Oca Newsletter No 282 September/October 2019
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OCA NEWSLETTER NO 282 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 The Quarterly Journal of The Old Chelmsfordians Association Memorial Sports Field, Lawford Lane, Roxwell Road, Chelmsford, Essex. CM1 2NS Phone: 01245 420442 : Website: www.oldchelmsfordians.com Secretary and Newsletter Editor: George Heseltine : 01245 265962 : [email protected] A WELL-DESERVED HONOUR We are delighted to spotlight Football on the front page of this newsletter to celebrate the presentation to Sylvia Eve of an Exemplary Service Award by Sir Trevor Brooking at the Essex County FA Awards evening held at the Great Leighs, Chelmsford City Racecourse on July 30th. The awards are given to recognise different levels of service to football in Essex through a number of roles including club committee services and administration and for Sylvia this was to recognise her 24 years as the OCs football section secretary. Always highly respected and regarded with affection by the players of all our teams for so many years, Sylvia was never out of place as a woman in a man’s world and finally stepped down from this time consuming and at times very difficult and demanding role at the end of last season. It is fitting that her well-deserved retirement should be recognised and honoured in this way and thankfully we shall not be losing her services altogether as she has offered to help ‘man’ the after-football bars on Saturday afternoons. Another presentation at the end of the 2019 season was made at the Essex Veterans Football League AGM on June 12th when Eddie O’Neill received a silver salver on behalf of the Old Chelmsfordians to celebrate the section’s 25th year of continuous participation in the league. Chairman of the section for many years and long- serving ‘groundsman’ of the two Lawford Lane football pitches, Brian Terry is pictured holding the salver and to mark the occasion Eddie has compiled this brief history of the Old Chelmsfordians Vets (Over 35) Football team. 1 “For most of those 25 seasons Brian Terry has represented the team as Chairman as well as also taking up the post for one year as President of the Old Chelmsfordians Association. In fact, the team can proudly boast nine former OCA Presidents* and for the majority of our time in the league, Sylvia Eve has acted as our club Secretary. During this time the team has had six managers: Roy Rendall, Ricky Richmond*, Dave Irwin*, Alan Joyce, Mark Allison* & Eddie O’ Neill. Nine trophies have been won: 1997/98 Div 2 League Champions 1998/99 Div 1 League Cup 2002 Tiptree Charity Cup 2002/03 Div 2 League Cup 2011/12 Div 2 (East) League Champions 2012/13 Div 1 League Cup 2012/13 Div 4 (East) League Champions – Reserves 2016/17 Div 1 League Cup 2017/18 Div 1 (East) League Champions Notable players. Some of whom have also represented the club at open age level and some who now help with the next generation via our youth section. Peter Gillott* Dave Irwin* Chris Eve* Paul Taylor* Mark Allison* Joh n Swinney * Graham King* Pat Fairman - Youth team manager Paul Groom - Youth team manager Dave Grainger - Current Chairman/Secretary Eddie O’ Neill - Current Manager Carl Lodge Dave Chandler Martin Hooper Alec McNeil Nigel Harvey Stephen Brook Fraser Gale Jimmy Bushell Ben Sanders Clint Hilling Keith Foster Jon Rich Ken Hyde Damian Lee Colin Campbell John Ruffles Craig Dobson Spencer Dudman Nick Wright Chris Moore Brian Nixon Kevin Dobinson Adrian Raison Darren Riches Peter Yeates Mark Danie ls Kieran Ahern THE HEADMASTER, TOM CARTER, WRITES The new school year began at the start of September, and we welcomed various new members of the staff following the retirements of David Greenwood, Deborah Ryley and Janet Pearson and the departures of Lorraine Purkiss, Kirsten Smith, Mark Boost, Stephen Page, Sarah Bridge, David Murphy and Lea Root. Geraldine Rumbold joined the Geography department, Amy Doust and Henry Maxwell-Lyte the English department (which also welcomed back Emma Clegg after some years away from teaching), and Georgina Pearson joined the Technology department. Charlotte Jones joined us to teach Chemistry, Alison McConnell and Tom Dewhurst to teach Maths and Andrew Huxford has joined the Music department to cover Rebecca Steele’s maternity leave. We also welcomed Kate Sanderson as our new Business Manager, Alison Goodier and Elaine Harrison in the Pupil Support Centre, and Anne Gibbinson and Rebecca McKay joined us as Cover Supervisors. Tributes to departing colleagues, as well as a range of articles and reports can be found in the 2018/19 Chelmsfordian. Meanwhile, our increased intake of 150 has now reached Year 11, and the total school roll is 1130. Friday 13th might seem an inauspicious date, but the 13th September 2019 was a day of considerable celebration at KEGS. On that Friday morning, we welcomed Doug McCallum (KEGS silver medallist and son of “Bil” McCallum) back to KEGS to speak in assembly and then, with his sister, open the new McCallum- Rich Theatre. The theatre has been carved out of the space which was the New Gym and is dedicated to the memory of “Bil” McCallum (who taught at KEGS for many years) and his wife. It represents (almost) the last stage of the 1551 appeal which brought the Nigel Fanshawe Sports Hall and a new Science Lab. I say almost, because, thanks to the generosity of another OC and parental support, we have been able to refurbish our tennis courts, and we hope to open these very soon. 2 Another celebratory event marked the 60th anniversary of our partnership with the Wirtemberg Gymnasium in Stuttgart. On 26th September, we gathered in the McCallum-Rich Theatre to hear a selection of talks and music and look back over 60 years of friendship and shared experiences. The Summer also brought exam results and departures to university – we were delighted with another very strong set of results, reflecting much hard work – with both A level and GCSE figures at extremely high levels. At GCSE 68% grades were at A*/8/9 – a new record - and 86% at A*/A/7/8/9. At A level, 66% of results were at A*/A and 87% at A*/A/B. Many of our departing Year 13 students are now starting at universities up and down the country, with 23 students this year beginning at Oxford or Cambridge and exactly the same number of students – 23 - beginning their studies in Medicine. School, though, is about much more than exams – there will be a concert to look forward to this term, and a school play next term. And we hope that our sports teams will be continue to be inspired by the new facilities now available. I look forward very much to all the events that help to make KEGS such a special place, and also look forward to conversations with OCs wherever I have the pleasure of meeting them. Tom Carter. CHRISTMAS DRAW 2019 We will again be holding a Christmas Draw this year to raise funds for ongoing improvements around the Ground and Clubhouse and enclosed you will find 10 tickets at £1.00 each. Following the ongoing success of giving cheques as ‘Travel Vouchers’ we have again decided to offer 4 prizes totalling £1000 as a thank you for your ongoing support of the Association. Roger Gaffney will again be organising the draw and has asked that every counterfoil be completed as the books are split with the individual counterfoils being entered into the draw and that cheques should not be made payable to him personally but to ‘Old Chelmsfordians Association’ please. If anyone would like extra tickets or wish to donate towards the prizes, they can contact Roger on 01245 269388. Please make every effort to support the draw as this really does make a difference to what we can continue to do at Lawford Lane. The Draw will take place in the Clubhouse on Sunday, December 8th at 1.00pm and we would be delighted to see you there. For those who receive the newsletter electronically you will not miss out as the tickets will be sent to you by post but, should you be aware that your postal address has changed in the last year, please advise us! [email protected] “LEN’S BENCH” As mentioned above Roger Gaffney will again be organising the Christmas Draw and it could well be that he has been in charge since this photo was taken at the handing on of the Presidential Chain from Roger to Len Menhinick at the Annual Dinner in 1985. The photo of Len’s bench in the last newsletter finally solved a mystery for the staff at Tristel who, as explained below in this piece from Len’s son Kevin, hadn’t realised who the intended recipient was of the regularly arriving OCA newsletter by email at their offices. 3 “Just to let you know that I will be retiring on July 31st. By the time this edition of the newsletter comes out I will have already celebrated my 65th birthday, so I think I’ve done my time! (47 years in gainful employment is, I think, more than sufficient). I started my working life, on leaving KEGS in 1972, with HM Customs and Excise, then in Finsbury Square. At the time OCs cricketer, Selwyn Wheeler, was a senior civil servant in said department and I’m sure his close friendship with Len was more than a contributory factor in my employment. However, I wasn’t really cut out for a life in the civil service and managed to manoeuvre my escape after a couple of years - much to Len’s chagrin who, I think, envisaged his eldest son ending his working days as a top civil servant! My highlight during that period was representing Customs and Excise London Division at cricket.