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Michael Brown saw both Simon (B 71) and William Grantham (B 75) at the Lincolnshire County Show. The former is involved in property investment and development, while his brother is farming. The following weekend their father, Geoffrey Grantham (B 42), a sprightly 94 years old, was watching Woodhall Spa Cricket Club, whom he supports avidly. Simon is in the same shooting syndicate at Wilsford as Ian Grant (C 80) and James Brown (Sc 76). The latter and his brother, Robert (Sc 77), live close to Sleaford and they socialise with several OOs, including Steven Padley (B 78), who lives nearby.
Andrew Scoley (S 81) farms close to Lincoln, while Matthew Mountain (St A 96) has just returned to Australia to join his family.
James Sardeson (Lx 82) lives and farms near Sleaford, and joins Michael Brown and John Francis (D 48) at the Boston RFU lunches. Regulars at the Boston County Club lunches include Simon Roughton (St A 68) and Stephen Francis.
Dick Denby (C 53) and his son, Peter (C 79), run a successful haulage business in Lincoln.
Mike Read (S 62) can be seen
Your correspondent has had a fairly busy year meeting up with OOs, including at the annual Round Norfolk Relay with Andrew Coulthurst (St A 97), Chris Godfrey
(N 97), Guy Simmonds (St A 95), Jake Sanders (St A 97) and James Vickers (C 97). A weekend of golf in May with Thurstan Guthrie-Brown (St A 98), Matthew Thornton (St A 97) and Jonathan Cope (B 97) proved to be a decent walk and a good chance to catch up as well. The highlight of my year was the OO Sports Lunch in April, when I organised a table
Michael Brown
Stephen Francis
combat deafness!
Stephen Francis still manages to
enjoy the stress of producing frozen peas and was made a Fellow of The Royal Agricultural Societies this year. He counts James Sardeson and Nick Scott (Lx 95) as two of his many growers, both having returned to the homestead a few years ago after careers in finance. The third generation Francis to attend Oundle, Amy (K 11), still works at CBRE in London, as do several OOs. She is part of a London ladies Oundle WhatsApp group who meet regularly. Stephen is in regular contact, via the various electronic means, with Robert Covell (Lx 80), who is based in southern Russia and married to Olga. He has his own agricultural consultancy business, specialising in large-scale agriculture all over eastern and western Europe. He still finds time to farm in Lincolnshire.
Other OOs spotted alive, well and thriving in the district of late include Alex Albone (Sc 81), returning on a train from London in first class, of course; Nick Bowser (Sn 90) in the local ‘British’ car dealership; and Robbie Longstaff (G 01) conducting a charity auction. He is a partner in the family business in Spalding.
marking the 25-year reunion of an
Oundle cricket tour to the West
Indies back in 1994. An excellent
turnout saw a table of 10, plus John Wake, who led the tour all those
years ago. Those present included
Tim Nicholson (St A 97), Andrew Coulthurst, Jake Sanders, Matthew
Joyce (St A 97), David Lowe (G 97),
Tom Montgomery (Lx 97), Ric Muir
(Sc 97), Ross Ward (Sc 97) and
Jonathan Cope. It was a fantastic
event and great to catch up with so
many old friends, and reminisce
about our younger days on the www
NEWS FROM HOME
Lincolnshire
By Michael Brown (Sc 51) and Stephen Francis (C 80)
supporting the County Show, while Mark Chatterton (D 85) was on the Duncan and Toplis hospitality stand at Cereals, as well as dispensing tax advice.
Two Lincolnshire businessmen now live in Rutland: David Padley (B 72), who returns frequently to visit his family, and Tom Sinclair (Lx 56), who visits his Boston-based brother, William (Lx 52).
Richard Coney (L 17) farms near Grantham and is still committed to eventing. Many farming friends have families at or have recently left Oundle, namely the Darleys, Fowlers, Howards and Scotts.
John Francis still remains fit and well for an 89-year-old, and enjoys meeting up with Michael Brown at various local functions, where voices are often raised – not in anger, but to
London
By Matthew Simmonds (St A 97)
THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2018 –2019
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