Vincent Poncia RIP 

We regretfully inform you that Old Wimbledonian Paul Hollingworth has been in touch about the sad death of Vincent Poncia last month.

Vince attended the college between 1973 and 1976, and was a popular member of the school during those years. He later worked for Sun Chemical, and latterly before early retirement due to ill health had worked as a Business manager at the Nelson Surgery in Merton Park. 

Vince had been born and lived all of his life with Lymphedema, but always retained a positive outlook, and greatly enjoyed travel and music. In pursuit of this latter interest he travelled the world to see some of his favourite bands, such as the Eagles, Billy Joel, Paul Carrick and others. 

Despite his life long condition Vince displayed the most amazing resilience, rarely if ever complaining or allowing this to inhibit his interests and activities.

Sadly Vince was diagnosed with a complex cancer related to his lifelong condition at the end of 2022, and he succumbed to this in hospital in Bristol on Saturday 24th June. 

He leaves his loving wife Deborah and a plethora of close friends, many of whom were also former pupils from the college.

There will be a small cremation service at 2.00 pm in Cheltenham on July 11th followed afterwards by some food and drinks at their home in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Should you wish to attend,  please contact Paul Hollingworth.

He will be greatly missed.

May he rest in peace.

A Tribute to Mike and Margaret Parsons

On The Occasion of Mike’s Funeral 26th October 2022 

It is a great privilege today on behalf of the old Wimbledonians to be able to say a few words about Mike. However, it would not be right to talk just about him when both he and Margaret were such an integral part of our club. So, this address is about them both. 

Mike and Margaret, M & M, our constant couple. 

Mike played his first game for us in April 1976, against our local rivals Wimbledon. He had been talent spotted at his local pub, the Willoughby in Kingston and came with a motley crew of other “rugby” men and one woman – Margaret. 

At that level, any support is appreciated and, from the start Margaret’s vocal enthusiasm was worth at least ten others. 

We recall that she had a detailed knowledge of the very complex offside laws and was always happy to impart that knowledge, generally to referees, and almost always while the game was in progress. At the same time, she was able to express genuine concern for the referee’s obvious visual impairments : “are you blind ref, that was a mile offside !!” 

M & M finished that season and, while most of the Willoughby recruits returned to their pub, Mike and Margaret came back for more…and more…and more. 

With a newcomer’s naïve enthusiasm Mike took on the onerous job of team secretary for a month’s trial in January 1977. He continued in this role for nearly 10 years, during which time he was made a vice-president of the club.

From 1994-97 Mike became Chairman and President of the Rugby club, a role he performed admirably and one which he took up again for the 2003-04 season.

At this point Mike joined a committee with a well- established secretary – Margaret, who had taken on this role in 1996 and, having also been made a vice-president 2 years later, continued in the job until illness forced her to step down in 2017, only 18 months before she so sadly left us. 

During that time, Margaret became the glue that held the club together. More than one person said they would only be prepared to go on the committee as long as she remained secretary. Margaret brought organisation and method to the committee. She wasn’t bossy but if something was going to be done, it had to be “done right”; and heaven help anyone who failed to fulfil a task they had promised to complete. 

Undoubtedly, her years running the OWRFC and the Shell Pensioners’ group honed her skills for the hardest task of all - keeping Mike under control. I am not sure she always succeeded in that, but she certainly managed better than anyone else could have.

While Margaret was doing this, Mike wasn’t sitting idly by. For years he organised the annual fixture card. He sent out regular highly amusing circulars – every week during the season. He was the deviser and question master for our occasional pub quizzes and the supreme, and sublime organiser for our twice a season, vice-presidents’ lunches. Mike carried on with the circulars and the lunches until Illness forced him to stand back in 2021 – only a year before he passed on.

So, you can see that from the time Mike and Margaret joined our club in 1976 for the rest of their lives they were 100% part of the Old Wimbledonian family.

But that’s only part of the story – we are not here just to appreciate an efficient secretary and a good organiser of lunches. We are here to celebrate the lives of two very special people.

Not only did Mike and Margaret become part of the OW family, but we also became their family. They didn’t have children of their own but anyone here wearing one of these ties was one of their “boys”.

The Parsons’ enjoyed nothing more than their family holidays or, as we called them, rugby tours.

From the early days in Cornwall, Holland and Germany to much later trips to Spain, Portugal and Malta, Margaret would provide her usual vocal support from the touchline while Mike provided the more spiritual kind from the bar. 

They even joined the first ever Wimbledon College tour to Canada in 1983 and have kept touch with some of those boys ever since, some of whom are here today.

Of course, parents never admit to having favourites, but they couldn’t really hide their passion for the rams, also represented here today, and would accompany them on their occasional holiday/tour to Scotland.

As well as family outings they were regular supporters of all the teams and great company in the bar afterwards, Mike particularly happy to provide constructive criticism where he thought appropriate. 

“my dear chap. You were rubbish today. Let me buy you a beer”  friendship – banter – generosity. That was Mike.

They were equally happy to travel to away games and Mike was, as always, a generous host when fixtures in deepest Surrey and Hampshire mysteriously always involved a visit to the Good Intent on the way back.

From this and numerous other occasions Mike became known as the man with the bottomless pockets and the never ending £20 note. 

It will, therefore, come as no surprise to anyone to hear that he will be picking up the tab posthumously later on in the Good Intent.

The tributes to Margaret and Mike on the news of their passing were too many to even contemplate going through today , but they all mentioned how generously they gave of their time, their skills, their support and above all their friendship.

So, here’s to our lovely and loving couple, our dear friends, our family, Mike and Margaret,

May they rest together in peace.

Graham Turner

Wimbledon College is now amongst the top 10 State Schools as measured by alumni in Who's Who

A recent report released by Keystone Tutors entitled DOES ALMA STILL MATTER? THE SCHOOLS EDUCATING THE NATION’S ELITE which is an analysis of schools featured in Who’s Who and Desert Island Discs finds Wimbledon College in the top 10 State Schools up 30 places in the rankings from last year.

The authors use Who's Who "in the hope that this monumental (though under-explored) resource could present a new angle on schools in the UK. We liked the fact that it measures ‘impact on public life’ in a way that would see alumni recognised even if they would not have shined in an academic league table. We also hoped it would throw out the names of schools that were especially good at adding value: it is not unsurprising when a highly academically selective school comes top of an academic league table but it is more worthy of comment when a less academically selective school repeatedly produces high achieving alumni."

The report can be read online.

Supporting frontline staff at Kingston Hospital ICU and COVID Wards: volunteers and donations needed

Given the latest surge in the new strain of coronavirus that is rampaging through our community, we hope that you and your family safe and well.  

While we hope that you can shield yourself and your loved ones by locking down, we know that is not an option for some in our community, not least our brave and dedicated NHS staff.

Through our connections with the medical profession that were built up during our involvement in the previous, and truly inspirational, Project Doing a Bit last spring, we understand that the ICU and COVID wards are being overwhelmed.

Doctors and nurses are reporting back to us that it is much worse that it was in April and that they are working double shifts and days off to cope with the demand.

Consequently, the OWA committee is unanimous in its determination to do something to help and show our support and gratitude and we know that you will want to help too in whatever way you can.

What are we going to do?

In consultation with Kingston Hospital, Critical NHS, Dons Local Action and other partners, we want to kick start a new initiative to help Kingston Hospital staff by providing meals to its overworked staff.

We have been asked to provide 460 meals per week, which we will gladly do, but we can only do it with your help.

Our aim is to provide meals for the next 7/8 weeks.

What do we need?

We should be enormously grateful for both your spare time and a donation, however small.

The costs will be approximately £500 per week, but we only have 4 weeks worth of funds.  We are therefore looking to raise at least a further £2,000.

In addition to funding, the initiative will require volunteers to prepare, pack and label food.

We will set up a rota which will run between 9:30 am and midday, 5 days of the week.

We would like to have 2 volunteers for each day of production and those days are:

• Monday

• Wednesday

• Thursday

• Friday

• Sunday

You will be able to sign up to volunteer online (see below for more details).

The first day of operations is hoped to be this Wednesday 13 January 2021.

We would also be very interested to hear from anyone who could provide us with a regular supply of meat (fresh or frozen); chicken, beef, mince etc., ideally for free, but at an attractive reduced price, if not. Please email chairman@oldwimbledonians.com if you can help in this regard.

Covid-Secure Environment

All volunteers must be acutely aware that there will be a rigorous safety and cleaning regime in place to protect you, staff and other volunteers.

We will provide you with PPE but feel free to provide your own mask.

Shielding and/or need a cooked meal?

If you are shielding and cannot get to the shops and/or find cooking difficult during lockdown, please contact us to see if we can provide you with a freshly cooked meal for a nominal donation. Please email chairman@oldwimbledonians.com with regard to this.

Thank you

It is humbling to serve an organisation whose members’ instincts are to help others during tough times, as you all did so magnificently during the first lockdown.

Therefore, in anticipation of you rising to the challenge once more, we thank you most sincerely and in advance for all your help and support.

Best regards,

The OWA Committee

Tuesday 14 April

More local businesses getting involved with Doing a bit:

• A cornucopia of Lamb Biriyani has been provided by the Princess of India in Morden 

• Stefano and Naoko of Vallebona in Wimbledon have created 78 meals today for the project

Saturday 11 April

Thank you to the OWA Punters Club whose generous donation takes us to 70% of our justgiving target.