Issue No 8 Spring 1996
"THE
DORKINIAN” 
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Contents
What does the Committee do?
Message from the Chairman
Members of Your Committee 1995-96
Tony Luck (1944-50) writes from Perth in Scotland
Hebe Morgan brings us up to date
Memories from David Burt (1939-47)
Dorkinian Golf ‑ Harold Child
Old Dorkinian Football Club ‑ Peter Mills
Old Dorkinian Cricket Club ‑ Dave Wilcockson
Calling all singers ‑ Mike Dobson
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Dear 'Dorkinians',
Having completed my 3 year term as Chairman I am delighted to
hand over to the new Chairman, John Gent, and take on the more relaxing role of
Editor! John brings a new style and great enthusiasm to your Association as you
will see from the message he has contributed to this newsletter.
The AGM on 14th October was again well attended, and the
committee felt that it was encouraging that 51 members who could not be present
took the trouble to send their apologies. Even more encouraging was the
recruitment of four new committee members, of whom two, Mike Dobson and Peter
Rogers let themselves in for considerable extra travelling, while the other
two, Claire Padbury and Anthony Lockwood were very
welcome additions from a much younger generation!
Finally please don't be too modest about volunteering news
about yourselves, or perhaps you could give me suggestions as to what you would
like to be included in your newsletter.
David Mountain March 1996
DIARY
1 Golf Day ‑ Thursday 18th April ‑
closing date for entries 29th March ‑ please see Harold Child's report and
invitation.
2 Spring Concert ‑ Ashcombe School,
Thursday 25th April, 7.30pm ‑ former pupils welcome! Several
committee members will be there, if you need company!
3 Strawberry Tea ‑ Sunday 9th June 2.30
to 4.30. Tickets and instructions available at £5 from Sheila Sandford. We hope that all, or at least some, of Rosa Baigent, Mr Bradshaw, Miss Barter, Miss Coney, Miss Macaulay and Mrs Taylor (nee Secretan) and other
"VIPs"(!) will join us, and that the weather will be better than last
year's.
*Please enclose s.a.e.
4 OD Cricket Club ‑ please see Dave
Wilcockson's report with fixture list. Visitors are always
welcome, and the Single Wicket Tournament on May 4th and the Six a side competition on July 24th are especially attractive occasions.
5 Golf Day ‑ Thursday 26th September ‑ again, please see Harold's article.
6 AGM ‑ Saturday 12th October ‑
this year the format will change slightly from that of the past two
years in that the day will start at 10.30 am ("coffee and biscuits")
for 11.00 AGM to start, to be followed by 3 course lunch at 1.15pm. The rest of the day will be left for members to organise themselves, apart from those who wish to take up Mike Dobson's "Call to all singers". There will be no formal dinner this year.
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What Does Your Committee Do? A Message from Your Chairman
There are 10 members of your
Committee as well as one co‑opted member; so what do we do during the
year, apart from our (now) bi‑monthly meetings?
Well, we are your liaison, your go‑between,
your 'tenuous link' with the school. We, or the members of the Committee, are
also a link with your contemporaries. Our Constitution says it all, and far
more eloquently and more completely than I can hope to say here.
The school at present is really
buzzing (after all there are over 1400 pupils now), and it is a source of
wonder to me at how much is going on there, apart from the teaching of pupils
of course. All of it is to give the pupils a sense of pride and ultimately to
make them better and more complete members of society. Last year we awarded the
Dorkinian Bursary, to augment the recipient's funds to attend a university or
other college of tertiary education. It is valued at £250.00 and was awarded to
Claire Taylor who is now studying social sciences at Lancaster. The Bursary is,
of course, in addition to the well‑ established Dorkinian Association
Prize which is awarded annually to a pupil 'for services to the school
community'.
The link which we provide between
contemporaries and old pupils of the school is equally important; some would
say, even more so. We provide a forum for discussion, comment or just plain
reminiscences, as well as having a large data‑base of information of
former pupils. We are also starting to collect memorabilia, photos, and other
artefacts of the old school days, and to prepare a potted history of events and
anecdotes. (Any submissions in this regard will be very welcome).
We are arranging for further 'large'
reunions (remember the one in 1992?), probably on an annual basis, combining it
with the AGM. But we also know of several 'smaller' reunions of individual
classes, one of which we understand has been held every (?) year for the past
50 years! We totally support these smaller reunions, and although we don't want
to arrange them ourselves, we will be glad to assist any group of Member
Dorkinians who want to continue or even start their own reunion. So please send
in your reports and notifications of next meetings and we'll publicise them.
I'm sure it'll make great reading and will hopefully inspire those who haven't
done so to start their own reunions.
Members of the Committee also
assisted in the school's 'Career's Days', acting as arbiters, supervisors and 'founts of knowledge' to
pupils who were preparing themselves for job interviews. We also attended the
school's Awards Evening, and the Charity Concert (Dominic Jewel, who has
recently been appointed Leader of the National Youth Orchestra, played the violin solos brilliantly!).
Together with the Strawberry Tea, the Golf Day, having discussions about the Old School Memorial Gates and Plaque, etc., there never seems to be a dull moment.
All members of your Committee are
severally or individually involved in the above matters, and I would like to
thank them here for their continued support to the Association. But then, I
suppose it's like the old adage: "If you want something done, give it to a
busy person".
John Gent I
YOUR COMMITTEE
John P Gent ‑ Chairman
John left the School in 1961 and went to Imperial, taking
Aeronautics. After spending the 1970s in South Africa he now lives in Horley
and has an engineering consultancy.
Peter Rogers ‑ Treasurer
Peter (1944‑51) joined the Royal Navy in 1955 and
married Margaret (nee Walters 1946‑52) in 1958. He specialised in
Meteorology and served in many parts of the world both ashore and at sea in
aircraft carriers. Currently he is weather forecasting for a company involved
in world‑wide offshore oil operations. (but see also a much more informative and
amusing history in Newsletter No. 7! ‑ Ed.).
Mike Dobson ‑ Minute Secretary
Mike (1942‑50) gave us such a full history in Newsletter
7 that it seems unreasonable to do other than ask you to read it again!
Sheila Sandford ‑ Membership Secretary
Sheila (1947‑54) claims to have had an unremarkable
school career before going on to a bilingual secretarial course at the Institut Français, followed by
posts in research and engineering. The major part of her working life has been
spent in the Health Service, highlighted by 21 years at the Royal Marsden
Hospital (as medical secretary and then in Education) from which illness forced early retirement.
Her hobbies and interests revolve round people, gardening, music, and the home.
Harold Child
Harold (1945‑50) served with the Royal Engineers in
Egypt and has lived locally for most of the ensuing years. He is a Quantity
Surveyor both with professional practices and with building contractors,
operating as a self‑employed consultant. He makes time for golf.
Janet Hadgraft
Janet (1947‑54) studied at the Bath College of Education
from 1954‑57 and taught Home Economics at several schools, finishing in
Felixstowe where she now lives. Her hobbies include gardening and various
crafts ‑ and she is well known at our Strawberry Tea parties for bringing
large supplies of delicious strawberries and helping with the chores!
Anthony Lockwood
Anthony attended The Ashcombe from 1983‑87, and then trained in landscape design
at Merrist Wood and Kew. He has exhibited show
gardens at RHS Chelsea, Hampton Court, and Period Homes Shows, winning several
awards, and has been featured twice in Practical Gardening magazine. He now has
his own company specialising in landscape and garden design.
Maureen Meier
Maureen (nee Perks, 1945‑48) worked as a
secretary for a London firm of Chartered Accountants. She married, in 1958, Robert, a Bank Director (now retired) and JP. They have
2 sons, one a pianist. Interests include classical music, photography,
antiques, gardening, growing plants, and overseas travel. Maureen has been
chairman of the Dorking Fuchsia Society since 1986.
David Mountain
David ( 1943‑51 ) was a bit of a swot at school, who would
have liked to be good at games ‑and has spent much of the next 45 years
playing cricket, tennis, squash, and now golf! He read Maths at Oxford,
followed by National Service in the Royal Artillery (1954‑56) before going into life assurance to
become an actuary, retiring in 1992 after 32 years at Friends Provident, with a final role as Chief
Underwriter. He married Valerie in 1963, and they
have four daughters. Other interests include gardening and classical music.
Claire Padbury
Claire left The Ashcombe in 1983
where she was Deputy Head Girl. She is now Personnel Manager for a computer
software house in Epsom, and spends most of her free time performing with a
number of amateur opera companies.
Lionel Rose
Lionel (1947‑51) describes
himself as having been a poor academic achiever, with his one claim to fame
being that he won a regular place in the School First XI cricket team! After
National Service he spent 30 tears in the
Music and Record Industry, working initially for Warner Bros. and then CBS
Records. He currently runs his own Recruitment Consultancy. He is married and
lives in Stanmore, northwest London, and has two
adult children.
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MEMBERSHIP MISCELLANY - Spring 1996
First of all, my apologies for being so late in inviting you to part with
your money and pay your subscriptions for 1996.
Secondly, my thanks to those wonderful people who sent their cheques
without being reminded! And thanks to those who pay by Banker's Order ‑
such a painless and efficient way to do things!
Thirdly, if you haven't, please could you send me your cheque very soon?
Thank you.
How did YOU hear about the Dorkinian
Association? Can anyone beat this story?
This is an extract from a letter which has
just reached me in March:
"I have recently enjoyed a cruise in the Antarctic and,
to my surprise, met a past pupil (of Dorking County Grammar School) on the
boat. He left about the same time that I arrived at the school. Mr. Burgess
Sinclair told me that he had recently attended a very big reunion which he had
very much enjoyed, even though he was not a member of the association. When I
wondered why I had heard nothing of it, I realised that it is unlikely that anyone knows of my
whereabouts. The last contact I had with an Old Dorkinian was with Hebe, who
came to tea with me shortly before emigrating to
Australia. So I thought I would remedy the omission and request membership (by
writing direct to the school)."
So this enquiry will be of interest
to Hebe too! And I am sure there are others out there who remember the writer, JOYCE CARTER., now Mrs. Day ‑ I do for one, because she came to my Primary School
to shadow the teachers for a short time and was actually let loose on
my class'
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CHEQUE
I had to remind a few people in the late summer about non‑payment
of subscriptions. One of them was Monica (nee Lawrence) Everest and she rang to say she
had posted her cheque to me the previous May. I had no knowledge of it but,
inevitably, began to wonder if I had made a mistake! I needn't have had those
sleepless nights because just before Christmas I received an enormous envelope
marked "Royal Mail". It contained a letter explaining that the
enclosed letter had only recently been recovered following theft from the mail.
Yes, you've guessed! It was Monica's letter of 17th May 1995 and cheque.
Roy Guthrie's sister, Wendy (now
Mrs. Johns from Sleaford) has written
to explain that she has
decided against renewing her membership since illness had meant only a limited
attendance at school and she doesn't think anyone wi11 remember her – I’m sure
that's not true! For those who do remember her (and Roy, of course) this
extract from her letter will be of interest:
"We had a lovely holiday in Australia in 1995 with Roy
and his wife, Lyn. We stayed three days in Hong Kong on the way out, had three
weeks in Sydney with a mini‑break in Tasmania, and spent three days in
Bangkok on the way back. Roy and Lyn have a most beautiful house overlooking
the Lane Cove River, one of the two rivers which flow into Sydney Harbour. It
was certainly the holiday of a lifetime for us.
Roy and Lyn came to England in November as Roy had a doctorate
conferred upon him by the University of South Humberside. Roy plans to step
down from his post as Vice Chancellor in March but he will not retire
completely.
I continue to work for the NHS (in the psychiatric sector) but
I don't think anyone thinks that Care in the Community is working properly and
it is certainly underfunded. It is all very, very
sad."
*
* * *
I'm afraid the up to date Membership List will have to come
with the Autumn Newsletter in order to give a true picture of our paid up
membership. Meanwhile, any new members will be welcome!
Sheila Sandford, Membership Secretary,
73, Copthorne Road, Leatherhead,
Surrey, KT22 7EE.
Tel: 01372 – 372936
Tony Luck writes from
Perth (Scotland!)
For the past 34 years I have lived in Scotland, so it is not
at all easy to attend any social or annual general meetings in Dorking. We did manage
to get down for the 60th reunion, and enjoyed it very much, and if there is
another special event, then I hope to be present.
I left DCGS in 1950 and started work for General Accident
Insurance Co. This was in the London branch and perhaps because my mathematics
had been reasonably good, they put me in the Accounts Dept., with a promise
that I would be moved around from department to department at six months
intervals. Ten years later, 1 was still in the Accounts, but had managed to
rise to Assistant Accountant!
In 1960 the GA ordered one of the first business‑use
computers from IBM, and then decided they would need people to design systems
and write programs for it. I was fortunate to be asked to be one of the six
founder members of the new department, but it was to be based in Perth,
Scotland, the GAs world‑wide headquarters.
So in early 1961 Mary and I (married in 1957) moved to Perth from Dorking.
As with computing today, things developed rapidly, and by 1969 I was manager
of the department with some 250 staff employed. By that time we were on our
fourth generation of computer, much to IBM’s delight. I remained manager until
a reorganisation in 1980, when I was given responsibility for advising GA
companies around the world regarding the development of their computer systems
and equipment. This job lasted until 1987, and was extremely
interesting. Some foreign travel was involved, with visits to South Africa,
Zimbabwe, and most of the continental European capitals.
In my last four years before retiring in May 1991, I was back to
the numbers, managing a small team developing improved budgetary control
systems for the GA, and also more sophisticated corporate planning systems for
the UK company.
Soon after coming to Perth, I took up motor sport ‑
rallying, autocross, hill climbs and similar events, and this remained a
passion until recently. I have officiated at International level, and still
enjoy a spot of marshalling on forest special stages. I don't
think Mary will
ever forgive me for taking her brand new Astra on to forest stages some six
years ago. As Sector marshal I had to go over the stage, both before and after
the rally cars had driven through it, and the Astra has never been the same!
Other sport includes curling ‑ something like bowls on ice for the
uninitiated!
Our two daughters are both grown up and married, and the
elder, Janice, has two daughters, one born in 1992 and the
other two weeks ago! Our younger daughter, Heather, has a horse, but we remain
hopeful!
My main interest at present is in
the Rotary organisation. I joined the Rotary Club of Perth in March 1985, and
was Club Secretary in 1986/87. In 1992/93 I was elected Club President
this coincided with the Club's 75th anniversary. Rotary, a world‑wide
voluntary organisation dedicated to service to others, is divided into
geographic Districts, and in 1991 I was invited to become International Service
Chairman for our District ‑ Scotland North. I was elected to the post of
District Vice‑Chairman in 1993, and in July next year will become
District Governor, one of 500 across the world. We visit Anaheim, Los Angeles,
next February to learn about the current issues and problems which Rotary hopes
to relieve in both our own communities, and communities throughout the world. I
would be delighted to hear from any other Rotarians who are members of the Dorkinian
Association.
Contrary to what you hear on your televisions, the world does
not end at Watford, and being on the east of the country, our climate is very
pleasant ‑ warm, dry, and sunny ‑ well, some of the time! We have
had a really hot summer, but being near the Highlands we have not suffered the problem of
lack of water. Perth is a charming city, winners of the Britain in Bloom
competition in recent years, has its own well‑supported live theatre, and
is also fortunate to have several well-endowed trusts, their funds originating
from whisky profits. Och aye, lang may yer lum reek!
A.G.(Tony) Luck ‑ 1944 – 1950
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Summer
1995
and Hebe (nee Blake) Morgan brings us up to date with life in Australia
We have been browsing through two copies of the Dorkinian
newsletter ‑and what a host of memories has been revived! We are indebted
to Alan Gent of Armadale, W. Australia, and through
him to his brother John, for bringing us up to date with what seems to be a
flourishing association.
It has been good to know that one is still remembered. Doc has
been moved by the references to his music‑making and by good wishes from
all quarters on his 80th birthday. We have a better chance than many of
recalling names over the years (though the faces are harder to place!), with 5
of our 6 children also attending DGS between 1956 (Cynthia) and 1974, when we emigrated to this delightful spot. With my years ‑
1939‑1947 ‑ it makes a grand total of, 35 years.
Well, we've been here now for 21 years! No doubt there were
some who thought it would never work
‑ perhaps the same ones who said in 1948 that our marriage wouldn't last.
We celebrated our 46th anniversary last December, and have 14 grandchildren and
one great‑grandson to our credit.(Yes, Cynthia
is a grandma!) So we think, by and large, that we may as well 'go for gold'
now.
There are a couple of things to clear up. In Maureen Farley's
report on the April 1994 Spring Concert she refers to John Denton as Doc's ‘predecessor'.
He was in fact act for or a few years Doc's assistant ‑ Doc came to the
school in 1945 and was 'assistantless' for many long
years.
Secondly, for those confused by the references to 'Barbara' in
Alan Gent's description of Doc's birthday party (March edition) ‑ no,
Hebe hasn't been pensioned off! I am alive and well, but some may recall that I
was writing under the pen‑name Barbara Yates Rothwell
when we left England, and somehow I became 'Barbara' in Australia. When you see
what Aussies can do with first names it was probably a wise choice. So Alan
knows me as Barbara. I answer to both names.
And talking of names ‑ how the membership list took me
back! Hello to Peter Mills (I lived next door, and helped dig his air‑raid
shelter in 1939); to Sheila Bowers ‑ we write to brother Geoffrey; the Youdale ladies; Roderick McLeod, still in the frozen north;
Alan and Molly Posner; Bert and Audrey Randall (what a marriage bureau the old
place has been); Louise McFadyen; Peter Redwood;
Muriel Booty; Libby Carpenter; Don Cooper and OD music; John Crookall, who took the trouble to send us photos of the
school in its new‑look; Audrey Whitmarsh;
Michael Dobson ‑ Ann's brother?; Micky Nunnerly; the Mountains, David and Janet; David Burt, my
old class‑mate from '39 to '45, if I'm not mistaken. And
many more.
Hazel Larcombe's reminiscences
reminded me of that idiotic rule that female teachers were to be called 'sir'.
This lasted a very short time, in fact, and was introduced because the ladies
didn't like being called 'miss', when the men got the more respectful 'sir'. It
wasn't a throwback to the separate schools. When I started in 1939 it was 'sir' for the
men and 'Miss Burton' or whatever for the women.
The staff! Well, Mac
and I write to each other as the mood takes us. We have been in touch with Tom
Dryer, and send our greetings now. And can it be true ‑ dear Brutus is
90? My form master in '45; it must have been strange for all those ex‑servicemen
coming back to a school that had hardly changed, while their lives had been so
uprooted. From Doc and Hebe, Braddy, our warmest
greetings and congratulations on your birthday. You see, being form master of
Lower VIth in '45/46 didn't shorten your life!
We send our sincere sympathy to the families of those who have
passed on, Mr. Rowlatt and Mr. Howard. We remember them well.
As I sit here, looking into the garden, an Aussie bird is
splashing in the bird bath and a dozen or so pink and grey parrots (galahs) are
feeding from bird tables. We can see the Indian Ocean about 250 yards away, and
the skies are blue (after six months without rain we have recently begun to get
our winter rainfall, thank goodness). Our spare bed is available for those
passing through, and we welcome letters from those who remember us kindly.
Does
anyone have information about Dr. Peter Ballinger? Left about 1951,London BSc and PhD, then America in 1957. Last heard of in California.
Hebe Morgan, 6, Nautical Court,
Yanchep Lagoon, Western Australia.
David Burt (1939‑1947)
On leaving D.C.G.S. after a reasonably
happy time there. I spent a year student teaching in two local schools and
another year working for a well known agricultural merchant in Littlehampton.
Then I gained a place at Newland Park College of Education. This was at a time
when teacher training places were hard to find. Arriving there, I discovered
that Hazel Brown (Larcombe) was in the same year as
me ‑ the only, Old Dorkinian I have had anything much to do with since
leaving school.
After completing the course I was appointed to a primary
school in South Croydon where I met and married my
wife Maureen. Then I moved to the secondary field where I remained for the rest
of my career. I worked in two Surrey schools, at Kingston‑upon‑Thames
and at Warlingham as Head of their Geography Departments (with a 90% ‘A’ level
pass rate at both schools!) Who on earth would imagine me doing this job? Certainly
not the staff of D.C.G.S. in my time! I was also Head of Upper School at
Warlingham and during this time the Surrey Authority gave me a year's
secondment at Reading University where I gained an Advanced Diploma in
Education,
During these years our four children arrived ‑ Peter
1962, Julian 1965, Hilary 1970 and Timothy 1973. They have all distinguished
themselves academically, gaining a variety of Ph.D.s and M.Sc.s
at university.
My sister Eileen (1942‑49) still lives in Eastbourne
where she has now retired from her post in a special school. She keeps in
regular contact with Pat Leech (Carder) and Monica Everest (Lawrence). She has
not vet joined the Association but I hope I'll eventually persuade her to do
so.
In 1974 I moved from Warlingham to become Deputy Headmaster of
an ILEA Comprehensive Boys' School in the centre of London ‑ Penton Rise, King's Cross Road. I soon learnt how different
things were from life in Croydon and Surrey schools!
The boys were immigrants from all parts of the Commonwealth and beyond, and the
staff also came from all parts of the world. In spite of the major problems
that the parents faced and the difficulties of Central London that were part of
the life of the boys, I still like to think that we kept a well‑ordered
school!
When the post became vacant, I was appointed Headmaster and
set out to establish a school known for its academic achievement and acceptable
behaviour. This was no easy task although I was certain and remain convinced of
the latent ability of children with inner‑city backgrounds. There were a
number of murders in the immediate area in my time and the public house across
the road was gutted by a fire‑bomb! So I was very thankful that King's
Cross Road Police Station was just round the corner. There is no doubt that we
received a great deal of support from the officers there.
The most memorable incident that comes to mind was what became
known as "the Battle of King's Cross Road". Boys from our school and
one on the other side of the station began a feud while at the Oasis Swimming
Bath in Holborn. This continued on home ground and the boys from the other
school decided to invade our building. Lengths of metal tube
from our Engineering Shop and other dangerous material was found hidden
in the bottom of lampposts ready for battle!
The police then took over. Our boys were sent home at 2.00 p.m.
after being 'frisked' at the gate. Imagine this happening in Ashcombe Road! All
streets approaching King's Cross Road were scaled off by police cars and motor
cycles. The road itself was blocked by a group of police horses and the boys
from the other school were stopped and searched for knives outside the station
itself, leaving a pile of weapons on the pavement! Faced with an empty school
and a substantial police presence, they then went home. This is the sort of
thing that used to go on in ILEA schools and miraculously escaped press
publicity! A far cry from Dorking schools in all respects!
A few years later County Hall decided to reduce the number of
schools in Islington and our place was closed. I became a Head Teacher Advisor
and travelled all over London helping other Heads to cope. As I write, there is
not a single Secondary Head Teacher with whom I worked who is still in post.
All have retired. Such is the strain of running a school in Central London! And
ILEA itself has also gone!
Soon after
this, in 1988, Heads without schools in ILEA were offered voluntary severance
which I took. Strangely enough I didn't particularly want to retire so I became
a Civil Servant at the Ministry of Defence and worked happily there until I finally retired in 1993.
Maureen, who has also retired from teaching and I have recently moved to Rustington in West
Sussex where I hope to renew acquaintances with people I worked with in this
area many years ago.
If you are
down this way, you are more than welcome to drop in and see us. Our address is 25, Shaftesbury Road, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 2HX and our phone number is 01903
859828.
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DORKINIAN GOLF - Harold
Child, calling all golfers
Eight members of the Association met together at Dorking Golf Club on 28th
September 1995 for the first of what is hoped to be many golfing occasions.
Unfortunately it was not possible to notify all members in time for this
event through the newsletter. It was hastily arranged as a result of a
suggestion made by David Everett during the Strawberry Tea in June.
The 18 hole Stableford
competition was played off full handicaps with the exception of Dorking Golf
Club members, who gave two courtesy shots to visitors, which produced the
following result:
Winner ‑ Mike Scotcher
Runner ‑ up ‑ John Campbell
Best front 9 holes ‑ Bernard
Burbidge
Best back 9 holes ‑ Harold
Child
The golf was preceded by a Ploughman's lunch and followed by prize giving
and a three course evening meal, during which a considerable amount of time was
spent recounting happenings of yesteryear.
It was generally agreed
that similar events, open to both male and female members with an aptitude for
golf, should be held to provide an opportunity to inhale good fresh air, enjoy
one another’s company and, hopefully, the golf.
In other words, good light hearted days out with golf thrown in.
We are now giving you the opportunity to partake on Thursday 18th April
1996, again at Dorking Golf Club, but entries close on Friday 29th March.
Negotiations are proceeding for another meeting provisionally booked for
Thursday 26th September 1996 at Clandon Regis Golf
Club.
If you are interested in joining in these future events, please call Harold
Child on 01306 885831 for details. Please don't be shy!
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OLD DORKINIAN FOOTBALL
CLUB Peter Mills,
Hon. Secretary.
The Club duly celebrated their 65th Anniversary with a very
successful Dinner Dance held at the Surrey Hills Hotel at Beare Green last
October. Invited guests included the President and Chairman of the Old Boys'
League and Mr Arthur Webster, Headteacher. During the evening an inscribed
tankard was presented to Bob Stevenson, one of the only two surviving members
of the original 1930 side. Other former players present included David Dobson,
John Campbell, Clive Huggins, Norman Finch, Leslie Maynard, David Sheppard
(from South Africa), Tom Tobin, and Hugh West. Also, it was particularly
pleasing to see Eileen Etheridge and Joyce Harding present.
The Senior XI are enjoying a successful season after
regaining senior status at the end of last season. Currently they lead Senior
Division Three with nine wins, two draws, and two defeats, with a goal tally of
50 for and 15 against. They are hoping for promotion at the end of this season.
In the London Old Boys' Senior Cup they produced the shock of
the round with a 4‑2 away victory over Old Aloysians who are current
leaders of the Premier Division.
The Reserve XI reached the final of the AFA Surrey
Intermediate Cup for the first time and won the cup, beating Kew Association Reserves of the Southern Amateur League
by 4 goals to 2 at the Lensbury Club, Teddington on
Saturday 9th March. They are also currently in third position in Division 1
(South), challenging for promotion.
The Third XI have recently enjoyed a six match undefeated run
which has carried them to the fringes of promotion in their division, while the
Fourth and Fifth XIs have achieved only limited
success ‑ but they should be good enough to escape the threat of
relegation.
OLD DORKINIAN CRICKET CLUB - Dave Wilcockson, Hon. Secretary
Indoor nets continue at Epson College until
the end of April with the new season starting on 4th May when it is hoped to
hold a single‑wicket tournament at Meadowbank. A tour‑of the West
Country in July is again planned plus the six‑a‑side competition on
24th July where David Culton has 10 teams lined up.
The provisional fixture list is set out below:
SATURDAYS SUNDAYS
May 4 Single Wicket H May 5 Giltec H
May 11 Old Cats. H May 12 T.B.A.
May 18 T.B.A. May 19 Bookham H
May 25 Ockham A May 26 T.B.A.
Jun 1 Old Ruts H Jun 2 Downsiders H
Jun 8 Blindley Hth A Jun 9 T.B.A.
Jun 15 Forest Green A Jun 16 Whyteleafe A
Sun 22 Newdigate A Jun 23 Falcon A
Jun 29 Nutfield H Jun 30 Stoneleigh H
Jul 6 Wimbledon United A Jul 7 Ockley A
Jul 13 Old Cats. A Jul 14 T.B.A.
Jul 20 Woodmansterne A Jul 21 Nth Holmwood
A
Jul 27 Oakwood Hill A Jul 28 T.B.A.
Aug 3 T.B.A. Aug 4 Woodmansterne A
Aug 10 T.B.A. Aug 11 Nutley
Hall A
Aug 17 Newdigate H Aug 18 Thamesfield A
Aug 24 Giltec A Aug 25 Ockham, H
Aug 31 Wimbledon United H Sep 1 Bookham A
Sep 7 Blindley Hth H Sep
8 Westcott A
Sep 14 Warnham A Sep 15
Sep 21 T.B.A. A Sep 22
Sep 28 Sth Nutfield A
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CALLING ALL SINGERS, AGM, 12 October 1996
Michael
Dobson (Association Secretary) had an idea for the 1996 AGM.
At the 1995 AGM one or two members tentatively proposed the idea that to
fill in some of the spare time on the AGM day, those interested might consider
getting together to make a little music. Why not said Mike Dobson, and on the
basis that he was prepared to organise things, and this is what he suggested.
The form would have been one of "come and sing" with no prior
rehearsal other than on the day. There would have been a single rehearsal at
some convenient time during the afternoon and a "performance", with
or without an audience, in the evening!
Thus, something well known would be tackled and he suggested either the
Christmas music i.e. Part I plus "Hallelujah" from
"Messiah" or some Gilbert and Sullivan or perhaps both [Handel might
not have approved of such a mixture but Sullivan would have!]. To recall the
happy days of Dr Morgan, the former might have been preferable.
Obviously the viability of such a venture depended on the
support and with the caveat that he was prepared to organise and musically
direct [including conduct] the event, he asked those interested to send him
their name, telephone no. and voice type [S.A.T.B.]
and any comments. He particularly sought any potential soloist or pianist.
If we had raised a quorum then further details would have appeared in the next Autumn 1996 Newsletter. Only a few actually replied
and the idea never actually came to fruition in 1996 or later.
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