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NEWS FROM HOME
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South & West Yorkshire
We have had to amalgamate the column this year following the retirement of Ian Payne (G 62) as Corresponding Member for South Yorkshire, Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire. My thanks to Ian for his efforts and contributions over recent years, and I would like to put a note out that we are still searching for a replacement. Any takers, please contact the OO office.
I am glad to say that we have had updates from leavers of every decade since the 1940s! Tony Morris (Sn 46) notes his routine over the years has included some fishing; far too much TV viewing; trying to stop his youngsters making fools of themselves (they are in their 50s!), which is a measure of his insanity; regular visits to the swimming pool, which affords his mobility some benefit; attendance at Speed Awareness Courses (he is going to the second one in two years next week!); visits to the cinema, theatre and Investment Club membership. He recalls the ‘knees up’ organised for those who were Old Sandersonians some time ago. At the event he found himself number two in age. At the top was John Corner (Sn 40), who is no longer with us, which moves him into pole position, only on the basis that there were absentees who were contemporaries. The guest list contained 31 names of leavers from 1940 to 1993. It was a great day out, well organised and very enjoyable. But the bitter pill is that a shrinking audience is unavoidable.
Roger Shaw (C 47) still resides in Roundhay, Leeds, but with little to report.
Donald Ricketts (D 50) responds for the first time in 30 years, having climbed Kilimanjaro last year with the intention of doing so again this year in aid of Cancer Research. The only OOs he has contact with are James Ricketts (D 80), his elder son, who did
By Richard Ellis (Sn 86)
rather well in sailing. He has a daughter, who had her 21st birthday this year and is doing a degree in Marine Biology, and a son, who hopes to do Engineering with a view to shipbuilding. His younger son, David Ricketts (D 82), has had a somewhat varied career, doing printing and a spell selling wines at a local restaurant, and now describes himself as a warehouse manager. On a personal front, Donald retired on 31st December and has been indulging himself in travel. He now has a total of 72 countries under his feet and hopes to add a few more while still fit enough.
Roger Allton (D 51) has nothing but praise for the wonderful NHS following his wife’s recent visit; they are both well for a couple in their early 80s. He has started a new career as a lecturer, utilising some of the 2,000 books he has collected over the last 65 years. Having led a life of management profiling and sales seminars, he is enjoying, in retirement, the need to research, create Powerpoint presentations and the accompanying words, and being back in front of an
audience. His specialist subjects are airplanes, racing cars and famous people, with talks being given all over the East Midlands.
Julian Board (C 54) writes freely of his addiction in life. In 1961 he became addicted to riding the Cresta Run and has ridden the course every year since. Last year he created a record of being the oldest rider of all time, having reached 80 and so beating the late Lord Brabazon, who had his last run at the young age of 79! Not only is Julian now the oldest person to ride the run, but having done so every year since 1961, this is in itself a record in the 135 years of its existence. Having experienced the 1992 Olympic bobsleigh track near Albertville, albeit in a tourist ‘bob’, I have every admiration for this achievement!
Returning to OOs in God’s own county of Yorkshire, Roger Ellis (Sn 56) wrote that in view of his son not only being the Corresponding Member but also the incumbent OO President, he felt he ought to put pen to paper to avoid some spurious news being written on his behalf (would I do such a thing, father?)! He reports of a lot of golf being played, especially as he is currently the Vice-President (not a president yet then, father!) of his local golf club, Woodsome Hall, having taken over the role from his late brother, Charles Ellis (Sn 59). He enjoyed his first foray into OO golf this year, playing in the Northern Area match against Uppingham at the ripe old age of 80. Away from golf, he recently spent five weeks globetrotting, visiting many obscure parts of the world.
Continuing on the travel theme, Anthony Hackforth (N 64) writes of his fortuitous avoidance of this spring’s ‘Beast from the East’ weather. Visits to Tasmania via Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide ensured that he missed the delights of
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THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2017 –2018