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No 97 / July 2023<br />
The Old Stationer<br />
Number 97 - July 2023
Tony Mash, Old Stationer, is to become Master of the Stationers’ Company<br />
at a ceremony in the Hall on July 4th. Congratulations from the OSA committee.
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
The Old Stationer<br />
NUMBER 97 - JULY 2023<br />
OLD STATIONERS’ ASSOCIATION<br />
LIST OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2023/2024<br />
President<br />
Robin Baker<br />
07939 059139<br />
bakersilverfox@ aol.com<br />
Honorary Secretary<br />
Peter R Thomas<br />
01438 722870<br />
peterthomas561@outlook.com<br />
Honorary Editor<br />
Tim Westbrook<br />
07770 381070<br />
tim@timwestbrook.co.uk<br />
Ordinary Members<br />
Andreas Christou<br />
07722 117481<br />
andreashchristou@yahoo.com<br />
Nigel Adams<br />
07939 140013<br />
nigeladams2023@gmail.com<br />
Tony Hemmings<br />
01992 638535<br />
hemmingsac43@gmail.com<br />
Stephen Collins<br />
07802 157044<br />
spc@woodhaven.me.uk<br />
Publishing Adviser<br />
Tim Westbrook<br />
Details as above<br />
Vice-President<br />
Kevin Waller<br />
07581 034778<br />
dangerfielddevelopmentsltd@gmail.com<br />
Honorary Treasurer<br />
Peter Winter<br />
07795 450863<br />
prcwinter1@btinternet.com<br />
Honorary Archivist<br />
David D Turner<br />
01707 656414<br />
daviddanielturner63@gmail.com<br />
Honorary Auditors<br />
Chris Langford<br />
Dave Cox<br />
CLUBS & SOCIETIES<br />
Football Club<br />
Ian Meyrick<br />
ian.meyrick1@gmail.com<br />
Golf Society<br />
Roger Rufey<br />
07780 450369<br />
rrufey@gmail.com<br />
Apostles Club<br />
Stuart H Behn<br />
01923 243546<br />
stuartbehn@hotmail.com<br />
MAGAZINE<br />
Design & Print Preparation<br />
Ian Moore<br />
07833 331865<br />
ian@outhaus.biz<br />
Past President<br />
Daniel Bone<br />
07770 431060<br />
dan.bone@civix.org.uk<br />
Membership Secretary<br />
Roger Engledow<br />
07817 111642<br />
osamembers@gmail.com<br />
Event Managers<br />
Roger Melling<br />
020 8449 2283<br />
rmelling76@gmail.com<br />
Peter A Sandell<br />
07917 693523<br />
peter.sandell@hotmail.co.uk<br />
SC School Lodge no.7460<br />
Michael Pinfield<br />
020 8422 4699<br />
07956 931174<br />
secretary7460ugle@gmail.com<br />
WEBSITE<br />
Content Manager<br />
Josh Beadon<br />
01392 422007<br />
joshbeadon@toucandesign.co.uk<br />
Back End Manager<br />
Ian Moore (Details below)<br />
Printed by<br />
Orchard Press<br />
Cheltenham Ltd<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Regular features<br />
Dates for the Diary 4<br />
Editorial 4<br />
Correspondence 33<br />
Special features<br />
OSA AGM/Lunch 2022 5<br />
May Lunch 12<br />
A Company Silver Medal revisited<br />
over 80 years after it was awarded 12<br />
History of the Stationers' Company's<br />
School 1858-1983 13<br />
Tony Hemming's 80th 19<br />
RogFest 80 23<br />
A previous refurbishment of<br />
Stationers' Hall 26<br />
Some memories before and after my time<br />
at Stationers' Company's School 28<br />
Geologist's'Association Presidential Medal<br />
recipient 2022: Dr Liam Gallagher 31<br />
Our archive returns to the hall 32<br />
Gus notes 1964 36<br />
Me & My Motors: My Mustang 37<br />
A walk in Hertfordshire 37<br />
Book reviews 39<br />
Clubs & Societies<br />
OS Golf Society 19<br />
OSFC Report 2022/23 20<br />
Reunions<br />
Reunion for post 1967 pupils 21<br />
Class of 1965 with wives 22<br />
Varia<br />
Puzzle Corner 43<br />
Membership Secretary's report 43<br />
Website update 43<br />
Photography competition - “Weather” 55<br />
Obituaries<br />
Bob Patten 44<br />
Dudley Jones 46<br />
Tony McKeer 48<br />
Bereavement notices<br />
Ron Balaam 48<br />
Ellen North 49<br />
Roger Smith 49<br />
Roy Simmons 49<br />
OSA AGM 2022<br />
Minutes 50<br />
President's address 51<br />
Honorary Treasurer's report 52<br />
Financial statements 53<br />
Supplying items for publication<br />
Text: Please supply as Word or typed documents if<br />
possible. Images: Supply as original images or hi-res<br />
(300dpi) digital files in tiff, jpeg or eps format.<br />
Post or email to the Honorary Editor, Tim<br />
Westbrook. See Committee list for address details.<br />
3
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
As I write this we are<br />
recovering from yesterday’s<br />
busy and productive<br />
reunion for younger ex<br />
Stationers’ at the old lower<br />
school building and later, at<br />
the Queens pub in Crouch<br />
End.<br />
The day started with an<br />
unscheduled event when a<br />
large tree fell down blocking<br />
Mayfield Road and crushing two cars. We had 36<br />
attendees including 16 non OSA members so hopefully a<br />
number of these “newbys” will sign up to join the OSA<br />
and move our membership up to the 500 mark.<br />
Talking of reunions, the class of 1965 set a precedent by<br />
inviting partners to their latest reunion which proved to<br />
be very successful and I expect other years may wish to<br />
follow suite.<br />
Two special birthdays occurred in the last month, Tony<br />
Hemmings and Roger<br />
Engledow (insets right),<br />
both 80 and both<br />
seemed to enjoy the<br />
events held in<br />
celebration.<br />
Another important<br />
event due to take place on July 4th at the Hall is the<br />
installation of Tony Mash as the new Master of the<br />
Stationers’ Company. The committee congratulates Tony<br />
on his appointment.<br />
The new “Book Review” section launched in the last issue<br />
by Tony Moffat has encouraged other members to promote<br />
their own published literature and if we can squeeze all<br />
four new reviews into this issue you will be able to<br />
familiarise yourselves with the published work of Stephen<br />
Platten, Bob Patten, Steve Trew and Brian Cranwell.<br />
And finally, I hope you enjoy Stephen Collins precis of<br />
Robert Baynes “History of the School” recently published<br />
in the Bulletin of the Hornsey Historical Society.<br />
Tim<br />
DATES for the DIARY<br />
PRESIDENT’S DAY<br />
Sunday 27th August<br />
SEPTEMBER LUNCH<br />
Wednesday 13th September<br />
CHRISTMAS LUNCH<br />
Friday 1st December at the Hall<br />
AGM & ANNUAL LUNCH<br />
Friday 22nd March 2024 at the Hall<br />
ONLINE MAGAZINE ARCHIVE<br />
Every school and OSA magazine since 1884 is accessible in the Library on the OSA web site. Have a look and see<br />
what was happening in your school days. Password: 0335OS-wwwOSA<br />
4
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
AGM & ANNUAL LUNCH, MARCH 2023<br />
The tables are set for lunch<br />
Guest speaker<br />
PEREGRINE BRYANT - ARCHITECT TO THE<br />
STATIONERS’ COMPANY RECONFIGURING<br />
THE STATIONERS’ HALL<br />
Guest Speaker Perigrine Bryant<br />
I was honoured to be asked by your President to attend the Old<br />
Stationers’ Lunch on 31st March and to talk about our<br />
involvement in the recent alterations of the Stationers’’ Hall.<br />
Here follows a shortened version of my talk.<br />
Livery Halls are a building type specific to the City of London.<br />
Sometimes they were largely built at one time. However, the<br />
majority, including the Stationers’ Hall, comprise a series of<br />
connected buildings and spaces, which vary in terms of age and<br />
architectural significance.<br />
Apart from the Roman wall, which runs past the west end of the<br />
site, and is still visible at the end of the vault adjacent to the St<br />
Martin within Ludgate the oldest building on the site is what is<br />
now the Tokefield centre. This is one of the few buildings remaining<br />
in the city which largely survived the Fire of London, which<br />
destroyed completely the majority of the City’s Company Halls.<br />
After the fire, The Great Hall was constructed in 1670-74. It is<br />
of high significance and is the direct successor to the medieval<br />
hall and is probably the most important room both architecturally<br />
and in the life of the Stationers’ Company. Its significance<br />
extends to the entire exterior, including the refined east front by<br />
Robert William Mylne, a little known architect practising in the<br />
5
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
mid 19th century, and the 17TH century west front (see below),<br />
now obscured by a rather drab cement render.<br />
Internally, the fine seventeenth century panelling still survives.<br />
The roof to the Great Hall and the Court Room are both post<br />
war and incorporate steel trusses.<br />
On the other side of the Great Hall was the 1950s link block,<br />
reconstructed following bomb damage and containing the old<br />
Ante Room with a plain, sensitively designed Neo Georgian<br />
exterior. Inside, the travertine-lined stair and the classically treated<br />
Ante Room were of interest, although functionally if the ante room<br />
was in use, it prevented access through it to the Court Room.<br />
The Court Room block is, largely, a 1950s replica of the building<br />
that was damaged during the Second World War. Internally, the<br />
1950s interior is a scholarly recreation of the 1757 interior, with<br />
its fine rococo plasterwork, which was carefully salvaged by the<br />
then architects. The adjoining Card Room is the principal<br />
survivor of W. C. Mylne’s work in 1825 and is significant for its<br />
decorative and spatial qualities including the octagonal lantern.<br />
Above these rooms were the archive and library, which were of<br />
little merit architecturally, and inconveniently located.<br />
So that was the building as it was when we came to it – and<br />
largely still is.<br />
The scheme we executed was the end of a long journey to make<br />
the Stationers Hall more accessible as well as to allow separate<br />
functions to take place in the Hall at the same time.<br />
The first action agreed with the Company was to adapt the<br />
building now called the Tokefield Centre to house the archive<br />
and library, previously housed over the Court Room, and release<br />
that space for other uses. That was completed and opened in<br />
2018.<br />
There was some debate about where the other uses should be<br />
located. For instance, it was proposed for the Company’s<br />
administration offices to be moved to the Tokefield Centre with<br />
the Kitchen shifting to the undercroft below the Hall (where it<br />
had indeed been located in the 17th century – subsequently<br />
removed thence because of the steam and smells permeating into<br />
the Hall!)<br />
As so often with buildings that have developed over time we<br />
were dealing with an assembly of buildings whose levels were all<br />
over the shop. The location we first identified for a lift and<br />
revised circulation was in the ‘link building’ which had been<br />
rebuilt after the war as a result of the bomb damage which also<br />
severely damaged the Court Room. But it quickly became<br />
apparent, as we developed our proposals further, for the Great<br />
Hall and western section, that in order to get the building to<br />
work we would have to take down the whole of the 1950s link<br />
building, retaining just the rear wall facing on to Amen Court.<br />
This would allow us to rebuild it so as to provide a new<br />
independent entrance from the garden, a reconfigured stair, lift<br />
and lavatories whilst maintaining access from a refurbished<br />
ground floor kitchen to the Great Hall. We also needed to<br />
incorporate a new ante room for small gatherings at first floor<br />
level to replace the one that was in the demolished building.<br />
This really was a sort of Rubik’s cube - where every centimetre<br />
had to be made to work hard. The trickiest part was really the<br />
staircase where we were incredibly tight for space, needing to<br />
The Great Hall as rebuilt after the Great Fire (now obscured by render)<br />
6
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
President with Guest Speaker<br />
give adequate headroom over the stair up from the Kitchen to<br />
the Great Hall as well as for the flights of stairs above. This led<br />
to the choice of a folded steel stair with solid steel balustrades,<br />
finished in bronze, which winds round the new lift, serving<br />
Court Room and Hall levels as well as to an interim level with<br />
ladies and gents lavatories and up to the old Library space on the<br />
top floor which now houses a series of meeting rooms separated<br />
by sliding folding acoustic glass screens which can be slid back to<br />
allow one big space for larger gatherings.<br />
At Ground floor is a new entrance from the courtyard which<br />
gives level access to the lift and also allows a separate function to<br />
take place in the Court Room simultaneously with one In the<br />
Great Hall. A small finishing kitchen for the Court Room has<br />
been installed in what was a small meeting room over the<br />
Tokefield Centre.<br />
The decision on the external form of the building was also tricky.<br />
One question was whether broadly to follow the form and style<br />
of the rebuilt Court Room building or to design a building which<br />
would contrast with both it and the adjoining Hall and be clearly<br />
of the 21st century. After close consultation with the City of<br />
London and Historic England the latter course was chosen. The<br />
triangular prow was partly born out of the need not to obscure<br />
the Cranmer window in the Hall whilst still providing space for<br />
the new Ante Room with views across the garden to the<br />
magnificent plane tree and St Martin’s within Ludgate – which<br />
can also be viewed from the new terrace at third floor level. The<br />
material used for the outside of the building was a brick that<br />
would blend with, but not be identical to, the Court Room<br />
building. It was also built in stretcher bond to contrast with the<br />
Flemish bond of the adjoining building.<br />
Before work commenced, trial holes were dug which found<br />
nothing of archaeological significance. However, the moment<br />
the former building came down and we started excavating, we<br />
found the site awash with old and not so old structures, though<br />
alas no Roman sarcophagi….. The discoveries were enough<br />
however to delay work on the building for nearly three months.<br />
We did find some probably medieval paving slabs below the<br />
kitchen which we have been able to incorporate into the paving<br />
in the garden.<br />
The other major works we carried out include:<br />
• a complete refitting and refurbishment of the Kitchen under<br />
the Court Room the ventilation for which was fiendishly<br />
complicated as we had a very low ceiling height. It’s not quite<br />
a question of tall chefs need not apply – but it’s tight!<br />
• The re-arrangement of the old Stationers’ offices in the<br />
undercroft below the Great Hall including loos, shower and<br />
a mini kitchen.<br />
• Finding a new way through to the ground floor of the east<br />
side, with a small stair and wheelchair lift to accommodate<br />
the change in level from one side to the other. This corridor<br />
incorporates display cupboards.<br />
• And of course, one really important element was the<br />
replacement of the gas fired boilers with air source heat<br />
pumps which provide both cooling in the summer (a facility<br />
the Company did not have before) and heating in the winter.<br />
The air distribution units around the walls here, which<br />
replace the old radiator casings, have been seamlessly fitted in<br />
with the panelling, thanks to the skill of the joiners and<br />
polisher. Consent was obtained for the heat pumps which sit<br />
on a flat roof, in spite of some opposition from the flats on<br />
Ludgate Hill overlooking the site. I believe since<br />
commissioning there have been no complaints…They are<br />
predicted to reduce the Company’s carbon emissions by some<br />
80%.<br />
You can imagine that this was not an easy site to manage for all<br />
materials had to come to site through the passage from the front<br />
courtyard. A tower crane in the front was considered but<br />
concerns over the risk of damage to the Great Hall or its roof<br />
ruled this out.<br />
In spite of all the ups and downs, including delays caused by<br />
Covid, I am pleased that, with the help of our clients and the<br />
contractor, we got through it and have a result we can be proud<br />
of and I hope will serve the Company well for years to come.<br />
These works have amply demonstrated that the Stationers do<br />
not remain stationary! So, in conclusion I would like to thank the<br />
Stationers’ Company for turning to us to work with them on the<br />
recent works.<br />
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS<br />
Peregrine, Master, Clerk, fellow Old Stationers…<br />
Well, that year went quickly. Just when I was getting used to<br />
being your President and the number of speeches, I’m leaving the<br />
stage! My predecessor, Stephen Collins, navigated the pandemic<br />
and deftly changed how and where we met in those strange<br />
times, keeping us together both on zoom and at Cutlers’ Hall. In<br />
contrast, my year has had fewer dramatic surprises -thankfully<br />
It truly has been an honour to serve as your President, and doubly<br />
so as we are all meeting here again in this Great Hall which<br />
provides the best of convivial surroundings.<br />
So, this is an appropriate time to thank the man responsible for<br />
the Hall’s changes and improvements as well as proposing the<br />
toast to the OSA and the Stationers’ Company. Thank you,<br />
Peregrine.<br />
Over the past couple of years, I’ve reflected on the breadth of<br />
Peregrine’s endeavours in my articles for The Old Stationer<br />
magazine. But nothing is better than hearing from the man<br />
7
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
Dan recalls his year in office<br />
himself so I thank you Peregrine for your illuminating remarks.<br />
In particular, the extraordinarily detailed account of your<br />
commitment to make the historic Stationers’ Estate, with all its<br />
quirks, twist and turns, fit to meet the challenges of the 21st<br />
century.<br />
Now, at the risk of being controversial, I’ll say that architects are<br />
a curious and often misunderstood bunch – at least among their<br />
clients. They are sometimes praised but also criticised. The latter,<br />
I’d like to think only occasionally… Even some luminaries in the<br />
profession recognise that the crafting of architecture can be<br />
contentious and sometimes even disastrous. Frank Lloyd<br />
Wright, perhaps the greatest American architect of all time,<br />
reflected on how architecture whether good or bad touches us all,<br />
when he wrote “A doctor can bury his mistakes, but an architect<br />
can only advise his clients to plant vines”. Think about it!<br />
Thankfully, and I’ve checked, Peregrine has never had to resort<br />
to error-hiding plant camouflage.<br />
Closer to home, the most decorated British architect living today,<br />
Lord Norman Foster, sums up what we in the game recognise to<br />
be the defining qualities of architects of great buildings, historic<br />
or contemporary, when he says: “It takes a lot of effort to make a<br />
building look effortless.” When I think of Peregrine’s work here<br />
at Stationers’ Hall, I marvel at the dexterity of his design,<br />
melding the old with the new while at the same time improving<br />
our wellbeing and adapting the building so deftly to meet the<br />
demands of our changing climate.<br />
There are decidedly few Old Stationers who became architects<br />
- there have been just three of us in the post war era: Michael<br />
Brady here today, hello Michael; Neil Parkyn, now living in<br />
France and yours truly.<br />
I’m often been asked what motivated me to become an architect.<br />
Well, the student life was attractive and there was lots of it – 5<br />
years of university and 2 years in practice. Of course, I had no<br />
idea about the length and depth of study when I first realised<br />
that I was attracted to designing and making things. Surprisingly,<br />
this revelation came in a geography lesson with one of our<br />
schoolmasters that many here will remember. He was Stan, or as<br />
we called him, Sam Read. Our task was to make a drawing of the<br />
classroom using a ruler, pencil and paper.<br />
The idea that the classroom could be drawn in the abstract,<br />
showing walls, windows and desks, was a ‘light-bulb’ moment for<br />
me. It made me wonder, how did a room become this place where<br />
we were sitting and learning? I realised that this is what architects<br />
do; they create spaces for different purposes and so they need to<br />
think in three dimensions. So, for me, it was Sam Read who<br />
stimulated my interest in architecture, albeit unintentionally.<br />
And perhaps it is that fondly remembered stimulation that keeps<br />
us all so interested in the Old Stationers and in the connections<br />
that we come across. For example, we discovered at our<br />
September lunch that Moira has a direct link to the Old<br />
Stationers. She studied at Wisbech Grammar School, the very<br />
school that received evacuated masters and pupils from Stationers.<br />
This change of place was to prove a rewarding experience for the<br />
young Londoners billeted in the rural town. We are very pleased<br />
to have you with us again Moira and thank you for your speech<br />
on behalf of the Company.<br />
Let’s quickly remind ourselves of the highlights of the past year:<br />
the Annual Lunch in April at Cutlers’ Hall; in May, the first<br />
reunion of OS from the Comprehensive generation organised by<br />
Andreas Christou with support from Messrs Sandell, Thomas<br />
and Westbrook; the return to our normal May lunch at the Royal<br />
National Hotel; the celebration of the 50th anniversary of<br />
President’s Day cricket match at Botany Bay, established by the<br />
late Bob Patten - we lost, badly; the September lunch at the<br />
Royal again and the well-attended Christmas lunch, our first<br />
such gathering back in the Hall for three years.<br />
Otherwise, our focus has been on being reunited with our<br />
archives and the start of the video memories initiative. The<br />
archive boxes were moved to storage in Northampton just as the<br />
Hall’s renovations works began in early 2021. I am grateful to<br />
Nick Henwood for providing the temporary storage. Nick was to<br />
be with us today but unfortunately he tested positive for Covid<br />
yesterday. We send him our best wishes for a swift recovery.<br />
With the reopening of the Hall in summer 2022 we had the<br />
opportunity to return our archive. My thanks to Liveryman and<br />
Old Stationer Martin Lawrence and Upper Warden Tony Mash,<br />
the Clerk and the Company Archivist, for their behind-thescenes<br />
time and energy, ensuring that our archive is now in the<br />
best possible place at the Hall sharing the Company’s<br />
incomparably air-conditioned Tokefield Centre. Incidentally,<br />
this small building is the oldest book warehouse still standing in<br />
London and as noted by Peregrine, the first part of his conversion<br />
work at the Hall. Of course, huge thanks are also due to our<br />
intrepid archive subcommittee for bringing it all home -<br />
captained by David Turner with Tim Westbrook and Peter<br />
Thomas in support.<br />
The introduction of the video memories initiative has seen the<br />
emergence of budding movie makers. Robin Baker, Stephen<br />
Collins and Mark Templeman vividly told their memories of Mr<br />
Bartlett, Mr Davis and Mr Thomas. In the most recent video,<br />
8
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
Paul Bateman tells the captivating story of French teacher<br />
Francis Evans, now 87. His boundless energy providing the<br />
school’s young musicians with the delight of the best classical<br />
concerts London had to offer. In production is Tony Mash’s<br />
highlights of the school choir’s achievements, those same young<br />
musicians and their legendary music teachers.<br />
You won’t be surprised to hear that sorting through the archive<br />
boxes I came across some real treasures, including a memorial<br />
essay to Joe Symons written by Headmaster Robert Baynes. All<br />
our teachers played a valuable part in our educational development<br />
but I think Joe was probably the only one who influenced most<br />
of us who are here today.<br />
Joe was described by Mr Baynes as an astonishingly good allround<br />
school-master adding “The true praise of schoolmasters is<br />
from the mouths of their pupils”.<br />
In my time at the school, Joe was Deputy Head but his<br />
relationship with the school goes back to 1923 as a boy and then<br />
as a teacher from 1946 when he became a lynchpin of the<br />
school’s teaching staff until retirement in 1975. A video memory<br />
of Joe would be a great addition to those already produced, so do<br />
consider him for a subject if you’ve yet to do yours. And, I’m<br />
confident that future videos will cover stories of the sporting<br />
achievements for which the school excelled. What about the<br />
experiences shared on overseas trips and in particular with the<br />
Struer Gymnasium, Denmark? A compilation of the Danish<br />
exchanges from several individuals would surely be hard to beat.<br />
I’ll be continuing with the video memories project for the<br />
coming year and would love to hear from anyone thinking of<br />
making a video memory.<br />
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank the many people<br />
who have helped make today the highpoint of my year:<br />
• Moira and Peregrine for sharing their thoughts in such<br />
memorable speeches<br />
• The Company for granting the Association the enjoyment of<br />
this great establishment and all at the Hall who make us so<br />
welcome<br />
• Giles Fagan for his eloquent Grace<br />
• Fellow OSA Committee members for their friendship and<br />
hard work<br />
• Peter Sandell and Roger Melling for excellence in everything<br />
lunches<br />
and caterers Searcys for today’s splendid feast<br />
• Peter Bothwick for his efficient management of proceedings,<br />
in his usual exuberant style<br />
And to the future:<br />
• wishing Robin Baker and Kevin Waller all the best for their<br />
upcoming years as President and Vice President<br />
• wishing Tony Mash a masterful year as Master. How proud<br />
we are to have a second Master from our number. Be assured<br />
Tony you have the support of the Committee and Association<br />
And finally<br />
• thanking you all for coming today and maintaining the close<br />
friendships that we hold so dear...<br />
Daniel Bone President 2022-23<br />
The new President Robin addresses the members<br />
THE MASTER MOIRA SLEIGHT SPEECH<br />
You are all very welcome here at Stationers’ Hall. It is always<br />
good to see the old boys of the Stationers’ School here.<br />
2023 is a very special year for the Worshipful Company of<br />
Stationers and Newspaper Makers.<br />
Firstly, it is the 350th anniversary of the opening of our Hall after<br />
our previous one was burnt down in the Great of Fire of London<br />
and we are celebrating this milestone throughout the year.<br />
The anniversary is made even sweeter in that as you know we<br />
recently carried out two years of major building work and so we<br />
now have a wonderful suite of premises that we hope will set us<br />
up for the next 350 years.<br />
I’m sure you will all be as delighted as we are about how splendid<br />
our Hall is looking after our redevelopment work to make it<br />
more accessible, more flexible and more sustainable.<br />
We are very grateful to you old boys, both individually and<br />
through your networks, for the donations that have been made to<br />
the Stationers’ Hall Charity to help support this beautiful hall.<br />
We have recently launched a “Sponsor a Brick” campaign as we<br />
need to finish paying for the work that has been carried out and<br />
also, and very importantly, secure the Hall for future generations.<br />
The campaign seeks to raise money for the Stationers’ Hall<br />
Charity. Those sponsoring a brick will have their name – or the<br />
name of whomever they choose to dedicate the brick to –<br />
inscribed in a leather book to be kept in the Hall forever. The<br />
suggested donation is £100 a brick and you can sponsor as many<br />
bricks as you like.<br />
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
Moira with Robin<br />
Our archivist, Dr Ruth Frendo, tells me that the earliest date we<br />
can prove for material in our archive is 1557. So our sponsor<br />
book will be part of records stretching back for nearly five<br />
centuries. It is an opportunity for everyone to have a direct<br />
connection to the living history of our Hall and their name or the<br />
name of a loved one to be part of Stationers’ heritage.<br />
If any of you are interested in sponsoring a brick, you will find<br />
leaflets about it around the building or do ask one of us Stationers<br />
about it afterwards.<br />
Secondly, 2023 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of<br />
Shakespeare’s First Folio and therefore the 400th anniversary of<br />
its registration at Stationers’ Hall.<br />
The First Folio is the first collected edition of William<br />
Shakespeare’s plays, collated and published in 1623, seven years<br />
after his death. Without the First Folio, we could have lost<br />
forever Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure, Macbeth, Julius<br />
Caesar and The Tempest.<br />
These two anniversaries are just two examples of our amazing<br />
history and heritage. Yet, of course the Worshipful Company of<br />
Stationers and Newspaper Makers is not just a 620-year-old<br />
Company, but a modern organisation seeking to serve the<br />
communications and content<br />
industries in today’s world.<br />
As part of this commitment to be<br />
relevant, last month we held a<br />
signing ceremony for the<br />
Stationers’ Diversity Pledge,<br />
which commits us to endeavour<br />
to attract new members of all<br />
backgrounds from within our<br />
industries, reaching out actively<br />
to individuals and groups who<br />
are under-represented, and to<br />
seek to ensure that members of<br />
all backgrounds are encouraged<br />
to participate fully in the life of<br />
the Company.<br />
We are enjoying our present and<br />
looking forward to our future<br />
while never forgetting our past.<br />
The Stationers’ Company values<br />
its links with the old boys of<br />
Stationers’ School and I’m pleased to share with you some<br />
current developments that reflect our shared history, combining<br />
our past and our present.<br />
As you know, during the Second World War your school was<br />
evacuated to Wisbech, where the boys had their lessons at<br />
Wisbech Grammar School, my old school.<br />
I’m sure you’ll be delighted to learn that at the Stationers’ service<br />
at the beginning of Lent in St Faith’s Chapel in St Paul’s<br />
Cathedral a choir and musicians from Wisbech Grammar<br />
School travelled down to take part in the service and afterwards<br />
partook of refreshments at the Hall, re-establishing a link forged<br />
so many decades ago. Their musical contribution to our service<br />
was inspiring.<br />
And next month, as part of a trip to the Fens, the Stationers’<br />
Court will visit Wisbech Grammar School and have lunch there<br />
and be given a tour. The school is on a different site now but one<br />
that would have been known to the Stationers’ boys as it used to<br />
house the Girls’ High School and there were certainly some<br />
romances between the Stationers and the High School girls!<br />
When we are there, we will present a plaque marking our visit<br />
and expressing our gratitude for the hospitality offered to the<br />
London boys.<br />
So these are two ways in which our Stationers’ connections from<br />
our shared history are flourishing.<br />
It is a source of delight that we current Stationers and you old<br />
boys have such ongoing bonds and the Clerk and I are grateful<br />
for the invitation to be with you here today. It is good to be<br />
among friends.<br />
In concluding my speech, I cannot put it better than some words<br />
from your school song:<br />
“What is the Word that endureth for ever? Friendship! Till Time<br />
shall bring all of us home!”<br />
Stationers treasure our friendship with you and look forward to<br />
welcoming you back again in future years.<br />
Thank you.<br />
Moira Sleight<br />
Oldies at annual lunch in Hall<br />
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
OUR NEW PRESIDENT<br />
PRESIDENT’S DAY<br />
SUNDAY 27TH AUGUST 2023<br />
I would like to invite you, your family and friends to the<br />
traditional Old Stationers’ President’s Cricket Match on<br />
Sunday 27th August.<br />
As usual, the match is being played in the beautiful setting<br />
of the Botany Bay Cricket Club, East Lodge Lane, Enfield,<br />
Middx EN2 8HS.<br />
Richard Slatford is selecting the President’s Team to<br />
represent the OSA to play against the Botany Bay Cricket<br />
Club. The match will commence at 2.00pm, finishing at<br />
around 7.30pm. The bar will be open from 11.45am and<br />
lunch will be served at 12.30pm.<br />
If you wish to have lunch, the cost as been held at £30 per<br />
head; please pay online to Peter Sandell; account: P<br />
Sandell. Sort code: 20-29-81, account no: 93600653 at the<br />
earliest opportunity and certainly no later than 14th<br />
August.<br />
Alternatively, you can send Peter a cheque for £30 (made<br />
payable to P Sandell) to 11 Maplecroft Lane, Nazeing.<br />
Essex. EN9 2NR.<br />
Many thanks and I look forward to meeting as many of you<br />
as possible on the day.<br />
Kind regards<br />
Robin Baker President<br />
Old Stationers,<br />
It is my great pleasure to be writing this as your President. Last<br />
year under the expert guidance of Dan Bone and Peter Thomas<br />
I watched first hand your Committee in action, as I said at the<br />
installation meeting we are very lucky to have such a dedicated<br />
group looking after our interests. I would personally like to thank<br />
Dan Bone for leading me through the minefield, now for the<br />
next 12 months I shall be steering the ship.<br />
Not quite sure how I got here, I think I owe most of this to<br />
David Hudson and Bob Watts who on a sunny afternoon in the<br />
pub after one of our Old Boys lunches at the National they<br />
caught me “overserved” and with my guard down, and persuaded<br />
me to become Dan’s VP.<br />
But fair play to them I am glad they did persuade me.<br />
I would ask you to please support Peter and Roger by attending<br />
the lunches, they are great value, great fun and I shall endeavour<br />
to make them entertaining (no pressure).<br />
Also for those who play the most frustrating game in the world,<br />
please support the golf days run brilliantly by Roger Rufey -<br />
there should be details in this magazine. My main focus will be<br />
on wresting the bragging rights from Botany Bay at the<br />
Presidents Day cricket match, I am working on a few “ringers “<br />
for our team! I have many cricket contacts and I hope to acquire<br />
a couple of special guests for the day.<br />
I would just like to extend my best wishes to Tony Mash, in the<br />
words of the Spurs fans “he is one of our own”who will become<br />
Master of the Company this year. If there is one word in our song<br />
that is synonymous with Stationers it is “friendship” and so it<br />
should be.<br />
Robin Baker<br />
President<br />
11
28 Members gathered for lunch at the Royal National on May<br />
16th 2023.<br />
Attendees:<br />
Malcolm Abbott<br />
Robin Baker<br />
Granville Barand<br />
Don Bewick<br />
Geoff Blackmore<br />
Michael Brady<br />
Terry Butler<br />
MAY LUNCH 2023<br />
Stephen Collins<br />
Geoff Dent<br />
Roger Engledow<br />
Michael Facey<br />
Doug Fussell<br />
Phil Geering<br />
Mike Hasler<br />
Tony Hemmings<br />
David Hudson<br />
Brian Humphreys<br />
David Metcalf<br />
Mike Mote<br />
John Partridge<br />
Steve Presland<br />
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
Roger Rufey<br />
Peter Sandell<br />
Peter Thomas<br />
David Turner<br />
Kevin Waller<br />
John Welch<br />
Chris Wilkins<br />
A COMPANY SILVER MEDAL REVISITED OVER 80 YEARS AFTER IT WAS AWARDED<br />
In the dark days of September 1939, students from the Stationers’<br />
Company’s School got on a train at Kings Cross as part of the<br />
evacuation of school children from London. They along with<br />
their teachers and parents had no idea where they were heading.<br />
Eventually, they were told by the guard on the train that they<br />
were heading for Wisbech in the Fens region of Norfolk to keep<br />
them out of harms way. On arrival, they were billeted with local<br />
families and had afternoon lessons at Wisbech Grammar School.<br />
They stayed for 3 years.<br />
The Stationers’ Company was very grateful to the Borough of<br />
Wisbech for taking on the students from its school and, in a<br />
ceremony in the Town Hall in May of 1940, the then Master of<br />
the Company, (Sir Edgar Waterlow) presented the Borough with<br />
its prestigious Silver Medal ‘for valuable services rendered in the<br />
Company’s interests’. This award is recognised on the board to<br />
the right of the Caxton window in Stationers’ Hall and there are<br />
plaques at Wisbech Grammar School which reflect the close<br />
relationship that grew between the two schools and the Company<br />
from this evacuation process.<br />
At a recent visit by members of the Court of the Stationers’<br />
Company to the Town Hall in Wisbech, the Borough displayed<br />
with pride the silver medal it had received in 1940. The Master,<br />
Moira Sleight, is pictured holding the medal alongside myself<br />
acting as both Upper Warden of the Company and a Past<br />
President of the Old Stationers’ Association.<br />
Tony Mash<br />
Tony Mash & Moira Sleight with the Medal<br />
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
HISTORY OF THE STATIONERS’ COMPANY’S SCHOOL 1858–1983<br />
This article was originally published in the Bulletin of the Hornsey Historical Society (No 64, 2023,<br />
and is reprinted with the permission of the Society.<br />
The School seen from the third terrace<br />
Lying between Ridge Road and Weston Park, N8 run two<br />
parallel roads, Mayfield and Denton, and between them is a<br />
small play area known as Stationers Park. It is so named because<br />
the Stationers’ Company’s School stood on that site between<br />
1893 and1983, though you might not have known that until the<br />
installation of a small plaque in 2020 on a remaining outer wall<br />
of the School playground. This article traces the proud history of<br />
that School and its sad demise.<br />
the centuries many Livery Companies accumulated substantial<br />
charitable funds in support of their members and trades, and the<br />
Stationers’ Company was no exception. And this is where our<br />
story begins.<br />
The School owed its origin to investigations prompted by the<br />
1829 report of the Parliamentary Commission on the Charities<br />
of the City Companies. Whilst most of the 23 charities<br />
administered by the Worshipful Company of Stationers were<br />
being administered satisfactorily, five were called into question.<br />
When the idea of meeting the criticisms by establishing<br />
almshouses was aired, interventions by the Master of the Rolls<br />
and the Attorney General in 1852 prompted the alternative<br />
suggestion of setting up a school. The idea of establishing a<br />
school “for educating the children of Freemen and Liverymen”<br />
was rapidly accepted by the Court of the Company, and in about<br />
1856 it was agreed to set up a ‘Lower Class School’3. It was to<br />
be situated no more than a mile and a half from St Paul’s on the<br />
north side of the river A site was eventually purchased in Bolt<br />
Court, just north of Fleet Street and in the heart of the<br />
publishing world. This was next to Gough Square, site of Dr<br />
Samuel Johnson’s House; and, in fact, the Headmaster’s house,<br />
also purchased, was an earlier residence of Dr Johnson.<br />
Memorial plaque in Mayfield Road<br />
Much of the historical material is taken directly from Robert<br />
Baynes’s A History of the Stationers’ Company’s School, 1858-19831.<br />
I have taken the liberty of quoting directly from it at certain points<br />
as well as paraphrasing other parts. In addition, included (in italics)<br />
are some reminiscences of 1960’s pupils of the School which<br />
illustrate the significance that good teachers can have for the rest<br />
of their students’ lives, and did have in the case of Stationers’.<br />
ORIGINS<br />
Livery companies in the City of London were essentially trade<br />
guilds. Members were either Freemen or (more senior)<br />
Liverymen, and this gave them the right to practise their trade.<br />
The Worshipful Company of Stationers began as a Guild in<br />
1403 and was granted Livery Company status in 1559. It<br />
encompassed the publishing and book-selling trade which in<br />
medieval times was centred on St Paul’s Churchyard in the City2<br />
– hence to this day Stationers’ Hall is located just a couple of<br />
hundred yards from St Paul’s Cathedral, off Ludgate Hill. Over<br />
1 Published by the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers in<br />
1987. Robert Baynes was Headmaster in 1962-82. Thanks are also due to Daniel<br />
Bone for assistance with the images.<br />
Plaque commemorating original School in Bolt Court<br />
The School was begun in 1858. The first Headmaster was<br />
Andrew Isbister, the successful candidate out of 91 applicants,<br />
and the first pupils were accepted on 15th March 1861. Whilst<br />
the pupils were generally to be sons of Freemen and Liverymen,<br />
others were admitted, at a higher fee, and known as ‘aliens’.<br />
Originally called The Stationers’ School, the name was changed<br />
to The Stationers’ Company’s School in 1887. There was an<br />
express link to the doctrines of the Church of England, in relation<br />
to both the nature of religious education and the allegiance of the<br />
Headmaster. Isbister appears to have been very capable and<br />
rapidly won the confidence of the Governors. Over six feet in<br />
height and a devotee of the hookah, no portrait of him exists.<br />
Being established as a ‘Lower Class’ school limited the range of<br />
subjects that could be taught. Under Isbister’s influence, however,<br />
2 Interestingly, the name ‘Stationer’ came about because the booksellers had fixed<br />
stations by St Paul’s; hence they were stationary and sold what in those days was<br />
called stationery.<br />
3 At that time, schools were either Classical (Grammar) Schools, Middle Class and<br />
Commercial Schools or Lower Class Schools. The references to ‘class’ were<br />
unashamedly social in meaning.<br />
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
it de facto transitioned to being a ‘Middle Class’ school, although<br />
the Master of the Rolls had not acceded to the application of the<br />
Company so to do. The Bolt Court premises were adequate for<br />
the original 66 pupils, but by 1877 the total had increased to over<br />
180. Numbers had been boosted by the wholesale transfer of<br />
pupils from the Joint Choir Schools of the Temple and Lincoln’s<br />
Inn, along with an endowment. One observer said that the<br />
School’s education was as excellent as that of any school in the<br />
country, not excluding Eton and Winchester. The Governors<br />
were considering a move to more spacious surroundings. Isbister,<br />
however, retired with a pension in 1880 before any such move<br />
could be made, and died three years later. He had endowed a<br />
prize which remained in existence until the closure of the School<br />
exactly one hundred years after his demise.<br />
THE MOVE TO HORNSEY<br />
Isbister’s successor was Henry Chettle, under whose Headship a<br />
search for larger premises was begun in earnest. The hope was to<br />
remain within a mile and a half of St Paul’s to facilitate continued<br />
recruitment of sons of Stationers and to meet the needs of the<br />
chorister pupils to be near their respective chapels. An architect<br />
produced a preliminary sketch for a building to house at least 250<br />
pupils in Fetter Lane, but property prices proved prohibitive. A<br />
wider search was then commenced. Under guidance from the<br />
Charity Commission, it was focused on north and north-west<br />
London where a dearth of educational establishments had been<br />
identified4. Chettle, having previously been Headmaster of<br />
Tottenham County School, was ideally placed to guide the<br />
Governors, and eventually a site in Ferme Park was identified.<br />
The School in Bolt Court closed on 21st July 1893, after which all<br />
the Temple and Lincoln’s Inn Choristers left. In fact, only twenty<br />
boys transferred from Bolt Court to Hornsey, given the distance<br />
involved. It re-opened on 18th September in temporary premises<br />
on the corner of Denton and Ridge Roads, Stroud Green.<br />
Original permanent School building<br />
A DIP IN FORTUNES<br />
By 1906 there were 350 pupils, but this number had fallen to 259<br />
by 1910, despite the avowed intention of the Governors that it<br />
should become the leading boys’ Grammar School of the area.<br />
The Inspectors commented that it had failed to build up a Sixth<br />
Form of any size and that “the School can in no sense be<br />
regarded as a School of the First Grade”. This may have owed<br />
something to the fact that the School offered generous<br />
scholarships that may have facilitated entry of the abler boys to<br />
more prestigious schools elsewhere, in effect leading to the<br />
School being treated as a preparatory school.<br />
Meanwhile, the 1902 Education Act had introduced Local<br />
Education Authorities. In 1909 it was established that the<br />
Governors would comprise six from the Middlesex County<br />
Council, five from Hornsey Borough Council and eight from the<br />
Stationers’ Company, meaning that the latter did not have a<br />
Entrance hall<br />
Painting of temporary School building by G. Carpenter,<br />
hanging in Stationers’ Hall<br />
New permanent premises were built on the same site the<br />
following year. The new location meant that fewer pupils had<br />
any connection with the printing and publishing trades: they<br />
were predominantly ‘aliens’. Thus the School’s identity evolved<br />
into being a ‘neighbourhood school’ drawing pupils from a wide<br />
area of north London. This included much of Hornsey, but also<br />
extended as far as Barnet, Southgate and Potters Bar.<br />
4 This reflected relatively rapid urbanisation as the middle classes deserted the centre,<br />
and the School’s relocation is characteristic of a trend in the late 19th and early<br />
20th centuries for schools to move out to the suburbs from the City and Westminster.<br />
Main staircase<br />
14
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
majority. The Company was insistent, however, that it was still<br />
the predominant force, and that, with the help of the other<br />
parties, the School would be of a class equivalent to University<br />
College School (which itself had transitioned from Gower Street<br />
to Hampstead in 1907). In fact, Middlesex and Hornsey agreed<br />
to meet the costs of a new extension from public funds, providing<br />
accommodation for 100 more pupils (up to 400) as well as<br />
establishing scholarships for at least twenty boys otherwise<br />
unable to afford the fees. But at that moment, an inspection<br />
provided a very downbeat view of the School’s performance, as<br />
evidenced by the falling rolls. This was partly responsible for<br />
Chettle’s retirement as Headmaster, though he was already nearly<br />
65. He had been a good Headmaster, liked and respected, but<br />
without the vision of his predecessor. (His name is commemorated<br />
by Chettle Court, a 1969 block of council flats in Ridge Road.)<br />
A NEW VISION<br />
EXPANSION PLANS<br />
More important, of course, was the need for additional<br />
accommodation. The 1929 slump had put paid to immediate<br />
expansion plans. One possible sticking plaster would have been<br />
to close the preparatory department (for children aged 7 and<br />
upwards). But Huck believed, from an earlier period of closure,<br />
that this would have a deleterious effect on recruitment at later<br />
ages. Fortunately, the Middlesex Education Committee made<br />
available a former Domestic Science Centre in Oakfield Road<br />
and from 1932 this could accommodate 75-80 boys.<br />
Huck retired in 1936 and was succeeded by S C Nunn, a<br />
Cambridge mathematics graduate. The building extension was<br />
finally achieved in 1938, but no sooner was it occupied than<br />
preparations for evacuation had to begin.<br />
The ’vision thing’ was remedied by the appointment in 1913 of<br />
John Huck, aged only 41, who had a first in natural sciences from<br />
Cambridge. His particular skill was his ability to select good<br />
assistant staff. Sadly, the outbreak of war, and his call to the<br />
colours, interrupted his early prime years. In Huck’s absence, A<br />
E Newsome ran the School as Acting Headmaster, trying to<br />
maintain as much ‘business as usual’ as possible. Meanwhile, by<br />
1918 133 Old Stationers had been killed out of 800 enlisted<br />
men. In due course a Memorial Organ was installed in the<br />
assembly hall in 1922 together with boards naming Old<br />
Stationers who lost their lives in the war.<br />
School Memorial Organ<br />
Major Huck OBE had returned to his post at the beginning of<br />
1919. By the autumn, pupil numbers had reached 440 with a<br />
waiting list of 78, and there were 515 pupils by 1921. The School<br />
was designated a ‘First Grade Secondary School’, fulfilling the<br />
purpose for which the Governors had appointed Huck. But<br />
funds for expansion were not available.<br />
Sports and games were played on the sloping ground below the<br />
school building. A favourite game was a version of cricket<br />
known as Yarder, which had probably been played in Bolt Court<br />
and apparently resembled a game called Asphalt Cricket played<br />
at Christ’s Hospital. The playground was inhospitable, and was<br />
eventually replaced by four terraces, connected by flights of stairs.<br />
Further progress was made in 1934 when Middlesex County<br />
Council offered to purchase a playing field for the School. After<br />
some initial reluctance, the Stationers’ Company agreed to<br />
contribute, and in 1938 the ground belonging to St Bartholomew’s<br />
Hospital Rugby Club in Winchmore Hill was purchased.<br />
1938 extension to the School<br />
A year’s grace was bought with the Munich agreement, but in<br />
September 1939 the School was evacuated to Wisbech Grammar<br />
School in Cambridgeshire5 (although not all pupils made the<br />
move). The School returned to Hornsey by the summer of 1942.<br />
They were able to take advantage of the new wing, the major<br />
feature being the new Hall, which extended for the height of two<br />
floors. Thus appeared the L-shaped building which will have<br />
been familiar to most local residents before the School’s eventual<br />
physical destruction in 1985. The School was fortunate not to<br />
be damaged (other than a cycle shed at the bottom of the<br />
playground) by bombing during the Blitz in 1941 or V1 and V2<br />
rockets towards the end of the War – despite Hornsey being a<br />
prime target because of the railway lines that ran through it. But<br />
119 Old Stationers were killed out of 1221 who served in the<br />
Armed Forces. A Memorial Window was accordingly dedicated<br />
in 1950 in the assembly hall.<br />
Beaky, or Beak, Davis was a legend at Stationers’. He joined the<br />
school no later than 1931, when he was appointed to head the<br />
preparatory department, so when I joined in 1962 he had already<br />
been there well over 30 years. He was bald by then and always wore<br />
a gown. The origin of his nickname is obscure. It may be because his<br />
nose was rather beak-like in shape, or because ‘beak’ is a common<br />
nickname for a teacher, or simply because his initial was ‘B’, which I<br />
believe stood for Berthold.<br />
His subject was French, which he taught with old-fashioned repetitive<br />
rigour, drumming verb conjugations into us by rote. He would<br />
5 By a curious coincidence the Master of the Stationers’ Company at the time of<br />
writing is a former pupil of Wisbech Grammar School (obviously long after the<br />
Stationers’ sojourn there!). The link to Wisbech resonates with the First World War<br />
experience when sixty pupils volunteered for farm work in East Anglia in the<br />
school holidays.<br />
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
invariably enter the room by exclaiming “Bonjour, mes élèves”, to<br />
which we all responded “Bonjour Monsieur”. “Avez-vous faits vos<br />
devoirs pour aujourd’hui?”, he would ask; if we said “Oui, monsieur”<br />
he would ask “Devoirs orals ou devoirs écrits?”, and if the former an<br />
oral test would follow. If, however, the answer was “Non, monsieur”<br />
there would come the unforgettable “Quel dommage!”<br />
Other aphorisms would come thick and fast. Running his hand over<br />
his bald scalp, he would warn against “splitting hairs”. You would be<br />
grown-up when “your feet touched the ground when you stood up”.<br />
Although it’s a long time since then, “time flies: you can’t, they go too<br />
fast”. When you make a mistake, you’re being “Sally Slapdash”. You<br />
had to try to avoid speaking “bilge, barge, balderdash, poppycock and<br />
piffle”, but there were times when you realised that you were suffering<br />
from “inspissated crassitude”. He would say that “common sense is a<br />
very uncommon commodity”, and he would point out, when faced<br />
with schoolboy trickery, that “I’m not as green as I’m cabbage-looking”.<br />
If a boy was playing with his ruler, he would be told that “the last boy<br />
who did that died by inches”. And, “bless my soul and liver”, who can<br />
forget that a “cedilla is the submarine sign because it’s under the C”?<br />
All in all, Beaky Davis was an unforgettable man and teacher.<br />
THE POST-WAR SETTLEMENT<br />
Change was afoot following the 1944 Education Act, but it was<br />
a long time coming. At first the Governors expressed a preference<br />
for Voluntary Controlled status (whereby the local authority had<br />
two-thirds of the Governors and the Company only one-third)<br />
and classification as a ‘Comprehensive School’. With years of<br />
inaction for one reason or another, by 1952 the decision was to go<br />
for Voluntary Aided status (the inverse voting ratios to those of<br />
Controlled status) and to be a ‘Grammar School’. And that is the<br />
status that was enacted and pertained for the following 15 years<br />
until Comprehensive reorganisation became a reality.<br />
The School came into its own in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. The<br />
previous drain of pupils to independent schools through the<br />
Middlesex Scholarship system, which had inhibited the growth<br />
of the Sixth Form since the days of Chettle, gradually dried up.<br />
Together with the quality of teachers, the expansion of University<br />
provision, and the increased financial support available from local<br />
authorities, this led to significant numbers of students going to<br />
University from the Sixth Form, including many Open Awards to<br />
Oxford and Cambridge. There was also, of course, a prefectorial<br />
system, though, in contrast to Tom Brown’s Schooldays, the worst<br />
punishment that could be inflicted was a ‘detention’.<br />
J H (‘Gus’) Thomas taught English. He was not an easy man to like:<br />
he was quite austere and he demanded respect. He was strict. But he<br />
didn’t rule a class by cruelty or humiliation or favouritism. You didn’t<br />
mess with Gus; in fact, you’d learn from him. One of his other duties<br />
was detention master. Detentions would be recorded; but if you got a<br />
detention direct from Gus, it did not appear on your record: it was<br />
between you and him. He had a genuine love for English literature.<br />
He hated certain words. ‘Decimate’ was a military term meaning one<br />
in ten; it didn’t mean catastrophe. Another bête noire was ‘nice’; it was<br />
used willy nilly but in fact had a very precise meaning. I looked it up:<br />
it means precise or accurate. I wrote an essay using nice in the proper<br />
way and got an A+ -- the best mark I got for any essay. Another time<br />
he embarked on reading a poem. There was a low murmur from the<br />
class. He exclaimed: ‘Don’t be ridiculous, if you don’t know poetry how<br />
are you going to impress a young lady?’<br />
The School also had a strong reputation on the sports field,<br />
particularly in football (rugby was not played until very close to<br />
the School’s demise) and cricket. Competition with other<br />
schools was enhanced by intra-House competitions. School<br />
Houses (not literally residential, of course) had been established<br />
at the end of the First World War. There were five of them, four<br />
named after former luminaries of the Stationers’ Company<br />
(Bishop, Hodgson, Meredith, Norton) and one after the founder<br />
of printing (Caxton); and one more was added to accommodate<br />
increased numbers when the School became comprehensive in<br />
1967 (Rivington). The winner of the intra-House football<br />
competition was awarded the Cock House Cup.<br />
The centenary of the School in 1958 was celebrated by a performance<br />
of a musical, Cakes and Ale⁶, based on a play written by S C Nunn<br />
called The Master of the Company. The musical itself was written by<br />
D J O’Connell, a sixth-form history teacher of long standing.<br />
Nunn retired as Headmaster in 1962, being succeeded by Robert<br />
Baynes (who began his tenure on the same day that I arrived in<br />
the School as a nervous 11-year-old). Among others retiring at<br />
the same time were O’Connell and Frank Bray, who had joined<br />
the School in 1907 as a small boy, been School Captain, Assistant<br />
Master, President of the Old Boys’ Association and Deputy<br />
Head in turn, spanning 55 years, a longer period of direct<br />
association with the School than anyone else in its history.<br />
There were significant investments of a technological nature in<br />
the 1960s, in particular, early computer facilities – putting the<br />
School in the forefront of computer education in the country –<br />
and a language laboratory. But further funds were required to<br />
enhance the facilities, and the Stationers’ Company, still recovering<br />
from the hit to its finances arising from the War and its aftermath,<br />
did not feel able to rise to the challenge. Thus it was that in 1964<br />
it was decided to move the School from Voluntary Aided to<br />
Voluntary Controlled status. This would mean that the local<br />
authority would meet the full cost of extensions, but the balance<br />
of the Governing Body would move to two-thirds local authority<br />
and only one-third Stationers’ Company. But, as Robert Baynes<br />
put it in his book (p 97), “A high price was paid for goods that<br />
were, as events fell out, never supplied.”<br />
The first day we were there, it was really a day that changed my life<br />
in effect. We were sitting in our class and in walked a very small man,<br />
with a very, very big reputation. His name was Mr Bartlett and he<br />
was the mathematics teacher. He walked in and he had a brown<br />
chalk-striped double-breasted suit on, slicked-back brylcreemed hair<br />
and shoes so shiny you could see your face in them. And quite honestly,<br />
he was frightening despite his size. His face never changed from<br />
when he came through the door, to when he left; from placing his bag<br />
on the table to when he turned and looked at us, his face was<br />
impassive. I always remember he had high cheek bones, and he opened<br />
his mouth and said, “Gentlemen, I am Mr Bartlett and I am here to<br />
teach you mathematics. There is no such word as maths. The word is<br />
mathematics, and you will learn mathematics.” And you know what,<br />
he was right, I did….I think his nickname was Peanut because he was<br />
so small. But as I said, small in stature but a very big man in my life.<br />
COMPREHENSIVISATION<br />
How so? Two developments had occurred which overtook the<br />
Governors’ plans. First, the new Labour Government of 1964<br />
published proposals for the reorganisation of Secondary Education<br />
6 The name was inspired by a ceremony that takes place in the Stationers’ Company<br />
every Shrove Tuesday at the bequest of Alderman John Norton, who was the<br />
Master of the Company in 1607, 1611, and 1612. It is followed by a special<br />
service in the Chapel of St Faith in the Crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral. The phrase<br />
itself comes from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.<br />
16
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
on comprehensive lines; and, second, the London Government<br />
Act of 1963 had replaced Middlesex County Council by nine<br />
successor boroughs, one of which, the London Borough of<br />
Haringey, was to become the School’s new Local Education<br />
Authority from 1965. With a new Labour Council, the<br />
Government’s proposals for secondary education were rapidly<br />
adopted – speed reflecting the Council’s desire for reorganisation<br />
to have reached an irreversible point within three years before the<br />
next Borough elections. This meant that the plans were not well<br />
thought through. The School was merged with a local Secondary<br />
Modern School in Priory Road, Hornsey (Priory Vale School). It<br />
would keep the name Stationers’ Company’s School and remain<br />
Voluntary Controlled. (Thus, when the new School came into<br />
being in 1967, it paradoxically had exactly the status that the<br />
Company had originally opted for in the immediate aftermath of<br />
the 1944 Education Act before changing its mind.)<br />
Accommodation was haphazard, with prefabricated huts on the<br />
playground and first year pupils housed in Falkland Road. The<br />
plan was that the girls’ school at the bottom of Mayfield Road,<br />
Hornsey High School, would be rehoused elsewhere and<br />
Stationers’ would inherit that building. Although this eventually<br />
transpired, the complex was never suitable for a Comprehensive<br />
School with new needs.<br />
Meanwhile, the composition of the student body was evolving in<br />
line both with that of the Borough but also because the<br />
Comprehensive model inevitably implied a more representative<br />
student population than that which had characterised a selective<br />
Grammar School. In 1966, the last year of the Grammar School,<br />
only 4.5% were from recent immigrant families; this proportion<br />
reached 25% in 1973 and 69% by 1979. These embraced at least<br />
25 distinct mother tongues.<br />
THE BEGINNING OF THE END<br />
Underlying these changes were demographic shifts in Haringey.<br />
Pupil numbers had actually grown well, rising from 800 in 1967 to<br />
1300 in 1974. But in the Borough as a whole it was predicted that<br />
the secondary school population would begin to decline after 1977.<br />
There was a parallel fall in numbers of pupils from outside the<br />
Borough. Some schools were slated for closure under various<br />
options tabled in 1977 – and Stationers’ had no future in any of the<br />
five options under consideration. Schools scheduled for closure<br />
under all five plans were former single sex Grammar Schools.<br />
This set in train a vicious cycle for the School, especially as there<br />
was hostility from the left-wing Borough administration to a<br />
school with links to a City Livery Company. Stationers’ was<br />
Portraits of Headmasters now hanging in Stationers’ Hall<br />
accordingly seen as vulnerable; so, in turn, parents were reluctant<br />
to send their children there. As a result, First Year admissions fell<br />
disastrously from 267 in 1974 to 174 in 1978, a more marked fall<br />
than for other schools in the Borough. Thus the Secretary of<br />
State for Education and Science was persuaded in 1982 --<br />
following much debate, and despite a vigorous campaign<br />
involving the Governors, the Company, Old Boys, neighbours<br />
and the local MP, and a 25,000-strong petition -- that Stationers’<br />
should be closed because its intake had fallen more markedly<br />
than other schools’ rolls. The Council also decided that<br />
Voluntary Controlled status for the successor school was not<br />
desirable, and that it should become a Maintained School, thus<br />
terminating the Company’s association with the School.<br />
SIC TRANSIT...<br />
The School was accordingly merged with William Forster<br />
School on a site in Tottenham on 1 September 1983 to create a<br />
mixed sex school to be called Langham School. Stanley Read (a<br />
long-standing geography teacher) was appointed Acting<br />
Headmaster for the last two terms of the School’s existence,<br />
Baynes having signalled some years earlier that he wished to<br />
retire. And so ended 125 years of history, of which 90 years had<br />
been spent in Hornsey. The School buildings themselves were<br />
demolished in 1985.<br />
Mr Read, Sam as we called him, was an inspiration to me. Our<br />
geography teacher, I loved the way he introduced us to the world<br />
around us, both the physical and the human. He helped us make sense<br />
of how our lives are shaped by many factors that overlap with history<br />
and economics but are concentrated on location and climate. I became<br />
fascinated with how places are formed and how they evolve to survive.<br />
It was an exercise that Sam gave us in our first year that became a<br />
touchstone for me. We were tasked with making a plan of the<br />
classroom. We had rulers, pencils and paper and were told to get on<br />
with it. Is this geography we wondered? Surely not. I recall us<br />
climbing over each other to measure the width and length of the room,<br />
gauge size and location of the door, windows and desks. Yes, this is<br />
where I sit. We then had to draw what we’d recorded on a piece of<br />
paper. We were thus introduced to the idea of site and scale. Reading<br />
an Ordnance Survey map now made sense.<br />
This exercise also gave me my first experience of modelling a threedimensional<br />
reality as an abstract plan. From that day on I wanted to<br />
study architecture and town planning and it all began with Sam Read,<br />
the most brilliant teacher.<br />
There are some remnants of the old School still in existence<br />
elsewhere. The Centenary Window which had been placed in the<br />
School Library in 1958 has been re-erected in the Stock Room of<br />
Stationers’ Hall where the Governing Body used to meet.<br />
The War Memorial Window, originally in the Hall, is now in<br />
Hornsey Parish Church, Cranley Gardens.<br />
Although the panels listing names of the fallen were criminally<br />
burnt when the School was demolished, the names have been<br />
inscribed in a Book of Remembrance in the church. And the<br />
School Organ, installed as a memorial of the First World War,<br />
was reinstalled in the chapel of Upper Chine Girls’ School in<br />
Shanklin, Isle of Wight (although I understand that it has since<br />
been demolished).<br />
Finally, the Old Stationers’ Association, originally established as<br />
the Stationers’ Old Boys Association in 1895, is still going strong<br />
with close to 500 members. Although it no longer has the sports<br />
17
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
Centenary Window, now in Stationers’ Hall<br />
club facilities it used to run in Barnet Lane and does not field nine<br />
football teams each week as it used to, it remains vibrant, and<br />
retains a close connection with the Stationers’ Company. The Old<br />
Stationer magazine, an excellent read, is produced twice a year.<br />
Meanwhile, the Stationers’ Company, enriched by the sale of the<br />
School site and having transferred the former charitable funds<br />
supporting the School into a new Educational Charity, established<br />
the Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy, a mixed sex school in<br />
south London. And so life goes on, but no longer in Hornsey.<br />
Some distinguished Old Stationers (*deceased)<br />
In alphabetical order:<br />
Memorial Window in Hornsey Parish Church<br />
Laurence Bains* CBE, chairman of the Greater London Council<br />
Paul Bateman, conductor<br />
Colin Chapman*, designer of Lotus cars<br />
Frank Dickens*, cartoonist (Bristow)<br />
Lord Evans of Hungershall*,<br />
Provost of University College, London<br />
Eric Hosking*, ornithologist<br />
Professor Sir David Metcalf<br />
CBE, economist<br />
Rt Rev Stephen Platten, former<br />
Bishop of Wakef ield, first OS<br />
to become Master of the<br />
Stationers’ Company<br />
Sir John Sparrow*, banker,<br />
member of Central Policy<br />
Review Staff<br />
Barry Took*, comedian, scriptwriter<br />
Lord Triesman, Labour politician,<br />
former chairman of the Football<br />
Association<br />
Stephen Collins<br />
Stationers’ 1962-69<br />
1966 staff photograph<br />
18
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
OSA GOLF SOCIETY<br />
On Friday May 26th we held our first meeting of the year at<br />
Aldenham Golf Club and all enjoyed the full English breakfast<br />
to boost our protein levels for the day’s activity. We were playing<br />
for the prestigious “Pairs Trophy”, first presented to the Society<br />
in 2008 by Peter Bonner. Appropriately, the silverware was won<br />
for the first time by Peter and Tim Westbrook with a total of 43<br />
points. Runners up were Colin Watkins and John Taylor. The<br />
best individual score on the day was Mike Brooks with 36 points<br />
and he also won the nearest the pin in two. Newby Nick Simons<br />
won the nearest the pin in one. The weather was warm and dry<br />
and the course was in great condition although the deep rough<br />
swallowed many wayward balls.<br />
Our Director of Golf, Roger Rufey was smitten by a mobility<br />
issue (not breakfast related) and had to withdraw from the<br />
competition but seemed to enjoy cruising around the course in<br />
his buggy giving advice and constructive criticism to all the<br />
players.<br />
Our next fixture is at West Kent on Friday 23rd June when we<br />
are playing against the Company to retain the team trophy for the<br />
third year running.<br />
Tim<br />
Pairs Champions Peter and Tim<br />
Mike Brooks<br />
Nick Simons<br />
TONY HEMMINGS' 80th<br />
Tony Hemmings enjoyed his 80th birthday at Botany Bay<br />
and was joined by Peter Jarvis, Roger Rufey and Keith<br />
Hacker to complete the gaggle of OSA goalkeepers.<br />
19
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
OSFC 2022/23 END OF SEASON REPORT<br />
Unfortunately, due to a backlog of fixtures, caused mainly by our<br />
slightly more successful than usual cup campaigns, we spent<br />
much of the second half of the season playing catch-up towards<br />
the lower end of the League. Games in hand are fine but<br />
ultimately you have to pick up the points.<br />
Fortunately a deserved 2-1 victory in our last league game<br />
away at Old Meadonians, saw us eventually finish a credible 8th<br />
out of 12 clubs and only 7 points off 4th place, in a very<br />
competitive SAL Senior Division 2. This was actually our<br />
highest placed finish for 20 odd years, having spent the majority<br />
of that time in Division 3!<br />
In the AFA Senior Cup we lost to Nottsborough, who were<br />
runners up.... we lost in extra-time in the Q/F of the SAL Senior<br />
Cup to Actonians the eventual winners.... and we lost 0-1 in the<br />
Old Boys Senior Cup to Bealonians, who went on to lift the<br />
trophy.... so not the kindest draws!<br />
Special mentions should go to, James Keenan who skippered the<br />
side, washed the kit, often unlocked and locked up, sorted out the<br />
team, collected the subs etc... (note, for those with long memories,<br />
cutting oranges is no longer a requirement), and to Sean Friel our<br />
goalkeeper who became the first OS player to be selected for the<br />
SAL Rep side for many years, and well deserved it was.<br />
Also congratulations to James Elsey who was presented with the<br />
Player of the Season and Goal of the Season Awards at the end<br />
of season get together.<br />
The players are already raring to go and looking forward to<br />
continuing the improved performances next season.<br />
Finally, please keep an eye out for news of the ever popular<br />
Annual OSFC Ex-Players Reunion Day which we hope to hold<br />
again in early October 2023. Details will appear on the Football<br />
Club website at www.oldstationersfc.co.uk and hopefully on the<br />
OSA website in the first few weeks of next season.<br />
Anyone requiring information, news about the club/matches/<br />
events etc please get in touch with me.<br />
Ian Meyrick<br />
ian.meyrick1@gmail.com<br />
Back Row (L-R)….Will Cottrill (Chairman) Sean Friel (injured) Jacob Roche,<br />
James Keenan (Capt) Ben Jackson, Steve Watts, Matt Hennigan, Ciaran Power,<br />
Sean Derrick, James Chalk,<br />
Crouching (L-R)…Ronan Cromwell, James Elsey, James Phillips and Dave<br />
Ansell (lying)<br />
Other regulars not in the photo…Tom Jackson, Marcus Archer, Niall Redguard,<br />
Gianluca Raimato, Jack Reed and Michael Walsh<br />
20
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
REUNIONS<br />
REUNION FOR POST 1967 PUPILS<br />
During 1978-1983 I would walk down to the bus stop outside<br />
my grandparents to get the W3 bus to school.<br />
For our recent comprehensive school reunion I did the same and<br />
got off on Ferme Park Road before the hill and walked up<br />
Weston Park passing a trendy coffee bar which used to be a<br />
bakery – you know the one, you get a warm buttered loaf at<br />
lunchtime (and if you could afford it, have ham with it) before<br />
arriving on Mayfield Road and entering the now-Hornsey Vale<br />
community centre.<br />
This was the second annual event which would see almost 40<br />
former Stationers’ gather with memories and laughter.<br />
We had roamed back from afar (Devon) and near (Wood Green)<br />
– some had attended last year’s, others hearing about the event<br />
and not yet OSA members coming for the first time. Joining us<br />
were other older Stationers’ with their memories including the<br />
current and past OSA Presidents and committee members. We<br />
were also joined by former teacher Mr ( John) Leeming who<br />
rightly took control of the group photo session.<br />
As we gathered for light refreshments in the hall some went out<br />
through the fire exit to see the original entrance to the old<br />
21
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
famous last school staff photo outside the entrance to the Upper<br />
School building.<br />
Then some formality as our OSA President, Robin Baker, gave a<br />
welcome to all assembled and detailed the benefits of being an OSA<br />
member including our newsletters, the lunches and sporting events.<br />
With phone numbers and e-mails exchanged it was time to go<br />
to the Queen’s Head pub with more memories of those who<br />
would “visit” Hornsey School for Girls or go further afield for<br />
chips and a smoke. I was never that naughty!!<br />
Thanks must go to Andreas for again organising and arranging.<br />
Now we’re looking forward to the 2024 event – please come<br />
along next time and bring your old school photos too.<br />
Alan Dobbie 1978-83<br />
changing rooms and sports hall – at least these parts of the old<br />
school are still standing whilst others went up the road to see the<br />
plaque, taking individual and group photos.<br />
Extra excitement ensued as a huge tree suddenly collapsed onto<br />
a car and landed right across the road. Now I’m here to tell you<br />
that this was not the action of any old Stationer but who’s to say<br />
it wasn’t some fiendish foe from Highgate Wood or St David’s<br />
and St Katherine’s trying to dampen our day?<br />
Back in the hall as laughter continued, thoughts also turned to<br />
those no longer with us and we remembered Mr Zarb who<br />
passed away a short while back.<br />
We were trying to figure out who had been given the slipper by<br />
Mr Fitch… and why!? Others remembered the journey to<br />
Winchmore Hill playing fields and those long cross-country<br />
runs and the excuses we could use to avoid them.<br />
Old Stationer magazines were available along with some school<br />
entrance lists and looking at old photos which included the<br />
1965 INTAKE LUNCH WITH WIVES<br />
On Friday 24th March, a number of the 1965 intake arranged a<br />
lunch at the Millstream pub in Hertford which is managed by<br />
Pete Clark, also from 1965 intake, and his wife Nikki.<br />
Wives and other halves were invited to join the boys and the<br />
following attended: John & Ann Baldwin, Paul Bateman, John &<br />
Kay Berwick, Geoff & Angie Blackmore, Jim & Sarah Buckland,<br />
Alan & Annie Campbell, Jim Clarke, Muna Dawoodi, Bob Fry,<br />
Richard & Madeleine Harman, Eric Orros, Peter & Lesley<br />
Sandell, Terry & Sandra White.<br />
Unfortunately, Mick & Brady and Pam Orros were ill on the day<br />
and had to miss the festivities.<br />
An excellent lunch was consumed and conversation carried on<br />
throughout a most enjoyable afternoon. It was quite a unique<br />
event and it worked very well and it is planned to repeat the<br />
occasion again.<br />
Peter Sandell<br />
1965 intake with wives<br />
22
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
ROGFEST 80<br />
This is the name Roger Engledow’s daughter Fiona came up<br />
with when he told her his plans for his 80th celebration. Not a<br />
World cruise but an invitation to three dozen family and friends<br />
(with wives) to Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds for the<br />
2023 Easter Weekend as his guests: a festival of Roger if you will.<br />
The name caught on so RogFest was born. Unfortunately his<br />
brother, Peter, could not join us because of illness.<br />
And like any good festival, there had to be merchandise. Roger<br />
provided each guest with a water bottle and, at the end, an<br />
embroidered RogFest handkerchief as a “team prize”. There were<br />
also sightings of RogFest beer mats and hoodies as the weekend<br />
progressed. A poster board of 44 photographs of Roger was put on<br />
display in the Hall to show Roger through the years (we lost count<br />
of how many Bob Townsend appeared in as well). Roger is<br />
infamously difficult to capture on film, so this was a rare achievement<br />
and wonderful for the guests to see him at different points in his life.<br />
Harrington House in Bourton-on-the Water is one of HF<br />
Holidays’ centres specialising in walking tours and Roger, as a<br />
member, booked the whole house for our exclusive use. Bourtonon-the-Water<br />
is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds because<br />
the sparkling waters of the River Windrush flow through the<br />
centre of the charming village with five low bridges where you<br />
can play Pooh Sticks and dip your toes in the water. Its traditional<br />
honey-coloured stone buildings make it a picture postcard<br />
village. There is plenty to do: Cotswold Motoring and Toy<br />
Museum, Birdland Park and Gardens, a Model Village which is<br />
a scale replica of the village (including a model village in it), a<br />
Maze as well as attractive walks.<br />
The weekend started on Good Friday when we gathered at<br />
Harrington House for afternoon tea and scones. There followed a<br />
walk around Bourton-on-the-Water led by Peter Dunkley, an HF<br />
Leader and friend of Roger’s cousin Derek, who was our guide and<br />
Gamesmaster for the weekend. It was the first sunny weekend of<br />
the year and wandering around the idyllic setting, everyone was in<br />
good spirits. Roger then took it upon himself to welcome everyone<br />
with a series of questionable (and inappropriate) jokes disguised as<br />
stories about his children and friends. We were divided into six<br />
teams (each with its own colour) to bring out the competitive spirit<br />
in us all and each team sat together for the evening buffet meal to<br />
get to know each other. After dinner, we all played skittles in our<br />
teams in the lounge. The competitive spirit was obvious as the rest<br />
of a team yelled at their member on the alley to encourage them.<br />
Ages of attendees ranged from 17 – 80, which did not get in the<br />
way of the camaraderie and bonds formed.<br />
The free bar was open for the weekend, including a polypin of<br />
Cotswold Gold (ABV 4.0%) from the local Donnington’s<br />
Brewery in Stow-on-the-Wold. Anyone who has attended a pub<br />
with Roger will know he considers a dimple mug an essential, so<br />
he made these available for those similarly inclined.<br />
After breakfast on Saturday, we got into our teams for the first of<br />
a series of quizzes. This one was a cryptic quiz on football teams<br />
which involved a lot of head scratching and sneaky listening to<br />
other teams. At the end of the quiz, the sun was shining in a<br />
beautiful blue sky so it was shorts weather. Perfect conditions for<br />
the first walk of about six miles for those up for such an activity,<br />
whilst others, less mobile, started to explore the alternative<br />
options in the village.<br />
Leaving Bourton-on-the-Water, we travelled on Monarch’s Way<br />
to Lower Slaughter. It only took until 11 am to be diverted into<br />
the beautiful Slaughter Country Inn for a quick mid-walk pint.<br />
The bad news was that the cask ales were off because the fridge<br />
had “blown up”. The good news was that the Shipyard American<br />
The River Windrush flowing through Bourton-on-the-Water<br />
23
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
Having a pint at The Slaughters Country Inn. Left to right: Roger Engledow,<br />
Tony Moffat, Bob Harris and Phil Benke<br />
Pale Ale (4.5%) was on, although Roger did not like it as it was<br />
cold, fizzy and served in a straight glass. But we drank it anyway<br />
- sitting in the sunshine in the pub’s garden. From the pub, we<br />
took Warden’s Way to Upper Slaughter where we ate our picnic<br />
lunch provided by Harrington House. Off then via Macmillan<br />
Way to the River Windrush returning to the House by Windrush<br />
Way. Time for another refreshing pint. The walkers were now<br />
able to join the others with indoor and outdoor games to play (or<br />
join the throngs of sightseers). In addition, there was a 1000<br />
piece jigsaw puzzle of Bourton-on-the-Water to complete before<br />
Monday - we failed, but valiantly as both young and old were<br />
seen with heads down at different times.<br />
At 4 pm, Peter Dunkley gave us three team quizzes on General<br />
Knowledge. Then time to put on our glad rags for dinner.<br />
Afterwards there were Photo Calls for the teams and one of all<br />
the Old Stationers’ present. This was followed by a Barn Dance<br />
with Peter Dunkley acting as Caller. This was many of the<br />
younger guests' first experience of barn dancing, but they<br />
embraced it enthusiastically, if not always accurately. The first<br />
dance was Strip the Willow where people went every which way<br />
and not all in time with the music. But it got better and by the<br />
last dance it was pretty good. Anyway, everyone enjoyed<br />
themselves which was what it was all about. There was not much<br />
time for any 50’s/60’s music and Derek and Jan were the only<br />
ones with enough energy left to enjoy a slow dance.<br />
Sunday started with an Easter Egg Hunt and we weren’t let into<br />
breakfast until we had found one, with varying degrees of<br />
success. Another team quiz after breakfast - on Pop Music. The<br />
walk again was about six miles to The Rissingtons with warm but<br />
cloudy weather and including a picnic lunch again. The early<br />
afternoon was spent playing Pooh Sticks with sticks in team<br />
colours provided by Roger; games at Harrington House, including<br />
boules & jenga, or just walking around the village.<br />
When everybody was in the lounge, Roger thanked Sarah, Fiona<br />
and Lucy (his three daughters) for their help in organising the<br />
weekend and gave them bouquets of flowers. He said that when<br />
he was young, there were three things in his life: beer, women and<br />
football - not necessarily in that order. Now he enjoys three<br />
other things: planning and organising an event, the event itself<br />
and the memories of the event. He didn’t say whether these three<br />
were replacing the first three or in addition!<br />
Then the match between Arsenal and Liverpool at 4.30 pm in<br />
the lounge (via SkyGo on Roger’s laptop connected to the House<br />
TV). The Arsenal were soon 2-0 up; some considered Poohsticks<br />
might be a good idea but others were very noisy! It was 2:1 to<br />
Arsenal at half time. Then Salah missed a penalty for Liverpool,<br />
but they equalised at 87 minutes with an exciting 6 minutes of<br />
extra time to be played. At the end no-one was truly satisfied but<br />
The 8 Old Stationers who attended. Dave Fuller, Jim Mulley, Dave Hudson, Bob Harris, Roger Engledow, Martin Brown, Tony Moffat & Bob Townsend<br />
24
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
Roger admiring his Birthday Cake with his eldest daughter Sarah<br />
the banter between the Arsenal & Spurs fans was as good as ever!<br />
David Hudson, a “well-known Liverpool supporter”, was given a<br />
size 11/12 child’s Liverpool shirt by Roger as a joke. But David<br />
bravely put it on – even though he could hardly breathe in it.<br />
Well done David. Later though, David, as OS’s king of games<br />
and quizzes, met his match by losing chess matches to both Will<br />
and Matt, Roger’s grandsons.<br />
A bit later, with everybody now in the lounge, Roger’s Birthday<br />
Cake was brought in and Phil Benke (Roger’s son-in-law) gave<br />
a vote of thanks to Roger for arranging a super weekend. The<br />
Gala Dinner was six courses, plus plenty of wine finishing with<br />
coffee in the lounge.<br />
Then Bob Harris and Bob Townsend showed an 11 minute<br />
video comprising clips contributed by Roger’s friends and<br />
relations – including R I P walking football club singing happy<br />
birthday, many of his OSA colleagues together with contributions<br />
from former Arsenal players George Graham and Frank<br />
McLintock, in recognition of Roger’s lifelong support of Arsenal.<br />
The most cryptic of messages was from a woman who asked<br />
“have you still got the t-shirt, Roger?” which led to a few raised<br />
eyebrows from Roger’s daughters. After the video, Roger told the<br />
story of his squash playing days and the woman in question,<br />
Lynne Owen who was famously underestimated and happily<br />
beat many men at his then squash club. Not content with the<br />
bragging rights, when Roger managed to secure a victory, he also<br />
decided to make a celebratory t-shirt stating “I’ve beaten Lynne<br />
Owen” and wear it around the clubhouse. He proved that he did<br />
still have it by sending us all a photo when he got home.<br />
In addition, there was a book of the front pages of the Daily<br />
Telegraph on 10th April every year from 1943 (not one of which<br />
Roger had read before!). Then came an interesting quiz prepared<br />
by Sarah about Roger’s life. Of the many answers, a few are<br />
worth noting. Firstly, at the age of 12, his favourite singer was<br />
Ruby Murray – the first person he fell in love with. Secondly, he<br />
had visited all 92 different Football League Club Grounds but<br />
now is short of three as a result of new entrants from the<br />
National League. And lastly, he did NOT share a bed with the<br />
landlord’s daughter aged 18 on his trip to Jersey, that honour<br />
went to Bob Harris!<br />
Roger reminded everybody that there were two outstanding<br />
competitions to enter. The first was to make up a Limerick, the<br />
second was to write a sentence of 26 words each beginning with<br />
the next letter of the alphabet - the content of both to be relevant<br />
to the weekend. He also explained that his next project in life<br />
will be walking a marathon in September in aid of Prostate<br />
Cancer UK. He suggested that we might all like to donate via:<br />
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jeff-stellings-footballmarch-2023-31956<br />
The whole Group outside Harrington House<br />
25
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
Monday was Roger’s actual Birthday so everybody wished him<br />
Happy Birthday during breakfast. He had laid out the entries for<br />
the Limerick and Sentence Competitions in an adjoining room<br />
and we were invited to vote for our favourite by putting money<br />
on them. The money raised was to go to the HF Pathways Fund<br />
which, with other organisations keeps walking paths fit to use<br />
e.g. by repairing stiles and also provides assisted holidays to those<br />
who could not otherwise afford one.<br />
The winning Limerick was:<br />
A man from Barnet called Roger<br />
Could have become an old codger<br />
But he took up walking<br />
Instead of just talking<br />
And now he plays walking soccer.<br />
The favoured long sentence was:<br />
A birthday celebration's definitely exciting<br />
Friends gathered here inebriated<br />
Just keep laughing, making noise<br />
Optimistic people quietly radiate sunshine<br />
Try unwinding, vibrate<br />
When X-rayed you're zingy<br />
Anon<br />
Anon<br />
A total of £55.20 was collected for the Pathways Fund.<br />
Which team won? We will never know, but as each “prize” was<br />
the same small memento in team colours, no-one cared.<br />
The food and service had been excellent all weekend; they even<br />
coped with Nishat’s fasting requirement for Ramadan, serving<br />
her a delicious plate bang on sun down each evening. This,<br />
despite being short staffed because of an outbreak of COVID<br />
the day before we arrived. Fiona and Sarah arranged for<br />
everyone to sign a birthday book for Roger to look back on.<br />
Most people left soon after breakfast as it was raining, but the<br />
hardened of us stayed to visit the Cotswold Motoring and Toy<br />
Museum and other local attractions. Then, time to drive home<br />
safely having had a very enjoyable weekend. The intergenerational<br />
friendships and camaraderie of the weekend is something that<br />
will stay with the guests for a long time. It is not often you get to<br />
enjoy such an experience and learn about someone's life from the<br />
people who love them. The weather helped, too!<br />
Thanks Roger, you’re not the only one who has plenty of<br />
memories of the weekend to look back on.<br />
Tony Moffat and Fiona Engledow<br />
A PREVIOUS “REFURBISHMENT” OF STATIONERS’ HALL<br />
This year marks the 350th anniversary of the present Stationers’<br />
Hall in Ave Maria Lane, although a previous Hall had existed on<br />
the same site until 1666 when it was completely destroyed<br />
during the Great Fire of London.<br />
My first visit last December since the recent refurbishment<br />
brought to mind a previous restoration, within the lifetimes of<br />
the Old Boys at that Christmas Lunch. This was necessitated by<br />
the bombing campaigns of the Nazi regime during the Second<br />
World War. The greatest amounts of damage, including that to<br />
Stationers’ Hall, occurred during The Blitz of 1940-41.<br />
I make reference in this short article to a book of maps stored in<br />
the London Metropolitan Archives reproduced in Bomb<br />
Damage Maps by Laurence Ward and a collection of photographs<br />
taken by two City of London Constables, P.C.s Cross and Tibbs,<br />
who were based at Bishopsgate Police Station during the war as<br />
well as the documents and photographs provided by Dr. Ruth<br />
Frendo, the Archivist at the Worshipful Company of Stationers<br />
and Newspaper Makers.<br />
The part of central London I have greatest familiarity with is<br />
WC1, broadly speaking, Holborn, a district I worked in for a<br />
number of year so these were the first maps I viewed. However<br />
it wasn’t long before my eyes were drawn eastwards to the City<br />
of London and, inevitably, Stationers’ Hall.<br />
It would seem from the evidence recorded by the London<br />
County Council draughtsmen, working on Ordnance Survey<br />
maps, that Stationers’ Hall must have been protected from more<br />
serious damage by the buildings on the western side of Warwick<br />
Lane, which were either deemed to be “damaged beyond repair”<br />
or subject to “total destruction”. Almost every building between<br />
Warwick Lane and St. Paul’s Cathedral had to be completely<br />
levelled such was the extent of the damage. The Bishopsgate<br />
constables photographed the scene from the Golden Gallery of<br />
St. Paul’s Cathedral, showing a vast swathe of land including<br />
Paternoster Row, Paternoster Square and Warwick Lane to be<br />
entirely flattened. Cutlers’ Hall, our hosts during the recent<br />
modernisation, suffered damage described as “seriously damaged<br />
– doubtful if repairable”, according to the L.C.C. cartographers.<br />
By contrast, Stationers’ Hall, protected from the blast which<br />
flattened buildings along and East of Warwick Lane, suffered<br />
damage described as “general blast damage – not structural”.<br />
Despite the above assessment, the damage during the Blitz to the<br />
Hall was not inconsiderable. By the account of the architects and<br />
surveyors Henry Dawson and Son, of Ludgate Hill (16/7/1943),<br />
the attack on the night of October 14-15th 1940 brought an<br />
incendiary bomb to lodge into the roof at the North end of the<br />
Banqueting Hall, destroying one third of the roof and ceiling<br />
despite the best efforts of the Fire Service. The lobby and end of<br />
the Court Room also had their roofs destroyed. The attacks in<br />
September and October 1940 at the start of The Blitz have been<br />
referred to as the “great attack”. Worse, however, was to come,<br />
although Stationers’ Hall appears to have got off lightly.<br />
The attack by the Luftwaffe on the night of the 29th December<br />
1940 is described by Laurence Ward in the editorial text<br />
The South Wall of the Court Room, supported by temporary wooden<br />
buttresses following bomb damage on 15/10/1940.<br />
26
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
View from the Court Room through to the ante room, bomb damage, 15/10/1940<br />
accompanying the maps as:<br />
“..the most devastating, concentrated attacks of the war, setting<br />
the Square Mile ablaze as fires from incendiary bombs raged<br />
around St Paul’s, engulfing streets and buildings... on the night<br />
of the great conflagration newspapers, could, by the light of the<br />
fires, be easily read in the suburbs.”<br />
This incendiary attack brought further roof damage to the South<br />
end of the Hall and both the roof and the ceiling were destroyed<br />
by the flames.<br />
Into 1941, the Luftwaffe would appear to have turned its<br />
attention to the east of the City of London – to the docklands<br />
and the East End. There were two further relatively small<br />
incidents which affected Stationers’ Hall. An incendiary bomb<br />
fell on the concrete gutter over the Court Room on the night of<br />
27th April but this failed to ignite. On the night of the 10th May<br />
an explosive bomb landed at the corner of Warwick Lane and<br />
Amen Corner, throwing up debris which caused some roof<br />
damage to the Hall. This last attack is generally considered to be<br />
the end date of ‘The Blitz’.<br />
Compared to the surrounding area, Stationers’ Hall survived<br />
relatively intact though the Company lost a great deal of valuable<br />
possessions through fire – books, furniture and oil paintings as<br />
well as ceremonial gowns. The renovations following the damage<br />
caused during the war were completed by 1957 giving us the<br />
Stationers’ Hall we all have grown to know and love over the<br />
subsequent years prior to the recent ‘refurbishment’.<br />
Richard Forty<br />
Court Room showing damage from 15/10/1940<br />
View to the South East from Ave Maria Lane to St Paul’s Cathedral<br />
showing bomb damage to Paternoster Row<br />
Bomb damage believed to be to Paternoster Square.<br />
27
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
SOME MEMORIES BEFORE AND AFTER MY TIME<br />
AT STATIONERS’ COMPANY’S SCHOOL<br />
I was never a pupil at Stationers’ but joined the teaching staff in<br />
1967 when the comprehensive system started.<br />
My secondary education started in the Isle of Wight for one year<br />
during the war and continued from 1942 to 1946 at Highbury<br />
County Grammar School when I returned from private<br />
evacuation from the Island, starting in year 2. The main school<br />
returned from Somerset a year later.<br />
The school was situated near Highbury Corner and not far from<br />
the Arsenal Stadium and Finsbury Park. When I started teaching<br />
P.E. in 1954 I was at Stroud Green Secondary Modern School,<br />
just the other side of Finsbury Park and not that far from<br />
Stationers’ as the crow flies. I played for Highbury at cricket and<br />
football, but because the school was in Islington and Stationers’<br />
was in Hornsey (later Haringey) we never met on the sport’s<br />
field. When Stroud Green moved to a new site on Crouch End<br />
Playing Fields and was renamed Bishopswood (later Highgate<br />
Wood) we were much closer to Stationers’.<br />
I recall one incident during my time at Highbury which proved<br />
significant. In 1944, because there was still some bombing in<br />
London, we were sometimes told not to come in the next day for<br />
certain reasons. My close mates (with whom I have had several<br />
reunions since the 90s, but nearly all have died now) and I were<br />
in the habit of walking round to Highbury Corner to buy a large<br />
crusty bread roll at Lyons Corner House, no doubt to supplement<br />
our school dinner. We always arrived there at 1 p.m. and always<br />
made a hole in the roll and pulled the inside out first as we<br />
casually drifted back to school. One Tuesday we had been told<br />
not to come in and on that day a bomb landed on Highbury<br />
Corner precisely at 1pm. Who knows what might have been our<br />
fate had we stuck to our usual routine? Our French teacher, Mr<br />
Lay, had been having a meal at Lyons and was badly injured. We<br />
heard some weeks later that he wrote to Lyons and apologised<br />
for not paying his bill!<br />
On leaving school in 1946 I started work in a local hospital (now<br />
Whittington). The war had just ended and there was no way we<br />
could go on to further education<br />
as times were hard. I joined<br />
North London Cricket Club at<br />
Crouch End Playing Fields. I<br />
never reached the heights of the<br />
1stXI, the standard of most of<br />
those local Clubs being very<br />
high, but I did play alongside<br />
George Copus, who I didn’t<br />
know then was an Old Stationer<br />
and, later, had an outstanding<br />
career as was recently mentioned<br />
in his obituary in the OS<br />
Magazine. He was a very good<br />
bowler and he reminded me of<br />
the Kent and England fast bowler<br />
with a flailing arms action -<br />
D.V.P. Wright - who had been<br />
quite successful ‘down under.’<br />
At 16, I also joined Crouch End<br />
Vampires Football Club. Starting<br />
with the 4th XI, I progressed up<br />
to the first XI where, on a special occasion I met the Old<br />
Stationers’ team for the first time (not to be the last!). It was the<br />
occasion of the opening of the Vampires new pavilion, so the<br />
Mayor of Hornsey was there and a sizable crowd on a very hot<br />
day before the start of the season. The ground was very hard, and<br />
it was not long before two of our players went down with cramp<br />
and took no further part. This was in the days when no<br />
substitutes were allowed. Stationers’ took full advantage of this<br />
and were soon two goals up. In the 2nd half the Vampires<br />
managed to claw two goals back and the game ended in a draw.<br />
I wonder if any of our readers were there in about 1951.<br />
Playing with the first XI later, I was picked to play for the<br />
Southern Amateur League against Oxford University and<br />
remember a Stationer playing on the left wing - Owers or<br />
Wingrove I think? We lost 3-2 but playing later for the League<br />
against the Midland League on the Bank of England ground we<br />
won 8-0 with our centre forward scoring six!<br />
Starting my PE teaching career at 24, I was placed in an old<br />
building where PE was taken in the school hall with classroom<br />
windows adjoining – not the best set-up. In 1961 we moved to a<br />
new building on Crouch End Playing fields. (The school was<br />
renamed Bishopswood, later to Highgate Wood). In my first year<br />
I was appointed Secretary of the Hornsey Schools Athletics.<br />
This came about because our Headmaster was very keen to make<br />
the school known. In this capacity I soon became in touch with<br />
Stationers’ Games master, Sid Holmes, who provided some<br />
excellent athletes to represent Hornsey in the County Athletics<br />
at the White City. Of course, other schools were represented too.<br />
From that meeting we provided a few for the County to compete<br />
in the All-England Games. I remember the Geering brothers,<br />
one of whom excelled in the long jump. The same system<br />
occurred in the winter when the cross-country run was held.<br />
Tollington Grammar School produced some excellent<br />
competitors as did Marsden Hubbard’s Crouch End School. Our<br />
school did well in the girl’s events.<br />
In 1967 when the Borough introduced the Comprehensive<br />
28
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
system, I applied for the post of Head of R.E. at Stationers’<br />
Company School. The first time I went through the front door<br />
to meet Mr. Baynes, I heard the school choir rehearsing for<br />
something and the sounds of their singing as I walked in seemed<br />
heavenly, with the deep accompaniment of the lovely organ. (I<br />
soon discovered that not all the boys could be likened to angels!)<br />
Being a games teacher too, I was given an afternoon helping<br />
Marsden at Winchmore Hill. I enjoyed the R.E. lessons taking<br />
all classes up to 5th form for one lesson a week. The subject<br />
opened up questions of life, more relevant than others, and I was<br />
not constricted by preparing for exams.<br />
Later, I was appointed as a Pastoral Head of a Year group and<br />
also as House Master of the newly formed Rivington House.<br />
Later, as Master in Charge of the Lower Building (being the<br />
vacated Hornsey Girls’ School) I saw a great need to do<br />
something about the mob-like scramble for the dinner queue.<br />
With the help of Prefects we established a ticket system so that<br />
those boys who arrived first were not pushed out by bigger boys<br />
arriving after them. However, I am sure that some seemed to<br />
bribe their teacher to let them out a few minutes before 12 when<br />
the bell went!<br />
Mike Fitch and I developed a system whereby, using a<br />
synchronised pincer movement, we would<br />
trap boys who were ‘having a drag’ behind<br />
the kitchens. I still remember the looks of<br />
dismay when we confronted them, but I<br />
don’t suppose they realised we were doing<br />
it for their health’s sake. I also developed a<br />
viewing point upstairs where I watched the<br />
dash for the sweet shop at break time. How<br />
could I possibly be so cruel as to stop this<br />
little treat, but some would run around the<br />
local roads to avoid being captured. One<br />
boy, I remember, had not paid and I was<br />
able to catch him to return the goods and<br />
apologise.<br />
From 1967 for a short time the lower forms<br />
would have classes at the old North<br />
Harringay School. I took some lessons<br />
there and discovered two table-tennis<br />
tables and invited boys to come there after<br />
school to play. I soon realised there were<br />
some excellent players and formed a team<br />
to compete in the County Championships<br />
at Harlow. Martin Wells and his brother,<br />
David, and Bobby McClavin were top<br />
players and we did well. Many years later I<br />
heard that David Wells was in the men’s<br />
national team, rated 4th in the country.<br />
One day I was called to the top building by<br />
Mr. Baynes to take a small boy down to the<br />
lower building for protection. He had<br />
borrowed (?) a small radio from a senior<br />
boy and Mr. Baynes was trying to sort out<br />
the problem of returning it because the<br />
older boy was beside himself with fury. As<br />
I walked the young boy down the top<br />
playground, the older boy, who was quite<br />
tall, tracked us down with malicious intent<br />
and, for a while I had to fend him off. It<br />
must have looked a strange sight – rather<br />
like a dervish dance, while many pupils looked on from their<br />
classrooms – work couldn’t go on with this excitement. Arriving<br />
half-way down, near the prefab classrooms, the older boy was so<br />
incensed that he picked up a rock and a bottle and faced me. I<br />
told the young boy to run for it. I tried to calm him down, and<br />
this somehow worked, because he hurled his weapons at my feet,<br />
fortunately, not my face. By this time someone had alerted Mr.<br />
Baynes who took him away. Faces at many windows turned back<br />
having enjoyed a diversion from boring work. I never did find out<br />
if the radio was returned. Just one of the joys of being a school<br />
teacher!<br />
Not many may remember Jack Barnetson who taught in the<br />
Lower School. He was 99 when he died last year (2022). He<br />
always wanted to reach 100 but didn’t quite make it. I found out<br />
many years after the school closed that he had fought with the<br />
Eighth Army across North Africa, in the Second World War,<br />
then over to Sicily and on to Italy. He was a brave man to endure<br />
all that, but we never knew about it. One day he had trouble with<br />
a boy in his maths lesson and, unfortunately, gave him a little<br />
push. (How many times were all staff tempted to give more than<br />
a push!). The boy’s mother appeared the next day and met Jack<br />
in the office. She expressed her anger in words then picked up<br />
29
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
John Young, Geraint Pritchard, Martim Harris & Reg Bailey<br />
the nearest thing which happened to be a flower vase and<br />
brought it down on Jacks’s head. I don’t think he was badly hurt<br />
and nothing was done about it. Again – just one of the joys of<br />
being a school teacher.<br />
When Geraint Pritchard was proving himself a powerful force in<br />
the school, he invited me to join one of his famous Three Peaks<br />
trips to Malham. Innocently, I said I would help in any way. It<br />
turned out to be a cold, wet miserable day, but we all trudged on<br />
and, as far as I know, all achieved the target to reach all three<br />
peaks in 24 hours. I have kept my badge and tie to prove to<br />
friends ever since, that I did do it.<br />
I knew nearly all the staff mentioned by John Leeming’s report<br />
in an earlier edition of this magazine. Sadly, as he wrote, many<br />
have died. Some used to come to visit my home in Wigginton,<br />
near Tring (I am still here). Geraint was a regular, welcome<br />
visitor - what a man! Another who came was Ian Paterson who<br />
used to produce wonderful plays at the end of the school year.<br />
We paid a visit to the next village, Aldbury, a tourist site, and I<br />
managed to get him to sit in the ancient stocks by the village<br />
pond. I can’t imagine what tales those stocks could tell of what<br />
happened in the past. Certainly, in the 19th century they<br />
wouldn’t have had a smile on their face like Ian. (For golfers with<br />
plenty of money, there is a golf course called ‘Stocks’ further<br />
along in the village).<br />
I still keep in touch with Reg Bailey and Jim Andrews; we were<br />
all members of Cholmeley church at Highgate and they left<br />
Stationers’ in 1967 just before I joined the teaching staff. Reg<br />
went to be a national spokesman for Safeguarding Children and<br />
was once summoned by the then Prime Minister, David<br />
Cameron, to go to Downing Street to discuss what was being<br />
done. Jim became a doctor and went out to troubled areas of the<br />
world to help, including South Sudan. He then had a spell at<br />
Broadmoor which he found very interesting. Other Stationers’<br />
boys I am still meeting on occasion are Geoff Aanonson and<br />
Martin Harris who is now Dean of Harlow.<br />
Other boys who I remember came to my Covenanter Boys’ Club<br />
John Young at the 2021 reunion<br />
in the Archway Road on Thursday evenings for three hours, and<br />
also to my Holiday Clubs and Camps in the South West.<br />
I have many happy memories of my time at Stationers’. A recent<br />
visit to the site during the reunion in 2021 enabled me to see the<br />
enormous changes that have been made. It was lovely to see some<br />
of the old boys and one or two of us few remaining teachers on<br />
that occasion. Although never a boy at the school I would join in<br />
and sing the School Song. I am so glad to have so much<br />
information about the past and present in this O.S. Magazine<br />
and applaud those who work hard to produce it.<br />
John Young 1967-1983<br />
RE Teacher and Head of the Lower School<br />
30
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
GEOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL<br />
RECIPIENT 2022 : DR LIAM T GALLAGHER<br />
In May 2022 Liam was awarded the Geologists' Association<br />
President's Medal in recognition of all his work for the<br />
Geologists' Association. The Geologists' Association is an<br />
amateur body that anyone with an interest in geology can join,<br />
but many of its Members like Liam are professional geologists,<br />
and through the GA are able to share their skills , expertise and<br />
enthusiasm for all things geological.<br />
As a professional geologist Liam has amongst other things, spent<br />
20+ years offshore in the Norwegian Oil fields, over 8 years<br />
helping to establish and then teaching on Birmingham<br />
University’s MSc course and been a member of the Geologists’<br />
Association.<br />
His 15 years as a member of the Geologists’ Association<br />
including 10+ years on Council and a year as Vice President has<br />
been rewarded with this rather nice award…<br />
The Geologists’ Association President’s Medal 2022:<br />
Liam’s ‘geological’ interests<br />
were supported to a great<br />
extent at School by Geraint<br />
Pritchard who then continued<br />
to follow his career in the<br />
subject with great interest; he<br />
would have been pleased to<br />
see this recognition I think,<br />
and been very proud of his<br />
pupil – as am I.<br />
Photographs: Cathy Gallagher<br />
31
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
OUR ARCHIVE RETURNS TO THE HALL<br />
In March, a small posse of Committee members descended upon<br />
Northampton to gather the OSA archive from its temporary<br />
storage in preparation for its return to Stationers’ Hall. Our<br />
archive has spent the past three years, stored in an industrial unit<br />
on the outskirts of the town whilst the Hall underwent a major<br />
refurbishment programme.<br />
The refurbishment of Stationers’ Hall heralds a new era in its<br />
350year history with a new link building to improve access to<br />
each floor, the addition of new meeting rooms, and the<br />
replacement of heating and cooling systems to improve thermal<br />
comfort in the Main Hall for large events. The refurbishment<br />
programme began in 2017 with the creation of a state-of-the-art<br />
archive facility, The Tokefield Centre. Named in commemoration<br />
of the then Clerk, George Tokefield, who in 1666 transported<br />
the Company’s records in a wheelbarrow out beyond the reaches<br />
of the Great Fire of London thus saving them. The centre claims<br />
to be the oldest book warehouse in London, but don’t let that and<br />
its exterior deceive you, inside is a bright, modern, and efficient<br />
facility. At its hub stands, The Carfax Room, a climate-controlled<br />
archive storeroom, which is fire proofed, secure, and constantly<br />
monitored. A rolling shelving system provides efficient storage<br />
allowing the bookshelves to be rolled to one end of the room on<br />
tracks, revealing just a single path between the shelves.<br />
The OSA’s archive is an aggregate of school records and<br />
documents, photographs, ephemera, and silverware amassed<br />
throughout the School’s history. The archive is complemented<br />
with the addition of documents relating to the OSA and its<br />
events since the closure of the School.<br />
The Company has generously donated space inside the room for<br />
us to store our archive. To maximise the efficiency of the space<br />
and ensure the long-term preservation of our documents, we<br />
have invested in acid-free archive storage boxes and magazine<br />
files conforming to National Archive standards. These will allow<br />
us to curate our archive in a single location and sit beside the<br />
Company’s impressive collection of records and documents<br />
dating back to 1554. A dedicated team of Committee members<br />
including, David Turner, Tim Westbrook, Dan Bone and Peter<br />
Thomas, have worked hard over the past three years to ensure the<br />
safe return of our archive to the Hall. However, this would have<br />
not been possible without the important work behind the scenes<br />
by Martin Lawrence to secure our place in the Tokefield Centre.<br />
The final stage of preparation<br />
will be to catalogue the contents<br />
to assist in accessing the archive.<br />
If you would like to see our<br />
archive or need help with<br />
researching school history, please<br />
contact our Archivist, David<br />
Turner, (contact details on page 3).<br />
Peter Thomas<br />
Dan, Tim and Peter in the Tokefield Centre<br />
32
Dear Tim,<br />
21 January 2023<br />
Congratulations on yet another very<br />
readable OS magazine. I have reached the<br />
age where only one name has any meaning<br />
for me, that of Peter Bothwick, who I have<br />
never met but whose brother John<br />
(considerably older than Peter) was a<br />
contemporary of mine at Stationers and at<br />
the Ferme Park Youth Club.<br />
I am not sure as to whether you want only<br />
video memories and I do not have a smart<br />
phone. I have put together some anecdotes,<br />
attached, recalling Charlie Halls, and you<br />
can decide whether they are worth<br />
publishing. I can send you a picture of<br />
myself if you wish, as there may be one or<br />
two still alive who knew me.<br />
I am sending details of one or two books<br />
of mine to Tony Moffat. Good idea to<br />
have such a facility.<br />
Best wishes for 2023<br />
Brian Cranwell Class of ’44, Entered ’45<br />
MEMORIES OF AN ECCENTRIC<br />
The master I viewed as the most eccentric<br />
when I joined Stationers’ in 1945 was<br />
Major “Charlie” Halls.<br />
I believe Charlie had no training as a<br />
teacher and he frequently stood in for<br />
other staff who were off for any reason. He<br />
ran the Army Cadet Corps and on the last<br />
period on Friday afternoons he could be<br />
heard quite clearly shouting drill orders to<br />
the cadets in the playground, and then<br />
when school finished he could be seen<br />
marching down to a barber at the foot of<br />
Mayfield Road for a trim to his military<br />
style short back and sides.<br />
I believe Charlie taught some history<br />
occasionally, but whatever subject he was<br />
standing in about we could be sure of at<br />
least ten minutes on some aspect of<br />
regimental histories, mergers or renaming.<br />
Charlie had the reputation of doing<br />
everything by numbers. He never walked,<br />
he marched. On one occasion I was<br />
running down a corridor when a door<br />
opened in front of me and Charlie stepped<br />
out, so I was about to run into him. His<br />
response was classic and swift.<br />
1. Right foot forward<br />
2. Raised right arm, bent, with elbow<br />
at front.<br />
3. Lean forward<br />
So I ran into his elbow, then received a<br />
telling off for running in the corridor.<br />
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
CORRESPONDENCE<br />
But my most vivid memory of Charlie<br />
occurred one afternoon when he turned up<br />
at our class to stand in for another staff<br />
member who was due to take us for RE.<br />
He marched in, sat down on the dais, and<br />
said “Open your bibles page 1067 Book of<br />
Daniel Chapter 1. Starting here at the<br />
front with the first verse each read one<br />
verse, going round the class”.<br />
The first boy read then after about three<br />
verses I put my hand up. “What is it?”<br />
asked Charlie irritably. “Please sir, what is<br />
a eunuch” I asked. I genuinely had no idea.<br />
As I watched, Charlie’s neck became red<br />
and this spread up to his face which<br />
became redder and redder until almost<br />
purple. Then he snapped “Carry on<br />
reading” he said, looking down at his desk.<br />
The reading continued. The chap next to<br />
me whispered “What was that about?”<br />
“I’ve no idea” I whispered back, and had<br />
forgotten about it by the end of the period,<br />
but as we were processing out of the room<br />
Charlie was standing by the door and<br />
grabbed my right ear as I was passing him<br />
and said “Don’t ask questions to which<br />
you already know the answers”. I said<br />
nothing but then went to the library and<br />
looked up the word in a dictionary. It said<br />
“Eunuch- an emasculated male.”. I went<br />
away no wiser.<br />
Thanks Tim, herewith my pic taken a few<br />
years ago now but I still have hair the<br />
same colour!<br />
I’m afraid London reunions are out of my<br />
range now due to mobility problems, but I<br />
cannot relate anyone on your list except<br />
John Miles.<br />
One of the last reunions I attended had<br />
only six out of the following but cannot<br />
recall which were not there, except I know<br />
Sir John Sparrow and John Sheen had<br />
both died. The others were Brian Kill,<br />
Stanley Ward, Gordon Rose, John Miles,<br />
and Bill Croydon. We decided the last one<br />
with 5/6 of us there was to be our last.<br />
I had a strange coincidence a few years<br />
ago. I was talking to another retired<br />
clergyman, Rev John Colley in Sheffield. I<br />
mentioned Stationers and he said he went<br />
to Highgate but suddenly recalled “My<br />
father taught music at Stationers for<br />
several years”. I recalled that he was the<br />
music master who ran the choir that I was<br />
in also, and he took us to St Paul’s on the<br />
first Shrove Tuesday post WWII (1946)<br />
in the crypt at St Paul’s to sing for the<br />
annual service for the Stationer’s Company.<br />
When John died I attended his funeral<br />
where his grandson and granddaughter<br />
played a violin/piano duet composed by<br />
John’s father, so their great grandfather.<br />
When I told them afterwards at a<br />
reception that I knew him and had been<br />
in his choir they must have thought I was<br />
as old as Methusala!<br />
Mr Colley was a very gentle man whose<br />
lessons we did not always make easy but<br />
he remained a Gent throughout. His<br />
reputation was something of a byword in<br />
Sheffield for rapping the knuckles of<br />
clergy he did not agree with.<br />
Best wishes<br />
Brian Cranwell<br />
stokes_brian@hotmail.com<br />
3 February 2023<br />
OSA ANNUAL LUNCH & AGM,<br />
FRIDAY 31ST MARCH<br />
Peter - first, I should mention that I was<br />
diagnosed with Dementia about 6 months<br />
ago but my GP has been fabulous and got<br />
me on to tablets immediately. The local<br />
NHS sent a team to test me and I passed<br />
with flying colours so no problems there.<br />
Getting back to Normandy in 1946 - I<br />
was in 1b - your first year was alphabetical<br />
but, thereafter, there was promotion and<br />
demotion depending on the Summer<br />
Exam Results - I went into 2a and then 3,<br />
the top class where I stayed i.e. 4 and 5<br />
until I left in 1951 after taking the first<br />
year of the GCSE examination. Our trip<br />
to the Normandy Beaches in 1946 was by<br />
coach and across the Channel by boat<br />
from Portsmouth to Le Havre, and then<br />
by Coach to Courcelle sur Mere - we were<br />
near the Beaches where the Allies had<br />
made the D-Day landings and the<br />
remnants of war were everywhere<br />
including the Mulberry Harbour which<br />
the Allies had used to bring their heavy<br />
Artillery and tanks ashore. As children,<br />
who had lived through war it was nothing<br />
new for any us, just part of life. Mr Davies<br />
(known as" Beaky") gave us very good<br />
coach trips to various local destinations<br />
including bomb ridden Caen - hardly a<br />
building standing. The school where we<br />
stayed had some orphan French boys from<br />
Paris staying there - the object being they<br />
learnt English and we learnt French. The<br />
local women did not like us because the<br />
Allied troops had killed their German<br />
boyfriends so they threw stones at us and<br />
33
we had to go out, thereafter, under Teacher<br />
protection. The local Wine shops were<br />
happy to sell us Liqueurs/Spirits or<br />
whatever Alcohol they had, so I brought a<br />
bottle back for my parents. Trust, this<br />
gives you enough background nature on<br />
this trip for an article in the Old Boys<br />
Mag. but please let me know if you want<br />
more detail.<br />
Brian Stokes<br />
JOHN YOUNG UPDATE<br />
Good morning Gentlemen,<br />
Andreas and I received the following<br />
message from John Young’s daughter,<br />
Hilary, this morning.<br />
I thought those of you who remember<br />
John might be interested in the following.<br />
John Young joined the School in 1967 and<br />
taught Religious Instruction, PE, and<br />
organised after-school clubs and summer<br />
camp. I believe he remained at the school<br />
until its closure.<br />
John came to our Comprehensive Reunion<br />
last May and was a very popular figure,<br />
with Old Boys queueing up to have their<br />
photograph taken with him! An amazing<br />
man who will be 93 this year!!<br />
Hi Peter / Andreas - happy new year to<br />
you both!<br />
I just thought I’d give a quick update on<br />
Dad - John Young. He was so delighted to<br />
come to the reunion last May. You may recall<br />
he was struggling then with a horrible cough.<br />
Unfortunately, just a few weeks later his<br />
health deteriorated rapidly and we thought<br />
we were losing him at the end of July /<br />
beginning of August. He has lived with heart<br />
failure since 2016 and this condition<br />
worsened. He was referred to the Hospice at<br />
Home team who were wonderful. Thankfully<br />
however, a few tweaks of his medication, and<br />
he has somewhat miraculously bounced back!!<br />
Amazing us all
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
you’re able to use it.<br />
I taught for 19 years and then left teaching<br />
to set up my Personal Best Fitness<br />
Company. I’ve worked with Northern<br />
telecom, Centrica Gas, Price Waterhouse,<br />
Johnson and Johnson among others and<br />
have had personal clients including the<br />
Honorable Sir Rocco Forte and Melanie<br />
Chisholm from the Spice Girls<br />
Now living down in Poole, Dorset, moved<br />
from London three and a half years back<br />
and absolutely love it!<br />
If anyone is interested in my book, very<br />
happy to send post free for £10.<br />
Tony, if you’d like a copy of the novel to<br />
peruse, very happy to get it in the post to<br />
you straightaway if you let me have your<br />
address.<br />
Many thanks, Steve Trew<br />
About the author<br />
Steve Trew taught for 19 years in North<br />
London.<br />
He swum and ran at national and<br />
International level and won three AAA’s<br />
Championship medals. In Triathlon, Steve<br />
represented Great Britain and England in<br />
Triathlon from 1984 to 1992; he was<br />
European champion in 1986 and was 10th in<br />
the World Championships in 1989 in his age<br />
group division.<br />
Steve has had vast experience in International<br />
Sport and was Great Britain Coach at the<br />
2000 Sydney Olympics and Wales Team<br />
Manager at the 2006 Commonwealth<br />
Games, Melbourne.<br />
Steve has been at six Olympic and<br />
Commonwealth Games as coach, team<br />
manager, and/or commentator for triathlon,<br />
race walking, swimming and open water<br />
swimming. Steve was involved in the 2012<br />
London Olympic Games in the sports of<br />
triathlon, marathon swimming, and race<br />
walking. He was track and field stadium<br />
commentator for the London 2012 Paralympics.<br />
Steve has also provided live commentary at the<br />
London Marathon, the Great Swim series,<br />
and the Big City 10k and 5k runs as well as<br />
the London 10,000m and the London<br />
Westminster miles. He was previously Director<br />
of Coaching and National Coach for Great<br />
Britain Triathlon (a long time ago now!)<br />
Hi Tim,<br />
I am pleased that you feel my article is<br />
worth squeezing into the July issue.<br />
I attach two photographs. The first shows<br />
me as I now am at age 95. For comparison<br />
with myself at age 11, I offer the group<br />
photo of Form 1A wherein I can be seen<br />
3rd from the right up in the back row. In<br />
the second row Hewett is 5th from the left<br />
and Haynes 6th, two lads "of short stature"<br />
mentioned in my text.<br />
May I draw your attention to the Feb 2013<br />
No 76 issue in which were contributions<br />
concerning Wisbech. On page 15 is a<br />
letter from me. On the preceding page are<br />
two newspaper pictures I provided,<br />
together with my own captioning (which<br />
mentions my sister). On page 16 there is a<br />
copy of the list of boys at the school in<br />
Wisbech in Dec 1939. Those in Form IIA<br />
had been with me in 1A the year before.<br />
Incidentally, my sister Mary, who is still<br />
living at almost age 93, attended Hornsey<br />
High School. In 1945 she and another girl,<br />
a couple of exceptional students, were sent<br />
once a week to Stationers for some higher<br />
level maths tuition that their teachers<br />
could not provide. She recalls that they<br />
were very popular with the boys!<br />
John Bathurst<br />
35
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
Thanks to Simon Westbrook for fishing this out of his attic to remind us the debt we owe<br />
to Gus Thomas for this education in the English Language.<br />
GUS NOTES - STATIONERS 1964<br />
1. SIMILE<br />
This occurs when two things are compared and introduced by the<br />
word like or as<br />
a. The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold.<br />
b. I wondered lonely as a cloud.<br />
2. METAPHOR<br />
This occurs when, owing to some resemblance between two objects<br />
or the functions they perform, one is for the time being actually<br />
identified with the other.<br />
a. Here you charter your camel, the ship of the desert.<br />
b. He is skating on-thin ice.<br />
3. EUPHEMISM<br />
The presentation of something unpleasant or offensive in a softened<br />
form.<br />
a. I am afraid something has happened to him.<br />
b. What he told us was not the unvarnished truth.<br />
4. METONOMY<br />
The designation of a thing or person by something closely associated<br />
with it.<br />
a. The bottle has been his downfall.<br />
b. The boxes showed their appreciation by clapping, the gallery<br />
by shouting.<br />
5. SYNECDOCHE<br />
A part is used to represent the whole, or the whole a part.<br />
a. The factory, which was a very large one, employed two thousand<br />
hands.<br />
b. England won the test match.<br />
6. RHETORICAL QUESTION<br />
A question which is in reality a forcible way of putting a statement<br />
and therefore requires no answer, or a questions that the speaker<br />
proceeds to answer himself.<br />
"Breathes there the man with soul so dead :J<br />
Who never to himself has said, This is my own my native land?"<br />
7. HYPERBOLE<br />
A statement deliberately exaggerated in order to add force emphasis.<br />
They lifted the roof with their shouting.<br />
8. LITOTES<br />
The opposite of hyperbole. An understatement of fact.<br />
a. The concert was not at all bad.<br />
b. I rather like this book<br />
c. I am a citizen of no mean city.<br />
9. ZEUGMA<br />
This occurs when one adjective or one verb is made to serve a double<br />
purpose, but is not repeated.<br />
Wrapped in his greatcoat and silence, he journeyed on.<br />
10. PERSONIFICATION<br />
A thing (frequently an abstract noun) is treated as a person or given<br />
human attributes.<br />
a. Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war.<br />
b. Youth at the prow and pleasure at the helm.<br />
11. BATHOS (ANTI-CLIMAX)<br />
This is employed when an author leads us to imagine that he is<br />
working up to a climax and then quite unexpectedly drops us down<br />
to the conmonplace.<br />
a. When I had resided at college seven years, my father died and<br />
left me - his blessing.<br />
12. APOSTROPHE<br />
An invocation to an inanimate object, a quality, or to someone who<br />
is not present.<br />
a. Milton! Thou shouldst be living at this hour.<br />
b. Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain!<br />
c. O Friendship, thou fond soother of the human breast!<br />
13. OXYMORON<br />
An apparent contradiction between an adjective and its noun or an<br />
adverb and the word it modifies.<br />
a. Faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.<br />
b. She loved occasionally to indulge herself in a fit of pleasing<br />
melancholy.<br />
14. PARADOX<br />
A statement, which on the face of it, seems absurd, yet when examined<br />
is found to be true.<br />
a. The child is father to the man.<br />
b. The first shall be last, and the last first.<br />
c. Cowards die many times before their death.<br />
15. ONOMATOPOEIA<br />
Where the sound represents the sense, you have an onomatopoeic<br />
word or sentence.<br />
a. Ping-pong<br />
b. The murmuring of innumerable bees.<br />
16. ALLITERATION<br />
Consists of the employment in close succession of two or more<br />
words with the same initial sound.<br />
a. Apt alliteration's artful aid.<br />
b. Dissolute, depraved, degenerate, decrepit.<br />
17. ANTITHESIS<br />
This is the figure of speech in which a striking opposition or contrast<br />
or words is made in the same sentence.<br />
a. Man proposes, God disposes.<br />
b. fu order that Frederick of Prussia might rob a neighbour<br />
whom he had promised to defend, black men fought on the<br />
coast of Coromandel while red men scalped each other by the<br />
Great Lakes of North America.<br />
18. CLIMAX<br />
This consists in the building-up of fact upon fact, each fact being of<br />
greater significance than the one which precedes it, the climax coming<br />
with the last of the facts given.<br />
"Many a time and oft<br />
Have you climbed up to walls and battlements,<br />
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney tops,<br />
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat<br />
The live-long day with patient expectation,<br />
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome."<br />
19. EPIGRAM<br />
This is a brief pointed saying, frequently introducing antithetical ideas.<br />
Translations are like women: if they are beautiful they are not faithful;<br />
if they are faithful they are not beautiful.<br />
20. IRONY<br />
In irony, language is employed to suggest an impression different from<br />
that which would result from a literal interpretation of the words.<br />
"Here under leave of Brutus and the rest<br />
(For Brutus is an honourable men<br />
So are they all, all honourable men)<br />
Come to speak in Caesar's funeral ..<br />
He was my friend, faithful and just to me,<br />
But Brutus said he was ambitious<br />
And Brutus is an honourable man"<br />
36
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
ME & MY MOTORS<br />
MY MUSTANG<br />
I was intrigued to read Tony Moffat’s excellent piece about his<br />
Ford Mustang and your postscript Tim in The Old Stationer No<br />
96 and I was reminded of the one I bought in Miami at about the<br />
same time. I never saw it before purchase but simply paid for it.<br />
It’s a long story….<br />
I had left school after one term in the lower sixth, having realised<br />
belatedly that I did not need ‘A’ levels to study architecture at the<br />
Northern Polytechnic. Remarkably, back then I needed just<br />
English and Maths at ‘O’ level for entry unlike the experience of<br />
my own two children who ended up looking for three ‘A*s and<br />
AAB respectively at ‘A’ level. By June 1965 I had passed my Finals<br />
and had my passport – a Diploma in Architecture with Honours<br />
and following a year working, obtained my Associateship of the<br />
RIBA.<br />
Just married with no children, it seemed the perfect time to<br />
adventure abroad and I found a job in Bermuda moving there in<br />
November 1966. Life was good with yacht racing on our<br />
Landlord’s 36 foot cruiser ‘Gunner’ in the Great Sound on<br />
Thursday afternoons and weekends, and an enjoyable competitive<br />
squash league as well as interesting work and the other delights of<br />
a tax free expat life.<br />
Back then there was a triangular annual squash tournament and I<br />
was selected to join the team of eight to play for Bermuda against<br />
representative teams from Jamaica and the Bahamas in Nassau<br />
that summer. I set off little realising that destiny had stepped in.<br />
Irrespective of the result of the squash I found a world of<br />
architectural opportunity in Nassau as there had been a massive<br />
change of political power with the predominantly black PLP<br />
(Progressive Labour Party) winning power from the predominantly<br />
white UBP (United Bahamian Party). The latter known as The<br />
Bay Street Boys, owned most of the prized real estate and suddenly<br />
their confidence was shaken and there was a rush to liquidate.<br />
Simultaneously, in the UK, Callaghan was Chancellor in Wilson’s<br />
Labour Government and UK property contacts were looking for<br />
profits outside the UK and I became their man in the Bahamas.<br />
But coming back to the Mustang…. A friend from the Northern<br />
Poly was working unhappily for a firm of architects in Nassau and<br />
I persuaded him to run an office I set up in Miami, and he<br />
persuaded me to buy the Mustang!<br />
All went well but gradually the bubble burst. As often happens<br />
with changes in political control the new boys enjoy grabbing the<br />
levers of power but don’t always know whether to push them or<br />
pull them. The development climate changed and it seemed a<br />
good time to close down the offices in Miami and Nassau and<br />
head home. The Mustang was worth more to me than anyone else<br />
so I brought it home complete with it’s New Providence number<br />
plate to Hertfordshire.<br />
Like Tony, I kept the car for a while not wanting to pay import<br />
duty and though being LHD, overtaking was sometimes difficult,<br />
it was fun. Happy days!<br />
Footnote: I moved on to one of the earliest Range Rovers – the<br />
one with the plastic seats, after that I have remained in love with<br />
that make more or less ever since, now enjoying a Range Rover<br />
Velar but am undecided about when to go electric, The Mustang<br />
Mach-E could be a candidate?<br />
Michael Brady<br />
37
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
A WALK IN HERTFORDSHIRE<br />
THE HOPE MANSELL ROUND<br />
In recent OS magazines there have been a number of articles<br />
about favourite walks in Hertfordshire. As someone who has<br />
always liked to explore, on foot, the byways and footpaths of the<br />
country around my home, I was agreeably surprised when, some<br />
twenty-one years ago, on moving to Herefordshire to discover a<br />
multiplicity of walks right on my doorstep. Of all the local walks<br />
there is one I return to time after time, the Hope Mansell Round,<br />
a walk of approximately 4½ miles and good for a morning stroll.<br />
To reach the starting point we turn off the Gloucester – Ross<br />
section of the A40, between the villages of Lee and Westonunder-Penyard,<br />
onto a wide lane clearly signposted to Drybrook<br />
and Cinderford. After a few minutes’ drive we pass through the<br />
tiny hamlet of Lee Baily End and then, immediately to our right<br />
and opposite the junction with a small lane, we see an opening<br />
into the woods with road side parking for some 7 or 8 vehicles.<br />
(Grid Reference: SO643195. The What 3 words //windmills.<br />
sunflower.lunge.)<br />
Harechurch Wood while on our right the land falls away into a<br />
deep valley. While we pause to admire the view we can also<br />
listen to the silence. No white noise – no heavy road traffic, no<br />
trains, no aircraft – only the distant barking of a farm dog that<br />
comes to us through the still, crystal clear air.<br />
Finally, we emerge onto a road, turning right down the hill,<br />
passing the driveway to a house with the delightful name of<br />
Cuckoo Patch! After some hundred yards we reach a T-junction<br />
where we turn left, towards Ruardean. Starting out flat the lane<br />
soon stiffens to a steepish climb. However, after about half a<br />
mile we reach a bench seat where we can rest for refreshment and<br />
admire the distant views over Hope Mansell, towards the bulk of<br />
Chase Hill, a northern outlier of the Dean, overlooking Ross-on-<br />
Wye. This is really rural England at its best.<br />
Two hundred yards on we reach the top of the hill, where, at a<br />
T-junction, we start to bear right. As we do, immediately on our<br />
right we find a five-bar metal gate with an adjacent stile. Cross<br />
the stile into the field, going forward and slightly diagonally to<br />
Cross the stile into the wood. Go straight forward for twenty<br />
yards and then take the narrow track on your left which runs<br />
parallel with the road. Follow this faint track for approximately<br />
100 meters as it zigzags between the trees, until you emerge onto<br />
a gravel drive. Turn right down the drive.<br />
As you do so you will see, to the front of you, a road bridge and<br />
cutting of the disused Mitcheldean Road and Forest of Dean<br />
Junction Railway, construction of which began in 1874. The early<br />
rail system in the Forest of Dean was not directly connected to<br />
the national system and took the form of a horseshoe with both<br />
ends terminating at wharves on the banks of the Severn Estuary.<br />
The MR & FoD J R, which left this system at Cinderford, was<br />
intended to provide a link to the national system. However,<br />
before its completion, in1880, ownership of the line passed to the<br />
GWR. The line was never commissioned since the GWR had<br />
also acquired a line, from Chepstow to Gloucester, along the<br />
river’s northern flood plain and which proved to be a far better<br />
link to the national network than the heavily graded MR and<br />
FoD Junction line.<br />
Now back to the walk. Some three quarters of a mile from our<br />
start we reach Home Grove Farm, now a private dwelling. To<br />
your left a powerful spring emerges from under the hedge,<br />
tumbles down into a gulley and under the farm yard to reappear<br />
in the field below. Our gravel track finishes at a farm gate shortly<br />
beyond the farm and our route continues straight forward along<br />
a narrow track between two high hedges. To our left is<br />
our left. Initially on the flat but then down a slope to reach a<br />
galvanised metal gate. Through the gate and continue downhill,<br />
on the same line, to a second galvanised gate. From this gate we<br />
walk straight ahead keeping close to the fence on our left. On my<br />
last visit here the wood to our left was carpeted with bluebells<br />
and white wood anemones which made a pretty display in the<br />
spring sunshine. Passing through another metal gate we<br />
continue downhill this time keep close to the hedge on our right.<br />
We are now on a promontory with steep drops on either side.<br />
Pausing once more to view the scene set out below us, we then<br />
38
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
go through the metal farm gate to our front and walk downhill<br />
towards the bottom right-hand corner of the field passing to the<br />
right of the lone oak tree to reach our next gate. The farmer here<br />
seems to delight in setting us small puzzles as every gate seems<br />
to have a different closure device. This particular gate has a chain<br />
and a climbing carabiner twist lock which is opened by screwing<br />
the yellow sleeve right to the top of its thread. Exit onto the lane,<br />
locking the gate behind you to keep the sheep from straying, and<br />
turn left.<br />
A short stroll brings us into the hamlet of Hope Mansell<br />
[mentioned in the Domesday Book] and to the small parish<br />
church of St Michael, c14 with c12 remains. Its open fronted<br />
porch, with its walls lined with bench seating, make it a popular<br />
refreshment stop in all weathers. A short distance on from the<br />
church, opposite Moat Farm, we turn right up a cul-de-sac<br />
towards the village hall and then straight forward up the steps<br />
and over a slightly difficult stile. We then cross the field, again<br />
going slightly to our left, up the slope. After a short distance, on<br />
the skyline in front of us, another galvanised gate comes into<br />
view. From this gate we descend a steep slope towards the<br />
bottom right-hand corner of the field. Cross the bridge over the<br />
stream, which we first met flowing from under the hedge in the<br />
early part of the walk, and go straight ahead, keeping close to the<br />
hedge on our left, to a second bridge and stile. Cross the stile<br />
and follow the path up passed Baily Brook Cottage to emerge<br />
onto their front drive. Turn left and follow the drive up to a lane.<br />
On reaching the road we turn left, up a short, but steep, hill. At<br />
the point where, at the top of the hill, the road curves to the left,<br />
opposite the driveway to Tump Cottage, we take the path to our<br />
right passing between two low mounds. This path soon merges<br />
with a forest road and we continue straight on until we reach a<br />
“cross road” junction with a wide, well-trodden, path. Turn right,<br />
downhill, and follow this wide path, ignoring another that goes<br />
off to the right, and after a short while the car park will be seen<br />
through the trees ahead.<br />
Seeking refreshments, a short drive away, on the cross roads in<br />
Weston-under-Penyard, we find the Weston Cross Inn (01989<br />
562759). This two-hundred-year-old stone-built building is a<br />
very popular local eatery, with restaurant and large beer garden.<br />
The pub has been in the same hands for over twenty-five years<br />
with mum and dad working front of house and daughter, a<br />
qualified chef, in charge of the kitchen. The pub is open Tuesday<br />
to Sunday and such is its popularity that it is best to give them a<br />
call before visiting.<br />
Lucian Perry<br />
BOOK REVIEWS<br />
This new section of the magazine has four reviews in this<br />
edition. The idea is to inform readers about books written<br />
by Old Stationers' that they might like to read. If you have<br />
written a book that you would like reviewed in The Old<br />
Stationer, please email Tony Moffat at: a.moffat@ucl.ac.uk.<br />
Tony Moffat<br />
Brian with his book<br />
WHERE’S MY MUM NOW?<br />
BY REV BRIAN CRANWELL<br />
The full title of the book is, “Where’s My Mum Now?: Children's<br />
Perspectives on Helps and Hindrances to Their Grief ”, by Rev<br />
Brian Cranwell, Class year of 1944, although he did not join<br />
Stationers’ until 1945. As a parish priest, Brian was very involved<br />
in grief counselling and the ways in which families handled a<br />
death. He recognised that adults thought that they knew best<br />
when a child was faced with the death of a parent. Children were<br />
often excluded from funerals and were “protected” by adults from<br />
the bereavement process because the adults had fears about<br />
telling the truth and what effect it might have on the child. Brian<br />
therefore undertook a research project to find out from bereaved<br />
children what they thought, resulting in this book and an MPhil<br />
degree from Sheffield Hallam University. It is a salutary fact that<br />
some 20,000 children a year lose a parent due to death, separation<br />
or desertion.<br />
The main thrust of the book is the search for children’s views as<br />
to what helped or hindered them prior to and following the death<br />
of a parent. It is all about understanding the child’s needs and the<br />
most useful ways of helping them by listening to what they have<br />
to say. Children want to be told the truth about what is happening<br />
and adults should not put their perspectives on them. It should be<br />
the child’s choice as to how much they want to be involved in the<br />
process of death.<br />
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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
With a Foreword by the Rt Hon David Blunkett, the book<br />
comprises 13 chapters, each describing a different aspect of a<br />
child’s views of the bereavement process and what adults can do<br />
to assist the child get through it successfully. The ways in which<br />
family members, teachers and peers can help in their different<br />
ways is carefully described.<br />
The topics covered include: the language to use, giving bad news,<br />
viewing the body, going to the funeral, going back to school, help<br />
from outside the family and overprotection. Each chapter has a<br />
helpful Conclusions and Recommendations section as well as a<br />
Summary. Quotes from the children are interspersed throughout<br />
and add immensely to the impact of what Brian has written. For<br />
example, on whether or not to go to a funeral and its rituals, one<br />
girl said, “I thought like, it was for my dad, and for me to go to<br />
the funeral rather than not go… because then like, a couple of<br />
years later I probably think, why I did not go to the funeral?”<br />
There is a useful list of organisations and their web sites that<br />
provide publications to help children understand the concept of<br />
death and what they might feel and experience before and after<br />
the death of someone close. Also, a list of 34 references cited in<br />
the book.<br />
In summary, the book says: Don’t think what is best for you as an<br />
adult, think about what is best for the child because they need<br />
openness, honesty and inclusion in decision making between<br />
them and the surviving parents and grandparents. Or, as one child<br />
put it, “Adults don’t help when they don’t listen to children’s<br />
opinions. They make decisions for them when they don’t know.”<br />
If you are in the process of helping a child deal with a bereavement,<br />
this is a book you should read.<br />
“Where’s My Mum Now?: Children's Perspectives on Helps and<br />
Hindrances to Their Grief ”, by Brian Cranwell, Author House<br />
UK Ltd, Milton Keynes, 2010, 87 pages, Copies available from<br />
Amazon at various prices ranging from £40 or £13 + postage, or<br />
from brian.cranwell@btinternet.com for £8.50 including postage.<br />
Also, by Brian are: “Hillsborough: Profit before people” and<br />
“From the Diaries of an Urban Rev. Faith and Functions,<br />
Vicarages and Vandalism”.<br />
Brian has contributed to The Old Stationer over the years and an<br />
autobiography is in Issue 93, pages 16-17, but a brief biography<br />
follows. He left Stationers’ in 1949, and after a year spent three<br />
years in the RAF. In 1953, he went to Kenya to join their police<br />
force for three years. Following that, he joined the Brooke Bond<br />
Group with responsibilities in East Africa involving recruiting<br />
and training young Africans to take over from expatriate<br />
managers as the countries became independent. In total he spent<br />
19 years in both Kenya and Malawi. He had the status of<br />
Associate Lecturer at Malawi University and by 1972 he wanted<br />
a recognised qualification and enrolled at Sheffield Polytechnic<br />
(now Sheffield Hallam University) for a Masters course in<br />
Organisational Development. He obtained his Masters in 1976<br />
and for 12 years was a management consultant travelling the<br />
world.<br />
He was a lay preacher in Kenya and had thought about a change<br />
in career for many years. So he decided to take a Certificate in<br />
Theology and Ministry at Durham University in 1981. He was<br />
subsequently ordained and was a parish priest in Sheffield for 15<br />
years. Brian retired in 1999.<br />
Tony Moffat<br />
NORTHUMBERLAND - A GUIDE<br />
BY STEPHEN PLATTEN<br />
Those of you who watch the TV programme “Vera” on ITV will<br />
know that Northumberland is a very beautiful county with a<br />
remarkable and rich landscape, even if it is also the least populated<br />
county in England and Wales. If you are going to visit<br />
Northumberland, you should take a copy of this book with you. It<br />
was written by the Rt Revd Dr Stephen Platten (Class years<br />
1958-66)) and is a comprehensive guide of 225 pages following<br />
the style of the old Shell County Guides. It contains over 240<br />
photographs, 40% of which were taken by Stephen.<br />
There are three introductory chapters detailing various aspects of<br />
the county. The first concerns the “Land” with descriptions of the<br />
“Cinemascope” county’s stunning scenery, geology, rocks, rivers<br />
and railways. It was in Northumberland that the railways were<br />
born. There follows the “Story” including the history of settlements<br />
dating back to 10,000 BC, Hadrian’s frontier barrier some 76<br />
miles long, with battles and castles described in abundance. More<br />
modern industries of coal, shipbuilding and heavy engineering are<br />
also described. The third chapter is about the “People” of<br />
Northumberland where songwriters and painters abound. Tales of<br />
famous people included are: George and Robert Stephenson<br />
(railways), William Armstrong (hydroelectricity), Charles Parsons<br />
(steam turbine), Joseph Swan (light bulb) and not to forget<br />
Newcastle United FC in the regional capital of Northumberland.<br />
There follows a Gazetteer of 150 pages giving an alphabetical<br />
listing of all the notable and famous features in the county. There<br />
are excellent descriptions of what is there together with suggested<br />
walking routes so that you don’t miss anything. Photographs are<br />
everywhere and add immeasurably to the detailed descriptions in<br />
the text. If you like castles, there are over 70 sites for you with<br />
Bamburgh and Alnwick perhaps the most famous. Alnwick<br />
Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in the UK and has<br />
been the home of the Percy Family for 700 years. Accounts of<br />
battles, events and locations involved in the Wars of the Roses<br />
appear in many places in the book which gives a strong contrast<br />
to the descriptions of the beauty of the countryside. The Holy<br />
Island of Lindisfarne has a great entry giving its history as one of<br />
Stephen relaxing by the quay walls on the River Tweed near where he lives.<br />
40
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
the most important centres of early English Christianity. There is<br />
also a photograph in colour on the book cover of the Pilgrim<br />
Poles marking out the walkers’ pathway to the island across the<br />
sands at low tide. By the way, another castle was built on the<br />
island ca. 1549.<br />
There are also: a Glossary; Bibliography; and Index of places,<br />
people and other subjects to enable you to find anything you want<br />
in Northumbria. Three maps of the county complete the book. It<br />
is a marvellous collection of information and a great companion<br />
if you visit Northumberland.<br />
Stephen came to write it because his wife, Rosslie, was born in<br />
Northumbria and they had a cottage there to which they went for<br />
30 years. They had a good knowledge of the county, but wanted<br />
to know more and explored most corners of it in a series of<br />
ancient Land Rovers. He had most of the Shell Guides to the UK<br />
counties but, since they stopped publication, he started a trust to<br />
update the series. He decide to update the one on Northumberland<br />
with Rosslie’s help as they had the time during the COVID<br />
pandemic. The most difficult part was getting the digital images<br />
of the photographs.<br />
The details of the book are: “Northumberland - A Guide”,<br />
Stephen Platten, Sacristy Press, Durham, 2022, Hardcover, 224<br />
pages, £ 27.69.<br />
Stephen is probably best known for being the Dean of Norwich<br />
(from 1995) and Bishop of Wakefield (from 2003). It is<br />
worthwhile noting, that amongst his other degrees, he was<br />
awarded a Batchelor of Divinity (BD) degree at Trinity College<br />
Oxford in 2003 and became an Honorary Doctor of Letters<br />
(Hon DLitt) from the University of East Anglia in 2003, and an<br />
Honorary Doctor of the University (DUniv) from the University<br />
of Huddersfield in 2012. An excellent biography of Stephen is in<br />
The Old Stationer no. 91 as well as several photographs of him –<br />
one with the Queen.<br />
He had been involved in publishing books for many years and was<br />
the first Old Stationer to become Master of the Stationers’<br />
Company (2020-21). As Master, he gave a speech at the OSA<br />
Lunch in June 2021. This was reported with lots of photographs<br />
in The Old Stationer no. 93, pages 5 -10 where he narrates that his<br />
all time favourite breakfast is toast, spread very thickly with<br />
Marmite with which he always eats a fresh banana. That<br />
combination caused his eldest granddaughter to describe him as<br />
“an alien”.<br />
When he was Bishop of Wakefield he unveiled a new plaque and<br />
rededicated the War Memorial Window in the Hornsey Parish<br />
Church of St Mary with St George in 2003. The window was<br />
previously in the School Hall commemorating all the Old<br />
Stationers’ who had died in the Boer War, First World War and<br />
Second World War. It was moved to the Parish Church when the<br />
School closed in 1983. There is a description and many<br />
photographs of the occasion in The Old Stationer, no. 59, pages<br />
12-18.<br />
Stephen retired in 2014 and now lives in Berwick-Upon-Tweed<br />
in Northumberland. However, he has visited the Stationers’<br />
Crown Woods Academy and was the Chairman of the Stationers’<br />
Foundation for some years. The Company appoints some of the<br />
School’s Governors as well as providing mentors for the students.<br />
It is heart-warming to see that the name of Stationers’ Company’s<br />
School lives on.<br />
Tony Moffat<br />
Pat and Bob on their 40th Wedding Anniversary 2020<br />
RETIREMENT OF A REPROBATE<br />
BY BOB PATTEN<br />
This was written by Bob Patten (School years 1948-53) who<br />
sadly died in January this year. There is an Obituary and<br />
testimonials from people who knew him later in this issue of The<br />
Old Stationer and information about him is therefore not<br />
included here except how he came to write the book.<br />
The book is an interesting and enjoyable read. The hero, Joe<br />
Morrison an expatriate in Nigeria, loses his pension and gets<br />
involved in the theft of 80 gold bars weighing two thousand<br />
pounds and worth $ 50 million. However, the Governor of the<br />
Central Bank of Nigeria from whom they were stolen wants<br />
them back without the theft being discovered to cover his back.<br />
So begins a cat and mouse game with Joe being pursued by the<br />
bank as well as by a bounty hunter and hit men from the<br />
Chicago mafia. Travels to Miami, Reno, Chicago and return trips<br />
to Lagos all add a travelogue to the adventure.<br />
The plot is interspersed with interesting information about how<br />
and why the price of gold rises and falls on the global market<br />
and how the USA economy is so dependent on its borrowing.<br />
This explains why some of the actions in the book take place.<br />
I won’t tell you much more except that it is an exciting tale. As<br />
you might expect, Joe is triumphant at the end of his Odyssey by<br />
using Zig Ziglar’s philosophy, “You can get anything you want by<br />
helping enough people get what they want”. To quote the last<br />
line in the book, “He fell into a deep and untroubled sleep and<br />
was soon dreaming of kangaroos and shrimps on the barbie”.<br />
What’s not to like? But you will have to read the book yourself<br />
to fill in the gaps.<br />
How he came to write the book is best described by his wife Pat.<br />
“This was the only book he wrote, which he did in about 42 days.<br />
He had prostate cancer. He decided that every day after his<br />
radiation treatment, of which there were 42, he would come<br />
home and write. However, before beginning, he calculated the<br />
exact number of words the book was to be (80,000) and how<br />
much he had to write every day to finish it at the same time as<br />
his treatment ended. He never missed a day. He also calculated<br />
the number of words or percentage of the total of the exact places<br />
in the manuscript that certain events had to happen to make it a<br />
good book. He followed to the letter the guidelines laid out in a<br />
book called Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. Bob was always<br />
41
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
interested in watching the price of gold and this played a huge<br />
part in the plot. He spent 3 years in Nigeria and so he had the<br />
background of the place which enabled him to accurately<br />
describe life in Lagos, Nigeria.”<br />
If you want to get a copy the details are: “Retirement of a<br />
Reprobate”, by Robert Patten, independently published, 2017,<br />
237 pages, £ 6.18 in paperback and £ 2.32 for the Kindle edition<br />
both from Amazon.<br />
Although Bob did not write any other books, he did write a short<br />
story, “An American Odyssey in 1963” which is on his and Pat’s<br />
blog: www.hereandtherewithpatandbob.com<br />
The blog contains about 100 other items about his and Pat’s<br />
travels as they journed through continents, countries, towns and<br />
villages, making new friends and gathering up history along the<br />
way and is well worth a look.<br />
Enjoy<br />
Tony Moffat<br />
TRIATHLON: A MOMENT OF<br />
SUFFERING BY STEVE TREW<br />
If you like books on sport, this is one for you. Steve Trew (Class<br />
years 1958-66) wrote this novel as a sequel to his first book<br />
“Triathlon. A Long Day’s Dying”. It naturally concerns the<br />
Triathlon multisport race (sequentially: swimming, cycling and<br />
then running) which is reputedly the toughest sport in the World<br />
- the ultimate endurance challenge pushing the body to its<br />
extreme.<br />
The story revolves around two English professional athletes<br />
(Gerry; and Odette known as Roo) as they train and compete in<br />
various Triathlons around the world culminating in the 2000<br />
Olympic Games held in Sydney. That was where the Triathlon<br />
was added to the Olympic programme as a medal winning event.<br />
By the way, it is a love story as well.<br />
Steve explains in excruciating detail the pain, agony, suffering,<br />
exhaustion, hurting limbs, empty lungs not to mention the<br />
mental and emotional pain involved whilst competing. The need<br />
for good tactics and excellent pace judgement throughout the<br />
event is graphically illustrated in the accounts of the nine races<br />
in the book. A good transition between the three sports is crucial<br />
and in one race is brilliantly described as one team comes a<br />
cropper. Although an event for individuals, the teamwork in<br />
pacing each other comes over strongly. He describes the races so<br />
well that you get the thrill and feeling that you are there watching<br />
the athletes as they compete with each other for that first place.<br />
Naturally there are tragedies along the way, but the racing Gods,<br />
who are continuously watching, take pity on Roo and her<br />
problems are overcome with time. The story builds up to the<br />
thrilling climax at the Mens’ and Women’ Triathlons at the 2000<br />
0lympics in Sydney when everything comes together - the good<br />
guys get what they deserve and the bad boy who takes drugs gets<br />
his comeuppance. I loved the story so much that I have just<br />
bought Steve’s first book to continue my enjoyment of the<br />
characters’ tribulations.<br />
If you want a copy it is: “Triathlon. A moment of Suffering,”<br />
Steve Trew, Wednesday Press Limited, Southend, 2001,<br />
paperback, 296 pages. You can get it directly from Steve, post<br />
free for £ 10. Email: trew@personalbest.ndonet.com.<br />
Steve told me that he wrote the novels after lapping up the<br />
stories in the boys’ papers like Hotspur and the Wizard in his<br />
younger days. After an injury, he had time on his hands and<br />
started to write short fictional sports stories himself. He had<br />
some published and then went on to write the two full length<br />
novels mentioned here, and is writing a third now.<br />
Apart from the two novels Steve has written, he has also written<br />
a dozen or so books on training methods for the Triathlon and<br />
other sporting events. An autobiography of Steve is in The Old<br />
Stationer No. 89, pages 31-32, but a shorter version written by<br />
Steve is: “I taught for 19 years and then left teaching to set up<br />
my Personal Best Fitness Company. I’ve worked with Northern<br />
Telecom, Centrica Gas, Price Waterhouse, Johnson & Johnson<br />
among others and have had personal clients including the<br />
Honorable Sir Rocco Forte and Melanie Chisholm from the<br />
Spice Girls.” In addition, Steve writes: “He swum and ran at<br />
national and International level and won three AAA’s<br />
Championship medals. In Triathlon Steve represented Great<br />
Britain and England in Triathlon from 1984 to 1992; he was<br />
European champion in 1986 and was 10thin the World<br />
Championships in 1989 in his age group division. Steve has had<br />
vast experience in International Sport and was Great Britain<br />
Coach at 2000 Sydney Olympics and Wales Team Manager at<br />
2006 Commonwealth Games, Melbourne. Steve has been at six<br />
Olympic and Commonwealth Games as coach, team manager,<br />
and/or commentator for triathlon, race walking, swimming and<br />
open water swimming. Steve was involved in the 2012 London<br />
Olympic Games in the sports of triathlon, marathon swimming,<br />
and race walking. He was track and field stadium commentator<br />
for the London 2012 Paralympics. Steve has also provided live<br />
commentary at the London Marathon, the Great Swim series,<br />
and the Big City 10k and 5k runs as well as the London 10,000m<br />
and the London Westminster miles. He was previously Director<br />
of Coaching and National Coach for Great Britain Triathlon (a<br />
long time ago now!).Now living down in Poole, Dorset, moved<br />
from London three and a half years back and absolutely love it!”<br />
Tony Moffat<br />
Steve Trew and his book "Triathlon - A moment of suffering"<br />
42
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
PUZZLE CORNER<br />
WORD SEARCH – ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS<br />
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MILLWALL SUNDERLAND WEST BROMWICH ALBION MIDDLESBROUGH SWANSEA CITY<br />
MEMBERSHIP<br />
SECRETARY’S REPORT<br />
Since last report To date<br />
Paying members at 1st Jan 2022 487<br />
Life member 1<br />
Honorary members 7<br />
New members 2 2<br />
Deaths (6) (6)<br />
Re-instalments/Resignations<br />
Deletions<br />
TOTAL (4) 491<br />
New members<br />
Roberto Petrucci and Granville Barrand.<br />
Deaths<br />
Ronald Balaam, Dudley Jones, MA (Tony)<br />
McKeer, Bob Patten, Ernest Russell &<br />
Charles Zarb.<br />
A new membership form has been<br />
introduced that asks the applicant to set up<br />
a regular payment to the OSA’s bank<br />
account with the first payment being<br />
immediate and subsequent payments to be<br />
annual on 1st January; thus avoiding the<br />
paper work involved with standing order<br />
mandates.<br />
Roger Engledow June 2023<br />
SUDOKU<br />
WEB SITE UPDATE<br />
1. HENPECKED DOLLS<br />
Ancient coloured fowl (3,8,3)<br />
2. BAR BROMIDE<br />
4. WARBONNETS CLEW<br />
Up North’s drink (9,5)<br />
5. BOB HOLING<br />
To solve the Sudoku<br />
Puzzle, fill the grid so that<br />
every column, every row<br />
and every 3 x 3 box<br />
contains the numbers<br />
1 to 9.<br />
ANAGRAMS<br />
The following are all<br />
anagrams of English beers.<br />
The figures in brackets<br />
give the number of letters<br />
in the word(s). See if you<br />
can find one of your<br />
favourite beers.<br />
8. DARN DOLL<br />
To whom you pay rent (8)<br />
9. BRUTE IT<br />
www.oldstationers.co.uk<br />
We have suffered from some technical<br />
gremlins in the last few months but the<br />
site seems to be returning to normal<br />
service. If you visit the site now you can<br />
view our new “YouTube“ link which<br />
displays video memories from Tony<br />
Moffat, Tony Mash, Dan Bone, Robin<br />
Baker, Stephen Collins and Mark<br />
Templeman.<br />
If you wish to add your school memories<br />
on video, contact Dan Bone who is<br />
orchestrating this new content<br />
development.<br />
I would like to convey my thanks to Josh<br />
Beadon who has been helping us with the<br />
site content updating and incorporation of<br />
the YouTube link.<br />
Tim<br />
The Dam Busters had these<br />
Nasty creature (9)<br />
Tax (7)<br />
(10)<br />
6. BAD MOOR<br />
10. PRECLUDE OIL<br />
3. NODDLE PRION<br />
Treacherous sandbank (4,3)<br />
Weird and ancient (3,8)<br />
Capital’s satisfaction (6,5)<br />
7. FRIES TIP<br />
Flown by the few (8)<br />
43
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
OBITUARIES<br />
BOB PATTEN<br />
School years 1948-53<br />
Bob Patten has died at his home in<br />
Jacksonville, Florida on January 21, 2023<br />
at the age of 85. His father was a<br />
policeman, who spent the Second World<br />
War moving his family around Inner<br />
London, dependent upon where the police<br />
sent him. Stationers became Bob’s destiny,<br />
when his father was posted to Hornsey<br />
Police Station in Tottenham Lane, where<br />
the family moved into the flat above the<br />
station. Bob attended St Mary’s Infants<br />
and Junior schools. His bedroom was<br />
located immediately above the police cells.<br />
As the years passed, interruptions to his<br />
sweet dreams gradually changed from the<br />
explosion of Nazi rockets to the noisy<br />
protests of the local drunks, as they were<br />
locked up beneath him overnight. In 1948,<br />
Bob won a place at Stationers, which<br />
involved a walk to school of only a mile.<br />
When he left Stationers in 1953, he was<br />
hired as a clerk by a firm of West End<br />
solicitors. By the age of 21, he had himself<br />
qualified as a solicitor. He was then<br />
appointed legal adviser by United Bank for<br />
Africa and based in Lagos, Nigeria, where<br />
he was also called to the Nigerian Bar.<br />
Some years later, Bob decided to leave<br />
Nigeria at the time of the Biafran Civil<br />
War, during which Lagos itself was<br />
attacked by air. Having as a small child<br />
lived in London during the World War<br />
Two blitz and subsequent rocket attacks,<br />
Bob was anxious to avoid a tropical repeat<br />
20 years later. The New World seemed a<br />
safer bet, so he said farewell to Africa and<br />
travelled as a tourist over 10,000 miles by<br />
road throughout the United States. Alas,<br />
he did not avoid violence entirely, since he<br />
was in Texas at the time of the Kennedy<br />
assassination. Returning to London in<br />
1964, Bob accepted a partnership in the<br />
City law firm of Adlers, established in the<br />
19th century, and he practiced law with<br />
them until his emigration to the United<br />
States in the 1980s.<br />
Bob served as OSFC Team Secretary in<br />
1956, Secretary in 1965 and Chairman<br />
from 1969 to 1973. He was also OSA<br />
President in 1972. On the playing side, he<br />
had a couple of dozen first eleven games<br />
over the years, but he was never worth a<br />
first team place. Instead, he was much<br />
more effective as third eleven centreforward,<br />
where his record 50 goals in<br />
season 1964/65 helped win the AFA<br />
Minor Cup, the first AFA Cup win in the<br />
club’s history. Yet it was as an ideas man on<br />
the administrative side that Bob really<br />
flourished. Some of his projects failed to<br />
take off, but some succeeded and still<br />
thrive over a half a century later. He<br />
combined his ideas with the ability to<br />
recruit good people to do the hard work<br />
needed for his projects to survive long<br />
term. For example, with Frank Abbott in<br />
1969, he founded The Apostles Club. In<br />
1972, he started President’s Day with its<br />
lunch and cricket match. In 1966, he<br />
arranged and personally guaranteed the<br />
financing to double the size of the Barnet<br />
Lane pavilion. Then he slightly shrank the<br />
width of each football pitch to leave room<br />
for an OSCC cricket square close to the<br />
enlarged pavilion. He played for the lower<br />
OSFC teams well into his forties but<br />
withdrew from the admin in 1973. He<br />
continued his habit of finding good people<br />
to do the hard work, when he was<br />
succeeded in the OSFC chairmanship by<br />
Bob Patten with Stuart Behn and Gordon Rose<br />
the long and highly successful chairmanship<br />
of Gordon Rose.<br />
In the 1970s, Bob served as a Justice of the<br />
Peace for Inner London and turned his<br />
attention to politics. He ran as a<br />
Conservative candidate for Westminster<br />
City Council and Greater London<br />
Council. Then he ran as a Conservative<br />
parliamentary candidate in the general<br />
elections of 1974 and 1979. Despite being<br />
a confident and fluent public speaker and<br />
investing a huge amount of time, Bob lost<br />
every election in which he stood. During<br />
these years, Bob lived with his first wife<br />
and daughter next to Lord’s Cricket<br />
Ground in Cavendish Avenue, St Johns<br />
Wood, opposite Beatle Paul Macartney.<br />
This famous neighbour would give Bob’s<br />
daughter something to boast about at<br />
school by personally greeting her when<br />
passing. Bob’s MCC membership and<br />
home driveway led to Test match boxes at<br />
Lords and convenient parking for fellow<br />
Stationers. He had never been so popular.<br />
However, in 1977, Bob’s first marriage<br />
ended in divorce after eleven years. Bob<br />
re-married in 1980 to Pat Lally, an<br />
American from Kansas City, serving in the<br />
US Navy and based in Grosvenor Square.<br />
They set up home on the upper floors of a<br />
house in Harley Street, otherwise filled<br />
with practicing doctors, and they celebrated<br />
their wedding day with a memorable party<br />
there attended by many Stationers. Pat<br />
soon left the US Navy and gave birth in<br />
London to daughters in 1981 and 1982.<br />
Shortly thereafter, still suffering from<br />
44
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
voter rejection, Bob moved his family,<br />
including Bob’s teenage daughter from his<br />
first marriage to the United States where<br />
they settled in Orlando, Florida. The baby<br />
daughters never had the time before<br />
leaving London to acquire British accents.<br />
Bob with daughters,Tara, Anna, and Emma<br />
In the United States, Bob worked in the<br />
mortgage business until 2009, when the<br />
collapse of the US mortgage industry<br />
suggested that it might be a good time to<br />
retire. During the previous quarter of a<br />
century, the family had lived and worked<br />
in Florida, Georgia and Maryland, while<br />
Bob returned to London to celebrate the<br />
100th anniversary dinner of the OSFC in<br />
2006, the 40th anniversary lunch of The<br />
Apostles Club in 2009 and the 40th OSA<br />
President’s Day cricket match in 2012.<br />
Meanwhile, Bob’s public speaking skills<br />
were needed only as father of the bride at<br />
daughters’ wedding receptions. In<br />
retirement, Bob and Pat were much into<br />
travel and writing. To those ends, they<br />
spent 2009 and 2010 living in Germany,<br />
based in the pretty Bavarian town of<br />
Bamberg, from which they motored to<br />
countries all over Europe. They spent<br />
2011 and 2012 living high in the mountains<br />
on the border of Arizona and Mexico,<br />
which proved to be an ideal base for seeing<br />
something of Hawaii, Mexico, and<br />
California as well as the US south-west.<br />
Their website...<br />
www.hereandtherewithpatandbob.com<br />
... records many of these adventures. Yet, by<br />
late 2012, Bob and Pat had returned to<br />
Florida, never again to live elsewhere. Their<br />
interest in writing continued and Bob<br />
celebrated his 80th birthday in 2017 with<br />
the publication of his first novel, “Retirement<br />
of a Reprobate”, which is set in Nigeria,<br />
Florida and Nevada and is still available for<br />
purchase on Amazon. The book earned<br />
some good reviews but, a few days after<br />
publication, Hurricane Irma gave her own<br />
opinion to the contrary by uprooting a large<br />
tree and flinging it down through Bob’s<br />
roof at the height of the storm.<br />
Other interests in a busy retirement<br />
included watching on his giant TV screen<br />
all the English Premiership Football<br />
League games and those of Spurs in<br />
particular. Bob had first visited White<br />
Hart Lane to see Spurs in the wartime<br />
league in 1944 and was devoted to Spurs<br />
ever after. More recently, he joined OSA<br />
Zoom meetings, traded stock options and<br />
closely followed US & UK politics with<br />
growing frustration. He also added to and<br />
enjoyed his extensive library.<br />
At the time of his death, Bob and Pat were<br />
living in Jacksonville, Florida, close to<br />
family who deposited his ashes into the<br />
Atlantic Ocean from the end of Jacksonville<br />
Beach Pier. This would put to the test<br />
Bob’s theory that his ashes would be<br />
picked up by the Gulf Stream and carried<br />
home to Cornwall, from whence came his<br />
ancestors. Bob’s life was blessed by a very<br />
happy second marriage of 42 years and he<br />
is survived by Pat and three daughters,<br />
along with four grandchildren. He retained<br />
his mental sharpness until the end, helped<br />
by playing a lot of online chess. His final<br />
OSA idea came during the recent<br />
pandemic, when he lobbied for the creation<br />
of an online OSA Chess tournament,<br />
which he planned to win. Like so many of<br />
his other ideas, it came to nothing. Perhaps<br />
he is now working on the next idea.<br />
Bob’s family<br />
Hello Peter,<br />
I write to tell you that my husband, Bob<br />
Patten, has died at our home on Saturday<br />
January 21st in Jacksonville, Florida, at the<br />
age of 85.<br />
Before his death, the family put together a<br />
couple of pages of obituary which you may<br />
find useful and which you must feel free to<br />
edit.<br />
We obtained many of these details from<br />
Bob shortly before his death. As you will<br />
see it is heavily oriented toward OSA<br />
activities.<br />
I have his OSA tie which he had for many<br />
years but only wore a couple of times and<br />
is in perfect condition. I wondered if a<br />
member of the OSA would like to have it.<br />
If so please let me know and I’ll bring it<br />
with me to England when I come in April<br />
of this year.<br />
I have attached two family photos that I<br />
thought might be of interest to you. One is<br />
of Bob and me. The second one is with our<br />
daughters, (L-R) Tara, Anna, and Emma.<br />
I hope you will be pleased with the<br />
obituary. Let me know if you have any<br />
questions.<br />
With all good wishes,<br />
Pat Patten<br />
Dear Pat,<br />
Letter from an Old Stationer<br />
I write somewhat belatedly (following a<br />
protracted viral infection) to let you know<br />
how saddened I was to hear that Bob<br />
passed away in January and to introduce<br />
myself as one of many young 1960s<br />
footballers who were very grateful for his<br />
unstinting work on their behalves as they<br />
tried to establish themselves with the Old<br />
Stationers Football Club and the Old<br />
Boys’ Association.<br />
I think I first met Bob in 1965-6 when I<br />
was about 14/15 years old and still in the<br />
fourth year at the School. As a member of<br />
the school team, I had played against the<br />
Old Boys in a traditional Boxing Day<br />
fixture and subsequently was asked to turn<br />
out for them on what later became a<br />
regular basis. This was a prospect which<br />
both delighted and alarmed me, not yet<br />
really knowing any of the fully adult<br />
playing membership.<br />
I need not have concerned myself: all were<br />
most welcoming and two in particular,<br />
Bob himself and Gordon Rose, (who as<br />
you will see below, I now know you met),<br />
45
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
made absolutely sure that even if a young<br />
player over-indulged himself a bit in the<br />
bar after a game, there was always someone<br />
available at the end of an evening to<br />
(metaphorically speaking) “pour him back<br />
through his own letter-box”!<br />
It was this type of “in loco parentis”<br />
attention to detail which helped to shape<br />
and has sustained the Association to this<br />
day despite the sad closure of the School in<br />
the mid eighties. I am now approaching 72<br />
and as one who continued playing for as<br />
long as possible (and who still enjoys<br />
strong links with the football club and the<br />
Association) I also truly appreciate the<br />
huge amount of background / behind the<br />
scenes administrative work which the likes<br />
of Bob and Gordon contributed.<br />
Sadly, I pretty much lost touch with Bob<br />
after he moved to the States, catching up<br />
only during some of his visits to England<br />
in later years. However, last year I had the<br />
great pleasure of becoming a member of<br />
the Apostles group (of which I am sure<br />
you know Bob was an original member)<br />
and had occasion to write to Bob in that<br />
connection in December. We exchanged<br />
several most enjoyable messages and<br />
reminiscences and, of course, Bob was<br />
more than capable of answering my<br />
enquiries about the Apostles. I am so very<br />
glad I wrote – and even more so that Bob<br />
recalled me!<br />
I understand that you are intending a visit<br />
to England in April and that the<br />
Association is hoping to assist you in<br />
arranging a gathering to celebrate Bob’s<br />
life: and I very much hope to meet you in<br />
person should that go ahead. I also imagine<br />
that the next edition of The Old Stationer<br />
magazine will include many references to<br />
Bob and in that connection I would<br />
mention another recent coincidental<br />
occurrence.<br />
Only this week I was contacted by Gordon<br />
Rose’s daughter, Pauline. Her mother Eve,<br />
now 93, recently moved from Cuffley to a<br />
nursing home in Pinner, near her son<br />
Andrew (whose wife works at the nursing<br />
home). Eve’s departure is a sad loss to<br />
Cuffley but a good move for her, I think,<br />
and she is evidently very happy indeed to<br />
be there. Anyway, Pauline sought my<br />
assistance with the various piles of<br />
OS-related paperwork Gordon had<br />
accumulated over many years and, since<br />
there is much to do before the house can<br />
be sold, I offered to take it all and I have<br />
been trawling through it since.<br />
Among these papers I have found a letter<br />
of 14/11/2014 from Bob to Gordon<br />
concerning your visit with him to Botany<br />
Bay Cricket Club, complete with a<br />
photograph of the four of you enjoying the<br />
evening. It occurs to me this might make a<br />
suitable item for inclusion in the O.S.<br />
magazine provided, of course, firstly that<br />
you have no objection and secondly that<br />
the somewhat faded photograph can be<br />
satisfactorily reproduced. Perhaps you<br />
could let me have your thoughts in due<br />
course?<br />
Please accept my sincerest condolences on<br />
your loss. Bob was a great man; a great<br />
friend to many; and a joy to be with on<br />
many happy occasions.<br />
Yours sincerely,<br />
Peter Jarvis<br />
DUDLEY JONES<br />
TRIBUTE TO DAD<br />
So much to say, yet so little time to say it.<br />
Kind, gentle, generous, witty, thoughtful,<br />
modest, intelligent, calm, successful,<br />
professional, respected, dedicated,<br />
unflappable, a true gentleman – these are<br />
just some of the words that have been used<br />
to describe dad in the last couple of weeks.<br />
He was all these things and more besides.<br />
Above all though he was a loving and<br />
devoted family man.<br />
Though born in Perth on July 30th 1928<br />
to a Scottish mum, Catherine, and a Welsh<br />
dad, Thomas, one of 4 brothers, he was<br />
very much a London boy and grew up<br />
there with his sister Eunice. However, the<br />
Welsh identity was deeply engrained<br />
through the family’s connection to the<br />
dairy business there, where one of his<br />
uncles ran a dairy on the Caledonian Road<br />
which had originally been set up by his<br />
grandparents who had moved to London<br />
from Cardiganshire. Indeed, as we have<br />
already heard, that Welsh connection is<br />
very much part of our shared family history.<br />
We believe he was an outstanding pupil at<br />
the Stationers Grammar school in<br />
Hornsey, loved cricket and football as all<br />
young lads do but inexplicably pledged his<br />
support to Arsenal, the Gunners,<br />
something I never really understood. This<br />
education was interrupted for a short<br />
period when he was evacuated with Eunice<br />
during the Blitz to a village in<br />
Northamptonshire. Having left school and<br />
following the end of the war he was called<br />
up to do his national service which it<br />
appears he seemed to quite enjoy if the<br />
stories he told were anything to go by and<br />
found himself in Berlin in an administrative<br />
role during the airlift in the late 40s – a<br />
position which possibly gave him access to<br />
extra rations of cigarettes and chocolate.<br />
Though he never said!<br />
It was at the London Welsh club in the<br />
Greys Inn Road, the social centre for the<br />
Welsh diaspora in London along with the<br />
chapel and the pub across the road, where<br />
Elizabeth Beryl Davies, the blacksmith’s<br />
daughter from the Welsh valleys, caught<br />
his eye. They were married on June 13th<br />
1959 at the Welsh chapel on Radnor walk<br />
in Chelsea and spent 55 happy and fulfilled<br />
years together until mum passed away in<br />
2014.<br />
By this time dad had begun what became<br />
a stellar career at Noble Lowndes becoming<br />
an expert in the field of pensions and<br />
employee benefits with a particular<br />
specialism in advising international<br />
organisations in Europe and beyond. He<br />
travelled extensively, notably in our<br />
memory, to Sierra Leone, cue need for a<br />
safari suit and Japan a market that Noble<br />
Lowndes was keen to break into. A former<br />
colleague remarked on dad’s uncanny and<br />
annoying ability to sleep soundly on<br />
overnight international flights waking up<br />
on arrival as fresh as a daisy ready for the<br />
working day. No red eye for him! And it<br />
was so nice that he kept in touch with so<br />
many of his former colleagues through<br />
their regular lunch get togethers.<br />
I guess it was during this time that<br />
something happened that gave us kids our<br />
first real insight into the sort of man dad<br />
was. He was due to get a new company car<br />
and arrived home one evening in a Jaguar<br />
XJ12 that he was trying out, you know the<br />
one with the twin chrome petrol caps. We<br />
all went out in it over the weekend and of<br />
46
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
course Tim and I were thrilled beyond<br />
belief. Wow Dad! Is this really your car?<br />
Imagine our disappointment when he<br />
returned it because, we think, he felt it was<br />
a bit too ostentatious and not really him.<br />
So we had to make do with the Rover or<br />
worse still, the Austin Princess!<br />
On dad’s retirement he continued<br />
consulting and writing articles and found<br />
more time to spend on tending to the<br />
lovely garden he had established at their<br />
house in Oxted where they now lived.<br />
Perhaps more importantly, with the stresses<br />
of work and parenthood behind them, dad<br />
and mum embarked on some seriously<br />
adventurous travel including India, China<br />
and the Far East, New Zealand, South<br />
America and the Amazon, Canada, Jordan<br />
and Egypt to name a few, interspersed<br />
with regular, more leisurely visits to the<br />
sunshine of Lanzarote.<br />
Apart from the garden and travel, dad was<br />
fascinated by pretty much anything, had<br />
incredibly broad interests and was up for<br />
trying pretty much anything. He<br />
appreciated beauty in all its manifestations<br />
– from buildings and architecture to the<br />
ballet, opera (NL apparently had a box at<br />
the ROH), theatre and classical music. He<br />
loved Joan Sutherland, Beethoven and the<br />
magic and majesty of a Welsh male voice<br />
choir.<br />
Always an avid reader in more recent years,<br />
he re-discovered a love for 19th century<br />
English literature and even attended a<br />
local course. He would talk passionately<br />
about the language in Wuthering Heights<br />
or the characterisation in a Dickens’ novel<br />
or even the story telling craft of Richard<br />
Harris. He loved history and art and had a<br />
particular fondness for Breughal. After<br />
mum died, Jayne and I would take dad on<br />
a trip somewhere in Europe every year<br />
visiting amazing sights and galleries and<br />
enjoying great food and wine in places like<br />
Berlin, Ravenna, the Netherlands and St<br />
Emilion.<br />
In Vienna we spent the morning at one of<br />
the great galleries there enjoying the<br />
collection of the great Dutch 17th century<br />
masters and then in the afternoon found<br />
ourselves face to face with the raw and<br />
unsettling imagery of 20th century Egon<br />
Schiele, which I had tried to warn him<br />
about, but he was completely unphased –<br />
in fact, as Jayne reminded me, he said it<br />
was the most interesting part of the day.<br />
Dad had a keen intellect, was always<br />
abreast of current affairs and took a<br />
position on pretty much everything which<br />
he would communicate in his measured<br />
and well-argued way. His razor sharp mind<br />
meant he could knock off the Telegraph’s<br />
cryptic crossword by elevenses so he could<br />
get on with a host of other things in the<br />
day. One thing about dad, he was always<br />
busy! I remember he picked up a paper in<br />
which I had been doing the crossword and<br />
couldn’t for the life of him fathom how I<br />
had got to the answer until I had to<br />
sheepishly explain that I was doing the<br />
other, simpleton’s, general knowledge<br />
version of the same crossword.<br />
Like all children with their parents, it took<br />
us a while, I think, to acquire the wisdom<br />
to understand him fully but when we did,<br />
we realised we loved and admired him<br />
more than words can say. Dad had an<br />
enormous generosity of spirit, very often<br />
putting others before himself. He didn’t<br />
have a negative bone in his body, a bad<br />
word to say about anyone and always saw<br />
the positives. He was a loving and devoted<br />
husband, father and grandfather, a kind,<br />
generous and loyal friend, a respected and<br />
admired colleague. His values, his<br />
principles, his decency and honesty and<br />
approach to life set an example to us all.<br />
As many have said in the past couple of<br />
weeks - he was a good man.<br />
Dad always had a very close relationship<br />
with his grandchildren from the moment<br />
they were born. He and mum were always<br />
on hand for babysitting duties and would<br />
often make the trip from Oxted to<br />
Cambridge to help out. Whilst Dad always<br />
took great delight in his grandchildren and<br />
was prepared to do anything to keep them<br />
entertained, he drew the line at changing<br />
nappies – I suspect that that may also have<br />
been true when Al and I were very young.<br />
In 2002, he and Mum moved to Gt.<br />
Chesterford to be nearer their<br />
grandchildren and to help out as they went<br />
through primary school and spent many<br />
an afternoon entertaining them and their<br />
little friends after school – crawling around<br />
after them on the floor and joining in their<br />
make believe games. He was always kind<br />
and very, very patient. As the children grew<br />
older, he remained a source of constant<br />
support, advice and moral guidance<br />
instilling a sense of right and wrong in his<br />
grandchildren in much the same way as he<br />
had his children. He always took great<br />
delight and pride in their achievements,<br />
whether it be the latest Irish dancing<br />
trophy or success in an exam. He would<br />
always be aware of what was happening in<br />
their lives and always made a point of<br />
asking them how things went. This was<br />
the case even during his recent illness.<br />
In their spare time from helping out with<br />
the family, Mum and Dad spent a lot of<br />
time together visiting houses and gardens<br />
throughout East Anglia and making daytrips<br />
to the coast. Dad also spent endless<br />
hours taking Mum around various<br />
boutique clothes shops spread across the<br />
length and breadth of the East of England<br />
in a vain attempt to find Mum new clothes<br />
that she thought suitable. This is just<br />
another example of his endless patience.<br />
After the loss of Mum in 2014, whilst he<br />
spent more time with us in Babraham,<br />
conversely he also became fiercely<br />
independent. He was determined to<br />
continue living his life as before and<br />
continuing with his daily routines to the<br />
extent that he would cook his food using<br />
Mum’s recipes, whilst also trying out new<br />
ones, and baking the cakes that Mum used<br />
to make for him. He even continued<br />
making marmalade, producing far more<br />
than could be used but with the benefit<br />
that the excess went into making a delicious<br />
marmalade cake.<br />
As before, Monday was always the day for<br />
washing, Wednesday for ironing and<br />
cleaning, and Friday was food shopping<br />
day. He kept this routine until relatively<br />
recently when he agreed to have a cleaner<br />
and someone to help with the ironing.<br />
Although he stopped driving just over a<br />
year ago (after a small mishap in writing<br />
off four cars!) he continued to do his own<br />
supermarket shop; he just needed a<br />
chauffeur to take him to and from! His<br />
garden in Great Chesterford, as in Oxted,<br />
was also a source of great joy and pride for<br />
him and he still was able to do the less<br />
strenuous activities whilst he was lucky to<br />
have June do the hard yards. Runner beans<br />
were an annual tradition, although more<br />
recently he did concede that he needed<br />
help in putting up the canes after an<br />
incident with a sharp knife and a cut hand.<br />
My work would be inspected and routinely<br />
found to be severely wanting. After<br />
re-tying several joints there would<br />
eventually be a grudging: ‘That’ll do I<br />
suppose’. He was a bit of a perfectionist!<br />
We also involved him more in our activities,<br />
whether it be a day out on a bank holiday<br />
or trips to see the girls at university. Even<br />
in his late eighties he seemed to have<br />
limitless energy and would have no<br />
difficulties with walking for distances<br />
remarkable for his age or staying on his<br />
feet for long periods of time. I remember<br />
on one occasion whilst visiting Aine in<br />
Cardiff, the girls had gone shopping so he<br />
and I took the opportunity to wander<br />
round the castle. After having visited the<br />
47
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
castle rooms, we walked up to the keep and<br />
he insisted on climbing to the top, firstly<br />
up several flights of stairs and then up<br />
wooden steps, barely much more than a<br />
ladder, with me watching nervously as I<br />
climbed behind him, prepared to try and<br />
catch him if he fell. We made it up – and<br />
back down again having been rewarded<br />
with the impressive views even though it<br />
was cold and very blustery. When he made<br />
up his mind to do something, he would do<br />
it – a constant theme throughout his life.<br />
We continued to play golf once a week,<br />
well into his eighties; although he couldn’t<br />
hit the ball as far as me, he was somewhat<br />
more accurate with the result that he<br />
usually won comfortably. Golfing was only<br />
curtailed because his hips wore out before<br />
he did and he had both replaced over the<br />
winter of 2017/18. He did his daily<br />
exercises religiously and insisted on looking<br />
after himself –as a result, his recovery was<br />
faster and more complete than would be<br />
expected for people much younger than<br />
him.<br />
In writing to Dad’s GP after the initial<br />
assessment prior to surgery, his consultant<br />
started his letter with ‘This terrific elderly<br />
Gentleman’ – he was not wrong. His<br />
determination to keep going was<br />
particularly evident through a few health<br />
issues he had in later life although he had<br />
a remarkable capacity for recovery.<br />
He also enjoyed a pint in the pub – real ale<br />
obviously – whether that be after a round<br />
of golf or early evening before supper. It<br />
was a pleasure just to be able to sit down<br />
with him and have a bit of a chat.<br />
He had slowed down more recently,<br />
however he was still remarkably fit for his<br />
age. Our post-Sunday lunch walks had<br />
gradually shortened in the previous few<br />
years (although they still seemed to take<br />
the same amount of time) and he had<br />
resorted to using a walking stick to aid his<br />
balance – although he did seem to carry it<br />
quite a lot without actually using it!<br />
He was always able to live independently<br />
at home, more recently with some help<br />
from cleaners and someone to do his<br />
ironing. He recently expressed a desire to<br />
stay in his home for as long as possible.<br />
Perhaps a blessing that he never had to<br />
suffer the indignity of being totally reliant<br />
on other people, something that would<br />
have been anathema to his independent<br />
spirit.<br />
Dad’s qualities can perhaps best be<br />
summed up by Robert Burns’ ‘Epitaph On<br />
My Own Friend’:<br />
An honest man here lies at rest,<br />
As e’er God with His image blest:<br />
The friend of man, the friend of truth;<br />
The friend of age, and guide of youth:<br />
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d,<br />
Few heads with knowledge so inform’d:<br />
If there’s another world, he lives in bliss;<br />
If there is none, he made the best of this.<br />
Alastair Jones (Dudley’s son)<br />
TONY MCKEER<br />
BRIEF OBITS<br />
Michael Anthony McKeer, always called<br />
Tony, or Mac of course, became a Stationers’<br />
schoolboy in 1954 like myself and we<br />
formed a lifelong friendship from then,<br />
cemented by our support for Tottenham<br />
Hotspur FC. We regularly stood on the<br />
corner at the Park Lane end of the stadium,<br />
in company with his dad, Graham Ling,<br />
David Turner and other friends although,<br />
on one occasion in October 1958, we got<br />
two tickets to sit in the East Stand for a<br />
game against Everton – Bill Nicholson’s<br />
first match as Spurs’ manager – and<br />
witnessed a memorable 10-4 victory. We<br />
watched Spurs complete the 1960-61<br />
‘Double’ with victory over Leicester City<br />
in the Cup Final at Wembley and win the<br />
cup again the following year against<br />
Burnley. In 1966, Mac successfully applied<br />
for a block of tickets for our usual crowd to<br />
attend all the World Cup matches at<br />
Wembley, which included England’s<br />
historic win in the Final against West<br />
Germany.<br />
On leaving School I worked for Friern<br />
Barnet Council, whose offices were a five<br />
minute walk from the McKeer’s home<br />
opposite Friary Park and I frequently<br />
popped-in on the family. In 1964 we<br />
formed a small group of OS to spend a<br />
week at Yelland’s Holiday Camp on the<br />
west coast of the Isle of Wight but, after<br />
Mac and his wife Anne moved down to<br />
the south coast to be nearer family, our<br />
meetings were restricted to ‘Year of ’54<br />
Reunions’ and to OSA Carol Services at<br />
Hornsey Parish Church, at both of which<br />
he was a regular attender despite increasing<br />
infirmity, until covid lockdown restrictions<br />
intervened. However, telephone contact<br />
was maintained whenever the desire for a<br />
catch-up arose.<br />
Mac died on 28th April 2023, his 80th<br />
birthday, and Roger Engledow, Roger<br />
Melling, my wife Carole and I attended his<br />
funeral service at the United Reformed<br />
Church in Broadstone near Poole during<br />
which we obeyed his command by singing<br />
the composite verse of the School Song.<br />
Friendship – till time shall bring all of us<br />
home.<br />
Tony Hemmings<br />
Tony died on his 80th birthday. He<br />
certainly understood the meaning of<br />
"friendship". He was a Spurs supporter<br />
who, when he retired, moved to the<br />
Bournemouth area and took up watching<br />
Bournemouth AFC.<br />
He came to the 1954 reunions for as long<br />
as his health allowed him. Sometimes<br />
being driven up by his wife Anne and then<br />
coming on National Express with his<br />
daughter as well. On two occasions he<br />
offered me a ticket for Bournemouth v<br />
Arsenal, because he thought I would be<br />
interested; and I was. The 2nd time I went<br />
as his carer because he had a disabled<br />
persons season ticket and his usual "carer"<br />
was not available for that match. As I was<br />
able to get in for free I was delighted to<br />
pay for a taxi to take him home after the<br />
match.<br />
For a Spurs supporter to do that for an<br />
Arsenal supporter shows that friendship<br />
was the real winner.<br />
Roger Engledow<br />
DEATH NOTICES<br />
RON BALAAM<br />
I have been informed that the above died<br />
in September last year. His wife contacted<br />
me as the magazine had just arrived. His<br />
standing order did not pay at the beginning<br />
of the year.<br />
Roger Engledow<br />
48
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
ELLEN NORTH<br />
Dear Old Stationers cricketers of a certain<br />
vintage especially tourers, Old Stationers<br />
footballers of a similar vintage, great<br />
Avondale FC players of the same vintage<br />
and even old friends, some of which might<br />
all apply to you.<br />
It is my sad duty to advise you that Bobby<br />
North's wife Ellen sadly passed away<br />
peacefully yesterday afternoon. She had<br />
been suffering from emphysema for some<br />
years. This was a serious lung condition<br />
which badly affected her breathing and in<br />
consequence her mobility. You may have<br />
last seen her at the OSA Presidents’ Day<br />
cricket last august, or even seen Bobby at<br />
the OSFC reunion in October. Bobby is<br />
naturally very upset and his sons are<br />
comforting him. My wife Sandra has<br />
telephoned Ellen’s close college mates<br />
directly all of whom are married to<br />
Avondale players. Please feel free to advise<br />
any one else you feel should know. Does<br />
anyone have contact details for Andy Rose<br />
or Chris Moore, if so please let me know.<br />
Regards to all.<br />
David Hudson<br />
ROGER SMITH<br />
14 Feb 2023<br />
ian.meyrick1@gmail.com<br />
Gents, FYI we have received the following<br />
message via the OSFC website (forwarded<br />
to me by the guys that now look after the<br />
site)<br />
Not sure if anyone is still around from the<br />
1960's but sadly Roger Smith passed away<br />
last week. He had had kidney problems for<br />
a while but it was still a bit of a shock<br />
Kind regards<br />
Derek Smith (brother)<br />
I don’t think I recall Roger Smith but<br />
thought you might remember him and<br />
perhaps know if he was an OSA member?<br />
Please pass on the sad news to anyone else<br />
who you think may have known him.<br />
Regards<br />
Ian Meyrick<br />
All<br />
geoffreyblackmore@yahoo.com<br />
Here’s what I’ve found so far.<br />
The oldest Newsletter I have includes<br />
match reports for games played on 31st<br />
October 1970 and teams selected for<br />
games to be played on 7th November<br />
2nd XI 1964/65 - SAL Reserve Team Section Division II Champions,<br />
Old Boys' Cup Winners and AFA Cup Riunners Up<br />
Back row: J Ridding, B Key, S Behn, J Noah, A Hemmings, D Hall, W Viall, R Adcock<br />
Front row: R Smith, R Margree, W Griffiths, D Cox, J Taylor<br />
1970. Roger Smith was selected for the<br />
2nd XI to play Winchmore Hill with Tony<br />
Hemmings, Dave Lincoln, Terry Butler,<br />
Steve Young, Dave Cox, Tish Allen, Colin<br />
Munday, Con Lowth, Tony Taylor and<br />
Graham Eldridge. I cc’d any of that side<br />
for whom I had an email address.<br />
The previous week, the 2nd XI had beaten<br />
Mayfield 4-1 in the AFA Intermediate<br />
Cup, and whilst Roger did not score, his<br />
pinpoint cross led to the forth goal scored<br />
by Con Lowth. Roger was also selected for<br />
the 2nd XI in the only other Newsletter I<br />
have for the 70/71 season, on 15th April-<br />
1971 against Old Parkonians.<br />
Finally, according to Liam's Book ‘As Far<br />
As You Roam’, Roger made forty-four 1st<br />
XI appearances, and they included games<br />
away at Civil Service and at home to Old<br />
Parks in the 1971/72 season, intermingled<br />
with 2nd XI games. At the end of the<br />
1971/72 season I made my 1st XI debut,<br />
with Roger back in the 2nd XI. I’m<br />
guessing Roger’s 1st XI games were in the<br />
mid/late 60s.<br />
Roger continued to play in 1972/73 - and<br />
scored “…a brilliant goal…” for the 2nd XI<br />
against Leyton County Old Boys in the<br />
AFA Cup. In November 1972 Roger “...<br />
hammered home...” a cross from yours<br />
truly, in the 2nd XI against Lensbury on a<br />
day when Steve Presland and Alan Neill<br />
were in the 3rd XI and Ian Meyrick in the<br />
4th XI.<br />
Roger also played in the 1972/73 Final,<br />
and the replay, of the Old Boys Junior Cup<br />
(for 2nd XI), in which we beat Old Parks<br />
2-1, courtesy of yours truly and the<br />
incumbent, OSA President, Danny Bone.<br />
The following season, 1973/74, Roger was<br />
one of three Smith’s in the 5th XI, along<br />
with Jim and Chris, but he doesn’t appear<br />
to have played past Xmas.<br />
Finally, in the Review of the 1972/73<br />
season, Dave Cox, the 2nd XI captain<br />
wrote “...Roger always has a quick one<br />
before an away game and arrives looking<br />
pale and drawn. Perhaps the food doesn’t<br />
agree with him”.<br />
RIP Roger Smith.<br />
Geoff Blackmore<br />
Ian<br />
geoffreyblackmore@yahoo.com<br />
If he’s the one I think, Roger Smith was a<br />
right-winger and played for the 2nd XI in<br />
my early days at the club; approx. 1970 to<br />
1972.<br />
Will search Newsletters/End of Season<br />
Reports for further info.<br />
Geoff Blackmore<br />
ROY SIMMONS<br />
It is my sad duty to inform you that Roy<br />
Simmons (1942-47) died on 18th June.<br />
Many of you will have known Roy very<br />
well and until recently, he regularly<br />
attended President's Day.<br />
We do not have the funeral details, as yet,<br />
but as soon as we do, a further email will<br />
be sent.<br />
At this stage I would be grateful if you do<br />
not send any unnecessary correspondence<br />
to his wife, as that may well upset her even<br />
more.<br />
Peter Sandell<br />
49
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 7<br />
MINUTES OF THE 2023 AGM OF THE OLD STATIONERS’ ASSOCIATION<br />
Present: Dan Bone (President) in the chair,<br />
Peter Thomas (Hon. Secretary),<br />
Chris Langford<br />
Together with 9 other Officers, Committee members and 31 ordinary members.<br />
The meeting was called to order at 12.00pm on 31st March 2023.<br />
1. Minutes of the AGM held on Thursday 14th April 2022 (circulated to all members in ‘The Old Stationer’<br />
Magazine No. 95 – Summer 2022 edition).<br />
The minutes of the AGM held on Thursday 14th April 2022 were approved on a vote taken on the proposal<br />
of Tony Hemmings, seconded by David Hudson.<br />
2. President’s Address See attached report.<br />
3. Hon Treasurers Report See attached report.<br />
(In absentia) The report was read by Chris Langford (see attached report). It was proposed by David Turner and<br />
seconded by Roger Melling and resolved that the report and audited accounts for the year ending 31st December<br />
2022 be approved.<br />
4. Election of Officers and Committee<br />
Nominations were invited for the Association’s Officers and Committee for 2023/2024. The following<br />
members were duly proposed, seconded, and elected:<br />
50
T he e Oll d S t a tii o nee r -- N o 9975<br />
Elected Proposer Seconder<br />
President Robin Baker Dan Bone Peter Thomas<br />
Vice-President Kevin Waller Robin Baker Peter Thomas<br />
Hon Secretary Peter Thomas Tony Hemmings Roger Engledow<br />
Hon Treasurer Peter Winter Robin Baker Peter Sandell<br />
Hon Membership Secretary Roger Engledow Tony Hemmings David Turner<br />
Hon Editor Tim Westbrook Robin Baker Andreas Christou<br />
Events Managers<br />
Peter Sandell<br />
Roger Melling<br />
Stephen Collins<br />
Robin Baker<br />
Hon Archivist David Turner Tim Westbrook Roger Engledow<br />
Ordinary Members<br />
Nigel Adams<br />
Andreas Christou<br />
Stephen Collins<br />
Tony Hemmings<br />
Dan Bone<br />
Peter Thomas<br />
5. Election of Honorary Auditors<br />
It was proposed by David Turner, seconded by Peter Jarvis, and resolved that David Cox and Chris Langford<br />
be elected as Honorary Auditors for 2023.<br />
6. Any other urgent business<br />
There being no further business, the Annual General Meeting closed at 12.18pm.<br />
Fellow Old Stationers,<br />
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS AT AGM, 31st MARCH 2023<br />
As previously mentioned, we are missing our Treasurer Peter Winter today due to illness. We wish Peter a speedy<br />
recovery and are grateful that honorary treasurer Chris Langford is here to report on the Association’s finances.<br />
Thanks to Stephen Collins’ unwavering commitment during the two difficult years of the pandemic, my year has given<br />
me the opportunity to reconnect in person with old chums and to meet members new to me. It’s been an honour to<br />
have been your President - a rewarding experience that I shall cherish.<br />
My year started with a rush as we established a new calendar event. The hard-to-reach Comprehensive generation<br />
were the target and the drive to find them was masterminded by Andreas Christou and Peter Sandell. Meeting in the<br />
old Gym at the bottom of Mayfield Road and later the Queens, Crouch End, there were 70 plus with over a third<br />
joining the Association. In the planning is a repeat event this coming June. The year continued with the reinstatement<br />
of our May lunch at the Royal National Hotel.<br />
The annual President’s Day cricket match saw 60 of us cram into Botany Bay Cricket Clubhouse for lunch. 50 years<br />
after its inauguration by Bob Patten, 13 past presidents came together to watch us lose to a strong Botany Bay team.<br />
Watch out this year, as today’s president hopeful, Robin Baker, has promised to turn things around. All in all, it was<br />
a very successful social gathering and I’m confident of a similar turn out this coming August Bank Holiday.<br />
Our September Lunch at the Royal gave me the opportunity to welcome the new Master, Moira Sleight. Moira spoke<br />
inspiringly of her school days at Wisbech Grammar and the connection with Old Stationers during WWII.<br />
As you will hear from Chris Langford our finances remain healthy. Membership has fallen to 491 as 1 March 2023<br />
giving us the impetus to enrol new members at the June reunion. A small subsidy for this reunion and the return of<br />
the archive to the Hall are necessary additional costs. We are grateful to have been given space for our archive alongside<br />
the Company’s own records in the Tokefield Centre – testament to the efforts of Martin Lawrence and Tony Mash.<br />
This year I started a new initiative - the Video Memories. We’ve created our own YouTube Channel linked to the<br />
OSA website. I’d like to encourage members to take a look and think what short story they could create. I’ll be<br />
continuing to run the Video Memories initiative for the coming year. Please get in touch with me if you need support.<br />
I’m continually impressed with the committee’s team work, very much inspired by our school years. Inevitably we have<br />
a top scorer. Our team relies on Secretary Peter Thomas for his well-timed runs and many assists.<br />
I particularly want to thank Peter Bothwick for his committee service. Peter’s stepping down today but will continue<br />
to be our MC at annual lunches.<br />
51
T he e Oll d S t a tii o nee r -- N o 9975<br />
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING<br />
Please also show your appreciation for our hard working committee.<br />
And finally, on behalf of the committee I would like to congratulate Tony Mash on becoming Master of the Company.<br />
We send our very best wishes for his coming term in office.<br />
Thank you for your attention.<br />
Daniel Bone<br />
President 2022/23<br />
HONORARY TREASURER’S REPORT<br />
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2022<br />
Attached are the audited 2022 accounts. Our Association remains a going concern with a healthy bank balance of<br />
approximately four year’s subscription income, about half of which is the result of two generous bequests during the<br />
last two years.<br />
Significant points to note on changes from 2021 are:<br />
Increased Costs/Reduced Income:<br />
• The inexorable 1% reduction in subscription income<br />
• A successful recruitment programme aimed at post 1967 old boys (£1518)<br />
• Increased archiving activity at £173 (£101 in 2021)<br />
Offset by:<br />
• Reversion to the 48 page magazines that were normal prior to the lockdown period.<br />
• Reductions in per magazine printing and postage costs.<br />
• The receipt of a generous bequest of £5,000 from the estate of Peter Sargent and a donation of £220 for a surplus<br />
OSA table. £1,518 has been transferred from this Bequest Fund to the Accumulated Fund to offset the costs of a<br />
recruitment programme aimed at post 1967 old boys.<br />
• Reduced website costs at £281 (£1382 in 2021)<br />
• Reduced Presidents Day expenses at £150 (£216 in 2021)<br />
• Small overall surplus on the four 2022 lunch events of £52<br />
Giving an outcome of:<br />
• Increased surplus on Ordinary Activities of £732 (£186 loss in 2021)<br />
• Overall loss of £1570 on OSA Activities<br />
• Total reserves up £4381.<br />
We have used BACS for all payments in 2022, which has made the management of the accounts quicker and cheaper.<br />
The Company has offered us very acceptable terms for our OSA events in the Hall, following the completion of the<br />
refurbishment. The tie and badge stock has been replenished.<br />
It is likely we will be operating at a small, but affordable, deficit in 2023 as we are subject to the inflationary pressures<br />
seen throughout the economy.<br />
Once again we are grateful to Chris Langford and David Cox who have acted as Honorary Auditors.<br />
Recommendations<br />
1 The 2022 Accounts are accepted<br />
2 The subscription level for 2023 remains unchanged at £15 per annum.<br />
Peter Winter<br />
Honorary Treasurer<br />
21 February 2023<br />
52
T he e Oll d S t a tii o nee r -- N o 9975<br />
As at 31st December 2022<br />
ASSETS<br />
REPRESENTED BY:<br />
31.12.22 31.12.21<br />
£ £ £ £<br />
Cash at bank on current account 520 2,205<br />
Cash on deposit account 28,063 23,004<br />
Total cash at bank 28,583 25,209<br />
Stock of ties & badges 2,145 1,165<br />
Stock of books and programmes 338 396<br />
The Carpenter Painting 1,077 1,077<br />
Display Cabinet 200 200<br />
3,760 2,837<br />
Debtors<br />
Payment in advance magazine 94 0 480<br />
Less Creditors<br />
Christmas lunch 0 (682)<br />
2022 subscriptions in advance (275) (158)<br />
Treasurer’s expenses 0 0<br />
(275) (360)<br />
32,068 27,687<br />
Memorial Fund (Embleton) 1,701 1,701<br />
Accumulated General Fund 16,677 15,998<br />
Contingencies Reserve (note 2) 1,809 1,809<br />
Bequest Fund (note 3) 11,881 8,179<br />
32,068 27,687<br />
NOTES<br />
1 Regaila and Cups<br />
The OSA also has in its possession a number of items of regalia and cups. It is not proposed to<br />
show these on the face of the accounts, but the value for insurance purposes is £2,950.<br />
2 Contingencies reserve<br />
This was created from past provisions for luncheon and annual dinner costs no longer required. It<br />
is to be used to subsidise these events this year (Nil) and in future years.<br />
3 Bequest Fund<br />
The OSA has received a bequest of £5000 from Peter Sargent and a further donation of£220 for a<br />
surplus OSA table. £1518 has been transfered to the Accumulated Fund to cover the cost of new<br />
member recruitment.<br />
Peter Winter Treasurer<br />
BALANCE SHEET<br />
AUDITORS REPORT<br />
In our opinion the above Balance sheet and related Statements of Income and Expenditure, Accumulated Fund<br />
and Memorial Fund present a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Old Stationers’ Association as at<br />
31st December 2022 and of the surplus of income over expenditure for the year.<br />
C Langford, D Cox<br />
53
T he e Oll d S t a tii o nee r -- N o 9975<br />
FUNDS SUMMARY<br />
Year ended 31st December 2022 31.12.22 31.12.21<br />
£ £<br />
MEMORIAL FUND 1,701 1,701<br />
Accumulated Surplus on Memorial Fund 1,701 1,701<br />
ACCUMULATED GENERAL FUND<br />
Balance per Accounts 31.12.21 b/fwd 15,998 16,077<br />
Add surplus on Ordinary Activities 732 (1,864)<br />
Add Surplus/Deduct Deficit on other activities (1,570) (35)<br />
Add Transfer from contingencies reserve & Bequests Funds 1,518 1,821<br />
(52) 1,785<br />
Accumulated Surplus on ordinary activities 16,677 15,998<br />
CONTINGENCIES RESERVE (note 2)<br />
Balance per accounts 31st December 2021 b/fwd 1,809 1,809<br />
Transfer to General Fund, re Dinner and Lunches 0 0<br />
Total Contingencies Reserve 1,809 1,809<br />
BEQUESTS FUND (note 3)<br />
Balance per accounts 31st December 2020 b/fwd 8,179 0<br />
Bequests Received 5,220 10,000<br />
Transfer to General Fund, re Recruitment costs 1,518 1,821<br />
Total Bequests Fund 11,881 8,179<br />
TOTAL OSA FUNDS AT 31.12.2022 32,068 27,687<br />
Income & Expenditure Account Year ended 31st December 2022<br />
31.12.22 31.12.21<br />
ORDINARY ACTIVITIES £ £ £ £<br />
Income<br />
Member Subscriptions 7,164 7,244<br />
Bank interest 59 2<br />
Expenditure<br />
GENERAL FUND<br />
7,223 7,246<br />
Magazine costs 5,918 7,431<br />
Website & Admin costs 574 1,680<br />
6,492 9,110<br />
Surplus on Ordinary Activities 731 (1,864)<br />
OTHER ACTIVITIES<br />
Tie, scarves and blazer badge sales net-profit. 80 32<br />
Past President’s badge and tie at cost (34) 0<br />
Tie for Master at cost 0 17<br />
Net Surplus on dinner and luncheon club 52 166<br />
President’s Day expenses (150) (216)<br />
Surplus on other activities (1,570) (35)<br />
Bequest and donations received 5,220 10,000<br />
SURPLUS INCOME OVER (EXPENDITURE) FOR YEAR 4,381 8,100<br />
54
OSA PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION 2023 – “WEATHER”<br />
This is the fifth time that we have run the competition and<br />
it gets more and more entries each year. Last year we had 50<br />
entries from 24 Old Stationers which had as its topic<br />
“Water”. This was a great response. So, whether you are an<br />
experienced photographer, or just one who takes the<br />
occasional photograph with your mobile phone, this is the<br />
photographic competition for you. Any OSA member can<br />
enter up to three photographs which they should have taken.<br />
The theme this time is “Weather”. We are looking for an<br />
unusual view of weather. Something caught in the moment<br />
of time, eg cloud formations, action shot of rainfall, sunny<br />
reflections, natural frost or snow formations. They can<br />
include people, animals or pets. We are only limited by our<br />
imagination.<br />
To Enter: Each photograph should have an “interesting”<br />
title, relevant to the theme, and preferably accompanied by a<br />
bit of a story of how the photograph came to be taken and<br />
what it shows. It should also be accompanied by the sender’s<br />
name, postal address and telephone number.<br />
Send your digital or scanned photographs<br />
(colour or black and white – or<br />
even sepia), as a 300 DPI JPEG file, to<br />
Tony Moffat at: a.moffat@ucl.ac.uk<br />
For those of the “old school” without<br />
access to a scanner; send hard copy<br />
photographs, which will be scanned<br />
and then returned to you, to: Tony<br />
Moffat, 22 Pig Lane, St Ives, PE27<br />
5NL. Please use a piece of cardboard in<br />
the envelope to protect the photographs.<br />
Closing date: 31st October 2023.<br />
Entries will be acknowledged by email, telephone or post.<br />
Image editing: Images may be digitally enhanced to optimise<br />
a photograph, remove scratches etc, but significant elements<br />
of the picture should not be added or removed.<br />
Judging: Judging will be carried out by a panel of judges who<br />
will be using the following criteria: composition, originality,<br />
interpretation of the theme, technical quality and most<br />
importantly – how does your entry stand out from the<br />
crowd. Like referees’ decisions, some people may disagree<br />
with the judges’ decision, but their decision is final.<br />
Prizes: The winner will be announced in the January 2024<br />
edition of The Old Stationer and will receive a bottle of<br />
champagne at the AGM in March 2024 when some of the<br />
entries will be displayed.<br />
Publication of Entries: By submitting an entry, you agree<br />
that the photograph(s) may be published in The Old<br />
Stationer and on the OSA web site.<br />
Queries: Any queries, please contact<br />
Tony Moffat at the email address above<br />
or by telephone on 01480 764285.<br />
Go on - have a go. Looking through<br />
your old photographs will be fun<br />
anyway. If you don’t have anything<br />
suitable, why not go out and take some.<br />
Tony Moffat & Peter Thomas<br />
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS<br />
SUDOKU<br />
WORD SEARCH<br />
ANAGRAMS<br />
1. OLD SPECKLED HEN<br />
2. BOMBARDIER<br />
3. LONDON PRIDE<br />
4. NEWCASTLE BROWN<br />
5. HOBGOBLIN<br />
6. DOOM BAR<br />
7. SPITFIRE<br />
8. LANDLORD<br />
9. TRIBUTE<br />
10. OLD PECULIER
The Old Stationers’ Association