THE SILHILLIAN 2018
www.silhillians.com Contents President’s Letter 2 Lunches, Dinners 30 President-elect 4 and Balls Editorial 6 The PRA Memorial 36 Plaque (Part 2) OSA Committee 6 OSA Brexit Survey 38 Headmaster’s 10 Reflections Shenstonian Lodge 39 OSA Trust Report 16 News from Former Pupils 40 Clubhouse & Ground 18 1988 Leavers’ Reunion 57 Under 25s 20 Obituaries 58 Development & 21 Sports 75 Alumni Relations Office Frank ‘Obbi’ Butterley 82 Careers 29 Acknowledgments 84 “ 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: 0121 703 2963 Email: [email protected] Website: www.silhillians.net ISSUE 69 NOVEMBER 2018
President 2018 Jamie Clapham 1 As I sit here in the September sunshine I am looking back over the year and it is amazing to think that my first event was postponed due to heavy snow. It has been a year full of thoroughly enjoyable events, with the only downside being the slightly tighter fit of the waist bands on my trousers after all the dinners and lunches. I am
The President’s Letter The President’s not sure how the Headmaster does it every year. I would like to start with some thanks. Firstly, to the Past President, Jonny Dugdale, for asking me to take on the role. I have been very honoured to be your President for the year, and Jonny has given me unwavering support throughout the year for which I am very grateful. It is also very important to thank the OSA Committee. Without the committee and their support the Association would not continue to run, whether that be the Clubhouse and Ground, or the support of the alumni; without these people it would grind to a halt. Finally, I would like to thank the School and in particular the THE OLD SILHILLIANS’ ASSOCIATION - PAST PRESIDENTS Headmaster David Lloyd and Lucy Lunt and Lynn Moseley from the Development and Alumni Relations Office. The School continues to be a huge supporter of the OSA and their assistance makes a President’s life much easier. Looking at the OSA, it is always worth remembering its many different facets. The one everyone thinks of first is the Memorial Clubhouse. Thanks largely to the continued hard work of Max Levenger the Clubhouse is now in the strongest position it has been in years. The Trust continues to support pupils at the School with bursaries. The under 25s goes from strength to strength under the guidance of Aoife Mannion, Harry Morgan and Megan Lloyd. Once again we hosted the Christmas event and Leavers’ BBQ for our younger alumni. As an association we also continue to support the School with careers advice via our members. Now to have a look at how this year has gone from a more personal perspective. The Presidential year started with the unfortunate delay of the Nine Lessons and Carols due to a couple of feet of snow. Thankfully as the year progressed the weather definitely improved and I was able to attend the plethora of events. I had the pleasure of attending the annual dinners of the hockey club, the golf society, the rugby club, the Past-Presidents dinner and the over 60s lunch (which included attendees from both Mexico and Canada). At every event I was exceptionally well 2 looked after and my thanks go to those who organise each of these clubs/societies. I was also delighted to be able to attend several school events including the The President’s Letter wonderful adaptation ofJoseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and prize giving. All of the school events showcase what an incredible position the School is in under the stewardship of David Lloyd. I am also honoured to have been asked to the Remembrance Day Service at the School in November. As I am sure we will all remember, it is an incredibly moving event. As we come to the end of my year I am delighted to be able to introduce this year’s President Elect, Simon Griffiths. Simon has been involved in the Association for several years now and I am sure that he will continue the great tradition of the position in conjunction with all of your support. I have had such a fantastic year as your President and been truly thankful for both the opportunity and also for the support the membership as a whole have offered to me. This won’t be the last involvement for me in the association and I hope to continue to be able to support such a fantastic alumni association and Simon as your future President.
Yours
Jamie Clapham (Windsor, 1997-2003) THE OLD SILHILLIANS’ ASSOCIATION - PAST PRESIDENTS
1921/22 Dr AV Bernays 1957 FR Bishop 1988 MS Saunders 1923 C Aldrin 1958 LG Highway 1989 HJC Taylor 1924 WR Ludlow 1959 HA Steele 1990 MJD Smith 1925 PE Martineau 1960 CWD Cooper 1991 RJC Graves 1926 PH Reading 1961 HT Wilcox 1992 BW Allen 1927 HA Hughes 1962 WP Townsend 1993 GM Hughes 1928 HS Matthews 1963 DH Billing 1994 HE Blow 1929 TA Furse 1964 HB Callaghan 1995 AJ Richardson 1930 CH Palmer 1965 CT Coton 1996 P Callaghan 1932 LC Reading 1966 MJ Wheelock 1997 MC Bettridge 1933 LE Horton 1967 PJ Hill 1998 PA Thomas 1934 F Burnett 1968 BJW Swift 1999 JM Batsford 1935 RH Whitehill 1969 FAR Moon 2000 J Woolman 1936 CL Hughes 1970 JEJ Baggs 2001 BJD Wilde 1937 FJ Osborne 1971 RG Toy 2002 MA Cutler 1938 HD James 1972 TG Jones 2003 N Smith 1939/43 WRL Horton 1973 JMB Urry 2004 R Jerrom 1944 FL Nock 1974 DM Powell 2005 BW Allen 1945 AG Bragg 1975 MJ Cusack 2006 PA Thomas 1946 JB Mayers 1976 RC Young 2007 SD Allso 1947 CW Bragg 1977 KJ Foster 2008 JA Platt 1948 EG Wilcox 1978 T Jackson 2009 RJ Young 1949 AJD Mansell 1979 DA Gurnham 2010 ME Levenger 1950 JM Urry 1980 PBL Instone 2011 JN Harrison 1951 KW Highway 1981 JLR Hare 2012 PG Davies 1952 Dr. KD Waters 1982 RC Cupit 2013 JR Bates 1953 BE Hatton 1983 DD Cox 2014 JM Skan 1954 MAD Cooper 1984 DW Edwards 2015 JC Loynton 1955 JT Rolfe 1985 SC Mackay 2016 SG Westwood 3 1956 VO Hawley 1986 JRD Orrett 2017 JA Dugdale 1987 G Stubbings Dear Old Silhillians It is with great pleasure that, twenty years after my Upper Sixth year at the school ended, I find myself writing to you as President-Elect. I have been involved with the President-elect Association for a few years now, having joined the Main Committee in 2015. Taking on the role of President has given me a great opportunity to reflect on my experiences of both it and the School. My connections to the School go all the way back to my birth. My mother reliably informs me that I held the “Heaviest Staff Baby” record for almost a year, before one of my contemporaries claimed it. Shortly after this, I was baptised in the School Chapel. As I progressed through the School, I discovered one unnamed music teacher had a photo of her holding me in my baptism gown. Apparently, she had taken to asking her younger students to “guess which pupil this is“. Not at all embarrassing in your formative teenage years! Steve's I was a keen swimmer and would regularly come along to Friday night survival Christmas Trees swimming, despite not being a pupil at the time. Mrs Instone soon clocked my one and only sporting ability. It was her insistence on having a strong house Come and Select Your Locally Grown team that saw me placed in Pole when I joined the School in 1990. It was High Quality Low Needle Drop Nordman Fir with great pride that, eight years later, I accepted the role of House Captain. from 4 ft - 12 ft and over The Sixth Form (and Pole House) was where the longest lasting, and most Norway Spruce also available over 10ft important part of my school life started for me, as it was here that I met my wife, Amy (née Harris - Pole, 1999). Opening From Friday 30th November 2018 right up until Christmas There was always a risk that, with the School so closely connected to my family, at 30 Blue Lake Road, Dorridge, B93 8BJ I would struggle to find a place within it as a pupil. Yet from my first day in J4L (I Opening Hours joined during the year the entire Junior School was decamped to portakabins), Monday- Wednesday 12 - 5 pm Thursday & Friday 12 - 7 pm it was clear that I had become part of a lifelong community. A community that Saturday & Sunday 9 am - 5 pm encouraged friendship and opportunity amongst its members. One that didn’t Large selection of water holding stands, tree lights and trimmings end when you left the School. Two decades later, 3 of the godparents to our children are close friends from the School. I met our best man in the Thirds and, what now seems like almost every week, a friendship from my school days is Delivery and Collection Service Steve's Christmas Trees, 30 Blue Lake Road, Dorridge, Solihull, B93 SBJ 4 renewed. All enquiries please call: 01564 770560 www.stevesindustries.co.uk President-elect This is an exciting time to be involved with the Association, even more to take on the role of President. Our Centenary is just around the corner (I will be the 93rd President of the Association) and I see a large part of my role as preparing for the milestone of the centenary. The School’s development of the Alumni network offers fabulous opportunities to work on the growth of the Association and the support it can offer the School. Meanwhile the fantastic facilities at the clubhouse continue to develop and offer much to both past pupils and the local community. When I attended the Leavers BBQ this August and saw the departing Upper Sixth prepare themselves for what results day would offer, it occurred to me that nothing and everything had changed. The same sense of anticipation hung in the air that had been there for me; the same feeling of hope. Yet here was a generation who, more than any, will spread out across the globe. They will influence the world around them, hopefully taking the message and skills that they have learnt at the School. I am very much looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible and working together to grow an Association that successfully supports the community that we have become.
Best wishes Simon Griffiths (Pole, 1990-98)
Steve's Christmas Trees
Come and Select Your Locally Grown High Quality Low Needle Drop Nordman Fir from 4 ft - 12 ft and over
Norway Spruce also available over 10ft
Opening From Friday 30th November 2018 right up until Christmas at 30 Blue Lake Road, Dorridge, B93 8BJ
Opening Hours Monday- Wednesday 12 - 5 pm Thursday & Friday 12 - 7 pm Saturday & Sunday 9 am - 5 pm
Large selection of water holding stands, tree lights and trimmings
Delivery and Collection Service Steve's Christmas Trees, 30 Blue Lake Road, Dorridge, Solihull, B93 SBJ All enquiries please call: 01564 770560 www.stevesindustries.co.uk 5 Dear Old Silhillians In last year’s Editorial I posed the question, “Will I make 20 Editorial (issues)?” This year I can answer it and the answer is, I am afraid, “No”. It was not a decision I took lightly, but working for a University means September and October are always particularly busy and more so since I have taken on extra responsibilities. Why on earth I did that at my age, I am not sure? At the Ball with daughter Alex At the moment the OSA Committee do not know who will produce next year’s Silhillian or what format it will take. I have long warned that there would come a time when it would go ‘electronic’ and maybe that time is now. On page 34 there is a job specification for the role of Editor. Should any of you want to consider the job I am more than happy to answer any questions that you may have and give advice during your term of office. Please email me [email protected] . The magazine cover is less colourful than usual and I make no apologies for that as it is my homage to the finest teacher to have ever graced a classroom at Solihull School - Denis Tomlin. Denis helped me greatly in my early days as Editor and I will never forget his kindness. There is more about the great man later in this issue. The humour of Bill Payne (Shenstone, 1959-69) seemed to go down well with many readers, so he was kind enough to ‘carry out’ an Old Sils’ Brexit pole, the results of which can be found on page 38. He also penned a satirical ‘obituary’ for a very old, Old Silhillian which is on page 82. It has been a tough few years for the Clubhouse and Max Levenger with new Clubhouse Manager Mark Coltham have done a wonderful job turning the business around. Much of the OSA Committee’s time has been spent on this area and we must be very careful not to 6 lose sight of other responsibilities and duties that the committee Editorial has. Consideration must be given to the fact that not all Old Sils are local and to many the Clubhouse holds no significance. I have thoroughly enjoyed my 19 years of editing this magazine. Meeting and corresponding with so many Old Sils has given me such great pleasure. You are a truly wonderful group of human beings. There are far too many people to thank and it would be unfair to single any out, so all I will say is, “Au Revoir” and look forward to sharing a few pints with many of you in the future. With my warmest regards Malcolm Lawrie (The Senior House, 1966-75) PAST EDITORS 1. Bernard Owens (1950, 53-55) 10. John Woolman (1977-79) 2. Brian Coghlan (1951-52) 11. Simon Wilcox (1980-82) 3. Arthur Upton (1956-60, 63) 12. Martin Cotter (1983-85) 4. Robin Cooper (1961-62) 13. David Gilbert (1986-87) 5. Mike Cusack & Mike Callaghan (1964) 14. Robert Chetland (1988-89) 6. Mike Cusack (1965-67) 15. Reg Instone (1990-91) 7. Brian Knight (1968-71) 16. Richard Graves (1992-94) 8. Geoff Herne (1972-74) 17. Claude Coton (1995-99) 9. Nick Atkinson (1975-76) 18. Malcolm Lawrie (2000-18) The OSA Committee OSA COMMITTEE 2018
7 Jamie Clapham Simon Griffiths Jonny Dugdale President President Elect Imm. Past President The OSA Committee The OSA
Barry Allen David Lloyd Pete Davies Chairman Headmaster Hon. Secretary
Steve Urry Max Levenger Malcolm Lawrie Hon. Treasurer Management Chairman Silhillian Editor
8 John Harrison Rupert Young Harry Morgan General Member General Member General Member The OSA Committee
Simon Westwood Megan Lloyd Peter Earl General Member General Member General Member
Aoife Mannion Graham Loader Laurence White General Member General Member General Member
Dan Super James Wolfe 9 General Member General Member I might be excused for thinking that after 8 years at Solihull, surprises and unfathomable events should be a thing of the past. However, that is the joy and pain of Headship; you never know what is just around the corner. On the academic side of life, external events have dominated. A Level and GCSE reform have proceeded at pace. In a nutshell, things have got tougher for pupils, schools, universities and employers. At GCSE, letters have become numbers with a 9 – 1 scale, 9 being the highest. The Government’s rationale is, for example, replacing 2 letter grades, A* and A, with three numbers 9, 8 and 7, in order to allow for greater differentiation in the face of grade inflation. Therefore, 9 and 8 allow differentiation between a pupil who might have previously scraped an A* grade and a pupil who barely dropped a mark. In addition, modularity is a thing of the past and coursework has seenits
The Headmaster’s Reflections The Headmaster’s day. iGCSE (international GCSE) is outside of UK Government control and independent schools have, by their nature, free choice between GCSE and iGCSE, and here at Solihull, Heads of Department have the final say in this regard. This does, however, mean that pupils will leave the Upper Fifth with a combination of number grades (GCSE) and letter grades (iGCSE), and all of us are faced with a jumbled mass of conflicting rhetoric around what all of this means for comparisons within and between age specific cohorts. At A Level, the clock has been turned back to my own school days, or so it seems, and linearity is king once again. The AS Level at the end of the first year of the A Level is no more; the AS Level still exists, but as a stand-alone qualification and not as the half-way house on the route to ‘destination A Level’ it once was. Generally, this has been welcomed by staff as it means the end of the Lower Sixth year is not disrupted with exam practice, study leave and the AS exams themselves. However, for pupils, it means all the exams come at the end of two years’ worth of study, meaning that organisational skills and synoptic thinking are all the more important. Sadly, for both GCSE and A Level reform, new courses have in some cases started without bespoke textbooks, exemplar examination questions or even detailed specifications, and I’m very grateful for the commitment, creativity and quality of teaching on offer here. Things are also different at university; the unconditional offer is, in my opinion, a retrograde step as it is distorting pupils’ choices of university, i.e. increasing demand for those institutions making unconditional offers, and in some cases is causing pupils to coast once in possession of such an offer. Some universities have gone a step further and are offering financial incentives (scholarships), 10 Remembrance Day 2017 with Squadron Leader Adam Collins (Windsor, 1985-96) representing the Armed Forces The Headmaster’s Reflections
11 laptops and the pick of campus accommodation in return for applicants giving The Headmaster’s Reflections The Headmaster’s them ‘firm choice’ status. And as for Oxford and Cambridge Universities, it appears that there is a growing bias against pupils from independent schools, and we have found that in order to maintain a healthy relationship with these universities, we have had to evidence independent-state school partnerships and our commitment to bursary funding, both of which we do in abundance, but neither of which should act for or against our pupils in accessing elite universities. Two related curriculum changes have dominated life here at school and they are Project Curriculum 2020 and our new Wellbeing and Personal Development Department, the former led by Ms Harford-Fox and the latter by Mrs Rooney. Curriculum 2020 is an innovative project looking at the importance of skills based learning and character education in what we provide, particularly given how employers increasingly feel about the exam culture and league table jockeying. Indeed, some employers have gone as far as questioning the value of degrees as the gatekeeper for careers traditionally considered as undergraduate. Whilst we don’t necessarily subscribe to all of these views, careers education is changing as more pupils look at apprenticeships and sponsored degrees, and we have now come out of national league tables due to the very narrow and often misleading interpretation of success they present. However, please be reassured that we left on a high and not defensively. This year I am pleased to report that at A Level, 81% of all grades were at A* to B, and at GCSE, 91% of all grades were at A* to B or equivalent. Turning to Wellbeing and Personal Development, this is another new and exciting initiative and draws together many of our early initiatives inthe field of mental health, mindfulness and PSHEE (Personal, Social, Health and 12 Economic Education), and is now on pupils’ timetables as they move through the Junior and Senior Schools. Furthermore, our Parents’ Seminar Programme The Headmaster’s Reflections is now well established, and this year includes topics such as discovering the teenage brain, growing resilience in young people, successful communication and emotion regulation skills for families, thriving in diversity and healthy behaviours and relationships. Also new this year is the introduction of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) to the Sixth Form, and all members of the Sixth Form are expected to bring a laptop or tablet to lessons. Staff and pupils are trained in how technology can appropriately enhance lessons and pupils are hopefully better prepared for life at university and the role that technology is likely to play in undergraduate study. However, we do value the importance of ‘traditional’ teaching and I hope that we never use technology just for the sake of it. Moreover, we currently have no plans to roll out BYOD lower down the school. Many more initiatives were introduced this year, and under the leadership of Miss Campbell the Solihull Lecture Series was born, and we are currently preparing for two high profile lectures on some of the biggest issues facing both young and old: promoting gender equality in education and mental health wellbeing in education. We will also be hosting Evan Davies (economist), Fiona Walker (author), Oxford University (maths) and the Bloodhound Project, which is a project aimed at achieving a new world land speed record with a supersonic car capable of 1,000 mph or more! In addition, we now offer LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) examinations and 18 pupils in the Upper Fifth and Lower Sixth achieved merits and distinctions in their (Grade 6) Public Speaking exams (see photo below). Furthermore, at a time when Classics is being axed in many schools, it continues to flourish and grow here. Greek is now on offer off-timetable and the first cohort have successfully navigated their GCSE with all members of the group achieving at least a grade 7; this is a wonderful achievement.
13 A scene from Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat The Headmaster’s Reflections The Headmaster’s
14 Last year was an incredibly sad time for the school with the loss of three dear The Headmaster’s Reflections colleagues, two retired, Denis Tomlin and Phil Holt, and one current colleague, Martyn Garner. All three touched the lives of thousands of Old Silhillians and (current) Silhillians and will never be forgotten. In memory of Martyn, we have renamed the Outdoor Pursuits Building, the Martyn Garner Building for Outdoor Education and we will be erecting a slate sculpture in his name at the mountain cottage in Snowdonia, a place he loved so much. For Denis and Phil, and as part of our drive on bursaries, we have added two new bursaries in their names, with the very first recipients of the Denis Tomlin Bursary and the Phil Holt Bursary joining the school this term. We do believe that social mobility and widening access to the school is beneficial to the individual, the school and society as a whole, and I am very grateful to those who have donated or pledged already and urge others to do so too. As a school community of former pupils and ‘friends’, I hope we can give even more pupils the opportunity of attending this wonderful school regardless of their background, as indeed many Old Sils have done in the past. As well as being outstanding academics, all three colleagues were huge supporters of and contributors to the co-curricular life of the school, and the ‘Big 5’ activities, academic enrichment, drama, music, sport and outdoor education, are a very important part of school life, and have a significant role to play in developing soft skills such as communication, confidence, empathy and grit – skills which help to differentiate Solihull from other schools and which are explicit in both Curriculum 2020 and Wellbeing and Personal Development. Moreover, the lack of reference to such skills, and many more like them, is exactly the reason we exited league tables and I hope other schools join us in taking a stand. So, and most importantly, congratulations and thank you to all of you… colleagues, pupils, Old Sils, parents, governors and friends for enriching the life of this vibrant and dynamic community. We are certainly not perfect and we make mistakes, but we are ambitious and reflective, and I hope that our current record number on roll (nearly 1,100 pupils), our innovative curriculum, the number and range of activities and trips on offer and our impressive examination statistics all point to a school that might not be the nation’s best at any one thing, but is there or thereabouts in lots of areas. I often hear people talk of holistic education and I think one need look no further than Solihull to see a beacon of excellence. Perseverantia our spirit. David EJJ Lloyd, Headmaster 15 As a relatively small charity we have to work extremely hard to get our messages heard, often against competing interests. I would therefore encourage all readers of this article to do as much as they can to spread the word. If the Trust is to make any real progress in helping to deliver its ambitions for increased support of the school, it must continue to grow and become more effective. It needs to reach out to new audiences, forge new alliances and demonstrate the benefits to decision makers and
The OSA Trust The OSA the wider public. Our objectives The twin goals of the Old Silhillians Trust are to: • Increase funding substantially in order to support the school in high-priority non- capital projects • Establish a permanent endowment of significance for scholarships and special projects. With the active support of the Governors, the Headmaster, the whole school community and the Old Silhillians’ Association, the Old Silhillians’ Trust is working for the future wellbeing of the school. We are therefore turning to Old Silhillians, parents and friends of the School who may wish to influence Solihull’s future for help in achieving these goals. Solihull School is believed by many to be a rich school. The fact is that without the generosity of Old Silhillians and others connected with the School (most especially, George Hill’s sound financial Chairmanship of the Governors), Solihull would not have survived to become one of the best and most financially sound independent schools in England. Thanks to these benefactors, we are better enabled to look to improve the fabric and facilities of the school, thereby enriching the life and education of the boys and girls who attend. In recent years the Trust has been able to provide finance for a number of different projects. Between 2009 and 2012 we were able to cover the full three year tuition costs for an exceptional former pupil of Solihull School whilst at Drama College in London. Furthermore, in 2012 we spent in excess of £60,000 developing a website for the School archive in support of the Denis Tomlin archive room within the school facility. Literally, tens of thousands of documents, photographs and film from the past 150 years at Solihull School have all been digitised and are now available for the world to see on our website. Also that year, we provided a substantial donation towards the School’s effort to support their colleagues from Wessex School in Concepción for the victims of the Chilean earthquake disaster. Perhaps though, the most significant and ongoing purpose of the Trust is to provide scholarships, something we have been doing for the past 50 years. Each year we are able to provide scholarships to a number of pupils entering the sixth form. We have significantly increased the number of scholarships being offered by the Trust and at the time of writing this report no less than six pupils have been offered Old Silhillian 16 Trust Scholarships for the new academic year. Scholarships are awarded to members of the Upper The OSA Trust Fifth who have made an outstanding contribution to the wider life of the School, both curricular and co- curricular. For example, those pupils who have made a substantial and sustained contribution to sport, music, drama, debating, the Bench and/or outdoor education, as well as maintaining exemplary effort in class. These pupils must be role models for the Solihull School community and ambassadors beyond the school gates. Most importantly, these scholarships are not means tested. This year in addition to the previously mentioned scholarship awards the Trust has been delighted to provide £1,000 towards the cost of a place on the performance Archery GB Academy for a current LV1 pupil Matthew Vaughan (photo above right). This is an extremely prestigious opportunity that will offer Matthew the platform to compete at the highest level. Potentially at Olympic level. I am certain that you will all support me in wishing Matthew every possible success in the future - an Olympic Gold would be nice! The Trust is extremely grateful to the School for its continued support, as much of the money given to the Association via the School’s auto-enrolment scheme should be passed directly to the Trust after any Alumni associated costs (the magazine, etc.) have been deducted. The final decision as to how much money the Trust will receive lies firmly in the hands of the Old Silhillians’ Association Main Committee. This is our only source of income other than that provided by donations, bequests and our investments. One point that I would like to clear up is that of a perceived competition between the Old Silhillians’ Trust and the Development & Alumni Office. We both appear to be asking the same people to offer us financial support for the same reasons. Many people ask me, why should I donate to the Trust when I can make my donation direct to the School? The simple answer is that it does not matter a jot. Any money donated to the Trust will eventually find its way back to the School in some form or other, normally in the form of a scholarship. The Trust finances are ring-fenced from the activities of the Old Silhillians’ Association and the Clubhouse & Ground. In conclusion, I would like to thank my fellow Trustees for their continued support during the year. All of their efforts are very much appreciated. I would also like to thank all of the boys and girls who have written letters of thanks to me for scholarships awarded. Hearing just how much our support means to them and their respective families is extremely gratifying and I wish them all every success in the future.
Peter A Thomas (School House, 1964-74) Chairman – Old Silhillians’ Trust 17 We have had another busy and successful year in the clubhouse. The severe winter certainly didn’t help our usage over December January Established for over 45 years, and parts of February BRI provides high quality Wealth whilst the snow was Clunhouse & Ground on the ground. On the Management solutions to Private back of the significant investment last Clients, Families, Trusts and Charities. summer, the ground staff did a great job looking after the pitches throughout this period as well as the elongated dry summer, which needed careful Investments | Pensions | Wealth Protection | Tax Planning management to ensure no long-term damage was done. Investments Wealth Protection Regarding finances, considering the above, we fared as well as we could ending Creating bespoke portfolios specifically Protecting wealth for future generations in a stronger position than we could have hoped for at the end of winter. tailored to your needs and objectives. through professional advice and support. We have implemented a number of efficiency-saving initiatives including an Pensions Tax Planning online booking system, a new website and an upgrade to a number of other Retirement planning covering all Income, capital gains and inheritance IT systems that we use to manage the facility. There has been an additional types of pension and income options. tax planning. house beer added which has been well received called ‘1560’, hopefully any past pupil will recognise the significance of the date. Conversations are being held with the sports clubs reviewing the contribution they make towards the running of the grounds, which will bring this more in line with the costs we incur. The lower car park is currently being invested in to improve that, as well as some other vital projects to keep the facility working both now and in the future. The Corporate side of the business continues to grow although we are always looking for more, so if there are any events you’d consider holding, please do call to find out more. I’d like to add my own thanks to Malcolm Lawrie for his sterling work editing the Silhillian since 2000, and wish him all the best for the future. He is a great help to me in this role and his assistance in providing support in many areas such as marketing, publications and For more information please contact: social media is very much appreciated. Paul Cusack, Head of Private Clients Tel: 01676 523550 Email: [email protected] Max Levenger (Fetherston, 1983-94) BRI Wealth Management plc @BRIWealth 18 Management Chairman BRI House, Meriden Business Park, Meriden, CV5 9RL www.brigroup.co.uk
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BRI026_Generic_Advert_Template_A4_Portrait.indd 1 01/03/2017 16:23 In the last year, we’ve seen some awesome achievements by recent leavers. To start with, it was great to see Julie Whiting (Windsor, 2006-13) compete at the Commonwealth Games in Australia. And who can forget
Under 25s that try by Will Talbot-Davies (Pole, 2009-16) in the Dubai World Sevens tournament? I’d also like to pick out Conor (Shenstone, 2004-11) and Kieran Joyce (Shenstone, 2007-14), the co-founders of mental health awareness company, Noggin Sport. The duo’s business has seen extraordinary reach this year and their focus on encouraging sportsmen and women to talk about their mental health is inspiring. These are only a few successes from the past year, and all Old Sils should know that there is a dedicated team eager to share your achievements and provide support when you need it. Turning to events, we welcomed leavers to our OSA Dinner, at which Aoife Mannion (Windsor, 2012-14) was our guest speaker, and it was brilliant to welcome so many 2018 leavers into the OSA with the annual Leavers’ BBQ. There is much to look forward to as we head into 2019. At the end of November, former pupils will compete in the Invitational Social division of the Dubai Sevens tournament. We cannot wait to represent the school on an international stage! To follow the squad’s progress, follow @OldSilhillians on Instagram. On Friday 14th December 2018, join us for drinks and canapés back at school at the ‘Under 30s Home for the Holidays’ event. And if you took part in a musical at school, pencil in Saturday 18th May 2019! The Bushell Hall Musicals Reunion is open for the cast and crew of all musicals from Oliver in 2003 to 2015’s Les Misérables. Keep your eyes peeled for more information coming soon. It really has been another busy year for recent leavers and I look forward to seeing our cohorts progress into 2019. I do, however, think it would be remiss of me to not mention Martyn Garner, Denis Tomlin and Phil Holt. Having read through some of the many messages left in response to news about Martyn, Denis and Phil, it is clear that each man was deeply appreciated and had a far- reaching and profound impact on so many people in the school community. Until next year... Harry Morgan (Windsor, 2003-14) 20 Under 25s Rep INTRODUCING LUCY LUNT Development & Alumni Relations For almost twenty years, Lucy Lunt’s job, through rain and shine, was to walk two steps behind Clare Balding, carrying a large microphone. Now she sits in the warmth of the Leonard Stevens Building planning parties for alumni. She laughs, “No, that’s not quite it”. When she exchanged her life as a BBC Radio 4 Producer to become Director of Development and Alumni Relations here, she was clear about the purpose. “We were lucky enough to be able to afford to send both our children here, Jack Halsey (Shenstone, left 2007) and Lucy on location with Claire Balding Harriet Halsey (Shenstone, 2000-10) and we are enormously grateful for the holistic education they received. But there are many talented, motivated and hardworking children out there who are prevented from accessing the opportunities offered here because of their financial background. My job is to increase alumni engagement and that’s really important, it’s always a joy to welcome former pupils back to school but the job is also about fund raising. It’s my intention to raise £2.5 million over the next five years for The Silhillian Fund that offers transformational means tested bursaries. I’m delighted to say, nine months in that we are already well on our way. Nineteen people have already signed up to our regular giving campaign. Amounts vary from £10 a month to over £1,000 and all gifts are equally gratefully received. Thanks to Bob Greenwood’s (Shenstone, 1946-53) extraordinary bequest it is my hope that we can reach the first million mark by Christmas.” With Sophie Lodge (Marketing Manager) Lucy has made a video explaining the importance of bursaries to the individual, the school and the wider community. It also tells the stories of those who have benefitted from full bursaries over the generations. You can view it on the school website following links to The Silhillian Fund. So does she miss rubbing shoulders with BBC celebs. “Not at all. The alumni I meet in school and go out to visit are fascinating successful people wanting to give back to the school that gave them so much. As well as being a parent I served on the governing body for ten years. I always thought this would be a dynamic and inspiring place to work. I was right.” 21 THE DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS TEAM We held a wonderful variety of events this year engaging all sectors of the Silhillian community; past and present pupils, parents, staff and governors, at the School, Silhillians’ Sports Club, in Birmingham and in London. We thank you for your support. Development & Alumni Relations Development
Lynn Moseley Lucy Lunt Debbie Lloyd Development & Alumni Director of Development & Development & Alumni Relations Assistant Alumni Relations Relations Administrator [email protected] [email protected] CHAMBER CHOIR RETURNED TO ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL Now a much-anticipated event, the school Chamber Choir returned to St Paul’s Cathedral to sing Choral Evensong. They gave a magnificent performance, supported by a large congregation made up of many from the school community and the public. Following Evensong, Old Silhillians came together for a drinks reception at The Happenstance Bar. Here they were able to meet old friends and make new ones in a warm and welcoming 22 setting. Development & Alumni Relations
SOLIHULL SCHOOL CCF VISIT TO RAF SCAMPTON Former pupil Squadron Leader Adam Collins (Windsor, 1985-96), Red 10 Supervisor organised an exciting trip for nine lucky CCF pupils to visit RAF Scampton. We were fortunate to meet the Red Arrows Team and to see them practising air displays. We sat in on debriefing sessions and visited the main hanger where the cadets were able to get close up to one of the Hawk T1s. We finished off the day with a private tour of the Heritage Centre. REMEMBRANCE DAY COMMEMORATIONS Squadron Leader Adam Collins returned to Solihull School on Friday 10 November 2017 to take part in the School’s annual Remembrance Day commemorations. Adam whose appointment as 2018 supervisor of the famous Red Arrows RAF aerobatic display team, laid a wreath at the School’s war memorial after a minute’s silence had been observed by pupils and staff at the School. Wreaths were also laid by Solihull Headmaster David EJJ Lloyd, an NCO of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and the President of the Old Silhillians’ Association among others. A Service of Remembrance was then held in the School Chapel. Adam, who served in CCF, learned to fly while he was a student at Solihull School and was awarded an RAF Sixth Form Scholarship. Upon leaving in 1996, he studied Aeronautics and Astronautics at Southampton University before flying Tornados for the RAF. He also flew F1-11s while on a three-year exchange programme with the Royal Australian Air Force. 23 BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS Alumni came together from all sectors of business in the city, to meet up with old friends and staff over a drink at the end of a working day. It was a most enjoyable evening and good to see former pupils who have not attended before. We hope to develop events like this over the next couple of years to include all professions. JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT The school musical is still a highlight of the Silhillian calendar and we were delighted to welcome back former pupils, parents and staff to attend a
Development & Alumni Relations Development drinks reception and a wonderful performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (photo: page 14). Next year we hope to hold a reunion for all those who have performed, played or worked back stage on a Bushell Hall Musical. CLOVELLY PITCH OPENING SATURDAY On a cold March morning the new artificial hockey pitch was opened by Simon Wilcox (School House, 1953-59). It’s named the Clovelly Pitch, after the Clovelly Trust, which was founded by Gordon Wilcox in 1964. Gordon was an Old Silhillian and later became Vice Chairman of the Governors. Our most grateful thanks go to Simon, Gordon Wilcox’s nephew, and the trustees for their financial assistance. The trust continues to provide funding for our Sixth Form scholars and help fund both the expenditure of the grounds and the sports activities 24 on an annual basis. Development & Alumni Relations
JOHN WALL RETURNS TO SCHOOL AFTER 56 YEARS Former pupil and teacher of mathematics, John Wall (Pole, 1942-51) returned to Solihull on the 9 May, having attended the School until 1951 and then returned to teach from 1959 to 1961. It was the first time John had returned to Solihull since emigrating to New Zealand 56 years ago. Overwhelmed by his visit, John was excited about the changes the School had made. Twelve former pupils joined the tour, four of which were his pupils. Their day included a tour of the school, tea and coffee with the Headmaster followed by a traditional school lunch. LONDON DINNER Former pupils, teachers and staff came together at the Caledonian Club for the London Dinner. The Headmaster welcomed guests and updated them on the School’s news including the relaunch of The Sillhillian Fund. The Development and Alumni Relations office intend to raise £2.5 million over the next five years to be able to increase the number of bursaries available, in perpetuity. We were so pleased to have Ben Perry (Jago, 1985-92) join us for the evening. Ben is our first major donor to the campaign and he has kindly agreed to be one of the patrons. Other patrons include Simon Halsey CBE and Michael Buerk. 25 Development & Alumni Relations Development
THE BIG DEBATE Michael Buerk (Shenstone, 1955-65) is also Patron of our Debating Society and he kindly returned to Solihull once again to chair the annual Big Debate. The motion, ‘This House believes that we have created a Snowflake Generation’ was proposed by pupil Oliver Rooney and Claire Fox. Claire is an author, founder and director of the Institute of Ideas, and regularly appears on BBC Radio 4’s The Moral Maze also presented by Michael. The motion was opposed by Ms Harford Assistant Head: Academic / Teacher of Psychology and Lorenzo Sinclair (LVI). Congratulations to the opposition, our winners, Lorenzo Sinclair and Ms Harford! BOARDERS’ REUNION The enthusiasm with which men of a certain age scurried around School House and the Quadrangle reliving memories of their boarding life was a joy to see. Over a 100 Former Pupils and Staff gathered together to remember the days when Solihull was their full time home. They were amazed to see so many changes and relieved to be able to visit old haunts. While many had happy memories some were pleased to observe that the school is now a warmer and 26 more progressive place and the food has definitely improved. Development & Alumni Relations
27 JONATHAN WEARING (Fetherston, 1964-70) Without question, the quality of the academic education that I received at Solihull School enabled me to read Economics at Cambridge, which proved to be a springboard to a career in the City in banking and corporate finance. However, some of the most important lessons that I learned in my School years arose from the extra- curricular volunteering activities in which I took part. The practical experience of helping others and Development & Alumni Relations Development reflecting on the moral obligations that we have to each other was an important part of my education “in the round”, distinguishing it from purely book-learning. That such an education could be more widely available, enabling pupils of talent but limited financial resources to join the Lower Sixth, is something that I applaud and wish to promote. The Silhillian Fund’s objectives match those of the founders of the Free Grammar School of 1560 and are greatly deserving of our support. REMEMBERING FORMER PUPIL PROF. PHILIP KING It was our pleasure to be able to fulfil the final wish of Prof. Philip King (Fetherston, 1941-48), who had asked that his ashes be buried in the school grounds as a mark of gratitude for the emotional and financial support he received here as a pupil. His parents were unable to continue his education at Solihull into the Sixth Form but the Headmaster, recognising his intellectual ability, offered him a free place. Philip stayed and became the first in his family to attend university. He became an academic and was one of the scientists to work on the extraction of North Sea Gas. Four generations of the King family gathered along with his wife, Helen, to bury his ashes beneath a cherry tree on the lawn outside school 28 house. Careers INTRODUCING RHIAN CHILCOTT With high university fees and graduate recruitment substantially lower than in recent years, today’s students have some serious choices to make. To guide them through this process, Solihull School has appointed Mrs Rhian Chilcott as Head of Careers. Rhian read Theology at the University of Oxford, before joining L’Oréal’s graduate management training programme. No stranger to career change herself, Rhian re-trained as a Theology and Philosophy teacher and has enjoyed a successful career in education, at various times managing academic, pastoral and co-curricular teams. In addition to a breath of experience in education, Rhian has worked in a variety of different types of schools including day, boarding, independent, state, grammar, single sex and co-educational schools. “The only type of school I have not experienced is an international school”, says Rhian. “If Mr Lloyd considers opening up Solihull School Mark Two abroad, then count me in”, she laughs. Rhian’s experience of working closely with young people means she has a real understanding of the pressures they face within an educational setting, and in society. Driven by a commitment to the holistic wellbeing of students, Rhian has come on board to lead the Careers Department into a central position within the life of the school. “My remit is school wide”, Rhian explains, “and extends to alumni”. Indeed, Rhian is eager to work closely with the Development and Alumni Office, to the mutual benefit of current students and former pupils. “I have not worked in a school with such a strong identity, such a strong sense of community, and where so many alumni appear genuinely interested in the life of the school. There is so much opportunity here for students and alumni to benefit from unparalleled networking possibilities.” Always looking for opportunities to enhance the offering of the Careers Department to current and former students, Rhian is reaching out to Old Silhillians to get in touch if they feel they can offer any support. Commitment does not have to be burdensome, Rhian is keen to point out, and could be as simple as a short email exchange with a student or alumni interested in exploring a particular profession, or attending a professional networking drinks party (“drinks on us, naturally”, Rhian assures). Of course, any alumni keen to reconnect with the School in a larger capacity, and who perhaps could agree to speak to students or offer them a work experience placement, are also warmly encouraged to get in touch. Rhian’s email address is [email protected]. uk and you can keep up to date with all things careers by following Solihull School Careers on Facebook and @CareersatSolSch on Twitter. 29 Lunches, Dinners & Balls Lunches, Dinners
THE OSA PAST PRESIDENTS’ 61st ANNUAL DINNER held at the Memorial Clubhouse on Friday 23 March 2018 The 61st Annual Dinner was held in the Clubhouse on Friday 23rd March 2018 and was attended by twenty-six Past Presidents of the Association. Senior Past President Bob Toy greeted the current President Jamie Clapham, Headmaster David Lloyd, Chairman of Governors Mark Hopton and Immediate Past President Jonathan Dugdale all of whom received a warm welcome from the members. A minute’s silence was held in memory of Roger Cupit who was so well loved and respected by everyone who knew him. David Lloyd said Grace and after an excellent dinner Barry Allen rose to introduce Immediate Past President Jonathan Dugdale and both he and President Jamie Clapham gave amusing accounts of their experiences in office and an update of the affairs of the Association. Headmaster David Lloyd responded to the Toast to the School and spoke about the considerable achievements and attainments of individuals and teams at National and Local levels. He also highlighted the severity of mental health issues many young people now experience and the new initiatives the school was taking to enhance the psychological well-being of its students. Bob Toy toasted Absent Friends, thanked chef Rupert Davies and the Club for an excellent evening. The 62nd Past Presidents’ Annual Dinner will be held at the Memorial Clubhouse 30 on Friday 3 May 2019 THE OSA BALL Lunches, Dinners & Balls held in the Marquee on Saturday 2 June 2018 The theme this year was a masquerade ball and a fantastic time was had by all who attended. Particular thanks must go to Emma James for helping with the room decorations, Malcolm Lawrie and Johnny Dugdale for leading the advertisement and ticket sales. Quest were once Angela and Jon Cloke again our band and performed fabulously as they always do. As ever, Chef Rupert performed culinary miracles and produced a magnificent menu. Whilst numbers weren’t quite where we hoped, it was excellent to see several of the school staff in attendance including the Headmaster and his wife Debbie.
31 THE OSA ANNUAL DINNER held at the Memorial Clubhouse on Saturday 25th November 2017 School Leavers and guests met for the Annual OSA Dinner at the Silhillians Sports Club in Copt Heath. Along with the usual outstanding food and company on offer the attendees were treated to a rousing speech by Birmingham City Ladies
Lunches, Dinners & Balls Lunches, Dinners and England footballer Aoife Mannion whose address focussed on the strong bonds of friendship that she made in her time at the School and that continue to strengthen – a feeling vocally shared by both Aoife’s guests and all School leavers present.
As tradition demanded, celebrations went on long into the evening and many present commented on the promising mix of men and women from various age groups in attendance, reflecting the continually evolving make-up of the OSA’s membership.
Special thanks must go to John Harrison (Jago, 1968-75) whose arrangements for the evening guaranteed one of the best turn-outs in many years, including a table put together by John’s son Tom Harrison (Jago, 1996-2007) who together with his guests celebrated their first 10 years as members of the Association.
OVER 60s LUNCHEONS held at the Memorial Clubhouse on 12th October 2017 & 10th May 2018 It is with pleasure to report the Over 60s lunches, one in October and the other in May, continue to attract not just the regulars but a good number of new attendees.
The guests were the Headmaster who delivered his usual succinct and interesting review of life and times at our school. We are most fortunate to have his guidance in helping to continue the development of our school and for his exceptional enthusiasm in maintaining the close links between the school and the OSA. Association President Elect, Jamie Clapham, standing in for the President, Jonny Dugdale away on business, then brought us all up to date with matters OSA.
I came as something of a blow just before Christmas to receive a resignation notice from our Hon. Treasurer Bob Standley (Fetherston, 1957-63) owing to 32 ill health. He left us with a gap which became difficult to fill, but this coincided with the thought that maybe the school’s Development and Alumni Relations Lunches, Dinners & Balls Office (DARO) could become more involved. It is likely that these matters will be finalised by the time of next May’s lunch which will, incidentally, be preceded by a tour of the school, courtesy of the Headmaster’s kind invitation. As an aside, some of you have made enquiries why there was no tour this year and the reason is simply the committee decided some while ago these would held biennially.
With October a near record, the numbers for May went through the roof with a total of 121 including 20 newcomers. This time we had three guests – our two ‘regulars’ and Lynn Moseley from the DARO who kindly did the honours and collected the ‘dinner money’! It was an especially memorable event as we had the pleasure of three rather special people joining us. Ginty Burns (Pole, 1973-75), our first female Old Silhillian to ‘break the glass ceiling’, did so all the way from Toronto! Our hope is many other Old Silhillian ladies of a certain age will follow Ginty’s lead in the years to come. Canada sure seems a long way to come for lunch and ordinarily, Ginty would possibly have thought her journey the farthest but, then again, so would Brien Trippas (Jago 1955- 64) all the way from Sydney on his first time back in the Sils’ clubhouse in over 5 decades. The timing was perfect as he met his first grandchild, born just two days earlier to his London based elder daughter. In the event, Brien was out- John Wall, Ginty Burns and Brien Trippas distanced by Old Silhillian and former teacher, John ‘Bricky’ Wall (Pole, 1942-50), back in our midst for the first time in over 55 years, who clocked up the most miles all the way from Palmerston North in New Zealand!
It is fair to say the two chaps from “down under” helped swell the ranks in that we managed to get a table each in their names at which were seated some 15 good friends of Brien’s from his school and rugby playing days and 15 of John’s one-time form pupils from years 1959-61, the 2 years he had at our school before emigrating.
To conclude proceedings, the Headmaster graciously accepted an invitation to present Bob Standley with a small token of appreciation for his 5 years as Hon. 33 Lunches, Dinners & Balls Lunches, Dinners ‘Bricky’s Boys’ from 1959-61 Treasurer of the Over 60s Luncheon Club. It was a dozen golf balls suitably inscribed with OSGC, all of which, one suspects, he has already lost!
One cannot overlook the support we continue to receive behind the scenes. Sincere thanks go to DARO’S Lynn Moseley and Debbie Lloyd who have worked tirelessly in locating and communicating with many former pupils who have not been back to our school in many a decade. This work has now become especially difficult with the recent introduction of Data Protection legislation.
Sincere thanks go to Rupert Davies and his staff for the ongoing efforts in producing splendid lunches, never an easy task with so many discerning palates to satisfy! His staff waiting at table do exceptionally well given how tightly packed in we are! Reminiscing often goes on well after the lunches have concluded where, thanks to the bar staff efforts in pouring the “right” drinks, stories of yesteryear become ever more embellished!
Final thanks must go to Mike Smith (Fetherston, 1956-64) whose involvement as Hon. Secretary is truly remarkable. We really are most fortunate to have his input and expertise, so The Trippas 1st XV long may he continue his commitment to Over 60s lunch arrangements and thus afford many older Old Silhillians the chance to stay in touch on a regular basis.
Peter Bragg 34 (Jago, 1955-64) SITUATION VACANT Editor of “The Silhillian” After 19 years at the helm, Malcolm Lawrie has quite rightly decided to hang up his blue pen. We thank him for his tremendous efforts and successes in producing a consistently impressive magazine. We are looking for an individual (or potentially individuals) to take on the role which is very varied and includes: • Requesting copy from past pupils & other relevant sources • Liaising with the school • Liaising with the printers • Laying up the magazine into a printable format using desktop publishing software • Generating advertising revenue • Editing copy and getting it proofread • Preparing the OSA annual mailshot Other skills such as being able to keep the website up to date and manage our social media would be an help, but not a deal breaker. Please register an interest by email at [email protected] Malcolm has also indicated his willingness to consult and give advice until the new Editor has ‘settled in’ and is happy to answer questions about the role at [email protected] 35 In last year’s The Silhillian magazine I wrote an article about completing my 214th and final “Wainwright” fell in the Lake District. As a coda to this I talked about the P R Ansell Memorial plaque, which I had failed to find again after 40 years. I put out a plea for information to see if anyone else knew whether it was still in place and some more precise directions to its location. Unfortunately our esteemed editor managed to crop out my email address from the final version of the article, which rather stymied this appeal (it’s [email protected] for any future communications). Despite this a few people got in touch through Malcolm, so I am indebted to David Patterson, Richard & Geoff Paver, Steve Johnson and Roger Flood. Through these contacts I was able to establish that the stone is still in place and I also The PRA Memorial Plaque (update) got a clearer idea of its location. I went back up to the Lakes in April and climbed the lower slopes of Barrow fell from Braithwaite and found it almost straight away. It is tucked away from the main footpath, but for anyone else who wants to find it the precise grid reference is NY 23315 22831 (that’s to the nearest metre). The stone was looking a little worse for its 45 years, with some of the lettering barely readable, so I returned a few days later with a small brush and cloths to try and clean the lettering up. I made some improvement (see photo), but it could benefit from professional cleaning. While in the Lakes I did a nostalgic fell walk. I only did one fell walk in the company of Swotty Ansell, during the 1972 Hammarbank trip. The walk we did was from Buttermere up to Whiteless Pike and across to Wandope. I had not returned to climb these two fells since then so, 46 years later I decided to repeat the walk, having visited the plaque on the day before. Sadly Whiteless Pike was shrouded in mist, but this had cleared by the time I had reached the summit of Wandope. The sun even came out for a short time as I stood there and I thought perhaps that Swotty may be looking down on me and remembering the walk as well. Peter Shepherd (Fetherston, 1968-75) The plaque commemorating P R Ansell is indeed still there, only in need of a light scrub with a brush to restore it to its former glory. The photos Peter included in his article were fascinating and I include my own taken in June last year. Using OS Outdoor Leisure 4 of The English Lakes, North Western Area the 36 grid reference of 233228 is near enough but I found the narrative slightly lacking. Proceeding just west of South The PRA Memorial Plaque (Update) from Braithwaite Lodge (233232) on the well-worn track straight up the ridge line on the open fell you soon come across a large rocky outcrop on your left (not an isolated boulder as described elsewhere!). Just above it head off left through thick bracken for further than you think, about 75 metres, “around the corner” staying roughly on the same contour and you will eventually find the Plaque which faces East overlooking Keswick. There are several minor outcrops placed as Red Herrings along the way-- just persevere! I have fond memories trying to keep up with Swotty during my two visits to Hammarbank and the Lakes, so it was pleasingly nostalgic to locate the memorial. Steve Johnson (Jago, 1959-66) I read with great interest your feature about the Wainwrights in the November 2017 issue of The Silhillian. My brother Geoff Paver (Fetherston, 1966-71) and myself were both pupils at Solihull School. We both went on the regular trips to the Lakes at Hammarbank. We both were taught Maths by Swotty Ansell and remember him well. Together with our families we are also still very regular visitors to the Lake District. We walk there very regularly and in 2013 we succeeded in finding Swotty’s memorial above Braithwaite. It took some finding in the high bracken but it is still there and in good condition. Here is a shot of Geoff standing by the Memorial in 2013. We’ve been back since and went to the Lakes twice this year and always stay in Keswick. Richard Paver (Fetherston, 1967-72) 37
An online survey done in 2017/2018 by the international polling company Payne & Co. asked 500 Old Silhillians their opinions on Brexit. Ages ranged from 20 to 90 years and the survey was age range weighted to give good results. Some interesting and varied responses came out of the survey. The main strands of the survey were as follows, but full details are to be published in Accountancy Today in due course. • Accountants and Solicitors favoured remaining in the EU 75%/25%. Ease of European travel was the main reason, although third home owners in the Dordogne were particularly in favour of remaining. • Old Sils in the Shires were more likely to be Brexiteers although anomalies were found in the area of Dorking where a group of Old Sils were living. Old Sils Brexit Survey Old Sils Brexit • Teachers were generally found to be Remainers although Art teachers and Latin teachers were in favour of leaving the EU. One former teacher in a care home in Bath said, “He couldn’t care less as long as he had his porridge for breakfast”. French and German teachers were overwhelmingly for remaining but Russian teachers favoured Brexit. • There was a marked discrepancy among the houses as follows - • Pole Remain 43%Brexit 57% • Jago Remain 85% Brexit 15% • Fetherston Remain 39%.Brexit61% • Windsor remain 71%.Brexit 29% • Shenstone Remain 23% Brexit 67% • School House Remain 52% Brexit 47% Academically, Oxbridge graduates favoured remaining by a margin of two to one but Hull and Newcastle graduates were more inclined to Brexit. John MacTavish (Jago 1978-85), Provost of Dundee University and former Old Boy offered to address the Old Sils at their next luncheon to persuade any Brexiteer of their folly. He was, says another former pupil, “Expelled for climbing up the school flagpole and replacing the Union Flag with the Saltire”. Retired members were evenly matched in their opinions on Brexit but care home residents favoured Brexit and those with severe memory loss favoured remaining. Interesting results came from those with red hair who favoured Brexit. Bald members were undecided and those with dyed hair favoured remaining in the EU (most hair dyes are manufactured in Antwerp, Belgium). Asked whether members would leave the country if Brexit happened 38% said they would: 5 to the Cayman Islands, 3 to Switzerland and one to Scotland. The results are consistent with national polls with one exception. Those with a visual impairment voted to leave while those with a hearing impairment voted to remain. Shortsighted members voted to remain while two members with severe squints also were remainers. It was thought they could not see beyond the end of their noses. There were 4 spoilt surveys. They came from members living in the Knowle and 38 Dorridge area. Shenstonian Lodge No. 5544 Shenstonian Lodge Consecrated 1935
W. Bro Roger Moore, Master W. Bro Stuart Jenkins, Secretary ([email protected]) W. Bro Pip Tailor, Immediate Past Master The 2017-18 season will be over by the time you read this, and W. Bro. Roger Moore will have been installed as the Master for the year. Last season again proved very interesting with the Master, W. Bro. Pip Tailor welcoming his eldest son, Puneet, into the Lodge. Puneet was in Pole and left in 2005. He is currently working as an orthopaedic surgeon in Newcastle-upon-Tyne undertaking research. On the same night he was received into the Lodge, he was passed to the degree of a Fellow-Craft. Not a common occurrence! Again, we were blessed with good turnouts of Lodge members and visitors and enjoyed excellent festive boards throughout the year. The final meeting was another ‘Friends and Family’ evening with nearly 80 people dining. As usual, we had a very brief meeting and then threw open the doors of the Lodge to let our visitors see what goes on. We welcomed two brethren and their wives from the Albert Lucking Lodge No. 2717 in the Province of Essex, who meet in Southend-on-Sea. I have visited their Lodge many times and they reciprocate, except this time they brought their wives with them. One couple had been married for 40-odd years and he had been a Freemason for 30 years. She told my wife that until now, she had never seen her husband in his Masonic uniform and regalia! Our association with their Lodge goes back to when we discovered that our Master’s and Wardens’ chairs weren’t ours at all, but theirs! They date back to 1898 and the consecration of their Lodge. However it came about, the links between our two Lodges are strong and enduring. Needless to say, the chairs were restored to their former owners. The ‘Friends and Family’ evening event was treated to a lively and fascinating presentation from W. Bro. Mike Neville who is a retired Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector with a number of books on Masonic themes to his credit. His presentation entitled, ‘Crime and the Craft’ looked at the historic links between Freemasonry and crime; principally, how criminals were brought to justice by Freemasons. The event raised £300 for W. Bro Mike’s charities. We consider ourselves to be a happy Lodge and pride ourselves on making visitors most welcome. Links to the OSA web-pages below or look us up on facebook (Shenstonian Lodge No. 5544). If you would like to either join us or visit, please use [email protected] and we would be delighted to hear from you. Visiting by any brother is most welcome, but to join us you need to be an Old Silhillian, a parent of an Old Silhillian, a past or present Governor or member of staff at the school. The United Grand Lodge of England accepts male candidates, over the age of 21 years (subject to certain exceptions). Please contact us for full details of eligibility. To find out more or experience our legendary “Festive Board”, come along to our meeting on February 11th, 2019. Again, email us for details. 39 Norman Moor (1937-39) Born 5 July 1927 in Handsworth Birmingham and later moved to Hampton-in- Arden from where I came to Solihull School. Because I was asthmatic I was excused PT and Games, so as I was at a loose end during these periods I was sent to the Music room to a Mrs Wrigley who put a Violin into my hands and told me to News from Former Pupils Former from News get on with it. After a while I began to stop scraping and managed to play some tunes. After leaving Solihull School I continued my education in Birmingham and kept up my lessons privately with a William G Bottomly in Sparkhill. Eventually I took the diplomas of ALCM and LLCM from the London College of Music. I joined the Birmingham Philharmonic at the age of 20 also at the same time the Birmingham Orchestra da Camera which gave concerts at the Art Gallery under Brian Priestman. An interesting point is that my Violin was made by John Walker who lived in Solihull at the time and whose violins are listed in the Henley book of Violins and Bow Makers and given a very excellent review. My father bought it for me direct from Mr Walker when I was 17 years old and it has been my third arm ever since. I moved to Cheshire where I joined the Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra as co-leader under the conductorship of Maurice Handforth who was associate conductor of the Hallé Orchestra at the time when Sir John Barbirolli was their principal conductor. Reginald Stead the leader of the BBC Northern orchestra also conducted from time to time. At this period, I was playing a lot of chamber music and our quartet gave many concerts including one in Bradford Cathedral. Moving on from Cheshire I moved to Cromer in Norfolk where I was invited to join the Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra. After one season I was promoted to the position of co-leader. The Norwich Mozart Orchestra also required me as co-leader and I remained with both Orchestras for 28 years. After retiring from both orchestras, I have spent many happy years teaching at many of the Schools in the area including a ten-year period at Gresham’s Public School where Benjamin Britten and Auden were educated. Now at the age of 91, I am still playing the violin with the North Norfolk Sinfonia and I am Conductor of the Cromer Chamber Orchestra. I don’t intend to finally 40 give up for many years yet. John Lee (1941-43) News from Former Pupils I had not heard from OSA for some thirty years until I received a copy of The Silhillian just before last Christmas. How on earth did you find me after all this time? I did keep up with some of the changes through my old school friend Barry Davey (1941-43) until his death over a year ago and whose grandson also attended the school. I was very interested in the book which he lent me detailing the history of the school. I was amazed at the number of former pupils who perished in the Second World War. The last time I visited the school was in the late 1940s when the special occasion was the retirement of Headmaster ART ‘Stosh’ Thompson ‘ and I believe he was presented with a set of golf clubs. My stay with Solihull School was a short two years from 1941-43 but I have many memories of that time. My secondary education commenced in September 1938 at KEGS Camp Hill. In September 1939 KEGS was evacuated to Warwick School. This was short lived and people drifted back home. The school was evacuated again in October 1940 at the height of the blitz, this time to Lichfield. Two members of the teaching staff had been killed in an air raid and I was not doing very well with my studies. At this time the family home moved from Birmingham to Shirley and thanks to an arrangement between Birmingham Corporation and Solihull Council I was transferred to Solihull School in September 1941 and found myself in Form IVb alongside my old friend Barry Davey and Alan Harding in IVa, an old friend from junior school in Birmingham. The following year I moved on to Vsc and gained a respectable School Certificate. My memories include the arrival of the first three lady members of staff, including the indomitable Miss Isaacs who really knew how to deal with boys! Other memories include scrubbing the winter’s accumulation of green slime out of the swimming pool on the first gym period at the start of the summer term. Sitting in freezing classrooms with our coats on because the coke had run out. An added punishment for miscreants was shovelling coke into the boiler house when it did arrive. A filthy job which I managed to avoid. Doing firewatch duty which involved a group of 4 or 5 senior boys sleeping overnight on mattresses placed on the side balcony of Big School in case of an incendiary bomb falling on the school. I don’t know what we were expected to do, we had no training! On another occasion we had to don our gas masks which it was obligatory to carry at all times and walk through the changing rooms in the cricket pavilion where the chemistry master ‘Slapper’ Wright had placed a device creating tear gas. Being kitted out in First World War style army uniforms, complete with puttees which would often come undone when marching during the Monday exercises. Many pupils cycled to school in all weathers. There must have been room for several hundred bikes in the racks. Others walked or came by bus or train. One fellow even came on his horse on occasions which he kept during the day in a stable at the saddlers shop on the Warwick Road. 41 Clive Lee (Jago, 1949-57) Having left school very many years ago (was it in 1957?), I thought it was about time to get back in touch with Solihull. After I left school with a pretty weak set of A levels, I was fortunate enough to join Rolls-Royce in Derby as a University Apprentice on what was called, at that time, a 1-3-1 course. This was the first of a number of decisions that turned out to change my life as, while at Rolls-Royce, I discovered that I really liked mechanical engineering and it was something I was good at. I was fortunate to go to Nottingham University to study Mechanical Engineering and graduate News from Former Pupils Former from News after three years with a first class honours degree. After two years back at Rolls-Royce, I left to take a PhD at Nottingham, duly awarded after another three years hard study. I then realized there was a problem – what can you do with a PhD in engineering? The answer was to get a job at a university as a lecturer and I had a choice – Swansea or Exeter. For some reason I chose Exeter, a decision that changed my life again. I thought I would stay at Exeter for three or four years and then move onto something bigger and better. Then, one day in 1968, I was called with about four other members of staff to a meeting to talk with an orthopaedic surgeon who had an idea for a new replacement hip joint and wanted advice on a number of ‘engineering’ topics. At the time surgeons rarely talked to GPs, let alone engineers, that showed how unique the surgeon, Robin Ling, was - he recognized he needed help with topics outside his speciality. I volunteered to try to help (the third decision that changed my life) and a fifty-year long partnership started, with informal agreement between Robin and myself, no formal involvement of the Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Hospital/Centre or the University of Exeter. This gave us great flexibility to “do our own thing” and led us to design and develop what was then known as the Ling-Lee hip. The first implantation of the new hip was two years after our first meeting, in November 1970. After five years clinical use in Exeter, the name of the hip joint was changed to the Exeter hip, and the product was made available outside Exeter. Since that time, the Exeter Hip has been in continuous use throughout the world, with about 1.8 or 1.9 million joints implanted. The 50th anniversary of the first implantation will be on 27th November 2020 when we hope we will see that more than 2 million Exeter joint replacements have been used. Robin and I were very honoured in July 2009 to be awarded Honorary Degrees by the University of Exeter, Robin a Honorary Doctor of Science, me a Honorary Doctor of Engineering. Robin Ling passed away last year and is sorely missed, I retired from the 42 University a number of years ago, but am fortunate to be able to keep in touch with the work still going on to make the Exeter Hip even better. I married News from Former Pupils Pamela 53 years ago (the best decision of all) and we have two children (a boy and a girl, both engineers) and four grandchildren – lovely! If any of my old friends would like to get in touch, my e-mail address is - [email protected] Eric Lacey (Jago, 1946-53) What a surprise to return from a few days away, to find a copy ofThe Silhillian in the post. Thank you very much indeed. It is very many years since I read a copy. To see so few old pupils mentioned of my antiquity was sad. The only staff that I remember, was Ernie Halstead. I was not a keen pupil at school, finding lessons were not a great thrill, probably to the distress of the staff. Cold pool water also was not a happy event! However, I did enjoy avoiding games, by working with George Payne, on the ground maintenance. Gang-mowing was a great thrill. Helping with school plays with pre-show props, lighting, etc. was also good, done after school finished. I was actually given a prize, for “Work of a voluntary nature”. This activity gave me an insight into getting home late, as would be the future of working life! (I had a bus to Acocks Green, a bus to Ward End, the Fox & Goose, then a half a mile walk to our house near Hodge Hill common, about an hour and a half, if connections worked to time!). However, after permission was given I used a bike to cut down the time. This amounted to eight miles in wind and rain at times. A great interest was pedalling along Lode Lane and seeing Series one Landrovers on test! One of which stopped abruptly as the bonnet was not clamped down, it flew up in front of the windscreen. Nevertheless my time at school has stood me in good stead for the rest of my life. Thanks to those staff who put up with me during the years 1946 to 1952 or was it 53. Most of my work has been with Post Harvest machinery, from grain storage and handling, drying and processing, enabling farmers to make their own animal feeds on the farm from farm grown materials. Involving visits to France, Italy, Germany, Africa, and Iran. Thank you again, whoever it was that put The Silhillian in the post for me. Yes, I am still alive! Richard S Butler (School House, 1950-55) It is with amazement that I received a copy of The Silhillian in December last. It made excellent reading bringing back a few memories. I even read my old school reports today! Some 63 years on with no contact, how did you find me? After leaving in 1955, I spent 3 years at the Training Vessel HMS Conway, before commencing life as an Indentured Apprentice, the lowest form of animal life at sea! I progressed to 3rd Officer, 2nd Officer, Chief Officer before obtaining my 1st Command at the young age of 32. I have wandered all over the world, visiting good places, bad places and diabolical places, and been shot at. My latter life was spent as a Trinity House Sea Pilot, manoeuvring VeryLarge Tankers and Container Vessels around Europe. 43 I note in the magazine the passing of George Birtles. He was my House Master around 1950 at School House. I have a School House photograph signed by him in 1953. Also mentioned was the passing of David George Cox. Again, I have a photograph of the School House Rugby XV Junior Team. David is the hooker, I was right prop, J. Johnson, Captain and Peter Yeoman scrum half. I have, since leaving, lived in Cheshire, Sussex, Tyne & Wear and Devon. As a passing note, my Father H.G.S.Butler, and Uncle V.R.S.Butler were pupils and boarders, around 1908. Roger Ellis (1952-59) & Bill Taylor (School House, 1951-58) 60 Years On……….. As a result of the contacts provided News from Former Pupils Former from News through The Silhillian magazine and staff a reunion took place in February this year. Two boarders, Roger Ellis and Bill Taylor, met for a truly enjoyable reunion lunch in Christchurch, New Zealand after having not seen each other since Bill left school in 1958, sixty years ago. Bill was on holiday in Christchurch whilst Roger flew in from his North Island base solely for the lunchtime reunion. Of course, the ‘Good Old days’ in School House were the prime topic of conversation and the former pupils were able to bring each other up to date on a host of other issues regarding careers and events. It is hoped that the contact, now re-established, will continue for the former boarders between their Australian and New Zealand bases. Peter “Percy” Bragg (Jago 1955-64) Another year has slipped by during which time I had the pleasure of renewing friendships with a number of Old Silhillian pals I had not seen in decades. They included Eddie, or Edward, as he prefers these days, Lea, (42 years ago), David Woodward (55 years), Paul Wignall and Stuart Wyatt (each 56 years) and Mike Pountney (58 years) who all made first appearances at the May Over 60s lunch. Some came from quite far afield and all helped make the event very memorable. With the considerable help of Debbie Lloyd and Lynn Moseley in the Development and Alumni Relations office and notwithstanding the recent introduction of certain Data Protection legislation and some chance meetings around the country, I have a number of “lost” Old Sils I intend trying to 44 “repatriate” into the Association and especially the Over 60s brigade. A number of you may remember in last year’s publication I reported having News from Former Pupils met with John Wall and Mike Oakley. It was a delight to have John, a long-time resident of New Zealand, go through with his promise to attend the Over 60s May lunch, a report of which is included elsewhere here. Mike, however, a long-time resident of Suffolk, and a good pal of mine and many others at the Sils, has yet to join us at one of these splendid lunches but Perseverantia – I’ll get him in the end! Another Old Sil highlight for me of late was a trip my long-suffering wife, Diane and I made to the US and Canada in May/June. The US bit was to visit relatives in Michigan and Minnesota before going over the border to Cochran near Calgary and onwards over The Rockies to Kelowna in BC. First up in Cochran was a very enjoyable stay with great pal, David Wood (Fetherston, 1959-66) and his wife, Elaine. They were outstanding hosts where nothing was too much trouble. That included driving us to take in the spectacular scenery of the ice fields en route for Jasper and then over The Rockies for us all to stay with Brian Callaghan (Pole, 1959-66) and his wife, Doris in Kelowna. Again, wonderful hospitality from them and a chance for David and Brian to meet up for the first time in 42 years! Amazing! Mentioning great Old Sil hospitality, it was something Di and I enjoyed from two good pals of mine, Brien Trippas and Roger Gribble who left our shores many decades ago to land up in Australia. They made us so welcome on a trip we made there in 2012 so it was especially good to see them both back in Solihull, Brien for the Over 60s May lunch and Roger for the Boarders’ Reunion in late June. Life in retirement in Alderminster (just south of Stratford, should anyone have forgotten) remains very busy – the way we like it! Di is involved with church matters being on the PCC and a member of a couple of village committees. She is also joint organiser of the village fete! I am in Rotary and drive for two community bus companies – quite extraordinary for those who know my driving style, but true! I am also on the village hall (currently in the process of refurbishment) committee and wind the church clock mechanism ona rota basis! Such energy-sapping Peter Bragg, David Wood and Brian Callaghan activities mean regular trips for at Brian’s place in Kelowna, BC sustenance at the bar of our local, The Bell so if anyone just happens by, drop in. If there, I would be delighted to buy them some refreshment! Di and I travel far and wide with our caravan – Spain in January/ February and the usual assorted UK destinations this year but for how long we continue this way 45 of holidaying will soon need to be seriously considered. We’re not getting any younger! Sadly, I don’t visit the clubhouse much these days with drink/drive considerations being very much the issue. When I do turn up, there is always a welcome from old pals and especially so at the Over 60s lunches. Always fun and so good to maintain friendships, some of which are now 6 decades and counting! Long may that continue. [email protected] James Debney (Jago, 1960-66) I was very surprised to receive a little while ago a copy of The Silhillian - surprised because I left
News from Former Pupils Former from News school over fifty years ago and had had no contact with it or former members since. Clearly somebody knows me! To them, him or her, I am very grateful and greatly moved by the thought. It got me thinking - what do I remember of Solihull School? I was inspired by the vivid account of Bill Payne (The Silhillian, 2017). I remembered Swotty Ansell and Froggy Hunter, Harry Cooper and Tony Twigger, Harry Morle and ‘Neck’ English. And the list had a military flavour: Harry Morle was a colonel, Monty Biggs was a major, Jammy ‘Jammes’ was a captain, and Mr. Turnbull was a reverend commissioned officer (he rode a horse - maybe the robust enhorsed chaplain in Lindsay Anderson’s public school-themed satirical filmif ). This was the school I went to. It gave me my education. It set me up for life. Let me tell you some more. I arrived at Solihull School having passed my eleven-plus well enough to gain a county scholarship. Aged eleven I greeted English, Latin, Geography, Mathematics, Algebra, Trigonometry, French, Sciences from a standing start - none of these things were in the curriculum for my state school class of 52 where speed-tests for the 11 plus was the daily routine for 10-year olds. ‘Swotty’ Ansell taught me Maths, the only Maths I ever really learned. He was Mr. Chips, an irascible saint of a man who could read upside down what folly you were about to commit to paper almost before you had done it. Having written the correct version, upside down to him, left to right for you, you were a ‘BF’ or a ‘duffer’, of which there were so many he diagnosed in the class. As he walked away, this little man, you were equally instructed by the nub of chalk which he endlessly milled between his fingers. Over the years I learned a little Latin, less history, a bit of trigonometry, schoolboy French, some science, which interested me, and how to skive. In my 46 second, Shell, year, I also launched my career as an artful, frustrating nuisance. I laughed. I drove my form master, Eric Peyman, bananas. Why did I learn News from Former Pupils to laugh? It’s in the system. It is said the best comedians come from public school: their source material is absurdity, which is endemic. I laughed. It was my best subject. I was lucky in my form master the following year. There is a pecking order implicit even in a subset like Solihull School, and some are not equal. Harry Fisher was one such. In his shabby short, grubby light mac, worn even on the hottest day, he was a journeyman-teacher - not for him the glory of academically brilliant students. But he taught me I would have to work hard to get rid of the reputation I had now acquired - people would not easily forget. So, I made use of Solihull School. I discovered I was somewhat athletic, I was a good shot too – I got my British Army marksman certificate. I played the trumpet very badly in the band. I was a whizz at chemistry... or so I and others thought. This provided a second very useful experience. My A level set master thought differently. When he was finished I was good at Chemistry and I had learned logic. To Mr. Arculus I have a special indebtedness. I left school able to survive, from menial to managerial to research. I did many things, and I went to university twice. I was grateful to the body that had prepared me, the only alma mater I ever needed. Now I am privileged to shake their hands in turn – ‘Froggy Hunter’, Stan Wilkes, Messrs. Ingram, Bailey, Hopson, Rickman, Cooper, English, ‘Mush’ Griffiths, Sid Arnold, and all the others. And lastly the hand of little Swotty Ansell, a saint. Thank you all. Chris Fellows (Fetherston, 1960-66) Much of the credit for the good life I continue to enjoy must go to the School, which educated me sufficiently to achieve my aim of practising as an architect. Attending with my twin brother Jon (see page 49) made early starts, much travelling, 6-day academic weeks and homework bearable. A huge influence resulted from Reverend Hutchings persuading us to join Solihull Athletics Club. Now an Honorary Life Vice President, my Chairmanship of the Club from 1976 was a most rewarding experience, as was competing until the age of 58. Five years at Birmingham School of Architecture, a year with the City Architect’s Department, and 2 years with West Midlands Chris flying the Boultbee Academy Gas Board, gave me a good understanding of Spitfire MJ627 47 Jon & Chris in Mk IX Spitfire, MJ627, which was converted into a Tr9 two-seat trainer in News from Former Pupils Former from News 1950 for the Irish Air Corps and has a most unusual relationship with their family, which began on 27th September 1944 when their late father, R.N.Fellows, MC saw a Canadian pilot shoot down an Me 109 over Arnhem. Their father was a 19 year old subaltern with 1st Worcesters at the time, and as part of the infantry support to the Guards Armoured Division, found himself on the South bank of the Neder Rhine. Jon flew this Spitfire, from the back seat, in 2011 and experienced the strange feeling that Dad was with me in the cockpit - which shook me up a bit ! He spent over a year tracing the history of the aircraft - and ended up talking to the Canadian pilot - who confirmed that this was the same Spitfire that his father had seen all those years before! the profession, but my wish to design different types of buildings was frustrated. When asked to join a small private practice in Moseley, I started working for a former Tutor, in 1973, passing my professional practice examination and joining the Royal Institute later that year., Becoming a Partner in 1975, I built up three practices before retiring from full time employment in 2013, during which I designed several buildings that won awards. I remain a Consultant and work a few hours a week. Needing only 5 hours sleep per night meant that despite a hugely time demanding career, I still had time to train up to 9 times a week, court, and take part in my other passion, motor sport. With lessons and games on Saturdays, School life did not allow us to spectate at motor races with our Father. However, on leaving School, a former pupil and lifelong friend, Kerris Apthomas, bought a Ginetta G4 to sprint and hill climb, which began my fascination with these small sports racing cars. Russell Douglas (Jago, 1959-66), another lifelong friend from School gave me my first opportunity to compete in motor sport as his navigator in rally cars, a task I also performed for Kerris, and a third school friend, Tim Parker-Garner. Nearly 50 years later, Russell and I have recently shared several two driver circuit races both in his 1964 Alfa Romeo, and the 1996 Ginetta I have raced for the last 22 years. 48 Both my sons, Robert (Fetherston, 1990-97) and Simon (1994-2001), won Scholarships to Solihull School, and went on to Cambridge to study News from Former Pupils engineering. With five Master’s degrees, interesting careers, wives, homes, and now grandchildren, I am immensely proud, and more grateful than most for the influence the School has had on our lives. I have also enjoyed 10 years as Chair of the RIBA West Midlands Solihull CPD Group, and 4 years as Organiser of the annual Ionic Club Lunch. An unofficial organisation begun some 30 years ago by former Principals from mainly Midland practices to enjoy catching up with their contemporaries. Marrying for a second time 19 years ago, my wife Kathryn discovered a latent talent for interior design, with our home being featured in national magazines for her interiors. The recent completion of further extensions to our home, Jon & Chris in Mk IX Spitfire, MJ627, which was converted into a Tr9 two-seat trainer in including a much larger garage with workshop, will enable me to work on my 1950 for the Irish Air Corps and has a most unusual relationship with their family, which next project, converting another Ginetta, jointly owned with Russell, into a began on 27th September 1944 when their late father, R.N.Fellows, MC saw a Canadian track racing car. Having raced two Ginettas of my own over the last 40 years, pilot shoot down an Me 109 over Arnhem. Their father was a 19 year old subaltern with 1st spent 2003-05 racing Fun Cup Beetles in long distance races, including a 25- Worcesters at the time, and as part of the infantry support to the Guards Armoured hour race at Spa Francorchamps, tested many other racing cars, and more Division, found himself on the South bank of the Neder Rhine. Jon flew this Spitfire, from recently mentored younger drivers, I hope to continue racing as long as health the back seat, in 2011 and experienced the strange feeling that Dad was with me in the and fitness will allow. I will also continue to spend more time travelling with cockpit - which shook me up a bit ! He spent over a year tracing the history of the aircraft - my wife and designing buildings for as long as it remains enjoyable. and ended up talking to the Canadian pilot - who confirmed that this was the same Spitfire that his father had seen all those years before! Jon Fellows (Fetherston, 1960-67) Life as an identical twin has many advantages, and perhaps helps to see the advantages in what appear to be adverse situations. Both offered places at the Birmingham School of Architecture in 1966: brother Chris achieved the required grades while I did not, and I have watched his achievements over the last fifty years with great pride. My lifelong interest in things mechanical led me to stay on for a third year in the Sixth Form and look for training in the Motor Industry. I left school to take up a Technician Apprenticeship with Rootes Motors in Coventry, but was made redundant in 1970 when Chrysler Corporation bought the business. I completed a four-year thin sandwich course at Aston University in 1973 and scraped a Third in Production Engineering while working for R.A.Lister & Co. in Dursley – mainly involved with Jon in the cockpit of MJ627 manufacturing diesel engines. I failed, in 1978, to convince the Production Director that running engines on hydrogen gas would help regain some of the lost market for engines working in mines, and other clean air applications, and resigned to become MD of a small sub-contract precision engineering company 49 Steve’s Industries Ltd Salt Gritting & Snow Ploughing TEL: 01564 770560 E MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.saltgritting.co.uk
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We specialise in Commercial Snow and Ice Management. We have been Salt Gritting and Snow Ploughing since 1999. We receive daily Road Surface Temperature Forecasts from the Met Office predicting the next 24 hours. If the forecast is predicting Ice or Snow we will automatically come and Salt Grit or Snow Plough your site. This service gives you piece of mind that your car park, foot paths and road ways will be free from snow and ice. We also carry out one off Grits and Snow Ploughs, but don’t leave it until the last minute, be prepared and have your site booked in now. Just call or email for a price and more information. 50 Steve’s Industries Ltd, 30 Blue Lake Road, Dorridge, Solihull, B93 8BJ. Tel: 01564 770560 Web: www.saltgritting.co.uk in Devon for the next 25 News from Former Pupils years. Heavily involved in Aerospace, Communications and Medical Engineering, I also took the company into racecar engineering, mainly with Lola T70 sports racing cars. I also helped Chris with his Ginetta G27 (pictured above), which he still races. Following a huge downturn in the subcontract side of the business I decided to wind up the company in 2003. I then worked as a self-employed manufacturing consultant, mainly for former clients, before concentrating on the design and development of Flight Simulation Control Hardware. Retirement, due in 2013, held no appeal for me, and with enquiries for Spitfire Aircraft (SpitSim) controls increasing I find myself still extremely active in this field. I married my wonderful wife, Wendy, in 1976, and we still work happily together: with her vast range of skills complementing my own limited ones. We have a son and a daughter: both very talented. We both enjoy music and sing in a local choir: a great way to meet interesting people. I took up the Chair of The Spitfire Society for a couple of years, and with Wendy as Secretary we re-energised the small band of stalwarts on the Executive Committee. We have lived in Paignton, Devon, for almost forty years: and watched some wonderful sunrises over the sea. Better remembered at school as a half-miler, I continued running for many years to keep fit, but took up sailing to satisfy my competitive nature. Although our 1938 Dragon class yacht, complete with two bunks and a galley, was decidedly overweight compared with the post war Olympic yachts, I did win when competing as a cruiser/racer. The racecar involvement led me to drive many fine sports cars over the years, and I hope to complete the renovation of my 1962 Lotus Elite next year. Our Flight Simulation business has allowed me to gain feedback from the controls of several interesting aircraft. None can compare with flying a Spitfire, although an open-cockpit aerobatic biplane can be great fun! My next project is to develop a Maserati 250F Simulator, as there is some great software out there already for this iconic 1950s GP car. This will delay the Mosquito Aircraft Simulator Project further, but I could do with a change! Solihull School helped to develop a great work ethic in me, and despite my limited academic ability, I used this as the foundation for a very rewarding life. Strong friendships were forged there – some now of almost sixty years. I still find great satisfaction in solving engineering problems, and enjoy meeting old school friends, and I hope to do both for many years to come. 51 W J Peter Callaghan (Pole, 1959-67) Just over a year ago I had major heart surgery at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham and will always be indebted to the Cardiology team for having given me a new life.
Brian, my twin brother came over from Canada and we celebrated our 70th birthdays together. Band mates Nick and Mike agreed to help us support the “Heart in a Box” charity News from Former Pupils Former from News as a thank you by putting on a celebratory concert. My band, Wilbury Jam has been entertaining audiences for over 41 years supporting charity events helping to raise thousands of pounds. 150 family, friends, and many Old Sils were invited to a free “Evening with Wilbury Jam” in Solihull and were simply asked to donate to the charity. We thank them all for their generosity and for their warm and enthusiastic appreciation of the entertainment. Brian lent me his school colours blazer for this special evening as part of the celebration. Dorridge had never seen anything like it. The dancing, singing, conga and excited participation has now entered the folklore of Dorridge Village. £3,267.50 was raised and donated to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital “Heart in a Box” charity. Roger Gribble (School House, 1958-67) It was really good to meet up and cover so many topics a the Boarders’ Reunion. A really lovely way to remember some very good old times and just a happy meander down memory lane. Please pass on to all that had anything to do with the Boarders’ reunion, my sincere thanks. It was very well organised and wonderful to see how the school has developed. Especially to respect the way that the school and old boys have been able to develop the Old Sils concept, that is so obviously harmonious. To catch up with such a disparate and desperate group of individuals, all with their own fascinating 52 story to be told and shared. Yes, I really enjoyed that exposure. News from Former Pupils
So finally, having left the UK and returning to Australia, my wife and I had booked on a short walking tour to the remote and fascinating Maria Island situated off the East Coast of Tasmania. Initially named by Abel Tasman, Tasmania’s first European Explorer in 1642. Inhabited by Aborigines and subsequently a whaling station. In 1825 convicts from the UK formed the first penal colony in Australia. 50,000 convicts were shipped over a period of about 30 years to many settlements set up around Australia. Maria Island with its old buildings, convict bricks and clear evidence about how hard those initial penal colony days had been, was a most interesting location. So, it seemed fitting that as my wife and I joined the transport to go to the Island that another Old Sil, who left school just 3 years after me, joined us. Andy Cope (Shenstone, 1965-72), and his lovely wife Gin, have been living in Australia for 35 years, based in Bendigo where he has a very successful GP practice with 3 full time doctors, where his wife acts as the Practice Business Manager. What a surprise and complete coincidence as we were the only people on the Trip. Clearly Andy being SO much younger than I, was able to march promptly up the biggest mountain on the Island, whilst my wife and I just struggled up Bishop and Clerk, a much simpler ascent. We had a great few days together. His parents still live in Solihull. That same weekend he become a Grandfather for the first time, and it was their 40th wedding anniversary! Lots to celebrate and share together. 53 Eduardo Romero (School House, 1966-67) In September of 1966 I arrived at Southampton and went on to the boarding house at Solihull. I was 16. Lower 6B studying Economics, Maths and English. Besides my family, Solihull gave me perhaps the single most important year of my development when I was young. I learned to speak a second language and was immersed into the best
News from Former Pupils Former from News of English culture… its education system. A change of direction in my life led me to study law in my hometown in Chihuahua, Mexico and I graduated in 1975. Soon after, I went into private practice and founded a Eduardo (far right) at the Over 60s Lunch in law firm in Juarez which October 2017 with fellow boarders Peter Thomas, merged with Baker & Geoff Vaughan and Jim Fell McKenzie in 1991. I retired as a principal partner in July 2015. I had my share of public office for 12 years and, as Secretary of Public Function, I became a member of cabinet for Vicente Fox’s Presidency of Mexico. I am still active in my private practice. Life has been good to meandmy gratitude is always in my thoughts for my time at Solihull. David Chambers (Shenstone, 1961-71) I retired in August 2017, after 14 years as Bursar and Clerk to the Governors at Blundell’s School, Tiverton, Devon, a school just 44 years younger than our great school. In anticipation of retirement, Judi and I moved into a Grade 2 listed Georgian house within a Conservation Area in Bampton, Devon a few months earlier. We are spending much time lovingly restoring, updating, refurbishing and decorating the three-storey house 54 and re-configuring and planting the walled garden. Many techniques learned in ‘O’ level Woodwork and GMD News from Former Pupils (Geometrical and Mechanical Drawing) in 1969 have come readily back to mind and into play! Belated but sincere thanks to Trevor Archer and Tim Adkin respectively for imparting their knowledge and skills so well that I amstill benefitting from their teaching and enjoying the fruits of my labours nearly 50 years later! We are also spending more time with our steadily increasing brood of grandchildren with the recent arrival of Emelia and Henry bringing us proudly up to 13 - enough for two substitutes in our mixed grandchild hockey squad (9 blue, 4 pink); we haven’t ruled out a rugby team yet! I have also been able to spend much more time at Taunton’s lovely County Cricket ground watching my adoptive Somerset with fellow members totally accepting that when Warwickshire are the visiting side, my allegiances openly revert to the County of my birth. They reserve the right to tease, particularly with Warwickshire having dropped down a division in the Championship this season, but the banter is good-natured. I still keep in touch with many Old Silhillians, particularly hockey club members, not least through the brilliant over 60s lunches and hope to make the worthwhile trip up the M5 for many years to come. Eduardo (far right) at the Over 60s Lunch in [email protected] October 2017 with fellow boarders Peter Thomas, Geoff Vaughan and Jim Fell Richard Paterson (Windsor, 1994-96) I left the school in 1996 and went to the University of Glasgow to study Accountancy. Having had a number of finance roles post graduating, in 2014 I set up my own business called theCommercialFD. I was inspired to start the business in 2015 after leaving Town Hall and Symphony Hall where I had been Director of Finance and Strategy for three and a half years. Having had my eyes opened to the transformational effect that a strategic finance professional can have on a business, a role as a middle manager in a large corporate didn’t really appeal and I set out to see if there was a service I could offer to a number of organisations, rather than simply being employed by just one. After spending a number of weeks talking to small business owners in and around Birmingham it became clear to me that there was a big gap between those companies that had the scope to employ a full-time finance director and those that had the desire to expand and grow, who really would benefit from the skills and experience of a good FD but were not big enough to justify a permanent salary. 55 That is the gap that I hope to fill and if I can help businesses in the West Midlands expand and grow, I will have achieved what I set out to do. Support comes in various ways, but it covers pretty much the following: • Improving business performance, profits, growth and board-level advisory services • Support for funding and investment • Management reporting • Cash flow/working capital management • Exit planning to achieve the best return on investment • Strategic Development, providing business with a competitive edge • Turnaround and Recovery, restoring businesses to full health
News from Former Pupils Former from News • Interim assignments (staff cover, year-end reporting, budgeting and forecasting) There have obviously been a number of challenges to overcome, but by far the biggest one has been to learn to be salesman, marketing manager and business consultant all rolled into one. Although I wouldn’t classify myself as a “traditional” financial accountant that you may find at one of the “Big 4”, I haven’t had the background or training in sales and that is something I have had to learn. Converting opportunities into sales has been difficult at times. Moreover, finance support can, at times, be seen as a bit of a luxuryso demonstrating the value that theCommercialFD can bring has also been critically important. Businesses need to see us as an investment, not a cost. The challenges have been overcome by nothing more exceptional than learning as I have gone along. Yes, I have made the odd mistake and yes, at times my laptop has almost been flung out of the window, but there is no better way to learn than by working hard and making mistakes. I would love to hear from old school friends and former pupils who may have a small business and need help and support to help them achieve their goals. KEEP US UP TO DATE If you move or change your email address please remember to let know us by updating your details at - www.silhillians.net emailing - [email protected] 56 or calling 0121 703 2963 1988 Leavers’ Reunion
from left to right: Martyn Fisher, Phil Smith, Paul Cusack, Tim Norman, Joanne Davison, Jonny Smith, Vickie Shelley, Ed Norton, Polly Jennens, Kate Weston, Dave Plummer, Lucy Duncombe, Lucy Rowbotham, Colin Cameron, Nic Heath, Miller Crockart, John Rintoul, Claudine Pearson, Ruth Stembridge The sixth form leavers of 1988 reunited on 15th September to mark 30 years since they left Solihull School. Organised by Kate Weston and Miller Crockart, old pupils gathered at the Punchbowl in Lapworth for a lunchtime get together, which needless to say ran on into the early evening .... It was reassuring to see that none of those who attended had changed much at all, apart from some hair loss here and there among the old boys! The weather was kind which meant attendees spilled outside in the afternoon for a group photo and were able to make the most of the recently refurbished outdoor area at the venue. Everyone went home with a ‘goodie bag’ from the School, with thanks to Lucy Lunt, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, and the odd brownie left over from the fantastic buffet lunch. Proceeds left over from the ticket price will be donated to the Denis Tomlin and Phil Holt Silhillian Fund Bursaries, to honour their memories. It is hoped that the event will generate more funds towards this important cause by way of donations. Should anyone wish to donate or require additional information then please contact Lucy Lunt at [email protected] By popular demand, further events for the sixth form leavers of 1988 will be arranged going forward! Please do contact Kate if you were not tracked down the first time around, not everybody was, in spite of serious effort ... but would like to attend going forward - [email protected] Thank you to all who attended, especially those who travelled from a great distance to be there, it was a wonderful occasion. 57 STAFF Denis Tomlin (1952-88) Denis Tomlin, one of Obituaries Solihull School’s most loved and respected former teachers passed away on the 4th June 2018 at the age of 90. Denis came to Solihull in September 1952, to begin his long and distinguished career which ended, well didn’t really end until his passing. He retired from teaching in 1988 but continued to serve as the School Archivist until 2007, thereafter he was an ever present and most welcome visitor until very recently when, in his own words, “time and fortune have seen the last of me.” He certainly gave his time to Solihull and Solihull was fortunate to have a man who had such a powerful influence on the life and times of all at Solihull School who experienced those 36 years described by Giles Slaughter as “The Tomlin Years”. Denis was signed up by Mr Hitchens in 1952 straight from Jesus College, Oxford to teach English and Latin, but found that his timetable comprised mostly Geography! But the enthusiasm, warmth and genuine interest in his pupils was immediately apparent in this naturally gifted but self-effacing school master. Promotion was certain and did follow as Denis settled down in Solihull, married Nurse Doris (who later became School Matron) and began to impress everyone who met him with his wisdom, insight, patience and enthusiasm. Many generations of Old Sils will remember Denis as Master in 58 charge of Rugby and the many teams he ‘managed’, as Refectory Warden, Middle School Housemaster of School House, Deputy Head of the Middle Obituaries School, Upper School Housemaster of Pole, Sixth Form Master and finally Second Master for 19 years, from 1969 to 1988. But this was not all, in 1983 the Governors requested him to take over as Headmaster for two terms after Giles Slaughter had departed at Christmas and Alan Lee’s arrival was due in the following September. In recognition of his service to the School Denis was made an Honorary Governor, a post he held until the end of his life. It was a well-deserved tribute to a teacher who touched every aspect of School life: management, discipline, sport, drama, music, trips abroad, and for each one Denis had a story to tell, a raconteur of eloquence. He relished difficult challenges, enjoyed company but was uncomfortable with recognition and praise. All colleagues respected him and long after he had retired the words “we will ask Denis” could be heard in the Common Room. All pupils liked him, enjoyed his lessons and many kept in contact with him after they had left and he remembered every single one of them, however long ago it was when they were at school. The friendship of Denis Tomlin was special and a privilege. There was another 19 years to go, Denis served as School Archivist, turning a confused mass of papers into a coherent catalogue of the School’s history. This was a staggering achievement, only Denis with his unique knowledge and insight could have done it, and for this alone Solihull School owes him a great debt. The School Museum, opened in 2012, is known as the Denis Tomlin Room in recognition of the tremendous amount of work Denis did to establish the School Archives. Well into his late 80s Denis could be seen on the touchline on Saturday afternoons watching the Rugby, attending School productions and performances, Prize-giving and the Over 60s Lunches. In 2015, in the presence of the whole School, Denis was presented with Honorary Life Membership of the Old Silhillian Association. This was of course a generation that hadn’t benefitted from Denis Tomlin the teacher, but such was his reputation and the respect he commanded that he was given a standing ovation, a final and heart- warming moment for a true Silhillian who loved life, and cherished learning. Many former pupils remember Denis and his passion for quoting William Shakespeare, and I hope he would approve of this extract as it certainly sums him up: “His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, “THIS WAS A MAN!” Julius Caesar, Act 5, Scene 5. J.C. Loynton 59 Those who attended Denis Tomlin’s funeral on the 11th July 2018, were privileged to hear Giles Slaughter’s moving tribute. Giles has kindly permitted us to print it here for those who could not attend I first met Denis in the Autumn of 1972 shortly after I had been appointed
Obituaries to succeed Bruce McGowan. Already by then Denis had been on the staff of the School for twenty-one years. ‘This is my first job” he said. Appointed by HB Hitchens straight from National Service which he did not much enjoy and Oxford University which he enjoyed immensely, Denis was engaged to teach English and Latin and having already been Housemaster of Pole, he was appointed Second Master by Bruce McGowan. ‘And so, what exactly do you do?’, I asked him. ‘Oh. I potter about a bit’, came the reply. Over the course of the next ten years I came to realise what ‘pottering about a bit’ meant to DHT and Solihull School. Strengthened and encouraged throughout his long career by the love, calm and support which he received at home from Doris, Denis happily dedicated himself to what he rightly regarded as the noblest profession. The facts of Denis’ career will be familiar to you all from the many fulsome tributes which were paid to him at the time of his retirement and from your own personal friendships with him. I found, as did Alan Lee who with his wife Anne became very close friends of the Tomlins, that Denis’ educational philosophy coincided perfectly with my own. It was simple. Education should be taken seriously but not so seriously that lessons and growing up in a school community could not also be fun. Denis was not interested in turning out narrowminded academics; he wanted the boys and girls in his care to enjoy life and to explore and discover their every talent. And Denis put these beliefs into practice by leading through his own example. His good humour, enthusiasm and immense personal warmth were infectious and brought out the best, not only from his pupils but equally importantly from his colleagues amongst whom he enjoyed enormous respect and affection. He was able to laugh at himself too, when for example a precocious Roger Flood of Shell ‘a’, tied him up in knots over the direction of trade winds in the South Atlantic when Denis had to stand in and teach some geography. His advice was invariably sound and the tact he employed in suggesting that perhaps I had got something wrong, was masterful. I trusted his advice and his loyalty completely. He only gave me bad advice on one occasion. We were to entertain a visiting Australian who ran Community Service at Scotch College, Melbourne and had heard of Laurie Bailey’s pioneering work in this field, I asked Denis whether he had any tips on entertaining Australians. ‘Lay in a good stock of tinnies’ he said, 60 ‘and we can be sure of a good evening’. Unfortunately, our guest turned out to be a teetotal evangelical with a penchant for quoting from the Book of the Obituaries Prophet Ezekiel. At times of crisis Denis was calm and supportive. I shall always be grateful for his loyalty and for how he helped to cheer up the Common Room following the Governors’ disappointing rejection of our plans to make the School fully co-educational. In our retirement we felt rather smug when these plans at last became a reality. I have said already that Denis believed that education in its widest sense should be fun and that he led by example. My mind goes back to two particular events: our Revue ‘Staff and Nonsense’ and the staff pantomime ‘Aladdin’. Who could ever forget Denis, with his partner in crime, Peter Arculus as two dodgy organisers of an orgy for the Borgias in the staff revue or how he managed to get himself completely enmeshed in a fishing net as we belted out ‘Old Sam’. That number was a particular favourite of Frances who was invariably standing in the wings to watch. Perhaps even more memorable was the sight of Denis flying across the square in Old Pekin as ‘that daring young man on the flying trapeze’ in’ Aladdin’. I cannot recall quite how Denis’ party piece was worked into the script and looking back on it whilst I had every confidence in the engineering genius of Messrs Archer and Adkin in rigging up the trapeze I rather doubt whether today’s health and safety inspectors would have been greatly impressed. I have mentioned Peter Arculus. Peter was responsible for setting up one of Denis’ finest moments, The Tomlins and Peter regularly attended concerts by the CBSO occupying seats in the front row of the circle. On one famous occasion, horrified by the news that there was a likelihood of the CBSO folding, as the conductor returned to the rostrum after the interval, Peter stood up, called for silence and announced, ‘My friend Denis Tomlin wishes to address you’. This was a complete surprise to Denis, but he rose to the occasion magnificently, addressed the hall on the importance of the CBSO to the City of Birmingham and sat down to rapturous applause from the audience, the conductor and the orchestra. What a man! In addition to his considerable duties as Second Master, Denis managed to squeeze in some coaching of the less gifted teams as part of his normal routine and on Saturdays come rain or shine he was there on the touchline urging on the School and chatting to parental supporters, even suggesting toone mother I can recall, that she should keep her opinion of the referee to herself. And then on Sundays the Tomlins seldom missed the evening service here in chapel. This was what being a schoolmaster meant to Denis. He considered it a privilege to be a teacher and that to do the job properly nothing less than a total commitment to the boys and girls for whose futures he shared the responsibility was good enough. The School history is invariably sub-divided 61 into the years of its various Headmasters. But I know that my predecessor Bruce McGowan and successor Alan Lee would agree wholeheartedly with me that the years of our headships should more properly be designated the ‘Tomlin Years’. More than any other person Denis was responsible for shaping
Obituaries the unique character of Solihull School. Recognising this the Governors quite rightly awarded him the unique accolade of Honorary Life Governor. How richly this was merited. Hard though it may be to believe Denis did find time to relax away from Solihull. The Tomlin family holidayed in the Lake District often with those other Solihull School legends, the Biggs, Beaches and Berridges or at Foy in Cornwall manning the nets with Rex and Peggy Thomas. Denis also enjoyed something of a reputation as a gardener and DIY expert. He was on almost constant call as a handyman by Peter Arculus and in his retirement, between compiling the School’s splendid archive he found time to speak to Doris’ WI on rose culture and even allowed himself to be pressurised by PDA into entertaining the residents of local care homes with songs from the music halls. I was grateful to him for his DIY assistance when he helped me - or to put in another way, l helped him - to lay a new timber floor in our cottage in Northumberland. He was a perfectionist and insisted that we should damp- proof the floor by laying roofing felt below the boards and that each strip should be sealed to its neighbour. This involved me heating up the handles of spoons on the gas cooker while Denis applied the seal. It worked well enough though our cutlery was never quite the same again. Silly little incidents from a long friendship come to mind. Together one year on Christmas Eve we picked forty-two pounds of sprouts at a local Pick Your Own nursery. These all had to be blanched before they could be frozen. And I can tell you that neither Doris nor Gillian were very happy about their houses smelling of boiled sprouts over Christmas. A final story illustrates what a very special man Denis was. The final ‘A ‘ Level Exams one year, had just three candidates, all girls. Entering the exam room each found a rose on her desk, courtesy of DHT. Nowadays that would probably be considered sexist and non-PC. I think it was a lovely gesture. Typical Tomlin. To some today may be seen to mark the end of an era; the closing of the Tomlin Years. But of course, that is not so; Denis’ legacy endures in the School he loved and served with such distinction and lives on even more in the hearts of the thousands of men and women whose lives were enriched by the example given to them by a truly great teacher. Denis was not just respected; he was loved. I doubt that we shall see his like again. 62 Giles Slaughter 11th July 2018 Martyn Garner (1995-2018) Obituaries Martyn was a gentle, very kind and fiercely loyal man, serving the school for nearly 24 years. As a teacher of Physics and Chemistry, many pupils attribute their love of science to Martyn. He was also the school’s Director of Community Relations, leader of boundary pushing expeditions to places like Cambodia, Ladakh and the Klondike, and Charities Co-ordinator, encouraging the school community to raise circa £50,000 per year for a range of local, national and international charities. As well as providing St Basil’s with much needed clothing, bedding and toiletries, we funded over 400 cataract operations in Sri Lanka last year. Martyn was selfless to the core. As a member of staff, he regularly delivered pastries and doughnuts to the Upper Common Room, and rarely for any specific reason other than putting a sugary smile on colleagues’ faces. As a member of the staff Wolf Run team, he would always be looking around for the person struggling on the scramble net or nervous about the open water swim, and he would run at the pace of the slowest member of the group, despite being able to run much quicker himself. He was thoughtful, compassionate and always put others first. If there’s an endurance race or bridleway up there in heaven, Martyn will be on the start line rallying the angels and saints to run the race with him. Martyn was incredibly generous in his outlook and actions, but quickly realised that the easiest thing for privileged people to do is to give money to charity, and that this is not enough. Martyn was more thoughtful than this and wanted us to invest creativity, emotion and time in our charitable work. It’s all too easy to throw money into a collection tin and one of the things that made Martyn most proud, was when our pupils worked alongside those less well-off, and learnt from doing so. He was adamant that I joined him at Reynalds Cross Special School to watch our pupils teach theirs how to dance. And I got it, as I struggled to hold back the tears of admiration for our pupils and the pupils they were teaching. Martyn inspired them. Martyn’s mantra on expeditions was ‘leave no trace’, and his idea ofa successful night’s camping was one which could not be detected once the 63 expedition moved on. No litter, and no signs of any abuse of the landscape. Sadly, Martyn will never see one such initiative he championed. As of this September, the school became free of disposable plastic water bottles, and Martyn would be very proud of this. Despite his mantra of ‘leave no trace’,
Obituaries Martyn has left a significant trace on all of us. His stuff was, and still is, all around the school. In fact, despite the mess, it’s quite a comfort to have it here, although there is nearly 24 years’ worth of it! And his impact on the school. Well, how do I succinctly describe this? Loyalty, dedication and innovation over nearly a quarter of a century. Friendship, camaraderie and care for the community, thinking of others before himself. Whenever we had heavy snowfall and I was in the Head’s Wing early in the morning with Sean Morgan, deliberating over closing the school, who’d turn up at the door, on his bike and covered in snow from head to toe, to help with anything required, anything at all…Martyn Garner! Martyn was great in a crisis and could always be relied upon. That’s why he led on the MIMP (Major Incident Management Plan) and more recently, lockdown procedures, training us all with sensitivity and humility. Similarly, at PA events, Martyn could often be found washing up dishes at the end of the evening, before settling down for a cheeky beer with the last of the helpers. It was the same after Speeches and Prize Giving, which he always played a big part in; Martyn was invariably the last man standing, enjoying the celebration and relief until the very end, which was usually when the School Marshal encouraged the staff stragglers to leave! But arguably his biggest legacy, his biggest trace, will be philanthropy … humanity and goodwill to all. He cared, he cared a lot and if we care, then we mustn’t lose momentum. Martyn, you’ve touched our hearts, you’ve helped us to become better people and we miss you. And may I end by informing you all that in memory of Martyn, we will be renaming the Outdoor Pursuits Building, The Martyn Garner Building for Outdoor Education, in his name. And we will be erecting a sculpture at the school’s mountain cottage, where he had many happy adventures, inspiring staff and pupils to love the outdoors as he did. The SSPA have asked if they can contribute financially to the sculpture as Martyn meant so much to them too. Thankfully, Martyn’s many travel journals and photograph albums will be enjoyed by generations to come and I hope you can create new chapters in your life journals, sparing a moment of thought for Martyn Garner, the ‘Legend, That he Was’. 64 DEJJL Obituaries Phil Holt (1971-2012) It was with great sadness that we learnt of Phil Holt’s passing in June following a short illness. Phil came to Solihull in 1971 after first attending Wolverhampton Grammar School as a boy, and then reading English at St. Peter’s College, Oxford (1967-70). Solihull was Phil’s first and only job; he devoted his entire teaching career to the school. Primarily he taught English, although he was also a very popular Master of P.E.. In 1982, after several years of distinguished service, he was appointed Head of English becoming the youngest Head of English in the School’s history (a role he performed for 16 years). In 1998 he was made Housemaster of Shenstone and in 2008 he became Deputy Head of the Lower School. It is fair to say that Phil was involved in virtually every aspect of school life during his time at Solihull. Apart from teaching English, he also managed a number of cricket and rugby teams. For many years, he served as editor of the School’s annual publication, the Shenstonian. He was also responsible for producing and directing a number of school plays; and in addition to this, he was, for a while, the school librarian and was charged with setting up the 6th Form Library. He even accompanied the pupils on numerous ski trips and educational cruises around Europe. However, as most of us know, football was his real passion and in 1975 Phil was instrumental in establishing the staff 5 – a- side team following the building of the sports hall. For many old boys and girls of the school, Phil will also be fondly remembered as Master in Charge of Cross Country. He took over the role in 1983, and under his charge, the school enjoyed outstanding success and, at the time of his retirement in 2012, the school was lauded as having one of the leading cross- country teams in the Midlands. Most recently, Phil was instrumental in establishing the School’s Jeans 4 Genes day – an initiative which continues to this present day. As a result of his support for this worthwhile charity, the school has raised £1000s of pounds to support young people who have been affected by genetic disorders. But it is as a teacher of English that Phil is best remembered at Solihull, and rightly so. Phil had an infectious love of literature, and in particular, 65 an admiration for the works of Dickens, Milton, Yeats and Shakespeare to name but a few. He profoundly believed in the power of literature to make a difference in society through its ability to develop one’s moral sensibility and make us more humane and compassionate individuals. And what’s more, he
Obituaries conveyed that love of literature to his pupils. Indeed, one need only look at the messages that were posted on the School’s social media platforms in the days following Phil’s passing to see the profound effect that he had in the classroom. One former pupil wrote: ‘Fond memories of Mr Holt putting his spin on Chaucer in the sixth form!’ Helen Thomas commented, ‘Phil Holt was my favourite teacher at school and made the Canterbury tales and English more fun. A great guy who will be missed by lots of people!’ Sam Tucker, posted, ‘Particularly fond memories of Mr Holt bringing to life A Man for All Seasons on a Friday afternoon.’ For novelist and Old Silhillian, Susan Fletcher, Phil’s influence was profound; she credits his encouragement as being crucial in setting her on the path to becoming a writer. In a tribute written shortly after Phil’s passing, she wrote, ‘I feel I owe a great debt to Mr Holt - just a few small words of encouragement from him, twenty years ago - made a huge difference to my life’s direction’. She went on to say that ‘What a legacy he leaves in every student he taught or helped’. I think we all echo her words, and indeed the sentiments expressed by those who have shared their memories of Phil in recent months. For those of us who worked alongside Phil, his untimely loss feels all the more raw. Indeed, until relatively recently, he was still working in the English department covering colleagues who were on sickness leave or Snowdonia School. As a colleague, Phil was a warm, caring, generous and compassionate man – always on hand to offer help or counsel to those in need, or share his experience and wisdom with those new to the department. On a personal level, Phil was a great friend and an inspiration; on a professional level, he was the benchmark of what makes a great Head of Department. He was a fiercely loyal colleague and had a wonderful way with people. Indeed, he was one of the most warm-hearted and humble men I have had the pleasure to know. Phil saw many changes during his 41 years at Solihull School, but as John Loynton said, and I quote, “Phil was a rock; the voice of common sense and a true Silhillian…. a scholar and gentleman”. Indeed, for those of us who worked with Phil at Solihull or those who were taught by him, he will be sorely missed. 66 Dr. Stuart Hart Guy King-Reynolds Obituaries It is in the nature of things that only a few schoolmasters, by reason of their talents and length of service, exert a major long- term influence on the life of one particular school. Mr. King-Reynolds, who has now left us to become Headmaster of Dauntsey’s School, is however one of that select band. He came to Solihull straight from Cambridge University in 1948. The period of 21 years from then until his departure for Dauntsey’s was punctuated by a brief absence of a few years, during which he worked in commerce and later was Head of the Geography Department in Portsmouth Grammar School. But from 1957 onwards his service to Solihull School was unbroken. His work has touched the life of the School at many points. In earlier times he was master in charge of rugby football - he had had a distinguished record as a player before coming to Solihull. For many years he was in charge of Drama, producing a long series of memorable School plays, including many that would have been too ambitious for most schools and were only possible here because of his exceptional ability as a producer, which in its turn was strengthened by the fact that he is himself an actor of unusual gifts. In the period before his appointment as Second Master in 1963, Mr. King-Reynolds was Housemaster of Jago and Head of the Geography Department,whose high reputation, spreading far beyond the bounds of Solihull, stems from his tenure of that post. Now, for six eventful years he has been Second Master, and for more than four years also Housemaster of School House and Warden of the Boarders. In both fields he has been involved in a period of change and modernisation, both in structure and in ethos. His combination of clear- sightedness as applied to ideas, and faultless administration of a complicated organisation, have made an essential contribution to the necessary process of evolution. Add all this together and you have a quite exceptional sum of service to the School, and yet it does not mention a field of his work which is probably more important than any of the other items. Mr. King-Reynolds cares intensely for the individual, and for the quality of the society in which the individual lives; compassion and understanding are an integral part of his nature. And since his own outlook has always remained essentially youthful, young people of all 67 ages have regarded him as a sympathetic figure, to be trusted implicitly with their confidences and their problems. This is an eloquent tribute andhas detracted nothing from his control, and a ready acceptance by the boys that he stands firm on matters of principle.
Obituaries What has been said so far is on the serious side, but no picture would be complete without mention of Mr. King-Reynolds’s lively and often iconoclastic sense of humour, expressed always with a witty turn of phrase, and illustrated if those present are in luck by an example of his versatility as a mimic. He also brightened our lives by his taste for colourful clothing. From Headmaster Bruce McGowan’s speech at Guy’s retirement. Guy passed away earlier this year. John Hammond (Groundsman) We are sorry to inform you of the passing of former Head Groundsman at the school, John Hammond. He was a wonderful person and a super groundsman who spent 30 years of his working life at the School and on the OSA Ground at Copt Heath. FORMER PUPILS Ian Walker (House unknown, 1935–39) We regret to inform you that Ian passed away in February at the age of 94. Richard John Toyn (Fetherston, left 1940) We regret to inform you that Richard died on 1 January 2018. Douglas Broadbridge (House unknown, 1938–42) We regret to inform you that Douglas died on 23 October 2017 aged 91. Norman John West (House unknown, 1939–42) We regret to inform you that Norman died earlier this year. John Roy Brownsword (House Unknown, 1938-43) We regret to inform you that John Roy Brownsword (known as Roy) died on 22 November at the age of 91. Vernon W P Morgan (Fetherston, 1937- 1945) Vernon was the first of seven Morgans to attend Solihull School, cycling from his Olton home something in the order of 14,000 miles over his eight years at the school. Originally the OTC/JTC uniform included breeches and puttees as worn in WW 1 and on wet and windy days the puttees tended to end up as a soggy mass round his ankles and bicycle chain. At morning assembly during the war years the Headmaster would sometimes 68 enter solemnly and sadly announce the death on active service of a former pupil. 6th formers did overnight fire- Obituaries watching duty during the ‘blitz’ sleeping on camp beds on the balcony of what was then known as ‘Big School’. The ringing of bells was the signal to indicate that the country had been invaded so the usual ringing of a hand bell to indicate class changes was replaced by the bugle calls, Alarm, Fall in, Take Cover. As an ex-bugler he noted that hitting the right note first thing on a cold and frosty morning was not easy. In the 6th form he studied Natural Science and gave a lecture on of Plant Hormones to the Scientific Society. He was awarded a County Major Scholarship but National Service came first unless you were taking a Medical Degree. Vernon went into the Intelligence Corps for 3 years including 2 years in occupied Austria. The first year was spent on de-Nazification and the second on the interrogation of every belatedly released Austrian POW returning from Russia. This enabled Britain to build up its scant knowledge of Russia including its infrastructure, army dispositions and nuclear research. At this time the ranking British officer in Austria was a certain Brigadier H.B.Hitchens. It was whilst serving in Austria that he met his future wife Karoline, and they married in Solihull in 1951. Returning to civilian life Vernon joined Durolas (Contractors) Ltd and retired as Managing Director in 1987. He died in April 2018 just after his 91st birthday and after a short illness. He was sadly pre- deceased by his daughter Susi in 2003, and is survived by his wife Karoline and son Rod, 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Philip James King (Fetherston, 1941-48) We regret to inform you that Philip died on 17 March 2018. Julian Fothergill (Fetherston, 1942-49) We regret to inform you that Julian died on 2 March 2018. Brian Twigg (Fetherston, 1944-49) We regret to inform you that Brian died on 12 October 2017. Neville Roe (Pole, 1945-50) We regret to inform you that Neville died in December 2017. Our condolences go to his wife Jean. John Cave Spears (Pole, 1943-50) We regret to inform you that John died in February 2018. 69 David William Thomas (Fetherston, 1944-50) We regret to inform you that David William Thomas died on 11 June 2018. Our condolences go to his wife Mary and to all of his family and friends. David Morton Howells (Pole, 1943-50) Obituaries We regret to inform you that David died earlier this year. Paul W J Lewis (Fetherston, 1944-51) We regret to inform you that after a long battle with lung disease, Paul died on 28 March 2018. Paul and his wife returned to school for a tour/visit on the 16 November 2017 having not been back to the school since he left in 1951. Peter James Phillips (Jago, 1943-51) It is with sadness that we must report the death of our father Peter James Phillips. He died peacefully in Solihull on 26 November 2017 after a short illness. Peter was on the Upper Bench and Head of House. His enthusiasm for cricket and rugby was not matched by the necessary hand/eye co-ordination, but academically he did well enough in English and Art. Science however, was a mystery and having gained a totally unexpected School Certificate credit in Maths was nevertheless advised by Boozer Davies to choose Chinese, knitting or Divinity for Higher Certificate. He chose Divinity, much to the annoyance of Algy Gladstone, Cadet CSM and Secretary of the Dramatic Society. He was a consistent attender at the Over 60s lunch. Apart from National Service (Troop Leader, 5th Royal Tank Regiment in Libya, where he was joined by Clive Tayler) he spent a long, successful and enjoyable career in the creative and management sides of advertising agencies in Birmingham and London. Robert (Bob) S Greenwood (Shenstone, 1946-53) Bob, who died in September, wrote to me late last year to reply to Nicholas Tyldesley’s contribution in the 2017 Silhillian. His response clearly shows his immense passion for the school and makes a fitting obituary to a former pupil who made a considerable bequest to the school. - Ed. Nicholas Tyldesley’s mischievous letter to us requires some expansion. Being at Solihull School until 1954, thanks to a County Award, (the scheme quoted approvingly by David Ross some two years ago) I completed National Service in the Royal Navy as Midshipman. I then started an industrial career with J. & P. Coats, sewing thread manufacturers. I was seconded to Italy for 70 two years as a personal assistant to the President of Coats’ very prosperous subsidiary. The introduction was by the Public Obituaries Schools Appointments Bureau which assisted pupils like myself to obtain interviews for potential employment. After 5 years both sides having mutually decided I was no potential salesman I joined Philip’s Electrical as a purchasing trainee. Philip’s had an intensive training process. Work experience in a number of their factories culminated in appointment as the new No. 2 in the purchasing activity at a newly acquired refrigerator and washing machine company. During this time the company required successful completion of the examinations for membership of the Purchasing Managers’ Association. In 1965 returning to Birmingham I set up the purchasing function at Lightning Fasteners, zip manufacturers, then part of I.C.I. After 7 years I joined G.K.N. eventually becoming the Purchasing Director for their fasteners division buying a lot of steel and brass wire. Back in Solihull I was able to take up with the Silhillians again, Secretary of the Hockey Club and for five years, Captain of one of the junior teams and on the main Silhillians committee looking after the grounds, then run by the inestimable John Hammond and subsequently the bar when Roger Mills was our steward. Mrs Thatcher was Prime Minister and like many in the Midlands I succumbed to her industrial blitz so necessary at the time of “Red Robbo”, whose obituary was published in November 2017 in both the Telegraph and Economist (fame or notoriety?). And so it was away again, this time to Cheshire where I set up the buying operation at an optical fibre manufacturing plant, a joint venture between Corning Glass and B.I.C.C. From metal bashing to high technology it has been certainly progress. Leslie MacKenzie’s German, Harry Morle’s and Ben Hunter’s French and Guy King-Reynolds provided very practical support in my working life. So, miles away from La La Land I retired only to suffer from the Equitable Life debacle. This was an outstanding example of statistical chicanery and advanced egotism which was so present in the late nineties and the noughties, and to a degree today. I think ‘Swotty’ Ansell would have applied his phrase “BFs” in no uncertain way. 71 After considerable adjustment to ordinary life I now own my own house again, for the second time , and was able to come to the Over 60s lunch in October 2017. There were a lot of old faces and the expressions of old friends as they slowly recognized me.
Obituaries What is to be seen of Solihull is a continuing community with a strong school. Well, certainly there is a huge challenge for all and sundry with work, income, environment et al. But within that context we have a school which adapts to the times and has no compunction in demonstrating that in its scholastic and human performance. We have an association that reflects those performances and has assumed a most professional performance in managing change without losing our basic ethos. We are all subject to the vicissitudes of life and our education and subsequent reaction will reflect the upbringing in our youth by both school and parents and continued by ourselves as leaders and employer and employees in every activity. It has been a privilege to be part of that and to think we all, of whatever age can support the school, its pupils, staff and fabric. This will be reflected in the contents of my will. We certainly do not live in La La Land, and my own story emphasizes my point. There will be many other Old Silhillians who will have had equally, if not more challenging lives but who still realise the value of our connection with the school. Our magazine is not only a vital link with the past, it prompts us to think of the present, and more importantly the future, and to remind us of what we had, what we have and what we can do to ensure the future. Lester Smith (Fetherston, 1947-53) We regret to inform you that Lester died of died of a sudden aggressive attack of acute leukaemia. Only a few days before he was walking around the Lizard Peninsula. Our condolences go to his wife Heidi, his family and friends. John Cutting (Fetherston,1947-54) We regret to inform you that John died in May 2017. Piers Propert (Jago, 1949-57) We regret to inform you that Piers Propert has passed away. Anthony S Icke (Pole, 1948-58) We regret to inform you that Anthony passed away on 11 October 2017. Martin Leon Voss (Jago, 1955-58) We regret to inform you that Martin died on 18th May. Our condolences go 72 to his widow Judith. Tony Crump (Shenstone, 1952-62) Obituaries We regret to inform you that Tony died on 4 February 2018. Paul Gregory Williams (School House, 1962-67) Paul passed away very suddenly early on the morning of 2nd November 2017. He was just 68. He joined Solihull School at the age of 13 in 1962 following in the footsteps of his Father (J. K. Williams) and Uncle (E. Thorpe). His two cousins were at the School at the same time as Paul. The School helped to develop the skills that Paul needed to combine his main interest and fascination for aviation into a career leading to an apprenticeship with Hawker Siddeley in Hatfield. He qualified as an aeronautical engineer in 1973 from the then Hatfield Polytechnic. The work required him to clamber over differing aircraft including the Trident; measuring, designing and improving systems. After the demise of the Company in Hatfield Paul found a second career in the Civil Service within the Ministry of Defence - Naval department (despite his immense knowledge of aviation!). Beginning as a draughtsman he went on to become a Leading Quality Assurance Auditor, again improving their systems, before retiring in 2009. He worked in the MoD depots at Bath, Milford Haven, and Trecwn, near Fishguard, as well as at Gosport, near Portsmouth. During his time in Pembrokeshire he became very much involved in Pembrokeshire history and in particular its considerable aviation history. Paul was a dedicated researcher and had become one of only two Pembrokeshire members of the highly regarded Air-Britain Historians organisation. He was one of the founding members of the Pembrokeshire Aviation Group and became its first Treasurer. The Group has flourished for some 30 years now. In 1987 Paul published a slim volume on the aviation pioneer Denys Corbett- Wilson. This was to mark the 75th anniversary of the first successful flight from the UK mainland (Goodwick) to Ireland in April 1912. The commemoration event was a terrific success much due to Paul’s research and his contacts 73 with the Corbett-Wilson family which unlocked a large archive of material. Following up on this success Paul also produced another slim volume on two Pembrokeshire brothers surnamed James who were true local aviation pioneers. They built their own biplane and flew it locally in 1913 and 1914.
Obituaries Paul had additional material from the Corbett-Wilson family to write a further work for the 100th anniversary in 2012 but sadly his poor health prevented him from this undertaking. He suffered from Parkinson’s disease diagnosed in his late forties. Paul’s research ability was underpinned by a formidable memory and a thirst for knowledge as one friend noted, ‘it was more than encyclopaedic’. This made him a very popular and successful member of the various Pembrokeshire Pub Quiz teams, a talent he never lost despite his illness. Paul was a quiet, gentle man described as having impeccable manners, a deceptive, unobtrusive influence when resolving matters. As one member of the Aviation Group said ‘he left a lasting legacy thanks to his researches and writings’. Peter Jan Court (Jago, 1961-68) We regret to inform you that Peter died on 31 October 2017. Our condolences go to his family and friends. Nicolas John Flood (Windsor, 1965-70) It is with regret that we inform you that Nicolas died on 14 September 2018. John E Vincent (Shenstone, 1963-71) John, a true Silhillian, sadly passed away on 14th July 2018. A great sports enthusiast; he loved almost any sport. Over the years he played a great deal of cricket and golf and lately supported his children Emma and Jake in their sporting triumphs. On leaving school, John went straight into the family business Vincent Timber. His love of wood was apparent in everything he did, stretching across to horticulture and plant preservation. John’s other great passion being classic Jaguar cars, which he loved to drive even if he did have a squash to get behind the wheel. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Carol-Anne Vincent Geoff Flight (Jago, left 1973) We regret to inform you that Geoff died in March this year. Michael Wong (Shenstone, left 2008) We regret to inform you that Michael passed away recently after a short battle 74 with cancer. Old Silhillians Golfing Society Sports Clubs As the golfing calendar year draws to a close, time to reflect on the competitions, matches, Captain’s Away Day and the Grafton Morrish. The December Vase always attracts a good crowd and a snow-covered Saturday morning in December was no exception. This was followed by hearty lunch, which suitably warmed everyone up. Open to all Old Silhillians and not just Society members it’s worth playing in the Vase if you want to get to know what the Society is about. An excellent score for Gareth Simpson, who won the annual Stableford with 39 points, in the snowy conditions. John Belcher (Shenstone, 1962-70) (Photo left) picked up the David Powell Memorial Trophy for Veterans. The AGM held in April included the traditional match between the Captain’s Team and President’s Team for the A G Bragg Cup. The out-going Captain, Jeremy Stubbings (Shenstone, 1968-76) got the upper hand with his team, comprehensively winning 18-3. The annual match against the school in early May proved to be an extremely competitive one, on a cold afternoon, resulting in an honourable draw of2-2. With insight given to the current students about the society, we hope to see many join the society once they leave school. Further matches for both the A and B teams took place during the season. The A team had the best year for a long time, going undefeated with the team winning three, halving two. The victory against Olton golf club in August was the first time the society has won the match for 12 years. Thanks to all members who made themselves available to play. Special mention to Bob Young (Pole, 1949- 54), who had a hole in one in the match against Copt Heath on the 13th hole at Olton Golf club. I would personally like to thank the President of the society, Rob Chetland (Fetherston, 1956-66), for helping me maintain our 100% win record as a partnership. Under the excellent leadership of Martyn Hurdley (Shenstone, left 1978), the B team won two and lost two. Thanks to Martyn for doing such a great job in organising the team again this year and to all those who took part. The Grafton Morrish West Midlands qualifier was played on Saturday 12th May in what can be described as optimum golfing conditions. Solihull was represented by the partnerships of James Hetherington (Pole, 1991-2002) & Louis Meryon (Windsor, 1984-95), Tom Shiels (Shenstone, 1998-2009) & Patrick Skakel 75 Sports Clubs
Patrick Skakel, Louis Meryon, Barney Dowding, Harry Westall Rob Chetland (Pres.), James Hetherington (Capt.) & Tom Shiels (Windsor, 2002-10), and Barney Dowding (Pole, 1986-95) & Harry Westall (Fetherston, left 1993) who qualified 1st with a total points score of 91. The Wisemans Foursomes held in May, now a Greensomes competition, proved to be more popular with members. Duncan Waters (Windsor, 1957-64) and Victor Young (Fetherston, left 1972) triumphed with 39 points with Tom Shiels and Oliver West (Shenstone, 1992-2002) taking the best gross. The OSA Challenge Cup and Charles Hill Salver, open to all members of the Association, took place in July this year with Graham Holloway (Jago, 1964-69) taking the spoils with a net 72. James Hetherington won the Salver with a gross 75 and Richard Blasdale (Pole, 1959-66) picked up the Senior Salver with a net 73. The AM-AM this year was moved to the 125th anniversary week of Olton Golf club on 21st June. Superbly organised as always, the event is becoming more and more popular with members of the society and their guests. The added zest of the 125th vibes around the course teams took the course on multi-tee start, with suitable refreshments around the course and Olton set up perfectly in the glorious sunshine. All those who took part had a fabulous day. Winning team was Nick Heath (Fetherston, 1983-88), James Hetherington, and their guests Garry Carroll and Morray Hulme. 76 Captains away day took place on Friday 31st August at Blackwell golf club. Society members and guests gathered at the Old Silhillians’ Clubhouse for the short trip Sports Clubs on the coach to the course. Being a short trip, the onboard Prosecco was quickly drunk which set up everyone nicely. The remaining met us at the course for bacon sandwiches and coffee before the morning 9-hole pairs competition. This was won by John Batsford and Steve Fowles, with John Platt (Fetherston, 1961-67) taking the nearest pin prize. Sandwiches and few beers preceded the afternoon’s 18 hole 4 ball team competition which was won byTim Platt (Fetherston, 1965-73), Gerry Boston, Tom Hare (Pole, left 2004) and Mark Hiles, with Julian Hare (Pole, 1962-71) taking the ‘’nearest the pin’ prize. As a society we were looked after tremendously well by Blackwell and made most welcome all day long. The course was in fantastic condition and, with the sun shining all day long, the day absolutely flew by. Grafton Morrish Having won the West Midlands qualification back in May, the school was represented at the Grafton Morrish finals at Hunstanton and Royal West Norfolk (Brancaster) in early October. The team was unchanged from the qualifier with the partnerships of Peter Callaghan, Geoff Vaughan, Malcolm Lawrie James Hetherington & Louis and Peter Thomas share a joke before going off to Meryon, Tom Shiels & Patrick support the guys at Brancaster Skakel, and Barney Dowding & Harry Westall. We had a bye in the first round and faced Lancing at Royal West Norfolk on Friday lunch time in the second round. The team had all played well in practice on the Thursday and were confident of a victory. Conditions were sunny, warm and windy, a good day for golf. With the usual army of Sils supporters making the trip and giving the team the support and help when needed, the team won 2-1 with the pairs of James & Louis and Barney & Harry winning well. Saturday morning, we faced Birkenhead at Hunstanton in the 3rd round. The Birkenhead team were one of the favourites for the competition and having a combined handicap of plus 12 for the team, the favourite status was well justified. Despite the slight difference in strength between the teams on paper, we were confident we could beat them as we had 3 great pairs who played well together. The conditions for golf were dreadful, 20-30mph North winds had blown in with 77 heavy rain. Standing up and seeing was hard enough let alone trying to play golf. Thankfully the team had their caddies who were earning their crust keeping the clubs dry. The matches were evenly poised at the turn, but Birkenhead seized the advantage in all 3 matches as the weather got even worse just after the turn, winning a couple of holes on the bounce. This gave them control of the matches
Sports Clubs which they never let go of. Even the strong finish of James & Louis to earn a half in their game wasn’t enough with Solihull losing 2 ½ - ½. It was clearly disappointing to lose, but there was a great deal of real pride in the team performance given the tough conditions. The team would like to thank all the supporters and caddies for their support on the trip as usual, especially on the Saturday in such horrendous weather. Thanks to Olton Golf Club for looking after us so well and to all members of the OSGS committee for their hard work throughout the year. In particular, John Belcher (Secretary/Treasurer) and Tim Platt (Match Secretary) for their continued support. James Hetherington Old Silhillians Hockey Club The 2017-18 Season was one of consolidation for the hockey club. The Ladies 1st and 2nd teams finished mid-table and bid farewell to their Player Coach of the last 3 years, Jess Jecketts, as she headed off for warmer pastures in South Africa. Her departure opens the opportunity for the Club Chairman to take over the ladies’ section coaching and signs for the new season are already looking positive, with a strong recruitment drive having taken place over the Summer. The Men’s section saw the 2nd team finish as the Team of the Year, not quite doing enough for a top 2 placing in their division. However, with the Midlands league having a major overhaul, moving to an open league framework, every Men’s team will have a new challenge for the forthcoming season playing lots of new teams. The club welcomes Chris Roberts as their coach, with him having just returned from helping England Over 55s to win the World Cup. Ladies Training Night
78 The main areas of success within the club though, continue to be those elements Sports Clubs that have developed in recent years – Masters, Juniors and Umpiring. The Masters section of the club continues to welcome returning Old Silhillians, butalso welcoming new members as well – with the mid-week format suiting those with weekend commitments, to ensure the club grows its reputation, along with the fabulous facilities on site, within the region as one of every other club’s favourite places to play! The Masters section is also ably represented at a representative level as well, with Rich Thurman trialling for England Over 35s, Andre Tchakhotine (Shenstone, 1990-96) and Mark Dovey (Fetherston, left 1996) both being selected for the Midlands Over 40s, and Gary Perkins (Windsor, left 1979) going one better and captaining the Midlands Over 55s. The juniors go from strength to strength, with excellent numbers of players, and matches every weekend over the Summer, with competitive matches being played by all age groups from U8s to U18s, and the coaching of these juniors improving to match. Last year, OSHC saw over 30 players playing for the County, and Annabel Dalby being selected for the South Midlands Performance Centre. Finally, within the umpiring world, Jon Cloke (Windsor, 1980-85) was recognised for his many years of continuing service to the club as an umpire, by being shortlisted for England Hockey Official of the Year – sadly he did not win, but to make the five person shortlist is something of which the club is very proud. For anyone interested in playing for the club, or who has children who may be keen, please visit the website www.silshockey.co.uk or come along and see us on Tuesday evenings (for Over 14s) or Sunday mornings (for U14s) – we have a range of opportunities, including the chance to be coached by a new teamof International players from Chile, Brazil and Australia, who are also working within the school and other local schools to improve their coaching offer. Steve Tabb (Windsor, 1986-96) Silhillians Rugby Union Football Club As the discussions about a new state of the art 4G pitch continued to be deliberated Ladies Training Night at the Copt Heath grounds, entertaining senior amateur rugby continued to prosper during the 2017-2018 Silhillian RUFC season. A year which had brought a mixed bag of results across the board, contained several high-flying, memorable achievements. Sadly, there were no repeats of the 2016-17 heroics, as Midlands Champions or National Semi-finalists for the 1st XV. A season of rebuilding was in motion with a young squad, bolstered with some familiar faces, wearing the Maroon, Blue & White shirts with pride! Tom Lee (Shenstone, left 2007) took over the skipper duties just a month into the season, with Captain Olly Beech (Jago, 2002-9) ending his 3rd year as Captain with a broken leg and a new titanium rod implant that ruled him out for the foreseeable future. A hard-fought retention of the Bog Seat vs Nuneaton Old Ed’s was well deserved 79 and well celebrated. Although the true origins of the seat still has many tales! The 1st XV retained their position in Midlands 2, with a flurry of late wins. This resulted in a mid-table finish, capped off with victory over
Sports Clubs old enemies Berkswell & Balsall that saw them relegated! Players’ Player was shared this season by two old boys, Nick Elliott (1998-2009) & Ben Crowe (Windsor, 2000- 11), whilst James Arney (Fetherston, 2003- 12) secured Top Try Scorer and the Most Improved Cap. The Saxons soared to a highly successful season. With a mold of some former 1st XV players and fresher faced future Sils talent, they accumulated 12W, 2D and only a handful of defeats under the new leadership of Gaz Rock and ever-present Team Manager Steve Allso (Pole, 1966-72). From the high scoring, 70 point victory v Nuneaton, to the lows of an old school 5-5 thriller against Spartans Midlands, the season had it all. Nice to have All Black Zinzan Brooke With the occasional straight lineout thrown supporting the Sils to the victory that and the making of a Warwickshire Shield cup consigned B&B to relegation run, which ended in the dying moments of the semi-final, all 70 players and 40 different scorers can be proud to maintain the Barbarian style of the Saxons rugby! Top Try Scorer: Ben Lowe. Saxons Player of the year: Henry Stephen Whitlock Morris. With huge strides made in seasons one & two, the Sils Sirens embarked on new challenges as they entered their first league, in their third season as a squad. More matches meant more bruises. But an infectious drive and commitment to
80 keep improving, saw the ladies take on more experienced teams with minimal Sports Clubs fear. An obvious highpoint was the Sirens first victory beating the University of Birmingham away, 25-17, which brought a great buzz to the squad as well as the whole rugby club. A massive off the field achievement was their sponsored walk to the Ricoh Arena (home of Wasps RFC) from Copt Heath, raising £4000.00+ for Breast Cancer Haven. Another great season and a flourishing future see the Sirens looking forward to the upcoming season. For any recent leavers of School whom are budding Rugby Players or new to the sport, visit http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/silhillians/for more information. Olly Beech Silhillians Squash & Racketball Club In addition to general on-going maintenance, this year has seen a significant investment by the squash club in our facility. The lobby stairs and viewing balcony have been upgraded and the squash court light fittings, which had reached their end of life, were replaced with new LED fittings. We recognise that presenting clean, well maintained courts plays a vital part in both retaining existing and attracting new members alike and we are committed to keeping them in tip-top condition. Adult membership numbers have been fairly static but have been boosted by an influx of juniors taking advantage of the coaching sessions run by John Shears Nice to have All Black Zinzan Brooke and the recently introduced junior membership categories. There are internal supporting the Sils to the victory that leagues and a ladder for competitive matches and the Monday night “club night” consigned B&B to relegation which continues throughout the year, provides a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for players of all abilities. New members are always welcome no matter what standard, so anyone interested in squash or racketball (now called Squash 57) should contact our membership secretary John Milne on 01564 795063 or at [email protected] for details of the options available. The Squash Closed Tournament was won by Phil Guest who beat Simon Burrows in the final. This was 4 wins in a row for Phil. Can he keep it up to join the all-time winners such as Roger Taylor (Fetherston, 1954-66) and Arthur Adair both with a total of 9 wins each! The Squash Handicap Tournament was won by Nick Barnard who beat Simon Burrows 3-2 in a close fought final. We will once again aim to introduce coaching sessions for racket ball beginners this autumn. Starting with a FREE taster session which will be open to teenagers and adults. Anyone interested in this or junior squash or racket ball coaching should contact any squash committee member or directly to John Shears on 07583 112 604 or at [email protected] A racket restringing service is still available from Andy Warmington, who will collect and drop off at the Sils office. Phil Davies 81 Frank George Spencer Butterley (School House, 1931-1939) It is sad to tell you the death of my father, Frank Butterley. He died after a fall in his care home. Frank, or Obbi as he was called by his friends, was a wonderful man. He had spirit, wit and intelligence. Born in Penarth, Cardiff to a family of furriers his mother amazed her friends with her stoles and wraps. It is said she looked like a pack of foxes on the move. Frank lived with his Aunt Ida in Ashleigh Road when at Solihull and was perhaps the fastest wing three-quarter that ever played for the school. A friend of B.E.D. Cooper (Fetherston, 1933-40), he was unafraid to show off. In a House match against Shenstone in ’38 he scored four tries in the first half and then after breaking through for a fifth he calmly dropped a goal rather than touch-down. This so upset F.R. Calcutt the Shenstone Housemaster that he gave him a detention for ‘unsportsmanlike behaviour on the rugby field.’ Frank did not forget this and in a Maths lesson he put his hand up and asked Mr
The Death of an Old, Old Silhillian The Death Calcutt what sort of tree he would climb. As no answer was forthcoming Frank blurted out, ”A Geometry, Sir”. ”One hundred lines for impertinence” replied F.R.C. At Solihull he played cricket for the First Eleven hitting the fastest 50 in the school records. A photograph of Obbi raising his bat is in one of our old albums. Boxing against Nuneaton Grammar in ’38 he had the confidence to knock out schoolboy champion Arthur E. Smyth in the first round. In Athletics against Bloxham he ran the 100 yards in eleven and a quarter seconds, the 120 yards hurdles in eighteen seconds and long jumped eighteen foot six inches. He was called Obbi after Count Obolenski the Russian born rugby player who played for England before the war. In the O.T.C. the school came up against Warwick School in the annual war games where, on night patrol, he crept into the tent of Lt. B.L. Deacon and removed his swagger stick as a trophy. This spirited act brought him further trouble and he had to learn a passage of Virgil’s Aeneid as a penalty. More of this later. It is said on leaving the school the Headmaster personally thanked him for his time at Solihull and gave him a signed copy of The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I have it on my bookshelf. Frank joined the RAF at the Heston Flight at No. 1 Photo Reconnaissance Unit. He flew Spitfires and then moved to RAF Benson where he flew Mosquitos under Wing Commander Lord Douglas-Hamilton. On one of his missions over Northern France Frank flew low over a group of women working outside Le Havre and took some close-up photographs of them. On returning to base he was severely reprimanded for using valuable film on civilians. He was saved by the quick wittedness of a photo analyst who saw that all of the women were carrying their bags in their left hands. It was found out that left-handed workers from Belgium and Holland (where left handedness is common) were used for 82 wiring the torpedo arming systems. The Death of an Old, Old Silhillian It was at this time that he met visiting his base Brigadier Harry S. Cary, MI6 officer, and later Headmaster of Solihull. Harry S. Cary was back in England on leave from a gruelling stint in North Africa and Italy under Monty. Harry asked what school the lively Frank came from and he told him about his schoolday anecdotes. It is believed this is one reason why Harry applied for the headmastership. After the war Frank joined up with Harry S. Cary in Austria where he was in MI6 lntelligence from ’45-’46. He met his future wife at an embassy party in Vienna. Sally Bamford-Cosmo was a socialite who loved excitement and Frank was the right man. They once drove from Vienna to Calais in twenty-four hours in Frank’s pre-war Bentley. After Austria, Frank moved back to Penarth and set up a prestigious art gallery in St. Mary’s Street. Glyndwr Gallery sold only modern and contemporary art and one of his closest friends was Alan Clarke of later Civilisation fame. Frank wrote several books on abstract art notably Peter Lanyon. The St Ives and Zennor Contemporary Art Scene“ (1957) and Abstract Distractions (1963). In 1969 he sustained a serious leg injury whilst skiing down the icy Lauberhorn. It was later found out he was trying to overtake the Olympic Champion of ’68 Jean Claude Killy who was cautious in the dangerous conditions. ”Just keeping the chap honest” was Obbi’s comments on the incident. In bed for several months, Frank wrote a best seller, Cheerio You Blighter, a first-hand account of his wartime experiences. In 1983 Sally died from a heart attack while gardening at their new home in Mells, Somerset. Frank was never downhearted and soon met and married Dorothy (Dot) Selwyn-Downshurst, widow of the late St Paul’s organist Huntley Selwyn-Downshurst. They enjoyed many happy years together. He made an OBE in 1983 for his services to art and the charity ‘Sandals for Christians’. He amused many Old Sils at his home. He had two party tricks. One was reciting a page of the Aeneid in Latin where Ascanius leaves Troy and the other drinking a pint of bitter while walking along on his pair of stilts. As a father he was infuriating, but fun, and never lost his sense of mischief. In his later years he lived quietly in Sandford Warren care home where the staff always referred to him as Obbi. He was most proud of the Art Block being named after him in 1957. You can still see the plaque today - The Frank Butterley Art Room. Opened by Harry S. Cary and Derrick Hayman 23rd September 1957. He died in 2nd April 2018 at the great age of 95. He is buried in Mells churchyard with a simple inscription under his name, ‘A lively soul, adored by many, a true Englishman’. His dog Spoof is buried alongside. Ben Butterley Son 83 We acknowledge with thanks, the support and interest of the following:
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