Bishop's Stortford GC past captains day

The guests, who by tradition were led by the immediate past captain Mick Cashman, included the senior past captain John Chapman (captain 1980), David Mitchell ('82), John Brown ('83), Rex Baldwin ('85), Alan Kerr ('86), Derek Booth ('87), Peter Goodey ('88), Roy Parrish ('89), Mike Bollins ('90), Nigel Clutterbuck ('93), Mike Giltrow ('94), Paul Talbot-Smith ('95), Graham Gillespie ('96), John Eatwell ('97), Harry Whittle ('99), Frank Morse ('01), Mike Zelley ('02), Mike Cayless ('03), David Hunt ('04), and Richard Keates ('06).

Welcoming the past captains, Club Captain Paul Blows commented on the popularity and success of this fixture. He thanked all those who had supported the occasion some of whom had travelled from abroad to attend. He said the fixture is one of the jolliest events in the club calendar and this year was no exception.

The match was closely fought and a draw looked probable until toward the end of the field Mike Zelley chipped in from off the green at the 18th to salvage his match and secure a 6/4 win for the past captains.

Alan Kerr recently completed 50 years of continuous membership of the club and was presented with a handsome engraved glass tankard. A retired farmer from North Weald he joined in 1957 and was captain in 1986. He remembers the time when the 'Dunmow Flier' steam trains plied along the line through the course. Alan said that he had seen many changes over the years but what had never changed was the wonderful spirit of friendliness and sportsmanship in the club which had made every one of those fifty years an enormous pleasure.