Griffen 2014

10 Members’ News and advertising company. They have settled in East Sussex and have bought a Llama Park - www. llamapark.co.uk - (a 60th birthday gift for Bobby’s wife who he says “has kept me on the ‘straight and narrow’ for the last 23 years”). The Park has 33 acres of land, a house, a coffee shop, a knitwear and gift shop and they have 53 llamas, 12 alpacas and 13 reindeer. Rob Turner (1969) retired as Head of Biology at Ashford School, Kent, after 38 years also teaching in Edinburgh, Littlehampton, Cheltenham and Guernsey. Rob and his wife Liz moved to a converted barn near Bodmin in Cornwall. The rectification of various issues in the house and grounds, some foreseen and some not, have so far prevented them from enjoying any part of Cornwall other than the local builders’ merchants! John Veysey (1962) , playing with Eddy Joseph (1962) as “The Stroppers”, trotted out the latest pop songs by Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers while at Abingdon. They sang their hearts out and with Eddy’s artistry and John’s enthusiasm they made a very confident combination. Once they left school the partnership was broken. After A levels at Abingdon John never thought of pop music as a career. Not until he was well into his 30s did he pick up the guitar and form musical partnerships again, this time in New Zealand. John and Eddy followed separate careers on opposite sides of the world until 2005 when they got together again with their guitars at Eddy’s house in England. The ease with which they combined had not changed and an older John immediately realised why he had been so fascinated singing with Eddy at Abingdon. “Eddy’s harmonies and his timing are so assured he makes it just so easy” said John “and it’s not like he’s practicing every day or even has any time for this kind of thing.” A few years later they had another jam, this time in John’s house in New Zealand. John continues to practice once a week with a group of local musicians. For 35 years John has been composing songs and, at last, he believes it is time they were exposed to a larger audience. At the age of 69 he has released his first set of songs which can be found on http://www.amplifier.co.nz/ artist/102175/john-veysey.htm Prit Buttar (1978) has written Between Giants , a study of the Battle for the Baltics in WWII. The book recalls the experiences of the people of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and how they were trapped between the might of the Soviet Union and Germany. ISBN 9781780961637. This work of military history follows his first book, Battleground Prussia, published in 2010. Paul Clarke’s (1971) term of office as CEO of the Duchy of Lancaster ended in August 2013. He was made a Knight Commander of the Victorian Order by Her Majesty The Queen on 23 July 2013. He is now a non-executive director with Berkshire Investment Capital, a property development company. Andy Cross (1979) has taken a ‘lifestyle change’ decision, and is calling a halt to his 34-year career in consumer and medical imaging, which encompassed multi-nationals Kodak, General Electric and latterly Carestream Health. With both of his children now through university and working, he is looking forward to more photography, writing and travel, and watching Oxford United regain their rightful position in the Premiership! Michael Dacre (1979) has been on a series of adventures including living in the UK’s oldest lay community for three years and spending another three years on a Greek island. He is an actor and 1970–1979