KING EDWARD’S SCHOOL BIRMINGHAM OLD EDWARDIANS GAZETTE 2010 0 officers of the association Chairman of the General Committee: Hon Registrar: James Martin M. D. Baxter 36 Woodglade Croft Committee: King’s Norton Andrew Baxter – Hon. Treasurer Birmingham B38 8TD Mike Baxter – Hon. Registrar e-mail: [email protected] Derek Benson – Hon. Secretary David Brewer - Edwardians Football Club Hon. Treasurer: Gerald Chadwick - Sports Club A.G. Baxter David Corney Springfield Jim Evans – Cricket Club Wesley Road Stephen Talboys – Hon. Secretary Ironbridge Paul Thomson Shropshire TF8 7BD John Wheatley Ian Metcalfe - Co-opted London Secretary: James Murphy David Edmonds Mark Roberts 146 Bath Road Longwell Green Hon. Secretaries: Bristol BS30 9DB Derek Benson (also School Tel: 0117 932 6910 Representative) e-mail: [email protected] King Edward’s School Birmingham B15 2UA ‘Gazette’ Editor: Tel: 0121 472 1672 Michael Parslew Fax: 0121 415 4327 6 Station Close e-mail: [email protected] Windmill Hill Stoulton Stephen Talboys Worcestershire WR7 4RX 204 Galton Road Tel: 01905 840438 Smethwick e-mail: [email protected] West Midllands B67 5JP &: [email protected] Tel: 0121 420 3313 0 issue 282 : contents Editorial . Page 2 - 5 Old Edwardians Masonic Lodge . Page 30 From the Chairman From the Chief Master Forthcoming Events . Page 30 - 31 From the Editor Letters to the Editor . Page 32 - 35 Special Interview . Page 6 David Robinson; Peter Bryan; Bernard Adams; Chris. Latham; John Osborn David Ganderton; Robert Darlaston Reunions . Page 7 -14 Notes & News . Page 36 - 39 Conquering Time (1951) Details by name & year Once Again Assembled Here (1954-55) O.E. Publications Sentimental Journey (1956-57) Dinner for the 1960s Births, Marriages & Deaths . Page 40 Dinner for the 1970s Births, Marriages & Deaths - listed by year Special Articles . Page 15 - 23 Obituaries . Page 40 - 48 Brigadier Mike Dauncey DSO Tom Freeman; Peter Mason; Edward Downes; Ken Wyatt; Sidney Ireland; Paper-back Hero - Gavin Lyall Arthur Knapp; Terry Podesta; Furrokh Panthaki; Keith Parsons; KES Rugby & After - Jim Wainwright Fred Oxley; Tony Wainwright; Norman Ludlow; A. Clive Williams; The Wanderers’ Return John Whitfield; Peter Matthews An Interview with Mark Wagh O.E. Activities . Page 24 - 27 Arthur C. Muffett (1926) London O.E: A.G.M. As we were going to press we heard with great regret of the death of Arthur Muffet Summer Outing (1926), the oldest member of the Association. He was 102 Annual Dinner 2009 Edwardians Football Club O.E. Cricket Club Golf Society School News . Page 28 - 29 Development Director’s Report Staff News – Retirements: Philip Lambie; George Worthington; Carol Southworth 1 from the chairman At the time of writing I have just returned This Gazette is in the same style as last from my third London OEs Dinner, with year’s new, landscape edition and we 50% more guests than last year. We have again have Michael Parslew to thank for had 60s and 70s dinners at school, and his editorship. I know that this is a labour both brought people back for the first of love in the fullest sense because it takes time since leaving School – I encountered a fair amount of time and you wouldn’t do four of my year and the sense of re- it if you didn’t care. Having got us over connection both with each other and the the big hurdle of change, Michael is School was tremendous. The Chief Master conscious of the need for succession spoke to us of his pleasure at progress in planning and we should be delighted to matters such as IB, the Performing Arts hear from the next willing volunteer. In Centre and continuing all-round the meantime, as they seem nowadays to excellence and it was seriously gratifying say, ‘enjoy’. to see evidence of the changes being wrought under the ‘new regime’ of James Martin Development Office support. When you read this we will be in a new I am delighted to let you know that decade, able to look back over another result of the changes made with extraordinary changes across the globe, your support over the last year or so is and forward with wonder about whether that the OEA can commit to funding an our economic or climate systems will ever assisted place out of the income no longer be quite the same again. Our private Old needed to run the Association’s affairs. Edwardian world has seen change too, and This seems a good step towards other help to be able to feel unashamedly positive that we alumni may be able to offer in about it is a delight. This year some 400 future, and thus really make our School Old Edwardians have been back to School accessible to the best on merit. or attended OEA events, and this may well be a record – demonstrating the greater reach that has been achieved since Simon and Sue in the Development Office have had the time to invest in bringing our alumni together. 2 from the chief master This article is written under time pressure, Two other giants of the Common Room between the Scylla of George Andronov’s have also departed this year, Phil Lambie, departure on the last day of the Autumn who started in 1968, and George Term and the Charybdis of the deadline of Worthington, a relative newcomer of the the editor of the Gazette, on the first day 1970 vintage. Over 80 combined years of the holidays. they have had a massive influence on this place. Very few boys would have passed Perhaps the departure of George through the school without being taught Andronov, the Deputy Chief Master, is the by at least one of them. It is hard to best place to start. George is the son of a imagine that any teacher, any Russian soldier, captured by the Germans professional, had ever given more time in the Second World War and liberated by and loyalty and, indeed, love to the the British. He arrived at King Edward’s in organisations which they have served. the autumn of 1975 from south London via Imperial College, Cambridge and George and Phil and George mean a great Manchester Grammar School. He has been deal to me, because I was taught Classics a teacher of Physcis, Head of Physics, by two of them and have been helped Head of Science, Deputy Chief Master, a beyond measure by the third, but it is I expect that George Andronov won’t find brilliant teacher of the brilliant, a important that such men get recognition. it easy to go, and one of the reasons is wondrous teacher of the ‘Physically’ For decades, if not centuries, this school that, in recent times, he has played such a challenged, rabble-rouser of the Science and its pupils have relied upon staff who large part in bringing to pass the big plans Common Room, and, for 14 years, a most have dedicated all, or almost all, of their for the future. In particular, it was George loyal and supportive and human Deputy careers to one school. Their rewards are who did much of the work for the Chief Master. I doubt that anyone will ever certainly not material, but they do come introduction of the International forget meeting or being taught by George from the day to day experience of Baccalaureate Diploma. As I write, we are and, as he has come to the end of his teaching the boys, and from the pride they on the brink - I hope - of being approved career we have all come to realise that feel in what those pupils go on to achieve. as an IB school after a visit from two IB George’s greatest contribution has been to In the end, they are proud of King inspectors in early December; and then, in make this school seem like a family. Edward’s School and we should be grateful September, we will be the first major Whether George is pater patriae, the to them. independent school in this country to patriarch or just plain Uncle George in the convert, with one act of daring, to the IB pub on a Friday evening, he has made this Diploma. Nothing that I have seen or place a warmer, funnier, happier place for heard about IB or about A Levels in the all of us. last year has diverted me from the belief that this will be not only the right, but a really exciting road to tread. 3 The other grand design, the Paul and Jill And, whilst all these historic initiatives are Not even that is all there is. Last week lots Of course, the kind of school that we Ruddock Performing Arts Centre, is also on being planned and enacted, the life of the of us attended two concerts in the Adrian would also want this to be is accessible to course after being given planning approval school and of the boys runs on. We didn’t Boult Hall and the Carol Service at St all and my final words must be about that in November 2009. The architects, break all of last year’s exam records in Philip’s Cathedral. There were star long-term aim. I am most grateful to those Haworth Tompkins, have produced a 2009, although we did break the record for performers: violinists Kiyam Lin and alumni who are already funding boys. The building that reflects the original percentage of A grades at A Level (76.9%) Roberto Ruisi have just been chosen to the Development Office and Simon Lerwill are geometry of the Hobbiss building and, by and percentage of A grades and A/B grades members of the National Youth Orchestra, already making a difference and will make its use of patterned brickwork, responds at AS (68.8% and 89.2% respectively).