The Old Almondburians' Society

BADMINTON

Old Almondburians’ Badminton is becoming something of an international affair. Hazel Pacurib from the Phillipines has been playing with us as a guest for some time now and Graeme Milnes made his annual visit from his home in Wales in the very first week of this season. Two weeks later we had the first of a number of guest appearances by Tomas Hruby and Lenka Mullerova from the Czech Republic and they were followed by Coco Gallego and Lizzie Levenez from France and then Ron Jones from Wales (again).

The most notable event of the season so far came on 21st November 2009 when, as part of the celebrations of the 400th Anniversary of the granting of the Royal Charter, former members of the badminton section who have moved out of the area were encouraged to return early for the Anniversary weekend and to play badminton with us once again. Thus, Graeme Milnes made an unprecendented second appearance of the season and was joined by another member now exiled in Wales, Dave Bush, despite Dave having resolved not to set foot in the school after his retirement. Apparently sneaking into the sports hall for a game of badminton doesn ’t count!

Two days later, at the Annual Dinner, David Parry took the opportunity to do some recruiting and persuaded his former Yorkshire Schools partner, Andrew Trotter, to come along the following Thursday. Unfortunately, David hadn ’t mentioned Yorkshire Schools and, according to Andrew, his attendance was achieved with the aid of a challenge laid down by a ‘drunken woman’, who rashly challenged him to a £10 match, saying that she would thrash him. To save embarrassment, I will not reveal the identity of the drunken woman. Suffice to say that, whilst Andrew duly arrived the following Thursday to take up the challenge, and indeed has been a welcome addition to our regulars ever since, Emily Comer didn ’t put in an appearance. Perhaps she was still recovering from overindulgence at the dinner. Andrew, meanwhile, is still waiting for his £10.

Our traditional party after badminton on the last Thursday before Christmas was rather better attended this year and then the new year got off to a very good start when Ian Daffern, Head Boy in 1981-82, turned up with his children, Adam and Emma, the first current pupils of the school to play with us for many years. Adam in particular has great potential and, naturally, he was delighted when, in the last game of his first week, he and David Parry beat his dad and yours truly.

We play in the school sports hall each Thursday evening during term-time, from 7.30 p.m. until 9.30 p.m. The fee, to cover the hire of the sports hall, shuttlecocks and showers, is five pounds per person per evening. Our ages now span school pupil to retirement and a wide range of ability, so please come along and join us. Those who have played so far this season are: David Parry; Hazel Pacurib; Neil Gledhill; Andrew Haigh; Emily Comer; Reggie Byram; Richard Green; Nicky Murphy; Graeme Milnes; Matthew Booth; Tomas Hruby; Lenka Mullerova; Vicky Taylor; Dave Bush; Andrew Trotter; Ron Jones; Coco Gallego; Lizzie Levenez; Ian Daffern; Adam Daffern; Emma Daffern; and Alan (guest).

Andrew Haigh

TENNIS

What is the weather like outside? Go on, have a look. Or perhaps you know, without looking. Are there snow drifts several feet high? Is it raining cats and dogs? Or are you basking in winter sunshine? I ask these questions because I am aware that whatever the weather, the tennis season is long past, and you are thinking – if you think at all; which as an Old Almondburian you assuredly do – of sports and games more closely associated with the winter months.

Yes, the summer of AD 2008 was a particularly wet one, as the doomsayers on radio and television never cease reminding us. ‘The weather has been the wettest since 1146,’ one declared in an accent difficult to understand, while a blond bimbo – most weather experts, so called, seem to be female and blond – assured us that ‘it is all down to global warming’, and we can expect more of the same as the years roll by, only worse. Is that hair truly blond, or has she had help from a bottle? When will the broadcasting authorities realise that female voices are too high-pitched to be attractive? Nothing wrong with the reader, but the voice spoils the effect, and certainly makes the message hard to understand.

In spite of the rain, we managed to spend several Thursday evenings enjoying tennis. We were never a large number, usually five, possibly six, but it was the joy of tennis that mattered. There was a certain measure of humour at the efforts of the section ’s oldest member failing to reach lobs which were going out anyway, but even the ranks of Tuscany could scarce forbear to cheer some of the delicate drop shots executed with all the skills learned on the grass at school almost sixty years ago.

Tennis at Almondbury is in good condition. We have a nice mix of age and youth, of strength and guile. And this season we have been honoured by the presence of two delightful maidens from the Philippines, who brought both skill and beauty to our endeavours. They alone have been worth the low fee we pay each week to Andrew Haigh.

Which reminds me. How does he, stalwart of the section, as of the whole OAS, justify taking his delightful wife and lovely children to the island of Lewis for three weeks, there to enjoy the temperate climate provided by the Gulf Stream, when he should be playing tennis? I rest my case.

The following played tennis in the AD 2008 season: Andrew Haigh; Neil Gledhil;l David Parry; Hazel Pacurib; Rachel Kershaw; Matthew Booth; Emily Comer; Reggie Byram;

Nicky Murphy; and Ron Jones.

Reggie Byram

2009 Season

The 2009 Almondburian Tennis season will run from Thursday, 4th June, until Thursday, 27th August. We shall play on the school tennis courts each Thursday evening between those dates, weather permitting, from 7.15 p.m. until dusk. During term-time, it is possible to play badminton in the sports hall if the weather is inclement, although this is not possible during the summer holidays, due to maintenance work in the sports hall. The fee, to cover the cost of balls (and showers during term-time), will be the princely sum of £3.00 per person, per evening. Almondburian tennis is purely social, so why not come along and join us?

Andrew Haigh