The Silhillian 2017
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THE SILHILLIAN 2017 www.silhillians.net P E I A R S T E V E R A N Contents President’s Letter 2 The Wainwrights 34 President-elect 4 P**s up in a Brewery 38 Editorial 6 News & memories from OSA Committee 8 Former Pupils 39 Headmaster’s Reflections 10 Boarders’ Reunion 55 OSA Trust Report 20 Obituaries 56 Clubhouse Update 22 Grafton Morrish 71 Under 25s 23 Old Sils v Old Warwickians 73 Development & Sports 79 Alumni Relations Office 24 Acknowledgments 80 Lunches, Dinners and Balls 29 NURTURE EXPERTISE SUCCESS Building business better JERROMS BUSINESS ADVICE | ACCOUNTANCY | TAX PLANNING | GROWTH STRATEGIES 0121 693 5000 | jerroms.co.uk “ 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 68 NOVEMBER 2017 President 2017 Jonny Dugdale 1 Dear Old Silhillians Well that year certainly shot by! And what a year it has been. The Association continues to grow and adapt to new challenges and a growing membership, which also grows younger each year. We continue to look at new ways of engaging our younger members, and I am delighted with the focus that the Committee has given to this endeavour. To that end we have hosted Christmas events for under 25s as well as the annual leavers’ BBQ. Although numbers to these events were not as strong as we would have The President’s Letter The President’s hoped for, we continue to meet the membership’s expectations from what they want from their Committee. At the recent OSA Ball I was delighted to see that a far larger proportion of the membership than previous years was made up from our younger members, whose enthusiasm for the event was welcomed by all. It is easy to take any one aspect of the OSA in isolation and assume that that is its sole endeavour, be it the Memorial Clubhouse, Events, Careers involvement with the School, the OSA Trust or indeed this wonderful magazine (that’s not an Editor’s addition to my article by the way!). This year, my eyes have been truly opened to the variety of activities that make up the Association, to which I hope I have done justice in a brief summary of my activities below. From the outset I was thrust into the many events of the Association and the School. I was delighted to read a lesson at the Nine Lessons and Carols service in the presence of the remarkable choir and have since attended four Careers evenings, the opening of the Coton Rugby Pitch, the School’s wonderful adaptation of Tommy and been invited to each of the auspicious occasions that make up the School calendar, and for that I am very grateful to the Headmaster and his management team. As to the wider Association, I have had the good fortune to attend the annual dinners of the Golf Society, the Rugby Club, the Hockey Club, the Past Presidents, Shenstonian Lodge and the Over-60s, each showcasing the wonderful breadth and range of activity that the Association is connected to. And with the new year of course come new challenges and a new President to face them, and I am delighted to introduce this year’s President Elect, Jamie Clapham. Two years my senior (nobody believes me), Jamie’s involvement with the Association over the years has been remarkable and he has been a trusted colleague, manager, captain, committee member and friend during that time. I look forward to hearing of Jamie’s achievements in the coming year. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the Committee for another 2 year of incredible contribution and service to the Association. The effort that The President’s Letter The President’s is put into the running of this Association is immense and the dedication of its Committee is central to its ongoing success. On behalf of the wider membership, thank you all. And so to the last few challenges and events of my presidency, two events that I have been looking forward to and thinking about all year, namely Remembrance Day, which every Past President that I have talked to has noted as being one of the most awe-inspiring moments of their respective terms, and the OSA Annual Dinner, set for 25 November this year. I hope to see as many of you there as possible and please see Silhillians.net for further information on the event. I have been truly blessed to have been involved with and contributed to the OSA over the last ten years, however this year has unsurprisingly been the pinnacle of my time with the Association. I look forward to many more years with the Association in whichever capacity I can be of most value to it. I would like to thank you all for your support during the year and look forward to the exciting times to come for the Association. Best wishes Jonny Dugdale (Windsor, 2004-06) THE OLD SILHILLIANS’ ASSOCIATION - PAST PRESIDENTS 1921/22 Dr AV Bernays 1957 FR Bishop 1987 G Stubbings 1923 C Aldrin 1958 LG Highway 1988 MS Saunders 1924 WR Ludlow 1959 HA Steele 1989 HJC Taylor 1925 PE Martineau 1960 CWD Cooper 1990 MJD Smith 1926 PH Reading 1961 HT Wilcox 1991 RJC Graves 1927 HA Hughes 1962 WP Townsend 1992 BW Allen 1928 HS Matthews 1963 DH Billing 1993 GM Hughes 1929 TA Furse 1964 HB Callaghan 1994 HE Blow 1930 CH Palmer 1965 CT Coton 1995 AJ Richardson 1932 LC Reading 1966 MJ Wheelock 1996 P Callaghan 1933 LE Horton 1967 PJ Hill 1997 MC Bettridge 1934 F Burnett 1968 BJW Swift 1998 PA Thomas 1935 RH Whitehill 1969 FAR Moon 1999 JM Batsford 1936 CL Hughes 1970 JEJ Baggs 2000 J Woolman 1937 FJ Osborne 1971 RG Toy 2001 BJD Wilde 1938 HD James 1972 TG Jones 2002 MA Cutler 1939/43 WRL Horton 1973 JMB Urry 2003 N Smith 1944 FL Nock 1974 DM Powell 2004 R Jerrom 1945 AG Bragg 1975 MJ Cusack 2005 BW Allen 1946 JB Mayers 1976 RC Young 2006 PA Thomas 1947 CW Bragg 1977 KJ Foster 2007 SD Allso 1948 EG Wilcox 1978 T Jackson 2008 JA Platt 1949 AJD Mansell 1979 DA Gurnham 2009 RJ Young 1950 JM Urry 1980 PBL Instone 2010 ME Levenger 1951 KW Highway 1981 JLR Hare 2011 JN Harrison 1952 Dr. KD Waters 1982 RC Cupit 2012 PG Davies 1953 BE Hatton 1983 DD Cox 2013 JR Bates 1954 MAD Cooper 1984 DW Edwards 2014 Julia Skan 1955 JT Rolfe 1985 SC Mackay 2015 JC Loynton 1956 VO Hawley 1986 JRD Orrett 2016 SG Westwood 3 When our current president Mr Dugdale asked to have a quiet word with me earlier this year, I assumed that it was another question on how to play hockey, an ongoing issue with our current President-elect President. However, it was a very flattering request to become the President-elect of the OSA. Of course my response was easy, “What’s the pay and do I have to release all of my policies via Twitter?” The answers to which were nothing and you don’t get to make policies, so of course with a Jamie in one of his many appearances complete lack of influence for the Hockey for Heroes team or incentives I had to say, “yes”. The OSA has been a big part of my life even whilst I was at school. As a keen sportsman, and in particular hockey player, I have been a member of the Silhillians’ sports club since I was 14 and whilst I was still at school. And I have been lucky enough to be heavily involved in both the hockey section and more recently the OSA itself ever since. My days at school, as a proud Windsor boy, were heavily influenced by sport and, much to the dismay of my teachers, not as much by academia. Throughout the winter months I was an avid hockey player and lucky enough to be awarded first team colours and the much coveted stripy blazer in my upper fifth year. During the summer I could be found either running the 1500m or opening the bowling (soon to be followed by fielding on the furthest boundary from the action and then by batting at 11). Whilst I made it through my GCSEs and A Levels I was never one for exams and, more importantly, revising for said exams (a trait that continues to this day). I managed to find my way into University and despite being away from Solihull and the day to day activities of the OSA still remained active within the hockey club and attended former pupils’ events.... usually 4 any dinner which involved a bottle of port. Since leaving university the clubhouse has become a regular haunt of mine whether playing sport or President-elect just enjoying a drink. Outside of the OSA my hockey has allowed me to help to support many charities, and most importantly to myself, Hockey for Heroes. This is an organisation which helps to raise funds for Help for Heroes, a charity supporting our armed service men and women with both physical and mental aid and remains a cause close to my heart. If you would like to see more on this cause and how you can help please check out the website www.hockeyforheroes.co.uk or just speak to me and I will happily buy you a pint at the same time.