Noseda, Raymond

Some memories

Date of Death: 30/04/2022

I remember Ray,  fondly and am sorry to hear of his passing.  I have had no contact with him since leaving school and did not know of his illness,  but there was,  at one time,  a posting with his French address in.

I knew him during the two years I was myself in East House,  and indeed,  one term,  he was my dorm’ leader.    I recall that on a particular occasion,  we had to wake at some un-Godly hour,  so that we could listen to the Sonny Liston / Cassius Clay fight on somebody’s tranny.

He was an inspirational chap and as well as being a star boxer,  he excelled at most,  if not all sports.   Sport of course was very important at Ottershaw.  I was quite appalled in later years to be paying good fees to  have my son at a public school,  where they had sports but once a week !

I believe that Mr. Foot was also fond of Ray and  ( unlike myself )  Ray made School Praefect.

One summer holiday,  I invited Ray to stay for a weekend,  at our house in Guildford,  with myself,  my mother and my sister.   I introduced him to my local friends and I seem to remember he had all the patter and got on very well with the girls !

Before the Saturday evening entertainment,  we used to assemble in the History / French classroom beneath the stage at the end of the marble ballroom. Ray would be in charge and brought a Dansette Record Player and others contributed singles and we would nod along to all our favourite tunes,  that were current at the time.   It was Ray who introduced me to Duane Eddy.   I collected all his E.P.’s and drove my parents crackers in the holidays,  as I played this joyous, raucous music,  with its driving guitar and rebel yells.

And that is how I shall remember him.

Malcolm “Mac” McDougall
OT 581
East / Tulk