Advertisement
Published: February 4th 2018
Once in a while someone's generosity of heart moves many to say,
"Thank you, we appreciate what you do for us." Born Stephen but to his school friends from decades ago, he's Sam.
We met at Sydney Grammar School...among 180 first year boys.
I was the little blonde kid in the Rugby Union team for the tinys...those kids that had to play against other GPS school teams of the same age but tiny.
T'was I who broke a finger as wicket keeper in the cricket team and whose hand-caste came off while swimming in the Lane Cove River.
It was playing cricket that I met Sam.
He was the biggest boy in the team, the slowest runner...but the most dependable.
Master of the block...that defensive stroke where you don't score runs but you don't get out.
No one could block like Sam...or did it so often.
The batsman at the other end would smash the ball to score the runs...but Sam's role was to not get out.
And being in lower teams where no one thinks they are a maestro...Sam's skill at stymieing bowling attacks and not getting out made him
a local hero...cheered off the field week in week out...as long as we ended up winning that is...and win we usually did.
In later school years he was Captain of the 4th Eleven...the Gentleman's Eleven...those boys that were in it for the social rather than the competition...one of the school's most successful cricket teams as it turned out.
And why was Sam the Captain if his role was not to score runs?
Because he was the master organiser...the skill for which I dedicate this blog.
'Cos 40 years on he is the one who brings the Old Boys together...the organiser of school reunions.
And if 'twas not for Sam many of us agree we would not keep in touch...albeit once a year or less seldom...but if not for Sam...probably never.
A group needs an organiser...the one who oils the wheel...the one who contacts everyone...no matter where they are in the World...calling us together...and a healthy number of us accept the call.
******
I was in cricket teams with Sam for 3 years but being the tennis player in the year, after 3rd year I had no sporting association with Sam
as I pursued representative honours on the grass tennis courts of White City.
I was constantly on tennis or squash courts which is probably why I now practice in the law courts.
Our school year resulted in an abundance of all conceivable pursuits, doctors, dentists, teachers, accountants, farmers, businessmen, artists, musicians...the most being lawyers.
And one of those lawyers was Sam...aka Stephen J. Lamond.
After he qualified, Sam moved to Goulburn, a southern New South Wales rural town and his life for the next 40 years as a Country solicitor began.
Several years later when visiting Sydney, he was introduced to Catherine, an Irish Catholic girl who while waiting for him in a hotel for their first date was approached by a young man who was not put off by her protests she was waiting for another.
Imagine her surprise when her solicitor date Stephen walked in and greeted her pesterer with,
"Tony, how are you mate?" To which he replied,
"Good to see you, Sam." Poor Cath.
Not only did her date know the pesterer from school days (Tony Dawes)...her date had also she thought...given her a false name!!!
Oh well...she ended up marrying him...an Irish Catholic marrying an Anglican...unheard of in those days!
******
On leaving school we all went our separate ways as you do...life's journey...many paths.
Sam says Scott Smith was responsible for organising a data base of the old boys from our year...compiled over many years as each of us knew at least one other's contact details.
I understand Dave Morgan, Phil Ludowici, Cameron Dalyell, maybe others helped organise reunions as well.
I'll always remember Cameron...tells the same story each reunion...how a group of us schoolboys had been camping in the Blue Gum Forest in the Blue Mountains of NSW when before we climbed the massive cliff at Govett's Leap we stopped for lunch, whereupon he asked me,
"Dave, can we have the rocks for the campfire, please?" I thought my pack was heavy.
Turns out they had loaded my pack with rocks from our campsite before we had set out that day!!!
Over the years one can meet old school mates in the most unusual places.
Day 2 of the Festival au Desert at Timbuktu in Mali, West Africa in 2011...my
wedding day.
Really my recomittment after 30 years of wedded bliss.
Crawl out of my sleeping bag...Guy calls me to meet the Tuareg Chief who wants to go through the wedding arrangements with me...into the communal goatskin tent.
Meet Mamayti the Chief, an older Tuareg & his wife. Guy, Joannah & me...Mamayti is running the show...Joannah folding her wedding planner lists up in resignation.
"We will lend you special Tuareg ornaments to make it authentic...you will ride out on camels after the heat of the day...say 4.30pm...and come back at 5pm for the wedding ceremony." Mamayti advises the price for the Tuaregs for our festivities...OK we all benefit...I pay the price.
Immediately Tuaregs start clearing our encampment...laying benches...mats...expectation building.
A man walks into our encampment...
"Excuse me ...Are you David Hooper?" Blow me over with a feather...its Peter Jensen...a classmate from high school in Sydney 40 years ago.
So...of course...I invited him to our wedding!
See my blog
Our Tuareg Wedding...Festival Au Desert...Timbuktu, Mali Next week Mark Mawson is coming from Hamilton Island and invited old boys for drinks at a pub in Paddington before he heads off to China to conduct golf
coaching clinics.
Carey McMahon (the racing car driver from our year) and I will be present. - see my blog
Muscle Car Masters : Motor Racing...the Carey McMahon story Who else will be there?
******
Over the years we had 5 yearly Reunions that were advertised by Wendy Scotter for the Old Sydnean's Union thinking we may have wanted to keep in touch...some did and some didn't.
I did not particularly have fond memories of my school days but I went to the Reunions anyway.
And by doing so I found that childhood prejudices had been thrown away and everyone was delighted to see the others.
I firmly believe this was largely due to Sam...who with the able assistance of Cath who sent a lot of the emails...oiled the wheels of camaraderie...of inclusion...of shared histories of our informative years...that contributed to us being the men...albeit all very different...that we are today.
Who can forget the look on Jimmy Fong's face when he attended his first school reunion a couple of years ago...having resisted invitations for over 40 years...greeted as a long lost friend...all so so happy he had chosen to attend.
School reunions...thanks
to Sam...or is it Cath & Sam...some now yearly...memorable occasions in which to be.
******
Cath is an extraordinary woman.
I understand she is a Registered Nurse who rose to Executive nursing roles...had a business in overseeing infection control protocols for health services in Australia and overseas...now retired to look after Sam.
Recently Denise and I travelled to Goulburn to stay with Sam and Cath.
Sam had not been well for many years following a motor vehicle accident in 2009 with serious orthopaedic and cardiac issues requiring extensive hospitalisations and pending operations that are not minor.
Some of the old boys had kept in touch during these ordeals which had raised his spirits and inspired his determination to endure.
We found my old friend with limited mobility but an undiminished generosity of heart and love of life.
And the reason for his positive attitude all comes down to Cath...his wife...lover...carer...and rock.
Her career and expertise in nursing are obvious plusses.
But to me it was the strength of their relationship that was the key.
They had a recent trip to Paris for Cath's 60th birthday.
Cath
carried all the suitcases...everywhere...up train station stairs...helping Sam at the same time who is a big man and whose mobility is very restricted...struggle struggle...never complaining...you get the picture.
Was my pleasure to introduce my dance partner Denise to them both and to enjoy a couple of days chewing the fat and enjoying each other's company.
Not surprisingly Denise and Cath got on famously...and surprisingly while there was cricket on TV...Sam was more interested in chatting with us...often wincing in pain...his demeanour indicating that his health benefited from our presence.
******
I include some old school photos of the 3 junior cricket teams I was in with Sam.
I also include one of a junior tennis team I captained that played a GPS Schools tournament at White City that included some of our year.
Some old boys may delight in their pics as youngsters and of those who shared those moments with them. I remember the names of all of you.
See if you can recognise the smiling faces as well.
******
Sam & Cath keep their home open for visitors to drop in or stay when in
Sam on a Brass Plaque
Montague Street, GoulburnGoulburn.
From schooldays those who have accepted the invitations include:
David Grinston, Mitch Jakeman, Laurie Fahey, Tim Watson-Munro, Mark Sewell, Tony Harrington, Steve Hodgkinson, Piers Laverty, Steve Ward and now Dancing & Denise Hooper...maybe more.
Let me vouch for the accommodation provided...all meals of which Denise's cakes & goodies contributed...air-conditioned bedroom...even our own private bathroom.
Yep...we'll come again!!!
******
Cath and Sam assist with community projects. That is where they met two men from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who embraced them when we went to Fredo's Mobile Kitchen for dinner one night.
The Goat Curry and Beef Ragu were superb.
I do not know Fredo's story but he believes he has the only mobile African food truck in Australia...thriving on the late night pub crowds that need a feed...a hard working refugee that deserves a break.
His friend Ishmael dropped by...embraced Sam & Cath and told me his story.
His parents were killed in the war in the DRC and at age 12 he ran and escaped the carnage with his 14 year old brother. They travelled on foot through Uganda, Rwanda and ended up
in a refugee camp in Ethiopia for a couple of years. Then a refugee camp in Kenya.
His face lit up like a phosphorescent fountain emerging from darkness when he said receiving the news they had been accepted as refugees to come to Australia...was the happiest day of his life.
No harder working, more enthused with life family man, you could meet...a beacon for the positive aspects of refugee immigration policies of our blessed homeland of Oz.
Men blessed by the generosity of Sam and Cath.
We left Goulburn...the Giant Merino Sheep grinning...me determined I should do this blog...to be a total surprise to them.
To thank them for what they do for us Old Boys.
A thank you for their selfless regard for others.
Relax & Enjoy,
Dancing Dave
Advertisement
Tot: 0.109s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 17; qc: 31; dbt: 0.041s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Andre Leu
non-member comment
Well deserved for a very special pair Sam and Cath
Sam and I met in 1964 in year five at SGS prep in St Ives and were friends from the start. After more than 40 years Julia and I had a very pleasant evening with Cath and Sam in Port Douglas - real friendships last the test of time.