Memory Corner OU
Memory Corner Brodie Booth (LH 33) remembers the fact that his uncle J Chapman (WB 1893) still holds the world record for the highest stand for the 9th wicket in first class cricket in 1910 – nearly 100 years ago. The previous holders only held it for 7 years. Alec Nesbitt (WD 34) has memories of being in WD at the same time as Donald Campbell (WD 34) and belonging to a group of OUs who spent Sunday afternoon in Wardley or Stockerston woods messing about. Alec considered Donald to be foolhardy but maybe mistook this for courage. He remembers being taken up the Leicester mile by Malcolm Campbell (WD 1899) at an alarming speed in one of his open-top Bluebirds. Trevor Pickford (C 41) has memories of the Routh when he was at Uppingham. There were are two points that made it unique. It was a relatively short cross country course but the fact that it was uphill all the way effectively lengthened it. The runners were taken down to Stockerston and chose their own way to the finish on the Leicester. For the 1945 Routh Trevor walked the course with a friend on several Sundays before the race and researched an alternative route – steeper to start with, climbing more towards the line of the road but finishing with a nice level run in. He was tempted to spring a surprise with the individual route but ironically as his form was rather good at the time, he opted for the ‘normal’ route and finished runner-up’! He is still wondering to this day if he would have done better (or worse!) following his initial inclination. Tony Greenwood (C 45) remembers playing golf one wet summer day at Grange over Sands where he was introduced to a very small boy – who didn’t hit the ball very far, but always down the middle – who was to be his opponent/partner in the weekly medal competition. Tony held his own for four holes then made a minor slip from which time the game seemed to drift in his opponent’s direction. The latter was Michael Lunt (WB 48) who went on to become the Captain of the R & A, and Tony struggles to break 100! (Sadly Michael Lunt died suddenly on 21/05/2007) Dick (R C) Whittington (WB 55) wrote to Richard Boston, the OU Secretary ‘ I am not sure whether any OUs are interested in men’s drinking clubs, but in case so perhaps I could inform you of how well the School is represented in what I think is the finest
men’s drinking club in Leeds, if not in the north of England. When the separate district of Chapeltown was swallowed by the Borough of Leeds in or about 1972, some wags founded a men’s drinking club called ‘Chapeltown Corporation’ which has been going ever since. It is a club for 25 members, all elected strictly by invitation only, having been proposed and seconded by the existing members and approved at an Ordinary General Meeting. The Corporation’s few senior members are called Aldermen and the remaining fifteen are Councillors. The members elect a Mayor and Deputy Mayor annually (the latter usually taking the Mayoralty from the previous Manor) and also a Borough Treasurer and Town Clerk (the Secretary). There are three meetings a year, the Mayor’s cocktail party about a fortnight before Easter, which also doubles as the Ordinary general meeting, the Mayor’s outing, by charabanc, to watering holes of the current Mayor’s choice, including a roast been lunch – in June – and the Annual general Meeting and Annual Dinner in Mid November. The June outing used to be held on Derby Day but since the Epsom ‘Powers that be’ saw fit to move that historic event from the first Wednesday in June to a Saturday in June, without consulting us, the June outing is now held on the Thursday of Royal Ascot, to co-incide with the Gold Cup, which we watch on television after lunch. The objects of the Corporation are entirely vague and hedonistic, in as much banter and wit can be provided by the members. I had the privilege of being elected a member in 1988 and for my sins am now Town Clerk
(since 1994). Anthony Cumming (WD 55) was elected in 1989 and was Mayor in 1999. Tim Hare (WB 62) was elected in 2000, Nicholas Brown (B 61) in 2003 and my youngest brother Peter Whittington (WB 69) in 2005. OUs therefore currently constitute 20% of the Corporation and to the best of my knowledge no one has complained about it. Dick wonders whether any major cities have similar men’s drinking clubs. Robert Lee (WB 57) remembered that when he was at Uppingham there was a tradition of trying to walk round the county of Rutland in one’s last year. He and a colleague set out to do this, but (probably due to too much training time spent in pubs!) they failed to make it. This has always bugged me, so 45 years later, he set out to rectify this omission. He was pleased that, despite having to walk through the dreadful storms that caused so much flooding, he made the 64 mile walk in 33 hours. Has any other OU been mad enough to do this while being qualified for a bus pass? Constables Reunion
Mrs Candy Constable is pictured with her mother, Mrs Isobel Constable at the plaque erected in memory of her great-uncle Walter John Constable who was Housemaster from 1888-1916.
Tim Hare (WB 62), Anthony Cumming (WD 55) & Dick Whittington (WB 55)
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