Barnsbury Boy - Paul Tully - 1958-1965
Paul Tully
Memories
The winter of ’63 was one hell of a beast. We, at least we who live in London, have not seen the like of it since. It was Boxing Night and my parents were having a party. Everyone was enjoying themselves, dancing, drinking, eating, chatting, all the things you do at a party with the added incentive that it was Christmas which without doubt causes all or at least most to be euphoric.
At about 1am I just happened to look out of the window and to my surprise everything was covered in snow and if my memory serves me right, remained covered in snow until April ’63.
While on the subject of snow, I went on the school journey to Switzerland and stayed in a beautiful mountain resort called Champery; a place that I promised myself to return to – a promise still waiting to be fulfilled. It was a fantastic holiday not least because Star Cross Girls were staying in the same hotel.
Those fortunate enough to have gone on this holiday have the most wonderful memories to look back on: taking a ski off, forgetting that the snow is slippery and watching the ski disappear down the mountain. The Trevi bar. The beautiful hotel we stayed in, it was a three story Swiss chalet. Drinking Espresso coffee for the first time and pretending that you liked it. Looking the real McCoy in our ski clothes. Getting a golden facial tan. Enjoying every minute on the ski slopes. Being so far above sea level the place was heavenly, truly heavenly.
I have always loved sport and played Rugby, Badminton and table tennis for the school. After leaving school I joined Haringey Rugby Club and played until I was 39 years old. I played Badminton until well into my fifties. I was also a keen swimmer, front crawl and butterfly being my main strokes. I also taught swimming for 12 years.
Barnsbury had some very good Rugby teachers: Mr Petherick taught us the rudiments of the game in the early years and Mr Hamlyn took us in the later years.
Rugby! What a great sport. It may be because it is very much a bruising contact sport that players develop a genuine protective care for their team mates through which a camaraderie like no other is born.
I will talk about the players, all of whom I had the utmost respect for, some other time. Just to say that we had some very talented and gifted players.
It wasn’t before a pupil reached his second school year that rugby became an option. I remember the excitement I felt getting changed, lacing up my brand new rugby boots and running out on to the pitch. That must be about 60 years ago. I considered it a great honour to be made team captain with Enio Inzani being vice captain. I can’t ever remember a team photo being taken, which is a great shame. I also cannot remember the names of all the team players for which I apologise most sincerely.
It is always good to have athletes in your team and two spring to mind without much thought: Robert Kirkwood (fly half) and Tony Canter (centre). Both had wonderful sidesteps and were a pleasure to watch. On the occasions the ball was spun out to the wings a try was almost guaranteed with Griff Lewis on the right and Dave Ballard on the left. The coolest player on the pitch was full back Peter Nicholls. Our scrum half and master kicker was Brian Masters (excuse the pun) an excellent player who would convert the try, the penalty, The KICK from any angle - a must for any team.
In the forwards we had Enio Inzani aka Fred who was the best prop forward around. Theo Panayi, a gentle giant but not one to be messed with. Tom Pratt a great work horse. Eletheriou Eletherious a prop forward and last but not least Eddie Jenner, a late convert to rugby but a future first class wing forward. And that is as far as my memory takes me.
I played Badminton for the school, the only other person that I can remember playing is Peter Shoulders, a player of great touch.
Music is my other love, but I was never as good as I hoped I would be. Having said that, music has provided me with enormous pleasure, satisfaction and friendships.
Some of these friendships are the direct result of attending the GOBBS reunions where I met for the first time since leaving school, Paul Kenealy, a superb, multi-talented musician/entertainer and Paul Lomas, a talented guitarist. I got great joy playing with these two stars at a few gigs.
I have quite a collection of guitars and always think that if I buy another guitar it will make me play better. Well it hasn’t done so yet, so I suppose I will have to keep adding to my collection. C’est la vie.
Memories
The winter of ’63 was one hell of a beast. We, at least we who live in London, have not seen the like of it since. It was Boxing Night and my parents were having a party. Everyone was enjoying themselves, dancing, drinking, eating, chatting, all the things you do at a party with the added incentive that it was Christmas which without doubt causes all or at least most to be euphoric.
At about 1am I just happened to look out of the window and to my surprise everything was covered in snow and if my memory serves me right, remained covered in snow until April ’63.
While on the subject of snow, I went on the school journey to Switzerland and stayed in a beautiful mountain resort called Champery; a place that I promised myself to return to – a promise still waiting to be fulfilled. It was a fantastic holiday not least because Star Cross Girls were staying in the same hotel.
Those fortunate enough to have gone on this holiday have the most wonderful memories to look back on: taking a ski off, forgetting that the snow is slippery and watching the ski disappear down the mountain. The Trevi bar. The beautiful hotel we stayed in, it was a three story Swiss chalet. Drinking Espresso coffee for the first time and pretending that you liked it. Looking the real McCoy in our ski clothes. Getting a golden facial tan. Enjoying every minute on the ski slopes. Being so far above sea level the place was heavenly, truly heavenly.
I have always loved sport and played Rugby, Badminton and table tennis for the school. After leaving school I joined Haringey Rugby Club and played until I was 39 years old. I played Badminton until well into my fifties. I was also a keen swimmer, front crawl and butterfly being my main strokes. I also taught swimming for 12 years.
Barnsbury had some very good Rugby teachers: Mr Petherick taught us the rudiments of the game in the early years and Mr Hamlyn took us in the later years.
Rugby! What a great sport. It may be because it is very much a bruising contact sport that players develop a genuine protective care for their team mates through which a camaraderie like no other is born.
I will talk about the players, all of whom I had the utmost respect for, some other time. Just to say that we had some very talented and gifted players.
It wasn’t before a pupil reached his second school year that rugby became an option. I remember the excitement I felt getting changed, lacing up my brand new rugby boots and running out on to the pitch. That must be about 60 years ago. I considered it a great honour to be made team captain with Enio Inzani being vice captain. I can’t ever remember a team photo being taken, which is a great shame. I also cannot remember the names of all the team players for which I apologise most sincerely.
It is always good to have athletes in your team and two spring to mind without much thought: Robert Kirkwood (fly half) and Tony Canter (centre). Both had wonderful sidesteps and were a pleasure to watch. On the occasions the ball was spun out to the wings a try was almost guaranteed with Griff Lewis on the right and Dave Ballard on the left. The coolest player on the pitch was full back Peter Nicholls. Our scrum half and master kicker was Brian Masters (excuse the pun) an excellent player who would convert the try, the penalty, The KICK from any angle - a must for any team.
In the forwards we had Enio Inzani aka Fred who was the best prop forward around. Theo Panayi, a gentle giant but not one to be messed with. Tom Pratt a great work horse. Eletheriou Eletherious a prop forward and last but not least Eddie Jenner, a late convert to rugby but a future first class wing forward. And that is as far as my memory takes me.
I played Badminton for the school, the only other person that I can remember playing is Peter Shoulders, a player of great touch.
Music is my other love, but I was never as good as I hoped I would be. Having said that, music has provided me with enormous pleasure, satisfaction and friendships.
Some of these friendships are the direct result of attending the GOBBS reunions where I met for the first time since leaving school, Paul Kenealy, a superb, multi-talented musician/entertainer and Paul Lomas, a talented guitarist. I got great joy playing with these two stars at a few gigs.
I have quite a collection of guitars and always think that if I buy another guitar it will make me play better. Well it hasn’t done so yet, so I suppose I will have to keep adding to my collection. C’est la vie.