ODs - other news

Many thanks to our correspondent, Crazy Horse, for supplying all the other news: latest first::-

See http://www.durhamschool.co.uk/veterrimi for news of the Veterrimi IV celebration.

Peter Tarn Bainbridge O.D. died on March 11th 2010.

Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration for the life of Gordon Bell O.D. 1928-2009

The service was held in Durham School Chapel on 30th September 2009

Obituary from the Darlington and Stockon Times 9/10/2009

Malcolm Fordy O.D.(47-52) who died on September 21 aged 75 was born into a Stockton family building company that had been founded by his grandfather in 1908. He built the company into a leading contractor and housebuilder, and also played a significant national role in Britain's building industry.
He started work as an articled pupil in 1952 in the family firm of George Fordy and Son and was appointed to the board in 1963. He became managing director in 1968 and chairman on the death of his father in 1970.  In 1988 the firm merged with Walter Thomson Contractors of Northallerton his wife's Pauline's family firm to form the F.T. Construction Group. It became one of the largest groups in the region.
Mr Fordy worked his way up through the then National Building Trades Employers becoming a member of the council in 1967 and president in 1982-3. He was awarded the O.B.E, for his work in 1997.
During his time as president he steered the industry with great skill through a period of recession and political change.
He was especially proud of building strong relations with trade union leaders and expanding the industry's training facilities.
From 1985-94 he was chairman of the Federation Internationale Europeene de la Construction (FIEC) Vocational Training Commission developing extensive contacts and lecturing with the International Labour Organisation.
Born in 1934 Mr Fordy grew up in Stockton and was educated at Glenhow Prep School, Saltburn and Durham School.
He became an enthusiastic cox in the school's rowing team as well as being a successful cross country runner.
Mr Fordy set up a travel agency. the Travel Bureau in the 1960's in Stockton. It later expanded elsewhere and became Fordy Travel. With his wife he travelled the world.
He inherited a staunch interest in religion from his grandfather and became a Methodist local preacher in 1955 taking services in chapels in the area.
He will be remembered for his love of music and as a raconteur with an eye for detail and an interest in the people he met.
He bore his illness wi th great courage and dignity and without complaint and is survived by Mrs Fordy and their children. Susan, Nicholas and Sarah, plus six grandchildren.
A family funeral was held at St. Andrew's Church in Ingleby Greenhow on September 30. and a service of thanksgiving will be held at all Saint's Church Northallerton at 1 p.m.on Thursday, October 22.

The Cricket Club Tour Brochure is viewable here. It is quite large and may take a while to open. You will need the free Adobe Reader, unless you already have it. If you don't then click here, on the Adobe button:

This article appeared in the Darlington and Stockton Times (14th February 2009) concerning J G Wilson OD

"ATHLETE'S TALE: book dealer Richard Hodgson with the scrapbook chronicling the life of amateur athlete John George Wilson.-
Scrapbook of Victorian record-breaker is sold.

A SCRAPBOOK chronicling the achievements of an athlete described as "the fastest amateur ever to put on a shoe" has been sold for £450 in advance of a major book fair.
The book - offered by dealer Richard Hodgson of Kirklevington - contains cuttings, tickets and programmes from the sporting career of John George Wilson, whose 100yds sprint record in the Oxford v Cambridge athletics match remained unbroken for more than three decades.
Mr Wilson ran the sprint in ten seconds flat in 1870, a feat which was not bettered until the 20th century.
He won the inter-university sprint three times and the open championship twice, leading the Sporting Gazette to dub him "the fastest amateur ever to put on a shoe".
Mr Wilson also excelled in the long jump and at rowing.
After graduating from Oxford, the former Durham School pupil later returned to the North-East, living on the Bailey, in Durham, and working as a solicitor to the Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral.
He also lived for some years in Hutton Rudby.
The scrapbook also follows the life of his son, who followed him to Oxford and also ran the 100yds for the university, in 1900.
Before its sale, it was due to be one of hundreds of books available to buy at the Durham Book Fair, at County Hall, Durham, on Saturday, February 14, between 10am and 4pm.
The event has been organised by the Provincial Booksellers' Fairs Association and will be attended by 42 exhibitors.
Admission is £1 for adults and free for children. For further details, call 01325-487274."

Also from the same newspaper (7th February 2009) - this obituary:-

Lt Col William Albert Weightman - life of service to the Army and his family
AN RAF jet performed a fly-past before the funeral of a North Yorkshire career soldier described as' "warrior, a husband and a father".
The congregation at Holy Family RC Church in Cockerton, Darlington, heard how Lt Col William Albert Weightman helped rescue a group of nuns while serving in Burma during the Second World War, and shortly afterwards, converted to Roman Catholicism.
He died aged 83 on January 29 after a battle with cancer.
Members of the Armed forces in full uniform and Army cadets attended the funeral, which took place last Friday.
Lt Col Weightman, of Richmond, was bom at Middle Herrington Farm, near Sunderland, on October 1 1925.
He was not a strong child. Fr Sean Neylan, chaplain to the Queen's Royal Lancers, told the congregation. A leg problem meant he had to wear an iron brace, but he overcame this and went on to become a good rugby player at Durham School.
Despite winning a place at Trinity College, Cambridge, he joined the Durham Light Infantry at 18, against his father's wishes, at the height of the Second World War.
He served in the Pacific, seeing action in Malaya, Sumatra and Burma. While in Burma, he protected a group of nuns and helped them cross a river.
His nephew, Dr Paul Weightman, said: "He was like St Christopher carrying a nun across a swollen river. She told him: 'You saved me. I shall pray for you and your safety for the rest of your life'. Her prayers were answered, and he died comfortably in his bed"
Shortly after rescuing the nuns, Lt Col Weightman, who was known as Bill, converted to Catholicism.
After the war, he served with the Parachute Regiment and the RAF regiment with which he saw action in Suez, Jordan, Cyprus and Aden, where he was Mentioned in Dispatches.
He helped train the Sultan of Oman's army before returning to Britain and taking charge of the Yorkshire Army Cadet Force.
Lt Col Weightman worked with the Burma Campaign Fellowship which helped reconcile veterans and their families on both sides of the conflict.
He helped organise a service of reconciliation at Durham Cathedral.
Dr Weightman said: "I was proud to know him. He was a good man. A warrior, a husband, a father, a grandfather and a great-grandfather."
The Last Post was sounded before the coffin was carried out of the church.
Lt Col Weightman leaves a wife of 59 years, Valerie, and three daughters, Caroline, Alison and Vanessa, as well as children and grandchildren.
His daughter, Alison Porter, said: "He was very, very committed to both his family and the Army. He never complained about anything. We had to find out off the doctor ourselves how ill he was."
"He was such a brave man. He never asked for any pain relief throughout his illness."