Basil Mawdsley (G 43-47)

Tom Sharp (G 44-47) submitted the following memories:

“Basil Mawdsley and I were on Grindal House together from 1944-47. We were good friends and kept in touch for a few years until Basil moved south.

Our main mutual interest was golf and we played together at my home golf club, Daveyhulme Park, on several occasions. I remember we played with ‘Pop’ Ogden, a Lancashire county rugby player. A member of Fylde, ‘Pop’ Ogden was the first goal kicker to place the ball upright and strike with his instep. His nickname ‘Pop’, recognised how regularly he ‘popped’ the rugby ball over the posts to convert the try. ‘Pop’ taught Basil and me to lean the ball right when kicking from the right of the posts and vice versa from the left. This creates a late swerve through the posts depending on the wind and the angle when placing the ball. ‘Pop’ nick-named Basil Mawdsley ‘Samson’ when ‘Samson Mawdsley’ struck his drive 220 yards to carry the lake at the third hole at Davyhulme Park.

My other memory was the reunion in London organised by Gerald Tyler and attended by twelve ‘Grindal’ Old Boys including Jack Pyle with his one leg. Jack Pyle lost a leg when an infant but he refused to stop playing games. His remaining leg was remarkably strong. He loved the Eton Fives in the Grindal Fives court, and stationed himself in the Pepper Pot.

One Three Quarter Day a party of seven set off on bicycles, roped together with Jack Pyle at the back to help up the hills. All went well until close to home, where a long straight downhill length of road turns sharp left over a narrow bridge and Jack Pyle ended up in the water – happy days – 100 lines to Jack Pyle for irresponsible behaviour!”

 

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