Overseas Bag – December 2004

There is one issue for which I would enjoy some feedback. Now that we have changed over to the new format Yeabook in combination with the College, there are suggestions being made to change the format of the Overseas bag. The general idea is to combine the “UK Peronalia” with the “Overseas Bag” so as to provide broader coverage to all OFs whether in UK or Overseas. One suggested title for the new format is “Here and There”. Please let me know your views – preferably by adding comments to this website article; but you may always email comments direct to me.

Overseas Bag Editor: Richard Rowe (S65-74), PO Box 07264, Fort Myers, Florida 33919, USA; Tel/Fax: (+1) 239-415-8153; E-mail: overseasbag@oldframlinghamian.com

AUSTRALIA

Jonathan Amos (S67-71) sent message of his double fantastic year in 2004. On 1st January 2004, he married Kayoko at the town hall in Funabashi, Japan. Then on 12th March 2004, they had a traditional wedding ceremony at the Funabashi shrine with both of them wearing traditional wedding kimonos. They returned to Perth on 1st April where Jonathan works as a MYOB Consultant with J Amos Consultancy Services . And then on 19th November, Kayoko gave birth to their daughter, Sakura Kate Amos. Many, many congratulations – RMR

Phil Bower (G65-74) sent in a photo of the New Year’s eve fireworks in Sydney. Phil works for his own photography company, Shazbinkimages. More of Phil’s New Year and other photos may be seen at www.shazbinkimages.com

Captain Nick Carlton (G63-70) made contact from the P&O Cruise liner SS Pacific Sky. “Many thanks for the email and hope you are having a good Christmas.

Firstly my email address. You have my correct email but itis only good while I’m on this particular ship but I can check my other email. I’ll be here until 19th Feb 2005 before going on leave.
As similar to Bryan Pearson (S45-47), I met Peter Simpson (K32-40) recently on a cruise. I expect to be back in Brisbane for a 3 week dry-dock period in late May 2005. We talked of getting together for an OF Dinner and of course it would be useful to know of any other OFs in the area. Peter knows some OFs and was going to organise things.

I haven’t been very good at keeping up with the Overseas Bag – always meant to of course. Tried getting onto the web site recently but with my computer on the ship I couldn’t get the link to the registrar set up so I still haven’t registered. Maybe I’ll try when ashore.

I married an Australian girl, Raquel in 2003 and we had a little boy, James on 4th August. My address in Australia is:

33 San Javier Circle, Secret Harbour, WA 6173; tel: (08) 9524 8071

We still have a house in the UK but we probably won’t spend much time there and I’ll sell it when the time is right.
I work for P&O/Princess cruises and have done since leaving Fram in 1970. At the moment, I am cruising out of Brisbane to the Pacific Isles but my travels take me all over the world. This time last year, I was cruising out of Port Everglades, Florida on the Grand Princess.

Best wishes for 2005.”

Neville Marsh (S53-61) sent in a brief message: “We had a great Christmas, prawns on the barbie, stubbies in the pool etc!!!
I’m meeting Peter Bailey (K34-38)and John Gates (S44-48) on 28 December 2004 for our annual Queensland get-together.”

John Gates (S44-48) sent his best wishes for Christmas and New Year. “Joy & Peter Bailey (K34-38) are joining us for dinner tonight, 31 December, and to then see in the New Year.
Neville Marsh has already been in touch with you as we had a get-together on 29 December.
I will be contacting Captain Nick Carlton on “Pacific Sky” as we are booked to join his ship for a cruise to Noumea on 15th January; so we will try to arrange a further get together in May when his boat is in dry-dock. I will keep you informed.”

Chris Shaw (K50-56) sent a Christmas message to RMR from Cairns. “Best wishes to you in chilly Florida! Cairns is standard 31-33C daytime and 25Cish night-time, so Santa and snow and conifers become a tad redundant. Some people still insist on roast turkey, roast potatoes and veges and gravy, and hot Christmas pud, but I read them as wife-beaters! This year we are in to cold BBQ chook (now you have been to OZ you’ll know about that), ham and English mustard, a cold potato salad and as much cold Chardonnay or some-such as seems decent at the time!
I have written a piece for Clive Hedley’s Suffolk Anthology which I hope he likes. It concerns romance, a challenge, lots of travel and sleuthing and a happy outcome. It also take the town of Framlingham in to account, so it should be suitable content, though no necessarily structure. We’ll see. Look after yourselves and I hope we meet again soon.
Have A happy Christmas and a Great New Year.”

The Reverend John Bennett (G34-42) made contact from Kambah, ACT. “Many thanks for your Christmas greetings. Congratulations on getting the Year Book published. I look forward to receiving the first edition in the New Year, and later on the revised version of the SOF Magazine. I’m sure the efforts and hard work of the editorial board will be well rewarded.

Here we are gearing up for another long hot summer but hopefully without the bush fires which devastated much of our National Capital two years ago, I wish we could share some of our excess summer heat with you!

I’ve been in touch with several of my Fram contemporaries during the year. Most of us are now octogenarians. The years pass but the great memories and friendships remain. I feel we have much for which to be thankful. These have included Mike Abbott (in British Colombia who visited us a few years ago), Mike Dobson (Norfolk), Kenneth Knight (with whom my wife Dorothy and I had a reunion lunch, together with Andrew Currie and David Brook at Ken and Patricia’s home in Ipswich in 1999), and Jimmie Scoggins (Diss), from each of whom I was glad to hear this last Christmas.

Merry Christmas and every blessing throughout 2005

In a later message, John Bennett says “The Year Book 2004 has arrived safely, and received a very warm and appreciative welcome at this Fram outpost. Great to read about current school activities and OF news in the one publication, with wide interests and well illustrated. The picture on the front cover of the Year Book reminded me of the very severe winter in 1940 (or was it ’41?) when we played hockey on the first Saturday of the Easter term and then the snows descended and we never saw the Back again that term. I recall many afternoons spent on the frozen meres playing ice hockey, sometimes with matches against some of the locals. I also particularly enjoyed Mike Dobson’s account of the “Pop” Haynes’ water incident. Since receiving the Year Book I have been very sorry to learn of Norman Borrett’s death. No doubt there will be an appreciation of his outstanding contribution to Fram and to national hockey in the next edition.”

Tom O’Donald (S51-57) sent in a photo of himself and his wife, Veronica, from Seaford Rise, just south of Adelaide. Tom says “I have to admit it was actually taken last year when I could walk; you really don’t want one of me in my wheel chair do you.
I have just received a copy of the Yearbook, courtesy of Martin Wolferstan, who posted a copy over to me. It arrived here on a day when the temperature outside was 40 ° C and hence the picture on the front cover was somewhat of a surprise. I don’t think however on reflection that I would like to return to those kind of conditions. Seriously though, I welcome the new format that combines news from the College together with the Old Framlinghamians section. Although the format is not the same, it reminds me of the original format when I first joined the society in 1958.

Reading through the College section, I could not help but marvel at the wealth of opportunities that the student of today have in comparison to when we were at school.

One particular part did recall a memory and that was the story of “Pop” Haines. In my day he had given up smoking tailor made cigarettes, preferring to grow his own tobacco from which to roll his cigarettes. The result was a smell that was so individual that one could trace his whereabouts anywhere within a 2-mile radius. The smell was so strong that we students were more than curious about the taste of these cigarettes and hence, one day I made the suggestion to him that, should I perhaps happen to drop a tailor made cigarette on his desk, he could drop one of his on my desk. Amazingly enough that was exactly what did transpire. Diving down behind the rifle range, a favoured place in which to enjoy the odd highly illegal smoke, a group of us took turns in sharing this cigarette, which, despite the smell, had virtually no taste to it.
There may be some who still celebrate the festive season as if they were still in the cold regions north of the Equator. For ourselves, the last time we ever tried this was some 20 years ago when, in a temporary burst of insanity, we tried to recreate the whole disaster in the tropical heat of Darwin; not an experience I would care to ever repeat (90deg plus Fahrenheit and 100% humidity are simply not conducive to hot soup, roast turkey and Christmas pudding).

For ourselves, the actual Christmas dinner is normally a lunch as the younger family members, children and grandchildren, usually have partners who want to celebrate the time with their folks as well. It is always conducted outside, in our case, sitting around eating and drinking under the veranda. Even though Christmas day today was fairly cool (it only reached about 80o F), the power of the sun is somewhat too great to sit out without any shade. Our lunch normally consists of a plate full of king prawns, together with a whole fish baked on the barbecue, all washed down with a nice bottle of a Claire Valley Riesling, and then, after a suitable interval, a salad of cold meats such as some ham, freshly carved off the bone and, depending on the numbers, some form of cold poultry, this time washed down with a bottle of the local McLaren Vale shiraz. By the time this lot has been consumed, there is seldom room for any desert, or, if one can find just that tiny space, then perhaps a nice fresh fruit salad.

Of course, there is always ten times as much food prepared that can be eaten on the day; after all, we cannot have any one going short, and hence, for the next few days or weeks depending on just how well the needs were originally estimated, we are still finishing off the cold meats. After all, one does need some ‘blotting paper’ to soak up the alcohol. Boxing Day of course is always marked by the start of the Test match in Melbourne and, of course, the start of the Sydney to Hobart boat race, allowing the Australian’s love of sport to have an integral part to play in the Christmas celebrations.

Many families normally congregate down on the beaches for their Christmas lunches, after all, here in Adelaide, we have miles and miles of pristine white sandy beaches stretching from one end of the metropolitan area to the other. This year, following a fatal shark attack a few days earlier in which an 18 year old was taken and killed by a couple of 8 metre long white pointers, the beaches were almost deserted, people changing their locations to the many parks around the place.

Boxing Day is simply a repeat of Christmas Day but with other family members, and usually at a different location; we spent ours sitting around the pool at the home of a cousin’s daughter and her family.

This year, Christmas in South Australia is proving somewhat of a gastronomic challenge as it has been ordained that because Christmas Day fell on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, then the Monday and Tuesday of the new week were our proclaimed public holidays where most places remain closed, leaving nothing to do other than to dig out the second and third round of friends and relatives to have a re-run of the day again. After all, this is the land of the long weekend!”

Tom also sent in a link to a great Christmas card – Click here to view

Mike Brown (K53-59) sent in a brief message from Belair in South Australia to update his email address.

Ken Mackenzie (K45-53) made contact from Mosman Park in Western Australia to join the SOF website users now that he is on email – though Ken hastens to add that he is a newcomer to the internet, so still very much a beginner.

Paul Bonner (G61-64) put a post in the website Forum: “I am now resident in beautiful Tasmania surrounded by hills and sheep. Any visitors to Tasmania are encouraged to get in touch.”

CHINA

Iain Fidlin (M73-77) sent in a Christmas message. Iain mentioned that Ian Howard (S57-62), Ed Marr (G85-92) and himself have several times, alas unsuccessfully, attempted to reactivate the erstwhile enthusiastic SOF reunions in Hong Kong. He said “We will keep trying!”

David Metcalf (R50-55) sent a message from UK, having read the 2004 Yearbook that he says is excellent. David reports “I was the first secretary of the Hong Kong branch of OFs in the days of Russell Watson S24-31 , Punchy Stapleton 1913-15, and Reginald Parsons R21-26. There is one very memoramble occasion. As the Hockey Convenor of the Hong Kong Football Club, I got a call from the Flag Lieutenant HMS Tamar that Albion wanted a game . As luck would have it I was playing in goal for the club and a short corner was awarded and a burly full-back came up to take the shot at goal which I saved . After the match I said to this full-back you look like a fellow I knew at school. He replied “I am Commander Frank Craig K45-53. A small world!

Currently I am retired having suffered a minor stroke in June 2003 but keeping fit playing golf regularily in fair weather. I am currently living near Tonbridge, Kent.

FRANCE

James Ruddock (G46-52) forwarded a message from Brian Rosen (S40-46). Brian says that he is now Acting Chairman of the Lyon Royal British Legion, following the sudden death of the Chairman in May. This now keeps him very busy, as he is also Secretary of the RAFA.

David Metcalf (R50-55) sent a message from UK to say that his brother, Roger (R52-58), had retired to France and is now living near Beuzeville 2721.

GREECE

RMR has had several communications with Ivor Webb (K37-42). By some chance, I have to do some work in January in FYRO Macedonia. The meeting point with my client is at Thessaloniki, Greece, less than 20-miles from where Ivor lives. So we have arranged to meet for an SOF Greek Dinner. More in January after we have met.

MALAYSIA

Will Ryder-Davies (Z87-89) sent in the attached Christmas card while on another world trip with his wife, Emma. They are currently in Malaysia. You may read their fascinating Travel Log at www.hms123.com. I am not sure if Will has written up his close encounter with a tsunami, a result of the tragic earthquake in Indonesia on Boxing Day. While in Penang, Will was hoping to meet up with Bob Holland (R57-65).

NIGERIA

Gbenga Oguntayo (R78-86) sent a brief message to register on the website. Gbenga had two younger brothers at Fram and one had been Head Boy. Gbenga is now happily married with 2 kids and living in Nigeria.

SOUTH AFRICA

Tim Lewis (K53-59) sent in a message of congratulations for the new Yearbook. ” I must thank you for this splendid Year Book of 2004. Although I have been extremely lax in communicating and have no excuse for not doing so.

I was at Brandeston first and then the College over the period 1952 to 1958. Although my name was Thomas Lewis I was known as Tim as my father had the same name.

My father took the golden handshake from the army in 1957. Soon after, we left for Southern Rhodesia on The Edinburgh Castle; and drove from Beira to Salisbury in a series of 2 short wheel Landrovers. Here we were sent to a Tobacco farm where we stayed for 18 months. The family then journeyed to The Mkushi Block in Northern Rhodesia where we were allocated a 1700-acre farm. It had 10 acres cleared and a borehole with road access. We built a pole and dagga house with an antheap floor. We made clay bricks and burnt them in our own kiln; and we built Tobacco Barns and handling facilities.

I bought myself an old greener shotgun and went hunting as there were no shops at all to buy food. To go shopping meant a journey down the great north road to Broken Hill – some 320 kms of dirt road. In those days you could find 300 Hartebeast in one herd. They are all gone now. From my Greener, I progressed to a hunting rifle and became a friend of the local hunting fraternity.
My father decided I needed further education (not my strong forte) so he sent to Gwebi Agricultural College. This I enjoyed and left with a Diploma. After that, I volunteered for national service; this I also really enjoyed. After this I became farmer in Southern Rhodesia.

Having kept my contacts with the hunting fraternity, I regularly joined them on crocodile poaching trips. These old men taught me all the tricks of survival and illegal movement in Central Africa; borders were no barrier.

When Ian Smith declared , my father contacted me and told me to get out – but I decided to stay. Eventually the trouble started and I joined, as a volunteer, The Combat Tracker Group. From this it was only a matter of time before I went for selection for The Selous Scouts where I stayed until 1980.

After this I worked in many countries in Africa as an Agricultural Consultant, working for such personalities as Tiny Rowlands – Great man and great fun.

I am resident in Kwazulu Natal South Africa in a country town called Empangeni. We are close to the game reserves of Umfolozi and Mkhuze. I run a secuirty company here called Control Risks Group with 240 employees. Should any of our OF`s or other school members be in this area it would be my pleasure to sort out accommodation and possibly transport.

I have been told that I may have to retire “soon” – but I find this idea difficult. I recently did some work for The Crown Agents in Mozambique on cross border smuggling – all the old routes are still open and flourishing. Again good fun.

I have kept this short as obviously some things must remain unsaid.

I can be contacted by this means or by landline RSA code + 357922467 or by cellphone 0825577126. Hopefully I will be visiting England mid 2005 and will contact you to see if there are any functions going on that I could attend. My regards to you all.

In a recent letter to our President, Norman Porter, Dr Alan Dods (R27-32) noted that he has relocated from the UK to a Nursing Home in Plumstead in the Western Cape. Alan says that one advantage is that the fees are far cheaper than the UK.

Adam Phillips G78-83 sent in a message: “Just received the Yearbook. I see the school came on a rugby and hockey tour to SA. It would have been great to have been able to meet up and see some of the games; I could have done a braai for all of them.
I am now working for Investec Bank. The Forex market here is very tough, but I am surviving.

2004 was a tough year in the wine industry because the Rand is so strong, but my wife, Fiona, is still going strong with her internet business at www.cybercellar.co.za
On the family news, we had a girl at the end of 2003. Her name is Jessica and she has certainly brightened up 2004 for us. We have moved to a golf estate, so golf is really big for the family now.

SPAIN

Michael Evans (G34-42) made contact from Mallorca, Balearic Islands. “I have just received the new magazine. Congratulations, so nice to have news of the college activities. The group photo on page 90 that included myself at the 1953 Dinner Dance brings back happy memories. There are at two other OFs on the islands to my knowledge – Ian Foster K46-53 on Mallorca and Nick Cook S82-87 in Menorca. I see
Ian Foster, who is based in Alcudia on the other side of this island, during the course of the year. He has just flown out to Denver to join his son for Christmas.
Best wishes for Christmas & the New Year.”

SWITZERLAND

Kevin Horrocks (M66-75) emailed from Switzerland. “Good to hear from you, as always. It hardly seems possible that the family man in the photo attached to your email is the middle-aged bachelor we last saw in Hong Kong about 10-years ago! If it’s any consolation, of my sons, Michael (14) is now as tall as me, and Richard (11) is into cubs (Scouts of America, that is) and wears a uniform rather more casual and comfortable than the ones I wore over the years – grey herringbone, khaki serge and blanco, not to mention noddy suits and other quaintly-named military gear that will be familiar to some of your other correspondents.

We are still in Switzerland and Chris has done a great job of migrating the family from Zurich, where we spent 5 years, to Geneva. We like the lifestyle better in these parts – more laid back, friendlier, better food, and a golf club in France just 1.5km away with an annual membership that equates to about two green fees in Switzerland.

Professionally, life is interesting. After trying the Brits (NatWest), the Swiss (Credit Suisse) and some independent fiduciary work, I am now giving the Americans a crack of the whip. I recently accepted Merrill Lynch’s offer to become the Chief Trust Officer responsible for their international (non-domestic US) trust operations, based in Geneva, and am thoroughly enjoying the challenge. I spend a fair amount of time traveling to liaise with my staff and business partners from the Americas through to Asia. Last month, I revisited Hong Kong for the first time in several years and was pleased to see that it has not changed that much since we were living there, especially now the economy and property market are booming again.

I am regularly in Miami and expect to be back in January. I do hope that we can catch up. Business aside, the kids are keen to do the Mouse (Disney) and I guess that this year will probably be the last opportunity for us all to do it together – the size of Michael’s dating list will likely preclude it in future years!”

USA

I received an indirect message from Nick Allan (R59-63) through John Birt (S59-63). John describes Nick as “He was a very fine squash player and also opened the bowling as a fast left arm bowler. He was not a bad Rugby winger either!! He now lives somewhere near San Antonio in Texas and is mad about Chevrolet Corvettes .. hence his email address – NicksVette98@aol.com!! Nick’s message was about Norman Borrett, “I am very sorry to hear about Norman Borrett. He played an important part in my life at Fram, squash, hockey and geography (a
subject I actually enjoyed). I think most of us thought he was a pretty cool guy!! I particularly remember speeding down the road in the jump seat of his Aston Martin, on our way to a squash game. I hope he was buried wearing his MCC tie! ”

Alfred Molson (K38-43) sent in several emails from Houston, Texas. “I have had several phone conversations with various OFs; I use VOIP through the computer that gives me free or very cheap calls all over the world.
Michael Powlesland (R40-45) told me of his brother, John (R37-43), passing some two days after the event.
Michael Abbott (K34-41) in Vancouver Island, Canada, is doing well and is quite alert, considering he had a stroke and has partial paralysis down one side of his body.
Ron Pine (K34-41) is doing well.
Harry Peck (S38-43) in Australia is planning on a visit to the UK in May of ’05 to see his brother Geoff (S38-43) who has been quite ill. He plans to take a daughter with him .
Ivor Webb (K37-42) had his sister and brother in law visit him in Greece this summer.
I was very sorry to see that James Aubrey Hyman (37-43) passed away on Nov. 20th. 2004. I had only spoken to him on the phone for about half an hour the first week in November. He told me of his life as a hotelier, as I wondered how he ended up in South Wales of all places. He was a Jew, but not a practicing one. His family, he said, did not attend the Synagogue, and left him free to follow what he pleased . He always attended Chapel while at school, but shared with me a deep dislike for ‘Rupert Kneese’ the Holy man of our time. When he first arrived at Fram, he had not been exposed to Christianity, and in a scripture class Rupert asked him to explain Easter. Well he drew a blank, and Rupert proceeded to castigate him for his ignorance in front of the whole class!
As for myself, when I was about 15, Rupert called me out of the line and into his study after lunch one day. He closed the door, sat me down and stood ‘over me’ and proceeded to tell me in a very serious manner that he had received a letter from my Father, at which point I withdrew a copy of the letter from my coat pocket. I thought he was going to collapse, he went white as a sheet and gasped, could not utter a word. Just waived me out of the room. The letter said ‘This will acknowledge your letter of – – – -date, which I take to be a written confession of your failure to influence my son in Religious matters who has been in your care for the past three years. As to whether he wishes to be Confirmed in the C. of E. that is a matter which you will have to ask him.’ My Grandfather was a very religious man, to the point of his spending money on the church rather than his family. The only one of his six children who did not get out from under his roof by the age of 16 was his youngest daughter, and she took a job in Fleet Street and fell in with a wild bunch. So you will understand that James and I had a common bond.”

Alan Best (K49-56) sent a brief message to note his change of address from the Geography Department at Boston University to Beaverton in Oregon.

James Stuart-Smith (K55-60) renewed contact with the SOF from California, after his brother, John (K57-66) in UK, emailed details of the SOF website.

Following a long exchange of emails concerning the “Searching for Lost Cyclists – Spain 1963” (see SOF website news), Anthony Cowan (R55-64) also made contact with RMR from Bellevue near Seattle, Washington.

David Metcalf (R50-55) sent a message from UK to say that his Uncle, Maurice (R20-24) will celebrate his 97th birthday on 10th March 2005 at his daughter’s house in New Orleans (251 Bellaire Drive LA 70124). His own home is in Greensboro, North Carolina. Is he the oldest OF living? (RMR – I am not sure but certainly he will be one of the contenders).

ZIMBABWE

Chris Seddon (S43-50)sent in a colourful card from Harare containing
AN IRISH BLESSING
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again;
May God hold you ever in the palm of his hand.