We are delighted to let you know that our Annual Dinner will take place on Saturday 25th March 2023 at the Crypt School. This will be our first full event since 2019, so we are really hoping to see as many Club members, partners, other former pupils and staff members as possible.
The price of the event will be £33 for members, £36 for non-members and £22.50 for under 21’s. There will also be a bar for drinks before and during the meal. The dress code will be smart casual, not least because many of the men probably can’t find their suits (or they need dry cleaning like most of mine!).
Our guest speaker will be Ian Dench (1975-82). Ian is an award-winning songwriter, having written hits for Beyoncé, All Saints, Shakira and Jamie Cullum, among many others. He’s probably best known for being the guitarist and principal songwriter for local band EMF, who’s debut single Unbelievable became one of the iconic hits of the 90s. Ian has also held several other roles within the music industry, both at home and overseas.
Our AGM will also be held on the above date, details of which will follow in the coming month. The timings for the evening will be;
6:15 pm AGM 6:45 pm Drinks 7:30 pm Annual Dinner
So why not use this as an opportunity to get together with friends, lost acquaintances and make new connections (but not in the Love Island sense!).
Any questions, please drop me a line at president@oldcryptians.org
The OCRFC are looking for any information, stories, photos, anecdotes, videos that people can provide regarding the building of the “new” clubhouse before it was extended on several occasions.
Our very own committee member Mike Beard was heavily involved in the original build, but as he says, in those days people didn’t take 100s of photos, they were more selective in what they were capturing so he doesn’t have a record of the project.
The rugby club will be looking at everything historical to see what can be used and displayed as they approach the 100th anniversary of Old Cryptians RFC.
Please contact Greg Barton gregbartonsmail@gmail.com with any memorabilia you may have, especially anything on hard copy which you can share but would like returned.
Dear Old Cryptians, I was debating with colleagues only three days ago on Friday last week when one can stop wishing people Happy New Year. I think it’s probably mid-January, so I’ve just enough time to wish you a Happy New Year!
There are two really important thing for this eNews – the OCC Annual Dinner and New Committee Members.
First, the Annual Dinner. We are shooting for Saturday 25th March at the school. Resurrecting things after the hiatus caused by the pandemic is not always easy. The momentum is lost and sometimes interest has waned. But I know from experience, getting back together with people is hugely important and can’t be replaced by technology, as wonderful as that is. For now, all I ask is that you save the date and also complete the shortest of forms ever made –https://forms.office.com/r/dJ5NG2uPsF . This will help us gauge interest in the event before we commit and risk club funds on a non-refundable deposit.
Secondly, the Committee. Our AGM will also take place at the end of March. We’re always interested in seeking new committee members, but particularly so at this time, when we need to seek the skills that will strengthen our future as a Club. You can find out more on our website here or contact me direct (president@oldcryptians.org).
On Saturday 19th November a group of pupils, parents, staff and Old Cryptians met to plant the 30 trees we received as part of the The Queen’s Green Canopy
The day before, the school ground staff had marked out two rows 5 metres apart and 5 metres between planned plantings.
We quickly organised into planting teams; one to place the cane, one to split the soil and one to plant the sapling – a production line!
We were sent 15 silver birch, 8 mountain ash (rowan) and 7 wild cherry. We planted the rowan and cherry nearest the drive as they will be shorter and provide plenty of colour through the year. The row at the back being all silver birch which will provide plenty of height and grow quite quickly.
The trees should grow with little or no maintenance, but we’ll keep an eye on them and remove any competing weeds in the first year and to make sure they remain as growing trees rather than potential grazing for the wildlife. If anyone would like a biology and geography project, it would be good to plot each tree (what3words perhaps?) and monitor and record its height through the years. Perhaps we could even have a sponsor a tree opportunity.
Very special thanks to Bob and Lesley Smith, Pankas Agarwal, Lystra Maisey and Raffie Ludlow-Maisey, Luke, Michelle, Andrew, Linda and Dave Goscombe (great family effort), Nick and Sam Perkins, Steve Knibbs and Adam Ashby for making the time to help the project.
The Ancient Schools of Gloucester by David Evans A message from the author: ‘I have recently produced a book entitled ‘The Ancient Schools of Gloucester’. It tells the story of the development of education in Gloucester from its monastic origins around the time of the Norman Conquest through to the Industrial Revolution. As you would imagine, a substantial part of the book refers to the history of the Crypt School and the medieval city grammar school run by Llanthony Priory which preceded the Crypt. Of the 17 chapters, there are in fact 6 that either wholly or substantially relate to the Crypt’. With the support of Crypt School, David will be presenting a copy to the school at some point in November. Hardback, with 267 pages and 100 photographs, the book is on sale on Amazon, at Discover DeCrypt, at the Cathedral and at the Heritage Hub for £25. David is able to offer a discounted price of £22 for direct sales, please email David at: ancientschools@gmail.com which includes free delivery to any address within Gloucester City.
Crypt careers lead Chris Germaine is looking for some OCC input. He writes…
As the new academic year is about to start, I am looking for Old Cryptians who are interested in sharing their career journey since leaving The Crypt? A great opportunity to reminisce about your time at school and staying part of the 1539 Foundation.
I would love to hear from you to create a series of podcasts and video chats to share and inspire with current students, as well as share amongst the OCC network. I would love it for you to get involved.
The school welcomed #OldCryptians Richard Briggs and Richard Browning into school on the 29th June for the annual award of the OC bursaries to ten students. Well done to them all and our thanks to the generosity of the OC Club.
OCRFC are looking for a new Head Coach for the upcoming 2022/23 season.
Our 1st XV are currently in Gloucestershire Premier where we finished 5th narrowly missing out on top 4 in our first season in this league.
With over 100 players used this season across 3 teams and over 40 players used in the 1st XV we have a large playing and training squad with great strength in depth.
We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and committed individual to lead us forward as a club.If this vacancy interests you and you think you have the ability and skill set to deliver then please get in touch with the club.
Richard has closed the crowdfunding page and has raised well over £600 (plus a further £100 in Giftaid) for the Bursary Fund,
OCC stalwart and budding Eddie Merckx has completed a 400+ miles cycling trip to explore the countryside of Northern Ireland and to sample sea cliffs on the Wild Atlantic Way. He is raising money for an education charity that has been running for 21 years.
“I start and finish in Belfast and hope to learn more about this city at election time when many questions are being asked about Northern Ireland and its future. My story will form the basis of a Cryptian article.”
The school welcomed 
OCRFC are looking for a new Head Coach for the upcoming 2022/23 season.
