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The Youth Club Carnival Float - The
theme was "Top of the Pops". |
Jim and Monica Humphrey started the youth club in November 1974
as a result of holding monthly discos for the young people of the
village.
The first formal meeting was March 1975 and the first management
and members committee meeting took place on 16 April 1975.
The management committee comprised Jim Humphrey (youth club leader)
John Woodhams (secretary/treasurer) Harold Seckington (chairman)
with Monica Humphrey, Jean Seckington and Pat Woodhams as helpers.
On the members committee were Philip Brooks, Christine Russell,
Debbie Ewing and Ian Russell.
The first youth club night was in March 1975. The club became affiliated
to the National Association of Youth Clubs (Northamptonshire) in
May 1975.
Jim Humphrey remained as youth club leader until May 1977 and then
I took over in August 1977 and remained leader until May 1986. Both
of us attended Club Leadership courses run by the Northamptonshire
Association of Youth Clubs.
Other committee members during the twelve-year period of my involvement
with the club were Mick Hall, Clive Turnham, Robert y Wilkinson,
Mr P. Cohen and Sheila Somerton. Others serving on the members committee
were Simon Alfandry, Linda Humphrey, Pauline Humphrey, Tony Humphrey,
Helen Jessett, Karl Lidgley, Debbie Marsh, Jennifer Pendry, Brain
Somerton, Sara Trumper and David Wilcox.
The Junior Five-A-Side Team.
Left to Right: John Wilson, Colin Carruthers,
Duncan Cairns, Ade Swain and Kevin Brock |
Our base was the Reading Room, with 43 members in 1974 rising to
82 in 1977. Activities were immensely varied. Indoors we played
chess, had film shows, held whist drives, and learnt such things
as enamelling, and played table tennis, pool and darts. We held
discos in the Reading Room, in a barn, and on one occasion combined
the disco with a barbecue.
Outdoor pursuits ranged from archery, basketball, cricket, fishing,
football, ice skating, netball, to roller skating, swimming (at
Towcester and Banbury), ten pin bowling and rounders. One occasion
we tried an assault course at Bicester. Orienteering was very popular.
We went by day to Bucknell and Badby Woods, and by night we used
map and compass. The Helmdon Nightingales won the "Moonwalk" All-girls'
Trophy in 1985, and the youth club was the highest visiting team
at "Barnowl" in 1980. In 1982 we held a youth fête and fun sports
jointly with Helmdon Scouts, the attendance being over two hundred.
The Helmdon Hellraisers (boys) won the moonwalk trophy in 1986.
The Club bought all of its equipment - table tennis tables, pool
tables, record, record player and so on, through membership fees
and fundraising events. Football strips were also purchased for
the teams. The senior football team played friendly matches against
the other clubs. The junior team played in the South Northants under-14s
league and six-a-side competitions. There was one five-a-side girls'
team playing league matches in Northampton, and two boys' five-a-sides
playing at Daventry as well as Northampton. The netball team played
in the Daventry league
Prior to leaving on the narrowboat
holiday on the Grand Union canal. |
We had many outings to such places as Blackpool (for the lights),
to Wembley Arena (to see the Harlem Globe Trotters) and went annually
to the sea. The Youth Club also arranged narrow boat holidays. Christmas,
of course, was time for a party.
Many charities and organisations benefited from the £1,360 raised
by sponsored events and other activities.
John Woodhams
(John served on the South Northants Leaders' forum and South Northants
District Forum. He was awarded a Certificate in Recognition of Services
to the Young People of South Northants)
Youth Club Members over the years
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Lyn Rickatson
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Rebecca Russell
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Stephanie Wheeler
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Kate Lidgley
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Rebecca Cairns
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Gina South
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Shaun Baulch
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Sally Brookhouse
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Marianne Brotherton
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Stephen Brotherton
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Justine Butler
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Paul Duncombe
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Heather Gulliver
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Steven Hall
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Paul Hirons
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Daniel Marsh
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Patricia Payne
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Andrew Pendry
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Carol Smith
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William Smith
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Michael Wiggins
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Fiona Colgate
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Jim Docherty
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Neal Lyons
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Mark Russell
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Alison Lyon
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Helen Carruthers
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David Kimber
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David Ramsay
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Philip Ramsay
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Belinda Chorley
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Joanna Chorley
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Becky Ewing
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Debbie Ewing
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Duncan Colgate
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Gary Cohen
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Timmy Kimber
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Matthew Jessett
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David Mahon
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Linda Oakey
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Robert Osborne
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Brian Hirons
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Shaun Russell
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Stuart Russell
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Gillian White
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Stephen Watson
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Mellisa Hirons
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Kevin Kilby
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Caroline Foster
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Donna Trinder
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Jane Reardon
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Helen Cook
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P Washington
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S Boileau
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Jason Finch
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Stephen Snow
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Mandy Ayres
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Clare Wheeler
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Janine Godfrey
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Karen Jones
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Sarah Mills
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Mark Oakey
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Elaine Osborne
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Caroline Smith
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Nicola Smith
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Giles Spencer
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Jilll Turvey
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Alistair Wallis
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Maxine Baulch
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John Bowen-Jones
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Angela Humphrey
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Adrian Griffiths
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Mike Eliss
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Glenys Wilkins
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Vince Butler
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Barbara Osborne
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Tracey Russell
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Philip Payne
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Andrew Gilmore
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Marina Brooks
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Catherine Collins
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Elizabeth Ponting
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Pete Bell
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Caron Wiggins
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Alicia Brookhouse
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D Hunter
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Paul Cohen
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Mark Coles
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David Hirons
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Inga Heinaru
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Nigel Oakey
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Sally Cox
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Suzanne Cox
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Gary Mears
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Andy Spittles
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Valerie Beech
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David Wilcox
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Matthew Waite
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Gary Pendry
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Tim Kilsby
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Trevor Harman
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Nigel Pollard
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Anthony Gosling
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Nicholas Knee
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Vincent Beach
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Alan Hawkins
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Susan Hamston
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Jane Blackwell
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Jackie Fairclough
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Jeanette Fee
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Pete Smith
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Jamie Wilcox
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Andrew Tilstone
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Carol Kilby
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Dave Rickatson
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Lous Bates
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Pauline Smith
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Michelle Holt
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Andrea Pyne
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Elizabeth Radcliff
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Elena Pyne
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Pete Salmons
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D Gudgeon
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Clare Thame
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Sarah Kibble
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Ruth Burfitt
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Karen Poole
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Vicky Whitrow
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Tracy Lanagan
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Jackie Howlett
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Emma Moodie
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Ricky Ewing
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Peter Somerton
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Wendy Humphrey
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Jamie Possinger
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Pauline Humphrey
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Philip Brooks
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Deanne Wiggins
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Suzanne Davis
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Linda Humphrey
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Jackie Wilkins
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Belinda Wilkins
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Pamela Wilkins
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Deborah Marsh
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Carl Prestige
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Julia Chorley
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B Cooke
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Diana Brooks
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Penny Law
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Mandy Brooks
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P Bennett
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Christine Russell
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Stuart Davis
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Helen Jessett
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Yvonne Oakey
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M Jenner
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John Brooks
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Jeanette Russell
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Brian Somerton
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G Hollyoake
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Pete Johnson
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Caroline Brooks
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Gillian Russell
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Bruce Maconochie
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Ian Russell
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Simon Maconochie
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Susan Ponting
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Graham Oakey
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Neil Russell
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Nicholas Wiggins
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Mark Alfandry
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Tony Humphrey
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Gary Somerton
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Hazel Gulliver
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Duncan Cairns
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Graham Ayres
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Jonathan Ayres
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Kevin Brock
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Jason Holt
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Donna England
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Gavin England
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Darren Hensley
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Richard Russell
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Andrew McCarthy
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Jennifer Pendry
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Emma Prestidge
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Darren Swain
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Alberta Shawcross
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Scott South
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Adrian Swain
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Simon Upstone
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Paul Sykes
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Sara Trumper
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Tim Trumper
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Michael Rickatson
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John Wilson
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Karl Lidgley
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Gervaise Andrews
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Shaun Oliver
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Patrick South
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Simon Alfandry
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Craig Beech
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Paul Brock
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Martin Gulliver
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Colin Carruthers
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Justin Andrews
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M Jenner
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Alan Carruthers
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Anne Duncombe
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Audrey Brooks
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Howard Jessett
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R Budd
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