A dinner was held in the school dining hall on 12th April to celebrate a Centenary of Fives at Ipswich. Friends from the Eton Fives world and the Eton Fives Association joined Old Boys, pupils, staff and governors to celebrate the centenary of the Courts which were built in 1908 during the Headmastership of A K Watson Old Harrovian.

President and Founder of the O.I. Eton Fives Club, Mike Fenn, was in the Chair and welcomed the guests. The Headmaster, Mr Ian Galbraith, proposed the toast to: Our guests and former Headmaster A K Watson, initiator of the game of Eton Fives at Ipswich. The Chairman of the Eton Fives Association, Mr Richard Barber OBE, responded on behalf of the guests and the Association.

Earlier in the day the granddaughters of A K Watson unveiled a Centenary Plaque to commemorate the founding of the courts by their Grandfather. The ceremony included the naming of the the three courts after Arthur Watson (founder), Martin Shortland-Jones (former member of staff and responsible for the restoration of the courts in 1955) and Mike Fenn (founder of the Old Ipswichian Eton Fives Club in 1966). Peter Boughton (Bursar) introduced proceedings with a brief outline of Fives at Ipswich and background to naming of the courts. Mike Fenn responded on behalf of those being honoured. Anne Shortland-Jones was in attendance.

Following the formal unveiling ceremony a Centenary Match between an A K Watson XII and Headmaster of Bury St Edmunds' XII, the first match in 1908 having been played between A K Watson and the Headmaster of King Edward's Bury St Edmunds and a members of their staff. The Headmaster commenced the match by throwing the first ball. Unlike 1908 the Bury St Edmunds Staff triumphed 4-2.

Teams A K Watson XII ( entered first) lost to Headmaster of Bury St Edmunds XII 4-2:

Tim Fletcher & Seb Cooley beat Howard Wiseman & John Reynolds
14-13, 12-4
Courtney Friend & Peter Boughton lost to Tom Fletcher & Gareth Hoskins
14-13, 13-14, 10-12
Ronald Pattison & Mike Fenn lost to Nigel Cox & Simon Woolfries
7-12, 10-12
Will Gibbons & Edward Boughton lost to Peter Forrest & Alex Yusaf
9-12, 6-12
Karina Van den Bergh & Emma Fletcher beat Eleanor Ward & Annabel Griffiths
9-12, 12-10, 12-11
Chris Broyden & John Chessher lost to Oliver Watts & James Hicks
7-12, 7-12

A match between the O.I.'s and the School, the O.I.'s winning 3-0, took place in the morning.

M.R.F.

Article by Mike Fenn
Created 26th January 2009 by Mike Fenn
efa@etonfives.co.uk

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