More sad news

More sad news.....

In the JC this week  26/6/20
Cecil Bright's widow Irene (Podge) has passed away at the wonderful age of 100




Maxie has informed me that dear Tony Hiller  has also passed away this week. (27/08/18)

We send his family our sincere condolences and wish them all a Healthy and long life

Ron



I recently heard from Simon Brandez that his dear dad had passed away. I passed on the news to Maxie and he informed me that he had also recently been informed that Maurice Bourne (Isenberg) had also passed AWAY. We send to both families our sincere condolences and wish them all a Healthy and a long life Ron

A message from Maxie

Hi ! A little gathering to celebrate the 70th birthday of Major Carr at Browns Restaurant, Old Jury on the 24th of Jan 2017 It was a true Virginia Road members crowd. Some have not seen each other for over 10 to 20 years. I remember them in their younger years joining the club, a long time ago, as most of them are now 65 to 72 years old. Those presents were Danny Shaves, Tony Ring, Paul Marsh, Terry Bradshaw, Max Lea MBE, Michael Lowery and of course Major the birthday boy. Following the toast to Major we all settled down to chit chat and laughter over old times, and how much we all owed to the club for the friendship it gave to us all in those early years to become better men. After about four hours the time had come to depart to north, south, east, and west of the city and we made our goodbyes in good spirits and laughter. A good time was had by all and we send our regards to all.

Sydney Taylor It is with deep regret that I have to announce that one of the Club stalwarts has just passed away at the age of 96. The Funeral will take place at Hoop Lane Crematorium, Golders Green at 12:30pm tomorrow the 10th of March. We send our sincere condolences to all his family Ron

RIP Lenny Saunders

It is with deep regret that I have to record the passing of Lenny Saunders. Maxie has just passed me the following details: Lenny passed away on August 6th 2015 The Funeral will be held st 3:15 pm on Monday 17th August at: St. Mary Lebone Crematorium East End Road East Finchley N2 ORZ Maxie has asked that this information be passed on to as many people as possible. Personal problems will prevent me attending the funeral myself, but as a very old friend and admirer of Lenny, may I offer my sincere condolences to all of his family both from myself and all who knew him. Ron Goldstein

A photo from the past

It is always a delight to receive a previously un-published photo such as this one from Rebecca:

Dear Ron, Following my post on your blog, please find attached the photograph I promised. My Grandad, ‘Sutty’ Wogman is first on the right sitting on the back of another boy. I know that one of the other boys is called Alfie Segal and possibly another is Alfie’s brother. I actually found Grandad’s name on the 1987 club reunion guest list/ table plan, which he attended with his two sons Mark and Paul. If anyone has any photos that he is in, or any memories, I’d be delighted to see/hear them. Kind regards, Rebecca Freedman

Come on out there ! Let's have more "unknown" snaps such as Rebecca's

The future of this Blog

If you have any connection at all with the C&BG Boy's Club and if you think the ethos behind the existence of this Blog is of value, read on. I am looking for someone to take over the running of this Blog. It requires little computing expertise and it could be easily taught. At the time of writing I am aged 91 and wish only to ensure that the Blog survives. E-mail me at the address given above and we can go on from there. Ron

Final thoughts on the end of the C&BG Reunion Dinners

We are now in 2015 and there has been much communication between myself and Maxie Lea with a view to winding up the reunions as we knew them Firstly a message received the other day from Ray Waxler to whom we send our sincere condolences. Dear Ron, I should like to inform the Cambridge Boys Club that my dad, Monty (Mark) Waxler passed away on 31.12.14. He was in good health and still living independently unto the end. Regards Ray Waxler Then a message from Allen Smith, the Chairman of the C&BG Reunion Committee: 2015 CAMBRIDGE REUNION COMMITTEE Morris (Moggy) Freeman, Max Lea MBE (Registrar and Treasurer), Len Sanders, Tony Ring (Secretary), Allen Smith (Chairman) Dear Cambridge Old Boys, Friends and Relatives First of all, on behalf of the Committee and myself, it was great to see a good attendance at the last reunion dinner, plus to see you all in good spirits. It was a very good evening enjoyed by all and despite being the last reunion we had four people who attended for the first time. I must thank a few people other than the Committee, Monty Meth for an excellent speech, very interesting and full of club history and of course Max for all the hard work and effort around arranging the reunions for over 60 years. Max tells me he had many telephone calls from people who attended and said how much they enjoyed the evening. I must also give very special thanks to The Gentle Author for distributing his excellent book of East London to all those present. I keep looking at it and finding something more interesting each time I return to it. It is a great book, full of great memories, and so many thanks again. As mentioned in my last letter, please find enclosed a list of grants we have made to clubs, schools etc. over the years, all of which made possible from your very kind donations. As you can see we have made donations to over 70 organisations and the total donated now stands at £33,000. Please accept our thanks again for your kind support over the years. The last grants have now been issued and our Bank Account closed. Max has received many letters of thanks from organisations that we have helped and this, as you know, covers Education, helping young people to interact with each other, people with disabilities and learning difficulties, plus sporting equipment and camping programmes. As this is my last newsletter it just remains for me to say thank you to everyone for the support you have given me over the last couple of years and to wish you all health, wealth and happiness for the future. Allen Smith Chairman – and on behalf of the Committee STOP PRESS Although it is not definite yet, we are making enquiries to see if it is possible to place a blue plaque on our old club building in Chance Street to commemorate the club opening there. If you look at the club blog or the Internet you will be able to check our progress. Please check on the following e-mail addresses: ron_goldstein@btopenworld.com www.spitalfieldslife.com Finally, a snap of Maxie & his nephews taken at the last re-union and a list of donations made by the club on your behalf.

Announcement in The Jewish Chronicle 5-9-14

Cambridge Reunion final dinner September 1 2014 toast to the club proposed by Monty Meth MBE Thank you Allen I’m sure that everyone present here will appreciate that tonight we are writing the last chapter in the 90-year quite unique history of the two Cambridge Boys Clubs in Bethnal Green. It is a huge honour and a privilege for me to be asked to propose this final toast – to bring down the curtain as it were – on a key part of all our lives –while at the same time recognising that this is really a sad occasion – the end of an era – the closing of a chapter in the lives of everyone who went through that door in Chance Street, or the Webbe Club in Cheshire Street - our temporary home when Chance Street was bombed that was loaned to us by The Oxford House Settlement that is still going strong in Bethnal Green - or the rooms given to us in Virginia Road School, run by the old LCC . Tonight we are at the same time recognising that time is catching up on all of us – that with no new members since 1989 when the new Cambridge Club was forced to close – all we are left with are the memories of our youth. In my case going back 76 years to 1938 when at the age of 12 I was finally allowed to join the Chance Street Club after months of bunking in and being thrown out by the likes of Cecil Bright, Monty Cooper, Sidney Tabor and David Ross. I suspect that like me, many of you when you opened Allen’s letter saying that this would be the last reunion dinner – you rolled back the years to recall memories of the club – the people you met – the camps – the sporting rivalry with other clubs –the infuence of GML, RML, “T,” Derek Merton, Rufus Chamberlain, Malcolm Slowe and many other managers such as Dennis Frank, the last surviving manager from the 1930s whom we are all delighted to see is with us tonight at the age of 97. It is only now dawning on me that without the reunion dinner there’ll be no more phone calls to and from that tenacious terrier – the one and only Max Lea – who has organised and controlled these dinners with an iron hand for well over 60 years. And I do hope that the lifelong friends we made through the club will continue to meet from time to time -–maybe over a lunch – because I think it is important as we get older to maintain these friendships- & not to become lonely and isolated There is not a month goes by when I don’t tell someone how lucky I’ve been that I found the Cambridge and Bethnal Green Boys Club and the club found me and taught me so many things: How to conduct myself at fresher meetings, take minutes, speak at meetings. Without the club, I fear I would have gone off the rails. Instead the club kindled my interest in photography and through Bernie Collier I got my first job in Fleet Street. The club kindled my interest in writing when together with David Roxan – who went on to become chief reporter of the news of the world -- I jointly edited the Cambridge news sheet during the early years of the war. So it is not surprising that I’ve tried to give something back to the club, firstly as appeals secretary and latterly as reunion committee chairman following the death of Cecil Bright which followed the painful decision to close the club. Here we were, on the one hand being told that because of the increasing Bangladeshi birth rate, Virginia Road School needed the rooms we occupied, and council officials saying they had the money to find us new premises or collect the household refuse in Bethnal Green – they couldn’t do both. Reluctantly and after much soul searching going back almost two years, during which time they tried to charge us £10,000 a year to hire Virginia Road School - £10,000 in 1988 remember was a lot of dosh - we felt we had no alternative but to close the club. And I remember us writing to Brian Fugler in Broad Walk asking for his legal advice in getting the charity commission’s approval to change the club’s constitution to enable us to dispose of what funds we had. On becoming chair of the reunion committee I insisted that if we had to close our club the least we could do was to see if we could help other clubs to survive and thrive by running our appeal fund alongside the reunion dinner. And I’m delighted that Allen can report that we’ve since donated some £32,000 among over 60 different organisations closely linked to young people – as the charity commission ruled. So when I ask you later to be upstanding to drink that last toast to the Cambridge Clubs, I would like us all to recall those few men of vision – who on June 15th 1924 opened the Cambridge and Bethnal Green Jewish Boys Club. They were in the main graduates of Cambridge University who gave us what spare time and cash they had to buy numbers 3 &4 Chance Street, once the Blue Anchor pub that had been converted into a cabinet making workshop so prevalent in Bethnal Green at the time. And they turned it into a Jewish boys’ club catering for people then living on the Boundary Estate. Those young men who came to us from Cambridge University were part of a movement that saw public schools like Repton, Eton and Stowe found youth clubs bearing their name in the East End; Oxford University had its links with the Oxford House Settlement and also O.ST G. The “old enemy” Oxford and St George’s who were represented at these dinners for many years. That was 1924 – boys were then admitted to the club at the age of 13. 54 boys were originally chosen by headmasters of local schools to join the club and by October 1925, 120 boys had joined. Those of you who follow the gee-gees will associate the name of Long Run and Waley Cohen. What you won’t know is that Sir Robert Waley Cohen was one of those that helped to establish the club and he presided over the first prizegiving in October 1925 when the club unbelievably already had French classes, a literary and debating society, a dramatics society. The boxing instructor had been the boxing captain at Cambridge and the first camp had been held at Aldeburgh in Suffolk. And 12 years later when George Mitchell Lotinga became club leader the big decision was taken to open its doors to anyone irrespective of their religion – a decision which became known as the Cambridge and Bethnal Green experiment. It was regarded as “an alarming suggestion” by some people. A group of the high and mighty came together to “examine the proposal”. Re-reading the documents of that time, I was interested to see that the parents of all the club members were consulted and not a single objection was received. By December 1938 the Jewish Chronicle admitted the “experiment was working very well”. Membership was then 320 Jewish boys and 80 of other religions. And Basil Henriques – a powerful figure in the Jewish community at that time, widely known as “the guvnor” who at first thought the experiment was “hazardous” saw his own O ST G admit non –Jewish members. Remember , these were the years before the Second World War when racial hatred was deliberately being fomented in Bethnal Green by Mosley’s fascists. George Lotinga’s answer was to appoint the first non-Jewish boy- Freddy Oels – as the Cambridge club captain, and we even saw him play for the association of Jewish youth – the AJY – soccer team – just like our own Lenny Sanders. The AJY like our club is alas no more. But Lenny we’re all pleased to see is still going strong Freddy Oels went on to become headmaster of Daniel Street School – one of the many, many club boys – too many to mention – who went on to become doctors, accountants, businessmen, journalists, broadcasters, song writers like Tony Hiller and Joe Lubin, film directors like Lewis Gilbert, comedians like Bernard Spear who had the last word for many a year at these dinners. In a financial appeal launched at the time, the club said it was open to everyone irrespective of religion or denomination, no one is turned away. Segregation had ended. We didn’t appreciate it at the time but the club gave us the chance - the opportunity -to emerge as individuals, they taught us to respect those in authority-taught us to accept responsibility. As I say, we didn’t know it at the time but men like George and Rowland Lotinga,”T” John Diamond were our mentors, preparing us for that great wide world that was waiting for us – mentors in my case that had much greater influence on me than my own parents. And speaking of John Diamond, Lord Diamond - who chaired these dinners for many years reminds me of the one single time he missed our reunion dinner – I think it was 1967- because he was then an MP and also Chief Secretary to the Treasury when he had to attend an emergency cabinet meeting to deal with some financial crisis. John wanted to know about the club until he died in 2004 at the age of 96. It is that kind of loyalty to the club that in my opinion singles out Cambridge from many other clubs – and we have indeed kept that loyalty and Cambridge spirit for 90 years. I retain to this day vivid pictures in my minds eye of George, Rowland, Derek Merton, and others, marching off from the Bishopstone Camp in 1939 to join the Kings Royal and Tower Hamlets Rifles along with club seniors some of whom never returned. Some 20 young clun members never returned. I remember Ruby Ginsberg and Henry Landau. Others here tonight will recall Harry Freshwater. My own tent captain Donny Carlton was one of those who left the Bishopstone Camp but he came home having won the military medal for gallantry. I must make special reference tonight to the manager they left behind – the one and only “T” because there is no doubt in my mind that this club would have died in 1939 had “T” not taken over – promising George to look after the club until he returned. Born in 1900, the son of a Chelsea policeman, “T” first came to the club in 1933 – a modest, unassuming owner of a photography shop in Warren Street and he stayed with the club for the next 50 years until he died in may 1983 at the age of 82. “T” led the club for almost 40 years from 1939 until 1978 and I’m quite sure during that time he sacrificed his own business to lead and save the club. We all, I’m sure recall that stoop, that thick moustache, “T” the man who came to us as a photography class instructor and left as probably the most devoted youth club leader this country has ever seen and there are I know many here tonight – like myself – who owe a great deal to “T” in making us better all-round people. We are lucky to have known people like “T” George, Rowland, John Diamond because they gave us a sense of direction – a sense of purpose that stopped us drifting into the unknown – and they gave us a motto: serva corpus, cola mentum animum cura – keep fit - cultivate your mind - think of your soul – a way of life which I trust we will carry with us for as long as we live. And we shouldn’t forget those who gave their time and energy to lead the club after “T” particularly “Weasel” ( how he got that title I’ll never known ) but David Greenhalgh led the club from 1980 until we closed and I think there’s only four of us left and here tonight – Joe Brandez, Max, Lenny and myself who met regularly in seeking a solution to the club’s crisis before deciding we couldn’t win. There are old boys here tonight who have played a heroic role as managers, instructors, organisers in keeping the Cambridge flag flying for all these years and so I’d like to pay a tribute to – Joe Brandeis, Major Carr, John Lowry,Tony Ring,Lenny Sanders, Max Lea, and to members of the reunion committee, Allen Smith and Morris Freeman for all the work they have done over many years. If there’s one thing I regret it is that there is nothing left in Bethnal Green to let future generations know about the Cambridge Clubs – except for that seat in the bandstand so kindly donated by Tony Ring. Perhaps it is too late to get a blue plaque erected in what is left of Chance Street – but the Bishopsgate Institute will, I hope, keep alive our work through an archive of our history. So I’m now going to ask you to stand for a minute or so while we raise our glasses and toast the Cambridge clubs and recall for a moment or two the men who founded and led the Cambridge clubs for 65 years from 1924 –to 1989; Let us remember too the boys we met, the friendships we made and let us pledge to retain those Cambridge principles of fellowship, irrespective of race or creed, of tolerance and community cohesion, for as long as we live.

Monday, September 1st, 2014 saw the official end of the Cambridge & Bethnal Green Boy's Club Re-unions and, as your Blog representative, I was there to witness the proceedings. The list of those present, see one of the photos I took, included approximately twenty odd "boys" who had actually attended the club during it's Chance Street days and photos were taken by the official Spitalfield's life photographer, Simon Mooney, to mark the event. For obvious reasons, nostalgia was the order of the day and for once in many years, Monty Meth's excellent tribute to the club was heard in almost complete, respective silence. For this special occasion, we were fortunate to have with us the Gentle Author of Spitalfields Life fame and an over generous gift of a beautifully illustrated book about the East End of London made a fitting going-home gift.

Well chaps...... I suppose it had to come and it falls to me to pass on this lamentable news. On Monday the 1st of September 2014 there will be the very last C&BG Reunion ! It will be held, as usual, at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square There is still time for you to attend, all you need to do is phone Max Lea MBE on 020 8954 0708 In case you are interested, I shall be making my final report after the event and will post as many pics as I can for you to download. Best regards to all Ron

Irving Hiller

This Blog is saddened by the recent death of Irving Hiller who passed away on the 3rd of February this year. As one of the two Hiller brothers, Tony being the other one, the duo unselfishly entertained us for many years at the Club Reunion and thereby continued a Club tradition of paying back the debt we all owe to the Club. We wish all his family a long and healthy life. Ron

Good news for Julia Roxan

Julia Re your comment on the Rochelle Street School photo. Send me an e-mail to the address shown in the header above as I have good news for you Ron

A splendid trove of C&BG Club photos & memorabilia is now held at the following address: Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives 277 Bancroft Road E1 4DQ Plan your journey Tel: 020 7364 1290 Fax: 020 7364 1292 Email: localhistory@towerhamlets.gov.uk. To see an article about myvisit there, enter "Bancroft Road" into the Search Box on the right.

Welcome to the Blog ! Be aware that any comment you post will take about 24 hours to appear whilst it is vetted to keep out spammers. If you have a genuine query, e-mail me at the address given in the header and I will do my very best to help. Best regards Ron

http://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/10/04/at-the-boys-club-89th-anniversary-dinner/ Our very good friend "The Gentle Author" has done us proud again ! Ron

One of the joys of running this blog is to receive the odd letter from the offspring of club members who are no longer with us. Such as the following:

Ron, I've been going through some of my father's papers, and came across his ticket for the 1987 Cambridge Reunion. I then did a Google search and found your blog site, with the guest list for that same event: http://candbgoldboys.blogspot.co.uk/2007/02/guest-listclub-reunion-november-12th.html My Dad, Dave Shade (né Shreibman), appears on Table 4, and his cousin, Morry Graham (né Gitovich), is listed on Table 6 with his two sons Ralph and Mark - although there is a ring round their names, I'm not sure why. My father died in 2004, aged 93, and remembered his club days to the end, as did Morry (d 2009, aged 92). I recognise the names of one or two of his friends in the 1987 list, and elsewhere on your site. I have a few photographs of him involved in what could be C&BG activities, including one of a group in athletics (or boxing?) strip, with the club badge on the chest. The photos appear to be from the period late 20s-early 30s. Maybe if I email you the photos you could confirm whether they are of the C&BG club? And if any of them are, please fell free to use them on the blog site, as you see fit. Many thanks for what you are doing to keep the memories of the club and its contribution to East End life alive. I hope you are keeping well. Best wishes, Michael Shade

Since then, Michael has sent me this wonderful photo:

It just struck me that What I failed to mention in my report on the 2013 re-union was to mention how how long that Benny Lampert & I go back as friends, I dug up up a couple of photos to illustrate the point. The first couple, circa 1935, shows he & I at the visit to the House of Commons. The second shows both of us in 2012 at the AJEX Annual Commemoration Parade.

A brief report on last nights re-union at the Imperial Hotel, Russel Square. Inevitably there were lesser numbers attending but it did not stop us all having a most enjoyable evening. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I hope the attached will give a flavour of the evening's events Just in case captions are required: 1. Simon & Joe Brandez 2. Alf Mendoza & Lenny Saunders 3. Ron, Sydney Berns & Benny Lampert. 4. Manny Silverman & Dennis Frank 5. Ron & the Gentle Author 6. Ron & Lenny Saunders 7. The Guest list

Congratulations to Maxie !

MAX LEA, MBE, 50 years RA Membership Congratulations to Max Lea, MBE who will receive the Referees' Association 50 year continuous membership award from his friend and colleague Peter Molyneaux at the April Society meeting. Here is a snap-shot of his involvement with football and refereeing over 60 years. Best wishes from all your colleagues! Gordon Kirby, JP, Chairman I 1941-88: Played cricket and football with Cambridge (Bethnal Green) Boys Club, Although the club folded in 1988 old boys continue to meet annually for a dinner; From 1950 Old Parmiterians FC playing football and cricket and refereeing; Qualified as a referee in1962 and still a member of the RA; Became an AFA Committee member in1970 and also representative on the London County Committee of referees; AFA and Society Training Co-ordinator 1988-1997; Helped to collate and despatch ARGUS magazine from 1970-1991; Society delegate to the Southern Division of the RA 1975-97; Received RA LMSA at RA Conference in Cardiff 1992; Became Society Life Member 1992; Became AFA Council Member 1976, elected Life Vice President 1990; AFA Assessing Secretary 1973-89; Southern Olympic Football League Council member 1973 -2002 and Vice President 1984; London Old Boys Cup: elected Vice President 1990; FA 50 year football award received 1996; Delegate to RA Southern Division 1975-1997; Was awarded the MBE for services to football and youth work in 2000;