The Ashtead Link

The Journal of the Old Freemen’s Association

Issue No 26

November 2012

The Old Freemen’s AssociationList of Officers 2012-13

President Robin Eve robin.eve@btopenworld.com

Chairman & Laura Morrison laura.morrison2@ntlworld.com School Liaison

Secretary Pat Jenkins patofa@talk21.com Membership & Editor

Treasurer David Harn david.harn@virgin.net

Development Officer Rob Austen rob.austen@o2.co.uk

Bar Chairman Mike Bailey chugger@btinternet.com

Maintenance Ron Gummer rongummer@hotmail.com

Minutes Secretary Fran Raindle franraindle@yahoo.co.uk

Asst Secretary Mary King mking353@btinternet.com

Asst Treasurer Russell Cox russell@mynthurst.co.uk

Social Organiser Lynne Prys-Owen dpo@focusonfilm.co.uk

Website Manager Dom Smith dominictsmith@yahoo.co.uk

Marketing Manager Theo van Dort tvandort@googlemail.com

Committee: Irene Gummer, Eleanor Deighton, Richard Turk

Representatives of Affiliated Clubs:

Cricket Bob Davies bobdavies41@btinternet.com

Rugby James Burns james.burns@johnstonesweepers.com

Hockey Nikki Linsell info@ofhc.co.uk

Swimming Fran Raindle franraindle@yahoo.co.uk

Bar Sub-Committee Paul Slatter (Barman), Fran Raindle, Ronnie and Irene Gummer, Laura Morrison, David Harn, Mark Mitchell

Vice Presidents - with years of service: Tom Shutter 1959-60, Phil Kelly 1967-8, Richard Haydon 1969-70, David Harn 1971-72, Chris Cobb 1973-74, Ashley Mote 1975-76, Chris Fry 1977-79, Judith Mitchell née Alsopp 1982-83, Nigel Barnett 1984-85, Pat Jenkins née Hardy 1986-87, Chris Reynolds 1988-89, Steve Jenkins 1990-91, Alastair Law 1992-2006

Devonhurst Dene Rd Ashtead

Surrey KT21 1EE

01372 274356patofa@talk21.com

www.oldfreemens.co.uk

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Members,

Welcome to the Autumn edition of our magazine. Firstly I should like to introduce you to the co-editor of this magazine, Mary King (1959), who has been a wonderful help in the production of this edition. I am sure she will add zest to our future productions.

We send the Season’s Greetings to you all and hope that your New Year resolutions include writing something for The Ashtead Link No.27 – the deadline is 1st March 2013!

Pat Jenkins

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY20128th December FSA Christmas Fair - 10.30am to 1.30pm22nd December Rugby Club annual ‘Unders’ v ‘Overs’ – 1pm kick-off

OFA Christmas Party organised by Hockey Club201326th January Burns’ Night Supper31st January FSA / OFA Cheese and Wine Party – 7.30pm20th March 1950s Leavers Farmers’ Club Lunch24th-26th May Second Boarders’ Reunion weekend23rd June Old Freemen’s Association Day

CHAIRMAN’S REPORTFollowing our last edition of the Link, it has been a very interesting couple of months at Freemen’s with the School’s commencement of their huge redevelopment plans which are detailed in the Development Officer’s report. We are currently working on our new OFA website to bring us up to date; also plans are under way to offer more back to the School by way of careers advice by helping with the new “enrichment programme” (our members attending to discuss their time at Freemen’s and their subsequent careers); and we continue our efforts to raise funds for our future development.

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At this time of year we are back into the full swing of our rugby and hockey seasons. The Committee have been working very hard keeping the Clubhouse running, holding functions including very successful lunches, and getting the clubroom, committee room and bar area all decorated before Old Freemen’s Day. Work is still going on with the refurbishment of our Clubhouse to enable us to offer the best possible venue for our members and guests.

With the work taking place at the School, which began as soon as they broke for the summer holidays, it was quite difficult to access the Clubhouse during this time and at very beginning of the season, so may I take this opportunity to apologise if it caused any inconvenience to any of our members - however, it was a situation totally beyond our control. Most of the work has now been completed and it is looking considerably tidier. I hope that you will appreciate that we, the Committee, have all been working extremely hard and that we hope to see you all again very soon.Laura Morrison née Tappy (1986)

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER’S UPDATE REPORTIn the last edition, I reported that ‘there is something of an impasse’ over the future of the Clubhouse. Little has changed since then and other events have had an impact on us. You will all no doubt be aware that the School is embarking on a major building project to improve the facilities, the first stage of which is the building of a new boarding house and music block beyond the Junior School on the site of the car park. The planning permission required the provision of the same amount of parking before building started which has resulted in the enlargement of the car park behind the Memorial Clubhouse. The extended car park is pretty much complete at the time of writing although some tidying up is still needed. In particular, the area immediately behind the Clubhouse has been left in a rather untidy state and there is still some turfing to be completed. There was some concern regarding the new lay-by immediately in front of the Clubhouse which the planning application said was ‘to provide capacity for 5 minibuses’. We made representations about this and have been assured that the lay-by, which is a little smaller than that shown on the planning application drawings, is for setting down and picking up only, and we are happy to say that it has been marked out in this way. The extended car park also affects the proposed Clubhouse extension about which I had an exchange of correspondence with the Planning Authority (Mole Valley District Council) concerning their failure to consult the Association. This was an unfortunate lapse on their part because in general we have found the Council very helpful and willing to discuss matters. Rob Austen

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THE DIAMOND JUBILEEWhat a Diamond Jubilee it was, and some of our members were very involved. Richard Turk (Turk's Launches) was on Sky News! Whilst Ollie Gotto, who runs The Parrot at Forest Green, was lunching in Westminster Palace, though sadly not actually at the same table as the Queen...

Richard Turk (1998) has kindly sent his press release:

300-year-old local boat company with Royal heritage takes pride of place in Thames Pageant - as the eyes of the world watched 1000 vessels take to the Thames for the most spectacular Diamond Jubilee River Pageant, one local boat company took particular pride of place in the historical line-up. For 300-year-old boat company Turk’s Launches, the pageant was of special significance as they descend from a family of Royal Watermen. Turk’s showcased its two iconic paddle steamers: the Yarmouth Belle which was built in 1892 and acted as a floating hospital during wartime before returning to passenger duty, and the New Southern Belle famous for its part in the Culture Club Karma Chameleon video.

The family company, based in Kingston upon Thames, can be traced back four generations to 1710 when it was established by Richard Turk, although records of Turk-built boats extend back to the 12th century. Whilst the focus was primarily on building passenger wherries and fishing punts, their reputation soon spread and Turk’s expanded into making boats for English and foreign royalty and exporting pleasure craft all over the world, often winning prizes at international exhibitions. One project even involved building boats for the amusement of Queen Victoria on the Home Park waters.

The present day Turk’s was pioneered by Michael Turk who has been a Swan Master and Bargemaster to the Vintners' Company and a Queen's Waterman. He is also a Past Master of The Company of Watermen & Lightermen of the River Thames. Both father and son, Michael and Richard Turk, were interviewed on prime time Sky News the evening before the pageant and both boats got a special mention during the BBC national news coverage on the day.

Dean Smith is carrying out his Watermen & Lightermen's apprenticeship under the guidance of his Master, Richard Turk. Dean was very fortunate and proud to be a crew member on board one of the Greenwich Clippers and able to take part in the flotilla. He had a truly memorable day.

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Ollie Gotto (2003) writes of his special day: I was invited to the lunch by my livery company, The Worshipful Company of Broderers, and more specifically by the current Master, Andrew Buchanan. The company also took, as our guests,members of a number of charities we support: The Grange, a charity based in Bookham that works with adults with disabilities, City Gateway, a charity that helps disadvantaged young people in the East End of London into employment, The Royal School of Needlework, and The Embroiders Guild. Unfortunately we didn't have a royal on our table, but with 108 livery companies and only 8 or so royals in attendance only the lucky few got one. I didn’t take any photos, unfortunately.

OLYMPIC STARS 2012Congratulations to Natasha Davies (2009), Alex Rickham (2000) and Philippa Vafadari (1976); also staff members Stacey Bone and Liz Newhouse – all of whom were involved in the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012.

Natasha Davies won a bronze medal representing her country in the Basketball Team on the biggest stage in Paralympic sport.The team finished with a flourish to secure a place one better than they did at the Beijing Paralympic Games. Natasha made her debut for GB just last year at the BT Paralympic World Cup 2011 and was part of the GB U25 Women’s Team that won bronze at the World U25 Championships in Canada in July 2011. Whilst currently a student at Loughborough University, the question is - where will Natasha be in 2016?

Alex Rickham We were delighted to hear that Alex was awarded a bronze medal in the Paralympic Sailing event. She wrote: Thank you so much for the support over the last few years. It was a very difficult regatta - we had to contend with being favourites and having a target on our back. All the same we are grateful to come away with a medal. To be fair, most of the disappointment wore off when we got to the medal ceremony with all our

friends and family. London was insane. The public's excitement was overwhelming. Just running around town in a GB tracksuit meant you would get mobbed. If you took out the medals there was no escape. On the train up from Weymouth, Niki and Helena (GB Sailing Gold medallists) were asked to walk the train with their medals and it took them two hours to do the five carriages! I couldn’t join them due to access. As the whole nation knows, London 2012 has been a success and it is a privilege to have been a part of it. As an Old Free I was very proud to be able to represent Freemen's on the world stage. I just want to say a big thank you to everyone involved with the School, both past and present, for cheering us on along this amazing journey. Thanks again!Alexandra

In October, Junior pupils at the School were delighted to welcome Alex to give a talk in assembly about her experiences at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

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Philippa Vafadari was part of the professional aerial cast for the Olympic Opening Ceremony (‘Mary Poppins’) and the Paralympic Closing Ceremony (‘Firefly’), and staff Liz Newhouse and Stacey Bone were Games Makers.

2012 - EVENTS PAST“Olympic Year” Farmers’ Club Lunch - March 21stA group of twenty-four 1950s leavers met again for an “Olympic Year” lunch at the Farmers’ Club, Whitehall, London under the kind arrangement of Jean Tappin née Baumann, who is a member. Unfortunately she was indisposed on the day before and thus unable to attend.

Early arrivals enjoyed coffee in the lounge before pre-lunch drinks were served from noon in the Cumber Room, which has a fine view across Victoria Embankment Gardens to the river. The guests included several who had journeyed from the provinces to be present, including “Bernie” Berncastle from Cornwall, Peter Jones from Somerset, Carol Davies-Lee née Dodridge from Staffordshire and Rosie Hayward née Mettam from Suffolk. Suitably refreshed, the party proceeded to a formal lunch in the Eastwood Room to sit at places carefully allotted by Jean. Prior to dessert, however, the men moved anti-clockwise by about four places, in the interests of conviviality, to enable them to enjoy the company of different ladies. Eventually most guests began to disperse between four and five pm, although some others did return to the bar and eventually to dinner. We have David King to thank for this item.

80s Decade Reunion - Saturday 16th June With the help of the internet and being able to remember where some people had lived when they attended School, I managed to get hold of most of the year group. Many were not able to attend and several were quite unsure about meeting up after so many years. As a result, I suggested to a few that perhaps we should all meet at a restaurant in Leatherhead beforehand for a meal and then it would be up to everyone if they wanted to carry on to the Clubhouse. Everyone thought this would be a good idea and many nerves were calmed, either by the company or the wine - I am not sure which! We ended up with the following people: Margaret Clark, Patricia MacGregor née Crook, Karen Goodin, Della Panton née Gover, Alison Holmes, Patricia Hazelgrove née Heal, Diane Corrie née Jones, Julie Lowe, Teresa Edwards née Parkin, Jane Naylor née Pollard, Susannah Quick, Chris Iles and Mark Stubbs. We were also joined by Martin and Christine Hearne. After the initial shock of meeting again, the evening went very well and we then went on to the OFA Clubhouse and met up with others from different years.

The memories of School and anecdotes were in full flow throughout theevening, with many being added by Martin Hearne! He is just the sameand we hope he never changes! Thank you again, Martin and Christine,for being able to come. It was a very successful evening and I have had several requests to arrange another one soon and not wait for another 30 years! I plan to do

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it probably in the Spring of 2013 if that fits in with the majority. If there is anyone who I have not managed to find or contact who would like to be included, please let me know. My email is dellthegell@gmail.com and my mobile is 07775 600459. Della Panton (née Gover)

1980s Leavers’ Reunion Drinks - Saturday 16th June The 80s Leavers did return to the Park for a social evening at the Clubhouse. Everyone had a wonderful time and there were some ex-pupils who hadn’t been back to the School for a number of years including Jon Elburn and Caroline née Jenks. We really enjoy hosting these events at the Clubhouse and having the opportunity to meet up with many of our old friends. Please let me know if you would like to organise an event for your year or please just come along and join us at the Clubhouse whenever you are back in the Ashtead area – we would love to see you.Laura Morrison

Old Freemen’s Day - Sunday June 24th Once again we had a beautiful afternoon in the Park and a fabulous lunch prepared by Lynne Prys-Owen, Eleanor Deighton and Pat Jenkins. It is just a shame that there weren’t more Old Freemen there to join us. Those of you who made it will know what a wonderful time was had by everyone, as you can see from the photographs. It was lovely that more turned up for tea and that many of our Old Freemen with their gorgeous young families came to join us. We would appreciate your feedback and help with new ideas to get more visitors back to the Park. Laura Morrison

Old Freemen’s Day 2013 – put this in your diary – will be on Sunday 23rd June

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Bill Deighton’s Farewell Party – Sunday July 8thFollowing a marvellous end-of-term Staff Party on the Friday, which was also attended by many past members of staff, and more entertaining on Saturday, Bill had had a very busy weekend and was hoping to have a quiet Sunday to recover. Eleanor managed to coax him out for lunch with the Haynes, so imagine his surprise when he arrived at the Clubhouse, in his gardening attire, to see many Old Freemen, past staff and past pupils waiting for him. There was a cry of ‘drive on!’ and he returned a little while later after having spruced himself up! I apologise to Eleanor for helping with this charade as she bore the brunt on the way back home; however, when he returned to the Clubhouse it was packed with many of his old friends and there was a fantastic atmosphere.

I must say a huge thank you to Lynne Prys-Owen for helping me with the buffet and to everyone who helped man the bar. It was one of the most fantastic afternoons I can remember at our Clubhouse: there were so many ex-pupils, staff and RFU representatives who came to have a drink with Bill. Among the many attending were the Haywoods, John Hewitt, Janet Haslum, Wyn James, Fred Batchelor, Helen Crossley, the Williams, Ian Keary, Colin Marvelly, the Vafadaris, Matthew Haslum, Matt Albert and many other regular members of our association.

During my organising of this event I also managed to contact Pete Davidson who, unable to attend the party, came over from Northern Ireland the week before to see Bill.

I also received a wonderful email from Mark Appleson, who some of you may have seen on the TV recently being reunited with his birth mother and was visiting France to meet her and some members of his new family. Bill Deighton and Pete Davidson

I have to say, having organised many events for Old Freemen’s over the years, that this was the easiest and most fun to organise given the feelings that everyone has for Bill. Laura Morrison

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Fifties Reunion Lunch – 15th AugustOur 50s group had a very enjoyable "Bring-and-Share" lunch in the Clubhouse. There were thirty-four attendees, mostly Old Freemen with a few wives or husbands. A small profit of £136 was made, which we have donated to the Redevelopment Fund.

Old Freemen's Golf Day - 17th SeptemberIt was the fourth year that the OFs held a golf day at Betchworth and we were once again very fortunate to have a warm and sunny September day. Twenty-four players enjoyed the day with varying success, the winner being Peter Granger and the runner-up and winner of the Ladies’ Prize was Hilary Walker. “Chip” Smith collected the closely-fought contest for the wooden spoon, Steve Winslet won the longest drive and Julian Tunks the prize for nearest the pin.

The event was popular again and it will be repeated in September 2013; we hope to have more players, particularly ladies, next time. If you would like any information about next year’s event, please contact: Mark Stevenson stevenson1001@gmail.com

Ed Law’s Annual Rugby Reunion Lunch on September 28th This was his follow-up letter:Ladies and Gentlemen,I trust everybody recovered from Saturday in time to watch the glorious victory of Europe in the Ryder Cup. I am pleased to report that despite the valiant efforts of certain individuals to meet the challenge of drinking as much wine and port as you can, we still managed to make a profit in excess of £500 which will be forwarded to the Clubhouse Development Fund. It was magnificent to see so many octogenarians present and it is only a question of time before we have some nonagenarians, led by Bobby Voyce and Phil Kelly.

Hopefully everybody enjoyed the exhibits from the School archive provided by Pat Jenkins, particularly the photo albums. In addition to her special desire for a Gresham tie, she is more than pleased to receive any School- or Old Freemen-related items you may have in your loft or hidden away in a dark cupboard. It is really enjoyable to spend a few hours in the Archive Room which may be arranged through Pat.

I look forward to next year and I will let you know the date as soon as the fixture list is finalised; hopefully by then we will have some better news regarding the re-development of the Clubhouse.

Best regards,Ed

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The Ladies’ Lunch – 20th OctoberThirty-three ladies attended this brilliant event, at which the gentlemen of the Rugby Club show their appreciation for all the help and support they have received during the season. It was decided to run it in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness and a massive total of £612 was raised from the lunch and the pink socks worn by all the players. The meal was cooked by Gary Mills, Bill Smith, Ronnie Gummer and Mike Bailey, then served by John ‘The Bishop’ Shepard, Geoff Clowser, Roger Seymour and David ‘The Badger’ Harn. Our thanks go to Sam Rowan for his enthusiasm and co-ordination with the Charity and to Geoff Morrison, whose band rounded off the event with some excellent tunes.

1950s Bring-and-Share Lunch, 24th OctoberThe huge success of this occasion was thanks to the organisational skills of David King, backed by his worthy team of helpers. Having spoken to Old Freemen at the lunch, and since, I am so aware of the immense pleasure that this brought to those who attended. Thirty-seven OFs enjoyed a quite delicious lunch on half-term Wednesday, some having travelled long distances to be there. As at all 50s events, there was a great sense of camaraderie, happiness, renewed friendship and reminiscing. What a recommendation for the Freemen’s School that so many Old Freemen wish to meet, nearly sixty years on!Jean Baumann (Head Girl 1956)

News of Old FreemenSamantha Day (2004) is to be congratulated on passing her Accountancy examinations; she can now put ACCA after her name. Although she is working in Winchester she is living in Southampton. We are indebted to her mother Carole for keeping us up to date.

David Salter (1954) wrote:We have just returned from a trip to China which was an eye-opening experience. This was organised by Viking River Cruises and included six days on the Yangtze River. We started in Beijing, visited the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. En route to the river we stopped in Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors. We finished up in Shanghai. The cities and airports are all very modern, full of extremely high-rise condos and mostly completed in the last fifteen years. Landscaping of the highways has been extensive. It would be difficult to differentiate the cities from any western venue. The people are very friendly and there are vast numbers studying English from as early as 9 years old. The roads are filled with cars, many of the luxury brands.I have had enough Chinese food for a while! Our flights there and back were non-stop from Toronto, both over 13 hours which is very tedious.It sounds like a really worthwhile trip, David, and may inspire a few more to take the cruise.

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Phil Kelly (1943) is justifiably proud that his granddaughter is carrying on the family tradition of playing rugby. He was succeeded by his son Steve (1974) who is no longer playing but, as Phil reports, is still involved with the game: Whilst Steve was in Malaysia he became a touch rugby coach working alongside an Australian coach. As part of this commitment, Stephen travelled with the very young ladies’ touch rugby team to Singapore and Indonesia. He came back to the UK a few years ago and Sarah, his daughter, continued her interest in the sport and has been featured in the Chester Chronicle, which reported that Sarah has been selected from 20 other girls to join the England Women’s Touch Rugby Youth Squad. She plays for both North Wales and the North West Warriors, which is based in Manchester where she is currently studying. She will, however, be moving to Southampton University in September, when she will be 20, to study Environmental Science. My wife and I heard the news from Steve, who as always seems to be in Eastern Russia some 600 miles north of Vladivostok, advising on some petrochemical plants. His wife Barbara is having to bring Sarah down once a fortnight to the English squad’s training place in Reading.I do hope you will let us know about her progress.

John Vinson (1944) wrote: Dear Pat, I have just received Issue 25 of the Ashtead Link in which you elicit feelings on the question of the use of email for the distribution of the Magazine. I have felt guilty about the cost of mailing the magazine to New Zealand. Consequently, I would be quite happy to receive the Link by email. I am not all that mobile, having received a fourth hip replacement caused by an over-efficient airport security guard in Texas. I admire your dedication to the OFA.How about sending us the rest of the story about the airport guard, instead of leaving us guessing?

Brian Clear (1965) sent us this information about Nick Goddard (1973):Haemophilia awards A consultant orthopaedic surgeon has been awarded a prestigious award by the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH). Nicholas Goddard was awarded The Henri Horoszowski Award at the WFH congress in Paris last month for a paper he co-authored which could help to change the way haemophilia patients are treated after undergoing a total knee replacement. Two former directors of the Royal Free Hospital’s Katharine Dormandy Haemophilia Centre were also recognised at the international awards ceremony. Mr Goddard said, “The Royal Free’s haemophilia centre was founded in the old Lawn Road Hospital 48 years ago by Dr Katharine Dormandy and it has since grown into the biggest haemophilia treatment centre in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. I’m delighted that I and my former colleagues have been presented with these awards. It’s testament to the haemophilia centre’s long history of pioneering research and treatments and providing world-class care to our patients.”Haemophilia is a genetic condition which affects the body’s ability to clot. It can lead to arthropathy (a disease of the joint), usually in the knee, which leads to severe pain and reduced function. As a result, the most common procedure performed on adults with haemophilia is a total knee replacement. However, when undergoing this operation, patients with haemophilia are at high risk of infection which can lead to severe complications. Mr Goddard’s research paper reviewed cases of total knee replacements performed in patients with haemophilic arthropathy and compared the infection rate with the differing clotting factor replacement regimes employed (these

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regimes are used to replace the missing clotting factors in the blood to restore normal clotting function and prevent or reduce internal bleeding). The study found that patients who were given a high level of clotting factor replacement throughout wound healing experienced lower infection rates - comparable to patients without haemophilia who undergo this operation. As a result, the WFH is currently reviewing their guidelines for clotting factor levels for patients with haemophilia who undergo a total knee replacement.

Martin Roberts (1973), who has been appointed Master of his Company, was persuaded to bring us up to date:It did feel rather odd being back at Prize Day nearly 40 years since I left School in 1973. It seemed very strange being cheered by the students as I joined the Headmaster, Sheriffs and Masters in procession to the Sports Hall rather than being one of those lining the route and doing the cheering. Anyway, it was a very enjoyable afternoon indeed and great to see the School thriving. I even managed to find myself in two School photos in the corridor on the way into the Dining Hall although I was sorry to see that the splendid, if somewhat food-splattered, painting of Warren Stormes Hale (Hale was my old House) has gone missing from its position in the Dining Hall. I wonder what has happened to it?

In answer to your question about how I became a Master, I became a Freeman of the City of London shortly after leaving School and became a Liveryman of the City of London Solicitors’ Company in 1987. I was elected to the Court of the Company in 2000. I served as Junior Warden in 2010 when the current Lord Mayor, Alderman David Wootton, was Master Solicitor, and became Senior Warden in 2011. I was installed as Master of the Solicitors’ Company in June of this year. The Master Solicitor also serves as President of the City of London Law Society and represents the 18,000 solicitors practising in the City. The term of office is one year and I will be combining this with my ‘day job’ as a Partner and Head of the London Office of Pinsent Masons LLP which, believe it or not, is now the UK’s twelfth largest law firm. I think it’s going to be a rather busy year!It looks as though he’s enjoying the task!

From Andrew Suttle (1984) – alias ‘Squirrel’:Hi Pat, I have not been in touch for a long while, I realise, and hope you are all fine. I can’t believe it is almost four years since we moved to Queensland, leaving UK in September 2008. It took us until last May to buy a place here, so I now have a more permanent address for the Ashtead Link, if you still send them out by post! If you Google map my address and go to street view you might see an ice cream van in our drive. I can assure you I haven’t changed career, although with the beautiful sunshine here I’m sure the ice cream sales would be lucrative.

Well, the kids are growing fast. My son, Ed, just left school – he came out in April for a few weeks and hopes to go to University to read Computer Science. Fingers crossed for the A levels. Holl, now 17, is currently doing her work experience with one of my customers in Sydney and is here for a month. Laura, now 11, has qualified

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for the local senior school academic excellence program and represented her school at cross country in the district games. Lily, now 7, is the entertainer and Emma, 6 this month, has just won both her year cross country and the 100m. Janet, my wife, is enjoying being close to her family after twenty-two years in the UK and still has her refined English accent, thankfully.

Apart from work, which involves a lot of travel, I volunteer for the local surf life-saving club and patrol the beach as a lifesaver one session per month in summer (September to May). I have bought a carbon-framed bicycle and took part in an Olympic triathlon last year with a time of 2 hours 26 minutes - not earth-shattering but not bad for a novice. Have also taken up swimming with training at least twice a week if I’m here: we have a newly built Olympic 50m outdoor pool that is open all year round just one mile down the road. My coach is the wife of Olympic gold medallist Michael Wenden (who beat Mark Spitz in 1968) so my technique has improved somewhat but, compared to the Aussies, I am still a slow coach. I venture “across the ditch” to the 7th state (NZ) now and again and always try to meet up with John Winch when I go. I also bumped into an Old Freeman of Butty’s (Richard Butterworth) era in a most unlikely situation. Having just finished the City to Surf run in Sydney in 2010, there was a choice of fifty buses to get onto to take us back to Bondi Junction station. I jumped on a random one and stood right next to a chap who looked up and down at me a bit strangely (it happens quite a lot so I ignored it), but he was vaguely familiar so I wasn’t perturbed when he eventually asked if he knew me. It turned out that we had probably once cuddled up to each other in the second row at Ashtead Park many years ago. I can’t think of his name now but he worked for the Foreign Office in Canberra and mentioned Butty and was a second row. So that should narrow it down!!

I noticed that it is Bill Deighton’s surprise leaving do at the club this weekend. Bill actually taught me in his former life (before Freemen’s) as well as at School so we go back a very long way – about 1978, I guess. I would like to wish him all the very best for the future as sadly I won’t be able to buy him a beer at the Clubhouse. Good luck to all in the rugby club for next season.Squirrel

Our congratulations to James Frewin (2011) for his success so far and wish him good luck in the Senior Five Nations Championship:After leaving CLFS in the summer of 2011 where I had been continually nurtured in my fencing by Bryan Lewis since I was seven years old, I went on in the October and won the U18 British Youth Championships. In February 2012 I was selected to go to the U20 Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Jersey. It was a tough field with many competitors from Singapore, India, Australia and Canada, to name but a few. The event went really well and I managed to get a silver medal in the individual event having to, unfortunately, knock out one of my England team mates on the way to the final. The final itself was an incredibly close fight with us ending up at a score 14 -14 at the end of the fight. There were three double hits, but then I went for my opponent’s shoulder and unfortunately went a little high and he caught my back leg and took the final point and gold medal. In the team event I captained England and was absolutely determined to get gold this time. We fought our way through to the final reasonably comfortably and were left with Canada before us to challenge for the gold in the final. I had lost the gold to a Canadian in the final of the individual match

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so was twice as determined not to let it happen again. We kept the final in total control and ended up winning the match 45-34, meaning we got our gold medal! It was an amazing weekend with England doing so well and meeting people from so many different countries.

A few weeks after I returned from the Commonwealths, I was off to the U20 World Championships in Moscow. This was the first time I had been to Russia even though I have been travelling around most of Europe with my fencing over the last few years. The event was huge and Moscow was spectacular. I had an incredible start to the competition and won all my first six fights. The computer did its ranking based on my results and after the first round I was ranked

No.1 in the world out of about 160 competitors. The next knock-out round I negotiated reasonably easily, but then unfortunately in the next round I drew the previous world champion and Russian number one Nikita Glazkov. I had a really good fight and it was level pegging until about halfway through the fight but unfortunately he pulled away from me at the end and went on to beat me. I ended the competition ranked 17th in the world which I was reasonably happy with!

During the Olympics I was invited to spend every day of the fencing up at the Excel Centre and helped out on the video cameras used for replays in case a point was questioned. I also was involved in fencing demonstrations for some of the sponsors. It was wonderful to mix with all the competitors and also catch a glimpse of a few other sports done at such a high level.

Looking forward, I have just been called up to fence in the Senior Five Nations Championships in November this year in Dublin. This will most likely be a much tighter affair than normal, as many of our top senior fencers are taking a break after the Olympics. I am starting to look towards my senior fencing career now as I am in my last year of juniors (U20) and obviously hope to be getting many more senior GB call ups to add to my two that I received when I was still at School. I also need to do a bit of studying as I am in my second year of university at the London School of Economics.Best regards, James FrewinPlease let us know how you get on in Dublin – we shall be thinking of you.

Chris Reynolds (1970) wrote:My niece, Lucy, is the daughter of former rugby and cricket member from the 1970s and 1980s, Chas Wood and my sister Jane. Lucy Wood is the Women’s Stone Skimming World Champion and was crowned on 23rd September. Her best skim was 37 metres although it was recorded as being only 35 metres. The event takes place at Easdale Island in Argyll. The result was:

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Women:1st Lucy Wood England 35m2nd Aileen Campbell Scotland 30m3rd Charlotte Gunner UK 29m

Other than this, I have very little information nor can I find anything substantial on the internet. However, my mother (who was evacuated to Freemen’s with her School, City of London Girls’ School, in 1940 where she met my father who was Hale House Captain) is claiming it was all down to her: they used to go to the sea in Dorset where she lives and taught Lucy how to skim when she was young, as Charles and Jane were posted abroad with the RAF and Lucy and her sister, Sarah, stayed with my parents for some months.

Richard Austen (1954) writes:For your info I am the oldest of the Richard /James / Robert trio of the Austen clan of the 50s leavers, and I was a contemporary of the Gerring / Kent / King / Wates entry. I see from the Link that Robert has landed the job of Development Officer. I too am a civil engineer, with a building bias, so I may be able to lend a hand if necessary!!

An update from Richard Milburn (2006):I decided to go to East Africa for my gap year. Upon my return, I went to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at York University and then stayed on to do a Masters in Post War Recovery Studies. I have had a long-standing interest in conservation and so decided to bring that to bear in the MA course by choosing to study conservation in post war environments as my thesis topic.

I spent two months in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and western Rwanda, working with the International Gorilla Conservation Programme and carrying out research into other conservation projects in the region. During this research programme I came across the Pole Pole Foundation (POPOF) that is based in Bukavu DRC; this works to conserve the gorillas in the nearby Kahusi-Biega National Park and to help the local communities to lift themselves out of poverty in a sustainable way. John Kahewka, the founder of POPOF, is a particularly inspiring figure. Having worked as chief gorilla tracker in the park, he set up a small business selling T-shirts to tourists who came to see the gorillas. After saving up $6,000 from the business, he decided not to spend the money on himself but use it to start the Foundation. He had seen how local people were encroaching on the park and threatening the gorillas’ survival, but rather than seeking to prosecute them, he listened to them. Time and again he heard, ‘Hungry stomach got no ears.’ John realised it was poverty rather than malice that was causing the environmental damage and so he set out to help the communities and in so doing to help the gorillas.

I was so impressed by John and the work POPOF has carried out over the last twenty years - and continues to do today, including running a Primary and a Secondary School, livelihood programmes for the local community, and planting over 1.5 million trees that not only helps conservation, but provides a sustainable source of income and fuel to local communities - that I took the opportunity to become their

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United Kingdom Representative, helping to raise funds and awareness about their work. Spending time in DRC, looking at this topic of conservation in war zones, provided a fascinating insight into a whole host of issues prevalent in the modern world that I would otherwise not have come across, and enabled me to visit a region that otherwise I would never have visited. Also I was able to see the reality on the ground, rather than just the reports in the media that tend to have an overtly negative narrative on Africa and DRC in particular.

This has had a life-changing effect on me and I have now chosen to focus on studying conservation in war zones and in the DRC in particular. Through raising awareness about POPOF’s work and the range of other conservation efforts in DRC, my hope is to help to change the perception of the country and the people into their true light as beautiful, culturally vibrant and diverse with a great deal to offer to the world.

FREEDOM OF THE CITYHelen Aspinall, Penelope Cross, Kimberly Douglas, Caitlin Graham, Ruaridh Graham, Claire Pryer and Hannah Smith are all in the process of applying for Freedom of the City (all left School in 2003, except for Ruaridh who left in 2006).

TO EMAIL OR NOT TO EMAILIn addition to John Vinson’s agreement to have his magazine sent by email, there was this response from Sam Cameron (1962): Thanks for putting out another excellent edition of The Ashtead Link. With regard to whether this should be sent out via email, I would say YES. If you recall, I suggested this a couple of years ago but it was rejected at the time. Actually I would go further - I think it (and past editions) should be posted on the OFA page of the website. This way you are not having to email a weighty attachment to members. You just send them an email to let them know it has been posted to the site. I feel sure the Association would welcome the cost saving on postage, whilst members benefit from not being subject to the vagaries of the post: lost items and delays. I would have thought that overseas members would be particularly keen on email or web communication. Another advantage of using the internet is that you can use colour photographs rather than what can be fuzzy black and white. If you are worried about old pupils who are not paid-up members of the OFA having free access, I think this a price you pay for improved communication with everyone. Who knows? – some of those who haven’t paid may rejoin! If it's a major concern, then secure part of the site with password access. This is very easy… I look forward to seeing how the OFA takes up the challenge of improving its website and communication with members.

As to the web-page, whilst the committee agrees that it needs a complete face-lift, I would not advocate putting out the whole magazine, which would only really benefit the non-payers. In fact I would suggest a trailer like they do on TV.

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BIRTHS, ENGAGEMENTS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS

BIRTHSEmma née Richardson (1999) and Tom Walker-Smith’s second son, Oliver Thomas, was born on 7th January 2012 – a brother for Harry, aged 2.

ENGAGEMENTSNick Sami (1992) and Stephane are engaged, but have no plans for a marriage in the near future.

MARRIAGESOur congratulations to these happy couples:

Campion:ScottIt was a few months ago now, but I'd really like to have my wedding entered in the OFA journal. I married David Campion on 23rd September 2011 at St Bartholomew's Church in Horley, followed by a reception at Denbies Wine Estate. We moved to his native South Africa last November and have been living there ever since, but plan to move back to England soon. I've attached a photo.Jemma Campion née Scott (2004)

Francis:RichardsonClare Richardson (2001) married Chris Francis on 10th December 2011 at St Michael’s Church in Betchworth. The reception was held at South Lodge Hotel near Horsham. Clare’s sister Lisa (2004) Ormrod was one of the bridesmaids.

Family members included Emma Richardson (1999), Mark (1974) and Sarah Lelliott née Doherty (1978), Tim (1976) and Alison Richardson, Anne Jakubovic née Lelliott (1980) and Tom Ormrod (2004).

Other guests included Roger (1971) and Joy Seymour, Peter and Gill Brooks,

Michael and Sue Elrick, Chris (1970) and Fiona Reynolds, Ron and Irene Gummer, and Jan Barker née Palmer (1972). The hosts were also Old Freemen: David (1970) and Liz née Lelliott (1972) Richardson. Unfortunately Clare’s uncle Paul Lelliott (1973) was unable to attend as he was in New Zealand for the start of a two-year trip through NZ, Australia, South-East Asia, China and then back overland to the UK.

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Price:TillerSarah Tiller (2004) and Michael Price were married at St Giles’ Church, Ashtead on 5th May this year (2012) and celebrations were held afterwards at the Preston Cross Hotel in Bookham. Nadia Lawes and Catherine Milburn (both 2004) were cherished bridesmaids and a wonderful time was had by all, especially the very happy couple. Our thanks to all who attended and helped to make it such a special and memorable day!

Wood:SmithCharlotte Smith (2003) was married to Darren Wood:“Darren and I got married on 26th May 2012. It was a beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky! The morning of the wedding was spent by Darren playing golf with his close family and ushers, and me drinking champagne with my family and bridesmaids, so a very relaxed start to the day. We were to be married at 1.30pm at St Giles’ Church and I only kept Darren waiting an extra ten minutes before I arrived. Walking up the aisle was amazing, trying to hold back the tears; it was wonderful to see so many of our friends and family there to celebrate our special day! Darren's family and friends had all made the journey down from Scotland and looked fantastic in their kilts. My bridesmaids Sophie Wilson (same year as me), Ruth Williams (year above) and my sisters, Rebecca and Olivia, were fantastic throughout the day, making sure everything was perfect. One surprise on the day was the arch of hockey sticks and golf clubs that we walked out of the church to see, organised by my Dad and a few other helpers - it was brilliant! Our reception afterwards was held at the Royal Automobile Club in Epsom, where many Old Frees came to join us, including Heather Jackson, James Lock, Duncan McCollough, James Wyld, Helen Aspinall, Caitlin Graham, Andrew Catling, Claire Pryer, Sarah Guillem, Alexandra Boag (now Swarbrick) Lizzie Gabriel, Camilla Alexander Watson and Georgie Vines - to name a few! Obviously the Hockey team came to join the ‘after party’ which we really didn't want to end. We had a fantastic day and can't thank everyone enough for making it so special!”

Haslum:BuchananSaturday 28th July saw the wedding of Matt Haslum (1995) to the beautiful Alice Buchanan. The entire village of Freshwater in the Isle of Wight was overrun with Old Freemen for this fantastic event. The service took place in the amazing thatched Church of St Agnes, Freshwater and the reception was held in a beautiful apple orchard. The best man

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was Justin Vafadari (1995), ushers were Simon Down (1995), Tim Barnett (1996) and Matt Albert (1995). The bride was accompanied by her bridesmaids, Holly Crane and Louisa Haslum (1998), and all three looked stunning. Other guests included the rest of the Tappy family, Morrisons and Cranes, Marcus Hodges, the Darks, the Terrys, and Richard Bailey (1995) direct from Africa where he is currently working for the UN. Many of the guests took the opportunity to stay for a few more days; most met up for lunch the next day at the famous Buddle Inn.

Swarbrick:BoagAlexandra Boag (2003) was married to Tom Swarbrick on August 10th 2012. Unfortunately we do not have any details, but wish them the best of luck in their future life.

Taylor:GooseMartin Taylor (1957) married Carole Goose on Saturday August 18th. The reception was held at the OFA Clubhouse with four generations of the family present, along with close friends. It was a beautiful warm day and was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.We have his daughter, Holly Choudhry, to thank for this report.

DEATHSOur condolences to the families of:

John Lawrence (1932) who died last year, but the informant did not realise we were unaware of his passing. John was a regular attendee at Old Freemen’s Day until the past few years. Evelyn Patterson née Mills (1947) who died suddenly on Tuesday August 7th at Epsom Hospital. Evelyn was one of our life members and maintained a keen interest in the Association. She will be sadly missed by her daughter Judith, son Graham and brother Lionel. We are indebted to her School friend, Hazel Archer, for the news.

Wesley Jackson, who died on 9th August, as we were informed by his son Peter.Mark Austen wrote:So sad and yet like others on this note we must count our blessings that we knew Wesley. He was a great guy all round and was great for Old Freemen's at that time.From the most trivial to the more substantive -I cannot forget his knobbly knees and one felt that were he to be tackled it would be mighty serious. He was fast and evasive and so it rarely happened!!He was wonderful under the high ball (of almost Parish-type infallibility!)He had a wonderful sense of humour and Chris remembers as well as I do getting back to the Clubhouse and only turning left (except I recall turning right into pub car

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parks was a subject of great debate but became exempt!). This was only one of many examples of a great sense of joie de vivre and ‘good to be with’. Undoubtedly a great family man. We shall all miss him but I can remember very fondly some great times we had together.

Mark Stevenson: I have just received this sad news – Wes was a great guy and an excellent full back when he arrived at Freemen’s at what then seemed a really advanced age!

Chris Reynolds wrote about Wednesday 22nd August:I went to the funeral of Wes yesterday. I was joined by Grant Calvin, Giles Guthrie, Bruce Provan, Steve Jenkins, Peter Stanyard, Mark Stevenson, Jeremy Davies (whose father played with Wes for Dorking), Peter Ling, and Mike Gibbs. It was a wonderful humanist ceremony and a real celebration of a life fully spent centred around his family. There were some brilliant photos of Wes who was one of the club's best or worst draught players at Mudeford. According to Grant, the rules were slightly blurred in that sometimes it was the winners who stayed on and other times it was the losers depending on how their team of four had done. As many will recall, the draughts board was made by Jimmy Wild and presented to Ellingham RFC in Ringwood. However, Jim wasn't sure it was well received by Ellingham so ‘confiscated’ the board and it has remained in our hands ever since. Wes originally played for Dorking when he moved to Surrey, before migrating to OFRFC where he immediately assumed the role of full back in the 2nd XV despite his advanced years. In his youth he played county rugby for Durham when he was at Blaydon RFC which incidentally is where Jimmy Wild also plied his rugby trade before he moved back to Ashtead. Old Wes was always old to me and a fine, fine player and a most wonderful team mate, never short of a song or the words! It was a genuine pleasure to have been in his company and a rare treat to have known him. Because of his advanced years he was one of the ‘adults’ in the party with Curly Squires and Jimmy, so if it was OK by them the youngsters followed suit! Wonderful exponents of the dark arts of rugby! I miss them all.

Wes's children are Val, Lisa, Peter and Michael. Jean, Wes's wife, died five years ago. They and their family were persistent and welcome Easter Tourists for many years and their van a useful source of beer on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Fortunately, Steve Jenkins saved his copy of the Order of Service of Celebration and so we have this lovely photo of Wesley.

Giles Guthrie wrote:It was lovely to read all the comments re Wes. I remember his sense of humour, his laugh, his songs and his love of good ale such as the Theakstons on the way back from Old Hamptonians

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and in the Dog and Duck on the way to Old Azzurians. I also have fond memories of the day we all had champagne at half time and sang Happy Birthday to Wes and Curly for their 50th, and the opposition (I think Old Thamesians) reciprocated the following year.

Chris Grunsell alias Grumble: Wes was one of those guys who taught us lads about Old Freemen’s rugby, along with Curly and Jimmy, of course. They drove the cars and bought the beer for us young lads who could run just a little bit faster and for just a little bit longer than themselves, whilst shouting words of encouragement from 20 yards back. Now you mention it, Mark, Wes did have knobbly knees, yes - he was great under the high ball, and yes - he had a magnificent side step. All in all, a bloody good bloke to have on your side. I can recall travelling back from away matches in Wes’s Austin Princess car, the wedge-shaped one, several pints and a jug at the opposition’s Clubhouse, with a stop off along the way before returning to our Clubhouse for a singsong led by Wes, Curly and Jimmy. Somehow Stevenson managed to drive me back to Harriott’s Lane around midnight. Oh, then back to open up the bar for 12 noon on Sunday. Cheers Wes, you’ll always be part of my happy memories.

Violet Clark died just after her 100th birthday party. It was with regret that we heard of her death; she was the widow of ‘Nobby’ Clark, the guiding force behind the building of our Clubhouse, and she presided over the running of the Tuck Shop rather a long time ago. We were given the news by their son, Brian, who represented his mother at the dinner we held to mark the 50 years since the dedication of the building. Some thoughts of Violet and ‘Nobby’:Violet ran the Tuck Shop in the Upper Quad for many years - a kindly woman whose husband taught me many things. I was one of the most advanced in metalwork of my year, producing several window boxes that Nobby would insist on calling ‘winda boxes’! I still have the useful screwdriver I made not long after making a square out of sheet metal only to turn it in to a hexagon. Happy days! Chris Reynolds

Nobby Clark was the metalwork master when I was at the School and became the project manager, site foreman and construction manager during the building of the original Memorial Clubhouse. He was the technical supervisor over all the Old Freemen who helped with the building programme. There is a Memorial Plaque on the chimney breast remembering him. I shall make contact with Brian and offer the Association’s condolences.David Harn

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I took metalwork classes from Nobby in the 1950s. Violet must have been a young woman (about 40 or so) in those days. Brian was just a little lad. It’s amazing how time flies. My condolences to Brian. Dudley Ellis

Very sorry to hear the news, but how amazing to live to 100. When I was badly injured in my last game for the OFRFC, I was in the middle of building an extension to my house in Grays Lane. Nobby heard I was now in plaster from the waist downwards and he came down and fixed the sink drainage which was half done before I was injured. Violet also used to come and see us in Grays Lane. But Nobby has to be remembered as the virtual O/C for the Clubhouse building and his wife put up with his many absences at weekends on site. She was a lovely person. Philip Kelly

How sad, but at 100 you can’t ask for a recount! I well remember Nobby. Who could forget him? Lovely man.Robin Eve

Very sad but a very good innings. My mum still has a very dodgy metal candlestick Nobby got me to make! Julian Lamden

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DID YOU HAVE A NICKNAME AT SCHOOL?The idea arose from a meeting the editor had with former master George Lewis (1991) who, at the same time that he handed over to me a large box of items for the Archive Room, started chatting about some of the lads in the photos. For one, he used his nickname and explained how it arose. It would appear that he momentarily forgot the chap’s name and said, “Oh, you know, the bod over there.” So from then on he was known as “Bod”.

THE ARCHIVESThe Archivist, Pat Jenkins, is happy to receive items at any time and if you visit only once or twice a year she will wait until it is convenient for you to bring your ‘goodies’ along. She wishes to thank the people who have already donated. If you have something that you would rather not give away, why not send a photograph or a scanning of it?

CITY OF LONDON FREEMEN’S SCHOOL: HONG KONG ALUMNI REUNIONOn Friday 2nd November 2012 the Headmaster, Philip MacDonald, hosted the inaugural international reunion in Hong Kong, chosen not for its extraordinary skyline, culture and heritage, but because outside the UK the largest number of our alumni is located here. Twenty-five pupils who left Freemen’s between the 1980s and just a few years ago congregated at one of the most famous hotels in Hong Kong - The Excelsior in Causeway Bay. With a backdrop of Victoria Harbour, this fantastic location enabled our alumni to meet other former pupils and hear the latest news from the School. After the drinks reception the group made their way to a local restaurant where they enjoyed crab soup and discussed hosting a similar event next year. If any former pupils would like to attend next year, or have country, regional or other types of reunions, our Development Office would be very pleased to help take these forward. Please contact Lindsay Brittain lindsay.brittain@clfs.surrey.sch.uk

PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THE ALUMNIMike Lepper and Robin Eve have both supplied School photographs for inclusion and Roger Davies has sent photos of some of the items he made with Nobby Clark - for which I am very grateful - but where are all the others, please?

ADDRESS UPDATESMy thanks to Nick Tudor, Della Panton née Gover, Clara Li, Trevor Cheung, Simon Whitehead, David and Jeannie Collins and Anna Stone née Mackenzie for sending me their new addresses. Brian Higgins has just built a house overlooking the Ottawa river and the Gatineau Hills ‘on the extremity of Ottawa’, as he describes it.

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LIFE MEMBERSMany years ago it was possible to become a Life Member for a substantial down payment; however, that became financially impractical so it ceased back in the 1970s. I am aware that some of those original life members are ageing but was surprised to receive a returned magazine from someone who had bought a house from the estate of a deceased Old Freeman, John Lawrence.

So I am asking all Life Members who have not been in touch recently to let me know that they are still benefiting from the mailing. Otherwise I fear I must assume that they have either moved or passed on and shall discontinue sending The Ashtead Link. Perhaps they would also include a little update and, for the icing on the cake, a donation to our funds. After all, you get more for your money now than forty years ago when you first became a Life Member!

THE SUPER HUNDRED CLUB WINNERS ARE:

£100 £50May John Hess John Mason June Michael Woodcock Michael Jordan July Sid Hall Theo van DortAugust Michelle Davies Chris FrySept Jerry Mabbott Mark MitchellOct Ron Gummer Pat Gibbs

If you would like to join the Super Hundred Club there are currently 4 available spaces for your chance to win £50 or £100 monthly and the £2000 grand prize drawn at the Dinner Dance in May each year. To apply: email to Theo van Dort - tvandort@gmail.com – first come, first served!

Is your name going to appear on the winner’s list in the near future? It commits you to only £5 a month on a standing order.

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REPORTS FROM THE AFFILIATED CLUBS

Old Freemen’s Cricket ClubOFCC play local league cricket on Saturdays and friendlies on Sundays throughout the summer, playing on the fantastic main square at Ashtead Park in July and August once the School have broken for their long summer break, and at Headley CC in May, June and September. Our Saturday 1st XI, led by Jeff Haywood in his first season as captain (following his elder brother Tom and father David in the role) gained promotion to the 1st division of the Surrey Downs League - a competitive, enjoyable and high standard of local cricket played at some of Surrey's prettiest villages. The 2nds play in the 3rd division of the same league, while our Sunday XI play non-league cricket home and away across the county against long-held fixtures going back over thirty years. We are always looking to offer games to former pupils, parents and CLFS staff and friends - so please contact one of the Davids or Bob (details below) and come join us for enjoyable cricket at a level you can enjoy from 14 to 64! We hold nets at Ashtead Park from late April onwards, normally on a Tuesday evening from 6.30pm onwards. Watch out for messages on the website for details on nets, fixtures and events.2012 Season report:Saturday League TeamsThe summer of 2012 saw a host of games cancelled due to the wet May and June, but once the weather improved we started to play and win games after an initially disappointing start. Many close-fought wins, including two off the final overs of the game, saw the 1sts slowly rise up the table, culminating in just being 7 points behind the eventual 2nd division champions. Jeff was ably supported by his brother Tom and the ever-reliable and affable Tom Hufton as his vice captains when Olympics duties prevented Jeff from playing. Well done to the team and to Jeff on a great season! The 2nds, however, struggled with consistency of commitment from their players, with injuries and summer holidays taking their toll. This inconsistency resulted in one week, suffering a huge loss - to the next week, a massive win against a top 3 team. In 2013 we need more consistent commitment from our players, please, across both teams. 1st team drop outs resulted in a weakened 2nd team and limited options in bowling or batting for the skipper Alan Clark and his vice captain Ben Whiting, whose personal performances shone through.Sunday TeamThe weather robbed the team of many games; however, Ben O'Connor was able to field teams for both competitive and enjoyable cricket, with some of the old guard from the 1980s dusting down their pads and bats on occasion in support of Ben in his last season as captain. We wish Tom Glover the best of luck in his role as captain for 2013, following in the large footsteps of his father Stuart and his uncle Andrew (Barnard).

Contact:Bob Davies bobdavies41@btinternet.com David Hammond david@djhammond.demon.co.ukDavid Richardson d.richardson@chalegrove.co.ukif you would like to know more about playing cricket for the Old Freemen’s, and go to our website http://www.oldfreemenscricket.co.uk for news and events.Bob DaviesSecretary OFCC

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Old Freemen’s Rugby Football ClubWell, we’re still searching for the season’s first competitive win, but there was a promising improvement in performance and attitude and continuing good vibes surround the off-field activities.To our players – please:1. pay your subs;2. complete your assigned roles each Saturday;3. make yourself available and tick the website early;4. attend training and bring a friend; good training attendance helps recruitment.

Some diary dates:Thursday 6th December – Varsity Match – Oxford and Cambridge in the final again!Saturday 22nd December – “Unders” v “Overs” Inter-Club Christmas Match at Ashtead – kick-off 1pm.

VARSITY MATCH – a message from Sam Rowan: Gents – it’s that magical time of year again: VARSITY!! For those of you who are unaware, VARSITY is an Old Free’s tradition of sailing up the Thames to watch the Cambridge v Oxford Rugby game at Twickenham. Key details:Date: Thursday 6th DecemberCost: £20 (cash on the day) for the cruise and 2-course lunchMatch ticket: £22.50 (cash on the day) if you wish to attend the game itselfAttire: smart (Old Free’s blazer / tweed)

Itinerary:10.30 board Turk’s Launches at Town End Pier, Kingston11.00 set sail to Teddington Lock (includes 2-course lunch)13.00 disembark at Teddington Lock for brisk walk / drinkies14.00 THE GAME (for those who wish to go)18.30 pick up from Teddington Lock19.30 disembark at Kingston

Please note: we needed to confirm numbers for the boat and the game by no later than Friday 23rd November. Anyone who said they are coming and then does not turn up on the day will still have to pay for their tickets. If you still wish to attend, please contact Sam Rowan rowan1987@hotmail.co.uk or go to the Facebook Event entitled “Varsity” – yes, it’s back!

INTERNATIONAL TICKETS: James Tremaine James.tremaine@boiuk.com has again co-ordinated distribution of these, but please note that only PAID-UP MEMBERS are entitled to buy them. Details of how to pay your subs are on the front page of the Rugby Club website at www.oldfreemens.co.uk or contact James Burns james.burns@johnstonsweepers.com Plenty here for you to react to, so please get booking soon.

Best regards,Roger Seymour - Keeping Freemen’s Rugby in Touch, Old Freemen’s RFC, Old Freemen’s Clubhouse, Ashtead Park, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 1ET

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SPONSORSReaders, please support our sponsors - they are all local - and whilst visiting them, please remember to mention your connection to the Old Freemen’s teams. We will ensure that they get a copy of the magazine so that they can see that their name has been mentioned.

The names to remember are:

For RugbyVOLKSPEED for garage repairs - the workshop is on the corner of Craddocks Parade, Ashtead and Chris Taylor is also an Old Freeman.WOOLFORD & CONATTERBOXTHE PARROT INN - Forest GreenTURK’S LAUNCHES - KingstonWESTCOTT HOUSE – Nursing & Residential Home

For HockeyWARD & CROSS – their shop is a Hairdresser’s in Rectory Lane, Ashtead HDEW CAMERAS – Wallington

For CricketJADE RECRUITMENT - DorkingM&G MOTORS is at Wallington and Graham Marshall is also an Old Freeman.

THE CLUBHOUSE IS AVAILABLE FOR HIRE: For details of times available and cost, contact Laura Morrison 01737 350882 or laura.morrison2@ntlworld.com

ADVERTISERSWe still have advertising space if any of you are interested. It is only £50 for a half page and as you know we publish three times a year: March, June and November.

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THE INFORMATION PAGEwww.oldfreemens.co.uk

The Dates on which our annual Subscriptions fall due:

The Old Freemen’s Association April 1stThe Old Freemen’s Cricket Club May 1stThe Old Freemen’s Rugby Football Club Sept 1stThe Old Freemen’s Hockey Club Oct 1stThe Old Freemen’s Swimming Club Nov 1st

The Association annual subscription is: £25 if you live within 30 miles of Ashtead £20 if you live further away, or are a student under 21

It is mandatory to belong to the Association when joining an affiliated Club

The Clubhouse Bar is officially open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9pm and Saturdays from 7-10pm. These times will be extended to cater for events.

The Cricket Club charges £30 per season. In addition there will be match fees.Contact: David Richardson on 01737 833237

The Hockey Club charges £75 (full membership) or £35 (casual players) per season. In addition there will be match fees.Contact: Nikki Linsell info@ofhc.co.uk

The Rugby Club charges £25 for non-players and £100 for regular players, which is reduced to £50 for those under 23. In addition there will be match fees.Contact: David Harn on 020 8642 2822

Sports Hall - Tuesday 7pm to 9pm for Squash, Badminton and AerobicsThe charges for using the Sports Hall are payable per session for Badminton and Squash; for aerobics they are a little more as we have a teacher for that exercise. One payment covers the whole evening and a variety of sports may be undertaken. Contact: Mike Bailey on 07764 936867

Swimming Pool - Thursday 7.45pm to 9pm When we have the use of the School pool, we have a rota of volunteer lifeguards. Families are welcome to attend and we do have a family membership. Swimming is £10 per year or £1 per session. Contact: Tracy Pearson on 07702 300077

NB Sports Hall and Swimming Pool are available in term-time only.

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TO ANYONE WHO EVER BOARDED AT CLFS

2ND BOARDERS’ REUNIONFriday 24th, Saturday 25th, Sunday 26th

May 2013

Come and join us before the dormitories in the Main House are modified and Philp House is demolished in the summer of 2013.

The Headmaster has kindly agreed to let us sleep in both the Main House and Philp House over the long weekend.

So whenever you boarded now is your last chance to revisit the School and sleep in the original dormitories as you knew them.

A full programme of events is planned and forms for booking and giving us your contact details are attached.

At the first very successful reunion the main events were the Luncheon and the Social Evening on the Saturday, interspersed with conducted tours of the School, together with finger buffets, liquid refreshments, a church service and plenty of opportunity to catch up with old friends.

Please, please get in touch, even if it is only to give us your contact details so that we can advise you of other functions in the future.

For further information please contact Alan Gerring:E-Mail: alan@thegerrings.com

1, Wallace Road, Broadstone, Dorset BH18 8NFTel: 01202 694148

SECOND BOARDERS REUNIONFriday 24th May 2013 to Sunday 26th May 2013

Ashtead Park

BOOKING FORM

Full Name When at School…………………………….……… Year of Birth……………

Current Surname………………………………………………

Friday Evening Buffet Supper in Clubhouse £10 per person £………….

Friday Night B&B in the Main House/Dormitories £20 per person £………….

Formal Luncheon on Saturday £25 per person £………….

Saturday Evening Social inc. Buffet Supper £10 per person £………….

Saturday Night B&B in the Main House/Dormitories £20 per person £………….

Sunday Buffet Lunch in Clubhouse £10 per person £………….

Donation to OFA Clubhouse Rebuilding Fund £5 per person £………….

Totals: £100 per person or £………….

1. You may choose one or more or all of the above at will.

2. In the event of your unavoidable cancellation any sums paid will be refunded.

3. Please attach a cheque or if you wish to pay by electronic transfer the bank details are:

Account Name: CLFS Boarders ReunionSort Code: 40-15-27Account Number 91401335Bank: HSBCIBAN Number: GB32MIDL40152791401335Swift Code: MIDLGB2123A

Please note: If paying by electronic transfer please ensure your name is given on the transaction so that we can identify who the payment is from.

COMMENTS:

Signature………………………………………. 21/05/12/JM/AJG