Malcolm Barker.

[Neil Blackburn]

O.K. have made contact with Malcolm Barker. Will keep you all informed

[Andy Stoker]

Oh! Astonishing - will watch carefully for more news from you

[Neil Blackburn]

Oh! Astonishing - will watch carefully for more news from you

Thanks mate. Quite a man he is too. He has been kind enough to provide me with a lot of wonderful material, so my two part article will now be three parts. Will post here when the second part is online.

[Richard James]

Oh! Astonishing - will watch carefully for more news from you

Thanks mate. Quite a man he is too. He has been kind enough to provide me with a lot of wonderful material, so my two part article will now be three parts. Will post here when the second part is online.

[Richard James]

Oh! Astonishing - will watch carefully for more news from you

Thanks mate. Quite a man he is too. He has been kind enough to provide me with a lot of wonderful material, so my two part article will now be three parts. Will post here when the second part is online.

[Neil Blackburn]

O.K. Part two online. https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/t ... r-part-two

[Neil Blackburn]

Final part now online.
https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/t ... part-three
A huge thank you to everyone, with apologies for not being able to do personal and individual thanks. Everyone has been incredibly kind. thank you.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Excellent - I particularly enjoyed

"I used to like playing at Hastings because it was enjoyable going on to the pier between sessions and playing on the arcade machines there. I always felt that being an adult player would not be nearly so much fun:"

Er, I and another adult friend did play the arcade machines there a few years ago... (and we were supposed to be distinguished and highly qualified people).

Looking at the Hastings Honours Board, I think D Rabinovich became D Raeburn. I have played him and Frank Parr and of course Ken Inwood, who is still going strong at Kingston. Malcolm Barker excelled at chess and tennis and golf obviously - "only" reaching a handicap of 7 Is like "only" being a FM/IM! Ken participated in TT races for some years... Jean Craker played for Inland Revenue, before moving to a commercial concern. At some stage she became Jean Rogers, but I have no other information.

[Michael Farthing]

I was impressed that in addition to all his sporting achievements he should have risen to the exalted military rank of Acting Temporary Sub-Lieutenant. Not many people can boast of that and his delightful pride in it hints much about his character.

[David Sedgwick]

At some stage she became Jean Rogers, but I have no other information.

There is a bit about her in the threads at viewtopic.php?f=46&t=8867 and at viewtopic.php?f=27&t=8539.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The bit I liked best was this:

My last act as a chess player was in my first term at Birmingham University. I saw advertised there a student's international tournament being held in Brussels. My family had contacts there who would accommodate me, so I entered. On arriving I found that I had not only come a week early but also that it was an international team event and I was the sole Brit there! Our chess authorities found out about this and Leonard Barden and Peter Clarke came out to join me to make up a team. I am sure Leonard will remember the event.

If that recollection is accurate (Mr Barker himself avers that "with the passage of time [his memories] are now very vague and probably distorted"), that is a surprisingly ad-hoc way to organise entry to a tournament like that, but it was a different era then and maybe there was less formality over organisation of that nature.

[Neil Blackburn]

Evening guys. Glad you enjoyed it - Mr Barker's material is a joy!

[Nick Ivell]

Thanks for your efforts, Neil. A whole era has been brought to life.

I hope, one day, that the 1970s will be recreated so lovingly. One thing is for sure: we had longer hair!

[Neil Blackburn]

We certainly did. I remember many hours playing blitz with Keith Arkell with our hair hanging over the board - we couldn't muster enough for a paint brush between us these days!!!!!

[Gerard Killoran]

From B. H. Wood's column in the Birmingham Daily Post - Tuesday 03 April 1951.

[Event "World U-20 Qualification event"] [Site "Dale End YMCA Birmingham"] [Date "1951.03.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Honan, Neil T."] [Black "Barker, Malcolm"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A91"] [Opening "Dutch defence"] 1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Nh3 d6 7. O-O Qe8 8. e4 fxe4 9. Nf4 c6 10. Nxe4 e5 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Nd3 Bf5 13. Qe2 Nbd7 14. b3 Qg6 15. Re1 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Rf7 17. Bb2 Raf8 18. b4 h5 19. a3 Bd6 20. Bxf5 Rxf5 21. Qc2 Rf3 22. c5 Rxd3 23. Qc4+ Kh8 24. cxd6 Qxd6 25. Qh4 Rf5 26. Qe4 Rdf3 27. Rad1 Qe7 28. Rd3 Rxf2 29. Bd4 Nf6 30. Qh4 g5 31. Qh3 g4 32. Qh4 exd4 {Birmingham Daily Post - Tuesday 03 April 1951 p.6} 0-1