I have recently received a couple of emails from a former member (Ben Thomas) who a number of you may know. There have been a few minor amendments but the gist of the mails are published below.
I saw your website when looking through various chess clubs of which I have been a member. I was a member of FCC from about 1977 to 1980. I remember most of the names on your website in particularly Bob Platt, John McLardy, Kevin Howard. I am amazed John McLardy is still alive. I thought he was about 90 when I knew him! You may also recall Jim Rourke who was a leading light in children's sport in Formby. I recall the Eagle twins - I have heard them since on Any Questions. They found their niche in the Labour Party. In those days the club played at the library and the goal used to be to finish early enough to get across to the Railway Arms for a pint before chucking out time. I do not know whether that hostelry has improved but I have many happy memories of dodging flying glasses and avoiding the police riot squad!
I still remain a close friend with Mike Fraser.
From Formby I moved to Chelmsford at the same time as Peter Bond moved from Chelmsford to Formby.
In 1987 I moved to New Zealand and am now President of Upper Hutt Chess Club - 30 kms north of Wellington.
Please pass on my regards to those who remember me - fondly or otherwise.
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Feel free to pass on my e mail address.
Since you ask here are a few bits and pieces. As I mentioned Upper Hutt is about 30kms north of Wellington. There are only two other chess clubs in the region so there is no league competition and very little contact between clubs.
UHCC has undergone something of a resurgence being close to extinction a year ago. We now have 22 paid up members, including my youngest son, carrying on the family tradition, and have acquired a couple of Pommes who are quite strong. One by an amazing coincidence I played in the Essex Chess League back in 1983. As there is no inter-club competition, we have club tournaments all year round, which is common for all clubs in NZ. It is a very sociable club - a bit like Formby except that there is not the same rush for the pub when the game is finished. We have a range of playing strengths; probably very much like Formby. Wellington is the strongest club in the region and boasts a couple of IMs.
I have been a member of UHCC since the late 90's and since they could not find anyone else I got made president a couple of years ago.
My own chess is now confined to club nights and the Internet; tournaments are too exhausting, especially as I still work full time, , although I play in the odd quick play tournament. Luckily I still enjoy playing chess. Somehow I have managed a grade of over 2100 (I am not sure of the UK equivalent) which I do not believe - I think the computer must have malfunctioned and multiplied rather than divided! There is something to be said about playing chess in a small country. It does the ego a bit of good when acquaintances ask how well one plays chess to be able to say one is in the top 20 of graded players! It's b******s (my office e mail system detects obscenities - hence the asterisks; I am sure being a chess player you can analyse and fill in the gaps) of course but it sounds good to those who only have a passing knowledge of the game.
I was prompted to look back at my scorebook covering the period I was in Formby. Some names spring sharply into focus; and some a vague blur lost in the memory. Has Mike ever mentioned another ex member, Mike Calvert, now working in the US at HSBC? He was another p**s head! There was also a guy called Richard Clough. Don't know what happened to him.
Next time you run into Mike tell him I have written to you; I have no doubt he will recall things about me that I would rather shielded from the glare of history's blow lamp.
Kind regards
Ben Thomas
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