OR Sport

We managed to squeeze in a few OR sporting events this year before you know what!

OR GOLF

OR Golf Society September 2019

Right on cue, the clouds parted and the sun snuck out for our OR Golf Society Day held at the beautiful Cowdray Golf Club, courtesy of member Justin Chuter (Bristowe 1977). We had 14 keen golfers from across all decades who played for the honour of Individual Winner, as well as the other usual team, nearest the pin, etc awards. Delighted to report that newcomer, Lewis Bowerman (Mullens 2015) was our champ on this occasion!

OR HOCKEY

OR Ladies’ Hockey September 2019

Even before Reed’s had officially started the academic year, the Sixth Form Girls were able to have a run out against our OR Ladies in this annual hockey fixture. It was a great game played in really good spirits where the School led 2-0 right up until half time, despite some amazing saves by our goalie. However, the ORs managed to come back to secure a draw which accurately reflected the determination and passion put in by both sides. Afterwards, the ORs reconvened at The Running Mare to catch their breath as well as catch-up with each other. Thanks to everyone who came to play and support; it was good to see you all as ever.

OR RUGBY

OR Rugby September 2019

It was really great to see so many of our 2019 Leavers both on and off the pitch for the Recent Leavers XV v OR Invitation match at Reeds Weybridge RFC. Parents in abundance were there too lending their support.

The game did start off a bit scrappy as everyone vied for position, but the gents soon found their mojo. By the end of the first half, the older ORs lead by some considerable amount with tries from Alec O’Connor, Oliver Taylor, Ed Scott, George Orme and Alex Soriano. In the second half, the 2019 Leavers, going up-hill but with youth on their side, managed to put on the points required to end the game in a 45:45 draw with tries by Gus Baker, Alex Laidlaw, Tom Coker and William White.

Jeremy Isaacs (Bristowe 1973) kindly presented the trophy to team captains and celebrations carried on in the bar afterwards. Thank you to everyone for coming along, to Reeds Weybridge RFC for hosting us and Reed’s School Rugby Coach, Tony Talbot, for keeping order!

OR TENNIS

D’Abernon Cup September 2019

Our brilliant OR team of Jathan Malik, Dominic Hodgson, Alex Bull, Chris Jones, Josh Southern, Brandon Drew and, of course, team captain, Adrian Blackman, fought valiantly in the final of the PSOBLTA D’Abernon Cup, narrowly missing out on retaining the championship title to Old Reptonians 5:4. We’ll be back stronger next year!

Tennis for Good September 2019

Reed’s School Tennis Academy gurus, Adrian Blackman (Mullens 1992) and Ben Haran (Mullens 1994) led a team of pupils and ORs to fundraise for the National Emergencies Trust. Their challenge, which was set by academy player, Will, was to run 2020 km collectively over the 12 weeks leading up to the start of a cancelled Wimbledon. The alumni contingent included the likes of Josh Southern, Andy Bettles, Alex Croker, Gary Le Pla, Jack Carpenter, Jonny Cornish and Paul Jessop. The squad managed to raise over £2,000.

OR CRICKET

Dylan Paris ORs v Reed’s Staff Cricket Quiz June 2020

Our thanks to Chris Gore (Mullens 1987) for a rather unique, but typically amusing, match report.

In the darkest days of lockdown, remember the date – Sunday 28th June 2020! The day that the Dylan Paris Cricket XI team humbled, perhaps, some of the finest minds of the mighty Reed’s Common Room (RCR).

The DP XI were trimmed down from the usual squad of 12 overweight, middle-aged former public schoolboys to a fighting fit elite unit of brainiacs led by Chris ‘Mr Know-it-all’ Gore, sporting their customary cravats in memory of Dylan.

This year, it was the RCR who went to the (virtual) pub for a pre-game libation whilst the DP Team read Wisden, Tolstoy, Goethe & Best of Viz Almanac (1985) to mentally prepare for the cranial challenges that lay ahead.

Sharmaine – who would have been a blessed relief for either side – decided to stay impartial and didn’t want the added pressure of trying to keep control of what was sure to be a highly charged event with testosterone flowing to and fro. So at a time of need, who better to take control than the highly-feared, not to mention regarded, figure of Angus DarrochWarren former School Captain (Capel) from 1986. He was recruited with the promise of an extra helping of pork pie as payment.

You could hear the collection of “sssssssssssssssssssssssssss” which used to greet Angus when he strode to the front of the School assembly to dish out whatever reprimands or punitive measure that Dave Prince had in stall for everyone but, lo and behold, when the Zoom screen came into focus, there was Angus, or was it? It was certainly Angus-like but only a lot less so. That extra pork pie was no longer needed as he is now a black-belt, vegan and importantly at least 6 stone lighter. For any normal man, losing 6 stones would have meant them losing their identity, but for Angus it meant he was now only 18 stone, so still not to be trifled with.

The RCR had their own weight issues and had clearly found some of those

6 stone which they shared amongst themselves, with some taking on more of the load than others but, if I want this to get published, I won’t name names. Alex Balls was a big part of their team followed by Ben Edwards, Jando (yes that is a name not a pub game apparently) Adam Waller, Richard Bath and not to forget the ever non-aging icon that is Malcolm ‘Benjamin Button’ Dunn who looked exactly the same as he did in 1963 when he joined the School!

The DP team was made up of me as Captain (of course), Simon ‘Please, please, please can I open again Chris’ Stokoe, Andy “Soft Hands” Shiells but this time without Debbie (yes Stokoe was upset) but he had an able replacement in Mr ‘Peter’ Shiells who could remember the days even before Malcolm Dunn was at school. Other team members were Jon Don Carolis who’s only job was to keep an eye on the clock, Chris Hugall who kept an eye on Jon Don, and our last minute wild card – Tom ‘Stato’ Baldock. Andy Pickles arrived 20 minutes late but no one was quite sure what he did other than remind us he had a dentist appointment coming up. Sadly Jonny ‘Let’s get p…..d’ Gleed wasn’t allowed out this year and the virtual RCR breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The RCR were overtly confident in the pre-match banter, they had even arranged for Maureen Savage to come on and take over the call with a flurry of insults and put-downs that even Steve Waugh would have blushed at. But, no sooner had she made Simon Stokoe cry, than she left in a flurry as she had another Zoom to attend to with a ‘more interesting crowd’ apparently. I knew that if Maureen was all they had, then we still had a chance and once we had worked out how to put Stokoe on mute, I felt this was still a game that we could win and it would be a quiz of two halves, and who wanted it more and, possibly, who had bribed Angus the most.

Using the power of some clever technology via slido.com, we were all moved into team rooms by Angus which meant we didn’t have to listen to the RCR guffawing away from their holiday homes in Switzerland, Monaco and Claygate. The quiz started with questions being posted to our mobile phones and then there was a 30 second window to send in an answer. It wasn’t easy for Jon Don to count up to 30 without taking his shoes and socks off but, with Hugall’s help, they got it done, well done lads very proud of you both. After every five questions or so, Angus sent the best looking team member their team’s position in the quiz so I kept the rest of the boys updated. We got off to an early lead, despite some tricky questions, but it was question 14 that caused a stir: ‘Who was the Reed’s School 2nd XI coach in 1985?’. The options were Richard ‘Please don’t call me Papa again Simon’ Warnock, Eric ‘Bally Bally’ Hearle, Geoff “Ricky” Martin or Pick Myrgos, sorry Mike Pyrgos?

Now, as Stokoe had spent three straight years as scorer for the 3rd XI looking to get into the 2nd XI hut, you’d have thought he’d know the answer. Apparently, Dunn also remembered that year as he re-sat his A Level in woodwork for the third time. Balls was also sure that was the year when Mullens beat Blathwayt in the House 7s and his tackle only resulted in me losing my boot but still scoring (which is true and highly irrelevant at the same time by the way).

But I digress… there were 45 questions and after the 40th the DP team went from our usual 1st place to 2nd as Baldock finally got a few wrong and Peter Shiells failed to remember some stats from the 1903 to 1926 season leaving the RCR sneakily nipping ahead with only five questions left.

Now I didn’t have access to the RCR room, but I am reliably told that when the news broke that they were finally in 1st place with only five questions left, they were slapping each other on the backs (from 2 metres of course), popping even more champagne and counting down the days until another three months summer holiday loomed. But as we all know five questions is a long time in a high calibre quiz where there are no marks for spelling your name right. Just as the DP team had done for the last few years (OK, several years), the RCR managed to pluck defeat from the jaws of victory and the final question: ‘In 1978 who was the first professional cricketer to wear a helmet in a Test match?’ settled the game.

Bladock stepped up and knocked it out of the park with a crash bang (Graham) Wallop and it was done. Justice. Revenge is a dish best served cold and this was chilled to within an inch of its life and presented on a silver platter.

It was strange that just at that moment, the RCR lost connection and their video feed was cut off so we didn’t get to see their sad faces, but the sound was on and we heard Dunn banging his copy of the History of Reed’s School 2nd XI Cricket 1985-86 and screaming it was Keith Youde, Keith the keeper of the stationery cupboard Youde I tell you!

Angus managed to switch on their video feed remotely via some secret surveillance app and the RCR quickly managed to mumble, ‘well done’, ‘good show’, ‘what time does Antiques Road show on?’, ‘where the hell was Maureen when we needed her?’ and ‘don’t run in the corridor’.

As before not all of this is true, but that doesn’t really matter… what was important was to get together for ORs Day, toast Dylan and win for a change. Many thanks to Sharmaine and Angus for making it happen.

Until next year… when ‘we’ll meet again’.Skipper Gore

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OR Memorabilia

Our Old Reedonian tie is unique; each stripe representing our house colours. It is also just one of the many items of memorabilia that symbolises the strength of our community.

To browse our collection visit:

reedsschoolshop.co.uk/memorabilia

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