Bob Ramsden (BGS 1954-1959)

A Sporting Life

Bob Stanwell’s article was of great interest to me for several reasons. I’m standing next to him in the OB’s cricket team photograph in the article (the 1965 team which won the Boston Evening League and Cup). I also played football with him in the OB’s team, and his sister is married to my brother!

A couple of days after receiving the magazine, an E-mail arrived from Godfrey Finn, OBA Membership Secretary, 2nd cousin of mine (his mother and my grandfather were brother and sister) an all round energetic hilarious good egg. It started by asking me to consider submitting an article on my own life, interests etc. and finished by making it an order. How could one refuse Uncle Goff?

Fishing and football

My primary school days were spent at Carlton Road Junior School, St. Nicholas Junior and back to Carlton Road as we moved from one side of the town to the other. I can’t remember much from those days except that 50 years ago, whilst living in St. Nicholas Road, Dad took me to the Mount Bridge area one February evening to see the extraordinarily high tide which of course resulted in the tragic East Coast floods. I recall being a campanologist at St. Nicholas Church; playing football in the fields on which the new Kitwood Boys School was built. At the other side of town when at Carlton Road, there was fishing in the Witham, and football. Always football, with Dave Adcock and Robert Walters, for hour after hour. Dad was a very useful centre half who played for United Reserves and various local teams (Kirton, Baptists, Fishtoft) and I followed him around, or went down Shodfriars Lane to see United.

A bumper crop

I took the 11-plus one day in 1954 and carried on with my football only to be amazed to hear my name read out one day at Carlton Road as having been successful in the exam and that I would proceed to BGS. Mum and Dad were as stunned as I was, but off I went with Robert Walters, Roger Sambrook, Ted Smithson, John Brackenbury, Ian Heptonstall and Ian Pordham to start afresh. Carlton Road had a bumper crop of 11 passes that year, 7 boys and 4 girls. I was further surprised to find myself in class 1A but was soon relegated to 2B Most of the lessons at school interfered with Wednesday afternoons and sports periods which were really what I lived for (I haven’t changed). It’s to the credit of the numerous staff at the school that anything other than how to kick a football ever stuck in my head.

BGS characters

‘Spike’ Jones (Geography) racing bike bearing down on us as we kicked the soles off our shoes footballing in the playground; ‘Titch’ Collin the French Teacher; ‘Tilly’ Turpin ‘Blood and Iron’ History; ‘Moggy’ McNeill, Maths; ‘Banger’ Grimble, Art; Tom West English; they all played their part and are well documented in recent articles in the magazine. I too was in Parry House and I too was unable to fulfil my sporting ambitions until I left school.

Closed on Saturdays

In 1959, with 5 precious ‘O’ Levels, I joined the Inland Revenue in Norfolk Street at £267.10s per annum. I chose to give them my services because they were closed on Saturdays which meant I could play football for the OB’s teams in the Boston League in the winter. In the summer a girl in the office persuaded me to take up tennis and I joined Rochford Tower Tennis Club, cycling across town from West to East.

Old faces

To my surprise Laurie Veale and ‘Ted’ Cox were also members at the club and they gave me great encouragement. Laurie had not been one of my masters but I soon got to know him well; he was a very stylish tennis player and I had many happy hours playing in the various Boston and Lincs. Leagues with him. ‘Ted’ Cox was a legend, ex Parry Gold Medal winner returned to his old school to teach. A shrewd judge of sporting skills, I believe ‘Ted’ was Chairman/President at Rochford Tower when I joined. Having performed only very moderately for him in Physics with Chemistry I was rather nervous about the re-union but needn’t have been. Full of encouragement, and always with a tale to tell, he was terrific company.

OB’s football

Back to the photo of the 1965/6 OB football team. The Captain was Norman Sands, a hard working wing half, and as daft about football as I was. I still keep in touch with him. We “trained” in the BGS gym on Tuesday evenings after which the teams were selected in the pub! Gordon Upsall was the star man, a classy inside forward who could have played at a much higher standard but remained loyal to the OB’s. I played on the wing for a while but Dad had taught me to head a ball and I eventually acquired the number 9 shirt although I missed many more chances than I scored. We played BGS annually at the school. One year we kicked off and I headed our first goal without the school side touching the ball! Saturday afternoons on home pitches at Roseberry Avenue and later on Mayflower alternated with visits to Bicker, Croft, Ingoldmells, Wainfleet, Fishtoft, Wrangle, etc., as we toured South Lincolnshire crowded into 3 cars. Great days! We were never very successful but it didn’t matter, camaraderie was the name of the game.

Mid-week cricket

I somehow got roped into the OB’s mid-week cricket team but I don’t know why. I couldn’t bat and never bowled, so perhaps I was selected because I could field. Who knows? Again a brilliant bunch of guys with big Dick Lincoln to look after us. Dick Manningham was wicket-keeper (also Football Referee) and he was the Registrar for Boston. He sat in at my Wedding to Christine at Wrangle having arranged to referee the Wrangle football match. This was well underway as we drove past to the reception.

A shuddering halt

My ideal world of football, cricket and tennis had come to a shuddering halt in August 1965 when the Inland Revenue decided to transfer me to Islington in North London two weeks after getting engaged to Chris. We decided we’d get married ASAP. and this we did in November 1965 and went to London. I couldn’t afford to join a Tennis Club, but I played Sunday League Football. By coincidence Islington Tax Office dealt with my beloved Arsenal FC, the only team other than Boston United that I have ever supported. I was able to watch them regularly, turning from a very poor team in 1965 to win the Fairs Cup (now UEFA Cup) in 1970. Actually the only home game I missed in 1969/70 was the home leg of the final as we were moving into our house in Yorkshire that day.

A soft landing

By now we had a son, Mark, and I’d progressed slightly at work. They were looking for volunteers to move out of London and we jumped at the chance. We landed in Baildon, a village on the edge of the moors between Bradford and Ilkley. 33 years on we still can’t believe our luck to have found such a beautiful spot. In another 30 years we qualify for temporary Yorkshire passports.
A daughter, Joanne, followed Mark. They have produced 2 grandchildren each for us, 2 girls, 2 boys (the latest one born yesterday as I write) who keep us on our toes.

Father and son

I took up golf in 1973 when I couldn’t see to play football without glasses and in 1979 was elected Captain of Baildon Golf Club. Unfortunately we were unable to play until late April as snow covered the course from mid December! Mark was Captain in 1999 and we are the only father/son combination to have held that office in the 106 years that the club has existed. A lovely hilltop moorland course with stunning views, we have no trees, only 9 bunkers but a steady SW wind and plenty of heather and bracken. After 15 years in single figures my handicap is creeping up again.

Over the years I’ve seen ex-BGS pupils ‘Spud’ Coates at Fulford Golf Course and Trevor Rogers at one of Bradford’s many courses

Retirement

I retired through ill health in 1998 after 39 years in 13 different Tax Offices having thoroughly enjoyed my career, culminating in being in charge of various offices in my last 10 years service. Since retirement Chris and I have taken up Crown Green Bowls (its not flat round here) and we walk a lot in the lovely countryside. We are fortunate that both Mark and Joanne, and their families still live in Baildon so we see a lot of the grandchildren. I belong to the Yorkshire Arsenal Supporters Club and we run a coach (not a mini bus) to all Arsenal home games and a few away so I still see them play 5 or 6 times a season. Shades of those trips with Boston United to Derby County, Spurs, Darlington etc. in the 1950’s. I went to United’s first League match last August. What a thrill it was; I never thought I’d see us in the League. But it will always be Shodfriars Lane for me, not York Street! Mark, his daughters, and I have Season Tickets for Bradford Bulls Rugby League Club. The game is fast, skilful and played by incredibly fit players, and we are a top class team. So you can see that Northern Sports are well and truly a part of my life now.

The promise

The Old Bostonian Association Centenary Dinner is the one function I managed to attend, despite all Goff’s efforts to get me to more. I sat next to Don Stimson who had played for OB’s football team at the same time as I had. We had a great evening eating and drinking together and recalling old times and old friends. We must keep this Association going and do our best to support such events. I’ll try harder in the future Goff, I promise.

Email Bob Ramsden