Old Boys Notes 2012 by Old Habs

2011-2012

Foreword by Jon Corrall, OHA President

ast year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the move to Elstree, and this became the focus of our magazine – and a splendid edition it was. This year also offers a fascinating theme in the form of Haberdashers and the Olympics. Many thanks go, of course, to our editor, Alan Newman and designer, Jonny Burch, but equally to all those who have contributed in their various ways, and crucially, as last year, to Dr John Wigley. As if the challenges of being Treasurer were not sufficient, John has both trawled for material and written the narrative to the fascinating sporting story. Access to the school archives through the good offices of Keith Cheyney has been of particular help, but so have the many contributions from Old Haberdashers of all ages. In addition,we thank Rob Nothman, BBC sports correspondent, who was our principal speaker at the annual dinner in May, for launching our sporting theme. We hope the magazine will once again be a document which you will want to keep for future reference in an age where so much of what we receive is ephemeral. A further section of the magazine reminds us of the OHA social and sporting activities, most notably the irresistible rise of the OH Rugby club. My second year as President has seen a development and consolidation of what we achieved last year. It was particularly pleasing to preside over the West Country dinner, organised by Bob Crabb, and held in splendid manorial surroundings in one of the remoter parts of Devon. The Executive Committee, and in particular the Social Committee under the chairmanship of Rodney Jakeman, has been very active as you will see from the magazine. Who would not want the likes of Peter Vacher or Andrew Tarpey in their team? As well as our regular events we have introduced very successfully a ‘Lunch with..’ series with a traditional Sunday lunch followed by an interview with an Old Haberdasher. Kelvin Pike was the inaugural interviewee has followed by Frank Hanbidge, both of whom shared fascinating memories and anecdotes. Our thanks go on these and many other occasions to Pat, Mel, Kelly and Natalie Howard and family for the continued excellence and splendid value of their catering. I am delighted that Colin Blessley has been elected as my successor. As the son of the legendary Ken Blessley, former President of the OHA and a hugely influential figure in the OHA and OHRFC’s development, who sadly died this year, Colin’s appointment is a timely continuation of his family’s OHA links. Coincidentally in this Olympic year, Colin also played a leading role in the organisation of the memorable Opening and Closing ceremonies. This succession, though not unique also reminds us of the significance of the Fathers and Sons dinner to our membership. The regular electronic newsletters produced by our Secretary, Martin Baker, have now supplemented this annual magazine. May I thank Martin and all the committee members and volunteers who ensure that the OHA, our associated clubs and range of activities continue to be of benefit to all generations of Old Haberdashers.

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Contents 1. . . . . . .Foreword 3. . . . . . .Editorial 4. . . . . . .OHA Dinner 6. . . . . . .Fathers and Sons Dinner 7. . . . . . .Reunion of 1948 ‘Joiners’ 7. . . . . . .Habs in the City 8. . . . . . .Lunch with Kelvin Pike 8. . . . . . .Old Haberdashers Lodge 8. . . . . . .OHA Ladies Luncheon 9. . . . . . .Past Presidents Luncheon 9. . . . . . .The ‘Removal Men of 1961’ Lunch 10. . . . . .Grand Quiz Night

11. . . . Features 12. . . . . .Introduction by Lord Moynihan 14. . . . . .Haberdashers’ and the Olympic Games 16. . . . . . . . . . London 1908 17. . . . . . . . . . Berlin 1936 18. . . . . . . . . . London 1948 20. . . . . . . . . . Melbourne 1956 21. . . . . . . . . . Rome 1960 22. . . . . . . . . . Haberdashers’ Olympians 24. . . . . . . . . . London 2012 26. . . . . . . . . . Reflections of an Olympian 27. . . . . . . . . . London Ceremonies 28. . . . . . . . . . Habs Water Polo Officials, London 2012 34. . . . . . . . . . Cross Country - The Goater family contribution 35. . . . . . . . . . Visit to the Olympic Site 36. . . . . .Visit to Westbere Road 38. . . . . .Doug Whittaker’s travels 40. . . . . .Obituaries

47. . . . OH Club Reports 48. . . . . . . . . . 52. . . . . . . . . . 53. . . . . . . . . . 54. . . . . . . . . .

Rugby Golf Rifle Cricket

Editorial Alan Newman

elcome to the 201st Edition of Old Boys’ Notes, the magazine of the Old Haberdashers’ Association, which covers the period from September 2011 to September 2012. As well as documenting the many activities of the OHA, its associated clubs – Cricket, Golf, Rugby - and the OH Lodge, our features focused on the London 2012 Olympics and Haberdasher connections with this and previous Olympic Games. John Wigley’s main feature describes the Haberdasher links with the 1908 1936, 1948 and 1960 Games. This includes John Dudderidge’s record of attending six successive Games as a competitor, coach and finally, official. It also covers Vic Matthews, the only OH (that we know of) to compete in an Olympics, who ran in the 1960 Olympics and David Thomas (former PE Director) who played hockey for GB in Melbourne in 1956. Various Old Haberdashers recall their memories of watching the previous London Games in 1948. At the 2012 London Games, Trevor Hyde (former master i/c Water Polo) Chris Charles and Greg Schey (former members of the School team) officiated at the Water Polo events and provide fascinating accounts of their experience as well as wonderful photos of the Aquatic Centre events and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Our sporting section also recalls the contribution of Barry and Julian Goater in building HABS’ prowess at CrossCountry and Athletics in the 1960s and 70s. On a sadder note, the Obituaries section includes tributes to two OHA Past Presidents (Ken Blessley and Ray Kipps) as well as a number of other Old Haberdashers and former teachers at the School. Just after these Notes were completed, we received further sad news of the deaths of Peter Stevenson, also an OHA Past President and of Doug Whittaker, the former teacher and CCF Commander. We are pleased to include an article that Doug had written on his recent travels in India. Full obituaries on both will be included in the next edition of the Notes. We owe thanks to many other contributors to the Notes including Martin Baker for all the material he collected, Peter Vacher and Andrew Tarpey for their reports on various OHA events and the authors of the sports club reviews. Jonny Burch, our designer has as usual applied his brilliant design skills to turn our raw material into a real magazine and we are also grateful to Marstan Press, our printers for their continued excellent service. I hope you enjoy reading these Notes.

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OHA DINNER 2012 by John Wigley

Clockwise from top-left: Frank Hanbidge, Rob Nothman, Seb Taylor (OHRFC Captain) and Jon Corrall (OHA President)

old boys notes

he one hundred and fourteenth annual dinner of the Old Haberdashers’ Association was held at Haberdashers’ Hall, Smithfield on Thursday 17th May, ably organised once again by Andrew Tarpey. As always, some OH regulars met in the Bishop’s Finger then joined fellow diners for the champagne reception in the Hall’s splendid gallery before assembling in the main hall for a sumptuous dinner. The OHA’s official guests this year included Mike Jeans (Past Master of the Company), Mark Powell (Chairman of the School Governors), Danny Hochberg OH (Chairman of the Boys’ School Committee), and Peter Hamilton (Headmaster). Keith Dawson (Headmaster,1987-96) was also able to join us after making a much-appreciated ‘video speech’ last year from his home in Devon. In addition, OHA President Jon Corrall, was flanked by the principal guest speakers, Frank Hanbidge, (former Head of Sixth Form) and Rob Nothman OH, the highly successful BBC sports journalist.

David Heasman (Past President,OHA) opened the dinner with a specially composed grace, but the quantity and quality of the wine still prevents me from remembering whether he or Tony Alexander (of whom more anon) was toastmaster. No matter. The impromptu toasts were impeccably proposed. The Loyal Toast elicited an appropriately vigorous response in this Diamond Jubilee year. Frank Hanbidge toasted the Company, the Governors and School, with deftly woven stories of social mores in Oxford and St. Albans Abbey, word pictures that I cannot reproduce here. The School Captain, Luke Ilott, responded with his usual subtle intelligence, but fortunately eschewed the humour in which it is rumoured he proved so adept at the School First XV’s dinner. Rob Nothman (OH), a highly successful sports journalist, entertained us with his detailed knowledge of many sports personalities, all of whom he kindly and wisely left anonymous. Jon responded on a serious note by reminding us that one function of the school is to give

opportunities to clever boys from all backgrounds, so asked us to support the Bursary Fund. Jon also had the pleasure of presenting a well-earned Rugby trophy to Seb Taylor (Captain, OHRFC) to mark the OH Rugby club’s exceptionally successful season. It was good to see a group of OH rugby and cricket players too as well as a wide cross-section of Haberdashers ranging from Jerrold Goodman who left school in 1946 to Jordan Dias a 2003 leaver. The dinner showed many of the OHA’s values and qualities, including community and fellowship. Afterwards a goodly number returned to the nearby pub, where I heard that many £ pounds sterling passed across the bar and I have seen the video that shows Tony Alexander leading the fray.

OHA Dinner at Haberdashers’ Hall

Attendees Jon Corrall, President Mark Powell, Chairman of Governors Daniel Hochberg (77), Chairman of Boys’ School Committee Peter Hamilton, Headmaster Luke Ilott, School Captain Frank Hanbidge, former Head of Sixth Form Rob Nothman (82), Guest Speaker Tony Alexander (61) Philip Alterman (49) Simon Alterman (75) David Alterman (79) Henry Bailey (G) Ian Baker (60) Ashwant Bihal (G) Colin Blessley (65) Clive Bunyard (G) Chris Burgess (61) Keith Cheyney (S) Andrew Chilcott (66) Robert Clarke (90) Anthony Colbeck (G) Roy Cottle (G) Harold Couch (54) Keith Dawson (S) David Debere (G) Jordan Dias (03) Bikaram Dosanjh (97) John Egan (56) Ernest Eng (47) Andrew Fox (OHRFC) Dan French (G) Adam Gee (82) Jerrold Goodman (46) Elliott Green (97) David Griffiths (S) John Griffiths (82) Louis Haxell (G) David Heasman (59) Harry Hyman (74) Clive Hyman (79) Richard Jakeman (G) Rodney Jakeman (61) Mike Jeans (Past Master) Nick Jones (OHRFC) Matthew Judd (S) Melvin Leong (01) Michael Lessani (00) Mark Lloyd-Williams (S) Graham Macfarlane (61) Stephen Marks (88) Jonathan Metliss (67) Tim Moreton (G) David Mushin (74) Adam Nathan (06) Tom Nathan (75) Alan Page (75) John Parker (56) Alan Phipps (68) Tanvir Phull (G) Roger Pidgeon (67) Kelvin Pike (45) Michael Possener (49) Nick Ridout (75) Ted Rockley (G) Andrew Sanderson (OHRFC) Ian Sanderson (OHRFC) Dan Schaffer (82) Hartej Singh (98) Bob Stagg (72) Jim Tarpey (S) Andrew Tarpey (97) Seb Taylor (00, OHRFC) Peter Vacher (55) Donald Wells (48) Doug Whittaker (S) John Wigley (S)

Fathers & Sons Dinner 10 February 2012 by Andrew Tarpey

more paranoid man than I would think it’s all a conspiracy. Last year we were sympathising with Mel our Steward after he slipped on some ice and injured his hip. This year, thankfully no bones were broken but it was still treacherously icy and would turn out to be one of the coldest nights for quite some time. This did not stop Bob Stagg arriving by motorbike though! Thankfully the roaring fire in the Clubhouse was just as warm as the welcoming cheers within, though a wooden sports pavilion’s insulation only goes so far… So thank goodness the food, wine and company were so good. Brussels pâté with melba toast made way for breast of chicken on a bed of crushed, herbed new potatoes with honey & mustard dressing and seasonal vegetables. Carrot cake (complete with little decorative carrots of icing!) and cheese & biscuits rounded off the meal, with coffee and a very moreish 2002 LBV port helping to keep the chill at bay. Once the (Jubilee) Loyal Toast was said, to call the after-dinner ramble from yours truly a speech would unreasonably flatter it. However, given that the untimely and deeply regretted passing of Simon Boyes was so fresh in all our minds, we reflected on how just a few years ago Simon and his eldest son James sat around the very same table. The cruel loss of such an able, approachable and humane man made us all thankful for the pleasure of one another’s company. This year that company included, for the first time, Mike Jeans and John Wigley who, despite not having OH sons themselves were simply keen to come along – and we were delighted to welcome two such stalwart supporters of the OHA to our paternal-filial bosom. Then, with a wearisome inevitability, a selection of jokes from the bottom of the barrel was duly scraped (the most printable: next time you’re on the internet, visit www.conjunctivitis.com – now there’s a site for sore eyes) and I was delighted to propose the toast from sons to fathers. President Jon Corrall raised the tone with a very witty impromptu preamble to the response toast, from fathers to sons. As the evening drew to a close, the log fire was a magnet for all; to drink, to chat, and to resolve to meet at the same time next year. If you are not on the mailing list for this dinner, and would like to be, please e-mail mail@atarpey.com.

This page from top to bottom: David Griffiths and James Mushin, Nick Edelman, Keith Edelman and Peter Clarke, Robert Clarke and Jim Tarpey, Richard Jakeman, Simon Alterman, David Alterman and Andrew Mackenzie

old boys notes

Attendees Jon Corrall (S), Tony Alexander (’61), Tim Alexander (G), Paul Trussell (G), Philip Alterman (’49), David Alterman (’79), Peter Clarke (G), Robert Clarke (’90), David Griffiths (S), John Griffiths (’82), David Heasman (’59), Rob Heasman (G), Rodney Jakeman (’61), Richard Jakeman (G), Brian Fahy (G), Alan Morris (’55), Alex Schonfeldt (G), Alan Mushin (’55), James Mushin (’94), Michael Possener (’49), Adrian Possener (’83), Bob Stagg (’72), Tom Stagg (’01), Jim Tarpey (S), Andrew Tarpey (’97), Mike Jeans (S), John Wigley (S)

Reunion of 1948 “Joiners” The Plough Pub, Enfield by Peter Vacher

Brian Willcocks

n 2008, the late Roger Berwick conceived the idea of a reunion for the 1948 Westbere Road intake, to celebrate the passage of 60 years since we all joined the school. These reunions have continued, usually attracting some twenty OH from that era. This year’s lunch was held at The Plough pub in Crews Hill, Enfield and was organised by Brian Willcocks. Michael Heppner paid a warm tribute to Roger after lunch and it was resolved to continue to meet as both a tribute to Roger’s original initiative and because all concerned had a thoroughly good time!

Habs in the City – Tim Steiner, CEO and Co-founder, Ocado - 12 October 2011 by Alan Newman

abs in The City is an informal grouping, designed to bring together Old Haberdashers who work in the City and related businesses and professional services. Our 2011 event was held on 12th October at the offices of Cameron McKenna, a leading firm of City solicitors and kindly hosted by Jason Zemmel OH, a partner in the firm. Tim Steiner, OH, cofounder and CEO of Ocado, gave a fascinating explanation of the background to the creation of Ocado and of its aims, strategy and operating model. The event was attended by over fifty Old Haberdashers across a wide range of ages and professions who enjoyed the opportunity to hear from a true entrepreneur as well as to to share news, gossip and to network with fellow OH City workers.

Top: Alan Newman, Tim Steiner and Jason Zemmel

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Lunch with Kelvin Pike 6 November 2011 by Andrew Tarpey

he Clubhouse heaved at the seams for what is hoped will be the first in an occasional series of “In conversation with…” events. The subject of this interview was Kelvin Pike (1945) who kindly shared his experiences of a life working in films. The Clubhouse can rarely have been as full: nearly seventy people crammed in on the bright November day to enjoy a very welcome three-course lunch and wine, skilfully prepared by Pauline Howard and the team. Afterwards, all gathered round Peter “Parkinson” Vacher and Kelvin, perched on bar stools, to hear the tales flood out. Since starting school in September 1939, Kelvin’s life has been far from routine, frequently being literally inches from some of the biggest stars on screen in his career as a leading cinematographer and cameraman. His long list of credits includes The Empire Strikes Back, Where Eagles Dare, Look Back in Anger and several of Stanley Kubrick’s films including The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr Strangelove. Amongst a wealth of anecdotes, the audience especially enjoyed hearing how Kelvin was the man behind the lens on The Shining when Jack Nicholson axed his way through the door – and how Nicholson squared up to Kubrick in defence of Kelvin: “Stan, leave the guy alone. He knows a lot more about it than you do!” Top-right: Peter Vacher and Kelvin Pike

OHA Ladies Luncheon – 14 June 2012 OHA Clubhouse, Croxdale Road

rganised by Patricia Vacher and enjoyed by a number of ladies with links to the OHA, including Margaret Taylor and Pat McGowan. To book your place please email petervacher@onetel.com.

The OHA Ladies Christmas Luncheon 2011. L to R: Pat McGowan, Tessa Alterman, Margaret Taylor, Patricia Vacher, Pat Newton, Eileen Smith, Flora Griffiths, Jackie Yeabsley.

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The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Lodge No.3362

he Haberdashers’ Aske’s School and Freemasonry have enjoyed a long and distinguished association over many years. The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Lodge is now in its 104th year. The Lodge has a very special, friendly, Haberdashers’ feel with the significant majority of the Brethren of the Lodge being Old Boys spanning the 1930 to the 2000s with our current Master, Clive Waterman bridging the generations. We meet four times a year on a Saturday at the prestigious Freemasons’ Hall in London and enjoy friendship and

goodwill in a delightfully relaxed ‘Habs’ style. Our charitable activities continue and this year we have donated £1000 to Alzheimer Research UK and £1000 to the Metropolitan Masonic Cyberknife Appeal for St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. Our Ladies’ Luncheon is usually held during the summer in Aldenham House when family and friends join members of the Lodge to enjoy good food and company, with an informal tour of the grounds thrown in for good measure! We would welcome enquiries from any Old Boys over the age of 18 years. The Lodge secretary is Paul Youngman who can be contacted on 07768 255283 or via email on paul.youngman@harleyd.co.uk The Lodge website is at www. haberdashersaskeslodge.com where further details of our activities including background, dates and further contact details can be found.

Past Presidents’ Luncheon – 24 March 2012 by Rodney Jakeman

on Corrall, our current President took the chair and welcomed 18 of his predecessors to this annual event organized and inaugurated by Graham Macfarlane (President, 2003/4). For the first time, through the generosity of a Past President, invitations were extended to all the current presidents of the OH sporting clubs, of whom those able to attend were Peter Mackie (Golf Society) and Randal Whittaker (Rugby Club). It was also a great pleasure to invite Colin & Andrew, the sons of our most senior Past President, Kenneth Blessley (1962/3), who had recently celebrated his 98th birthday. (Editor’s Note: Ken sadly died later in the year, see obituary on page xx) As is the custom, the President and others updated everyone on absent friends, events & developments in the Association since last year’s gathering.

Pauline & Natalie Howard provided us with an excellent spread, together with wine generously donated by Jon Corrall & enjoyed by all which was followed by further chatter in front of the traditional roaring club fire, whilst the 1st XV went through their warm up training session. Most of the Past Presidents & other enthusiastic spectators stayed to watc the match. They were not disappointed and saw OHRFC beat Grasshoppers 62-8 to continue their march towards promotion from London 2 North West to London 1 North; a result of which Ken Blessley would surely be proud.

Past Presidents’ Lunch in the OHA Clubhouse

‘The Removal Men of 1961’ Lunch – 4 April 2012 by Tony Alexander

I Spot the difference over 50 years!

n the 2011 Notes, Tony described his role as one of a group of “volunteers” who helped John Rolfe during the move from Westbere Road to Elstree. These “Removal Men” still meet together over 50 years on. For some years now, a small but select band of chaps have met at a suitable venue in London. ‘Small’ because we have failed to communicate to the wider OH family (sorry!) and ‘select’ because we have one main thing in common: we all attended both Hampstead and Elstree. We would welcome anyone who may remember any of us and would like to join in our six-

monthly reunions, which revolve around a lunch at a convenient location in London. There are those who attended the Prep school, those who started in the second form, others who joined us in the fourth form from Mercers School when it closed, but we all share the experience of the move from Hampstead to Elstree where we completed our ‘time’. If any readers would be interested in joining the mailing list then please contact Tony Alexander (tonyalexander1@sky. com) or Rodney Jakeman (rodney. jakeman@tiscali.co.uk) for news of our next gathering.

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Grand Quiz Night and Buffet – 23 March 2012 by Rodney Jakeman

he Clubhouse was the venue for another battle of the brains and replies poured in from around the world to Martin Baker’s email invitation. Warwick Beaman, for example, felt it was a rather long way to travel from Calgary and sent his apologies! On the night, some seventy people sat down to make up nine teams for a quiz compiled by Jim Tarpey, ably assisted by his wife Lynda and son Andrew. A huge amount of preparation as ever goes into these events and we are very grateful to Jim and his family for all their hard work in ensuring a quite outstanding result and such a successful evening. From compiling & printing answer sheets to the sound system that worked first time and all evening, a big ‘thank you’. It was particularly pleasing to welcome such a wide representation across the membership, teams from the playing membership of the Cricket Club, Association Football Club as well as past players from OHRFC. Family groups, friends and neighbours, all were welcome & their support so much appreciated. The Social Committee would like to record their sincere thanks to Pauline and Natalie for again feeding us so well and laying out the clubhouse so attractively on our arrival, as well as running the bar throughout the evening. The winning team was ‘The Wysiwigs’ captained by Keith Weyman who romped home with 113 points out of a possible 130 and as a result shared the prize of a case of wine. A raffle draw concluded the evening which, given the fun had by all, will be repeated on Friday 9th November: if you are interested in an evening of fun quizzing then contact rodney.jakeman@tiscali.co.uk.

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The Magnificent “Team Tarpey” who ran the evening: Andrew, Jim and Lynda

A table of “Altermen” enjoying the Quiz – not sure of the collective noun for this, maybe a suitable question

Features Photographs of London 2012 ceremonies and events kindly provided by Chris Charles, Trevor Hyde and Greg Schey.

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London 2012 Olympics Introduction by Lord Moynihan Chairman, British Olympic Association and former Governor of HABS

hroughout the preparation for the Games, it was always my view that as important as hosting a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games was the challenge to deliver both a lasting sports legacy for the UK as a whole and an urban regeneration legacy from the east end of London. Given the interest of the Haberdashers in education this article seeks to reflect on the promise to deliver a genuine and lasting sports legacy throughout the United Kingdom is just as important as the successful hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The extraordinary public enthusiasm and nationwide momentum generated by London 2012 has created an unprecedented opportunity to fulfil that promise beyond all expectations - if it can be harnessed effectively. But there is no magic bullet. Instead, if we are to translate the spirit of Olympic inspiration into everyday participation both Olympic and non-Olympic alike, a long-term, comprehensive and strategic approach, which addresses the following five cornerstone priorities, needs to be embedded across Government. Physical Education has a vital role to play within the school curriculum. The root to encouraging young people to participate in sport lies in the quality of the teaching they receive at the beginning of their school lives, yet all too often, our primary schools are providing poor quality and inadequate physical education - perhaps not surprising when more than 60% of teacher trainees receive less than six hours’ preparation to teach PE. If Ofsted inspected and reported both on curriculum-time physical education and on ‘out of hours’ sport in all of its school inspections, this would ensure that school leaders treated physical education as a core subject and would encourage them to provide sufficient curriculum time and to invest in professional development for both teachers and coaches. A central role for sport in policy-making. As a Minister in the 1980s, when sport and recreation were on the fringes of mainstream policy formulation, I would have welcomed the creation of a Department of Culture, Media and Sport. However, today’s political landscape is very different: sport is now recognised as a valuable cross-cutting

policy tool and it would make sense to bring the Minister for Sport – someone of Hugh Robertson’s ability and influence in from the periphery of Whitehall, to occupy a central co-ordinating role within the Cabinet Office, and provide ministerial oversight for the myriad and diverse health, social, education, development and economic problems which sport can help to tackle. Improve coaching. You cannot deliver a gold medal athlete without a gold medal coach. At all levels, from Sunday morning kick-arounds, to clubs, to club links to schools, to the delivery of Olympic and Paralympic podium success, we need many, many more such coaches. Stem the flow of Local Authority closures. The last two decades have seen a real failure to support and encourage community sport as part of a national strategy for sport. There should be a statutory requirement throughout the UK to ensure adequate local government provision of facilities for community sport and recreation, backed by a planning policy to support the retention of playing fields and the promotion of dual use of school and club facilities Restructure the delivery mechanisms within Government. Recent Governments have over-complicated and over-bureaucratised sports delivery mechanisms, resulting in a confused, centrally-controlled maze of sports bodies, school games initiatives, policies and funding sources. Governments should empower, not control. The nationwide delivery of sport and recreational opportunities could be a daily testament to David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’. Empowering governing bodies, clubs, communities, the enthusiasm and willingness of volunteers and families with the lightest of touches from Whitehall is the way forward and the basis for ensuring today’s national Olympic inspiration is permanently converted to tomorrow’s lasting nationwide participation.

HABERDASHERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES

o mark this London Olympic year, John Wigley delved into the OHA and School archives and gathered personal memories from former pupils and staff of various Olympic Games prior to 2012.

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LONDON 1908

he 1908 Games were the first to be held in London and are probably best remembered for an incident at the Marathon event. As the lead runner, Dorando Pietri of Italy, entered the stadium at the end of the race he collapsed in exhausted confusion and was helped across the finishing line by officials. This led to his being disqualified and to the Gold medal being awarded to Johnny Hayes of the USA, who had finished second. The Marathon was attended by a group from HABS and their visit was described in a Skylark report: “On the last day of Summer term was the Marathon Race of the Olympics, when an afternoon party, comprising the School Staff, Form VI, and the Form Captains, went to the White City and greatly enjoyed the sight of the ‘Finish.’ (26 ¼ miles, time 2h. 54m.)”

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1908 Marathon: Dorando Pietri was disqualified after being helped by officials at finishing line

BERLIN 1936

he next recorded link between the school and the Olympics was not until 1936. Berlin was awarded the Olympics in 1931, before Hitler came to power in 1933. These Games were the first to be clearly affected by national and international politics. The Nazi regime openly set out to use the Berlin Games to impress international opinion, building a 100,000 seat stadium (designed by Albert Speer, Hitler’s architect), providing six gymnasiums, arranging for live TV coverage and installing a radio network that reached 41 countries. By the time of the Games, several countries including Republican Spain and Communist Soviet Union decided to boycotted them in protest against the German Nazi regime. Leni Riefenstahl’s film “Olympia” pioneered techniques of filming sport, but her “Triumph of the Will” showed the regime in its true light- revealed soon after the Games. In sporting terms, the Berlin Games are best known today for Jesse Owen’s performance as the most successful athlete in winning four gold medals: in the 100 metres, 200 metres, long jump and 4x100 metre relay. As a black athlete, his success annoyed the Nazis as it ran totally counter to their ideology of Aryan supremacy.

Canoeing

ohn Dudderidge,then Director of Physical Education at HABS, competed in the Canoeing in Berlin where it appeared as a full Olympic sport for the first time. As well as competing himself, John was in charge of training the British canoeing squad during the year leading up to the Games. The Berlin canoe competitions took place on 7 and 8 August at the Grunau Regatta Course on the Langer See near Berlin. 19 nations sent competitors, including four from Great Britain. John Dudderidge partnered John Brearley in the 10,000 metres men’s folding kayak doubles, completing the demanding course in 50 minutes 12 seconds and finishing eighth out of fifteen competitors. John wrote the following account for Skylark. “After nine months of intensive training, Great Britain’s Canoe team left for Berlin towards the end of July. We arrived in the early evening and were met by enthusiastic crowds. We trained both in the morning and evening, the afternoon being reserved for two hours sleep. The weather was very English, windy and wet, and the huge lake became very choppy. The Regatta course was over the length of an S-shaped lake about seven miles long, varying in width from a hundred yards to half a mile. On the day of the race all the competitors were taken by coach through the woods to the starting point, a row of pontoons stretched across the lake, each manned by a couple of soldiers. We were told the command (in German) to listen for, the flag fell and we were off. At first we lagged behind with one or two other canoes, then began to creep up, until at the second kilometre we ran level with two others at sixth place. For six kilometres, we held this place and then sprinted down the last kilometre, but so did the other two who crept a few yards ahead so that we finished eighth. The winners were Sweden, with Germany second and Austria third.

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LONDON 1948

he 1948 London Olympics were held just three years after the end of World War Two and were the first Summer Olympics since 1936. Germany and Japan were not invited and the Soviet Union sent no athletes. They were called the Austerity Games. London was pock-marked by bomb sites. Food and petrol were rationed. Most people were limited to 2,600 calories a day, but athletes in the Games were allowed 5,467 (the same as dockers and coal miners). No new facilities were built: at Wembley the athletes raced on a cinder track. There was no Olympic Village: many male competitors stayed in RAF camps and many female ones slept in local schools. There were a number of Haberdasher links with the 1948 Olympics. The 50 km Walk and the Marathon route went up Theobalds Street, within 100 yards of the Old Haberdashers’ Association Clubhouse and John Dudderidge was in charge of the Canoeing events. A number of then pupils and masters have vivid memories of these Games including John Kirkby and Malcolm Tappin as described below.

John Kirkby (1957)

was eight years old in 1948, in the Prep School and living in Borehamwood. This was still a village from which only four of us went to Haberdashers’. Two, Hanson (whose family ran a shop in Borehamwood until very recently) and Kibble were in the main school at Westbere Road, Cricklewood whilst Cattle and I went to the Prep at Chase Lodge, Mill Hill. The journey to school was an adventure in itself, by steam train. I vividly remember watching both the 50Km Walk and the Marathon, near where I lived, notably a policeman telling a motor cyclist not to get near to the competitors. The highlight of the Games for me was two visits to Wembley Stadium, to see the Athletics. We went on the Bakerloo line from Stanmore. Going down the new Olympic Way was exciting, seeing the twin towers in the distance and passing the buildings of the 1924 Empire Exhibition, which had been turned into factories during the Second World War. The crowds in the stadium were something I had never experienced before. The announcements were given first in English, and then in French. This was the first time I had knowingly heard a foreign language spoken. (There were no foreign languages on the curriculum in the Prep School!). One of the first events was throwing the Discus (my father said it was like a plate). The 200 metres heats puzzled me; why did they have a staggered start? One of the finals that day was the 800m when Arthur Wint of Jamaica came second. He was to be a major force in middle distance running for some years. (Three days later I saw him win Gold in the 400m.) These Games, however, were dominated by a Dutch woman, Fanny Blankers-Koen, who I saw winning the first of her four Gold medals in the 100m. On my second visit, my main memory was the 3,000m Steeplechase when the Swedes won all three medals. This was of particular interest to me as my father frequently visited Sweden.

old boys notes

Malcolm Tappin (1955)

n August 1948 I was 10¾. I had just finished at the Prep School at Chase Lodge and was about to start at Westbere Road. I lived in sight and sound of Wembley Stadium and had seen the preparations, which involved building the Olympic Way and remodelling Wembley Park Station. I was used to crowds at Cup Finals, England soccer games, and the Rugby League Final played at the Stadium, but they were one-offs. This was to be over two weeks of SPORT. What could be more interesting to a young boy? My family had got into the swing of watching sport as it resurfaced after the war. So my father carefully studied the timetable and we got tickets for the Opening Ceremony, athletics, swimming, football and boxing. The Opening Ceremony was held on a blistering hot day. All I knew was that the King would be there and that my mother insisted that I wore my new Habs blazer. Compared with present day spectacular presentations it was low key. The massed bands of the Brigade of Guards marched in full uniform in a temperature approaching the 90’s. The athletes strode in, the King declared the games open, the flame was brought in and the saucer was lit. Pigeons were released but were somewhat reluctant to fly. At this point, we youngsters crossed the running track with our programmes and obtained the autographs of some of the athletes. I still have that programme with its signatures. I saw Zatopek win the 10,000m and Fanny BlankersKoen win several women’s races. I remember the pole vault going on interminably in the rain and gloom with athletes trying to find shelter. As food was still rationed there was no corporate hospitality. We took some sandwiches and washed them down with a soft drink. It was here that I first tasted CocaCola. My father and I shared a bottle and decided it was nothing exceptional and would not be popular! The magic of the Olympics was partly to be able to see so many people from all round the world. The athletes slept on camp beds in schools and ate in the dining halls. I went to Alperton to see some Egyptians who were training for wrestling and weight lifting, and to Preston Road to see Canadians. For a couple of weeks, mundane Wembley seemed to me to be the cosmopolitan centre of the world. I feel fortunate to have been there and the memories remain. It had opened my eyes to the world out there that had been hidden from us during the war.”

Canoeing

n the Summer Term of 1948 “Skylark” noted “Mr. J.W. Dudderidge has had the onerous task of making all the arrangements for this year’s Olympic Canoe events at Henley. We feel proud that the School has been so intimately connected with the XIVth. Olympiad. Mr. Dudderidge has already introduced the delights of canoeing to several members of the Upper School and hopes to make it a definite school activity in the near future. Perhaps he will find some future Olympic champions amongst us.’

London 1948 Opening ceremony at Wembley

Right: Fanny Blankers Coen, winner of four gold medals in 1948.

old boys notes

MELBOURNE 1956

he 1956 Melbourne Olympics held from 22 November – 8 December were the first to be held in the southern hemisphere, and were nicknamed the “Friendly Games” although they coincided with unfriendly international events. Iraq and Libya boycotted the Games because of the Suez Crisis. The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland boycotted them because the Soviet Union attended- it had just crushed the Hungarian Uprising. Two HABS masters attended these Games: John Dudderidge and David Thomas. John was the GB Canoeing coach and team manager (as he was for the 1952 Helsinki Games) following his triumph of organisation at the 1948 Olympics. David Thomas was a regular Welsh hockey international in the 1950s and a member of the GB Hockey team in Melbourne. Extracts from their descriptions of their experiences in “Skylark” are set out below. Perhaps most noteworthy by today’s standards is the length and complexity of the journey from London to Melbourne. There were no direct flights so even travel by air took nearly a week and involved several stop-overs before the travellers reached Australia.

Canoeing

“

Mr. Thomas went by the western route on the first plane of the airlift; I went by the eastern route on the last plane, with a mixed bag of wrestlers, riflemen, cyclists and canoeists, all sports coming into action on the second week of the Games. We travelled via Rome, Istanbul, Baghdad, Karachi, Colombo to Singapore. There we stayed for two days, seeing the sights and enjoying ourselves before taking off on the last lap for Darwin and Melbourne. At the airport we received a warm welcome and were then taken by bus to the small town of Ballarat. A disused emigrants’ camp on the outskirts of town had been converted into a comfortable Olympic Village for the rowing and canoeing teams, and with only about 400 competitors in residence it became a very friendly place. The Canoeing events were held on a large artificial lake nearly two miles across, on the outskirts of town. Most European crews expected hot weather, and it was very disconcerting to find strong winds and very cold rain and hail. The lake was whipped into white-tipped waves that swept over the launching stages and on some days stopped rowing crews from training. Sixteen nations entered with Eastern European teams in particular, performing well. The British team took seventh, eighth and ninth in our three races, a very satisfactory result to me as Coach and Team Manager.”

Hockey

avid Thomas described his experiences as follows. “After we had travelled by plane in stages across the USA and the Pacific, large crowds met us at Melbourne airport, and it was an exhausted British contingent that reached the Olympic Village later in the day. We had been travelling for five and a half days, and had actually been in the air for half of that time, and little did we realise the effect it had on us until we attempted to train the morning after our arrival!

old boys notes

The weather in Melbourne was fickle but changed on the Opening Day, for the sun shone from the early morning. The British team, dressed in white flannels, navy blue blazers and panama hats, paraded in the Main Arena with competitors from all the other countries, each contingent preceded by its national flag. The Duke of Edinburgh declared the Games open, to a fanfare of trumpets and a salute of guns. Our own difficulties came early on, for it was a weary and battered British Hockey Team that tried to recover on the first Sunday from playing –and only drawing- its first two matches. However, by beating Australia twice in two days, we eventually qualified for the semi-final a day later. We felt our misfortunes were behind us when we faced Pakistan for the right to enter the final and the certainty, as we thought, of at least a Silver Medal. However, from 2-0 down in the first five minutes we fought back only to lose a magnificent game by 3-2. Three days later a leg-weary, rather bruised team lost its chance of a Bronze Medal to Germany, who we had beaten at home earlier in the year.

ROME 1960

he 1960 Olympics, held in Rome from 25 August to 11 September, were relatively uncontroversial but, like the 1957 Sputnik, acted as a “wake-up call” to the United States, which won only 71 medals to the Soviet Union’s 103. John Dudderidge attended as a member of the International Jury of Appeal, but the main Haberdashers’ contribution was from two athletes: Victor Charles Matthews (OH) who ran in the 110m Hurdles and Michael John Palmer (a teacher) who competed in the 3,000m steeplechase.

8 minutes 45 seconds, so raced throughout the summer to secure selection. After the “British Games” on 13 August, sponsored by the News of the World, he was selected to represent Great Britain in the 3,000 metres steeplechase. However, The Times sounded a note of caution for Britain’s chances in Rome: “It was all good fun, but now the roll of drums can be faintly heard and we must be prepared for the heads of Britain’s champions to fall.” The warning was prescient. After, the British team had endured the opening ceremony under a blazing sun, Michael Palmer came 8th in his steeplechase heat, a performance that The Times judged to be “most disappointing”.

110 m Hurdles

ic Matthews ran in the Men’s 110m hurdles. It had been a tough challenge for him to achieve the Olympic qualifying time of 14.4 seconds during the first half of 1960. In April, The Times reported that “Matthews began the evening with a sparkling performance, coming up fast over the three final flights” setting an Iffley Road ground record of 14.5 seconds and that “Matthews gained a double success by following up his high hurdles win with victory in the 220 yards low hurdles, achieving a personal best time of 24.2 seconds.” Once in Rome, Vic Matthews came sixth in the third heat of the men’s 110 metres hurdles. His own description is as follows: “The Rome track was slow for sprint events. In the hurdles, Martin Lauer who held the world record of 13.2 seconds, only managed 14.0 in the final to finish fourth. I got through my heat, but in the next round I was drawn in lane one which was pretty cut up, and I lost my rhythm and hit a hurdle pretty hard to finish last. It happens to the best, as we saw many times in the London Games, but I would have loved to have run on the modern all-weather tracks. Apart from competing, the Games was a great experience. I think that I saw all the athletics once I was eliminated from my event. I also went to a lot of weightlifting, which was held in the evenings in a venue within the village. The finish of the marathon was special with it being the first gold medal won by an East African, Ethiopian Bikila Abele, so this race really heralded the rise of the dominance of East African distance running.”

3,000 m Steeplechase

ichael Palmer joined Haberdashers’ as an English teacher at the start of the 1960 Summer Term. “Skylark” remarked with some understatement that he was “quite a noted athlete” as he had won a Cambridge Blue for cross-country, the inter-varsity cross-country three times and the Southern Counties steeplechase three years in succession as well as representing Great Britain against West Germany. In June 1960, Michael ran for England against Italy and was only 0.8 seconds outside the Olympic qualifying time of

old boys notes

Haberdashers’ Olympians David FC Thomas

D John Dudderidge OBE

ohn Dudderidge’s life and career were both long and distinguished. He died aged 97 in 2004, nearly having retired in 1966 after 30 years at Haberdashers’. John taught Chemistry and Biology and served as Head of PE until 1956, Housemaster of Calverts from 1956 to 1966 and also founded the Special Services Unit (SSU) as an alternative activity to the CCF to enable boys to provide service to school and the community. John was if possible, even more active outside school, as was recognised in 1963, when he was awarded the OBE for “services to British canoeing”. Canoeing became John’s passion in the 1930s, leading him to help found the British Canoe Union to compete in the 1936 Olympics and to become the first Secretary of the BCU in 1939. He retired from that role in 1959 to become President of the BCU until 1977 when he was nominated President of Honour. In 1980, John retired from 35 years’ membership of the International Canoe Federation’s Board (including ten years as President) and was presented with a gold medal and Hon. Life Membership. John’s Olympic career was unparalleled as he was either a competitor or an official at every Olympic canoe event between 1936 and 1996. John always retained his independence and zest for life and at the age of 97 took his first gliding lesson! John Carleton, former Second Master recalls: “I first met John Dudderidge in September 1960 when I joined the chemistry staff at the school in Westbere Road. I was a raw graduate, straight from university and John was a wise multitalented schoolmaster of many years’ experience. From the first day he offered advice, guidance and friendship, but always left room for the young teacher to find his feet. John was well liked and respected by his colleagues. When the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico took place in term time, John’s departmental colleagues all agreed that he must go and that we would share his classes. On his return we were all surprised and greatly moved to each be presented with a pair of Mexican silver cufflinks together with a Mexican silver pendant for our wives, a wonderful way of saying thank you - John never took anyone for granted!”

old boys notes

avid Thomas joined Haberdashers’ as Assistant P.E. Master in 1948 under John Dudderidge succeeding him in 1956 as Head (later Director) of Physical Education. In 1961, he also became the first Head of the Boarding House when the School moved to Elstree. “DFCT”, as pupils and colleagues alike knew him, served the school with distinction until 1968 when he became Manager of the Community Sports Centre at Bingham in Nottinghamshire. Although excelling in many sports, David Thomas’s main competitive sport was hockey, which he played at international level for Great Britain (including at the 1960 Olympics) and Wales for whom he won 32 caps in the 1950s and 60s. He also captained the team and later became the Welsh team manager. David was also a county level tennis player, winning the 1954 Middlesex Tennis Doubles and a first class club rugby player. Since leaving the School, David has kept in touch with many former colleagues and returned in 1995 to open the school’s first astro turf all-weather playing surface as was recorded on a plaque affixed to its gate (sadly, the plaque is no longer there). Dai Barling (a fellow Welsh rugby player) paid the following tribute to David Thomas when he left HABS. “From the moment when he joined the staff he applied to all his tasks that enthusiasm, skill and organising ability which earned him success over so many years in the field of international sport. For his longstanding colleagues there is comfort in the fact that in their more active days they could at least match him in pace and skill with the rugby or cricket ball in the annual matches against the First XV and First XI in which his selection for the Staff side was always a foregone conclusion.”

Top-left: John Dudderidge; Bottom-left: David FC Thomas opens the new Astroturf pitches; Below: Vic Matthews (1st from left) in the 110 yards hurdles at the British Games in 1959

Vic Matthews

s far as we know, Vic Matthews is the only former Haberdashers pupil to have been an Olympic competitor. He joined the school in September 1946 and left in July 1951. and was a leading member of the school Athletics team as well as competing for the Herne Harriers club while still at school. Vic studied at Loughborough College from 1954-57, then taught at the Royal Masonic School, Bushey. Within a year of leaving school, Vic became Surrey Junior Champion in the 120 yards high hurdles and runner-up in the 220 yards low hurdles. His athletics career in the hurdles and decathlon developed throughout the 1950s and he competed regularly at county then international level before being selected for the GB team at the 1960 Olympics. Vic also ran for the Old Haberdashers’ Athletics Club, which was still active then. On 22 May 1960, to mark his achievements, the OHAC gave Vic a well-attended celebratory supper in the Clubhouse at Croxdale Road in Elstree Vic emigrated to New Zealand but during the 1975-76 academic year returned to Loughborough University to study for a B.Ed. in Creative Design. He returned to Loughborough again in 2009 to attend its centenary and to receive an honorary degree. Vic and his wife Hilary are still settled in New Zealand, although his son and grandson live in Thame, from where they were able to use the tickets allocated to Vic by the 2012 British Olympic Committee. Vic is well remembered by the many Old Haberdashers of his generation who meet for “Old Lags Lunches” at the Croxdale Road Clubhouse.

Michael Palmer

ichael Palmer, joined HABS from Cambridge University as an English teacher in the 1960 Summer Term. “Skylark” remarked that he was “quite a noted athlete”. Michael had already won a Blue for cross-country, won the inter-varsity cross-country and Southern Counties steeplechase three years in succession and had run for Great Britain against West Germany. After his disappointing performance in Rome he continued to represent Britain in the steeplechase during the 1960s. Michael left Haberdashers’ in 1964 to teach English for the British Council in Thailand, and ultimately retired in St. Albans. He was an experimental and innovative teacher of English who introduced an Arts Supplement to “Skylark. Keith Dawson paid the following tribute: “Mike Palmer was one of the most agreeable and amusing colleagues in a teachers’ Common Room that in the early 1960’s had its fair share of rigid reactionaries and progressive Young Turks. The records show that he was just 6’0” tall and weighed a little over 11 stone but my memory is of a far more powerful presence than these figures suggest. He was what used to be called ‘rangy’- long-limbed and long-bodied with strong legs that could take on, if not quite defeat, the very best in the world. Michael Palmer’s far too early death was a great sadness to everyone who knew him but he is remembered with affection and pride. It was a great privilege to have known him.”

old boys notes

LONDON 2012

e are not aware of any Old Haberdashers having competed in the London 2012 Olympic or Paralympic Games. However, a number played important roles in the delivery and organisation of the Games and as officials, coaches and trainers at the many events. Those we know of include:

John Fernau, former school captain, was Head of Procurement for the Olympic Delivery Authority, the organisation that built the venues and infrastructure for the Games. Trevor Hyde (former Maths teacher), Chris Schey and Greg Charles (two former members of his HABS water polo teams) officiated at the Olympic water polo matches. Jared Baker and Ben Kohler, both current pupils, were Games Maker volunteers, flag-bearers who led water polo teams to the pool-side and ball-boys who retrieved balls that went out of the play area. Stewart McKane, a current HABS teacher, assisted with anti-drug testing for Boxing, Fencing and Taekwondo at ExCel Colin Blessley, OHA President (2012-13), was Finance and Commercial Director for the London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremonies Shyam Thackerer OH was a member of the Olympic Village Security force. Rahmin Esmail and Theo Gluckstein, OH, were members of the ExCel support squad at the Opening, Victory and Closing ceremonies. Jeremy Cox, former English teacher) has been chosen to manage the cycling legacy in the Velo Park that is to be developed in and around the Olympic Velodrome after the Games. Lance Anisfeld whose family business, Formanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, was previously located on the Olympic site and forced to move premises. Their new venue overlooking the Olympic Stadium hosted and provided hospitality to many visitors and spectators during the Games. Col. Richard Harrold, OBE, Deputy Governor of the Tower of London was responsible for the safekeeping of the Olympic medals and the Torch which was abseiled into the Tower on 20 July 2012.

old boys notes

HABS Athletics team 1951 Alan Woolford was the captain, Vic Matthews on the front row second from the right with Fred Benghiat on his left.

Alan Woolford (on right) and his wife visiting the Matthews (on left) in Coromandel (2005)

Reflections of an Olympian By Vic Matthews - competed in 110m Hurdles at 1960 Olympics

s I watched the London Olympics on TV from the other side of the world (NZ), I could not but reflect on the changes compared to ‘my’ Olympics in Rome in 1960. Some, in my biased viewpoint, I would regard as an improvement, but others I think have been retrograde steps. Of course with a 52-year gap one expects changes, and if one had looked back for an identical period of time in 1960, it would have been the time of the first London Olympics in 1908. At least we flew to Rome, but not in a jet aircraft, and there was TV, but black and white and no satellite, but 1908 was still the age of steam. One overriding impression of London 2012 was that there are too many sports involved, and the whole event is too expensive to run and is quite unwieldy. There were 26 sports in London compared to 17 in Rome and that was two less than the previous three Olympics. However, in Rio in 2016, Rugby 7’s and Golf will be added and I would question whether either is really required. Although, as a New Zealander, I should support a sport in which my adopted country will almost certainly pick up medals! When I was competing, Geoff Dyson was the British Chief Athletics coach, and he had a somewhat Draconian attitude as to which sports should be in the Olympics. He would have eliminated all team sports, any sport involving really expensive equipment such as horses and boats, and any which already held world championships. There are only four or five sports which have been included in every Olympic games and I think it would only be in men’s athletics that the events have remained constant. I am glad that drugs were not on the scene when I was competing, although in 1960 a Danish cyclist in the time trial died having taken drugs without factoring in the temperature difference between Rome and his home in Denmark. Drugs in athletics only started to be a problem in the mid 1960’s, and the fact that only one athlete was disqualified from the London Games is a huge step in the right direction. One aspect of the modern athlete these days is the fact that he or she must be a professional to succeed, and I really deprecate that. When I was competing we were all in paid work or were students – I think the only ‘full

old boys notes

timer’ was Gordon Pirie, and he was an exception. The effect of this is that there is a huge gap between the professional, and the athlete who is not quite good enough to get the funding to compete and train full time. Three years ago in 2009, I was in England, and went to the British Athletic Championships held in Birmingham. It just happened to be the fiftieth anniversary of the only time I won the 120 yards hurdles at the Amateur Athletic Association Championships - as they were then. I sat with John Salisbury a long-time friend, fellow Loughborough graduate and British International,. We both agreed that although we would not have been placed in our events with our personal best times, we would have probably made the finals. Some of the fifth to eighth placings were very ordinary performances, and there were even some straight finals with no preliminary rounds. I see the same kind of thing in New Zealand. The so-called traditional sports are losing numbers because of this gulf between the professional and those not quite bridging the gap. However, many new sports attract huge numbers. I live in a small community where two men decided to promote a series of cycle races and multi sports events. Our road cycle race has to have a cut off in entries at 1,000. There is an annual 100 mile cycle race round Lake Taupo which attracts over 10,000 cyclists. I rode in it four times, and it is a fantastic event with everybody has his or her own personal goal. My last Olympic comment is that I hate medal tables! They are largely meaningless, but the media seems to concentrate on little else. New Zealand won 14 medals in London, so there were tables showing comparison in the number of golds, the number of medals, the number of medals per capita, and even number of medals compared with the country’s GDP! I was really depressed when the head of ‘SPARC’ in NZ, the organisation which doles out government funds for individual sports, was interviewed on TV. He stated that we must ‘target’ the sports where New Zealand is most likely to win medals in Rio. In other words, never send a long distance runner to the Olympics, however good, because the medals will all be won by Africans. This is not the Games that I knew.

Colin Blessley – Finance & Commercial Director London 2012 Ceremonies

joined London 2012 Ceremonies (L2012C) in the summer, after being asked to take on the role of Finance & Commercial Director. My responsibilities cover a wide variety of areas, including financial and treasury planning, management and financial accounting, human resources and payroll, procurement, accounts payable, insurance, risk management, taxes and overall administration of the operating company which was responsible for the development of the design concept and the transformation of these concepts into workable entertainment proposals, as well as the implementation and delivery of the Olympics and Paralympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The period covered by the actual staging of the Ceremonies was characterised by intense activity against a backdrop of deadlines which could not be missed – bearing in mind that all four Ceremonies were being transmitted to some of the largest television audiences in the history of the media and the Olympics and Paralympics themselves. Every Ceremony was meticulously planned, second by second, minute by minute. Amazingly detailed scripts were produced, with every role defined, whether relating to the thousands of performers themselves or to all the back-up and support crews. Exhaustive rehearsals were held of individual acts, as well as a minimum of two full rehearsals plus a final dress rehearsal. Many of these were held on the site of a former Ford manufacturing plant at Dagenham, which had been flattened as part of a redevelopment project. L2012C prepared the site and laid it out as an exact replica of the field of play of the Olympic Stadium, in order to ensure that

rehearsals were carried out in the most realistic and precise environment. Only in this way could the detailed timings, coordination and synchronisation be tested and confirmed. It is a major accolade of all the major artists involved, that they insisted that they were involved in the rehearsal sessions. One of the major concerns centred around the preservation of the surfaces of the running track and the field of play infield, particularly in view of the heavy equipment which would be using the perimeter during the Ceremonies. Exhaustive tests were carried out on different protective materials and it is a major tribute to the Technical and Operations teams that no repairs or refurbishment were required. This is particularly commendable when the available time for the erection and dismantling of the sets is taken into account – overnight in every case. Personal opinions may vary regarding the Ceremonies, but the overall impression is that they were, each Ceremony in its own way, a great success. The number of spectators who tuned in worldwide is testimony to this. One of the major internal gratifications was the success of the Paralympic Games and their related Ceremonies. Now the party is over and my role is now to ensure the orderly winding-up and liquidation of the company – a very different challenge. What is certain, however, is that the memory of the Ceremonies, which generated significant business and employment for Britain, will remain strong and warm for many years to come. It has been a wonderfully rewarding and entertaining experience and I have made a significant number of friends with whom I will stay in touch in future – maybe taking me as far as Rio 2016!

old boys notes

HABS WATER POLO OFFICIALS, LONDON 2012 by Trevor Hyde, Head of Water Polo and Maths teacher (1989 to 2007)

Trevor Hyde

had the privilege of officiating as a technical water polo official at the 2012 London Olympic Games. On returning home, I received a questionnaire and I replied with just 4 words to a question asking me to summarize my feelings: PRIDE, HONOUR, PLEASURE, EXHILLARATION. My interest in water polo started when I went to University to study Mathematics, play music and cricket. However, the University did not have winter practice facilities for cricket so I joined the Swimming Club and soon became involved in Life Saving and Water Polo. In my 2nd year I became the Club Secretary, and on graduating I became the founder Secretary of the Ruislip Northwood Swimming Club. I continued to play water polo for the club. The advertisement for my first teaching post asked for a Mathematics teacher prepared to undertake extra-curricular activities, particularly swimming. As a new teacher, I was given the most difficult class in the school with 16 year olds who had failed their O-levels and could not reach the Sixth Form. In my first week of teaching, the Ruislip Northwood SC Water Polo Team had a League match against an Ealing club. As I walked onto the poolside. I heard 2-3 voices saying “’ello sir, didn’t know you played water polo. Can we have a school team?” These were 2-3 characters from my “difficult class”. Once I said that I would try to arrange it, teaching became that much easier. I had no trouble with the school’s most difficult class—my reputation, as such, spread round the school, and I decided that teaching was the right profession for me. I gained enough success with the school team that I was asked to coach the Middlesex County U16 team and became the joint founder of the Schools Water Polo League. One year later I was appointed as Team Manager to the Southern Counties U16 Water Polo Team. I continued with County coaching for 39 years and with Southern Counties Team Management for 18 years. In this time period I decided that I needed to gain coaching qualifications so I took the appropriate courses. The success of the Schools Water Polo League (which was, and still is, based roughly around London and the South East) led on the establishment the English Schools Water Polo Championships with the support of the English Schools Swimming Association for which I became the Hon. Water Polo Organizer. This Championship became the biggest junior water polo competition in Great Britain. I remained in post for 26 years and also served, for 9 years, as the ESSA Team Manager for International Water Polo Matches. In 1989, I joined HABS as a Mathematics teacher to replace Mike Hepworth and also took over his responsibility

old boys notes

for the School Water Polo team. One water polo player (Nick Harris) came up with the idea of making a timing system for water polo for his Technology Course. Neither he, nor I, had really grasped the extent of the problems that this would involve. The project was “completed” on a very fundamental basis. A few years later Michael McLoughlin (Maths Dept) became interested in this old idea and in designing a fully working piece of equipment. Despite his lack of knowledge of water polo, Michael spent many hours with me at the pool, watching the game, learning the problems involved in the timing of the sport and producing ideas for a computer programme to control the game. Angus Thomas who had just retired as Head of Design & Technology, produced the fibreglass “boxes” which housed the control panel, the possession timers, and the main scoreboard. The equipment which Michael and Angus created caught the attention of the external water polo and was bought by many organizations, including the the British Water Polo League and the ASA. My involvement in this development led to my becoming a “table official” (match timekeeper, possession timekeeper, and match secretary) on the Club, County and eventually National circuits. I also began to recruit and train HABS pupils, using the SCS slot and the school began to produced between 3 and 10 new officials a year who joined me on in turn trips across the whole country to officiate in the National Water Polo League. I am pleased and proud not only to have made HABS a leading water polo playing school but also a source of many officials, essential for running any competitions. Two of my “trainees”, Chris Charles and Greg Schey went from being school helpers to Olympic Officials within a period of some 8 years. Two others, Alex Charles and Olly officiated, with me, at the European Water Polo Women’s Championships in Manchester, in 2007. The London Olympics venture were the icing on the top of the cake for me. After nearly 50 years involvement in water polo I thought that I might be considered too old to officiate as a Technical Official, so I volunteered as a Games Maker. I was extremely pleased and proud to be placed on the officials list together with Chris and Greg. Water Polo in the Olympics Aquatic Centre was a superb and exciting experience. Every game was played to the accompaniment of 5,000 cheering supporters, hooters, klaxons, and music; making it difficult at times for the official’s whistles and klaxons to be heard. A controversy in the Croatia v Spain Preliminary Round match focussed our minds on the need to get all decisions “right”. With just 6 seconds of the game remaining a goal judge signalled “goal”; the leading referee over-ruled him, and the second referee gave no decision. A moment later the TV screens showed the goal judge was right; but the decision could not be changed. A furore ensued for several minutes and the FINA Governing body held an inquiry, which resulted in two of the three officials involved being sent home. This put

Opposite top: Trevor Hyde receiving National Sports Teacher of The Year award in 2001

even more pressure on the rest of us. We had to officiate for the whole of a 2-game session lasting about two hours and forty minutes and covered 34 games at top Olympic level in 14 days. So concentration was essential and challenging. Greg Schey and I were on the same team of officials, whilst Chris was on the other team. The two teams enjoyed friendly rivalry in being considered as the “better” team, so our standards were kept high. At the end of the Games the top FINA officials and referees complimented all the officials on the high standard that we had maintained. As Games officials we were superbly well looked after by the Organisers. We looked smart in our official and casual uniforms, supplied respectively by Next and Adidas. The Olympic hotel staff were always smiling and helpful, as were the Games makers throughout the Olympic Park. The army and police personnel at the security were highly efficient and we were not delayed by security issues. On the top of this, we received invitations from FINA to a formal dinner after the Games for all officials in water polo, swimming, synchronized swimming, diving, and marathon swimming. This was held in the foyer of the Natural History Museum, in South Kensington; with 600 people sitting down at tables alongside the dinosaur skeleton, and the stairs at the other end providing a superbly lit backdrop. There was also entertainment after the meal. Water Polo was one of only 2 sports whose officials had to be present in the Olympic Park throughout the period of the Games. This qualified us for free tickets for both the Opening and the Closing Ceremonies, a rare and welcome privilege. The atmosphere was great as was the whole experience. Before the Games, I had set my TV recorder to record the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, but so far I haven’t found enough time to view them (long winter evenings may provide the answer to this problem). The photos I took will always bring me pleasant memories of this superb occasion. London and GB, can be very proud of the Summer of 2012, just as I’m so proud to have been involved at this peak of the sporting world.

Above: Left to right - Trevor Hyde, Chris Charles, Greg Schey.

old boys notes

Greg Schey

ith 5000 people all on their feet screaming, clapping and shouting their team on, being in the stands at the London 2012 Olympic water polo arena is a unique and adrenalinepumping experience! However, being sat opposite the stand on the table as one of the officials offers a different and,in my opinion, better experience of the Games. Water polo is a bit like football in principle but with the ball passed between seven players in a pool. Players can only use one hand and no standing is allowed. Above the water, the two referees on either side of the pool can see what is going on and can call fouls, which may result in a player being sin-binned for 20 seconds (a long time in water polo when each team has a maximum of 30 seconds of possession time!). Below the water, however, the unwritten rule is that anything goes. Water polo is undoubtedly one of the most physically demanding sports for strength and stamina. The role of the officials (equivalent to linesmen and the fourth official in football) is to make sure all other aspects of the game run smoothly. I began playing water polo at HABS in year 7 (age 11) and first started refereeing and officiating at 13 years of age at school which then gave me the opportunity to improve my skills at the National Water Polo League (NWPL). My schoolmates and I quickly learned the ropes and moved up the divisions. At the age of 16 (5th form) I was regularly officiating at division 1 and seeing the best water polo this nation has to offer. (As an aside, I found that watching the players helped my own game). By my sixth form years, London had won the 2012 Olympic bid and many referees and officials around Britain were trying to get a place on the team of officials. (The host country provides all the officials and one referee with other nations providing more referees). I too stepped up my commitment and effort and started officiating international games, aged 18. My run up to the Olympics included top domestic and international events hosted in the UK. I was delighted to be chosen among the 14 officials (organised as 2 teams of 7) selected by FINA after an application process and then given further training. So how was the experience of being at the Olympics? The short answer is: an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience I shall never forget. The long answer is, perhaps unsurprisingly, very long indeed. I shall do my best to abridge it slightly. Firstly, the matches. The Olympics are a special event in the water polo calendar. The powerhouse nations of the sport (Hungary and the former Yugoslav nations) pull out all the stops and really try hard. This makes not only for incredible games, but a fantastic atmosphere. The Hungarian fans turned up in their hundreds complete with designated cheerleaders (as did the Aussies). The Serbs also turned out en masse with repeated chants of “SRBIJA! SRBIJA! SRBIJA!” audible even over the din of the other fans. And of course the Yanks appeared in the stands with seemingly more star-spangled banners than fans and the ever present “U.S.A.” chant...

Greg Schey

old boys notes

These are truly moments not to be missed. Aside from the fact that it is a privilege to be able to watch and officiate the best games of water polo the world has to offer, the role comes with a load of perks too! A hotel room 10 minutes from the pool, tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies, all aquatic events and expenses paid for definitely sweetened the experience. Sneaking into other venues to watch events also made for great evening entertainment. However, the most important aspect of my Games experience was the real camaraderie and Olympic spirit evident everywhere for 2 and a half weeks. Though it can sometimes be difficult to live, work and socialise with the same small group of people for a long period of time in a high pressured role, I was pleased that the group bonded well together and worked very well as a unit. People have asked me what my favourite moment of officiating at the water polo was. There are far too many to write about, but I don’t think I will ever forget the drama of Spain vs Croatia in group stages with a disallowed goal for Spain in the last second allowing Croatia to win (who eventually went on to win gold). If you’re curious, I believe there are still some videos floating around the internet of the Spanish coach going crazy. Finally, I am told that the experience of being an official at the Olympics is not too different from any other major sporting event. For this reason, I urge you, the reader, to get involved in whichever sport you are interested in and hopefully you too will have as memorable a time as I did.

Chris Charles

Chris Charles on duty (top) and at the opening ceremony (left)

hen I started officiating at HABS with Trevor Hyde, I never considered the prospect of doing it for over 10 years and getting involved in the Olympics as a result. I slowly built up experience and knowledge which increased my confidence so that I could officiate at the top division matches in the UK. The weekends were fun and provided a nice break from Cambridge but definitely used up my precious free time. I played a bit while at university but with so many sports on offer, officiating was my link back to water polo. The company was good and I could relax with a few drinks after matches after travelling to random parts of Britain where I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anybody. Once I started working it became harder to lose weekends but thankfully I was invited to higher quality matches which kept me on my toes. I had covered the British championships while at university but the Europeans added another level of challenge. The prospect of working at the Olympics also began to attract me. I figured there was nothing to lose by showing dedication and motivation to improve and I had a chance of being selected. The selection process lasted almost a year. We were invited to apply in November 2010 then in August 2011, I received the first indication of possible success through an email inviting me to officiate at the GB v Rest of the World tournament in Manchester and finally found when we found out for sure in October 2011. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to underestimate the amount of preparation and planning that went into the Olympics. LOCOG did an amazing job of co-ordinating us all and arranging the required test events and training. The run-up period went

very quickly and it felt like only weeks between the Test Event and the real thing. In the Games themselves, the competitive edge ensured we were completely focused the whole way through every match and prevented mistakes. While there were a lot of matches (66 in total) and I had to take the entire Games period off as holiday there were many benefits that made it a once-in-a lifetime experience. Seeing both the Opening and Closing ceremonies, enjoying the best seats in the venue for every Aquatics sport were among the highlights that made the Games very special and an experience to remember for the rest of my life. It shows how amazing experiences can result come from unexpected situations with hard work and determination. I have to thank both Trevor Hyde and HABS for starting me off in water polo at school.

old boys notes

Matthew Irish (left) and James Kattan (right) representing GB in a Junior Water Polo International in 1996. Matthew captained England Juniors and James captained GB Juniors, whilst they were both at Haberdashers.

This is a note from Simon Threlfall; who was one of the U19 Haberdashers’Water Polo Team which won the 1997-8 English Schools National Championships. The ESSA Water Polo Championships is the largest junior water polo championships in the Country. This win followed on in the season immediately after the summer holiday trip which I took to New Zealand (North Island) and Australia (Victoria and New South Wales). I believe that that particular trip gave the team such a great experience that it showed through in their performances in the 1997-8 season. In the period of 1 month we played 31 matches—some as one-off matches; others in tournament format. Trevor Hyde

irstly I did water polo simply because I enjoyed the competitiveness and comradery. I enjoyed swimming, but the team element was what got us hooked. I don’t think I realised at school how competitive I am, but since I have left and been on a few team building things with work it surprised me how much I enjoyed being part of a team, but also how much I then want that team to do well. So the water polo was great - a team sport which required various skills to do well at. With Matt (Irish) and James (Kattan) in the team we had a fantastic team and obviously did very well. I never really focused on wanting to be part of the Middlesex or Southern England teams, both were just a consequence of training hard for the school team and especially the tour, but I was very proud to be selected. The tour was a great motivator. It made everyone push themselves a bit more and focus, rather than just enjoying the sport - on a very clear goal, whereas I think sometimes (despite the competitive spirit) you can just feel like there will be another opportunity around the corner when you are young, so not as focused as you could be. My favourite memories are probably playing in the Sydney Olympic pool, playing in various schools finals and beating Kings School, Grantham after many hard fought games.

by Simon Threlfall

old boys notes

Top:Montenegro attack. Bottom: Great Britain against Russia.

old boys notes

Cross-Country: the Goater family contribution

by Julian Goater

aberdashers’ has continued to excel at crosscountry and athletics from the 1960s through to the present day. One of the main contributors to this success was Barry Goater, who taught Biology from the 1950’s to the 1980’s and for many years was in charge of cross-country running. He was also Captain of the Old Haberdashers’ Athletics Club team when it operated of which Vic Matthews and Michael Palmer were members. Barry’s son Julian (OH 1971) became the first Haberdasher to win a national schools cross-country title as well as winning summer athletics titles. Julian later became an international athlete. He has given us his account of how Haberdashers’ inspired his running career. “Cross-country at Haberdashers’ got me involved in running, and set me on the road to winning English national titles and competing in World and European Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Of course in my day, between 1966 and 71 my Dad, Barry, was the inspiration behind the school cross-country team- but I never, ever, felt any compulsion from him to run. Some of my classmates would offer kindly-meant consoling words, asking ‘Does your Dad make you run to school?’ and I would have to reassure them that I was actually doing it because I liked running and wanted to get faster! In those innocent days, before the dogma of ‘Health and Safety’, we went on training runs outside the school grounds. Often PE lessons and House competitions involved running beside the reservoir, along Elstree Hill, and back through the trees to Aldenham House without any supervision from teachers at all. School cross-country was exciting and consisted largely of 6-man team relays. I found them to be the best way to discover how fast I could run, often starting a minute behind the leaders and having to try to chase them down. No tactics- it was just flat out all the way. The season spanned the autumn and the spring terms, and there were sometimes two races a week. One Saturday I went to the John Lyon Relay in the morning and the TVH Open Schools race in the afternoon, giving the Headmaster, Dr. Taylor, the double pleasure of presenting us with two lots of medals in the Monday morning school assembly! The more medals we won, the more boys wanted to join the Cross-Country Club. Competition for places in the team was so fierce, and standards were so high, that we were unbeaten in 1970 and 1971, and regularly had half a dozen boys competing in the English schools championships. My best race at school was probably the one on the weekend just before my A-levels started, when I won the Southern Counties 3000m in a time which was then an age-17 world record. I’d won the 1500m the day before. Not all my teachers were happy that I was still training and racing as A-levels approached…indeed, many sporty sixth-formers had been persuaded to stop playing for that term in order to concentrate on their revision. But yes, despite their fears I still managed to do o.k. in my A-levels! The highlight of the year was our home fixture, the Goater Cup, which was a very prestigious event, attracting teams from as far away as King Henry VIII School,

old boys notes

Coventry, who were our fiercest and friendliest rivals. It was not an easy race to win, and perhaps our most crushing victory came in 1971. At the end of the 4th lap and with two laps to go we were in the lead, with Ben Brown and me still to run. We achieved the two fastest laps of the day with my Dad’s well-known war-cry “Ho Ho, Haberdashers’” echoing round the course. After I left Habs. in 1971 I went to Oxford, winning Blues for Athletics and Cross-Country, and setting the Varsity Match record for 5000m as a freshman, a record which still stands today. I competed in the World Student Games in 1973 and 75, coming 4th and 3rd in the 5000m, and ran in the World Cross-Country Championships in 1979, finishing 9th (but first scorer in England’s winning team). But overall this was a frustrating period as I failed to make any teams for the Olympics, European or Commonwealth Games. 1981 was a breakthrough year, when I won the National CrossCountry title by a record margin of almost two minutes, and finished 4th in the World Championships. Later in the year I went on to be ranked No. 1 in the country at 5000m. in a time just one second slower than Brendan Foster’s British record. In 1982 I was the top British 10km runner, winning the AAA title and coming 3rd in the Commonwealth Games, 5th in the European Championships, and setting a personal best time just four seconds outside Foster’s British record. From then on unfortunately it was all downhill, just scraping into the World Championships 5000m final in my last year as an international.

Top and above: Julian Goater and Barry Goater

Visit to the Olympic site and tour of Forman’s Salmon processing plant, 3 October 2011 by Jon Corrall

n a beautiful, sunny October day, 27 of us met at Bromley by Bow station, a station most of us had never heard of before, and given its position on the noisy A12 with four lanes of traffic flying past are unlikely to encounter again. So re-development was in the air as our visit combined the Old World and the New. Rachel Kolsky, our blue-badge guide, took us through the old industrial areas, along the canals, past mills and ware-houses, converted for new purposes, and along to the Olympic stadia, where despite constant governmental cries of ‘On time and on budget’ there still seemed an awful lot to do. But the buildings were there, the Olympic stadium, still looking a little skeletal without its outer coat, the Aquatics centre and the Velodrome with landscaping still to follow. It is ironic that Pudding Mill Lane, the station next to the stadium will not in fact be used, but the transport network via Stratford was very much in hand. Unless you are very rich, you will not be arriving by car or boat. We then had a real sense of history. After a splendid tea at Forman’s of – you’ve guessed it – salmon bagels and delicious cakes, Lance Forman OH gave a brilliant account of the family history and the re-location. (We at school know the family as the Anisfelds and will be so sad when Oliver completes his final year and follows his brother, Matthew, to university. The family has been a true friend of the School ever since the boys were in the Prep.) Founded in 1905, Forman’s is the oldest smokery in the East End and was forced to move to make way for the Olympic stadium. This meant a huge upheaval and was fraught with all sorts of logistical and financial difficulties. Mercifully all’s well that ends well and they have a brand new plant including a restraurant and function rooms with panoramic views directly overlooking the stadium. They were ideally placed for the many receptions associated with the Olympics. We also learnt about high-quality salmon processing and saw a true master at work with a razor sharp knife as he turned a large smoked salmon into a pack of thin playing cards in a matter of seconds. Astonishing. The entire process follows traditional methods and the principle of the freshest salmon, smoke, salt and nothing else added makes it a delicacy that supermarkets can only dream of. We also saw the picture gallery which gives hanging space to the many local artists in the area, and perhaps most remarkably, flamboyant and impressive graffiti on the walls of the toilets, a much better location for it than the outside of the factory! Lance knows how to broker a deal. So a terrific day out, and a great opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones. Many thanks to Lance and to Rachel. It was a true Habs’ experience to be entertained and educated at the same time.

Olympic Stadium under construction Bottom: Smoke salmon processing at Formans

old boys notes

Visit to the old School buildings at Westbere Road, 1 November 2011 by Rodney Jakeman

o marks the first fifty years of the school’s residence at Elstree, it was felt appropriate to arrange a visit to the former school buildings at Westbere Road, Hampstead NW2 for those OH who had attended school there. These now house the Hampstead School, a specialist Technology College with 1300 pupils and staff, speaking 52 languages, and displaying a level of enthusiasm and courtesy that did the present school authorities great credit. Jacques Szemalikowski, Headmaster & Mrs Margaret Johnson, Business Manager enthusiastically welcomed the group of forty former pupils of Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hampstead School. All were, by definition, either retired or approaching retirement, but the years just fell away as we entered once again those gates accompanied to our great delight by Mrs Margaret Taylor, widow of Dr ‘Tom’ W Taylor our then headmaster. We were shown round in small groups escorted by present day students who were in awe of some of the stories of fire watching days in World War 2, memories of the tuck shop (no longer there) and of Friday afternoon CCF parades. Some visitors had brought memorabilia and photographs to jog memories or in some cases correct them! Faces from the past came at us from all directions but sadly not always their names. The tour started at the present main entrance which had been the middle of our Dining Hall and is now divided up into offices. The former playing field now has a huge teaching block on it, opened in the ‘60s by Chris Chataway. The tennis courts survive, unlike the fives courts which have been demolished. The Nissen hut has gone to give more recreational space but the Science block is still serving that purpose, as are the roller black boards, the swivel opening Crittal windows and the weather vane of Merlin and his alchemist’s flask. Then on via the play ground area once occupied in the 50’s by temporary wooden classrooms for history and geography, to the buildings beyond the tuck shop that housed the 3rd and 2nd forms together with the

old boys notes

handicraft areas. Round then to the swimming pool and the gym above. What chatter there was as many clamoured for these to be unlocked to revive our memories. Our guides were delighted to grant our wish and as the key turned that distinctive aroma of chlorine assaulted the nostrils and there was the pool just as we had all remembered it, although some thought it had shrunk in size! Outside again and heading for the stairs up to the Hall but where was that bridge, the one that linked the main building to the junior school? Gone!! So it was by yet another security gate that we re-entered the present school library, the Hall as we knew it and the gallery running its length, topped by the herring-bone wooden ceiling. The stage is no more but replaced by a computer workstation area and a spiral stair case to another level. The tour parties were welcomed back to the Hall by the Head and members of his staff for coffee and biscuits. Jacques Szemalikowski addressed the gathering by saying how much he had appreciated our visit and outlined the work ethic of the school since he arrived 10 years ago. He also highlighted that he had instigated the cleaning and renovation of the huge Haberdasher crest brought from Hoxton in 1898 when the school moved to the “countryside” of Cricklewood. Jon Corrall, our President, expressing sincere thanks for making us so welcome and allowing us to revive our childhood experiences. As a former teacher of long-standing, Jon also felt well equipped to offer his sincere congratulations to Hampstead School under the guidance of the Headmaster and his excellent team on all that we had experienced especially the fantastic atmosphere and spirit exuded by the pupils and staff as we toured the campus. As a mark of our appreciation, Jon presented Jacques with a signed edition of “Serve and Obey, The Story of The Haberdashers’Aske’s Boys’ School” by John Wigley. Perhaps the chain was not entirely broken in 1961, and this visit had in some way renewed the link? The final word though should go to Margaret Taylor who remarked on leaving how much how much she felt that Tom would have approved of the visit!

Clockwise from top-left: Jakeman at the Pool , Jon Corrall presents the HABS history to the hosts; Vacher, Powell and Riccalton; shots of the building. Opposite page: Peter Shiells (left); Shiells, Yeadon and Powell (right)

old boys notes

Top: Doug avoids drawing attention to himself by adopting a nonchalant gait through Customs

Doug Whittaker’s Travels around the World – Himalayas 2011 Editor’s Note: Doug wrote this article in the summer of 2012 but sadly, just before embarking on his next trip to South America, he was diagnosed as having bowel cancer and died in December 2012 just as these Notes went to press. Doug’s own words in themselves reflect many qualities - his curiosity, enthusiasm, interest in people and intrepidness - for which we will remember him in addition to his multi-faceted contribution to Haberdashers’ during his long career at the School. A full obituary will be published in the next edition of the Notes.

thought that you might like to hear what former teachers are up to in retirement. Having put all my maths teaching, sailing instruction and CCF training to the test, I have been globetrotting to most parts of the world. You name the place, and I’ve probably been there. And that includes the Falklands, South Georgia, the North West Passage and many other faraway places. This is a short account of my visit to the Himalayan region in 2011. I flew from Delhi to the small Himalayan country of Bhutan. This place was an unknown world until quite recently. Indeed it could almost be James Hilton’s Shangri La. It’s still difficult to go there. The plane has to make a zig-zag approach down several valleys, below the mountain peaks, making sharp turns with the wings appearing to slice the mountain sides, until finally landing on a short runway in the town of Paro. Judging by the number of temples, it became quite clear to me that I was in a Buddhist state. Nothing is known about the place before the 6th century AD. There might have been warring tribes for all we know. However Buddhism arrived with missionaries from Tibet in 1616, and the population was fooled into accepting the faith. I went on, by bus, on the perilous journey to the capital of the nation – called Thimpu. Now that is quite a pub quiz question. Not to be daunted, I actually took the trouble to walk some distance up the slopes to take a downward look at the capital and I saw that everything in this nation, even the parliament buildings, were of Buddhist influence. Part of this means that education must be made available to every child, but that there is no compulsion for him to attend. This would be a freedom charter in the west, but out there – well they all appreciate the offer – and they desperately want to take it up. I freely wandered into some classrooms of a school, and gosh – it was in their faces – they enjoyed being there. I then went off on the perilous mountain road journey towards India. You can’t imagine how bad the roads were, as they circuited along narrow precipices in the fantastic mountain scenery. It took ten hours for the bus to travel just a hundred miles from Thimpu to the border with India. It really was an almost impassable narrow Himalayan mountain road, reduced to a cart track in parts. It was festooned with pot holes and boulders, and we

old boys notes

saw several Land Rovers that had toppled over the side. Finally we came to a blockage caused by an enormous boulder having fallen on to the road. An earth moving vehicle had arrived to move it, but that had broken down. So we had a long wait before it was all sorted out. Indeed I thought I was going to have to spend the night in the mountains. Soon we hit another snag. A huge traffic queue loomed ahead of us. Thousands of people had come, from miles around, to the mountain village of Jambay Lhakhang. It was a four day event to celebrate the arrival of a demoness that once came to spread Buddhism throughout the land, and at midnight the participants would all dance in the nude on the surrounding hillsides. Eventually the police cleared a way through for us, although we did have to manoeuvre another bus off the road. Finally, we arrived at the bustling wealthy border town of Phutsholing, ready to walk across into India. I was now in the Indian state of West Bengal, which has a freely elected communist government. That may be a good thing because otherwise the Islamic fundamentalists there could well have won the day, resulting in West Bengal breaking away from India. The civil disruptions and ethnic difference keep West Bengal as one of India’s poorest states. However their roads are a considerable improvement over those in Bhutan although potholes still abound. Now riding in an Indian bus, we passed through gorgeous mountain scenery until suddenly I was overjoyed to see a vast plain below me. Two vast rivers came into view. They were the young Ganges and Brahmaputra, snaking their way off the Himalayas to flow towards the sea. We crossed the plains with mists covering the distant air, and then I caught a narrow gauge train. This was the hill railway to Darjeeling. The train puffed round bends and loops, trying to gain as much height as possible as it slowly wended its way round the mountain sides. We passed the home of Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa who reached the summit of Everest, along with Edmund Hillary in 1953. Although he was Nepalese, he was actually born in Darjeeling, which is why he carried an Indian flag with him up to the summit. Finally, we were among the tea plantations, and I was able to check into my hotel. As I looked out of my bedroom window, I was met by the spectacle of Khangchendzonga, the third highest mountain in the world. I could see the peak clearly, with the sun glistening on its snow, and this was the meeting point of India, Tibet and Nepal. I wandered through the bustling markets in Darjeeling, and found some book shops with prices about half those in the UK. There is a splendid mall, with mountain views, where once British ladies used to promenade, but is now frequented by Indians taking a stroll with their families. I went on to travel by train across many other parts of India, a federation of regions which I dearly love. And I really liked the hospitality offered, especially on long rail journeys when families shared their food with me.

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old boys notes

Obituaries

Sadly there are a number of deaths of distinguished Old Haberdashers’ and members of the School Staff to report.

Alan Bell (former Head of Junior School), 30 August 2011 Jim Beryl (Percussion Teacher), 6 March 2012 Ken Blessley (1932), 10 April 2012 Simon Boyes (former Second Master), 25 January 2012 John Burrell (1941), 12 April 2012 Stanley Crossick (1953), 20 November 2011 Richard Goldman (1965), 30 May 2012 Matthew Hall (1986), 23 December 2011 John Hawkes (1943), 18 June 2012 John Joel (1929), 6 October 2011 Ray Kipps (1955), 22 April 2012 David Maconachie (1953) 29 September 2012 Canon Roger Mason (1959), 27 January 2012 Victor Mathias (1953), 18 January 2012 David Saville (1956), 25 January 2012 Alan Wood (former Housemaster of Strouts), 30 August 2011 James Wigzell (1956), 26 February 2012

Jim Beryl (Percussion Teacher)

Alan Bell (former Head of Junior School)

lan was born on 13th April 1929. He was a top academic and sportsman while a schoolboy, going onto Loughborough College to study PE and Maths. He did his National Service in the Intelligence Corps and was demobbed in Egypt at his request where he took a job teaching in the school that King Farouk’s son attended. He was incarcerated in Egypt as a spy when problems arose between UK and Egypt and as a result he was expelled from the country in 1951. Alan joined Habs in 1960 helping with the some of the best sports teams Habs ever put out. He taught maths and PE in the Prep Department and the Junior School and became Head of the Junior School. Alan is remembered for his canal boat holidays, educational cruises and for organising the European Summer School for Young Musicians. He was the winner of the first ever “Gillette Man of the Match” award for scoring 106 not out playing for Herts v Essex in the Gillette Cup.

old boys notes

im Beryl started teaching percussion at HABS in 1986 and recently completed his 25th year there. Jim had been unwell for the latter half of 2011. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had spent the 2011 autumn term receiving treatment and bravely fought his way back to teaching. Jim died of a heart attack on 6 March 2012. Jim was an inspiring teacher whom his pupils will never forget. It was not always the best behaved of students who took to the drums and Jim had been a great stabilizing influence on some difficult boys as well as giving so much to the music of the school. He was a real enthusiast.

Jim Beryl Celebration Concert – a review by Delia Meehan (HABS music teacher) On 1 May 2012, the Seldon Hall was filled to capacity with at least sixty past and present pupils of Jim, together with colleagues, parents, friends and families. The programme was devised by Christopher Muhley (Director of Music), Alasdair Malloy (principal percussionist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and parent), and Jason Holling, percussion teacher at the Girls’ School. All performances were a true representation of the tremendous percussion skills that Jim instilled in his pupils. There were solos, duets and ensembles all skillfully performed. Naturally enough the evening was quite noisy, especially when timps and drum kit were involved, but none more so than the finale in which all performers took part. The items were interspersed with many anecdotes about Jim’s teaching methods. The whole evening was a huge tribute to Jim as a musician, an inspirational teacher and friend to us all. We have lost a great man.

Ken Blessley CBE (1932)

en was one of the stalwarts of the OHA and a distinguished chartered surveyor who greatly influenced the development of Greater London from the 1950s to the 70s. Ken became one of the OHA’s oldest members, having joined the OHBC (as it was known then) on leaving school in 1932. He was an active OH rugby and cricket player and held many formal and informal positions in the Association and its sports clubs, including the Presidency of OHA (1962/3) and OHRFC (1966/68) and the Captaincy of OHRFC (1945/46). As the official history of the OHRFC (“Making a Mark”) records, Ken’s professional expertise was instrumental in preserving the Croxdale Road ground for OH use after World War Two when the local authority threatened to acquire it. He was made an OHRFC Life Member in 1952 in recognition of this contribution. Ken joined Haberdashers’ in April 1920 at Westbere Road, following his elder brother, Don, into Calverts. Ken played rugby up to 1st XV level and became a Prefect (this entitled him to wear a tasselled cap, eat an improved lunch menu at a separate table and use a cane – sparingly, apparently – for the punishment of lesser offences), House Captain of Calverts and ultimately, School Captain in 1932. Ken also joined the Cadet Corps (at the time the 3rd Cadet Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers) but hefting a Lee-Enfield .303 on parade did not appeal, so he joined the Corps band as a bugler, and rose to the rank of Sergeant. In 1932, Ken won a minor scholarship to study French and German at St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge. After graduating, he joined the family firm, Blessley & Spier, chartered surveyors and estate agents, as an articled clerk and qualified as an RICS in 1938. In April 1939, Ken obtained his first paid job with another firm but in August 1939, he enrolled as a Sergeant in the Royal Engineers and did not return to a civilian work until February 1946. Ken initially served in London, Scotland and the Midlands and was commissioned in April 1940. More significantly, in Inverness, Ken met Gwen MacRae, whom he was to marry in April 1946 on his return from overseas service. Ken’s brother Donald and he were the only two men not wearing kilts at the wedding ceremony. Gwen died in November 2005. Ken’s first overseas posting was to Persia (now Iran) from where his long journey home included the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, followed by the campaign through mainland Italy where Ken commanded a Royal Engineer Company. He was demobbed with the rank of Major in February 1946. Ken was Mentioned in Dispatches twice (1942 and 1944) and awarded the MBE (Military) in 1945 and the ED (TA). Resuming his professional career, Ken joined the Public Trustee Office as a property adviser and then the Middlesex County Council in 1950 where he was appointed County Valuer in 1953. The massive postwar reconstruction led to Ken’s involvement in many projects involving

the purchase of land for the construction of public facilities as well as the consolidation and conservation of the Green Belt. In 1963, following the creation of Greater London Council, Ken became its Chief Valuer and Estates Surveyor, running a department of 1,700 people which was the largest landowner in the UK, with a multi-million pound investment programme including the revitalisation of St. Katharine’s Dock, Covent Garden Market, and the South Bank. In 1974, Ken was awarded the CBE and retired in 1976. An astonishingly active man, Ken served in many professional roles (including Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Association of Chief Estates Officers and Cambridge University Land Society), on numerous Government committees and gave many public speeches. Unbelievably, Ken also found time to be an active member of the HOBC, later the OHA, which he joined on leaving school. As well as a long and successful career on the rugby field, Ken dedicated much effort to developing the OHA’s resources and facilities, culminating in being elected President in 1962. Ken’s first appearance for the OHRFC 1st XV was on the 1935 Christmas Tour in Taunton and his last, again at Taunton, was on Easter Monday 1949, having clocked up a total of 149 appearances, despite his 4-year wartime absence. Ken’s playing career was ended by a knee injury after captaining the Extra A XV in 1950 to 1952 but he continued as a referee for a number of years. In 1951, Ken negotiated the agreement over the OH ground with the London County Council that added a third rugby pitch (the current 1st XV pitch), land that created a proper cricket outfield and the current Croxdale Road entrance. Ken could also be seen driving an unreliable tractor towing a gang-mower in preparation for a game. Ken also took part in many projects together other OH volunteers with building, engineering or architectural skills, including Ronnie Diggens and Arthur Kerswill. Most notable were the construction of the Clubhouse in the late 1930s and of the “new” extension bar after WW 2. With Gwen, there was rarely a Saturday when the Clubhouse was not the social location for the evening, after having been a vocal spectator on the touchline. The productions of the OH Dramatic Society also proved to be a major draw. They remained frequent visitors to the theatre in London and after their move to the South Coast, in Chichester and Brighton. Motor racing was an important pastime in early adulthood and Ken was a member at Brooklands from 1935 up to the outbreak of war and he still provided a well-informed commentary on F1 well into his 90s. Ken became a member of the MCC and was a regular follower of Middlesex’s fortunes in the County Championship, visiting Lords frequently until the later years. Ken is survived by his two sons, Colin and Andrew, both of whom attended Haberdashers (1954-1964 and 1958-1968, respectively) and his grandchildren, Christopher, Thomas, Jonathan, Krista, Milo and Sebastian

old boys notes

Simon Boyes

(former Second Master) by Jon Corrall

orn on 11th February 1950, Simon began his 33year career at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in September 1976. He progressed through roles such as Head of General Studies and Careers until he was promoted to Senior Master under Keith Dawson and then Second Master under Jeremy Goulding and then Peter Hamilton. For a time, Simon was acting Headmaster following Mr Goulding’s move to Shrewsbury. His funeral was held on 8 February 2012 in Aldenham Parish Church and attended by several hundred current and former pupils, staff members and parents.

An Appreciation of Simon Boyes by Jon Corrall

n an age where we see too many people ‘on the make’, I was fortunate to work with more than my fair share of colleagues who were selfless, generous and always willing to help. Simon was, even in this top set of good citizenship, a primus inter pares, a model of kindness, consideration and endless patience. If you think I exaggerate, ask anyone who knew him. I had the privilege of working closely with Simon for my last 12 years at Habs. On the retirement of John Carleton in 1997, Simon became Second Master and I became Senior Master. Until the arrival of Simon Hyde a few years later, Simon Boyes and I shared responsibility for the major areas of school life; he all things academic, including timetabling and ICT, I extra-curricular activities, pastoral care and discipline. We had very different personalities and very different roles, and we complemented each other remarkably well, even though it became clear that with growing complexity the School needed to spread the management load at a senior level. Simon and I always had adjacent offices, situated next to the Staff Common Room, so that colleagues had the best chance of making contact. With the boys you could generally tell whether they were waiting outside for Simon to help or for me to punish from the expression on their faces. He always had a queue of boys and staff, and he unfailingly did his very best to find solutions to their problems, offer helpful advice and encouragement. There are people who always manage to make you feel better after you have spoken to them. Simon was such a person, and that was achieved

old boys notes

not only through his natural kindness but also because his advice was unfailingly practical and effective. He was never censorious, and if you made a mistake, his concern was to find the best solution as quickly as possible - something at which he was remarkably good. Lest you think that benevolence somehow replaced academic rigour, I need to point out that Simon was one of the cleverest people I have known. He had an amazing ability to ‘see round corners’ (Keith Dawson’s memorable phrase), and a sharpness of intellect which allowed us to see to the heart of any problem. He had such an easy manner and was utterly without pretension that he did not project himself as ‘the clever Haberdasher’, but I can assure you he was, and his simple charm and lack of vanity made him in many ways more effective as colleagues and boys were not afraid to approach him for help. In a crisis, Simon was the man you wanted around as he remained calm and incisive, analysing with remarkable speed what action was needed. He combined a lightness of touch with a focus on the essential and the most effective way forward. Simon was an optimist who always thought positively and always tried to see the best in people. He was as a result a great chap to have around, and it is in the nature of our roles that we were indeed around for a large proportion of our waking hours. He was also virtually never absent through illness, and I could never match his 6 am morning jog before coming to school. It is because he was always there to help, always dependable, always the one to turn to if you had a problem, (in Habsspeak the supreme ‘go-to man’) always prepared to drop what he was doing in order to help, that the news of his untimely death has shocked us all. It is particularly hard to bear that he should have worked so hard for so long, and that his well-deserved retirement be cut so cruelly short. Simon was fortunate that he not only enjoyed a successful professional life but also an extremely fulfilling family life. Of his four children, Guy and James attended HABS where they were involved in all aspects of School life, Guy becoming School Vice Captain. Elizabeth and their children will be devastated and perplexed, as we all are, at the cruel injustice of Simon’s illness. But it will not surprise them to know that Simon enjoyed the greatest esteem and universal respect, and that he won the affection of all who knew him.

Stanley Crossick, OBE (1953) Colonel John Burrell, MBE (1941)

ohn Burrell left HABS in 1941 and after serving in the Army during World War Two, remained in it as a professional soldier, retiring in 1974 with the rank of Colonel. John’s wartime service began in Egypt in 1943 (where his brother Neville, also OH, had been killed only months earlier) followed by India (1943-44) and Burma (1945). He was appointed MBE in 1959. The high point in John’s military career came in 1965-68 when he commanded the Royal Signals in Malta & Libya. That was followed by a number of Staff appointments until he retired. In civilian life, John became Personnel Manager at Standard Telecommunications Laboratories in Harlow, retiring in 1985. He and his wife Freyda, moved to Aldeburgh to enjoy the seaside and culture, but she sadly died in 1991. John continued to live in Aldeburgh and filled many valuable roles in the community over the next twenty years. He died on Thursday 12th April at the Garrett House retirement home. John is survived by a son and one daughter, his eldest child Josephine having pre-deceased him aged just 21.

Richard Goldman (1965) by Jill Goldman

ichard Michael Goldman was born in London on 4 December 1947. He grew up in Cricklewood with his parents and older brother, Gordon (also a Haberdasher’s pupil). He attended Haberdashers school and gained A levels in science subjects. However, he was not quite sure of his future path, so on Gordon’s recommendation, their parents took Richard to a careers advisor. The advice given, after all sorts of tests and interviews was intriguing. The conclusion was that Richard would either make a very good accountant – or a religious leader! As it happened, Richard managed to shine in both of these areas. From the start it was a very disciplined training as regards accountancy. The exams are not easy and Richard often rose early to study before his working day at Malvern & Co. in Great Portland Street, where he eventually rose up the ranks to become a junior partner. In 1975 he met Jill, a secretary/PA, who also sang and wrote songs. They met on a blind date and were married a year or so later, setting up home in Wembley. Around six years later, Richard and another accountant started their own company and worked from an office in Queen’s Park. Jill and Richard’s son, David was born in 1983. Not long afterwards, Jill became a part time arts journalist and Richard was most supportive – a real hands-on father.

tanley Crossick, was the founding chairman of the European Policy Centre, one of the earliest Brussels think-tanks. He died on 20 November 2011 at the age of 74. Stanley grew up in north-west London and after leaving Haberdashers in 1953 he studied law at University College, London, qualifying as a solicitor in 1959. In the 1970s he became involved in international legal affairs, while working for Franks Charlesly and Company, and subsequently for the Council of Bars and Law Societies of the European Community – in which role he helped ease the path for UK solicitors to work in Brussels. Stanley recognised that lawyers needed to understand the political process in Brussels rather than concentrating merely on legal principles. He built on this approach when he formed the Belmont European Community Law Office in 1979, effectively a public-affairs consultancy, through which Stanley developed a wide experience of the interaction between business and the EU institutions. In 1996, Stanley founded the European Policy Centre together with Max Kohnstamm, who had worked with Jean Monnet on setting up the European Coal and Steel Community, and John Palmer, the European editor of the Guardian. Their aim was to create a serious pro-European think-tank. Stanley will be remembered for his passionate commitment to European integration. His admirers remember him as a good listener whose ability to find solutions lay in his ability to see all sides of an argument. In recent years, Stanley developed a strong interest in EU-China relations, becoming a senior researcher at the Brussels Institute of Contemporary Chinese Studies. Song Zhe, China’s ambassador to the EU, paid tribute to him: “Stanley never hid what he thought. He gave relentless criticism to whatever policies or action he did not approve, whether they were from the Chinese or the European side.” Stanley was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and, in 2003, a member of the French Ordre Nationale du Mérite. He is survived by his wife Dahlia, daughter Elizabeth and son Jonty.

As regards Richard’s abilities, he was (perhaps because of the scientific study he undertook at Haberdashers’) excellent at predicting the weather! He also was looked upon by his many clients, as not just their accountant, but also, as their friend to whom they could speak freely – and not be judged. The amount of glowing letters that Jill received after his passing, are testimony to this fact. He was very quick to take new technology on board – even though this happened relatively late in life. He also remembered and used his French and Spanish from school. This ability was most helpful on European holidays! In 1987, Richard followed Jill into the Buddhist faith; practising Nichiren Buddhism – based on the chanting of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to bring out Buddhahood, or the most positive state of life – and was much loved by his friends in the lay organisation, Soka Gakkai (a nonGovernmental organisation of the UN). He was also active in the local community and played a leading role in working for the welfare of residents in Wembley. Richard died suddenly of heart failure on 30 May 2012. Jill and David have lost their best friend and supporter, whose sense of humour, common sense, and kind, cheerful personality kept them afloat through life’s ups and downs. He is sadly missed.

old boys notes

Matthew Hall (1968)

t is with great sadness, but also with great pride, that I write this tribute to my brother and fellow Old Haberdasher Matthew Hall, who died peacefully after a stroke brought on by cancer, on 23 December 2011. Matthew had many fond memories of his time at HABS, having joined the Prep school at the age of 7 in 1975. Whilst he left as House Captain of Hendersons and was a keen sportsman it was his prowess on the stage that I and many others most remember his school days for with lead roles in Captain Stirrick, Albert’s Bridge and The Pirates of Penzance to name a few. After Nottingham University, Matthew started a very successful career in the City, which culminated in him heading up Deutsche Bank’s International Sales Group from London. Whilst he had an unbridled enthusiasm and love of work, Matthew managed to strike a superb balance. His family and friends never played second fiddle. Indeed when the severity of his cancer became clear his concern was more for how it impacted those closest to him than him himself. For Matthew, his wife Lizzy, son Jack and daughter Josie were always his greatest achievement. For me the greatest tribute to Matthew was the hundreds, including many school friends, who came to his funeral and later on a thanksgiving for his life. He achieved more in 43 years than most achieve in a lifetime. He is sorely missed, but leaves memories of a man of great love, caring, enthusiasm and happiness. by Michael Hall

David Maconachie (1953)

John Joel (1929) Extract from the Daily Telegraph obituary on 1 November 2011

ohn Joel, who has died aged 98, was a music impresario, and as half of the Lynford-Joel agency, presented popular concerts that made a major contribution to the musical life of Britain in the immediate post-war years. With Mark Lynford, he introduced tito Gobbi t With Mark Lynford, he introduced Tito Gobbi to the British and helped to launch the careers of many other famous concert and opera stars, among them Yehudi Menuhin, the Australian soprano Joan Hammond and the Norwegian Kirsten Flagstad. The son of a lawyer, John Nicholas Joel was born in London on April 29 1913 and educated at the Haberdashers’ Aske’s School. At 16 he left determined to become a journalist, and in 1929 joined the Islington and Holloway Press followed in 1930 by the Camberley News and the Evening Standard. He went on to contribute to The News of the World, Daily Express and Daily Mail. Joel served in the RAF during the war as a pilot officer, first stationed at Invergordon before being posted abroad. By the end of the war he was lecturing on RAF law in Amman, remaining for a year after the fighting stopped. In 1946 he formed his partnership with Mark Lynford, whom he had met in the Air Force, to promote classical music in Britain. Both recognised an enormous resurgence of interest in opera and classical music generally as young returning servicemen recalled their wartime experiences abroad. After Lynford-Joel closed in 1952, Joel joined the Rank Organisation as a scriptwriter and producer of advertising films, then a fledgling industry. He introduced the use of big stars in cinema advertising, among them Max Miller, Arthur Askey, Bob Monkhouse, Dick Emery, and Eartha Kitt. His memoirs of his years as a promoter, I Paid The Piper, appeared in 1970. In retirement in Berkshire, he enjoyed riding, painting and collecting antiques. John Joel married, in 1960, June Margaret Black, who survives him with their daughter.

avid Maconachie passed away on 29 September 2012, aged 78. This is particularly sad as David was the brother-in-law of Ray Kipps who died in April. Their wives, Gill and Anne, are sisters. David was school captain in 1952, a talented cricketer and played many games for the OHRFC. He lived in Sussex and was an officer in the Sussex Society of Rugby Referees. He was a well respected referee in Sussex in the 70s and 80s and continued right up to the age of 75, having appointed referees at all levels through-out the week for 15 years and still covering for referees in mid-week doing 30 to 40 games a season. A great supporter of the Sussex Referees Society, David could be seen supporting new referees on a Saturday or just enjoying Sussex rugby. The Sussex rugby clubs’ view of David was that he was “a true gentleman, a person who made a real difference to our game, a genuine loss”. David refereed for 38 seasons for Sussex and in the Middle East, the United States and various venues in Europe. He worked on the principle of ‘I have kit with me so I am available to referee wherever we are’. David was known to referee three games in a day rather than say that there was no-one available. On many occasions over the years the Sussex County and Schools Unions have recognised his contribution. In 2009, David was presented with an International referees shirt signed by Wayne Barnes plus a ‘reward the volunteer’ certificate and tie awarded by the English Rugby Football Union.

old boys notes

John Hawkes (1943)

ohn S Hawkes died on 18 June 2012 at the age of 86 years. He joined the School in January 1936 and left in June 1943. He then went on to Faraday House College to study electrical engineering, gaining his Diploma in 1945. World War Two was in its final year and John was sent to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough where he worked in the laboratory on radar and bomb aiming equipment. After the war, John joined Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co. where he studied for his degree whilst learning in their factory. He returned to their offices designing circuits and signalling schemes and eventually became Chief Railway Signal Engineer (Overseas). He was very well travelled and enjoyed his work. After taking retirement, he enjoyed many years of his favourite hobbies – astronomy, bird-watching, model and main line railways and steam locomotives. John leaves a wife, son and daughter.

Ray Kipps (1955)

Clockwise from top: Ray Kipps ; Ian Powell, Malcolm Tappin, Ray Kipps & Peter Vacher; Memorial Plaque at Clare House; Peter Vacher, David Brown, Peter Shiells and Malcolm Tappin with Parallel Bars presented to Clare House;

he following is an extract from the eulogy given by Professor David Brown FRS (OH) at Ray’s funeral: Perhaps there is a “Kipps gene” for life enjoyment and enhancement – there certainly is in that friendly contented Kipps smile which, in Ray’s case, even the trauma of fighting an overwhelming cancerous invasion could not suppress. That lovely smile is also seen in his children and in his granddaughter, Evie. Let’s hope it spreads further as a lasting tribute. I first met Ray in 1947 when we were 11-year old “freshers” in form 2S at Haberdashers. Ray lived in Cricklewood Broadway, in a flat above the Victoria Wine Company, where his father Steve was the “licensed victualler”. We spent the weekends avoiding doing too much homework. Our friendship became further cemented by joining Pop Oliver’s School harvest camps in North Cadbury where we learnt to drink scrumpy. Then we went on summer cycling holidays together. One summer we cycled through Devon and Cornwall, working on farms – I still have an image of Ray chasing piglets around the farmyard which he had inadvertently let out and the smell of pig shit following us for several days. After leaving school, Ray joined Kenchington Little and Partners as a civil engineer and spent his entire career there, apart from his National Service period in 1960-61. Throughout his life, Ray’s over-riding passion was the Old Haberdashers’ Association (of which he was President in 1995-6) and the OH Rugby Football Club both as a regular player and President, in 1987-89. In such activities his laissez-faire approach to life was supplanted by dynamism, particularly on the rugby field. And it was through the Rugby Club that he first met Gill. In later life this dynamism also showed in his work as Branch Meetings Secretary for NADFAS (the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies). Life for Ray and Gill has not always been easy. They lost their second son Lawrie at age 21 from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and their daughter Julia has had a long-standing illness. And now Ray’s own life has been prematurely cut short by an invasive kidney tumour. Even here Ray proved an exceptional patient – although first diagnosed in 2008, with a prognosis of 4 months, he outlived that prediction

but eventually succumbed to the enemy within. Throughout, Gill proved an even more exceptional wife, nurturing and caring for him through ever-increasing degrees of infirmity, at home, in hospital and in his final abode at Clare House nursing home, borne up by her continuing strong religious faith. Ray will be sorely missed by all of us here today. All our sympathies now go out to Gill and to their son Chris, daughter Julia and family.

Peter Shiells (OH) contributed the following memoir: Ray was not a large man, but his courage on a rugby field merited him a place in OH rugby folklore. His height remained constant but in later years his girth increased due to becoming a gourmand. He played more than 200 games for the OH 1ST XV over a period of 19 years from 1955. He started as a wing forward and later reverted to centre where he played with John Boon and they competed together with Phil Alterman to be the shortest OH player. I remember when Ray was doing National Service in Aldershot (55-56) he managed to get (OHRFC Secretary & Colonel) Arthur Jenkins to request his release on Saturdays to play for the OH. After demob, he played for the Skylarks in many Sunday matches and became one of the few owners of a Skylarks tie. Ray was an avid tourist from his first tour to Monmouth in 1956 as a teenager (where he surprised Ellis Cinnamon by asking for a whisky mac) through to the late 1980s when he supported the team as President. Ray also enjoyed the ambience of the London Old Boys club scene including the early CLOB dinners arranged by Alan Cooper and Chris Robinson and he and I often dropped in to the Old Paulines after internationals at Twickenham. He put a lot back into the game as President of the OHRFC (198789) and was an organiser of the Past Player lunches at the club for many years. Ray spent his last months in Clare House Nursing Home, Hersham and during this time he received excellent care. The family raised £500 for a set of parallel bars as a memorial. These were presented to the Nursing Home in October 2012.

old boys notes

Reverend Canon Roger Victor Mathias (1953) Mason (1959)

oger attended the school when it was based at Westbere Road. He would be the first to admit that his schooldays, particularly in his early years, were not to be the happiest days of his life. Nevertheless by the time he reached the sixth form he was to enjoy both extra-curricular and academic success. He was appointed Company Sergeant Major of the school Cadet Corps and at a combined schools cadet camp at Aldershot, he was awarded a tankard for being the best NCO in South East England. In fact he was so keen on things military that he seriously considered an army career but was let down by his eyesight. He obtained 5 “A” Levels, unusual for those days. He rowed for the school and was later to row for King’s College (London) at Henley. He also became a member of London Rowing Club, a membership he retained for the rest of his life. On leaving school, Roger entered the Inland Revenue. He studied at night school and gained a degree in Economics from London University. However he realised that his calling was in the Anglican Ministry and commenced his theological studies at King’s College. During this period, Roger met his wife Jean, sister of the former Middlesex and England fast bowler Alan Moss. At the age of 65, having overcome one brush with cancer he decided to retire. Roger and Jean moved to Melton Mowbray. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with further cancers and thus began his five-year battle with that dreadful disease. Unfortunately, after several setbacks Roger eventually succumbed to his illness and died on 27th January 2012. by Clive Bender

Alan Wood

orn in Willesden Green on 14 January 1938, Victor Mathias said that his career was decided practically from birth by the fact that both sides of his family ran timber businesses. He was one of the large post-war intake at Haberdashers’ in Westbere Road in 1948, where he soon found himself as a little fish in a big barrel. Of the thirty boys in the first form, three went on to earn entries in Who’s Who, two became world renowned professors of medicine, one became a Fellow of Christ Church, Oxford and several entered teaching either as university dons or in secondary education. Victor left school after ‘O’ levels in 1953, but his further education continued as an evening student at the City of London College, the London School of Economics and Birkbeck College. No account of Victor’s life would be complete without stressing the role played in it by chess. Having played no part in the thriving chess activity at the school, he “discovered” the game in 1972 when Bobby Fischer hit the world’s headlines. From that point Victor took every opportunity to develop his chess skills. In 1990, after writing several successful articles for ordinary players, he took over a quarterly chess publication – Popular Chess – that he managed and edited as a one man operation for almost a quarter of a century. In 1994, he began to run a national Postal Chess Club for ordinary players, which has thrived for almost 20 years. Victor married Maureen, a dentist, in 1969 and he described her as “the finest wife anyone could wish for”. They lived in Northwood for most of their married lives and had two sons, Graham, who also went to Haberdashers (1981–88) and Barry. He arranged reunions of his classmates every few years – a close circle of those with whom he had been at school at Westbere Road and not only did he keep in touch with them but, indirectly, he encouraged them to keep in touch with each other. The “gregarious loner” or as he saw himself – “He was his own man”. Victor Mathias died from leukaemia on 18 January 2012. by Michael Heppner

(former Housemaster of Strouts)

lan was born at Billericay on February 10th 1926. His degree in mathematics came from Jesus College, Cambridge. He was teaching at the Royal Commercial Travellers’ School by the early 1950s so that may have been his first job. He was clearly very popular there as one can tell from the many ex-pupils, now in their 70s, who attended his funeral on Monday 19 September 2011. The Chapel at West Herts Crematorium was full. Although very few people were expected, as Alan had no surviving family, he clearly had plenty of people who wanted to pay their final respects. Alan was housemaster of Strouts for many years and knew his charges very well. He was retired for nearly twenty years, devoting his time to several hobbies, including travel, music, astronomy and electronics. He became extremely competent on the computer. Keith Dawson wrote that Alan was “a very fine man: straight as a die, understated, highly intelligent and a first rate schoolmaster in the widest, oldfashioned sense.” On 27th March 2011, Alan Wood failed to answer the phone when a neighbour rang, and he was found on his bedroom floor, having suffered a crippling stroke. He had been lying there for nine hours, making treatment very problematical. Passed for three months between three

old boys notes

hospitals for specialist treatment, Alan a month in a care home in Watford where he died Michael McLoughlin remembered Alan as the man who helped the whole Habs Maths Department to meet the challenge of teaching computing when many of them had little knowledge of it themselves. He also remembered Alan’s frequent friendly use of the word “ouch” when someone made a mathematical mistake, “ouch” because it really hurt Alan when one of his pupils made a silly error. Despite his severe stroke Alan continued to solve square roots in his head until a few days before he died.

David Saville (1956)

avid died on 25th January 2012 after a distinguished ministry in the Church of England. He was at one time Vicar of Christ Church Chorleywood and a Rural Dean. In 1991 he joined the staff of the London diocese as an adviser for evangelism and finally was Rector of Hackney. In 1997 he was made a Prebendary of St Pauls Cathedral.

OH Club Reports

Club reports title page

OH Rugby by N.Jones

ff the back of the 2010-11 season’s promotion, the 1st XV, led again by Seb Taylor, found themselves entering the London 2 North West league in 2011-12. It was understood by all involved that this would be a big challenge as another step up in quality of opposition was expected. Also, a principal aim of the season was to develop the fledgling 2nd XV that had come into existence the year before and, with Si Wallis at the helm, had been granted a place at the top table of 2nd XV rugby – Herts/Middlesex Merit Table 1. All in all, another ground breaking season for OHRFC was in store. Things started brightly for the 1st XV, with league wins against Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage and old foes Tabard. A slight dip on the day of England’s Rugby World Cup exit saw Habs lose away to St Albans, but it was the manner of their comeback from this defeat that defined the season. With several close fought wins before and after Christmas, Habs started to cement their position at the top of the league and when the team broke into their stride in the second half of the year with back-to-back victories against the other three teams competing for the top of the table, Habs put some daylight between themselves and the rest. At no point did this gap look like being closed and Habs found themselves staring down the barrel of a fourth promotion in four seasons with two league games remaining. A quite phenomenal year with standout performances from old and new players, notably Brian Butterwick scoring a club record of 254 points, Scott Chatterton for scoring the most tries, Bobby Forrest for picking up the players’ player of the season award for his continual ground breaking runs throughout the season and Si Miller who was voted the best newcomer. On the way the team equalled or bettered club records for points scored and the most victories in one season. All in all, a tremendous season and superb results against very well established opposition left all of the players feeling that another step up in 2012-13, this time to London 1 North (one level below the national leagues), was well within their capabilities and an eagerly awaited challenge. The 2nd XV also had a fantastic season. Challenging at the top of the Merit League in their first season, and with a very long fixture list which was a massive proportional increase from the season before, Habs competed extremely well against all comers to finish fourth in the league, at times proving they were capable of being the best team with home

and away victories over Hampstead who ended the season at the top of the table. Playing so many extra games was a challenge but a core of old and new players responded with dedication to achieving this aim. Just reward came in the form of the Herts/Middlesex Merit Table Plate where Habs dispatched long term rivals Fullerians to pick up another piece of silverware for the increasingly undersized OHRFC trophy cabinet. A fantastic sight was also the reappearance of an OHRFC 3rd XV, with Lee Rossney organising a Vets team to play (and win with some style) several fixtures during the season. The old boys were keen to show the young ones how to play, and they did a great job. Another positive from 2011-12 that the club hope to build on in the coming season. As ever the ethos of the club that has been nurtured over the last few seasons remains central to its success. There are many players who have contributed to this, but none more so than Ian Sanderson who during the season achieved his 100th appearance for OHRFC. There are a few players not far behind Ian and it is these players who will look to develop newcomers and maintain the backbone of the teams over the coming season. Events such as a thirty-man strong tour to Valencia, Captain’s Carnival, Annual Club Dinner and End of Season Dinner will only serve to improve the strong bond that exists throughout the club during 2012-13.

Which of these three scrum-halves did not play for OH (but did win 53 Welsh and 10 Lions caps) ?

old boys notes

OH Golf by Alan E Morris

uring the last seven years, Peter Marsh has Captained the O.H. Grafton Morrish side of six low handicappers, four times , into the final of the G.M. Trophy. He has therefore been instrumental in returning the team to the habits of the seventies when our side was ‘a regular’ in the final forty-eight, from one hundred and twenty-eight school entries. A picture of Peter and his successor Richard appear here. We, the team and the club, wish Richard Paffley ‘God Speed’ in the high level competition in 2013 The annual Golf Day organised by Andy Ward (Master in charge of HABS Golf) was held at the end of August 2012 at Aldwickbury Park Golf Club. Participants include a mix of current pupils, old boys, masters and parents and always produces a good standard of golf . The main feature is the ‘Elstree Cup’ won this year by Adam Cobb. The substantial buffet, at prize giving in the evening , is a feature of Mr. Ward’s arrangement. Once again this year the Independent Schools’ Classic event at St. Pierre ,in August, featured a team lead by Andy Ward (6),with Dr Mike Edwards (6) Mr MacIntosh(13) and Peter Hart (4)

old boys notes

Our Spring meeting run by John Lidington was a success. The Hollybush Trophy was won by O.H (The total of six best stableford scores ) .Winner on the day O.H. Huw Stevenson 34 , followed by Barry Walsh and Peter Hamblet both of the Hollybush. In a well arranged Summer meeting at Hendon G.C. the event was won by Grahame Davies with Peter Mackie second. We came second at Hunstanton in March,and also in the Moor Park triangular matches. A definite second in the school match(masters and boys),didn’t win at Chorley Wood ,and lost this particular year to Old Albanians 3:1. At the time of writing, more events are due in September followed by the Autumn meeting at Gerrards Cross G.C. , a team of six in the Highgate Golf Festival run by Old Cholmeleians; Autumn meeting at. Fri 5th October ,tee off 8.30am, and afternoon included; a match at Porters Park Tues 9th Oct. against The Hollybush, all are invited. All Old Haberdashers who enjoy playing golf at any level are very welcome to join in the Society’s events. Please contact Alan Morris for details at morris.ae@btinternet.com

Martin OH Rifle ClubSearby

1939-2011

he Shooting Year: OHRC is an open club shooting mostly fullParthians in Div 1 and also with the highest individual aggregate score. So, artin Burton Searby (OH 1949-56), a bore (7.62 cal) target rifles. Some members also shoot smallnext year if both Clubs enter it is likely Lloyds will be in Div 1 and Parthians leading cricket writer died in Venice on 13th bore (0.22 cal) and we have participated in Old Boys v School fall back to Div 2. Unfortunately OHRC struggled to field a full team for June 2011 while holidaying with his partner matches at the school range. We are affiliated to the National Rifle Div 2 (top 5 of 6 scores count in LMRA league) and our B Team failed to of 20 years, Hilary Woodward. The funeral for his trenchant and sometimes extreme views but always Association (NRA) which runs Bisley, to the London and Middlesex Rifle beat any other team in any round – although we were not far behind in the took place at Dewsbury Moor crematorium on 30th June provoked amusing and provocative argument. He was Association (LMRA) at Bisley where we keep rifles, ammo and other kit for Long Range Round 3 (900 and 1000 yards) showing the benefits of good and was attended by many friends and colleagues including charismatic, charming, irritating, loveable but sometimes members to use, and to the Hertfordshire Rifle Association (HRA). During wind coaches in difficult conditions. such cricketing luminaries as Derek Pringle, David a problem to his friends among whom I am privileged to the year we enter a number of team competitions and also hold practice and Ashburton Schools Veterans Match: A very wet 2012 only affected Constant, John Holder, Vanburn Holder, John Hampshire count myself. Guest Days. OHRC members provide coaching including wind coaching in one match – the Ashburton Schools Vets which was cold and wet. Held on and Barry Leadbetter. Former Lancashire cricketer, David I first became acquainted with Martin while we were at competitions that allow this. Usually the season is from March to September. the Thursday of the Imperial Meeting, normally we have a sunny and balmy Green, gave an address. Westbere Road and remember one occasion in an English Hertfordshire Rifle Association (HRA): As usual the year started evening for this event. The weather did not stop Chris Fitzpatrick from Martin was born in Pontefract in 1939 and moved to lesson when Martin stood up and read an essay that he had with the Herts RA Captain’s Match for individual entries, this year on April scoring a “Possible” - 50 with 10Vs. Others shooting in the 2 teams were London as a boy. During a 50-year career Martin Searby written and Mr Moody, the English master, pronounced 1st, and the Herts Clubs Challenge team competition in the afternoon. Habs Dick, Peter and George Winney, Charlie and John Freeman, Dave Raeburn, covered Yorkshire County Cricket matches in the 1970s and “Searby, that was so good that I will give you fifteen out came third of the 5 teams with a score of 524 and 40V bulls against winners Andrew Butcher, Steve Usiskin and Simon Leer. Afterwards we dined in the 80s and was a familiar face at county grounds. His career in of ten.” Welwyyn Phoenix 577 and 41vs. Best score of the day was C Fopp of Old LMRA joined by Alan Morris. sports journalism spanned over half a century - he became I must confess to having started Edgware Rovers whilst Berkhamstedians with 100 and 7Vs. Best score among Old Habs was Dick Practice and Guest Days: With the ever-rising costs of targets and cricket correspondent for Radio Leeds and went on to at school and Martin joined us together with Malcolm White, Winney, with 95 and 9Vs. Watford beat us into 2nd place, Watford team markers we limited these to two afternoons this year. One on Stickledown write about the team’s triumphs and losses for The Star in Gordon Butler, David Wildman, Brian Hopkin, Barrie Captain Andy Daw providing their best score of 98 and 9Vs. range held on the same day as LMRA Round 2 enabled our teams to practice Sheffield, as well as for the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail. Boatman, Michael Hunt, Ken Banham, Les Joseph and LMRA League: This year Habs were the only Club to enter 2 teams in at 900 and 1000 yards a fortnight before the long range Final Round of the In 1985 he received the Wombwell Cricket Lovers’ others to form a very successful team that played initially the LMRA league. In Division 1 Manydown won again pushing our A team League. The second, an afternoon in early September at 300 yards on the Society Cricket Writer of the Year Award, and in recent years in the Wembley Youth League and later in the Southern into second place – Manydown 11 points and a score of 1441 against OHRC Century range gave the opportunity for both small-bore and novice shooters collaborated with Geoff Boycott on a book and his website. Olympian League. During this time, Martin was torn 8 points and score of 1434. OHRC were not far behind in each round but to try out full-bore under the expert supervision of Dick and David Winney. Martin was a loyal member of the Cricket Writers’ Club and between starting as a cub reporter with Reg Hayter’s agency the winners consistently had a higher score than us. Ruislip won Round 2 Programme for 2013: Our programme for next year will be put he always held in particular affection his Yorkshire cricket and playing football on a Saturday afternoon. He overcame with a score of 490 against 481 for Manydown, 480 for Old Habs. Close together early in the year when we have details the NRA, LMRA and HRA colleagues. this by playing for us and contacting someone who had been run thing! Highest score in Round 1 was Andy Daw OHRC 99 and 11Vs. programmes around which to fit ours, including practice and guest days.. If John Jeffers (OH 1948-54) wrote the following personal at the match that he was supposed to have been covering Highest OHRC score in Round 2 was Howard Gray with 99 and 10Vs., and you would like to try out full-bore shooting with OHRC please contact me. appreciation: and asking them what happened. in Round 3 Bruce Winney 98 and 11Vs. Shooting in all 3 rounds Andy Daw OHRC Committee: President - Dick Winney, Captain - David “Martin had fulfilled his life’s ambition by spending his Martin was married twice before meeting Hilary. OHRC got the highest aggregate score in Division 1. Raeburn, Treasurer - Charlie Freeman, Secretary - Peter Winney peter@ working life as a cricket correspondent. He was renowned A sad loss but a memory that will leave us smiling!” Division 2 was won by Lloyds TSB with scores consistently higher than lizwinney.plus.com 01225 339417, Committee Member - David Allen

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OH Cricket by Robert Clarke

he challenge for the 2011 season was how the 1st XI would cope without Akash Christian who had contributed so many runs in the previous four years. The season began in very dry conditions and the first match against just-relegated Wormley took place on a brown home pitch. After a decent bowling effort – Wormley all out 229 – the batsmen woefully underperformed and were skittled for 86 and a bad loss. In the second match, a score of 148 was never enough to challenge near neighbours Old Elizabethans who although rocking at 27 for 3, eventually won by 4 wickets. The third consecutive loss came against Bayford and Hertford with O.H. scoring only 154 on a good wicket with several batsmen making good starts (Joe Williams 32, Sami Ali 30) but failing to build on it. Bayford

Samir Ali showing off the model forward defensive against Wembley on tour

strolled home to an 8 wicket win. The batting finally sparked to life in week 4 against Old Cholmeleians with 246 in 52.4 overs (Sami Ali, 60 and Mahmet Assad, 79). ‘Chums’ reached191-3 but in a dramatic turnaround their last seven wickets tumbled for 19 with skipper Sami and off-spinner Ali Abbas both taking 4 wickets and O.H. won by 33 runs. At the end of May, the weather changed and we played at Radlett on a grey, cold Saturday. On a good wicket, the bowlers restricted Radlett III to 219-6. The O.H. were heading for a win but let a promising position slip as the top order once more failed to develop (Landau 40, Shorts 56 and Ali Abbas 38) and drew at 194-9. This was to be the re-occurring theme throughout the season. June began with a comfortable win against Datchworth by 4 wickets. The O.H. attack took wickets regularly

(S.Gelber 4-19 and Abid Khan 3-24) restricting the home team to 156 and Joe Williams with 69* and Ali Abbas’ quick fire 48 helped OH to gain 30 points and move up to midtable. High summer came with a strange game at Leverstock Green where O.H. have traditionally performed well. This time, batting first, O.H. posted an impressive 243-8 with Joe Williams again batting solidly for 62 supported by Anish Patel, 35 and Kurram Assad, 45 . The hosts made no real attempt to go for the runs, ending on 199-7 (Waqas Shaffique 3-69 and Simon Gelber 3-56) and the match brought O.H. 17 useful bonus points. Ten days of rain was followed by probably the O.H.’s best performance of the year against West Herts on a soft, damp wicket at Watford. Following a solid opening partnership of 57 between Mark Landau and Joe Williams, Jon Shaw then obliterated the West Herts bowling, scoring 110 with 11 fours and a six, to achieve the imposing total of 236-8. The home side was never in it as Danish Jalili and Sami Ali both took 4 for 27 and they were all out for 141 and a 30 point victory. In early July, Hatfield Crusaders pummelled the O.H. bowling for 250-9 in their 53 overs (only Simon Gelber 4-44 had any success). Even worse, at Parkfield and Headstone bad shots and poor decision making led to a pathetic 78 all out although Parkfield only got home by 3 wickets (Abbas 5-22). Against highflying Ware, O.H. could field only ten players and scored just 107 runs. Despite Danish’s inspired opening spell of 4-37 they suffered a 6 wicket loss. However, a week later, a much-strengthened O.H. side dominated Old Cholmeleians II and posted 225-8 (Landau 38 and Abbas crashing 69 in 36 balls) with Ali Abbas then taking 5-55 and Simon Gelber, 3-50 to bowl Cholmeleians out for 142 and achieve another win. At Cockfosters, O.H. posted a very satisfactory 233 helped by wild home team bowling which contributed 55 extras and solid batting from Matt Shorts, 43 and Ali Abbas,40. In response, Cockfosters steadily lost wickets with Ali Abbas achieving 4-45 but their resistance stiffened in the final 14 overs after and O.H. had to settle for a 19 point draw. A return trip to Southgate saw the bowlers on both sides savaged. First, O.H. amassed a secure looking 263-5 with Patel scoring 68, Williams, 46 and Landau 40, followed by Ali Abbas hammering 78 with 45 off his final two overs. In return, despite a 0-1 start, Southgate Compton’s opener hit a powerful 127, guiding his side to an 8 wicket win and maximum points. The match against bottom of the table Berkhamsted

was disappointing. Their attack was annihilated with 155 (including 12 fours and 9 sixes) from Joe Williams, Jon Shaw, 42 and Anish Patel, 48 as the O.H. declared after 48 overs on 276-4. The home side blocked for most of the 52 overs available and as the light faded so did the chance of an O.H. win. In the final match in sunny conditions at Croxdale Road, eventual champions, Luton Town and Indians ran up a massive 301 in 53 overs. All the O.H. bowlers toiled with Sami (3-78) and Ali Abbas (3-71) having some success. O.H. then batted creditably racking up 227-8 (Shaw 49, Williams 42) but were never really in the hunt and a draw ended this up and down season.

Old Boys’ Day – 26 June 2011 This year’s School v O.H. match was one of the best matches in the history of the event. With a much stronger side than in recent years, O.H. batted first on a good deck and punished the School attack as openers Joe Williams and Jon Shaw both scored centuries in a stand of 230 just 4 short of the O.H.’s opening record. Their innings, finished on exactly 300, a daunting target for the School. With the the School at 95-3, an O.H. victory seemed possible until School cricket captain Tom Edrich, who scored 117 and their middle order reached 239-4. But the O.H. bowling and fielding really well pressurised the School into a panic and three run outs later the O.H. bowled the School out in the last over and won by 9 runs

Old Haberdashers’ C.C. 2nd XI The Old Haberdashers’ 2nd XI hoped to begin the new season with the same positive attitude in which they ended 2010 and on a warm April afternoon an away fixture at Wormley was an ideal way to start . Set a target of 248, O.H. batted positively with Abid Khan and Robert Clarke scoring 96* and 72 respectively, giving the O.H. a good victory. The next match against Potters Bar IV was cancelled and the season took a turn for the worse with several defeats and two cancellations due to lack of player availability leaving the O.H. 2nds in the relegation zone. Despite this, highlights included Kishan Dias taking 4-32 against Bushey and the 10th wicket partnership of Tahir Younis and Tauseef Siddique taking O.H. from a somewhat precarious position of 110-9 to within 4 runs of victory at 163-10. The Watton-at-Stone fixture produced another fine performance by Robert Clarke making a patient 76. In the

Sidmouth: One of the most picturesque grounds in the country

game against Northwood Town II, the O.H. batted first, starting with only nine players, including Simon Friend’s young son, and posted a mediocre 140 all out. The O.H bowlers, Oz Ali, Amarjeet Johal and Duane Perera took the fight to Northwood Town and dismissed them for 140 apiece and a genuine tie. Hamza Zahid made his debut for O.H. against Allenburys and produced superb figures of 6–40 in 16 overs, blowing the opposition away. Sadly, another batting collapse meant the O.H. only mustered 124 in reply. Lacking batting substance and the ability to graft out results, O.H. had to wait until 13th August for the next league win against a Rickmansworth side also facing relegation. Chasing down 222 on a green top wicket at Croxdale Road, the O.H. batsmen, helped by 40+ extras, produced a determined show of aggression to win with major contributions from the two Arjuns, Sofat and Dasgupta. One more win was achieved against local rivals Elstree, but the O.H. 2nds finished 19th and were, unfortunately, relegated to Division 10 of the Herts League.

DEVON TOUR As has been the case since 1979, OHCC made its annual visit to Devon in August. The first fixture took place on Monday at long-standing hosts Kilmington. The O.H batted first, posting 165-3 before declaring at tea, Mark Landau top scoring with 45, Khurram Manzoor on 37* and veteran tourist Alan G. Newman, 26. Kilmington’s innings

old boys notes

was mixed with a third wicket partnership of 70, followed by a loss of 5 wickets for 25 and further rebuilding leading to a fair draw. Simon Gelber led the O.H. bowling figures with 4-52. On Tuesday, a fixture mix-up at the fabulous ground of Heathcote left two touring teams playing each other. The O.H. were far too powerful for Wembley and on a lovely batting track Sami Ali scored another tour century (129*) and with newcomer, Hugh Brannan (64) put on 151 for the second wicket. Wembley failed to observe the Tour spirit and blocked out from ball one, ending on 101-7, an innings only notable for Jack Eversfield’s debut wicket for the O.H. in a happier fixture at Exeter, the home team scored 173-9 off a reduced 35 overs after a wet morning. Paul Eversfield, Simon Gelber and Khurram each took a couple of wickets and thereafter it was the Matt Shorts and Bob Clarke show as they cruised past the total without loss in 26 overs. Matt ended with 106 and Bob, 58. Thursday at Chagford was a washout but the rain stopped early enough for the Sidmouth fixture to take place on Friday at one of the nicest grounds in the country. A strong home team edged out the O.H. who in scoring 171-8 never quite had enough on the board. Sidmouth batted steadily and were only 6 down as they reached the target and thus wound up another successful week in the West Country for the O.H.

Jon Shaw batting with Joe Williams during their huge partnership against the School, June 2011.

old boys notes

Past Presidents 1888-93

R.W. HINTON

1933-34

J. LUCAS

1974-75

C.J. ROBINSON

1893-96

W.J. JONES

1934-35

L.P. BATSON

1975-76

D.G. KENWARD

1888-93 r.w. hinton 1896-97 W.C. WITT 1893-96 w.j. jones 1897-98 w.c. witt S. PHILLIPS 1896-97 1898-99 A.S.K. SCARF 1897-98 s. phillips W.H. BARKER 1899-1900 1898-99 a.s.k. scarf 1900-01 w.h. barker H.K. SELMAN 1899-1900 1900-01 1901-02 h.k. selman H.G. DOWNER 1901-02 1902-03 h.g. downer C.E. NEWBEGIN 1902-03 c.e. newbegin 1903-04 H.M. WAYNFORTH 1903-04 1904-05 h.m. waynforth J.H. TOWNEND 1904-05 1905-06 j.h. townend H.A. HARMER 1905-06 h.a. harmer 1906-07 W.A. LYTHABY 1906-07 w.a. lythaby 1907-08 G.J. FREEMAN 1907-08 g.j. freeman 1908-09 H.F. BROOKS 1908-09 h.f. brooks 1909-10 V.J. MOULDER 1909-10 v.j. moulder 1910-11 E.J.G. SMEE 1910-11 e.j.g. smee 1911-12 c.j.l. wagstaff C.J.L. WAGSTAFF 1911-12 1912-13 W. PADDOCK 1912-13 w. paddock 1913-18 w.c. brett W.C. BRETT 1913-18 1918-19 w. paddock W. PADDOCK 1918-19 1919-20 h.b.p. humphries H.B.P. HUMPHRIES 1919-20 1920-21 1920-21 rev. f.j. kemp REV. F.J. KEMP 1921-22 1921-22 rev. w.h. braine REV. W.H. BRAINE 1922-23 k. mcmillan 1922-23 K. MCMILLAN 1923-24 1923-24 j.n. green J.N. GREEN 1924-25 1924-25 h. parker H. PARKER 1925-26 h.h. chaplin 1925-26 H.H. CHAPLIN 1926-27 s.h. norton 1926-27 S.H. NORTON 1927-28 g.c lundberg 1927-28 G.C LUNDBERG 1928-29 h.e. dulcken 1928-29 H.E. DULCKEN 1929-30 l.j. haskins 1929-30 a.c. mann L.J. HASKINS 1930-31 1930-31 A.C. MANN 1931-32 s.e. wavell

1932-33 w.f. serby MOODY 1933-34 J.E.G. j. lucas 1936-37 P.G. MACDONALD 1934-35 l.p. batson 1937-38 EVANS 1935-36 D.L.I. j.e.g. moody 1938-45 GOOCH 1936-37 L.J. p.g. macdonald 1945-46 NORMAN 1937-38 H. d.l.i. evans 1938-45 W.R. l.j. gooch 1946-47 CLEMENS 1945-46 W.H. h. norman 1947-48 CROSSMAN 1946-47 F.H. w.r. clemens 1948-49 YALE 1947-48 A.G. w.h. crossman 1949-50 JENKINS 1948-49 f.h. yale 1950-51 Dr T.W. TAYLOR 1949-50 a.g. jenkins 1951-52 A.N. BONWICK 1950-51 dr t.w. taylor 1952-53 S.H. BEAN 1951-52 a.n. bonwick 1953-54 S.E. PHILLIPS 1952-53 s.h. bean 1954-55 T.N. McEVOY 1953-54 s.e. phillips 1955-56 G. BATCHELOR 1954-55 t.n. mcevoy 1956-57 BROOKER 1955-56 P.C. g. batchelor 1957-58 G.G. LLOYD 1956-57 p.c. brooker 1958-59 JACKMAN 1957-58 F.A. g.g. lloyd 1959-60 MILLER 1958-59 L.J. f.a. jackman 1960-61 A.M. MANN 1959-60 Rev. l.j. miller 1960-61 C.G. rev. a.m. mann 1961-62 GARDNER 1961-62 K.H. c.g. gardner 1962-63 BLESSLEY 1962-63 k.h. blessley 1963-64 M.J. JACKMAN 1963-64 J.B. m.j. jackman 1964-65 BLOWFELD 1964-65 j.b. blowfeld 1965-66 D.A. BLESSLEY 1965-66 d.a. blessley 1966-67 D.W. WELLS 1966-67 d.w. wells 1967-68 E. CINNAMON 1967-68 e. cinnamon 1968-69 J.S. ALEXANDER 1968-69 j.s. alexander 1969-70 E.T. PURCELL 1969-70 e.t. purcell 1970-71 JAMES 1970-71 N.A.H. n.a.h. james 1971-72 E.H. AMSTEIN 1971-72 e.h. amstein 1935-36

1931-32

S.E. WAVELL

1972-73

R.A. BENGE

1932-33

W.F. SERBY

1973-74

P. ALTERMAN

1972-73 r.a. benge L.F. BROWN 1976-77 1973-74 p. alterman 1977-78 J.A.R. BEAUMONT 1974-75 c.j. robinson 1978-79 B.H. McGOWAN 1975-76 d.g. kenward P.J.l.f. brown STEVENSON 1979-80 1976-77 A.G. BUCHANAN 1980-81 1977-78 j.a.r. beaumont 1981-82 1978-79 b.h. mcgowan A.T. WHITE 1982-83 1979-80 p.j. stevenson C.R.B. JAKEMAN 1983-84 1980-81 a.g. buchanan D.A. JAMES 1984-85 1981-82 a.t. white B.A. GOODMAN 1985-86 1982-83 c.r.b. jakeman G.T. WHEAL 1986-87 1983-84 d.a. james J.G. STAGG 1984-85 b.a. goodman 1987-88 P. ALTERMAN 1985-86 g.t. wheal 1988-89 N. FORSYTH 1986-87 j.g. stagg 1989-90 A.F. COOPER 1987-88 p. alterman P.J.S. VACHER 1990-91 1988-89 n. forsyth 1991-92 A.J.S. ALEXANDER 1989-90 a.f. cooper 1992-93 P.J. EGAN 1990-91 p.j.s. vacher M.J. BOVINGTON 1993-94 1991-92 a.j.s. alexander A.K. DAWSON 1994-95 1992-93 p.j. egan R.M. KIPPS 1995-96 1993-94 m.j. bovington 1996-97 1994-95 a.k. dawson C.R.B. JAKEMAN 1997-98 1995-96 J.R.r.m. kipps WHITTENBURY 1998-99 1996-97 c.r.b. jakeman A.E. MORRIS 1997-98 j.r. whittenbury 1999-2000 A.M. NEWTON 2000-01 1998-99 a.e. morris H.E. COUCH 1999-2000 a.m. newton 2001-02 A.J. PHIPPS 2000-01 h.e. couch 2002-03 D.J. BROWN 2001-02 a.j. phipps 2003-04 G.J. MACFARLANE 2002-03 d.j. brown D.J. HEASMAN 2004-05 2003-04 g.j. macfarlane 2005-08 A.P.S. NEWMAN 2004-05 d.j. heasman 2008-10 H.A. HYMAN 2005-08 a.p.s. newman