Oa bulletin winter 2016

OA BULLETIN Old Albanian Club

November 2016

A student examines a WW1 memorial in France during the October half-term visit to the Somme battlefields

Never forgotten

OA CLUB www.oldalbanianclub.com President Mike Hodge

07774 161624

mike@mikehodge.co.uk Secretary David Buxton

01727 840499

Davidbuxton36@gmail.com Treasurer David Hughes

07701 027881 hughespost@hotmail.co.uk Membership Secretary Roger Cook

01727 836877

Rogercook@btinternet.co.uk OA SPORTS RUGBY www.oarugby.com President Richard Milnes

07940 255355 richard.milnes@oarugby.com Chairman Rusty Osman

07976 292737

rustio@hotmail.com Treasurer Rick Powdrell

07795 200125 rpowdrell@sky.com Secretary Peter Lipscomb

01727 760466 peter.lipscomb@oarugby.com Mini Chairman Mike Fisher

mikefisher2001@hotmail.com Junior Chairman Ian Tomlins

07867 971585 juniorchairman.oarugby@yahoo.co.uk OA Saints Chairperson Kate Barnes 07841 706250 Oasaints@gmail.com FOOTBALL www.oasoccer.co.uk Club President Simon Bates & Manager 07720 383600 01442 240247 Treasurer David Hughes & Club Secretary 07890 831315

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Sponsorship Secretary

01727 769237 dh@sherrards.com David Burrows 07841 431614

CRICKET www.oacc.org.uk President Tony Dalwood 07958 522261 adalwood@yahoo.com Chairman Richard Morgan

01727 843844 richard.morgan50@btinternet.com Treasurer Richard Ransley

07878 499432 richransley@gmail.com Secretary Alison Finley

01727 853985 ajfinley@ntlworld.com TENNIS Membership Enquiries Maureen Harcourt

07710 270361

m.harcourt@ntlworld.com OTHERS Rifle & Pistol

Angling

Golf

Andrew Wilkie 01202 424190 Andrew.Wilkie@ymail.com Geoff Cannon 01727 861622 /01582 792512 cannon.morgan@btconnect.com Peter Dredge 015827 834572 pjdredge42@aol.com

OA LODGE Assistant Secretary

John Williams 01438 715679 johntwilliams@talktalk.net

SCHOOL www.st-albans.herts.sch.uk

OA COMMENT

O A C O N TA C T

OA BULLETIN NOVEMBER 2016

Editorial

Friends reunited

Ian Mitchell representing the old timers.

“Friendship is everything,” says Several of us still live locally and Don Corleone in The Godfather. I get together fairly regularly, but it agree wholeheartedly – and not just was a real pleasure to catch up with because I’m worried about waking some long-lost buddies. It was a few up next to a horse’s head. There years, for example, since I’d seen seems to be a unique strength to Mike Letham, and I hadn’t spoken the friendships we forged in our to Gary Brazier (now a champion schooldays that, if decathlete in his age anything, increases group, incidentally) with the passage of There seems to be since a reunion in The time.

Peahen around 30 years To celebrate (if that’s a unique strength ago. The last contact the right word) the I’d had with Guy approach of our 60th to the friendships Vaughan was in 1978 birthdays, 15 of us in Bath when I was at who joined St Albans we forged in university in the city School in 1968 (plus and lodging with Nick a couple of ringers our schooldays Harris, another dinner who’d started three attendee. I caught a years earlier and were brief glimpse of Guy’s that, if anything, invited to make us feel back as he disappeared younger) met up at the increases with the rapidly upstairs with OA Annual Dinner in the wife of the landlord the School Refectory passage of time of the pub where he on 23rd September. In worked as a part-time alphabetical order, they barman, and that was were: Gary Brazier, Nick Chappin, it until a few weeks ago. And going Paul Davies, Adrian Harmer, Nick even further back in the mists of Harris, Peter Land, Mike Letham, time, I’m pretty sure I hadn’t seen John Nicol, Rob Pickles, Steve Paul “Dorothy” Davies since we left Smith, Mark Waller, Gareth Thomas, School in 1975.

Guy Vaughan, Ian Waterman and An epic night’s drinking started Colin Wray, with Andy Chappin and at the Lower Red Lion, continued in

DIARY DATES

Annual General Meeting – 8.00pm, Wednesday 7th December 2016 School Carol Service – 7.30pm, Wednesday 14th December 2016 Recent Leavers’ Drinks – 6.30pm, Friday 16th December 2016 3

OA COMMENT

OA BULLETIN NOVEMBER 2016

Nick Chappin Editor Andy Chappin Design & Production Printing

President’s Notes the School Library and Refectory, make it and anyone else we can the Lower Red Lion again, and track down in the meantime. finally in the Boot. Sadly, Mark As you will read, friendship is Waller (who suffers from a longa recurring theme in this issue. In standing heart condition) was his President’s notes, Mike Hodge taken ill early in the evening and reports on a series of reunions, had to miss the festivities, but we ranging from the 50th anniversary were relieved and delighted to hear celebrations of the 1966 leavers that he had made a full recovery. in June to the inaugural OA New The first blood of the York Dinner held evening was shed by in Manhattan in We’re now Gareth Thomas, who September and the 25th has mobility difficulties anniversary of girls planning a repeat (not a euphemism for joining the Sixth Form. the alcohol consumed, The common thread, performance on but due to an actual which he repeated to medical condition), and this year’s leavers, an even grander managed to slip on a is that “your school damp pavement and friends are going to be scale in 2018 to bump his forehead. your oldest and most However, I can loyal friends.” personally testify that mark the 50th Elsewhere the he was fine as I safely Headmaster explains anniversary of deposited him, with the ongoing project the help of a charming to refine the School’s starting at the Bangladeshi taxi driver, ethos and vision for at home after sharing a the 21st century, and School cab back to Harpenden. you can also find the From what we can usual updates from the piece together it was a various sports clubs. great night, and we’re now planning My thanks, as always, to all our a repeat performance on an even regular contributors, I will end with grander scale in 2018 to mark the my usual request to all readers to 50th anniversary of starting at the continue to send in their stories, School. We hope to have Richard anecdotes, memories and views, Parrack (who was forced to cry either by post or e-mail to me or to off at the last minute due to work the School Development Office. commitments) with us, along with Nick Chappin (75) one or two others who couldn’t Editor

Herts & Beds Printing 01923 234959

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Please send your contributions to: Nick Chappin, Editor Post: 18 The Pleasance, Harpenden, Herts AL5 3NA Email: nick@chappin.co.uk

President trumpets n From Brexit to busking: Mike Hodge reflects on a busy summer as OA Club President

There is no doubt about it – there has been a huge amount of activity in all sorts of ways over the last four or five months. I can report that the Old Albanian Club is in good heart and there has been much progress on a number of fronts. More of this later. There are plans afoot to ‘refresh’ the OA Bulletin in the immediate future but it will be better if I keep you all in suspense on this until the next issue. Just while I mention the Bulletin, I would like to thank John Bennett (OA 1987), whose business has sponsored this particular issue. For those of you around my vintage, you will recall Bennetts in Normandy Road, St Albans who sold, from behind a metal counter, a huge variety of car parts for any type of car.

John’s father, David Bennett, ran the business in those days and he was a huge

help to all of us as we asked for advice about bits to buy for our particular car.

David knew the lot – everything! I happened to sit next to John Bennett at a recent Charity Golf Day event. I did not know who he was but found out that he and his brother Mark now run the Bennett empire. I will say no more about the development of Bennetts as John has said he will write a bit of history for the next issue. That should be very interesting. I will, however, let you know that David Bennett is still fit and well.

The Summer Term at the School is always the busiest of the year and that gives your President a great deal of involvement in the various events.

In the middle of June we had the 50th Anniversary of those lads who left the School in 1966. That year has other memories for many of the older generations! The weekend that followed the 1966 reunion heralded the President’s Summer Luncheon where some 90 guests enjoyed an excellent lunch at Woollams.

We were especially entertained by some

The Streets of Harpenden: the President and his grandson busking for charity

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expert bagpiping by the Headmaster, which was very well received. I am sure that no other President of any school organisation has the benefit of calling upon a Headmaster who can play the bagpipes so well. I will say nothing about the sing-song which followed after the lunch. I would very much like to thank all those who were able to attend. It is an event to say “thank you” to all the many Old Albanians who provide unstinting help to make everything work as smoothly as it does. As I said at the time, without Nick and Andy Chappin’s involvement in the OA Bulletin, you would not be reading this now. Thank you lads.

Then we had the extraordinary result of the UK/EU Referendum, which caught everyone by surprise – or so it seems to me. Clearly, it is going to take years to sort all of the political wrangling out but the Old Albanian Club will continue to sail

Headmaster Jonathan Gillespie entertains the guests attending the Summer Luncheon

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along with scarcely a ripple. Well – that’s the plan. That weekend, I ran a small but quality Golf Day for ‘my’ year of OAs. And it was followed by a magnificent game of cricket of an OA side against OA Legends.

The Legends (combined ages in excess of 600) sneaked home by one wicket in a game full of tension, skill and injury. Mike Thomas (OA 1965) flew in from USA for this game (and the President’s Luncheon and the golf and… and…) and you can read his article on cricket history on page 29.

At the end of June, I attended, with much pleasure, the School Leavers’ Graduation. I wished some 150 Sixth Form leavers all the very best for their futures as they make their move away from the comfort of the School. I reassured them that the OA Club and its members are always there to help.

Through the School Development Office, so efficiently run by Kate Gray and Chris Harbour, we can provide help through OA Connect and through the events held throughout the year. There has, recently, been an OA New York Dinner held in Manhattan and attended by some 20 OAs (see the report on page 20). There are other dinners held during the year. All details are available through the Development Office. The all important link that the Development Office requires is your e-mail address, so please make sure they have it. It keeps us together and, as I said to the school leavers, your school friends are going to be your oldest and most loyal friends. I know that to be true.

The beginning of July brought Founders’ Day and what a splendid occasion it was.

The service in the Abbey was excellent with various pupils being involved in readings related to the history of our

OA BULLETIN NOVEMBER 2016

The President’s Summer Luncheon

famous school. It was at this event that I met Neil Osborn (OA 1968) who has subsequently provided an article for this issue (see page 25). I would like to thank Neil for giving us an unusual and entertaining read.

There was, then, a bit of a ‘rest’ with School activity until the middle of September when I attended Prize Giving, again in the Abbey. One moment stuck with me, and that was a reading, from his diary, of a first former who had got on a coach to spend a week in Pen Arthur. He said he boarded the coach, got out his iPad and started to watch a movie on it. He then said that this might be a bit antisocial so looked to see what other boys were doing.

They were all looking at their iPads so the reader carried on with his! This struck me – very much – as a sign of the times.

All those years ago, when I was in the coach coming back from a rugby match, we would fight for the back seat and the guitars would come out of their cases. We sang and laughed all the way back and we are still doing it now.

You will read, elsewhere in the Bulletin, how the various sections of sports clubs and the OA Lodge are doing. We are all in good heart but all the sections could do with more members. The Club goes from

strength to strength and I thank all those wonderful folk who give of their time to provide endless entertainment for the members.

One last story relates an interview I heard with Ralph McTell, folk guitarist who had a famous song in the 1960s called ‘Streets of London’. Ralph is now 72 and still touring. The interviewer asked him why he was still touring. He said he had three children and they were spread throughout the UK – together with numerous grandchildren. Touring meant that he could see his children and grandchildren – and they often played on stage with him. An additional benefit, Ralph said, was the touring meant he did not have to sort the jam jars out in his garage! I am not on tour but as you can see from the photo on the opening page, I am busking at Harpenden Farmers’ Market.

This was in September just gone and in a four hour ‘pitch’, I collected £500 for Rennie Grove Cancer Hospice. The little lad accompanying me is my grandson!

Such is the life of the OA President!

I hope all of you have had a relaxing summer and that the coming winter treats you well. I’ll be back in the spring!

Mike Hodge President

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Headmaster’s Notes

Born not for ourselves n Jonathan Gillespie reports on the launch of an updated ethos and vision for the School built around the motto: non nobis nati

The relative peace and quiet of the start of the Half Term break affords me the opportunity to prepare my biannual submission for the OA Bulletin. The opening weeks of the new academic year have, as usual, been a busy time for the School with the additional excitement this year of the launch of a revised ethos and aims and a new vision for the School. These form part of a new strategic plan, the culmination of extensive collaboration between the Governors and the Senior Leadership Team during my first two years as Headmaster.

In setting about this task we took as our starting point the School’s current motto, an obvious foundation for it links us to one of the original Masters of the School in the 12th century, Abbott Geoffrey de Gorham, whose family motto it was. In focusing on the future of the School we are conscious that however deep the historical foundations, this motto is a unique and distinctive feature of our School and something that came across from individual feedback as promoting qualities for which there was a strong sense of support, and indeed passion, across the whole school community. So we took our motto – non nobis nati, born not for ourselves – not just as our starting point but placed it at the heart of our revisions.

The next task was to revise our ethos statement. In going about this

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the intention was not, and the outcome has not been, to change the ethos of the School but rather to update its description, ensuring that it is an accurate reflection of the ideals that characterise St Albans School in its 21st century incarnation. The School’s new ethos statement, a powerful statement of what we are, reads: “Over seventeen hundred years ago Saint Alban, a seeker after truth, lived and died in this place. Today, more than one thousand years since its foundation, this School which bears his name continues to foster scholarship and intellectual enquiry at the heart of an exceptional holistic education.

Enriched by inspirational teaching, wideranging academic, cultural and sporting opportunities and strong pastoral care our pupils develop a love of learning together with the values, skills and qualities to enable them to live successful and happy adult lives in an everchanging world, faithful to the altruism of our motto.”

Before turning our attention to the detailed aims, we then went about developing a vision statement for the School which will help to position the School for continued success. The School’s new vision statement reads: To help each pupil to flourish intellectually and personally, developing self-knowledge and self-confidence in order to find meaning and purpose in life. It is significant that our vision focuses on the individual pupil rather than on the School as an institution.

Further information, and the full text of the revised aims of the School, can be found in the ‘About Us’ section of the School website.

In addition to our revised ethos and aims and our new vision and values there are a number of new initiatives the School will

The President speaking at the School Leavers’ Graduation ceremony

be undertaking over the coming years as part of our Strategic Development Plan, some examples of which are: l We will be introducing revised arrangements for the Sixth Form curriculum from September 2017 onwards which is the first year that all subjects taken will be reformed A Level; l Lower down the School we have already begun the phased replacement of IT by Computing, and this year we are introducing the teaching of metacognition to the First Form to ensure that our youngest pupils learn how to learn; l This year has seen significant revisions made to the delivery of our programme of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education, drawing on the expertise of outside speakers and using concentrated off-timetable time for this important part of the curriculum. This ensures that Form Tutors do not have to be experts in every topic area of PSHE; l We are introducing a system of selfassessment this year in order to help pupils develop another important life

skill. Wider developments of the format and content of the reports we send to parents are under consideration, as is the potential introduction of further technological innovations into teaching; l In accordance with our vision statement a major initiative focused on the well-being of our pupils is underway with various aspects being piloted during this academic year; l We have ambitious plans to develop new and refurbished facilities for Mathematics, Science and the Performing Arts; l We will be implementing a new marketing and communications strategy based on our revised ethos, vision and aims. This will include a new School website; l Through our international company we will license our Intellectual Property in creating a family of St Albans Schools overseas, providing a revenue stream into the UK school.

During our strategic deliberations over the last two years much consideration has rightly been given to the School’s finances.

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We are very conscious of the demands on hard-working parents of paying the fees and are deploying all possible efforts in order to keep fee increases to a minimum.

This has included careful consideration of what the fees should provide for, in particular as far as the School’s facilities are concerned. The outcome of these deliberations is that parental fees should provide for the routine refurbishment of existing facilities, but that where new facilities are being envisaged, these should not be to the charge of parents via their fee account but provided for by fundraising.

In this way it is our intention to keep a St Albans School education within the financial reach of as many local families as possible, a goal that will be facilitated by our existing provision of means-tested bursaries augmented by fundraising to increase these possibilities. We intend that our fee strategy will therefore result in our fees remaining well below the level of some of our competitors in a sector where the usual modus operandi is, in effect, to add a premium for capital developments to the

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fees paid by all parents.

That said, we do have exciting plans for future developments, and I am delighted to have launched, alongside our revised ethos, vision and aims, our Building Futures fundraising appeal. Whilst we are conscious that some families have to make significant sacrifices to afford the fees, others are in a position to support our development plans and could have readily afforded any development premium included in the fees, so we hope for strong support from current and former parents as well as from OAs and other friends of the School. The quiet phase of fundraising has been underway for more than two years now: the total of donations received and pledges made has already exceeded £6 million. That leaves £1.85 milion for us to raise to meet our fundraising target for the projects which include a new faculty building for Mathematics, two new science laboratories in classrooms to be vacated

by Mathematics, and the refurbishment and redevelopment of the New Hall into a Performing Arts Centre which will

OA BULLETIN NOVEMBER 2016

Building Future: architectural proposals for a new faculty building for Mathematics (far left), the New Hall as a Performing Arts Centre (above) and the remodelling of the Middle Yard (left)

include the remodelling of the Middle Yard and the establishment of a new Music School on the lower ground floor in the area previously occupied by the kitchens.

There will be naming rights aplenty to suit all sizes of wallet from sponsoring one brick, via a name plaque on a seat in the auditorium, to the naming of a particular room. Further outline details of our Building Futures appeal will be sent to all OAs in due course.

It seems a long time ago now that your new President attended his first Leavers’

Graduation to offer a personal welcome to the 2016 leavers to the OA Club. A long summer lay ahead of them prior to the publication of examination results in the middle of August. There was eventually much to celebrate for both individuals and the School as a whole. All of the usual detail is to be found on the relevant pages of our website: whilst some of our high achievers are lauded personally, there are many more whose fine achievements, in either absolute or relative terms or both, cannot be included in such a concise summary.

You may be aware from media coverage of greater unreliability in marking standards and volatility in grade outcomes this year, a factor that is expected to become more challenging in the summers ahead as new specifications are examined for the first time. The government’s

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agenda is undoubtedly to apply downward pressure on examination grades and the examinations regulator, Ofqual, regrettably appears to be siding with exam boards in concentrating efforts to reduce the number of appeals rather than in holding them to account to improve the accuracy of firsttime marking. Our overall A Level and GCSE results are broadly in accordance with our expectations of these particular year groups.

The continued consistency of achievement in securing the top grades at A Level, a vital factor for university entrance, is particularly satisfying.

However, we did experience more volatility than anticipated in the grading of GCSE examinations, but happily a few grades were changed following the submission of Reviews of Marking.

The consequences of A Level results are of course even more significant than the grades themselves. Results’ day brought excellent news for many of last year’s Upper Sixth Formers in respect of their university applications, although as every year this was sadly tinged with a few individual disappointments. I am pleased to be able to report that 85% of applicants from last year’s Upper Sixth secured places at their chosen universities with over 80% moving on to a university in the Russell Group with a further 10% heading to Bath and St Andrews. The most popular destinations for St Albans School candidates this year were therefore, in descending order, Nottingham, Oxford, Bath, Durham, Birmingham and Bristol.

At the start of the new academic year in September we welcomed a total of almost 200 new pupils into First, Third and Lower Sixth Forms respectively, taking the roll to

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above 850 pupils. The 25th anniversary of the arrival of girls into the Sixth Form was marked at an enjoyable event on the 17th September with Sue Barnes remembered at the netball tournament that preceded a celebratory tea in the Refectory. Some of the current group of eighty Sixth Form girls – a rather larger cohort than in 1991! – were on hand to provide guided tours.

Amongst the new arrivals in the Common Room in September we welcomed Kyran Bracken MBE to the new part-time post of Elite Sport Development Manager and 1st XV Head Coach. Kyran brings with him a wealth of experience as a former captain of Saracens, a member of the England World Cup winning team and a tourist with the British Lions: he is working closely with Martin Langston, who has taken over as Director of Sport following Chris Hudson’s retirement, and Jeremy Walmsley, who is Head of Rugby.

The summer holiday period was, as usual, a busy one for support staff. A lot of work was undertaken in the Biology and Chemistry Departments to redecorate and install new lighting systems to impressive effect. The Library roof was repaired and the IT team replaced a lot of hardware around the School. A significant project was completed in the Woollams Pavilion to update the kitchen and food service area. Post-match hospitality is now being provided by the School’s caterers, Chartwells Independent. We now have a coffee bar which offers refreshments at modest cost before matches, and there is new seating and free guest Wi-Fi. These developments have been well received by players and parents alike. As I write, work has just started in the Geography Department on the much-needed

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New arrival: Elite Sport Development Manager Kyran Bracken MBE refurbishment of three of its classrooms in the 1907 Building, and new boilers are being fitted in Aquis Court.

Another significant, but less tangible, development is that the School now has a system of setting homework electronically.

Homework diaries are no more: pupils access the work set online or via an app on their smartphone. This offers various advantages, saving time in lessons and ensuring that there can be no debate about the specific requirements of the task set or the deadline for its completion.

The OA Dinner held this year on 23rd September was, as usual, a very enjoyable evening. It is always a pleasure to welcome OAs back to the School, whether for a particular function or on individuallyarranged visit. A particular highlight was the return of the oldest OA, John Meulkens, in May: his delightful account of

that visit can be found on page 27.

Finally, it is with great sadness that I record the untimely passing in August of Ken Durham, who taught Economics here from 1975 to 1987 and went on to be a distinguished Headmaster of University College School and Chairman of HMC. From my experience of his leadership of a training course for new Heads some 10 years ago, I can well understand why he is remembered as an inspirational figure by OAs fortunate to have been taught by him.

In conclusion, I send my very best wishes for the festive season and for 2017, when it comes. Please do continue to follow news of the School via our website and other digital media – we are grateful for all your support.

Jonathan Gillespie Headmaster

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Richard Hale School

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OA Lodge

Who was John Insomuch? n OA Lodge Assistant Secretary John Williams reports on a fascinating talk by School Archivist Nigel WoodSmith on a priceless artifact in the School Museum – and its links to the spread of freemasonry

The first Lodge meeting of the masonic year following the installation meeting in May is traditionally held on the second Saturday in September. It is generally an entertaining meeting in that it is the first time all the newly appointed officers undertake their various roles. This year was somewhat different, however, because on the morning of Saturday 10th September, the Federation of School Lodges 69th Annual Festival was being hosted by The Old Hertfordian Lodge at Richard Hale School. To enable a number of members to attend this Federation meeting, the OA Lodge meeting commenced at a later time than normal and thus did not include a degree ceremony, rather it was a business meeting and a short talk.

Richard Hale School, formerly known as Hertford Grammar School,

will enjoy its 400th Anniversary in 2017 and the Old Hertfordian Lodge celebrates their 50th Anniversary this year. The Federation of School Lodges was founded in 1947, and exists to promote links between masonic lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England which derive their membership from those with a connection to a school. Founded in 1947, we are an organisation that exists to promote links between masonic lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England which derive their membership from those with a connection to a school.

The idea of a Union of London School Lodges was mooted as early as 1934 but nothing materialised until the autumn of 1945 when 27 School Lodges in London and the Home Counties were invited to an exploratory meeting at the Kingsley Hotel, London. Twentytwo Lodges were represented, and after a full discussion a provisional committee was elected to prepare a scheme for submission to all School Lodges in London and the Provinces. The proposals of the committee were circulated in April 1946 and 14 Lodges expressed their intention to support the scheme.

It was considered that there was sufficient support to justify further action and a General Meeting was held at Emanuel School in January 1947 when it was unanimously agreed “That a Federation of School Lodges be formed forthwith”. The Old Albanian Lodge was one of these founding members. The First

Annual Business Meeting and (including three Mark Lodges) from Festival was held in January 1949 at all over the country. These include the Masonic Hall, Staines, organised Lodges associated with colleges

by Old Hamptonian Lodge. At this and universities. The President of meeting 33 elected representatives the Federation, elected in 2014 is as well as many other brethren from Colin Harris, Past Provincial Grand 21 Federation Lodges Master of Hertfordshire attended to receive the and, of course, a committee’s report and member of the Old to elect the officers.

Albanian Lodge. The Following the Business format of this year’s Meeting, a regular meeting in Hertford meeting of the Lodge was very similar to the was held, followed by first meeting in 1949. dinner at the Masonic The Annual Meeting Hall. of the Federation was The Federation has followed by a meeting pursued a successful of the Old Hertfordian course since that time Lodge, and a reand now numbers 173 Federation President dedication of the Lodge Lodges and Chapters Colin Harris Banner.

The Great Gateway of St Albans Abbey

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The Hertford to Ware barge trip

Meanwhile, the ladies enjoyed a trip from Hertford to Ware, where they embarked on a river barge and completed the short journey along the picturesque flood plains of the River Lee back to Hertford through two historic working locks. They then rejoined the gentlemen for a Prosecco and canapé reception before sitting down to a summer lunch with wine.

Meeting an hour later than usual, the Old Albanian Lodge opened, conducted routine business and then enjoyed a talk by the School Archivist, Nigel WoodSmith, in the Court Room of the Great Gateway of St Albans Abbey.

His address is reproduced below: The Mystery of the Schoolmaster Printer and the Return of the Elegantiolae “I do not come from a masonic background. The first time I heard anything of masonry was as a 13 year-old in a school history lesson when my history master said that modern Freemasonry could trace itself back to the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.

As all OAs know, the revolt

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north of the Thames was led by William Grindelcobbe, OA. After storming the Abbey Gatehouse and releasing some prisoners from the dungeons, he extracted concessions from the Abbott on a relaxation of the privileges of the Abbey.

Grindelcobbe, along with 14 other malcontents, was subsequently incarcerated in the dungeons under this building, before being tried before the young Richard II in this room. Initially, the jury brought in a verdict of “not guilty”. They were told to go away and reconsider their verdict. Facing imprisonment themselves, the jury changed their verdict to guilty. William was hung, drawn and quartered on Romeland under the eyes of students from the School.

As the King disappeared to hunt at Berkhamsted, William’s body was cut down by the burghers of the town and buried. Hearing this, Richard stormed back to St Albans and demanded that the burghers dig him up again and rehang him.

Jump forward nearly 100 years and you come to the invention of the printing press, to which some historians attribute the spread of

freemasonry. According to history, John Insomuch, the Schoolmaster printer constructed a printing press (only the second or third in the country after Caxton’s in London) in this building in the late 1470s.

Most of you will have sat through at least five ‘Commemoration of Benefactors’ on Founders’ day and will remember John Haule presented the School with its first Latin grammar. It turns out that the book he presented to the school was the Elegantiolae. Written by Agostino Dati, a fifteenth-century Italian orator, historian and philosopher, it is now acknowledged as the world’s first printed school textbook.

John Haule was a student at Cambridge who learnt his printing in Cologne in the 1470s and came to St Albans and set up his press in the Abbey. The first press used the

‘School Master Printer’

by Robin Ollington OA

The Elegantiolae, the world’s first printed school textbook

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script from the Abbey scriptorium.

John Haule moved on to become a parish priest in Essex. Since the books produced in the 1480s used an inferior version of Caxton’s print, John Haule probably took his print with him. Since it is inconceivable that there were two printing presses in St Albans, John Haule was ‘John Insomuch’, the unknown printer.

At the time of the dissolution of the Monastery in 1539, John of Hertford was the Abbey printer.

There was a mass burning of books on Romeland. The next time the Elegantiolae turned up was in the Bishop of Ely’s collection. This was acquired for the royal collection and given to Cambridge University at the turn of the eighteenth century.

This gift caused a riot at Oxford University, which felt it should have received the collection.

In 2016 there are two printed copies of the Elegantiolae in the world: one at Cambridge, and one here at St Albans School. Our copy is better than their copy because 30 years ago in a dark corner of the only accessible dungeon in this building we found a sheet of parchment tightly folded which turned out to be a copy of a Bible page. Initially we thought it dated back to the 15th century, but research has shown that it is a lot older – in fact 900 years old – and had been used as a book cover in the 15th century. Often things do not quite turn out as expected.

The Cambridge university copy of the Elegantiolae is filed coverless in

a book of early printed textbooks. It seemed quite reasonable to repeat the use the parchment had been put to in the 15th century. So our copy of the Elegantiolae now appears exactly as it would have in 1479 with its rough cover, beer stains and all. This is a remarkable book, the possession of a remarkable school, displayed in a remarkable room that has seen most of the Kings and Queens of England before 1650, but no longer a mystery.”

The Lodge meets only five times a year on the second Saturdays in January, March, May and September and the first Saturday in November.

All those connected with the School, including fathers of past or present pupils are welcome to apply for membership, for which purpose the first approach should be to any Lodge member, the Assistant Secretary as below; or Nigel WoodSmith or Mark Pedroz at the School. Members of other Lodges, be they OAs, parents of past or present pupils, staff or Governors are encouraged to visit the Lodge whenever they wish, and the Secretary or Assistant Secretary will be delighted to hear from them.

John Williams Lodge Assistant Secretary johntwilliams@talktalk.net

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Notice of Annual General Meeting 2016 l On the 7th December 2016, the 124th Annual General Meeting of the Old Albanian Club will be held at 8.00 pm in the ‘948’ room of the OA clubhouse at Woollams Sports Ground. All members are welcome to attend, indeed new members to the Committee are always welcomed to help fulfil the objectives of improving the links between the School and the Club.

Agenda Apologies Minutes of the 2015 AGM l Presidents Review of 2016 l ‘Club’ reports l Development Office report (incl. membership & social) l Bulletin l Annual Accounts l Election of Officers l AOB l l

David Buxton Honorary Secretary, Old Albanian Club

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School Development Office

News Update NYC Inaugural Event Many thanks to all who attended our inaugural international alumni event, held in New York in October.

A great evening was had by all, catching up and reminiscing with fellow Old Albanians from across the pond. Our appreciation extends to those who also attended the drinks the following day. It was great to see both new and familiar faces!

The positive feedback we received means we will be looking to replicate the event in future years so be sure to look out for details.

Girls’ Silver Celebration The 25th Anniversary of girls coming into St Albans School Sixth Form was marked with the traditional OA Girls v Sixth Form Girls Netball Tournament at Woollams, followed by high tea back at the School.

High times: celebrating the 25th Anniversary of girls coming into the School with high tea

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Twenty-five girls from the last quarter century gathered on a blustery and cold Saturday afternoon for the tournament, which was held this year in memory of Sue Barnes, the School’s longserving secretary and netball coach, who sadly died in 2015. We were delighted that members of Sue’s family were able to join us for the day. The girls played a round robin tournament, with three OA teams competing against two Sixth Form girls’ teams. Despite some very strong play form the OA ladies, the St Albans School 1st team were the tournament victors.

Refreshments were served in the Refectory, which several of the OA girls had never seen before. They enjoyed a fabulous afternoon tea with Prosecco. About 40 guests joined the group and shared fond memories over sandwiches and cake.

This was a highly successful event, reuniting the OA girls, and one likely to be repeated in the future.

Building Futures The School has recently launched a new fundraising campaign, Building Futures, which aims to raise funds for three key capital projects.

We intend to improve our Maths, Science and Music/Arts provision by a transformation of existing facilities that will meet the demands of the exceptional young people joining us at St Albans School. As well as a new Maths building and the creation of a new Science facility, we plan to transform ‘New Hall’ into a state-ofthe-art performing arts centre.

Further details of the campaign will be sent to OAs in due course – in the meantime, please visit www. st-albans.herts.sch.uk/BuildingFutures or contact the Development Office for more information.

New Archives Website Coming Soon We are excited to announce that our new Archives website, available for all OAs to access, will be live on Friday 11th November. The dedicated website will feature lots of information about the School and Old Albanians, mainly focusing on WW1 and before. Visitors will be able to see a photograph wall, WW1 Roll of Honour, Roll of Honour 18991902 and all the Albanian journals dating back to 1892. This is a fantastic opportunity to take a trip back through the decades to see how the School has changed and all the Headmasters and teachers who have helped shape and enrich its history.

Over time we will be adding to this website to include lots more of the fascinating documents, letters and stories we are lucky enough to hold.

Chris Harbour

Old Albanian Blazers l As usual, we maintain a stock of the OA blazers in the shop at Woollams and the price is still £120.00. These are quite unique and many members wear them with pride at OA events at Woollams and away fixtures. They are also popular with members around the world and are worn as “smart casual” at many different types of occasion. The shop is open on 1st XV home match days but if you are interested and are unable to visit the shop, we can offer mail order at a UK mainland surcharge of £12.50, overseas mail cost on application.

The sizes in stock will change, of course, and we can only afford to hold a limited number of sizes but if you would like to email your jacket size and fit (short, regular, long) we will let you know if we have stock. Where we do not have your size, we will look at adding it to the next manufacturing run.

For stock, ordering and payment details, please e-mail the Club Secretary, David Buxton, at d.buxton@virgin.net. If you already have a blazer, why not e-mail in a photo of you wearing it at an event other than those held at Woollams that we can publish in the Bulletin – especially those members overseas?

Ladies’ blazers are also now available.

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De Fortunis Albanorum Deaths It is with regret that the following deaths are announced: l Eric Gough (OA 1941) died on 31st May 2016. He had received the King’s Police Medal, for Gallantry. l Richard Ellerton (OA 1966) died on 21st May 2016. His brother John writes that Richard suffered from motor neurone disease for three years, and eventually succumbed to the illness at the age of 68. l Nigel Brook, former Governor of the School, died at Garden House Hospice Care in Letchworth on 29th May 2016 at the age of 80 after a short battle with cancer. l Charles Prangnell, former member of staff at the School, died in the summer. An announcement of his death was spotted in the newsletter of St Mary’s Church, Redbourn by another former master, Stephen Gell. l David Johnson, a former English teacher at the School, died on 18th June 2016. An obituary written by his ex-colleague Noel Cassidy appears below. l Kenneth Durham passed away on 6th August 2016 after a threeyear battle with cancer, aged 62.

Ken taught Economics at St Albans School and was later Headmaster of UCS.

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l Mike Gillett, OA and former Head of Physics at the School, died on 16th October 2016 after a battle with lymphoma. l Barbara Wishart has passed away.

The daughter of George Wishart, who taught Chemistry at St Albans School in the 1940 and 50s, Barbara was very fond of the School and a big supporter.

Obituary l F J Josling (OA 1948) John Josling – ‘Jos’ as he was affectionately known – died in January this year. He was at St Albans School from 1941 to 1948 and during that time his appearances in school dramas somewhat heralded his ability in later life to connect with the great and the good.

It is normal in these memories of late friends to emphasise their achievements in business, but whilst Jos was highly successful, he will mainly be remembered for his zest for life and the effect he had on so many people both in the OA Club and the world outside. All those of us privileged to have known him over the years witnessed a born leader and communicator and a fine diplomatist and peacemaker, which allowed him to fulfil many different roles in life with such flair.

On leaving school, where he was, of course, a prefect, Sergeant in the corps, vice captain of cricket, house captain of rugger (that is what we called it then) and sub-editor of The

Albanian, he went straight into National Service and was promoted in the Intelligence Corps alongside people like Derek Nimmo, who became a personal friend. This again was a hint as to his colourful life to follow.

After serving King and country he entered the world of advertising, which brought him into contact with top business people and this, coupled with his love of cricket, led him into being invited to be a Lord’s Taverner, a leading charity even in those days. Here began one of the most important periods of his life – outside his lovely wife Liz and family, of course. He soon became chairman of The Board of Publicity and subsequently became Chairman of the Taverners as a whole, keeping the organisation in fine fettle whilst the limelight was taken by Presidents such as HRH Prince Charles and then Eric Morecombe with whom Jos had to keep somewhat in line on a day to

day basis almost. Many Taverners believe to this day that without Jos at the helm then it would not have become the great organisation it is today. This did not in any way stop his service to the OA Club where he held almost every office from President of the club to Captain of OA cricket, and voted a life member, as well as appearing many times for the rugby XV as a fearless tackling centre, despite his size! To add to all these things he became a Governor of the School in 1986 and served diligently for many years in this post.

I hinted earlier that he was a successful businessman and to underline this he became chairman of the advertising company Interlink and subsequently chairman of its holding company Lopex, two wellknown names in the 1950s and onwards to the 1990s. On retiring he continued to serve the Taverners in other roles and was a founding President of the highly successful

John Josling

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St Albans Chapter, which has now become The Hertfordshire Region.

But to many OAs his great service to OA cricket will be for many of us our fondest memories of this super bloke. His record speaks for itself: 718 wickets with his left arm spinners at an average of 15.99.

And, to cap it all, at the age of 55 he took 8 wickets in a match and then did it again two years later. He was responsible for starting the OA cricket tours again after the war and still went along for a few days well into his 70s.

Jos’s popularity and the fact that he touched so many people’s lives was reflected in the tremendous turnout for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Albans Abbey on 22nd January. It was “packed to the gunwales”, as they say. I have only scratched the surface of Jos’s full life and his effect on all of us privileged to have known the man.

John H Smith (OA 1952)

Obituary l David Johnson David Johnson, ebullient and charismatic English teacher, died after a three-year tussle with pancreatic cancer on 18th June 2016.

David taught at St Albans School between the early ’70s and 1991, and will be remembered as an enthusiast – for literature, art, theatre, history, architecture, electrical wiring and most things else. His enthusiasms were infectious and he could talk knowledgably about many subjects.

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David Johnson Peter Byrom recalls his first trip to Pen Arthur, with David driving the minibus. “He started talking as we left the Upper Yard,” said Peter, “and stopped as we pulled up outside Pen Arthur.”

In his time at the School, David produced many plays, and loved the technicalities of lighting as well as creating intricate sets, often with carefully engineered moving parts. He taught in an inspirational whirlwind of anecdote, information and insight. It is rumoured that he occasionally marked books. His greatest legacy, though, is one which still draws gasps from prospective parents when they are shown round the School. It was David who had the vision of transforming the upper level of the old School Hall into a beautiful library, rescuing the books from cramped premises in the Gateway.

David left in 1991, taking his family to north Wales and taking position of Head of English at St Richard Gwyn High School, from where he went on to be appointed

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Head of English at the Alun School in Mold. In Wales he was able to resume his interest in drama, winning the Theatre Clwyd Festival of One Act Plays as well as assisting with school productions. He also, with his wife Carole, transformed his home village hall, installing, of course, a lighting grid, and ensuring a range of activities to bring his new community together.

For nearly all his teaching career, David was also involved in the world of A Level examining, working as a Principal Examiner for OCR and conducting teacher training, including special teacher days at the Globe Theatre. In this way his zest infected teachers as well as pupils.

When David was diagnosed with cancer, he was initially given a gloomy prognosis, but with the help of a highly skilled medical team, the use of experimental drugs and the loving support of his family and community, David made full use of his unexpected three extra years, taking in trips around the country, theatre and concert visits and long walks in the Welsh hills. It is astonishing to think that a man with such a warm, generous passion for life is no longer with us.

Financial times n Neil Osborn (OA 1968) looks back fondly on a successful career in financial journalism

I owe my career to a man called Roy Bonavita, known in the New York

gay community as ‘Chunky’. And the moral of this story is it pays to have a very wide circle of friends.

In 1977, aged 27, I had acquired an Oxford degree and a rather splendid American wife, but very little else.

In desperate need of a proper job, I went to New York to beg for work as a financial journalist, which is what I wanted to be.

I knew Chunky because he used to cut my wife’s hair. But by the time I write about, he was working as an elf in Santa’s Grotto in Macy’s New York. He was my only contact in the city.

After I had been summarily rejected by almost all of the financial publications in New York, I called him up. To cut a long (and chaste) story short, I found myself at a party at the swanky loft Chunky shared with his boyfriend.

The third or fourth man I chatted with was called Dana Sileccia and he inquired what I was doing in NYC. I told him. “Oh, I know where there’s a financial journalist’s job!”

“You do? Where? How do you know there is an opening?” “Well, they fired me today.” I got Dana’s job at Institutional Investor Inc. the next day. It was the last time I looked for job.

If you are not working in the international banking or funds management industries, you won’t care a fig about Institutional Investor. If you are in finance, you’ll know the glossy monthly publication circulates throughout the world and carries some considerable

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Neil Osborn

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weight. But it had a small Londonbased rival called Euromoney. This publication recruited me away in 1983. I prospered at Euromoney and it grew strongly, to the extent that it became a FTSE 250 company with 2,500 people flung across the globe.

It eventually bought Institutional Investor. I spent 28 years on the board of what became Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, stepping down this year. (No, I haven’t bloody retired and refuse to do so. I am now chairman of a PR company specialising in – you guessed it – international finance. This helps me avoid being the full-time servant of previously-mentioned splendid American wife.)

Finance may seem a dull subject, but like everything else, the more you understand, the more absorbing it becomes. I liked my work and therefore didn’t mind the labour

and endless travel it involved. My principal attribute was I enjoyed talking to people and I talked with very many of them in more than 100 countries. My advice to young people: don’t listen to advice, just do what you enjoy. If you like playing the violin, practice, practice, practice until you appear on the telly at the Proms.

Last word. The other day, shewho-is-American asked me why I pay much more attention to St Albans School than to my Oxford college. I hadn’t realised this, but she was right. And when I considered the matter, I concluded this was because St Albans was much more important to me. It was where I learned that there are a thousand opportunities beyond the obvious. And it was where I learned to have a friendly chinwag with everyone I met.

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Still going strong n Probably our most venerable former pupil John Meulkens (OA 1935) writes of his latest visit to the School – and looks forward to seeing us again next year!

In May, I decided to undertake what, I then presumed, would be my last visit to London and St Albans.

Fortunately, I had the company of two charming ladies (members of my practically non-existent family, a mother plus 16 year-old daughter).

Flying to Luton by EasyJet, a taxi drove us along the well-known roads to our hotel just off Piccadilly where we had arranged to meet Andrew and Hilary Grant for drinks and later, tea – needless to say, at Fortnum and Mason. The fact that they had to travel from Cambridge was no problem. Several hours were soon spent talking and reflecting upon their years at my alma mater.

Andrew told me that they had planned to pay a visit to Amsterdam in September and my suggestion to then pay me a visit to my home in Oosterbeek (near Arnhem) was fortunately readily accepted and we met again last September. Very enjoyable.

Distance again was no problem.

The afternoon visit was then completed by visits to nearby art dealer friends in St James’s. Andrew and Hilary then had to return to Cambridge and were unfortunately not able to join us with the Champagne that then flowed in the

gallery. Admiring, but no longer buying further paintings to the considerable collection my wife Joanna and I had built up during some 30-35 years.

Before going to St Albans to meet Jonathan and Caroline Gillespie, et al, we paid a morning visit to the Delacroix exhibition in the National Gallery. The journey to St Albans was very much a trip down memory lane as we instructed the taxi driver to drive along Baker Street and past Lord’s, where I had spent many hours as a schoolboy watching Middlesex play and, again, not all that long ago with John Josling, Mitch Parker, Roy Bacon, Peter Van Horne and others with, of course, bangers and mash (what else?) during the break.

Driving along the Finchley Road (in the Hampstead area) I was able to point out the road where I was born (during WWI), the road where I lived in Golders Green during the Twenties, and finally the road in Edgware where I had lived until the end of December 1937 when I moved to Holland with my mother and sister following the death of my father earlier that year.

Director of Development Kate Gray kindly met us at the station of St Albans, drove us past the Clock Tower and the School, down the ever-fascinating Fishpool Street to check in at St Michael’s Manor, and then to the School where Jonathan Gillespie and director of music Mick Stout were waiting to welcome us at Aquis Court.

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A leisurely tour of the School grounds

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The ‘tour d’horizon’ then started which was of special interest to my companions as they had no idea of the fascinating architecture of so many well-known and successful English schools and seats of learning. We were much impressed not only by the Aquis building but also, inter alia, by the Art Centre, (that had been opened some years ago by my sculptor friend James Butler MBE, RA, whose bronze bust of Sir Nicholas Bacon now has pride of place in the Library), the Sixth Form Common Room with most comfortable armchairs for the pupils, the climbing wall, and the fitness centre. To cap it all David Morgan OA’s magnum opus: the swimming pool in the orchard. How different to the open-air pool on Belmont Hill in the Thirties!

Further visits were made to the tremendous library with its various important boards: names of Headmasters throughout the many centuries of the School’s existence, boards of benefactors, and so on.

And then the old Cloisters and

the new cloisters (again thanks to David Morgan), the School’s ‘New Hall’ (that is to become the new ‘Centre for the Performing Arts’) impressively situated opposite the ‘Bridge of Sighs’ and bordered on the left with the new Cloisters and on the right by the centuries-old Fishpool Street properties with lawns in between. The visit to New Hall enabled my young thriceremoved cousin to play a Beethoven sonata on the School’s beautiful Steinway Grand with a magnificent tone, as I soon found out when it was my turn to play a tune.

With the gardens, lawns and fields my old alma mater now has a campus worthy of its name stretching from Fishpool Street to the River Ver. Fascinating, and a tremendous and important feature. Again, how different it was in the Thirties. By this time, it was time to partake of the high tea that had been laid out in the Headmaster’s Study in School House where former vice chairmen of the Governing Board Geoffrey Dale and

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Professor Richard Munton (both from Harpenden) happily joined the party. A truly sympathetic gesture was that the School’s 1935 yearbook had been placed at my seat at the table opened at the page listing the names of those who had that year passed the School Leaving Certificate and, in some cases, had ‘Matriculated’. After tea, a must was a visit to the Fighting Cocks for drinks with Kate Gray and my companions. Then and, no doubt, today as well, out of bounds with expulsion if caught. More pleasant hours were to follow as Headmaster Jonathan Gillespie had invited us to have dinner at his home at Fishpool Street where we had the privilege of meeting Caroline Gillespie – and the two very friendly Labradors.

Dinner was out of this world and in my view worthy of a Michelin Star! We were then given copies of the recently published book on the School’s history and several school memorabilia. The following day on the way home via Luton I decided that we should a five-minute stop at Woollams and show my friends the School’s playing fields at David Morgan’s sports pavilion which, as we know, is something special in the world of school sports in the UK. All in all a most successful, invigorating and interesting long weekend with everybody so helpful and kind: hopefully to be repeated next May in the hundredth year of my starting to make my way on this planet of ours, but that of course is very much in the lap of the Gods. In

any case, our friends in St Albans said: “We’ll see you again next year!” Who knows?

Anything for cricket n Mike Thomas (OA 1965) looks back on a long and passionate love affair with cricket

I was always supremely grateful for having been given three forenames.

When short of stature at eleven years old, finding out who was on the school team as it was posted at the end of the Cloisters was always a challenge. A new-bug, on the outskirts of the scrum around the notice board, had little chance, leaping up and down, of finding the news. Ah, but M (space) R (space) N (space) and the Thomas stretched out longer than anyone else’s name and at maximum range I could tell whether I was in the team!

Thus started my love affair with the game of cricket. Sure, I’d played for my primary school, and yes, it led to representing St Albans primary schools against neighbouring towns. Who knew then I was playing with – and against – my future teammates at SAS? Some cricketers have instant recall of every innings, every over bowled: not me. My schooldays passed in a blur between the highlights of nets in the Orchard, games on Wednesday and the allimportant match at King Harry on Saturday afternoon. I recall Laddie Finlay writing “Submerged” on my

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The 1959 First Year 1st XI featuring Mike Thomas (front row, second from right) and OA President Mike Hodge (back row, far right)

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report card for Divinity. Exactly!

There were more important things in life.

By 16, I’d qualified for the OACC 1st XI at Beech Bottom. A fairytale debut? Yup, 5 for 1 against Old Fullarians, followed the following weekend by 3-3 v Old Owens. Heady stuff! What followed was 24 years of OACC cricket, with committee stuff, constitution writing, endless hours mowing and rolling the Beech Bottom wicket and graduating to skipper the club on and off with good friends as respective marriages allowed! Happy days!

Then came the ‘offer one cannot refuse’ in 1985, to the USA of all places! On one hand a career, a wonderful wife, and three lovely children; on the other, the OACC and cricket. I walked away from cricket and, inexplicably, Bonnie was all smiles! Nine days into settling into Philadelphia, the phone rang: “Hi, are you Mike Thomas?

Have you just arrived from England?

Do you play cricket?” Yes, yes and yes, and Bonnie and I were invited to the annual banquet at the Merion CC. Grandiose surroundings dating back to the heyday of American cricket in the mid-19th century, now a country club and full of Old Philadelphia money. We were royally entertained and invited to join their pre-season’s nets. Son Rob (12, and SAS 1st year XI in 1985) and I duly turned up in whites and when he clean bowled the first three batters up, I knew I’d just been granted an indefinite extension of my cricket career! “Oh, joy,” opined Bonnie, decidedly downbeat!

Shortly thereafter at these nets I met an older, former Yorkshire league leg spinner who was fairly blunt: “You don’t want to join this shower, come and join me – we’re forming a new club called the British Officer’s Cricket Club of Philadelphia”. Thus started a 30-year association, continuing to present, with an outfit that today is one of

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the leading clubs on the Eastern seaboard of the USA. While a past club captain and former President, we initiated regular tours to England and Canada, recreated the famed ‘Gentlemen of Philadelphia’ touring side (OK readers, you’re going to have to read the cricket history books on that one!) and with two others, first conceived and organised the early May ‘Philadelphia International Cricket Festival’, now in its 25th year. [Note to current OACC: about time you participated!]

The likes of Sobers, Hadlee, Kirsten, Boucher, Trueman, Kallicharran, Lillee and similar have graced us as guests of honour.

Meanwhile of course, one gets older and older. The writing on the wall gets pretty damn big in one’s sixties! Line and length gradually becomes not quite good enough for league cricket, the arm ball gets somewhat variable, and the eyesight

South African bowler Paul Harris dwarfs Mike

makes catching a bit of a lottery.

Shoulder surgeries buy a little time, but facial scar tissues from what should have been a routine caught and bowled start to tell you a different story!

So to present days. After commuting from Maryland to Philadelphia (a 200 mile round trip) for 17 years to play, upon retirement, Bonnie and I relocated to Massachusetts in 2014 to get closer to grandchildren. One swansong, a four-week 18 game tour of India in 2015 was a great experience, though possibly a bridge stepped to far, heading into one’s seventies. Hence a (semi) graceful retirement!

So what to do now? Since 2006, it became time to put back into the game – and goodness knows, the US game needs everything it can get, not least massive fundraising.

I became involved in youth cricket coaching, which led to the Board and becoming Treasurer of the USYCA (US Youth Cricket Association). Board membership of

With legendary former England slow leftarmer Derek Underwood

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the CC Morris Cricket Library at Haverford College followed – the biggest collection of cricket books and memorabilia in the Western hemisphere.

Then came an invitation to join the board of the independent American Cricket Federation (ACF), run its Treasury and fight the good fight to try and replace the disgraced USACA (USA Cricket Association) as the National Governing Body.

I could write a book about latter day American cricket, but space (and glazed eyes no doubt of gentle readers) persuade otherwise! Suffice it to say that in 2015 the ICC entered the fray big-time, suspended USACA (for the third time!) and announced that USA cricket development was their number one priority, ahead of China. Wonderful to see professionalism at first hand! A hectic last 12 months.

They have run town hall meetings all over the States, organised regional combines to attract national talent, appointed staff, relocated the ICC Americas operation from Canada to Colorado Springs – and brought some funding that is gradually welding the multiplicity of fiefdoms together.

Between naps, I race around the edges, helping where I can.

This summer the BOCC/ACF ran its first youth cricket festival in Philadelphia. The ACF is running a national intra-league competition where winning representative teams from divisional champion leagues (there are many!) will meet in

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wicket haul of 1,409 and similarly holds the BOCC record 1st XI haul at over 850 wickets. He says he will happily accept any donations towards US cricket on behalf of the ACF! Contact mikethomas12566@ aol.com

Festival presentation Florida playoffs in a month or two.

And last month the BOCC, partly sponsored by ACF, hosted the ICC’s final combine development weekend for the U.S. national ladies squad in Philadelphia. This culminated in USA ‘A’ playing an MCC ladies touring side, while USA ‘B’ played a Haverford College XI. Me? Other than organizational duties, I just drove a bus ferrying the ladies about. Anything for cricket…

Biographical note: Mike Thomas came to the School in September 1958 and left in 1965. He became a Chartered Accountant and enjoyed an International career in finance, business development and M&A. He retired in 2006 to devote his time to US cricket development and with wife Bonnie (Sonya, née Wade) to the natural beauties of the Massachusetts landscape.

Their three children and seven grandchildren occupy most of remaining available time. A slow left-arm bowler, Mike still holds the all-time aggregate OACC 1st XI

Mayo with everything n Professor Andrew Mayo (OA 1962) reflects on his varied journey to a third career

As I reached the stage in 1962 of leaving my much-loved school and getting ready for the adventure of university, (a journey nobody in my family had ever taken before), I was fond, like many at that age, of coining philosophical aphorisms.

My life would be dedicated “to the pursuit of new experiences” I said

Professor Andrew Mayo

to myself. And a rich life it has been so far.

That richness started with school itself of course. In those days there was a benefit for boys who were not well off called ‘state scholarships’, which (subject to passing a tough exam) enabled probably a quarter at least of the annual intake to St Albans School to be state funded.

They were the days when bullying by prefects, corporal punishment (do other readers remember the irrepressible Major Geoffrey Pryke and his plimsoll?), free milk at morning breaks, insults from the headmaster Bill (‘Bog’) Marsh, the freezing swimming pool on Beaumont Hill, and the Corps on Friday afternoons were all part of life. My ‘O’ levels were all passed, but only just, due to nine of us in the 4th year being suddenly elevated to the 5th form to join boys we either did not know or heartily despised, and having to do two new subjects (English Literature and Additional Maths) in two terms only. In those days the School decided what A levels you should do and the choice was very limited.

However, one survived and I became the first to get a scholarship to Imperial College, to study Chemical Engineering. The School only considered Oxbridge worth going to and certainly not to study anything as dirty as engineering, which the ‘Careers Master’, Mr Willé, did not understand at all. I actually had won a place in chemistry but the Institution of Chemical Engineers

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Andrew in Uganda

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ran a schoolboy evening in London and several of us thought this free evening would be fun. Two of us converted afterwards to what sounded a more exciting course!

In those days also one could apply as a sixth former to be a ‘lab boy’, helping put out and put away lab equipment which paid me about £15 a term. Rather dangerously, my colleague Jeremy and I manufactured a rocket which we set off one day after school in the Orchard.

Enough of reminiscences.

Having completed two degrees at Imperial I joined Procter and Gamble in Manchester and started a corporate career which took me through several companies and various functions, ending up as International Personnel Director for the computer company ICL. My family and I moved back to St

Albans in 1980 and my son started at the School shortly afterwards.

This was a job I loved, and it also achieved my ambition of travelling the world at someone else’s expense.

I started to write books on learning and human resources and so, at the age of 51, I started a second career.

This split itself between academia (business schools, one of which kindly made me a Professor and where I still work part time) and my own consultancy business. This was a period full of experiences, again around the world.

And so to the ‘third age’. In 2008 my wife of 40 years died tragically and it coincided with the feeling it was time to start ‘giving back’.

She had spent her life in primary education and was Chair of the Governors of Mandeville School. I became a Governor there and am now Chair of Spiral Academies

Partnership, which includes four schools in St Albans and Hemel Hempstead. I also looked for a trustee role in a charity and came across Harpenden Spotlight on Africa. My former wife and I came to love Africa in the eighties and nineties and it sounded exciting. For the last two years I have chaired this enthusiastic group and visited Uganda four times. Harpenden Spotlight on Africa (www.hsoa. org.uk) is an unusual charity. It is run entirely by volunteers so any donations go almost entirely to the beneficiaries (with gift aid, even more of course). Its focus is on integrated development for a community of about 30,000 in Eastern Uganda, very poor indeed, many of them being internal or Kenyan refugees. HSOA celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and has impacted thousands of lives in

that time. The school it built, and supports, has nearly 1,000 pupils today. More than 25 deep boreholes have been dug for clean water; 250 villagers trained as community health promoters; and a number of economic empowerment projects started. We are not a charity that builds things and moves on – our first funding priority is always the sustainability of what we have started. (If any OAs in the area would like to work with us, do get in touch through the website).

And so one’s experiences continue. I remarried – a new life companion who comes from Western Australia, where I now spend a third of the year. Life continues to be both busy and rewarding, and I am proud to take Australian and other visitors through the Gateway (where I looked after the School Library) and tell tales of old.

The thriving school built with HSOA donations

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OA Sport Woollams home of: - Old Albanian RFC - Saracens RFC training ground - Old Albanian CC - OA Tennis LTC Regular venue for representative rugby fixtures at both county and international levels

Our nationally recognised state of the art pitches and pavilion facilities are also available for: - Corporate sports and social events - Private weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and other social functions - Fundraising events for local charities www.oasport.com The place to meet, relax and have fun! www.oasport.com

OA SPORT

OA Rugby

So far, so good n As the 1st XV consolidates its midtable position in National League 1, OARFC Press Officer Brian Quinn reports on a steady start to the season

Nobody, player or spectator, enjoys losing matches. At the time of writing OARFC has won four and lost six of the fixtures in the present league campaign and this is regarded generally as a fair reflection of the year to date. We inhabit the same rarified atmosphere as Coventry, Fylde, Rosslyn Park and the like, names many of the older members grew up with. This is

For more information please contact one of the events team on 01727 864 476 Or email fiona@oasport.com Woollams Playing Fields 160 Harpenden Road St. Albans Herts AL3 6BB Phone: 01727 864 476 Fax: 01727 737 644 E-mail : fiona@oasport.com OA Sport is a registered charity

Be afraid: Billy Johnson opts for a Maori sidestep against Fylde

a pleasure and a responsibility; we must be worthy of our place in the top 40 clubs in the land. This year, so far so good.

Since last season we have endured the usual problems of recruitment and retention of players. Promotion back to Level Three helped, as did the possession of a fine professional, experienced coaching and backroom staff led by Head Coach James Shanahan. Plans for this season involve making the most of what is a tiny playing budget in all respects. Most of last year’s squad remains, a testament to loyalty; they form the spine of the side and have been reinforced by certain strategic additions. Our mutually beneficial partnership with Saracens is, to say the least, useful and guest appearances have bolstered the team at important times whilst providing game time for Academy players.

Our mini/junior setup is of paramount importance and is one of the largest of its kind in the country. Over 900 boys and girls are registered and are looked after by a huge and well-qualified coaching staff. Player safety is the first priority, closely followed by ensuring everyone is having fun.

Excellence at the basic footballing skills is encouraged from the earliest age and develops naturally as the child progresses. This is far more important than what might be termed a ‘winning mindset’. The youngsters do compete and if titles accrue that’s well and good; that’s not as important as a happy, shared

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experience.

Three young men represented their country last season, one of them for Ireland and can look forward to exciting times ahead.

Over 20 of the young ladies got to County standard and two Junior ‘Saints’ joined the England development squad.

Continuing moves are afoot to ensure teenage players, female and male, are fully aware of what the Club achieves and what it offers.

The senior sides of both sexes play at a very high level so the Club is careful the transition to the adult game is carefully managed for the good of the players and the game in general.

It has been said that Old Albanian RFC has fostered a situation in which our game can be offered at a high level to both sexes and at ages from 3 to 63! No prouder boast is possible! It is the Club’s intention to promote this community spirit with every effort.

The facilities on offer are first

class but are constantly under review. Repair work to the clubhouse goes alongside constant ground maintenance and is expertly managed by the Trustees. It is always a pleasure to hear visitors remark on the high standards available.

The next five years will test the resolve of all; but then so did the last five! The Club management will look to provide more of the same but it will all come down to attention to detail, on the field and off. Strategy will come from that. Suffice it to say there is a tough act to follow.

Immediately the Club will attempt to ensure there are five senior male sides and two female (for the moment!) all properly coached. The mini/junior juggernaut will roll on under careful supervision. If this remains for the next five years (and beyond) it will be the proudest of achievements! That is the stated aim.

Brian Quinn Press Officer, OARFC

OA Mini, Junior & Saints Rugby

Junior high n Junior chairman Ian Tomlins reports on a good start to the season for the youth section

The junior section (also known as the youth section) comprises U13 to U18 age groups. The U17 and U18

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age groups are collectively known as the Colts and are under the guidance of Head Coach Harry Harrison.

This season we are fielding 14 teams over the six age groups. All the teams have had good starts to the season with only one or two league games played. The U18 Colts have started well in the National

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Colts Cup. Having had a ‘walkover’ in the 1st round when Bury St Edmunds could not raise a side, OA Colts got their Cup campaign off to a flying start with an emphatic 48-5 win over Cambridge at Woollams.

Cambridge came with a deserved reputation as one of the stronger Colts sides in the South East Division, but OAs ran in seven tries and played some wonderful attacking rugby with ball in hand.

The 3rd round draw produced an away tie at Woodbridge, which is due to be played on Sunday 13th November.

Ian Tomlins Junior Chairman

Fun with friends n As ‘Age Grade Rugby’ is phased in across youth rugby, joint OA Minis Chairs Mike Fisher and Steve Pope explain the RFU’s thinking behind the change

From the 2016/17 season, youth rugby enters a new phase under the banner of ‘Age Grade Rugby’.

Following a four-year review of rugby for under 18s, led by the RFU, in consultation with a wide crosssection of the game, Age Grade Rugby is being rolled out from September 2016. The Age Grade Competition Review (AGCR) found: l A lack of clarity of the competition pathway for young players l Conflict between club, school, college and the representative

competition structure l A tendency to overplay the talented players and underplay the less able to achieve results Age Grade Rugby is based on the principles of player centred, development driven, and competition supported. The wants and needs of young people will be at its heart. It will put player enjoyment above all else to keep more young people enjoying the game for longer and into their adult years. Age Grade Rugby will ensure: l Consistent age bandings and incremental player progressions for all age grade rugby l A nationally consistent playing menu and calendar that increases inclusivity, clarifies player priorities and dovetails club, school, college competitions l An integrated England Rugby Player Development pathway and representative framework l Training and Continuous Professional Development for coaches, referees, parents, teachers and others As part of the review young people told the RFU that, above all else, they wanted to have fun playing rugby with their friends.

Both expert opinion and the RFU’s own research have shown that emphasis has historically been placed on winning, with evidence of overplaying the able players and underplaying those less able players to achieve results. Age Grade Rugby will put inclusivity and each player’s skill development first, with the

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increasing intensity of competition introduced later. Young players will start with festivals and triangulars and progress to knockouts, tournaments and leagues as they get older and develop their game.

Experts believe rugby is a late specialism sport and recommend that the representative rugby programme should wait until U15 when players have matured. The RFU’s player development programme will be shaped to ensure that it complements the rest of the age grade game as well as identifying and developing the more able players and providing them with higher intensity competitive opportunities. It will also ensure a focus on their core playing programme in clubs, schools and colleges so that selection and

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representative rugby balances with the rest of a player’s season and motivations for taking part in rugby union.

The Rules of Play use a ‘building block’ approach and aim to equip players and coaches with the skills they need as they build towards the 15-a-side game. They offer progression and challenge for players season by season and state the furthest players can travel towards the 15-a-side game at each age. This ensures our game remains player centred and development driven.

This gradual introduction of new rules, a simpler game, and a focus on growing confidence and self-esteem will ensure that the development of each individual child goes hand in hand with the

development of the game through the age groups. This stepping stone approach will equip players with the skills and confidence they need to fully enjoy the 15-a-side game later in life.

The Principles of the rules are to: 1. Put the child first 2. Maintain rugby as a game for all shapes and sizes 3. Increase enjoyment for all 4. Increase involvement for all 5. Retain players in the game

Back to the future: The OA U10s with Andy Daish, Swedish international, OA 1st XV player and former OA mini and junior!

The rules of the games have been simplified to support children’s development – they are deliberately uncomplicated and flexible. A free flowing and continuous game should be encouraged, and they offer core guidelines to the game, with enough flexibility for the coach to adapt to the needs and abilities of the players.

The game has been developed to increase player involvement, increase the number of decisions a player has to make which in turn will improve their game understanding. More touches of the ball supports their skill development as they are involved more frequently, during the game.

All of which will increase their enjoyment of rugby and will assist with the long term retention of players in the game.

Further information can be found at www.englandrugby.com/ agegraderugby Mike Fisher and Steve Pope Joint OA Mini Chairs

Stepping up: players from the participating clubs before the Mini Development Festival at Woollams in October

Staying strong n New season, new coach, new players: Club Captain Kate Barnes reports on an encouraging start as the OA Saints eye the top spot

A new season, a new coach and two new teams entering Championship SE 2 has brought many new challenges for the Old Albanian Saints. New kids on the block Tonbridge Juddians are shaking things up as they sit at the top of the league with 25 points. This has no concern for the Saints as they took the game straight to them at Tonbridge RFC and narrowly lost 14-12, purely the fault of their own errors! It’s not been an easy run for the Saints, with their previous coach stepping down and a few senior players retiring at the end

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of last season, leaving a heavily depleted squad. As ever, Saints will never give up and it’s the nature of women’s rugby to lose and gain players at the blink of an eye. New hope has come in the form of exMaidenhead men’s Head Coach Darren Brown, who has taken over as our new Head Coach. He is committed to us in what we want to achieve and is in it for the long game.

So far Saints have won four out of five games and lie third in the league with a game in hand. Darran has brought the game back to basics in order to bring all of our new players up to speed and build for the future. We have 14 new registered players so far, and although many of these have never played before they are already progressing fast.

In addition, our Junior Saints are running strong with three girls turned 18 who are now regular starters at senior level.

The RFU allows loan players from clubs in the equivalent league or

OA Saints “dabbing” (apparently) below, and this has worked well for us building our relationship with other clubs such as Shelford Ladies, Hitchin Ladies and Bletchley. Many ex-Saints who have moved away or joined other clubs still cannot keep away, with guest appearances from Caroline Collie who is currently part of the Scotland international squad.

Saints’ biggest achievement this year so far is the work that has gone into driving recruitment, bringing in new players and keeping them. This is down to the amazing people on the Saints committee I have working alongside me – and also beating Blackheath away!

Kate Barnes Club Captain

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around 250 youngsters from age five up to 16 playing regularly on Sunday mornings and in midweek games from May to mid-July.

Following the successful 2015 season when our 1st XI played in Division 1 of the Saracens Herts League for the first time for 15 years and our 2nd and 3rd XIs both won their divisions and gained promotion – for which OACC achieved the ‘Club of the Year’ President’s award by the Herts League – 2016 saw all four of the XIs finish in the top four places in their respective divisions.

The 1st XI, led again but for his last season as captain by Moz Hayat, finished in third place in Div 1, just outside the promotion places. The 2nd XI finished in fourth place in Div 6A. Zahid ‘Babs’ Karim had an outstanding season for the 2nds,

hitting four centuries and scoring a total of 794 runs at an average of 61.

Simon Wakeling led the 3rd XI to a second consecutive promotion in Div 10B, finishing in second place with 12 wins from 16 games, and the 4th XI, led by Simon Bates, narrowly missed promotion in Div Reg C East finishing in third spot and winning half of its 14 games.

So the club is in fine fettle and will be hoping for more advancement up the leagues for all four XIs in 2017. Anyone wanting to join us, either in the Senior or Junior sections, should contact me at richard.morgan50@btinternet.com or the Junior Director of cricket Alison Curran at alison.c.curran@ btinternet.com Richard Morgan Chairman, OACC

Cricket

Looking up n Club Chairman Richard Morgan toasts continuing success as OACC is voted ‘Club of the Year’ by the Herts League

The 2016 season was a pretty successful one for the cricket club.

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For the first time since 2009 we were able to field a 4th XI for a full league season again, mainly because we have a good group of U14s, U15s and U16s coming through from the junior section of the club, many of whom have been keen to experience adult cricket. The Junior section itself continued to thrive, with

The OACC on tour at Littlehampton in West Sussex

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Shooting in the dark n Club Captain Andrew Wilkie reflects on the diminishing opportunities for small bore shooting during the winter as another indoor range closes

This year has seen a sudden and spectacular change to our small bore shooting with the closure of indoor shooting at the Vauxhall Recreation Centre. Back in July this year the clubs that use the ranges were advised that shooting would cease virtually overnight because the Luton Town Football Club was taking over the grounds occupied by the range for their own activities.

During the summer months the loss of the indoor facility can be mitigated by use of the outdoor range but that solution won’t work during the winter season as by far the greatest amount of shooting takes place during the hours of darkness. Lighting on the outdoor range is both expensive to install and, of course, to run.

This is the second loss of .22 range facilities that the club has encountered since 2011 when the school range was closed to us during construction of the new sports hall in the orchard. If one also takes into account the fact that Andy Moore and I have both moved away from St Albans then there is a real possibility of the club losing its small bore identity. The increasing proportion of grey hair in evidence is another sign of the potential

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diminishing ‘presence’ of the OA shooters.

In the bigger picture, the number of clubs nationally is also reducing as landowners make decisions that force closure of facilities added to which the authorities are adopting policies that obstruct the construction of new ranges or the extension of existing ones.

For the moment, those living in the St Albans area have managed to join other local clubs to keep their shooting going but, of course, those clubs want their members to represent the host organisation so it seems almost inevitable that on this basis OA referenced small bore shooting will dwindle away. Can we do more to pull it back? Discuss…

On a more positive note, our President and Secretary, Owen Simmons, has been able to involve those who live away from St Albans in team and individual postal competitions. This seems to be going well provided we all make the effort to ensure our targets are completed on time and returned promptly. I am delighted to note that recent OAs both away at university and newly graduated are also getting involved.

Our representatives and their declared averages for the Herts Winter Rifle League team for 2016/17 include: Andrew Wilkie 97.8 Martin Warr 97.4 Andrew Moore 94.2 Nick Tubby 93.6 Reserve: Kris Gruber 84.0

OA BULLETIN NOVEMBER 2016

Our annual small bore match against the School, The Coles Trophy, was held this year on Tuesday 5th July. The result was a win for the School 400.718 to 400.170.

Many thanks to David Russell and Owen Simmons for organising the event.

As we expected some while ago Bisley, where we gather for full bore practice and matches, has now become our second home.

By default, the canteen of the London and Middlesex Club has become the venue for our AGMs over recent years. Again, Bisley is seeing enormous change as new management methods take effect.

The biggest impact at club level, apart from ever-increasing costs, is the introduction of the NRA’s web-based booking of ranges.

Organisations such as ourselves are being squeezed to fall in with the needs of major shooting events and larger groups so our options for falling back from say 300yds to 500yds are dictated by county matches and such at the same distances. Apparently, this is all to get maximum use of the ranges and, of course, maximise revenue. We fell foul of this earlier in the year and it forced us to review the number of people who can shoot per target at any given range. No longer is shooting a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon! It’s all go, go, go, and needs everyone to know their own settings and follow on without delay.

We even had to create a crib sheet to remind a number of shooters how

to read the Vernier elevation scale on the sights (wasn’t this covered in fourth form physics?). Not that any of this has improved our scores or ranking among other old boys organisations.

Part of ongoing developments at Bisley is the introduction of electronic targets but so far this is only available at short ranges and is very expensive! The one redeeming benefit is that the electronic targets are vastly quicker in reporting the shot value than your average teenage marker. This allows more shooting to happen in a given period of time but gives less time for a shooter to consider the result of each shot or discuss it with the wind coach. This summer our Bisley calendar included seven events including the usual suspects together with the Ashburton Veterans on 14th July, where we came 39th out of 46 entries. Last year we were 29th out of 45 – oops!

This year’s team comprised (scores out of 50.10): OL Simmons 46.4 AWB Wilkie 47.4 TW Chapman 47.4 BDC Crisp 34.1 RN Cluff 46.3 Total 220.16 The event was won by Uppingham with at total of 250.38 a loss of only 12 Vs. Oh well, there’s always next year! As ever, we closed our full bore season with a match against the Old Alleynians for the Arnold Cup. I am pleased to say we won again with a

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score of 389.23 to 378.19 (2015 scores were 323.25 and 313.18 respectively).

That makes it a run of four wins to us bringing the balance back to 31 v 32 wins. Can we make it to 2 wins?

Watch this space….

Sadly, the Old Alleynians lost one of their longest serving members, Gay (Gaythorn) Tuckerman, in May this year. He and his wife Mavis, who passed away 18 days earlier, will both be greatly missed at our

Bisley events.

Well, I have targets to shoot so had better get on. I hope to catch up with you all again on 1st April 2017 at Bisley for a practice at 600yds.

Please let Owen or myself know if you would like to come along and join in. It’s just like riding a bike, you never forget how. Until then, good shooting.

Andrew Wilkie Captain

Tennis

Life without Sue n OA Tennis Club Secretary Maureen Harcourt looks back on a successful season following the sad passing of stalwart Sue Barnes last year

Sunday morning tennis at Woollams

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Well, we have survived a season without Sue Barnes at the helm.

Sadly, it is only when people are

no longer around you realise how much they did. All our teams in the Watford and District League have had a successful season. The ladies won Division 6, the men came second in Division 3 and the mixed team won Division 5. Many thanks to the hard work of Matt Hume in keeping the men’s and mixed teams going, as well as Margie Edge, who supported Matt with the mixed and me with the ladies. The Sunday morning club sessions have been gradually gaining momentum and we have managed most Sundays and will continue for as long as we can into winter. These sessions start at 10.30 am – do come and join us.

There is also a regular coaching session on Thursday mornings at 9.00 am.

Margie Edge, our club coach, assisted by Jenny Stokes, has been running regular coaching sessions for individuals and groups. If you

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are interested in having private coaching please contact Margie at 22safina@googlemail.com Do give me a call on 07710270361 or email: m.harcourt@ntlworld.com if you would like more information

about the club. Meanwhile, Sue’s bench has not been forgotten and should be ready for the new playing season 2017 – watch this space.

Maureen Harcourt Secretary

Golf

Top of the leaderboard n The OA Golfing Society shows the European Ryder Cup team how to do it with another unbeaten season, reports Secretary Peter Dredge

Another successful season, during which the OAs remained unbeaten in all matches. We experienced variable weather conditions, although only one fixture was cancelled, the match against Old Cholmeleians due to Mid-Herts GC being under water (a highly unusual phenomenon!). This was disappointing as OAs were hot favourites to record another victory over the chaps from Highgate.

Nevertheless, excellent victories were achieved against Mid-Herts GC and Old Berkhamstedians (away), plus a halved match against Old Haberdashers at Harpenden Common.

The OA Cup venue this year was Sandy Lodge GC and, in pretty atrocious conditions, John Cox splashed his way to win the trophy

with 35 Stableford points. John Cash was runner-up. The Dockree Tankard, the competition for our Antelope friends, was won by Trevor Miles, with Brian Bysouth runnerup. Captain Tony Clarke arranged an open day at Harpenden GC, Hammonds End, to play for the Pop Rush trophy and then proceeded to win the event with an excellent score of 41 Stableford points.

Graham Tate and John Cox were the runners-up.

A highly successful and enjoyable trip to Thorpeness took place over three days at the end of September: an excellent venue and marvellous company with some highly enjoyable golf. There were various pairings over the period with good performances by Messrs Ledger, McDonald, Hawke, Coopers Stan and Simon.

Dew and Dredge emerged victorious in a thrilling après-golf snooker challenge against the formidable partnership of Tate and Clarke.

The final playing event was for the Briggs Goblets, again staged at Mid-Herts GC.

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From the Archive: OA Sporting Heroes After a stewards’ enquiry the winners were declared as Tony Walters and John Saunders with 41 points on a count back from Alan Green and Simon Cooper.

Tony Clarke and Rick Drakard came third with 40 points. At the time of writing, we are looking forward to the Annual Dinner,

organised by Colin Spurr, and where we entertain our long-suffering better halves.

All OAs are most welcome to attend any of our events. Please contact Peter Dredge at pjdredge42@ aol.com Peter Dredge Secretary

Angling

Bite said Fred n Honorary Secretary Geoff Cannon invites anglers of all ages to join the Society as Adrian Blackwell’s grandson Freddie hooks a large barbel

Although the club membership has declined, the remaining members still continue to fish their favourite venues in small groups. They

Freddie’s 6lb barbel

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have fished in Ireland, Spain and Yellowstone Park in the USA as well as rivers in Derbyshire and Norfolk.

Closer to home, Adrian Blackwell took his grandson Freddie (who is in Year 9 at St Albans School) to the River Lea in Wheathampstead where they caught a 6lb and an 8lb barbel!

Anybody interested in angling would be welcome in our society.

Geoff Cannon Honorary Secretary

Olympians, World Championship Finalists, Senior Internationals, Junior Internationals, Cambridge Blues, Oxford Blues, National Champions & Coaches******* 1885 KENTISH RJ 1898 WEBSTER FAM*** 1902 JONES EM 1908 DODD EJ 1924 DUUS JH

1929 HAMPSON T* 1933 BLOW RJ 1934 MARSH WT 1935 ASHCROFT DAB 1938 BLOXHAM CT* 1942 KNOPF JH 1946 PALMER MJ 1949 BILLINGTON A 1949 SUTCLIFFE DM 1950 HEWLETT MW 1951 McDONALD AW 1954 RATCLIFFE D 1954 OLIVER JR 1954 FINLEY K 1957 JOHNS R 1958 CHAPMAN DA 1958 NEAL CW

1959 DAYKIN JM 1960 HIGHSTEAD M 1961 ASHBY R* 1962 SMITH A 1962 WILKINSON R 1967 DUMPLETON K 1968 ONIONS G 1971 HARE W 1971 RODGERS DW 1971 WHARTON D 1971 NEVILLE D

1972 BATES Si 1972 BLYTHE C 1973 HARDING Q

I.O.C. MEMBER ATHLETICS XC SOCCER ATHLETICS ATHLETICS ROWING XC & ATHLETICS ARCHERY RUGBY UNION ATHLETICS ATHLETICS & XC ATHLETICS XC SWIMMING XC TABLE TENNIS GOLF ATHLETICS CRICKET WATERPOLO WATERPOLO HOCKEY GYMNASTICS HOCKEY SAILING RUGBY UNION ATHLETICS & XC HOCKEY ROWING SOCCER ORIENTEERING ORIENTEERING & XC RUGBY UNION XC ORIENTEERING

1973 BEARDOW N 1974 COOPER JA 1975 HARRISON G******* 1977 BATES SM** 1978 CLARKE J 1983 SMITH D 1985 AUFENAST J 1985 SMITH K 1985 DALWOOD AL 1985 DILL GR 1988 WILLEY N 1989 NEWBI-RICCI J 1991 JAEGGI D 1992 LITTLE R 1993 JAEGGI R 1993 GRANT AR 1993 CULVERHOUSE P 1995 COLLINS B 1995 COLLINS J 1995 WAKELAM 0 1995 WAKELAM J 1996 HALL D 1996 BROWN K 1996 MORRIS J 1996 QUERISHI M 1996 MILES B 1996 GUNDRY J 1996 SEEBOHM P

1996 JACOBS M 1998 SMITH T

1998 MURPHY S 1999 BEDFORD T 1999 MURPHY P 1999 GRANT MAA 1999 SCASE M 2001 LANGLANDS A 2001 HODGKINSON A 2001 HALLER T 2001 DI-LEITO DM 2003 FLAHIVE G

CRICKET RUGBY LEAGUE ATHLETICS & XC RUGBY UNION XC SHOOTING XC SHOOTING RUGBY UNION CRICKET & GOLF SWIMMING WATER SKIING CURLING HOCKEY CURLING CYCLING CRICKET CRICKET ATHLETICS (Jun) TABLE TENNIS TABLE TENNIS XC XC XC XC XC XC SHOOTING World Champion RUGBY AMERICAN FOOTBALL XC & ATHLETICS XC & ATHLETICS XC XC & ATHLETICS ATHLETICS HOCKEY ATHLETICS RUGBY UNION AUSSIE RULES SKIING

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2004 PISSANNO E 2004 DI-LEITO O 2004 FOSTER N 2004 FLAHIVE N 2004 GREENFIELD M 2004 REID D 2004 ABRAHAMS A 2005 LANGSTON M* 2005 HOLMES O 2006 YATES L

2006 EASTER D 2007 JOHNSON H 2007 PEARCE M 2007 REDWOOD J 2007 LAITHWAITE RDW

2008 FLOYD W 2008 THORPE A

ATHLETICS AUSSIE RULES RUGBY UNION SKIING SKIING SKIING SHOOTING HOCKEY RUGBY LEAGUE ATHLETICS, BIATHLE XC TAEKWONDO XC XC RUGBY LEAGUE RUGBY UNION XC XC

2008 LIPSCHITZ N 2008 MYERS D 2009 PYRKE H 2009 HEMSI B 2010 CLARK B 2010 COOK A 2010 HALLING T 2010 EDMOND O 2010 LIGHTOWLER R

2010 CLARKE E 2011 BRENNAN Jo 2011 RABINOWITZ J 2011 THOMPSON E 2011 BIRD E 2012 BRENNAN Ja 2012 FULTON T 2013 ILOTT M 2014 AVENELL J

CRICKET XC XC XC XC XC XC XC XC, BIATHLE World Champion HOCKEY XC XC BIATHLE XC XC XC CRICKET XC

The complete list of sporting heroes is held in the School archives; only those in the above categories are listed here. Please report errors and ommissions to the archivist.

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