FEATURES annual summer tour of Sussex and Kent.
Originally from Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, East Yorkshire, Marcus now lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire. His wife Jane and children Tom, 21, and Alice, 19, thought his jockey challenge was“ mad” but are delighted he’ s survived in one piece.
“ Everybody said it would prove infectious and I’ ve definitely caught the bug,” he says.“ I might even race again. Next year’ s Newmarket Town Plate is a possibility because it’ s unfinished business – but it’ s a question of whether I can continue the early starts and devote the time to training. Plus, I haven’ t discussed it with my wife yet!”
Marcus has very fond memories of his time at
Lyndhurst Prep, and then Pocklington.“ I made lots of friends, some of whom I’ m still in touch with,” he says.“ It was a great start in life for me.”
He captained the school football team at Lyndhurst and played 1st XI cricket for the Senior School, finishing as captain in his final year. He was also in the Senior School Rugby 1st XV team which achieved an unbeaten season in 1981.
“ I remember we had a very dramatic last game of the season, when we made it across the line in the last minute and scored a try to beat Newcastle. We were coached by Malcolm Milne( 55-62 and Former Staff 71-03) and David Parsons( 73- 05). I still see Malcolm as he runs the Pixies. He’ s been one of my inspirations: he has enthusiasm for everything and is a great doer, which is an attitude to life I’ ve taken on board.”
Other influences include former first-class cricketer Guy Willatt( Headmaster 66-80); Tony Pickering( Headmaster 81-92) who went on to be a prominent member of the English Schools RFU, and David Nuttall( 63-02), Marcus’ s 1st XI cricket coach.
Marcus went on to take a Biochemistry and Nutrition degree at Nottingham University but was increasingly drawn towards sport and journalism. After much perseverance, he landed some sports commentating shifts at BBC Radio York, which fired the starting gun on his career.
EGGHEADS CHALLENGE
In March 2016, intrepid OPs Neil Readman( 74-76) and Billy Bartram( 69-76) took on the formidable Eggheads in the well-known TV quiz show of the same name.
Team captain, Neil Readman, is a keen fan of Eggheads and decided to apply for the show as a bit of fun. He explained“ I didn’ t expect to hear anything as I am sure they get hundreds of applications, so I was surprised but also delighted to get the call from 12 Yard Productions who make the programme, inviting us to take part.”
Neil and Billy were joined by Jonathan Laverack( current parent), Kevin Lane and Will Boulby for the Eggheads challenge. They are all members of Barmby Moor’ s Boot and Slipper pub quiz team and regularly compete in a local quiz league. Neil also recruited his work colleague, Alan Hancock, who was on the subs bench for the team in case anyone became ill on the day or was unable to attend.
Jeremy Vine is the celebrity host of the popular show where every day a new team of challengers take on what is probably the greatest quiz team in Britain, made up of some of the country’ s brainiest quizzers or‘ Eggheads’, so it really was the ultimate test for Neil and his team mates.
“ The filming is done in Glasgow so we had a very early start to get from York to Glasgow for around 11.30am. They record four episodes in a day and it was quite interesting to see how they do it and how much editing is involved. We were each asked to take four different shirts – typically for me, they chose the‘ loudest’ one for me to wear for the show!
“ There are eight Eggheads in total and the producers choose five at random for each episode and then rotate them. For my round, which was sport, I got Kevin who is the Eggheads’‘ Brain of Britain’, so I knew I had my work cut out. You are actually taken into a separate studio for your individual round although it doesn’ t look like that to the viewer. I thought I did quite well with the questions, considering how difficult it is when you are in that situation, with the camera focused on you, but I managed to stay quite relaxed. It was three all after all the questions so it then went to sudden death. I answered the first couple of questions correctly, but got the next one wrong. Unfortunately, Kevin got his question right so that was that, but I was pleased with how it went.
In the end only Jonathan and Kevin made it through to the final round to take on the Eggheads. They did really well, going to sudden death but unfortunately got pipped at the post. Although we didn’ t win, it was a fantastic day and we really enjoyed it.”
For those who missed the programme, it was episode 90 of series 16.
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