Highgate Reception September 2002
In September 2002 a reception to celebrate Fives at Highgate was held in the School Dining Hall at Highgate. The event was to celebrate the School winning all six major schools pair competitions during the 2001-2002 Fives season. The Head Master, Fives staff, school players, Old Cholmeleians, Officers of the EFA and invited guests were in attendance.

"From the Quad" St.John's Leatherhead September 2002
"St John's Fives, a unique version of the game which began at Eton, has thrived on the courts dedicated to the memory of Charles Churchill, former Chairman of Governors, though this term it is an exclusively male sport. In September Mr David Wells-Cole, whose enthusiasm for Fives has done much to ensure the preservation of the game at St John's, invited the girls at Hallaton to take up the game and four accepted his challenge, playing each week. It can only be a matter of time before they take on the boys!" (There was also a photo of the Master and the four girls).

Ushaw College e-mail received from Lawrence Emm (former student at Ushaw) July 2003
(http://www.etonfives.co.uk/articles/ushaw.html) I read the article with interest, and would mention the following: I understand that the ballplace walls at Ushaw are also protected and will not be demolished (although the third ballplace is in a very perilous state).

The College holds its Friends and Alumni reunion this weekend (12-15 July 2003) and while we might struggle to field two teams for a 4-a-side match, I am hopeful that there will be a game or two in the small racquet sheds - so the game still survives but is infrequently played.

I would need to check my rule book, which I don't have at work with me, but I am reasonably certain that we played handball games to 21 points (and not 15 as the article mentions).

Our 'handballs' are made from wool wrapped round pieces of cloth and finished with an outer skin of sheepskin. They are made by hand and the size is approximately 2" in radius.

Further e-mail
I have checked my rule book, and also talked it through with a lot of old boys during the recent reunion, and can confirm that we played to 21 points. The only time both sides might have agreed to play up to 15 points only could perhaps have been if we were squeezing in a final game before tea, prep or church. The rules would have allowed this, but it was not the norm.

Finally, I am not also convinced that Ushaw Handball was categorically brought by Irish clerics. The founding priests at Ushaw were mainly men from the Lancashire, Yorkshire and Durham areas (via Douai College in what is now France) when Douai was forced to close during the French Revolution. Ushaw today still serves the Northern Diocese of England but it would be an interesting piece to research.

Ushaw College – e-mail from Nicole Power
“Referring to an extract from the Article Ushaw College & the French Connection by Tom O'Connor created 4th June 2003. The court was fenced off over a year ago by the landowner, claiming it was for insurance purposes only. The reason for this was that any person retrieving a ball from the rear of the alley was on his property. The local authority has agreed to take over the responsibility for the alley, plus the rear to his inner garden wall.

Current situation today is that the landowner is stalling signing an agreement with the local authority. It is common knowledge that his wish is to knock it, as it is obscuring his view.

I would like to mention that the local community has on a number of occasions over the last 70 years raised funds to restore it. It was always part of the community.

St Paul's Darjeeling e-mail received from Arindam Chaudhuri September 2003

I was surprised and delighted to see a long forgotten piece written up by me about fives in Darjeeling (EFA annual report 1983/84) posted on the website by Mike Fenn (thanks!!). I live in the UK now and the next best thing available has been squash, and I must say I miss the vagaries and the basic fun of the game, and this will certainly spur me on to find some courts nearby (I'm near Cambridge) and start after 20 years!!

Follow up e-mail from Arindam
I have emailed the pages to Old Paulites in Calcutta and beyond, so a bit of nostalgia will re- emerge, I'm sure!! I hope to visit Darjeeling next year and will get in touch with the rector, who was senior master when I was a student, to see what we can do about getting St. Paul's back in the loop. I can certainly remember the joy we used to share when a box of new balls arrived, and it was interesting to observe the kind of swing we could get from the new ball and the spin from the old - just like in cricket!! I was just seeing a picture of a court here, and the feel was uncannily similar to how it was there - of course - you have to remember we were playing up at 7600 feet, so I think we did have the highest courts in the world!! Our gloves were donated by another Old Paulite, and I must say they were hand - stitched and well padded. I might buy a couple of pairs here and send them on or take them up myself next year. Does the EFA run an online shop by any chance?

Looking forward to hearing from you, and if there is an annual bash or something of the sort where we can see if we've retained our old skills (I also saw the other report from 1987) esp. left hand working as well the right, I would love to come, even if to be embarrassed!!

Fives in Darjeeling – e-mail from Debraj Bhattacharjee India July 2004

“I attended St. Paul's Darjeeling, from 1983-95. It was an absolute pleasure to come across your website. During the protracted monsoons of the early nineties in Darjeeling (I suppose not much has changed climatically) - fives was quite the thing with me and my friends. It was a treat to read about the game that we played extensively, and enjoyed whole-heartedly. Your site brought back some lovely memories.”

Monmouth School e-mail received from Matthew Barnett July 2004

Just a note re your interesting site - which I came across almost by accident - and your comments about Welsh grammar / public schools possessing Fives Courts. I was at Monmouth School in the 70s, and although not present when I was there, I know that it did have one or two courts, sadly now gone. I remember hearing that, latterly, they had mostly been used by the masters. It may be that Monmouth School still has some photographs of the courts.

Paul Jefferys (Berkhamsted) – Daily Express, 23rd August 2004
Record 10 A-grades for Paul
BRILLIANT Paul Jefferys is Britain's top pupil after notching up a record 10 A-grades in his A levels. The 17-year-old averaged 95 per cent across his exams, with 100 per cent in general studies. The previous record was eight A-grades. Paul scored his amazing results in subjects ranging from history and Latin to physics and chemistry.

Now he has landed a place at Trinity College, Cambridge, to study maths. Paul, who went to fee-paying Berkhamsted Collegiate School in Hertfordshire, gave up maths lessons at 12 and read textbooks instead.

Paul is also on the school's Eton fives team, plays the saxophone and has completed the Duke of Edinburgh's award

First All Girls Match at Westminster, January 2005

An historic all-girls match between St.Olave's School and Westminster School took place at Westminster on 25th January 2005. 3 pairs - result 1.5/1.5 each!!

The Johnson Trophy 9th February 2005

Howard Wiseman reports: "I have just come back from the inaugural Johnson Trophy. This is an event which unites Uppingham, Oakham and St.Olave's through Fives, on account of the fact that Dr Johnson, the Olavian Headmaster of 1571, introduced the Olavian Badge, and then passed it on to the other two schools. To this day, they share the same badge. The weekend was a great success, making full use of both the Uppingham and Oakham courts throughout Sunday. There will be a full report, together with photographs to follow soon. Next year we plan to hold the event at Eton College, to include a dinner, and to arrange for the three Headmasters and Chairman of the EFA to be in attendance. Watch this space!"

Lancing College Sports Award Dinner June 2005

At the sixth form Sports Awards Dinner at Lancing College last evening Fives scooped the top two awards! Juliet Browning and Sophie Palmer won the outstanding sporting achievement of the year award for their national schoolgirls Eton Fives championship title. The coach of the year award also went to the Fives - to Howard Wiseman.

It is one thing to win the Fives championships and for the Fives club to be thriving within a school, but quite another thing for the sport to be given a high profile within a school where Fives is often classed as a minor sport. It would be good if more schools demonstrated this level of recognition and support for the game.

e-mail from Malaysia - e-mail from Mohd Rizal February 2005

It has been a while since there was anything about the courts in Malay College Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia.

During my recent visit I found out that the school have made an effort to make the court playable again. Gone are all the weeds and trash that was there during one of you or your associate's visit a few years back. I submit to you photos of the current condition of the courts.

Further e-mail from Mohd

For your information, the school also have been receiving some equipment from the old boys who sometimes go to London. Hopefully we could actually make the game return to our grounds.

btw, I was at our brother school in Vajiravudh Bangkok. And found out they played rugby fives, and to compensate the ball they used the inner rubber ball of a tennis ball as an alternative. Played a few games with their Old Boys, and it was fun, after quite sometime.

Camp Hill School Birmingham - e-mail from Rezwan malik July 2005

I went to King Edwards' Camp Hill in Birmingham and was disappointed to hear some time ago that the courts were demolished (due to lack of usage post c1987) to build a technology block in about 1990-ish. They were brick facing, however underwent major refurbishment (to my excitement & glee) in about the mid 80's. This dealt with the roof, the lights, and the 'colour scheme', as I recall.

Funding had been agreed by the KE Foundation as a consequence of the number of pairs we fielded at the Public Schools Championships every year and our usually very active fixtures list.

Our playing surface was however not the best - bit slippy, however KE Five Ways' & King Edwards' School had excellent courts. In fact, including Eton, Repton, Stowe, Berkhamstead to name a few, Five Ways' courts were in a league of their own.

Anyway, I thought you may wish to know.

Best wishes to you & your organisation

Rez Malik (former school & house Eton Fives Captain 1988, King Edwards' VI Camp Hill Grammar School)

E-mail from Malaysia - 10 July 2005

I accidentally came across your website and realised that you had photos of my former school, and in particular photos of the Eton Fives court. I guess the signboard must have been erected after I have left the college in 1982 as it certainly wasn't there during my time, i.e. from 1978 to 1982. Nobody had a clue of how the game was played during my 5 years at the Malay College.

Anyway, the following is the translation of the notice on the signboard, which coincidentally is in 'Bahasa Malaysia', i.e. the Malay language.

"The Game of Eton Fives - This court was built in the year 1928 by the then Principal, C. Bazell. This game is played with 4 players by using gloves. The team which is first to collect 12 points will be declared the winner for each set."

By the way, the late Colin Bazell was an Englishman. We had British and Irish principals at the college from 1905 (the year the college came into existence) until 1965. The 1st being the late William Hargreaves, an Englishman and the last Neil Ryan, an Irishman (Neil's still alive). The principals after Neil Ryan are all Malaysians.

Kind regards.

Hisham Albakri (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
(fondly known as "Banna" during my time at the Malay College) Malay College, 1978 - 1982.

29th July 2005

New Fives Club in Shrewsbury - note from Grant Williams

From September we will be running a fives club for all boys from KG who wish to learn the game with a view to creating a fixture against Shrewsbury School and the KG masters common room. Two fathers have already joined the Shrewsbury Monday Club.

If after a term it all works well, we will be offering it up to Prestfelde (the other prep school in the area) and hopefully Shrewsbury High School for Girls in the Summer term.

Visit to Geelong - e-mail from Susan Wilson September 2005

Julie now lives in Australia and I have lost contact, but I do have some photos somewhere of the tuition in progress.

3rd September 2005

Fives at St Paul's Darjeeling

The following e-mail has been received from Rajeev Mehra and is posted following a series of friendly exchanges concerning the Old Paulites "disappointment at the rather condescending report of the EFA published in 1887 at undermining the Eton Fives facilities at our alma mater."

Rajeev writes:

"I passed out of school in 1997 and can vouch that the Eton Fives courts have been fully renovated. We no longer have the electricity problem. They had fallen into disrepair (especially through the period of the GNLF rebellion / calls for separatism in the hills - as Mr. Tyler correctly mentions in his article). While it is also correct that the school has difficulties in procuring equipment, the game is still very much flourishing in school. One of the better pairs from my batch were Anurag Dalmia and Abhishek Kanoi. Other people who were avid players during my tenure (mixed batch years) were Ian Macdonald, S.M. Pradhan and Abhishesh Singh.

We are definitely one of the ONLY schools in the Indian subcontinent to still offer the game where it is still very much active. During my time (1985 - 1997) we had an award called the DEAS (Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme) and proficiency in sports was one criteria for receiving the award. Boys could and did specialise in Eton Fives under their submissions for the scheme. The DEAS has now been replaced by the IYAP post 1997 - I do not know when exactly this happened, but I suspect the IYAP functions under the same criteria as the DEAS.

The captain for 2004 of Eton Fives was a boy called Mohammed Parvez Khan and the current coach is Mr. Dilip Kumar.

We shall be delighted if you include a hyperlink to the official website of the School and our website alumini. In fact, we were discussing Eton Fives in one of our member forums when we came across your website and found articles regarding Eton Fives in the school. Quite frankly, judging from relevant parameters in this day and age, we were appalled by the comments that we found.

We shall be delighted if you would like to add these comments as a post scriptum to the article and shall deem the matter closed.

In good faith - and you have a jolly good website!

Sincerely,

Rajeev and fellow Paulites.

PS: St Paul's School has been called "The Eton of the East" in the past."

2nd October 2005

Malay College & St Paul's Darjeeling e-mail from Susan Wilson

I read with interest the 1995 report from Dale and Krystyna Vargas regarding the Malay College in Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia. The mention of the "two ladies who recently travelled and played at the college" was in fact myself and my travelling companion. She is named Julie Hetherington and, I believe, played regularly at Eton. The information was slightly incorrect as I don't play, but her mission on our year long trip was to visit as many run-down Fives courts as she could and give equipment out from England and explain the rules. Julie Hetherington - in action at Malay College. We stayed at the college in February 1994 for this reason and she gave demonstrations to the boys and the sports masters. The students picked up the game very quickly and seemed to enjoy themselves. It's a shame they haven't continued as they really were very talented. We also stopped off at St. Paul's school in Darjeeling in December 1993.

Julie now lives in Australia and I have lost contact.

25th November 2005

Courts at Hazelwood Peparatory School - e-mail from Paul Mason

"I am currently the Gap tutor at Hazelwood School (Limpsfield, Oxted) and have been asked to construct a proper archive of the many documents the school has in its possession. Amongst the documents I found is a pamphlet which explains the reasons and benefits of the school's move in 1890 from Warlingham to the site it stands on today. The pamphlet states that some fives courts were being built at the new site; these fives courts no longer exist and although I can make an educated guess as to where they once stood, I can find no other documentation of them either photographically or in writing. I was hoping that the EFA might have some knowledge of the courts and the game at Hazelwood (that is asuming that they were Eton fives' courts!) and if indeed the fives courts were actually built. I know that the school is not mentioned on your website as having played but the pamphlet does mention courts being built.

I would be most grateful if you could give me any information that the EFA might have on fives at Hazelwood as this great game has now been lost to members of the school."

EFA Webmaster: Nothing found in the Association records - is anyone able to help please?