John Gendall
John Gendalls rugby interest was nurtured at Lescudjack School and then with Mounts Bay Colts before he moved up to the senior ranks.
A wing forward who played a total of 107 games for us during the sixties, he left those duffel-coated, mini-driving days as a panel-beater, became a miner, and has been for many years a patriarchal Mennaye manicurist!
Over the years John has experienced the highs and lows of life, but has survived as a spirited bionic man who has given stalwart service along the way.
His craft and graft to help improve our clubhouse and grounds (in particular drawing envious acclaim from visiting teams) has been exceptional, besides in the past having been a Colts Official, a member of the Supporters Club, a fund-raiser, and a successful 3rd. team Manager!
Not surprisingly, and certainly most deservedly, John is a Life Member.
Jan admits to being occasionally irascible, but he is a dedicated, conscientious, jovial and popular character.
A story from the past
Over the years a good number of Pirates have played the demanding sport of water polo, but not John.
However, he was with the tour party celebrating a fine Western Counties Cup Final win against Cheltenham at Exmouth in 1966.
Hostelries such as the Heavitree Arms and the Deer Leap were visited, where the intoxicating black velvet mix of champagne and Guinness heightened the spirits still further. quite literally in the case of a luckless John, who was carried shoulder-high along the pavement late in the evening when a panda (police) car suddenly appeared.
At the peak of the swinging sixties John was left hanging from a tree branch, his carriers had scarpered, the branch broke, and big Al (Alvin Williams) had to explain to the police on Johns behalf that it was a case of high jinks, an accident which involved a man of good character. Hear, hear!
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