A stunning memorial

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Although the official opening of the renovated Jubilee pavilion is not until OC Day on June 14, it is already in use, and on May 22 a small dinner was given by the school to those who were involved in the rebuilding.

Suffice to say that the interior is stunning, and for the first time we have a genuine cricket pavilion, right down to honours boards listing all school and OC cricket achievements back to 1866. The most stunning feature is the glass-fronted balcony.

Guy Waller gave a short speech on behalf of the school, to which David Bugge, as OCCC president, replied. John McDermott then gave a more lengthy but , as ever, entertaining speech which covered subjects ranging from the driving skills of the headmaster's wife to smoking in the pavilion during the 1950s.

Vix Cox - Times Obituary

Film producer who worked with many big names of the 1950s and 1960s British cinema and then turned to schoolmastering

Viv Cox won respect, and some fame, producing films at Pinewood Studios and for Rank. Among the better known actors he worked with were Dirk Bogarde and Hattie Jacques. Spike Milligan, the Goon Show comic genius, was another of his contemporaries.

Cox's career in films began after demobilisation in 1946. After working with Sydney, Muriel and Betty Box at Shepherd's Bush Studios, he became associate producer to Betty Box and then producer at Pinewood Studios.

Among his early films were So Long at the Fair (with Jean Simmons and Dirk Bogarde, 1950), Father Brown (with Alec Guinness, 1954) and Bachelor of Hearts (with Hardy Kruger and Sylvia Syms, scripted by Cox's friends Leslie Bricusse and Frederic Raphael, 1958).
From 1959 to 1967 Cox worked as an independent producer and screenwriter for Rank Studios, producing such titles as Watch Your Stern (with Spike Milligan, Leslie Phillips, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Connor, 1960)and We Joined the Navy (with
Kenneth More, 1962). Between 1960 and 1976 Cox produced all the stage shows for the annual Royal Command Film Performance and hosted the royal party.

His lifelong love of France and good food were cleverly combined in a television series that he produced on French regional cooking, in which he motored around France in a powder-blue sports car, enjoying excellent fare and often featuring in front of the camera as well as behind it.

Vivian Alexander Cox was born in 1915 in Bangalore, South India, the second of five children of Winifred and Alexander Cox. He was educated in Switzerland, then at Cranleigh School and at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he read English.

He did well academically, on the stage and in sports. At Cranleigh he starred under the direction of a young Michael Redgrave, who briefly taught at the school, in John Milton's Samson Agonistes, and Shakespeare's King Lear and Hamlet. At Cambridge he acted in two Footlights reviews, and his sporting prowess earned him a blue for hockey and four England caps in 1937.

After three years as head of English and Drama at Aldenham School, he joined the RNVR in 1940. He served on the minesweeping trawler HMS Euclase, was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant and selected to work in the Admiralty War Room.

While there, he set up the floating map room for Winston Churchill on HMS Duke of York, and accompanied the Prime Minister to Washington where, at President Roosevelt's request, he set up a similar map room in the White House. Cox later recalled a late-night conversation when Churchill said to Cox of Roosevelt: "It is a great mercy for all mankind that he's been called to this great office at this moment in history."

After a brief respite from the war in London, spending time at Denham Studios with Noel Coward, Bernard Miles and John Mills among others, in 1942 Cox was appointed Junior Staff Officer (Flag Lieutenant) to Vice-Admiral Bruce Fraser and served on HMS Anson.

The following year he sailed with Fraser, promoted Admiral, on HMS Duke of York, witnessing the sinking of the Scharnhorst. Other highlights of a remarkable war career included entertaining King George VI for 90 minutes with impersonations of naval characters, and being with Fraser for the Japanese surrender.

At the invitation of General McArthur, he was one of the first four Allied servicemen into Tokyo after the surrender, riding shotgun in a jeep. Later he recalled: "Strangely, people in the street didn't seem to see us. Whether they'd been told to ignore us, I don't know."

In 1967 Cox returned to his first profession and his alma mater, teaching English, French and Drama at Cranleigh School. A gifted and inspiring teacher, he taught for eight years, during which he also directed several plays, including Hassan with Juliet Stephenson.

From 1975 until his retirement in 1982 he worked with Sir Bernard Miles as administrator at London's Mermaid Theatre. In 1977 he translated Henri de Montherlant's The Fire That Consumes, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. He subsequently translated two other plays from the French, both per-formed in the US and directed by his friend, Louis Fantasia.

Cox was president of the Old Cranleighan Society, and among other donations gave the school the Vivian Cox Theatre — opened by Sir John Mills, and with a green-room facility donated by his friend and US entrepreneur, Harry C. Meyerhoff.

His wideranging experiences, memory and wit made Cox a popular raconteur. To his boss, Bruce Fraser, he was "a cross between Encyclopaedia Britannica and a court jester". To his family and many friends, he was an ebullient character with a great sense of humour, glittering lifestyle and an unrivalled propensity to name-drop.
Cox did not marry.

Vivian Cox, film producer and schoolmaster, was born on . 1915. He died on April 27, 2009 aged 93

Westcott astro opens at Prep School

Olympians turned up by the truck-load as Cranleigh Prep School opened their new artificial Westcott Pitch on April 17. There were 10 in all - including Dave Faulkner, Richard Mantell and Richard Leman - plus six national players to form an invitational side to take on the school's finest (past and present) in a special match.

Mike Wilson, head of Cranleigh Prep, said: "It's an important day for the school and it only seems, bearing in mind the long-standing association we have with the sport – having produced several national and Olympic players over the years - that the new pitch should be opened by such an illustrious line-up of figures in the world of international hockey."

The facility has been named after David Westcott, a former pupil at the prep and senior schools and who is currently a governor. He captained Great Britain at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, guiding them to a bronze medal. Five years earlier he had led Oxford University in a record Varsity win against Cambridge, scoring a hat-trick at Lord's in the days when the match was played on grass at cricket's headquarters.

The match also gave an opportunity for Steve Batchelor - gold medallist in Seoul in 1988 as well as the bronze four years earlier - to take on son Tom, a pupil at the senior school and who has just been selected for the England U16 squad.

Excellent facilities are synonymous with the school and the Westcott Pitch represents an inaugural project for the Cranleigh Foundation in enhancing them.

An OC side featuring, among others, David Knapp, Rob Merry, Helen Merry

Jubilee pavilion undergoes major work

We are delighted to announce that the £480,000 refurbishment of the Jubilee pavilion is now underway and expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2009 season.

The work started at the beginning of November and involves a complete renovation and extension of the building. For the first time since the 1960s the entire pavilion will be available for use.

The main change is that the entrance will be through the middle of the downstairs (where the umpires' room was) into a hall with new dressing-rooms leading off it. Upstairs is accessed by internal stairs into a landing with doors leading onto the balcony ahead. To the right the existing dining room will become a club room, while the other side will be converted into a big dining room. Partition doors will allow the dining area to be extended into the landing.

The stairs leading to the balcony at either end downstairs will be removed, meaning access will come via the building. The wooden balustrade, which has been at an inconvenient height ever since the dreadful 1988 refurbishment, will be replaced by glass. It promises to be spectacular.

The pavilion was built by the OCs in 1924 as a memorial to those who fell in the Great War, something that has been increasingly overlooked. This aspect is being restored with the building becoming a memorial to all Cranleighans who have died in wars. Honours boards will form a stunning part of the upstairs landing.

Outside there are plans being discussed to improve the landscaping between the pavilion and the main drive.

The work so far has been made possible by a remarkable donation of £300,000 from the Old Cranleighans. However, we still need to raise £180,000 to make this possible and the OCCC are embarking on a major fund-raising exercise starting now so that we can enjoy our amazing new cricket home in time for next season.

OCHC to play School on January 3

After several years of trying, we are delighted to announce that the annual fixture against the School, which was first played in 1921, seven years before the official founding of the OCHC, will resume on January 3 when the School XI play an OC side mainly made up of leavers from the last two years. The game will start at 2.30pm at Thames Ditton.

"I appreciate the efforts of all concerned to ensure this game occurs which will be played for the Roger Loveland vase and will I hope become an annual event," said David Knapp.

All Cranleighans invited to Cricketer Cup final

From Guy Waller and John McDermott

The Old Cranleighan Cricket Club has reached the final of the Cricketer Cup. To do so, in only its second year of entry in this prestigious competition, is a considerable achievement and reflects greatly on the current health and strength of Cranleigh cricket.

The 2008 Cricketer Cup final will see the Old Cranleighans playing the Old Malvernians at Richmond Cricket Club (Old Deer Park), on Sunday, August 17, 2008.

The Cricketer Cup sponsor, Rensburg Sheppards, is very kindly offering a complimentary lunch for the first 100 guests at its barbecue. Additionally, free Pimms sponsored by Cranleigh School will be served from 4.00pm to 7.00pm in the OC Society marquee.

Now in its 42nd year, the Cricketer Cup has enabled the leading cricketing schools to compete annually against each other in knock-out competition. Not included in the original 32 schools selected, Cranleigh has had to wait until 2006 to be invited to replace Blundells in the competition.

Last season, after the great win in our first match v Harrow on the Jubilee, the toss of a coin on a wet Sunday in a Fulham pub finished our hopes v Highgate. This season the OCCC have recorded convincing wins v Lancing, Clifton, Cheltenham and Dulwich.

Cranleigh School has long been proud of its cricketing tradition. Following convincing investment in cricket facilities and resources, the 1st X1 enjoyed unbeaten seasons in 2006 and 2007 against the likes of Tonbridge, Radley, Winchester, Wellington and Charterhouse. In 2008 Seren Waters broke the record for runs scored in a Cranleigh 1st X1 career. Several recent players have gone on to shine at university, county and even national level. All these are playing now in the OCCC Cup team.

Furthermore, Cranleigh remains committed to the future development of such potential. 2008 saw Cranleigh School host the first ever Spirit of Cricket event held outside Lords. 2008-9 will not only see the redevelopment of the much-loved Cricket Pavilion on the Jubilee under a joint OC Society and Cranleigh School project, but also the creation of dedicated indoor nets to complement the newly improved outdoor nets. The refurbishment of the Prep School Pavilion ensures that the School's youngest talent, too, can be nurtured, with facilities that are now the envy of many of the Schools we play.

The School's commitment to cricket, and subsequent achievements, have in turn enhanced one of the strongest ever eras of Old Cranleighan Cricket. Over the past 15 years, the OCCC has travelled on 12 international tours across all continents. It has been victorious in 4 national knockout cups and is proud to still host probably the strongest and most enjoyable annual Old Boys cricket weeks in the country on the Jubilee.

Malvern can boast a total of 10 appearances in the final, five as winners. Only Tonbridge has a slightly superior record to Malvern in the competition's history. It certainly will be a challenge and also a great occasion.

The match starts at 11.30am, so bring a picnic and spend a wonderful day supporting this Cranleighan achievement and don't forget to get there on time for the free BBQ which should start at about 2.00pm.

For directions to the grounds, click here.

Cranleigh eyes up Craddock

Charlie Craddock, a 13-year-old pupil at Cottesmore Preparatory School in West Sussex, almost single-handedly saw his 1st XI side to victory over St Aubyn's in a Twenty20 match, scoring 119 off 56 balls (including 13 sixes) and taking six wickets - four in four balls - to earn his school colours. Craddock starts at Cranleigh in September.

Annual OC Ladies cricket match?

It is hoped to have, at the very least, an annual OC Ladies' cricket match against the School. Interested OCs please contact May Millburn-Fryer: MayMillburn-Fryer@hotmail.com or call 07837 352759

England cricketers to debate at Cranleigh

England cricketers past and present will form a distinguished panel at a forthcoming MCC Spirit of Cricket event, sponsored by Artemis Investment Management and being held at Cranleigh School, Surrey, on Monday 21st April.

Former Test captain Chris Cowdrey will host an evening of lively debate and will be joined by England spin bowler Monty Panesar, Middlesex captain Ed Smith and the National Selector, Geoff Miller, in discussing the spirit of cricket and issues affecting the game today.

The MCC Spirit of Cricket evening at Cranleigh is a spin-off of the hugely popular annual Cowdrey Lecture (first delivered by Richie Benaud in 2001) - an event that has quickly established itself as an important date in the cricket calendar.

The invited audience will be comprised of young school and club cricketers and their coaches. In what promises to be an entertaining evening, the host, Chris Cowdrey, said:

"I'm proud of my father's achievement, along with Ted Dexter, of setting out a vision for the spirit of cricket. It was terrific for this to become part of the Laws of Cricket but the challenge now is to make this relevant to cricketers of the future. Cranleigh School has set us the challenge of having a fun evening which also gets to grips with some of the big questions facing the game today. At such a busy time of the cricketing year, we are extremely grateful to Monty, Ed and Geoff for giving up their time to debate these issues with us, and to Artemis Investment Management for sponsoring the event."

MCC Secretary & Chief Executive, Keith Bradshaw, said: "MCC retains a passionate commitment to promoting the spirit of cricket. The Cowdrey Lecture serves an important function in discussing the cricketing issues of the day and the evening at Cranleigh School promises to be an exciting extension of this. I am particularly pleased that the event will be held in the early season and will be attended by a young audience. With such an impressive panel, I'm sure that the topics raised will inspire each young cricketer as they approach the beginning of their own cricket season."

Managing Director of Artemis Fund Managers, Dick Turpin, said: "Artemis is delighted to support such an important venture. The Spirit of Cricket must play a central part in the future of the game worldwide".

Guy Waller, Headmaster of Cranleigh School, said: "We are thrilled to be hosting this event. Those of us involved in Schools' cricket like to think that we play the game in the best possible spirit but it is never something to be complacent about. "