Soham Grammarians

What was new on our website in 2007?

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For other years please return to the foot of the current What's New page
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December 2007

• A Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

• The SGS Football and Cricket reports since WW2, as published in the Soham Grammarians to hand, are now viewable via a new, easier access link - Sport.
  
  These include the report of the first ever win by the 1st XI (5-2) against Newport GS, in the 53-54 season - can you imagine RAT's delight?
  
  Earlier years will be added as time permits. It appears that no cricket report was included in the last school magazine in 1972. Was there a report? Does anyone have the stats?
  
  Missing - we do not yet have a Soham Grammarian Spring 1954 nor the Football 1st XI photo for the school years 1950-51 and 1965-66. Nor do we have many of the 1940s team photos.

• The lists of names of those we are in touch with and those we seek - see the new simplified link at the top of this page.

• We hear that there is a 1930 School Photograph - if an original print could be located and borrowed, there is a possibility that another source may be able to find names for many of them

• We are looking for the following, please put us in touch or let us know where they might be:
  
  Brigadier SJ Poole 56: Stuart was an all-rounder - sport, singing, drama. His father was headmaster of the village school at Fordham and his sister Patricia retired as Headmistress of Acremont House, King's School, Ely.

  According to the British Dental Journal 2001: "Brigadier Stuart Poole was appointed as the new director of the Army Dental Service in January 2001. Brigadier Poole was also appointed Queen's Honorary Dental Surgeon with effect from March 1 and Director Corporate Development within the headquarters of the Defence Dental Agency with effect from January. Brigadier Poole studied dentistry at Guy's Hospital and took up his first appointment with the Royal Army Dental Corps following graduation in 1969. In 1994 he was appointed Chief Dental Officer, HQ United Kingdom Support Command (Germany), returning to the UK in 1996 to take up the Deputy Director Resources post. He became Principal Dental Officer, 9 Region DDA in Central London soon after." [Stuart is now in contact]

  
  John WJ Leggett (left 1941): Prefect. School Certificate 1939. Higher School Certificate 1941; 1st XV Rugby; Captain 1st XI; Cricket, Full Colours; Captain, Cromwell; Games Committee; Editor School Magazine; Corporal ATC. Son of Councillor and Mrs William Leggett of Hempfield Place, Littleport. Group Capt JWJ Leggett OBE RAF was a Defence Fellow 1969-1970, King's College, London.
  
  Malcolm G Sadler (left 1940): Prefect, Captain 1st XI Cricket, Full Cricket Colours. School Certificate 1939; 1st XV Rugby; Captain Chicheley House, Games Committee. Believed to have worked for BT.

• Page additions/updates
  
  The Choir page now has some photos from 1967 and 1968 - if you have better quality versions or others to add please contact the editor - see History > History 2 > Choir
  
  The Valete page, that describing leavers, now covers 1937-53, based on the issues of the Soham Grammarian to hand - see via School Lists
  
  Edward Armitage's account of a visit to Mr & Mrs LG Johnson in their retirement
  Rex Waller's brief note of a visit to Mr & Mrs George Hunt in their retirement
  - for both masters see School Lists > Staff left pre 72
  
  If you were at SGS on 6 June 1946 you were given a Victory Celebration certificate. Have you kept it? - see Scrapbook, 1940s
  
  Fred Eden 44 has provided a photo of some of UVA - minus ties - on the Lawn after 1949 School Certificate - also Scrapbook, 1940s
  
  Scouts Oct 1966 - can you fill in the missing names for the photos of the Troop Dinner - see History > History 2 > Scouts > 66-67
  
  The aeroplane that wouldn't land at school, Autumn 1949 - see Scrapbook, 1940s

• Photo identifications
  Brian Capper 68 tentatively identifies Robert Medlock on the 1972 School Photo - see via School Lists
  Ian Hobbs 48 has completed the 1955 Fenland Whole Team line up by slotting in Ray Bishop next to Mr Quinn - see via Sport > Sports Photos

• Contact made with
  David Bray 45, in London: in February 1956, according to the Soham Grammarian, David was awarded a Boxing Blue at Cambridge as a Light Middle-Weight, the first full Blue gained by an old boy.
  Peter Eland 44, Cambridgeshire
  John Fordham 47, Cambridgeshire: in the Spring 1958 Soham Grammarian, RAT wrote "The 1957 season was exciting for more reasons than one, for besides enjoying an unbeaten season for two years running, we had the added pleasure of watching the fortunes of JJ Fordham, our captain of four seasons ago, in the Oxford team. John Fordham was awarded his 'Blue' and on the following Saturday assisted the Old Boys to defeat the School team for the first time in the last match of the season."
  Gordon Haynes '57', in Cheshire
  Trevor Meacham 50, Cambridgeshire
  Peter South 48, contact restored, in Cambridgeshire

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November 2007

• Mark Bishop 70, newly in contact, had interesting memory stirred by looking through the web pages: "I remember there was an annual cricket match/ afternoon tea with parents invited ... I believe it was 1972 when a large group of boys literally lifted a small car belonging to one of the lady teachers from the car park and carried it around the school to deposit it in the middle of the cricket square and then hiding to watch the reaction when they came out for the annual event." Does anyone else recall this and were any photos taken?
  
  He also recalls a hair-raising school bus story. Do you have recollections of school bus journeys and does anyone have photos of the buses that were used for the runs to SGS? - see Scrapbook
  Mark also wanted to know if he could get a tie - see the link now added at the top of this page.

• In the late 1960s onwards were you one of those who had driving tuition at school? see Scrapbook 70s

• The Scouting pages have been updated.
  Reports from the Soham Grammarian are mostly complete from the material to hand and the structure is now in place to add reports for other school years.
  If you have photos or recollections about Scouting at SGS please contact the editor.
  see History > History 2 > Scouts

• Were you at SGS during either of the two worst winters of the last century(!) - 1946/47 and 1962/63? Please contact the editor with your recollections of getting to and from school, how life at school was affected, and maybe photos of the conditions at the time.

• More staff pages have been added. Its is hoped that these Staff pages will generate new information and in some cases whereabouts - to view these see School Lists > Staff
  
  - Mr Armitage - a new Miscellany page added - EA as Aunt Sally and This is your Life
  - Mr HFW Catala English & French 1947-51
  - Mr CC Copland Woodwork WW2
  - Mr CW Crouch Music 1926-45
  - Mr GE Hemmings English 1958-66
  - Mr RN Joiner English 1953-58
  - Mr VN McElderry Chemistry & Physics 1963-64
  - Mr RA Taylor - new photo added
  - Mr Rex Waller Latin 1949-60

• The wartime No.773 Sqn Air Training Corps reports are now added. Do you have memories of that or any photos you can share with us? - see History

• Bernard Collen lived in Stuntney and left Stuntney School at 14. He was great friends with Eddie Fretwell and together they joined the ATC at Soham. Although not a Grammarian he received a lot of encouragement from the Head, Mr Stanley Stubbs and succeeded in his ATC exams. Bernard was awarded the DFM when flying Lincolns in Malaya in 1951. The award was recorded in the Soham Grammarian Summer 1951. He retired from the RAF in 1973. Air Bomber Sgt EG Fretwell RAFVR was killed in action with 178 Sqn on 15 August 1944.
  see Scrapbook 1940s and In Memoriam/1939-45 RoH

• Reviewing some past issues of the Soham Grammarian has provided some additions to our In Memoriam page

• Extending our reach back into the names of those who were at SGS, two new pages have been started, based on research on back issues to hand of the Soham Grammarian (with more to be added):
  - members of the Old Boys Association (1937-40)
  - the leavers named in the Valete sections (1937-49)
  
  .. are members of your family shown there? If so, please contact the editor - see School Lists

• Martin Brunt 66, TV Reporter, is a well known face to those who watch Sky News, making him possibly the best known SG these days. Thanks to Dudley Walton 63 for spotting Martin's biography page on the Sky News website - see Pages by/on SGs

• Leslie Caswell (did his Higher School Certificate in 1934) was a highly talented artist who was a student at the Slade and went on to a career as an illustrator after war service in the Royal Artillery. Research on him continues in the issues of the Soham Grammarian but if anyone can provide the editor with personal recollections or photos of Leslie, and news of him, this would be appreciated - see Pages on/bySGs

• Who are they? Perhaps like Peter Roe 46 you can put names to some of the faces shown on this new page - see Scrapbook

• A page on the 7 Dec 1957 trip to see SGS' first soccer Blue (John Fordham) play at Wembley has been added - see History > History 2 > School Trips

• Dr Deidre Holes has written an appreciation of her father, CW Bill Allen 35 (brother of Terry 39), who died in February 2007 - see In Memoriam

• Stephen Murfitt 65 has loaned a copy of the programme he designed for the 1972 production of The Taming of the Shrew, so now we have a full cast and production list as well as the colour printed front cover. If you have any photos of the production, please contact the editor.
  
  Also:
  - July 1941 A Midsummer Night's Dream has been added
  - July 1947 The Tempest has been added
  - July 1948 Geneva has been added
  - March 1950 production of She Stoops to Conquer has been added
  - June 1951 production by Form 3A of scenes from the Merchant of Venice has been added
  - 1954 HMS Pinafore page has been updated with the review and an image from the Soham Grammarian
  - 1956 Hamlet page has been updated with the review from the Soham Grammarian
  - 1959 Bartered Bride page has been updated with the review from the Soham Grammarian
  - 1961 Amahl page has been updated with the review from the Soham Grammarian
  - 1961 The Christmas Second Shepherd's Play performed by the first and second forms, has been added
  - 1968 Antigone - photo, programme and press review added
  - 1969 A Man for All Seasons press report and photos added
  - 1970 Importance of being Earnest - press photos and review added
  - 1971 Arms and the Man - rehearsal photo added from a press report
  
  For all these see History > History 2 > Productions

• The account of the dedication of the new assembly hall and labs in October 1957 has been updated - see Scrapbook

• Staff pages updated or added - see via School Lists > Staff
  Mr Taylor (RAT), Mr Tabraham, Mr Lawrance Mathematics 1952-64, Mr KD Drake Pottery & Art 1948-54, Mr GL Hunt Rural Science 1926-52, and Miss AE Lowe Housekeeper 1946-58 are the first staff members to have their pages fully updated with all their images from the school photos.
  
  Other new or updated staff pages are:
  Mr Michael Ades, Music 1960-64 new
  Mr John Browning, History 1947-51
  Mr RW Dunning, Art, Pottery & Craftwork 1945-48 new
  Mr AW Lowe, Latin 1948 new
  Professor John O'Toole, English 63-66 new
  Mr G Parrott, Science 1957-63
  Mr AF Pusey, Music 1952-55 new
  Mr GH Rees, French & German 67-70
  Mr JF Symmons, History 1944-48
  Dr JS Turner, Mathematics 1951-3, 1957 new
  Mr GD Watts, Biology 1955-61

• Making contact:
  
  Mark Bishop 70, in Cambridgeshire, returned to the area after 20 years away
  Mr Tony Cornell, Physics 67-72, in Cambridgeshire
  Peter Lupson 57, on Merseyside: author of modern languages text books and Thank God for Football so called because it's about the church roots of famous football clubs; it was the subject of a two-page article in The Independent in October 2007 - see Pages by/on SGs
  Mr Neville McElderry, Chemistry 63-64, in Northern Ireland
  Professor John O'Toole, English 63-66, holder of Australia’s first Chair of Arts Education in 2005 at Melbourne University: see also Scrapbook for the 1960s Stratford RSC Theatre camps
  Barry Rowe 55, in Cambridgeshire

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October 2007

• Alfred Spinks (1932), a Littleport boy who became Director in charge of Research & Development at ICI, died in 1982. It was said of him that his "intellect bordered on the intimidating". He has been added to our In Memoriam page - go there for his detailed entry

• Ken Gandy (35?) was a well known resident of Ely when he died in 2004: he was a wartime evader when shot down in France - see In Memoriam

• the Communities & other links page has been updated. If it does not include a website of relevance to SGS or where you live in the local area (or lived when at SGS) please forward the link to the editor

• Anecdotes are coming in about Mr Hart whose funeral was on 1 October - what can you add? - photos would be especially welcome

• Congratulations to Peter Easy 63 on promotion to Senior Vice Principal, Napier University Edinburgh - see Pages by/on SGs

• 30,000th visit logged on our website

• 12 Oct 2007: Apologies to those receiving an email today advising that the 2007 Dinner Report is now on line - the SG group email address should have gone in the bcc: box and the editor did not spot that it had gone in the cc: box.

• 101 booked for our Annual Reunion Dinner on Saturday 6th October. Staff present included John Abbott, Dick Bozeat, John Browning, Warwick Ellis, Leon Kitchen, Alan Mason, Ted Quinn, Bill Rennison, Peter Scott and Gareth Wood.
  
  
  some 1960s staff: Gareth Wood - Bill Rennison - Peter Scott - Warwick Ellis
  
  Mrs May Armitage, Peter Askem, Barry Bartholomew, Gordon Hemmings, Norman Sherrington, Edmund Tabraham and Rex Waller wished us well but were unable to be with us this year.
  
  New faces (since 2002) among Grammarians were Sid Bonnett, Graham Carter, John Cornwell, Gary Dew, John Gothard, Ken Grant, Stephen Halls, Nigel Harper, Kenn Hunter, David Hobbs, Chris Palmer, David Parr and Gordon Reynolds.
  
  The entertaining talk was by Denis Wilkins 53, immediate past President of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland.
  
  Presentations were made to Chris Bent 53, who has stepped down as Coordinator and Reunion Organiser. He has had some volunteers come forward offering to succeed him.
  
  A full photo report on the evening can be seen via the Reunions link. A few faces still need identifying.

• Mr Hart's funeral at St Andrew's Soham on 1 Oct was well attended by friends and colleagues representing his work and interests. Mike Rouse's tribute to him has been added to the website.
  He was laid to rest in Soham Cemetery close by his parents and a few paces from Mr Riley's grave. If you have any anecdotes or memories of Mr Hart or photos of him, please contact the editor.

• We hear that Professor Emeritus Leslie J Audus (left 1929?) is recovering after an illness. He was recently mentioned in an article in The Times on a book of PoW experiences of those held by the Japanese in Java, to which he wrote the foreword.

• Harry Carter 49 has died aged 69 on 28th September. His funeral took place at St Mary's Church, Burwell on 4th October 2007. If you have any recollections or photos of Harry please contact the editor.

• Mike Barningham 60 has added two Summer 1965 photos of Form 5T on the stairs of the Technical Block: David Camps 60 then set a new website record for adding names to a new page - see Scrapbook - 1960s

• John Hill 48 has provided a photo of the class of 1948's last big get together at the 1987 OB Annual Dinner - see Scrapbook - 1940s

• The Government website on Preparing for Emergencies has been added to our Communities & other links page

• Making contact:
  Graham Carter 63, in Cambridgeshire
  Philip Foreman, 34, in Northern Ireland: Sir Philip was Chairman of Short Brothers, Belfast - see Pages on/bySGs
  John Fellows 64, in Essex
  Chris Palmer 65, in North Yorkshire

• Photo updaters this month - see School Lists:
  1972 School photo - Mel Cornwell 67

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September 2007

• 22 Sep message from Geoff Griggs: Mr Lionel Hart sadly passed away this morning at 9am. .
  
  The funeral will be on Monday 1st October at St Andrew's Church, Soham, at 2pm, followed by interment at Soham Cemetery. No flowers by request. Donations to the Cats Protection League may be sent to CE Fuller & Co, 23 Hall Street, Soham, Cambridgeshire CB7 5BN.
  
  Anyone who has anecdotes or photos about Lionel, please contact the editor. Tributes are being posted on his page.

• Geoff Griggs writes: A lady from the Soham Community Museum contacted me recently as they have come by some sprint medals for a chap called Reginald Allen. She thinks they are from the 1920s and wonders if we (as the old boys) could shed some more light on him. She is fairly certain that he was a Grammarian. Please contact the editor if you can help on this.

• Jenny Jeffery, Mr Tabraham's daughter writes: I asked my father about visits from Soham Grammarians and he would absolutely love that! I could help him with the arrangements if he wished, of course. His accommodation [near Norwich] is not like a residential home - everyone has his/her own individual self-contained flat, with all the facilities one would have at home; there are communal lounges, but these are often completely empty except when there is some sort of entertainment planned for the tenants. Consequently SGS visitors would have privacy in which to chat with my father.
  
  If anyone would like to visit or to have an address to write to Tabs, please contact the editor

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August 2007

• Booking information for the 2007 Reunion Dinner was posted/emailed on Monday 20th August.
  It includes news of a fresh stock of the Soham Grammarians' tie.
  The booking form can also be printed off from the link on the Reunions page.

• Geoff Gammon 50 in Ohio says he has retired and with his wife Dixie is heavily into "Exotic Bird Breeding & Internet/Website development-related activities. Never a dull moment!" - see Pages by

• John Leaney 41 reports that Colin Smith 41 died in Spalding in May 2007 - see In Memoriam
  Mrs Catherine Jay reports that her father Brian Martin 49 died aged 69 on 15th July 2007 - see In Memoriam

• Photo updaters this month - see School Lists:
  1972 School photo - Ken Grant '69'
  1967 Senior Prizegiving - Dudley Walton 63 names a few more faces - see Scrapbook
  1944 Inter School Sports Team & Cricket 1st XI late 1940s - John Leaney 41

• Making contact:
  Ken Grant '69', Lincolnshire - Ken arrived as a 2nd year: he hopes to be at the Reunion

• The Communities & other links page now has the Soham entry in the on-line encyclopedia Wikipedia

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July 2007

• Photo updaters this month - see School Lists:
  1954 School photo - Neil Holmes 52
  1972 School photo - Martyn Davies 66

• Are you in contact with Tony Fox (AEL Fox) from Littleport, one of the 1952 entry? If so please contact the editor.

• Making contact:
  Kevin Mader 67, Cambridgeshire

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June 2007

• Alan Barber 59 writes: It was reported in a local paper that Richard Munns or Billy as he was known to many died on Monday 21 May 2007. He was in the 1954 entry - see In Memoriam.

• Photo updaters this month - see School Lists:
  Fenland Counties (Middle School Shield) Winners 1955 - Roger Munns 52
  1952 School photo - Neil Holmes 52
  1954 School photo - Neil Holmes 52
  
  Neil also reckons - absolutely no connection with the start of Wimbledon - what the editor thought was an 'early' 1950's Christmas card is actually mid fifties - see Scrapbook

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May 2007

• Mrs June Lawrance has provided a number of School Calendars. These are enabling updates to be made of the starting year information (see School Lists). Actual lists, rather than estimated versions based on lists when forms had moved further up the school are now available for the 1962 & 1963 entry years. Some other lists have been improved with source information closer to the year.
  Mrs Lawrance has also provided a School Christmas Card from the 1950s - see Scrapbook, 1950s

• Colin Sleath 51-52, now in Norfolk, is in touch about the 1952 School photo: "Through my son's enterprise I have seen this photo and can confirm that the person in the front row is indeed me, and congratulations to whoever made the guess, as I was only at Soham Grammar for one year and I'm surprised anyone remembered me .."

• Making contact:
  Jeffrey Easingwood 64-65, now in Surrey: "We lived in Ely at the time and my grandparents ran Butchers of Soham, Ltd on the High Street. My father's job moved with the reorganisation of British Rail from Cambridge to Norwich and we moved too in July 1965. I did A Levels at City of Norwich School then teacher training in Nottingham (Clifton). I started teaching at Hamond's Grammar School, Swaffham in 1974. It went comprehensive in 1977 by merging with the local Secondary Modern and I stayed until 1980. I moved to the City of London School, being responsible for Junior School Science which I still do. I am responsible for our outreach program which involves inter alia (see, Mr Sherrington's Latin wasn't entirely wasted on me!) teaching science to some primary schools in Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Lambeth.
  I'd like to hear of my old mates - Richard Vince, and Phil Jefferson (who was in 1 Alpha) in particular."

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April 2007

• Beth & Brian Lane report the death of Brian's cousin Rex Lane 43, brother of Roger Lane. "Rex died last Monday, 23rd April. Only recently we were talking about Roger and now Rex has gone. It was bowel cancer and he went very rapidly downhill in about five days.
  The funeral will be next Friday at St. Mary's Church Ely at 2pm and then he will be buried in an eco-friendly wood." Our condolences to Rex's widow Janet and the family - see In Memoriam

• Wilkes Walton reports the death of Norman Sneesby 36: "Pat and Norman were on a cruise which had called in at Puerto Limon (I think) in Costa Rica on 23rd March when Norman collapsed and died. He was cremated out there." Norman will be missed at our reunions and our condolences go to Pat and the family.

• Beth & Brian Lane and Ian Hobbs (via Bill Peters) report the death of Dr Brian Pullen 48, on 28 March 2007: the funeral was at 2.15pm on Thursday 5th April in the West Chapel, Cambridge Crematorium. Beth says Brian was at Soham from 1948 to 1955 and was a particular friend of Brian Lane who last spoke to him about Christmas, when they said their good-byes. He had been ill for a long time. Family flowers only, donations to Wood Green Animal Shelter or Hospice at Home.

• Back in contact:
  Gary Stroud 69 - Cambridgeshire

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March 2007

• Contact made:
  Stephen Halls 68, Cambridgeshire
  Douglas Neate 60, Leicestershire: a Bacon Cup winner and Football captain, he gained qualifications at Loughborough College and Leicester University and is the author of a source book for PE - PE Essentials.

• Wieslawa Barnas emails from Warsaw. She says "Quite recently, by sheer accident, I got in touch with Mr Rob Sowerby, who went to Soham Grammar School in the years 1955-1960. I told him about my friend Graham Roger Hancock, who also attended the same school from 1954 to 1960. And indeed, I spotted him on the photographs one can find on your website. Graham was diagnosed with cancer in July 2005. At that time he lived in Warsaw and worked as a freelance English teacher. He returned to London for his treatment, which proved unsuccessful, and he died on 23rd November 2006 in London." If anyone has recollections of Graham, please contact the editor, who will forward them to Wieslawa: his name has been added to our In Memoriam page.

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February 2007

• Rob Sowerby 55's collection of old postcards of Burwell is on the Burwell website

• Contact made:
  Alan Jarman 65, living in N Yorkshire, working in London: his father was also at SGS
  Terry Murfitt '59' (arrived 60, left 64), now in Bedfordshire with the RSPB, via Pye's and Rio de Janeiro; in touch with Stuart Porter (see Pages by/on SGs) who has prospered in the USA since 1978 and who he hopes will soon be in contact.

• School Photo updaters this month - see School Lists:
  1960 - Geoff Coote 57

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January 2007

• Contact made:
  John Couperthwaite 53, now in Hampshire
  Gary Dew 62, now in Cambridge
  Kenn Hunter 67, now in West Yorkshire

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additions to those on email, in 2008: David Anderson 59, Robert Bass 59, Michael Bayes 67, Andy Benson '59', Alan Breeze 54, David Coey '63', Chris Bull 53, Tom Crawford 59, David Crowe 52, Sid Cullum 59, Chris Curtis 65, Nick Davies 67, Richard Dean 56, Robert Dove 61, Paul Dunham 59, John Eden 49, Terry Ellingham 59, Keith Essex '64', Michael Fenn 61, C William Fisher '59', Vernon Fretwell 50, Frank Greig 52, Tony Hall 45, Paul Hammans '68', Morley Holliday 58, Terry Jones SG Staff, Tim Jordan 59, Roy King 59, Malcolm Lloyd 58, David Morley 54, Terry Newman 59, Trevor Newton 44, Terry Parker 59, Terry Peacock 61, Dick Peachey 59, Tony Pitchford 69, Paul Rolph 54, Trevor Salmon 60, Tom Sandham '59', Colin Searle 62, Tony (Richard) Sharp 55, Eric Simper 51, Denis Sindall 40, Ted Stanley 49, Ian Storey '59', Ken Thompson 50, Tim Titmarsh 67, Michael Tuffs 61, Dick Turnill 59, Bob Tyler 62, Rod Rocky Ward 59 - Peter Wilding 59, Michael Woodruff 59.
There were 37 email additions in 2007 (34 in 2006, 28 in 2005, 40 in 2004).