Blundell's Golf Society
The Society was formed in the early 1930s to facilitate entry into the Halford Hewitt, a competition for public schools. 64 schools now take part. Over the years the Society has entered other competitions including the Cyril Gray (the sister competition to the Halford Hewitt for those aged over 50), the Brent Knoll Bowl and Cornish Piskey. The fixture list also includes matches against other schools’ OBs together with a match against Blundell’s pupils.
In addition there are winter, spring and summer meetings at Aldeburgh, Rye and Burnham and Berrow respectively.
Membership
Membership is open to those who:-
- attended Blundell’s
- are a current or past parent
- are a current or past member of staff
Membership is £20 per annum.
If you are interested in joining please contact the secretary Phil Hine – philhine12@icloud.com
The events are charged at cost, the Society subsidises younger members who are selected to play in the scratch competitions. Note the Halford Hewitt and Cyril Gray competitions require teams members to have attended the School they represent for at least one academic year.
We also have a WhatsApp group to facilitate informal golf amongst the Society members.
[ See below for Golf News ]
Golf Fixtures 2023
| Date | Fixture/Event | Venue | Match Manager |
| 11, 12 February | Aldeburgh GC/Winter meeting | Aldeburgh | Dougal Lyon |
| 12 March | School Boys | Burnham & Berrow | Simon Waddington |
| 25, 26 March | Brent Knoll Bowl | Burnham & Berrow | Captain |
| 29 March | Spring meeting | Rye | Phil Hine |
| 30 March to 2 April | Halford Hewitt | Deal/Sandwich | Captain |
| 31 March | Old Shirburnians | Burnham & Berrow | David Crews |
| 8 and 15 June | Schools putting competition | Royal Wimbledon | Phil Hine |
| 21 to 23 June | Cyril Gray | Worplesdon | Phil Hine |
| 14 July | Old Malburians | Burnham & Berrow | Carey Ashworth |
| 16 July & 6 August | Summer meetings | Burnham & Berrow | Phil Hine |
| 20 July | Old Wykehamists | Hockley | Cedric Clapp |
| 7 September | Old Cliftonians/Taunton Pelicans | Bristol & Clifton | David Crews |
| 7, 8 October | Cornish Piskey | Newquay | Captain |
Please do let the match manager know if you would like to play in any fixture; it makes their job so much easier. Email addresses are:-
- dougallyon@hotmail.co.uk (our captain)
- philhine12@icloud.com
- davidcrewsdc51@gmail.com
- cedric.clapp@netgates.co.uk
- rix.ashworth@blueyonder.co.uk
- swadd65@hotmail.com
Golf News
2023 Tournaments
Brent Knoll Bowl 2023
Our team for our first competitive event of the season was Peter Crews, Jack Dart, Ed Haycock, Phil Hine, Dougal Lyon and Simon Waddington. As usual the draw was done on Friday night and as it went on it looked like it was going to be inevitable that we were going to be drawn against Sherborne - our opponents in the Halford Hewitt and, sure enough, we were.
Saturday morning arrived together with the forecast 40/50 mph winds. It made golf tough as the direction was across the course.
Jack and Simon won their match but Peter/Phil and Ed/Dougal lost theirs, so it was onto the plate where we faced the Warwickshire Bears. The strong winds had gone and by late pm it was almost still so playing conditions were now good. This was a very close match. Jack and Simon won again and with Peter and Phil losing theirs it was down to Ed and Dougal. They were one down playing 16 and had a 8ft putt for a birdie and the hole but unfortunately didn’t hole it. It was a similar story on 17, we didn’t hole a 6ft birdie putt but the opponents holed from 5ft for a half. Two good drives on 18 were followed by two good shots to the fringe of the green. Dougal putted up dead but the opponents now three putted so it was down the 19th. We missed the green right, the opponents hit a marvellous shot into 8ft, unfortunately we weren’t able to get up and down so the Warwickshire Bears went through and went on to win the plate. On the Sunday we played in the consolation event. Alex Knott playing instead of Jack. Our scores were reasonable.
Spring meeting at Rye and the Halford Hewitt
We arrived at Rye in a mist which became intermittent drizzle during the morning. Fortunately, it cleared at lunchtime and we had a pleasant afternoon with a light breeze. We were 16 for the meeting. The Halford Hewitt team - Dougal Lyon (capt), Jack Dart, Simon Gudgeon, Ed Haycock, Richard Hine, Phil Hine, Alex Knott, Sam Pryce, Finn Weisse apart from George Williams - together with David D’arcy Hughes, James Hunt, Ron March, James Wilson, Bill Seldon and a friend of Phil’s David Jeffcoate. The morning foursomes were won by Simon and Dougal with 30 points. James Hunt and David Jeffcoate were runners up with 27 and Alex and Phil third with 26. We played for the Lake Cup in the afternoon and Simon won with an excellent 35 points, Jack was runner up with 33, James Wilson third with 32 and Peter fourth with 31.
In the Halford Hewitt we were drawn against Sherborne - the first time we had been drawn against them in the HH - at Deal at 2.40pm. The weather was fine but there was a south west wind helping on the first nine but making the back nine long and difficult. Our pairings were Finn/Jack, Ed/Richard, Sam/George, Simon/Phil and Alex/Dougal. The order meant Ed was playing against two close friends so that was an additional competitive edge. There were some big delays, we eventually started at 3.40pm and it was looking doubtful if we would have enough light to finish the match. Jack/Finn were down early on but still in their match. Ed/Richard started well and were soon several holes up. Simon/Phil and Sam/George struggled against some fine golf from their opponents. Alex/Dougal’s match was close. As the match went through the later holes Ed/Richard won their match comfortably, Simon/Phil lost theirs. Sam/George started to claw their way back into their match but couldn’t take advantage of two excellent birdie opportunities, so it was now down to the last two matches. Finn holed 8 foot puts on 15 and 16 to get their match back to one down but unfortunately wasn’t able to repeat that on 17 so with the light now fading we needed to win 18. Sherborne just missed the green left whilst we were on the green with a 20-foot putt. The opponents putted up to 3 feet, we just missed our putt and Sherborne now holed out for the match. That left Alex and Dougal all square after 17 agreeing a half. Sherborne lost to Tonbridge in the next round. Loretto won the competition for the third time in a row, a stunning achievement.
In the plate we played another strong team – Malvern - who included Henry Aldridge (son of Ross) in their side. We were playing in a strong wind with heavy rain at times so conditions were challenging. Our team was Jack/Ed, Sam/George and Alex/Dougal. We started well. After nine holes it was looking good as Jack/Ed and Alex/Dougal were 2 up, Sam/George were struggling against two strong opponents. Malvern started to play well on the back nine and with Sam/George losing their match it all depended on we could hold onto our leads in the other two matches. Unfortunately we couldn’t, so Malvern went through to the next round.
2022 Tournaments
Cornish Piskey - 2022
Our final event of the year is the Cornish Piskey at Newquay GC. Our team for this year was Harry Edworthy making his debut for the Society, Ed Haycock, Richard Hine, Harry Konig, Simon Waddington and Paul Vicary.
Our weekend started with a very wet and windy Friday afternoon so the practice round was curtailed. Fortunately the weather for the rest of the weekend was dry but windy.
We were drawn against the RAF in the first round. As usual they had a strong team. Simon and Harry (E) lost their match and the other two matches were close. Ed and Richard were down but we were hopeful that they could recover going up 17, meanwhile Harry (K) and Paul were all square after 18 and headed off down 19. Unfortunately Ed and Richard were unable to turn it around so we lost the match and were now in the plate – the Pasty.
Our opponents in the first round of the Pasty were the Hazards. Harry (K) and Paul got off to a good start and pushed on to win quite easily. Simon and Harry (E) won their match. With the match won Ed and Richard played out their match to lose by a hole.
On Sunday morning we played the Army in the semi-finals of the Pasty. As usual they were a strong side. Harry (K) and Paul got us off to a good start winning their match. Unfortunately Simon and Harry (E) lost theirs so it all depended on Ed and Richard. Once again their match was very close but the Army pair edged them out by a hole.
Cyril Gray - 2022
A huge congratulations to our OB Golf team who won the Cyril Gray tournament for the second time. The Cyril Gray is for the last 32 schools entering the Halford Hewitt and it is a six-a-side scratch foursomes’ knockout, participants need to be over 50 years of age. It is played at Worplesdon GC in Surrey and was first held in 1971. Blundell’s have now won it twice, the first time being 1978. This is a fantastic achievement, and we are delighted to share this success.
Team from left to right: Bill Cooper, Richard Hine, Sam Lake, Paul Vicary, Peter Lowe, Phil Hine, Kevin Ramshaw, Simon Waddington and Carey Ashworth
You can read a more complete account of the 2022 Cyril Gray tournament (which includes some more photos) here.
Brent Knoll Bowl - 2022
We started our season with the Brent Knoll Bowl at Burnham and Berrow in March. Our side was Simon Gudgeon (Captain), Jack Dart, Ed Haycock, Richard Hine, Sam Pryce and Simon Waddington. Jack was making his debut for the Society. We were drawn against Dublin University GS in the first round, their first time in the Brent Knoll Bowl. They had a really strong side – several plus handicaps - and despite a good win for Jack and Simon (G) we lost 2-1. We were now in the plate and up against a strong Millfield side who beat us 3 -0. On Sunday morning we played in the consolation event and played reasonably.
Team from left to right: Ed Haycock, Jack Dart, Richard Hine, Simon Waddington, Simon Gudgeon, Sam Pryce
Halford Hewitt - 2022
As usual we had a practice day at Royal St Georges on the Tuesday and then had a day at Rye playing foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon which was disrupted by the weather. The players were, Simon Gudgeon, Jack Dart, Ed Haycock, Richard Hine, Alex Knott, Dougal Lyon, Sam Pryce, Kevin Ramshaw (the Hewitt side except Edd Palmer and Simon Waddington), Jeremy Cooper, Peter Crews, Phil Hine, Ron March, James Wilson, Bill Seldon, and a guest of Bill’s, Ian Falconer.
With strong winds and worsening rain, conditions were difficult. The foursomes were won by Richard and Dougal with 26 points, Ed and Sam were runners up with 25 points. We decided to have a lovely long Rye lunch and see if the rain was going to stop – the forecast did look hopeful. By mid-afternoon the rain abated and some went out for a friendly 9 holes.
Our opponents in the first round of the Halford Hewitt were Oundell at Royal St Georges. It was a dry day but there was a very strong 40mph wind which made golf quite tricky. Our team was Sam/Simon (W), Alex/Kevin, Ed/Richard, Jack/Edd and Simon(G)/Dougal. The match was close, Ed/Richard won their match, and with Alex/ Kevin and Simon(G)/Dougal losing theirs we needed to win the other two matches. With Blundell’s up in both games – Jack/Edd had done very well to recover from 3 down after 5 - it looked hopeful, however both matches turned out to be close, Simon holing a 10ft putt for a win on the 18th and Edd holing a tricky 3ft putt on 17 to complete a marvellous win for Blundell’s. On the Friday we now had to play Loretto who won the competition in 2021. The conditions were good, the wind was now a gentle breeze. Loretto showed why they had won the previous year and played some stunning golf easily winning three matches, we just lost the top match and Ed/Richard played well for a half. Unsurprisingly, Loretto went on to win the competition again.
Team from left to right: Edd Palmer, Jack Dart, Sam Pryce, Alex Knott, Kevin Ramshaw, Simon Waddington, Ed Haycock, Simon Gudgeon, Richard Hine, Dougal Lyon
2021 Tournaments
Pleasingly we managed to play all our main competitive matches this year albeit the fixtures were concentrated in the latter part of the year.
Cyril Gray - 2021
Our season started in June with the Cyril Gray tournament at Worplesdon. The weather was marvellous and the course in excellent condition. Our side was Carey Ashworth, Jeremy Cooper, Matt Morgan, Phil and Richard Hine, and Paul Vicary. We were drawn against Chigwell in the first round. Carey and Richard won their match and with Matt and Jeremy losing theirs it was down to Phil and Paul. Their opponents made a good four on the 18th to take the match to the 19th, unfortunately Phil drove into a bunker on the 19th and we were unable to match their par. So onto the plate competition, our opponents were Bishop’s Stortford. We had a comfortable win with both Phil/Paul and Carey/Richard winning easily. We now faced Watson’s who historically are one of the best sides in the competition. Carey and Richard won their match, Phil and Paul lost theirs so it was down to Jeremy and Matt. Their match was close, an unlucky bounce for our side on the 17th meant we narrowly lost the match. Watson’s went on to win the plate.
Brent Knoll Bowl - 2021
This took place in August this year. Burnham and Berrow was in a great condition. Our side was Simon Gudgeon, Richard Hine, Dougal Lyon, Sam Pryce, Kevin Ramshaw, Simon Waddington and Paul Vicary. Sam, a recent OB, was making his debut for the Society. We were drawn against Taunton in the first round which became a very tight match. Richard and Simon Gudgeon won their match and with Paul and Kevin losing theirs it came down to Dougal and Sam. They were down coming into the last few holes but managed to win a couple of holes to be one down playing the last. A fantastic second from Sam from a difficult lie to 15 feet squared the match. They had a putt to win the 19th which just missed so the match went to the 20th where Taunton squeezed through. In the pate we played Lloyds Bank. Simon Waddington came in for Kevin and, unfortunately, we were beaten 3-0.
Halford Hewitt - 2021
This was played in September this year and the weather was superb all week. As usual we had a day at Rye playing foursomes on the Jubilee course in the morning and a mixture of singles and foursomes on the Old Course in the afternoon. The players were Peter Crews, Alex Knott, Simon Gudgeon, Ed Haycock, Philip Hine, Richard Hine, Edd Palmer, Simon Waddington, Paul Vicary, (the Hewitt side except George Williams), Bill Seldon, Jeremy Cooper, Sue Vicary and a guest of Bill’s Phil Holder.
Left to right: George Williams, Simon Waddington, Alex Knott, Peter Crews, Simon Gudgeon, Ed Haycock, Richard Hine, Edd Palmer and Paul Vicary.
Absent one Phil Hine - my excuse secretarial duties!
The foursomes in the morning were won by Alex and Simon (G) with 37 points, Paul and Sue were runners up with 35. Simon (W) won the pm singles with 33points with Phil runner up with 32. The foursomes honours were shared by Alex/Simon and Bill and his guest Phil.
Our opponents in the first round were King’s Canterbury – the first time we had played them in the competition – at Deal - which was in superb condition, the new 3rd hole being a big improvement. Our team was Peter/George, Alex/Paul, Ed/Richard, Phil/Simon (W) and Simon(G)/Edd. The match was close, Alex/Paul won well and with Phil/Simon winning and Peter/George losing we needed to get something out of the other two matches. Ed/Richard lost a close match so it was down to Edd/Simon. They were down heavily but then won several holes in a row and their opponents looked to be struggling so two down with three to play looked possible to get a result especially as the opponents hit a poor drive to 16. Unfortunately, they couldn’t take advantage. So we were now in the Plate at Royal St Georges and our opponents were Westminster. Our team was Alex/Paul, Ed/Richard and Phil/Simon (W). Ed/Richard had a good win but we lost the other two matches. Overall a fantastic week and it was lovely to play Royal St Georges so soon after the Open together with Deal and Rye.
Cornish Piskey - 2021
Our team was Ed Haycock, Phil and Richard Hine, Harry Konig, Paul Vicary and Simon Waddington. Newquay was in good condition but the weather forecast for the Saturday was awful - heavy winds and rain all day! Fortunately, the rain held off for most of the day. We were drawn against the Commoners in the first round and had a comfortable 3-0 win. In the afternoon we played the Gloucester Men, a strong side. Harry and Paul had a good win, the other two matches were close but neither the Ed/Richard or Phil/Simon pairs were able to win so that meant we were playing in the consolation competition on the Sunday. Fortunately, the weather was much better and our scores were reasonable.
Cornish Piskey 2019
We had a squad of seven for this event, Simon Gudgeon, Ed Haycock, Phil Hine, Richard Hine, Kevin Ramshaw, Simon Waddington and Paul Vicary. We were drawn against the Army in the first round. Phil and Paul won their match, Kevin and Simon (G) lost theirs. Richard and Ed’s match was close but the Army just managed to win it. We were now in the Pasty – the plate competition and were playing the HOGS. With good wins for each pairing (Kevin/Paul, Richard/Ed and Phil/Simon (W)) we moved on to the semi-final where we were playing the Hazards. This was a close match but, in the end, we won two matches (Paul/ Simon (W), Richard/Simon (G) with Kevin/Ed having their match. So onto the final where our opponents were the Somerset over 35s team. This was a tight match. Paul/Simon (W) lost at the top, then Phil/Kevin won theirs to level it so it all came down to Richard and Ed. They were one up after fourteen, halved 15 then won 16 with a good three and closed the match out on 17 despite being in trouble off the tee. So a good win and a pleasing end to our competitive season.
Summer meeting 2019
We had a marvellous day at Royal Wimbledon, a glorious summer day with the course in great condition. Harry Konig was able to join us and he won the morning stableford with 37 points from Phil Hine with 36. After a lovely lunch we played some friendly foursomes in the afternoon.
Cyril Gray 2019
Our team (in pairings) was Paul Vicary/Simon Waddington, and Ross Aldridge/Bill Seldon and Jeremy Cooper/Richard Hine. We were drawn against Dulwich in the first round. Paul and Simon won their match but we were well beaten in the other two matches so onto the plate. Our opponents were Canford who have a good recent record. Our pairings for the second round were Paul/Simon, Richard and Phil Hine, and Jeremy Cooper/Bill Soughton. It was a close match, with Paul and Simon going down the 19th whilst the other two matches were still alive. Unfortunately Jeremy and Bill lost on the 17th and Richard and Phil lost on the 18th.
Halford Hewitt 2019
As usual we opened the week with the spring meeting at Rye. We had a good turn out with the Halford Hewitt team (see below) present apart from Nick together with Jeremy Cooper, Peter Lowe, Ron March, William Moberly and Bill Seldon. The weather was overcast with a strong breeze, pleasant enough for this time of year. We played foursomes in the morning followed by singles in the afternoon. Kevin and Finn won the foursomes with 30pts, George and Simon (Gudgeon) were the runners up. George, playing in his first Hewitt week, won the singles with 31pts, a superb score given the wind and his first time at Rye.
In the Halford Hewitt we were drawn against Canford at Deal. The weather was reasonable, overcast with a breeze. Our pairings were Simon Waddington/ Simon Gudgeon, Nick Acfield/George Williams, Phil Hine/Dougal Lyon, Kevin Ramshaw/Finn Weisse and Ed Haycock/Richard Hine. The match was close, good wins for Finn/Kevin and Richard/ Ed meant it was 2 matches each with the two Simons all square going down the last. Unfortunately their opponents holed a fine putt for a four and the match. In the plate our first round opponents were Mill Hill. Our pairings were George/Nick, Richard/Ed and Simon(G)/Simon (W). We played poorly and were beaten quite comprehensively 3-0.
Brent Knoll Bowl 2019
We started our competitive season at Burnham & Berrow with the Brent Knoll Bowl in late March. Our side was Simon Gudgeon, Kevin Ramshaw, Ed Haycock, Richard Hine, Paul Vicary and Simon Waddington. We were drawn against Epsom in the first round. They proved to be too strong for us winning 3-0. In the plate we were drawn against Marlborough and won. We were now up against the Army and lost a close match 2-1.
Cornish Piskey 2018
Our team pairings for the competition was Phil Hine/Simon Waddington, Ed Haycock/Richard Hine and Simon Gudgeon/Paul Vicary. We were drawn against the RAF in the first round and the weather forecast looked horrible. Fortunately the forecast of heavy rain turned out to be only intermittent rain but the wind was very strong. The RAF are always a tough side to play and early in the match Simon Gudgeon's back went so we had to concede that match. We now had a big challenge to win the other two matches. Unfortunately Phil and Simon lost their match, Ed and Richard might have won theirs. In the afternoon we played the Leather Jackets and Sue Vicary made a guest appearance to play with Paul so we had a full team. The Leather Jackets won two matches and, again, Ed and Richard were in contention when the match was decided. On Sunday morning the weather was lovely, a day with some sun and a light win and we had some fine scores in the consolation stableford.
Cyril Gray 2018
We played this in the middle of the glorious summer. Worplesdon was playing very fast and was in magnificent condition. Our team (in pairings) was Phil Hine/Simon Waddington, Carey Ashwoth/Paul Vicary and Jeremy Copper/Richard Hine. We were drawn against Ampleforth in the first round and had a close match. Phil and Simon won their match and there was much drama as the other two matches both went down the 19th. Unfortunately Carey and Paul lost their match on the 19th but Jeremy and Richard came to the rescue in their match. The next round was against Merchiston and again it was close. Phil and Simon lost their match but Carey and Paul won theirs comfortably so it was all down to Jeremy and Richard again. Their opponents did well to win 18 to take the match down the 19th and despite Blundell's having the better of both 19th and 20th their opponents held on. Rather fortunately we managed to win the 21st, a par 4, with a 6, the opponents contriving to run up a 7! So onto the next round against Chigwell. Good wins for Carey and Paul and Jeremy and Richard meant that Phil and Simon who were all square after 18 didn't have to go down the 19th. We were now in the semi-finals against Watson's. They had a strong side and played exceptional golf and won two matches easily. Carey and Paul were on their way to another win but walked in when the result was confirmed. So for the second year running we got to the semi-finals. Watson's went on to win the final against Canford.
Halford Hewitt 2018
As usual we started the week with the spring meeting at Rye. We had a good turn out with the Halford Hewitt team (see below) present apart from Nick together with Jeremy Cooper, Peter Lowe, Ron March, William Moberly and Bill Seldon. There was a strong wind across the course which made scoring quite difficult. We played foursomes in the morning followed by singles in the afternoon. Dougal and Phil won the foursomes with 33 pts, Ed and Richard were the runners up. Simon Gudgeon won the singles on count back from Ed with 33pts.
In the Halford Hewitt we were drawn against Winchester at Deal. The weather was brighter than Wednesday at Rye and it was a pleasant spring day. Our pairings were Simon Waddington/Nick Acfield, Phil Hine/Ollie Seldon, Simon Gudgeon/Dougal Lyon, Kevin Ramshaw/Finn Weisse and Ed Haycock/Richard Hine. Despite a fine win for Kevin and Finn, Winchester were too good for us. They had some outstanding ball strikers including the winner of the recent long driving contest (amateurs and professionals) in Abu Dhabi with 385 yards. It wasn't a surprise when they won the competition without being in a close match in any round. In the plate our first round opponents were Liverpool. Our pairings were Simon (W)/Nick, Richard/Ed and Dougal/Finn. We beat Liverpool 2 -1 with Ed and Richard making a fine birdie 3 on the 18th to win 1up. Our next opponents were Felstead. We lost a close match, with Felstead playing the last few holes well to gain the upper hand in two matches.
Brent Knoll Bowl 2018
As usual we started our competitive season at Burnham and Berrow with the Brent Knoll Bowl on the last weekend in March. Our side was Ross Aldridge, Bill Cooper, Ed Haycock, Phil Hine, Richard Hine, Paul Vicary and Simon Waddington. We were drawn against Lloyds Bank in the first round and with good wins for the Ed/Richard and Paul/Phil pairings we were through to the second round. Our opponents were the RAF and they proved to be a strong team winning all three matches. On the Sunday morning we played in the consolation tournament, Simon Waddington replacing Paul, who was off to sunnier climes. We played well but weren't quite good enough to be in the prizes.
Aldeburgh 2018
This was a new fixture coupled with a winter meeting arranged by Dougal Lyon played at Aldeburgh golf course, a fine course with gorse-lined fairways. On the Saturday we had a match against the club. The weather was dry with a cold breeze. Our team was Nick Acfield/Kevin Ramshaw, Simon Gudgeon/Richard Hine and Jeremy Cooper/Phil Hine. Dougal played for Aldeburgh. We won 2-1 with wins for Simon/Richard and Jeremy/Phil Dougal played his part by losing his match! We then had a fine lunch, played a few holes in the worsening weather – it started raining as we fished our morning round – and finished in time to watch England beat Wales in the Six Nations. On the Sunday we had the inaugural competition for the Ramshaw Pipe (a rather special trophy donated by Kevin – see photo taken underneath the dramatic Tiger in the Aldeburgh clubhouse – and the subject of much conversation in the clubhouse!). There was a strong cold wind which made scoring well quite challenging. Simon Gudgeon won on countback from Nick Acfield. We concluded proceedings by thanking Dougal for arranging the weekend and commenting on the quality of the course, observing how dry it was given the recent high rainfall and looking forward to future fixtures there.
Aldeburgh winter meeting.
From left to right: -
Nick Acfield, Dougal Lyon, Simon Gudgeon, Phil Hine, Kevin Ramshaw
Brent Knoll Bowl 2017
We opened our competitive season with the Brent Knoll Bowl at Burnham & Berrow. Our team (pairings) was Carey Ashworh/Kevin Ramshaw, Ed Haycock/Richard Hine and Phil Hine/Simon Waddington. We were drawn against Taunton in the first round, unfortunately we lost 2-1 so onto the plate competition. Our opponents, the Bogeymen (ex-Navy), were too strong for us and beat us 2-1, Kevin/Richard winning their match.
Brent Knoll Bowl 2017. From left to right: -
Back row: Kevin Ramshaw, Richard Hine, Ed Haycock
Front row: Carey Ashworth, Phil Hine, Sion Waddington
Halford Hewitt 2017
We started the week with our spring meeting at Rye. The Halford Hewitt side (see below) were present together with William Moberly, Bill Seldon, Ron March, Peter Lowe and Martyn Grose. The weather was overcast with a reasonable wind, a good golfing day. As usual, we played foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon. Phil Hine and Bill Seldon won the foursomes with 34 points. Simon Waddington won the singles, repeating his win the previous year, with a superb 41 points, a round of 66, two under par and five under the SSS! Richard Hine was runner up with a good score of 38 points.
In the Halford Hewitt we were drawn against Marlborough at Sandwich. Our side (pairings) was Bill Cooper/Carey Ashworth, Phil Hine/Simon Waddington, Dougal Lyon/Nick Acfield, Kevin Ramshaw/Finn Weisse, Ed Haycock/Richard Hine. It was a pleasant spring day but Marlborough were too strong for us, only Kevin and Finn managing a point for us. Marlborough looked very strong and this proved to be the case as they went through to the semi-final where they were unlucky to lose a close match against Epsom who went on to win the tournament. We were now in the plate and our opponents were Cranleigh who we had played recently in the main competition. Our team was Ed Haycock/Richard Hine, Kevin Ramshaw/Finn Weisse, Nick Acfield/Phil Hine. We played well and won a close match 2-1 with wins on the eighteenth for both Ed/Richard and Nick/Phil. Our next opponents were Bedford, they had a strong team and were too good for us.
Cyril Gray 2017
Our pairings for the competition were Richard Hine/Paul Vicary, Phil Hine/Simon Waddington and Carey Ashworth/Jeremy Cooper. We had pleasant weather all week. In the first round we were drawn against Eastbourne and had a comfortable 3-0 win. The next round was against Wellingborough and again we won 3-0. The third round was against Liverpool, who won the competition in 2016, so we expected a tougher and closer match. We played well again and won 2-1 so onto the semi-finals. We were up against a strong Canford side who have been very successful in the last few years. Due to prior commitments we had a different team for this match. Our pairing were Phil/Simon, Ron March/Bill Cooper and Carey/Richard. This was a close match and unfortunately Phil/Simon weren’t able to close out their match after having a good lead going into the last four holes. Ron and Bill lost their match but Carey and Richard won theirs on the 18th. Canford went on to win the final.
Cornish Piskey 2017
Our side was Ed Haycock/Kevin Ramshaw, Paul Vicary/Simon Waddington and Richard & Phil Hine. The weather on the Saturday was awful, a strong wind and heavy rain. We were drawn against the Hazards and we had a fairly comfortable win 2-1 with Ed/Kevin and Simon/Paul winning their match. The next round was tough, the Navy. This was a closer match but we again won 2-1, good wins again for Ed/Kevin and Paul/Simon. We were now in the semi-finals against the RAF – strong opponents again. Fortunately the weather was much better. This was a close match, we were all square in two matches and one up in the other standing on the 18th tee but the RAF won the 18th in all three matches to win 2½– ½.
Brent Knoll Bowl 2016
We opened our competitive season with the Brent Knoll Bowl at Burnham & Berrow slightly earlier this year due an early Easter but it did mean we were able to spend the Saturday evening watching England beat France and win the grand slam! Our team this year (pairings) was Carey Ashworth/Kevin Ramshaw, Ed Haycock/Richard Hine and Phil Hine/Simon Waddington. We were drawn against Marlborough in the first round where we had a comfortable 3-0 win. Our next opponents were the Buckthorns – a local society who won the competition the previous year. This was a closer match, which we won 2-1 with good wins for Ed/Richard and Phil/Simon. So we were now in the semi-finals and our opponents were Sherborne. Ed/Richard had a good win against a strong pairing but unfortunately we were not that close in the other two matches.
| Score | Points | Score | Points | |||
| 1 | D J Dinkeldein & R J Fisher | L, 1 dn | 0 | N C Ashworth & A R Vallance | W, 1 up | 1 |
| 2 | P J Hodges | W, 1 up | 1 | D Crews & P Crews | L, 1 dn | 0 |
| 3 | M J Rowland & R T Mather | W, 4&3 | 1 | C M Clapp & G L Howe | L, 4&3 | 0 |
| 4 | R O Grayburn & N D Macpherson | L, 9&7 | 0 | A L C Ward & I C Cockram | W, 9&7 | 1 |
| 5 | T J Rowland & M D Macpherson | W, 1 up | 1 | A A C Jeffrey & R J March | L, 1 dn | 0 |
| 6 | J M T Caldwell & H C Cornell | W, 4&2 | 1 | D A d'Arcy Hughes & S J Tilley | L, 4&2 | 0 |
| Total, morning | 4 | 2 | ||||
| 1 | P J Hodges & J M T Caldwell | H | ½ | N C Ashworth & P Crews | H | ½ |
| 2 | D J Dinkeldein & R J Fisher | L, 3&1 | 0 | D Crews and G L Howe | W, 3&1 | 1 |
| 3 | N D Macpherson & M D Macpherson | W, 2&1 | 1 | C M Clapp& D J Bourne | L, 2&1 | 0 |
| 4 | R T Mather & H C Cornell | W, 2&1 | 1 | A R Vallance & A A C Jeffrey | L, 2&1 | 0 |
| 5 | T J Rowland & M J Rowland | W, 5&3 | 1 | D A d'Arcy Hughes & S J Tilley | L, 5&3 | 0 |
| Total, afternoon | 3½ | 1½ | ||||
| RESULT | 7½ | 3½ |
Halford Hewitt 2016
We started our week with our spring meeting at Rye. The Halford Hewitt side (see below) were present together with William Moberly, Bill Seldon, Ron March, Peter Crews, Richard Sommerfield and David D’Arcy Hughes. A stiff breeze all day and a wet morning. As usual, we played foursomes in the morning and singles in the afternoon. Peter Crews and Bill Seldon won the foursomes with a credible 28 points in the difficult conditions, interestingly 4 ahead of the next best. Simon Waddington won the singles with a fine 34 points.
We were drawn against The Leys on the Friday so on the Thursday we played a match against Greshams at Rye, a good chance to have a competitive match. It was a much more pleasant day and we got the better of that match and Greshams were keen and confident that we would beat their near neighbours the next day. We were less sure.
That evening we had our AGM and with Kevin Ramshaw retiring as Captain we elected our new Captain, Finn Weisse. Many thanks to Kevin for leading us over the last three years.
Friday was a lovely spring day, which was good news because we would be playing twice whatever the outcome of our match. Our side was Harry Konig and Nick Ackfield, Phil Hine and Simon Waddington, Ed Haycock and Richard Hine, Kevin Ramshaw and Finn Weisse, Simon Gudgeon and Dougal Lyon. The Leys had two good pairs and we lost the first two matches. Richard and Ed won their match as did Simon and Dougal both quite comfortably so it was all down to Kevin and Finn. They were all square playing the 18th, a good drive by Kevin followed by an excellent second shot left them two putts for the match from not very far. Kevin made sure the drama would continue by leaving Finn a short putt, which he holed confidently. Interestingly The Leys went on to win the plate which given their top order strength was not surprising.
The next round was against Harrow. Harry and Nick had a good win and Simon and Dougal halved their match but the other Harrow pairs were too strong for us. So that was the end of a lovely week.
Cyril Gray 2016
Our pairings for the competition were Jeremy Cooper/Phil Hine, Richard Hine/ William Moberly and Ron March/Bill Seldon. We were against Stowe in the first round. The weather was pleasant but with the prospect of some storms later on. An interesting and close match. Jeremy and Phil were unlucky to loose, their opponents holing two long putts on 17 and 18 to hold onto their one hole lead. In contrast, Richard and William somehow won the 17th with a 7 – when they were hitting their fourth shot before the opponents hit their second! – and then easily held out to win their match on the 18th. Ron and Bill were looking good for a win on the 18th but despite having much the better of the hole, they weren’t quite able to hang on so they had to go to extra holes where they lost unfortunately on the 19th. So we were now in the plate. However, the weather turned and the course was flooded so a decision was taken to settle the plate matches by ‘closest to the hole’ playoff on the par three 4th. Unfortunately our opponents won that and, rather annoyingly, the weather cleared and in hindsight we could easily have played a full match.
Cornish Piskey 2016
Our side was Harry Konig/Carey Ashworth, Ed Haycock/ Richard Hine and Phil Hine/George Williams – George making his debut for the Society. The weather was very pleasant and with the Ryder Cup being held over the weekend there was a need to find eating establishments with the golf on, a somewhat more difficult task than finding nightclubs in Newquay, which Harry and George had no problem with! We were drawn against the Hazards in the first round, which we won, Harry/Carey and Ed/Richard having good wins. In the second round we had the Leather Jackets who proved too strong for us so we played in the consolation tournament on the Sunday. Our scores in that were reasonable with us ending up firmly in the middle of the field. All in all, a lovely weekend despite the Ryder cup disappointments.
* * *
Bent Knoll Bowl 2015
Our side for this year’s competition was Ed Haycock, Phil and Richard Hine, Kevin Ramshaw, Paul Vicary and Simon Waddington. We were drawn against the Wigorns in the first round. A close match with a good win for Paul and Kevin but we lost narrowly 2-1. In the plate we had the Royal Navy and this was a tight match. With Ed and Richard winning their match it was down to Phil and Simon who went on to extra holes in a murky light before losing on the 20th.
Halford Hewitt 2015
A marvellous week with good weather in West Sussex and Kent started with our Spring meeting at Rye. We had a strong turn out with our Halford Hewitt side (in HH pairings), Harry Konig/Nick Ackfield, Richard Hine/Ed Haycock, Kevin Ramshaw/Finn Weisse, Phil Hine/Dougal Lyon and Carey Ashwoth/Jeremy Cooper being joined by Bill Seldon, Ron March, William Moberly and Peter Lowe. Finn and Nick won the foursomes with an excellent 38 points and Jeremy Cooper won the singles with 35 points.
It was then on to Sandwich to play Cranleigh in the first round of the Hewitt. We had a close but in the end a somewhat frustrating match. Harry and Nick had a good win as did Kevin and Finn. Carey and Jeremy lost their match so we needed a third point from one of the other two matches. Richard and Ed went down the 19th and their opponents, having been in trouble off the tee (but fortunate to have a good lie), holed a big putt for a birdie to win the match. Unfortunately Phil and Dougal weren’t able to hold on to their lead and lost at the 18th. So now it was the plate. Harry/Nick, Kevin/Finn and Ed/Richard represented us. We had a good win against Stowe in the first round and our next opponents were Marlborough. This was played in a strong wind which we didn’t cope with very well with Marlborough winning fairly easily.
Cyril Gray 2015
Our team this year was Paul Vicary/Richard Hine, Carey Ashwoth/Ross Aldridge and Phil Hine/Simon Waddington. We had a good win against Whitgift. Phil and Simon won their match. Ross and Carey were one up going down 18. After a good drive on the fairway Ross hit a superb second shot close to the pin to close out their match. In the second round we were playing Ampleforth. Despite another good win from Ross and Carey we struggled in the other matches.
Summer Meeting 2015
A glorious summer day at Royal Wimbeldon. The course was in excellent condition. Ed Haycock, Alex Knott, Phil Hine, Alasdair Knight, William Moberly, Peter Lowe, Bill Seldon and David Jeffcoate played.
The morning singles was won by Phil with 34 points and the afternoon foursomes by Alex and David with 28 points.
Cornish Piskey 2015
This was the 50th Cornish Piskey and the club held a special reception to commemorate the event with a gift to each player.
Our team was Ross Aldridge, Ed Haycock, Phil and Richard Hine and Nick and Kevin Ramshaw. We were drawn against the Gloucester Men in the first round which we lost 2-1, Richard and Ed winning their match. In the plate we played the Cornish Captains and won two matches to one. Richard/Ed and Nick/Kevin having good wins. As part of the celebrations we had a dinner to celebrate George Hammond’s participation in all 50 Cornish Piskeys. A lovely occasion only spoilt by England’s abject display against Australia in the Rugby World Cup! Our next match was against the Wescott GS. A close match, Ed and Richard won their match. Ross/Phil lost on the 17th. Nick and Kevin’s match was close, they were up going into the last few holes but were pegged back and the match went to the 19th. A solid par was good enough for the Westcotts to go through to the final. All in all a marvellous weekend which will be remembered for a long time.
Blundell's Golf Day Thursday 27th August 2015
We held this year’s Charity Golf Day a little up country to try and encourage some of our Blundell’s community to join us who live around the M4 corridor. We were delighted that we had a good turnout of teams and that our regular supporters based in Devon also came along to participate. Competition as ever was fierce, but enjoyable with a beautiful day (bar the one torrential downpour) which sent all undercover whilst it passed over.
With all teams equipped with a buggy, we had a two tee start after competitors enjoyed a quick Bacon Roll to see them on their way. After a gruelling five-hour round for the majority, all deserved a restorative drink followed by a three course meal before the raffle and award ceremony. We are very grateful to our sponsors, National West Chem and Westford Mechanical Ltd.
We are very grateful to all those who participated and thank you to our Chairman of Governors, Cedric Clapp, who awarded all the day’s prizes. We hope to see you all again next year.
Results were as follows:
Best Team – Old Blundellian team Thomas Dorse, William and Adam Gingell and their guest Spencer Popham
Best Man – Current Parent Ben Winzer
Best Woman – Former Parent Diane Clapp
Best Old Blundellian – Adam Gingell
Best Supporter – Jeff Dealtrey
Best Current Parent – Richard Provis
Best Current/Former Staff – Peter Klinkenberg
Longest Drive – Richard Ford
Nearest the Pin – Spencer Popham
Putting Competition – Alistair Norris & David Crews
* * *
Cornish Piskey 2014
Our team for this year's tournament was our Captain Kevin Ramshaw (Saturday only), Simon Waddington, Ed Haycock, Peter Crews, Richard Hughes, Phil and Richard (Sunday only) Hine.
The weather was good for the whole weekend, albeit it was quite windy on the Saturday. We were drawn against the Bogeymen on Saturday morning, the match was reasonably close with Simon and Phil winning on the 19th, Kevin and Ed just missing out on the 18th and Pete and Richard losing narrowly. 
So we were in the plate competition – the Cornish Pasty – and our opponents were the HOGS. We won all three matches for a good win so we were now in the semi-finals against Somerset over 35s, with Kevin returning to Bristol and Richard (Hine) replacing him as Ed's partner. This was a really good match. Pete and Richard lost their match, Ed and Richard won theirs 1up with a fine birdie on the 18th knowing that Simon and Phil were going up the 19th. It was tense with Phil holing a good putt for a half so onto the 20th which was also halved and then to the 21st. Somerset 35s were in deep rough off the tee and went just over the green with their second leaving a difficult chip shot. We were a bunker 50 yards from the green but managed to get in on the green and two putts later we were through to the final. We played well in the final, Simon and Phil winning 5&4, Ed and Richard 4&3 with Pete and Richard happily agreeing a half given it was all over. All in all an excellent weekend and some consolation for our first round defeat was that the Bogeymen won the main competition.
The photograph of our team from left to right, Richard Hine, Ed Haycock, Simon Waddington, Pete Crews, Phil Hine – with the Cornish Pasty and plate – Newquay Golf Club Captain Brain Anderson and Richard Hughes.
Brent Knoll Bowl 2014
After the awful winter it was marvellous to have our first OB competition this year at Burnham. Unsurprisingly the course was quite damp – the water table much higher than normal but the greens were playing well and the weather was good. Our team was Ed Haycock and Richard Hine, Kevin Ramshaw and Dougal Lyon and Phil Hine and Jeff Berry. Our first round was against the Army. As usual they were strong and they won rather too comfortably. We put that down to their two weeks of practice in South Africa! Our opponents in the plate competition were Marlborough. This match was close and went all the way. Kevin and Dougal won their match, Richard and Ed lost theirs, so it was down to Phil and Jeff. This match was always close, we were one down going down the last and Marlborough hung on – just – to get the all-important half and win the match.
Halford Hewitt 2014
Another marvellous week in Kent and West Sussex – the weather was exceptional with t-shirts most of the week and, as at Burnham, the courses quite damp with water in many bunkers at Sandwich and Princes.
As usual we had our Spring meeting at Rye. In the morning Richard Hine and Ed Haycock won the foursomes with 34 points and in the afternoon (after a very good lunch as normal) Ross Aldridge won the singles with a fine 35 points.
So onto the Hewitt where our first round opponents were Repton at Sandwich. Our team was Ross Aldridge and Carey Ashworth, Phil Hine and Dougal Lyon, Harry Konig – his first Hewitt – and Simon Waddington, Ed Haycock and Richard Hine and Simon Gudgeon and Kevin Ramshaw. We won two matches – Harry and Simon / Simon and Kevin – quite easily but struggled in the other three which meant we were now competing in the plate. Our first round was against Berkhamsted. We won two games convincingly – Harry and Simon/ Richard and Ed. Kevin and Simon halved their game for a convincing win and we now faced Lorretto. This was a really close match against a strong team. Harry and Simon lost their match; their opponents played some really exceptional golf and were five under par when they won! Richard and Ed won theirs and it all rested on Simon and Kevin. Up early on, their opponents played some excellent golf to get back into the match and squeeze through by one hole on the 18th. All in all a lovely week.
OBGS vs Old Shirburnian GS at Burnham & Berrow G.C. Sunday 2nd March 2014
The traditional match vs the Old Shirburnians took place as arranged on Sunday 2nd March on a pretty raw day that saw deteriorating weather as the day progressed, though the morning foursomes matches were completed in dry but very windy conditions with Blundell’s narrowly ahead 3 – 2 at lunch.
Only four four-ball matches were attempted over 9 holes of the Channel Course in the afternoon by which time driving wind and rain had rendered it nigh on impossible to play any form of golf at all and resulted in only two matches producing meaningful results. The remaining two matches were abandoned and declared halved by mutual consent!
The final result saw the opposition victorious this year – Sherborne having won the two completed afternoon matches with two halved though relying heavily on the loan of an O.B. (Crews. D.) who played for Sherborne as they were one short of their full complement of ten. So something of a hollow victory for them it has to be said!
| Blundell’s | Result | Sherborne | Score |
| Match Results A.M. – Championship Course | |||
| Carey Ashworth / Tony Vallance | beat | Phil Hodges / Robin Grayburn | 3/2 |
| Tony Ward / Ian Cockram | halved vs | O.B. David Crews / Marcus Rowland | |
| Peter Kingdon / Andrew Jeffrey | halved vs | Rupert Bagnall / Toby Rowland | |
| Ron March / Douglas Bourne | beat | Nick McPherson / Oliver Bendall | 2 up |
| Steven Tilley / David D’Arcy Hughes | lost to | Martin Mcpherson / Tony Thatcher | 2 down |
| Match Results P.M. – Channel Course | |||
| Ashworth / Cockram | lost to | Bagnall / Thatcher | 3/1 |
| Ward / Vallance | lost to | Rowland T. / Bendall | 1 Down |
| Tilley / Kingdon | halved vs | Rowland M. / Hodges | (Abandoned) |
| Bourne D’Arcy Hughes | halved vs | O.B. Crews/ Grayburn | (Abandoned) |
| Overall Result: Sherborne 5, Blundell’s 4 | |||
* * *
Cyril Gray 2013
Our team for this year's competition, played in pleasant weather, was Carey Ashworth playing with Phil Hine, Ross Aldridge with Richard Hine, Jeremy Cooper with Ron March. In the first round we were drawn against Bishop's Stortford. We won comfortably 3-0; the highlight being a 10&8 win by Richard and Ross – a very rare result. In the next round we played Berkhamsted. It was a tight match; Ross and Richard lost their match, Jeremy and Ron won theirs and it was down to Carey and Phil. They won the18th to take the match down the 19th but Phil found the bunker from the tee and the opponents made a solid par four so we were out of the competition. A very enjoyable competition as usual enjoyed by all. It was lovely to see Chad and Sharon Murrin and many thanks to them for their hospitality.
Photo of the Cyril Gray team; from left to right: -
Carey Ashworth, Jeremy Cooper, Ron March, Phil Hine, Ross Aldridge, Richard Hine
Cornish Piskey 2013
The 48th Cornish Piskey – we are one of the few sides who have played in them all – was held in good weather. Our team was Kevin Ramshaw playing with Peter Crews, Phil Hine with Simon Waddington and Ed Haycock with Richard Hine. In the first round we were drawn against the Leather Jackets – the society based at Burnham & Berrow – an interesting match as Richard is a member and Peter a past member so there was quite a bit of banter! It turned out to be a very close match; Kevin and Peter lost their match and Phil and Simon won theirs so it was down to Ed and Richard who were struggling at three down with five to play. However a superb finish saw them recover to win on the 18th. So onto the next round where we playing the March Hares, a strong side based in Sussex. We pushed them hard, Ed and Richard won well and with Kevin and Pete losing it was all down to Phil and Simon who were having a close match – all square going down the last – our opponents made a solid 4 which we couldn't match so it was onto the consolation tournament on the Sunday. We played well and had some good scores but the standard was very high and we didn't feature in the prizes. Overall a marvellous weekend.
Halford Hewitt 10th – 14th April 2013
Another hugely enjoyable competition played in some warmer weather after the rather long cold winter.
We started the week with our Spring meeting at Rye on the Wednesday. There was an excellent turnout for the day. Kevin Ramshaw (our captain), Andy Barr, David and Peter Crews, Simon Gudgeon, Ed Haycock, Phil and Richard Hine, Alex Knott, Peter Lowe, Dougal Lyon, Ron March, William Moberly, Bill Seldon, Ollie Seldon, Simon Waddington and Finn Weisse.
Ed Haycock and Richard Hine won the morning foursomes with 34 points and Ollie Seldon was the winner of the p.m. singles with 37 points, William Moberly coming a close second with 36 points.
So onto the Halford Hewitt where we were drawn against Eastbourne at Royal St Georges. We were represented by Kevin Ramshaw and Finn Weisse, Peter Crews and Dougal Lyon, Ed Haycock and Richard Hine, Alex Knott and Simon Gudgeon, Phil Hine and Simon Waddington. It was a typical Hewitt match; it ebbed and flowed, we always looked as though we were on top but they came back and there wasn’t that much in it even though we won 3½ to 1½. Kevin/Finn, Phil/Simon and Richard/Ed won their matches and Alex/Simon halving their match. Next round was against a strong Clifton team who won the competition in 2010. It turned out to be a very close match which went down to the last match on the final hole. Alex and Simon won their match quite easily 5&4. Phil/Simon and Kevin/Finn lost their matches and it didn’t look that promising as Peter and Dougal were 3 down with 4 to play. However they won the last 4 holes to win 1 up so the match would be decided by the last pairing. Ed and Richard were 1 down playing 16 and their opponents made an excellent three from the bunker to go 2 up with 2 to play. We made a great 4 on 17 – Richard holing a good putt – to win that hole. Clifton had the better of 18 but then Ed holed a fantastic putt for a four leaving Clifton to hole a short but testing putt for the match which they did.
Many thanks to William Moberly and Peter Lowe who came and supported us.
Brent Knoll Bowl 23rd, 24th March 2013
This year's Brent Knoll Bowl was played in weather which has been typical of this year; cold with a strong north easterly wind making it colder still.
We were represented by Ed Haycock, Harry Konig, Phil and Richard Hine, Kevin Ramshaw, Paul Vicary and Simon Waddington.
Our first match was against Taunton. Wins for the Ed/Richard and Simon/Harry pairings saw us through. Our next round was against the Warwickshire Bears – those who have represented Warwickshire County team. With wins form Simon/Harry and Paul/Phil we were through to the semi-final. Our opponents were the RAF – who are always field a strong side. The match was close. Paul and Phil lost their match but we the other two matches were very close. Simon had a putt to win their match on 18 but it was not to be so onto the 19th. Unfortunately their opponents made a stunning birdie 3 on the 19th to win with Ed and Richard about to play the 19th themselves having been all square after 18.
A very enjoyable weekend.
Blundell’s v Sherborne 3rd March 2013
I am delighted to report a rare and surprisingly convincing victory over Sherborne at a dry and relatively benign Burnham (if not a little chilly!). The Casket is back where it belongs – with Blundell's!
A couple of new faces in the line-up this year in Steven Tilley (OH 56-60), Tony Vallance (P 68-73), both B&C members, and Ian Cockram (FH 69-74) who was a contemporary of Tony Ward (FH 65-69) and Graham Howe and travelled all the way from Cambridge via Dorset to play in the match.
By lunchtime, following the morning foursomes matches, Blundell's were in the unprecedented position of being 5-0 up following five straight wins. Sherborne chaps visibly shaken and a little quiet at lunch but livened up after a few of bottles of wine.
A rousing rendition of "Give us a ‘B’ give us an ‘L’ etc etc and what have we got...? ‘BLUNDELL'S’ by the Blundell’s team on the putting green before setting off for the Channel course and the afternoon fourball matches didn't seem to go down too well with the Burnham members but it put everyone in the right frame of mind to go out and win the one 1/2 point required to regain the Casket which we duly did. Not sure we will be invited back next year though!
It was a good day all round.
Match results
Morning Foursomes
Cary Ashworth/Tony Vallance won 4/3 vs Robin Grayburn/Dick Draper
David Crews/Graham Howe won 1 up vs Nick Macpherson/Rupert Bagnall
Andrew Jeffrey/Peter Kingdon won 3/2 vs Toby Rowland/Andy Brown
Anthony Ward/Ian Cockram won 2/1 vs Martin Macpherson/Phil Hodges
Steven Tilley/David D'Arcy Hughes won 6/5 vs Tony Steele Perkins/Marcus Rowland
Afternoon Fours
Carey Ashworth/Graham Howe lost 3/2 vs Marcus Rowland/Andy Brown
David Crews/Peter Kingdon won 1 up vs Martin Macpherson/Tony Steele Perkins
Andrew Jeffrey/Steven Tilley halved vs Rupert Bagnall/Phil Hodges
Anthony Ward/David D'Arcy Hughes lost 3/2 vs Nick Macpherson/Dick Draper
Ian Cockram/Tony Vallance halved vs Robin Grayburn/Toby Rowland.
Blundell's 7 – Sherborne 3
* * *
Cyril Gray 28th, 29th, 30th June 2012
Our team was Ross Aldridge, Simon Gudgeon, Phil and Richard Hine, Ron March and Paul Vicary. Worplesdon was, as always, in great condition but the weather was typical of this summer – somewhat damp at times. We were drawn against Eastbourne in the first round who we despatched 3-0; Richard and Paul won quite easily; the other two matches were quite close but we always looked as though we would come through. The next round was against Canford who have won it a couple of times in the last 5 years. We lost 2-1; our form was similar to the first round – Richard and Paul won easily and the other two pairs struggled. Canford went on to the final where they lost to Wrekin.
Photo of the Cyril Gray team; from left to right: -
Ross Aldridge, Richard and Phil Hine, Simon Gudgeon, Ron March and Paul Vicary
Cornish Piskey 6th, 7th October 2012
Our team was Kevin Ramshaw, our new captain, Carey Ashworth, Ed Haycock, Phil and Richard Hine and Simon Waddington. The weather on Friday – the practice day was terrible in the afternoon but Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. We were drawn against the Cornish Captains. With two good wins from Kevin and Simon and Ed and Richard we were through to the next round 2-1. We now faced a strong RAF side. Carey and Phil won and Ed and Richard lost their games with a few holes to play so it was down to Kevin and Simon in the top match. Their match was always close, they were down a couple of holes but they clawed one back and then made a fine 4 down the 18th to take the match into extra holes. The RAF did extremely well to half the 19th after going through the green and we had a good chance on the 20th; unfortunately we couldn't take it and eventually lost on the 22nd.
Tiverton Golf Club Sunday 16th September 2012
Old Blunellians enjoyed a fantastic day out at Tiverton Golf Club last Sunday, 16th September. The OBs beat Tiverton Golf Club 3 to 1.
In the afternoon the Old Blundellians played for the coveted Lake Cup. Guy Durrant won with 40 pts – playing off a handicap of 17! Richard Swarbrick took 2nd place with 38 pts.
Blundell's Golf Day Friday 31st August 2012
This year’s Charity Golf Day was an unbelievable success! With 17 teams completing for the Championship title along with individual prizes the completion was friendly but fierce!
While basking in the glorious sun, the teams enjoyed a quick lunch while eyeing out the completion. We were lucky to be able to play a shotgun start at this year’s venue, Dainton Golf Course, meaning all our teams started promptly at noon. All the teams completed the course in time for a drinks reception in the courtyard before a well-deserved Carvery Dinner.
After pudding the teams supported the Charity Raffle for both the Exeter Leukaemia Fund and The Peter Blundell Foundation Award Bursary provision. A variety of prizes were awarded on behalf of our sponsors Firewatch, Dainton Park Golf Course, and Jolly Vintner. Many thanks to all those that participated in this year’s golf day, we hope to see you all again next year and thank you to our Chairman of Governors Cedric Clapp who awarded all the day’s prizes.
- Best team – Andy Southgate, Gloria Butt, Rob Kitson and Rob Venner with 93 points
- Nearest to the pin on the 8th – Norman Ridgeway
- Longest drive for men on 16th – Nick Williams
- Longest drive for ladies on 16th – Shaneen Smith
- Best Male – Scott Burrows – 38 points
- Best Female – Gloria Butt – 38 points
- Best Old Blundellian – Thomas Pynn – 37 points
- Best Parent – Rob Venner – 35 points
- Best Pupil – Luke Ansell – 37 points
- Best Supporter – Don Darby – 36 points
- Best staff – Andy Southgate – 38 points
Halford Hewitt 29th March – 1st April 2012
Another Hewitt week with marvellous weather – tee shirts all week for the second year in a row!
We were drawn to play our first round on Friday so we had our Spring meeting at Rye on the Thursday this year and there was an excellent turnout for the day. Ed Haycock (our captain), Martyn Grose (our president), Andy Barr, Jeremy Cooper, Peter Crews, Simon Gudgeon, Phil and Richard Hine, Alex Knott, Peter Lowe, Dougal Lyon, Ron March, William Moberly, Matt Morgan, Al Norris, Kevin Ramshaw, Bill Seldon, Simon Waddington and Finn Weisse.
We had a practice Hewitt match against St Paul's and a foursomes stableford competition in the morning and a singles stableford in the afternoon. We beat St Paul's 4 matches to 1; Alex Knott and Simon Gudgeon won the foursomes with 35 points and Peter Lowe was the winner of the singles with 36 points.
To complete our Thursday we had our AGM during a very nice dinner; the most important agenda item was the choice of our new captain. It didn't take us much time – the wine helped – to decide that Kevin Ramshaw was to take over from Ed Haycock. Ed started his term 'early' taking over from Chris Bayly when he relocated to Dubai and he led us through five Hewitts so a big thanks to him.
So onto the Halford Hewitt where we were drawn against Wellington. We were represented by Kevin Ramshaw and Finn Weisse, Andy Barr and Dougal Lyon, Ed haycock and Richard Hine, Alex Knott and Simon Gudgeon, Phil Hine and Simon Waddington. It turned out to be a relatively close match, Finn and Kevin won comfortably 6 and 5, Phil and Simon won a close match 2 and 1 and Alex and Simon won the deciding and extremely close match on the last hole. In the second round we played Dulwich. Again the match was close, Ed and Richard won their match 3 and 2, Alex and Simon again had a very close game winning on the last. In the end the key game was Finn and Kevin; their match went all the way but unfortunately the opponents made a fine 4 at the last to squeeze home 1 up. Many thanks to Martyn, William, Matt, Pete, Peter and Al for supporting us.
Brent Knoll Bowl 24th, 25th March 2012
This year's Brent Knoll Bowl was played in glorious weather. The sun was out and there was very little wind and Bunham was in fantastic condition for this time of year. We were represented by Ed Haycock, Harry Konig, Phil and Richard Hine, Kevin Ramshaw, Paul Vicary and Simon Waddington.
Our first match was against the Erratics – a society based at Porthcawl. Richard and Ed had an easy win and with Simon and Harry winning we were through to the next round. Paul and Phil halved their match. Our next game was against the Buckthorns – the local society who are generally a strong side with the advantage of local knowledge. This was a closer match; Ed and Richard won their match quite easily, Simon and Harry lost narrowly and it was down to Paul and Phil. A strong finish saw them win 2 and 1 and so it was on to the semi-final for the first time for several years. Our opponents were the Army who were just back from two weeks golf in South Africa! We pushed them hard but they were too strong for us. Ed and Richard lost their game early on, Paul and Phil were ahead in their game so it came down to Kevin and Harry – they played well but lost a close game on the 17th. All in all a marvellous weekend.
OBGS vs OSGS: Burnham & Berrow Sun 4th March 2012
Match Report: A reversal of fortune for Blundell’s this year following last year’s convincing win with Blundell’s well beaten 8 ½ to 3 ½ by a rejuvenated Sherborne side who reclaim “the casket”. Blundell’s fielded a full team of 12, against 11 Shirbirnians, on a day that saw Burnham at its most challenging with driving rain and a strong north easterly wind for most of the morning. Sherborne held a commanding 4 ½ to 1 ½ lead at the half way mark which, despite the usual restorative measures taken, and a very good carvery lunch proved too much of a mountain for the defending Blundell’s side to climb in order to make good the shortfall. A stiffening breeze and drier conditions for the afternoon fourball matches on the Channel Course made for an interesting encounter with creditable wins recorded by the Graham Howe/ Tony Ward and Doug Bourne / Drew Whitefield pairings – unfortunately three short of the 5 out of 6 afternoon wins required to secure a Blundell’s overall victory.
| No. | Blundell's pair | Score | Sherborne pair |
| Morning Foursomes | |||
| 1 | Carey Ashworth / Graham Howe | won 8/7 | H. Gill / R. Fisher |
| 2 | Doug Bourne / Martin Grose | lost 5/4 | P. Hodges / R. Draper |
| 3 | Peter kingdon / Andrew Jeffery | lost 4/3 | R. Bagnall / R. Grayburn |
| 4 | David Crews / Tony Ward | halved | T. Rowland / M. Hodges |
| 5 | D. D’arcy Hughes / Drew Whitefield | lost 6/5 | H. Gill / A. Steele Perkins |
| 6 | Andrew Hillman / Bill Swainson | lost 2 dn | M. Rowland |
| Afternoon Fourball / Channel Course (9 holes) | |||
| 1 | Carey Ashworth / Martyn Grose | lost 1 down | D. Draper / R. Fisher |
| 2 | Graham Howe / Tony Ward | won 3/2 | H. Gill (s) / H. Gill (j) |
| 3 | David Crews / Peter kingdon | lost 3/2 | P. Hodges / R. Grayburn |
| 4 | Doug Bourne / A Whitefield | won 3/2 | A. Steele Perkins / M. Hodges |
| 5 | Andrew Hillman / Andrew Jeffery | lost 1 dn | R. Bagnall / M. Rowland |
| 6 | D. D’arcy Hughes / Bill Swainson | lost 2/1 | T. Rowland |
| Sherborne Win 8½ vs Blundell's 3½ | |||
* * *
Cornish Piskey 1st, 2nd October 2011
Our team for this year’s tournament consisted of our captain Ed Haycock, Richard Carroll, Dougal Lyon, Philip Hine, Richard Hine and Simon Waddington.
Continuing a trend for the year we had fine weather and the course was in great condition. In the first round we were drawn against the Lincolnshire Sausage GS – a new society to the competition! We won 2–1 with Richard (Hine) / Ed, and Phil / Simon winning their matches. In the second round we played the Tehidy Parkers and it was a similar story a 2–1 win with Richard / Ed and Phil / Simon winning the points. Now onto the semi finals where we were up against a strong March Hares side. They were too good for us and we lost 2–1 with Phil / Simon winning the consolation point. As always the social side was excellent and overall a fabulous weekend.
OBGS v OWGS Weds 13th July 2011
In the match against Winchester (The Old Wykehamists Golf Society) at Burnham and Berrow GC, the OB team repeated the previous year's success and beat OWGS by 2 and a half to 1 and a half, in a four ball, better ball competition. David Crews and Andrew Barr won their match, as did David D'Arcy Hughes and Cedric Clapp; Tim Lintott and Stephen Tilley halved their match, but Bill Swainson and Frank Ackerman lost in the final match. Benign conditions helped make it a memorable day.
Next year the match will take place at Bristol & Clifton GC on July 5th.
Tim Lintott
Cyril Gray 23rd, 24th, 25th June 2011
In this year’s Cyril Gray we were drawn against Edinburgh Academicals in the first round. Our team was Ross Aldridge, Peter Crews, Phil Hine, Richard Hine, Paul Vicary and Simon Waddington. We won 2-1 with wins from Ross and Peter and Richard and Paul. In the next round we played Merchant Taylors who are recent past winners. 
This became a very close match; Phil and Simon lost by one hole, Richard and Paul made a solid par four on the last to win by one hole and the match depended on Ross and Peter. They had a chance to win it in the 18th but it was not to be so extra holes were needed. The 19th was halved in par fours; Ross nearly holing for a birdie. On the 20th, a tough par four, Ross hit a superb second shot to six feet and that was good enough to win. So it was now the quarter final against Eastbourne. Phil and Simon had an easy win and Richard and Paul closed out their match on the 17th so we were now in the semi-finals. Our opponents were Wrekin – a side who had done well in recent years. Paul Vicary wasn’t able to play and William Moberly stepped in. Unfortunately we didn’t play well and Wrekin were comfortable winners. Overall a very successful year; we haven’t been in the semi-finals for a long time so that bodes well for future years.
Charity Golf Day Sun 3rd July 2011
Our Annual Golf Day at Dartmouth Golf & Country Club got off to a terrific start with 15 teams competing. The sun was out in full force making this difficult course even more challenging. All 15 teams finished in time to enjoy a relaxing drink on the Country Club’s terrace and were treated to a well deserved dinner followed by an awards reception.
The overall winning team at this year’s Golf day was Andy Mead (staff), Bruce Wheatley (staff), Henry Roffe-Silvester (staff) & Mike Finch (current parent) with a score of 98. Runners up were Blundell’s Supporters Paul Middleton, Terry Moss, Andy Fields (current parent) & Lee Pearch.
Prizes also included: –
- Nearest the pin: Simon Breed and Ian Seatherton
- Longest drive: Peter Klinkenberg & Richard Swarbrick
- Best Man: jointly shared by teachers Andy Mead and Bruce Wheatley
- Best Lady: Rosemary Webber
- Best Supporter: Lee Davey & Morris Curtis
- Best Parent: Richard Thomas
- Best pupil: Gary Abdoll
- Best Old Blundellian: Graham Howe
Thank you to all those that participated in this year’s Charity Golf Day, we appreciate your support. The day’s proceeds went to the Devon Air Ambulance & the Peter Blundell Foundation Awards.
We look forward to seeing you all at next year’s golf day.
Halford Hewitt
This turned out to be a magnificent week – the weather was superb – the best anyone can remember at least for thirty odd years – and the courses were in great condition.
We started the week with the Spring Meeting at Rye – is there a better place for golf on a beautiful spring day? – and there was an excellent turn out – Richard Carroll, Ed Haycock, Simon Gudgeon, Phil Hine, Richard Hine, Alex Knott, Peter Lowe, Dougal Lyon, William Moberly, Matt Morgan, Bill Seldon, Mark Seldon, Ollie Seldon, and Finn Weisse all played. Ed Haycock and Richard Hine won the foursomes and Phil Hine the singles.
So onto the Hewitt. We were drawn at Deal against Marlborough who had a good run the year before but we were hopeful we might prevail. Our team was our captain Ed Haycock, Richard Carroll, Simon Gudgeon, Phil Hine, Richard Hine, Alex Howe, Alex Knott, Dougal Lyon, Kevin Ramshaw and Finn Weisse. We got off to a great start with four of the five matches up at the 10th. The momentum then swung to Marlborough and it became very close. Ed and Richard (Hine) won their match relatively easily 3 and 2. Phil and Richard (Carroll) lost on the 18th as did Alex (Howe) and Dougal. Alex (Knott) and Kevin won their match on the 19th and somehow the Marlborough pair managed to get the better of Simon and Finn to win on the 20th. A great shame as we had a number of opportunities to win the match; Marlborough readily conceded they had been fortunate to go through.
We now played in the plate at Princes. Our first match was against Chigwell which we won 3 – 0. Good wins for Simon and Finn (6 and 5) and for Alex (Howe) and Dougal (4 and 3) with Ed and Richard winning 1up. The next round was against Wrekin which was a lot closer. Ed and Richard won 5 and 4, Simon and Finn lost 2 and 1 but Alex and Dougal won a tight match on the 19th to give Blundell’s a 2-1 win. It was now the quarter finals against Cheltenham. Again a close match, Phil and Simon won 4 and 2 but we needed another win from the other two matches which were both very close. Alex and Dougal lost on the 18th by one hole and that meant Ed and Richard had to play the 19th. They made a fine par 4 to win the match, Richard holing the crucial 3 foot putt. Now for the semi-finals which are played at Deal with the main competition on the Sunday. Our opponents were Winchester. Simon and Phil had a good win 6 and 5, Ed and Richard lost for the first time in the week 2 and 1 which meant it the match rested on Alex and Dougal. They were having a very close match but unfortunately they were beaten by a very good par 4 on the 18th. So that was the end for Blundell’s. All in all very pleasing to get to the semi-finals of the plate for the second time and marvelous to play some great golf on superb courses in such wonderful weather.
Finally many thanks to our supporters during the week – Martyn Grose, our president, William Moberly, Peter Lowe and Peter Crews – who dropped in to see us in the semi-final on his way back from France.
Brent Knoll Bowl
The weather this year was fantastic and Bunham & Berrow was in great condition. As usual the golf was competitive and enjoyable. We were represented by Ed Haycock, Paul Vicary, Ollie Seldon, Phil Hine, Richard Hine and Jeff Berry. In the first round we were drawn against the local Burnham side ‘The Buckthorns’ – this looked a tough draw and so it proved to be. The match was close and with one game each (a good win by Richard and Ed) when Paul and Phil made a magnificent and somewhat unlikely par 4 via the buckthorn down the last hole to win by one hole and give Blundell’s the match. So onto the next round where we played the Army. They had a very strong side and swept us aside quite easily; Paul and Phil managing a half point for Blundell’s.
Old Blundellian Golfing Society – 2010 Report
Yet again we have had a marvellous golfing year with a full range of fixtures – both competitive and friendly.
On the competitive front we played in the old boys school team knockout competitions – the Halford Hewitt and the Cyril Gray (over 50s) with some success.
In the Halford Hewitt we were drawn against Taunton. We were represented by Ed Haycock (our captain), Ross Aldridge, Carey Ashworth, Richard Carroll, Peter Crews, Richard Hine, Phil Hine, Alex Howe, Alex Knott, Dougal Lyon, Kevin Ramshaw, and Simon Waddington. We won reasonably comfortably 4 matches to 1. In the second round we played Glenalmond and lost a close match 3 1/2 to 1 1/2.
In the Cyril Gray we were drawn against Dulwich. We were represented by Ross Aldridge, Peter Crews, Phil Hine, Richard Hine, Peter Lowe, Ron March, and Paul Vicary. Having lost to Dulwich in the first round (3 – 0) we won the plate beating Wrekin 2-1, Chigwell 3-0, Glenalmond 2 1/2 -1/2 and Rossall 2-1 in the final. The final was close; we won the two deciding matches down the 18th. Peter Lowe played in the matches up to the semi-final and Ross Aldridge replaced Peter in the semis and final (Peter was playing with William Moberly in the senior Cyril Gray (minimum combined age 140) and they came 3rd). There are some photos on the OB website (choose sport then golf).
Our other scratch fixtures were as usual the Brent Knoll Bowl and the Cornish Piskey.
In the Brent Knoll Bowl (Ed Haycock, Phil Hine, Richard Hine, Dougal Lyon, Alex Howe and Simon Waddington) we lost a close match in the first round against the Erratics and then had a good win against Taunton – a trial run for the Hewitt where we were drawn against them – we then beat Sherborne before losing to the Wigorns in the final.
In the Piskey (Richard Carroll, Pete Crews, Phil Hine, Richard Hine, Jeff Berry and Simon Waddinton) we had a good win against a strong March Hares side before losing to in the next round against a local side from Newquay, the Towans. We played reasonable well the next morning but were not in the prizes for the consolation stableford.
On the more social front we had some very enjoyable matches against Sherborne, Marlborough, Clifton, Winchester (a new match which Peter Crews organised – Tim Lintott is kindly taking over this match in 2011), Tiverton Golf Club and the boys. Another hugely enjoyable event was the Blundell’s golf day at Bovey Castle which was well supported by the OBGS and won by current pupil Gary Abdoll partnered by his father Gerald and Old Blundellian brothers Matt and Tom Pynn– again some photos on the OB website.
We also had our Spring and Autumn meetings at Rye and Tiverton respectively. In the Spring meeting Ollie Seldon won the singles and Richard Hine and Ed Haycock won the foursomes. In the Autumn meeting Will Seamer won the Lake Cup.
We look forward to another enjoyable year of fixtures. As always we welcome new members and if you would like to join the Society then please contact Phil Hine, email: philhine@dircon.co.uk.
Blundell’s Charity Golf Day Thursday 21st October 2010
We were treated to wonderful weather for our Charity Golf Day held at Woodbury Park Golf and Country Club on Thursday 21st October, on the truly superb Oaks championship course. Twelve teams turned out to compete for a wealth of prizes and to support Devon Air Ambulance Trust and the Peter Blundell Foundation Award provision during the October half term.
The winning overall team included current pupil Gary Abdoll partnered by his father Gerald and Old Blundellian brothers Matt and Tom Pynn. There were two equal second teams: Peter Klinkenberg, Housemaster of Westlake, with guests Steve Ripley and Simon Curling and former housemaster of Francis House Norman Ridgeway. The other team comprised last year’s winners Governor Cedric Clapp and Old Blundellians Ross Aldridge, Richard Swarbrick and Graham Howe.
Best Man of the day was parent Lester Kemp and Best Lady guest Jane Darby. Best pupil was Tom Ansell who also won the ‘Nearest the Pin’ on the 18th hole. Best Old Blundellian was Tom Pynn, Best Parent was Giles Boylett, and Best Guest was won by David Parry and Norman Reidgeway equally. Longest drive on the 8th was won by Peter Klinkenberg and Longest drive on the 14th by Cedric Clapp with the only other prize-winner being Mark Hunt who secured Nearest the Pin on the 5th.
There were numerous Raffle prize-winners and we are extremely grateful to Total Decor who donated the first prize of £500 of Interior Design. A huge thank you to all our sponsors which included The Jolly Vintner, Travis Perkins Ltd, Maindenhead Independent Ltd, Tiverton Golf Club and our hosts Woodbury Park Golf and Country Club and of course to all our participants who ensured we had the most enjoyable day. Please do come again next year.
Cyril Gray competition (over-50s)
We had a very successful tournament. Having lost to Dulwich in the first round we won the plate beating Wrekin 2-1, Chigwell 3-0, Glenalmond 21/2 -1/2 and Rossall 2-1 in the final. The final was close; we won the two deciding matches down the 18th.
 Our team left to right (photo on first tee) was Ron March, Richard Hine, Peter Crews, Philip Hine, Peter Lowe and Paul Vicary. |
 The photo at the presentation left to right Peter Lowe, Paul Vicary, Richard Hine, Phil Hine, Ross Aldridge, Peter Crews and Ron March. |
Peter Lowe played in the matches up to the semi-final and Ross Aldridge replaced Peter in the semis and final (Peter was playing with William Moberly in the senior Cyril Gray (minimum combined age 140) and they came 3rd).
Blundell's Golf Day Sunday 27th September 2009
Fifty six OBs, parents and friends of Blundell’s enjoyed the annual Blundell’s Golf Day at Bovey Castle on Sunday 27th September.
The weather was perfect and pre-dinner drinks were taken on the terrace overlooking Dartmoor. After the dinner, the Head Master presented the prizes and Judge Paul Waterworth, OB Club Chairman, drew the raffle prizes. The winning four were Graham Howe, Ross Aldridge, Richard Swarbrick and Cedric Clapp. Best OB player, outside the above four, was Liam Lewis. It is hoped to repeat the day at the same venue next year and details will be posted on the website as soon as a date is agreed.
OBs v Old Shirburnians
Cedric Clapp organised the annual fixture at Burnham and Berrow on Sunday 1st March. This was the 50th anniversary of this fixture taking place at Burnham and Berrow and the 70th anniversary of the fixture itself.
Cedric organised events immaculately with the exception of the result. Old Shirburnians triumphed 4-1 in a foursomes competition played in fantastic weather.
The photographs show Cedric putting out on the 18th, players and guests enjoying lunch and presentations.
