News Frank Pitkin NDA 61-63 In response to your request I’m jotting down a ‘contribution’ to the Newsletter which hopefully makes sense, as follow: I’m a 1961-63 NDA old student & fingers crossed, still going strong. I see you, Graeme, are based in Lowestoft, a place which immediately brings back awesome memories of our Shutts 1963 Easter rugby tour! In all my life I've never ever been so cold, but of course we had fantastic terrific fun, super rugby, apart from the odd broken leg! A great tour! See Neil Hampson’s piece later for more details on this incident and a team photo too! It’s been embarrassingly long since my last Newsletter foray - in fact for many years I was the 61-63 cohort ‘Course Rep’ & surprisingly supplied lots of good, most interesting, readable content from a dozen or more old students - it was fun stuff! But somehow, I guess with other priorities I ceased pulling it together about 15 years ago. As a result I’ve lost touch apart from couple: Peter Pharaoh, David Jones & John Pritchard. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to restart & anyone reading this from 61-63 may have a chance to get in touch frank@frankpitkin.co.uk, please? It was a brilliant era; great bunch of guys, super fun, rugby, cricket & I seem to remember something about several girls colleges in Bedford! But most importantly we had the benefit of the stunningly impressive & refreshingly likeable Principal, Ken Russel. He was a star. As for me, I've failed to retire; living in north Bucks close to the Chiltern Hills, doing same work as for the last 40 odd years opening new markets for heavy construction machine stuff in mainly China, NE Asia & Africa & love it! Also still a long serving, active governor of Berkshire College of Agriculture; a superb institution probably well known to many readers of this newsletter? Equally super enjoyable & rewarding is the pro-bono work with Min of Agr. Uganda expanding agriculture mechanisation - although due to Covid 19 it’s been a total, utter wash-out this year, but the future is surely optimistically bright; that’s life! Very best, Frank
Neil Hampson NDA 62/64 Rugby Tour Lowestoft Easter 63 I broke my leg in the first game on Good Friday Morning and spent two days with the lads helping me through the pain by bringing endless pints of beer. Eventually my leg was put into plaster on Easter Monday. THEN – Steve. Ford broke his Leg!!!!! In the Monday Game. PROBLEM :- I had travelled to Lowestoft with Steve in my Mini Van - How to get Home?
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