News 2003
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8th Annual Dinner , Saturday 16th October 2003
Turning to our 8th Annual Dinner in October at the College, I never ceased to be amazed at the quality and overall popularity of this evening.
The function was again held in front of an enthusiastic packed house. The night was set alight by a truly memorable performance from Old Boy
and future star Martin Toal, whose sensational tenor voice raised the rafters, whilst his dulcet tones charmed and serenaded a mesmerised Joan
Handford.
Our guest speaker, the mischievously misrepresented "Wolf" McGuinnness, provided us with an excellent assortment of amusing stories and
memoirs from his time in soccer. This evening was marshalled with some aplomb by our very own MC Pete Riley, whose skills in this area are
renowned and on belalf of the association I thank you Peter.
On a practical level, Derval Hartnett and Peter Foster took care of the high standard of food and bar service respectively, with the arrangement
proving most successful to those members of the committee that have in previous years ended up at the local off licence acquiring more supplies.
On behalf of the Association, may I thank all those who make this particular evening the great success that it is.
by John Kennedy
From Australia to St Ambrose...
Our first Ordained Old Boy Comes Home!
Fr Terence Hegarty was the first St Ambrose Old Boy to be ordained to the priesthood. He now lives in Esk, Queensland but has never forgotten
his roots! He made the trip over recently and was given a tour of the college. He is pictured at St Ambrose with fellow old boy
(and former classmate) Bernard Stafford on his left, and Headmaster Mr Michael Thompson on his right.
Hello SAOBA people -
The SAOBA correspondence still seems to be going to my old user ID, which I use exclusively now as a spamtrap. I only look there every couple of months,
and that's just to clear out all the hundreds of unwanted offers of Philippino brides, bulk-order Viagra, real estate deals in Arkansas, half-price printer cartridge
refills, get-rich schemes involving millions of dollars in Nigeria, and penile enlargement devices. Spam Goods every last one of them, and none of which I really
need. (Honestly.)
Rather to my surprise, during a recent slash-and-burn of my junk cupboard, I discovered I had about ten years worth of SAC Sports Day results from the
1970s and 1980s. Dave Hallas posted a load of them to me, so that I could work out the school record holders over that period. I suspect he has been
wondering where they went. I posted him the record calculations, but didn't return all the original results, so no doubt I am overdue for a slippering.
Sadly, I never myself featured on any of the sports results sheets, being a bespectacled five-stone weakling for most of my secondary school career
and requiring assistance even to pick up and move some of the heavier chess pieces in Dave Hancock's lunchtime chess club. Indeed, my peak
sporting achievement was probably finding a short cut in the cross-country route that meant I could return to the school grounds a mere half an hour
after super-fast Richard Brown had already (a) got round the entire route twice (b) got back (c) got showered (d) got changed and (e) got on the
school bus home. Though I suspect that, had he wanted to, Richard could have outrun the school bus too.
I think of this when I attend my sons' school sports days these days. They're both still in primary school, but they put me to shame because they're
obviously much more finely-honed little athletes with a firm grip on their eggs and spoons and a measured tread through the plastic-hoop obstacle course.
I can only assume they have inherited this from their mother, who has learned over recent years to navigate around our house avoiding piles of abandoned
Lego while carrying trays of food. Fortunately, on these school sports days, I am usually spared the Fathers' Race 100 Yards Hop--even if it means I have
to invent an implausibly-convenient allergy to sackcloth.
Anyway, I've scanned a sample from the SAC Sports Results for First Years 1974. I'm sure your committee member, and my SAC contemporary,
Dom Centeleghe will be pleased to be reminded that he was First Years Top Boy that year, joint holder along with Dave Gray. I think Dom and Dave
must have had an advantage over the rest of us, both of them being already (at the age of 11) about six foot three tall. At least, that's how I remember
it--perhaps things look bigger when you're shorter. Though I suspect I may now be in danger of wandering back into Spam Goods territory.
Peter Anghelides
