OSAmag78

No 78 /February 2014
The Old Stationer
Number 78 - February 2014
Another great year for Reunions

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
The Old Stationer
NuMBER 78 - FEBRuARY 2014
oLD STATioNERS’ ASSoCiATioN
LiST oF CoMMiTTEE MEMBERS 2013/2014
President
David J Sheath KSG
12a Bolton Crescent, Windsor,
Berks. SL4 3JQ Tel: 01753 855021
E-mail: davidsheath@hotmail.co.uk
Vice-President
Roger Melling
43 Holyrood Road, New Barnet,
Herts. EN5 1DQ Tel: 020 8449 2283
E-mail: melling@globalspirit.net
Past President
Tony Moffat
1 The Fairway, Bar Hill, Cambs. CB23 8SR
Tel: 01954 782366
E-mail: tnymfft@aol.com
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 Fax: 020 8422 9774
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: david.turner12@sky.com
Ordinary Members
Peter J Bonner
3a Mount Grace Road, Potters Bar,
Herts. EN6 IRE Tel: 01707 658016
E-mail: peter.bonner@ntlworld.com
Andreas H Christou
22 Woodgrange Avenue, Bush Hill Park,
Enfield EN1 1EW Tel: 020 8350 4857
E-mail: andreashchristou@yahoo.com
Nigel V Wade
44 Wanstead Park Road, Ilford,
Essex IGl 3TQ Tel: 020 8514 3926
E-mail: nigel@nigel80.orangehome.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
Details as above
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
Freemen’s Association
Terry Shapland
Tel: 01842 828291
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
Old Stationers' Luncheons 7
President's Day Cricket Match 9
Correspondence 18
Far As You Roam
A Welsh odyssey Ray Chew 32
A big "thank you" to Joe Symons
Roger Engledow 33
A Seabrook wedding in South Africa
John Ivey 38
The Trough of Bowland Ed 39
Special features
Reunions
Class of '44 13
Class of '54 13
Class of '73 14
Class of '63 15
Class of '51 17
Two OS families united by marriage 27
Revolutionary changes in Yorkshire 28
From the Archives 60 years ago 55
Clubs & Societies
Golf Society 11
Old Stationers' Football Club 12
Varia
News of Former Staff
Michael King 41
Clive Blenkinsop 41
John Young 43
Howell Pugh Roberts 43
Obituaries
Geoffrey Barnard 46
Ernie Wilkins 47
Terry Bailey 50
Robin James Uphill 51
Bessie Shopland Martin 51
New Members 52
Changes of Address 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.
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
EDiToRiAL
At the beginning of 2014, it is good to take heart that
the first magazine that is in general circulation is dated
1914 and thus we are celebrating the Centenary of
publications of 'The Stationer' and its successor, 'The
Old Stationer'. The last edition of 'The Stationer' was
published in July, 1983, thirty years ago when the
Stationers' Company's School closed its doors for the
last time. However, 'The Old Stationer' had already
appeared, under the aegis of Hermon Symons, as the
School's publication was intermittent at that time. By
now, 2014, 'The Old Stationer' is a regular magazine
appearing twice a year, in February and July. What a
record firstly, the School Magazines are, of the events
and activities that took place in School and in the Old
Boys, each School magazine having a section of Old
Boys Pages; and secondly 'The Old Stationer' full of
events and activities of the Old Stationers' Association
and its members.
Once again, the number of Reunions of Year Groups
continue to take place, with four celebrations during the
time of this publication. The year group celebrating their
year of intake, for the first time was the 1963 group,
marking 50 years since starting at Stationers, followed
by year groups of 1944, 1951 and 1954 who have regular
reunions. The outcome of such events is that 14 new
members were added in the summer and there are
another 14 here in this edition. This is remarkable that
the membership has increased by more than 5% in one
year when there is no alma mater! There is no doubt that
the diligence of Gordon Rose has much to do with the
efficiency of the system of membership, working together
with each Stationer who organises a Reunion, in sending
out forms to Stationers who, formerly were not
members. At the mention of Gordon Rose, I am
delighted to say that having had a spell in hospital, we
are pleased to see Gordon back home and being able to
pick up on many of his interests and activities.
The sad side of membership, of course, is that we are
also recording deaths of members, many of whom, have
been members for many years. We welcome the new
members. We sympathise with Old Stationers who have
lost their spouses and other close relations in recent time
and with the families of former members who have died.
The AGM takes place on Friday, 28th March, 2013 at
6.00pm. If you wish to be nominated for a place on the
Committee, please inform the Honorary Secretary, Tony
Hemmings, whose details are on page 3 of Magazine
Number 77. Tel. No. 01992 638535. E-mail:
hemmingsac@hotmail.com
Anyone interested please contact Tony before the 28th
March.
Tony Moffat is looking to update our membership data
base. If your e-mail address has recently changed, please
let Tony Moffat know of the change. All details on Page
3 of Magazine Number 77. Also Tel. No. 01954
782366. E-mail: tnymfft@aol.com
Mike Pinfield has also set up a button on the front page
of the website to make it easy to email with your details.
Congratulations to Reg
Bailey 1961-1967, on
being awarded the CBE
for his brilliant work for
the Mothers' Union and
on tackling the commercialisation
of childhood.
Very many thanks to all
the contributors to this
edition, their contributions
are very much
Reg Bailey CBE appreciated by the readers
and the editor. The
correspondence section is of great interest where a
number of members have taken the trouble to write. The
articles are so varied often referring to events in the past,
still vivid in the mind of the writer and of interest to his
contemporaries. The travels, at home and abroad, under
the section 'Far as you Roam', actual experiences of Old
Stationers, give an added richness to these pages. Keep
on writing!
A Happy New Year to all our Readers.
Geraint Pritchard
DATES for the DiARY
AGM & ANNuAL DiNNER
Friday March 28th 2014
Stationers' Hall, Ave Maria Lane
LONDON EC4 7DD
AGM 6.00pm. Annual Dinner 7.00pm.
LuNCHEoN MEETiNGS
Thursday May 8th 2014
Imperial Hotel Russell Square
Wednesday September 10th 2014
Imperial Hotel Russell Square
Wednesday December 3rd 2014
Stationers' Hall, Ave Maria Lane
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.
oSA CARoL SERViCE
To be advised
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 5
PRESiDENT'S ADDRESS
As 2013 comes to an end and my presidential year of office
passes the halfway mark, I am pleased to report that the
Association continues to remain in very good heart thanks to the
efforts of a small but dedicated and hardworking committee and
to the wonderful support that you all give for the many activities
that fill the Association's calendar year.
Membership continues to remain strong at just over 500, and it
is pleasing to see that despite the inevitable passing away of old
friends, new applications for membership are constantly coming
forward and being processed by our Membership Secretary,
Gordon Rose.
As your President for this year, I have had the privilege of being
very involved in many of the Association's events and activities.
As golf is a major passion of mine (as well as Arsenal of course),
I have been particularly delighted to see the O.S. Golf Society
flourish under the able leadership of Peter Bonner. This year I
was able to participate in four events, the first being against Old
Tollingtonians in May at the West Herts Golf Club, and then at
Dyrham Park in a match against the Stationers' Company, and
finally in two trophy events in July, at Mill Green and in
September at Aldwickbury Golf Club. No President's luck I'm
afraid as we lost both matches against Old Tollingtonians and
the Stationers' Company (just!) and I came runner up for the
second year running in the Trophy events behind Bruce Kitchener.
It was great fun though with lots of banter and camaraderie and
we always sit down for a nice meal after each game . So if you
play a bit of golf and haven't joined the OSGC then I would
thoroughly recommend that you came along and take part.
After playing for the Old Stationers Football Club for 29 years
until the knees gave way in 1992, I was delighted to be invited to
the OSFC Annual Dinner at the Southgate Masonic Centre on
May 10th, 2013. It was a wonderful evening, very well organised
by Jim Mulley and Dave Fuller, with Pat Dunphy as a very
amusing and entertaining Toastmaster.
Another event that I was pleased to attend was the Annual
Ex-Players Reunion that took place on Saturday afternoon
October 12th at the Clubhouse of Old Elizabethans Memorial
Ground in Barnet. Meeting old friends, a number of whom I had
played with over many years, and watching from the touchline
our 1st Eleven brought back so many happy memories. Returning
after the game to the Clubhouse for the usual convivial
refreshments and aftermatch banter, was like going back in time.
Well done to Ian Meyrick, the Chairman of the OSFC, and his
assistants, for keeping those dreams and memories alive for us
'old codgers'.
The sporting occasion of the presidential year so far, was not
Arsenal beating Spurs, but of course, President's Day. My
grateful thanks to all of you who supported me by attending with
your families at the Botany Bay Cricket Club on August 25th.
We had a lovely day; the weather was kind to us after a lot of
overnight rain which at one stage threatened to wash out the
game. My team manager, Geoff Blackmore, was a little worried
when I insisted on opening the bowling, but he felt more at ease
when he found out that I was probably the only Old Stationer to
ever gain an international cap at cricket! Yes indeed, I played for
Malta against the British Commandos in 1969 and was run out
for 0 going in at number 11. (Take a look at the photography in
the Gallery Section of our website and see what you think of my
bowling action.) Well, my President's XI capped a brilliant day
by comfortably beating Botany Bay in a restricted over match by
8 wickets. My thanks again to Gordon Rose and Tony Hemmings
as well as Geoff Blackmore, for organising and overseeing the
event so well.
I always enjoy a good lunch especially in the company of old
friends, and it has been a pleasure to attend the May and
September Luncheons at the Imperial Hotel, which are always
superbly and efficiently organised by Alan Green. At the May
lunch I was very pleased to welcome as my special guest, Mr
Nicholas Hammond, the Headmaster of Wisbech School, the
School which kindly took in some 312 pupil evacuees and staff
from Stationers between 1939 and 1942. There are of course still
Old Stationers amongst us who can remember those days, and it
is nice to see that our shared history has led to an underlying
desire to maintain links between the two schools.
My guest at the September Luncheon was William Alden, the
Clerk to the Company, who was able to confirm that the
Stationers' Company is planning to open a new school, probably
south of the river. We should be able to hear more about these
proposals at our December Luncheon at the Hall, when the
Master of the Stationers' Company, Tom Hempenstall, will be
my special guest. The Master had already invited me to a
splendid Court Luncheon at the Hall on October 1st, where I
was made very welcome and look forward to reciprocating.
During the course of my Presidential Year, I chair a number of
committee meetings which take place on Monday evenings at the
Botany Bay Cricket Club. I have been very impressed with the
professionalism and dedication of the Committee and I can
assure you that the Association is in very good hands. I particularly
want to single out the work of Tony Hemmings as Secretary. Tony
has been a stalwart behind the scenes operating with a steadying
and wise influence which is most appreciated by the Committee.
I cannot thank Tony enough for the guidance and friendly
support that he has given me during my period of office.
However, we cannot be complacent with our future for indeed it
is a finite future and as our esteemed editor, Geraint Pritchard
has emphasised in a recent OS magazine, the challenge for us
members, if we wish to continue to enjoy the rich variety of
events and activities that bring us together, is to be proactive in
recruiting into the Association. There are literally hundreds and
hundreds if not thousands of Old Stationers out there who know
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
little about us. The Internet is certainly helpful in spreading the
Good News about our Association, and I am always delighted to
read about the fun and joy generated by the numerous year
reunions that have been taking place. Such reunions are clearly a
good source of membership, and I would encourage you, if your
year group has not already organised a reunion, to make every
effort to do so as these reunions will sustain and enhance our
future numbers.
It has been a privilege and great joy to lead the Association
through 2013 and into 2014. Roger Melling will be taking over
the baton from me on March 28th, and I wish him an equally
enjoyable and successful year.
Finally to you and your families, may I wish you many blessings
in the year ahead and may God grant you much happiness and
good health 'till time shall bring all of us home!'
David Sheath
LETTER FRoM THE PRESiDENT
Dear Geraint
12A Bolton Crescent, WINDSOR, Berks.
23rd December 2013
I recently had a Christmas Lunch with my Uncle Ron (who is in his early 80s) and he passed on to me two original
cartoons by his friend (ex Stationer) Frank Dickens that Frank had given to him before he went on to become the famous
cartoonist BRISTOW. Though my uncle did not go to Stationers' he had a number of friends who did. They were
members of the Unity Cycling Club. He is in regular contact with Brian Houghton, who is the President and Secretary
of the Unity Cycling Club. My uncle tells me that Frank Dickens (his full name was Franklin William Huline-Dickens),
is now 82 andd still unwell in a care home in Wantage. Two other ex Stationers' friends were Arthur Pizzey and Peter
Holland. He has lost contact with them and I was wondering if anybody has any more current information about them.
Arthur, I understand, lives in Somerset and took up sailing, becoming Commodore of his local sailing club. Peter Holland
did his National Service after leaving Stationers' in the Airforce with Frank Dickens and my uncle. Brian and Arthur
did their National Service in the Army.
Attending the O.S.A, Carol Service at Hornsey Parish Church, St. Mary's with St. George in early December, gave me
the opportunity to return to Hornsey for the first time in some thirty years and visit the places that I knew so well when
growing up as a boy. I had been confirmed at the age of 11 in the Parish Church of St.Mary, Hornsey, so was interested
to see that it had since been demolished. All that remains apart from the gravestones, is a large tower.
I was very impressed to see how Muswell Hill Broadway and Crouch End had changed; full of restaurants, bistros, coffee
shops and boutiques. No wonder it is a very popular area for house hunters, with house prices at a premium no doubt.
I noticed that one of my former schools – Crouch End Junior – was no longer there and had been replaced by a very
modern housing estate. Hornsey YMCA, where I joined the Youth Club at the age of 10, was still there, though the front
entrance had been moved. I passed by Rokesly Infants and Junior Schools and they seemed pretty much the same though
with a lot of extra security fencing and gates. I travelled on to Mayfield and Denton Roads to see what had happened to
the old school site. The school wall along the side of Mayfield Road was indeed very much the same but I had not
realised that much of the site had been developed for housing leaving only a small park where the terraces used to be. I
also passed by the new Hornsey High School (now Hornsey School for Girls) which has been relocated only a few
hundred yards away from its old site. I am not sure when this happened. (Stationers' took over the Hornsey High School
building in 1971, when the Girls School moved to Inderwick Road. Ed.)
I finished my tour down Memory Lane by going
to see the houses where I used to live. They were
all still there – Mount Pleasant Villas, Glebe
Road, Connaught Road, Stroud Green, and finally
Northview Road. How congested all these roads
are today. All those lovely memories of playing
cricket and football in the streets with my friends
from the neighbouring houses – something which
would be impossible today. All my school chums
have since moved away from Hornsey - many to
the leafier glades and less densely populated
districts outside London. However, Hornsey still
seems to have much to offer and I thoroughly
enjoyed my return.
With very best wishes for the New Year
Yours Sincerely
David Sheath
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
TWo LuNCHEoNS ATTENDED BY oLD STATioNERS
The intake class of 1962 turn out in strength with 29 attendees.
Cheers m'dears
An opening partnership from yesteryear.
Our President with the Master of the Company.
With over 100 guests we filled the main Hall for the Christmas lunch.
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
SEPTEMBER LuNCH LiST oF ATTENDEES
Stuart Behn 47/53
Don Bewick 51/56
Geoff Blackmore 65/72
Anthony Bodley 46/53
Peter Bonner 55/62
Ray Chew 47/54
Peter Clydesdale 49/54
George Copus 32/40
David Davies 51/59
Geoff Dent 62/69
Peter Engledow 49/54
Roger Engledow 54/61
John Geering 53/60
Philip Geering 61/68
Alan Green 53/58
Michael Hasler 53/59
Peter Hawkins 46/53
Tony Hemmings 54/59
David Hudson 62/69
Brian Humphreys 49/56
John Ivey 55/62
Ian Jones 38/45
Leslie Lane 47/53
Alec Linford 37/44
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 52/58
Roger Pierce
Mike Pinfield 60/66
Geraint Pritchard 54/62
Peter Redman 53/60
Gordon Rose 44/49
Peter Sandell 65/72
Michael Saunders 46/50
Chris Seabrook 53/58
David Sheath 55/62
Roy Simmons 42/47
Sir John Sparrow 44/51
Anthony Tight 44/50
David Turner 51/56
Richie Tyley 53/59
Nigel Wade 51/58
Chris Wilkins 57/63
Newcomers,Vic Truss and Ian Gillies.
The Master speaks out.
Stuart Behn 47/53
Christopher Bell 63/70
Stephen Bensley 63/70
Don Bewick 51/56
Geoff Blackmore 65/72
Anthony Bodley 46/53
Dan Bone 62/69
Peter Bothwick 62/69
John Brackley 54/58
Michael Brady 53/57
John Cater 56/63
David Chelsom 62/67
Ray Chew 47/54
Nigel Clarke 66/71
Peter Clydesdale 49/54
George Copus 32/40
David Cox 53/60
Reg Davies 60/67
Muna Dawoodi
David Deane 57/62
XMAS LuNCH LiST oF ATTENDEES
Geoff Dent 62/69
Paul Dubery
Reginald Eccles 56/59
Peter Engledow 49/54
Roger Engledow 54/61
Michael Facey 51/57
David Ford 61/66
Andrew Forrow 60/67
Ricjhard Forty 65/72
Bob Fry
Liam Gallagher 74/81
Philip Geering 61/68
Ian Gillies 62/68
Peter Gortham
John Gray 62/68
Alan Green 53/58
Bob Harris 54/61
Michael Hasler 53/59
Ian Hayward 48/53
Tony Hemmings 54/59
Richard Hersey 51/58
Graham Hogg
Marsden Hubbard Staff
David Hudson 62/69
Brian Humphreys 49/56
Alan Hunt 55/62
Terence Jaggers 62/69
Peter Jarvis 62/68
Alun Jeffreys 66/72
Ian Jones 38/45
Mike Kassie
John Lambert 62/69
Leslie Lane 47/53
Stephen Ling 51/56
Roger Melling 54/62
David Metcalf 53/58
Ian Meyrick 66/72
John Miles 45/49
Derek Mitchell 61/68
Tony Moffat 54/61
Michael Mote 55/60
Keith Mullender 56/63
Jim Mulley 56/63
Wilf Nicholls
John Partridge 52/58
Lucien Perring 49/54
Harold Perry 36/41
Richard Phillippo 54/62
Mike Pinfield 60/66
Peter Prazsky 62/67
Steven Presland 65/72
Geraint Pritchard 54/62
Graham Rawlings 62/68
Peter Redman 53/60
Peter Sandell 65/72
Kenneth Saunders 54/62
Michael Saunders 46/50
David Shaw 62/67
David Sheath 55/62
Roy Simmons 42/47
Barry Soames 63/69
Sir
John Sparrow 44/51
Harry Spinks 36/40
John Taylor 51/56
Mark Templeman 62/68
Ross Thompson 62/69
Anthony Tight 44/50
Jim Townsend 59/66
Gerry Trew
Vic Truss
Rogere Turkington 62/68
David Turner 51/56
Nigel Wade 51/58
Malcolm Wandrag 62/68
Stanley Ward 44/49
Peter Watcham 45/50
John Welch
Timothy Westbrook 62/69
John Wheeler 49/53
Chris Wilkins 57/63
Colin Willliams 62/69
Terence Wyld 62/68
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
PRESiDENT'S DAY CRiCKET MATCH
Botany Bay CC (86 all out) lost to Dave Sheath’s OSA President’s
XI (87 for 2) by eight wickets
Following the retirement, from all forms of cricket by Steve
Young and Mike Weatherley (both of whom played in the
inaugural fixture in 1972), after the fortieth anniversary fixture in
2012, the match manager was on the ‘look out’ for new recruits
over the winter months.
Following a Saturday in the OSFC bar, Dick Hersey reported
that Neil Jervis (an OSFC First XI regular in the nineties) had
played cricket in his twenties and would love to play. With Terry
White returning from injury, which kept him out of 2012 game,
and with the nine who hadn’t retired persuaded to return; the
average age of the side originally selected was reduced – albeit
not by much!!
Unfortunately, a few weeks before the game, one of the 2012
debutantes, Gary Page, the stepson of Apostle, Peter Hawkins
‘cried off ’ due to a stag weekend to be replaced by Martin
Slatford, youngest brother of OSA President’s XI regular,
Richard. Then in the week before the game, Neil Jervis advised
that a family bereavement would prevent him playing, and after
much debate, Martin Slatford’s fourteen-year-old son, Oliver
was drafted in.
With every game of cricket in Middlesex being ‘washed out’ the
previous day, the weather prognosis was not great, but it least the
sun was shining first thing on the Sunday morning. However,
when the team arrived, and inspected the uncovered wicket it
was clear that it was ‘very damp’. Prior to eighty plus diners
sitting down to a very pleasant lunch, hosted by our President,
Dave Sheath, and masterminded by Gordon Rose, it had already
been agreed to delay the start.
With lunch coming to an end, the skipper went out to toss with
his Botany Bay counterpart John Jarvis. With time at a premium,
it was agreed to play a thirty-five over game, and when JJ asked
if Botany Bay could bat first as “…he had to prepare the tea…”
it reminded me of captaining OSCC sides in the 1970’s, when
we regularly had to do something similar. However, as we were
starting late – and they had always let us bat first in recent years
– when I won the toss the opposition were inserted as requested.
OSA President, Dave Sheath, had claimed during lunch that he
was a Maltese cricket international – and whilst Cricket Archive,
and similar websites cannot verify this - his first ‘ceremonial’ ball
was better than many seen recently, although it had to be
repeated during the tea interval because of a malfunctioning
camera!!
When battle eventually commenced, fourteen-year-old Ollie
Slatford opened the bowling and started with a maiden, as did
John Jackson (1-14) at the other end. In John’s fifth over, he took
his first wicket in three years when their opener hit the ball
towards Ollie at square leg – and Ollie actually took the catch -
unlike the more ‘senior’ fielders in the previous two seasons.
When the opening pair were withdrawn from the attack, Terry
White and Ilyas Malick – who took 6 for 18 in his only previous
bowl in the fixture, in 1992 – were introduced. Ilyas’s second ball
was driven hard and low towards extra cover were young Jack
Cox took a stunning catch. With two more wickets in his next
four overs, Ilyas was ‘taken off ’ having taken 3 for 3 in five overs,
with another batsman having to ‘retire hurt’ after attempting a
quick single to get away from the strike!!
Jack Cox (2-13) then got amongst the wickets – with Richard
Slatford, who was keeping wicket, taking two catches off of his
bowling – before James Mote conceded only five runs in four
overs. An excellent run out proved the worth of younger fielders
and the returning Ollie Slatford (1-14) took his first, and only,
wicket, in the final over of the innings. The Bay innings closed
with their last two batsmen at the wicket, with a score of 86 for 8.
After the obligatory teatime team photo, Mark Slatford and Jack
Cox opened the OSA President’s XI innings – with power and
culture, respectively. When they were dismissed for 12 and 17
respectively, Ilyas Malick joined Andy Douglas at the wicket,
with the score at 30 in the eighth over. The pair then settled
down to seeing the side home to victory, and by scoring at four
an over, taking us to 87 for 2, victory was ours with more than
thirteen overs to spare, with Andy on 24* and Ilyas on 32*.
On the day we were too strong for the Botany Bay Invitation XI
– which in some ways made a pleasant change from previous
years, when we have been struggling to compete – as the OSA
President’s XI were victorious for the first time since 2008. With
an average age approximately five years younger than previous
years – and teenagers who can field – here’s to 2014…
Geoff Blackmore
Presidential technique!
Jack Cox shows his elegance at the crease.
9

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
PRESiDENT'S DAY CRiCKET MATCH LuNCH
Worth the wait !
65 sat down to lunch on Sunday 25thy August 2013. They were
made up of 32 Old Boys together with their wives, daughters,
grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends. They were the
President, David Sheath and his family: Keith Allen: Stu Behn:
Don Bewick: Geoff Blackmore: Peter Bonner: Martin Burr: Peter
Clydesdale: Dave Cox; Peter Engledow: Michael Facey: Mike Hasler:
Peter Hawkins: Tony Hemmings: Dick Hersey: Dave Hudson: Ray
Humphreys: Barry Mcrae: Roger Melling: Tony Moffat; Mike Mote:
John Partridge: Mike Pinfield: Russell Plumley: Geraint Pritchard:
Gordon Rose: Peter Sandell: Roy Simmons: Nigel Wade: Tim
Westbrook: Terry White: Chris Wilkins.
Also seen in the afternoon and evening include among others.
Terry Butler: Nigel Clarke: Liam Gallagher: Peter Jarvis: Ilyas
Malick: Ray Mansfield: Bob Margree: Ian Meyrick: Tony Pigden:
Peter Sargent: Mark Slatford: Richard Slatford: John Taylor: David
Turner: Steve Young.
Gordon Rose
Geoff looks relaxed as the team knocks up the runs.
Spectators enjoy the late sunshine.
Sylish new recruit Jack Cox shows his bowling action.
10

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
oS GoLF SoCiETY – 2013 SEASoN REViEW
The season concluded with a meeting at Sandy Lodge, near
Watford, on 11th November. We seem to be fated with this
course since we planned to play there in March, but it snowed!
We thus re-arranged our meeting for November, to take
advantage of winter rates as the green fees in the summer are
pretty steep. However, the weather was dire with rain forecast for
the morning but the possibility of it clearing in the afternoon.
Nine hardy golfers thus turned up and started in the rain. Sadly
the rain, instead of easing, intensified and it was agreed to curtail
the event which stopped after eleven holes. The meal was
brought forward and the service and food were excellent. Further,
the club agreed to rebate some £15 per head since the greens had
started to flood and had become unplayable.
The course was excellent and by popular agreement it was
decided to stomach the high summer costs and play it in 2014.
The winner, after 11 holes, and based upon countback was yours
truly, shading out Tim Westbrook.
In October we had the traditional three man team event at
Brookmans Park. The course was wet and muddy with penal
rough. Some nine teams took part and the winning team was
captained by Alan Nowell, one of our long term associate
members. He is a Brookmans Park member, as was one of this
team. The runners up were a Brookmans Park team. Clearly local
knowledge counts!
Sadly, early in the year, we lost one of our best players, Don
Bucknall , and just before Christmas we learnt of the untimely
death of Howard Cox, a well respected and popular long term
associate member. Both will be missed.
Our two matches this year were a disappointment as we lost
(again) to Old Tollingtonians, and lost to the Stationers
Company – the first time in four meetings.
The away trip in August at Boston West was a resounding
success. Some fourteen people attended. The course was flattish
but interesting and the accommodation was excellent. All this for
£65 per head, which included two rounds of golf, dinner bed and
breakfast. We shall be hard pressed to find a better venue next
year.
The Pairs Trophy, played for at Redbourne GC, was won by Ray
Humphries and David turner, whilst the Shield was finally won
by Bruce Kitchener who beat Dave Sheath, our current President,
and your esteemed Secretary, into joint second place.
All in all a good year. Suggested venues for 2014 will be
circulated shortly. Meanwhile I wish you a Very Happy New Year
and let battle re-commence in April 2014.
Peter Bonner
Secretary/Treasurer
Alan Nowell (left)takes the team trophy.
oS GoLF AND BRiDGE
On the 9th October 2013, at the suggestion of Past
President and bridge expert DAVID HUDSON, we
arranged an event with Brookmans Park Golf Club
wherein we played them at golf in the morning and
then after drinks and snacks, bridge in the afternoon.
The golf was halved but we did manage a healthy
victory in the bridge to come away victorious overall.
However the main objective was to have an event on a
social basis and I am pleased to say that without
exception all participants expressed their pleasure in
having taken part.
Representing the OSA were the aforementioned David
Hudson; Roger Engledow; Bruce Kitchener and myself.
We do hope to be able to have future such events and
so anyone interested in bridge with other members of
the OSA could contact either myself or any of the
above gentlemen.
David Turner
Howard Cox (right) who died before Christmas.
11

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
oSFC MiD SEASoN REPoRT 2013/14
Up to the date of writing, this season seems to have mirrored last
season and to be honest the last few seasons.
The 1st XI started the campaign with great hope of a brave new
dawn under the guidance of an enthusiastic young manager,
Perry Langley. However he quickly discovered that the problems
of inconsistent availability and therefore performance that have
plagued many of his recent predecessors, continues to be an
obstacle yet to be overcome. The 1st XI currently lie one place off
the bottom of the Division, however an encouraging 6-1 victory
over 2nd place Old Lyonians in the first game of the New Year
showed what can be achieved, we hope that this proves to be the
fillip we need for a strong second half to the season
The 2nd XI had a familiar shaky start to the season whilst the
team took shape, but as the personnel began to become more
settled the results since mid November have been encouraging
and the Reserves have now started to move up the table.
The 3rd XI having retained many of the players from last season,
again look strong contenders for promotion. They have also
reached the Semi Final of the Old Boys Junior Cup where they
are due to meet local rivals Old Minchendians. Fingers crossed
that their Cup success does not create a similar fixture pile up to
last season, that ultimately hindered their progress in the League
The 4th XI had a difficult start and were forced to change their
Captain a couple of months into the season. A potential major
headache?....... "Who you gonna call"? (accepting the
Ghostbusters weren't available) Why of course the "Red Adair"
of OS captaincy Dave Gilligan. Gilly with some new recruits
helped steady the ship, boost results and boost bar takings.
Following the departure of a number of players at the end of last
season, the 5th XI have basically formed an entirely new squad
of players under the joint captaincy of old hands Nick Plinston
and Russell Toone. Their results have been encouraging and they
currently lie in third place in their Division
The Mega Vets have had a frustrating first half of the season,
remaining unbeaten because despite the best efforts of captain
Ian Meyrick, they are yet to play a game! (each cancellation was
the opposition's fault, honest!!). Hopefully we can get some
games in before May and before any more of the players retire!
On the social front we again had a very successful Annual
Re-union of ex-players at the club in early October. Around 40
ex OSFC players (including the President) attended and watched
the 1st XI take a deserved 2-0 lead against HSBC before
conceding 2 goals in the last 10 minutes to leave us with only a
point (see "inconsistency" above). The ex-players in attendance
ranged from those who had joined the club over 50 years ago to
those that had played more recently, lets hope we can encourage
even more to come along next October. Watch out for details on
the OSA and OSFC (www.oldstationersfc.co.uk) websites.
Finally, despite the very wet December we still managed to play
our traditional two Boxing Day games against Old Finchleians.
The "Youngsters" won their game 5-2 and the "Oldies" were
unlucky to lose a tight game 3-4. The team included such
"distinguished athletes" as Mark Tansley, Mike Kassie, Liam
Gallagher, Jack Toumany, Tony Theodoulou, Dave Gilligan, Ian
Meyrick and Geoff Blackmore, with Dave Fuller, CWS, Alun
Jeffreys and Marsden Hubbard amongst a good crowd watching
from the touchline or was it from the clubhouse!
In our 108th season we're still thriving and looking forward to
our game at Buckingham Palace in 2056!
As always all ex-players would be most welcome at the club on
any Saturday afternoon and if anyone requires further details
about OSFC you can contact me at ian.meyrick1@gmail.com
Ian Meyrick
Chairman OSFC
1st XI (taken before the game against HSBC on 12th Oct 2013) – Back Row (L-R) S. O'Donaghue, M. Smith, S. Watts, T. Jackson, M. Tansley, P.
Langley(Manager), M. West, A. Coluku. Front Row S. Derrick, A. Lovatt, J. Reece, B. Coglan, J. Ryan
12

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
REuNioNS
CLASS oF ’44 – July 2013
On the middle Wednesday of July, the sun shone brightly on the
British Isles, and warnings were issued that elderly persons going
out of doors were a danger to themselves and a potential nuisance
to the emergency services.
Nonetheless twelve representatives of the class of 1944 arrived
safely, punctually (and in some cases rather early) at the RAF
Club in Piccadilly. This group of octogenarians were all in
reasonable shape both physically and mentally, and rejoiced in
the annual renewal of friendships first made sixty-nine years ago.
They made short work of a splendid terrine of mozzarella cheese,
smoked ham, Mediterranean vegetables and olives. They then
enjoyed some excellent roast lamb with all the trimmings and
concluded with strawberry pavlova, coffee and petit fours. It was
a meal of high quality accompanied by some excellent wines of
which the star was the Savigny-les-Beaunes 2009, and the buzz
of happiness around the table never ceased.
This was the eleventh reunion in a series begun in 2001 at the
suggestion of David Mariano on the back of some astonishing
success by Gordon Rose in tracing so many of the boys who had
arrived in 1944, far as they had roamed, and organised so well in
recent years by Antony Tight. The RAF Club welcomes us
each year through the good offices of club member John Miles,
and we all find reunion day one to mark in ink in the diary. Next
year we propose to celebrate the 70th anniversary of our first days
at the school. The lunch will be on Wednesday the 16th July
2014 and the regulars all plan to be there. We hope that anyone
and everyone who joined the school in 1944, whether or not they
have been in the habit of attending, will put that date in their
diary for 2014. All will be welcome, whatever the weather.
John Sparrow
CLASS oF ’54
Once again the 1954 intake held its annual reunion at the
Cheshire Cheese pub just off of the Strand near Aldwych.
The 20 who attended on the day are listed below (in alphabetical
order and not order of arrival or departurel). There was one
newcomer, Roy Stevenson, who had been traced through an
Internet search. He was delighted to have been "found" and will
soon become a member of the OSA. This was the 1st time we
had assembled 20 since the 1st reunion 9 years ago.
Our singing started early with a chorus of happy birthday for the
daddy of us all- Geraint Pritchard. Deutchers IPA was the real
ale on pump upstairs, which few of us were able to pronounce
properly even early on. It was though in excellent condition and
enjoyed by all of us who like our ale. After most people had been
fed we drank the usual toast to "absent friends". Alan Williams
and Nigel Chamberlain had sent apologies for absence and there
were no known deaths during the year to report.
A discussion then followed about how we can locate any more of
those we have had no contact with at all and whether we might
do something different next year. 2014, of course, will be the 10th
anniversary of our 1st reunion, or our "diamond reunion" of
joining Stationers' for those who prefer to think that way. There
wasn't a lot of interest in doing too much differently although if
we can attract back some ofthose who made the long journey the
first time as well as some newcomers a buffet style meal, perhaps
back at the Melton Mowbray in High Holborn, might suit us
better. A tour ofthe archives at Stationers' Hall could also be
organized for that morning if there was sufficient demand.
It was agreed that we would continue to hold the event on the
1st Tuesday of September, being 2nd September 2014.Continuing
REunion of the Class f '44 – Standing from left : David Mariano, Brian Kill, Stanley Ward, Ernie Stone, John Blakely, Arthur Field
Seated from left : Gordon Rose, John Sheen, John Sparrow, Antony Tight, Bill Croydon, John Miles
13

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
Martin Brown reminisced with
Tony Moffat regarding an event
when they were at Holloway
College for their "A" level biology.
Tony insisted that Martin should
stand up and repeat it to the
whole group, much to our
amusement. Martin did promise
me, on our way home, 3s 6d not
to print the story in this article.
However, Martin, I'm not sure
you'll now be able to persuade us
all to get up next year and tell a
story of Stationers' days. How
could we follow that!
Before people started to leave we
broke into song again with a
good rendition of the composite
verse. As I left at around 6pm (I
think) there were 4 hardy souls
left at that time.
Roger Engledow
Those present: Martin Brown, Roger Engledow, Doug Fussell, Bob Harris, Tony Hemmings, Mike Hiron, Ray
Humphries, Graham Ling, Tony McKeer, Roger Melling, Tony Moffat, Richard Phillippo, Geraint Pritchard, Brian
Simpson, Ian Smith, Roy Stevenson, Bob Townsend, Mike Weatherly, Peter Weeks, Andy Wick.
REuNioN oF 40 YEARS – 1973 iNTAKE'
On Saturday 21st September 2013, a small group of the 1973
starters at Stationers' met in Mayfield Road opposite the former
St. Luke's Church, forty years on from the month of September,
1973. A walk into Stationers' Park brought one to the Fourth
Terrace, no longer looking like a sloping area of tarmacadam
with numerous football pitches up and down the slope, but today
an area of trees, grass and footpaths. It was possible, along a
narrow path to reach towards the site of the Lower School
Building, taken over from Hornsey High in 1971 when Hornsey
High School (now the Hornsey School for Girls), moved lock,
stock and barrel to a brand new building in Inderwick Road. At
that time Stationers' took over Girls' Building in Weston Park as
the Lower School from that year, for years one and two as
Stationers' had increased to 1000 pupils. This building also had
more modern Science Laboratories than the Upper Building, as
pupils who attended Stationers' pre 1970 will know the Upper
Building as the Stationers Company's School. Chemistry was
taught on the Lower School site and Physics remained in the
original laboratories in Mayfield Road. Art was also taught in
tthis building as well as Technical Drawing. There was little
vestige of the original Girls' School on our visit, as facing
Weston Park is a block of flats, known as Abyssinia Court,
named after the former public house in Inderwick Road where
one or two small roads in Hornsey Vale once existed. These flats
cover the gardens that once were sited in front of the Girls'
School. A new Primary School is also on this site today facing
Denton Road. Only the Gym from the Lower school survives to
this day.
Retracing our steps southwards, again passing behind the edifice
that once was St.. Luke's, we made our way back into the Park
and went up the hill as far as the houses that stand on the former
site of the Upper Building. The exit from the Stationers' Park
was made by a gate into Denton Road below the position of the
Huts for third year forms. The high wall used for playing fives,
going up Denton Road was still standing as before, having stood
the test of time without being demolished as a reminder of the
eastern boundary of Stationers' Company's School. The walk
was made up the steep part of Denton Road observing the
position of the Gate immediately below Room 22 in the tower
of the 1939 extension added on to the original 1892-1894
building. Here was the entrance for those pupils who came on
the 8.05 from Potters Bar and walked from the station along the
Hog's Back, a walkway banned in later times. It was also the exit
for those on late departure at the end of the school day because
they had been detained in Room 15 with 'Gus' Thomas, for an
extra forty minutes for some misdemeanour; often more minor
than major as sometimes detentions were doled out like confetti!
perhaps to keep JHT company.
Continuing our stroll up to Ridge Road, we turned right and on
the flatter pavement reached in a short time the top of Mayfield
Road. The Amann Family lived in Number One. I believe father
and son had attended Stationers' and Charlie Street and his wife
lived in Number Three. Besides being the caretaker for the
School, there was a time that Charlie was the Staff Goalkeeper.
Houses stand on the site of the School Entrance and the whole
of the site of the original 1894 School. However, the brick wall
hiding the Rifle Range is also still standing, which brought us
back to the starting point in Mayfield Road. The difference
today from yesteryear, is that vehicles are parked nose to tail on
both sides of Mayfield Road from Weston Park to Ridge Road,
with one lane in the middle and very little opportunity for two
cars to pass each other anywhere than at each end of the road.
It was an interesting pilgrimage but even for those who left in
1980, it was thirty three years ago, and for me there was little
nostalgia as I had seen the destruction of the fabric and the brick
and concrete being actually demolished in the 1980s. It had just
left me cold on that winter's day seeing Room 16 open to the sky
as the building was torn apart by the swinging battering ram.
(Robert Baynes Book on the School). Today, was a reminder of
what had taken place there for hundreds of Stationers' pupils
over the period from 1894 to 1983 and most of them have much
to thank their alma mater for the education they received within
14

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
those hallowed walls. Old Boys we're proud to be Stationers'.
The small party of the 1973 Reunion returned to the home of
Tony Eade for excellent refreshment and much reminiscing of
their schooldays. Present were Mark Willison; Tony Eade; John
Lane; Michael Ttofi; and Michael Howell, School Captain in
1979-1980 and President of the Old Stationers' Association, and
Geraint Pritchard.
One person who certainly would have been present on such an occasion,
but for his untimely death as he was a inestimable friend of this group,
was Prakash Satyanarayana. Ed.
REuNioN LuNCH 1963 iNTAKE
We held our Anniversary Lunch on Friday, 4th October 2013 at
Harpenden Golf Club. It was an excellent occasion. Twenty four
Old Boys assembled in the bar in high spirits. Frank Clapp
proved to be an excellent host. For not very much money we
dined on leek and potato soup, beef wellington and sticky toffee
pudding accompanied by seemingly unlimited wine. We were
treated royally as we were transported back fifty years to our
schooldays. Terry Miles recalled every one of 'Beaky' Davis'
terrible jokes and puns. An impression of 'Gus' Thomas (“Get
your Pollies out!”) momentarily sent a chill of fear down the
spine of many diners. We questioned one another closely for
intelligence on our colleagues not easily traced. We thanked
Frank for his excellent victuals and hospitality then sang the
School Song.
After lunch we enjoyed the sunshine on the terrace outside the
dining room where group photographs were taken. We
determined to meet much more often in future, starting with the
2014 Old Boys AGM and Dinner.
Stephen Bensley
1963/1964 Meredith House
Reunion of '73 – From left to right:
Mark Willison; Tony Eade; John Lane; Michael Ttofi; Mike Howell.
Stationers' School Class of '63
Back row: Nigel Adams (Zonena); Frank Clapp, Bob "Ned" Segall; Terry Miles (hidden); Chris Bell; Peter Winter; Martin Lawrence; Maf Cavill; Keith Hacker;
Peter Thompson. Middle row: Derek Montague; Graham Vickers; Tony Little; Jack Grayson; Tom Waples; Pete Cavill. Front row: Nigel Dant; Alan Burgess;
Roger Lill; Dave Clark; Steve Bensley; Clive Jackson; Geoff Edis; Peter Gotham.
15

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
Deep in conversation
The Cavill twins arrive
Bob "Ned" Segall
Peter Winter, Keith Hacker & Geoff Edis
Nigel Dant, Geoff Edis, Chris Bell & the Cavills
Scrum at the bar
Nigel Dant, Frank Clapp & Derek Montague
Enjoying lunch
16

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
REuNioN oF 1951 iNTAKE
The 1951 intake enjoyed yet another Reunion, at the Cheshire
Cheese, Little Essex Street, off Fleet Street/The Strand. Those
present – L to R (see photograph – obligingly taken by Mo, our
genial proprietress) were:
Dave Cowling, Nigel Wade, John Partridge, Michael Brady, John
Taylor, Steve Ling, Richard Wilson, Alan Canham, David Turner,
Don Bewick and Dick Hersey.
Alan Marshall had been expected to attend but on the day had
to stand down due to his daughter's admission into hospital. Also
Peter Lloyd had hoped to be present from Northern Ireland,
where he has lived since graduating in 1964, when he formed his
company, specialising in acoustics, www.Lloydsound.co.uk – but
he is currently too busy fulfilling orders in the run-up to going
on holiday – also with the possibility of marriage on his agenda;
whilst continuing to enjoy joint ownership of a private aircraft!
Maybe 70 really is the new 50 for some of us!
Of the other “regulars” for the past couple of years – Dave
Rowlands – from Leeds, was unable to attend as his wife was due
to have hip surgery the following day – and there were also
apologies from the following:
Les Reardon, Michael, Skinner, Anthony Cirsch, Chris
Addington, Ian Moore, Bob Howis (from Switzerland), David
Davies, Bill Houldsworth, Dave Hall, Ivor Evans, Richard
Farrington and Michael Davis (from South Australia).
The meeting was perhaps overshadowed by the recent death of
Ernie Wilkins, to whom a toast was drunk – and it was recalled
that he not only attended last year, making the trip down from
Edinburgh, but was well enough to present the Duke of
Edinburgh Awards – held at the summit of Ben MacDui. It was
poignant to recall his typically humorous email sent to the
undersigned the previous year when this same duty meant he was
unable to attend:
Dear Don (re 2011 Reunion)
My programme for this weekend has now been
finalised and I shall be assessing twenty 17 year old
girls for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Gold
Expedition - it's all hardship (!) - part of which will
involve getting to the summit of Ben MacDui, 4295',
the second highest point in the UK. So, I will be
almost as close as it is possible to get to heaven -
without actually being at The Cheshire Cheese.
Please pass on my very best wishes to everybody.
Ernie
Don Bewick
Class of '51 reunion
Dave Cowling, Nigel Wade, John Partridge, Michael Brady, John Taylor, Steve Ling, Richard Wilson,
Alan Canham, David Turner, Don Bewick and Dick Hersey.
17

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
29th July 2013
alex.flemming@websmartware.com
Hi Geraint
In your article 'Far as you roam' you speak
of Ray Parsell. He and I along with Mike
Kahn attended South Harringay Primary
before coming to Stationers' in 1964. Tim
Grollman, to my knowledge came from a
Muswell Hill School and Graham
Hawkins definitely came from Rokesley.
Ray Parsell lived in Endymion Road
overlooking the then so-called American
Gardens of Finsbury Park up the road
from Harringay Stadium.
Greetings to Ray from me.
Later in the day.
Having thought about it for a while I
believe Tim Grollmann came from
Tetherdown Primary School.
Also Gail tells me you thought I was the
first member of the School to go to UEA
(University of East Anglia) First of all, I
went in the same year and together with
Geoff Aanonson. However, some four
years earlier his brother, John Aanonson,
1960-1967, had also gone to UEA to read
Chemistry. He must have been the first
one from our school to go there.
Kind regards
Alex Flemming
Dear Geraint
6140 Topsail Road
Lady Lake, FL 32159
bobpatten89@hotmail.com
July 31st 2013
Until I read his obituary in the most recent
issue of The Old Stationer, I did not know
that Doug Smith had died in Antigua in
December 2012. By coincidence, I visited
that island a few weeks later and I attach a
photograph of me demonstrating my
defective batting technique. In the
background stands Antigua's new test
match venue, the Sir Vivian Richard's
Stadium. I first played cricket with Doug
before either of us began attending
Stationers'. Even at that early age, he was a
remarkable fast bowler.
In the same issue, our President asks
whether anyone can claim to have been a
younger OSA President than you. I can,
because I was only 34 when I became
president in March 1972. Yet, at the time,
I saw my youth as a dubious distinction.
OSA Presidents should possess a certain
gravitas that can only come with age. They
should be at least 50. Rather than lobby for
CoRRESPoNDENCE
a rule change, I dealt with the issue by
proposing a vice president, who was more
than twice my age. He was Eric Coulson,
who was very active in the OSFC in the
1920s. He was 74 when he became
president the following year, and certainly
possessed heaps of gravitas.
Finally, I was thrilled to read that Dave
Metcalfe has just been honoured with a
knighthood. Clearly his performance in
academia has been more effective than his
performance in the Barnet mud, where
long ago he and I (in our role as midfield
dynamos) tried and failed to propel the
OSFC 5th XI to glory.
With kind regards
Bob Patten (1948-1953)
Dear Geraint
Bob Patten
20 Barossa Valley Way
LYNDOCH, SA 5351
AUSTRALIA
7th August 2013
Life here in the Barossa Valley is very
pleasant surrounded by miles of vineyards
and wineries. The vineyards change colour
as the seasons pass; all very nice. At the
moment it is winter, with the night
temperature getting to minus two, but
with the day temperature just below
twenty.
14th August 2013
Thank you for The Old Stationer No. 77.
Also I am still a corporate member of the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers and
have been since 1951. However, I am no
longer a Justice of the Peace after 43 years.
The Attorney General in his wisdom
required Justices over 85 years to re-apply,
so that was the final straw, so I resigned.
I am still the Librarian at the National
Motor Museum at Birdwood and have
been for twenty years. In that time I
created a Library System on the computer.
This was based on the system used by the
National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in
Hampshire. In that time I have entered
10,852 books in the system. Now they
have a working system not just a random
ccollection of books.
Peter Stopford
65 Cranhams Lane, Cirencester
Gloucestershire, GL7 1UL
Dear Geraint
It was very good of you to call and visit me
recently, it was nice to be able to recount
my days at Stationers' which I remember
with great affection. Over the years I have
lost many of my school friends but the
magazine keeps me in touch with people
and events. It is vastly different to the few
pages of S.O.B.A. that used to be attached
to the old school magazine. A great
improvement! I am pleased to be able to
tell you that my health is slowly improving
after my heart attack. I still have to take it
easy and hope that before long I will be
back to normal.
I think that it is a great tribute to the
traditions of the school that it should carry
on after its closure many years ago. Once
again thank you for coming to see me.
Yours sincerely
Owen C. Rowe 1930-1938
Owen Rowe is one of our oldest Old Stationers.
There are only three who started at Stationers'
before him.
Dear Geraint
16th June 2013
erkeithy@aol.com
As with Sir D Metcalf don't we have to
call Dave S “Sir Dave” on account of his
Papal Knighthood!!!
I am still in practice as a barrister – I span
6 decades, called to the Bar in 1969! I
believe I am the only Old Stationer ever
to practise as a barrister but I would be
very happy to be told I am wrong!
Still travelling – if by that you meant had
I given up driving! I'll have you know my
driving skills are legendary! Going to
Jersey for a week next month. It's a very
small island so I'm bound to bump into
the odd OS! Do you know of any OS who
lives there?
18

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
Yes indeed my brother was a contemporary
of Chas Cruden and Frank Abbott (and
many others who fortunately are still with
us). So he was 1953-1958 though his
attendances in the last term of that last
year were very few and far between! Gus
was his form master in that last year and I
was regularly summoned to his form room
to explain my brother's absence. I always
managed to give an explanation which
exculpated myself but didn't put my
brother in it! Good practice for my later
career! He was actually spending his time
at a musical instrument shop in Charing
Cross Road managed by our maternal
uncle Keith (Butchart) who was a
thoroughly bad influence according to our
Mum! Fortunately our Dad found him a
proper job with a film producer from
which he gravitated to record producing
with Pye then went to Polydor where he
ran their German operation in Hamburg
for many years.
He moved into music publishing some
time in the late seventies or early eighties
spending a decade with Chrysalis. He is
still very active in the business – he is one
of only 3 people who has attended the
MIDEM Festival [qv] every year since its
inception 51 years ago!
Dave Vicary (a recent new member) and I
do indeed meet two or three times a year
in company with my oldest friend, that
other Professor - Mike Heath – who has
been retired from his Chair in 16th
Century French Literature at King's
College for a decade and he has never
looked back!
The youngest of Mike's three sons (or
perhaps more accurately his daughter in
law) has just produced his first grandchild.
Mine – the first of seven and counting
came 16 years ago this August 14th – 9
months before my darling Sonya died. At
least she got to see one of them.
With best wishes and kindest regards
Keith Knight
July 6th 2013
Kraismandd@aol.com
I joined the school in 1939/40 and was
among the Wisbech evacuees. I well
remember the emotional parent's farewell
at Harringay Station. We were met at
Harecroft Road railway station, Wisbech
by a thin man with a florid complexion.
He was pushing a cycle and was in charge
of billeting. He introduced himself as Mr
Galleymore and said I was very fortunate
because my billet was located in
Leverington, a pleasant village within
cycling distance of Wisbech. I would be
staying with two other boys in a large
house owned by a leading member of the
community.
I cannot remember the names of the other
Stationers – perhaps they can help!
I phoned my parents after a couple of
weeks because I disliked the housekeeper
and as a result, was transferred to the
home of Shell petrol lorry driver Baden
Thurston and his wife Florence in
Clarence Road, Wisbech. This wonderful
couple came to regard me as an adopted
son. Their humble home was spotless and
meal time was plentiful and mouthwatering.
They became honorary members
of my family – Uncle Ben and Auntie Flo.
A few weeks ago I returned to Wisbech
with my son, Mark and granddaughter,
Talia because I wanted them to see where
I spent some of the happiest years of my
childhood. I pointed out my bedroom
window and showed them the outhouse
where the tin bath was located. Baths were
pretty cold in winter.
After the fish and chip lunch at a
restaurant on the Nene quay, which was
called Fitt's in our day, we walked to St.
Peters Church Hall where I had appeared
in school plays. I recall singing a duet with
Ken Williams...the song, Oh No John,
went something like this: “On yonder hill
there stands a maiden...” I believe Ken was
dressed as the maiden!
Last stop on our tour of the town was
Wisbech Grammar School . I informed
my son that it was at this school that a
Maths master called Taffy Hemstead used
to give me numerous detentions. I was a
rubbish mathematician.
After leaving this great school, I worked
on a local newspaper and later served in
the RAF at Air Headquarters British Air
Forces of Occupation in Germany. I was
later posted to RAF Fighter Command, a
few minutes from the home my wife and
I have occupied for 53 years.
I owe a great debt to my old school and
the Worshipful Company of Stationers
and Newspaper Makers because I took
account of their history when embarking
on a career in journalism. My first Fleet
Street post was at Reuters news agency
and I went on to become news editor of
the Sunday People.
I was asked to retire when I reached 68,
but newspapers still publish my work 16
years later.
Maurice Krais Caxton House
Hi Geraint
2nd August 2013
perring32@btinternet.com
Last Sunday we came home from spending
a week at our favourite hotel just outside
Hawes to find the latest O.S. Mag. waiting
for us on the door mat. Very interested to
read your latest 'Far as you Roam' as only
as recently as last Saturday we had spent a
fair part of the morrning on a seat under a
tree on Bainbridge Green only a few yards
from the cafe. Marvellous spot to watch
the traffic coming over the bridge into the
village whilst enjoying freshly baked cakes
and coffee. Of special interest were
hundreds of cyclists out to ride the route
of next year's Tour de France.
You also mentioned Piece Hall in Halifax.
I first heard of the Piece Hall in a
television series in 1970 made by the late
Ian Nairn. Nairn was a journalist with
special interest in architecture and one of
the angry young men of the 1950s.
Although little known today to the general
public his writing has influenced many of
today's architectural writers and critics.
He passionately believed that modern
architectural design, especially in the
expanding suburbs, was leading to a
uniform blandness and a loss of spirit of
place which was being hastened by the
urge of the post war planners to tear down
old buildings and destroy town centres so
as to 'modernise'. He made a series of TV
programmes - 'Nairn's Travels' in which
he highlighted much of the destruction
that was taking place. In particular he
went to the Piece Hall which the pictures
showed as derelict with the centre area
piled high with rubbish much of which
was being burnt.
His programme brought to national
attention that the building was listed for
demolition in the near future and through
this programme gave impetus to the
campaign then being waged to save it. We
paid our first visit to the building shortly
after it was restored and reopened when
there was a large Saturday market,
complete with local brass band, and the
place was full of life.
Trust you are still in good health as are we.
I am hoping to get up to London in
December to attend the Christmas Lunch
at the Hall. From Hereford we just get
two trains each way a day that use the
Cotswold Line. It means leaving home at
7.00am and catching a train from Ledbury,
changing at Worcester, which is the only
direct service that will get me down before
midday. If I miss that it means taking a
19

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 5
train to Newport and getting an express to
London via Bristol, and which I don't
really fancy.
Best wishes
Lucien Perring
More recently I have received a School Concert
Programme for December 18th and 19th,
1922 that took place in the School Hall, the
Library as those who were at Stationers' after
1942 will remember. The conductor was
Norman Collie. Lucien has unearthed this
treasure from his archives, as his father,
C.A.PERRING attended Stationers' and his
name appears on the progamme in the Band,
as playing the piano and also in item 5 Piano
Solo playing 'Premier Scherzo in B Minor' by
Chopin. Julian Perring also attended, Lucien's
brother, Julian Perring also attended
Stationers' from 1954-1961. Lucien was at
Stationers' 1949-1954.
9th August 2013
ian@sabookconnection.co.za
Greetings
Looking through an on-line auction in
Pietermaritzburg of old books, mainly
Africana, I suspect that the last thing any
one of us might have expected to see
would be The Old Stationer of Summer
1998.....the HW Symons Memorial
Edition. But there it was. I would have
bought it regardless but being Joe's issue
made it rather special. Particularly
unforgettable was his saying to me that
the letter purporting to have been written
by my mother might have worked bar the
for the fact that one doesn't fall UP the
stairs. My truancy (to watch an Arsenal
FA Cup replay) would be rewarded by six
of the best wielded by Josh.
He did have sympathy though, as Arsenal
had lost 2-1 to West Bromwich Albion.
What a man. What a teacher.
'Lot 456 was duly purchased for the
princely sum of less than 10p including
auctioneer's commission and VAT. I tried
to track down the mystery OS supplier
but only got as far as the dealer who had
purchased it in a job lot and had no idea
as to the origins. To my knowledge, we
don't have any OS in that area so it would
be interesting to find out how it got to the
auction.
Hope all is well
Best wishes
Ian Snelling
Ian, did you attend Stroud Green School with
others who went on to Stationers'? Ed.
Hi Geraint
10th August 2013
eclipse127@orangehome.co.uk
I was set somewhat aback by an item on
school buddies on page 22 of the July
2013 of the Old Stationer mag, as my
name Terry Miller was quoted on the
second paragraph down the page . Mostly,
I was called 'Dusty' Miller in those days,
and just about all the boys quoted I
remember well! Alan Berwick – Peter
Lack – Keith Ranger.
I wonder if any of the guys quoted are still
around?
Kindest regards
Terry (Dusty) Miller
Dear Geraint
16th August 2013
ronorn@extra.co.nz
Greetings and congratulations once again
for a real memory stirrer.
The beginning is a good place to start
with the President's pic and his story
inside. I too started off in Stroud Green,
my barber was in Mt Pleasant Villas near
the Stapleton Hall Road end and in the
late 30s and forties on e attraction was the
slot machine beside the entrance door
where one could obtain 2 Players Weights
cigarettes and a match for a penny in the
slot. From 1931 to 1937 I lived opposite
the Infants entrance gate of Stroud Green
School where I attended until I joined
Stationers' in 1937. There were a number
of us who made the move at or about that
time including OSCAR BLAKE, BOB
BARHAM, STAN WHINES,
NORMAN RYDEN, PETER NOBLE,
PETER HIGGET, JOHN CORPS,
STAN WADSWORTH, and RAY
BEARD who is in the photo on page 21
of the last edition Number 77, third from
20

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
the left on the front row. I am a little
confused as neither JOHN
MONNINGTON or ERIC
WAREHAM are in the photo although
they are listed in your note. They were
both in Wisbech in Dec.39 at the start.
Maybe it was taken in the home school as
I do not remember Ray coming to
Wisbech
Moving on I noted the presence of JOHN
MONNINGTON at the Annual Dinner,
he with his two younger brothers DICK
and TOM preceded me at my billet in
Victoria Road with the Bell family. The
couple were elderly by our standards but
with a 17 year old daughter. I think they
found three healthy enthusiastic boys too
much of a handful in their limited space
and the billeting allowance a strain on
their resources. They were Victorian in
their outlook and I got the impression
that they were concerned in the interest of
their daughter.
I also noted the presence of GEORGE
COPUS, HAROLD PERRY and
HARRY SPINKS of my era but missed
seeing PETER HODGSON, PETER
BULLEN and 'TICH' HEWITT on the
list all of whom I met when I came to a
luncheon when I visited in 2005? PETE
HODGSON shared a desk with me in
Form 1A and we went through to Form 5
together. He and STAN WHINES left to
return to London in 1942 and were
indentured as trainee accountants with
BRIAN COX another OS.
The correspondence section was
fascinating with your recollections of
Muswell Hill and John Robinson's and
John Bathurst's responses. Coincidentally
one of the senior staff in our retirement
village was raised in Muswell Hill and her
father served in the police force in Fortis
Green and Hornsey Police Station where
he worked with my wife's uncle.
Also the letters re 'The Guest' were very
interesting as I was stage manager for
both performances assisted by Peter
Jackson and Stan Whines in the Wisbech
production, and her letter. I do not know
which Wisbech paper she quotes from as
it is different from that published by the
Wisbech Advertiser, a copy of which I
attach.
Your contribution in 'Far As You Roam'
was really gripping in that you visited so
many places and folks that I knew. The
familiar names include ROBERT DIBB,
HUGH NEWTON, HUGH
STOCKWELL, TONY BUDD, brother
of DEREK and BRIAN both OS, and
DICK RUNDLE. Having lived in
Yorkshire before coming to New Zealand
in 1961 and having travelled around the
UK during our many visits since, your
journey and pics jogged many happy
memories. This reference leads me to tell
you that I shall be in the UK from the
11th September until the 3rd October,
unfortunately this time without my wife
who passed away last Christmas Eve, and
I'll give you a call. Having toured Morocco
in 1998 that article stirred me too.
The obituary for Gerald Bonner was so
appropriate. Before Wisbech I spent many
an afternoon at his home in Mountview
Road and was certainly similarly impressed
by the care and support that he and Nigel
gave to their mother who was such a
lovely person.
Lastly the list on the back cover was most
interesting as I had experience with 30 of
them at one time or another. That's
enough wittering from me, look forward
to catching up with you soon.
Kind regards
Ron Horne
SA 205 – 30 Ruakura Road
Hamilton East, Hamilton 3216
NEW ZEALAND
Phone +64-7-855-6468
We were very sorry to hear of the death of
your wife last Christmas which will have
brought back many memories at this
Christmas, Ron.
A CuT ABoVE
22nd August 2013
from the Surrey Mirror
Many congratulations to MARTIN
BURR of Merstham Football Club, on his
fine achievement at this year's
Groundsman of the Year Awards.
Martin was nominated in two categories.
Firstly by the Football Association in the
top six national awards, for steps 1 to 4,
Conference South to Isthmian League,
for which he received a highly
recommended award, and secondly, by the
Ryman sponsored Isthmian League,
covering all three leagues in that group,
for which he was awarded the runner-up
trophy.
Judging was carried out by FA inspectors,
who looked at each club's standards,
resources and equipment, and took into
consideration whether each applicant was
employed on a paid or voluntary basis.
The presentation was held at St. George's
Park, the home of the National Football
Centre, near Burton on Trent on
Wednesday August 7th.
Martin was unable to attend, due to prior
holiday arrangements, but Club Secretary,
Richard Baxter was in attendance to
receive the awards, on his behalf.
Delighted to hear of your success, Martin. Ed.
28th August 2013
jmarybonner@btinternet.com
Balvenie, Ditch Hill Lane, Shirenewton,
CHEPSTOW NP16 6RG
Dear Geraint
I moved here eight years ago after Nigel
died, 11 years ago, to be near my daughter
to help look after our grandchildren. I live
five minutes walk from them and it has
worked very well. The only Stationer I am
still in touch with is LAURENCE
LANGDON who has just sold his house
and is living in Lymington. Timothy
Taylor died some time ago. I know Gerald
kept in touch with JOHN ROBINSON
and I am sure that Gerald's wife Jane will
continue to do so.
Now to Oliver who is the son of our son
Martin. In 1958 I took Martin to South
Georgia to join Nigel who had left a
month earlier. Martin was four months
old when we left the UK. We had two and
a half years there as a family. Nigel started
research there in 1953. He spent three
winters and nine summers there leaving in
1962. In 1974 Nigel joined British
Antarctic Survey as Head of Life Sciences
and retired 1988 as Deputy Director.
Oliver was born in 1988 and went to the
Perse School in Cambridge. Leaving
school he did a year with Cambridge
Consultants on a scheme called 'A Year in
Industry', and then to Southampton
University where he read Electronic
Engineering and Computing and got an
Msc(Eng) after four years. British
Antarctic Survey appointed him on a
short term contract , as an electronics
technician looking after the atmospheric
radar equipment. He joined in July 2011
working at the Cambridge HQ. In
December he went to Halley Base, the
most southerly British Base. In April 14
winterers were left to keep the base going
and continue the science. In Feb 2013 he
flew from Halley to Cape Town and
home. He was in the UK a week when he
left to join the South Georgia Habitat
Restoration Project, as a volunteer. He
flew to Falkland and then by boat to
South Georgia . He thoroughly enjoyed
that and saw a lot of the island on foot and
21

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
by helicopter. He was also able to see the
museum that Nigel started and is going
fom strength to strength and to see King
Edward Point where we lived. Our house
is no more and it all looks very different.
He sailed from SG to Ascension in May
arriving back in UK in June,
Jennifer
Jennifer Bonner whose husband Nigel was
brother to Gerald Bonner whose obituary was
in the last magazine.
Dear Geraint
35 St. Stephen's Avenue
St.Albans, Herts., AL3 4AA
01727 851347
29th August 2013
I note with sadness the death of Gerald
Bonner. I was with Gerald – and Wilf
Baker, Eric Wareham, John Freeman and
others in the Arts 6th, 1942-43, my one
and only year at Stationers'. At Wisbech I
attended Hornsey County School until my
matric. in 1942, but then transferred to
Stationers' in London, as Hornsey County
no longer had the staff for 6th form work.
I subsequently lost contact with Gerald for
some years, but was able to renew it because
my wife knew his wife (before either of the
two was married) when my wife was was
German language assistant at Bedford
College in Regent's Park in 1956, and Jane
Bonner (as she later became) was a student
in the German Department there. Gerald
and Jane were both very helpful and
hospitable to me when I was last in
Durham, a few years ago.
I had only one year in the sixth, as I
managed to gain my Higher School
Certificate at the end of that year so as to
spend the next year as a university student
before I reached the call-up age for
national service at 18, when, in the
summer of 1944, I was sent to a
Nottingham coal mine as a Bevin Boy. I
thought that, if I had already spent a year
(1943-1944 as an undergraduate, I would
more readily be accepted as a student
after the war was over. I need not have
worried about that, as ex-service personnel
had no difficulty in getting into college as
post-war students. The Stationers' year
was the most enjoyable of all my school
years, although it was hard work to do the
two-year course in one. It would not even
have been possible, had I been in the
science sixth, as the extensive practical
work, plus the theoretical knowledge,
could not have been covered in a single
year. This shows how much more
demanding are science courses compared
with many arts courses – something
confirmed by my later experience at
university, where I studied first for a BA
and later for a BSc.
Anyway it was in the arts sixth that I was
taught at Stationers, and I had every
possible help and encouragement from my
teachers there. 'Bobs' Roberts was a
magnificent Latin teacher, and successfully
recommended me for the Latin prize,
which helped to pay my undergraduate fees
in the following year. 'Dickie' Dash did his
best with my French, which was not so
good, and 'Sacco' Englefield, who taught
me German, subsequently became a
lifelong friend. He was a truly remarkable
man, and, of all my teachers, the one who
has influenced me most profoundly. With
another of his pupils, the neuro-pathologist
David Oppenheimer whom pre-Stationers,
Englefield taugh at a private school in
Cheshire in the mid 1920s, I co-edited his
posthumous papers into three books, all of
which were duly published. The first of
them, Language, its Origin and Relation to
Thought appeared in 1977 (London: Elek/
Pemberson) and was the most successful of
the three. The New York publisher,
Scribner, was so impressed with it that he
at once brought out an American edition.
It is striking that nearly all the pupils who
became close to Englefield went on to read
for science, rather than for arts degrees,
although it was modern languages that he
himself taught. Doubtless it was his famous
school 'Bug Club', that led them towards
scientific studies. Nigel Bonner, Gerald's
younger brother, is an obvious example.
Like me, he became a lifelong friend of
Englefield.
I was intrigued by Sylvia Mogg's article
on The Guest in the issue of the Old
Stationer that recorded Gerald's death. I
was not involved in the production or
performance of that play, but I remember
Sylvia very well from my Hornsey County
School days at Wisbech. In 1941-42 I was
there in the fifth form, and she in the
science upper sixth. I did not get to know
her well, as she was so much my senior – a
difference of two or three years can seem
very considerable at that young age. Like
her, I was very fortunate to have had a very
good billet at Wisbech. At the time, I did
not realize what a sacrifice it was for my
hosts, who had three young children of
their own, to take in an adolescent boy as
if he were their own. Fortunately, by
keeping in touch with them until they
died, I could later express my gratitude. I
kept in contact with Hornsey County
School until its closure in 1952, but then
lost contact, which is remiss of me, for I
owe a great deal to my teachers there.
Sylvia says in her article that she would be
glad to hear from any survivors from those
early days, and if you can let me have her
address, I will write to her.
Best wishes
George Wells
11th September 2013
christopherbell238@btinternet.com
Good afternoon Geraint
Finally arrived back in the UK. On closing
e-mail account in the Falklands lost all
contact details so e-mailing on OSA
address to let people know new contact
details. Can you pass on to those that need
to know. Back in the old house in Bradford
on Avon.
Chris Bell
Hi Geraint
28th September
jleeming231@btinternet.com
You may have heard from other sources
that GEOFF RICHMOND has had a
successful liver transplant, and that he is
making good progress. This a quote from
his wife, posted on Facebook:
“Hello, I'm Judy Richmond, Geoff 's wife. He
would like you all to be informed that,
incredibly, after just over a week on the list he
has had a successful transplant on Monday.
All systems go and fingers crossed for
continued good news.”
That was last Monday, 23rd.
I hope all is well with you
Best wishes
John Leeming
Puybobe, 23200 St Alpinien
CRESUE, France
30th September 2013
carol.neil@orange.fr
Subject: Still you are Stationers..etc atc
Dear Editor
Today a copy of the Old Stationer turned
up in our letterbox here in Deepest France.
I think it came from Richard Phillippo,
who is about my generation (55-62) at
Mayfield Road and who recently emailed
me out of the blue. A nice surprise. I
particularly enjoyed your rather waspish
'Ed' notes in italics!
Any way to be brief, I am NOT an OS for
no particular reason apart from my
working life as an architect-planner in
some 20+ countries, now retired to France
bu still wielding the pencil and designing
22

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
buildings for expats and others.
I shall pass on the mag to my brother-inlaw
ROB FAULKNER, another OS, who
lives in Thaxted, Essex. We occasionally
offer a tentative version of the Composite
Verse to anyone who can't make it to the
door in time. In the meantime, even as
currently non-OS, I would be happy to
pen a few words about an Architect's Life
( I have doubled as a technical author and
columnist) for your consideration. I attach
a recent entirely self-promotional piece
just published in the local expat rag here
in the Creuse. Gives you an idea of what
to expect. (But I have written some REAL
books for Thames & Hudson etc.)
Bon courage with the mag. As they say
round here,
Bon amicalement
Neil Parkyn
Former RIBA RTPI FRSA Architect
Neil Parkyn: an introduction
In the course of a 40 year career as an architect and town planner, Neil has worked
in 19 countries, on projects ranging from rural schools in the Sudan, the largest
single-source housing project in Saudi Arabia, sites -and -services in Manila,
UNESCO World Heritage sites in Oman and public realm schemes in Britain.
For ten years he served as a Director of Colin Buchanan and Partners and as an
independent consultant he has worked with Atkins, Llewelyn Davies., Kinhill,
Maunsell, Arup, Halcrow, RMJM, Haliburton, Dar At Handasah and Ralph M
Parsons.
As a technical author he edited and eo-wrote Thames and Hudson's '70
Architectural Wonders of Our World', which has sold over 200,000 copies
worldwide, 'Superstructures' (Merrell) and several Guides for the Royal Institute of
British Architects. In France he has just completed over 90 watercolours + French
textforavolume ontheIndustrial Heritage ofthe Creuse for the Conseil General de
la Creuse. He has exhibited his paintings in London, Kuwait and in France.
He won the 1988 Award from 'The Publisher' for Best Specialist Columnist.and
hasserved asa Member of Council of the Royal Society of Arts and of the Royal
Town Planning Institute.
Dear Geraint
Great to have such a prompt reponse. Not
always the case with the Young 'Uns,
especially... I'll just quickly do the easy bits
before I forget. More to follow in a few
days.
ROB FAULKNER 33 Newbiggin Street
Thaxted Essex CM6 2QS. As you may be
aware, Rob's younger brother Ray Faulkner
died tragically young 15 years ago.
Puyboube is the name of our hamlet; St
Alpinien (= a local saint} is our small
Commune and Creuse is the 'forgotten'
department of France, between Limoges in
the west and Clermont Ferrand in the east.
I think you already have my fellow
architect OS DANNY BONE on board.
He must be about ten years younger than
me, and tells a good story about going to
the Head (still J.Nunn) about his
intention of studying Architecture and
being told something to the effect that
“Yes we DID have someone doing that a
while ago..” The 'someone' was me, but I
only met Dan and heard the story some
25 years later for the first time.
Cambridge, not Oxford... along with
Fenner, Bondy(?), Sweden, Carter, Hunt
etc... a bright year - but only making
Oxbridge thanks to J Gore, I suspect, but
also in my case the dry humour of JI
Morris.
Enough for now. Really pleased to make
contact
Bien amicalement
Neil
Looking up The Stationer Vol. XLIX No.3
December 1962, D.G. Carter, T.I.Fenner,
R.Harris A.P.Hunt, N.K.Parkyn and D.J.
Cottrill went to Cambridge. J.A Bondy went
to Oxford with Richard Phillippo; and
D.B.Sweden to King's College, London. Ed.
4th September 2013
derekandjanet34@btinternet.com
Dear Geraint
I have recently been in correspondence
with Miss Maggie Godfrey who was my
teacher at Stroud Green Junior School
between 1959 and 1961. She would be
delighted to hear from pupils who went to
Stationers' between 1954 and 1976 when
she took up her first post as Headmistress.
She has just celebrated her 80th birthday
and now lives in Potters Bar.
Her email address is maggie056@live.co.uk.
I trust that I find you in good health and
enjoying the fine weather over the past
few months.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Derek Mitchell
7th January 2014
derekandjanet34@btinternet.com
Hi Geraint
Further to our conversation I list below all
the Old Boys that I know who went to
Stroud Green and the year they went to
Stationers'. Apologies for any errors.
JOHN GEERING 1953; MIKE
GEERING 1955; JIM LLOYD 1959
(sadly deceased); DEREK MITCHELL
1961; COLIN LEACH 1961; COLIN
JOLLY 1961; STEPHEN COLLINS
1962.
PHIL GEERING was at Stroud Green
from 1955 to 1956 when the whole
Geering family moved to Winchmore
Hill and he moved to a local primary
school. As we already know our illustrious
President, DAVE SHEATH, was also
briefly at Stroud Green about 1949/1950.
If any others come to mind I will let you
know. Look forward to seeing you at the
Dinner in March.
Kind regards
Derek Mitchell
Dear Geraint
27th September 2013
johnclarkeward@msn.com
It was good to see you again yesterday and
have a chat about times past at the School.
I started at Stationers' in September 1958.
We were living in Wood Green at the
time but soon moved to Enfield Town
from where I travelled to school on the
train from Enfield Chase – cycle to the
station or on the 629 trolleybus and walk
up Umfreville Road, Harringay. Either
route was completed by a walk along the
Hog's Back footpath from Quernmore
Road to Ridge Road and overlooking the
Hornsey railway sidings.
My first form master was Mr
'Hitler'Phillips – nicknamed only because
his moustache and slick black hair; he was
a good maths teacher and a nice man. He
took us on a school outing to watch a test
23

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
John Ward
match at Lord's in the sum,mer term
1959. I clearly remember when Mr
Phillips gave us our first timetable with
the names of the masters, there was a
double outbreak of hilarity when he
announced that our woodwork teachers
were Messrs. Naylor (laughter) and
Slogett (uproar). These were the names of
some of our subject masters – History:
Major 'Raz' Halls; Geography: Mr 'Uncle'
Topley; French: Mr 'Beak' Davis; P.E.: Mr
'Sid' Holmes; Music: Mr Clover.
For the next four years my form master
was Mr 'Peanut' Bartlett who also took us
for maths. Other subject masters were:
English Lang. And Lit. - Mr 'Gus'
Thomas; Physics – Mr Grant; Chemistry
– Mr 'Eno' Andrews; and Latin – Mr
'Johnnie' Gore.
As time went by I also enjoyed learning
under Messrs. 'Jim' Morris – English;
'Sam' Read – Geography, and 'Wally'
Betton – Latin. Other masters' names
have faded from my memory.
I was in the Lower and Upper Sixth - our
desks were on the stage – under Mr
Morris studying English Literature and
Latin for 'A' Level (all to little avail). For
a double period each week I had a solo
session with the Headmaster, Mr Baynes
on Comparative Religion. I didn't put
enough effort into my sixth form studies,
probably because I was continuing to
indulge myself in extra curricular activities
such as helping with school plays,chiefly
costume/wardrobe and set-dressing but
also assisting MICK BERG on lighting.
The productions I remember most were
The Government Inspector and Twelth
Night where I also had programme and
front-of house functions.
For some years I had been helping Mr
'Joe' Symons to compile the school
magazine and I did the initial proofreading
and correcting the printer's galley,
learning to use all the correct printers'
marks for the amendments required
(good stuff for my future career). As an
extension of that I also put together the
fixture cards for the soccer and cricket
seasons and did the admin around the
annual cross-country run. The Head
asked me to be the school's representative
on the Public School's Debating Society;
I'm not sure how the school benefited
from this but I enjoyed going to meetings
at top-notch establishments. I enjoyed
being a prefect and reading the scripture
text in Assembly but never knew how I
managed to make the grade.
Good friends at school included MIKE
FITCH, STEPHEN PLATTEN,
STEPHEN TREW, ROGER WOOLF,
MICK BERG, LORI FELLINGHAM,
COLIN KEAM-GEORGE, ALAN
CALDER and many others. Platten and I
put on an end-of-term entertainment
called 'TV Night of the Stars' which was
a send-up of various television programmes
of the time (around 1963) including Juke
Box Jury and That Was the Week That
Was.
After leaving Stationers' I joined the
newly-created Haringey Council as a
trainee and went through various
administrative roles before going into the
Committee Section looking after the
Education Committee. The Conservatives
were in control during my first two years
on Education but then in 1971 it became
a Labour Authority. A career move took
me to Islington Council and servicing
their Social Services Committee which
included the responsibility for council
housing; I sort of specialised in the
children's services side of the committee's
remit. After little more than a year I was
back in Haringey, again with the Education
Committee and its many off-shoots. That
coincided with changes in secondary
education and I remember attending a
meeting with members of the Education
Committee and trustees of the Stationers'
Company about the future of the School
and what part the Company would be able
to play in supporting education in the
borough after the school closed down.I
also did a lot of work in connexion with
the formation of Middlesex Polytechnic
which was controlled by a Joint Education
Committee involving people from Barnet
, Enfield and Haringey Councils; meetings
took place around the boroughs and in
some institutions that formed the
polytechnic – a very interesting period.
After several years immersed in the rather
introspective world of education I took on
Planning and Development Committee
which was extremely interesting because
the Council at that time was trying to
look at everything from airports and
railways to industry and employment with
travellers community centres, and the
Haringey Central Area Redevelopment
also in the mix. I was introduced to Her
Majesty the Queen when she came to
Wood Green to open the Shopping City,
originally a very swish development with a
futuristic road plan that never came to
fruition because of the reversal in policy
over demolishing homes in order to build
roads. I suppose it was a life of meetings
and the proceedings thereof, but it took
me to many interesting places, like 10
Downing Street, and allowed me into the
company of many fascinating people,
including Ken Livingstone, Princess
Anne, and Monsignor Bruce Kent –
separately of course. These events all
seemed so momentous at the time but are
so insignificant today.
From the late 1980s onwards I was
progressing along a management career
path and became the Business Manager
of the new Contract Service department
with several thousand staff that did
everything from schooldinners to street
cleansing. When the time came for the
Council to take on new powers of parking
enforcement, for some reason that now
escapes me I said “Yes” to the request to
set up the new service and became the
borough's parking manager. I very soon
learned not to tell people I met outside of
work what I did for a living. Who hasn't
got a parking ticket story to tell?
Looking back on my career after
retirement in 2004, I would sum it up by
saying that I served as a general
adminstrator and writer in the public
service; I was fortunate to have been able
to put to good use many of the skills and
abilities I picked up during my
extracurricular activities at Stationers'
Company's School.
Outside work, I helped to set up, and for
several years was very active in, the
Muswell Hill Friends of the Earth, and
have been a long-standing member of the
Hornsey Historical Society. I was a
member of the Buildings Committee of
the Victorian Society for ten years from
1995 and was an active member of the
Twentieth Century Society, both reflecting
my interest in architecture and historic
buildings. Moving to Norfolk in 2005
meant that attending frequent meetings
in the capital was no longer practical but I
retain my memberships and read all their
publications.
24

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
With best wishes
John Clarke Ward
By the way , the group that meets twice a
year for dinner at a venue in London
comprises any ten of the following Gerry
Ashton; Bob Assirati; Mick Berg: Alan
Calder: Lori Fellingham: David Fisk;
Michael Fitch; Roger Forder;Stephen
Gaubert; Philip Holland; Peter Langridge:
Peter Miller; Archie Reeve: John Ward: Ed
Winter And Roger Woolf.
2nd October 2013
peter.sandell@hotmail.co.uk
To: Geoff Blackmore; Bob Fry; Patrick
Curwen; Pat Cossey; Jim Buckland; Jim
Smith; Alexander Grogan; Richard Forty:
Subject: MALHAM
A fine body of men (or boys); whatever
became of them all !?!!
Richard Forty sent it to me.
Regards
Peter Sandell
This photograph was taken on the Malham
Lower Sixth Form Field Trip in July 1971 at
the end of my first year teaching at Stationers'.
I believe it was taken not far from Ribblehead
Viaduct where the B6479 from Horton in
Ribblesdale meets the B6255 road from
Ingleton to Hawes. Those of you who attended
this annual course in subsequent years may
well have had the opportunity to take up the
challenge of the Three Peaks. This was a walk
of 24 miles to be completed in 12 hours
starting at Pen y Ghent Cafe, Horton in
Ribblesdale and clambering up first Pen y
Ghent then Whernside and lastly
Ingleborough. All three peaks are photographed
in Magazine No.77 page 25. However, this
was my first trip to the area with sixth form
from Stationers' and such a challenge that year
was not on the agenda as I was just discovering
the overall potential of the Craven District
for future trips! In the photograph are, back
row from left to right GEOFF
BLACKMORE; JIM SMITH; ALEC
GROGAN; JIM BUCKLAND; and from
left to right front row, RICHARD FORTY;
PAT COSSEY; BOB FRY and PATRICK
CURWEN.
GEOFF BLACKMORE, a former President
is a very active member of the OSA, as well as
PETER SANDELL. JIM SMITH has
never been far from the Old Stationers scene.
PAT COSSEY, I have been in contact for a
few years now as a result of Peter Sandell's
diligence in tracking him down through
google. Only very recently at the OSA
Christmas Lunch at Stationers' Hall did we
have the opportunity to catch up with
RICHARD FORTY and BOB FRY whom I
had not seen for very many years. In fact
Richard Forty has just joined as a member of
the OSA. STEVE PRESLAND, although
not a geographer was also present at the
Christmas Lunch. We send Steve our
congratulations on his recent wedding. JIM
BUCKLAND; PATRICK CURWEN and
ALEC GROGAN, I have not seen since
1972. There is a chance that they may turn up
at the REUNION that is planned for those
that started at Stationers' in 1965, when it
happens in 2015 to celebrate fifty years since
that year group started in the first form.
Thanks to Peter Sandell for circulating this
photograph. There were other members of the
sixth form also attending this course, who
were on another activity at the time. Ed.
WHERE ARE You NoW?
Requests are often made by members
and relatives of former Stationers'
pupils with whom they have lost
contact. It may be that an Old
Stationer reading these pages, is in
contact with the former Stationers'
pupil or knows of his whereabouts.
Willow Tree House , Ditchford Hill
MORETON IN MARSH
GL56 9QS
alan.green61@btinternet.com
13th August 2013
If you are to do a 'Where is he now'
article, I should be interested to know if
anyone recalls MALCOLM KING, who
joined Stationers' in 1953 and who would
have left school in 1957 as his parents had
a sudden split. I still have to this day
Malcolm's original letters from that time.
He was a stocky fellow with wavy black
well creamed hair and lived in Wightman
Road.
Alan Green
Sixth formers on the Malham Field Course, Summer 1971
41c Wolseley Road, Crouch End
London N8 8RS
7th December 2013
Dear Geraint
Following the letter about Frank Dickens
in 'The Old Stationer' No.74, I enclose a
'Bristow' cartoon (pictured overleaf ) from
The Evening Standard some years ago
with a reference to the Stationers'
Company.
I hope everyone gets the joke!
I also enclose a mention of Colin
Chapman and one of his school reports
that were published in the AA magazine
'Drive' in 1969 (overleaf ). Colin is famous
as founder and manufacturer of LOTUS
cars.
Best wishes
Richard Hudson 1964-1971
25

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
'The Elusive Smith'
My Dear Hon. Editor
14th August 2013
dwest@iinet.net.au
Tel. 0417928028
My good pal Doug West, living in Perth
WA for the last thirty years, wishes to
know if anyone can shed any light upon
the Old Stationer named below:
GERRY SMITH started at Stationers' in
1953 almost certainly continued into the
6th form. Big bloke, 6ft tall and sported a
crew cut. Good sportsman and main
outside school sport was Ice Hockey at
Harringay. Joined and enjoyed CCF. Has
never been an OSA member.
Best Wishes
Alan
There is no doubt that Gerry Smith stayed on
to the Sixth Form. Magazine Vol.XLVII
No.3 December 1960 gives his achievements
as being awarded a State Scholarship in
Summer 1960 in Applied Mathematics and
Chemistry; one of eleven in the U6 awarded a
State Scholarship that year – the highest
achievement by any year, I believe, for the
number of State Scholarships. The names of
the other high achievers for this qualification
were: R.D.Andrews (m,am); R.Brown
(el,gn); A.Cooper (m,c); P.W.Critten (el,l);
R.Harris (m,am); G.A. Mears (m,am);
R.J.S.Muir (l,f ); A.F.Nafzger (h,l); E.
Secemski (m,am); G.A.Smith (am,c);
B.M.Wehrfritz (m,am). Two of these were
not of the 1953-60 year group, so there were
actually nine of this year group, as Robert
Harris was in the Lower Sixth gaining a
State Scholarship – a remarkable achievement
and George Mears was in the third year sixth.
Overall in this year group, 1953-1960, more
than a third gained two or more Advanced
Levels; and probably there were only
approximately 35-40 pupils in the sixth form,
as a number of able pupils in this year group
who could have stayed on to the sixth forrm,
left at the end of the fifth form to enter the
professions with five or more O levels.
To date of this 1953-1960 year group, Ralph
Batchelor; Robert Brown, Anthony Cooper,
David Cox; Pierre Essaye; Keith Fielder;
John Geering; Alan Green; Wyndham
Griffiths; Michael Hasler; James Hayman;
David Metcalf; Alan Nafzger; Peter Redman;
Anthony Richards; Ernest Russell; Chris
Seabrook; Ian Snelling; Brian Stovey; Geoff
Tapping; Tony Taylor; Richie Tyley, are one of
the larger year groups of members, with 22
members of the Old Stationers' Association. It
Article from 'Drive' AA Magazine, new year 1969
is interesting that this group is yet to have a
Reunion, considering its tremendous success
on the Football Field at Winchmore Hill
between 1953 and 1960 and its brilliant
Academic Record at Stationers'!
There are often requests from offspring for
details of parents or grandparents whom they
know to have died but have become interested
26

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
in finding out about their families. One of the
more recent requests was by Nic Sansom for
details of his father John Frank Sansom born
in 1926 and therefore arrived at Stationers'
circa 1937. In recent time our archivist David
Turner has been busy answering queries of
such a kind.
The magazines that exist from about 1914 to
about 1954 have been almost continuous,
even termly, in including a section on
'Welcome' and 'Farewell' even during wartime
apart from the odd issue in 1939-1942.
However, some bright spark on the editorial
board, circa 1955, decided that the list of new
pupils was not important and decided not to
include them. Perusing the December
magazines from 1955 to 1960 there is not one
list of pupils for the new entry in the September
of those years, a tradition that had been
always a significant part of the magazines for
over forty years!
Shame on that misguided individual or was it
a collective decision; but an individual must
have proposed the idea!!
Finding out a quick answer as to when a
former pupil was at Stationers', the 'Welcome'
and 'Farewell' lists were, and still are the most
used and therefore the most important parts
of the magazines. Only recently we had a
request for information by C.J.Kershaw about
his father J.B.Kershaw, born on 12.8.1900.
Well, it is not too difficult to work out that
CJK joined Stationers' in 1911 or thereabouts
and left in about 1916. No magazines
available till 1914, but except for the
'Welcome' list they would not have been
significant in tracking down this lad.
However, if any Stationer excelled at sport,
football, athletics, cricket or swimming and or
if not, appeared on an academic list
particularly in the fourth and fifth years, not
too many stayed on to the sixth in those days,
their names are etched on the hallowed pages
of the School Magazine. Such is the case of
John Brian Kershaw, who had an illustrious
career in the field of sport, who was 'Victor
Ludorum' obviously excelling in athletics in
his time at Stationers', and a first eleven
footballer. There are many references to him in
magazines of 1915 and 1916. “I have the
plaque exactly as the stained glass shown on
your website, so I know he went to Stationers'.
The plaque is for 'SPORTS Championship
1916 J.B.KERSHAW'. I will photograph the
plaque'. Are there any pupil records available
of J.B.Kershaw?” Regards C.J.Kershaw. Ed.
TWo oLD STATioNERS' FAMiLiES uNiTED... BY MARRiAGE!
In what is not without precedent (*see footnote), the families of
Old Stationers John Macara (1928-1938) and Andrew Forrow
(1960-1967) were this year brought together by the marriage of
John's granddaughter, Beccy, and Andy's son, Duncan. The
wedding took place in a civil ceremony conducted at Devonshire
Square in the City of London on September 14th2013. For those
who know the City, the venue is one of many restored warehouse
buildings to be found, down New Street or Cutler Street,
between Liverpool Street station on Bishopsgate and the historic
Spitalfields Market.
The Wedding Venue
Devonshire Square has fascinating history. In 1768, the East
India Company bought land on New Street for warehousing. Its
first building stored raw silk, piece goods and textiles from
Bengal. Further parcels of land were acquired and more
warehouses constructed right up until 1820. By then, the famous
old trading company owned most of the area and property that
the Devonshire Square Estate occupies today.
When the East India Company's trade monopoly to China
ended in the 1830s, the complex of warehouses was sold to the
St Katharine Dock Company.
The most valuable goods were stashed in the Cutler Street
warehouses, where the forbidding fortress-like walls and the
fireproof construction afforded excellent protection. Ostrich
feathers, chinaware, oriental carpets, cigars, tortoiseshell, silks,
mother of pearl, clocks, watches, cameras, drugs, spices, musical
instruments, perfumes, tea and other-prized artefacts were stored
here. (All sorts of useful commodities for Old Stationers'
gatherings we expect)
At one time, Cutler Street was the premier tea warehouse for the
Port of London Authority. But by the 1950s, most of the tea
business had been moved to the London Dock, and the space
was given over to casks of wine, port and sherry. (Again, highly
regarded by most Old Stationers!)
The Happy Couple
The lovely Bride was born in Buckinghamshire and attended
Chesham High School for Girls before enjoying her University
education at the University of Sheffield. Her Degree has led her
to her current position as Research Manager for a leading
educational charity, the Hansard Society, which works in the UK
and around the world to promote democracy and strengthen'
parliaments. This is where Beccy organises events and projects to
increase the understanding of political institutions, especially
among young people.
27

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
Duncan was born in Hertfordshire and attended Verulam
School in St. Albans before going on to Southampton Solent
University as a prelude to a successful career in business
development for companies operating, most recently, in the
sphere of geological and land use mapping with The Geo
lnformation Group which is a private company that 'specialises
in the provision of maps in the form of accurate and high quality
image databases. These include aerial, Hi-Res, 3-D and historical
maps for the professional market, Beccy and Duncan both
enjoyed the more conventional form of secondary education that
will be familiar to those of us who went to Horney High or
Stationers' in past generations. Their successful careers since
have proved the value of "our" kind of schooling! The Couple's
home is in Hackney where there is access to many pubs, theatres
and restaurants which both enjoy. They cycle the streets of
London, often using Boris bikes to get around.
The old Stationers
John Macara, school years 1928 -1938, was born and brought up
at 20 Denton Road opposite the lower school gate -convenient
for cocoa at morning break. Never late!
John entered the lower prep, under the guidance of the renowned
Miss Preston, and then moved to the upper prep, where his
education was governed by Miss Sherrington and John then
became form captain of Form I for the first year of Beaky Davis,
who needed to be taught the traditions! John needed three
attempts to matriculate because of poor French teaching. He
read telecommunications at City and Guilds, Imperial College,
then moved on into the RAF as Technical Signals Officer for five
years; where his responsibilities included such exciting places as
the Normandy Beachead, Germany, India.
School sparked an interest in History which continues to this
day. Sadly, none of John's school friends who went into the RAF
aircrew survived the war. In the aftermath of the war, people
went in different directions and many contacts were lost. John
played for the OSFC but gave up on marriage in 1948. He
became a Chartered Patent Agent and founded Mathisen
Macara & Co., which continues strongly and successfully today.
John retired in 1983 to take up cruising. He now lives in
Beaconsfield.
John has welcomed Duncan, and Andy and the rest of the
Forrow family to the McGregor Clan, best known (besides John
Macara's membership) for Rob Roy and a long history of cattle
thieving. John knew immediately upon meeting Duncan that he
would fit in very well with the clan!
Andy Forrow was at Stationers from 1960-1967, a member of
Meredith House, mentored by Joe Symons and Stan Reid at the
peak of their careers. Like John Macara, he had played football for
the OSA 7thand 8thXl's before retiring upon his marriage, in
1971. Andy studied Business & Marketing at The City/Sir John
Cass Business School before a long career in the pharmaceutical
industry. He has been a Member of the OSA since the mid-1980s
when introduced by Old Stationer Mike Challis, (1945-1951).
Mike was Uncle to his wife Sue and Great Uncle to Duncan and
his Brother and Sisters. Andy served on the Committee of the
OSA for many years, including several as Treasurer, before
"selection" as President in 1998 (there being no other non-Past
Presidents around the table when the vote was taken!)
Both families are proud of their association with the School and
the OSA, just as they are proud of the excellent young couple
who are now Husband and Wife! Congratulations, Duncan &
Beccy, and good luck, "as far as you roam!"
Footnote: * (at least one precedent for this happy occasion being the wedding of
the Son, Andrew, of Ray Perrolls (1932-1935) to the Daughter of John Wilkins
1943-1948)
REVoLuTioNARY CHANGES iN YoRKSHiRE
In the light of the decision of
the General Synod agreeing
on the 9th July 2013 to
diocesan reorganisation in
the dioceses of Bradford,
Ripon and Leeds, and
Wakefield, even though
Wakefield diocesan synod
had voted against it, this
would mean that the Right Reverend Stephen Platten (pictured)
would no longer be the Bishop of Wakefield, after April 2014.
'Mentor bishop' for Yorkshire
Church Times, November 15th, 2013
A former Bishop of Southwark, Dr Tom Butler, has been appointed by
the Archbishop of York as a 'mentor bishop' to give advice to John
Tuckett, who is directing the creation of the new diocese of West
Yorkshire & the Dales. Dr Butler retired in 2010, and lives in
Wakefield. Bradford diocesan synod has given its consent for him to
become Acting Diocesan Bishop during Bishop Baines' sabbatical, from
February to April, when the new diocese comes into being.
The Right Reverend Stephen Platten is to be Rector of St. Michael's,
Cornhill Church, City of London and an honorary Assistant Bishop in
the Diocese of London. Stephen will take up his position at St.
Michael's in July, 2014. This in addition to his new post as Chair of
The Central Hall at the University of York where the Synod sits
the Hymns Ancient and Modern Charitable Trust which he will
assume at the end of January.
We send you our good wishes, Stephen, as Rector in St.Michael's,
Cornhill and look forward to enjoying your presence as clergyman in
the family of City of London Churches. Ed.
28

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
A TuRNiNG PoiNT
City New Year Service -St Michae1, Cornhill
Friday 10 January 2014
On this very day, in the year 1645, Archbishop William Laud,
then Archbishop of Canterbury fell victim to the executioner.
Laud was a complex and intelligent man but no politician, and
only four years later -not quite to the day -his Sovereign, King
Charles I would lose his head to the axe man, on a scaffold
outside the royal palace in Whitehall. It was the culmination of
seven years of bloody war between King and Parliament,
between Cavalier and Roundhead, between Charles and
Cromwell. Laud's death on this day in 1645 was a turning point.
This New Year will be but the beginning of five years of
commemorations of an even more ugly and brutal war. But I
would like to take to you back to a slightly less distant war
recalling an event which again came right at the year's end. On
the night of December 29th 1940, Tom Deakin, Edith Cooper
and her son George, emerged from a blazing building. It was the
headquarters of the Cellular Clothing Company which used to
make Aertex shirts, sportswear, blankets and all the rest. These
three had been on fire watch at the Aertex building on the corner
of Fore Street and Moor Lane, in what we now call the Barbican.
Tom said to Edith, his sister-in-law, "Come -let's go down
here," pointing to the right. Edith, as if by instinct, said, "No
we'll go left." Seconds after they moved away, immediately
behind them, a blazing building fell into the street. It was a
miraculous escape, and it was a turning point.
Edith was my grandmother, Tom my great-uncle and George
my father. Well into my childhood, looking out from a pockmarked
Moorgate Station towards St Paul's Cathedral, all that
could be seen were ruined basements with weeds and scrub
growing amongst them. Recalling my father telling that tale
always makes the City of London somehow assume an even
greater significance for me than it would have anyway. In so
many ways that story, that place and that event (in the midst of
what is often described as the second Great Fire of London)
seems to have been a true turning point. Indeed without my
grandmother's instinct I should not be here at all! There were, of
course, many turning points in Hitler's war. Churchill famously
remarked after the Battle of Britain had been won: 'This is not
the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is the end
of the beginning.'
Today's second reading from John's Gospel touches on just such
a turning point. Yet, despite this, the story of Jesus turning the
water into wine has almost become a cliche. You can imagine as
a clergyman I've often been
told: 'We need you to talk to
your boss and stretch your
hands over some water -this
wine tastes like gnat's pee.'
Clergy can themselves find
the tale an embarrassment.
One of my predecessors as
curate tried to explain the
miracle -or indeed explain it
away. 'It was not,' he said,
'that the water had been
changed into wine but
rather that the guests were
so drunk that they couldn't
tell water from wine.
As you can imagine this
caused uproar. The vicar
sacked the curate and was
then called in by the bishop
to say he couldn't do that
-he didn't employ him
anyway! The director of
training was brought in to
explain modern biblical
scholarship and biblical
criticism -and so it went on.
What was the curate's
mistake? His mistake was to
misunderstand the significance,
the point of the
story.
What is the story about
-why is it there? There are
two tell-tale sentences (in
what we heard) that give
clues to what the miracle is
about. They come at the
29

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
start and finish of the story. Let
us look at the last sentence first.
John the Evangelist tells us: 'This
was the first of his signs, his
miracles, which Jesus did in Cana
of Galilee, and manifested his
glory.'
So, then, the miracle is almost the
opening act in John's Gospel. It
raises the curtain on a new world.
In it Jesus'glory is made plain.
Now second, back to the first
sentence of the story: 'On the
third dcg there was a marriage in
Cana of Galilee 'John mentions
the two days before this, but he
mentions the third day not simply
to keep Jesus' diary sorted. No, the
third dcg is an allusion to Jesus'
resurrection which happened, of
course, on the third day. It was
Jesus' resurrection which finally
pulled up the curtain on a new
world, on a transformed universe,
on a transfigured humanity within
which Jesus is the first and perfect
exemplar: God's power to redeem
humanity is made manifest. In
John's words, Jesus' glory is
manifested. It was a turning point.
So where does this leave us?
Every now and again I accompany
my wife to the supermarket.
Often due to my incompetence
in searching for the beef stock
cubes or the kitchen towels she
says: 'Oh, go on -off to the playpen.'
The play-pen is Sainsbury's
or Waitrose's wine section. That
keeps me quiet and occupied.
Wine, however, despite the dazzling choice, the attractive labels
and all the rest is not essential to our diet. But the story of Jesus
and the new wine says something different. For the symbolism in
this tale about wine is almost as powerful as you'd find. It is a
symbol of a most remarkable turning point. Plain water in huge
pitchers is transformed into gallons and gallons of outstanding
wine -premier cuvee, appellation controlee, best vintage and all
the rest. Here is abundant grace and a world transfigured by God.
This all happens because of the appearance of Jesus in his
Incarnation.
Seventy three years ago, on the corner of Fore Street and Moor
Lane, saw a turning pointing within a very localised human
frame. This past year may have seen a glimmer of an economic
turning point at a fraught time in our national fortunes. But as
we celebrate this New Year we recall a turning point of infinitely
greater power, in God. Economic turning points, social and
political turning points, cultural turning points are essential to
our future. But without the deepest spiritual roots these will be
as nothing.
That event on that night in 1940 they have allowed eventually
for my birth. But the incarnation and resurrection captured in
that story of the miraculous wine tells a story new birth for all
humanity. It spells out the true turning point which is at the
heart of the entire tradition of European Christian Humanism.
This great city has been one of the key nurseries of that tradition.
How can that same rich tradition energise, that is -give soul, to
our city as we embark on this New Year? How can it mark a
seminal-even radical-turningpoint? How can it be, in the words
of Dean Alington's hymn 'tidings of a new creation for an old
and weary world?'
Amen
FAMiLiES oF PRioRY RoAD AND iTS
ENViRoNS BY A FoRMER RESiDENT
Dear Geraint
Kelvindale, 8 Nutwood, Frith Hill Road
GODALMING, Surrey GU7 2HG
I received a letter recently to inform me that Muriel Burgess had
died. I don't expect that will mean much to many Old Stationers
but she had lived at 141 Priory Road for well over 50 years. To
30

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
me it represented the final link with Priory Road, the road in
which I grew up for we as a family lived for many years at 137.
But to begin as they say at the beginning, we arrived in Priory
Road from Glasgow in January,1947 at the start of a cold winter.
Stationers' was long away away at that moment, Rokesley and
Crouch End Juniors had to be tackled before starting at
Stationers' in 1953.
At 139 lived the Tapleys and their son Norman Tapley attended
Stationers' in the mid 1940s before moving to Mill Hill. At the
top of Priory Road, going towards Muswell Hill, there is a parade
of shops and above one of these lived Alan Berwick. Who went
to Stationers' in the late 1940s.
The Tapleys left Priory Road in 1962 and in
their place came John and Maisie Lane
accompanied by their son who could only have
been a year old. John Senior was a banker
(NatWest Bank Muswell Hill for many years)
who followed Spurs. At 135 lived Hugh
MacCulloch, also a banker, who followed
Arsenal and as a result, communication between
135 and 139 was non existent.
In the 1950s the Aanonson family came to 143
Priory Road and their sons John and Geoff
Aanonson went to Stationers' in the 1960s. It was
good to meet up with Geoff again at the annual
dinners. He now lives in Walthamstow. John
Lane Jnr. followed John and Geoff to the School
in the 1970s.
Going down Priory Road towards Priory Park,
scene of many a sporting encounter, lived Don
Bewick and Dick Hersey, both keen cricketers as
I recall, who started at Stationers' in 1951.
Around the back of Priory Road was Farrer
Road, leading to the junction with Park Road
and Cranley Gardens. Richard Hayes, John Bayley
and Peter Jolly lived here. They were a little older
than me and our gardens backed on to one
another. Our garden, amongst other things, was
used as a cricket and football pitch with only the
odd broken window for my father to complain
about. Occasionally it became a rather bumpy
putting green. Peter Jolly, who lived directly at
the back of us, took this a stage further, one day
driving a golf ball from his garden into my
sister's bedroom. Fortunately, she was elsewhere
at the time.
I don't profess this list to be exhaustive. I have
not mentioned those who lived nearby in
Danvers Road, Warner Road or those who lived
in Park Avenue North and South. Certainly
many Stationers came from this area walking,
cycling or catching the 233 bus to and from
Ridge Road.
Richie Tyley
I'm sure a member can take up this story where
Richie has left off, to refer to other Old Stationers
from this immediate area and include the other
activities associated with the Moravian Church and
other churches and youth clubs in this area; or in fact
another area where there are a few or many who attended Stationers'
in some part of Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Wood Green, Harringay or
Winchmore Hill. Thank you Richie for your contribution to this
edition. Ed.
31

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 5
FAR AS You RoAM
A WELSH oDYSSEY
A forecast of an Indian Summer for early September
suggested a short break was called for. I had often promised
myself a re-visit to North Wales in the hope of eventually
getting to the top of Snowdon. I had tried unsuccessfully
twice before, but was frustrated by high winds and low clouds.
On both occasions, the train had taken us as far as the halfway
station and then returned with fierce mutterings from the
disgruntled passengers. Accordingly, half our fares were
refunded but it goes to show you can never trust Welsh
weather.
So it was with hope and some trepidation on a bright sunny
day that I headed up the M40 and M6 to my base in
Caernarfon where I had booked in for three nights. The
motorway journey was as boring as usual although stops for
coffee and a Big Mac helped to relieve the tedium. Skirting
Chester, I vowed to return there at some stage as I have never
seen the city but have always had good reports of its interesting
history and buildings. The North Wales Expressway lived up
to its name and I was soon checking in to the "Black Boy
Inn" situated within the town/castle walls. The car park was
somewhat tight, but I did manage to manoeuvre into a small
space. A friendly passer-by, who had watched me backing and
filling, commented that it was stupid to have built those walls
so close to the car park. Edward the First has a lot to answer
for.
The Black Boy, reputed to be one of the oldest inns in North
Wales was built in about 1522, a couple of hundred or so years
after the castle was built. The origin of its name is not known
with any certainty with various suggestions such as an
immigrant off one of the trading ships using the port, a black
buoy situated in the harbour mouth to guide ships in and a
reference to Charles I , sometimes known as the Black Boy,
who is supposed to have visited this royalist town. Of,
perhaps, greater interest is that Northgate Street, where the
Black Boy is located was once the centre of the red light
district. It is said that for 4/6d in old money, you could have a
room, a bottle of gin and the services of a lady of the night.
Prices today are rather higher or so I was told! A satisfying
dinner of considerable proportions and a comfortable bed
ended my first day.
Wednesday dawned bright and sunny. Was this my chance to
achieve my objective? After a full "Welsh" breakfast, similar
to an English or even a Scottish one, except that lava bread
was an option, I set off for Llanberis, a twenty minute drive
and the station for the train up the mountain. There is a
facility to pre-book and pay for a ticket online. With the
vagaries of Welsh mountain weather I cannot understand
anyone, unless they are of a gambling nature, mad enough to
pre-book. How wrong can you be! Approximately a hundred
intrepid souls had obviously tried their luck so I found myself
waiting a couple of hours before they managed to squeeze me
in the elderly carriages which are such a feature of this 117-
year old railway. Pushed by one of the original steam engines,
we wended our way slowly up with the views becoming more
and more dramatic as we climbed. It takes about an hour to
reach the summit and you get 30 minutes to admire the
fantastic panorama. If you miss your scheduled train back,
you have the option of waiting for a spare seat on a later train
or walking down. As I don't do walking, I made it my
business to be sure of my return journey. In spite of this time
limitation, you get the chance of taking in the amazing sight
of rolling mountains, steep valleys, the scars left from the old
slate quarries and, if you strain your eyes seawards , a glimpse
of Snaefell on the Isle of Man. Also, quite fascinating , is the
expression on the faces of those brave or foolish enough to
have made the climb on foot. I am told that it takes a
reasonably fit person about 3-4 hours to get to the summit
and you can almost tell from their demeanour how fit they
were. Expressions of joy, exhaustion, satisfaction and a
generally knackered look were all present. I just stood there
feeling smug.
The journey down was just as thrilling, although I was unable
not to be concerned at the braking ability of such a venerable
locomotive. A quick bite to eat in the Railway Cafe sealed my
delight on achieving what I had set out to do for all these
years. However, as I now had a free afternoon I decided to
venture into Anglesey, a short hop across the Menai Strait via
Brunel's rail/road bridge. I drove through Beaumaris, the site
of a sister castle to Caernarfon, and continued to Penmon
Point at the north-eastern tip of Anglesey at the head of the
Menai Strait and looking over to Great Orme and the
Victorian seaside town of Llandudno where my parents
apparently spent their honeymoon some 90 years ago.
After a short walk around the point, I spotted a small cafe
advertising cream teas which I can never resist and as it was
still sunny and warm, decided to sit outside and indulge. I
went to the counter to order and was asked if I wanted tea
with my cream tea. I gave an affirmative response whereupon
he advised me that, unfortunately, he only had teapots for two
people, but not to worry as he would only half-fill mine. I was
lmpressed at this attention to portion control but then he
spoilt it by also providing me with a large steaming jug full of
hot water almost twice the size of the teapot. The cream tea
was delicious and very thirst quenching.
I have always been a bit of a railway buff probably stemming
from my formative years trainspotting at Hadley Wood,
watching the Gresley A4 Pacific thundering into the tunnel
en route to Scotland. Incidentally, when I visited the Railway
museum in York earlier this year, I saw 4 examples of this
famous locomotive, including one shipped over from Canada
a few days previously. On a slightly smaller scale is the Welsh
Highland Railway, a 25-mile narrow gauge line running
between Caernarfon and Porthmadog, which has been the
subject of a major restoration project. The line, closed in 1936,
has been progressively re-opened from 1997 and finally
restored in 2011. The route runs through the foothills of
Snowdon and touches on old slate quarries which were its
raison d'etre in the first place finally terminating in the old
port of Porthmadog, from whence the slate was exported
around the world. Its narrow gauge allows the line to negotiate
the steep hills, rising at its highest point to 648 feet(197
metres) just west of Beddgelert, the largest village served and
a former mining centre.
I could not let the opportunity of riding the rails go by, so the
next morning, under a cloudy sky, I boarded the 10.00 train at
Caernarfon for the 2 1/2 hour trip to the far end of the line.
The views were not so impressive as those on yesterday's
32

Snowdon excursion, partly due to the weather and partly due
to a lack of height. However, chugging through the
countryside, crossing over the streams, entering the woods and
the little settlements along the way made for a most pleasant
morning's adventure. Refreshments were served on board by
one of the many volunteers who keep the trains running
throughout the summer season and perform the necessary
maintenance when passenger traffic ends. These volunteers
are also in the process of restoring a former South African
locomotive originally designed for crossing the deserts of
South-West Africa and now destined for the rigours of the
wet North Wales. It is due to enter service in 2015.
As mentioned earlier, the town of Porthmadog owes its
existence to its location between the mines and quarries of the
interior and the proximity to the sea. It became, not only an
export centre but also a shipbuilding hub and was renowned
for a particular type of sailing vessel able to carry heavy loads
of slate and negotiate the winding and shallow river which
flowed into the sea. This smattering of history I picked by
visiting the maritime museum in the old town. I made the
mistake of asking a simple question of a rather bored looking
curator who immediately came alive and subjected me to a
half hour's dissertation on the qualities of Welsh slate, the
detailed construction issues of ship-building and the twinges
of rheumatism he was currently experiencing. The rumbling
of my tummy allowed me to escape before he could tell me of
his other ailments and I thankfully sought out a nearby eating
establishment.
I decided to return by bus which would make a pleasant
change and allow me to see more of the countryside than you
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 5
A BiG "THANK You" To JoE SYMoNS
can when driving. Interestingly, they do not accept an English
bus pass in Wales as, as pointed out to me by the driver, the
English do not accept Welsh ones. So much for the
independence movement! The journey was pleasant enough
until a few miles short of our destination, the bus turned off
the main road into a village and then into the bus garage. The
driver had a chat with his mates, then pulled over to the fuel
pump and proceeded to fill up. Mission completed, he drove
out into the main road and asked us all to dismount and take
the bus behind. Somewhat baffled by this procedure, although
the locals took it all in their stride, I complied with his request
and boarded the replacement, which soon sped away and
finally delivered us back to Caernarfon. Not quite what you
would expect from London Transport.
All good things come to an end and I set off the next morning
for the drive home. The six-hour drive gave me time to reflect
on my short visit to Wales. The most striking thing for me
was the wide use of the Welsh language among all generations.
In my ignorance, I have always believed it was only used by
older people in the more remote villages. Not so; waitresses,
young shop assistants and youths in general all seemed at ease
and had obviously been brought up bi-lingually. Similarly, all
road signs are displayed in both languages which did make it
a little difficult at busy junctions. The scenery is spectacular
provided the weather is kind and there are many options
available for the agile and not so agile. The natives were very
friendly, even if a little garrulous, but all in all, a trip well
worth taking and certainly a place to come back to.
Raymond Chew
In 1959 I chose Geography as one of my 3 "A" level subjects.
A region of the World had to be agreed on to study for a
separate section of the exam paper. I don't remember whether
it was a unanimous decision but South America was chosen.
After 2 years (and a pass in the exam) I had become fascinated
by the jungle/rainforest of the Amazon Basin. I never really
lost that feeling and desire to experience what it was really
like.
So, more than 50 years later, I decided to find out. An itinerary
was agreed with The Real Peru Co after a few e-mails and the
necessary payment made.So I set off very early on the
morning of 4th June for a "holiday of a lifetime".
TuESDAY
There don't seem to be any direct flights to Lima from
Heathrow. The options are either via anywhere in the USA or
changing planes in a European capital. On the basis of cost
and timings I chose to use KLM via Amsterdam, despite
having to start off in the wrong direction. From Amsterdam
the flight to the Peruvian capital was 12 hours, due to arrive
early evening, local time. I took advantage of my window seat
whilst we were crossing Brazil. The weather was clear and
from 6 miles high the Amazon was easy to see. As I kept
watching the Rio Negro came into view. The confluence of
this dark water river joining the white water of the Amazon
was amazingly clear. This was a memorab
WEDNESDAY
I hadn't allowed any time for sightseeing in Lima though my
2 taxi journeys did use different routes. After an overnight stay
and an early start I took an internal flight to Puerto
Maldonado in SE Peru (after crossing the Andes). This is a
small scruffy town and the last view of civilization for some
days. My Star Peru flight was an hour late with no explanation
as to why (as were both the later flights I had with them).
There was now a short time to sort out luggage. Everyone had
been asked to bring a smal1(er) bag for this part of the trip
with only the clothes etc needed for the next 6 days. I had
packed a bag inside a bigger bag and this worked remarkable
well.
There were now 16 tourists with 3 guides packed into a
20-seater bus. We were driven for about Yi hour to the Rio
Madre de Dios. We clambered aboard a long rowing boat
with a bench seat both sides and an outboard motor at the
back. With safety jackets on "the holiday starts here". The
weather was sunny, temperature upper 70s and the water not
too cold. Lunch of rice with vegetables, wrapped in banana
leaves, was quite tasty.
The journey to Refugio Lodge took 2 hours. The river was
wide (wider than the Thames) with jungle on both sides.
There was no other river traffic although the occasional small
boat indicated indigenous peoples living nearby. Apart from a
few birds the first sign of wildlife was a small group of
capybara. These are the biggest rodents in the world - and as
a part of the rat family you wouldn't want them any bigger
(certainly pig size)!
On arrival we were shown to our 3-walled rooms - the 4th
33

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
being a view of the jungle about 10 metres away! There was a
mosquito net over the bed and a hammock in the room. My
guide was Yuri and he was looking after 2 elderly Americans
and me. On a trip like this you get to meet people from all
over the world. Amongst the 13 others are a couple from
Downham Market and a family of 4 from Northampton.
Our 1st expedition was a walk to an 80 feet canopy tower.
From the top you could look down on the trees but it's the
middle of the afternoon so not much activity. Then we walked
further on to an oxbow lake. Yuri paddled us slowly round the
lake. We just missed the Peru cricket team; at least I assume
that's why there were 11 bats on a tree trunk! There was a
variety of birds and by cheating (throwing food into the
water) we got a close up of some fish. The yellow ones
jumping out of the water were piranhas, according to Yuri.
After dinner we took a night-time boat trip to see a couple of
pairs of caiman eyes (part of the croc/alligator family). On the
way back we all got good photos of a pink-toed tarantula. It's
blue other than the toes.
THuRSDAY
Only 1 night here so another boat journey ahead. This one
will be 4 hours to the Tombapata Research Centre (TRC).
There are very few tributaries to this river but it does change
to the Rio Tombapata. The scenery was mile after mile of
rainforest but was fascinating as it is ever changing. It's early
in the dry season and the river was wide, often not very deep,
but seemingly endless. The only other river traffic was
returning tourists. Everyone/everything gets to the TRC by
boat or not at all. After another "rice in banana leaves" lunch
we arrived at "the side of the river". There was virtually
nothing to indicate any form of habitation.
However, a 10 minute walk took us to the TRC, which
included our lodgings. Again the 4th wall of my room was a
view of the jungle 10 metres away. Monkeys, macaws and wild
boar (you always meet some on holiday, but, at least these
weren't British!) could be seen close up at different times.
There were 18 rooms so less than 40 tourists at a time.
The "research" is into the lives, and particularly the feeding
habits, of parrots and macaws. The birds eat clay! The
researchers are trying to establish whether this is because they
don't get enough sodium from their natural diet or because
the other minerals in the clay aid digestion. The answer may
well be both so they might be here for a while! The profits
from tourists helps to finance the project.
FRiDAY
At 5.20 am the next morning, shortly before dawn, a group of
a dozen or more congregated at the entrance to the Lodge.
Then the world started to come to an end! At least that's what
it sounded like. An echoey sort of roar, a bit like being outside
a terminal at Heathrow, started and grew louder and louder.
Yuri explained that it is a howler monkey. "How many?" he
was asked. "Only one" he responded. It seemed unbelievable
that anyone creature can make that much noise. The monkey
must have been very close because each time I heard it again
it was a tremendous din but not quite like that first time.
We walked down to the boat and after a short ride disembarked
onto an island. After a short walk we sat down (on picnic
chairs we brought with us) to wait, quietly. There was a water
channel in front of us and rainforest on the opposite bank. To
either side of the trees there were short steep banks of clay.
These were probably 100+ metres from us. At about 6 am, as
it got light, a parrot flew by. Then 2 more. Then a parrot
squawked and so it went on. Over the next hour more and
more birds congregated and the noise level rose continuously,
such that, for the 2nd time this morning, noise became one of
the abiding memories. The macaws in particular were
spectacularly colourful. Eventually a few parrots flew to the
"clay lick" and started to eat the clay. These were followed by
many more parrots and macaws. I could see what's happening
through my binoculars but my poor camera didn't show much.
Until, that is, one of the research staff put my camera lens into
the eye piece of his telescope - and then pressed "video". I got
2 minutes of the most spectacular action.
Late morning and late afternoon we took 2 more walks to
subtly different parts of the rainforest. One led to the top
ofthe only higher ground around and gave a beautiful view
across vast areas of forest. It started to get dark around 5.30pm
at ground level but above the tree tops it was still clearly
daylight. There are profusions of butterflies too and they also
seem to like eating clay Being in this environment is what I
wanted to experience.
Yuri was excellent; his English was good and he knew his
stuff. He'd been here before and knew how to tickle a
tarantula (without pink toes) from its lair and only "local
knowledge" enabled us to get a (rather dark) photo of a
porcupine in a tree. Yuri really was "Dr Doolittle" as the noises
he made were often responded to by various birds and animals.
On our return to the Lodge I casually asked Yuri when Peru
was to play Ecuador (in a World Cup qualifier). Kick off is
9.15 tonight after the talk from a volunteer with the research
staff. "Is there a TV here?" I asked "and surely the generator
goes off at 9.30pm". "There is, and not when Peru play" was
his response. So I became the only tourist to join the Peruvian
staff at TRC to watch Peru win 1-0. Yuri was happy!
SATuRDAY
It's just Yuri and me for the rest of my stay. In the morning we
visited a swamp area of the rainforest. Yuri recommended
wellies and he was right to as the mud reached just below the
top of them. It was tough going as most of the mud was pretty
thick. For the afternoon Yuri arranged for the TRC volunteer
and a Peruvian member of the team to take me with them. We
went by boat to an island not visited by tourists. They were
34

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
recording parrot activities for 10 minutes at a time at 3
different spots on this island, which is done 5 times a month.
When they'd finished I was asked if I would like to go back
the long way round. "I'm up for anything" I replied. So we
continue on our path instead of retracing our steps. Soon we
reached an edge to the island and started back along the
beach. This soon ran out and we had to clamber up into the
jungle. The Peruvian has a machete and literally hacked his/
our way forward. Twice more we got down onto the beach for
a while and then back up for another good hack. It was hard
work but great fun. The boat driver starts calling on a walkietalkie
as it was being to get dark. Eventually we reached the
boat with just a little daylight left.
Tony, the volunteer, was doing biology post grad studies in the
USA and was something of an entomologist. He showed me
a moth sitting exposed on a leaf This was because a virus has
got into the moth's brain to make it think this is a good idea.
When other moths came close to see why it's there the virus
released spoors to "capture" another moth - and so the world
goes round. Walking back from the boat in the dark we
spotted a line of termites crossing our path. Then I spotted 2
frogs sitting having their dinner! It can't be often that dinner
serves itself! I haven't seen lots of animals (as there were in
Kenya last year) but a lot of the life in the jungle is plant and
insect life. There is a lot of both of those.
SuNDAY
Breakfast was at a "normal" time for a change. I gave Yuri the
morning off so that I could do something I never do at home
- relax. I've a good book, a comfortable hammock (not in my
room) and can watch monkeys, macaws and wild boar, all of
which came quite close because there is so little human
activity. In the afternoon we visited another tower built to be
able to see above the trees. The climb was about 80 feet
vertically with 3 metal rings for safety! It's mostly birds that
can be seen and heard but there were also plenty of butterflies,
even this high.
When we got back Yuri explained that the journey back to
Refugio Lodge the next morning leaves around 10.30 am and
breakfast will be at 4,45. I express some confusion.
His reply was "don't you want to go "the Peruvian equivalent
of jaguar hunting?" I'm up for anything so an early breakfast
it will be.
MoNDAY
We joined another couple and their guide for a 90 minute
boat trip looking for signs of jaguar or occelet (smaller cats).
The river often changes its course over a period oftime
depending on the effects of the rainy season. I am intrigued by
the whole thing.
Eventually we stopped and walked around an area that was
newly formed and will grow into rain forest over the next few
years. There were fresh paw prints but no sightings available.
The TRC is about 800 feet above sea level. The rivers I have
been on flow into Bolivia and on to Brazil; becoming part of
the Rio Madeira and join the Amazon itself East of Manaus.
At this point the Amazon is about 3 miles wide (which is why
it was easy to see from my plane seat).
The journey back to Refugio Lodge was quicker as the current
is with us, but it's still rice in banana leaves for lunch. On
arrival Yuri suggested we visit a farm based across the river.
The old farmer has lived there on his own for 15 years. He had
a generator to create electricity but no TV and thereby no
35

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
means of entertainment. He has cultivated several acres and
now grows most fruits. These are sold to the Lodge or in
Puerto Maldonado (a couple of hours downriver).
TuESDAY
After breakfast I returned (by boat of course) to Puerto
Maldonado and my journey to experience the Amazon
rainforest was coming to an end. I am delighted as I have
thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip.
It's a long way to go for 6 days in the jungle so I'm now
looking forward to part 2 of my adventure. This started with
a (1 hour delayed) flight to Cusco - the tourist centre of Peru.
This town is set in the Andes at around 11,000 feet, so the
altitude may take some getting used to. I did have a slight
headache at the back of my skull for less than 24 hours but
nothing worse. I therefore didn't see much need for their
famous coca leaf tea (the basis of cocaine).
My hotel room was somewhat disappointing with only 1 tiny
window high up in a corner that would have had no view even
if the glass had been clear. Julio, my local contact, had shown
me where to find a couple of bars and I got to one just before
3.30 pm i.e. just in time for Columbia v Peru kick-off. There
were a surprising number of women watching who all got
quite excited whenever Peru attacked. I think I might have
been on a promise if Columbia had not won 2-0. Peru's
chances of qualifying for Brazil next year also disappeared!
WEDNESDAY - FRiDAY
The next morning I walked the short distance to the main
square. I did this slowly as hurrying leaves one breathless and
my purpose in being here was to get used to the altitude. The
period leading up to their winter solstice is carnival time. The
streets round the square were full of old(er) people from the
surrounding villages, dressed in their local colours, parading
and dancing around the square. On another day all the groups
are school children, similarly dressed, walking and dancing
along. A spectacular sight to welcome me to Cusco.
The next day and a half was spent on a city tour and a visit to
the "sacred valley". This involved looking at lots of old (1000
- 1500 AD) Inca sites, all despoilt in some way during the
Spanish invasion. The site local to Cusco is the "Sexy Woman"
(actually known local as Sacsayhuaman - but how else would
you pronounce that so that tourists remembered?). The Incas
were clever people in how they moved stone around and in
their building techniques. Lots of Spanish buildings were
destroyed in a major earthquake in the 16th century but most
the Inca buildings withstood it.
SATuRDAY
Adventure no. 2 here I come; but the day didn't start well. I
got up at 5.00 am and was due to be collected in lIz hour. How
can any hotel, knowing more than 1 guest needs an early
breakfast, serve cold toast? We stopped to pick up 6 people, a
French couple in their 20's Olivier and Aurora, 2 American
girls also in their 20's Stephanie & Karen and Frank &
Caroline, both 56 year old Belgians. Our guide is to be Carlos
and we were setting out to spend 4 days walking the Inca Trail
to Machu Picchu.
This is a 30 mile hike with 3 nights at campsites. I was told
we will walk 5 hours the 1st day, 7 hours on day 2 and then 9
hours before our last stop. Day 2 involved going through a
36

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
pass at 13,776 feet! No wonder I tried to get used to being at
altitude. I was going to carry a light backpack with a few
personal items including water and snacks. Tents, sleeping
bags, food and all the paraphernalia to cook and serve it are
carried by porters - 8 in total, including the chef Only 500
people are allowed to start the trail on anyone day, including
porters and guides. Day 1 started at about 8,500 feet and was
not too bad as we got to know each other whilst walking. The
1st campsite was much the same height as Cusco at around
11,000 feet. It was my 1st night in a tent since the old king
died and I slept badly.
SuNDAY
We started day 2 after an early breakfast and the path was
steep uphill all the way. Much of it was steps which themselves
are high and often make you cross the path to ease the legs. It
was a silent walk; no-one had enough oxygen to talk as well as
walk. Taking it slowly and stopping frequently were absolute
necessities. We were due to reach the highest pass before
lunch. When I got within sight of it (a couple of hundred
yards to go) I started to feel a little light-headed. Not good, I
thought. Although I was last in the group I took things even
slower. Stopping frequently and breathing deeply. On arrival
I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't feel euphoric about the
achievement but did feel somewhat emotional.
Now there was some downhill at last. Some of this had rocks
on either side of the path so that I could use my hands and
effectively scramble down. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of
the whole hike. I'm last at the next campsite too. We all went
to bed soon after dinner. The food was OK but nothing
special, too much rice and pasta. I had been told that the meals
would be based on potato, which would have been interesting
as Peru cultivates more than 4,000 varieties.
MoNDAY
After a much better night's sleep (it had to be) we faced a long
day's walking with plenty of up and down. There were 2 more
passes to go through; the 1st at 13,000 feet and the 2nd at
12,000. The muscles on my legs weren't aching when I got up,
even after all the effort needed for yesterday. Today was hard
going, just because it was so long, we must have covered at
least 13 miles and by the time I reached camp I was tired.
Next morning my muscles did, at last, ache. A feeling that
took me back to football training days!
TuESDAY
Today was utter madness! Aurora understood English but was
not very confident to talk in it. Even she was moved later in
the day to ask me why it started as it did. I was unable to
explain in any language as I simply didn't know. We were
woken at 3.30 am and given a "packed" breakfast to eat later,
so that we could start walking at 4 am. We walked for 5
minutes and then joined the queue at a departure control
point. This was due to open at 5.30 am!! Once we were on our
way (having eaten the cheese sandwich) we had a 2 hour walk
to "The Sun Gate". This is where you get the 1st view ofthe
ruins of Machu Picchu. I wasn't as impressed as I was
supposed to be, probably because we were still a bit too far
away to appreciate what we were about to experience (and I
wasn't wearing my glasses).
On the way down I was walking just behind the 2 American
girls. Steph suddenly threw her hands into the air and Karen
cried out "oh my god". The man walking up towards us went
down on one knee and clearly proposed to Steph. As it was
her boyfriend, although she had no inkling that he would be
there, she accepted. All very romantic, I thought, but how do
you top that with the honeymoon? I then saw someone close
to my own age for the 1st time for a few days. I realized that
they too had walked up from Machu Picchu (having got there
by train and bus) and that the Belgian couple, at 56, were
probably at least 15 years older than all the other walkers, with
one exception!
On arrival Machu Picchu was an amazing site/sight. It is a
huge ruin of a town built on top of a mountain. The Incas
knew how to move huge rocks and how to build with
interlocking pieces and sloping walls for strength. The
Spanish ruled Peru for 200 years but never found this place,
which is why it is so well preserved. Carlos explained a lot
about the place but the day was too hot so that, after the start
we had had, no-one had the energy to go round taking more
photos.
However, The Real Peru Co had booked me into a hotel in
Aguas Calientes, the tourist town at the bottom of the
mountain, with a ticket to return the next day The bus journey
up and down must be one of the longest zig-zag roads ever
built and took the best part of half an hour. It rained after
lunch but the joy of a warm shower and hotel bed were just
wonderful!
WEDNESDAY
The weather was wet again in the morning (the only place it
had rained the whole time) but once I had travelled back up
(above much of the cloud) I was raring to explore with camera
at the ready. I'm a bit of a heathen when it comes to old ruins
but this place was fascinating. And my legs feel really good
today. Eventually I returned to Aguas Calientes for a leisurely
late lunch and then a train journey, along the river valley, back
to Cusco. It was a nice slow ride with windows set in the roof
as well so that the dramatic Andes scenery can be enjoyed to
the full.
During the trip I had to "suffer" a couple of name changes
and I don't mean my long surname. Peruvians can't cope with
the soft "g" in Roger. So I was usually referred to as Roy ..er.
The guide on the walk, Carlos, seemed to get it right for a
short period and then probably forgot my name completely.
So I simply became, to the amusement of the others, "father".
This was most defmitely nothing to do with how many times
I asked "how much farther Carlos?" - I never had enough
breathe to spare!
THuRSDAY iFRiDAY
The train ride was the start of a very long journey home. I
spent another night in Cusco at the same hotel and then
caught a morning (1 hour late) flight back to Lima. I was still
much too early for my flight back to Amsterdam. This was 12
hours overnight and after a short hop back to Heathrow and
a couple of trains I was home early Friday evening.
This had been two fantastic adventures in one holiday. My
lust to experience the Amazon rainforest slated after more
than 50 years and a walk that may stop me from ever again
saying that I like walking up!
Roger Engledow
37

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
A SEABRooK WEDDiNG iN SouTH AFRiCA
Chris's son Andrew spent some years in the UK and much
time with his aunt, uncle and cousins in Hertfordshire, so he
sent wedding invitations to all six of them. To his great
surprise, or perhaps horror, five of them replied in the positive.
The sixth had previously attended his sister's wedding a few
years before and had work commitments. A busy week was
arranged and on Thursday February 28th Aunt Diana, uncle
John and cousins Matthew, Robert and Suzanne congregated
at Heathrow for the overnight flight to Johannesburg. Dad
had to be the centre of attention so stubbed his toe with
resulting blood flow. Plenty of time had been allowed to check
in baggage have a meal and many cigarettes to top up nicotine
levels for the long flight at 20.30.
Friday 1st March 9.45am arrive Johannesburg. Met by Chris
& Sylvia. Transported north to Benoni to join convoy of bride,
groom and guests to the wedding location at Witbank. This
journey was not the best introduction to South Africa for
those who had not, or were too young at the time to remember,
visited before. Through the industrial north of Johannesburg
and past the power generating stations and coal mines. Lunch
was taken en route and the actual wedding location, beside a
lake, was idyllic. Two very large houses were being used as
accommodation and after socialising at both, and preparing
and consuming an evening meal, everyone congregated at the
local pub, which was to be transformed next day into the
wedding venue. Later Suzanne had a baptism of fire being one
of the few sober enough to drive back. Ordinary car, dirt roads,
(almost off road conditions), total darkness.
Saturday 2nd Wedding day dawned and promised to be a
beautiful day. The venue had been transformed and looked
stunning. The bride arrived by boat in brilliant sunshine.
The ceremony was performed, the speeches made and the
photographs taken.
When the party was under way the floor suddenly dropped a
few cm with a bang. Panic! Except for the Brits of course.
Having been assured there was no danger festivities resumed.
Much later the same toss up was required to select sober 'ish'
drivers.
Sunday 3rd Awake at beautiful dawn to clear up & pack
trailer.
With everything packed and away the Ivey contingent
returned to Tambo airport to take the 12o'clock midday flight
to Cape Town for a few days as tourists. On arrival car was
collected and driven to The House at Pooh Corner in
Noordhoek. (Owl's House, Roo's Room and Piglet's Room).
After a late afternoon rest dinner was taken at the nearby
'Toad' hostelry.
Monday 4th at breakfast we discovered that the owners had
worked as handyman and maid at a castle outside Stevenage
close to the Ivey home turf. The day's itinerary was taking in
the famous Chapman's Drive to Table Mountain, the cable
car up the mountain and returning via Chapman's Drive.
Then continuing in the other direction to tour round a circuit
of Simon's Town, Hout Bay, Boulders, (to spend an hour on
the beach with the penguins) and on to Cape Point and Cape
of Good Hope. Returning for another meal at the 'Toad'.
Tuesday 5th at breakfast we now discovered that the owners
were visiting the UK and friends in 'Muswell Hill'. Back to
airport and flight to Port Elizabeth. Collect car and off north
to Aardvark Guest House at Addo. Two rested whilst others
went to Addo Elephant Park and booked morning and
evening game drives. Our evening meal was taken at Aardvark.
Interesting local produce like kudu, antelope, ostritch, zebra,
and buffalo was on the menu.
38

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
THE TRouGH oF BoWLAND
Chris Seabrook & John Ivey at the September Lunch
Wednesday 6th Morning game drive. We were up close to lots
of elephants, kudu, dung beetles, zebra, wart hogs, tortoise,
eagle owl, yellow-billed kyte, and buzzard. Snacks were
purchased for lunch and a restful afternoon at Aardvark.
Returned to the Elephant Park for dinner and an evening
Game drive viewing kudu, jackal, scrub hare, buffalo, hyena
and returning to base for beer and bed.
Thursday the return to Port Elizabeth for flight back to
Johannesburg. Afternoon drinks round Chris's pool and off to
a Portuguese restaurant for dinner. Wonderful times had by all
and afterwards back at Melba Street.
Friday 8th Lazy morning and afternoon. Lunch at Camaro
Crossing. Tambo airport for 21.30 flight home. Again plenty
of time was again allowed for Duty Free.
Saturday 9th Arrive Heathrow 7.00am dull and dreary after
almost perfect, not too hot, weather for tourists. A very hectic
time but ten days to remember.
John Ivey
The New Year had just arrived and an excursion was made for
a couple of nights, staying in Austwick, near Settle, an old
haunt but staying in a different B&B Wood View not far from
the Gamecock Inn. The staff of Stationers' came here one
September many years ago with the challenge of completing
the 'The Three Peaks Walk' many years ago. I remember
Michael D.Lee completing the walk with a number of others.
This is a lovely stone village and an excellent base for walking
the valleys and hills nearby. There is the short walk up to
Norber to see the erratics or the delightful stroll between the
two dry stone walls from the isolated hamlet of Wharfe
leading up to Moughton, passing the whetstones on the way.
Settle was visited for coffee and then the road was taken
north to Horton in Ribblesdale to see the Bayes family, Peter,
Matthew and Marianne, who served the Stationers' students
so well over the years especially when members of the sixth
form took up the challenge of the 'Three Peaks'.
However, on this winter wander, after lunch refreshment in
the Black Horse in Giggleswick within sight of the well
known public school, the drive was to take one away from the
Craven District. The journey went south west to Wigglesworth
first. You can either reach Wigglesworth through Rathmell
from the Settle by pass or use the A65 south west to Long
Preston and take the B6478 westwards. It may be worth
taking a detour to Hellifield Station which has a well
preserved cast iron supported covered platform built when the
station was opened. There is also a good cafe on the platform
to provide some nourishment. Back then to Wigglesworth
where another good dining place is The Plough renovated in
recent years and the food was sampled on this trip. Continuing
west to Tosside one enters another world of The Forest of
Bowland with the road going south west to Slaidburn, one of
the largest settlements in this sparsely populated area of
Lancashire. Crossing the River Hodder as you approach this
very remote village there is the Riverside tea room on your
Clitheroe's main street from the castle
39

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
right. Slaidburn is up the hill and gives the impression and
even more so on a wet grey day of a very dour place with very
dark almost black buildings in the centre. There are two roads
north, one passed about two miles back on the right which
goes to Clapham crossing the Stocks Reservoir, and the other
is a right turn in the centre of Slaidburn going to High
Bentham and Ingleton. High Bentham has a cattle market
which operates from about four o'clock and on into the
evening, contrary to most markets. I discovered this when I
stayed on a farm just outside Ingleton not far from Westhouse
a few years ago. These two roads are passing through wild
country, much of it treeless moorland with little forest which
belies its name and reaching 8-900 feet at the highest points
and little evidence of good grassland. This is a really different
landscape to the Carboniferous Limestone country further
east on the other side of the A65.
The B6478 turns more or less south at Slaidburn towards
Clitheroe. Before following this route, it is worth taking the
minor road due west to Dunsop Bridge which is an attractive
village right beside the River Hodder and the River Dunsop
itself. Here there is the village store and teashop which on the
occasion I was there provided good fare for walker, cyclist and
motorist; a good place to tarry a while on a fine day!
Puddleducks is the name of this cafe in the heart of the
Trough of Bowland with its duck filled village green.
Interestingly from here is the other wild road over Bowland
going in a west north west direction climbing all the time to
the highest point at Westfield House with a viewpoint before
a steep drop to the village of Quernmore (the name of a road
near Stationers'), the River Conder and Lancaster.
Let us return to Slaidburn to continue our journey to
Waddington which is a very attractive village with a stream
flowing through the centre following the road from north to
south with a charming bridge and green. There is a village pub
and cafe in the main street. No great distance is Clitheroe, a
very pleasant town in the Ribble Valley with a Norman castle
overlooking the town. This is a bustling town which serves
this whole area. Two places of interest further downstream are
Ribchester and Whalley with its abbey, founded by Cistercians.
The main route back north east is the A59 which joins
Preston to York via Skipton and Harrogate, a very attractive
route through some very pleasant scenery. The Ribble Valley
here separates the Bowland Forest from the highland of
Pendle Hill to the east at a height of 1827 feet. The return
from Clitheroe can be made through Chatburn and a visit to
Sawley Abbey and Bolton by Bowland, another very attractive
village on the west side of the Ribble which has a teashop in
the main street. From Bolton by Bowland one can return to
Settle along the A59 to Gisburn, taking a left turn on the
A682, following the Ribble upstream or following the minor
road to Holden and returning to Wigglesworth. This sortie
into the Forest of Bowland is not on most peoples agenda but
it is well worth a visit for two or three days. Ed
Waddington
40

A YEAR iN THE LiFE oF THE
ViCE PRESiDENT oF
THE METHoDiST CHuRCH
When I left the staff of Stationers' in
1975, it was to teach in a rural school in
Sierra Leone under the auspices of the
Methodist Church. Looking back, the
three building blocks of education, a world
view, and the Church have shaped much
of my life. Most of my 25 years of teaching
was actually spent in Hertfordshire
comprehensives, followed by 14 years in
the employment of the Methodist Church
as a lay person - involved in developing
relationships with the 65 self-governing
Partner Churches that want to be involved
with the Methodist Church in Britain. It
certainly enabled me to travel to some
extraordinary parts ofthe world and, more
importantly, it meant that I met some
fascinating people from all walks of life.
Just when I was moving into 'retirement
mode', I was asked to put my name
forward as Vice-President of the
Methodist Church and was elected for
2012/13. The Methodist Church in
Britain {MCB)still has nearly 5000
chapels and churches open, has nearly a
quarter of a million members, and
probably plays host to four times that
number each week. It has always been
heavily involved with those in need, and
indeed the Salvation Army springs from
Methodist roots. Therefore, it was both an
honour and a wonderful opportunity to be
elected as VP for 12 months.
In the Methodist Church organisation,
power is vested in an annual Conference
of just over 300 elected representatives. It
is very democratic and every year a
President (Ordained) and Vice-President
(either a deacon or a lay person) preside or
chair the Conference business that lasts
nearly a week. For the rest of the year, the
joint Presidency act as the figureheads of
the Conference, having authority, but no
power! So for me it was a year that
actually started in February 2012,
representing MCB in New Zealand, to be
in solidarity with people at the anniversary
of the Christchurch earthquake, before
going on to Tonga and Samoa. Since then,
it has meant many weekends visiting
Districts from Newcastle to the Isles of
Scilly, preaching at various anniversa ry
services, speaking on a variety of topics,
and visiting some inspirational work
amongst the most needy in the land -
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 5
NEWS oF FoRMER STAFF
from asylum seekers to the increasing
numbers helped by Foodbanks. Inevitably
this brings religion into the political arena
and being VP meant attending Autumn
party conferences, signing various letters
to politicians on behalf of the Church, as
well as many meetings. I was given one of
the best seats in Canterbury Cathedral for
the Archbishop's enthronement, and also
access to a shelter for homeless men in
Preston; a reception with politicians in
Northern Ireland, as well as visiting
Methodist primary schools in Swaledale;
preaching from John Wesley's pulpit in
City Road, and also involved in
extraordinary cross-cultural worship in
Roath, Cardiff.
It was quite a year. It was a real privilege
to serve the Methodist Church in this
way. In July I handed over to this year's
VP, Daleep Mukarji, until recently the
Director of Christian Aid. For me, it's
been an exciting journey since teaching in
Hornsey forty years ago!
Michael King
CLiVE BLECKiNSoP
One evening last month I was playing
darts with a few friends in the Haringey
Arms, Crouch End when in came a face
from the past. It was Clive Blenkinsop
who taught at the school in the late 60's
and 70's. Although Clive never taught me,
I stayed in touch with him for several
years through a drinking group that met at
the Wrestlers pub in Highgate on a
Sunday lunch time. As it is probably 40
years since we last met I am pleased to say
I still recognised him even without the
pint in his hand.
We reminisced about all aspects of the
school, particularly the roll call of good
and bad teachers and the impact of the
"comprehensive" experiment! He chuckled
as I recalled my first physics lesson when
Holly suspended a bar magnet from the
ceiling which steadfastly refused to point
to magnetic north which everyone in the
class knew was directly in line with
Alexandra Palace clearly visible from the
window.
Clive mentioned that he had a couple of
photos taken in the staff room which
represented the inner sanctum and being
out of bounds for all pupils, is probably
the only part of the school building that I
had never seen. He sent me these pictures
which include Read and Topley playing
lunch time chess, Gus Thomas having a
siesta, Clive with the Guardian and the
German set of 66-67. The pictures were
taken by Werner Konig the German
assistant at the time. Clive has supplied an
accompanying note which is published
below.
(addendum - Clive is now supplementing his
pension with regular winnings from the
Thursday night quiz at the Royal Oak, St
James Lane, Muswell Hill which
coincidentally is run by old stationer, Chris
Pollikett!)
Tim Westbrook
Below: Gus Thomas asleep in the staffroom
41

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
Stan reed & Topley play chess
Clive Blenkinsop with the Guardian
Dear Tim
As promised, here are the pics I spoke
about the other day.
Note 'Gus' Thomas having his lunchtime
40 winks before the rigours of afternoon
teaching. The figure on the right is the
French Assistant and the chair to his left,
nearest the fireplace was where Joe
Symons sat. The Johnny come latelies, like
myself or Jim Cook were relegated to the
tables near the door to the right of the
camera position.
Note in the bottom left hand corner, the
elbow and shoulder of Stan Read who
played chess with Topley most lunchtimes.
See the second photo of them, with
Adrian Constable behind them looking
worried!
Third pic is yours truly with hair, smoking
and reading The Guardian. A true
obsessive might be able to decipher the
headlines in the paper and read the board!
The last pic is of the German set 66-67.
Werner Konig, the German assistant who
took these pics is still alive and well living
in Michelstadt. I have visited him a
number of times over the intervening
years. He has a wife, two sons and two
grandchildren. He has fond memories of
his time at Stationers' and I'm sure would
love to receive a copy of the magazine if
you publish the pictures.
The only names I can put to the German
set are; Tim Grollman; Alex Flemming,
Mick Gibney; Graham Hawkins; and
Nick Henwood. I'm sure someone will fill
in the rest.
Some of the smokers bow chairs in the pic
went to members of staff when the school
closed and the picture above Gus Thomas'
desk is now hanging in a bathroom in
Abergavenny!
Anyway, hope these pictures evoke
memories for some of you, although, as
you say, the boys never actually saw the
staffroom. Now, 47 years later, you can see
what a hive of industry it was!
Regards
Clive
PS. The guy who does the quiz at the Royal
Oak is called Chris Pollikett. He was at
Stationers' (6th Form, I think, in 1966-67.
The German set 66-67
42

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
John Young, Geraint Pritchard, Martin Harris
and Gordon Baillie
JoHN YouNG
and The Editor
On Sunday 5th May, a very pleasant
afternoon was spent with John and Audrey
Young at their new house, on the site of
Cedern in Wigginton, Bucks. The new
name is Oak Tree House. Present were
MARTIN HARRIS and GORDON
BAILLIE, former pupils at Stationers',
who were members of the Christian
Union at school.
HoWEL PuGH RoBERTS
1914-1946
July 1914 The Stationers Vol.1 No. 2
Next term Mr H P Roberts, M.A.
(Classical Honours), late Scholar of Jesus
College, Oxford comes to us from Dolgelly
Grammar School to take the Sixth form
Classics and English.
3rd April 2013
Dear Mr Pinfield
I am an alumnus of Carmel College
(1953-1960) and am writing, on a
voluntary basis, a history of the school
(whch closed in 1997). Included in this
history will be a brief biography of teachers
who were at Carmel College. One of them
was Mr Howel P Roberts, (born 1884;
died 1964), who was a teacher at Stationers'
Company's School from about the mid
1910s.
In order that I may write up his
biographical details, I require details of
the years he was at your school, the
subjects he taught, positions he held in the
school, and any extra-curricular activities
in which he participated.
I was in contact with Mr. Gordon Rose
and he suggested that I contact you in
order to set me up as a guest user of your
library. I would therefore be very grateful
if you could please do this.
With thanks and best regards
(Dr) Chaim Simons
Dear Dr Simons
We are happy for you to have a Guest
access to our online Library, and I have set
this username and password up for your
temporary use.
Kind regards
Mike Pinf ield
Dear Mr Pinfield
I have now had the opportunity to go
through your school magazines and extract
the information on H.P.Roberts, which
will be very useful for my book. Let me
add that I found your magazines most
The Masters, Summer term 1914
Back row: Mr Dick, Mr Imison, Mr Hart, Mr Robinson, Mr J R Jones, Miss Preston, Mr Foley, Mr Jefferson, Sergt Scriven.
Front row: Mr Pears, Mr J W Jones, Mr Swinstead, Mr Huck, Mr Newsome, Mr Richards, Mr Nicholson.
43

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
interesting and informative and I wish to
take this opportunity once again to thank
you for giving me access to your library.
Best regards
Chaim Simons
5th September 2013
Dear Mr Chaim Simons
Having seen your original correspondence
on H.P.Roberts and a Welshman, I should
be very pleased, if is possible to receive any
information that you have found out in
your research on H.P.Roberts on where he
came from in Wales i.e. primary and
secondary schools which he attended all
those years ago; and any other
establishments of education after school
before taking up teaching posts; the latter
again would be interesting.
The reason, I ask, is that it would be
interesting to Old Stationers who attended
the Stationers' Company's School before
1945 and would remember 'Bobs' well. I
would like to include this information in
'The Old Stationer', the successor to the
School Magazine if you would be willing.
We have a section 'News of Former Staff'.
HPR was President of S.O.B.A. -
Stationers' Old Boys Association now
known as the OSA – Old Stationers'
Association, having been installed on the
26th April, 1939 and was President
throughout the War until April 1946
when there was a presentation made to
him in recognition for his unique services
as President throughout the difficult years
of the war. I guess our longest serving
President.
Yours sincerely
Geraint Pritchard
8thSeptember 2013
Dear Mr Pritchard
Thank you for your e-mail.
I will be happy to send you the biographical
information that I am researching on
H.P.Roberts when it is complete. I
estimate that this will be within the next
two months and I will send it to you
immediately.
Best regards
Chaim Simons
Sunday 6th October 2013
Dear Mr Pritchard
I have now finished writing the biography
of Howel Pugh Roberts and as promised I
enclose a copy as an attachment to this
e-mail.
Best wishes
Chaim Simons
Sunday 6th October 2013
Dear Chaim Simons
Thank you very much indeed for sending
me the biography of Howel Pugh Roberts
which I was extremely pleased to receive
for the Old Stationers. Many of the older
members will remember him. Very
interesting indeed!
With your blessing I shall print your
biography in 'The Old Stationer' for all
members of the Old Stationers'
Association, to read.
Yours sincerely
Geraint Pritchard
Chaim Simons was born in London in 1942.
He was educated at Carmel College' and then
at King's College London, where at the age of
20, he was awarded the degree of Bachelor of
Science with First Class Honours in
Chemistry and Physics from the University of
London. Three years later he received the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry
from the same University. At a later date , he
was awarded a Bachelor Degree in
Educational Technology and he also possesses a
Rabbinical Diploma. He is a qualified
teacher and for many years was employed in
various fields of education, including the
setting and marking of Matriculation
examinations. He has also written a number
of books and booklets on a variety of subjects,
which can be seen on line at: chaimsimons.net.
For the last 35 years he has lived in Kiryat
Arba, Israel.
44

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
ian Paterson
A wizard of Drama
Productions 'Cinderella' and
'Man Alive' to name two.
Another Production
What production was this
one? Staff in this photograph
are Derek Reid, Richard
Farrow, Diane Dungate
(middle) and Maggie Fisher
(right). Can anyone name the
former pupils?
Above and across the top: 5 pages of the biography of
Howel Pugh Roberts by Chaim Simons
45

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 5
GEoFFREY LEoNARD
BARNARD MA PHD
1923-2013
A Celebration and Thanksgiving for the
life of Geoffrey Barnard – 16 November
1923 - 19th October 2013 – was held at
St. Wilfrid's Church, Bognor Regis on
11th November 2013. The service was
conducted by Father Andrew Wadsworth
and the preacher was The Very Reverend
Nicholas Frayling, the Dean of Chichester
Cathedral. The organists were Rex Latter
and Alan Thurlow. The Bible Readings
were John 14, 1-6 and Psalm 42,1-7 sung
by the Choir. A Reading was delivered by
Peter Green, Churchwarden at St.
Wilfrid's Church. Nicholas Barnard
played, Lili Boulanger's 'Nocturne' for
violin and was accompanied on the piano
by Rex Latter. Prayers were taken by The
Reverend Mark Everitt. The hymns sung
were 'All my hope on God is founded, He
doth still my trust renew' and 'Ye watchers
and ye holy ones', followed by the Nunc
Dimittis. The Entry Music was 'Finale
from The Royale Fireworks Music' –
Handel and the Exit Music was 'Fantasia
in G Major' – Bach.
Geoffrey Leonard Barnard RIP – obituary
attached.
Also photograph from the front of the
Order of Service
Geoffrey Barnard arrived at Stationers' in
1949 to teach English at a similar time as
John Becker, to teach languages, French
and German. However, both had musical
talent with Geoffrey Barnard regularly
playing the organ, as well as John Becker.
Geoffrey Barnard arrived in
September,1949, leaving in July 1951 and
John Becker arrived in September, 1949
and left in July,1952. At that time there
was only a part time Music Master, so
Geoffrey and John set to in order to
support all the Music activities. Geoffrey
and John were both very much involved in
the Music for the Dedication of the
Memorial Window, placed in position in
January, with the service taking place at
3pm on Sunday, 19th February 1950, by
the Right Rev. The Lord Bishop of
London, Dr Wand. Interestingly the
Bishop paused between the hymn 'Now
thank we all our God' and the General
Thanksgiving to dedicate the readingdesk
which the members of the school
Staff have given in memory of their
colleague, F/O D. M.P.Jones. John Becker
remembers that service and his comments
are recorded in magazine No.59 Spring
2004 pages 16 and 17 in a special report
he wrote on attending The Rededication
of the War Memorial Window on
December 12, 2003. The original report of
the Dedication of the Memorial Window
in 1950 is to be found in Volume XXXVII
No.1 of The Stationer April 1950.
A flavour of Geoffrey's musical ability is
recorded in a report of the School Concert
in 'The Stationer' of July 1951 Vol.
XXXVIII No.2 by A.D.Dayan (VI).
A very pleasant afternoon was spent in the
Hall on Monday, March 19th, when the
School Concert was held there.
It began with some fine piano playing by
Messrs. Barnard and Titshall who 'set the
pace' for the whole show with such pieces
as 'The arrival of the Queen of Sheba' and
'Mr. Bach Goes to Town'.The last musical
item was the Staff Song sung by Messrs.
Durrant, Barnard and Becker, with lyrics
by Mr. D.J.O'Connell. This song fully
lived up (down) to its reputation of last
year.
One other event in the programme that
surprised me was that Mr.S. Holmes produced
a most unexpected pleasing result with the
IVth Form P.T Groups in 'Music and
Movement'. It was astonishing to see what
grace can be found in schoolboys who are
normally the clumsiest of people. Is there any
Old Stationer who remembers any of these
events? M.J.Cowling is mentioned and
B.Humphreys, Form II who gave a delightful
violin solo.Ed.
46

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
ERNiE WiLKiNS
1940-2013
The funeral service of Ernie Wilkins -
31st July 1940 to 17th September 2013 -
took place at Warriston Crematorium
Lorimer Chapel on the 24th September,
2013. The Service was conducted by the
Reverend Iain Dunn. The hymns sung
were 'How Great Thou Art – O Lord My
God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hand hath
made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty
thunder, Thy power throughout the
universe displayed:' and 'Guide me, O
Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this
barren land. I am weak but Thou art
mighty; Hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Feed me till my want is
o'er.'
Funeral Address by Rev lain Dunn
Ernest Joseph Wilkins was born - 73 years
ago - in London, and was educated at The
Stationer's School. On completing his
Secondary Education, he went off to
Leeds University where he gained both a
First Class Honours Degree in Chemistry,
and latterly, his PhD. His first teaching
post was at Bedford School, where he
taught for six years. In 1971, he was
appointed as Head of Chemistry at
Daniels Stewart's College, which then
merged with Melville College a few years
later. He was to hold this position until his
retirement.
He quickly made his mark as a
conscientious, hard-working and
dedicated teacher. He always set high
standards for himself and others - in the
classroom he maintained firm discipline
and a no nonsense approach from which
pupils greatly benefited. Throughout his
years with the school, he was a devoted
member of staff in an all-round capacity,
and although loyalty and service are
sometimes seen nowadays as quaintly oldfashioned,
Emie Wilkins - by that
reckoning - was very much a gentleman in
that respect.
As a teaching colleague, it was always a
pleasure to have a coffee in the Staff
Room this being enlivened by some
discourse with 'our Ernie" As one former
pupil has said of him........... "In lots Of
things, Ernie would challenge your
thinking; make you question why you had
made a particular statement and could you
back it up with REASON .... any reason
at all?!" This former pupil added -
"Sometimes not that easy after a few too
many drinks at Ferryfield, Inverleith,
Freuchie and various other venues! With
Ernie, discussion & debate could go onfor
many hours!"
On his retirement he - like so many of us
- was not prepared to sit back and let the
world go by, certainly not Emie: He
became Secretary of the Daniel Stewart's
Melville College Former Pupils' Club, a
post which he held with much distinction
for around 13 years. Speaking personally,
it was always a delight to go down to
Inverleith - for whatever reason - and to
be greeted by 'Mein Host' Emest Wilkins!
- 'Me in Host' being defined as 'the sort
of person who is able to put those invited
at their ease'. That was Erniet His
welcome was a warm one and - as he was
such a gregarious man - he knew everyone
by name such an important facet of being
a Secretary. He was indeed a Secretary
who led from the front and his attention
to all that was required for the enjoyment
of his 'guests' was exemplary and
admirable. Much of what the FP Club is
today can be attributed to Ernie.
However, outwith his classroom commitments,
his sporting prowess and extracurricular
involvement will remain forever
in the annals and history of DSMC. A
person who loved the great outdoors, he
was an extremely enthusiastic hill-walker;
a conqueror of Munroes; and he will be
fondly remembered for his enthusiasm for
all the activities at Carbisdale - the
outdoor centre to which hundreds of
pupils decamped from school each year.
Notwithstanding the above, his abiding
passion was being 'a flannelled-fool at the
wicket!' The gentleman's game -
CRICKET!! (Well- it used to be in days
gone by!!) Ernie and I shared that passion
and greatly enjoyed a good old-fashioned
blether on the game.
His exploits on the field are - without
doubt - 'the stuff of legend' - and anecdotes
which I have from those who played with
him down the years are far too numerous
to mention in our short time here today.
His fame must have gone before him for
- as his wife Vera told me - they had more
or less just arrived to settle into their new
abode (in Edinburgh) when Emie
announced that he was off to play for
Stewart's that afternoon!! He made his
debut for the 2nd XI against Stenhousemuir
- took 2 for 17.
So impressed the selectors that he was
promoted next week to the 1st XI against
my own club, Watsonians, and took 4 for
57!! He could also open the batting &
keep wicket! What an addition to the
Club! In all his time with them - he made
438 appearances across the teams; one of
the few who have done the career double
of 1000 runs & 100 wickets; delivered
more than 4000 overs; best bowling figures
for the 1st XI... 8 for 9 against Gala in
1986. What a man! One could go on and
on.
He took up golf late in life - and being
Ernie - quickly became an efficient and
dangerous opponent, and was a regular
player at Ravelston Golf Club. Another
aspect of Emie's wide interests was his
love of music, in particular jazz and that of
the great Duke Ellington, and in later
years - after a long break - he took up the
piano again. And in typical Emie fashion,
he 'reached for the sky', obtaining Grade 8
- that level to which so many musicians
aspire.
His sense of humour was reflected as an
accomplished after-dinner speaker, and
one story accredited to him (and reported
in the Independent newspaper) was - in
1989 - he pointed out that at that time, a
former Stewart's College pupil, The Very
Reverend James Whyte (whom I knew
47

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
well) was The Moderator of the Church
of Scotland and at the same time another
former pupil, Finlay Calder, was in
Australia captaining the British & Irish
Lions. Therefore DSMC had a legitimate
claim to be the only school to have
provided leaders for both The Christians
And The Lions!!!!
One final anecdote from a fellow player.
Emie had the ability for short, pithy, snap
replies - and when he was congratulated
on becoming a grandfather said: 'Thanks
- but I didn't do anything!'
Looking back to earlier days, he met the
love of his life - VERA. Their marriage of
47 years has been blessed with four sons
Andrew; Alan; Roger; & Richard and
Roger's marriage to Sarah has further
blessed them with two grandchildren .....
Emily & Robbie who brought great joy to
both Emie and Vera. Over the 47 years,
Vera was there -looking after the family
(and here I quote them} "All Dad's
achievements; all his cricket; his hillwalking;
his 39 years of Carbisdale;
overseeing of Duke of Edinburgh walks
were only possible because Mum was
there to support him.
Regrettably, the past year has not been an
easy one for them, after he was given the
diagnosis of his illness - which came as a
great shock to all of us who have known
him to have kept fit and well throughout
his life.
One of the enduring gifts of this life for
which we are eternally grateful is that all
our experiences are undoubtedly enriched
- not only by the things that we do - but
also by the people that we meet day by
day; by those with whom we work; those
with whom we share a common interest
and a common bond of friendship; those
who add more than just a little to our
everyday living.
Ernie was that type of person; one who
enriched our lives; who added considerably
to one's experience of people; and all of us
will hold him in our hearts forever together
with the many, many memories of this
most sociable and likeable of men.
Tribute by J N D Gray
The death of Dr Ernie Wilkins on 17
September 2013 marked the passing of a
great schoolmaster, dedicated to teaching
and learning, to generations of boys and to
the best traditions of Stewart's Melville
College. Although not a Former Pupil,
Ernie always gave the impression, from
his devotion to the school and assiduous
attention to all its aspects, that he must
have been, and he ensured that his four
sons enjoyed the benefit of a Stewart's
Melville education.
A Londoner by birth, married to a Yorkshire
woman, he was a convert to Scottish
landscapes, their 'Munros' and the stark
beauty of some of the most inhospitable
terrain in Europe. Ernie was a staunch
exponent and one of the longest serving
and durable leaders and supporters of the
Carbisdale experience. He encouraged
fathers and then their sons and some
grandsons up hillwalks, to the Bothy and
on the two day expedition to Croick. He
was always the heart and soul of the
occasional evening walk to Hillwalk 3. It's
sad that he will not be with us for the 50th
Carbisdale in 2014, having been there from
1972 and almost all that followed.
An exceptional teacher and Head of
Chemistry (he had a First Class Honours
degree and a PhD from Leeds), Ernie had
a sharp, analytical, encyclopaedic mind.
Sympathetic to boys' difficulties, he could
answer their questions on almost any
subject, whether pertinent to the study of
science or otherwise. As Senior Master in
the 1990s, he was fair, consistent, an
excellent organiser and, to boys, the
epitome of the Stewart's Melville allrounder:
an academic, a sportsman
(especially cricket at which he excelled), a
mountaineer, a raconteur and a man who
had a fascination with the workings ofthe
natural world. One of his great
disappointments in the course of his final
illness was that he was unable to pay a
much wished for visit to the Galapagos
Islands where Charles Darwin first began
to conceive his theory of evolution.
In 1999 Ernie retired from his full-time,
permanent position at Stewart's Melville
although he continued teaching Chemistry
on a part-time basis for several years
afterwards, and devoted his attention and
undiminished energy to the life ofthe
48

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
Former Pupils' Club as its redoubtable
secretary, a role in which he continued
until 2009. He was largely responsible for
bringing the life and activities of the Club,
the associated clubs and the school closer
together, established the decadal system of
membership for schoolleavers, and the
custom of regular reunions for hosts and
generations of Daniel Stewart's and
Melville College and Stewart's Melville
College Former Pupils. The Clubhouse at
Inverleith has more than justified the cost
of its construction in the revenues taken
from the many get-togethers, dinners,
soirees and birthday parties (21st, 40th,
50th and 60th) which have taken place at
Ernie's instigation or through his
encouragement. The Club today is as
healthy as it has ever been, on the eve of
its Annual Dinner, for which I understand
there is a waiting list and from which
Ernie will, sadly, be an absent friend.
Ernie was a good man, warm, emotional,
completely devoted to his wife and family,
to the school, to its Former Pupils and to
his many colleagues and friends. In many
ways he was an institution in himself. Life
will not be the same without him. I owe
him a personal debt in that he was an
avuncular figure to me when I was first
Principal, full of wise advice, support and
encouragement, when I was rather green
and uninitiated to the ways of the Erskine
Stewart's Melville Schools.
It was, however, his forensic mind which
most fascinated me. The booklet he wrote
in his retirement, on the trees of the school,
with the help of Head Groundsman, Willie
Purdie, was an outstanding example of his
mind and character: esoteric, scholarly,
precise, with a scientific attention to
evidence and detail, underpinned by a sense
of wonder at the natural world and a love
of the school and all connected with it.
We shall miss him.
JND Gray
Principal
ERNiE WiLKiNS
SCHooL DAYS: 1951 - 1958
Ernie Wilkins joined the School, from St
Paul's C of E Junior School, on the 4th
September 1951. David Turner has
reminded me that Ernie travelled from
Winchmore Hill to Haringey West
station. David also travelled on that train
in company with Keith Woodley and
Roger Shadbolt. One hopes that they all
had their caps firmly in place while
walking to the School, for, to be spotted
Nigel Wade & Ernie Wilkins at the 2011 Annual Dinner
by a master without one's appropriate
headgear in place could lead to a detention
Initially Ernie was placed in Form 1b and
Caxton House, but his academic
performance promoted him to Form 2 by
the start of his second year at the School.
He did well in Form 2, coming 1st, 2nd
equal and 3rd at the respective end of term
examinations for that year. From then on
Ernie was always a consistently good
academic achiever, usually hovering
around the tenth place in the top form.
He was one of Laurie Buxton's fast track
mathematics group, taking, and passing,
GCEmathematics in the 4th Form.
Laurie had the brilliant ability to make
mathematics fun, and to enthuse us for
the subject. I am sure Ernie enjoyed those
lessons like the rest us, and also joined in
the humorous, but rare, occasions when
Laurie Buxton would get tangled up in
pulley strings whilst endeavouring to
demonstrate the workings of that aspect
of Applied Mathematics.
I cannot remember exactly when and how
I got to know Ernie, but I have a vivid
memory of a genial face topped by a mop
of tousled hair. Ernie was a very interesting
conversationalist, and he and I, with John
Peacock and others, would talk about just
about every topic under the sun.
It did not take long for Ernie's skill with
the cricket ball to emerge. In the 1952
School Sports Ernie was placed third in
the throwing the cricket ball competition,
an event which was inexplicably dropped
in future years. In the following year Ernie
was in the Under 14 XI, though the team
only managed to win two and draw one of
the eight fixtures played. Ernie had a
distinctive batting style, and Roy King has
described his forward defensive stroke
(modelled on Ernie's hero Trevor Bailey)
as making him a bugger to get out."David
Sochon, who came first in that cricket ball
throwing competition, recalls that he used
to play a verbal game with Ernie in which
each would challenge the other to name
the county for which randomly named
cricketers played. A variant of this game
involved naming county teams playing
current matches, and the close of play
scores. David concedes that Ernie was
usually the winner.
Ernie's cricketing skills increased as he
progressed from year to year at the School.
In the July 1954 edition of The Stationers'
Magazine he was described as 'The
backbone of the Under14's batting ...",
and "as skipper, and wicket keeper has
been a great power in the side." By the
Summer of 1955 Ernie was a member of
the School's First XI cricket team (see
photograph), which remained unbeaten
during the season, although there was a
propensity to finish matches with a draw.
The December 1955 issue of the magazine
records that Ernie was awarded his
cricketing colours. An honour for relatively
young shoulders. It was also the year that
Ernie was a member of the School eleven
that gave a spirited performance against
the Old Boys' team who narrowly avoided
defeat by finishing with only one wicket
remaining, and 31 less than the School's
score. Ernie was commended for an
excellent catch from one of the Old Boy's
opening batsmen.
Ernie continued to improve and play for
the School First XI. In the December
1957 issue of the magazine he was
described thus: He again proved that he
ranks among the best wicket keepers that
49

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
the School has produced. It was indeed
rare that a ball eluded his vigilant eyes.
His batting displayed a confidence lacking
in earlier seasons, and he became the
School's leading scorer."He went on to
become the School Cricket Captain, and
in his closing years at the School he was
selected to play in the Middlesex Grammar
Schools XI during their summer tour.
After leaving the School, Ernie went on to
play for the Old Stationers' Cricket Club
for many years. Indeed, even though he
had moved away during the mid 60's, he
would return on Sundays to play at the
home ground at Barnet. Mike Mote
recalls that he used to pick Ernie up at
Elstree station and drop him off there
after the game. Apparently the drop-off
was timed to perfection (perhaps to give
more time for post-match liquid
refreshment). Ernie's frequent driver,
Mike Mote, remembers Ernie sprinting
over the bridge at Elstree Station to catch
the last train home.
Ernie's other non-academic passion was
the School's Combined Cadet Force
(CCF).The company was always an
impressive sight, drilling on the School
terraces, black toe caps polished to mirror
perfection, topped by Blanco'ed gaiters,
uniforms brushed and pressed, and berets
set at a smart angle. Ernie became a
corporal, and participated in a shooting
event at the Middlewick open ranges
where he was awarded a badge of Second
ClassShot. Ernie was later promoted to
the rank of Sergeant, becoming a key
member of the company. A, perhaps
apocryphal, story has circulated which
describes Ernie helping Major("Razz")
Hall to start his car. Major Hall was
turning over the engine by swinging the
starting handle at the front of the car,
while Ernie was at the wheel. The engine
sprang into life, and the car jolted forward
knocking Major Hall to the ground,
though not seriously injured. Before any
wag dares to suggest that Ernie was
involved in a conspiracy to replace a
History master, it must be pointed out
that the car was rather old, and it was not
unknown for cars of that generation to
slip their gears. Besides, Charlie Hall had
a great liking and respect for Ernie.
Ernie also turned his hand to writing for
the School magazine. As well as reports
on the performance of the various cricket
teams, he tried his pen at what can only be
called "very- short- story writing." It is a
ten-line piece recounting the taking of a
penalty at the end of a football match. It
finishes with a surprise, and can be read in
1st XI cricket team 1955
Back row: Fuller J (scorer), Thompson C H R, Howell K, Croughton R, Wilkins E, Harris D.
Front row: Merchant K, Wilkins D, Lynes D G, Dye M D, Legg G, Humphreys B J.
full in the December 1953 issue of the
School magazine, available on the
OSAwebsite if a "library ticket" has been
obtained from Mike Pinfield.
Ernie completed his academic career at
the School by being awarded The
Chairman's Prize and came third in the C
FClay Memorial Prize for Elocution.
He subsequently went on to read
Chemistry at Leeds University and
achieved a Ph.D. Many years after School
I discovered that both Ernie and I were
working in Scotland. He at the prestigious
Daniel Stewart and Melville's College on
the east side of Edinburgh, and I, near the
west coast, at The Scottish Agricultural
College, Auchincruive. We used to
exchange Christmas cards keeping one
another up to date in the progress of
ourselves, and our respective families.
The highlight of my year as President of
the Old Stationers' Association was when
Ernie consented to be my guest speaker at
the Annual Dinner at Stationers' Hall. He
gave a most remarkable rendition, part
spoken part sung, on a cricketing theme in
the style of Tom Lehrer. It was an absolute
tour de force that all those present are
unlikely to forget.
Ernie's impact on life at the Stationers'
Company's School, can be measured by
the fact that he is mentioned no less than
twenty two times in The Stationers'
Magazine. The School can be proud of his
many achievements, and he is sorely
missed by his many friends.
Nigel Wade 1951 to 1958
Dear Geraint
TERRY BAiLEY
Rycroft, Fen Lane
South Somercotes, LOUTH
Lincolnshire, LN11 7BP
ianbailey@gs.com
Thank you for your e-mail and kind
condolences. My Father was taken unwell
at the end of August and was admitted to
hospital to undergo surgery on his bowel.
He recovered from this quite well initially
but contracted a chest infection resulting
in respiratory problems. Due to other
difficulties he passed away with pneumonia
on the 11th October, 2013.
The service was well attended and was led
by a family friend, Pat Newbold, who
knew Terry well. Her husband, Roger
Newbold, and my Father had become
close friends over the years and a moving
tribute was given by him as well as my
brother Ian.
My Father took great pleasure from being
a member of the Association and would
have loved to have attended the meetings
and the dinners that were held.
Unfortunately due to his mobility
problems the opportunity never arose for
him. I am glad that you are writing an
obituary for him and know he would have
wanted this.
Thank you
Stephen Bailey
Terry Bailey attended Stationers' from 1947
to 1952. There is a report on Terry Bailey's
life in magazine Number 77 in Far as You
Roam, page 22.
50

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
RoBiN JAMES uPHiLL
AuGuST 1944 – SEPTEMBER 2013
Robin died on September 9th from liver
cancer at his home in Colombia.
He left Stationers to join Mac Fisheries
in Wood Green as a trainee manager after
being asked by the careers officer the
standard “Have you considered banking
or insurance?” Having progressed to top
management via situations including
Wilmslow, Oldham, Leeds and Harrogate,
and not wishing to progress to head office,
he joined Courage Breweries and managed
many public houses and restaurants. Some
Old Boys came across him I know in a
few of these in the City. A later enterprise
was a sandwich business. Retiring from
this, Robin moved to Colombia where I
visited him only last year. His partner
William and the inhabitants of Palmaseta,
the village to which they retired, will miss
this colourful character but no more than
his family and old friends in England.
John Ivey
BESSiE SHoPLAND MARTiN
1916-2013
The funeral service of Bessie Shopland
Martin - 6th August 1916 to 21st
September 2013 - took place at Slough
Crematorium on Friday, 18th October,
2013. The service was taken by the
Reverend Sally Lynch, who also gave the
address. The hymns sang were 'The Lord's
My Shepherd, I'll not want; He makes me
down to lie In pastures green; he leadeth
me The quiet waters by', 'Love divine, all
Terry Bailey with Stephen's daughter Thia in 2007
Bessie Shopland Martin
loves excelling, joy of heaven to earth
come down' to the tune Blaenwern and
'Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land' to the
tune Cwm Rhondda. The opening music
was 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles'
followed by sentences frrom Scripture and
Welcome and Prayer. A Poem 'The Dash'
was read by Dylan Grimes, followed by
the Eulogy by Gill and then a further
poem 'Death is Nothing At All' read by
Pauline Gardiner. After the last hymn,
there was the commendation committal
and final prayer and blessing, with the
closing music, 'In the Mood' by Glen
Miller. Refreshments were served at the
Norfolk House Hotel in Maidenhead.
Eulogy by Gill
My Mother was born in the middle of the
First World War, in a small village called
Hinxworth on the north edge of
Hertfordshire. Her Mother's father had
been the village baker, and supplied many
local hamlets in his pony and trap.
However, he died relatively young and left
a few debts. So his new son-in-law Robert
Kelland became a tenant farmer and lived
there for nearly a decade to clear these
debts. He was the one who insisted on her
name, Bessie Shopland Kelland, which
was pure Devonshire. She was always
known as Bess, being named after her
father's mother, who had died in an
accident when he was only eleven. His
family had lived at Middlecott Farm in
Morchard Bishop, which is on high
ground halfway between Exmoor and
Dartmoor. My grandparents had actually
met at Kintbury Fair.
Her mother, Ettie Eugenie Sale had beeen
a monitor teacher at Hinxworth Village
School, where Bess started school at five.
When she was seven, the family moved to
Bowes Park in North London, where her
father returned to his original trade, and
ran his own butcher's shop; must have
been a bit of a cultural shock! But Bess
thrived in the competitive atmosphere of
the large Tottenhall Primary School, and
this is where she met her friend Doris,
who was later her bridesmaid and my
godmother. Bess, herself, loved sport, a
sprinter, took up gymnastics, played tennis,
table tennis and hockey. Her secondary
school was Minchenden Grammar in
Southgate. English was Mum's forte at
school, and she could churn out poems
with a comic twist. She quickly picked up
Pitman's shorthand when she left
Minchenden at sixteen and wrote all her
diaries in shorthand so a mystery to me
when I was turning out her house a few
years ago.
She had a few different jobs, but when she
married my father, Jack Martin (1910-
2008) in 1937, as a woman, she
automatically had to resign from her post
at the electricity board, which she had
really enjoyed. Jack and my mother had
met at a large multi-family picnic and I
think she had impressed Jack with her
technique of getting over a five barred
gate. Jack was equally energetic and
eccentric so they were probably ideally
suited from the start.
A genuine people person who would help
to cheer up anyone when they were a bit
down. Her sense of humour was legendary
and she loved a good rolling laugh, and I
would add 'a cup of tea'. She was a strong
character, and a positive support to Dad
and me. Those piercing blue eyes were
pretty good at making a sharp assessment
of people and situations.
51

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
When my father was in the airforce
during the Second World War, she left her
comfortable house in Grange Park and
moved to live with him in one room near
Turnhouse Airfield, Edinburgh. Whilst
she was there she got a job at what she
thought was a garden landscaping firm.
As it happened it was a turf accountants!
Later she sailed to Belfast and went to live
in the wilds of Fermanagh near a little
village of Ballinamalid. Her intrepid spirit
came to the fore when the flying bombs
rained down on London. My father had
been posted to Ceylon, where he was
based for over two years in his job as an
operations mapper. The real worry was
that he would be sent to Burma, but
thankfully the nearest he got to it, was
Calcutta. So I was put in a folding pram,
plus one suitcase and a couple of brown
paper parcels, and off we went to stay with
various friends and relatives all over the
country.
Having been a stalwart support for my
Father in all his years of enthusiasm about
cricket and athletics, at the age of ninety
she became his carer for nearly two years.
But she had always plenty of stamina and
had worked till sixty as a secretary at the
local Barclays Bank. However, it was
lovely having her living down the road for
four years being beautifully cared for by
the staff at Boulters Lock Home. I shall
miss her terribly and it will take a long
time not to think 'I must tell Mum that'.
But her pithy common sense still
automatically bubbled to the surface
almost to her last few days . As she said
herself, “All in all a long and happy life!”
Gill Curry
A very full obituary of JACK MARTIN
appears in The Old Stationer Number 68 –
Winter 2008/2009, having celebrated seventy
years of marriage to Bess. Bess was a great
suppoprter of Jack and she was ever present at
the Old Stationers Cricket Club matches
particularly at Barnet when Bess with others,
prepared the teas for the teams during the
afternoon. Ed.
JoSHuA BEADoN BA Hons.
1979-1984 Caxton House
The Linhay
BRAMPFORD SPEKE
Exeter, Devon
EX5 5DR
The Linhay
Brampford Speke, Exeter
Devon EX5 5DR
July 2013
Dear Geraint,
Thank you so much for your letter, it was
lovely to hear from you. I am pleased to be
able to tell you that I have completed my
OSA membership form and passed it on
to Gordon Rose who is processing it as I
type. I have already received a copy of the
magazine, which is most efficient.
I imagine that I would be one of the
youngest members of the OSA, and of
course very few people to keep it going! I
still consider it a travesty that such a
respected school, and one so steeped in
history should be closed. It was a great,
but sad honour to sound the Last Post on
the school steps all those years ago.
To memories then. My time at Stationers'
was generally a happy one. I had moved
from rural Suffolk to South Tottenbam
just a few days before I started my first
year - quite a culture shock I can tell you.
I was a member of Caxton house and
starred in September 1979, finishing with
the completion of my '0' levels. I know
that technically my last year was as a
student of the newly formed Langham
school, but I had noth ing to do with it at
all and consider myself a Stationer through
and through.
My first year form teacher was Dick
Farrow who successfully managed to put
the fear of God into us on that first day. I
have been trying to remember the names
of the other teachers, but as it is nearly 30
years I'm struggling a bit. Here goes:
Art - Miss Prior; RE - Young; Geography
- Davies, Pritchard, Farrow and a younger
female teacher too who accompanied us to
Malham, Miss Burrows; History - Miss
Johannes, Hudson; french - Zarb, German
- Rumney, Music - Miss Dungate, Levy;
English - Davis, Qgashi, Maths - Murray,
Mrs & Mrs Court; Chemistry - Fitch,
Physics - Grant, Leeming, Murray;
Biology - Dr. Khokar, PE - Hubbard,
Steele. RD Baynes himself took us for one
lesson a week during the first year, but
what he taught us I couldn't tell you now!
NEW MEMBERS
Being musical, I naturally joined the
school choir and sang in the annual Carol
service at Crouch End. Much grander was
the yearly visit to Stationers' Hall for a
slap up luncheon (the same every year -
sausages, beans and mash) before being
given 50p and walking the short distance
to St. Paul's Cathedral to sing in St. faith's
Chapel sited in the bowels of the great
building. I surprised my two sons by being
able to quite clearly remember the school
song!
"old boys and new boys we're proud to be
Stationers', Bolt Court and Hornsey have
taught us our trade".
I point-blank refused to go to Langham for
my A levels, so went to Woodhouse Sixth
Form College in Barnet instead. In truth I
hated it there and decided to leave fulltime
education without completing my A
levels. My mother was most upset by this
decision, but I have no regrets. With the
cessation of my schooling however, my
scholarship to the Guildhall School of
Music ceased - which I do now regret. In
1986, my mother remarried (having
divorced my father back in 1981) and
bought a small pub in Mid Wales (in the
village of Cilmery, just west of Builth
Wells, Powys). I decided that it would be an
exciting new adventure and went with
them.
It was here in Wales that I met Anne who
subsequently became my wife. We married
in 1992 and moved to Exeter to allow me
to study Graphic Design at Exeter School
of Art and Design. I specialised in
typography and graduated with a first
class bonours in 1995. After a few years
working in the design industry, I went
back to university and completed a postgraduate
teaching certificate and started
lecturing in typography and graphic
communication at the Art Institute at
Bournemouth and at my former college in
Exeter.
For many reasons I became steadily
disillusioned with Higher Education
teaching and in January 2000 I started my
own graphic design agency (www.
toucandesign.co.uk). It has grown over the
years. Anne and I run it together (Anne
gave up her legal career to join the business
in 2003) and we now employ a dozen
people.
We have two boys. Jacob (17) is studying
for his A levels and is keen to pursue a
career in medicine and Oliver (13) who at
the moment fancies being a barrister! We
52

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
live in a small and picturesque village just
north of Exeter and feel that we have
properly put down roots - baving lived
here nearly 21 years.
You asked about my music. I still regularly
practice and play the trumpet, joining
various groups at different times of the year
to perform in concerts etc. I lead a small
brass group at Christmas to perform carols
in our local church followed by a gentle
meander around the village on Christmas
Eve - we usually raise a good sum for
various charities and somehow Christmas
wouldn't be the same without it!
I haven't been back to Hornsey since I left
the school all those years ago. I see from
the OSA website that the Mayfield Road
site been made into a park and that even
some of the terracing walls remain - still
it's such a shame that such a fine building
was demolished.
Do you get to the OSA luncheons?
perhaps we could meet up then. Or if you
are ever in the West Country do make
contact, as it would be great to meet up
with you. I do occassionally get to London
on business so that might also be a
possibility. If you see Fitch, Leeming or
any of the others, do remember me to
them and send them my very best wishes.
I may not have been a model student, but
it all came good in the end!!
With very best wishes
Josh Beadon
PS If you ever want an old boy to redesign
and rebuild the OSA website let me know,
it would be an honour.
Work: 01392 438463
Home: 01392 841031
Mobile; 077 3636 7772
Ernaii. josb.beadol1@toucandesign.co.uk
PHiLiP CHARLES HiLL
1958-1963 Bishop House
My wife was recently contacted by a penfriend
from her school days and this got
me to think about my time at school.
In the loft I found a 1961 panoramic
school photo. I could not put a name to
anyone.
One good friend was JAMES MULLEY
whose friendship continued for a couple
of years after leaving. Look forward to
accessing the OSA website once my
membership is confirmed.
Yours in Friendship
P.C.Hill
DouGLAS STuART BECKWiTH
FRiCS
1967-1973 Norton House
34 Eland Way
CAMBRIDGE
CB1 9XH
I left SCS in February 1973 to start work
as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor. I qualified
as a Chartered Surveyor in 1979.
Married to Susan in 1976, I now have four
grown up children aged, 33,31,31 and 27.
The family spent 20 years or so living and
working in several states in Australia
returning to the United Kingdom in 1996,
but then had a further spell out there
between 2006 and 2009.
Now working in the field of Construction
Law where I provide arbitration,
adjudication and mediation services to
industry clients and contractors.
Was an organiser of a Reunion in
2001/2002 and look forward to the
prospect of a 50th year Anniversary
Reunion in 2017. Welcome contact from
Old Stationers.
JoHN BRACKLEY oStJ
1954-1958 Hodgson House
3 Oakwood Road
HIGHCLIFFE Christchurch
Dorset BH23 5NY
JoHN STANLEY BRoWNiNG DPi
(Plastics institute)
1947-1953 Meredith House
10 Oakdene Gardens
MARPLE Stockport
SK6 6PN
Worked in the Plastics Industry as a
Technician most of my employed time.
Redundant at the age of 40 so set up my
own business making long lasting, high
strength glass fibre signs with my own
unique manufacturing process.
Main hobbies bridge and motorcycling.
DAViD ARTHuR CHELSoM
1962-1967 Hodgson House
Hall Cottage
WHITELACKINGTON, Ilminster
Somerset TA19 9EF
PETER RoNALD CHARLES
WiNTER BSc MBA CEng FiMechE
MioD
1963-1970 Hodgson House, then
Meredith House from 1967
5 Oaklays, WARRINGTON
WA4 5HD
A lifetime in a few words... precising at its
best!!!!
Life has been good to me.....Met Gillian
at University in 1971....married over 38
years now....produced Anna (31), Jenny
(28), William (24) …. Anna had our first
(and only) grandson in November 2012.
Did 30 years in the nuclear industry, with
great variety....Sellafield Shift Manager,
Atomic Energy Counsellor (British
Embassy in Tokyo), VP Commercial of a
multinational radioactive Waste Disposal
Company in Australia. In 2000 switched
to higher education, enterprise and
innovation: included being Pro-Vice
Chancellor at Loughborough University.
Lived in the NW since graduation
(Warrington for a good chunk of it; 7
years in the Western Lakes)......we all had
3 years in Japan (1992-1995) and I did a
lot of 1998 and 1999 in Melbourne....just
taken severance from Southampton...
decided not to retire just yet: now at
Manchester Metropolitan University.
The running.... had a serious year at
university in the first year (English Cross
Country Union Junior Men's team title)
but more recreational after that. Since
1995 (on return from Japan) I have been a
regular at Old Trafford for my soccer, but
the people around me know (but definitely
do not understand) that I may react oddly
when Spurs visit.
Stationers' certainly launched me
brilliantly... it just goes all too quickly.
RoGER TuRKiNGToN
1962-1968 Bishop House
The Bishop's View
STRADBROKE Suffolk
IP21 5JG
I have been living in the North Suffolk
village of Stradbroke with my wife Gill for
12 years. We spend a lot of time working
in and enjoying our 1 acre garden and I
am very active with various local
community and charitable trusts. I have
two daughters and two granddaughters.
Hobbies and interests include; tennis,
badminton, walking, DIY and travel to
exotic places. In May we had tea at
Buckingham Palace.
After leaving Stationers' in 1968 I took up
an apprenticeship with what was then the
GPO Research Station at Dollis Hill. In
1975 the job moved to Suffolk and I spent
many years working on various aspects of
visual telecommunications. In 1986 I took
on overall responsibility for BT's
videoconferencing business. The job
moved back to London and I commuted
for nearly 10 years before leaving to set up
53

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
my own business with an ex-friend.
At the ripe age of 50 I was able to draw
my BT pension and go into semiretirement,
just doing a few days
management consultancy. Less than three
years ago I got involved with Suffolk
ACRE (Action with Communities in
Rural England , a charity supporting
individuals and communities help
themselves. I was their Director of
Operations for nearly 10 years but retired
fully in May 2013 and now seem to have
less time to myself than ever!
PETER PRAzSKY
1962-1967 Meredith House
33 St. Helena Road
COLCHESTER Essex
CO3 3BA
BEKiR HASSAN (Bek)
institute of Banking Diploma
1974-1982 Bishop House
30A Leicester Lane
LEAMINGTON SPA Warwickshire
CV32 7HE
Joined NatWest Bank after completing A
Levels; qualified for Institute of Banking
Diploma, 5 years in the textile industry as
a Commercial Sales Manager 25 years in
the automotive industry.
The last 22 years working for the Peugeot
Citroen Automotive Group Spent 4 years
in Istanbul Turkey as Director of Peugeot
Turkey. Recently moved back to the UK as
Sales Director of Citroen UK.
Now living in Leamington Spa; 50 years
old; Married with three daughters aged
21, 17 and 13.
MALCoLM ToM WANDRAG Msc
1962-1968 Bishop House
2 Timber Orchard
WATERFORD Herts
SG 14 2PU
RiCHARD FoRTY B Ed (Cantab)
MA
1965-1972 Meredith House and
Hodgson House
13 Meadway
ENFIELD Middx
EN3 6NT
I left school from the upper sixth in 1972
and qualified as a teacher, graduating from
Cambridge University in 1976. Having
taken up gainful employment, I taught
geography for ten year, the last three as
Head of Department, on the way studying
for an MA.in 1979. By 1985 and with an
expanding family, it was clear that my
salary was not growing at the same rate
and I therefore changed track and joined
the Metropolitan Police in 1986. The
following 27 years were a bit of a roller
coaster of fun and some really serious stuff
thrown in. I retired this last summer,
having spent the last few years as the
supervisor in the police office at the
Crown Court at Wood Green.
It is now six months since I finished work
and I do not really miss it at all! Holidays
abroad, finding new places in Britain with
my caravan and my role as a new 'granddad'
takes up a good deal of my time.
MiCHAEL TToFi ACiB
1973-1980 Hodgson House
68 Glamis Close , CHESHUNT
Herts, EN7 6JD
ANTHoNY RoY STEVENSoN ACMA
1954-1961 Hodgson House
50 Second Avenue
FRINTON ON SEA Essex
CO13 9LX
On leaving Stationers' in 1961 I trained
with Ford Motor Company, Dagenham in
Management Accountancy. Following
qualification I moved around for a period
including 5 years in finance on Sugar
Estates in Jamaica (a marked contrast to
Dagenham) and a year in the States.
Returning to the UK I joined a marine
equipment company called Kelvin Hughes
based at Hainault. After a period running
Finance and then Marketing I became
MD for a period of 7 years. The parent
company Smiths Industries (historically
clocks and watches, motor car
instrumentation) then moved me run
their Aerospace Division at Basingstoke.
Some years after retiring I moved from
Hampshire to Essex to be nearer to family.
My main hobby these days is playing golf,
or to be more accurate trying to.
A warm welcome to all New Members
to the Old Stationers' Association!
CHANGES oF ADDRESS
ALEC LiNFoRD
1 The Woodpeckers
Patron Way West
UXBRIDGE
UB9 5PJ
PETER ENGLEDoW
15 Custerton Court
Station Street
SAFFRON WALDEN
Essex CB11 3HF
NiCK KouPPARi
Steep Banks
Butts Road
BAKEWELL
Derbyshire DE45 1BP
TERRY WHiTE
60 Lulworth Avenue
GOFFS OAK
Herts EN7 5JX
G P SToPFoRD
20 Barossa Valley Way
LYNDOCH
SA 5351
AUSTRALIA
JoHN YouNG
Oak Tree House
Hemp Lane
WIGGINTON
Tring
Herts HP23 6HE
HAVE You GoT YouR CoPY?
54

From THE Archives 60 YEARS ago
In Commemoration of the Coronation of Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 2nd June, 1953,
this volume was presented by the Master, Wardens
and Court of the Worshipful Company of
Stationers and Newspaper Makers to
R.D.Hermans, Form 5, S.C.Nunn MA
Headmaster.
All members of the School received a copy of the
publication 'The Worshipful Company of
Sdtationers and Newspaper Makers, Notes on its
Origin and History, Archives, Portraits, Plate, etc.
by Sidney Hodgson, F.S.A., Honorary Archivist to
the Company, 1953. A few years ago I visited ray
hermans in Aylesbury and he gave me his copy at
the time. Since then a number of copies have
surfaced. Until I set eyes on Ray's copy I did not
know of its existence.

The School in 1953, photographed by Form VI student N D Goodman and used in a booklet given to all pupils
to commemorate the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II