The conversation started with Peter stating that cricket was the reason he was sent to Bradfield. His father had played for the Free Foresters against the Bradfield Waifs back in the sixties, ‘If Peter wants to play cricket he needs to come to Bradfield, if he can’t get runs there he won’t get them anywhere’. So, Peter was duly sent to Bradfield on the basis that it was a good wicket!
Peter’s father was in the military and after dropping him off at Bradfield on his first day of school he left the country to serve as the Defence Attache in Pakistan with his mother for five years. Peter wryly jokes that he was incarcerated at Bradfield for that time, only seeing his parents at the end of each term when he would fly out to Pakistan for holidays though his mother would fly over to visit him during the summer and watch him play some cricket.
Peter remembers Bradfield as a tough environment, where Senior boys pretty much ran the Houses. He was grateful to play lots of sport which ‘kept him out of trouble’ and made up for his academic studies that did not motivate him, as he just longed to play cricket for England.
His father recommended that he join the Army, suggesting that otherwise he would never be able to provide a Bradfield education for his children. Sadly, Peter’s parents died in his early 20s but the comment provided some strong motivation. Peter settled on a career in insurance and with some luck and a lot of hard work he managed to make a success of it and could afford to send his children, Harry (D 12-16) and Charlotte (M 18-25), to Bradfield.
Peter has been involved with the Waifs ever since leaving Bradfield, including 15 years as Secretary when Jumbo Fuller was President. He is very keen to encourage the youngsters leaving Bradfield to join and play for the Waifs.
