TA Hall boxing club
Peter Malynn writes: I was a founder member of the Bagshot boxing club which started life at the old RC church in Vicarage Road then moved into the TA hall . Does anyone remember the boxing club, it was run by the RC priest Rev Porter. Peter has sent a 1958 photo of the members of the boxing club. Can you help identify who is on it? Nov 05
Another corespondant had written : In my time (late 50's early 60's) Father Flannagan was the priest who taught boxing on the lawn of the Catholic Oratory (where the children's photo was taken). Bearing in mind the teachings of the church I recall it confused me greatly why a priest was teaching boys to fight. This writer is probably mistaken as to which priest was involved as other correspondents tell me that it was Father Porter, one adding that he used to ride a motor bike.
James Legge writes from the USA : I myself learnt boxing from a priest there, I cannot remember his name but I know he used to take us for rides in a mini bus around Chobham Common when we were finished. Dec 05
Robert Allen writes from Canada : I remember Farther Porter, he used to take us to Camberley to box. Bagshot boxing club was later moved to a butchers shop in the back of a barn in Windlesham. I believe the gentelman who use to train us was Mr Mainville. 604.0406
Lee asks about a Boxing Club as far back as 1913 - 1923. Apparently my grandfather used to box as a teenager and there once existed photographs to this effect. He used to live in South Farm as a child and by deduction my mother and I think the club must have been in Bagshot although Lightwater and Windlesham would be possible if they had such things. i9
From Rod Winter: Robert Allen from
Canada is correct to say the boxing club moved from the TA hall in
Bagshot into the 'old slaughter house' and storage barn behind the
butchers shop in Updown Hill Windlesham about 1958/59 ( I cannot recal
the name of the butchers shop ). The butcher was an ex pro boxer named
Bob Rainsford who also helped to train the young and up and coming
youths to box. Winter Patterson was also a man who helped the
youngsters to train and helped with the clubs administration. iii9
To which Philip Brown adds I understand from a
person who lives in Windlesham that the butchers shop in Updown Hill
was called Grimditch Webb. vi9
From Ann Roberson (nee Kircher) I believe my brother Michael Kircher was in the boxing club, seem to recall Father Porter used to collect up the boys and take them to the club,
From David Kell: The boxing club was definitely started by Father Porter and he did have a motorbike. He used to lunch with us every Thursday. He was a very personal person but had a heart of gold and did a lot for the community in keeping kids off the streets including non-Catholics. I think one of his boxers got to the ABA finals but I cannot remember his name. [Oct10 xx]
Also from Rod Winter : Further to David Kell's comment about one of Farther Porter's lads getting to the Amateur Boxing Association's finals, I boxed in the 1962 finals at the Albert Hall, but unfortunately did not win the title. This was about four years after Father Porter left the club. [Oct 14]
Who can you recognise?
Peter Malynn has sent this photo of the boxing club circa 1958. He has identified some of the faces, and Norman Elkins, Mick Topping, David Gibb and Gerry have added some more names. Ray wrote: "second row no 6 with the glasses I am almost certain is Ken Galloway, being next to Alvar makes sense, Ken was a band member too". 540.1006 Some further names have been provided by others including Ken Cranstone who wrote "I have been alerted to the Bagshot boxing club picture by my brother Geoff Cranstone (alive and well and living in Melbourne). Brother Geoffrey is behind me, third row down 8 in picture. Many thanks for the memories.". Can you help identify any more? iv06 v06 iii09 v09
Names (from left to right starting with the top row). A larger version of this picture is available here
1=Robin Hotchkiss 2=Father Porter. 3=Jock McGrath 4=George Parrant 5= Bobby Phipps 6=George Elkins.
1=Jim Rickwood. 2=?. 3=Peter Bowers 4=Peter Malynn 5=George Taylor 6=Ken Galloway 7=Alvar Anderson (see Seltones). 8=David(?) Whitely 9=Joe Kirby. 10=Roger Craven
1=? 2=Robert Alexander 3=Roger Woodrow 4=Dennis (Rocky) Mozley 5= Norman Elkins. 6=David (Jack) Findlay / Finley 7=Gavin Bailey. 8=Geoff Cranstone 9=Rodney Winter 10=Colin Annals (it has been suggested that this is Colin, not 11 in the row below as had previously been suggested 9027Dec09)
1=Peter Phipps 2=? 3=Danny Howells. 4=? 5=Mick Topping. 6= Taffy Howells (trainer). 7=? Wall.(trainer) 8=Malcolm Clark. 9=Ken Cranstone 10=? 11=Colin Annals (or perhaps not, see above)
1=?Pullen 2=? 3=Trevor Annuls 4=Mike Barrett. but Alan Hammond has also been suggested 5=? 6=? 7=? Howells 8=?
If you have any further knowledge about any of these matters, I would love to hear from you.
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