OSAmag79

No 79 /July 2014
The Old Stationer
Number 79 - July 2014
Our new President takes office

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Past Presidents
1895-1913 Henry Chettle
1914-1919 John Huck
1920 H.F. Platt
1921 T.H. Nicholson
1922 H.W. Scheurmier
1923 C.H. Cocks
1924 L.F. Gilmour
1925 W. Ridgeway
1926 C.H. Thacker
1927 A.S. Hamilton
1928 W.G. Sadler
1929 C.T.Bray
1930 G.O. Mitchell
1931 H.P. Savill
1932 F.J.C. lngram
1933 F. Bray
1934 R.W. Becken
1935 H.S. Smith
1936 J.E. Johnson
1937 H.J. Ewence
1938 E.B. Lewis
1939-1945 H.P. Roberts
1946 P.G. Warren
1947 W.B. Phillips
1948 W.J. Kitching
1949 S.C. Nunn
1950 A.L. Burnell
1951 H.J. Coates
1952 L.A. Ayton
1953 M.I. Hemstead
1954 A.L. Wilkinson
1955 R.G. Glenn
1956 R.A. Weedon
1957 G.H. Mitchell
1958 B.C.T.Mason
1959 F.L. Pascoe
1960 G.B. Cook
1961 F.C. Cave
1962 J.W. Muir
1963 E.C. Burrage
1964 P.G. Bullen
1965 H.S. Hitchings
1966 R.T. Esam
1967 A.J. Suggate
1968 H.W. Symons
1969 S.G. Hall
1970 E.H. Marley
1971 H.E. Perry
1972 R.C. Patten
1973 E.F. Coulson
1974 M.I. Saunders
1975 P.B. Sargent
1976 R.M. Andrews
1977 H.A. Wright
1978 I.E. Langford
1979 A.D. Walker
1980 G. Pritchard
1981 G.V. Rose
1982 J.A.Anderson
1983 P.G. Engledow
1984 I.F. Dickens
1985 A.C. Hemmings
1986 C.J. Wilkins
1987 M. Hasler
1988 D.E.S. Ball
1989 I.S. Stockwell
1990 P.S. Trendall
1991 M.A. Howell
1992 P.J. Jarvis
1993 G.N. Blackmore
1994 K. Allen
1995 Sir John Sparrow
1996 A.R. Green
1997 S.H. Behn
1998 A.C. Forrow
1999 P.G. Redman
2000 R.I. Rundle
2001 CJ. Langford
2002 A.G. Mash
2003 M.G. Brady
2004 M.M. Mote
2005 R.C. Engledow
2006 D.T.C. Hudson
2007 D.D. Turner
2008 P.J. Bonner
2009 M.R. Facey
2010 K.B. MulIender
2011 N.V. Wade
2012 A. Moffat
2

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
The Old Stationer
Number 79 - July 2014
OLD STATIONERS’ ASSOCIATION
LIST OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2014/2015
President
Roger Melling
43 Holyrood Road, New Barnet,
Herts. EN5 1DQ Tel: 020 8449 2283
E-mail: melling@globalspirit.net
Vice-President
Peter A Sandell
11 Maplecroft Lane, Nazeing, Essex,
EN9 2NR Tel: 01992 892766
E-mail: peter.sandell@hotmail.co.uk
Past President
David J Sheath Ksg
12a Bolton Crescent, Windsor, Berks.
SL4 3JQ Tel: 01753 855021
E-mail: davidsheath@hotmail.co.uk
Honorary Secretary
Tony C Hemmings
5 The Mount, Cheshunt,
Herts. EN7 6RF Tel: 01992 638535
E-mail: hemmingsac@hotmail.com
Honorary Treasurer
Michael F Hasler
8 The Glebe, Weston Turville, Aylesbury,
Bucks. HP22 5ST Tel: 01296 614352
E-mail: mikehasler.oldstationers@gmail.com
Hon. Membership Secretary
Gordon V Rose
39 King James’ Avenue, Cuffley,
Herts. EN6 4LN Tel: 01707 872645
E-mail: gordon.rose@talk21.com
Honorary Editor
Geraint Pritchard
1 Willow Way, Toddington, Dunstable,
Beds. LU5 6FD Tel: 01525 872166
E-mail: geraintpritchard@msn.com
Web Site Manager
Michael D Pinfield
63 Lynton Road, Harrow, Middx. HA2 9NJ
Tel: 020 8422 4699
E-mail: oldstationers@gmail.com
OSA website: www.oldstationers.co.uk
Honorary Archivist
David D Turner
63 Brookmans Avenue, Brookmans Park,
Herts. AL9 7QG Tel: 01707 656414
E-mail: d.turner@sky.com
Ordinary Members
Andreas H Christou
22 Woodgrange Avenue, Bush Hill Park,
Enfield EN1 1EW Tel: 020 8350 4857
E-mail: andreashchristou@yahoo.com
Tony Moffat
1 The Fairway, Bar Hill, Cambs. CB23 8SR
Tel: 01954 782366
E-mail: tnymfft@aol.com
Peter B J Sargent
East India Lodge, 13 East Ridgeway, Cuffley,
Herts. EN6 4AW Tel: 01707 873754
E-mail: petersargent@ellispatents.co.uk
Tim Westbrook
7 Goodyers Avenue, Radlett,
Herts. WD7 8AY Tel: 01923 857440
E-mail: tim@timwestbrook.co.uk
Honorary Auditors
Chris Langford, Roger Engledow
Clubs & Societies
Football Club
Vince Wallace
23 Lovelace Road, Barnet, Herts. EN4 8EA
Tel: 020 8361 0145
Golf Society
Peter J Bonner
3a Mount Grace Road, Potters Bar, Herts.
EN6 1RE Tel: 01707 658016
E-mail: peter.bonner@ntworld.com
Apostles Club
Stuart H Behn
l67 Hempstead Road, Watford,
Herts. WD17 3HF Tel: 01923 243546
E-mail: stuartbehn@hotmail.com
Luncheon Club
Alan R Green
Willow Tree House, Ditchford Hill,
Moreton in Marsh, Glos GL56 9QS
Tel: 01608 654164
E-mail: alan.green61@btinternet.com
SC School Lodge
Michael D Pinfield
Details as above
E-mail: secretary7460ugle@gmail.com
Magazine
Publishing Adviser
Tim Westbrook
Details as above
Design & Production Manager
Ian Moore
Homecroft, Princes Gate,
Pembrokeshire SA67 8TG
Tel: 01834 831 272
Email: ian@outhaus.biz
Website: www.outhaus.biz
Printer
Stephens and George
Contents
Regular features
Editorial 4
Dates for the Diary 4
President's Address 5
Correspondence 27
Far as you roam
Time in Belize (Wade) 30
Aurora Borealis in Norway (Ivey) 33
Old Stationers in Malta 37
Spot the difference (Mullender) 37
Ron Horne in the UK 38
Special features
Annual Dinner 2014 6
The 70th Anniversary of D-Day 10
Member's email adresses 11
Henry Chettle 1891-1913 14
Memories of Muswell Hill 15
Stationers from the Priory Road area 18
Memories of SCS Dave Vicary 23
Stationers poacher turned
Lords gamekeeper 24
News of old Stationers who started
school in 1938 or earlier 25
Reunion call for class of '53 26
Lancia Fulvia 50th 39
Clubs & Societies
Golf Society 12
OSFC End of season report 13
Varia
News of former staff 40
New members 41
Changes of address 42
Obituaries
Eric Wareham 43
Jack White 43
Denis Hamment 45
John Blakey 47
Ted Merrony 47
John Harris 47
Graham Wandrag 49
Peter Bullen 49
Minutes of the AGM 50
President's Address (AGM) 51
Treasurer's Report (AGM) 52
Balance sheet 53
Funds summary & General fund 54
Supplying items for publication
Text: Please supply as Word or typed documents if
possible. Images: Supply as original images or hi-res
(300dpi) digital files in tiff, jpeg or eps format.
Post or email to the Editor, Geraint Pritchard:
see Committee page for address details.
3

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
EDITORIAL
Yet another edition of
'The Old Stationer'! This
magazine comes to the
end of another decade in
its history. Yet within six
months it seems to
attract much material
from its contributors that
the 48 pages are
overflowing for the
second time this year! Thanks to everyone who has
written and for all the contributions to this edition.
Letters and articles will all interest different members
but covering a span of fifty years from 1933 to 1983
with references to individual year groups is quite
challenging! However, if there has been no reference to
your year group at all, write a letter and send a
photograph or two, and the situation will be remedied.
New subjects are another area there is an attempt to
include; and this edition is no exception.
We are pleased to see that more Reunions are taking
place this year, one or two for year groups that are only
holding their first formal Reunion since they joined in
1953. Much research and ferreting has to be done to
contact the ninety plus names to account for all in a
specific intake year! We are pleased to see these events
are taking place, as they revive interest in the OSA
particularly for those OS who are not already members,
some of whom are not even aware that we exist!
We are very sorry to hear of the deaths of Old Stationers
and we send our sympathy and condolences to all the
families and friends of those recorded in this issue.
We are also aware that some OS members are not in the
best of health, but we send our good wishes to you and
your families.
Very good wishes to all members of the OSA. Enjoy
the summer as 'Far as You Roam'.
May many of you join the President and members and
friends on President's Day on Sunday the 24th August
at Botany Bay.
Geraint
DATES for the DIARY
PRESIDENT'S DAY
Sunday August 24th 2014
42nd Annual Cricket Match
Botany Bay, East Lodge Lane, Enfield, EN2 8AS
Lunch 12.30pm; Match 2.00pm.
LUNCHEON MEETINGS
Wednesday September 10th 2014
Imperial Hotel, Russell Square
Wednesday December 3rd 2014
Stationers' Hall
OSFC ANNUAL VETERANS REUNION
Saturday October 11th 2014 (to be conf irmed)
Football Club's HQ
Old Elizabethan's Ground, Barnet Lane
OSA CAROL SERVICE
To be advised
2015 AGM & ANNUAL DINNER
Friday 27th March 2015
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
It is a great privilege to be elected to hold
the ‘presidency’, particularly because it is 60
years since my year of ’54 first made its way
to school in Mayfield Road. Indeed our
intake is looking forward to an extra special
reunion later this year. Sadly at the time of
writing this piece we learnt of Brian
Simpson’s death. He was one of our year
and those of you who attend the Annual
Dinner will be aware of his great skill as
Master of Ceremonies. He will be greatly
missed and we send our condolences to his
family.
Although not particularly gifted, I enjoyed
having a go at all sporting activities at
school. My greatest achievement on the
football field was playing left back for
Bishop House and in athletics coming in sixth in my final school
cross country race at Parliament Hill Fields, an unexpected
achievement from which I have never recovered!!! My leaning
was more to water sports: swimming and life saving and I was a
member of the Rowing Club which met on a Saturday morning
at Springfield Rowing Club on the River Lea in Stamford Hill
where we were coached to my recollection by Messrs Oakley and
Harrington. We represented the school in races on the Thames
but never achieved ‘championship status’!! I would be very
interested to hear from any of you who were involved in the
rowing club.
Reading the Old Stationer year on year I realise that many of our
number share the joy my wife Heather and I have of walking. We
have completed a number of national trails but most of all we
love the coast and over many years have covered the perimeter of
England and Wales. Again it would be very interesting to hear
from other Old Stationers with an interest in walking. Another
interest is squash which I took up after leaving school and I
consider myself very fortunate to still be playing racquet ball
every week.
I joined the OSA the day I left school, very much enjoying the
magazine and keeping up to date with events and individuals but
until my retirement some ten years ago I was not an active
member. The OS clubs did not cater for my specialised water
interests! Had there been an OS Rowing Club I guess I would
have been more active in the Association from a much earlier
age. However, in retirement I have greatly enjoyed rekindling
school friendships and participating in the social opportunities
that the OSA offers.
I was brought up in Palmers Green and had never heard of
Stationers’ until my primary school headmaster recommended
the school to my parents. I was the only boy from my school that
went to Stationers’, an experience foreign to those of you who
moved up in groups from Hornsey primary schools. Nonetheless
I seemed to settle down very easily and had the advantage of a
very short journey home from the school playing field.
Like many of you I joined the local scouts and thoroughly
enjoyed all their activities. I was very fortunate to be selected to
join a group of scouts to attend a jamboree at Colorado Springs
to mark 50 years of scouting in America. Josh Nunn agreed that
I could have additional time off in the summer of 1960. It was
before the era of cheap air fares so we sailed to New York!!!
before we were split up to spend a month
hosted in homes across the USA. I went to
Grand Rapids in Michigan where I was
treated like royalty and had the chance to
participate in a range of activities that I
would not have had access to at home.
After the jamboree we stayed in Canada for
a week and then sailed down the St
Lawrence before crossing the Atlantic to
return to England. I was incredibly
fortunate to have that opportunity at the
tender age of 17.
After leaving school with science A levels
my working aspirations did not initially go
to plan. I worked for periods in both the
steel and glass industries before moving
into Local Government having made my
way into the Management Services function. Subsequently I
joined Haringey Council (not the Education Department!!!). Yes
I can hear all the boos and hisses and I know the decision to close
the school upsets many people. Putting politics to one side
though I can provide assurance that a great deal of innovative
and ground breaking work was achieved in a borough where
there were huge challenges. My work developed into the
personnel field and in 1993 I was appointed Head of Human
Resources where I remained until I retired. Over a number of
years, for good or bad, the borough had no choice but to reduce
its workforce and much of my time and energy was devoted to
planning reorganisations and redundancies, with associated
PRESIDENT'S DAY
SUNDAY 24th AUGUST 2014
Dear Fellow Old Stationer, I would like to invite you
and your family and friends to a very special day on
Sunday 24th August 2014, 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 Middlesex, EN2 8HS.
I am thankful to Geoff Blackmore for selecting for me
the team of OSA Cricketers to play a team from Botany
Bay. The match is scheduled to start 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 (payable to Gordon Rose) at the earliest
opportunity as there is sure to be a big demand, and no
later than the 17th August 2014.
Tea will be available late in the afternoon.
I do hope you will be able to join Heather and myself
for this very special occasion.
Yours sincerely
Roger Melling
President 2014/2015
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
industrial relations implications. This is not easy work but
hopefully we made it as painless as it could be. It is hardly
surprising that a number of Old Stationers worked for Haringey
in various roles and John Ward wrote about his experiences in
the February edition of the magazine. Bob Watts and John
Berwick are two other names that come to mind.
I have not regarded retirement as the time to ‘put your feet up’,
simply the next phase of life. Of course it is possible to live life
at a slightly less frenetic level than when working but like many
I ask the question ‘how did I have the time to go to work?’ It has
been good to travel and to be involved with grandchildren. I have
been a trustee for various charities and am currently a trustee for
Age UK Haringey, struggling to find funding for our activities.
If like me you have been a member of the OSA for many years
but have had reservations about coming along to one of our
events - give it a go. As someone who is a ‘late arrival’ at the OSA
I can confirm that you will receive a warm welcome and find very
convivial company. I would be very pleased to see you on
President’s day at Botany Bay Cricket Club. It is a very informal
occasion at a beautiful location. Why not come along to one of
our informal lunches organised by Alan Green? There is also the
Christmas Carol Service and the Annual Dinner held the
magnificent surroundings of Stationer’s Hall. We all went to a
very special school, lets continue to celebrate our joint experiences
and the benefits we have had as a result.
I am greatly looking forward to being your President in what
I hope will be another very enjoyable and successful year for
the OSA, particularly since there is now the possibility of a
new Stationers’ School rising like the proverbial Phoenix from
the ashes.
ANNUAL DINNER 2014 -Stationers' Hall – March 28th 2014
Master, learned Clerk, distinguished guests and fellow Old Stationers,
Nearly 60 years ago, when I was 10 years old, Iwas sitting on the
wall outside my house in Glebe Road, Hornsey, waiting eagerly
for the postman. He was bringing me a letter - a letter in a small
brown envelope that was, unknown to me then, going to change
my life forever. That day, another 90 boys of similar age received
the same letter and their lives too would be changed.
You probably have guessed that it was the official offer of a place
for me at the Stationers' Company's Grammar School starting
that September.
How excited I was, yet inevitably I had a feeling of apprehension
for I was moving from my comfortable little old Rokesley
Primary School to that forbidding and austere building at the top
of Mayfield Road - to continue my education along with so many
older and bigger boys and to be taught by so many fierce teachers.
Was it really true that first formers were initiated by having their
heads thrust down toilet bowls and then flushed?
That apprehension became more visible as I climbed the stairs
on my first day to the furthest and highest part of the school
President's Address – Dave Sheath
Top brass:- The Master, Guest speaker, President, Ex President, The Clerk and MC.
building where my Form 1 class was located - to be greeted as I
walked through the classroom door with the words someone had
already written up on the blackboard, Welcome to Colditz.
Well of course Stationers' was never like that. Stationers' as a
Grammar School until it's reorganisation as a comprehensive
school in 1967, was the vehicle that allowed bright children from
any background to flourish.
We were the lucky ones, for we were bright enough and fortunate
enough to win a place and then find ourselves on a level playing
field on which anyone of us could excel if we chose to.
One of the many criticisms of a grammar school is that they
provide all elite education to the middle classes free of charge. In
some cases that is true, but in many cases it is not. There was no
better example of social mobility at that time than the Stationers'
Company's Grammar School. Most of my friends there came
from modest homes. A milkman, a butcher and a train driver
were the fathers of three of my best friends. I had no father. He
had been killed in the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
We were all recruited to an aristocracy of talent thanks to the
availability, free of charge, of a
better education than most
private schools offered.
New challenges, opportunities
and experiences awaited us all
and when we gather together on
occasions like this, conversation
inevitably turns to those
wonderful memories that we
share from our time at
Stationers'.
Who could ever forget those
incredible 30 a side furiously
contested Arsenal v Spurs
matches on the lower terraces
before school started. As I
entered the school playground
in the morning, I would simply
ask which way were the Arsenal
kicking - and then proceed to
6

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Stephen Collins,Robin Baker and Dave Hudson
Terry Jaggers and Geoff Dent
Robin and Peter - The Arsenal supporters club
hurl myself at a tiny tennis ball in an effort to breach the massed
ranks of Spurs defenders, before the bell sounded for registration.
The sporting reputation of Stationers' then was legendary as was
its academic tradition. All of us here have benefited at one time
or another, by the excellence of the teaching staff, and yes,
though the teachers may have seemed fierce in our early days at
Stationers', by the end of our school careers I am sure that we
grew to admire and respect their many qualities and strengths.
When we meet up in favoured watering holes such as The
Cockpit, how often are we regaled with stories of Joe Symons,
Beaky Davis, Gus Thomas, Flick Lloyd, Johnny Gore, WACR
Rees, The Major and so many more. These were the people that
have made a real difference to our lives and we will never forget
them and should always treasure their memories.
It was interesting to hear the Education Secretary Michael Gove,
recently emphasise the need for greater discipline in our schools
today, because quite rightly he points out, and I quote "that
without excellent behaviour, no child can learn - and a tiny
minority of disruptive children can absorb almost all of the
teacher's time and attention, in effect holding the education of
the rest to hostage".
In my time at Stationers', this was certainly not an issue as the
school provided a disciplined and ordered environment where
successful learning and progress would take place.
I always regarded myself as a good boy at Stationers' - only
receiving 5 detentions in all, and most certainly never having to
visit the Headmaster's Office. Indeed I did not get my first
detention until the 2nd year, and that was from Sid Holmes for
just talking in the PE changing room - golly! Mr Gove would
Tony Mash and class mates
have been impressed with that!
Perhaps as l got older, I became a little bolder, because my 5th
and last detention was certainly more deserved as I stuck a
compass needle into the backside of the boy sitting next to me
in maths. Well he was irritating me!
However there was one incident in my time at Stationers' that
has always troubled me and that I have kept a secret until this
day. It is something that as your President, I feel it would be
appropriate, today, to own up to and make a full confession and
apology. As a Catholic, I suppose this would be equivalent to a
bit of self-flagellation in order to unburden myself of the guilt
that I have borne for over 50 years.
You may wonder where this is going? I will tell you.
The deed took place on Athletics Sports Day on the evening of
June 5th 1961 at our Winchmore Hill Sports Field. Some of you
will have been there and may remember the occasion.
The weather was dry, warm and calm, and the ground, though
quite hard, was excellently prepared. Sid Holmes was the master
in charge, but the stewarding was mainly done by Stan Read.
The 440 yards senior event was the race to watch as some of our
finest, toned athletes were taking part. Tremendous excitement
was building up as the competitors lined up and took their
marks, the gun went - and they were off.
What a race - and the clear winner was Ken Saunders of Norton
in a truly remarkable time of 49.4 seconds - smashing the old
school record by several seconds. Well perhaps not!
I am sorry Ken - and I know that you are not here - but it was
not a record or anywhere near it, as I was on the stopwatch for
7

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Cheers m'dears.
the first runner in - and in my pre-race excitement, I forgot to
start the clock when the gun went off, and only when you were
well on the way to the first bend did I realise to my horror what
I had done and then started the clock - albeit several seconds too
late. I was far too scared to tell Stan and Sid what I had done!
Well there you are - MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA. That record
of 49.4 seconds, stood for over 20 years until the school was
finally demolished and you can check out all those athletics
results in the Stationer of July 1961.
Not my finest moment - but for Ken Saunders, it was a great day,
though I am sure for a long time afterwards, he must have been
scratching his head as to why he never got near that time again
in the many races he subsequently ran.
So here we all are today, gathered together some 31 years after
the School's closure, in the beautiful and inspiring surroundings
of Stationer's Hall. The School has gone, the corridors, classrooms
Not a crumb left!
and playgrounds are no more "- but its spirit lingers on in the
hearts of all of us who loved our school and who treasured those
times and those wonderful memories which have been the glue
that has bound us together in friendship and kinship.
This now is our spiritual home and we are so grateful to the
Master, Clerk and Company for making us feel so welcome and
so special, and I am pleased to report that thanks to the efforts
of the Master and Clerk, we have been able to successfully bring
together all our archives from the school, in a safe and convenient
storage area within this building.
The Hall is very much part of our history – but do not forget that
the Stationers' School is also part of the history of the Company
and that is why I am particularly pleased, as you have heard from
the Master, that the Company's links with education are to take
on a new dimension with the sponsorship of an existing school
called Crown Woods College in Greenwich which will be turned
The editor posing with the younger contingent.
8

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
into an Academy and will then bear the Stationers' name.
I visited the proposed school site in January with senior members
of the Stationers' Company and the Leigh Academies Trust and
I can tell you that Crown Woods College is a very impressive £50
million new build in 2011, with state of the art facilities that are
almost unbelievable.
I congratulate the Company on their vision, resolve, determination
and desire to improve the life chances of so many young people
through the funding and sponsorship of a new Academy, which,
as the Company's press statement issued a year ago said - and I
quote 'will bring the Company much closer to their goal of
resurrecting the old Stationer's Company's School.
But the question that I have to ask - and I know that many here,
who are still hurting by the trauma of the closure of our school,
would also ask - where was that vision, resolve and desire 30
years ago when we needed it most?
If only the political will, funding and sponsorship that is
transforming the educational landscape these days through
Private Finance Initiatives, Academies and Free Schools, were
available then, we may well have seen a different outcome,and
the demise of a great institution such as the Stationer's School,
which opened its door for admission on April 8th 1861 and
formally closed after 122 years of history on August 31st 1983,
may never have taken place.
But the past is the past - what has been done can't be undone
and we must look to the future. Yes, we are in an ageing
Association - and of course the day will eventually come when
the last Old Stationer standing will dine alone and have to turn
the lights out - but that is still many years away, and we have so
much more, each one of us to offer, so many more years to enjoy
the great friendships that have been forged over time, to
remember those wonderful school days, to laugh together, to
support and shed the odd tear together in times of sadness.
Each one of you has had a story to tell that has been woven into
the tapestry of the life of our school.
Each one of you has brought talents, skills and personal qualities
that were shaped by your time at the school.
Our lives are stronger, more meaningful and have been enriched
through the sharing of our experiences together. I salute you and
thank you for being who you are.
Though the school is no more, the legacy is here with you today,
'it lives on in our hearts and minds and even when we are gone,
I am sure that the Company, this Hall, will never forget the
school it founded over 150 years ago and will always honour the
memories of the thousands of young boys who passed through its
doors.
It has been a privilege and an honour to serve you as President
over the past year. Very shortly I will proudly hand over the baton
to my Vice President Roger Melling and I do so with great
pleasure knowing that our Association, served by a loyal and
dedicated committee, is in very good health.
That little brown envelope I received 60 years ago was certainly
life changing for me, and I hope and expect it has been the same
for each one of you.
The Stationers' Company's School touched our lives in a very
special way - and I would ask all of you to be upstanding to toast
the memory of a great school.
The toast is...
THE STATIONERS' SCHOOL
Annual Dinner 2014 Attendees
Aanonson, J. 60/67
Alden, W. Clerk
Alexander, H. 64/71
Assirati, J. 64/72
Baker, R. 64/71
Ball, I. 60/66
Bell, C. 63/70
Bensley, S. 63/70
Bewick, D. 51/56
Blackmore, G. 65/72
Bodley, T. 46/53
Bonner, P. 55/62
Bothwick, P. 62/69
Brackley, J. 54/58
Brady, M. 51/56
Burt, N. 61/68
Butler, T. 48/53
Cave, R. 65/72
Chaudoir, S. 62/63
Chew, R. 47/54
Christou, A. 80/83
Clapp, F. 63/69
Clydesdale, P. 49/54
Coilins, S. 62/69
Dant, N. 63/71
Davies, R. 60/67
Dawoodi, M. 65/72
Dent, G. 62/69
Eade, A. 73/78
Engledow, P. 49/54
Engledow, R. 54/61
Evans,T, 47/51
Evans, M. 58/64
Facey, M. 51/57
Fiddy, J. 55/62
Forrow, A. 60/67
Forty, R. 65/72
Fry, B. 65/72
Gascoine, G. 55/60
Geering, J. 53/60
Geering, M. 55/62
Geering, P. 61/68
Gray, J. 62/68
Hames, P.
Hon.
Harris, B. 54/61
Hasler, M. 53/59
Hawkins, P. 46/53
Heath, M. G. 61/68
Hemmings, T. 54/59
Hempenstall, T. Master
Hersey, R. 51/58
Hooker, O. 56/61
Howell, M. 73/80
Hudson, D. 62/69
Hughes, R. 61/68
Hunt, A. 55/62
Jaggers, T. 62/69
Jarvis, P. 62/68
Jones,1. 38/45
Kahn,M. 64/71
Lane, J. 73/80
Langford, C. 56/63
Langton, J. 40/45
Lawrence, M. 63/70
Lincoln, D. 56/63
Ling, S. 51/56
Mash, T. 61/68
Melling, R. 55/62
Miles, J. 45/49
Mitchell, D. 61/68
Moffat, T. 54/61
Monnington, J. 36/41
Mote, M. 55/60
Partridge, J. 51/58
Perry, H. 36/41
Phillippo, R. 54/62
Phillpot, R. 56/63
Plumley, R. 56/64
Powell, T. 65/72
Presland, S. 65/72
Pritchard, G. 54/62
Redman, P. 53/59
Rose, G. 44/49
Rowlands, J. 61/68
Sandell, P. 65/72
Sargent, P. 46/50
Saunders, M. 46/50
Saunders, R. 43/49
Sheath, D. 55/62
Simmons, R. 42/47
Simpson, B. 54/59
Taylor, J. 51/56
Thompson, R. 62/68
Townsend, R. 54/59
Ttof i, M. 73/80
Turner, D. 51/56
Tyley, R. 53/59
Wade, N. 51/58
Ward, S. 44/49
Warren, R. 62/67
Watcham, P. 45/50
Weatherley, M. 54/59
Westbrook, T. 62/69
Wheeler, J. 49/54
White, T. 65/72
Whitehouse, B. 51/57
Williams, A. 54/60
Williams, G. 56/63
Willison, M. 73/80
Wilson, R. 51/58
Woodhams, C. 56/63
Young, S. 61/68
9

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
The 70th Anniversary of D Day
6th June 1944
There has been no other enterprise in the past or most likely will
be in the future as D Day; it was so well organised and was so
successful. The task of landing on a hostile and well defended
shore, transporting 132,815 troops across the Channel together
with the vehicles and materiel was a colossal achievement. The
landing area extended from Ouistreham (the port for Caen) in
the east to the Cherbourg Peninsula in the west and was divided
into Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah Beaches.
Perhaps at no other time has innovation and invention been so
fertile, including General Hobart’s ‘Funnies’. These were
adaptations of armoured vehicles to provide a variety of uses and
one was the Duplex Drive amphibious tank to assist the infantry
in the landing. These Shermans transformed into boats by means
of a high canvas screen that could be raised around the tank's
superstructure and two propellers at the back. It was with these
DD tanks that ‘B’ and ‘C’ Squadrons of our regiment, the 4th/7th
Royal Dragoon Guards, were equipped.
There were five crew in a Sherman, and three tanks in a troop -
the Troop Leader’s tank, Sergeant’s and Corporal’s each
accompanied by a driver, co-driver, gunner and gunner operator.
I was a Trooper and a gunner operator, who loaded the guns and
operated the wireless set. I served in 4th Troop ‘B’ Squadron.
We undertook extensive training in different parts of the UK.
We sailed the Valentine DD tank, the precursor of the Sherman
DD, in Southampton Water landing at Bembridge Point. There
were also night exercises, the tank fitted with a mast and
navigation lights, and there was an exercise off Tain in Scotland
and also in Studland Bay. What the exercises proved was that the
DD tank was very vulnerable in rough weather. A tank from our
Troop sank at the exercise in Scotland and also at Studland, but
luckily because of the Amphibious Tank Escape Apparatus the
crew survived. However, because of a storm that arose at
Studland, five further tanks sank and six crew members drowned.
A plaque at Fort Henry commemorates the tragic event and a
service is held there each year on 4th April.
In late April 1944, we went by lorry to a camp at Lepe,
Hampshire where we took delivery of the Sherman DD tanks.
We were accommodated in Bell tents in an open area on a hill
overlooking the sea. The huts for administration and messing
were in the woods behind. The tanks were in a copse at the foot
of the hill and we spent our time getting them ready for service.
Units of the Manchester Regiment guarded the camp and a
briefing was given in a guarded marquee. Towards the end of
May we heard the camp was to be sealed so we took the
opportunity one weekend to go ‘Absent without Leave’, packing
the beds to resemble recumbent forms, circumnavigated the
guards and walked during the night to Southampton where we
caught the train home in the early morning. For some this was
the last time that they saw their loved ones. There is a
commemorative plaque at Lepe to the 124 from the 4th/7th
Royal Dragoon Guards who left from there but did not return to
these shores and a service will be held on Sunday 1st June this
year.
On the sunny afternoon of 3rd June ‘B’ and ‘C’ Squadron’s
Sherman DD tanks were loaded on to Tank Landing Crafts with
a mission for our three tanks to capture an unidentifiable
structure on the French coast. The structure turned out to be a
4th Troop crew with Green Howard Infantry, our kit drying and my bike,
D-Day 1100 hours (Imperial War Museum)
large blockhouse capable of firing its gun enfilade down each side
of the beach, traversing rear. The beach was Gold Beach at the
small town of Ver-sur-Mer.
The craft remained in the Solent for 4th June. D-Day was to
take place on 5th June, but was postponed because of very bad
weather to 6th June. That night we moored off the Needles
alongside a much larger ship dimly discernible in the black night
as a darker sheet of blackness.
The crossing was extremely rough and we were extremely sick.
We arrived off the coast of France, the coast line a grey streak
above a slate coloured turbulent sea. The landing was to be H
Hour - 7.25 am and the DD tanks were due on the beach at H
minus 5 minutes to support the incoming infantry.
The whole fleet of ships and landing craft were waiting for the
order to open the barrage and land the assault troops. A rocket
ship opened fire next to us and we followed the Troop Sergeant’s
tank down the landing craft's ramp and threaded our way
through the sea defences towards the blockhouse which was
clearly visible on the shoreline. We had been dropped nearer to
the coast than originally intended since it was too rough for the
tanks to swim in, motoring along the sea bed instead.
Our screen was lowered as we stood off in the shallows and
engaged the blockhouse with our 75mm using H.E. (high
explosive ammunition). An infantry man has subsequently said
that a shell whistled through the aperture of the blockhouse.
The crew of the blockhouse decided to call it a day and came out,
lining up in front with their hands up. There were about six
Germans in shirtsleeves, the commander standing in the centre
of the line wearing a peaked cap - all no doubt according to the
rulebook. Our Troop Leader was awarded the Military Cross and
the Troop Sergeant the Military Medal for the capture of the
blockhouse.
10

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Our tank became swamped and we made valiant attempts to get
it out, up to our waists in the sea amidst the crash of explosions,
but to no avail. We rescued our belongings from the tank
including the cooker so we could have a cup of tea.
On the incoming tide the bodies of two young Royal Marines
rolled about in the surf at the side of the blockhouse. Out at sea
a soldier squatted on a submerged craft waiting for rescue. When
I looked again he had gone.
There was a lull after the assault troops had left the beach to
advance inland. Stretcher-bearers were methodically picking up
the corpses and placing them in rows with feet towards the sea;
one row for the British and a separate row for the Germans with
their boots protruding. The bodies were covered with a large
black tarpaulin the end of which they turned back to receive
another body.
The afternoon was quiet, a few troops pottered about. In the
minefield a ‘Flail’ tank was clearing mines. I picked up an
abandoned folding bike and went for a spin.
We eventually met up with our lorries and went inland stopping
in a meadow for the night. I wrapped myself in a blanket and
placed my tin hat on my head for protection. I watched the tracer
bullets from anti-aircraft defences on the beach reaching out into
the sky and dropped off into a sound sleep.
So ended the first day. Five months later, on November 19th
1944 it was the end for 4th Troop ‘B’ Squadron 4th/7th Royal
Dragoon Guards. We had been in action during the bitter
fighting in Normandy, involved in the crossing of the River
Seine, carried out a recce of the City of Lille to be met by an
ecstatic crowd in the Place de la Republique and had been in
action in Belgium, Holland and briefly Germany. It was there,
just across the border, that the two surviving tanks of the Troop
were destroyed in an attempt to help an infantry unit who were
running out of food and ammunition.
Out of the original fifteen crew of the three tanks, seven of our
comrades had been killed, two were missing, three wounded and
two POWs. In total we had had seven Sherman tanks destroyed
by enemy action.
With many memories, 90 relatives and friends and 4 surviving
veterans gathered together on 6th and 7th of June at our
Memorials in Normandy to remember those young people who
were killed for our Peace and Freedom.
The Services were held at Ver-sur-Mer where we landed and at
Creully, at the Regimental Memorial, on 6th June. On 7th June
the Services were held at Verrieres/Lingevres and Tessel Wood.
The support and the ceremonies were a fitting tribute on that
70th anniversary to honour the 176 of the Regiment who were
killed in the conflict.
Hugh Cecil Newton 1933-41
Pericles
The whole earth is the sepulchre of heroes;
monuments may rise
and tablets set up in their own land
but on far-flung shores
there is an abiding memorial
that no pen or chisel has traced;
it is graven not on stone or brass,
but on the living heart of humanity
Take these men for your example
Like them remember that prosperity can only be for the free,
that freedom is the sure possession of those alone
who have the courage to defend it.
OSA Members' Email Addresses
The OSA Committee have decided to update the email addresses
of OSA members in the membership database to allow easy
contact between members. This will allow messages to be sent to
members reminding them of an impending event as well as
assisting those who wish to organise a reunion of their classmates
to contact them easily. Tony Moffat volunteered to update the
email list for Mike Pinfield who is the guardian of the database.
On starting the updating, there were 504 entries in the database
including: the Master and Clerk, 31 Honorary Members, Staff
and surviving family members. Two emails were sent to each
address in the database to verify that they were correct. Other
verified email addresses were added from Alan Green (Luncheon
Club) and Mike Hasler (Annual Dinner).
The position now is that we have 343 email addresses that
appear to be OK, six people we know do not have email and 155
for which we do not have email addresses. So that you know if
you are among the 155 for whom we do not have this information,
there should be an insert in this copy of The Old Stationer
addressed to you requesting you to supply an address by email to
Tony Moffat at: a.moffat@ucl.ac.uk. If you would please do that,
we will have all the email addresses of OSA members who have
access to email.
Thanks
Tony Moffat
11

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Old Stationers' Golf Society
The Society had its first meeting in April at the Hendon Golf
Club. It was for the Pairs Trophy and some nineteen players
attended. The single was Harold Perry, who lost his partner Peter
Clydesdale to a bout of food poisoning – courtesy of Pizza
Express! The course was muddy, although the day was dry and
the scoring was respectable. The results, however, were amazing.
No fewer than six of the nine teams scored 36 points and three
of these had identical back nine scores. After some confusion,
due to incorrect score card readings, the initial supposed winners,
Geoff Blackmore and Steve Presland, were ‘robbed’ by two of our
associate members – Terry Jackson and Charles Wallis, with
yours truly and John Taylor third.
The second meeting, in May, was our annual match against Old
Tollingtonians at Aldwickbury GC We were reasonably fortunate
with the weather and for the first time in four attempts we
managed to beat OT by a convincing margin.
This meeting was also the first ‘Shield Event’ of the year (of
three) and Colin Walker scored an exceptional 40 points to lead
the table. The second Shield Event is to be played at The
Bedfordshire on 8th July – Bruce Kitchener’s home club.
In early June we played our annual match against the Stationers
Company for the Stationers Cup. Having lost in 2013 we were
keen to regain the trophy, but due to two exceptional rounds, one
by a past master of the Company, we failed by a large margin to
secure the trophy. The event for 2015 will be played on the new
course at Essendon in early June.
At the time of writing we are preparing for the Bedfordshire and
subsequently the Weald of Kent away weekend in August. We
have some fifteen attendees for this, including two playing wives
– Diana Bonner and Brenda Taylor and two non-playing wives.
It looks to be a good venue and at £75 per head for dinner, bed
and breakfast, two rounds of golf, a bargain!
Our last Shield Event is in September at the beautiful Aspley
Guise GC, followed by our team event at Brookmans Park at the
end of October.
Peter Bonner
Secretary to OSGS
Colin Walker with an inner glow following an exceptional 40 points
Old Tollingtonians hand over the trophy to a grateful Peter Bonner.
LUNCHEON – MAY 2014
List of those who were present at the Luncheon meeting
on Thursday, 8th May 2014 at the Imperial.
Steve Presland who won Longest drive at Aldwickbury
Stuart Behn 47/53
Don Bewick 51/56
Anthony Bodley 46/53
Peter Bonner 55/62
Peter Clydesdale 49/54
D Cox 53/60
R Davies 60/67
Geoff Dent 62/69
Peter Engledow 49/54
Roger Engledow 54/61
Philip Geering 61/68
J Gray 62/68
Alan Green 53/58
Michael Hasler 53/59
Tony Hemmings 54/59
David Hudson 62/69
Brian Humphreys 49/56
T Jaggers 62/69
Leslie Lane 47/53
Stephen Ling 51/56
Roger Melling 54/62
David Metcalf 53/58
John Miles 45/49
Tony Moffat 54/61
Michael Mote 55/60
Keith Mullender 56/63
John Partridge 51/58
H Perry 36/41
Mike Pinfield 60/66
Peter Sandell 65/72
Michael Saunders 46/50
David Sheath 55/62
Sir John Sparrow 44/51
T Taylor 53/61
12

It turned out to be a disappointing season for most of our teams
on the playing front, with the success of the 3rd XI being the one
exception.
The 1st XI struggled for much of the season and many of their
performances can be summed up with the well worn phrase,
"consistent in their inconsistency". However despite winning 3
of the last 4 games the 1s still finished next to bottom in their
Division, although only 3 points behind the next placed team
and 12 points above bottom place.
The 2nd XI also had a disappointing campaign, changing almost
the entire personnel from those that started the season to the
players selected at the end of the season, which certainly didn't
help. They also finished one place off the bottom of their Division.
On a positive note we did recruit 5 or 6 good new young players,
who showed great commitment despite a difficult season.
The 3rd XI proved to be the success story of the season. Having
narrowly missed out on promotion the previous year, they clinched
the Junior Division 3 title by a clear 5 points, losing just once. It
proved to be a real team effort under the leadership of Mickey Byrne.
The 4th XI looked to be heading for a mid-table finish despite
the upheaval of the original captain standing down 2 months
into the season to be replaced by Dave Gilligan. However a
couple of poor results against the bottom sides in the last few
games saw us lose ground and the 4s also finished one place off
the bottom.
Having lost the bulk of last year's 5th XI, Nick Plinston and
Russell Toone, long standing joint captains, had to recruit almost
an entirely new set of players. They successfully managed to
bring in friends, friends of friends etc to form a good and
committed group, who for much of the season looked promotion
potential. However their results tailed off in latter stages and they
ended up finishing comfortably in mid-table.
Finally the Mega Vets only played one game in which we defeated
Old Finchleians 1-0, 100% record and no goals conceded!! We
hope next season to have a more extensive fixture list.
However it is not all gloom and doom on the playing front, it
should be noted that many of the
new players that joined during
the season seemed to be not only
committed but have shown great
enthusiasm in what, for some of
our Xl's, has been a difficult
campaign. We trust that most
will return next season and we
can start with fairly settled teams
to give all our sides the best
possible opportunity to prosper
in the top half of their respective
Divisions.
Despite some indifferent results,
the club did achieve one of our
important "goals", which was to
improve on our recent poor
disciplinary record. Our stricter
stance seemed to have reaped
some reward, over the season we
picked up less than half the
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
OSFC 2013/14 End of Season Report
number of cautions gained the
season before and were one of
the better disciplined SAL
clubs. We also finished 8th out
of the 35 SAL clubs for
Hospitality and Sportsmanship,
we may not be great
on the field but we can still
compete with the best off it!!
We have also now fulfilled all
the required criteria to become
an ''FA Charter Standard
Club". It is a requirement that
all the SAL member clubs Have you got your copy?
acquire this award by the start
of the 2015/16 season for the League to retain it's ''FA Charter
Standard League" status (this is now crucial when applying for
sports funding, sponsorship etc).
As a climax to the season we again held a very successful and well
attended end of season dinner at the Southgate Masonic Centre,
expertly arranged as usual by Jim Mulley. Along with current
players and a good number of ex-players we were joined by Dave
Sheath (ex-player and now ex-President) and the current OSA
President Roger Melling.
The following players received the awards
Player of the Year:
1st XI Ali Lovatt
2nd XI Daniel Fergus
3rd XI Kyri Apostolou
4th XI Mark Rowe
5th XI Dan Avis
Leading Goalscorer: Mark Rowe
Young Player of the Year:
Sean Derrick (1st XI)
Finally a note for the diary, the Annual OSFC Ex-Players
Re-Union Day should be on Saturday 11th October at the club,
details will be confirmed early next season on the OSA and
OSFC websites. As well as the regular "old" faces it would be
nice to see some 'new" old faces telling anyone who will listen
how good they used to be.
Ian Meyrick
3rd XI SAL Junior Division 3 Champions 2013/14
Back Row L-R Chris Alexandrou, Mickey Byme, Paul Greaves, Mario Aristidou, George Michael, Panay Apostolou,
Alan Hart, Sean Hill; Front Row L-R Marcus King, Sam Rodgers, Rob Foley, Alex Chambers, Keiron Robson, Kyri
Apostolou (missing from photo Andy Douglas)
13

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
7th April 2014
Dear Geraint
SPECIAL REQUEST
92 South End,
BEDALE DL8 2DS
brijwilk@yahoo.co.uk
Tel.No. 01677 422220
Could you please include this request in the next issue of
The Old Stationer?
ATC Camp, RAF Leeming April 1958
In April 1958, the 2049 Squadron of the ATC had a
week's camp at RAF Leeming. I recall that we had an
official photo taken of the squadron and I believe we were
lined up in front of a Meteor aircraft (cutting edge
technology in those days!) Unfortunately my own copy of
the photo has been lost in the course of various moves
and, as I now live within a couple of miles of RAF
Leeming, I would be pleased to obtain a copy of the said
photo. Naturally, I would be happy to reimburse any costs
of copying, postage etc. David Turner is going to search
the archives but doesn't recall having seen the photo.
I trust that you are keeping well.
Yours sincerely
Brian Wilkinson
It would be interesting to hear from any Old Stationers who
also attended the week's camp in April 1958 that is mentioned
above whether you have the photo or not, so we can draw up a
list of those present on that occasion and they could possibly be
contacted. Many thanks. Ed.
Ms J. Nichol, Archivist
The Hornsey Historical Society
The Old Schoolhouse
136 Tottenham Lane
HORNSEY
London N8 7EL
8 Trafalgar Way, Thetford,
Norfolk, Ip24 2Za
johnclarkeward@msn.com
01842 761380
19 April 2014
Dear Ms Nichol
Henry Chettle 1891-1913
As an Old Boy of the Stationers’ Company’s School, I was
browsing through the Old Stationers Association [OSA] website
the other day and came across this item in the Visitors’ Book
posted in September 2013:
Members of Hornsey Historical Association are interested in finding
out about a headteacher, 1891-1913, Henry Chettle. He lived at 76
Ridge Road, Hornsey at the far end of which is the large block of flats,
Chettle Court. We have been researching his family and wonder if the
OSA could help us confirm that those flats were named after Henry
Chettle. What might be helpful would be to have access to the back
issues of the school magazine. Would this be possible?
Joanna Bornat
I am a member of the HHS so I am only too happy to help if I can.
I could not find any evidence of a response to the enquiry so I hope
the following is in good enough time for your research purposes.
I happened to have been employed by Haringey Council from
1965 onwards and they built the flats although I cannot tell you
in which year. I believe it was while the School was still standing
[i.e. before 1983]. I certainly recall their construction taking
place at the eastern end of Ridge Road. The block covered open
ground overlooking the Ferme Park railway goods yard. The site
had been unkempt open space and some allotments and it also
had a public footpath [nicknamed “The Hog’s Back”] running
along it [on the edge of the railway cutting] from Ridge Road to
Quernmore Road where it emerged adjacent to the footbridge
over the railway at Harringay [West] Station.
It is certainly the case that this block of flats was named Chettle
Court in recognition of Henry Chettle, former Headmaster of
the Stationers’ Company’s School. I remember seeing this
recommended to the Housing Committee [or one of its subcommittees]
at the time and being so recorded in the Coucil
minutes. I believe a number of names were put forward but
“Chettle” was chosen as most appropriate in view of the location
and associated history.
The School had originally been in the City of London, in Bolt
Court off Fleet Street, but in 1894 it moved to a new site in
Hornsey at the top of Mayfield and Denton Roads on the site of
most of what is now Stationers Park. Dr Chettle must have
transferred to Hornsey in that year to take up residence close to
the School. The houses along Ridge Road were probably built
around the same time or just before the School judging by their
architectural style and features. If the street numbering today is
the same as it was 120 years ago then the house where Dr
Chettle lived was on the eastern corner of the junction of Ridge
Road and Oakfield Road. It is a large four-storey end-of-terrace
house and it is diagonally opposite the top end of Denton Road
with views across to Alexandra Palace. The Headmaster would
have been able to slip into the School quickly via the Denton
Road gate and he would have been able to see part of the back of
the School from the front windows of the house. Strangely, the
Googlemaps Streetview camera shot of the house shows a
spectral image of a bearded figure at the front bay window
holding up his hands; could this be the ghost of Henry Chettle?
On the question of access to the back issues of the School
Magazine, unfortunately the relevant period is not covered. As an
OSA member I have been able to access the School Magazine
archive on-line but unfortunately no editions were produced
between 1885 and 1914 and the only two previous years [1884-85]
contain no references to Dr Chettle. When publication recommenced
in April 1914 there was only a small mention of Dr Chettle’s last
day at the School on 29 July 1913 when it was recorded :
H.C. Barnes said goodbye in the name of us all to our dear old
Headmaster, and we gave the gold watch “To H. Chettle, Esq.,
M.A., From His Boys” and the album containing the photographs
and signatures of every boy in the School.
I think I am correct in saying that a large portrait of Henry
Chettle hung in the School hall to the side of the stage. It was
no doubt removed when the School finally closed and, as
property of the Worshipful Compay of Stationers and
Newspapermakers, I expect it is now kept at the Stationers’ Hall
in Ave Maria Lane in the City of London together with other
historic artefacts.
I should be grateful if you would forward this letter to Joanna
Bornat or to another appropriate member involved in this
research, and please let me know if you want any further
information.
Yours sincerely
John C Ward
14

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
4 April 2014
Dear Geraint
Having finished reading the latest edition of The Old Stationer,
it occurred to me that quite a number of Old Boys are interested
in how things have changed around the Crouch End, Hornsey,
Stroud Green, Muswell Hill and Highgate areas since they were
at the School. Some are able to visit the scenes of their youth but
this is not possible for everybody, especially those living overseas
or a long way from London.
North London has been changing quite rapidly over the last
twenty years and its now over ten years since I resided there. Lots
of local landmarks have gone, like pubs, churches and other
significant premises, usually replaced by apartment blocks or
small housing schemes. One church in Muswell Hill has actually
been converted into a pub! Many of the smaller suburban
shopping parades have changed in character as people's buying
habits have changed. Some of the tower blocks that we saw being
built have been demolished [although a surprising number have
survived]. The continuity and recognition is to be found in the
parks and open spaces which have largely remained as we
remembered them and, although their horticultural quality
might have suffered from maintenance cuts, many have been
restored and and improved with better facilities for enjoyment.
There are many more trees in the streets than I seem to
remember when I was travelling to school and although there are
some shabby spots [shabby chic in Muswell Hill of course!] most
properties seem to be better looked-after than in the first two
decades after WWII.
The internet offers various ways of seeing how things are today.
Most people are aware of Google Maps or Bing Maps [MSN]
that provide aerial and satellite views of areas as well as an
interactive explorer tool to go up and down roads and see things
at eye-level. They might be a little out-of-date depending on
when the images were captured but I find it fascinating to be able
to "go for a drive" around Crouch End, say from the comfort of
my home. The Wisbech contingent can also explore that area
and see how it differs from their wartime years.
Another rich source of local information is the Hornsey
Historical Society. Its publications include many short books on
places [Hornsey, Muswell Hill,Wood Green, etc] and types of
buildings [like cinemas, theatres, and estates such as The
Corner of Queen's Parade and Queen's Avenue about 1905.
Shops in the Fortis Green Road and the Athenaeum (demolished).
Campsbourne and Noel Park]. Naturally, they concentrate on
past times but frequently include views of later developments to
contrast with the earlier views.
The Society's website has lots of interesting resources.
Something I sometimes do is go on to one of the major property
websites [such as Rightmove or Zoopla], put in a postcode [like
N10 or N4], and look at the houses on the market. The chances
are a house in the road where you grew up is on sale and you can
indulge in some harmless reminiscence; the price today will
The Exchange, Muswell Hill, 1903
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Cranley Gardens Station, c1912
Summerlands Electric Theatre
probably make your eyes water though, and it might have been
converted into flats, but it can still bring back memories of
growing up in north London.
It is sad that virtually nothing is left of our School at the top of
Mayfield and Denton Roads. It is commemorated through the
name Stationers Park [apostrophe omitted] that now occupies
the space where the lower terraces and The Wilderness used to
be. I was lucky enough to have an opportunity in 1983 of going
round the inside of the school just before the demolition crew
got started on knocking it down. Haringey Council's conservation
officer was trying to see whether it would be possible to save any
architectural features for conservation and possible reuse in
restoration schemes and he asked me to show him around.
As we all remember, the School was a particularly fine structure
made of good quality materials, and both the 1894 building and
the grand 1939 extension had some noteworthy fixtures and
fittings, panelling, doorcases, lanterns, entrance hall fireplace,
stone columns, and wrought ironwork. Demolition contracts
usually give the contractor general salvage rights and it is
reflected in the tender for the work, so it is highly unlikely that
any interesting pieces have been rescued for special safeguarding.
Wandering round the nearly empty building as men were
disconnecting services and taking doors out of their frames was
a strange experience: the place which had buzzed with pupils and
masters, and with something going on in every corner, was now
deserted, forlorn and unloved. I had been in the School on many
occasions [not in detention] after most of the boys and teachers
had gone home for the day but it still had life and was full of the
atmosphere and artefacts of a school.
Now, the portraits, memorials and the handsome citations of
sporting achievers had been stripped from the walls, the oncebusy
library was vacant and bare, the hall and stage echoed to
tapping noises where stirring hymns and dramatic entertainment
had once rung out. And in a short while it had gone, every last bit.
I am sure that a creative architect could have designed a good
conversion scheme for the School as many have been adapted
elsewhere in London in recent years, but that was not on the
agenda thirty years ago. It had to be destroyed in order to remove
all evidence of a superior educational establishment and the values
associated with that. Some boundary walls remain and even they
look better than the feeble architecture of the housing scheme that
has replaced our School buildings. At least youngsters in the park
can still run around and kick a ball where the big bike shed used
to be. So a little of the School's essence has mercifully survived.
With best wishes
John C Ward
Tollington School, Tetherdown, 1928 The New Branch Library, 1932
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Modern day Crouch End and Alexandra Palace showing Priory Road and the old school site.
17

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Stationers from the Priory Road area
When I read Richie Tyley’s article in the last issue, about
Stationers from the Priory Road area, I was motivated to write a
follow-up. The area that I am covering consists of Priory Road
itself and the roads to the north and south. This article is
structured around the names of the roads, arranged in alphabetical
order, and it also includes a small amount of local history.
When were the houses in this area built? Jacob Warner (d.1831),
a London wholesale grocer, purchased a property of sixteen acres
lying to the north and south of Priory Road in 1796. Between
1823 and 1825 his family built a large castellated house, which
they called The Priory, and the surrounding estate became
known as the Priory Estate. The Warner family left the house in
1883 and in 1898 the house and estate were sold to developers.
The boundaries of the Priory Road area approximate to two
estates, which were developed at around the same time, the
Warner Estate and the Nightingale Lane Estate. Most of the
development took place during the first decade of the 20th
century. The large house built by the Warner family was
demolished circa 1902.
Ashford Avenue was named after Ashford House, which
formerly stood on the site. The building contractor John Jay
(1805-1872) lived here towards the end his life. His contracts
included: the Houses of Parliament, Billingsgate Market,
residential estates, churches and railway stations, e.g. King’s
Cross, Paddington, Colchester and Stoke-on-Trent. DAVE
VICARY (1955-62) lived in Ashford Avenue. Dave often played
football in Priory Park after school and he also remembers going
to the nearby Hornsey Station and train-spotting from the
footbridge. Lectures on the history of towns, whilst studying
geography at Exeter University, inspired him to embark upon a
career in town planning. He spent a large part of his working life
at the planning department of the London Borough of Havering
(Romford, Hornchurch and Upminster). After retiring aged
sixty, he worked part time as a planning consultant for a further
ten years. He lives in Chelmsford, Essex, has been married for 45
years and has two sons and two granddaughters. He is still an
avid supporter of Spurs.
Danvers Road was named after someone or persons in the
Danvers family, possibly John and Henrietta Danvers, who were
friends and/or relations of the Warner family. The road was laid
out circa 1905 on the site of an orchard and most of the houses
were completed in 1908. Martin Burr and Bob Bird lived in
Danvers Road. MARTIN BURR (1955-60) captained a
Campsbourne Junior School football team, which included Peter
Bonner, David Pitt and Mike Heath as the goalkeeper. Martin
was also a talented player in Stationers’ school teams. He spent a
couple of years working in insurance but then trained as a
quantity surveyor, before setting up a ceramic tiling contracting
company in 1972. Over the years, the business expanded,
branches were opened, and it became one of the largest tiling
contractors in the UK. High profile contracts included: Terminal
3 Departures at Heathrow, many leisure centres, shopping
centres, motorway service facilities, Hampden Park and some
tube stations, e.g. Finsbury Park, South Kensington, Paddington
and Tottenham Court Road. You might have noticed the ceramic
designs at these tube stations, e.g. extinct and living animals at
South Kensington and I.K. Brunel structures at Paddington.
Martin continues to take a keen interest in football, and since
2003 he has been a director of Merstham FC, who play in the
Ryman South League. He has won groundsman of the year
awards from the FA for his work at their stadium near Redhill,
Surrey. He lives with his second wife Beverley in Merstham.
Martin has four sons and four grandchildren. I knew BOB
BIRD (1960-67) before arriving at Stationers’, as we both went
to Rokesly Junior School. Bob went on to teach at schools in
Cannock, Staffordshire and Haverhill, Suffolk, where he was
head of languages at Samuel Ward Upper School for many years.
Prior to his recent retirement, he recruited construction
apprentices for Cambridge Regional College. In his spare time
he has been studying with the Open University. Later this year
he will be doing a Welsh module. His wife, Lin, shares his
interest in languages and has recently been learning Italian. They
have one daughter, Jane.
Farrer Road was named after John Farrer (1843-1930), an
architect and surveyor, who designed houses throughout Hornsey
and other buildings, such as the Palace Parade, the parade of
shops where Priory and Park Roads meet. He came to London
from Cumbria, set up his own business in 1877, and became
architect and surveyor to the Warner family in 1884. The Assirati
brothers, Robert and John, lived in Farrer Road. ROBERT
ASSIRATI (1958-65) was School Vice-Captain in 1964/65. He
spent the first part of his career in IT management in the private
sector and moved into central government in 1986, working for
the Inland Revenue. He was appointed Chief Executive of the
Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency in Norwich
in 1996, and subsequently was a Director of the Major Projects
Authority at the Cabinet Office. He received a CBE in the 2012
New Year's Honours list for services to Government IT. He is
now living with his wife Lynne near Tonbridge, Kent. They have
two children. My brother Geoff met up with JOHN ASSIRATI
(1964-72) at an OS class of 1964 reunion in 2003 at the Red
Lion, Whitehall. He recently invited me for lunch at the
National Liberal Club – it was one of the fun aspects of my
research for this article. John qualified as a Chartered Secretary
and worked in the Education department of the London
Borough of Newham from 1979 to 2009. He is a long term
cricket fan, who has recently acquired an interest in US baseball,
and follows The Major League Series. He is a Middlesex CCC
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
and MCC member, and attends Arsenal matches from time to
time. Aside from sport, his interests include opera and classical
music.
Hawthorn Road, which was developed circa 1904, derived its
name from the hawthorn bushes previously growing on the site.
Some of its houses were designed by John Farrer. BOB
GETTLESON (1960-65) lived in Hawthorn Road until 1973
when he married. I met up with Bob at an OS class of 1960
reunion in 2013 at the Golden Fleece, Brentwood. He currently
works as an IT manager for the Swedish construction company
Skanska. Previously he worked for John Dickinson’s, the
stationery manufacturer, and Initial Textile Services, the
washroom and work-wear rental company. He lives with his wife
in Watford. He has two grown up children – daughter 33 and
son 30. His son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first
child in June.
Linzee Road was named after the Rev. Edward Linzee (d.1842),
son-in-law of Jacob Warner who purchased the Priory Estate in
1796. The houses in the road were built in 1900 and 32 of them
were designed by John Farrer. The Nafzger brothers, Alan and
Colin, lived in Linzee Road. ALAN NAFZGER (1953-61)
worked in the Civil Service for 40 years. He joined the Ministry
of Housing & Local Government and retired from the
Department for Transport. Initially he worked on local
government reorganisation, rent controls, devolution for Scotland
and Wales, the trunk road programme, the ports industry and
restructuring London Transport. Latterly he worked on a wide
range of domestic and international civil aviation policy issues.
Alan’s main outside interest has been music and he is a keen
opera and concert-goer. Starting with singing in the school choir
under Messrs Clover and Rimmer, he has been a choir member
for most of his life. He currently sings with the Finchley Choral
Society, where he writes their concert programmes and he was
also the Treasurer for eleven years. In addition he enjoys art,
architecture, theatre and foreign travel. After retiring he joined
the Hornsey Historical Society, becoming a member of its
archive team and helping in its small shop. He moved from
Linzee Road to Southgate in 1974. COLIN NAFZGER (1958-
65) pursued a career within the state education system in North
London and Hertfordshire. He began as a history teacher and
went on to be Deputy Head of a comprehensive school in Hemel
Hempstead for 28 years. He and his wife Jan enjoy historyrelated
travel and fell walking, theatre and classical music. They
have two daughters and three grandchildren so far. Colin is
chairman of the Welwyn Garden City Film Society, which shows
films from all over the world. His interest in films began at
school when contemporaries John Dinning and Alan Pinkus
began a sixth form film society. He is a keen digital photographer.
He has remained a loyal Spurs supporter, despite things going
generally downhill since the 1960s. His own sporting efforts
continued courtesy of staff football and cricket teams until his
retirement in 2008. There was little sign of a decline in his skills
throughout the decades – hardly surprising given the low
standard he started from! He plans to take tennis more seriously
in the near future.
North View Road was named on account of the view to the
north of Alexandra Park. David Sheath and David Pitt lived
within a few doors of each other in North View Road. I met
DAVID SHEATH (1955-62) when he was organising duplicate
bridge sessions for Old Stationers and ex 51st North London
scouts during 1966/67. He taught geography and economics at
Syon School in Isleworth and St Mark’s Catholic School in
Hounslow, where he was appointed Headteacher in 1986. When
he retired in 2001, he received a Papal Knighthood from the
Pope for services to Catholic education. He has been very active
with the OSA over many years: 29 years playing in OSFC teams,
member of the Golf Society, participant at the bridge club, and
OSA President in 2013. He is a keen golfer, who also plays at the
Fulwell Golf Club and at a club in Malta. He lives with his wife
in Windsor, and has two daughters. DAVID PITT (1955-61)
worked for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the support ships, manned
by the Merchant Navy, that accompany the Royal Navy on most
of their operations. He joined his first ship in February 1962. His
worldwide service included involvement in the Falklands conflict
and the Gulf Wars. He was promoted Captain in 1983 and
carried out both shore and sea-going appointments until his
retirement in 2003. He and his wife Brenda moved to near
Paphos in Cyprus in early 2005. He has since become actively
involved in playing and promoting golf on the island as a
member of the Golf Federation.
Park Avenue North and Park Avenue South were laid out circa
1900, in order to create an avenue linking Park Road with an
entrance into Alexandra Park. Dick Hersey, the Bonner brothers,
Mike and Peter, and Mike Heath lived in Park Avenue North.
DICK HERSEY (1951-58) was the scout leader, when I was a
member of the 51st North London Scouts during the early
1960s. Indeed he served as a scout leader for many years, first at
the 51st North London Scouts and then from 1968 onwards at
the 221st North London Scouts in Campsbourne. During these
years he organised many memorable camping trips to places like
Broadstone Warren, Chalfont Heights, Gilwell Park, Tolmers
and Walton Firs. He worked in planning departments, first
within the LCC and then after the 1965 local government
reorganisation, in a succession of London boroughs: Westminster,
Southwark and Camden, followed (until retirement at 70) by 8
years part time work as an Inspector with the Planning
Inspectorate. He has been involved with cricket through-out his
life: in his youth, with the “Priory Park Cricketers” in Priory
Park; later playing with the North Middlesex CC in their Colts
and senior teams; and then umpiring for 20 years. He played and
refereed for the OSFC from leaving school until the age of 65.
He still has enough energy to do 30 mile walks, and he was a
“London ambassador” for the 2012 Olympic Games. He lives
with his wife Pauline in Southgate, and has a son, a daughter and
four grandchildren. The Bonner brothers lived in Park Avenue
North until the family moved to Southgate in 1957. After a
degree in German and testing out a few other career options,
MIKE BONNER (1952-59) became a language teacher. Fluent
in both German and French, he worked in Germany and France
for several years and indeed was working in Berlin during 1961
when the wall was being built. He was a notable footballer, who
played 51 times for the OSFC 1st XI and he was a member of
the 1963/64 1st XI team that won the Old Boys’ Senior Cup.
More recently he has written three thriller novels: A very
European death, Killing with unkindness and The Sevenwalker.
I met PETER BONNER (1955-62) in 1966/67 at duplicate
bridge sessions organised by David Sheath. He started work at
Ever Ready and did well when the company was taken over by
Hanson Trust plc, being appointed Marketing Director. He
joined the British Standards Institution in 1990, initially as
Marketing & PR Director and later Director of the Standards
Division. In 1998 he set up a consultancy, specialising in issues
such as technical barriers to trade, which numbered national
governments and international bodies amongst its clients. His
experiences during this period included an earthquake in Tokyo
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Priory Road as seen via Google Earth
and being rescued from a blazing hotel in Nice. He has been
heavily involved with the OSA: playing in OSFC teams, OSA
President in 2008, Secretary of the Golf Society, and founder of
the bridge club. He and his wife Diana live in Potters Bar. They
have two sons and two grandchildren. The wider Bonner family
now exceeds 50, including his brother Mike, six sisters and their
children and grandchildren. All eight siblings gained degrees and
five of them became teachers, mostly dealing with languages.
MIKE HEATH (1955-62) was School Captain in 1961/62. My
mother remembered his mother excelling at running at Hornsey
County School and indeed Mike shone in school cross country
races. He also achieved third place in an All England YMCA
cross country race. His father Geoff ran the cub pack, which was
associated with the 51st North London Scouts. Mike started his
academic career with a lectureship at the University College of
North Wales, Bangor. In 1979 he was appointed to a professorship
in French Literature at King's College London, where he
specialised in renaissance literature and modern French theatre.
When he retired in 2004, he was made an emeritus professor of
King's College. He is now living in Southbourne, near Chichester,
watching football and cricket in season, cycling on the South
Downs and along the coast, and doing academic translations
from French and Latin. He has three sons and one grandchild.
Priory Avenue was laid out circa 1900. ALAN BARNARD
(1960-67) lived in Priory Avenue, in the same house from which
his father had walked to Stationers’ during the early 1930s. Alan
made his career in the pharmaceuticals/ medical devices industry.
In 1987 he moved from a medical device company in Cornwall,
to become managing director at Geistlich UK, a biomaterials
company located in Chester. Some six years ago, he stepped
down from this position, but he continues to be a director of
Geistlich companies in the UK, Australia and US. These
primarily non-operational roles allow Alan and his wife time to
travel the world. They have a son, a daughter and two
grandchildren. Last year their daughter married a non OS
footballer, who had played for an OSFC team.
Priory Road was named after The Priory, the large house which
formerly stood on the northern side of Priory Road, in between
Danvers and Warner Roads. Blocks of houses were built at
different times, and the western end, south side block (121-157)
was not completed until circa 1925. Stationers living in Priory
Road included: Don Bewick, Richie Tyley, George Orros, the
Aanonson brothers, and John Lane. DON BEWICK (1951-56)
spent most of his working
life in insurance with Hillier
Parker May & Rowden until
redundancy in 1990, finally
working for R K Harrison
Insurance Brokers, where his
interest in Fantasy Football
arose – later introduced to
the OSA. Whilst at school,
he played cricket in Priory
Park with others from the
school (see article about the
Priory Park Cricketers in the
February 2011 issue of the
OS magazine). Subsequently
he played for North
Middlesex CC in their Colts
and senior teams, mainly as a
batsman, although on one
occasion he surprised everyone by taking a hat trick with slow leg
breaks, Dick Hersey may even have taken a catch. He still plays
in annual Companies versus Brokers matches, and has kept
sufficiently fit with jogging to participate in the Willow 10K at
Hatfield House for the last couple of years. He has helped
organise reunions for the 1951 intake in recent years. RICHIE
TYLEY (1953-59) lived at 137 Priory Road, only a few houses
down from the Aanonsons at 143. He remembers that the
turnover of families in our block of houses (121-157) was very
low during the 1950s, and that he used to know all their names.
He spent his working life in insurance, first in London, and then
moving around the country following jobs: the East Midlands,
South Wales, Guildford and Bournemouth. His last position was
with Abbey Life in Bournemouth. He played in OSFC teams for
around 20 years. Now retired, he plays 5-a-side football, and also
enjoys dancing and walking. He lives with his second wife Anne
in Godalming, Surrey. They have two children and one grandchild.
I met up with GEORGE ORROS (1960-67) at an OS class of
1960 reunion in 2002 at Whitewebbs Golf Club in Enfield.
George lived in the house next to the Priory Park tennis courts.
He has pursued a career as an actuary, and is a Fellow of both the
Institute of Actuaries and the Chartered Insurance Institute. He
works as an actuarial consultant providing advice across a range
of financial and insurance activities, and he has written and
spoken widely on these topics.
JOHN AANONSON (1960-67) started his career as a
librarian with the London Borough of Brent, working at two
libraries which have since been closed (Town Hall and
Cricklewood). In 1979 he moved to Brunel University Library,
where over the years his roles included leading a team of subject
librarians and supporting the university’s researchers. In his
youth he played tennis at the Priory Park courts, later he played
at other municipal courts, and since his retirement in 2012, he
has been playing at a club in Pinner. He occasionally goes hill
walking and last summer walked up three Munros, albeit at a
very slow pace. Other interests include swimming, bridge,
which he and his wife Margaret play at the Windsor Bridge
Club, and helping his wife with her pottery business. In April
they had a tea party and pot sale, which was very successful, so
they are planning to hold another one probably in 2016. They
live in Uxbridge. His brother GEOFF AANONSON (1964-
71) was School Captain in 1970/71. Geoff went on to teach
chemistry at Christ's College, Finchley and later also biology
and physics in Leyton and Chingford, NE London. He is
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Unfortunately I lost contact with Peter after he left Stationers’.
Looking down Priory Road from Park Road junction today.
currently working in a primary school in Canning Town,
Docklands. Last year Geoff was a member of a team of teachers
visiting Ethiopian schools, under the auspices of the charity
Standbyme. He enjoys researching holiday itineraries for his
wife Theresa and himself – this year’s holiday involves learning
Vietnamese. Geoff has two sons and one grandson, Michael.
JOHN LANE (1973-80) lived at 139 Priory Road, only a
couple of houses away from the Aanonson brothers. His first
job was teaching biology at Dame Alice Owen’s School in
Potters Bar. He went on to teach at two schools in North
London: Bullsmoor School and Channing School. In 1998 he
moved to Buckinghamshire, to teach first at The Royal Latin
School and now at Waddesdon CE School, where he is head of
science. He has been a keen footballer over the years, but never
played for OSFC teams. He is a Spurs supporter and attends
matches whenever he gets the chance. He still visits Priory
Road regularly, as he has an uncle living in the vicinity.
Redston Road was named after Redston Warner, the eldest son of
Jacob Warner. His mother was born Elizabeth Redstone, so her
eldest son’s first name perpetuated her maiden name. The road
was laid out by John Farrer in 1902, on the site of an orchard. Bob
and John Harris, and Peter Moore lived in Redston Road. The
Harris brothers’ sister Mary still lives there in what was the family
home. Unfortunately JOHN HARRIS died in January 2014 (see
p.xx). I met up with BOB HARRIS (1954-61) at the OSA
Annual Dinner at the Stationers’ Hall on 28 March 2014. Whilst
at school, he was a member of the swimming team along with his
brother. Following a PhD in operational research at Berkeley, he
spent several years in teaching and research in the Midlands
before joining Ernst & Young as a management consultant, and
returning to London. In due course he rose to become a partner
at Ernst & Young, and later a partner at Accenture. In 1993 he
was a founder member of the Worshipful Company of
Management Consultants (WCoMC), the City’s 105th livery
company. His areas of consulting expertise include business
strategy and performance management. He played for Crouch
End Vampires FC teams during the 1950s and 1960s (their home
ground is at Coppetts Road, Muswell Hill, but up to around 1950
they played at Park Road, Crouch End). Sometime before
starting at Stationers’, Bob Bird and I were members of a gang of
young boys led by PETER MOORE (1956-63). We met up in a
shack in the Moore family’s garden, and called ourselves the
“Arrow Club”. Later Peter was a member of the editorial team
responsible for the school magazines, the Stationer and “Sequel”.
Many Stationers living in the Priory Road area belonged to the
51st North London Scouts, including: John Aanonson, Geoff
Aanonson, Peter Bonner, Martin Burr, Dick Hersey, David Pitt
and David Sheath. We met in the “scout hut” aka the “den”
adjacent to the Moravian Church, at the western end of Priory
Road. This hut was built during the early years of WW2 as an
air-raid shelter for people living in the church hall, after their
homes had been bombed. The 51st North London Scouts
started in 1921 and numbers peaked with 32 cubs, 30 scouts and
10 senior scouts in the early 1940s. One of the favourite activities
was woolly football. Unfortunately, in 1967 declining numbers
forced them to merge with 221st North London Scouts in
Campsbourne. Friendships have persisted, however, amongst the
former scouts. Peter Bonner twice acted as best man for Martin
Burr. Contemporary members of the scout group and their wives
have met annually for dinners for many years, and recently they
have been going to Cyprus to see David Pitt.
What has happened to the landmark sights along Priory Road?
Two churches, St George’s and the Moravian Church, were
opened in respectively 1907 and 1908. St George’s, at the corner
of Priory Road and Park Avenue South, was severely damaged by
a bomb at 3:25am on 3rd October 1940. After repairs, however,
the chancel and chapel continued to be used until September
1955, when the building was declared unsafe. It was demolished
in 1956 and a fire station was later built on the site. The
Moravian Church is still standing intact, as are the Priory Park
tennis courts and the Priory Common, the strip of open space on
the northern side of Priory Road. However, the Nightingale Pub
has not been so fortunate. It was already closed down, when it
was badly damaged by fire in October 2013.
I am very grateful to all the Old Stationers who have helped me
write this article. I am also very grateful to the archivists, Valerie
Crosby at Bruce Castle Museum and Joy Nichol at the Hornsey
Historical Society, who have provided local history information.
John Aanonson
Further Memories of Muswell Hill
Dear Geraint
janddivey@btintemet.com
03 June 2014
In my literary meanderings I came across yet another piece of
useless information in the legend in 'The Mabinogion' (in
translation of course). Geraint was the son of Erbin.
I too lived in Muswell Hill and can add to the memories over 20
years from1944.
I spent my first four years, from 1944, in Dukes Avenue a few
doors up from the Palace entrance.
The railway signal box was at the bottom of our garden and I
remember we received vegetables from the signalman's allotment.
Big brother went to Rhodes Avenue school. We then moved to
Cranley Gardens where we stayed for the next thirteen years.
Brother Micheal (1954-56) and I then went to St James'. In the
playground an eclipse of the sun was viewed reflected in a bucket
of water. Air raid shelters were in the playground as were the
draughty toilets, so loitering in mid winter was unknown. Lunch
was delivered to the school in large containers and served in the
21

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
school hall which was converted every day into a dining room.
Later, come rain or shine, we all had to walk down Tetherdown
to Tetherdown School for our meal. Further down was 'Tolly
Boy's', Coldfall School, a Boy's Orphanage, the School Dentist
and Coppets Wood Isolation Hospital. Behind St. James'
playground was a council yard with the wall of the manager's
house as part of the boundary. He got so annoyed with balls
being constantly kicked against his wall that he refused to return
any that went over into the yard or his garden. The fire station
was next door to the school.
Opposite was Or Nicol's surgery and his son Simon used the
house name 'Fairport' to name his still successful band "Fairport
Convention'. Along Fortis Green, towards East Finchley, was the
Police station on the left and opposite was the 'clinic' where we
went for our 'clinic orange', cod liver oil, hearing tests etc.
Further along was an undertakers where, in later years, I seem to
recall amongst the hearses some Canon hill climb cars being
prepared. On to East Finchley and the Rex cinema which had
gas radiators.
How many people know of the Bowls Club in the centre of the
houses of Queens Avenue, Kings Avenue and Tetherdown?
In the other direction along Fortis Green was of course Hallidays,
The Delightful Muddle antique shop, and Wilsons, the toy and
bicycle shop, which sold used tennis balls after Wimbledon. I
have a vague recollection of a book shop.
Later the El Toro coffee bar opened and many an hour and
shilling was spent there. I remember the building of the John
Baird and the spending of many more hours and shillings. Was
Les Aldrich, the music shop, opposite? Further along was the
Athenaeum and Ponds the tobacconist and confectioners, with a
whole wall of different brands of cigarettes from which to
choose. Oh those heady days of destroying our health with the
dreaded weed. Opposite was another confectioners Gross by the
Odeon cinema. At the top of St James Lane was a pet shop and
towards the roundabout, a radio and television shop and
Carpenters the tool shop. Sommerlands Electric Theatre was, I
believe, behind Norman Hicks and destroyed by a flying bomb.
Although secured from the front, the rear of this bomb site was
accessible from the Ritz car park for adventurous boys. This car
park accommodated a scout hut (10th Muswell Hill?) behind
which was an apple orchard.
The first house in Princes Avenue was the gentlemen's 'Princes
Club'. Was it Martyn's shop that issued tin money?
The early loyalty card idea. Smiths was near Martyns and I
believe they ran a lending library. There was Brockelhurst
furniture shop and Maxwells the leathergoods shop before
reaching the Express Dairy at the top of Muswell Hill. This had
a tea shop in front and the horses and milk carts behind. Their
deliveries to us in Cranley Gardens were memorable. (The road
was lined with Plane trees at the time.) Major, the horse would
move the cart down the road as required with no driver on board.
Always stopping in the right place for the milkman, known as
Mr Major, to collect his next delivery. What would Health and
Safety and Police say today?!! The little shop on the corner of the
Ritz cinema was the friendly Tudor Records where we could
cram into a small booth and listen to many records without
buying any. Was there a tiny jewellers on the other site of the
Ritz car park entrance? Just down Muswell Hill was a wooden
Cafe where ice lollies could be purchased for 1d.They were
disgusting but only 1d.
Muswell Hill School was known as the Tin Pot School and up
St James Lane was the Royal Oak, supposedly the smallest pub
in the country.
Muswell Hill Station, the Green Man pub, British School of
Motoring, Sainsburys, where your eggs were packed in paper
bags and cracked eggs sold cheaply to pensioners, Cummings,
the paper shop, and the Baptist Church.
Opposite Cummings the first shop was a record shop then a
Bank and Northern House, Clarks shoe shop. Barclays Bank and
United Dairy were on the corners of Queens Avenue. There was
a horse trough in Queens Avenue down beside Barclays and the
Public Library on the other side. The centre of the roundabout
was the bus terminus for the 212 and some 43 and 102 buses. In
the very centre, down in the bowels of the earth, were public
toilets. Dodging the traffic to reach these was fraught with
danger but often a necessary risk. Round into the Broadway from
Northern House was a Tobacconist with a Barbers behind.
Opposite this a Wine Shop. Not an Off Licence as these had
different opening hours. Amongst others on this side was
Gunners Butchers, Lullabys for toys and prams and the last shop
on that side a sweet shop. Shops along the pavement from the
Tobacconist and Barbers included a Dry Cleaners, Woolworths,
a Doll's Hospital upstairs, a White Goods shop, Greengrocers,
Wet Fish shop, Laundrette, Heslops the 'Snobs' (Shoe Maker/
repairer), a bakers and Carters the grocers. In Heslops window
was an automaton mending a shoe. Carters weighed your tea and
sugar etc into blue paper bags and had biscuits displayed along
the front of the counter in glass topped tins.
Meat, sugar etc was in my early youth rationed and the
shopkeepers would lick the tips of their indelible pencils and
cancel out the relevant coupon in the ration book.
Continuing down to Colney Hatch was/is the Catholic Church
with the Tennis Club behind, the Methodist Church, which has
been demolished, the Petrol Station, Lacs the furniture shop, and
the Fish & Chip shop between Greenham Road and Wilton
Road. Durnsford Road Swimming Pool was down Alexandra
Park Road.
Alexandra Palace had a skating rink and held boxing tournaments.
Rowing boats were for hire on the lake and rides could be had on
a miniature steam railway around the lake. Fun fairs visited the
area by the Lake.
On the slope in front of the Palace was a small butterfly
enclosure and a large iron tether point for a war time balloon. At
the bottom of the slope was the race course and grandstand. In
the centre of the course were the cricket club and the tennis club.
Access to these was over a low wooden bridge. Naturally this was
removed on race days.
If you think parking is bad today you should have seen the
surrounding streets on these race days.
Beyond the race track were the Hornsey railway carriage sidings
for small boys to gain access and risk their lives and dodge the
guards. the view past there, beyond the water works, was across
London. Stationers, could be seen.
Down the road towards the bottom of Muswell Hill, on the left,
was the sea scout hut where the German prisoner of war camp
used to be and high up on the right were allotments.
We now come to the bottom of Muswell Hill. The St John's
Ambulance hut was opposite where Jonny Gore lived and the
22

Victoria public house, as were the entrances to the Palace and
race course. On race days the Palace roads were closed to all but
the 233 buses as the grounds gave an excellent view over the
course. The parade of shops included a bakers, a butchers, a
newsagent and confectioners, a tiny jewellers, a cafe and a
chemists where babies were taken to be weighed. On the corner
opposite Cranley Gardens was an 'Oil' shop. This was an
ironmongers, selling nails by the lb etc and had a paraffin pump
in the back of the shop. Try that today! Brian Stonely lived near
the bottom of Cranley Gardens, Woodcock in Onslow or
Woodland Gardens and Vicary somewhere along Priory Road.
Along Park Road is the MCC ground. Middlesex not Marylebone.
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
I remember the hospital as being Homsey Cottage Hospital
conveniently situated by Homsey open air swimming pool. Was
it WACR who took insane young Stationers swimming there on
freezing early Saturday mornings from the beginning of May? I
can't picture who this sadist was, but today this would probably
be called abuse even if it was voluntary.
Survivors were treated to a hot Bovril.
Well there you are. Ramblings from a demented Old Stationer.
But you did ask.
John lvey
MEMORIES OF SCS DAVE VICARY 1955-62
My family moved from Queen’s Avenue, Muswell Hill just
before I started life at Stationers’ (1955-62) – I had previously
attended St James Primary School (also now demolished) in
Fortis Green Road). Our new home was in Ashford Avenue
directly off Priory Road and backing onto Priory Park.
My most vivid memory of the first day at Stationers’ was
climbing the stairs to the highest classroom in the building and
being greeted by the chilling message “Welcome to Colditz”
written on the board by some older pupils. I was given the
onerous responsibility of being ink monitor and my first trip to
collect a large bottle of ink from what seemed like the bowels of
the earth resulted in getting lost on the way back!
I was allotted a desk at the back of the class and sat next to Mike
Heath. Keith Knight was a few desks in front and nowadays I
meet up with these classmates two or three times a year.
My walk to school is indelibly etched on my mind - up Ashford
Avenue, through Priory Park, across Middle Lane, along Rokesby
Avenue, across Tottenham Lane, down Inderwick Road (where I
often met up with Derek Stavrou), left along Weston Park and
then up Mayfield Road. It was about a mile and took 15 Minutes.
In later years the school cap wasn’t worn until Weston Park!.
I used to walk home and back at lunch to watch the Test
Matches catching 20 minutes before and after the lunch interval.
If I was unlucky Ken Barrington would be lifting his bat in the
air and padding the ball away – if I was lucky Peter May or Colin
Cowdrey would be scoring runs!
A big advantage in living in the Priory Road area was the park
and most evenings (after homework of course) I would play
football until it got dark and the park gates were closed. Hornsey
station was within easy walking distance and another frequent
after school activity was trainspotting from the footbridge.
The trip to the sports field once a week was eagerly anticipated.
In the earlier years this was made by trolley bus – the driver used
to stop near Palmers Green to swap the poles onto another set of
wires where the road split.
In later years Keith used to drive us to the playing field in his
father’s Ford Zephyr. If we were spotted by Sid Holmes, who
used to come on his pedal bike, we were made to run once or
twice around the perimeter as a punishment for being “lazy”.
I wonder if anybody recalls Gus Thomas’s favourite trick when
he was taking detention where the task was to copy a certain
passage from a book. If he was unhappy with the neatness of an
unfortunate’s handwriting he would deliberately spill a little
tomato soup from his Thermos cup onto the page an say “Boy
– your work is a mess – start again”
I remember well the Latin lessons with Johnny Gore who could
be described as “hard but fair”. One of his teaching methods was
to ask us in turn (but in a random order) to read out the
translation of a piece of Latin from a textbook. We realised that
the best way to negotiate this was to learn a section beforehand
and just before it was due to come up speak to a classmate.
Inevitably Johnny would notice the transgression point to you
and make you read next.
I still marvel at Mr. Phillips being able to play ten of us
simultaneously at chess whilst he was blindfolded. I can never
remember him being beaten but he did draw once or twice.
Events that would not pass Health and Safety today but did us
no harm included a boy literally having his mouth washed out
with soap and water for swearing, during Physics Mr Turner
making us hold hands in a circle and then turning a magneto so
that we all got an electric shock that made our arms twitch quite
severely and Sid Holmes throwing the rather heavy wooden
board duster at misbehaving pupils.
When I left school I went to Exeter University and graduated
with a geography degree. The course included lectures on the
history of towns that inspired me to embark upon a Town
Planning career. I gained my planning qualification via a day
release (plus two evenings) course at the Regent Street Polytechnic
(now part of the University of Westminster) and became a
member of the Royal Town Planning Institute in 1968. A large
part of my working life was spent at the London Borough of
Havering (Romford, Hornchurch and Upminster) and I retired
when I was sixty. For the last ten years I have been working part
time as a Planning Consultant but on turning seventy I decide to
stop altogether.
I live in Chelmsford, Essex, have been married for 45years, have
two sons and two granddaughters.
I am still an avid supporter of Spurs and remember well the
Spurs v Arsenal games before school and during break on the
lower terrace when we were usually heavily outnumbered. There
were of course bragging rights when Spurs won the Double in
1960/61
David Vicary
23

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Stationers Poacher Turned Lords Gamekeeper
After seven or eight years of school cricket - and finding Graham
Young (Steve Young's middle brother) being picked for Southgate
CC colts, whilst I was not - I responded positively to Joe Symons
'appeal' in assembly one morning in the Spring of 1968 for
anybody who was prepared to 'score' for the Old Stationers CC.
My scoring career for OSCCwas fairly short, as the Second XI,
under Peter Bullen's captaincy, discovered quickly that I played
cricket, and after two weeks of scoring, I was drafted into the
side. Whilst I enjoyed the lifts to Barnet Lane and away games
in John Lettin's Austin Healey Three Litre, I was not impressed
as a young 'quick' bowler when wicketkeeper Doug Barltrop told
me, after I had bowled two balls (ironically) at Old Elizabethans
CC (where OSFCare now tenants) that he was going to stand up
because I was not that quick after all!!
After ten years of Old Stationers' cricket - and achieving the
mini 'double' of 567 runs and 81 wickets, whilst captaining the
First XI in 1979 - I took the decision to 'challenge' myself on a
bigger stage. As a result, I followed Geoff Slipper's path to
Southgate CC, where I also played with Steve Young, who in
1977, had won the Club National Knock Out competition.
My early career as a medium pacer at Southgate was unremarkable,
but in 1986, I captained Southgate CC'sThird XI to its first ever
Middlesex League Championship - a feat that the side failed to
repeat the following season by just one point!!
Another 'challenge' was soon on the horizon, as I saw an
opportunity to challenge for a regular Second XI spot as a slow
bowler. After two seasons of irregular opportunities, I finally
sealed a regular spot in the side in the 1990 season, a season in
which Southgate's second XI won their first ever Middlesex
League Championship.
The Championship was won again in 1992, and in the four
seasons between 1990 and 1993, I took over 140 wickets in fiftytwo
Second XI League games, including 54 League wickets
(which is still a Southgate club record), whilst captaining the side
in the 1993 season.
Work then took me to the north west of England, and I played
for the cricket club in the village where I lived for five years.
Again, I captained the side in my last two seasons, and this
included a run to the last sixteen of the National Village Knock
Out competition, where we lost to Addingham in West Yorkshire.
Just prior to the move 'oop north' I had qualified as a playing
member of the Marylebone Cricket Club, and I continued to
play MCC cricket after returning to returning to London in
1999. This culminated in playing at Lords for the MCC's North
London Region against the MCC's North East Region in
August 2001. Whilst I 'did not bat', I was extremely pleased with
my bowling figures of 13-4-44-4 - especially as I conceded
twelve runs in both my first and thirteenth overs.
In the 2000 season, I re-joined Southgate, and that season I was
part of a fourth Championship winning side - the Third XI - as
I was four years later, when the Second XI won their
Championship in 2004. After five titles in twenty seasons with
Southgate, I played infrequently in the 2005 season because of
injury, which re-occurred then in my first game in 2006.
However, wanting to stay involved in the game, I offered (and
the offer was very quickly accepted) to umpire the Club's Third
XI for the remainder of the season. Despite Southgate being
relegated, I enjoyed the 'umpiring experience', and formally
qualified that winter prior to joining the Middlesex County
Cricket League Umpires Panel in 2007. After doing 'okay' in the
usual round of assessments - both formal and otherwise - I was
appointed to umpire my first MCCL Premier Division game -
Winchmore Hill -v- Stanmore - at the end of that first season.
In addition, in 2007, I was appointed to umpire a First Round
game in the Evening Standard Cup - for clubs in the paper's
circulation area, London and the South East - between Hertford
and Hornsey. In the fifty-over game, Hertford batted first and
scored 485-3, with opener, Richard Cordingley making 275 not
out. Both the team total and individual score were record
performances in the competition, which was played for over
seventeen seasons, although it is no longer competed for.
Between 2008 and 2011, I umpired more frequently in the
MCCL Premier Division, and in 2009 my cup appointments
included both a Quarter Final (between Winchmore Hill and
Middlesex Tamils) and a Semi Final (between Stanmore and
Finchley) in the Middlesex Cup. In 2011, I umpired a further
Middlesex Cup Semi Final (this time between Finchley and
Richmond) and, at that point, my most 'high profile' representative
fixture between the Club Cricket Conference and the Midland
Cricket Conference.
By 2012, I was an established MCCLPremier Division Umpire
and in mid August, my colleague (a Minor Counties umpire) and
I stopped a game between Winchmore Hill and Hornsey
because of bad light at 8.30pm - an hour after the 'scheduled'
finish. At that point, Winchmore Hill needed just 33 off ten
overs, with six wickets in hand, and David Alleyne (ex Middx
and Notts) on 110 not out. The lock on the dressing room door
came in useful that evening, although as Winchmore Hill won
the League three weeks later, the 'incident' was soon forgotten.
In September I umpired the Middlesex Cup Final between
Richmond and Hampstead, comfortably won by the latter.
The following year, 2013, I umpired one of the two fixtures
between Ealing and Teddington - the 'benchmark' MCCL
fixture for over a decade - with the other three appointees all on
the Minor Counties panel. I also umpired the Club Cricket
Conference fixture against the Combined Services, at RAFVine
Line. My colleague was an ICC Umpire, Richard Smith from
Ireland, who the previous season had umpired in the Under 19
World Cup, with Paul Reiffel and Richard IIlingworth, both of
whom are now Test Match Umpires!!
Finally, in 2014, I was asked by Middlesex to umpire their
Second XI friendly in early May against the Club Cricket
Conference at Radlett CC - in coloured clothing and using
white balls - Drews would not have been impressed!! Then four
weeks later, after an early morning phonecall from the ECB- and
despite not being on the 'approved list' of umpires - I was asked
to umpire a County Second XI Trophy fixture between the
Unicorns and Kent, with Mike Burns, a First Class umpire.
However, a few days later, the stakes went up a notch, as I
received an appointment to umpire at Lords - in a game between
the Marylebone Cricket Club and the Club Cricket Conference.
On the basis that it does not rain on Tuesday 5th August, I will
achieve an extra-ordinary 'double' for an ordinary club cricketer,
as I will have played and umpired on the main square, at the
home of cricket - Lords.
24

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
NEWS OF OLD STATIONERS WHO STARTED SCHOOL IN 1938 OR EARLIER
Dear Geraint
4 Okell Drive, ROSSONWYE
Herefordshire HR95QQ
2nd February 2014
I recently received the attached letter from GEORGE
COTTRELL's son concerning his father. All very sad.
George played for the OSFC for many years and I seem to
remember his late wife, Mollie, helped with the catering at one
time - I am not quite sure!
Regards
Lucien Perring 1949-1954
Dear Lucien and Doris
17 Southview Road, MARLOW
Buckinghamshire SL73JR
01628 486806
17th January 2014
I am writing to you on behalf of George to thank you for your
Christmas card that you sent to him. In March of last year he was
sadly diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Shortly after this it
was becoming apparent that Lyn and I were totally unqualified
to attend to his increasing needs and we reluctantly decided that
he required professional full time care. Thankfully we found for
him a wonderful care home here in Marlow, some three minutes
away from us, and he quickly settled into his new surroundings.
He remains very cheerful and although his long term memory
has almost completely faded he still recognises members of his
immediate family. As you can imagine, I am greatly saddened to
see my lovely father reduced to a shadow of his former self, but I
still have my wonderful memories of him as he used to be.
In October of last year we celebrated his 90th birthday with him.
His two great-granddaughters, Evie and Molly were also present.
He very much enjoys their company, and was especially delighted
when Molly was named after his own dear Mollie.
I send my very best wishes to you for 2014 with kind regards.
Michael G. Cottrell
From the Editor - GEORGE COTTRELL
On coming to prepare this magazine for publication I decided to
ring up Michael Cottrell as I have had no recollection of having
contact with GEORGE COTTRELL over the years. While
chatting to Michael, I discovered that George lived in 10
Inderwick Road when he attended Stationers' from 1935 to 1940.
Of course, his first year was during the last year of John Huck's
regime as Headmaster. His last year at School beginning in 1939,
George was on holiday in East Anglia and therefore did not go
on the train to Wisbech with the rest of the School at the time of
evacuation, Friday 11 September 1939. His brother, HARRY
COTTRELL was on the train and when Harry arrived in
Wisbech and taken in by a family, George said he had a brother
that would be arriving at the weekend. The host enquired if his
brother was tall, but offering them accommodation together.
Imagine the surprise when George arrived on the Sunday, two
days later, and they discovered that George was 6 foot 3 inches!
Sadly brother Harry died in 1987 soon after retiring from the
BBC.
25

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
George left Stationers' at Wisbech in 1940 after completing his
General Schools Certificate, Matriculation, but in the October of
that year Number 10 Inderwick Road was hit by a bomb and
George was in the bedroom that was hit but survived to tell the
tale. The parents at the time were in the bomb shelter. The family
was rehoused in Park Avenue North. Strangely, Teresa, another
generation member of the family lived in 106 Inderwick Road,
until two years ago. George joined a firm of Chartered Accountants,
when he left School on the advice of the masters.
He started with Sissons, Bersey, Gain, Vincent & Co. which later
became Farrow, Bersey etc. which also employed his son, Mark
Cottrell in 1964. George was called up in 1943 and joined the
RAF, being transported on a troop ship to the USA, to learn to
fly at the British Flying Training School in Oklahoma. Training
people to land gliders in the States meant he missed action and
returned to Britain in 1946 to his old firm.
In 1953, he left his profession of Chartered Accountancy and
joined United Dairies. There were shops of the brand United
Dairies everywhere at that time, one in Muswell Hill Broadway
on the corner of Queens Avenue (mentioned elsewhere in this
issue) and another in Alexandra Park Road, on the corner of
Rosebery Road, the first shop in the terrace. Well, United Dairies
became Cow and Gate and subsequently Unigate. George
became Company Secretary of Unigate for eight years.
George is now a resident of Sir Aubrey Ward House in Marlow.
Talking to son, Michael, today, there is an unusual twist to the
story. Michael, himself, could have been an Old Stationer, as he
was offered a place at Stationers' Company's School in 1957, but
the family moved to Totteridge in that year, and instead of going
to Stationers', his father's old school, he went to Queen Elizabeth's
Grammar School for Boys in Barnet. There he met John Symons,
the elder son of Hermon 'Joe' Symons and they became great
friends. At the same time, Michael met Hermon and Gwyneth
Symons for the second time! He had already received his primary
schooling at Coldfall Primary School in Muswell Hill as by that
time, the Cottrell Family were living in Greenham Road, Colney
Hatch Lane! Small world!
Other links with Queen Elizabeth's School are that the Old
Stationers' Football Club play their home matches at the Old
Elizabethan's Ground in May's Lane. The other link is that after
Stationers' closed Mike Fitch joined the staff at QE Boys. Ed.
RAYMOND GREENWAY
Another of the stalwarts of those who joined Stationers' before
the War is RAYMOND GREENWAY. Talking to him on the
phone on the 19th June, 2014, I ascertained that he did not go to
Wisbech in 1939 (dates show Raymond being in Stationers' till
1940) but went to Minchenden when Stationers' went to
Wisbech. From there he went to the City and trained as a
surveyor. Called up, he joined the RAF working with Air Sea
Rescue flying duties. In the course of his training Raymond
remembers meeting Richard Attenborough at Pinewood Studios
on a photography course.
They were both attending, as part of their training, as taking
photographs was part of their work while flying.
Raymond qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and lived in Enfield.
He has now lived in Royston for twenty years. TED MERRONY
and ERIC WAREHAM were form mates and the three met at
Annual Dinners.
Class of 1953 Reunion
While the class of 53 is well represented in the OSA there has
been some support for a Class Re-union and members as far
away as S. Africa and Australia have confirmed their interest. To
justify their commitment we hope to achieve the record number
of attendees (43 by the Class of '62) which would be no mean
fete for us ‘oldies’. If you have any information at all about any
of the following please e-mail the editor, web manager or peter.
redman@pgra.co.uk.
Peter Redman
BISHOP:
Andrews R. B.
Anderson A. W.
Callender S. M.
Charlton F. C.
Delpine V. D.
Farrington A. L. D.
Granston M.
Heymann M. R.
Holding M. D.
Kaye D. F.
Metcalf D. H.
Page M. G.
Pell J. L.
Redman P. G
Russell E J. L.
Scott A. K. D.
Wehrfrjtz B. A. F.
Young G. P.
CAXTON:
Amold G. D.
(in Devon)
Batey I.
Bent E. G.
Burnett R. B.
Cleaver M. N
Davison A.
Edwards A. C.
Essaye P. V. G.
Fielder K. A.
Griff iths J. W.
Hayman J. A.
Haynes R.
Kane J. D.
Martin C. J. B.
McPherson A. W.
Pearce J. N.
Pierce D. G.
Pratley M. A.
Reynolds R. J.
Sapieha G.
Smith G. A.
Snelling I. G.
West D. W.
Wyatt D. M.
HODGSON:
Baker M. J.
Boyd J. M.
Brown R.
Dodds R J.
Eason B.E.
Evans J.
Garland J. W. F.
Lindblom S. J.
Jones P. G.
Mann A F. J.
Parker M. L.,
Pierson S. K.
Pinnell D. A.
Seabrook C. J.
Secemski E.
Tapping G. F.
Wella M. E.
Wood R G.
MEREDITH:
Batchelor R. J.
Beard D. J.
Bunting B. C.
Cox D. M.
Critten P. W.
Dupere J. G.
Fenn T. J.
Geering J. M.
Hasler M. F.
Jones G. P.
King M. R.
Knight P. W.
McKeown K. R.
Mumford R.
Nafzger A. F.
Paris J. V.
Plane J. G.
Stovey B. M.
Taviner M. D.
Townsend E. C.
Truran T. P.
Tyley R. J. H.
Whiley C. J.
NORTON:
Abbott F. W.
Birbeck A. D.
Chislett P.
Cooper A.
Cruden C. A.
Finch P. D.
Galton P. M.
Green A. R.
Jackson G. P.
Kenworthy R A.
Ledingham R. J.
Muir J. S.
(CMG HM
Ambassador
Oman 1994-99
and Kuwait
1999-2004)
Niehorster W. S.
(in Essex)
Richards A.
Rowley D.
Taylor A. R.
Turner R. G
Wood A. R.
Yales A. C.
LATE JOINERS
Green A.P.
Jones G.
Colour key:
Members
Deceased
26

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
6, Croft Way, Hampton Hargate
Peterborough PE7 8BH
21.2.14
Dear Gordon
I thought I'd beat you to it this year and
save you sending me a reminder of my sub,
so please find enclosed cheque to cover it.
Trust you are keeping well. I'm ticking
over, but decided it's no fun getting older!
Please send my 'best' to anyone who
knows me, especially the OS Cricket Team
guys. It seems a long time ago now of my
days at Underhill, playing for Mayfield
C.C. against Jack, Peter Bullen, Peter
Sargent, Mike Saunders and your goodself.
With best wishes
Peter Ford
Any other OS played for Mayfield CC? Ed
paul_clague@hotmail.com
21st February 2014
Dear Geraint, Mike and John,
Well I am so happy to see the front cover
of issue 78 this evening. Lucky as I spend
much time in West Africa these days. 9
months out of 12 in Ghana, Nigeria and
other Francophone markets.
Mike, Tony, John and Mark on the front
cover!
Indeed, the sentiments in relation to
Prakash and his untimely death provoked
deep feelings of guilt and shame on my
part for failing to attend his Saturday
afternoon funeral.
Playing in my first band with John (he had
a lovely cream genuine USA Telecaster).
Mark's (like John ex-Campsbourne) sister
Karen, worked for the first company I
joined as an 19 year old. I ended up buying
it almost thirty years later.
May I extend my greetings to Geraint,
who is most welcome to visit us in Accra,
a most pleasant place to reside, in spite of
mosquitoes, plus other water borne nasties.
Also to John, whose patience in chemistry
has helped me try to comprehend NO2
from Nox in my emission business.
We are based a short W3 ride over the
Palace in N22 and in Accra and Lome.
It would be a pleasure to meet up and to
invite you for dinner or lunch, to reminisce.
Best wishes to you all, the class and
teachers of 1973-80
Paul M. Clague 1973-1980
CORRESPONDENCE
Mikehasler.oldstationers@gmail.com
25th March 2014
Following the delivery of the last magazine,
I have had the following note back from
John K. Wilkins' wife, Joan.
This is to let you know that my husband is
in a care home suffering with Alzheimers
and the family house has been sold. Please
let Alan Green know as well. I will take the
Stationers book to John tomorrow. Thank
you . Best wishes
Sincerely
Joan Wilkins
5 Bennets Lodge, Leyton Road,
Harpenden, AL5 2HU
I have sent a reply, but am sure she would
be pleased to hear from anyone who
knows him.
Regards
Michael
Contemporaries are Peter Holden of
Whetstone, N20 1942-1946; Kenneth
Horton of Keston, Kent, 1942-1947; Dudley
Jones of Great Chesterford, Essex, 1942-
1947; Peter Limebear of St. Albans, 1942-
1949; Roy Simmons of Woodford Green,
1942-1947; and George Wells of St.Albans,
1942-1943.
We are very sorry to hear that John is suffering
from Alzheimer. Our thoughts are with Joan.
Ed.
Dear Geraint
vawilkins66@yahoo.com
11th March 2014
Many thanks for the Old Stationer. You
certainly gave Ernie good coverage with
three obituaries in one! There were bits in
the Schooldays part of which I hadn't
heard before – he never talked much about
the Cadet Force, as cricket tended to
dominate his reminiscences and one
drawback for him moving north, was
being too far away to play for the Old
Stationers.
I was very interested to read Bess Martin's
obituary too. Jack and Bess lived in Cheyne
Walk, just a few doors away from Ernie's
mother, so they were about the only Old
Stationers I knew, apart from the family.
Jack was quite a charactert. I believe you
know Mary Anderson too? I was in touch
with her at Christmas, but we have not
seen her for several years. She and Alan
used to come and stay with us quite often.
Best wishes
Vera Wilkins
D.Metcalf@Ise.ac.uk
16th March 2014
Subject: Ilker Esmene
I often get a taxi after a Spurs game back
to Tufnell Park.
Ilker often picks me up. We got chatting
today, it turns out he is a Stationer and has
vivid memories of pritch. He was at school
for seven years in the seventies.
Could Geraint send him details of the
magazine and Alan of the lunches at the
Imperial and Hall, and Gordon
membership details.
Pity about the result today!!!
Thanks
David Metcalf 1953-1958
STEVE CATCHING UP
trew@personalbest.demon.co.uk
Dear Pritch,
Humility
Or, “of course you can!”
The Paralympics
I’ve spent the last couple of weeks
commentating on track and field athletics
at the Paralympics; the first two weeks in
August commentating on the Olympics.
“Lucky bloke!” I hear you say; you bet, I
know I am. And working the Paralympics
made me realize even more just how lucky
I am. Why? Because an accident of birth,
of upbringing, of occupation, of one lifechanging
instant in time can change our
–mine, yours- life forever.
Do you think the guys we’ve been watching
and (almost) worshipping at the
Paralympics chose their lives? The guys
out in Iraq or Afghanistan who were in the
wrong place at the wrong time when the
land-mine went up; the cyclist who was on
the wrong road when the car driver
swerved across; the kid, the baby, who was
born… different.
Just watching
I watched the T42/46 (amputee) men’s
relay final, and then cried when I saw the
USA team dance down the track
afterwards…… four fit men, but with
three legs between them; saw the
anchorman for Brazil in the same relay
wave to all of us in the crowd; he waved
with his arms because he didn’t have any
hands.
27

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
A WALKING WONDERLAND
Those of you who follow the fortunes of OSFC will be aware that there are
only a couple of "Old Stationers'" left playing in the five Xl's in the SAL. OK,
the mega-vets do still turn out for a few games each season.
If you think that it's a shame that all that football talent is now idle - think
again. I started playing Walking Football (the fastest growing sport in the
country) in Peterborough at the beginning of this year; and it's wonderful! I
stopped playing over 30 years ago and had a complete left knee replacement
operation 4 1/2 years ago; and now I'm enjoying playing again - Walking
Football. Find space, control the ball, make a pass, find space etc. etc. Who
needs to run? I play with up to 9 others whose ages range from 55 to 78.
I'm moving to a retirement flat in New Barnet in September and I will bring
Walking Football with me. Hopefully, Old Elizabethans (where OSFC play
now) will develop an all-weather pitch by then. If we can't use their facilities
we may have to start playing at the Power League pitches at the junction of
Colneyhatch Lane and the North Circular road.
If you used to play, at any level, but now don't fancy the running or tackling
involved in the game any more then contact me. There is virtually no physical
contact and, of course, running becomes a foul. We play lots of short games,
changing sides if they're unbalanced, with no goalkeeper, for an hour. At the
end everyone is breathing hard, sweaty and happy!
Some people laugh when I mention Walking Football but they are the people
missing out. I hope to organize playing late morning (11.00 til12.00) on a
weekday yet to be decided. This will allow those who want to to adjourn
somewhere appropriate for lunch. This will not be restricted to Old Stationers'
as I already know some others who want to give this a try.
Roger Engledow
My contact details are:
Mobile: 07817111642
Home phone (still) 01733262027
e-mail: newIOdger@virginmedia.com (5th digit is a zero)
Popped over to the pool and cried again
when a backstroker went sub 75 seconds
for a 100 metres; he had no arms at all….
Can you kick that speed?! You know how
this kid started his backstroke? He held
onto a cloth attached to the end of the
pool with his teeth before releasing and
hurling himself upwards and backwards;
yes, truly.
How do you have the guts, the pure
determination of all those para-athletes
not just to get on with their lives, but to
choose to challenge themselves in the way
that they do? Just thinking about the pure
logistics of preparing for training or
competition blows my mind completely.
Strap on your legs, get changed without
using your arms (because you happen not
to have any arms); one ‘ordinary’ wheelchair
into another ‘racing wheelchair. Again and
again and again.
And I complain because my swimming
squad session starts at six in the morning;
yeah, right, how tough am I getting up at
5.30am? I have two arms and two legs….
You know what, it doesn’t usually seem it,
but right now I know that they’re a luxury
and a privilege.
The unspoken fear
I know it’s not politically correct to say
“disabled”, that we should use the phrase
“athletes with a disability (AWAD)”, or
even, “differently-abled”. And yet my
friends who happen to be disabled athletes
couldn’t really care less about the politically
correct term, because they’re too busy
getting on with training as athletes –
disabled or not. We watch and we worship
and part of the reason –deep inside because
we usually don’t dare to voice it out loud- is
that we fear being disabled, and secondly
because if we were disabled, we know that
we couldn’t cope with it.
And yet…. And yet……. I’ve written
about one of my best friends before, her
name is Paula Craig. Yes, that Paula Craig,
the one who’s won the AWAD Triathlon
World Championship, that same Paula
Craig who is the only athlete to my
knowledge who has run the London
marathon, and who has ‘pushed’ the
London marathon, the term the wheelchair
races use.
The same Paula Craig who is in a
wheelchair for life because of a cycling
road accident.
You know what Paula said to me, to a
group of us, when that biggest of taboo
fears was voiced? She said, “Yes you could
and you would, because you have to”. And
we all avoided each other’s gaze and looked
down at our feet because we still didn’t
know if we would. And she said, “I did,
because I had to”. And it was true.
And the point is?
The point is that whoever you are, whatever
you do, just do it to the best of your ability.
You are physically fit and active triathletes,
you are privileged. Your body is for life, it’s
the only thing you will truly own and are
guaranteed to keep for life. Use it, use it
well, make no excuses…… don’t even dare!
When your leg is a bit sore, hurting and
aching, so what. You have legs. You don’t
feel that your leg kick is strong enough on
swimming; are you kidding me? You work
them and you train because you can. Your
bike set-up and position doesn’t feel quite
right; OK, tell that to the athlete who
cycled at the Paralympics with one leg and
one arm. His bike position doesn’t feel quite
‘right’ either. But he just gets on with it.
28

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating;
“Carpe diem, guys”, carpe every single one
because you have no idea just how lucky
you are.
Steve Trew
No jokes this month, not one. Steve really
does realize just how lucky he is; “Carpe
diem” is a way of life. Steve is an advisory
coach for Speedo.
Best wishes to all
Steve Trew
1958-1966 (3rd year sixth......sigh!)
Meredith House
address is Holyport Lodge, Holyport,
Maidenhead, SL6 2JA. I understand his
health is poor and visits have to be
arranged carefully.
There is always something of interest in
these magazines.
All good wishes to you and yours,
Sincerely yours
Gretta Oakley
GRETTA OAKLEY, formerly Head of
Science and NANCY BROOK, formerly
Head of Geography at Hornsey High
School/Hornsey School for Girls.
566, Wolf Grove Road
ALMONTE, Ontario K0A 1A0
March 18, 2014
Hi Gordon
Thanks for your email. I trust you are
enjoying warmer weather in Portugal than
what we have here. As you can see from
the photo, we have lots of snow still and it
hasn't yet started to melt.
Portugal is becoming quite popular here.
Three of my buddies from Almonte have
been there for the past month. However, I
didn't notice too many sunbathers in the
beach photos I received. No doubt this will
change as summer approaches.
This past year, our local chapter, comprising
myself, John Bathurst and Art Morewood
managed three luncheons, in January, July
and November.Unfortunately, I am unable
to persuade either party to stump up a
membership, so our chapter must remain a
minority of one.
that all the necessary calculations were
done manually as computers were not
available in the mid fifties. It took him two
years to accomplish the task. The Prince
Shoal Lighthouse is still functioning today.
Best regards
Les Humphreys 1952-1959
Dear Geraint
40 Redston Road
LONDON N8 7HJ
19.3.14
A 'Stationer' 1944-1946!
Nancy has passed on the 'Old Stationer'
magazine and I noticed that in the
February '14 one, on page 6, there is a
letter written by David Sheath, your
President, from 12A, Bolton Crescent,
Windsor. Dr Michael Mower, a cousin of
mine, lived at 16, Bolton Crescent,
Windsor, until very recently. His present
alex.flemming@websmartware.com
22nd April 2014
Old Stationer No.78 Page 42
As Clive Blenkinsop felt sure someone
would fill in the missing names of the
German set, 1966-67; this someone
would have to be me as I held on alone
until 'A' Level.
This is only part of the group but the
names from left to right are:- Keith
Deller; Tim Grollman; Alan Drake;
Robin Baker; Bernard Goring; Alex
Flemming; Eric Hewitt; Mick Gibney;
Graham Hawkins and Nick Henwood.
Besides Nick Henwood, Tim Grollman
and myself from this picture only a few
more like Mike Kahn stuck it out till the
fifth form and 'O' Level. I believe there
were 8 of us in the end. Mike Kahn
would know. Most takers fell away from
German after the fourth form.
Nevertheless, we should praise Clive for
his good memory!
Kind regards
Alex Flemming 1964-1971
At our last meeting, John entertained us
with a most interesting account of a project
involving the design, construction and
installation of a lighthouse on a shoal in
the St. Lawrence at the mouth of the
Sanguenay River. The lighthouse is
perched atop an inverted concrete
mushroom, which rises out of the water on
a slender concrete stem. John advised us
(Repeated from Old Stationer No.78, page 42) The German set 66-67
29

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
far as you roam
TIME OUT IN BELIZE
On a crisp November morning we ascended into the blue,
cloud-puffed sky above Heathrow, passengers on a flight
heading for Miami, our overnight stop on our way to Belize
City. After a goodnight’s rest we took off from Miami airport
to touch down on time at Philip Goldson airport at 11.00 am.
The immigration and customs checks were somewhat laid
back in the Caribbean manner. On exiting the terminal
building, we were met with an effusive greeting by Lewis, the
co-proprietor of The Red Hut Inn, and his assistant Selwyn.
These two gentlemen were well known to us from a previous
visit to Belize two years ago. Our baggage was loaded, and
then we were driven back to The Red Hut Inn in the Bella
Vista district. There was another effusive greeting, this time
from Julia, the other co-proprietor of the inn.
After a refreshing wash-and-brush-up, we decided to catch
the bus to the city centre about eight miles away. Protected
from the mid-day sun by our parasols, we waited at the bus
stop on the Northern Highway until a city-bound bus
lumbered to a halt beside us. In a previous existence these
vehicles had served as the distinctive yellow school buses that
have carried generations of American children to and from
school. The buses are ideally suited to the road conditions in
Belize, being robust and relatively straight forward to repair.
The leatherette bench seats were well upholstered, and even
though the ravages of constant use had caused a few splits to
emerge here and there, they were still comfortable to sit on.
We alighted from the bus a few stops before the bus station,
and strolled down to Albert Street, one of the principal
thoroughfares in the city.
We retired, temporarily, from the hustle and bustle of the
street by stopping off at a small milk bar for rum and raisin ice
creams all round. During the course of our refreshment, we
fell into conversation with a mini cab driver who, after some
friendly haggling, offered a reasonable price for a tour of the
city, and a return to The Red Hut Inn. Belize City is full of
contrasts: the roads leading up to the bus station are full of
wooden shanty houses, some of which looked as though they
would collapse into a pile of planks at the onset of a stiff
breeze. Yet, other parts of Belize, such as the Kings Park area,
are composed of plush villas, surrounded by sizeable gardens
with trees, and exotic shrubs and flowers.
Inevitably, our tour took in a visit to the white and redpainted
Baron Bliss lighthouse at the harbour front. Baron
Bliss was a wealthy engineer who contracted polio later in life.
During his retirement he sailed his yacht to many parts of the
Caribbean pursuing his love of fishing, and ending up in the
waters off what is now Belize City. Although he never visited
the mainland, the excellent fishing, and the kind treatment he
received from visiting locals, persuaded him to spend the rest
of his life there. He left a considerable portion of his estate in
a trust fund for the benefit of the people of British Honduras,
now Belize. He is interred in a granite tomb at the base of the
lighthouse, and his generosity is remembered by a national
holiday on March 9th every year, as well as a yacht regatta
held in his honour.
We were told that there was a significant increase in property
development by overseas investors, particularly Chinese. One
example of this was the recently constructed Renaissance
Hotel, an imposing edifice with architectural references to the
Chinese vernacular. Most of the buildings in the business area
were modern, large, and very often in a rather ostentatious
style. The swing bridge across the Belize River in the centre of
town had been repainted red and blue to celebrate thirty years
of Belizean independence. On our way out to the Button Hole
Bay area we passed groups of very smartly dressed children on
their way home from school. Overall, the city looked spruced
up compared with our last visit. We finished off the day with
dinner on the “deck” of The Red Hut Inn. Lewis prepared
barbecued pork chops, mini roast potatoes and salad, served
with fresh water melon juice.
After breakfast the following morning, a visit was made to the
Museum of Belize, with Selwyn driving. The museum is
housed in a former brick-built jail dating from 1857. It still
retains one cell in its original condition including graffiti
scrawled on the wall by previous inmates. The rest of the
museum gives fascinating displays, unfolding different aspects
of the Belizean story. As well as records of colonial development,
there are striking photographs of the devastation wreaked by
hurricanes, a hazard with which modern Belizeans still have
to cope. There is even a room devoted to the history of piracy,
which played an important part in the early settlement of the
country by the British. Upstairs there is a collection of Mayan
jade, with some ceramics and sculpture, and graphical details
of the principal Mayan sites are displayed on the walls. Other
displays of interest are devoted to insect life, and a collection
of stamps going back to the Victorian era.
No visit to Belize is complete without a visit to a Mayan ruin.
We were fortunate that the site of Altun Ha (“Water on the
Rock”) was only thirty miles north of Belize, reached by an
easy ride up the Northern Highway then turning off towards
the coast after Sandhill. I was pleased to find that the main
site was very well preserved with the buildings being
surrounded by closely trimmed grass. The central area of the
site consists of two plazas and various structures including the
Temple of the Green Tomb, dating from 550 AD. It was
Mayan jade head
30

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Temple-Altun Ha
beneath this temple that a magnificent tomb was found,
containing many objects including jade pendants, beads,
earrings, obsidian rings, sting ray spines, jaguar skins and the
remains of a Maya codex. The largest temple on the site is The
Temple of Masonry, which rises step-wise to a height of 16
metres. A magnificent carved jade head was discovered beside
the remains of a skeleton inside a crypt beneath the temple.
The carved head weighs about four and a half kilograms, and
is thought to represent the Mayan sun god Kinich Ahau.
Obsidian blades, and other artefacts found on the site dating
from 150 AD, have been shown to be imports from the
ancient city of Teotihuacan near Mexico City. These finds,
and the closeness of Altun Ha to the sea, support the view
that Altun Ha was an important trading centre.
One day we caught the bus to Belmopan, the capital of Belize.
The purpose of our trip was to visit Rita’s niece Therese, who
works in one of the government ministries. Although it was a
two-hour journey inland, the bus fare was incredibly cheap,
working out at about £1.60 for a single trip. Our journey took
us past the “Sleeping Indian” a range of hills that look, in
profile, like a recumbent Indian. On arriving at the Belmopan
Bus Station, we met up with Therese who organised a minicab
to take us on a tour of the city. It was built in the 1970’s
so that government departments could be relocated from
Belize City to avoid the ravages of hurricanes. At the start of
our tour we came across a horse and cart being driven by a
Mennonite man, wearing a distinctive straw hat, with a young
lady seated beside him. The Mennonites, a Protestant sect
originally from Europe, play an important part in the Belizean
economy. There are over ten thousand Mennonites living in
the country. They are engaged in carpentry, agricultural
engineering, and the production of a wide range of agricultural
goods for the market.
We toured through the diplomatic quarter, passing by the
imposing villas of numerous embassies, including the
American Embassy, the front of which was fenced in by
massive steel railings. We drove by the National Assembly
Buildings which is home to the House of Representatives and
the Senate. The areas we toured were well spaced out, and
there seemed to be plenty of room for future development.
Belmopan has none of the hustle and bustle of Belize City,
and, being a centre of government administration, it has
limited attraction for tourists. At mid-day we met up with
Therese for lunch at the Cevicheria Restaurant, enjoying local
dishes such as conch soup, shrimp ceviche, and rice and beans.
Therese had to return to work after lunch, so she took us to
the bus station where we all treated ourselves to ice creams,
before saying our farewells as we boarded the bus back to
Belize City.
Early one morning it started to thunder, with the rumbling
noises sounding like big guns firing on some distant battlefield.
I got up to watch the storm from the safety of the deck.
Bunches of grey cloud slowly drifted in from the sea, and,
every so often, sheet lightening flashed across the sky. Timing
the period between lightning flash and thunder roll, I
estimated the lightning strikes were about five miles out to
sea. After breakfast Selwyn drove us to Old Belize, a marina
and tourist attraction on the coast. The museum has interesting
exhibits on mahogany logging, chicle extraction from the
sapodilla tree for chewing gum manufacture, sugar refining,
wheat and maize flour production, as well as a full scale mock
up of a street in Old Belize town. We took advantage of a
restaurant adjoining the museum, with an open view across a
small lake. I chose a T-bone steak with salad and French fries,
and my usual pint of lime juice.
One day we caught a bus into town with the intention of
picking up a bus to take us to Corozal in the north of Belize,
close to the Mexican border. We had time to kill before our
bus departed so we wandered around the market next to the
bus station. There was a wide range of fruits, and vegetables
for sale, some of which were entirely new to me, or I only
knew by name. The range of produce for sale reminded me of
the covered markets that one finds in Spanish cities. We
caught the mid-day bus and headed north to Corozal. The
further we went, the less sign of human habitation we
encountered. We sped by the occasional house or shack
clinging to the road side area, as if for protection from the
encroaching jungle beyond. The bus stopped at St Martin, just
south of Orange Walk. A ripple of excitement surged through
the passengers when several policemen boarded the bus, and
hauled three young men, and their baggage, off the bus for
questioning. One of the passengers claimed that he had seen
them acting suspiciously from the time they got on the bus,
talking in whispers, and looking very furtive. He was convinced
“they were up to no good, and that no good had to be drugs”.
Just north of Orange Walk the driver had to blast his horn to
disperse several cows that had wandered into the road at a
junction. From there on the road was very straight, running
31

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Robert & Howler Monkey
through savannah grasslands with field after field of cattle,
and the occasional sugar cane plantation.
After a three-hour journey we arrived at the Corozal Bus
Station, a freshly painted building, but with none of the hustle
and bustle of the bus station in Belize City. Most of the
buildings in town were built in the Mexican style. We
wandered down a broad main street hoping to find a
restaurant to sample the local fare, but everywhere we looked
there was nothing but Chinese restaurants. Eventually we
arrived at a landscaped square containing tamarind trees with
spatula-shaped leaves sticking out like fine spines, and long
tamarind pods hanging pendulously from the tree. A workman,
helping to put up a Christmas tree, told us there was a small
Caribbean restaurant opposite the bus station from which we
had come. It was little wonder that we had not noticed it,
because it was a wooden hut that could only seat about a
dozen people. Nevertheless, we managed to get some genuine
Belizean food consisting of garnache (tortilla with beans and
cheese), salbutos (tortilla with meat and vegetables), and rice
and beans. After wandering along the sea front it was time to
catch the bus back to Belize City.
The journey was uneventful until we reached Ladyville, about
twenty miles from Belize City, when the bus started to move
unevenly. The driver brought the bus to a halt, and asked the
passengers to dismount. One of the tyres had punctured. The
driver, and three assistants, worked in the gloom at the back
of the bus. I thought the wheel had been changed.The
passengers re-boarded, and we rumbled on our way again. But
fate was against us. About a half-a- mile before the Haulover
Bridge spanning the Belize River, the bus began to lurch
again. Unbelievably, yet another puncture! The driver brought
the bus to a halt beside some mangrove trees at the side of the
swollen river. We gingerly stepped out onto a narrow track
with water lapping less than three feet from the side of the
bus. In the darkness, I heard the clanging and rattling of steel
tools, but I thought we would have to wait for the relief bus.
Somehow the driver, and his co-workers, managed to make
the bus serviceable again. I suspect that the wheel was not
changed the first time, and that the driver, and his mates,
diagnosing a slow puncture, decided to pump up the tyre
again in the hope that it would get us back to Belize City. We
set off again, and rumbled towards the Haulover Bridge. The
metal structure vibrated as we rolled across the bridge. I held
my breath. Another tyre failure would have probably toppled
the bus into the fast-running river with a prospect of death by
drowning, or providing a free meal for the crocodiles.
Fortunately, my exaggerated fears did not materialise, and the
Rita & Donna relaxing at the Split
bus coasted into the outskirts of Belize City to drop us off at
Bella Vista, our stop for The Red Hut Inn.
Our next trip was to the Community Baboon Sanctuary near
Bermudian Landing Village. We arrived by taxi, having
travelled along narrow roads surrounded by thick, lush jungle,
and swampy areas reminiscent of the Florida Everglades. The
sanctuary was originally set up to protect Howler Monkeys,
and has grown to a twenty mile stretch of jungle incorporating
one of the tributaries of the Belize River system. Individual
land owners are the stakeholders, who collectively subscribe to
the aims of the sanctuary, overseen by a women’s cooperative.
Our guide, Robert, was a tall Afro-Caribbean man, whose
face creased into smiles every time he made an amusing
remark. He led us into the nearby forest, and it was not long
before we encountered two black Howler monkeys in the trees
above us. Robert enticed them down with some bananas, and
then they started to play by clambering over Robert, and then
us. Although they were wild animals they behaved like
domestic pets. Robert continued to lead us along the forest
track, pointing out plants with medicinal uses. He stopped
under a tree, and pulled down a very slender vine, only a few
millimetres in diameter. He stripped off the outer casing of
the vine, breaking the remaining core into a number of short
sections. This, he informed us, was what the Mayans used for
incense, and primitive cigarettes. He lit the end of one section,
passing it to us to smell the incense generated at the
smouldering tip. Then Robert lit another section, put it in his
mouth, and puffed small clouds of smoke in our direction.
“Organic cigarettes,” he declared “and no nicotine”. Later he
showed us plants that could be infused to make a wash for
soothing arthritic joints. He snapped off a twig from another
plant, pressing the broken end onto the palm of my hand to
form an orange spot. “This”, he told us, “will kill the fungus
that causes ringworm”. As we continued the tour of the forest,
it became obvious that it had the potential to be the source of
many natural remedies useful to mankind.
For me, the highlight of the trip was the visit to Caye Caulker.
We caught the 8.00 am water taxi from the harbour at Belize
City. The sea sparkled in the sunshine, and within 45 minutes
we docked at the jetty at Caye Caulker. It is a delightful island
only four miles long, and three quarters of a mile wide. The
caye had been bought by two Belizean businessmen, who were
keen fishermen. They decreed that there would be no cars on
the island, nor high-powered speedboats, or water jet skis
around its shores. People travel around the island by foot,
bicycle, or electric golf buggy. It is a peaceful haven from the
bustling world of Belize City. We checked in at the Paradise
32

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Hotel, basic accommodation, but on the beach with a view
of a clear blue sky, turquoise sea, golden sand, and palm trees,
as soon as one opened the bedroom door in the morning.
After unpacking, we caught a golf buggy to the “Split” at the
northern end of the island. A crowd of young people were
spread out on the decking, like lizards enjoying the warmth of
the sun. Occasionally, one or two of them would cool off by
slipping into the pale, yellowy-green water surrounding the
Split. We lazed under some palm trees sipping ice-cold lime
juice. As we wandered back to hotel, I noticed some kayaks
stowed on the beach. A pleasant young man, lounging under
a nearby palm tree, confirmed they were for hire, so I seized
the opportunity to paddle up and down the Caye Caulker
shore line. It was most invigorating.
The following morning we got up early, went for a substantial
breakfast, then headed for the jetty to catch a water taxi to San
Pedro on Ambergris Caye, a popular tourist destination. Rita
had a narrow escape on her way to the jetty. She was walking
behind me when the branch of a coconut tree broke off,
falling to the ground about a foot in front of her. Rita was
stunned into silence, but two ladies standing nearby covered
their faces with their hands, gasping in horror at the prospect
of Rita’s having been felled by the branch. After this lucky
escape, we caught the water taxi for a bumpy half-an-hour
ride to San Pedro. The white-capped waves, marking the
barrier reef, drew nearer as we approached our destination.
Ambergris Caye is much larger than Caye Caulker, with most
of the activities being based around the sea and beach.
Nevertheless, we hired a golf buggy to tour around the island,
stopping off every so often for refreshments. It was too hot to
do anything physically demanding during our time remaining
on the island, so we lounged in a beach-side cafe snacking on
tapas, and drinking large quantities of lime juice. It was a
pleasant water-taxi ride back to the terminal at Belize City
harbour, and a short taxi ride to The Red Hut Inn.
Although this account by no means covers all the things we
did, there are still plenty of places I would like to explore,
particularly in the south of the country. But all good things
must come to an end-at least until the next trip!
Nigel Wade
AURORA BOREALIS IN NORWAY
What does one do in the midst of a cold, wet, English January
to cheer one up?
Of course! Obvious! Go somewhere even colder!
Diana and I saw a picture of the Aurora Borealis and thought
“Why not?”
Another `S.K.I.’ holiday – (Spend the Kid’s Inheritance).
www.hurtigruten and 5 weeks later we were off to Norway
having had time to wear in our new boots and get our warm
underwear and crampons.
Tuesday 4th March 05.00am. Our walk, at that time in the
morning, to St Albans station for the Gatwick train was
actually quite pleasant. The train journey uneventful, check-in
remarkably swift and we had plenty of time for breakfast and
stocking up with sandwiches for lunch before boarding the
plane for Norway. We arrived in Tromso to blue skies and
sunshine at 14.30pm. Naturally I did not have the camera
handy for the amazing views when landing. Passing through a
tunnel from the airport seemed quite normal except for
encountering a junction with roundabout and a car park
before emerging. After Checking into hotel and devouring
our Gatwick sandwiches for lunch we had the afternoon to
explore Tromso. The town apparently has enough restaurants,
coffee shops and bars to accommodate 1/3 of its population in
a single evening, but no Tea Shops! There is Amundsen’s
house from where he departed for his polar expedition, the
wooden cathedral, the northernmost protestant church and
lots more for another day.
Amundsen's House
On our return to the Radisson Blu hotel we discovered an
Aurora Safari, with food, for the evening and swiftly booked
it. This gave us time for the obligatory post cards to make the
family jealous. At 18.30 we were off on the coach, back
through the tunnel, over a bridge to Whale Island, several
more bridges and islands, and, after
1-1/2 hours we were at a camp to see, hopefully, the Northern
Lights. The food was ‘only’ fish soup with bread, but what
33

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Wooden Cathedral
soup! We couldn’t get enough! The ‘lights’ are never guaranteed
but on this night we were gifted with an almost continuous
show from about 20.30 to nearly midnight. Cold and windy it
was, but we were north of the Arctic Circle, but frequent trips
inside for hot chocolate and cake kept us going. World War
Three nearly broke out on the coach over ‘ownership’ of seats
for our return (very amusing) but otherwise a safe return for
bed at 1.30am. A 21hour day but what’s retirement for? Our
decision to book this trip on our first evening was such a good
one. It was the only really clear night and the only really good
showing during our trip. Green is the colour seen in Norway.
Purple is seen in Iceland and blue in Finland but many
pictures are ‘enhanced’ for a more spectacular, colourful, effect.
Wednesday 5th After breakfast we had until 3pm to further
explore Tromso. This allowed us time to post our cards and
take in the Art Gallery, the National Costume Museum,
The Kong Harald
coffee, the Photo Gallery, the Polar Museum, lunch, more
coffee and back to the hotel to collect our luggage and proceed
to the boat for our cruise to the north. Tromso is the
northernmost port, which does not freeze up in winter, so was
used for so many polar expeditions including Amundsen’s.
This made the polar museum most interesting. The Kong
Harald, is one of 11 Hurtigruten ships ferrying passengers,
cargo and cars etc. between all the ports from Bergen to
Kirkenes. They started in 1893 and now take ‘Cruise’
passengers, like us.
Having checked in to our cabin we repaired to the nearest bar
for a well earned ‘Arctic’ beer. Arranging our catering and
excursions was to follow and we could then relax with a G &
T before dinner. After dining and socializing with our dinner
companions, and a 15minute stop at Skervoy, we arranged the
alarm call for the Northern Lights, in case they appeared
during the night, and retired to our very welcome bed about
midnight. After a noisy 15minute stop at Oksfjord a call came
about 3am. We both promptly agreed we’d already seen an
excellent show and sleep was more important, so the call was
permanently cancelled. As it happened the show lasted only a
short time and was not very good.
Thursday 6th 5.15am was a 45min stop at Hammerfest and
we were reminded that these boats stop parallel to the dock
and move in sideways with side thrusters. Quite noisy! The
day dawned bright and sunny and the 30min stop at
Havoysund was during breakfast. We seemed to amuse other
diners by making sandwiches for our lunch off the boat. The
next port of call was Honningsvag where we left the boat for
a trip to the North Cape, the northernmost point in Europe.
North Cape
34

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
It takes a while to get used to being on a coach on such icy
roads but studded tyres make all the difference. Our guide,
who was actually Swedish, was a mine of information and
during the 23mile journey, over 4 bridges and through 3
tunnels, bombarded us with facts. Did you know? - There are
about 150 fishing boats in Honningsvag, catching nearly
50,000 tons of fish a year. Stockfish is cod dried on racks for
about 8 weeks. If it is then salted it becomes bakalau. The
Russians introduced crabs to the area and they have become
both a big problem though resulting in a large crab fishing
industry. Here, at the 71st parallel, the northernmost petrol
station charges 2.74 euros per litre. There can be up to 3
metres of snow in winter. Average temperature is minus 4
with up to 10 degrees in summer and down to minus 40 in
winter. (I think it was minus 14 on our visit.) The vegetation
is Tundra but there are around 250 different flowers and
plants. The tree line is 150miles further south. Five ‘Sami’
families herd 5,000 reindeer in summer, from April to
October. These people are often called ‘Lapps’ or ‘Laplanders’
but this is a derogatory term meaning dishcloth. The
population of Norway is 5million, of whom 100,000 are
northern Sami but only 10% of these now live in tents. There
is a separate Sami parliament (and flag) sending three
representatives to the Norwegian parliament. Average
Norwegian salary is £4,500 a month before tax of 36%, food
has 25% tax and everything is at least twice UK price. Enough
information! By law all vehicles going up to the North Cape
have to travel in convoy preceded by a snowplough. On arrival
we entered the large modern visitor centre and prepared to
exit the other side and walk to the ‘Cape’. What a surprise! We
had been quite sheltered from the wind by the visitor centre
and on this other side it felt like a hurricane, which whipped
up the snow into a blizzard. We could hardly stand! Standing
at the edge of the cliff, 307meters above the Arctic Ocean,
even with the safety rail, was not an option for us. We
managed a few pictures of the Globe Monument and the
Arctic Ocean to prove we’d been to the North Cape,
1,300miles from the North Pole, and battled our way back to
the visitor centre to consume our sandwiches. We also saw the
‘Children of the World’ sculpture but snow blowing into the
lens forbad a photo.
To think that Thomas Cook brought 28 people here in 1875
and they had to climb up!
Actually there is another point about 5,000ft further north
but the northernmost mainland point is 3 ½ miles further
south but these are not as accessible. After visiting the
underground chapel and gleaning more historical facts like
that above we boarded our coach and returned to the boat for
a warming hot chocolate with cake and cream.
After a couple of hours relaxing, admiring the passing scenery
and docking at Kjollefjord for an hour, it was time to prepare
for dinner. Oh decisions, decisions!
Does one start with the lobster, the crab, the shrimps or the
smoked salmon? Then will it be the salmon, the lamb or the
reindeer? During dinner there was a 15min stop at Berlevag.
One of our dinner companions there was an actor we
recognised and another who had lived very close to us in
Hertfordshire and been a governor of our children’s school.
(It’s a small world). Another was a kindred spirit and fan of
sports cars but not an appealing subject for the ladies.
Friday 7th Docking for half an hour around midnight at
Meridian Column
Batsfjord and 03:15 to 03:30 at Vardo does mean an
interrupted night but one does, sort of, get used to it. The
06:45 to 07:15 stop at Vadso was a good alarm call for
breakfast and our 09:00 stop at Kirkenes for our trip to the
Russian border. Our guide, this time Norwegian, again
bombarded with information. We travelled alongside the river,
below snow-covered hills, green in summer, dotted with scrub,
birch and pine trees, but did not see any of the 60 brown bears
in the area. The river is the border with Russia, and there was
some activity, probably initiated by the uncertain situation in
the Ukraine. 500 Norwegian border troops face 1500 Russians
but there is generally very good co-operation between the two
countries and is the only town in Norway where East meets
West. Kirkenes is not a fishing port but founded on industry.
It is only 250km from Mirmansk, to where the UK shipped
80 million tons of aid during WW2, and the road signs are in
Norwegian and Russian. Workers from Kirkenes cross into
Russia and Russians into Kirkenes so there is a reciprocal
arrangement that those living within a 30km band of the
border can travel backwards and forwards without visas. Some
2000 visitors from Russia spend 130 million Krona and as
petrol is 2euro/litre locally and very cheap in Russia it works
very well for all local people. Unemployment is only 2% and
workers come from all over. 1,000 French workers will soon
be arriving to work, mainly in the Russian off shore oil fields,
and 200 new houses are being built for them. A popular
tourist attraction is the Snow Hotel. It takes 14 days to build,
is then decorated by Chinese carvers and is ready to be open
between December and April, when it melts. The town’s very
strong economy started at the turn of last century with the
iron ore industry for which the world’s most northerly railway
was built. It’s only 8 miles for freight but it is a proper railway.
There are now the offshore oil fields as well. The iron ore
35

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
industry did close in 1969, but has re opened. The ore, of 30%
to70% purity, is crushed and the iron powder extracted by
electro magnets. Two power stations on the river supply cheap
power. The powder is shipped via Russia to China. This
industry has 50 more years of ore and employs 5-600 workers.
It does however change the landscape with all the slag heaps
of grey rock. The Russian border is not spectacular and no
Russians were seen. Now we can say “We’ve been to Russia”.
Not actually `in’ but `to’. On our way back to the boat we were
shown a local landmark. Apparently the Saturday evening
entertainment for the youngsters was to destroy the bus
shelter so the mining company donated a grab bucket to use
as the shelter with a reward for any youngster who could
destroy it. Not yet claimed.
We returned to the boat in plenty of time to sail at 12:30 for
the 1-1/2 day journey back to Tromso. Lunch was again
delicious fish or meat. A relaxing afternoon of passing scenery,
a one hour stop at Vardo, afternoon tea, half an hour at
Batsfjord, dinner, 15mins at Berlevag, and bed.
Saturday 8th By now we were used to disturbed nights
stopping from 02:15 – 03:00 at Kjollefjord and from 05:30 –
05:45 at Honningsvag. The stop from 07:45 - 08:00 at
Havoysund was again a useful alarm call for breakfast and
plenty of time to be ready for the 10:45 stop at Hammerfest
and our visit to the Meridian Column. Hammerfest, on
Whale Island, being 70 degrees 39N is the northernmost
town in the world and due to the Gulf Stream the harbour
stays free of ice. Barrow in Alaska has claimed to be the
northernmost town, but the definition of a town has been set
at 9,000 inhabitants, so Hammerfest thus has this claim to
fame. It also has one of the shortest runways in the world. Our
guide here was German and had to explain to us that the town
was completely demolished in WW2 by the Germans as it
was so close to the Russian border that it could be a threat.
The inhabitants were supposed to be evacuated but 2,500 of
them escaped to the islands and lived in caves until peace was
declared, when they returned to rebuild their town, which is
still growing. The town symbol is the polar bear although they
have never lived there. The Swedes and Finns came and
started the Findus Company here, but the fishing industry is
now moving away and fish is imported. The major industry is
now gas. This is brought 140km by pipeline from the offshore
gas fields, to Europe’s first natural gas factory, and cooled to
about minus 160 degrees. It is then shipped once a week to
Bilbao for distribution. We were told that each shipment is
worth 250million Krone. We were also told that to attract
workers there was no tax on electricity and for each year
worked here there was a significant reduction of their student
loan.
During our tour we passed a traditional Sami house, which
was actually a Sami restaurant, and then stopped at the
Meridian Column. Fortunately the steps up to the column are
heated so they were clear of ice. The column commemorates
the first official measurement of the exact size and shape of
the earth and is the northernmost meridian point.
Returning to the Kong Harald we were in time for a welcome
hot chocolate and lunch whilst continuing our journey back to
Tromso. This journey was to take until midnight with brief
stops at Oksfjord and Skjervoy. The weather deteriorated
during this time and the sea became less than calm but not so
as to spoil our last dinner on board. It was a late check in to
our hotel, after docking at 23:45, but we did have an
uninterrupted sleep for a change.
Sunday 9th Before leaving for the airport at 13:30 we had
time for a slap up breakfast and another stroll around town.
Sunday morning and the coffee shops were closed! At least it
had stopped raining. Our flight was on time and we were back
at Gatwick at 19:00. We did know in advance that trains were
not running straight through to St Albans so the Farringdon
to St.Pancras leg was by Underground and we were home just
in time for dinner.
We had had a very enjoyable, very different, trip, hot and
sunny being our normal preference. The weather was
reasonable and we know a lot more about Norway. We also
had a relaxing cruise.
John Ivey
Tromso Bridge
36

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Old Stationers in Malta
The photograph shows (from left to right): Geoff Tucker, Ray
Humphreys, Tony Moffat and Dave Sheath enjoying a pint at
The Oasis Café in Sliema, Malta. Geoff, Tony and Ray (all of
1954 School entry year) were having a holiday in Malta and
took the opportunity to meet up with Dave (1955 intake) who
spends a lot of time there as his wife is Maltese. Geoff and
Dave spent a lot of their youth at the Hornsey YMCA playing
table tennis and had not seen each other for over 50 years, so
it was a great reunion.
Tony was wearing both an England shirt and a smile before
the first England game in the World Cup. Not so much smiles
now.
Spot the Difference
Family routines, since our younger son, Dominic, left the UK
three years ago, when he was seconded to J P Morgan in
Johannesburg, have included a spring visit to South Africa.
This has many welcome elements, but one to which I
particularly look forward, is
the opportunity offered, for
the annual Zoo Lake OS
reunion.
This began in 2012 as a get
together with Mike Johns
and Chris Seabrook. By
year two my wife Pauline
and Mike’s wife Sheila had
joined the gathering, a
welcome development, and
one continued in year three.
The venue, namely the
Bowling Club at Zoo Lake
in Johannesburg, not that
we have ever seen the
pristine green in use, has
however remained a
constant, so much so that
when the latter was
threatened with closure, I
was quick to sign the
on-line petition, in support
of this Old Stationer’s home from home in the southern
hemisphere. Others were similarly minded, and fortunately
the closure was averted.
Reminiscing over a Castle, a Hansa, a Windhoek or two/three
is a pleasure. Catching up on a year’s worth of news is an
equally appreciated feature; the exploits of offspring, holidays
taken and, on the most recent occasion, the tale of a blind date
in North London, which was the start of Mike and Sheila’s
many happy years of married life, are but a few examples.
Sadly Ian Snelling, an OS also based in South Africa, lives
rather too far away, to so far have been in a position to make
one of our meetings. With luck these are set to continue, so in
2015 who knows? Any other OS, resident in SA, and able to
get to the location, would naturally be warmly welcomed.
Meanwhile spotting the difference between the two
photographs published here, should not present too much of
a challenge. Please note, no differences whatsoever are
discernible courtesy of the ageing process and there is no
prize!
Keith Mullender
37

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
PERU POSTSCRIPT
Some of you will have read the article about my holiday in
Peru in 2013 which was printed in the February 2014
magazine. Unfortunately there is a postscript to that report.
I have no intention of explaining the full version as it would
bore me to write as well as bore you to read. However, I will
explain what has happened as succinctly as I can.
It is important when you read this that you bear in mind that
the story has a happy ending (so far as anyone can tell).
I returned somewhat tired after a long journey but happy with
my fresh memories and as physically fit as I’ve been for some
time. After a few days I developed a pain in my right foot.
The doctor thought this might be an infection from a bite.
But the problem got worse so that a few days later the pain
spread to my knee and I could move only like a baby on my
backside. The doctor now thought it might be something
different so I was sent to the hospital for a scan. The lady who
carried this out looked long and hard and eventually decided
that there was a tiny blood clot just below my right knee.
Presumably DVT from the long-haul flight.
I had to self inject for a few days in order to clear that clot and
then start a course of Warfarin for 3 months to prevent another.
After a short while I developed pains in different parts of the
body, usually where I had previously suffered some pain e.g.
from gout (but not exclusively). My doctor said that “Warfarin
can’t have that effect”, but as I stopped taking it twice and the
pains stopped twice I disagreed with him. Anyway, he wanted
more blood tests taken to get to the source of the problem (but
did eventually agree that I should stop taking Warfarin).
These showed a significantly raised PSA level. I therefore had
to submit to a prostate biopsy which showed a certain level of
cancer. I then had a complete bone scan which showed
nothing had spread outside the prostate. Next came an MRI
scan which indicated that there was nothing on the outside of
the prostate either.
I won’t go into what is a saga regarding which hormone pills
and injections were being, or not being, taken. When taken
they reduce or eliminate the sex drive. For a 71 year old male
living alone who perfectly fits Groucho Marks wonderful
comment that “I could marry any woman I please except that
I don’t please any woman” this was not a big issue!
The NHS provide a booklet all about prostate cancer including
various options for treatment. They constantly set out the
possible side effects of the various options so it all seems like
doom and gloom. They do not balance this with a percentage
(probably quite high) of men who suffer little or no ill effects.
Not that any of this mattered for me as I eventually found out.
I could have any treatment I liked as long as it was radiotherapy,
which had not been high on my list.
Eventually I agreed to this. Shortly after doing so I received
a newsletter from my Tory MP setting out how wonderful he
was. This included obtaining £5.4 million to upgrade the
radiotherapy dept at the Peterborough hospital! No wonder
they were keen to make as much use of it as possible in order
to justify the expenditure.
Prostate cancer does kill a lot of men if it isn’t found early
enough. The problem being that there are no signs of it
developing. I didn’t tell anyone what was going on until I
knew what the result might be. I wasn’t especially worried
about dying from it myself, particularly as each test seemed to
be good news. The whole process takes forever as the
radiotherapy treatment concluded (successfully) shortly before
this magazine was published i.e. over a year after returning
from Peru. For any of my friends who might feel miffed that
I always said I felt good whilst all this was going on – I did. I
do still feel fit and healthy with plenty of energy. I wouldn’t
have taken up walking football if I hadn’t.
Looking back it does seem strange that such a holiday could
actually have saved my life as I may never have known
anything about this particular problem until it had become
untreatable. So, the moral of this tale is to ensure that you
don’t find out too late. There are two initial tests to check
whether there is a possible problem. Unless you’re squeamish
about blood samples or have a fetish about where ladies put
their fingers I would recommend a regular (annual) PSA
blood test. Make sure you’re feeling OK before you have the
test (other things could influence the result). In this way you
can monitor what is happening so that you will only need to
take any action if the PSA level starts to rise too much.
Good health to us all.
Roger Engledow
RON HORNE 1937-1942
Ron Horne, on his annual excursion to the UK from
Hamilton, New Zealand, contacted a number of Old
Stationers on his travels. One of his visits was to Cuffley to see
Gordon and Eve Rose on Thursday 5th June 2014, where Ron
and Gordon reminisced over past times at Stationers' all those
years ago.
Ron is one of the 1937 starters at Stationers'. The other six
who are members from that year, 1937, are Norman Chapple
of Solihull, 1937-1944, Peter Hodgson of Cambridge, 1937-
1942, Alec Linford of Uxbridge, 1937-1944, Bill Robertson of
Upminster, 1937-1942, John Robinson of Stanton, Suffolk
and Roy Tremlett of London N8. All seven were at Stationers'
when War broke out in 1939 and Ron, Bill, Norman and Roy
were in IIIa, at Wisbech on the 1st December 1939 according
to the list of Boys in attendance at the School.(Magazine, The
Stationer, December 1939.)
Ron Horne is a regular contributor to these pages. We hope, Ron you
had a good holiday in the United Kingdom and enjoyed your
sojourn. Ed.
38

In 1963 the little Fulvia saloon was
introduced to discerning motorists followed
a year or two later by the coupe and sport
variants. So for 2013 the Lancia Motor
Club decided to organise some 50th
anniversary celebrations. The last weekend
in May saw a large collection of Fulvias
gather at the Norton Park Hotel near
Winchester. The Saturday conveniently
coincided with the Club's Track Day at
Goodwood so about fifty Fulvias lined up
for two parade laps of the track after which
my wife, June, vacated the passenger seat
while I donned my crashhat and let my
Fulvia 1600HF have its head for a few laps.
The 1600HF is the road going version of
Lancia's very successful rally cars of the late
60's and early 70's. Hence it is quite rapid
& a little noisy. Sunday saw us enjoy a rally
tour through the beautiful Hampshire
countryside ending in a reserved area at the
Beaulieu Motor Museum.
A small group of us then decided that the
celebrations should not end there and our
cars should visit the place of their birth. So
on the Sunday 1st September three
1600HFs and an early saloon met at
Dover docks to board the ferry for Calais.
Suitably refreshed we departed Calais in
convoy heading for Reims using minor
roads where possible which suits the
nimble Fulvias. Next morning we visited
the old Reims Racing Circuit at Cueux
which is now semi derelict although they
still fly the flags. The rasp of the Fulvia
engines echoing between the grandstand
and pit buildings as we departed must have
woken a few ghosts.
After a pleasant lunch en route and a wine
tasting we arrived at the hotel Panorama in
Beaune where we joined up with the rest
of the party mainly from Holland but also
from Belgium, France and Hong Kong.
On a bright Tuesday morning a group of
fifteen Fulvias set off for Chambery. The
route climbed through a large vineyard and
passed some superb scenery before arriving
at the Restaurant des Grottes for lunch.
Suitably refresh, we pressed on to Chambery.
Wednesday saw us on the motorway to get
round Grenoble then we headed into the
mountains. Lunch was taken in the village
of St. Julien au Champsaur which prepared
us for a long afternoon drive. We drove
down to the Lac de Serre-Poncon then
later left the main road and entered the
world of never ending hairpin bends. First
we climbed the Col de la Bonette, 2715m,
before dropping down and finally climbing
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Lancia Fulvia 50th
the Col de Turini where we stayed the night
at the strange little hotel Les Chamois.
On Thursday morning we lined the cars
up for a photo shoot before descending
down to Breil sur Roya and on to the
Tende tunnel. We had considered driving
over the Col de Tende until we heard that
the French side was only suitable for
fourwheel drives.
The Tende tunnel was the first tunnel
under the Alps and crosses the border
between France and Italy. It is just a single
track so traffic is controlled by traffic
lights. We timed it so that the lights
turned red just as we arrived. This enabled
a group of Fulvias to line up ready for a
clear run through the tunnel. Once the
lights turned green we were off, I do not
know what the speed limit was supposed
to be but the cacophony of noise was
unbelievable. We were very quickly out
into the sunshine in Italy.
The next few days had been organised by
Giovanni a local Lancia enthusiast. A
relaxed lunch was enjoyed at La Borsarella
before arriving in the square of the medieval
hilltop town of Mondovi. Here we were
welcomed by some local dignitaries & the
chief of police was busy organising suitable
security for the cars during our stay. Our
lodging for the next three nights was the
recently refurbished Acedemia Montis
Regalis and that evening the British
contingent dined in a little local restaurant.
On Friday morning we set off for our first
stop at the delightful vineyard and winery
of Bricco del Cucu. This is a family run
business were they produce some excellent
wines from their own vines. They treated
us to copious samples of their range of red
and white wines which meant that most of
us left with our cars a little more weighed
down with a range of bottles suitably
boxed. We had been promised a light
lunch at la Dimora del Contadino which
turned out to be 15 courses. This was
rather embarrassing as that evening back
at Mondovi a grand dinner had been laid
on at the Castello di Rocca de Baldi.
Another 9 courses!
Unfortunately it is not now possible to
take our cars into the centre of Turin due
to anti pollution regulations. So it was
arranged that on Saturday those who
wished would visit Cavalitto's , a store on
the outskirts of Turin who specialise in
holding a copious range of spares for early
Lancias, before going on to FIAT Mirafiore
where they promised to have some classic
Lancias on view. Sadly June was not
feeling well so I agreed to stay in Mondovi
with her. As the morning wore on she
recovered so we took the funicular railway
down to the more modern part of the town
and explored the local market.
That evening there was a farewell gala
buffet meal on the first floor of the Circolo
di Lettura, a grand building with a balcony
overlooking the square. We looked down
on the square where a brass band was
playing with a lot of seating for the locals
and our cars lined up in the background.
A magnificent firework display rounded
off the evening.
Next morning goodbyes were said and
people went their separate ways. June and
I had decided to take three days on the
return journey, driving through the Frejus
tunnel to Macon for the first night then on
to Epernay for the second where we were
treated to a champagne breakfast before
catching an afternoon ferry and home on
Tuesday evening very tired but feeling
rather smug that we had done it despite
being easily the oldest crew on the rally.
Peter Watcham
39

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
NEWS OF FORMER STAFF
CLIVE BLENKINSOP
We were very grateful to Clive for
unearthing the photographs of the sixties
in magazine No. 78. Werner Konig, the
German Assistant, at the time, who took
the pictures, is willing to write an article
about his time at Stationers' all those years
ago. I called to see Clive and catch up with
him in Muswell Hill on a sunny day on
the 17th March, 2014. We adjourned to
the Royal Oak, in Muswell Hill where
Clive is a regular and Chris Pollikett, an
Old Stationer, runs the Quiz. Pollikett, I
am told, is a rather rare surname and all
the Polliketts come from one village in the
UK.
Originally, Clive hails from County
Durham, the former pit village of Murton,
south west of Seaham on the
Northumberland Durham Coalfield. The
map of this Coalfield lying mainly
between the Tyne and the Tees but also
extending north beyond the Tyne as far as
Amble at the mouth of the Coquet was
drawn by all pupils in the fourth form at
Stationers'. British Isles was the syllabus
taught by 'Joe' Symons and Stan Read et
al., from at least the early fifties through
to the late seventies. The text book at the
time was Preece and Wood, and although
there was no mention of Murton, nearby
Seaham featured for the movement of 'sea
coal' to London and the staithes, were
jetties where coal carried by trucks was
tipped into the holds of ships. Never seen
in the south east and a rare sight outside
the North East Industrial Area, former
staithes could be seen along this coast at
Amble in the north, Blyth further south
but still north of the Tyne, upstream on
the Tyne at Dunston just west of the City
Centre. They were wooden structures for
shipping coal, but those seen at Seaham in
the late sixties were made of concrete.
Have they survived?
However, what sort of place was Murton?
Originally a rural agricultural hamlet
called Morton, but with the discovery of
coal beneath the fields, it became known
as Murton Colliery or Murton-in -the-
Whins, following the siting of a pit in
1838 by the South Hetton Coal Company.
The village is six miles east of the city of
Durham and seven miles south of
Sunderland, with a population of 7,339.
This settlement was a productive coal
mining community for over a century. The
pit employed over 1000 men at its peak
and featured in a Picture Post article
showing the 'vesting' of the mine at
nationalisation in 1947. In 1955 a by
product works for coal was established for
the production of coke. The mine closed
in the 1990s and the old spoil heaps are
host to a retail development called Dalton
Park bringing much needed new
employment. Old village streets and their
nicknames are Owen Street – Sandgate
Rar and Murton Street – Cross Rar to
name two but the word 'rar' appears in all
the nicknames.
There was a tragedy here in 1848 when an
explosion took place on the 15th August
of that year near the Polke East shaft
which killed 14 miners. Many of the
miners had flooded in from Devon,
Cornwall and Ireland.
This is the village where Clive's father got
a job and where Clive was born. In 1939,
the parents moved to Rochester, Kent, but
because of the war they did not stay in the
south east, but returned to Murton in
Durham for five years. His father worked
for 'Y' Stations – Listening Stations.
'Y' Stations were British Signals Collection
Sites initially established during World
War 1 and later used in World War II.
These sites were operated by a range of
agencies including the Army, Navy and
RAF plus the Foreign Office (MI6 and
MI5), General Post Office and Marconi
Company receiving stations that were
ashore and afloat. The 'Y' stations were of
two types Interception and Direction
Finding, sometimes both functions were
operated at the same site. These sites
collected traffic which was either analysed
locally or if encrypted passed on for
processing initially to Admiralty Room 40
in London and during World War II to
the Government Code and Cypher School
established at Bletchley Park in
Buckinghamshire.
In World War II a large house called
'Arkley View' on the outskirts of Barnet
acted as a data collection centre at which
traffic was collated and passed on to
Bletchley Park. It also acted as a 'Y'
Station. Those of you living in Barnet may
well know Arkley View. Four other
locations of 'Y' stations in the UK are
Beaumanor Hall, Loughborough in
Leicestershire, Beeston Hill, Beeston
Regis in Norfolk, RAF Canterbury in
Kent and RAF Chicksands in Bedfordshire
but there were many more. An interesting
story, Clive.
Well the Blenkinsop family then moved
to Leicestershire and Clive went to a
primary school first in Loughborough and
then in Woodhouse Eaves (an Old
Stationer lives there today) and then to
the Humphrey Perkins Grammar School,
Barrow on Soar. Barrow lies between
Leicester and Loughborough, not far
from Quorn and Mountsorrel. From there
Clive went on to Hull University to study
English. His first teaching post was in a
Further Education College in Great
Malvern in Worcestershire. His next post
was at Stationers' arriving in 1966 to teach
English and stayed for six years, till 1972.
Clive was very much involved in putting
on drama productions and reminded me
of the list from 1965 when Malcolm Hay
produced 'The Devil's Disciple' by
40

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Bernard Shaw, in 1966, Jim Cooke
produced 'The Long, the Short and the
Tall, followed by The Alchemist in 1967,
produced by Clive. Then in 1968, Jim
Cooke produced 'Sergeant Musgrave's
Dance by John Arden, and in 1969, Clive
put on Hobson's Choice with Martin
Lawrence and in 1970, Peter Huke put on
the production. In 1971, a wonderful
production, observed by the editor, was
performed of 'Servant of Two Masters'
with a number of the Upper Sixth in the
cast, produced once more by Clive.
In 1972, Clive Blenkinsop took up the
post of Head of English at Minchenden
School in Southgate, a school well known
for the annual fixtures of School Football.
Clive taught at Minchenden until 1985,
when Minchenden closed, and this well
known grammar school was amalgamated
with Arnos School to become Broomfield
on the Arnos site not far from the North
Circular Road. So by 1985, both Stationers'
and Minchenden had been removed from
the 'family' of Saturday morning football
teams in the Middlesex League after a
long history of competition that had given
so much pleasure to school footballers and
the staff! Clive continued teaching at
Broomfield, with the sixth form on the
Minchenden site till 1987 and then moved
to the main Broomfield site till 1995
when he left the school. Subsequently, he
held various posts at Hasmonean Girls,
Woodhouse and one or two private
colleges like Albany and Wentworth
which he much enjoyed with the emphasis
on teaching one's subject.
Clive recalls one or two pupils from his
early years at Stationers', John Margree,
Stephen Jeffries, Keith Willis, Carolos
Dandolo studying 'A' Level English to
mention a few names. Also a colleague for
one year, as the German Assistant at the
time was Werner Konig from 1966-1967.
Clive is still in regular contact with
Werner, who lives in Michelstadt near
Frankfurt.
Well Clive, what an interesting background!
Another first for 'The Old Stationer' are the
'Y' Stations, the British Signals Collection
Sites.Ed.
GEOFF BARNARD
1949-1951
Geoff Barnard was a very extrovert
colourful and charismatic teacher, whose
arrival blew a breath of fresh air through
the building. It was, however, unsurprising
that he left after only two years for where
his creative talents would enjoy greater
scope and appreciation. His Stationers
staff-room presence would have seemed a
challenge to an old guard still much
wedded to 1939 ways, and in those dark
disapproving pre-Wolfenden days his
presence did cause tension. We lost a very
fine teacher.
Peter Lack 1947-1955
15/2 Thorburn Road. Colinton
EDINBURGH EH13 OBJ
29th April 2014
Dear Geraint
After nearly 40 years have passed, it has
been such a pleasure to renew contact
with some of my colleagues who taught
with me at the Stationers' School.
Let me say at the start how impressed I
am with the Stationers' magazine. It
makes such interesting reading even
although I recognised very few of the
former pupils and staff shown in the
excellent magazine – Stan Read, Diane
Dungate, Ian Paterson, Derek Reid,
Maggie Fisher, are all I recognised but the
photo of the School on the back page
brought back happy memories. I have read
it and re-read it and will always treasure it.
I have been in regular touch with Francis
Evans since 1975 and still have phone
calls and Christmas cards from him. I
heard also from Mr. Yessayan until a year
or two ago, so I wondered if he had died
but Francis told me he had met him near
Alexandra Palace a year or two ago.
GERALD JOHN WILLIAM
COOKE ACII
1945-1950 Meredith House
69 Woodside
LEIGH-ON-SEA
Essex SS94 4RA
Left Stationers' in 1950 and went into
the insurance industry. For some years
also spent time on the stage as part of a
double act and in a concert party. Now
twenty years retired and involved with
Aviva Pensioners' Association.
ROBERT GRAHAM FRY
1965-1971 Hodgson House
45 Links Side
ENFIELD
Middlesex EN2 7RA
ANTHONY POWELL
1965-1971 Caxton House
Picidae, Carthorse Lane
HORSELL
Surrey GU21 4XT
NEW MEMBERS
Charles Zarb has been extremely regular
in sending me Christmas cards and my
dear friend Ian Paterson has corresponded
with me until his untimely death in
Reading. John Young and I have been in
touch too. I was sorry to hear of Brian
Burchell's passing. He was especially
considerate to me at a difficult time.
So sorry to learn of Bob Baynes' death
and the also the Art teacher, Mr Roots.
What about Stan Read and Simon
Hensby? If and when you meet any of the
surviving staff at one of your reunions, I
would be grateful if you would pass on my
warmest regards to them.
I am about 91 years old and in May 2013
my dear wife died and the morning after
her burial, I suffered a stroke from which
I am trying to recover. It didn't affect my
speech, however, but I can't walk or stand
without the use of a zimmer but otherwise
I am OK. I'm glad to know that you are
well, and I hope it continues like that for
many years to come.
Have any of the pupils made their mark in
life? Patrick Bird? Ian Reid?
I still get a small pension from Haringey
Education Department. Thank you again
for sending me the magazine.
With my very best wishes
Sincerely
Jack Barnetson
PS: How about John Leeming and Mike
Fitch?
LESLIE McBRIDE SINGLETON
MA(Oxon) FCA ACIB SFA
1958-1965 Hodgson House
Bury Barn Cottage
PLESHEY
Essex CM3 1HB
Since Leaving the School
First, I have to explain that I was just plain
Leslie McBride at the School, but I added
the name of my stepfather so that I have
long been Leslie McBride Singleton with
the McBride just a middle name so that
today I am and have been for many
decades just Leslie Singleton. This made
my mother very happy and it is the case
that my stepfather did much more for me,
not excluding finance, than ever my blood
father did.
The School, brilliant as ever, got me to
Oxford where I read Natural Sciences with
a research year at Harwell playing about in
Nuclear Physics. There is a Research Paper
41

somewhere in which I show that
Chromium Hexafluoride is covalent; this
from the way a neutron beam from a
reactor bounces off the stuff. I was Captain
of Boats of my college, St. Catherine's.
I decided Nuclear Physics was a bit much
and went into the City and qualified as a
Chartered Accountant with Arthur
Andersen. My final year there was in their
Financial Services Division doing work
mainly for London Branches of American
Banks and I joined one of them, National
Bank of Detroit, taking the Chartered
Institute of Bankers and later the Securities
and Future Authority Exams.
NBD sent me on a three year Credit
Training Programme in America after
which I came back to London with me
ending up as Vice President. I was with
them for about a quarter of a century after
which I was unfortunately on the wrong
end of a takeover in America following the
surprise demise of the Interstate Banking
Laws, after which it gets a bit murky. I
spent my last years with Deloitte.
I am now retired and occasionally do a bit
of flyfishing, rarely catching much.
What I am going to ask now is going to
convince you that I belong in a funny
farm but I have the strongest memories of
the Latin master at the time, John
( Johnnie) Gore. The very first words he
said to me at the School before even going
into the building, were by him for doing
something he didn't like on the Top
Terrace and they were (I kid you not),
“You boy: I'll have you flogged!”. I don't
remember anybody actually being flogged
but he certainly had our attention and we
all did well at Latin.
I have no hope that this is possible but I
would love to obtain, by fair means or foul, a
copy of the 'Red Book' (They were red
would you believe!!) that we filled in under
his extremely strict dictation which amounted
to a reason I am not hopeful, unfortunately,
is that Mr Gore collected these when we had
finished (not sure by what authority but
that's another story) so they were lost to us.
His stated reason for doing this was so that,
later, if a father wanted a copy for a son, he
would provide one, he would provide one (as
I am sure he did).
Given that, I doubt there is much chance
that any Old Boy would have a copy and
even if he did I doubt if he would give it
away. This would in fact be for my daughter.
So for now is there do you think any
chance that there is a way for me to obtain
a Red Book?? LMS.
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Wow, what an interesting email! I
remember Johnny Gore -but he left before
Gus Thomas had finished with me and
was replaced by a master by the name of
WR Betton. Got my Latin 'O' Level, too.
I've copied this to the rest of the Committee
so see if they can help with your quest for
a little 'Red Book' of which, I'm sorry to
admit, I have no knowledge at all. Mike
Pinfield.
I guess it is nigh on 50 years since JG
retired from Stationers'.
As for the 'Red Book', it was a hardbacked
lined notebook with the School Crest and
Stationers' Company's School written in
capitals underneath. Issued in the Lower
Sixth to those fortunate to be studying
Latin at 'A' Level with JG, it became filled
as Leslie reminds us, every lesson that
there was a new aspect of Latin Grammar.
No stone was left unturned; every possible
variation in Latin Grammar was contained
in that book by probably, the end of the
Lower Sixth. The most comprehensive
aide-memoire that was 'delivered' to the
sixth formers, as you described and a vademecum
that never left one's sight during
those lessons and ever present.
I have been forever indebted to JG as the best
teacher who prepared one for an examination.
Ed.
MARK CHARLES WILLISON
1973-1980 Meredith House
16 Haithwaite
Two Mile Ash
MILTON KEYNES MK8 8LJ
I joined Stationers' in 1973 staying on to
sixth form where I was lucky enough to be
appointed Deputy School Captain.
In July 1979 we were all invited to a 6th
Form Careers Conference over the road at
Hornsey High School where I met my
wife called Sandra.
After leaving school I went into
Accountancy, starting out as an auditor
before joining the wines and spirits division
of Bass where I commenced studying.
After part qualifying I initially joined a
subsidiary of GEC before deciding to get
married and move to Milton Keynes. After
a spell as Company Accountant for an
electronics company I joined Rohan
Designs Ltd. An up-market travel and
outdoor clothing brand, where an
opportunity arose to move to IT (tempted
by the 'dark side', some say...).
Now 24 years later, I am IT and Operations
Director responsible for all technology,
stock and logistics for the business. In that
time Rohan has grown to be a £30M
turnover company with 60 outlets across
the country., a strong online presence and
is now targeting international companies.
I have now been married to Sandra for
over 25 years and we have two lovely
daughters, the eldest, Rebecca is a teacher
and the youngest, Emma is in her final
year at University studying Fashion
Management (following me into the Rag
Trade!).
Over the years I played a lot of Bridge
(inspired by Mr Green!) with Tony Eade,
Michael Ttofi and the much missed
Prakash Satyanarayana, and I managed to
stay in touch with Michael Howell and my
oldest school friend, John Lane.
We recently got together at Stationers'
Park to mark 40 years since starting at the
School and we were delighted to have
Geraint Pritchard, (our Form Teacher) in
attendance. We had a great time and it
brought back a lot of happy memories.
Mark.
CHANGES OF ADDRESS
ENDER BILTEKIN
6 Ingles Lane
Doddington
MARCH
Cambs.
PE15 0TE
TERRY JAGGERS
12 Andover Road
LONDON
N7 7RA
OLIVER MANTON
35 Beach Boulevard
TORONTO
Ontario
Canada
M4E 2W9
TONY McKEER
1a West Way
BROADSTONE
Dorset
BH18 9LW
KEITH ROBERTS
21A 111 Mount Butler Road
HONG KONG
42

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
ERIC WAREHAM
1925-2013
The funeral service for Eric Wareham -
1st July - 12th November 2013 – was held
at St. Mary's Church, Woolpit on the 25th
November 2013. The hymns sung were, '
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy',
'Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;'
and 'O Jesus, I have promised to serve
Thee to the end; Be thou forever near me,
my Master and my Friend;' The Bible
Reading was John, Chapter 15 verses
10-17. The tribute was given by Richard,
Eric's son. After the service in the Church,
the committal took place at West Suffolk
Crematorium.
A kind and gentlemanly soul,
remembered with love and affection,
by all his family and friends
Eric Francis Wareham 1925 -2013
Dad was born in Muswell Hill North
London on 1st July 1925 to a pan European
family, with close relatives in France,
Germany and Switzerland.
Dad was an only child and grew up largely
in the company of adults. He was at his
happiest when in Switzerland with his
uncle, aunt and cousins, skiing and trekking
across the beautiful mountains that were
only a short journey away from his uncle’s
home in Geneva.
Dad attended the Stationers Company
School in Crouch End from 1936 to 1943,
where he thrived on the high academic
demand of a Grammar School in the 1930’s.
Dad was a keen footballer, playing in a
defensive position and he supported
Arsenal, unlike his father who followed
OBITUARY
Tottenham. Arsenal won five League
Championship titles and two FA Cups
during the 1930’s.
Dad was a schoolboy when the Second
World War began in 1939 and he was in
London for the early part of the battle of
Britain and The Blitz, before being
evacuated to Suffolk in 1941.
Dad was a naval reservist towards the end
of the war and in all probability he would
have attended University and taken a
different career path, had timing been on
his side.
One positive outcome of the war was that
Dad met a young Norwegian nurse,
learning English on her way through to a
fresh life in America, having witnessed
first-hand the horrors of the war in Central
Europe and Scandinavia. The venue was a
Lyon’s Corner house Tea Dance, and I can
remember Mum recalling the moment
when a young, rather handsome and very
shy young man asked her to dance.
They married on the 28th March 1950
and they spent the next 57 years together.
Mum and Dad worked together in the
Hotel management industry and with
Dad’s language skills to the fore, they
managed hotels in many of the popular
European resorts of the time.
When Richard and Diana were born in
1958 and 1960 respectively, it was time to
come home and the young family moved
away from their base and familiar
surroundings of North London to Upper
Norwood, whilst Dad continued to work
in the hotel industry in London.
During the 1960’s Dad had a change of
profession, when he began working in the
accountancy profession, firstly for Viscount
Kemsley, founder of the Kemsley group of
newspapers who owned, amongst many
publications, The Sunday Times, The
Daily Sketch and The Sunday Graphic.
He later worked in The City, as an
accountant, helping to manage the
charitable trusts of the old Guild Company;
the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers.
Dad retired in 1990 and Mum and Dad
moved from Surrey to the wonderful
village of Woolpit in 1995.
The years that Dad and Mum spent in
Woolpit were the happiest of their lives.
They immersed themselves in all that the
village had to offer, joining societies and
clubs, showing their best roses in the
village garden competition and generally
making lasting and cherished friendships.
Dad became The Treasurer of the History
Society and together with Mum they were
far busier socially than they had ever been
before.
The village church of St Mary’s and its
Reverend Ruth Farrell became an
important part of their lives and Dad was
somewhat belatedly confirmed. As was the
case with many traditions, the war
prevented young people from living the
lives that most of us now take for granted.
He was a proud Sidesman of the Church
and he took his duties very seriously.
The Village was, in later life, very kind to
both Mum and Dad, providing nourishment,
kinship and a real sense of community
belonging.
Dad passed away on 12th November 2013
and he will be greatly missed by all of those
who had the good fortune to know him.
JACK WHITE
1922-2013
A Service of Thanksgiving for the life of
Jack White - 11th July 1922 - 3rd
December 2013 – was held at St. Leonard's
Church, Grateley on 17th December 2013.
The service was conducted by the Reverend
Chris Pettet and the Reverend Roger
Bennett. The Reading was from Revelation
21, 1-7.
The Hymns sung were 'Praise, my soul the
King of Heaven', 'Praise to the Holiest in
the height' and 'Now thank we all our
God, with heart and hands and voices'.
Prayers were offered by the Minister.
'Sunset' was played Robert Harrison, Jack's
43

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
grandson. After the committal and
blessing, the service ended with Jack's
favourite music, The 3rd Movement of
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony No 6.
JACK WHITE – THE ADDRESS
Those who are bereaved have to cope not
only with the sorrow of losing one they
have loved but also the many matters
demanding immediate attention; this
includes in these days, the compilation and
presentation of a short Address extolling
the virtues ofthe deceased. Well, I thought
I would relieve the family of this task since
nobody knows me better than myself - a
part from which it allows me to indulge
my favourite whim of having the last word!
I was born in the North London borough
of Hornsey in 1922 some two years after
my brother, Cyril. whom I followed
through elementary and then secondary
school. We had the good fortune to be
brought up parents who maintained a
sensible balance of discipline and control
without inhibiting our natural instincts to
'do our own thing' so far as resources
would allow.
These resources were ,of course, limited
since the whole country suffered economic
problems throughout the 20's and 30's
brought on by WWl. But on the other
hand there were so many new ideas and
developments that it was an exciting period
-motor cars were developing rapidly,
Imperial Airways was operating out of
Croydon, I remember seeing the RIO 1
airship flying before it's disastrous crash in
1930 and the Alexandra Palace was in
sight of our home so we witnessed the
transformation of one wing of the Palace
to house the first television transmission
station! -and there was much more beside.
So our childhood and early teenage years
were very happy and remained so through
to the outbreak of war in '39 The year
prior to this ,when I was 16, I had left
School -and home- to embark on an
engineering apprenticeship with Morris
Motors in Coventry. This was a major
change from the academic life of school
but I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity
to gain experience in all the departments
of the Company; - it should have included
one year at the Company's Cowley plant
but the war put paid to this. The Company
was one of the first to operate a scheme of
one day release each week for students to
attend the local technical college where I
grappled with the subjects required for
qualification as a mechanical engineer -
not one of the easiest of courses and not
helped by the attentions of the Luftwaffe
at that time together with Home Guard
duties at the Works and firewatching in
the district where I lived and many other
diversions due to war-time living With the
outbreak of war my contact with my
parents was principally by letter -
telephones were not universally available
in those days, and it was by letter that I
learnt, in March 1942, that my brother was
reported missing believed killed ,from a
daylight raid over Holland - he had, like so
many of his friends joined the RAF
Volunteer Reserve in 1938. It was many
months before we finally had confirmation
that his body had been recovered from the
sea and that he had been laid to rest in the
cemetery at Harlingen in north Holland
where he has since remained - this was the
wish of my parents It may seem strange
but the impact of his death was not
immediately apparent for we had seen so
little of each other since 1938 but the more
I have experienced the infinite variety and
the joys of this life, the more I think of
what he and his contemporaries forfeited
for the benefit of those who survived. May
it never be forgotten!.
I completed my apprenticeship in
November 1942 ;this was the year in
which the army placed all equipment
repair and maintenance under the newly
-formed corps ofREME; . REME had set
up a Register to recruit suitably qualified
engineers and in 1943 I got on to this
Register; after a seemingly endless
sequence of interviews, selection boards
and medicals I found myself receiving
primary training in Suffolk in early 1944.
This was followed by pre- OCTU and
OCTU and then REME courses on
armoured fighting vehicles - followed, in
true army fashion, by a posting to an
infantry brigade workshops where I never
encountered another armoured fighting
vehicle! I joined this unit in India in July'
45 where it was forming up for the invasion
of Malaya; as we set sail from Bombay the
two atom bombs were dropped on Japan
so it all became a bit of a shambles;
however we carried on and had an
unopposed landing.
I was therefore one of the lucky ones who
missed all the really angry parts of the war
and in fact benefited throughout the rest
of my life for having experienced the real
comradeship which only the Services can
offer.
This was not the only way in which
fortune smiled on me. In 1943 a mutual
friend introduced me to my future wife,
Joyce. There was an immediate empathy
between us which has never faded and in
fact has strengthened throughout our
married life. And this has been reinforced
by our two lovely daughters who have been
such ajoy and support to us over the years.
Joyce has been a marvellous wife and
mother who for many years bore the brunt
of caring for the girls and their education
throughout their formative years; this was
due to the fact that,as a consultant, some
two-thirds of my working life was spent
away from home throughout the week so
Joyce was left to her own resources -- we
have never lived within easy distance of
family so help from that quarter was,
perforce, limited. Even so , she still
managed to engage fully in the voluntary
work of the village where we lived in
Bedfordshire, including WVS, Meals on
Wheels and hospital visiting My work as a
consultant for some 30 years was both
satisfying and varied; I was assigned to
some 130 different companies principally,
but not solely, in engineering and this gave
me many opportunities to indulge my
particular interests which were production
methods and control systems in
manufacturing industry. Even more
important though, was the contact with so
many different types of people ranging
from meetings with chairmen of major
companies in the Boardroom to shop
stewards committees on the factory floor
- and even helping truck drivers to 'piggyback'
a broken-down trailer on to another
trailer at night-time in the Saudi desert
somewhere between Rhiyadh and Jeddah ..
So, all in all I have been blessed with good
parents, a lovely and loving wife and
family, good friends and an interesting life
full of activities, all of which I have
thoroughly enjoyed. As the years pass by,
you think more deeply about the spiritual
side of life and the deeper you delve the
more convinced you become of the fact
that there is nothing to fear about death:
certainly there is no desire to leave all the
good things of this world but our mortal
life is only one phase in life eternal and
when the time comes it will be like starting
a new assignment- and this was always
exciting!
So perhaps my immediate family will
grieve for a while but I hope for not too
long because I will be enjoying so many
new experiences and, to adapt the words of
my favourite poem, will be 'yearning to
follow knowledge like a sinking star
beyond the utmost bounds of human
thought.
44

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
DENIS ERNEST
HAMMENT
1926-2013
The funeral service of Denis Hamment -
23rd January, 1926 to 27th November,
2013, took place just before Christmas
2013. in Bristol. The hymns sung were
'The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want.'
and 'The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended'.
There were two readings 'There is a time
for every purpose under heaven' from
Ecclesiastes and 'He is gone', David
Harkins. The Eulogy and memories were
given by the family.
Were a star quenched on high
For ages would its light,
Still travelling downwards from the sky
Shone on our mortal night.
So, when a good man dies,
For years beyond our ken
The light he leaves behind him
Shines upon the paths of men.
Eulogy to Denis Hamment
Denis Ernest Hamment was born in 1926
in London so was 87 when he died. We are
here not just to mark his passing but also
to celebrate his life. There is much to
celebrate as he certainly packed a lot of
different experiences into those 87 years.
I will talk about his achievements in
various stages: school, his career, his
hobbies, life with the Hamment family, his
endearing characteristics and so on. It isn’t
the complete story, of course, but I hope it
covers the main elements.
Firstly, school (and, later, its old boys
association). He, as did my father and I,
attended the grammar school in north
London associated with the Worshipful
Company of Stationers & Newspaper
Makers, a Livery Company that received
its Royal Warrant as early as 1557. How
appropriate, therefore, that he later worked
for so many years at DRG, paper makers
by Royal Appointment.
His schooling in London was interrupted:
in 1939, he was evacuated from north
London to Wisbech for the duration of
WWII. There, Denis learned tennis on the
grass courts in the school grounds – this
clearly stood him in good stead in later
years.
He was a long-time member of the Old
Stationers Association and a few years ago
he contributed an article to The Old
Stationer magazine about his favourite
hobby, orienteering.
In 1989, the fiftieth anniversary of the
school’s evacuation to Wisbech, he started
going each year, with his great friend Alec
Linford, to the Old Stationers Association
dinner in the Stationers’ Company Hall in
London. As Alec said, “each year we would
note that another of our contemporaries
was missing. Now there is another who
will no longer attend”.
Having left school, Denis did his National
Service with the Parachute Regiment. He
was very proud to have been a member of
the Paras and to have earned his wings. He
did tell of when he parachuted into Jordan
– he landed on his head and lost his watch.
It was a surprise to some of us when he
said he had been confirmed in Jerusalem
while there on National Service.
I just mentioned Alec Linford who is here
today and is almost certainly Denis’s friend
of the longest standing. I always thought
Denis and Alec had met at school but very
recently found out that this was not the
case. Although they both went to
Stationers’ School and were both evacuated
to Wisbech at the start of the war, it wasn’t
until they both left the Army and started
playing for the Old Stationer’s Football
Club that they got to know each other.
Alec admits that they cannot have been
that good because they both were in the
fifth eleven.
In the days of no cars and television, the
Calthorpe Tennis Club in Crouch End,
north London was Alec & Denis’s main
social venue and, during many an evening
standing at the bar, rehydrating after a
strenuous match, they planned their
holidays. They only got two weeks a year
back then!
Denis had a relation (our aunt Hazel) who
had just opened a boarding house on the
Isle of Wight. Denis suggested that they
cycle down there and call on her. Denis
wasn’t at all deterred by the fact that
neither of them possessed a bike. He
managed to borrow a girl’s bike from one
of the lady members and Alec negotiated a
fee of £5 to borrow a racing model from
one of the men. They put carriers on the
bikes to carry their rucksacks, bought a
tent and sleeping bags and also joined the
Youth Hostel Association. On the next
two weeks they pedalled slowly down to
the Isle of Wight and back. Alec reports
that the tent proved very inadequate if it
rained and they would have to dry out at a
Youth Hostel the following night.
The next topic must be his career: he was
a highly accomplished accountant, working
for what became DRG plc and including
the times his career took him to Australia.
He qualified in London and moved to
Bristol quite early in his career.
Denis was clearly well thought of by
DRG: he looked after, for accounting,
various plants in UK and Europe and had
fond memories of visiting the papermaking
plants near Angouleme. I know he
went to evening classes to improve his
schoolboy French.
He spent two periods of about two years in
Australia and thoroughly enjoyed his times
there. That was where he was introduced
to orienteering. His first visit was intended
to be fairly short – covering while the local
manager recovered from burns caused at a
BBQ. The poor fellow’s recovery took
longer than expected and Denis stayed
almost two years. It dislocated his social
life of course but he loved every minute of
it.
He had no hesitation when DRG asked
him to go again for another two-year stint,
again putting his Bristol-based social life
on hold. On this second trip he tracked
down the Hamments in Australia,
triggering a keen interest in genealogy.
Denis retired from DRG once it had
changed ownership after a long and
bitterly contested takeover battle.
The time in Australia didn’t stop him
building a very busy social life in Bristol,
with many different friendship groups.
This was obviously separate to family life,
which was mainly London-based, and so
we knew relatively little of the detail. I’m
sure there are many tales to be told and
memories to treasure.
We do know, however, how much he
valued his friends here in Bristol and his
continuing social whirl of lunches, bridge
45

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
evenings, rambling etc. Many of those
friends, of course, are here today and thank
you for your contribution to his happiness
over the years.
When talking about Denis we have to
mention orienteering. He had a long
association with orienteering, or ‘cunning
running’ and his involvement with Bristol
Orienteering Klub or BOK, many of
whose members are here today.
As just mentioned, Denis took up
orienteering in the 60s in Australia and
kept on going until very recently, competing
in the sparsely populated M85 class. Many
people here today will have orienteering
memories and recollections of shared
experiences. Denis certainly enjoyed all
aspects of the activity and especially the
travel as he attended World Championship
events.
We just learned from Alan that the
DenHam trophy was awarded by Denis in
1998, to be awarded to the highest scoring
Klub member on the BOF ranking list – it
was typical of his self-effacing nature that
he ‘disguised’ his name.
He was one of the longest serving Klub
officers, having served inter alia as
Permissions Officer and, for eight years, as
Klub treasurer.
He did tell us of a night event down by the
Severn in which he got hopelessly lost, fell
in the mud and struggled along to a
deserted cottage, the only light source he
could see. Thankfully the occupants
opened the door when Denis knocked (I
don’t think I would have done!) and called
the police who were already looking for
Denis, having been alerted by BOK of his
non-return. Many of you will have better
tales to tell, I’m sure.
Next we turn to times with us, the family.
Our father Norman, Denis’s brother, died
in October 1984 and Denis has been a
most devoted and supportive uncle, greatuncle
and great-great uncle to us all over
the years. You will hear shortly from the
next generation – thoughts from the great
nieces and nephews.
We have many recollections of family
times involving Denis. These include:
going back many years, Denis gave the
'father of the bride' speech at Wendy &
Ian’s wedding as our father was very happy
not to do any public speaking. Denis
arranged to have special tee-shirts printed
with photos on them of Wendy & Ian to
mark the occasion – and he wore one for
his speech.
For many years, as our kids were growing
up, we attended the pantomime each year
in Bristol then Bath in January, around the
time of his birthday. We made a weekend
of it and Martini’s restaurant in Bath
tolerated this large, noisy family gathering
at which copious amount of house wine
would be consumed. Denis out-drank us
after one post-pantomime meal, consuming
two bottles of white wine and not feeling
remotely sick in the morning. He just said
“I find that I am fine as long as I stick to
one colour”.
Some years ago, he went for a ten-mile
bike ride on The Camel Trail using a
borrowed Brompton bicycle, not having
sat on a bike for fifty years! He was a mere
75 at the time.
We all have happy memories of recent
Christmases spent with the family – there
are quite a few photos of Denis asleep after
lunch still with his party hat on, if slightly
askew.
Denis was an enthusiastic participant in
party games. We all recall his contribution
to Charades when he ran from the
conservatory with his hand flapping
around his backside. Gone with the Wind!
Debbie’s memory regarding Christmas
goes back to when both our parents were
alive and all meal times were five kids,
parents and two grandmothers, so nine for
every meal. In addition, at times like
Christmas, various other old ladies would
be invited to share the celebration. Denis
came too and one year arrived with handmade
Christmas crackers, won in a raffle,
which contained jokes that were really
quite rude. Old Miss Fensom, spinster of
the parish, was never the same again after
she read one out!
It was after meals such as that when Denis,
my father and I would sing the Stationers’
School song as we washed, dried and put
away – our-tone deafness was clearly
hereditary, though the volume was
magnificent!
One of my sisters recalls that I took Denis
out for a reasonably rapid ride in my TVR
sports car and Denis said how safe he felt
in such a sturdy car. I chose not to tell him
it was made of plastic!
Denis was always and active sports
participant. Ski-ing, tennis, badminton,
squash – you name it, Denis tried and was
normally pretty good at it.
Denis skied in the early days of ski-ing
with Alec and later with Pauline and their
boys. Alec recalls that it was as early as
1957 that Denis said “the fashionable
thing to do was to go skiing” – Denis’s
dedication to following fashion clearly
waned over the years!
These really were the early days of ski-ing
when you had to climb the slope first
(there were no lifts) and the footwear was
leather boots and bindings. Denis certainly
returned from one trip with a broken
ankle.
Tennis was always an important part of
Denis’s life which helped him maintain his
fitness over the years. He was happy to
serve the club as treasurer and other offices
over many years. We know he valued
highly the friendships, company and
activities that centred on the tennis club.
Despite him being considerably older, the
family well remembers Denis wiping the
floor with us on the tennis court at a family
trip to Centre Parcs.
Alongside sport is travel: Denis was an
adventurer and travelled the world over the
years. His last trip was just a few months
ago, cruising the Danube. It is hard to
think of a corner of the world that Denis
hasn’t visited.
A few words about his personal
characteristics.
Firstly – his ability to hoard! As one of his
executors, I can testify to Denis’s ability to
keep accurate records backed up with
primary documents. By that I mean that
he kept most of the bits of paper that came
his way – if anyone wants a copy of the
leaflet regarding sewer repairs that was
enclosed with the May 1985 Bristol &
Wessex water bill, I know where there is a
copy.
With his penchant for travel, he built up
an encyclopaedic collection of maps and
travel guides – most now out of date, of
course, but all carefully archived.
Secondly, his extreme generosity mixed
with stinginess. Denis invested wisely and
carefully over the years and, from time to
time, made use of his savings to help
others. There are many examples of this, all
documented in meticulous detail, as I have
now found, but otherwise not spoken
about. Many times he was helping people
get onto the housing ladder.
He was an extremely generous man in so
many respects and we all benefited from
that.
He was a careful man! By that I mean he
followed closely the old adage of ‘waste
not, want not’! Most of the capacious
records that he kept were printed on the
46

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
reverse of paper sent to him. Wrapping
paper was a resource to be used carefully
and reused several times if possible. He
once moaned about having to buy shoe
laces in pairs as only one had broken!
Returning to his generosity, he regularly
supported more than twenty charities,
probably more with one-off donations.
Obviously his later years were blighted by
Parkinson’s disease, a hideous blight on too
many people’s lives, so we have requested
donations to the Parkinson’s Society in his
memory.
Denis was a remarkable man. Overall,
Denis was a net giver, not a net taker from
life. He contributed so much to so many
people’s lives over such a long time. For
that we give thanks and we celebrate the
man that was Denis Hamment.
JOHN BLAKEY
1932-2013
John Francis Blakey was born on the 8th
January 1932 and spent his early life in
Winchmore Hill before moving to
Uplands Road, Hornsey, which brought
him to Stationers'.
John had a good academic brain but never
seemed much attracted to sport. He joined
the Youth Club at Ferme Park Baptist
Church when it opened in 1946.
John was someone who liked to be seen
joining in with his peers, whether by
regular attendance at youth club meetings,
joining with club members in the church
gallery for Sunday evening services,
seeming to know and enjoy singing the
bass lines of the hymns, and the annual
Whitsun Club Camps.
In 1953, he was called up for National
Service and became a Sergeant Radio
Operator on Sunderland Flying Boats (the
oldest operational aircraft of the RAF),
stationed first at Pembroke Dock and then
Colshott. On leaving he took an inter Bsc.
in Electronics, working at GEC.
After marrying he lived in Crawley and
Woking and in due course taught
Electronics at Guildford. At some time he
gained a PhD.
After 25 years of marriage, John later took
up with an Austrian lady partner.
In later years he has been a regular at OS
Dinners and the Class of 1944 Annual
July Lunch at the RAF Club in Piccadilly,
where he will be missed.
John died on the 17th December 2013
leaving his partner, two sons and a daughter.
A service was held on the 6th January at st.
John's Crematorium in Woking, Surrey
which one of his sons, Jeremy, conducted.
Brian Cranwell and Tony Tight
TED MERRONY
Edward Alfred Merrony died on the 24th
January 2014. The Music for the service
was Nimrod from the Enigma Variations
by Edward Elgar as entry music; 'A
Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square' by
Eric Maschwitz and Manning Sherwin
during the service and 'Ave Maria' as the
exit music both pieces arranged and
performed by Stephen Merrony.
The Introduction and Eulogy was given by
Tim Stacey. Tributes were read by Bernard
Doherty and the Reading by William
Wordsworth was delivered by Stephen
Merrony.
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will;
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!
EULOGY
Edward Alfred Merrony (Ted) was born
in 1925 in Hornsey son of a metropolitan
policeman with a sister and brother who
was killed whilst serving in the RAF in
World War 2.
In 1936 he gained a scholarship to attend
Stationers' Company's School. From 1939
to 1942, the School was evacuated to
Wisbech, so Ted completed his education
in the Fens. While at school he developed
a keen interest in sport which resulted in
him becoming a footballer for Old
Stationers.
On leaving school he worked for a property
company and at the same time studied to
become a Chartered Surveyor.
In 1961 he married Patricia and two years
after their marriage was offered the chance
to move to the Manchester office of
MEPC as Manager, where colleagues
would agree he was never a man to suffer
fools gladly!
In 1977, the family returned to London
where he took up a managerial position
with the same commercial development
company.
Throughout his life he enjoyed attending
sporting occasions such a Athletic
Meetings and supporting Spurs. On
retirement he joined Watford Joggers and
ran half-marathons. He also enjoyed a
modest flutter on the horses.
On retirement Ted and Patricia developed
a passion for cruising and visited many
interesting places around the world.
Fortunately before his first stroke Ted was
able to celebrate his Golden Wedding with
his family.
Patricia Merrony
JOHN HARRIS
1940 – 2014
31St January 2014
Dear Friends
I regret to say that I have heard that
JOHN HARRIS died two weeks ago. His
funeral will be held at the Ruislip
Crematorium, Breakspear Road, Ruislip,
HA4 7SJ at 12.15pm, Monday 3rd
February, 2014.
John joined us at the Reunion in September,
2012 and submitted a page to our brochure
for that day.
Best wishes to you all.
David Finch
47

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Saturday February 1St 2014.
From: Terry Butfield
To: David Finch
Stationers 1952 Cohort: sad news
Very sad news. John Harris died on the
same day as another good friend of mine.
John lived locally to me and we bumped
into each other from time to time. We
remembered old times as we were in the
swimming team together although he kept
that up with his scuba club whilst I did not
do so. I will try to get there Monday, David
so look out for me – I now have a white
beard and not much hair on top. Best
regards to you all
Terry Butf ield
John Harris
26th February 2014
Re: Stationers 1952 Cohort: sad news
Hi Terry
Just back from a trip, so sorry to learn of
John's passing. He looked so well at our
2012 reunion that it's hard to conceive that
he would be leaving us so soon after.
We didn't get much of a chance to talk at
the reunion, such were the seating
arrangements, so I never did get into
sharing memories of our experiences with
the school swim team, working out with
'Sid' on saturday mornings at a pool near
Arnos Grove.
We three went on from there in '58 to
pedal to Devon for two weeks in a caravan
near Totnes. We cycled nall over, explored
Exmoor, sipped scrumpy in Stoke Gabriel
and went ballroom dancing in Torquay. I
don't remember too much beach time. The
only photo I had of our trip was the three
of us outside a tiny caravan, which
regrettably has since gone AWOL.
My biggest disappointment on that trip
was that we didn't get to Cornwall. Well
we did, but only as far as the East Looe
sign!
It took another 45 years before I made it
any further on a bike.
I also remember John as a member of the
57th Scout Troop, source of many happy
evenings and weekends. The last time I
saw you was at a meeting of the OR
Society, somewhere in the West End
in the early 60s. It was probably the one
and only such meeting I ever attended as I
dropped out of that field when I switched
employers.
I dropped out of swimming when I left
Stationers' but have recently picked it up
again. I'm sure that if I had put as much
effort into training than as I do now, I
would have achieved a lot more than third
string in the breast stroke. However, such
effort no longer appears to bring the same
reward. As a friend said, I need to improve
my Reynolds Number.
Anyway, all this is to say thanks for the
memory, best wishes to all.
Les Humphreys
John was born on 4th September 1940, a
few days after the Battle of Britain had
ended, and just before the Blitz began 57
days and nights of continuous bombing of
London. He was brought up in the family
home in Redston Road, Hornsey, which
thankfully survived the war without
damage. Then I came along in 1943 and
Mary arrived in 1947.
Swimming Teams 1958
Back row, left to right: W H White, B Simmons, A R Stevenson, Mr S Holmes (Master), Mr W A C Rees (Master), L Humphries, P W Critten, M F Hasler.
Seated: R Harris, P E Saunders, W J Bunting, Mr S C Nunn (Headmaster), J Harris (School Swimming Captain), R A Kenworthy (Vice Captain), T E Butfield
48

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
My first memory of John was on holiday in
Ramsgate in 1946. All our holidays were
at south coast resorts – Ramsgate, Margate,
Bognor, Clacton, Southsea, Exmouth –
there were no warm Mediterranean
beaches in those days.
John went to Campsbourne Primary
School and then, after successfully passing
the 11+ examination, transferred to
Stationers’ School – one of the leading
grammar schools in North London. Quite
a few of John’s school reports in his early
years suggested that he could do better if
he worked harder, and he also had quite a
few detentions. But the advice obviously
paid off because he came top in his class in
the 5th form (Year 11 in today’s terms)
and went on to become a school prefect
and to pass four A-levels.
As children we didn’t play together much,
but on Saturday mornings Dad used to take
John and me to the furniture factory where
he worked. We would help him to cut up
20ft long planks of wood on huge circular
saws, and then bring home the offcuts for
the kitchen fire. Not many Health &
Safety rules in those days! We also spent
many Saturday afternoons roaming the
fields around Coppetts Road football
ground where Dad was a regular supporter.
Dad taught us all to swim at Park Road
pool, and John developed into a talented
swimmer. He became Senior Champion
at Stationers School in the 5th form and
then Captain of the School Swimming
team. In that period, the school won the
Hornsey Borough and North Middlesex
swimming championships, and we were
second in the County Finals, in which
John competed for several years. John and
I were also members of Southgate Olympic
Swimming Club in the 1950s – still going
after a couple of mergers and name changes
as the Enfield Swim Squad.
Another of my memories of John was on a
holiday at Exmouth – we were probably 10
and 12 at the time – where we were swept
out to sea by an ebbing tide and the flow
from the river. It took us over half an hour
to get back to the beach and our somewhat
worried parents.
After leaving school, John’s aquatic
interests turned towards diving – that’s
under the water, not into the water – and
he spent many enjoyable years diving
around the world. In fact, he met his
future wife Liz at Hampstead Sub-Aqua
Club, and their common interest
underpinned a long marriage. One of his
most challenging diving expeditions was in
the KaaFjord in Norway, 400 miles north
of the Arctic Circle, where he was part of
a team seeking to trace the location of X5
- one of the mini-submarines that had
attacked the German battleship Tirpitz. A
bit colder than the Red Sea!
John left school to take up a graduate
apprenticeship with Siemens Edison,
while studying Applied Physics at the
North London College of Advanced
Technology – which became City
University a few years later. He then
moved to Cambridge Instruments at
Muswell Hill, before joining the IT
industry in its early days – working for
ICL and then Nortel - in the UK, New
Zealand, South Africa and Switzerland.
I don’t remember us ever fighting as some
brothers do. Rather, he helped me over the
years – with swimming, repairing my bike,
providing driving lessons, and giving me
lifts in his car – one of his many cars! He
also looked after his sister Mary – including
on the occasion of Mary’s 18th birthday
party when he singlehandedly saw off
some gate-crashers threatening to throw a
dustbin through the window unless they
were allowed in.
John was always helpful with and
thoughtful of others. He was at our Dad’s
bedside when he finally died – he thought
that it was right that he should be there.
He provided continuing support to our
sister Mary, especially after Mum died in
2003. And, of course, he has given time
and support to a range of charities since he
retired, including endangered animals in
Asia and Africa.
I spoke to John just before his recent trip
to Zambia to teach at a local school and to
work at the Elephant Orphanage. He was
never a very talkative person, but on that
occasion it was clear how enthused he was
about the trip. We are so grateful that he
was able to go and fulfil one of his dreams.
Thanks for your help big brother. May you
rest in peace.
Robert Harris
Graham David
Wandrag
1961-1966
Born 23rd September 1949 in Ealing.
Father South African Air Force, 1943
-1946 then transferred to RAF and met
Florence Adath Chedzey, born in Wales.
Married and had three sons, Graham was
the eldest. Graham started at Stationers'
School in 1961, left in 1966 with a few '0'
Levels, probably four or five, certainly no
more.
On leaving school, Graham joined The
G.P.O. working in Telephone House,
Crouch End. After a very short time,
Graham took a 'phone call from a senior
partner in a firm of money-brokers in The
City - the firm was moving to new offices
the following day and, despite repeated
'phone calls and many assurances over a
period of weeks, the 'phones had still not
been connected. By the close of business
that day, Graham had not only had the
work done but also had ensured that the
lines were tested and working to the
satisfaction of the customer. The customer
was so impressed that he offered Graham
a job at a hugely inflated salary. Graham
never looked back and worked in the
money markets until his death, finally
running his own firm in Hong Kong from
the early nineties.
In the mid-1990's, Graham was diagnosed
with a rare but controllable form of cancer.
In 2000, Graham was diagnosed as having
Multiple, Light Chain Myeloma with
Necrosis and was told that he had a
maximum life-expectancy of five years - in
2006, he held his First Birthday Party, the
first of eight. In February 2014, Graham
contracted an unidentified, viral infection
which, due to his chemotherapy, caused
many complications, after many weeks in
intensive care, Graham died on 3rd May.
Graham was a lifelong supporter of
Arsenal FC and an avid follower of many
sports, including American Football
(having lived in the USA for some years),
indeed many of his friends and colleagues
in the US believe that his knowledge of
College Football was better than many of
the avid, indigenous fans.
Malcolm Wandrag
PETER BULLEN
22nd June 2013
Mr President, Gentlemen.
I am extremely sorry to advise you of
the death yesterday of Peter Bullen
after a long illness. He was President in
1964. He was a founder member of the
O.S. Cricket Club and, played for the
O.S.F.C. being skipper of their 3rd XI.
He was also the prime mover in getting
me to join the S.O.B.A. as it then was,
you can't get it all right.
Gordon Rose
49

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the
Old Stationers’ Association – Stationers' Hall, Friday 28th March 2014
Present:
David Sheath (President) in the chair
Tony Hemmings (Hon. Secretary)
Michael Hasler (Hon. Treasurer)
together with 8 other Officers, Committee members and 42 ordinary members.
The meeting was called to order at 6.00pm
1. Confirmation of Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 22nd March 2013
The minutes of the AGM held at Stationers' Hall on Friday 22nd March 2013 were unanimously adopted as
a true record on a vote taken on the proposal of Roger Melling, seconded by Chris Langford.
2. President’s Address
See attached report.
3. Honorary Treasurer’s Report
See attached report.
Auditor Roger Engledow advised the Meeting that, due to time constraints, he had still to conclude his audit
of the Accounts. It was proposed by Michael Facey, seconded by Peter Sandell and unanimously agreed that,
subject to the Committee being assured that the Accounts as presented have been ratified by both Honorary
Auditors, the report and accounts for the year ended 31st December 2013 be approved.
4. Election of Officers and Committee
The Chairman invited nominations for the Association's Officers and Committee for 2014/2015.
The following members were duly proposed, seconded and elected:
Elected Proposer Seconder
President Roger Melling David Sheath Tony Hemmings
Vice-President Peter Sandell Roger Melling Geraint Pritchard
Secretary Tony Hemmings David Turner Tim Westbrook
Treasurer Michael Hasler Tony Moffat David Turner
Membership Secretary Gordon Rose Tony Hemmings Michael Hasler
Magazine Editor Geraint Pritchard David Sheath Andreas Christou
Website Manager Michael Pinfield Nigel Wade Tony Hemmings
Entertainments Secretary Post left vacant
Archivist David Turner Michael Hasler Nigel Wade
Ordinary Members
Andreas Christou
Tony Moffat Geraint Pritchard Michael Hasler
Peter Sargent
Tim Westbrook
5. Election of Honorary Auditors
Chris Langford and Roger Engledow were unanimously elected Honorary Auditors on a vote taken on the
proposal of Roger Melling, seconded by Peter Engledow.
6. Other business
The Honorary Secretary drew attention to the decision of Peter Bonner and Nigel Wade to stand down as
Committee members, Peter after 7 years including President in 2008-09, and Nigel after 4 years including
President in 2011-12, and thanked them both for their valuable contribution, which was warmly supported by
the members present.
Peter Sargent asked about obtaining a copy of the Pupil Record Cards which have recently been incorporated
into our Archives at Stationers' Hall. The Archivist replied that personal copies can be produced for members
and a proposal by Cbris Langford that a fee of £5.00 should be charged was seconded by Mike Hasler and
approved by the members.
Peter Hames reminded members of the 'School Corner' on the 2nd floor, which contains portraits of former
Headmasters of the School.
The Honorary Secretary advised members that the AGM and Annual Dinner next year will be held at
Stationers' Hall on Friday 27th March.
There being no further business, the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 6.30pm.
50

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
OLD STATIONERS’ ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
Good evening, gentlemen, and thank you for your presence here tonight at our AGM. I hope we will not
detain you for too long as I know that finer events await.
Let me start with a brief historical introduction. Whenever I visit Stationers' Hall I never cease to marvel
at the beauty of this building and be inspired by a sense of the history that seeps through this Hall. To
think that this great building was burnt down in the Great Fire of London and rebuilt in 1673 at a cost
of just £3,000. The wood panelling alone came to the princely sum of £300. The School, of course, came
much later - first at Bolt Court in 1858 at a cost of £8,000 and then its relocation in 1893 to Mayfield
Road, Homsey, at a cost of £14,000.
The Stationers' Old Boy's Association, later to become the Old Stationers' Association, was founded in
1895 and I was proud and honoured to have been installed last March as its 90th President. I have had
a marvellous year and have enjoyed participating in so many events and meeting so many of you. Though
the School has been closed for more than 30 years - and most of us left many years before that closure
- clearly, as our School Song says, we are proud to be Stationers and with hearts thus united no distance
can sever.
A number of you have travelled some way today to be present at our Annual Dinner, and I thank you for
that. And for the many who live too far away, or are too infirm to travel, we keep them close to us through
our wonderful magazine, and I pay particular tribute to editor Geraint Pritchard who has the arduous
task of bringing it all together. I think that you will all agree that the latest 78th edition is just superb and
a brilliant read.
I didn't appreciate, until becoming Vice-President and then President, just how much work goes on
behind the scenes to ensure the success of the wide variety of activities that our Association is involved
in. In particular, I have been greatly impressed by the dedication and diligence of our Committee, who
give so much of their time and effort to ensure that everything is running smoothly, and I would like to
place on record my grateful thanks to them for the support they have given me in my presidential year
of office. I would also like to thank and praise the significant contribution made by fellow Old Stationers
who head up the various clubs and societies that make our Association so active and enjoyable. I
particularly single out Alan Green, for his impressive organisation of the Luncheon Club; Peter Bonner,
for the running of our very successful Golf Society; Vince Wallace and Ian Meyrick, for ensuring that
our soccer traditions continue to thrive in the Stationers colours; Stuart Behn, for overseeing the exclusive
and convivial Apostles' Club; Mike Pinfield, for his works with the School Lodge; and David Hudson,
who organises the Bridge Society. I think a little round of applause would be merited for all those unpaid
volunteers who represent us so well.
Last December, at our Christmas Luncheon at the Hall, I asked for your help in finding storage for some
important pupil record cards, dating back over many years, which Philip Trendall had managed to retrieve
from the School before it was demolished. They contain details of every pupil's academic and sporting
achievements and look like this (holding up sample). You will be pleased to hear that this problem has
been resolved thanks to the Company finding us a suitable storage room in this building, which will
accommodate all of our valuable archives, and my thanks to Archivist David Turner for overseeing this
successful relocation.
Now, just a brief word about the proposed new' Academy that I know the Master will make reference to
in his address tonight, and which will probably incorporate the name Stationers when it finally opens. It
is an existing school in the London Borough of Greenwich called Crown Woods, which was completely
51

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
OLD STATIONERS’ ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
rebuilt at a cost of £50M in 2011. It is seeking Academy Status through the sponsorship of the Stationers'
Company, and then will be renamed. I visited Crown Woods in January, with members of the Company,
and was very impressed by the state of the art facility - particularly for sport. The Company is hoping
that, after due diligence has been performed, the Academy will open this September. Once this takes
place, then the Committee will have to assess how this impacts upon our Association and in due course,
no doubt, make recommendations.
Finally, I would like to commend those of you who have been organising reunions of year groups in the
past and, I hope, for many years to come. Sadly, each year we lose a number of members and this is likely
to accelerate with the passing of time. Therefore, I urge you to be proactive in recruitment. Our
membership continues to remain healthy at around 500, and the reunions that you are organising have
been a good source of new membership.
Thank you again for your support for tonight's occasion and I hope that you enjoy the remainder of the
evening in very good company.
David Sheath President
Honorary Treasurer’s Report
For the year to 31st December 2013
I am pleased to present the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2013.
The surplus for the year on Ordinary Activities is £586 (last year £2,057). The membership is around 500, down
very slightly on last year, and includes a number of Honorary Members. We have had a steady intake of new
members during the year.
The decrease in income is due to the reduction of the amount of arrears being collected since subscriptions were
increased a few years ago, and to lower donations.
Higher expenditure this year is due to the last magazine being 56 pages as against the normal 48 pages, with the
associated extra costs and postage. Web site expenses were £163 compared with zero last year.
Other Activites, covering merchandise, books and social events, show a surplus of £965 this year (last year deficit of
£73). They include a surplus on sale of ties, scarves and blazer badges. Baynes' book, A History of the Stationers'
Company's School, produced a surplus of £61 on sales during the year and there was a surplus of £889 on dinners
and lunches.
Overall, we have a surplus of £ 1,551 this year (last year £ 1,984) which has been added to the Accumulated General
Fund.
This year the Embleton Fund has subsidised the reprint of the 40th Anniversary President's Day programme and
£123 has been written off against this Fund.
The main features of the Balance Sheet are an increase in the cash held, partly offset by the increase in creditors. I
am pleased to report that the OSA is in a healthy financial position and that, following the rise in subscriptions
three years ago and barring unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to hold them at the present level for some
time to come.
Michael Hasler
Hon. TreasurerHon. Treasurer
52

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
OLD STATIONERS’ ASSOCIATION
Balance Sheet
As at 31st December 2013
ASSETS
31.12.13 31.12.12
£ £ £ £
Cash at bank on current account 6,331 4,209
Cash on deposit account 10,935 7,730
Total cash at bank 17,266 11,939
Stock of ties & badges (note 2) 850 1,119
Stock of books and programmes (note 3) 271 252
The Carpenter Painting 1,077 1,077
Less Net Creditors/Debtors
Debtors 10 0
Less Creditors (9,994) (6,335)
(9,984) (6,335)
TOTAL ASSETS 9,480 8,052
FINANCED BY:
Memorial Fund (Embleton) 1,721 1,844
Accumulated General Fund 7,759 6,208
9,480 8,052
NOTES
1 The OSA also has in its possession a number of items of regalia and cups.
It is not proposed to show these on the face of the accounts, but the value for insurance
purposes is £2,950.
2 Stock of Ties and badges
Stock 31.12.12 1,119 1,469
Purchases - Scarves, badges and ties 0 30
1,119 1,499
Less sales at cost 235 348
Less presented to The President 22 32
Less presented to The Master 12
Stock 31.12.13 850 1,119
3 Stock of books and programmes
Stock at 31.12.13 252 993
Purchases - reprints 536
788 993
Less cost of sales 517 721
Less F.O.C. to Baynes family 0 12
Less 1 to Archive 0 8
Stock at 31.12.12 271 252
M F Hasler Treasurer
Auditors Report
In our opinion the above Balance sheet and related Statements of Income and Expenditure, Accumulated Fund
and Memorial Fund present a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Old Stationers' Association as at 31
st December 2013 and of the surpl of income over expenditure for the year.
R Engledow, C Langford
53

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9
OSA Funds Summary
Year ended 31st December 2013 31.12.13 31.12.12
£ £
MEMORIAL FUND (EMBLETON)
Balance per Accounts 31.12.12 b/fwd 1,844 1,994
Less Old Stationers' President's XI 40th Anniversary book net cost (123) (150)
Accumulated Surplus on Memorial Fund 1,721 1,844
ACCUMULATED GENERAL FUND
Balance per Accounts 31.12.12 b/fwd 6,208 4,224
Add: Surplus on ordinary activities 586 2,057
Deduct: -Deficit/Surplus on other activities 965 (73)
Accumulated Surplus on ordinary activities 7,759 6,208
TOTAL OSA FUNDS AT 31.12.2013 9,480 8,052
GENERAL FUND
Income & Expenditure Account
Year ended 31st December 2013 31.12.13 31.12.12
ORDINARY ACTIVITIES £ £ £ £
Income
Subscriptions & donations 7,480 7,863
Bank interest 5 4
7,485 7,867
Expenditure
Magazine and bulletin costs 6,443 5,487
Printing, Stationery, Postage & Web expenses 336 143
Sundry expenses 120 180
6,899 5,810
Surplus on Ordinary Activities 586 2,057
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Tie, scarves and blazer badge sales net -cost/income 25 (20)
Past President badges at cost (10) (20)
Baynes book 61 79
Net surplus on dinner and lunch club 889 (112)
-Deficit/Surplus on other activities 965 (73)
EXCESS INCOME OVER EXPENDITURE FOR YEAR 1,551 1,984
54

Fantasy Football League – 2013/14
It is a pity we cannot get more teams competing
in our very own Fantasy Football league, for
which the results are controlled by the
competition available annually via the Daily
Telegraph. I should add that for this last year
the Telegraph offered the first team free of
charge. Always assuming this option is available
next season it could cost you nothing if you
wanted to give it a try, as you could just join our
OS league “for fun” i.e. not be a paid-up
competitor. Current charge is £10 per team if
you do decide enter, all of which is paid out as
prize money, with OS acting as Stake Holder.
Full details are shown on OS website – www.
oldstationers.co.uk. But I should point out that
it is not just about trying to win – a bit of good
natured banter also comes into it as per the
following email. Some of you may not be aware
that the well-known OS car registration
HUD1E happens also to be the name of one of
our teams, holder of the “wooden spoon” as it
happens this time around – (must be all the
worry following the Lillywhite Boys!):
Final Team positions:
Dear All,
The board of team HUD1E announced today that
the manager had left the club by mutual agreement
having come bottom of the league and bringing
disgrace upon the family. He will be replaced by
some foreigner ready for next season. Well done Pat
again. Im getting fed up with saying that so now Im
retired I shall concentrate more time on next season.
I enjoyed the start of the cup final!
Regards to all.
David
As indicated, “No More Trundling” - Pat
Dunphy - was the winner this time around –
although close -run thing against “Something
Different” (Richard Slatford) in second place.
The leadership changed quite a bit during the
season, with Mike Mote's “Its A Freebie” the
early leader for several weeks.
For added interest we also have our Cup
Competition – with Odetothomas Dons the
winner this time around. Here is our closing
league table.
Don Bewick
Manager Team Points
1 Mr P Dunphy No More Trundling 1844
2 Mr R Slatford Something Different 1832
3 Mr P Dunphy To A Standstill 1763
4 Mr D Bewick Odetothomas Dons 1750
5 Mr R Slatford In The Net FC 1740
6 Mr D Hudson Mostlynewinhos 1708
7 Mr D Bewick NE1410is 1706
8 Mr D Bewick Pick and Peckham Dons 1635
9 Mr D Hudson Thinslug 1607
9 Mr R Slatford Luke D's Spartans 1607
11 Mr M Mote Itsafreebie 1595
12 Mr D Bewick Class of '51 1593
13 Mr D Hudson Maine City 1576
14 Mr I Mote Shanghai Surprise 1557
15 Mr D Hudson DTCHSMPBACHGLMH 1545
16 Mr M Mote Grange Park Utd 1495
17 Mr J Shanks Chevaliers NZ 1493
18 Mr D Hudson HUD1E 1481

Allied Invasion Force and German dispositions, 6th June 1944.
70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings (see page 10)