The Old Bordenian Association

After a career in teaching and a long flirtation with the French way of life through a house in the Perigord, Edwin Westacott (Borden 1940-45), together with his wife, Jan, went to live permanently in 2004 in a small village named Pointis-Inard, deep in the South of France not far from the Spanish border.  Readers of The Maroon will be familiar with a number of articles which he contributed over the years, and which were memorable not only for their content but for their style.  They were full of self-deprecating humour and keen observation.

Over the past two years or so, he and Graham Barnes have exchanged sporadic emails – usually commenting on all the trivial things which now fill their lives.  Graham thinks that Edwin’s stories and anecdotes deserve a much wider audience and has persuaded Edwin, very reluctantly, to agree to the publication on the Website of a few of the choicest examples.  They are not only very funny but detail experiences with which many of us can identify, despite not living in France.

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Here is the second of the reminiscences of our peripatetic Old Bordenian, Philip Spencer Drury, who has spent most of his teaching career in improbable places!  This story relates to an incident in Vietnam where he now lives.

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Many of the younger visitors to the site (at least those under 50 years of age) will recall John Paine, who retired from the school at the end of last term.  The East Kent Gazette published an article covering John’s retirement recently and I reproduce this below.

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Being a Borden Grammar School Governor – the inside story by Alan Snelling

When I was at School in the 1960′s it seemed that you had to be over 60 and have grey hair to be a Governor – well it seems I now qualify on both counts. I have been a Governor for BGS for 10 years now, 3 of them as the Old Bordenian Association Governor. It started because my son was at the School and I applied to become a Parent Governor. There were several others also applying and the process had to go to a vote among Parents and each applicant had to product a paragraph or so about themselves. I noticed from the other parents that I was the only one from the Isle of Sheppey so I prominently mentioned this in my statement and I think I got most of the votes from the Island which catapulted me to stardom as a Governor – a sort of ‘Sheppey’s got talent’?

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It is with deep regret that we report the death on 16th June of Brian Ager, who was a pupil at the School from 1947 until 1954 and a loyal Member of the Association.  By a tragic coincidence, he was a brother-in-law of Bob Jenkins who also died recently.  After leaving Borden, Brian enjoyed a successful academic career – as a College Lecturer in Physics – and had lived for many years in Lancashire, where he will be deeply missed by his many friends as well as his family.

The funeral will take place on Thursday 24th June at 1.30 pm at Silverdale Church, Silverdale, Lancs.  All are welcome in Church.  Family flowers only, but donations if wished to either the Westmorland General Cardiac Centre or to Londsdale Scouts, c/o of the Funeral Directors, Alan M. Fawcett, 71 Main Road, Bolton Le Sands, Carnforth LA5 8DL.

Football Report: Sittingbourne 5 a side league. Season 09/10.

The season finished in May with an upturn in our fortunes. Disappointingly we couldn’t muster enough players to field a team on two of the last three weeks resulting in four 0-4 defeats in the record book, however, the last third of the season saw us win most of our games lifting us from a very poor 9^th place to a much more respectable 7^th.

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Below are photos taken by Alan Snelling at the Dinner held on 15 May 2010.  Please share your photos of the evening by sending to Webmaster@Oldbordenians.Co.Uk.  I have now added names where available.

Mick Pack, John Miles, Dave Carey, Peter Taylor…..Barry Roberts, Steve Goodhew, Peter Lusted

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