Dear All,

As many of you will know, Marta and I have been doing what we can to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia because we see this as not just the Ukrainian's fight but a fight for the values of freedom, democracy and self-determination which, in the west, we so often take for granted.  We have bought and donated two 4x4's to the Ukrainian military and we have just bought a third vehicle which I will be taking over in May.  I subscribe to several whatsapp Ukraine support groups and the following was recently posted on one of them.....

NB. Stab points are stabilisation points, where wounded soldiers are brought for emergency, often life-saving, treatment before being taken on to hospital in a city.

"Hello everyone;

Helpful advice from someone supplying clothing to stab points (Stabilisation locations).

We need to sort them through because they’re not all suitable to go out. We need T-SHIRTS and SHORTS and TRACKSUIT BOTTOMS, NEW UNDERWEAR and HOODIE-TYPE tops for stab points 

The guys get taken in, they’ve got an injury, their uniforms are cut off so they can be treated and they’re then left naked. They’ve got nothing else to wear except maybe a paper medical apron, if they’re lucky. So, shorts, T-shirts, new underwear - all these are desperately needed and we’ll send out to the Stab points.

NEW PLEASE or nearly new. 
Pale pink hoodie with unicorns is not ideal!
I’ve worked in stab points and we need to try and help the guys to maintain some dignity after the trauma of wounding, evacuation and being stripped and manhandled.  So, after days or weeks on position they are cleaned up and stabilised and have at least the rudiments of clean clothing, it’s a transformation. Their remaining possessions go in a bin bag with their name written on sticky tape. One of my jobs in the evac team was to make sure that the casualty and his bin bag did not get separated when we evacuated them."

This is now me again.....

It's hard to imagine what these guys have gone through, having fought for their (and indirectly our) country, been wounded, traumatised and, through no fault of the Emergency Medical Teams, have through necessity often been stripped naked so they can receive life-saving treatment but all this leaves the wounded and traumatised soldiers with not even their dignity intact.

To try and help with their situation we are planning on a dawn raid on Primark to buy up as many tee shirts, track-suit bottoms, underwear and hoodies as we can fit in a Toyota Hilux and we would really appreciate any help you can offer so we can maximise what we take over.  Even a few quid goes a long way at Primark and the Stab teams and soldiers will be forever grateful for anything we can provide.  If you feel able to help in any way, no matter how small, please contact me on whatsapp (+44 7740 930 845) for details.  Thank you.

Very best wishes,

Marta & Iain Maxted

SOP>>  We have added a Donation button in the Old Pastonians 'shop'   HERE

David was able to step in as organist and perfom the School Song and National Anthem on the School Organ at the annual reunions in 2022 and 2023, when we resumed after Covid.
David is alive and well in northerly Wales, and a bit far away to attend this year, but shared his mini-biography charting his exploits and highlights as a musician...

David Yates – b.1937.    PGS 1948-53
            David was born in Llandrillo-yn-Rhos in North Wales, and his first School was Warley Home School, West Shore, Llandudno. He then went to Rhos College in Rhos-on-Sea and when the family moved to Norfolk in 1947 went to the Junior School in Sheringham before winning a scholarship to Paston Grammar School in North Walsham, where he eventually became a boarder. For his last year at School he went to Ryhope Grammar School, Sunderland as his father had moved to Sunderland with the Royal Artillery. David started his working life with a small architectural practice in Fawcett Street, Sunderland. The family then moved to Rolleston on Dove in the early 1950’s, and David worked in the offices of a private architectural practice in Burton on Trent from 1954 to 1970 and then went as an Architectural Technician to Lichfield City Council where he stayed until he retired on health grounds in 1991.
           
            Whilst in Lichfield he was a Steward at the Cathedral and was in both the Lichfield Special Choir and the Lichfield Cathedral Chamber Choir which sang services in several Cathedrals and Churches throughout the UK – (Exeter, Chester, Wells, and Lincoln.) He was also Chairman of the Parents’ Committee at the Cathedral School for two years when his son Andrew was in the Cathedral Choir.
 
            For several years in the 1960s and 70s he was on the Parochial Church Council of St. Mary’s Church, Rolleston on Dove, and in 1978 was elected onto the Parochial Church Council of St. Mary’s Church, Stretton cum Wetmore, and was for a short time a Churchwarden there.
 
David always had an amateur interest in music and has been in several church choirs, including St. Peter’s in Sheringham, Norfolk, St. Mary’s in Whitburn near Sunderland and St. Mary’s, Rolleston on Dove.
 
He started playing the organ for youth services at St. Mary’s in Whitburn in 1950 during school holidays, though he had played the year before at Paston Grammar School on the organ in the main hall. Little did he realise that seventy three years later, in 2022 and 2023, he would play the same organ again for the Trafalgar Day Reunion Dinner.
 
            After moving to Rolleston, he became unofficial assistant organist with his father to Bert Hazell, organist at St. Mary’s, and in 1954 he became organist and choirmaster of St. Mary’s, Marston on Dove, Derbyshire where he stayed until 1970. For a short time during this period – 1966-68 – he was also organist of All Saints’, Hatton, which was part of Marston Parish at the time. In 1970, on the death of Bert Hazell at Rolleston, David became organist and choirmaster of Rolleston Parish Church remaining until Christmas 1975. (When he left Marston, his father, Hawksley Simpson Yates, became organist there until his death in 1979).
 
            After a gap of twelve months, David became organist and choirmaster of St. Mary’s, Stretton cum Wetmore where he stayed until 1986. He then went to St. Mark’s at Winshill, Burton on Trent, leaving in 1991 to take up the post of Director of Music at All Saints’ Parish Church, Mickleover, Derby. After eleven years in this post, he finally retired on Easter Day, 31st March, 2002. He did however do locum work for several churches in the Burton and Derby areas, at St. John the Divine in Horninglow, St. Pauls in Burton on Trent, All Saints in Findern, St. Michaels, Willington and the Congregational Church in Tutbury.
 
Since moving from Staffordshire to North Wales in 2014, he has been playing for services at St. Mary’s Church in Llanfairtalhaiarn – a parish church in Conwy County, and within the St. Asaph Diocese. For a short time, he joined the Saint Asaph Choral Society but he found going regularly to Monday evening rehearsals were difficult in winter. These were held in a Chapel in Trefnant on the road to Denbigh.
           
            He was the Honorary Organist of the Saint Wystan’s Chapter of the Guild of the Servants of the Sanctuary – which held its Guild Office with occasional Benediction once a month in Churches around the Derby and Lichfield Dioceses. For several years he played for the Area Festival at St. Laurence Church, Long Eaton, Nottingham, and has also played for services during the Annual Midlands Area Festivals in various important churches around the Midlands ~ Worksop Priory; Holy Trinity Church, Much Wenlock in Shropshire; St. Peters Collegiate Church in Wolverhampton and the Church of St. Mary de Castro in Leicester.

Thanks to Terry Draper, who reports that Peter 'Daddy' Moore is well and in Colitishall (March 2025)

PETER MOORE
1945-1952 – Norwich School
1952-1956 – Flying Officer in RAF mainly teaching Engineering Drawing
1961-1991 – Paston Grammar School and Paston Sixth Form College - Maths Master

Lieutenant RNR 1991 – Retired and living with his wife in Coltishall
​Nickname ‘Daddy Moore’.

​This was established after his second daughter was born. The family lived in Nth Walsham and when he went home at lunch time he found a new arrival waiting for him. The next day KNM announced the event at assembly and by the time PHM got to his classroom some wag had written ‘Well done Dad’ on the blackboard. Perhaps that wag is still out there and will confess to this misdemeanour?

PHM remembers the time when a large lorry reversed up the school drive ready to divest itself of 80 black-faced ewes on the school lawn for a Mr Moore. Somehow this was ‘tragedy’ averted. It transpired that the sheep were intended for a Mickey Moore, farmer, of Grammar School Farm!

Also remembered was an incident which occurred on an Army CCF camp somewhere in deepest England when a cadet shot and killed a sheep! Anyone want to own up?? Apparently KNM had to buy the carcass!

When the school became a Sixth Form College, PHM, on Wednesday afternoons when the students had an opportunity to do something unconnected with their studies, ran a boat building course in the old armoury. Dinghy-type craft were constructed from scratch based on his designs, were tested on the water and then sold so as to fund the next vessel.  

​In retirement he continued to build boats but these were models which were sold for charity. In March 2025, I and another former pupil, had the honour of spending an hour or so with Peter. A truly lovely and very intelligent man who made maths accessible to me and many other pupils.

Thank you ‘Daddy’ Moore 

SOP Editor Footnote:
At least some of those that came after the 'Daddy' nickname had not been told the story and called him 'Danny' Moore.  Maybe it was just me?

Remember these? End of the school year and time for awards and speeches.
Here is a copy of 1975 - when Blofeld (the Chair of Governors, not Spectre. But just maybe?) presided over the HeadMasters Report and then awards for excellence across the years.
Noted that the School song is included with the 'partout' form, which as far as I can see is a throwback (see the blog items about this below).
I recognise several names, as a first year in 1975. Does anyone remember the occasion?

Ed- Programme now added as a file as the embedded version doesn't seem to show on mobiles.

If you recall the Film Club in the 70s/80s, there was some creation of films which may still exist, or have been converted/digitised already.  If you are aware of any, or have it in your attic (or cellar), then please do get in contact to share it with all here.  That would be fantastic to see some old (young) faces. 

Edit: 2024
Looking for the Nelson Documentary and I found the UEA Film Archives - really interesting old films showing the Broads and demise of Buxton Mill, The Horning Regatta, Wayford Bridge, Waxham Sands and more.
Start here:  The Broads Remembered by Nat Bircham (1973) | East Anglian Film Archive 

A mention of Nelson in this one at about 23:00, coming from Burnham, but overall a nice tour of Norwich: A Fine City, Norwich (1961) | East Anglian Film Archive
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