The Old Dy’vorian The Journal of the former pupils of Dynevor School www.dynevorrevisited.org.uk Number 28 February 2016 The day that’s lived with Ray for 73 years T HAD been raining very heavily in Swansea on the third ITuesday of October back in 1943 – and Ray Williams vividly remembers splashing through the puddles as he made his way home from Terrace Road junior school. When he came to the bottom of the hill the six-year-old saw his Farewell grandfather, Captain Bill Woodman, to waiting for him at the end of the visionary road. He had come to tell the little Page 11 boy that his father, Flight Sergeant Haydn Davies, VR 207 Squadron Lancaster Bombers, had been shot down over Hannover in Germany. Ray (pictured right) recalls: “At the time I thought: ‘I’m sure he will have bailed out and will be alright’. But as the forgotten the few precious memo- time went by I realised that he was ries I have of him. never coming home. “He used to bring home tins of or- “He was 26 years old at the time ange juice and chocolates – he went and he was destined to be one of without himself on the long flights Roger Brown the 55,000 heroes of Bomber Com- to Germany from his Lincolnshire re-traces mand in World War II. The spitfire airfield for me to enjoy the delicacy.”. the path to pilots were to be known as The Few So let’s fast-forward and bring school – my father was one of The Many. Ray’s story up-to-date. Find out “For the past 73 years I have why 2016 promises to be a big, big Page 12 missed having a dad. I have never year for him by turning to Page 2. Ted set to take over TED Nield (pictured left) takes over from Selwyn Walters as president of The Old Dy’vorians’ Association at our annual dinner at Swansea University on Friday, April 8. He was at Dynevor from 1967 to 1974. His guest speaker will be fellow-geologist and fellow-Old Dy’vorian Brian Williams (1951-58), Professor Emeritus at the University of Aberdeen. Full details Page 7

2. The Old Dy’vorian Let us make sure we don’t forget Ray checks progress of the role Wycombe’s £30-million Sports played by Centre which opened in The Many January. AY Williams has felt a very real af- at Lincoln, he was due to meet the Director finity, a lifelong connection, with of Bomber Command Lincoln. Centre at Lin- RAF Bomber Command ever since coln. R “I’m very excited about it,” he said just be- that autumn day in 1943 when he was told fore The Old Dy’vorian went to press. “It’s yet his father had been shot down over Ger- another link to my late father and means a lot many. to me.” Many years later he flew with Baroness Mind you, 2016 has already got off to a won- Lady Sue Ryder whose husband was Group derful start for Ray with the opening of the Captain Sir Leonard Cheshire, Commander new £30-million sports centre at High Wy- of Group 5 Bomber Command in WW2 – combe on January 5. his father’s chief – to Lourdes in France. For, as chairman of the User Panel these Ray takes up the story: “I was a business ad- past four years, he has overseen the develop- viser and I had given my services free to help ment of the new Sports Centre on behalf of Lady Ryder decide if she should create a Sue the thousands of members. Ryder Home for the Disabled in Lourdes – one of her life’s ambitions. nd, to cap it all, in 2016 Ray will be 80. “She was very proud of Bomber Command HeA is still very active playing tennis, short ten- and had shown me her private museum dedi- nis and table tennis every week. cated to her husband at her headquarters in Ray has played many voluntary roles in the Suffolk. community – he is a Life Member of the Col- “I advised her to go ahead and realise her lege of St George at Windsor Castle where dream. I prayed with her at St Bernadette’ he has supported the renovation of four rare Grotto at Lourdes. Today, there is a Sue Ryder books in The Queen’s Archive Library. presence in Lourdes. What an amazing con- As a Business Adviser, he has helped more nection with Bomber Command! than 1,000 small -and-medium companies in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. “I, too, am proud of Bomber Command. and was finalist in the Business Adviser of the We must never let future generations forget Year as well as winning the National Market- the significance of the role of The Many in ing Award for an outstanding achievement in defeating evil. It must inspire the RAF of to- British Marketing. day to continue to defeat evil.” He is married and has nine grandchildren. And this February, having volunteered his He has wonderful memories of Dynevor as Marketing and PR expertise to help promote a player in the rugby 1st XV and represented the new Bomber Command Memorial Centre the Swansea Schoolboys XV for two years.

3. The Old Dy’vorian We’re on

Phill Davies: lookout ‘A matter of priority that we should find for a new a new editorial team to carry editorial TOD forward’. line-up By ODA secretary priority that we should find a new Editorial Phill Davies Team to carry TOD forward. So, this is an appeal to members to step for- HIS issue of The Old Dy’vorian is ward and offer their literary and journalistic the last under the editorship of Jeff talents to ensure a thriving future for TOD. Don’t be shy: remember that TOD is a pub- Humphreys. lication for Old Dy’vorians produced by Old TThe contribution he has made to the ODA Dy’vorians. All expressions of interest in play- as Editor is very greatly appreciated but, hav- ing a role in the Editorial Team will be most ing moved to the far north of England, it is no welcome: please contact Phill Davies, ODA longer practical for him to continue. Secretary, on 01792 883978 or by Email to Thank you, Jeff, for giving us a lively read in phillipdavies47@ btinternet.com. all the issues you edited. In the interim, Tudor Price (1958-65) has Jim Waygood, Assistant Editor, is also step- agreed to co-ordinate the production of ping down after many years of unstinting and the next issue, which is due out in Septem- dedicated hard work in the production of our ber. Tudor will be glad to receive contri- biannual journal, and our sincere thanks go to butions, preferably as a WORD document Jim, too, for his commitment to the task. with photographs if available, in good time TOD is vital in maintaining interest in the for the copy date of July 19. You can con- ODA and informing the membership about tact Tudor on 077 881 36 904 or by Email news and events. It is, therefore, a matter of to [email protected]. Globetrotting trio THE Class of ‘55 held a successful Diamond Anniversary reunion on the weekend of September 4-5 – and here, pictured with ever-popular teachers Iorrie Mort and Bob Howells, are three of the long-distance travellers who made it. Michael Balsdon from Perth in Aus- tralia is on the left at the back alongside Michael Chick from Christchurch, New Zealand. Front left is Bill Rawlins from Melbourne. Picture Special: Page 10 Percy Shaw invented road Cat’s Eyes after he saw a cat at night. If it had had its back to him, would he have invented the pencil sharpener?

4. The Old Dy’vorian And it’s goodnight from me Six issues of The Old Dy’vorian spanning three years -- and now I’ve decided it’s time for me to hand the editorial reins to somebody else. It’s been enjoyable; it’s been a privilege. Thanks for all the support -- from the committee, from all those who’ve contributed and from you, the ODA readers. Jeff Humphreys And still he wouldn’t let them inside! HAVE to confess to being utterly hopeless, a complete washout, Iwhen it comes to telling jokes. Usually I can’t remember them, and on the rare occasions my memory actually doesn’t let me down, I invariably make a hash of the punchline. Mind you, perhaps it’s a blessing. Joke- telling these days has become a bit of a minefield; I dare say you’ll be well-aware that it’s no longer politically-correct to Canary Pete is a very talented Belgian cartoonist direct a wisecrack at any racial or ethnic and here’s one of his recent offerings that really minority. Very dangerous ground indeed. Here’s an example of the way you have made me chuckle ... hope you like it too. to put them across in this day and age, just in case you offend somebody or other: I’m a big One evening an Englishman, A Scots- fan of man, an Irishman, a Welshman, a humour Ghurka, a Latvian, a Turk, an Auss- in art and sie, a German, an American, a South here’s African, a Cypriot, an Egyptian, a another Japanese, a Mexican, a Spaniard, a that Russian, a Pole, a Kiwi, a Swede, an tickled my Israeli, a Finn, a Romanian, a Serb, a fancy. Dane, a Swiss, a Greek, a Singaporean, This time an Italian, a Libyan, a Muslim, a Ken- it’s by yan, a Peruvian, a Lithuanian, a Hindu, Berlin a Norwegian, a Fijiian, a Buddhist, an cartoonist Ethiopian, a Bulgarian, a Swiss, a Sikh Joseph and a Mongolian went to a night club. Kowak. The bouncer on the door said: “Sorry, I can’t let you in without a Thai.” It never ceases to amaze me what women come up with sometimes.The other day I admit my wife was going through her wardrobe, trying on this and that, and clearly feeling it was a extremely pleased with herself. She called me to have a look. “It’s fantastic,” she said, dangling one particular garment in front of me, “I bought this 45 years ago, just after perfect our wedding, and it still fits me like a glove, don’t you think?” fit but... I didn’t want to be a spoilsport but I had to be honest. “Hazel,” I said, “It’s a scarf.” Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right; the other is the husband

5. The Old Dy’vorian

Well done and congratulations ... the five award-winners with ODA president Selwyn Walters This year’s fab five HE Old Dy’vorians’ Association They were graphic design student Samantha has again teamed up with the Uni- Taylor from Cwmbran; applied drama student versity of Wales Trinity Saint David Gemma Alpine from Llanelli; motorsport en- T gineering student Chris Jenkins from Llandei- (UWTSD) Swansea to reward five students who have worked through adversity to lo; environmental conservation student Daryl achieve academic excellence. Lawrence from Swansea; and international As ODA members know, the school closed travel and tourism management student Silje in 2002 after 109 years, having moulded some Gronn from Norway. of the city’s greatest and most influential peo- ple. Professor Mike Phillips, UWTSD Pro In 2005, UWTSD Swansea (then Swansea Vice-Chancellor, said: “What we have seen Metropolitan University) completed a refur- during the presentation is people facing adver- bishment of the former school site which is sity and triumphing. I have been touched by all now home to the University’s Swansea College of the stories. We are a university that widens of Art. access and is open to all. The rewards of being The President’s Prize was traditionally award- such a university are incalculable.” ed to a deserving and distinguished pupil at the Selwyn said: “As the Old Dy’vorians’ Asso- former Dynevor School. ciation, this award ceremony is perpetuating our connection with the site that was our old n a demonstration of the links now forged school. betweenI the University and the ODA, the “We have a strong relationship with the Uni- annual prize was restored in 2005 to reward versity of Wales Trinity Saint David and are UWTSD Swansea students who have com- both happy and proud that our old school is bined hardship with excellence during their still being used for education purposes. first year of study. “An award such as the Old Dy’vorians’ Presi- Cheques were presented by ODA President dent’s Prize is an excellent way for us to stay Selwyn Walters to the five deserving students connected to the site and recognise the hard who were nominated by their lecturers. work of the students.” C’mon, give the Dynevor Revisited website a whirl and, remember, we’re on Facebook and Twitter too

6. The Old Dy’vorian Balconiers all set for another smashing cricket day DYNEVOR’S cricket- loving Balconiers have pencilled-in a 2016 date for their annual visit to St Helen’s. It’s Thursday, August 4, the second day of Glamor- gan’s county championship match against Northamp- tonshire. More details about the day will be available on the Dynevor Revisited website soon. Lynda wonders Following three previous very successful Balco- about window niers' Days, there was a LYNDA Williams (left) contacted the Old further gathering of Old Dy’vorians’ Association on Facebook Dy'vorians, friends and to say: family in the sun at St I understand Dynevor had an active Helens back in August for OTC unit during the 1940s and wonder if anyone recognises the window in this the championship game photo as being a window at the school? against Gloucestershire. My dad Peter Williams, who is on the Guest Speaker after an right above, attended Dynevor between excellent lunch was Don 1941-1945 but I have no idea who the Shepherd, a legend of other two gents are. Glamorgan cricket and broadcaster for BBC Radio Irene’s great-uncle quest Wales, whose reminiscenc- IRENE Fearnside has contacted the ODA with the following: es made for a fascinating I am in the process of putting together a family history and therefore am and entertaining talk. writing to ask if you could help with information on a great uncle of The ODA Balconiers' mine, Thomas Griffith Davies. Day was organised, as He was a Physics teacher and for a short time a Deputy Head Master usual, by Membership at Dynevor School. He was also involved with the Scientific Society Secretary Ken Sharpe, and back in 1944. He sadly passed away on February 1, 1956. anyone wanting more in- I have looked through your website and found a couple of School formation can contact Ken Magazines which mention him. Would you have any further information at ken.sharpe@btinternet. that you could send me and/or photographs which would be gratefully com or by telephone on appreciated. 01432 359990 as well, of course, as on www.dyne- If anybody can throw any light on either Lynda’s or Irene’s vorrevisited.org.uk query, please let TOD know - contact details on Back Page

7. The Old Dy’vorian Geology is a noble Nield is a geologist instrument of inquiry with a sense of history and conviction ... in and humour ... with a Ted Nield’s hands it gift for bringing the edges towards art science alive. LITERARYREVIEW THE TIMES A couple of rockers set to top the bill DISTINGUISHED geologist Ted Nield (1967-74) will succeed Selwyn Walters as President of The Old Dy’vorians’ Association at our 78th annual dinner at Swan- sea University on Friday, April 8. And his guest speaker will be fellow-renowned geologist and GUEST speaker Brian fellow-Old Dy’vorian Brian Wil- Williams (above) is liams, from the Year of ‘51. the Emeritus Profes- Brian’s talk is provisionally enti- sor of Petroleum tled Life On The Rocks: The Trials Ted Nield : He delivered Geology at the Uni- And Tribulations of A Geologist. the Old Dy’vorians’ versity of Aberdeen Ted works for the Geological So- annual lecture back in and currently holds ciety of London as editor of the October ... now he takes professorial positions monthly magazine Geoscientist. over as ODA president. in the Universities After leaving Dynevor he stud- magazines, and also published two of Manchester and ied Geology at University College palaeontology textbooks with Per- Bristol and University Swansea and obtained a doctor- gamon Press. College, Dublin. ate at University College Cardiff, It certainly promises to be a mem- After leaving Dyne- going on to become a consultant orable evening on April 8 and all vor in 1958 he read Geology at Swansea carbonate sedimentologist. Old Dy’vorians are encouraged to University until 1964 Ted lives in North London with book tickets early! and then did two- his wife Fabienne and cat Millie. It’s £30 for ODA members and years’ Post Doc- When not at work he can usually £37 for non-members and book- toral research at the be found playing the piano or tak- ing forms are now available online University of Ottawa ing photographs of rocks in dis- or you can complete the booking (1964 - 66). He is a tant parts. form inserted in this magazine. Fellow of the Geologi- As a science journalist, he has Either way, bookings must be cal Society of London written for most broadsheet returned to David Dickinson, din- and a Member of the newspapers and popular science ner secretary, by Friday, March 4. Energy Institute As well as being THIS year’s dinner will take place on the eve passionate about of Swansea City’s Premier League match Chelsea Geology, Brian is an against Chelsea at the Liberty Stadium. The interim ardent Welsh Rugby 64,000-dollar question, of course, is where manager enthusiast and a will the Swans be in the table on that second Guus devoted follower of weekend of April? Well, are you a half-full or a Hiddink American Jazz. half-empty?

8. The Old Dy’vorian

Name the athletics boys of Llewellyn in Francis’s photo ERE’S a photograph of the Llewellyn One decision will take them to a certain page; House athletics team of 1962 – sent another decision will take them to a different Hall the way from Tucson in Arizona by page. Francis Morgan. “There are many decision pages within the Francis (pictured above left), who was at book, so there are many different outcomes to Dynevor from 1956 until 1963, doesn’t have the story depending what decisions are made. the all names of the boys and ten members of Students can read the book multiple times, en- staff – so we’re putting his picture on the web- joying a new story each time. site so ODA members can identify everybody. “The first book,What’s in the Box, is currently He himself is on the far right of the back row. a beta version. The story I have produced is Francis graduated in graphic design at Swan- a test, or proof of concept. I’m planning a sea College of Art after leaving school and much more ambitious non-linear graphic nov- went on to become one of the world’s most el, for older children”. prominent educational publishers. He created the Reading A-Z website, one of Here’s the link: http://www.readingteacher. the most successful and popular educational com/i_see_sam_adventure_optimized/in- websites on the Internet. dex.html Recently he has been working on a new con- Three years ago Francis was awarded an cept for online children’s books and explains: Honorary Fellowship by the then-Swansea “They are non-linear books. Non-linear sto- Metropolitan University, now the University ries allow the readers to make decisions that of Wales Trinity St David. allow them to go on multiple different paths He lives with his wife, Josephine, who is Pro- within the same book. At certain points in fessor Emerita of Pharmacology at the Uni- the stories, readers have to make a decision. versity of Arizona. Arwyn Reynolds, not an Old Dy’vorian, contacted us with the following query: ‘I am trying to trace the origin of what is believed to be a rugby cap dated 1949 -50. It may be a cap awarded by a school in Wales and I wondered if you may know its identity. Is it by chance a Dyne- vor School cap? The cap was supplied by R.W. Forsyth Ltd. Ladies’ and Gents’ outfitters in Ed- inburgh and Glasgow. They no longer appear to be trading’. Unfortunately it was a false trail – the cap, bearing DS initials, proved to be Devonport Services.

9. The Old Dy’vorian Three men in a boat

Peter Saword with Jimmy Knoyle on his right and Larry Owen on his left.

HREE Old Dy’vorians are pictured Larry says Peter, like him from the Mumbles, setting off on a trip down the River was a fine sportsman, playing cricket and foot- Seine in Paris back in 2001 – the first ball for Dynevor and boxing for Leeds Univer- T sity, as well as being a fine squash player. time they’d got together in many decades. The reason why? Well, it’s all to do, really, Sport meant so much to him, indeed, that with the Welsh love of singing. after he died in 2012 his sister Gill Conyers, The Gower Chorale happened to be per- who lives in York, wished to commemorate forming in the French capital. Larry Owen’s her late brother in some appropriate way. wife Doreen was a member of the choir, as was So, after discussions with Larry, and Noel Jimmy Knoyle. And Peter Saword lived there. Blows on behalf of the ODA, it was decided Mumbles boy Larry takes up the story: “Peter that a superb new trophy, along the lines of and I were particularly good friends. We met at the famous Claret Jug awarded to the winner Dynevor and later shared a flat in Richmond of The Open golf championship, would take in Surrey. pride of place at Dynevor’s own annual Golf “He went on to Leeds University and then Day, which this year will be held on Friday, joined the big paper company Wiggins Teape. April 8. And, staying in the paper business on the tech- It’s called, as you’d expect, the Peter Sa- nical sales side, he moved to Paris. word Cup and goes to the individual winner “We’d not actually met for a long time until on the day. the choir’s trip to Paris, though we certainly had Larry, who left school in 1953, became a kept in touch. It was great to see him again.” chartered accountant and his career took him As for Jimmy, Larry jokingly describes him as to Frankfurt, Johannesberg, Brussels and then Rent-a-Tenor. “He must have sung for every to Chancery Lane in London. choir in Swansea,” he says. He retired when he reached 60 in 1996, re- Jimmy was Dynevor School captain in 1954 turned to Swansea and now lives in Langland. and Peter was Vice-Captain. Both have now This year’s ODA Golf Day will take place at passed away. Clyne on April 8. See Page 15 for details.

10. The Old Dy’vorian Year of ‘55 Reunion Pictures: Penumbra Photography

Above: Back (from left) David Hitchings, John Summerwill, Alun Edwards, John Hughes, Glyn Hughes, Peter Lewis, Nor- man Hallchurch, Howell Evans, Noel Blows (Reunion organiser). Front (from left) Edward David, Godfrey Jones, Iorrie Mort, Michael Balsdon, Michael John.

Brian Wiiliams, Geoff Thomas, Gerald Davies and Ken Sharpe

< Left: Michael Balsdon, John Thomas and John Hughes Alan Phillips and Michael Price

Back row (from left):Jim Waygood, Michael Price, Roger Gore, John Sullivan, Michael Chick, Brian Williams, Peter Lloyd, Geoff Thomas, John Thomas, Alan Sampson. Front (from left) Alan Phillips, Gerald Davies, Iorrie Mort, Bob Howells, Brian George. 65-ers enjoy reunion too: On a lesser, but no less enjoyable, scale the Year of ‘65 met up on the evening of September 5 to celebrate their 50th anniversary of entering Dynevor. Seventeen former pupils got together in the Westbourne to reminisce over a few drinks and then crossed over the road to enjoy a range of excellent curries at the Rose Indienne.

11. The Old Dy’vorian Mike Davies is inducted into the It all began at International Tennis Cwmdonkin Hall of Fame in 2012. By Jeff Humphreys F I had a pound for every hour of tennis I played at Cwmdonkin Park in the early-60s I– mostly with Brian James – I’d be a very rich man indeed. We were in the same year at Dynevor and good friends. Brian, who was chemistry teacher Tom Tennis, then, of course, was an amateur game James’s son, lived at the top of Cwmdonkin on and Mike made no secret of his disdain for the Penlan Crescent. My house was at the bottom ‘blazers’ who ran the sport. Indeed he once on Glanmor Crescent. said: “They couldn’t stand the sight of me and I Little did we know, at the time, that little more couldn’t stand the sight of them. End of story.” than a decade earlier, a fellow-Dy’vorian called So, not long after that Wimbledon doubles Mike Davies had trodden those same courts; final, he became the first British player to turn graced them with a quality neither Brian nor I professional, appearing on the ‘outlawed’ rebel could have remotely dreamt about. tour for eight years following his move to the Mike, who died at his Florida home in Novem- United States. ber at the age of 79, was a cracking player. Exceptional player that he was, it was off the The boy from the Uplands became Britain’s court that Mike went on to become a true co- number one in 1956, boasted a more-than- lossus of world tennis. decent record and became the only He was a visionary; a man who modernised Welshman to reach a Wimbledon final when, the game – raising its profile and boosting play- partnered by Londoner Bobby Wilson, he was ers’ earnings. runner-up in 1960 to American Denis Ralston He changed the colour of tennis balls to yel- and Mexican . low, for example, so they could be seen more Mike (right) with clearly on TV, after he had set-up tennis’s con- his 1960 tract with the major network NBC. Coloured Wimbledon clothing soon followed. men’s doubles He was, too, a major driving force behind the final partner introduction of tie-breakers. Not to mention Bobby Wilson > Continued on next page ‘Liggy’ nickname remains a mystery By Rhys Bryant (1947-54) of transportation in those days was Shanks’s Pony, the Swansea buses, and my bicycle, in I WAS at Dynevor from 1947 to 1954, assigned that order. to forms 2C, 3C, 4D, RC, 5C, LVI and UVI That’s where I ran into Liggy Davies again He Science. was extremely well-dressed, drove a Jaguar car, I don’t remember whether I was given the and was a sales representative of the Slazenger nickname Bunjy in form 2C or 3C. But several Racquet company. I understood that he played of us did have nicknames. a little tennis on the side. David Harries was Gav. Later I found out his I went on with my life, and after 60 years, middle name was Gavarro. Two boys in 2C had here I am living in Florida, USA. identical names, John Edward Davies. They Many of my former classmates have passed were numbers 8 and 9 on the class register and on. This time it was the turn of Liggy Davies. went through school known as Eight and Nine. I had no idea that he was living in Sarasota, Mike Davies, for some reason that I cannot Florida, just a few hours from me. recall, was always Liggy Davies. Does any TOD reader know why Mike I attended Swansea University and my mode Davies was nicknamed Liggy? Let us know.

12. The Old Dy’vorian Recalling the bygone days when Caretaker’s sideline in car repairs By Roger Brown

S my year entered Dynevor School in 1953 we found ourselves in a town still coming to terms Mike’s aptly-named autobiography, which was published in 1961. with its war-time destruction. AThe Trustee Savings Bank had just been built on the cor- < From previous page ner of Pell Street and Cradock Street, but as one entered introducing the 30-second time Pell Street one found on the right-hand side two semi-de- limit between points and bring- tached houses (or was it one?) still occupied, and a blitzed ing up the 90-second change- chapel. These were soon to be demolished and a car park over after every two games. put in their place. He was, too the driving force On the left-hand side was a row of rather mean terraced behind the ‘Million-Dollar Tour’ houses with small and untidy gardens in front. One of in his major role with World them was occupied by a youngish family, whose grubby Championship Tennis (WCT) son, aged about four or so, often occupied the pavement before moving on to equally great success with the Asso- with his child’s tricycle. ciation of Tennis professionals The last house, adjacent to the school, was the caretaker’s (APT). home, and he had an entry to his back garden through the In 2012 he was inducted into basement of the school. He also had a small sideline in the International Tennis Hall of repairing cars, probably for resale, and often the car on Fame and said: “It was a big which he was working would be alongside his house, al- surprise and a huge honour.” though they sometimes found themselves in the school Not long before receiving yard outside school hours. that honour he had made a On the turning from Pell Street into the Kingsway there nostalgic return to the courts was a smaller group of terraced houses, with their fronts of Cwmdonkin Park, where he to the road, and these were demolished later to make way received the President’s Award for an extension to the Kingsway Post Office. from Tennis Wales president Around the corner in Cradock Street, next to the Albert Mary Hunter. Hall, was Lovell’s, a confectioner’s and tobacconist’s shop. President of the International It was almost the school tuck shop. One side, on the left, Tennis Federation David Hag- was given over to the tobacco business, the other to sweets gery said after Mike’s death: and chocolates. In between, facing the door, was a large “The tennis family is poorer for glass case containing the more expensive items of the es- the loss of Mike Davies. He tablishment. Mr Lovell, I believe, had his own sweet facto- played many roles in tennis, ry, and you could buy two-penny bags of sweets, contain- from player to administrator, but ing half-a-quarter’s amount, but what was in it was never will be remembered as a man revealed until it was purchased, and it could be anything in of vision and, for all of us, a their line of sweets. great friend.” The school itself bore all the hallmarks of Hitler’s atten- Mike is survived by his wife, tion. The top story throughout the buildings, save for the Mina, four children and four gym, had been gutted. The roof had been destroyed, but grandchildren. > Continued on next page

13. The Old Dy’vorian the school bore all the hallmarks of Hitler’s attention

An aerial view of Swansea in 1949. The school is just above the centre left of the picture. © Crown copyright: Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales: Aerofilms Collection < From previous page Street – one walked across the Kingsway, with the walls remained, gaunt and almost free some bomb sites awaiting rebuilding, and standing. down another street alongside which were The section between the two buildings, on some large nissen-type shops placed there im- the corner of Dynevor Place and Delabeche mediately after the blitz, and came to the old Street, had been totally destroyed and was market, with its red brick walls. ruined and unused. Corrugated iron walls It still bore the ravages of the blitz, with its surrounded it, as they did the entrances to towers and interior roofless. Opposite the bus the stairs leading to the remains of the top stop at its east end on Oxford Street stood storeys of the two main buildings. Some of two shops, one of them Crouch the jewel- the walls were damp and fungi made their lers, which had survived the bombing, but home on them, so we often remarked we had alongside them further up the street were the biology lessons ready made for us. girders of the destroyed Marks and Spencer’s Travelling to catch the 75 bus at the market store, solitary and ugly. bus stop – the alternative for the Tycoch boys The stores opposite had yet to be built, and was the 33 bus whose stop was in Mansel > Continued on next page

14. The Old Dy’vorian Dynevor: its name and building history is an article by Roger Brown (1953-60) which explores how the school was renamed Dynevor instead of the Municipal Secondary School, and the history of its building. Roger, pictured left, illustrates the article by photographs of the 1894 building and the extensions built in 1928, whose plans are included. Roger’s fascinating piece is on the ODA website now, together with the pictures. Don’t miss it at www.dynevorrevisited.org.uk < From previous page front gardens and bay windows, with a large Boots, the first large store to be rebuilt after gap in the middle where a bomb had demol- the blitz, stood in almost solitary isolation op- ished a number of houses. posite the Castle Gardens. Our assemblies took place in Mount Pleas- On the other side was a large printing ant Chapel, and we entered it via its rear door, works whose building seemed to have been after passing through a gate in the playground patched up, followed at an interval by two and passing through a bombed site, which had houses, one of which was the Christian Sci- been occupied by three-storey houses.The end entist reading room, and after that a substan- wall of one adjoining the lower school build- tial bomb site, full of puddles and mud across ing was clearly observable in the aerial map of which we walked with care. It was made worse the town taken in 1945 or so. by the fact that it was used as a lorry park. Ahead of us was the bombed Trinity Church, ynevor place, where the Mayhill and its steeple still intact, but it was surrounded by TownhillD buses had their terminus, had the a corrugated iron fence. On the other side was school on one side, and opposite a row of a hotel and alongside it the houses of Grove three storied terraced houses, perhaps eight to Place. ten of them. They must have been elegant in A few of us would walk around the town their day with a Regency style of façade, but by during the dinner break. A favourite excur- our time they seemed to be multi-inhabited or sion was to a model shop opposite St Mary’s were the premises of various firms. I remem- Church, still awaiting its rebuilding in 1953. We ber one was occupied by a tailor. had little money to spend but at least we could A number of us who had school dinners gaze at the models in the window. used to walk to the Public Library in Alexan- dra Road. The junior library was in the front Adjoining it was a corner shop, which had of the building, sectioned off from the news- a stone devil placed on its façade, looking di- paper reading room by a partition. rectly at the west end of the church. It was A homework syndicate often took place claimed that the architect or builder of that here, although at times we could be unruly, es- edifice had lost the contract for building the pecially when Howard, who had left Dynevor church and so had placed this devil there as an in the fifth form to work at the library, was act of revenge. placed in charge. The whole area has now been completely cleared for the reconstruction of the town in ven his patience, and it was extensive, the 1960s onwards. couldE be exhausted, and sometimes a com- But one must add, in spite of the conditions plaint would be made from the reading room under which we were schooled, and the many for us to shut up. But our unruliness was more restrictions of that day, they were happy friendly than destructive. times, and perhaps this gave us as pupils of The walk to the library from Mount Pleasant Chapel took us over the site of the Dragon Dynevor School a camaraderie that has ena- Hotel, then a car park, onto Bellevue Street bled the Old Dy’vorians to be such a success, which led into Trinity Place. On the right-hand whereas the three other secondary schools of side were two rows of terraced houses, with the town have no such association.

15. The Old Dy’vorian One of the best CLYNE is listed among Peter Alliss’s 200 best golf courses in the British Isles. Peter’s father Percy Alliss, in fact, was Clyne’s first professional in 1920. Designed by the legendary Harry Colt in the 1920s, this moorland course offers a fine test of golf for all levels of handicap. Clyne prides itself on the fact that they have all- year-round grass tees and champi- onship quality greens. It’ll go with a Golf Day organiser swing again! Peter HE Old Dy’vorians’ Association will be holding Samuel its Annual ODA Golf Day at Clyne Golf Club, with the on Friday, April 8. splendid TThe event is open to all former Dynevor pupils, irrespec- Peter tive of whether they are members of the Association or Saword not. Cup This year’s event will start at 9am with registration and bacon roll and coffee on arrival, followed by first tee-off at 9.45am. Soup and bread roll will be served in the clubhouse after the golf and will be followed by the presentation of prizes. The format for the competition will be as per player for visitors (non-Clyne members) in previous years: individual prize, team prize, and £13.per player for Clyne members. longest drive and nearest the pin. Golf Day organiser Peter Samuel is contact- Winner of the individual prize will be award- ing all the ODA’s ‘known’ golfers who may ed the Peter Saword Cup, established in mem- wish to play on April 8. ory of the late Old Dy’vorian (1948-55). But anybody ‘new’ who’d like to take part, It was won by Kelvin Howells when first or anybody with any inquiries about the event, awarded in 2014 and carried off last year by can contact Peter at [email protected] or Mike Porter. on 01792 230076. Entry forms are available Entry fees for this year’s event will be £27 from him too. It’s Mumbles and off ... SOME Old Dy’vorians may like to know that a classic car run has been organised to co- incide with the centenary events commemo- rating the First World War Battle of Mametz Wood on the Somme in July 1916. This four-day event is planned to leave Mumbles on July 5, 2016 and those interested in participating can contact the organiser, Huw Morris, at info@mametzrun. co.uk.

16. The Old Dy’vorian A mathematically-gifted chemical engineer

Professor William John Thomas (pictured right) died at Sherbourne in Dorset in October at the age of 86. His fellow-Old Dy’vorian and collaborator Sir John Meurig Thomas wrote an obituary about his distinguished friend for The Independent newspaper. A substantial extract appears below. YNEVOR was renowned in my neous catalysts that in 1968 he was appointed youth as a cradle for gifted rugby as Professor and Head of School of Chemical union footballers and also for the Engineering in the University of Bath, where D he served as Pro-Vice Chancellor from 1987 outstanding quality of its teaching – former students include Rowan Williams (Arch- to 1993 bishop of Canterbury), the irrepressible Sir In 1995 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Harry Secombe, and Lord Griffiths of Ffor- Academy of Engineering for his distinguished estfach, Margaret Thatcher’s guru. researches into various aspects of catalysis. It was there that John Thomas’s lifelong in- terest and devotion to the physical sciences His eyesight deteriorated significantly was first kindled. It was also while playing for from the early 1990s onwards. Yet he jour- the school’s rugby team, in his late teens, that neyed on numerous occasions, accompanied he lost the sight of an eye. by his devoted guide dog, to and around Lon- In 1948 he entered the University College of don, and other centres of learning, to fulfil his public, administrative and lecturing engage- Swansea, graduating in 1951 with honours in ments. chemistry. This led him to Imperial College, Most important of all, he exhibited perpet- where he took his PhD in chemical engineer- ual optimism and buoyancy. Even though he ing in 1954, the year he was appointed to a gradually lost the sight of his other eye – he research post in the Mond Nickel Company, was registered blind in 1996 – his positive can- outside his native town. do approach to life and his contagious cheer- fulness was a tonic to behold. Such was his From 1956-59 he was an assistant lecturer incredible fortitude that it induced a sense of in chemistry at the University in Swansea, but guilt about one’s own predicament. such were his formidable mathematical, as Other illnesses afflicted him in the last few well as chemical skills, that he was recruited decades of his life, including a heart attack by the Atomic Energy Research Department, and two hip replacement operations, through Harwell, where he worked for two years before which his wife, Pamela, whom he married in returning for a seven-year period as a member 1955, and with whom he had a son, Mark, and of staff of the newly-established Department daughter, Clare, gave him immense and loving of Chemical Engineering in Swansea. support. It was during the latter period of his lec- tureship that we jointly wrote our first work, n 1997 we jointly produced the first edition An Introduction to the Principles of Heterogeneous ofI Principles and Practice of Heterogeneous Catalysis Catalysis, which served as an extensively used (2nd edition, 2015), and with his colleague in undergraduate textbook worldwide. Bath, B D Crittenden, he published in 1998 So impressive was his work in elucidating the influential monograph entitled Adsorption the properties of a large variety of heteroge- Technology and Design.

17. The Old Dy’vorian The sound of Swansea! Geoff Clarke’s career after leaving Dynevor in 1963 took him all around the world, mainly in the field of education. Having written a partly-fictional autobi- ography entitled A Yawoo Life, Geoff, who’s 76 and lives in North London, has published another book that blurs the line between fiction and the facts of his life, called Swansea Sound. “It deals with a lot of the rugby matches, the people, the various jokes, and the different pubs that we went to at the time,” he said. Here’s how the book begins ... Arthur makes a mint out of half-time cups of tea Remember that famous gable on the main stand at The Vetch? ERVYN Jenkins from Dunvant “Don’t get shaky on them planks, Watkin”, was a big, barrel-chested Welshman the foreman cries out. with a round face, grey hair and a And Watkin carries on with the job regardless M of the weak walkways and the dodgy, thrown- goatee beard that needed trimming. He was corpulent, but not unfit. up scaffolding, the usual cigarette in his mouth. Married with two boys, Ralph 15 and Chris Arthur Birtwhistle, a round-faced jovial man, 13, he had been in the business of sound sys- has the tea café in a caravan trailer parked at the tems for a long time. Business had been good back of the stands. He’s hoping to make a big for a while, with installations of stands, stadi- hit from today’s match. um seating and sound equipment, and he had “Get that urn ready by half-time, Edna.” been busy all week erecting a stand at a local “OK, Arthur” she replies. football club. At the 45-minute whistle, hundreds of plastic By Saturday of that week, he needed to get cups of tea are ready from the massive boil- the sound system working properly at the er and the huge, brown teapots. Pies, pasties, Swans’ ground in time for the key match with chips, pizza are all sold in huge quantities to the Reading. pressing crowd of spectators. “There ew are, Watkin”, he said. “Go down At the end of the match, Arthur counts the Vetch and see to the sound system.” the takings. He has made a fortune from sell- “But I’m not on shift today, Merv”, he re- ing tea, milk, sugar and boiling water in their plied. thousands. He plans to buy a hotel in Mumbles “Never mind, I’ll pay you extra, you jus go with the proceeds. He’s soon into the multi- down the Vetch and work on them loudspeak- millionaire property business in hotels and ca- ers.” tering. He takes over the Langland Court hotel Watkin Davies goes down to the stadium and in Mumbles at a knockdown price. spends the morning fiddling with the loud- The next job for Watkin the coming Saturday speakers on makeshift scaffolding put up the is the stadium seating at Maerdy rugby club. night before. > Continued on next page

18. The Old Dy’vorian

Two of cricket’s all-time greats, Clive Lloyd (left) and Garfield Sobers, both have a big St Helen’s connection ... and both are mentioned in Geoff Clarke’s new book Swansea Sound.

> From previous page “Do you remember the time Garfield Sobers Mervyn gets a call from the Health and Safety hit six sixes for Nottinghamshire against Glam- inspector asking about the safety of the stadi- organ?” he asks his pals. um terracing that they’ve put up. “And when “It was at the end of the season in the game you finish putting them up we’d like to inspect against Glamorgan that the Nottingham skip- them,” he says. It’s just wooden boards from per, Sobers, got into exciting, rumbustious plywood and not nearly strong enough to pass form. Notts are 308 for 5 in their first innings, the inspection. when Sobers decided it was time to get some So Mervyn tells Watkin: “Go down to the quick runs before declaring the innings and Maerdy stadium and dismantle the stand at the give his bowlers an opportunity to win the field and take all the plyboards over to Maesteg match,” Watkin recalls. and put them up there”. “Malcolm Nash was the outmatched, county Watkin does as he is told and goes over to level player whose round-the-arm, left-handed Maesteg in the spare Swansea Sound van and bowling didn’t even trouble the left-hander puts them up over there. Garfield. He hit the first few for sixes, with The inspector, a thin, wiry individual with the third landing in a garden behind the pavil- large, prominent glasses, is bemused to find ion. The fourth is another big six. And then it there is no stand-seating at Maerdy rugby sta- looked as if he could go for the record of 36 dium as planned, but does not pursue the mat- runs in an over. On the fifth ball he makes a ter any further. “I didn’t find any structures you’d put up terrific hit and is caught but dropped over the at the Maerdy ground, but I suppose you’ll boundary by Roger Davies for another six.” get round to it, Mr Jenkins,” he says over the Watkin is one of the many spectators call- phone. Merv is once again one step ahead of ing out for a six, because it lands behind the the game, and can carry on in the business of boundary rope laid at the edge of the field just stadium seating and sound systems. in front of him. The last ball results in a final That night, the scaffolding boys and Watkin six and Watkin is jumping up with his hands in go out on a pub crawl for a few pints of local the air to celebrate the historic record-breaking bitter. They call at The Mermaid, The George, achievement of Sir Garfield Sobers, as he is The Rock and Fountain, The Beaufort Arms later knighted by the Queen. His score of 36 and the Swansea Jack. runs in an over broke a 57-year-old record of The following morning Watkin goes to a job 34 runs, held by Ted Alleston. for Mervyn on a sound system at the St Helen’s “And Clive Lloyd scored the fastest double- Road ground. Over a quiet pint in The Crick- century on record when batting for the West eter’s at lunchtime Watkin recalls the memories Indians against Glamorgan in 76’”, Watkin re- he had at St Helen’s. calls. Old Dy’vorian Geoff Clarke’s new book Swansea Sound can be bought online Amazon at www.amazon.co.uk/ Swansea-Sound-Geoffrey-Clarke- ebook/dp/B00ZZO4KKC

19. The Old Dy’vorian Time to say Farewell to four more Old Dy’vorians Clive came up Adrian excelled with a really in material world smart solution An obituary following the death of Old Dy’vorian OLD Dy’vorian Andrew Dr John Adrian Williams (1951-58) last year was Porter posted the following published in the September issue of Materials thoughts on Facebook fol- World. Here is an an extract from that tribute. lowing the death of highly- DRIAN Williams’s After holding many high- respected former Dynevor long professional ca- ranking positions in his chosen Music teacher Clive John in reer centred on the field, following the privatisa- December: A tion of the electricity indus- Sad news indeed. Clive had a performance of materials at high temperatures, particu- try in 1989 Adrian moved to practical solution to the lack of PowerGen’s Ratcliffe-on-Soar decent singing voices in the ‘68 larly in power generation ap- plications. R&D facility, near Notting- intake which would otherwise ham, as a Section Head. mean a depleted choir, and He studied Metallurgy at the simply lowered the singing mark University College of Swan- He took early retirement in threshold from 2.5 to 2. Nice sea, now Swansea University, 1992, and then worked as an chap. and received a BSc, winning independent consultant until the Robiette Medal in Metal- shortly before his death Tommy’s role lurgy and Sir Arthur Smot Adrian liked jazz and, in Prize for Pure Science in 1961, his youth, played in a skiffle in Balconiers and was subsequently awarded group. OLD Dy’vorian Margaret a PhD for research on the On social occasions he Llewelyn has informed TOD properties of alloys above the would get up and dance with that Tommy Shaw passed solidus temperature. his wife Barbara, whom he away in September. Adrian liked, and excelled met at college, in their own Margaret writes: Tommy was at, research. He published unusual version of the jive. an old Dynevor pupil (I think well over 100 peer-reviewed He and Barbara were keen he was born 1935, 36 or 37- research papers and review gardeners and both enjoyed ish). He used to go to the din- articles. He also served for 15 walking. ners with Ken Taylor but neither years, until 2013, on the edi- Adrian is survived by Bar- has been for quite a while. torial board of the Institute’s bara and their daughters Anna Tommy was the Secretary of the journal International Materials and Kate. Balconiers for many years Reviews. Alcwyn Price and Mark Hull John made sure we got a good deal DAVID Dickinson was one of a number of myself I can appreciate the effort he put in organ- Old Dy’vorians at John Ham’s well-attended ising what was then the only big function of the funeral in Swansea back in August. year. Things have moved on bit these last couple of David writes: years but we should be grateful for his contribution John was a well-known Swansea businessman spe- to the ODA. cialising in sound and music. He was a excellent John was the brother of the late Pete Ham, musician and organised many musical evenings. who was a founder-member of the rock band He was a great help with the hard of hearing. The Iveys along with Old Dy’vorian Ron Grif- Outside of his business he worked hard with the fiths. They were the first group signed by the Swansea Sportsman’s Club who are well-known Beatles’ Apple label in 1968. Ron left in 1969 for their charity work. John was the person who and was replaced by Joey Molland, and the got everybody together, arranged the venues and, band renamed themselves Badfinger, going on importantly, got a good price for the meal for the to have four consecutive worldwide hits from Annual ODA reunions. Having organised a few 1970 to 1972.

20. The Old Dy’vorian Who’s Who in the ODA 2015 - 2016

> President : Selwyn Walters [email protected] Tel: 01570 422769 > Vice-President : Dr Ted Nield [email protected] > Immediate Past President : Prof. Dudley Sinnett [email protected] > Secretary : Phillip Davies [email protected] Tel: 01792 883978 > Treasurer : Stephen Way [email protected] Tel: 07720251639 9 Croftfield Crescent, Newton, Swansea SA3 4UL > Communications Co-ordinator (inc Website) : Keith Evans [email protected] Tel: 07531 540002 > Interim Editor, The Old Dy’vorian : Tudor Price [email protected]. Tel: 07788136904 > Members’ Directory : Keith Evans (contact details as above) > Recruitment/Marketing/Balconiers’ Cricket : Ken Sharpe [email protected] Tel: 01432 359990 > Golf Day : Peter Samuel [email protected] Tel: 01792 230076 Other members of the committee include Keith Morris (Ties), Dudley Sinnett, Phil Stone and David Dickinson (Past Presidents). David, Ken, Keith Evans and Jim com- prise the Annual Dinner sub-committee. Diary Iorrie gets it uniformly right check ODA secretary Phill Davies has often > Friday, THE ODA’s official Facebook wondered why there were no school April 8 is https://www.facebook.com/ uniforms in the form photos until Golf Day at OldDyvoriansAssociation. around 1953/4. Well, Iorrie Mort has Clyne GC. Reg- And remember we’re on put him right. istration 9am. Twitter too (@DynevorSchool) Iorrie says the Dynevor School First tee-off uniform was established in the thir- 9.45am. ties, but during the World War II no > Friday, Please check on materials were available and, of course, April 8 rationing continued into the fifties. Annual Dinner. standing orders By the time Phill and his age-group Fulton House, ODA members are reminded to arrived on the scene in the late-50s, Swansea Uni- check with their bank that their things were getting back to normal, versity. Guest – speaker Brian standing order is still active so boys were taken to Sydney Heath’s Williams. 6.30 and if their standing order is to get kitted out for their first day in for 7.30pm. still £5 to change it to £10. Dynevor. > Thursday, Copy deadline for TOD 29 is July 19 , 2016 August 4 Balconiers’ Day WORD format if possible, ideally 500/600 words & at St Helen’s. photos, to Tudor Price (contact details in Who’s Who above)