The Old Bordenian Association

Old Bordenians to Veterans to Geriatrics – the boys done good

As early as 1926 it was hoped to start an Old Bordenian Football Club, but nothing materialised.  The first match (apart from the annual game against the School) was played against the Old Anchorians (Gillingham County School Old Boys) on November 5^th 1927, and the return game in March 1928.  The next effort was in the spring of 1930 when three friendly matches were played.

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Recently, a very remarkable Old Boy got in touch with us.  There is nothing especially remarkable about his career : teaching.  What is completely out-of-the-ordinary is where his career has taken him.  He has taught (English) for 5½ years in Saudi Arabia, for 2 years in Spain, for 2½ years in China, for a year in the Sudan, for 5 years in Mozambique and for a brief period  in Afghanistan .  For the past 13 years he has been living in Vietnam with his wife and two daughters.  It was Aristotle who paced up and down in the Peripatus at the Lyceum while he was teaching and created the generic name for an itinerant teacher.  Well, Aristotle – eat your heart out!

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This large scan of the 1973 Borden Grammar staff and pupils was sent in by Mark Catchlove/Keith Tummon.

I assume, as I have found no evidence to the contrary, that the BGS Scout Troop has long since been “decommissioned”, or whatever the term is.  I have been racking my brain, trying to piece together my patchy and probably suspect memories of my times as a “dob, dob, dobber”.  Please feel free to add to or correct any of my ramblings!

It must have been around 1969 that I was sworn-in.  Buzz Burrell (Biology?) was the Scout Master assisted by another teacher whose name escapes me.  There were a couple of “ranger scouts”, one of which I remember as Mark Absolum.  I have vague memories of canoes being hung from the ceiling in the scout room, which was located off the corridor behind the stage end of the main hall.  I was a member and eventually “seconder” of “Kestrel Patrol” which was lead by David (Chootch) Nunn but I am struggling to remember who else was in our gang.

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Played 54 –Won 38 –Drawn 7 – Lost 9 – For 204 – Against 70

I completed a three year part-time degree in the summer of 1969 and so, by the Spring Term of 1970, I had time on my hands.  Someone was needed to coach the under-14 XI hockey and I volunteered.  I did not have a great pedigree, considering myself as just an average sportsman.  I had not played serious hockey for some years and in fact, apart from a few games for the Old Bordenians in 1963, my only regular hockey was in 1959 for the School 2nd XI.  Of course I was a regular player in House matches throughout my time at Borden but, although they were regarded as serious competition, the standard of hockey could at best be described as approaching something that appeared to adhere to a few basic principles of the game – a bit like a Staff versus Prefects match really.  I was nearly beheaded by David Rigden in one match, and that was in the days when sticks were not allowed above shoulder level.

Thus with more experience in playing football and no coaching experience in any sport save lifesaving, I embarked on a career as coach in the hope that sooner or later a staff member would come along who knew a bit about the game and who could provide a more professional approach.  In the meantime it was up to me, and I set about training in games periods and after school using the methods of the footballer.  Needless to say this meant the use of brute force and a more physical approach rather than artistic stick play.  Nevertheless this did remove most of the fear of the hard ball and helped to cope with the unnerving sight of opposing teams with large players who were supposed to be under 14 yet had healthy stubble growth on their chins.

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