OLD BORLASIANS But David’s all-consuming passion for cricket was at the centre of his life. Introduced to it by his father, he enjoyed cricket at Borlase then, further encouraged by Marlow Cricket Club, David, nicknamed Dorothy (after the film actress), got to play for Bucks Young Amateurs. Now he got involved in games against Leicestershire, Sussex and Warwickshire, (first Old Borlasian to play at Edgbaston)! Where to focus? David recalled - ‘It transpired that bowlers came from state schools and batsmen from public schools including, of course, Eton. By the time I was leaving school in 1958 my bowling skills, such as they were, had disappeared. I persevered with batting and slip fielding. I was at Marlow CC with Dad until I was commuting to Paddington via Maidenhead when I moved to Maidenhead and Bray CC. In 1965 I joined Teddington CC in Bushy Park. I’d been known in recent years as having more clubs (and club dinners) than Jack Nicklaus, which included Richmond, Brentham, Boyn Hill and now Shepherd’s Bush and various wandering sides including Incogniti, Stoics and Jack Frost XI. I managed MCC side at Barnes CC for 14 years, some years ago.’ Only in later years did David join the Old Borlasian Club and its Committee. He suffered with leg pain which restricted his movement, but stoically came to meetings, either at the school or in the George and Dragon. David was the President of the Old Borlasian Club in 2012. He died on 12th March 2018. He is survived by eight children and lived happily as a bachelor in West London. David’s funeral, held at Mortlake Crematorium on 6th April 2018, with a good representation from the Old Borlasian Club, was a celebration of his life at which brightly coloured clothes were requested; a reception followed at Shepherd’s Bush Cricket Club. A ‘Bon Viveur’ passed on. John Barry (1948-54) STUART LEVER (1939-44) Stuart Mordecai Lever, an eminent, well loved, and respected member of the Old Borlasian Club, passed away on Sunday, 4th February 2018, aged 90. Born a Londoner in 1927, Stuart and his family were evacuated from the capital during WW2 to escape the Blitz, and settled in Cookham. Stuart entered Borlase in 1939 and remained until 1944. He excelled in rugby, rowing and athletics at a time when the School was really stretched for staff. Three of the younger members amongst the
teachers were called to Military Service for the war: George Dewhurst went to the Meteorological Branch of the RAF, whilst Charles Davenport served in the Army with the Royal Artillery, and Russell Sage was a despatch rider also in the Army, where his linguistic expertise was also valued. This left a much depleted staffroom. Maths/Geography, English/RE, and French all gone! Stuart could relate stories which might be hard to believe these days. A few temporary staff were engaged by Mr. Booth ( Headmaster) and, in a shock to the old system, lady teachers were to be seen for the first time since 1634, the first of whom was Mrs. Laetitia Jones (May ’41-Nov’43). Girls, too, were engaged in debating society competitions, an exercise which Stuart himself promoted. Sport continued mostly by sheer will of the boys and selfhelp. An active, keen type, Stuart threw himself wholeheartedly into athletics, rugby and, probably his favourite, rowing. He recalled his pride at scoring the School’s first ever try in a match against a team from Bomber Command. Then, one Saturday in June 1944, he set off with a rowing crew by public transport to row against Beaumont College, having been advised 107