The Ashtead Link The Journal of the Old Freemen’s Association
Issue No 30 May 2014
The Old Freemen’s Association
List of Officers – 2014-15 President
to be left vacant
Chairman
Alex Tribick
alextribick@wh.matthews.co.uk
School Liaison
Alex Tribick
alextribick@wh.matthews.co.uk
Vice Chairman
Laura Morrison
laura.morrison2@ntlworld.com
Secretary Membership &Editor
Pat Jenkins
patofa52@gmail.com
Treasurer
Clive Jones
muddyfur@hotmail.com
Development Officer Rob Austen
rob.austen@btinternet.com
Bar Chair
Clive Jones
muddyfur@hotmail.com
Maintenance
Ron Gummer
rongummer@hotmail.com
Mins. Sec.
vacant
Clubhouse Bookings Laura Morrison
lauramorrison2@btinternet.com
Ass. Treasurer
vacant
Social Organiser
vacant
Web-site Manager
Nikki Linsell
Committee:
Irene Gummer, Eleanor Deighton, David Harn
info@ofhc.co.uk
Representatives of Affiliated Clubs Cricket
Chris Reynolds
chris@libraticgroup.com
Rugby
James Burns
Hockey
Nikki Linsell
info@ofhc.co.uk
Swimming
Fran Raindle
raindle@aol.com
Bar Sub-Committee Paul Slatter (Barman), Ronnie & Irene Gummer,
Vice Presidents - with years of service, Tom Shutter 1959-60, Phil Kelly 1967- 8, Richard Haydon 1969-70, David Harn 1971-72, Chris Cobb 1973-74, Ashley Mote, 1975-76,Chris Fry 1977-79, Judith Mitchell née Alsopp 1982-83 Nigel Barnett 1984-85, Pat Jenkins née Hardy 1986-87, Chris Reynolds 1988- 89, Steve Jenkins 1990-91, Alastair Law 1992-2006,
Old Freemen’s Clubhouse, Ashtead Park, Ashtead. Surrey. KT21 1ET 01372 274356 patofa52@gmail.com www.oldfreemens.co.uk
WELCOME TO ALL OUR MEMBERS! OLD FREEMEN’S DAY, SUNDAY JUNE 22ND INCORPORATING A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR ROBIN EVE This is an open invitation to all Old Freemen and their families to come to Ashtead, enjoy their special day and attend the Service in St Giles Church.
A message from the Membership Secretary “My thanks to all of you who were so supportive of me during my two scams on my old email address and I apologise for the inconvenience it has caused. I now have a new email which is on the letterhead. I was devastated to find that I had lost all your email addresses but have managed to recover most of them through the kindness of my son Steve, other committee members and frien, but I am still finding some of you with whom I do not have contact. So if in doubt please drop me a line.” P.S. If you pay an annual subscription – then payments were due on April 1st. So please check your bank statements or send your cheques.
CHAIRMAN’S LETTER This edition of our “Link” magazine is being compiled as we approach our 2014 AGM and my role as Chairman of the Association comes to an end after several years.
There have been many changes to the Association, affiliated Clubs and School during my time in the Chair. I have enjoyed my time working with the Clubs and School but mostly I have to commend the great team of Committee members with whom I have worked, without whom nothing would have been achieved. This year, unfortunately, started dreadfully with the sad news that our President of 28 years, Robin Eve, had passed away. His help and advice have been invaluable to me and I miss him greatly. As Pat has detailed, we are proud to be holding a memorial service for him in St. Giles on Old Freemen’s Day which I hope you will attend. This January also saw the demise of the School swimming pool, for which many older members helped to design and raise money. This fire has had a major effect on the school’s Masterplan and they are taking the opportunity to review the situation. At this point we do not know how any changes will further impact on ourselves or our Memorial Clubhouse. February was spoilt somewhat by the Clubhouse having a roof fire following some remedial work. This was brought under control extremely swiftly and, due to the continued commitment of our Association committee, our Clubhouse was only out of commission for just one day. The wet weather has had a detrimental effect on the rugby at the Park throughout the season which, in turn, has had a knock-on effect on the amount of Old Freemen’s using the Club facilities. However, in addition to ourselves, the school PE department and FSA having been making great use of the Clubhouse, as have many other organisations. I am hoping that now the weather is improving and we have Old Freemen’s Day in just over a month our membership will take the opportunity to make use of the wonderful facilities we have on offer. Details of events planned will be posted on the website and are included on the back page. I am very much looking forward to the coming year with several new faces joining our existing Association Committee and possibly having a little more time on my hands although I don’t think I shall get away that easily. .
News of Old Freemen ROGER SEYMOUR AND THE EDWARDS GO DOWN UNDER: “After a lifetime of promising that “we’ll do it one day”, Anthony (1970) and Alison Edwards (nee Wallace)(1969) and Roger Seymour (1971) went Down Under, from North Carolina and Epsom respectively, to share the dubious pleasure of watching the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Hosting this Old Freemen’s reunion were Ken Cappie-Wood (1971) and his wife Loretta. Three days were spent at the Test (the full duration of the match) but, cricket aside, highlights included New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbour and a reunion with Ken’s parents and his brother, Andrew Cappie-Wood (1971, Class of 1973). Reminiscing about sporting days in Ashtead Park was prevalent, with Edwards finding many opportunities to mention the unbeaten CLFS 1st XI season of 1970 – coincidentally when he was Captain and Andrew and his wife are pictured above Head Boy! Ken is a financial consultant in Sydney; Ant is retired from Hershey’s and is now an enthusiastic grandparent (as is Alison) and golfer; Andrew is Director- General of the NSW Attorney-General and Justice Department (Google him!); and Roger spends too much time and money at the Old Freemen’s Clubhouse!”
Ken Cappie-Wood and Edwards are pictured here
Anthony
We are indebted to Roger Seymour for this item.
BARBARA HARDING NEE HARRIS, WHO LEFT IN 1969: “I have lost touch with so many of you, but my recent visit to the Old Freemen's Club confirmed to me that you always remain a part of the Freemen's School, even over 40 years later. I feel incredibly privileged to have had such a life, filled more or less with incredibly positive memories of wonderful places, inspiring people and fascinating, challenging and enjoyable work”. Despite being told as an early teenager that I had no language talent, being a disappointment to my father for not wishing to go to University and never pursuing a career in tennis, I can happily say now that I have fulfilled my dreams of studying 10 languages before I die (I plan to learn a couple more hopefully!) and of enjoying years of great tennis and squash at a good, but not over-taxing level (fun, yet still competitive). No, I don't speak the 10 languages fluently, but have been thrilled to be able to communicate in them. Travel has been and still is one of my other passions. I fell in love in Switzerland with a man from New Zealand who happened to be skiing in Wengen where I was working. He whisked me off to the other end of the world, and that is where I have spent 25 very happy years, of the last 30 years, in the beautiful city of Christchurch. It was at Christchurch Polytechnic that I was inspired by my brilliant Japanese teacher to begin a life of teaching and I have been teaching English ever since, for the past 30 years . Following my divorce, I made the tough decision to leave my home and my two sons, who were by then well and truly independent, and to return to Switzerland. Once again luck was on my side and for the past 5 or 6 years, I have had a marvellous job as Academic Director and teacher in a Language School in Zürich, with great colleagues and an absolutely fabulous boss. Of course, different languages are not in short supply in the school, so it is heaven for me. Added to that, I live in a picturesque town just outside Zürich, 20 metres from the loveliest lake, with its stunning backdrop of snow-capped mountains. I love it!
Retirement is not that far away, but hopefully there are a lot of places to see, lots of languages to speak, lots of tennis balls to hit, many thousands of kilometres to walk, millions of photos to take, not to mention the many hours of fun and love with family and friends before that! Hope to see some of you out here and to catch up with lost contacts.” Email: barbarashomestay@gmail.com
“IT’S A BUGGER, THAT’S WHAT IT IS!!” In June Ben celebrates his 10th birthday – as I’m sure all parents do, Amanda and I wonder where that time has gone – and if you’d have told us back in 2005 that Ben would be as active as he is, well... This milestone for Ben coincides with the 50 th birthday for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. It also coincides with an attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest by Nick Talbot. He is 37 with cystic fibrosis – no mean achievement for anyone – and we wish him all the best. Much is happening in the world of cystic fibrosis and the Trust has responded in typical fashion to maintain the momentum towards better treatments, and ultimately a cure for this life-threatening condition. In 2013 not only did they launch a bold and innovative 5-year research strategy but also re-launched the Trust bringing its image very much into the 21st century, with the aim to raise the profile of cystic fibrosis, creating greater awareness and, of course, money!! And what was my contribution to this? In April 2013, I was approached very much at the last moment, to help with the accompanying video that would launch the newlook website. I headed off into the West End one lunch-time to meet up with Tom Tagholm, another CF dad, who had donated his time, and his recording studio, to create the voice-overs for the new video, which I found out, was in a cartoon format. We sat in the studio for a couple of hours, microphones turned on, talking over a cup of coffee about our experiences of being a CF dad. As I made my way back to my office afterwards, I thought of all the profound comments I could have made, always easy after the event! A couple of weeks later the Trust sent me an email with the video, and their profound thanks! Much to my amazement they’d used some of my contributions. Some weeks later the new Research strategy was launched at the offices of the Welcome Trust in London, and I was invited as one of many parents to attend and listen to what will turn out to be, I am sure, ground-breaking initiatives in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The great and the good of the CF world were there, and I got to meet and talk to many of them, having been introduced to them as the Dad in the re-launch video who said of CF “It’s a bugger, that’s what it is!” My contribution to that video can nowhere near be compared to that Nick Talbot is undertaking. But that night at the Welcome Trust my comments had struck a chord,
in some way humanising the plight of men like Nick and kids like Ben, whose ambition is to be treated like anyone else, and given the same chances as everyone else, something perhaps the rest of us just take for granted. Matthew Anderson (1983)
WHAT I DID IN MY LAST 30 YEARS! At a recent dinner for '80s leavers, I told Pat Jenkins I had lived on four continents in adult life. And she, playfully chastising me for not updating my contact information, set this "punishment" of writing lines about my experiences. Well, here goes. In the interests of brevity, I will pick out a few highlights: waltzing through Grand Central Station with a beautiful Korean goddess, performing Argentine Tango at the Lincoln Center in New York City, doing the voice-over for a famous Colombian Coffee TV commercial in the U.S., broadcasting to the world from China, embodying the great Shakespearean characters on stage, buying a flat in Buenos Aires, and having my poetry performed by great actors of this age, including Judi Dench. Since returning to the U.K. three years ago, after almost 20 years overseas, additional highlights include winning prizes for stand-up comedy in London, medalling in Surrey swim championships, and winning a vexatious court battle at Staines County Court. I mention the latter because it marks for me a key victory over the age-old curse that "a prophet is without honour only in his homeland". On the flip side of this coin named 'Adventure', stand-out moments would include: bankruptcy, exile, homelessness, and being hauled to a Beijing police station on a fake rape charge! Never a dull moment, eh? Well, actually quite a few. I remain a single man. I have no children, I am not married, I don't even have a girlfriend. I am middle-aged, childless, and loveless. However, I am very optimistic that I shall find love. The other day, I saw a beautiful, beautiful girl on the train. We made eye contact, exchanged smiles, a couple of sentences. As I recall, her sentence was ... 'No'. Lapsed into a bit of my stand-up material there. OK, you had to be there! Anyway, back to the life story: I changed my name quite recently to Abdiel LeRoy, names taken from Milton's Paradise Lost and Shakespeare's Henry V, respectively, reflecting characteristics I deeply admire and am here to incarnate. The names also reflect my eternal loves of literature and theatre, reborn in me around the age of 30, and a far cry from my prosaic choice of Economics and Politics at university!
Finally, my name change cuts the Gordian Knot of ancestral curses – an imperative I believe our generation is finally waking up to. Abdiel LeRoy (formerly Ian Reed, 1981 leaver (sixth-form), Whittington) Thank you Abdiel.
CHRIS FOWLER (1983): Although he was unable to attend the 80s Decade Dinner Chris did send an update: “Unfortunately I was not able to attend the dinner as I was working that evening: I am an Air Traffic Controller at the London Area control based at Swanwick, near Southampton and was on duty during the afternoon and evening of 15 th March. We have to book our leave quite a while in advance and I couldn’t get the time off for this occasion. I should like to be informed of any similar events that might be planned for the future (shifts permitting). My sister Caroline Barnes nee Fowler (1985) did attend an earlier function.”
ALEXANDRA RICKHAM (2000): “Thank you all for your continued support through 2013. It is time now to really start on the Road to Rio 2016. Obviously a bit of samba always helps!”
We will ensure that you continue to have news of Alexandra during her training and preparation for the next Paralympics
Updates from former Issues DEVELOPMENT OFFICER’ S REPORT Although there is little material progress to report, things are moving forward behind the scenes. Importantly, the School, through the Head and the Bursar, but most importantly the Chairman of the Governors, has reiterated its firm support for the OFA and its desire for the Old Freemen’s Association to remain a strong presence in the Park. But there is a bit of a hiatus at present, which I hope can be resolved within the currency of our present planning approval, which would require renewal by midMarch 2016. As you know, the new boarding house and music school have been completed. The next phase of the School’s development will be the renovation and improvement of Main House fundamentally to improve the catering facilities so that the whole school can be accommodated in two sittings instead of the present four. This next stage is scheduled to start later this year and is expected to take about 18 months. My knowledge of the industry suggests we should expect 2 years, given the fact that the contractor will be dealing with a Grade II* listed building. Apart from finding all sorts of unexpected things, no doubt English Heritage will be keeping a very close eye on things. To allow this to happen, all the staff and functions in Main House have to decant to Philp House. In the meantime, the school is undertaking a review of the final phase of the development plan, which might influence the siting of the new swimming pool and ‘energy centre’. It is this review which might, in turn, have an influence on the Clubhouse. In the meantime, your committee is considering ways in which the Association might develop in the future, and which itself might impact on the design of the Clubhouse. An initial briefing note has been prepared, which we hope will inform our discussion with the School and the Governors. Rob Austen
GOOD NEWS – WARREN STORMES HALE IS BACK: It is lovely to see the picture hanging in the Dining Hall once more, looking very smart after its cleaning. It is now hanging over the door and to the right of its former position. The only sadness is the knowledge that Robin Eve did not live long enough to see his efforts to track down the painting come to fruition.
IDENTIFICATION FROM LINK 28
I am an old Freeman and left the U6 in 1995. The U13 hockey picture dates probably from 1989 not 99 as you have suggested. These are the names that I can recall: Back row L-R: Stephanie Matthews, Emelie Olsson, Claire Jiggins Middle row L-R: Lucy Antrobus, ?? , Belinda Baffoe-Djan, Tanya Boardman, Elizabeth Cox, Hilary Nelson Front Row L-R: Vicky Revis, Lorna Jones, Caroline Cousins, Tanya Moyle, Jenni Maitland Milly Pinnock (nee Scotland)
Births Marriages and Deaths BIRTHS Our congratulations to: Richard Qureshi and his wife on the birth of a daughter, just before Christmas.
ENGAGEMENTS Our best wishes to: Joanna Carter, who is engaged to James Huff. “James Huff and I are getting married on May 25th in Chichester. We met at university nine years ago and James popped the question while we were staying with his parents in Italy in September 2012. Alicia Mote will be one of my bridesmaids!” And to Alicia Mote who got engaged last October.
THE THANKSGIVING FOR ROBIN EVE ON TUESDAY JANUARY 14TH 2014 A large congregation attended the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Robin Eve, who in addition to being an Old Freeman, was also a School Governor. To pay their respects there were representatives from the City, the School staff, past and present, the Freemen’s School Association and the Old Freemen’s, several of whom were his contemporaries. It was a beautiful service which had been planned by Robin himself and was held at the United Reformed Church at Caterham, just a short walk from his former home.
A TRIBUTE TO ROBIN EVE It is with sadness that I write this obituary notice in memory of Robin Eve, who died on Tuesday 7th January. Robin was born on 3rd April 1934 and in 1943 started at the City of London Freemen’s School. I had been admitted in 1941 and was in the Lower IV when Robin started in the 1st form, but I can still remember him among his fellow pupils. He was a small delicate boy and told me in later years that he had lost a lot of time on sick leave. I left the School in 1944 when we were bombed out by one of the first V1 “doodle bugs`’ and evacuated to Bournemouth, but Robin was to stay on until 1951, after which he was appointed to the staff of the Midland Bank. He married and had a family of which one son has attended a number of our functions. Robin maintained his association with the School of which he was a doughty champion, and had been for many years President of the Old Freemen’s Association, and a member of the Board of Governors, being the first Old Freeman to have been elected to the Board. He served as Chairman of the Board from 1987 to 1990 and again from 2006 to 2008. He also served for many years on the Board of his local hospital, latterly as Chairman. Robin qualified as a Chartered Secretary and was clothed in the Livery of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries, his Mother Company. He was elected to serve on the Court, and eventually as Master of the Company. In 1980 Robin was elected by the Ward of Cheap to serve on the Court of Common Council and in 2004 Alderman Colin Hart appointed him Deputy for the Ward. He also served on all the principal committees over the years and was to distinguish himself as Chairman of the Establishment Committee, and again in 2000 as Chairman of the City Lands and Bridge House Estates Committee who at that time was ex-officio the Chief Commoner. He served in that office with distinction, ably supported by his second wife Ann. Robin was a great supporter of the Ward of Cheap Club and served on the Committee for many years, including the office of President. It could be said that for an extended period Robin devoted the best part of his life to the City. His service was indefatigable and only in 2013 he was re-elected by the Ward of Cheap for a further term of four years. He therefore died in harness in his eightieth year.
For his services to the City Robin was appointed by Her Majesty the Queen as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. I was first elected by the Ward of Cheap Club to serve on the Court of Common Council in 1996, an office I held until I stood down in 2004 when the number of Councilmen for the Ward was reduced from three to two. During my own tenure I worked closely with Robin and came to know him very well. With his long experience he was always pleased to give help and advice, and was always most generous in inviting me to attend the ceremonial Chairman’s Committee dinners when he was in office. I can also add that he had a very strong mind of his own and never hesitated to speak his mind in Common Council and on Committee. He was often to “ruffle feathers” in the process, but he never hesitated even though he might upset a “grandee” with power to influence the progress of his career in the City. Robin was a great supporter of the Guild Church of St Lawrence Jewry and its vicars, especially Canon David Burgess, the incumbent during his service as Chief Commoner. While living in Guildhall Robin would rise early to attend the Wednesday service of Holy Communion. I persuaded Robin that it would be a very good thing to be a Member of one of the ancient Livery companies and offered to sponsor him for the Upholders Company. I am delighted that he accepted my offer, and was duly clothed in the Livery of the Worshipful Company of Upholders. Over the years he assisted the Upholders in so many ways and was a loyal supporter of their functions. Unfortunately by reason of his exceptionally heavy commitments in the City he felt unable to accept an offer of appointment to the Court with the object of serving as Master in the short term at a time when they were short of available candidates for the office. Nevertheless that was typical of Robin’s highly responsible approach to an attractive offer. Robin’s death comes as a great loss to the City and he will be sorely missed by his many colleagues and friends Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his dear wife Ann and to his family. May his soul rest in the peace of Christ. By Joseph C F B Byllam-Barnes
Can you help? CAN YOU DATE THIS PICTURE AND ADD THE MISSING NAME?
Back row L-R: “Tiffer” Scott, John Jacobs (master),Alan Gerring, John Kent. Mike Hudson, John Weait, James Wild, Derek Jones Front row L-R: David Lovie, “Curly” Squires, David Harn, Brian Phillips, Chris Blower, ?? (master), Mick Lovie. It was sadly reflected that John Weait, James Wild, Chris Blower, Curly Squires and John Jacobs have all died.
This delightful picture of Yunnan Province was submitted by Abdiel Leroy
The School Section Combined Cadet Force “Just over 18 months ago I attended a meeting at Arundel in London to launch the concept of state school partnership Combined Cadet Force. Then things went quiet until Christmas 2012. Just after the New Year the possibility of a partnership came up for Glyn School, but did not go forward; then I was contacted by Patrick Thompson to ask if I would consider a new start-up with Freemen’s. Though not the conventional way forward, with my experience from 10 years with Epsom College CCF it was felt appropriate that this could happen. With a very small window Matt Close, from Freemen’s and I worked together with Patrick Thompson who is the Schools’ Cadet Expansion Officer and with both Headmasters’ backing sought a Senior Staff Instructor Colin Davies and by September 2013 a joint CCF with nearly 50 cadets and 2 sections was born, with me as Contingent Commander. The staffs involved from both schools have thrown themselves into the roles and we have 34 male and 8 female cadets. In October we had our first overnight camp for the cadets and suffice to say they were exceptional. They learnt how to put up bashers, cook with hexamine and live off 24-hour rations. They also had a camouflage exercise complete with make up! This really brought together the two schools as one unit, which was the outcome we wanted. The Army section have competed Skill at Arms amongst other tasks to achieve their red star award.
The RAF section have completed their Prof 1 which will now enable them to access some flying days.
This summer term we have much planned. The RAF is going to Benson to Fly in Grub Tutors and we are also hoping that we can get a flight in a Merlin helicopter. In just under 2 weeks’ time 3 cadets and I have been invited to “No.10” to meet with Mr Cameron to talk about Cadet expansion. The contingent has also been invited to parade in Epsom at the end of the month. At the end of term the sections go off to Summer camp for a week, the RAF to St Mawgan and Army to Crowborough”. Tracy Pearson nee Stiling (1983)
The School Dates 26th July – Dinner for leavers from alumni 2014 – contacts: swilliams@clfs.surrey.sch.uk; or patofa52 @gmail.com Friday 10th October 2014 –Visit to Ypres - The School will welcome any past pupils who are interested in joining the visit to the battlefields of Ypres and the town itself. We intend visiting various key First World War sites, including the town of Ypres, the museum in the town square, the cemeteries at Tyne Cot and Langemarck; and weather permitting we will explore an area where trenches were dug by a Yorkshire regiment in about 1916. We will attend the evening ceremony at the Menin Gate where we shall be laying a wreath to commemorate those thirteen former pupils of CLFS and one member of staff who gave their lives in the Great War. Travel and cost details appear on Forward Dates at the back of the magazine.
Events Past in date order THE 40S AND 50S (THE NON-EVENT) DUE ON APRIL 1ST 2014 Firstly perhaps there should be an explanation as to the postponement by the School of their Decade Lunch. There was at the time a clerical staff shortage which meant there was no one to send out invitations or collate the whole event, so they felt they had to postpone it. Brian Little very kindly offered to send out a warning to those who had expressed an interest from the 40s and others were informed where possible, but it transpired that some members did not get the message and we can only apologise for any inconvenience caused. We will publish the new date as soon as we get it from the School.
BILL & THEO’S BIRTHDAY PARTY Bill & Theo’s Birthday party was held on 18th January 2014, during which the Rugby Club welcomed all past players and friends to the Memorial Clubhouse for a wonderful afternoon. That promise was certainly fulfilled and many a diner went home re-living the sweepstake that Theo organised to coincide with the Race Meeting on the Television. Our thanks must go to Irene Gummer and her crew in the kitchen for supplying such a splendid spread.
70S DECADE DINNER Most unfortunately Andrew Cairncross and his wife had their car breakdown on the Motorway and therefore never made it to Ashtead. They were much missed as the guests were looking forward to reminiscences with them. Has anyone got photos of the event as unfortunately the official ones were lost when the disc from the camera went astray.
80S DECADE DINNER Unfortunately no report or photos have been forthcoming, although a number of people remember having a very enjoyable evening.
THE 50S AT THE FARMERS CLUB On Wednesday 19th March, some twenty-four old Freemen from the 50’s and 60’s met for lunch at the Farmer’s Club in Whitehall, a very pleasant and discrete spot overlooking the Thames. This is the seventh such gathering and it is hoped to continue it for at least another three years. As before, the occasion was organised by Jean Bauman and David King. Jean has an idyllic farm in Wales (do visit if you can – she loves visitors, and David or I can let you have her address) and is a member of the Farmer’s Club. It is through her that we are able to enjoy such a great location. As well as Jean from Wales, the central location enabled people to come from all over the country, including Lichfield, Deal, and Chichester.
L-R Elizabeth Waters, Richard Berncastle and Sally Roberts As usual, there was plenty of gossip – sorry, reminiscing – and a brief update was given on progress with the Clubhouse, or perhaps the lack of it, due to the uncertainties about the school’s further development of its master plan. (Please see Rob’s other article for details). This group also meets from time to time for lunches at the Clubhouse. If you belong to these august decades, please get in touch with David King; he will be happy to let you have details of our next meeting in the summer. Rob Austen
Lost and updated addresses RETURNED: Beresford Shute’s mailing was returned.
THANK YOU: For the new addresses from Natasha Miller and David Weller.
ARCHIVES: I have received a number of items for the archives and had a number of requests for information or material from the material that is stored and displayed there. The most recent acquisition was a School beret and a lovely colour photo of Teddy bear Cottage both from the 40/50s and donated by Dorothy Lewis nee Wadey. Another interesting item was the donation of cuttings about the sinking of the “Titanic” which featured a gardener from the Park during Pantia Ralli’s time. I have Paul Smith to thank for that. The current display is of a World War 1 camp bed on loan from Graham Dyer and in contrast the modern version which is owned by Colin Davies the Corps Leader. Actually they differ surprisingly little and are both quite hard to set up, fortunately Colin was there to help.
A REQUEST: Does anyone have a photograph of Miss Ros. Robertshawe, who was a teacher at the School, between 1956 and 1958, then again between 1964 and Christmas 1967? She was a New Zealander. I am trying to put faces to my staff lists and I do not have any pictures of her.
UPDATES: The Old Freemen’s Prizes for Service in the Junior School were awarded to Emma Dunford and Charles English at Junior Prize Day 2013.
Sports Reports SUPER HUNDRED CLUB DRAWS: The Draws will take place at the Rugby and Hockey Club Dinner Dance on 17th May 2014. So why not book a ticket and learn that you are a winner the moment your number is picked out of the drum?
OLD FREEMEN'S CRICKET – 2014: We are already underway, but it's not too late to come along and play some cricket! Our 1st XI captained by Jeff Haywood plays in the Surrey Downs 1st Division and he has high hopes of securing a Championship to emulate his father, the exHeadmaster David Haywood. For information about the fixtures please go to http://www.oldfreemenscricket.co.uk/hof/1stxi/ Our 2nd XI captained by all-rounder and club stalwart Ben Whiting play in the 4th Division. Having been relegated last year we plan to win this division and bounce back up to the lofty heights of the 3rd division! http://www.oldfreemenscricket.co.uk/hof/2ndxi/ Although we have a core group of players for both sides, we can always make space for new members - the more the merrier as we know it’s hard to commit to every weekend we are very happy to accommodate the occasional players. Our Sunday XI is captained by Tom Glover - another son following in his father's footsteps, this time Saturday 2nd XI Captain for many years Stewart Glover as well as his uncles Andrew (Farm) and Paul Barnard. http://www.oldfreemenscricket.co.uk/sunday-xi/ And a new venture has been committed to - the mid week T20 competition - details of which will be available from Bob Davies or from the website: http://www.oldfreemenscricket.co.uk in due course. If you are interested in playing for the club please contact Bob Davies at bobclaredavies@btinternet.com or better still give him a call on 07920 518788 Our home venues are split between Headley CC and Ashtead Park to work around the School’s needs. All three teams play against friendly, local villages and old boys’
teams in and around Surrey. Former pupils, their partners, their children and any staff member from CLFS are more than welcome to come along and play. Friends of Old Freemen’s have played and continue to play a huge part in the enjoyment and running of the cricket club, so don’t be afraid to come along and play or support. Have a look at the fixtures, your own village may well be one of the teams we play against! Games start at either 1:30 Saturday or 2pm Sunday – but do check with the skipper before the game. Details of mid-week nets on request – normally held at the all weather nets at Ashtead Park. Do come along, all standards catered for and a really enjoyable game for anyone from 13 to 83, men, boys, women and girls all feature in this league! Bob Davies Hon Sec OFCC
OLD FREEMEN’S LADIES HOCKEY CLUB
Our 6th Season ended with the Surrey Ladies division 6 table looking mighty close, with the Old Free’s ending third in the league, only one point from Camberwell and Farnborough. It was a season of unpredictability and quite a few ups and downs (and injuries!). With some young blood (CLFS 6th former Ellie Sloper) giving the team some fresh legs, coupled with some fantastic games, in particular from the two Louisa’s (Wiles and Blair). We continued to fight hard during the second half of the season. Despite our captain Katy Lutley being based in South Africa for work, she continued to keep us motivated (and in check) and it goes without saying we wouldn’t have done as well as we have without her.
Looking to the summer, we have a few friendlies planned in London over the holidays. And with the possibility of being promoted to division 5 for the coming season still on the table, a big fitness and pre-season training schedule is being drafted already. The club also continues to foster strong links with the Girls Sports staff at CLFS, hosting a joint training session at school for both old and new squads, led by Olympic hockey player Mat Daley which is definitely on the cards again for next season (hurrah!). After 6 years since co-founding OFHC with the amazing Vicky Law, it is great to see the club continuing to develop and go from strength to strength. The continued passion and spirit of all our members, wise guidance from Eleanor Deighton and stoic enthusiasm from coach extraordinaire Martin Durban have helped create something I think rather special. And as always, we would love new alumni hockey players to come out of the woodwork and join the club. Or, if you aren’t keen on playing (or just a man) but want to support us nonetheless, well why not sponsor the club instead! For more information go to www OFHC.co.uk, or drop me an e-mail on nikki@ofhc.co.uk Nikki Linsell
OLD FREEMEN’S RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB 1XV REPORT: This was a difficult season for the Old Freemen's 1XV, enduring a lack of squad depth, player retirements and a horrible injury list throughout the season. Some excellent performances were to be found amidst some disappointing ones, and unfortunately the unrelenting rain and wet weather put an end to our best run of form around Christmas and early 2014. As ever, the excellent Alex Moodie and Nicos Charalambos provided a strong base of the scrum, backed up by consistently excellent work in the back row by Chris Hatcher. Andrew Owens at scrum half proved not only a valuable asset on the field but a constant help as Vice Captain. John Wilson must also be mentioned as possibly the most versatile of our players this season, playing in virtually every position, and excelling in all. So a disappointing year ended with relegation, but the squad is still rebuilding, and we are looking to reassert ourselves as one of the dominant teams in Surrey very soon. Simon Daniels
Sponsors A reminder of our sponsors - please acknowledge and use them as we need their help in these times of expensive running costs. New sponsors are always welcome - please contact Nicos Charalambous (nicoscharalambous9@hotmail.com) if you wish to get more involved in our great Club. We thank: VolkSpeed Engineering, Westcott House, Hyflex, The Parrot Inn Forest Green, Turks Launches So please support our sponsors.
The Information Page www.oldfreemens.co.uk
THE DATES THAT OUR ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS FALL DUE The Old Freemen’s Association
April 1st
The Old Freemen’s Cricket Club
May 1st
The Old Freemen’s Rugby Football Club
Sept. 1st
The Old Freemen’s Hockey club
Oct. 1st
The Old Freemen’s Swimming Club
Nov 1st
THE ASSOCIATION Annual subscription is: £25 if you live within 30 miles of Ashtead £20, if you live further away, or are a student under 21. The Clubhouse Bar is officially open Tues & Thurs 7-9 and Sat 7-10 p.m. These times will be expanded to cater for events.
THE AFFILIATED CLUBS It is mandatory to belong to the Association when joining an affiliated Club. The Cricket Club – charges £30 for a season. In addition there will be match fees. Contact: David Richardson on 01737 833237 Hockey Club – charges £75 (full), £35 (casual) for a season. Plus match fees. Contact: Nikki Linsell (info@ofhc.co.uk.) The Rugby Club – charges £25 for non-players and £100 for regular players, which is reduced to £50 for those under 23. In addition there will be match fees. Contact: David Harn 020 8642 2822 Sports Hall (term-time only) – Tuesday 7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. for Squash, Badminton and Aerobics. The charges for using the Sports Hall are payable per session for Badminton and Squash and for aerobics they are a little more as we have a teacher for that exercise. One payment covers the whole evening and a variety of sports may be undertaken. Contact Mike Bailey chugger@btinternet.com
Upcoming Calendar of Events for 2014 17th May – Rugby and Hockey Club Dinner Dance at Kingswood Golf Club – contact Kate Gummer on k8gummer@talk21.com 23rd May – Leavers Service Breakfast at Clubhouse at 8.30 a.m. Will committee and Sports Reps please attend for just an hour – a wonderful chance to recruit. 22nd June – Old Freemen’s Day from 12 noon 22nd June – Memorial Service for Robin Eve at 3 p.m. in St Giles Church 26th July – Dinner for leavers from alumni 2014 – contacts: patofa52@gmail.com or swilliams@clfs.surrey.sch.uk August – Fifties Leavers’ Bring-and-Share Lunch (date t.b.c) contact David King king4938 @aol.com 23rd August – Parminter Memorial Cricket Match on – t.b.c. September – Old Freemen’s Golf Day (date t.b.c) contact – Mark Stevenson stevenson1001@aol.com
SCHOOL DATES 21st Sept – Fun in the Park (date t.b.c) Friday 10th October –Trip to Ypres Visit to Ypres - Friday 10th October 2014 The School will welcome any past pupils who are interested in joining the visit to the battlefields of Ypres and the town itself, on Friday 10th October. “We intend visiting various key First World War sites, including the town of Ypres, the museum in the town square, the cemeteries at Tyne Cot and Langemarck; and weather permitting we will explore an area where trenches were dug by a Yorkshire regiment in about 1916. We will attend the evening ceremony at the Menen Gate where we shall be laying a wreath to commemorate those thirteen former pupils of CLFS and one member of staff who gave their lives in the Great War. We will travel with Banstead Coaches leaving at around 6.00 a.m. and returning at approximately 11.30 p.m. Each coach will have two drivers. We cross the Channel on Le Shuttle. A cooked evening meal will be provided in Ypres and the cost of £70, includes all entry fees”. Please can you indicate your interest via email on eguest@clfs.surrey.sch.uk or by letter A.S.A.P.