16th Reigate Scout Group

Number 198

October 2005

News Sheet 198 October 2005.

Typing the serial number for this News-Sheet tells me that we are getting near to the 200th issue. Number 1 was published in 1958, when some of the original Scouts had just left School. Number 100 came in February 1977, and we made just a gentle splash in that publication. Has anyone any suggestion about what we might do in two issues' time?

We have had about a dozen e-mails since our May edition, mostly telling us about changes of postal and e-mail addresses. Well done those ! It is always disappointing when our communications are notified as 'undeliverable'. However, we are not allowed to publish an address on our website edition without the owner's permission; so please tell us if we may, especially if you hope other Old Reigatians will get in touch with you. A list of recently up-dated addresses will be included in the 'hard-copy' version of this News-Sheet, and we can send the list to any others who ask for it. Recent changes by: Chris Armstrong, Tim Coombs, Giles (Vince) Day, John Griffin, Phill Griffin, Chris Hartley, and Peter Dobson.
A few others have also sent us news, which is printed below.

Michael Chapman has given us permission to publish: michael.chapman@neuf.fr , but we do not know his postal address, - somewhere in France.

Phill Griffin has just moved to Dean House, 5 Carlton Road, Redhill, RH1 2BY. He gave no phone number, but we assume his e-mail is still Phill.Griffin@btinternet.com.
Phill is now working in the IT department of Friends Provident, in Dorking. He says he lives rather an ordinary life, and thinks no-one will be interested in his whereabouts; prove him wrong !
Older brother John Griffin is now in Uganda.

Peter Dobson Has moved from the Lake District to Gloucestershire: Tatchley Cottage, High Street - East End, Northleach, Glos., GL54 3ET, 01451-861867. He is now teaching Science to years 5 - 8, in a local prep school.

Peter Roulston (aka Taff) wrote: "I am finishing my GP Registrar year in Osnabruck, on line to be signed off as a qualified GP by September. Then off to sunny Cyprus as RMO to the Royal Highland Fusiliers. Looking forward to more scuba diving than I can manage on the North German Plain ! "

Giles Day (Vince) is also now living more or less permanently in Cyprus.

Simon Lomas-Clarke e-mailed in August: "It's only taken nine months, but we've moved house at last. The new place is just on the other side of town (Farnham). It's a house, with a front door, a back door, and a garden. So it's completely different from the old place.

Tim St.Pierre's e-mail from the University of Western Australia describes him as 'Associate Professor' at the School of Physics. He has been involved with the development of something to do with MRI scanners, which I don't understand well enough to describe here, but he says we can visit http://www.magnetics.uwa.edu.au/biomagnetics.
In July he wrote: " Life has been unbelievably busy recently, travelling both for my academic research, and also as part of the marketing efforts. I have been to Orlando (USA), Hangzhou (China), Chicago (USA again), London (UK), Prague (Czech Republic), London (UK again), and Cairo (Egypt). Soon I will be off to Singapore, and after that Hawaii and New Orleans.
I received the camps video. It was great to see the old faces; it certainly brought back some memories."

Peter McCarthy sent an interesting e-mail in June: "Thanks very much for keeping me informed as to what everyone is up to. It was great to see that the funds have had a positive effect for so many people.
I am still working in the pharmaceutical industry, now as a Sales Operations Manager (grand titles are a company speciality) looking after our large Sales division, using a lot of leadership skills and confidence that I could only have got from Scouting!
I've had a fun few months visiting many countries, both on business and pleasure, most recently to South Africa where I was lucky enough to visit the Kruger game park and see a huge amount of very wild life. I also met a local Scout Leader, who works as a game driver in the park, and who told me all about his Scouting experiences in South Africa. It was quite an eye-opener to hear about the challenges he faces on a daily basis, partly because of the lack of resources available to his small Troop, but also because of the growing menace of HIV and AIDS that have left a majority of his boys orphaned. On a lighter note, he did tell me that he felt Scouts in Britain have it far worse as on his one and only trip he had the misfortune of camping in Yorkshire in August, - and has never been so cold or wet in his life!
All in all, life is plodding by quite nicely at the moment. I have a house move on the horizon, and as soon as it is sorted, I will forward the new address. - Still around the Surrey area; it took me ten years to get back here, so I don't intend to move away again soon." < p.mccarthy@ukonline.co.uk >

Chris Hartley was a contemporary of Peter (above), and in June said: "It is still good to read the News-Sheet and remember my Scouting days. Not sure when I sent an up-date on my life, but I now have a 16 week old son called Henry, so our lives have completely changed. Already I can't imagine life without him! (October up-date: eight-month-old Henry now has four teeth!) We have been in Tring for just over four years, but I am not sure what the Scout groups are like round here. My main pastime is playing hockey for the local club. I am still working at the National Blood Service; I joined thinking I would only stay two years, but eight years later I am still here. Hope all is well with you. chartley@supanet.com

We, and Aubs for the ORA, seem to have lost touch with Neill Ransom, - and his brother Bev has not answered our e-mail enquiry. Has anyone any news ?

Aubrey Scrase reached his 80th Birthday earlier this month. Congratulations, Aubs!
It is he who tries to keep the general Old Reigatian database up-to-date. Though he and I exchange information, if you have any news of non-Scout former pupils, it is he who would like to know. < aubs@reigategrammar.org >

We usually get enough news from Christmas cards and news-letters for us to have a News-Sheet early in the New Year. I have planned a holiday in South Africa for the second half of February, so it would be good to have your news by mid-January. As you can see from the above letters, your friends do like to hear it.

Robin H. Bligh, 39, Monks Walk, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0SS. 01737-248135.
Or robin@reigategrammar.org

Meanwhile, have a

Joyful Christmas

and a

Peaceful New Year.