21st REPLY
NAME: Nick Dean
.JPG "Nick Dean gallery")
DATE: 15 October 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Tim Bell's recent autobiography [see 122/4] contains some recollections of his time at QE in the 1950s. He singles out "a chap called (something like) Ferdy Finett" [sic] for particular praise and in terms consistent with some of the observations made on this thread [see original message & most of the subsequent replies]. Bell says he admired JWF because he was so unusual - "he actually spoke in Latin" and was "a very sensitive, modern, switched-on guy" (he would have been in his late 20s/early 30s) who understood adolescents and would discuss problems in "proper human being" language. Bell adds that he would then "revert back to speaking Latin for most normal occasions"!
22nd REPLY
NAME: Martyn Thomas
DATE: 10 June 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1967-74
Dear Milo - very interested to read your post [reply 16] regarding your grandfather John and father David. John taught me latin and I always found his lessons did not drag - even though I was not particularly interested in the subject. I also remember your father David very clearly as he was in the same form as me at QE boys and we played chess together often during the lunch breaks and at the after school Chess Club that I believe your grandfather John coordinated. Sorry to learn that David is no longer with us.
23rd REPLY
NAME: Nick Dean
DATE: 23 September 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
The current debate about whether bridge is a sport reminds me that a similar issue arose at the school about 45 years ago. The question was whether members of the school bridge team (which I think was overseen by John Finnett) could be considered for colours. This was eventually agreed and those concerned received a bridge "sleeve" (or so a recipient told me). Does anyone know if there were chess colours?
24th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen
.jpg "James Cowen gallery")
Then & NowDATE: 01 October 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
In my view neither bridge nor chess should be considered as sports but as games exercising the brain. I think that the limited funds available to sports promotion should go to true physically active sports. I consider it an absurdity for the bridge federation to make claims on such funds. On the other hand I suppose colours may still be given to participants. I myself did not obtain any colours at school,despite competing at athletics, cross country and chess but I got major colours for cross country at my Cambridge college and also ran for the college and University teams
25th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen
Then & NowDATE: 25 October 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
I note from a report in the daily press that the bridge federation has failed in their claim for bridge being considered a sport, so its not just me then in this case.
26th REPLY
NAME: Nick Dean
DATE: 28 August 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Over the past year I've heard of two other activities, some of whose adherents are seeking sporting status: bell-ringing and cheer (as in cheerleading). The national association for bell-ringers wasn't too keen, thinking it would detract from the reverent purpose of church bells (and some underwhelmed comment about "where are the David Beckhams of bell-ringing?"). There was an article in Oxford Today about cheer - I think the University team were looking for a blue - and it does sound quite a competitive and precarious activity, requiring a high level of team work (and high insurance premia too). Certainly a far cry from college girls jumping around in rah-rah skirts.