Chris Shaw (K50-56) writes : Australia is a huge island continent, most of which is dry, red sand, the flat remnants of an ancient inland sea. Every fifty years or so in Queensland, we experience an enthusiastically wet, Wet Season, and we’ve just had one. To us that means Lake Eyre in South Australia will eventually have water in it again, and the grass and the birdlife go crazy. The drainage basin is 1.2 million km2 and the lake is 10,000 km2 in surface area, to a depth of 15 metres. The last time this happened was in 1974, a year after I arrived in Cairns. Closer to home, it was also the venue that Donald Campbell broke the land speed record in Bluebird CN7 of 403.1mph (648.7 kph) on July 17th, 1964.
Hone your focus now on a ubiquitous yellow sandstone building in Sydney within sight of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, affectionately known as the ‘Coat-hanger’, and see three men and a woman meet up for the first time in ten years. The instigator of this meeting is Michael (Mike) Garnett (R53-55), OAM of Romsey, Victoria, who is visiting Sydney for events arising from his Order of Australia Medal. This dinner meeting was organised by Col Lipman (R53-61), who runs a business in Sydney and kindly makes the arrangements for such meetings, for which we give due thanks. The last of the three men, Chris Shaw (K50-56), with his wife, Rebecca, who had travelled from Cairns in the Far North of Queensland where most of the Cyclones that bring the prodigious rainfall to fill Lake Eyre about every 50 years, make landfall. The ‘watering hole’ of these four was the Royal Automobile Club of Australia established in 1905, and a large step back in Australia’s history.
The three men have in common being students at Framlingham College in Suffolk in ‘England’s fair and pleasant land’. That their presence at ‘Fram’ was in the 1950s and 1960s was shown by the snow on their heads, their slightly frail gait, and the enthusiasm of their handshakes alluding to their awareness of the lack of sand left in their hourglasses. These three are survivors of life’s ‘slings and arrows’, and had joined to celebrate their separate journeys, linked by the golden thread of ‘Fram’s’ training and philosophy, and Mike’s richly deserved reward. Rebecca, Chris’s wife, was a Librarian for a quarter of a century and has just completed a 12-year project of Tudor cross-stitched portraits and scenes.
Four glasses clinked to unite these people, and a sip to sign the deed, left Col to give us a copy of the new President of the Society of Old Framlinghamian’s letter to connect with our meeting. The new President is Kim Dickel (M97-98), who lives in Dusseldorf, and is to be congratulated on her Presidency. I’ve seen her name many times in relation to events and dinners in Germany, reported by Chris Essex in his Overseas Bag reports.
Düsseldorf, 01.05.2025.
To Colin and all attendees of the Australia Old Framlinghamian Dinner.
It is wonderful to hear that the strong and enduring connection between our Australian OFs and the Society of Old Framlinghamians is celebrated in Sydney on May 2nd. Many thanks to the organisers past and present who ensure that our bond rooted in common values and mutual respect remains relevant and intact.
For generations, Australia and Great Britain have been linked by language, culture, and tradition. Attending Framlingham College, however, transcends a shared history and translates democratic ideals and a rich literary and artistic heritage into a lived experience. Overseas OFs have always contributed more than just academic ability. They bring a fresh global perspective, a spirit of openness, and a natural curiosity. They help foster cultural exchange, broaden discussions, and build bridges between peers from diverse backgrounds. In our current global climate these traits remain invaluable and are a fundamental pillar to shape a kinder world.
As the first overseas president to the Society of Old Framlinghamians, I am particularly happy that the first dinner of my term is in Australia as it reminds us of the vibrancy and global nature of our community. You truly are ambassadors of the close friendship and warmth that connects all Old Framlinghamians across the globe.
Thank you, Colin, for making this possible. I wish I could be there. Enjoy your evening!
Kim Alexandra Dickel (M97-98) President to the Society of Old Framlinghamians
Thank you, Kim, from all present in Sydney on 2nd May 2025.
Col very kindly transported us to the ‘Fish on the Rocks’ restaurant where we were assailed by yet another reminder of UK, the dreaded ‘spiral staircase’, which took a tad longer to ascend than in former years.
We were joined by John Clarke (G57-60), and his partner Shauna, bang on time from a two-hour drive, albeit with a broken gearbox en route. None of us knew him, so we made both very welcome.
Prior to the meal being served, Col suggested a 2-minute précis of our lives.
John said he had been in Australia for quite a long time and had spent most of it in Western Australia, had had many opportunities to make big money but had a continual need to move on from wherever he was. His admission to ‘not passing anything’ at Fram meant he left early, but non-academic minds have an infuriating habit of being successful human beings, and we loved his humour.
Chris told of his career in pharmacy in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth Caribbean Islands, and in Australia. He had done most things that pharmacists do, including working in Her Majesty’s Prison Service in Norwich and as a Caribbean drug peddler, albeit as a pharmacist Medical Representative for a British Pharmaceutical company.
Col’s story centred around his family’s connection with England and Australian Rugby Union. His son had played for both England and Australia.
Mike had been awarded the Order of Australia Medal mentioned above, for services to the military by helping to arrange for a bronze statue of a Lighthorse man and steed to be erected near his home, a miniature copy of which Mike and Chris had donated to the College as a table decoration. Further services to local amenities, and to his contribution in facilitating a Real/Royal Tennis court in Cheltenham, Victoria, including his many books on the subject. Mike (2nd left) and the team that brought the statue of the Lighthorse man to life.
Rebecca told of growing up in Sydney, moving to Cairns in 1984, marrying her local pharmacist, Chris, in 1991, and completing a 12-year project of cross-stitching the Tudor Kings and Queens, 12 portraits and scenes, and 1.2 million stitches.
Shauna regaled us with stories from her life and nursing experience, some of which had been around the psychiatric end of the spectrum.
A very fine meal was beautifully presented, and a fine time was had by all. The piece de resistance was that Col drove us ‘home’, saving us from the vicissitudes of Sydney traffic, at night, in the rain, and the extra effort of walking uphill and the deleterious effects it could have had on my pacemaker battery.
Yes, we are getting old but have had amazing and unique lives, and now the young ones need to step up and give of their physical, academic and spiritual experiences for others to emulate.
Finally, thank you, Col, for arranging for us to have a memorable evening, a world away from our East Anglian roots.
Apologies were received from David Summers, Brian Pretty, Robert Fox, Bruce Ritchie, Ian Rumsby, Geoff Brown, Brendan Freemantle, Iain Birrell, Simon Narroway, Ian Newbery, and Jim Coe.
MAIN PICTURE : ‘Fish on the Rocks’, Sydney, Australia. May 2nd, 2025. On left: John Clarke, Col Lipman, Rebecca Shaw. On right: Chris Shaw, Mike Garnett, and Shauna. Also below a picture of John and Colin who were close contemporaries at Fram.
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