NO.120
75th Anniversary of the
Battle of Britain
Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding GCB
GCVO CMG (G, 1895-99) wears the
laurels.
T H E T R U S T Y S E RVA N T
avoid puncturing the ball, which only
results in general concussion and the end
of a perfect day. One last invaluable tip for
beginners: do not get underneath the ball
when it is on the ground, as this prevents
others getting a place in the mud. You will
find that goals are scored in Push-Ball, as
in life, not by underhand methods but by
overhead charges.’
Denise Patterson
Denise Patterson, née Woosnam, died on
27th July, 2015, aged 97. She was the
daughter of the celebrated all-round
sportsman Max Woosnam (F, 1906-11):
in the 1920s he was captain of
Manchester City, played tennis at
Wimbledon, led the Davis Cup team, and
scored a century at Lord’s.
Research shows that Push-Ball was
invented in 1891 by an American who
wanted a soccer-like game where
spectators could more easily see the ball –
hence his idea to create a game using a
ball measuring 6ft in diameter and
weighing about 50lbs. One wonders if this
American had very poor eye-sight.
Following the death of her RAF fiancé in
the Battle of Britain, she became the
muse of another pilot, Richard Hillary,
one of the best known of Sir Archibald
McIndoe’s ‘Guinea Pig Club’ and author
of The Last Enemy. See Times obituary, 6th
August, 2015.
Dr. Ralph Townsend – a tribute from
Hong Kong
2005 saw Ralph arrive
With Winchester in need
Of someone who with vision new
Would Wykeham’s College lead.
From the Archives: Push-Ball
The College Archivist writes: In 1932, the
rat \