"I came to Hymers Junior School in 1958 and stayed for 10 years, leaving at the age of 19, by which I was the oldest boy and that was probably the only reason why I finally became a prefect! I'd passed my 11 plus to Hymers through the Hull examination system and one of my teachers, Cordon Jibson, later told me that it was exceptional at that time. Jibbo is a wonderful character and I've enjoyed keeping in touch with him in recent years because of our mutual interest in running. He insists that he taught me handwriting: I told him that I should have become a doctor if that had been so!

"But I peaked academically at 11 and it's probably been downhill ever since! I failed numerous O-levels and a few A-levels, so I was not going to go to university and the headmaster Harry Roach called me in to discuss a possible career. I wanted to be an actor, but I thought that such a prospect would be greeted with a howl of derision, so I told him instead that I wanted to be a journalist. That might also have brought a howl of derision because I'd failed my English O-level four times and had been given special dispensation to go into the sixth form without it!

"Anyway I went on a course to Portsmouth for a year and then worked on weekly newspapers for six years - initially in North Lincolnshire and then back in Hull. Latterly, I wrote a lot of entertainment features and I think that about 40 years ago I was the last East Yorkshire journalist to interview Morecambe and Wise. Eric was exactly the same off-stage: Ernie was more businesslike, but still very helpful with the interview. I also met Ronnie Corbett, one of the people I've interviewed who is smaller than I am, and Anita Harris offered me champagne in her dressing room, but I made my excuses and got on with the interview.

"And when the band Mud visited Hull when Tiger Feet was at the top of the charts, I became trapped in their dressing room with a horde of screaming girls outside. I was given the task of slamming the door quickly because I was nearest to it, but I don't think any of the ladies were looking for me and I probably thought that Tiger Feet was about Hull City anyway!

"In fact, I switched to specialising in sports writing in 1975 when I was given the chance to cover Hull City for the Hull Daily Mail for the first time. I'd already been a fan and used to watch the Tigers regularly with several colleagues such as Ian White, Rob Metcalfe, Chris Wells, John Eyley, and Paul Bainbridge. There were other Hymerians such as Rob Culpin, Dave Taylor, Ian Ireland, and Dave Bennison in our coterie at times and I also saw Norman Ransom, my form teacher in the junior school, on Bunker's Hill on a few occasions.

"As a sports writer, I've had spells on the staff of the Hull Daily Mail and the Yorkshire Post in Leeds, I've freelanced for most national newspapers and I've written nine books - on football, cricket, rugby league, and squash. I also did ball-by-ball cricket commentaries from Headingley for the hospital-broadcasting network in Leeds for 10 years, but I've always tended to fight shy of the spoken media because I enjoy writing so much.

"I've also been lucky enough to make friends with some of my sporting heroes, I've had trips abroad and I've covered most sports in my time, but that may be a notorious claim. At the Yorkshire Post, for example, I was their basketball correspondent, but I'm a bit small; I was their swimming correspondent, but I can't swim; and I was their deputy racing editor, but the only animals I've ever ridden were donkeys on Hornsea beach.

"And it was because of sport that I returned to the Hymerian fold. In the 1990s I became chairman of the Old Hymerians' Cricket Club, I had a lot of good people around me and we had one of the most successful phases in the club's history. But I've not done any journalistic work for a while now. I just about managed for about 40 years, but latterly I've concentrated on writing books when opportunities have arisen, football scouting, and giving talks locally.

"Ironically the chance to become involved in scouting arose when I was banned as a journalist from covering Hull City by an Old Hymerian when Martin Fish was the club chairman! I've scouted for Swansea City, Cardiff City, Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield United, Leeds United, and Manchester United and I've thoroughly enjoyed it even though I've been sacked now and then. I've worked for some great managers and with some great people and it's certainly broadened my outlook.

"Most of my local talks are about sport in Yorkshire although I do one about English usage, grammar, and syntax. It's meant to be humorous with a lot of clangers from my time in journalism, but there is also a serious point to it because I'm fully paid up as a grumpy, old man and I abhor today's constant misuse of language. I'm sure most people believe nowadays that a split infinitive is a medical condition!

"All in all, I'm grateful for the chances that have come my way and I've had some marvelous experiences. I've been lucky and privileged and the most important factor is that I've had plenty of laughs along the way."

David Bond
(Hymers 1958-1968)

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