Old Bostonian Association Annual Dinner 2015 - Report

Richard Anderson leads
everyone in some exercises

As predicted the Old Bostonian Association Annual Dinner 2015 was a huge success. Once Richard Anderson, the almost universally popular Modern Languages teacher of 43 years (and one term) who retired in 2014, was booked as the guest speaker, it seemed almost inevitable that we would achieve a record attendance for recent years, and so we did.

I hope you enjoy this long report with many photographs. Maybe you will be able to identify long-lost friends in some of the images - click on an image to see a larger version.

The last few dinners have been held at the Boston and County Club where our recent record of ninety-something stretched comfort; last year's sixty-something was perfect for that venue. We needed somewhere larger, and the solution was in hindsight obvious - we returned to the school hall for the first time in probably a couple of decades (dinners around the turn of the 21st century were held in the school dining hall). This time we were able to bring with us the excellent caterers from the county club and all was set.

Tables set out ready to be laid

On the morning of the dinner, a small group of volunteers turned up to set out the tables while the bar was constructed and just before the caterers turned up to put out the place settings. A last minute emergency with the crockery (the school seemed to have only about 50 plates) was managed smoothly and all was ready to receive 174 guests (my latest count given that 175 tickets were allocated and there was one absentee that I know of).

From 6pm onwards people filed in through the hall lobby doors. Many took the opportunity to check out the quad, the library and the OBA's museum. Meeting people in those places not met for years was a bit of an experience. We had people with connections to the school from the 1930s to the present day.

The beer and wine flowed freely and eventually everyone was called to their seats. OBA President Peter Sharman opened the event and asked Stan Meeds to say grace, and so the evening was underway. Understandably with so many people to serve, there were pauses between courses, which gave people a chance to mingle a little more and to inspect the vast array of memorabilia on display, much of which Richard Anderson himself had brought along.

Marcus Horry

After the meal Peter Sharman proposed the loyal toast. Following a further short break, Peter introduced Marcus Horry, a successful clay shooter, hoping to represent Great Britain at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The OBA is sponsoring Marcus with monthly payments throughout 2015 and Peter handed over two months' money before asking Marcus to say a few words. As already reported on this blog, Marcus has been chosen for the Regional Shooting Development Programme, which is another step towards Tokyo.

Peter Sharman invited Marcus Cain, who was BGS head boy in 1989, to introduce the guest speaker. In fact Marcus was preceded by David Wookey who praised Peter Sharman who is in his sixth year as President of the association, the constitution having been amended to allow him to continue beyond his fifth, in David's words, to avoid him (David) having to be President.

Marcus proceeded to deliver a very amusing introduction for Richard Anderson, who was then allowed to take the stage.

OBA President, Peter Sharman

Marcus Cain

Ron Abbott and Rod Dunn

BGS Head, John McHenry
with Richard Anderson

Nick Fitton

Marcus Horry with Head Boy, John Lisle

Deputy Head Boy, Nick Doddrell
with Marcus Horry

Nigel Wainwright

After a brief introduction, explaining that he had been asked to do his speech in "Rupert the Bear rhyme", Richard got everyone up on their feet to do some exercises... shades of circuit training?

Robin Borrett and Ken Whittle
with their wives, Pauline and Pat

Richard's speech continued in rhyme for almost its whole length. He told of some of the staff, then recounted the story of his teaching career largely in terms of clubs, and both foreign and domestic trips that he organised. He led 88 foreign trips and countless clubs. The Charity Club in particular has raised huge amounts of money - Lorenzo, Richard's sound engineer for the evening, was the club manager in 2013/14. Richard even started the event which was to become the Skegness and Boston Seabank Marathon. Even in retirement he continues to have some involvement in school general knowledge and the Schuhplattlergruppe. He is now also involved in pub quiz teams at Butterwick and at the Little Peacock on Wormgate.

He went on to paint miniature word pictures (in rhyme) of various people present: some of his "blasts from the past". There were even people whose presence he had only learnt of on the day about whom he had created last minute verses.

At one stage he had everyone present on their feet again: this time doing a little shuhplattling!

Finally, no longer in rhyme, he entertained everyone with irreverent and occasionally barbed impressions of the heads under whom he had worked: Philip Johnston, Arthur Shrimpton, John Neal, Helen McEvoy, Paul Marsh and John McHenry.

At this stage Peter Sharman revealed that he had asked people what gift the Association should buy for Richard Anderson. The responses came back: something German, something French, something to do with the Beatles. In the event Peter acquired a replica of the poster from one of the Beatles' Hamburg gigs and framed it together with a copy of the Hard Day's Night EP and its sleeve. Mr A seemed pleased with this. The OBA also gave him one of the few remaining centenary ties and life membership of the association. A centenary tie and life membership also went to Nigel Wainwright, another long-serving member of BGS staff who retired in 2014.

That just left Richard Anderson to propose a toast to the school before handing over to Headteacher, John McHenry, who gave an admirably brief response to the toast - it was after all almost midnight and the clocks were about to go forward an hour. John also proposed toasts to "the school and the association" and to Peter Sharman for his efforts as OBA President and for all the work he has done both for the association and for the school.

John spoke of how just a few years ago the school was under threat of closure and thanks to a small band of people including Barry Gosling and the late Paul Mould, both old boys of the school, it was saved. The school seems to be well on the way to recovery from that trauma but it will still take time since issues like that are not solved in a year or two. John spoke of his twenty years at the school, first as history and PE teacher and now as headmaster, and of the great staff who had preceded him. In particular he spoke about Richard Anderson's dedication to his vocation.

BGS Headteacher, John McHenry

All that was left was to draw the raffle and sing a rousing rendition the school song before a few last moments of mingling and time, we hope, for everyone to make their way to their homes or lodgings before anyone turned into a pumpkin!

The following is a list of those with tickets with the exception of Reg Priestley (BGS 1945-46) who was not able to attend.

Ron Abbott	73/99
Neil Achary	99-06
Richard Adams	61/68
John Allday	51/59
Christine Allday	Guest
Richard Anderson	71-14
Tony Austin	56/62
Jill Austin	Guest
Andy Baines	76/81
Simon Balsom	77/82
Robert Barclay	96/2003
Jonathan Beck	81/88
Marcus Blunkett	86/93
Martin Borrett	79/86
Robin Borrett	62/94
Pauline Borrett	Guest
Adam Brackenbury	2001/2007
Jake Brooks	2001/2007
Pete Brooksbank	92-99
Samantha Ragno-May	Guest
Duncan Browne	91-98
Mark Bruntlett	78-85
Gerard Budge	80-87
Mark Cade	73/80
Marcus Cain	81/89
Alan Cannell	76/82
Craig Cannell	2001/2006
Ian Carrott	74/80
Paul Carter	84/91
Colin Clark	51/58
Christian Clarke	2001/2007
Andrew Cocks	76/83
Richard Collins	84-91
Stewart Cropley	69/76
Lee Cummins	88/95
Steve Cummins	80/89
Tyrone Dalby	58/66
George Danby	59/64
Pearl Danby	Guest
Jack Davy	2001-2009
Luke Davy	2009/2011
Stewart Denham	51/59
Elizabeth Denham	Guest
Lee Dickinson	2001/2007
Simon Dickinson	86/91
Nick Doddrell	Deputy Head Boy
Phil Drury	76/81
Sam Duff	2001/2007
Mark Dunn	72/79
Claire Hunt	Guest
Rod Dunn	66/96
Asa Elkington	2002/2009
Daniel Elkington	96/2003
Jamie Elsey	2001/2007
Jim Ely	59/64
Ben Evans	2002/2009
Sophie Stockings	Guest
Pat Everitt	74-81
James Fairweather	2004/2011
Ian Fisher	83-89
Nick Fitton	1985-2010
Nick Flynn	61/67
Paul Fossitt	78/85
Shaun Frestle	76/81
Ben Gibbons	2001/2007
Gus Goor	57/62
Barrie Gosling	50/55
Sam Green	2001/2007
Rob Griffiths	87/92
Stuart Griffiths	86/91
Matt Warman	Guest
Ray Hadwick	49/54
Mrs H Hadwick	Guest
Simon Hadwick	74/79
Mrs C Hadwick	Guest
Michael Hallett	2002/2009
Rosie Cushing	Guest
Richard Haseldine	79-86
Richard Hayes	81/88
Nick Hiom	85/90
Andrew Hladun	74/80
Lee Hoff	81/88
Ben Holland	86/93
James Hopper	83/91
Marcus Horry	Guest
Nick Howard	68/75
Derek Howard	Guest
Tim Jarvis	83/90
Luke Johnston	2002/2009
Richard Kilcoyne	81/88
Andy Lawrence	75/82
Duncan Lawrence	81/88
Stan Lawrence	45/50
Mark Leggott	74/80
Kelvin Limb	81/88
John Lisle	Head Boy
Mark Locking	82/89
Craig Lowis	86/93
David May	60/64
John McHenry	Head Teacher
Bruce McSloy	78-85
Dale Meadows	91-96
Simon Meeds	76-84
Stan Meeds	38-43
Pete Milsom	61/66
Sue Milsom	Guest
Darren Mitcham	83-89
Richard Mitcham	2001/2007
Ben Mountain	87-94
Dan Mountain
David Mowbray	51-58
Suzanne Mowbray	Guest
Ken Newham	41/46
Adrian O'Callaghan	99-06
Edward Ostler	51/58
Barbara Ostler	Guest
Jordan Owen	2004/2011
Trevor Page	49-55
Scott Palmer	87-94
Harry Parkhill	2003/2011
Thomas Parkhill	2003/2009
Chris Peall	74/82
Nick Pettitt	81/88
Keith Phillips	72/79
Colin Pickwell	60/65
Colin Pordham	49/58
John Price
Trevor Price	51/56
Peter Rawlings	53/58
Kevin Reeson	76/81
Sean Rickell	95/2002
Tom Ruck	2001/2007
Tim Sagar	68/75
Jamie Sharman	2001/2007
Peter Sharman	59/64
Alan Sharpe	69/74
Don Sharpe
Howard Smith	79-86
Robin Smith	49/54
Ann Smith	Guest
Stacey Smith	2004-2006
Steve Smith	78/85
Tim Smith	58/65
Terry Squibb	58/66
Bill Stanwell	43/47
Bob Stanwell	54-61
Don Stimson	51/56
Pete Swift	79/86
Wendy Rae	Guest
Alex Tilley	2001/2007
Stuart Veale	70/77
Nigel Wainwright	1977/2014
Duncan Walker	78/85
Pat Walters	82/89
Vic Ward	82/84
Chris Watson	2002/2009
Emily Hobbs	Guest
Stephen Watson	75/83
Pat Welberry	59/62
Roger Welberry	56/60
Jamie Welsh	2001/2007
Chris West	91-97
Ken Whittle	52/89
Mrs P Whittle	Guest
David Williamson	76/83
David Wilson	74/81
Declan Wilson	2001/2007
Stephen Wood	2001/2008
Adam Woods	84/91
David Wookey	81-89
Richard Wray	56/61
Stuart Wright	86/93
Nigel Wvength	86/93
Fran Yuill	76/82

We hope everyone who attended had a great time and will pass the word round what a fun event it can be. Next year you may or may not have heard of the guest of honour,but you can be sure that if you went through the BGS experience he (or she) will have something in common with you. If you attended this year's dinner, then please come again. If you have never attended then you really should consider making next year your first, and if you have been before but not this year... why not?

I hope to see as many of you as possible around on the internet in the future, and I hope to meet many of you (again) at the OBA dinner 2016.

And finally, a quote written on Facebook by OBA President, Peter Sharman: "What a marvellous evening. I now understand why everyone thought so much of RWA - what a speech - how do we follow that? And what an amazing rendition of Floreat Bostona! Thanks to everyone who attended."