OSAmag81

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 1
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
I am delighted to have been elected as
President of the OSA and even though I
have only been in office for a short while, I
am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to
serve and look forward to the various events
that I will be attending during my year.
I joined the school in September 1965
having been at junior school at North
Harringay, in Falkland Road. At that time
I was living in Sydney Road, the first road
from Turnpike Lane along “the ladder”
from Wightman Road to Green Lanes.
I recall in my first term I wore shorts; one of
just a few, much to my disgust. I recall Geoff
Blackmore also being in shorts; clearly good
grounding for future OSA Presidents! I am
the 2nd President from the 1965 intake;
Geoff served way back in 1993/4.
The school became comprehensive at the
beginning of my 3rd year when I moved
from Norton to Hodgson house. For many OSA members you
will have no concept of the change that comprehensive
education brought upon the school; it quickly became a
completely different school not least going from c 630 boys to
over 1300 in the next 5 years.
Unfortunately unlike many of my immediate Presidential
predecessors, I was not particularly academic & nor was I
much of a sportsman either. I was, however a reasonable
PRESIDENT'S DAY
SUNDAY 30th AUGUST 2015
I would like to invite you and your family & friends to
a special day on Sunday 30th August, when I am
hosting the traditional Old Stationers` President`s
Cricket Match in the beautiful setting of the Botany
Bay Cricket Club, East Lodge Lane, Enfield. Middx.
EN2 8HS.
I am grateful to Geoff Blackmore for selecting for me
the team of OSA Cricketers to play a team from Botany
Bay. The match will commence at 2.00pm, closing at
around 7.30pm.
The bar will be open from 11.45am and lunch will be
served at 12.30pm. If you wish to have lunch, the cost
will be £20 per head. Please send your cheque to
Gordon Rose (made payable to him) at the earliest
opportunity & certainly no later than 20th August.
Gordon`s address is 39 King James` Avenue, Cuffley,
Herts, EN6 4LN.
I do hope you will join Lesley and myself for this special
occasion.
Regards
Peter Sandell
President 2015/2016
musician, being a member of the school
choir for all of my 7 years and in my final
2 years in the 6th form, I was school
organist, which mainly entailed a visit to
Robert Baynes` office before morning
assembly to find out what hymn he
wanted me to play at assembly.
The music tradition of the school was
excellent and especially the choir ably led
by the four Music masters, namely Norman
“Jack” Rimmer, Roberts, Richard
Hickman and Donald Ellman. The most
notable choral work undertaken was
Haydn`s Nelson Mass which the choir
performed in the school Hall in 1968 and
subsequently in Christ Church, Crouch
End and St Andrew`s Ealing with the
school `s own Graham Bentley (1961-68)
singing the tenor soloist part when he was
in the 6th form. The work was accompanied
on the organ by a contemporary of mine,
Paul Bateman when we were both in the 4th year. Paul was an
exceptional musician and he has gone on to be a renowned
conducted and arranger. I saw him conduct the Royal
Philharmonic at the Royal Albert Hall a couple of years ago.
Membership of the school choir also took me to Stationers`
Hall for the first time in 1966 when I was just 12, following
the Ash Wednesday service held in the crypt of St Paul`s
Cathedral. We were given tea and cakes and half a crown. I
attended every year until 1972 and I remember even as a 12
year old appreciating what a magnificent place the Hall was. I
still have that same feeling and I know how lucky we are to
have the opportunity to use the Hall for our Christmas Lunch
and annual Dinner.
During my 1st year, my parents moved from Hornsey to
Winchmore Hill, so I became one of many commuters
travelling into Harringay West station each morning from
Grange Park station on the Hertford North line. It was very
handy to get home from games afternoon as I just jumped on
the 244 bus from Winchmore Hill Broadway.
Also at that time I joined the church choir at Holy Trinity
church on the Broadway in Green Lanes Winchmore Hill,
diagonally opposite the school ground. By the age of 14 I was
asked to help out playing the organ as the organist had retired,
so I agreed to help out & ended up being organist at Holy
Trinity for nearly 40 years!! I am currently organist at St
Peter`s church in Roydon, Essex.
At the beginning of my lower 6th, Geraint Prichard arrived
back at the school to teach Geography and for his sins, he was
also our form master. Despite there only being about 35 in
total in the sixth form with just one class, we had a great time
and we all had a great bond for those 2 years, which made life
bearable despite many issues that I recall the school having at
that time as standards fell which coincided with the growth of
the school.
I only achieved one “A” level in music, so it was appropriate
with such a qualification that I left school at 18 and went into
banking! I knew I wasn`t talented enough to have taken up
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