E-mails 2002

Barrett Bloxham

This is an edited version of Barney's e-mail:

Kiora Old Collegian people 
1st - Chezzar - hurry up & email me Juan's email address. Also, can you also please email me Goughy's email address. 

Enough with the housekeeping, thought I might give you a quick update on my last 2 weeks of fun, adventure & beautiful weather. Simone & I arrived in London on Wednesday 30/10 & stayed at a friend Simone met while working in Tasmania - we stayed in their attic for 10 nights with Simone sleeping on a single mattress & me sleeping on the floor - not overly comfortable but nice to have a roof over our heads.  Moved into a hostel 3 days ago in Queensway (10 metres from Hyde Park)- costs £65 / week each (don't even want to do the conversion to $AUS or $NZ) - with Simone & I in separate rooms that have 5 people in them.  Will hopefully only do this for the next week then find a place to crash for 2 weeks as my Bro's flatmate (owns the flat) is going back to NZ for 5 weeks so we can stay there until January - so will give us time to find exactly where we are both working & then best area to set up in - so very handy. 

Caught up with my Bro to watch the England v's NZ match - out north West London - Ealing Broadway. What a game - go Jonah. Shame we did not have more ball. Had an excellent night until about 1am. We all got the munchies so went to some dodgy takeaway to get some grub - the next thing I remember it was 3am & I was walking in the rain having no idea where I was, let alone where my Bro was. I was going to stay with him the night but not thinking things through I did not have his address on me - so I spent about 30 minutes feeling very sorry for myself & trying to get back to where Simone & I were staying - Lewisham (south east London). 

Eventually got an 'unmarked' cab (have no idea how I did this) - but we agreed on $30 or £40 for the cab ride to Lewisham which took 1 hr - got home at 4.30am - was I relieved.  The taxi driver was a middle-eastern man who had only recently converted to Muslim & was growing his beard long etc - once I had established that he had no connections with Osama bin Laden I relaxed a little & he spent the next hr either telling me about his new found faith or reassuring me that he was indeed taking me to Lewisham by pointing out all the road signs. I was still heavily under the influence at this stage & had gone slightly paranoid so was thinking he might do something untoward - so part of the deal was that I pay him ½ at the start (to show I had £) and the other ½ upon arrival.  Anyway, I got home eventually. My bro left a message on Simone's mobile phone at 1.30am saying he had lost me & had no idea where I was - lucky Simone had her phone turned off otherwise she would have freaked out worrying.

Off to Paris on Saturday for 2 nights to watch the AB's play the French - should be great especially if the All Black B team play as good as they did against England. Might even go to the Louvre (Paris Museum) & see the Mona Lisa. Went to Madam Tussaud's yesterday - Wax museum - a lot of them looked so real - Morgan Freeman in particular. A while ago Kylie M got hers done & she is on all fours - tried to get Simone to take a photo of me standing behind Kylie but for some unbeknown reason she refused - women go figure??????????? 

Have had an interview today with Carpetright - the largest retailer of Carpet in Europe - turnover of £450 million - for the Financial Operations Manager position. This basically involves managing the accounts payable area which consists of 25 people. Anyway they are in disarray - both with staff retention & useless financial systems so this would be extremely challenging (if not stressful). I asked the guy interviewing me if I was successful when would I start - he basically said the job was mine & could start tomorrow. I said I would get back to him tomorrow. While the job will involve approx 55 hrs / week (at least initially) the office is out East - Rainham (zone 6 for anyone that knows London). So takes 75-90 minutes to get there. So add this to an 11 hour day & it will be a big ask.  The salary is £50k+ so very attractive. I think I will take it - keep you informed.  

Boydie - thanks for the email & for Mike's contact details - I will give him a ring after I get back from Paris & catch up for a beer. Also, thanks for replying to the personal reference crap - I owe you one. Good to hear all is well & go the Black Falcons.  

All you Aussie boys - what's with Owen Finegan - dislocates his shoulder & is out for the next 7 months - obviously not from the Barney Bloxham School of Hard Knocks!!!!!!!! Well better go - hope all is well with you all. I hear it has been very hot at the moment - well you will be suprised to hear that England is also hot at the moment - in fact I would be suprised too!!  IT IS COLD!!!  Send us some news from Adelaide!!! Later BARNEY

Anton Maris

Pasted from the comments part of the website:

Anton Maris antonmaris@hotmail.com  
September 19, 2002 at 05:08:36 (CST) 

Hey guys, good luck in the finals this saturday. Hopefully you win some prizes. My season started two weeks ago winning both games in the weekends. Good Luck from Anton (that big dutch guy!!!)

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David Biven

Hi Paul, Was digging through some things other day and found some old newsletters from 1971. Arrange a time to drop in and i will lend you these and photo etc Well done for getting three teams in GF. 

Cheers David Biven, Principal Retail Asset Management Pty Ltd PO Box 227 Walkerville S.A. 5081 
P/F 08 8269 2964 Mobile 0419 836178

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James Plesa

From: "Jim Plesa" <jplesa@yottanetworks.com> 
To: <phorne@cobweb.com.au> 
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 5:32 AM 
Subject: James Plesa 

Hello Paul, Can you pass a message to James Plesa that I said "hi"? My name is also James Plesa. During a web search James Plesa's name came up (on your rugby website). I know of no other James Plesa's (worldwide), and I thought James might find it interesting as well. 
Thank You, 
James Plesa 
dxedallas@attbi.com  
214-532-6408

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Howell Witt's granddaughter

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Lhelle4@aol.com  
To: paul.horne@oldcollegiansrugby.org.au  
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 4:09 PM 
Subject: Grandpa Witt

Thank you so much for putting together the lovely webpage about Howell Witt. I am one of his grandchildren and was doing some research when I stumbled on your site. It is a wonderful collection of things that made Grandpa so wonderful.

Thank-you 
Alison

Alison,  
He was a most amazing character from what I've managed to hear. His book is a very tame tome of course but clearly meant to be. I fear that most of the witticisms and recollections that people recall of him are all in their heads and not written down. 
He would make a good subject for a biography I suspect. But as to the website, if you have anything else I could use I would very much appreciate it. 
Regards, Paul

Paul,  
I can't think of anything off the top of my head for the website, but I think about it and will mention it to my mom the next time I'm visiting my parents. Even though I live in the U.S. I still had plenty of opportunities to spend time with Grandpa. He sent us audio tapes as children with songs and stories and visited several times throughout my childhood. He also came to the United States and lived with us several summers to study at St. John's University in Collegeville after he was retired. He would preach at our Episcopal church and his sermons were always memorable. The website is a fun way to remember. 
Alison

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David Quodling

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "david quodling" davequod@hotmail.com  
To: phorne@cobweb.com.au  
Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2002 5:10 PM

dear paul   
i was surfing the web page and came across an, as yet, unknown photo taken  in the 60s at bailey reserve.  it was with 2 others featuring oc v black forest grand final.  i am fairly sure it was taken in 67 (the other 2 were 65)and features oc   second 15 v Army (3RAR).army wore a green and gold strip and were good for   evening long pissups after all matches but particularly at the corporals  mess at woodside barracks.  the army 1/2 back was a class act and took quite a bit of punching to keep  in control! merrick goodwin was our seconds 1/2 that year the other   collegians names escape me although one was a kiwi who worked on a farm at   gawler river and had the name of, its come to me, ken beatson!  hope this helps the records.  i still intend catching up re history but seem to be snowed under   particularly on weekends!  
regards  david quodling

From: "david quodling" davequod@hotmail.com  
To: <phorne@cobweb.com.au> 
Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2002 7:55 AM

  Out of interest, I was looking at the A Grade 1966 photo when it struck me that our shorts looked a bit close fitting. I remembered that, for the sake of contrast on the black and white local television finals live coverage we enjoyed in those days, we were asked to wear white, rather than the customary black, shorts. Our opponents, Adelaide Uni, were "all blacks" (mostly 3RAR engineers except for Peter Allen and Mick Guerin - but that's another story), As we didn't have a range of colours available, we borrowed the white garments from North Adelaide. We were convinced, at the time, that Norths had taken revenge for a couple of major thrashings at the hands of Old Colls and supplied us with shorts designed for thir junior ranks! Perhaps that's why we were narrowly beaten; lack of blood supply to the lower limbs! In answer to your query re the 30s & 40s, I'm afraid I wasn't born for the former and commncing my Rugby career with Eastwood for the latter. I joined Collegians in 1964 after a year with Glenelg. 
Regards David Q

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Brett McCann

An e-mail from Brett McCann, 21st July 2002   
I used to play with Jeremy Allport, Grant Grace, Sean Beaton, Dean Earl, Andrew Younger, Bob Inskip, Dave Harford, Mick and Tim Campion, McCartan brothers, John Sullivan. I played mainly 2nd's.  
 I note a decidedly younger (and skinnier) player in the photo of the 2nd XV Grand Final side of 1978 with the mis-spelt name of "Bret McKAN". Club Secretary was Dave Harford, who organised the photos. For a businessman who has done well for himself, he never could spell. He was also my cricket skipper for 3 years, and given he had to put the batting order out each week, you would have thought he would have learnt - bloody Poms.   
I have many fond memories of Tregenza apart from the smell of the mud in the south east corner near the old Salvation Army home after heavy rain. Being a slow plodding second rower, John Davies would have repeated scrum practice between 1's and 2's down there which had inevitable collapse, resulting in nostrils full of the putrid mud. Bloody Welsh.   I am associated over in Canberra with Tuggeranong Valley RUFC, (as an ex-player and current social member). Club has produced Joe Roff, Justin Harrison, and play in the Brisbane Comp. We were in the Sydney Comp. but got the punt after 6 years due to the narrow minded Sydney RU Officials fearing that they would lose their primary club trophy to an interstate club. Probably right, as we went into the Brisbane Club comp last year and won it.   It's a huge Club, (4 licenced premises, and approx. 50k membership), but not a touch on Old Collegians and Tregenza as far as atmosphere and genuine club appeal. Does the fireplace still blaze on Sunday afternoon? 

Regards,  Brett McCann bamccann@iprimus.com.au

(The spelling of Brett's name has now been corrected on the 1978 photo on this website ... 22/7/02)

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The Glanville Discussion  

Contact from Tara Glanville and an example of how Tara's dad's contemporaries can get a little confused ...

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mauricio Bruneli 
To: phorne@cobweb.com.au 
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 3:34 PM 
Subject: I need your help!!!   
Hi. My name is Tara, my dad is David Glanville, who played at the club in the 1970's and 1980's, my godparents are John and Yvonne Davies.  My dad turns 55 shortly.    I grew up in the rugby club from the age of 6 months old, and have many happy memories of the club and its players, Particularlly of Christmas time and the amazing and interesting new ways Santa Claus used to appear every year ( Mini, Camel to name but a few!).   Having been babysat and looked after by the Finns, and Dennis Hayden, I would love to know how they are and what they are doing.   
I would be happy to answer any questions you might have on what my dad is up to now, please email me back at ta_ra_ra81@hotmail.com ... 
Tara Glanville

From: Andrew Secker Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 10:16 AM Tara,   I played with David in the early 1980s. As I was a prop in the front row and he was a back, I didn't get to see a great deal of his work on the field -- it is the way of things in the tight 5 that, by the time we raise our heads from a scrum, maul or whatever, the ball has already gone out to the backs and been dropped by them. I'm assured however that David was a speedy centre/wing with a courageous tackle and fierce commitment. He and Sean Beaton made a good pair in the back line. Off the field, David was always happy and placid, always a pleasure to be with. Give him my best.   Do you mean that those Father Christmases at the Club weren't real? I'm shattered. Regards,  Andrew Secker

From: Raymond, Michael Sent: Wednesday, 17 July 2002 11:52 AM Andy,   I found your appraisal of Dave to be succinct and accurate with the exception of your reference to the backs.   As I recall from my playing days, and to correct any misconceptions of the importance that backs play, at the time of a scrum the chronological events were invariably, as follows:

  Half back (a quasi back as his other half is forward) puts the ball in incorrectly five times due to forwards playing silly buggers with each.   Half back eventually puts ball into a wheeling scrum - forwards have another five attempts to get this right but continually fall over each and become increasingly agitated, sweaty and dirty.   Forwards would then smash the sh*t out of each other for the next five minutes as a result of pent up frustration due to their own inability to get the scrum right.   Game is halted for a further 5 minutes as the strappers, physios, etc attend to the injured .   Opposing forwards resolve their indifferences and decide to allow the ball to get out of the scrum to the backs.   Five Eight receives ball and does one of three things - drops it, kicks it or passes it to his inside centre who then either drops it, kicks it or passes it to his outside centre who gets tackled.

  I believe this is a fairly typical scenario.   One the two occasions in a game that the ball actually gets to the winger, he was too cold and stiff to run with any purpose. Furthermore, he would have to take into consideration that the ball had probably got his jumper dirty and that the wind had messed up his hair. So how could he possibly be expected to do anything with the ball anyway.   No, a winger's job in the team was to bring good looking girls to the game and to provide his discarded ones to forwards.   I trust this clarifies matters. Cheers, Mike Raymond PS - Andy, my kids tell me that the Easter bunny is a hoax.

From: Andrew Secker Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 12:32 pm

Mike, This isn't totally inaccurate. The only reason the forwards do all these things is that we are kind and considerate people. We know full well that the backs are fragile and could not cope with the stress of having to actually run and make contact with others for a full 80 minutes, so we make a play of taking up time to let the dears recover from their last 30 second foray. Andrew

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Roger McDaniel

Hi Paul   Have only recently found this site through John Davies. I am an ex Pres. of Old Colls, having played there in the 80's. Had been keeping up my membership after I moved to Qld. nut somehow lost track.   My home is still Qld. (played for Western Districts there with Brian Sullivan and Jock Mau and Golden Oldies with Alastair Young) but for the past three years Leonie (wife) and I have lived in Jakarta - where there is no rugby to speak of. Catch up here with Scott Biggs.   Haven't been able to get back to Adelaide since we left in '87 but would love to keep contact. Our email addresses are: roger.mcdaniel@bnpparibas.com leonie@cbn.net.id Regards and all the best to Old Colls Roger McDaniel

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Message from the Kerr-Grants

Paul,   Have just read your news regarding Richard. Could you please pass on Merryl and my best wishes to Richard and let him know that we will drink a Guinness for him at Dave Strachan's 50th (a mutual friend) this weekend in Orange. I am sure that Richard's problem will not keep him away from the bar for too long. Our best regards to all of you at OC's and all the best for the coming season. Hugh and Merryl PS. we think that Al might take to the paddock this season.

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Ray Rosser

Dear Paul I have been searching off and on for my friend Ray Rosser -- on the web today I found your Old Collegians rugby web site, including a reference to the Ray Rosser Memorial award for Best Coach. I fear this means that my friend is no longer with us.

My friend Ray was an administrator and teacher of the deaf in South Australia. I met Ray in America when he came here on sabbatical as an intern at the Nat'l Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York. I later met his whole family when they came to visit him in Washington, D.C.

If Ray is gone, could you possibly help get me in touch with his wife Alison, or his daughter Janine? I would be so grateful.

Thank you for any help you can give.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Yensen 1401 Roy Averette Drive Raleigh, NC 27603 kyensen@intrex.net

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Peter Clarke

25 October 2001 To; The President / Committee Old Collegians RUFC From; Peter Clarke (ex-player 1971-75 & 1989 - before moving to Melbourne)

Just a brief note to congratulate the club on winning the 1st grade premiership for 2001.Especially satisfying to see it done against the Tigers !

Unfortunately I don't get to return to SA much nowadays, but have still got a OCRFC tie which I wear proudly from time to time at VRU functions.

On another note, I am now fairly heavily involved with the formation of new Club in the western suburbs of Melbourne - the Westgate Reds, which is affiliated with Powerhouse RFC.Our colours are maroon, navy & white (Queensland reds alternative jersey) & we are essentially taking the game to an area dominated by Aussie Rules, Soccer & (surprisingly) Rugby League, although this is purely because of the lack of a well organised Rugby club.Early indications of support are very good & we anticipate playing in the Newport area, which is part of the Williamstown area & adjacent to the westgate bridge.

Accordingly, anyone coming to Melbourne will be made very welcome & can contact the following persons; President; Tui Savu; contact 93994680 (H) 96002767 (B) V/President; Peter Clarke; contact 93916245 (H) 0403-113181

Tha address of the Club is P.O. Box 1209, Altona Gate..Vic. 3025

In closing, please pass on my regards to Hamish Cranna (still singing dirty ditties?), Micky Finn & the Klynsmith crew - assuming they all still have some connection.

Best regards, Peter Clarke

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Joe Pearce

From: "Joe Pearce" <joe@weldcraft.f9.co.uk> Thu, 25 Apr 2002 

Hey Richard (Waddicor), 

It seems like the club has come a fair way since I had to head back over to  England - Is that Rob Sadler I see holding some kind of trophy on your home page? - Champions in 2001 eh? congratulations guys, could you pass them on to Rob and anyone else who was playing while I was there and still turns out on a Saturday. 
Just thought I'd check out how things are going down under, my season went pretty well, finished second but good  for promotion so next year its a new league and I will be skipper - God knows why! Anyway, good luck with the coming season, maybe I'll be back under there in time to catch a game towards the back end. 

Cheers , Joe (That pommie guy from a couple of years ago)

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Kevin Freeman

Please could someone contact me FROGGY at kfreeman-rpm@connectfree.co.uk am a ex-player who would like to keep in-touch with my old mates at the best rugby club in Australia. Please foreward e-mail addresses if possible or just tell them I have been in touch. .... Kevin Freeman

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Gavin Pfister

Hello all Old Colls members It has been a long time since I have had any news on the rugby over there. I hope everything is well at the club and that the bar sales are as high as when I was there. I also believe that you have won 2 flags since I have left. This doesnt say much for my contribution. Well done anyway!! I have now moved to London and I have just joined London Irish. They have done extremely well in the premiership and I am hoping to be on the bench next week for them against Harlequins for the semi final. Aussie Jo and myself have now got engaged and she is over here with me. There are a couple of Aussie wildcats in London. Last weekend myself, Nick Brown(English guy who played at Old Colls in 1997 with me) and Dan Pryor had heaps of jugs of beer and a place called the Pitcher and Piano. We all got extremely pissed and it was brilliant catching on old news and stories with rugby mates. I ended up taking my clothes off in a night club later on. It felt like the old "Singing in the Rain" song we always sang after games back at Old Colls. Anyway good luck for the season to everyone and all the teams. Cheers Gavin Pfister

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Phil Howell's mum

19th June 2002

  I am Phil Howell's Mum and I have only just discovered your web site. I am thrilled to find it and read news of your rugby club (especially to see your home page and think that I was there only 2 months ago!!).   It is great to be able to read news about Phil but please get his name right!! When he scored 3 tries you called him Peter!! and when he got man of the match you called him Phil Howe.   It is a great web site and I shall be logging on regularly to find out how the Club (and Phil!!) are doing.   I remember all the hospitality and friendship shown to me on my visit in April and wish you all well. I look forward to more news as the season goes on and maybe some pictures. It is a long way from Yorkshire to Adelaide but your web site shortens that distance for me.

Thank you.

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