farm, Watlington. Contact John Evans at jhevans@lineone.net.
Pub lunch: Saturday, 3rd August at the 'Black Prince' at Woodstock.
Founder's Day Dinner. This will be held on Saturday 26 October, at St. Anthony's College. Contact John Evans at jhevans@lineone.net.
- 7. Stewards of Founder's Day Dinner
The next meeting of the Stewards of Founder's Day Dinner will be held on Thursday 23 May at The City University Club followed by a supper at The Counting House, both situated at 50 Cornhill, London EC3V 3PD. For details, Please contact the Secretary, Roger Eades at rogereades@clara.co.uk.
- 8. Dates for 2002
I would again like to make the Old Blues Diary on www.oldblues.com [now the Events Calendar] as comprehensive as possible. Could meeting organisers please let me have their dates for 2002 if they are not already posted there.
- 9. Old Blues Rifle Club
The Old Blues Rifle Club will be participating in the Public Schools' Vets Competition on 4 July pm at Bisley. Details can be obtained from Andrew Harrison at andrew_harrison@bigfoot.com.
- 10. Obituaries
Thanks goes to Arthur Williams (Col B 1934-41) who now lives in Cairns, Australia for providing obituaries for AEM (Max) Barton (Col B 1933-41) and Norman Clark (Th A 1929-37) which are now up on the website [see the Blue Yellow Pages for these]. Other deaths recorded include:
- RDM Bell, Mid A 1926-35, died Nov 2001
- CRM Norris, La B 1942-50, died 2001
- JO Summers, Ma A 1929-34, died May 2001.
- 11. Old Blues On The Web
The following people have been added to the Old Blues links page [now Blue Yellow Pages]:
- Alan BELLINGHAM (Col B 1972-77), computer specialist
- David FARNFIELD (Mid A 1969-76), director, Code IT Recruitment
- HRH Prince Richard, Duke of GLOUCESTER (President 1974- )
- Stephen HAYKLAN (CH late 1940s), executive chairman, Hayklan Industries
- Brian HOOK (La B 1944-52), architect & Oxfordshire county councillor
- Christopher HOULDER (Col A 1940-47), archaeologist
- Kenneth MORRIS (CH 1887-95), theosophist, teacher & author
- Nick PARRANS-SMITH (Head of Brass & Music Technology 2000- )
- Richard SALTER (Th B 1965-72), technical director, CelticAudio
- Chris STEELE-PERKINS (Mid B 1956-65), photographer
- Sir John WHITEHEAD (Col A 1943-50), diplomat & consultant
Extra or better links have been provided for the following people:
- Nick BLOWER (Pe A, Grecians West 1999-2001) and Ben CALVERT-LEE (La B, Th A, Grecians West 1994-2001), co-proprietors, Redeggs Web Design (the Redeggs site)
- Simon PALGRAVE (La B, Ma A, Grecians East 1993-2001), working for United Services Ltd prior to Glamorgan University (his personal page, a bit short of content at present)
- Jon PETTER (Col A 1975-82), musician
- Tod RAMOS (Pe A 1967-75), equestrian artist
- G L 'Bobby' ROBERTS (Ba A 1914-18), brigadier
- Dennis SILK (Ma A 1942-50, President CH Club 1990-95), Warden, Radley College. President, MCC. Chairman, Test & County Cricket Board
- Nicholas SINCLAIR (La A 1963-71), photographer
- John SNOW (Th B 1951-59), cricketer
- John STEVENS (Th B 1932-40), Professor of Medieval & Renaissance English, Cambridge University
- Mark THOMAS (Col B 1974-81), comedian and social commentator
A more direct link has been provided to the photos of St Matthew's Day.
Further broken links have been repaired.
Regards
Steve Webb (Col A 60-69)