NEWS

Club medic Stephen Mullin and jet-set banker John Gee-Grant won the Wood Plate this year, beating CLS schoolboy Tom Davidson and former Cambridge half-blue Bobby Friedman in a frenetic final 8-4. The determined Friedman and the increasingly confident and skilful Davidson took an early lead but were edged out by an ice-calm Gee-Grant and big-hitting Mullin.

We had a full draw of 16 players for this year's trophy, which these days opens our competitive season (the Adams Cup will close it in eight months).

There were three Wood Plate debutants: club guests Francis Pattison and Ralph Morgan (who were saddled with club captain John Reynolds and Eton Fives Association vice-president Gordon Stringer respectively) and finalist Tom Davidson.

Our most senior player this year was the 73-year-old Stringer, who drove down from Worcestershire to be with us. The difference in age between oldest and youngest competittors was 56 (give or take) which must be some kind of record.

Prize for the furthest distance travelled went to Lawford Martin, who came down from Liverpool.
Mark George Jacobs - who partnered his brother Les in a serendipitous quirk of the random draw - gets the prize for bringing along the most spectators (three).

The final was watched by a very welcome and perhaps-record crowd of about 20 - including John Gee-Grant's family of Carole and Eve and a visitor from South Korea, He Hong, who was part of the Pattison contingent - and then Louise Pattison provided a touch of glamour by presenting the trophy.