NEWS
The weather man has just told me that it's the last day of summer! I trust that some of you saw more of it than I did! Christmas next! But not before The Dinner and Ladies Night, of which more on the back. As to the years events so far, read on.
The Annual Golf match against Newport High School Old Boys back in May, was a narrow victory for the Su's, winning on the last green of the last match. The Association Golf day a few weeks later was slightly down on numbers but a most enjoyable day. Mike Wood kept things moving and there was an excellent evening meal at the Sham Castle clubhouse. The morning honours went to Steve Ford, with Roger Williams and Derek Haines just behind; the afternoon Stableford to John Larcombe, with Nick Skardon and Tony Bowrey; the Old Tossers Tankard to Cliff Weston; a new trophy for non-handicappers went to Tony Davies; the Nearest the Pin to Roger Williams and the Longest Drive to Den Lambern, who came all the way from Sidcup!
The Approach Golf was drowned out again, and therefore cancelled. Then came the Treasure Hunt. Now our Hunt Mistress, Sue Trude, is one of the nicest people you could possibly meet but deep inside lies a tyrant that is allowed to surface once a year for our benefit! Sue managed to refresh the memory about parts of Bath you had reached but never really seen. A most enjoyable evening, narrowly won by the Powell crew, and, furthermore, Ava Bailey's Team did not come last. As is our custom, we donated the proceeds of £54 to charity, the National Eye Research Centre.
Finally, President's Night. Again the weather conspired to prevent the eagerly awaited deployment of the 'Agricola Trophy Course' but rounds of darts and skittles together with a devious Dyer Picture Quiz and excellent raffle meant prizes for almost all. I am very grateful to immediate Past President Len Dyer for his help, enthusiasm and his food pixies, and to all who supported the evening.
Sulian Presentation Award.
For many years the Association has sponsored 2 awards at School. The Rose Bowl for Literary Achievement and the A W Marquiss Technology Award. During research for the recent 100 Years display, secretary Peter Powell found an exercise book that belonged to his grandfather. Every page is filled with the most glorious copperplate script. After discussion with Roy Ludlow, the Headmaster, we have offered to sponsor a Salver for a Year 9 Prize for Presentation of Work. I will be scanning a sample page for inclusion in a poster promoting the award. In these days of computers and printers, it is easy to overlook the importance of legible writing and logical presentation. By the time you find that your passport or job application has to be written, it may be too late so we are delighted to be able to make this contribution.
The Old Sulians' Rugby Club have started a new season down a league in Somerset 2. Initial turnouts have been promising and regular training has started under a new coach. We wish them well and hope for better results than of late.
Membership continues to grow. We now have 250 on 'the books'. Since the beginning of the year we have been joined by: Derek Swift 1949, R W (Bob) Millard 1938, A C (Tony) Butler 1961, Barrymore Dando 1961, Graham Morecroft 1965, Chris Newman 1963, Brian Weston 1953, John Collier 1951, Gerald Cox 1949, Ian Leyshon 1954, A White, Ray Chubb 1951, B W J Cox, B D V Coombs, J A Paterson 1954 and C J Wilmot 1953. Apologies for any I've missed.
As always, I am grateful to the Headmaster for his enclosed newsletter giving you an insight into the progress and achievements at our Alma Mater and for his support of the Association. The AGM will be at the end of February, with full details in the next newsletter. I look forward to seeing you at the Dinner and at Ladies Night.
Annual Dinner
As you will all have noted in your diaries, the annual Association Dinner is to be held on Friday, 29th October, at The Lansdown Grove Hotel, 7.30 pm for 8 pm. Dress is Black Tie or dark lounge suit. The speaker who will propose the toast to 'The Association' is Graham Knight,(1967), who is Service Delivery Director with Integralis Ltd, an international IT company. For a number of years now, Graham has led a personal crusade to gather his contemporaries around him at the Annual Dinner, increasing his numbers year on year.
A chit is enclosed, (e-chit for those on the net!). On it you will see that the cost this year is £35 a head. However this is reduced to £30 if you pay before the 13th October. The deadline for numbers is the 20th October. We have to finalise details with the hotel a week in advance and we have to pay! Hopefully the cost incentive will put the money in the bank before the Treasurer has to write the cheque.
As young Tony Bowrey is once again on the 'Costa Sulis' I have drawn the short straw! Please return the chits and cheques to me, Roger Wood, at the address overleaf.
Ladies Night
Saturday, the 27th November at Bath Golf Club,
Sham Castle. 7.30 for 8.00 as usual, is the night to take your lady out to dinner. This year, just for a change, the theme is D-Day plus 60 and a bit! Those with long memories will recall similar themed nights back in the '80's when 2 young chaps sang songs of the period accompanied by spam fritters! Well the spam has run out (or gone off!) but fortunately Ian Holmes knows someone who knows someone with some 'meat' off-ration. (Remember the walls have ears!) And the 2 young chaps, although prematurely aged, have dusted off the song collection, reprinted them in bigger type for the benefit of the eyesight and retuned the ukuleles for one more trip out of retirement! Costume is entirely optional, but a few soldiers, sailors, airmen, land-girls, French maids, evacuees and the like, not to mention the Gestapo, Luftwaffe or members of zee resistance, would be very welcome. Think 'Allo allo, Foyle's War, Brief Encounter or Casablanca. In fact many of the dinner suits seen at the Annual Dinner would probably be authentic models of the period! "Wear it again, Sam! Your Association needs you!"
As the 'turn' are playing for 1940's prices, the ticket cost has been held at last years price, that is £19 a head. Please, you do need to contact Tony Bowrey early in November to book your places, (01225 463896) as we always have a good turnout. If your journey is really necessary, please leave your boat at Widcombe Lock; park your armoured car tidily in the car park, and be sure to land your Spitfire up the fairway, avoiding the greens. Remember the blackout.
Please Note: The identities of the persons shown in the archive photos have been omitted for security purposes.