Pen Pictures

Pen Pictures

The two of us (at Grange from 1957 to 1964) are still in the Bradford area, unlike others whose exploits we have noted on the Friends Reunited website.

Les is now an antiques dealer, based in Burley-in-Wharfedale, having retired after 34 years in local government.

Graham was a systems analyst with a local building society having retired in 1998 from teaching, spent mainly in middle schools. Finally retired from the building society at the end of February 2007.

Both of us have played cricket in local leagues for many, many years but now, with failing bodies and eyesight, have taken up umpiring!

Barry Birch: 1957 - 64

Barry was also a keen cricketer and played in various local leagues (Sunday School, Bradford Central, Craven and Bassetlaw League)before leaving Bradford in 1970.

He first moved to Holland and played in the Dutch Cricket League. Here he was Head of Dutch and Head of External Liaison at the British School in the Netherlands.

Barry played his last match at 50 after he returned to England as Principal of St Mary’s School, Doncaster. Later he moved to Kuwait for a year and then back to Mexborough to cover a maternity leave. Since August 2002 Barry has been Principal of Unity High School, Khartoum, Sudan (website: www.unityhighschool.org).

Barry famously took a hat-trick when we thrashed the staff in the annual Staff v. Pupils cricket match at Bankfoot CC in 1964.

Update (May ‘06) Barry is due to retire from his post at Unity High School. We can also congratulate him on being ordained a Deacon at the Episcopal Church Cathedral (C of E) in Khartoum. Update (May ‘07) Church Times - Clergy Appointments: BIRCH. The Revd Barry Birch formerly in Khartoum, Sudan to be Assistant Curate of St Wilfrid’s, Cantley in the Sheffield Diocese.

David John Mitchell: 1957 - 62

From 1962 to 1967 I was an apprentice mechanical engineer with Crofts (Engineers) Ltd based in Thornbury, Bradford.

1964 - 74 Merchant Navy engineering officer with British India Steam Navigation Company.

1974 - 79 Assistant hospital engineer, Westwood Hospital and Bradford Royal Infirmary.

1979 - date Estates manager, the Retreat Hospital, York

Ron Overton: 1957 - 62

Ron joined British Rail in Leeds at 17 as a Clerical Officer, moving up through the ranks in Leeds & York. He spent lots of years in O & M (the razor gang) based in York.

From 1979 onwards he had various management jobs reaching Infrastructure Manager for the Eastern Region freight organisation before becoming Contracts Executive preparing for privatisation. Ron retired just 2 weeks before privatisation in 1997.

Since retirement Ron has joined his wife and a good friend in their industrial roof refurbishment company. The company has done well but he is looking forward to a proper retirement in the not too distant future. Ron is seen here on the right with his wife, Jackie.

David Fuller: 1957 - 62

On leaving school David started work at John Rigby & Sons (Wire Manufacturers), Low Moor, Bradford, moving to Cleckheaton in 1968. David progressed through the ranks becoming Production Control Manager. In 1999, after Rigby’s was sold, he worked as Traffic Coordinator for a transport company in Pudsey. Recently he has been working as Production Coordinator for a greetings card manufacturer in Dewsbury.

David has 2 children and a stepdaughter along with 5 grandchildren and now lives in Liversedge, West Yorkshire. He is pictured here on the left with his wife.

Outside work David’s passion has always been football. He passed out as a referee in 1969, reaching Grade One in 1973. He was forced to retire in 1993 through injury. However, he had the honour to referee in the Dallas Cup in the USA on 10 occasions. He is still actively involved in the game as an FA Licensed Referee Instructor and Assessor. He is a Council Member of the West Riding County FA, Secretary of the Heavy Woollen District FA and a Life Member of the Heavy Woollen Gate Sunday Alliance Football League (for which he was Secretary for 19 years).

Derek Stott 1957 - 64

Derek lives in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and has recently retired after 40 years in insurance. He and his wife, Judith, have decided to stay on for the time being but plan to do more travelling around Asia. They have 2 married daughters, one of whom lives in Melbourne, Australia while the other one lives in Billericay, Essex.

5/4/08