President’s Letter 2 Dinners & Luncheons 49 The President Elect 4 Denis Tomlin Archive 56 Editorial 6 Girls’ Reunion 60 Main Committee 8 Coronation Gifts 62 Headmaster’ Letter 10 Golf Society 60th 5 6 The OSA Trust 16 Obituaries 68 Clubhouse Development 18 Sports Sections 74 News of Former Pupils 23 Acknowledgments 84 Olympians 40 working with you for you With the right kind of support anything is possible Contents www.jerroms.co.uk • [email protected] • 0121 693 5000 Audit • Bookkeeping and Accounting • Business Startup • Payroll • Specialist Tax Services Silhillian Magazine 101 x 131 portrait.indd 1 19/9/12 10:00:12 “ T H E S I L H I L L I A N ” the magazine of the The Old Silhillians’ Association Limited (The Former Pupils of Solihull School) The Leonard Stevens Building Solihull School Warwick Road Solihull West Midlands B91 3DJ Telephone: 01564 777680 Facsimile: 01564 775151 Email: [email protected] Website: www.silhillians.net ISSUE 63 NOVEMBER 2012 President 2012 Peter Davies 1 Dear Fellow Old Silhillian I am writing this report having just attended Speeches at the School. It was an excellent evening. The Headmaster – ably supported by a number of pupils – pro- vided an update on academic and other achievements and there was an inspira- tional speech from Professor Hugh Montgomery. Perhaps of most note, however, was that the evening marked the 60th anniversary, to the day, of when Denis Tomlin first joined the School, and a presentation was made to him to mark the occasion. This reminded me of the day, a few months ago, when I attended the opening of the Denis Tomlin Archive, which houses the School’s archive. Denis gave an interesting and amusing speech: he hasn’t really changed since I left the School 36 years ago! Letter from the President from Letter The School’s archive – which compliments our archive which can be accessed through the OSA’s website – is well worth a visit. Indeed, many attending the Over 60s Lunch in May visited it during a tour of the School in the morning. The same building (now known as the Leonard Stevens Building but what I re- member as the “new” Music School) is the home of the OSA’s office at the School. At the moment this is staffed just one afternoon a week (usually by Malcolm Lawrie). We need to look at ways in which we can increase our presence in the office and how the School can most benefit from that presence, but the fact that we have been given this office symbolises the extent to which our relationship with the School has developed in recent times. Our letterhead now includes the words “because you never really leave” and that is the theme that we and the School promote. The OSA is the next phase of the School community and the School has now put in place arrangements which en- sure that all leavers become life members of the OSA. That is a significant step forward. I wish to thank the Headmaster, David Lloyd, and the Chairman of the Governors, Mark Hopton, for their support of the OSA. I have enjoyed working with them. I have also attended many most enjoyable OSA events during the first eight months of my year as President. The Golf, Rugby and Hockey Dinners were all great evenings and thanks to those sports sections for inviting me. The Past Presi- dents’ Dinner was very different but an equally enjoyable evening. The Over 60s Lunch was attended by well over 100 Old Silhillians and I am looking forward to the second lunch in October. It will not be long before female former pupils will qualify to attend! We also held a Summer Ball in the marquee, which was not only an opportunity for members and their guests to have a good night out (I am too polite to recount some of the “events” of the evening) but we also raised funds for the OSA and the Old Silhillians’ Trust. I must place on record my thanks to my social secretary (wife), Heather, who spent many hours organising the Ball and has provided sup- port throughout the year. The other event which is being organised at the moment is the President’s Dinner 2 on 24th November. I hope that I will see many of you at the Clubhouse. This year Letter from the President from Letter there has been no London Dinner. It has been put back to 15th March 2013, so that it does not clash with other events. The other main areas of progress during the year so far have been in relation to the redevelopment of the changing rooms and Clubhouse and the restructuring of the OSA, and there are separate reports on those in The Silhillian. I had hoped that we would be further on with both of these projects. This is not through any lack of effort. Major changes need to be carefully thought out and patience is re- quired. There are good prospects that both projects will be brought to successful conclusions in the near future. Finally, I give my sincere thanks to everyone who has served on the Committee this year. Every member has devoted large amounts of time to the future of your OSA and I have no doubt that the Association is in far better shape than it was a few years ago. I hope that my successor, Joe Bates, has an equally enjoyable and fulfilling year. Regards Peter Davies THE OLD SILHILLIANS’ ASSOCIATION - PAST PRESIDENTS 1921/22 Dr AV Bernays 1955 JT Rolfe 1984 DW Edwards 1923 C Aldrin 1956 VO Hawley 1985 SC Mackay 1924 WR Ludlow 1957 FR Bishop 1986 JRD Orrett 1925 PE Martineau 1958 LG Highway 1987 G Stubbings 1926 PH Reading 1959 HA Steele 1988 MS Saunders 1927 HA Hughes 1960 CWD Cooper 1989 HJC Taylor 1928 HS Matthews 1961 HT Wilcox 1990 MJD Smith 1929 TA Furse 1962 WP Townsend 1991 RJC Graves 1930 CH Palmer 1963 DH Billing 1992 BW Allen 1932 LC Reading 1964 HB Callaghan 1993 GM Hughes 1933 LE Horton 1965 CT Coton 1994 HE Blow 1934 F Burnett 1966 MJ Wheelock 1995 AJ Richardson 1935 RH Whitehill 1967 PJ Hill 1996 P Callaghan 1936 CL Hughes 1968 BJW Swift 1997 MC Bettridge 1937 FJ Osborne 1969 FAR Moon 1998 PA Thomas 1938 HD James 1970 JEJ Baggs 1999 JM Batsford 1939/43 WRL Horton 1971 RG Toy 2000 J Woolman 1944 FL Nock 1972 TG Jones 2001 BJD Wilde 1945 AG Bragg 1973 JMB Urry 2002 MA Cutler 1946 JB Mayers 1974 DM Powell 2003 N Smith 1947 CW Bragg 1975 MJ Cusack 2004 R Jerrom 1948 EG Wilcox 1976 RC Young 2005 BW Allen 1949 AJD Mansell 1977 KJ Foster 2006 PA Thomas 1950 JM Urry 1978 T Jackson 2007 SD Allso 1951 KW Highway 1979 DA Gurnham 2008 JA Platt 1952 Dr. KD Waters 1980 PBL Instone 2009 RJ Young 1953 BE Hatton 1981 JLR Hare 2010 ME Levenger 1954 MAD Cooper 1982 RC Cupit 2011 JN Harrison 3 1983 DD Cox The President-elect Dear Fellow Old Silhillians Those of you who knew me at school may recall that I joined aged 10 from Eversfield in form 2A, under the guidance of Mr Ingram. I’m still best of friends with two members of that form, Neil Archer and Simon Westwood. The following year I progressed to 3A1 and found myself sitting next to a member of the new intake by virtue of the alphabet and his name beginning with A, one Barry Allen, who immediately made his mark on all matters academic and sporting. I look back on my school days with great fondness and somehow managed to progress through what was then ‘O Levels’ and subsequently ‘A Levels’, as well as some minor sporting involvement, appearing in the middle school play, being a member of the ‘Light- ing Team’ for the big school stage and other activities. I am not the first Old Silhillian member of my family, as my father was a boarder at the school, despite the family home being in Homer Road. He used to relate the story of his father ‘blowing a fuse’ when the boarding fees went up from 4 to 5 guineas per term. I suppose as an accountant one must recognise the large percentage hike even if as an overall number it seems incredibly low. My first memories of Copt Heath were when it was used for sport by the school, very much as it is indeed today. Subsequently, as I progressed through my teens, my next memories were attending the Friday night Rugby Club discos, the least said about these probably the better! I think it is true to say that on the sporting front I am not the best qualified member the Association has ever had; I did for a while play some hockey for the OSA, very much at the lower end of the teams and also for a brief period I was a member of the squash section, again showing a distinct lack of prowess. After leaving school, I did a year’s Foundation Course, at what was then Birmingham 4 Polytechnic and then trained as a Chartered Accountant, qualifying in 1980. Since 1989 The President-elect I have been a partner in Clement Keys, a regional independent practice with over 100 people. I married my wife Denise, in 1981 and we have two daughters Danielle and Lara and I am pleased to say Danielle both qualified as a Chartered Accountant 18 months ago and got married this summer.