I was born in 1960 in Mill road Hospital, Liverpool and was the eldest of five children comprising of three brothers and one sister. My father was a licensee for Tetley Walker which saw us move around different areas around Liverpool and causing me to attend five different primary schools.
Sadly, my parents parted ways when I was ten years old meaning myself and my brothers and sister moving to Netherley where I attended Netherley Comprehensive School from 1971-1976. Upon leaving school, I had several jobs over the years including working as a stores assistant for the Famous Army and Navy stores and even a van lad for Palmer and Harvey Limited in Wood Street, Liverpool.
My love of golf started in the early 1970s when I started to caddy at two local golf clubs; Lee Park G.C and Childwall G.C. I was just 15 years old when I caddied in the Echo Scratch Amateur Championship for two years on the run for John Behrend who was the captain of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club and has also published several books on golf including the Amateur.
In 1983, I went looking for work in Brighton with my girlfriend ‘Julie’ who is now my wife of almost forty years. We have a son and daughter and now have two grandsons and a granddaughter. On settling in Brighton, my career progressed into sales eventually I went back North and set up the family home in Warrington. Where I set up my own sales agency in 1999 which I still run to this day.
I was a member for three years at Portal Premier Golf Club before leaving and joining Eaton GC in 2005. In 2008, I took over the role of managing the scratch team which is role I have not passed on even now. I have been on the men’s committee for 16 years and have thoroughly enjoyed my time especially helping to run several charity golf events at the club over the years.
My chosen charity for this year is ‘The Alzheimer’s Society’ which has been the leading cause of death in Great Britain over the last 12 years. It is a charity very close to my heart as I lost a dear uncle to the disease and have seen the devastating affect it can have not only on the person but their closest loved ones who often take on care responsibilities. My aim is to raise funds that support people living with dementia along with their loved ones and allow the charity to develop the research in this field with the aim to hopefully one day find a cure for this awful disease.
Gary Staniford
I was born in Govan, Glasgow after the war but early enough to remember ration books.
I was lucky being part of a large and caring family. My sister is a year older and my brother ten years younger than me. My father was one of thirteen and so we had my granny, aunts, uncles and cousins within a very small area. We were not well off but we were happy. My mother was an orphan and we didn’t have relatives on her side.
I attended the local primary school before going on to Shawlands Academy where, much to the horror of most of the academics, a commercial studies course was introduced and I learned shorthand, typing and book keeping.
I was working in the offices of Golf Monthly when I met Geoff in 1967 and my only regret is Dai Rees suggested he take me out, “on a golf course”. I told Dai I wouldn’t be seen dead with an old man and we had many a laugh, but what an opportunity to miss it’s my one regret.
I went off to Switzerland for 6 months in 1968/69 to work in a small hotel in a village called Sconenwerd which is halfway between Basle and Zurich. I was a buffetochter there and my hours were 6 am until 8 pm. My half day was Saturday and I worked 9 am until 4 pm. I returned home to be a bridesmaid for my sister in 1969 then married Geoff in 1970.
We lived in Northern Ireland for 6 years, Hitchin for 6, then St Neots, Cambridgeshire for 7 years before moving to Guilden Sutton in 1989. Moving each time with Geoff’s company.
We have travelled extensively throughout our 53 years of being married.
I have done secretarial and administration work throughout my life, having been employed by Spillers, Oxo Brook Bond and Courtaulds. I worked in local government after we moved to Cheshire.
We have two sons, our elder was born in 1976 followed by our younger in 1979. We have three grandsons and one grand-daughter.
My elected charity this year is for the CCU (Coronary Care Unit) fund at The Countess of Chester Hospital. My ambition is to raise enough funds to purchase a new ECG machine that records patient information which passes directly to Cerner.
Irene Varley