Framlinghamian 2023 - Flipbook - Page 330
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quite sporty, being an excellent swimmer,
and he played in the rugby and cricket
teams. Rugby would play a major part in
his life in later years. He became a prefect
in the senior year, but fagging had been
abolished when a new headmaster was
appointed with more modern ideas.
When Bill left the College, he worked for
an insurance company in Bristol and had
a couple of runouts for the Bristol U21s
rugby team. It did not take him long to
realise that he had made a mistake in his
career, and he applied to work for the
Crown Agents where he enjoyed his work
enormously. At some stage he lived in a
shared house in West Drayton, mostly with
air stewardesses, one of whom he had a
crush on, as he admitted to me. However,
this lady went on to have a relationship
with a Concorde pilot and Bill could not
became what is known colloquially as an
compete with that. His loss was my gain.
army brat, moving with the family. They
Later, the government of the day reduced
lived in Hong Kong from 1955 to 1958 then
the responsibilities of the Crown Agents
moved back to the UK to Devizes, then on
and Bill found himself unemployed. To his
to New Eltham, moving again to Salisbury
enormous credit he went on a Transport
in 1961.
Management course in Blackpool for
around six months and passed with 昀氀ying
Bill’s sister Jo was born in 1962 and the
colours. Not bad for a man who had
family then relocated to Glasgow where
never learned to drive. I was enormously
Bill’s schooling showed a deterioration.
grateful for his knowledge, as I am known
His parents took the decision to move him
to have no sense of direction, even holding
to a boarding prep school at Sompting
a map upside-down once which seemed
Abbots in West Sussex where apparently,
to amuse him greatly. Whilst in Blackpool
he thrived. Later I believe, when he was
he played for Fylde Rugby club and
13, he was transferred to Framlingham
remained a member for several seasons.
College as a boarder. Bill told me many
He had a few hobbies in philately, aircraft
stories about Framlingham as they still
and archaeology; and was a member
had ‘fagging’ which included cleaning
of the British Museum. Several of our
older boys’ studies, warming up a toilet
holidays had an archaeological theme,
seat for seniors, or serving food to the top
including a memorable visit to Syria just a
table. He likened it to the 昀椀lm ‘IF’ which
week before it became a war zone!
we watched together in later life. He was
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