New awards unveiled at annual dinner

Around 50 Old Cranleighans and a few current Cranleighans attended the annual-when-the-committee-remembers dinner at The Alma in Wandsworth. For the first time three awards were made - Batsman of the Year, Bowler of the Year and Player of the Year. There was also an auction to raise money for the Friends of Tim Evans Trust and in all more than £1100 was collected.

After drinks and an excellent meal, Michael Chetwode gave a rare and very witty speech, honouring Martin Williamson for his contribution to the club over the last 30 years, both on and off the field. Suffice to say tales of losses on shares, Coppers Doggers and other embarrassing escapades were dusted off. Peter Shelley, who as captain in 1980 recruited both Chetwode and Williamson into the club, then read out a highly amusing, largely fictitious, and repeatedly libellous letter from Williamson to him asking to play in the 1980 cricket week. Williamson was then presented with a cricket bat signed by many club members and mounted in a wooden case. He gave a short speech of thanks.

Club president David Bugge, steadfastly wearing a traditional OC blazer, gave a brief speech highlighting the success of recent years and flagging Rick Johnson would be proposed for inclusion in the Hall of Fame at the next AGM.

Before the awards came the fines. With Eds Copleston sidelined with a painful disease, it fell to the far more aesthetic Sophie Cook to dish out the punishments to the usual suspects. Several people noted it was Copleston’s least badly-behaved evening in recent memory.

The Batsman of the Year was a product of our youth policy, Henry Watkinson; the Bowler of the Year went to Ed Henderson; while the Player of the Year, again looking to the future, was a rather staggered Chetwode.

The evening ended with a raffle and auction for the Friends of Tim Evans Trust. John McDermott acted as auctioneer, making a trademark speech and crossing a new boundary by describing the headmaster’s wife, who was in attendance, as a “a little bit of crumpet”.

Hume closes on finish, Langmead soldiers on

Fifty-five days at sea and Red Arrow, the boat containing Rich Hume (2 North, 2000), has gone 2012 miles and has 554 to go before reaching the finishing line in Antigua. Heart of the Warrior, which is co-rowed by Sam Langmead (2 North 2002) still has 1130 miles to go.

In his latest blog, Rich writes: “I spoke to Sam, an Old Cranleighian as well yesterday, and he is doing well despite still having 1130 miles to run. That must be hard. But he told us that he had heard that many of the boats ahead of us had or where running out of food. If your reading this as friends of the boats ahead, we took all 90 days with us and although we have chucked a lot of the food that goes off in June overboard, we still have about 35 days of food each left. If they want some, they can come and get it.

“It’s also very very hot and even hotter in the cabin. About 100 degrees i would say and maybe 110-115 in the cabin. Thank god we can jump into the sea, which is becoming a regular for both of us, maybe tomorrow we will see if we can touch the bottom! and thank god we have a water maker that makes 25 litres an hour as we are drinking loads. Some boats have machines that make 4 litres per hour! Different ball game.”