OBITUARIES
He was a very well-balanced umpire , always fair . If he raised his finger , you really knew the batsman was trapped in front of the middle . He was a true gentleman and was never shy of providing you with enthralling anecdotes from the past . His knowledge of local cricketing history was almost photographic , and he was incredibly passionate about Sevenoaks and Kent County cricket in a golden era , when the school produced players such as Chris Tavaré and Paul Downton , both of whom played for Kent and England . With those in the line-up ahead of him , Pip often joked that it was no wonder he turned his hand to umpiring .
PIP BURROWS 1954-2020
Phillip Gordon Burrows , affectionally known as Pip , died on 3 November 2020 . Born in Bromley Cottage Hospital in 1954 , he moved to Sevenoaks with his baby sister , Christine , in 1958 .
Pip attended Sevenoaks School from 1965 to 1973 . He was a great supporter of Sevenoaks School and completed his 50 years of umpiring at Solefields in September 2020 when he took charge of the 1st X1 against the Old Sennockians . An incredible achievement which showed his longstanding loyalty to both the school and his local roots .
While at Sevenoaks , Pip played cricket for the school , but soon realised that his passion lay in umpiring . Having qualified he went on to umpire local cricket in the Sevenoaks area , many times on The Vine and then in the minor county league which took him over the length and breadth of the country .
Pip ’ s other passion was football . A lifelong supporter of Manchester City , he qualified as a referee , one of the youngest in the area , at the age of 17 . Outside school he managed the local football club of St Lawrence ( Stone Street ) FC ( The Saints ), again for 50 years , where several Old Sennockians have played and still do to this day . In 2020 St Lawrence won the Sevenoaks Premier League Cup together with the Sportsmanship Cup . St Lawrence had won the Sportsmanship Cup in three out of the previous four years , but Pip would always say that ‘ it was not just the winning that counts , it is the way in which you win that is just as important ’. He believed fervently in sportsmanship and believed that all youngsters have something to give and gain from sport . He was a stalwart of grassroots football in the Sevenoaks area , sitting on the League Management Committee of the Sevenoaks and District League from the mid-1970s to his passing . A true ‘ Mr Sevenoaks ’.
After working 20 years for Cornhill Insurance Company , the English test cricket sponsor for many years , he set up his own company , Sennocke Insurance Agencies Ltd , and worked locally as an insurance broker until his death .
To his family , Pip was the avuncular figure who was always there , who loved Bonfire Night and was ready to lend his support and words of wisdom to everyone and anyone who needed it . He was not a man to be rushed , nor did he rush others . He had time for everyone and allowed , quietly and calmly , others to speak – unless , of course , he was on the touchline at St Lawrence !
Christine Rae
130 ALUMNI REVIEW