New Ethiopian drought takes Lorna back 30 years

A generation after Bob Geldof and Band Aid brought the Ethopian famine to the world's attention, drought has hit that country again.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Apr 2016, 06:00 BST
Money raised for the Ethiopian famine at Hart Plain School is handed over by 'the naughtiest boy in the school'Money raised for the Ethiopian famine at Hart Plain School is handed over by 'the naughtiest boy in the school'
Money raised for the Ethiopian famine at Hart Plain School is handed over by 'the naughtiest boy in the school'

News reports from there reminded Lorna Wilkinson of an event 30 years ago at Hart Plain School, Cowplain, right.

The school had raised funds for the worldwide appeal for Ethiopia.

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Lorna says: ‘The News published a picture of a little boy, reputed to be the naughtiest in the school, presenting a cheque to a Dr Gould. The little boy was my son.

MAPLE ATHLETIC. Back row: J Thompson, N Newton, R Pound, R Abrams (captain), A Milton, F Loveless, S Hansell. Front: G Allan (treasurer), Harry Ford, L Smith, G Stockley, S Ripiner, A Bampton, E Cooper (trainer)MAPLE ATHLETIC. Back row: J Thompson, N Newton, R Pound, R Abrams (captain), A Milton, F Loveless, S Hansell. Front: G Allan (treasurer), Harry Ford, L Smith, G Stockley, S Ripiner, A Bampton, E Cooper (trainer)
MAPLE ATHLETIC. Back row: J Thompson, N Newton, R Pound, R Abrams (captain), A Milton, F Loveless, S Hansell. Front: G Allan (treasurer), Harry Ford, L Smith, G Stockley, S Ripiner, A Bampton, E Cooper (trainer)

‘It’s so sad that 30 years on, Ethiopians are again starving through lack of water.

‘Its ironic we in the UK are suffering floods and burst water mains.’

Amy Weston’s great grandad Harry Ford is 95 and appears in the picture of Maple Athletic who won the Portsmouth Lads’ League in 1938-39.

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Amy says Harry would love to know if any of his team-mates are still alive.

Sandown-boundSandown-bound
Sandown-bound

LAST CALL FOR SANDOWN

As I was publishing a piece about the Portsmouth-built Airspeed Oxford earlier this week, by coincidence Clare Ash was posting this picture on the Memories of Bygone Portsmouth Facebook pages. It’s from July 4, 1938, and shows the maiden flight of an Airspeed Courier from Portsmouth to Sandown. Clare’s father, James Bayes, is on the right, reporting the event for The Evening News.