What have the rest of you been doing in the last 40 years? Let us know.
The two of us are still in the Bradford area - unlike others whose exploits we have noted on the FriendsReunited website. Les is now an antiques dealer, based in Burley-in-Wharfedale, having retired after 34 years in local government. Graham is now a systems analyst with a local building society having “retired” from teaching. Both of us have played cricket in local leagues for many, many years but now, with failing bodies and eyesight, have taken up umpiring!
Where are they?
David John Mitchell: Grange 1957-62 From 1962 to 1967 I was an apprentice mechanical engineer with Crofts (Engineers) Ltd based in Thornbury, Bradford. 1967 - 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.
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 1979. 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 Headteacher of Unity High School, Khartoum, Sudan. (website: www.unityhighschool.org) If my memory serves me correctly, Barry took a hat-trick when we thrashed the staff in the annual Staff v. Pupils cricket match in 1964 at Bankfoot C.C. Wonder whether this annual fixture continues?
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 particularly 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.
