Bangor Grammar School Old Boys’ Association The Grammarian Magazine 2019 From Game of Thrones to LA film success – meet our young filmmaker Luke Alexander on pages 9 & 10 Chairman’s Message Terence Bowman Fellow Grammarians, I trust you will enjoy the 2019 edition of the Grammarian magazine, whether in its printed or digital formats. Serving in my other role as magazine editor, it was a great pleasure to work with two of our young contributors, last year’s PROUD TO Head Boy Jamie Stewart, presently studying Law at QUB, and Class of 2012 member Luke Alexander, who is very quickly establishing himself behind the scenes in the world of television and films. SUPPORT BANGOR Jamie and Luke have many years ahead of them in their respective fields and we wish them, and their classmates, all the best for the future. The world of today is a busy place but we hope they will all keep in touch with Bangor Grammar Grammarians chairman Terence Bowman (right) with new Board of Governors chairman Billy McCoubrey, laying GRAMMARIANS. School and, from time to time, join us at past pupil events wreaths at the School’s Remembrance Service on Friday 9 such as our annual dinners and various sporting encounters. November 2018. Both are members of the Class of 1975. Billy This year (2019/20) is an important one for Bangor is also a past chairman of Bangor Grammarians (1992/94). Grammarians. Not only are we celebrating the 90th Picture courtesy of Ken Best anniversary of our founding as the Old Boys’ Association Tuesday 4 March 1930. The world then, between two in October 1929 (with our 90th annual dinner to follow devastating wars (which deprived Bangor Grammar School TALK TO US ABOUT THE THINGS in November 2019), the coming months will also witness of many of its finest past pupils), was a very different place the 500th meeting of the Grammarians Committee, which to the one we live in today. Yet much that was said that I am privileged to chair. Plans are in hand for a special night retains its relevance to this day. YOU NEED FROM YOUR BANK Committee event involving past members and chairmen. “It is my earnest wish,” declared Association vice- While it is customary for an organisation like Bangor president Thomas McBride, “that the School will continue Grammarians to hold back the celebrations until it reaches to prosper, to instruct and educate the youth of Bangor in its 100th birthday, we are hopeful that, for the most part, those qualities necessary to their coming struggle in the we will have been succeeded over the next decade by an world, and to make them what we want them to be – good equally enthusiastic new team of dedicated Grammarians, citizens of a noble Province.” He could just as easily have maybe including some senior pupils at the School today, been speaking in 2019. who will lead our entirely voluntary organisation into its Mr McBride also praised the school’s young rugby players second century. on reaching the Medallion Shield final – they would lose For the first time in my life, and very likely the last, I later that month to RBAI but a first-ever Shield success will quote Confucius – ‘Study the past if you would define followed in 1936. Substitute the Medallion Shield for the future.’ As a body for past pupils of Bangor Grammar the Medallion Bowl which BGS secured in 2018, not to School we will never lose sight of its illustrious past but, mention the 1st XV’s proud run to the Subsidiary Shield equally, it is important we should look ahead and do our final in 2019, and maybe that long-awaited return to the utmost to help the School as it strives to meet the many glory days exemplified to many past pupils of a certain age often difficult challenges facing the world of education, by our first-ever Schools’ Cup win in 1969 (also highlighted especially in Northern Ireland. in this edition) is just around the corner! Staying on this theme of past, present and future, it Another speaker, Robert Logan, wanted to see Association was timely that, a matter of weeks ago, a well-preserved members becoming Governors of the School “because newspaper clipping should drop through my letterbox, they would have the interests of Bangor Grammar School BRANCH. PHONE. ONLINE. courtesy of past pupil John Sims. Further reference to this at heart.” He would have been pleased to know there has valuable acquisition appears in the Archives Report, but been a long history of Bangor Grammarians serving on the in essence the Belfast Telegraph cutting shows Old Boys’ Board of Governors. Indeed, Jim Claney has the unique Association members at their second annual dinner in the distinction of having served as chairman of not only this Royal Hotel on Monday 16 March 1931. I spent several organisation (2002/04) but also the Board of Governors enjoyable hours at Belfast’s Central Library, subsequently (1992/95) and the Parents’ Association. Among some 10 determining it was easily the oldest known photograph of past pupils who have chaired both the Grammarians and First Trust Bank is a trade mark of AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.), incorporated in our members. the Board of Governors are the late Hal Blair (1977/81) Northern Ireland. Registered Office 92 Ann Street, Belfast, BT1 3HH. Registered Number NI018800. Authorised by the Prudential I was also able to locate, courtesy of the County Down and Billy McCoubrey (current Board chairman). Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Spectator archive, a report on the Association’s inaugural As generations of past pupils have sung lustily and we do dinner, which was held at the same venue a year earlier, on likewise today: “Floreat Bangoria!” 2 www.grammarians.co.uk www.grammarians.co.uk 3 In this issue Principal’s Report Chairman’s Message 3 From playing poker to playing jazz 28 Elizabeth Huddleson Principal’s Report 5 Treasurer’s Report 29 Young filmmaker’s LA success 9 Carol Service’s golden anniversary 30 Archives Report 33 Son’s memories of WTW Johnson 12 As far as an academic Edinburgh Dinner 15 RAF Volunteer Reserves honoured 35 school year goes, 2018/19 Playwright recalls ‘walk of shame’ 16 Obituaries 37 has been a relatively quiet Drilling for oil and gas in Australia 18 Secretary’s Report 41 one. We had feared that The Class of 2018 21 George Cameron’s BGS years 42 without Facilities Supervisor London Dinner 23 Fifty years since Schools’ Cup win 46 Matt McClements at the A long overdue apology 24 Our first centenarian 49 helm the School would stop Olympic Gold at Bangor Dinner 27 In the News 49 functioning. Thankfully this has proven not to be the case. He has been deeply missed but Matt reliably Grammarians Committee, 2019 informs me that retirement is to be most definitely Prize day 2018 (from left): Paul Blair, (then) chairman of the Board of Patron: S. D. Connolly MA Governors, Elizabeth Huddleson (Principal), Lewis McKinnon and guest recommended. speaker Dick Milliken President: Mrs E. Huddleson, MSSc., B.Ed., PQH (NI) The first term saw the : B. A. Styles B.Sc., D. B. Greenaway B.A. (TCD) Cert. Ed. (Cantab) Hon. Vice Presidents passing of Tom Patton, In terms of extra-curricular prowess, it would probably Vice Presidents: Trevor Gray, Paul Weir, Geoffrey Miller Headmaster of the School be quicker to tell you what didn’t go well this year. In no from 1979/98. On particular order: as the most successful debating school in NI Chairman & Magazine Secretary: Terence Bowman, 8 Mountnorris, Newcastle, BT33 0QZ, [email protected] Former Facilities Supervisor attending his funeral I learnt Matt McClements – now we went out of the Ulster Schools’ Debating Competition Vice Chairman: Alan Black, 7 Manselton Park, Bangor, BT20 4LY enjoying his retirement much more about him, most in the first round; the 1st XV exited the Schools’ Cup in the Hon. Secretary: Peter Blair, 13 Ward Avenue, Bangor, BT20 5HW notably his commitment fourth round against Royal School Armagh; and the hockey to his church and wider Hon. Treasurer: Norman Irwin, 10 Riverside Road, Bangor, BT20 4SA 1st XI crashed (with an 11-0 defeat) out of the Burney Cup community in Tandragee, where he ended up living post- in the first round against Wallace High School. It wasn’t Hon. Membership Secretary: Lyn MacCallum, 23 Rossdale Road, Bangor, BT19 6BE, [email protected] retirement with his wife Claire. His wider contribution to that our teams were poor this year – we simply got drawn General Committee: Peter Matthews, Carl McClean, Gary McNinch*, Russell Moore. the life of the School is contained in a separate article. against better teams quite early on in each competition. *Resigned in June 2019. The Committee expresses thanks to Gary for his services over the past 5 years The academic year is an intense one, being a cycle of There has been some silver lining in that our 1st XV induction, school development planning, action planning, played Sullivan Upper in the final of the Subsidiary Plate results analysis, mock examinations, curriculum auditing competition, slightly dulled by the final score (27-5). I do Past chairmen of Bangor Grammarians and external recruitment. In short, it’s all cyclical and have to say though that I watched the match seated beside nothing much changes – except with each passing year my current Board of Governors chairman Billy McCoubrey l929/l930 Dr S Patterson Rea l948/l949 R G Wilkins l967/l968 R J A Simms l986/l987 Dr R A Lightbody hair goes a little greyer..