The newly built clubhouse, bar, restaurant and function room of Tony Tyrell’s Fynn Valley Golf Club made a fabulous, if incongruous, setting for the 28th annual get-together of the OI Wrecked Cricketers’ Golf Club. Not so much a club, more a bunch of relics from the School 1st XIs from the 1950s and 1960s, invited to relive their glory days whilst enjoying a Texas scramble. Held on the first Friday of August each year, the gathering is masterminded by former arch intimidator of batsmen, ‘The Flying Terror’ Tim Thorn. There were complaints of drives not being as long as they once were, of no Ian Hammond or substitute to drive the drinks buggy (or strand it) but the general bonhomie and fellowship was as strong as ever. The muscles may not be as robust as they once were but the banter and wit were as caustic and hilarious as ever, making it another memorable day.  

The ‘Club’ came about after a couple of years of letting the Old Framlinghamians score over 300 in the annual OI v OF cricket match and from a desire to avoid future ignominy. Eighteen holes in the morning for the Thorn Trophy were followed by a sumptuous (and alcoholic) lunch, and then another post-lunch competition for the 9 Hole Trophy (and not a buggy between the lot of them). Tony Tyrell, Roger Green and Mick Simpson won the Thorn Trophy on count back from Martin Seligman, Steve Marks, David Knights and Simon Woolfries, both with a course gross total of 69 (-1) and only 3 strokes separating the first team from the last. The 9 Hole Trophy was even closer with only a 2 stroke difference between the teams. The winners of the 9 Hole Trophy were Charlie Lingard, Henry Staunton, Simon Woolfries and Steve Marks with a one-under par round of 33, one shot ahead of Chad Chapman, Mick Simpson, Simon Marks and John Collett.

A massive thank you to Tony Tyrell and the Fynn Valley staff for hosting the event so fantastically well and Tim Thorn for organising it.

Peter V Boughton OI