City hotel with a long history

I WAS interested to see the article about the Mitre Hotel in High Street, Oxford (Memory Lane, January 27).

My father, Bill Phelps, who was born in 1902 and died in 1974, worked at the Mitre as a doorman from about 1918 into the early 1920s.

He was also a waiter there, along with other hotels – the Reubens opposite Buckingham Palace, a Queen’s in Birmingham and another in Wales.

He told me various stories about the Mitre, one about the underground rooms, which went into other buildings. He also used to go round on the rooftops.

BARBARA CLEARY Witney

 

Oxford Mail:

  • ACTIVITIES: The 9th Oxford Scout troop at summer camp at Charmouth, Dorset, in 1956. Back, left to right: B Jackson, F Shepherd, M Thurling, T Jesset, B Greenough, N Minet, D Payne, J Wheeler, A Scofield, R Watkins. Middle: G Evans, B Davidson, B Kingsley, D Riley, J Temple, K Tritton, H Kingsly. Front: M Masters, D Jarrot, C Bowen, R Hanna, D Bruce, P Hines

Everyone voted to carry on camping

I HAVE a copy of the photograph of the 9th Oxford Scout troop on summer camp at Charmouth, Dorset, in August 1956 (Memory Lane, February 3).

We were almost blown off the cliffs during the first week of camping by 80mph-plus winds.

Later, we pitched the tents further down the hills and this time we were flooded out by torrential rains.

We then spent a night in the Women’s Institute hall – or was it the church hall? Bill Greenough, who sent in the picture, asked us if we wanted to end the holiday and go home.

There was a unanimous no vote and we spent the second week camped on the flat ground by the river in sunshine and no more incidents!

The missing names on the photograph are me, Chris Bowen and Phillip Hines (I am 99.9 per certain about the last two, but it was 58 years ago!).

An amazing coincidence is that my mum, Rose Riley, is pictured in the same issue at Hill End Camp cooking for pupils at New Marston First School.

She is in a dark dress with polka dots and a white cardigan holding a tea towel. She is now 94. We had marvellous holidays at Hill End, but the pool was cold.

I was about the first pupil to enter New Marston First School.

I was at the head of a group of pupils who had walked from our temporary school, at the Congregational Church in Marston Road, to the new one in Copse Lane!

It was much nearer for me as I lived in Coniston Avenue.

DAVE RILEY Centre Rise Horspath Oxford

 

Weathering the storms

MY FATHER, Kenneth Tritton, was in the photograph of the Scouts at their summer camp (Memory Lane, February 3).

He is in the middle row, second from the right.

It was a surprise for us to see the photograph printed.

All he recalls of this camp 58 years ago was that there was flooding and heavy rain during the trip. Nothing has changed there then!

DEAN TRITTON Field Avenue Blackbird Leys Oxford

 

 

 

Images of long football career

I ENCLOSE more pictures connected with my father Clive Taylor’s football career.

Oxford Mail:

  • SUCCESS: Clive Taylor scores the first of Oxford Boys’ two goals against Dorset Boys in the English Shield competition at Morris Motors’ ground at Cowley in 1954 – he was the first boy from New Hinksey School to win a place in the city team

As you reported (Memory Lane, February 3), his long career took him from Oxford Boys and Balliol Boys to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Reading, Oxford City, Witney Town, Morris Motors, Marston United and Saxon Warriors. He played his last game at the age of 70.

The black and white photograph was taken during his final year at New Hinksey School.

He was first boy from the school to play for Oxford Boys.

He is pictured scoring the first of his side’s two goals against Dorset Boys in the English Shield competition at the Morris Motors’ ground in 1954.

DALE TAYLOR Oxford

 

Always there to give out advice

I READ with interest the article about footballer Clive Taylor, in particular details of his football history (Memory Lane, February 3).

Oxford Mail:

  • BONJOUR: Oxford City players during their tour to France in the early 1960s – Clive Taylor has stepped forward to be introduced to the crowd

Although not mentioned in the article, Clive also had a season at Abingdon Town.

Tony Bricknell was in his first full term as manager and he talked his old playing colleague Clive into having the 1968/69 season ‘over the bridge’.

I played alongside him and have always said that, in all my playing days at the club, Clive was the most influential person I had the privilege of playing with.

He was always talking, giving help and advice non-stop during a game.

Clive played for the Hellenic League against the Swansea Senior League on May 12, 1968 while playing for Marston United.

He also featured in two other games for the Hellenic League against Oxford University and Wiltshire Combination while playing for Abingdon Town.

I think I can also identify a few more players in the team saying ‘Bonjour’ during Oxford City’s tour of France in the early 1960s – from the left, Doug Buswell, behind Clive on his right was Bernie Harris, Jasper Thorne, Tony Bricknell and far right John Lamb.

KEVIN ROWLAND Parsons Mead Abingdon