August 2008 - Please view Helpful
Points, make
use of the Search this site
facility, and also check Messages.
Information
about our Dinner on Saturday 4 October was sent
to all on our database by post (25 Aug) or email
(27 Aug).
The booking form is also available from
the Reunions page.
If you have changed your postal or email address
in 2008, have you let us know?
Please put the Dinner date in your diaries!
Information
on hotel accommodation in the Soham area
Making contact:
Vernon Fretwell 50, Norfolk: I believe
my family may hold some kind of SGS attendance
record as follows - my two brothers Cedric A
Fretwell 48 and Clifford M Fretwell 52 and I were
all at the school at the same time, along with
our cousin Eric G Fretwell 51. Any challenges to
that?
Neil Holmes
52 responds: Vernon Fretwell's family
record of three brothers plus a cousin at the
school at the same time will certainly be hard to
beat. As I recalled a year or so ago, three
Holmes brothers attended the School (Paul 46,
Michael 49 and Neil 52), but the eldest had left
before the youngest joined, and we can't even
pull in the odd cousin. However, the Holmes
brothers' record of continuous attendance, from
1946 to 1960, may well eclipse the Fretwells'.
Roger Nicholas 59,
Cambridgeshire
Rod Ward 59 - Rocky at
school, now in Warwickshire
Geoff Fernie 59
in Toronto "I have booked my flight to
arrive in UK on 4 Oct and come to the dinner. I
am excited to have the chance to see old friends
after such a long time and curious to see how
many I recognize without prompting."
Photo
pages additions or updates
Vernon Fretwell 50 adds the
1952-53 U14 Football XI to our Sports photos
collection - see Sport > Sports photos
Peter Roe 46 and Neil
Holmes 52 have added a name to one of
the Who are they? faces - see Scrapbook
Peter has also contributed to the 1954 and 1956
School photos - see via School Lists
Neil Holmes also
provides some more bus travel recollections - see
via Scrapbook
He adds: "my latest book is entitled The
Lawless Coast. It is essentially historical
narrative detailing the smuggling wars on the
Norfolk coast in the 1780s. It is selling
extremely well throughout Norfolk, especially the
coastal region. I would imagine that Leon
Kitchen, who fired my enthusiasm for history,
would be amused." - see The
Lawless Coast
July 2008
Making contact:
Tony Pitchford 69, now in Norfolk;
studying for a foundation degree in horticulture.
Peter Wilding 59, retired
biophysicist, now in Northamptonshire
Ian Hobbs 48: I
had the privilege to captain both the Football
and the Cricket OB teams in the last year of the
School. We beat the School by a large margin; in
the team were Ian Booth, Johnny Fretwell, Eric
Simper .. does anyone have more details of the
teams and the match?
We also thrashed the School at cricket due mainly
to a great bowling performance by Norman South.
Ian Booth was in the side as was Brian Leonard.
Once again does anyone have more details of the
teams and the match? I do remember I elected to
bat on after tea as we had not scored too
quickly. A little frowned, on but my teaching
from RAT was that "if you can't win, do not
lose".
I would appreciate if there was more info about
these two historic games.
Ian also adds a cricket anecdote to RAT's page -
see In Memoriam > RAT
Nick Cave 60 has
now fully retired after a career mainly with
Cadbury's and Guinness, followed by working with
an estate agency in Gascony. He has an
interesting account of a visit to Morocco made
with a local Freemason's Lodge in France to help
with a charitable project. He says "I wonder
what Ted A would have thought! I was 'asked to
leave' Soham all those years ago and was a bit of
a '60s rebel!". If you would like to be in
touch with Nick please contact the editor.
Christine
Fuller, organiser of the EHS Dinners,
spots her cousin Brian Bell on
the 1952 and 1954 school photos. For those of you
with EHS friends or family members, the next EHS
dinner is on May 16 2009 - see EHS link
Rob Dove 61 adds CJ Jordan
to the 1965 School photo - was his first name
Colin?
He also suggest alternative IDs for some of the
back row on part 10 of that photo - can you help?
- see via School Lists
Fred Eden 44 has provided
copies of the the signatures of former Heads BJA
Neill and J Clement Platt - see History pages
He has also provided the Order of Service for the
funeral of Mr RA Taylor and an
appreciation of RAT from the then Hon Sec of
Cambridgeshire CCC, Mr PW Gooden - see In
Memoriam > RAT
John Cornwell 54 responds
to John Gothard 53's story on a
school bus from Ely that left the road- see
Scrapbook > School Bus memories
Photo
pages additions or updates
Dudley Walton 63 has provided photos taken on a
walk around the school grounds in the late 1980s,
he thinks, by fellow Grammarian Reg Joyce
63 - before the major development of the school
buildings took place - see Scrapbook >
Other
June 2008
Stan Harley 53 has
heard from Pete Eland 44 that Dennis G
Peacock 44, died on May 5th and was
cremated on May 19th.
Making
contact
Morley G Holliday 58, recently
moved to Alicante from Oadby: KHJ
Holliday 39 and Lewis C Holliday
57 are cousins who can be contacted via Morley
John Firby
49 has moved to the Isle of Wight
Photo
pages additions or updates
The editor visited John Browning
in preparation for John's talk at this year's
Dinner on his time on the staff (History,
1947-51, principal author of the School History).
John provided an explanation to those who may
have wondered why he disappeared from time to
time ... - see School Lists > Staff >
left before 1972
May 2008
Simon
Curtis 67 is a Past
Master of the Worshipful Company of Farriers
(2001-2002) "I finally have my website
on-line" - see Pages by/on SGs
Trevor
Smith 62 muses on aspects of a grammar
school education - see Scrapbook > 1960s
> Teaching Empathy
Dannie
Nicholas 59 has provided several photos:
A 1965 6th Form School trip to London, photo of a
river trip - see History >> Visits >
1965 London
Various Scouting photos - see History
>> Scouts > Scout Album
April 2008
On March 13 a book
launch took place in Belfast, for which some
signed copies were flown in by four Tucano
aircraft of No.72 Squadron RAF from Linton on
Ouse. The book, by Guy Warner is Shorts - The
Foreman Years. Philip Foreman
came to Belfast in 1958 to work for Short &
Harland Ltd on the Seacat missile system. In 1967
he was appointed Managing Director, a position he
held for the next 21 years, combining it with the
role of Chairman from 1983. These were great
years for Shorts , the company became a world
leader in the fields of commuter aircraft,
missiles, aerostructures and advanced composite
materials.
This is the story of those exciting times and
includes many personal memories from Sir Philip
and others who worked with him. It is also
profusely illustrated from the company archives. Philip
Foreman entered SGS in 1934 - see more
about him and the book via Pages by/on SGs
John
Gothard 53 adds to memories of school
bus journeys and hopes for some answers - see
Scrapbook > School Bus memories
Making
contact:
Roger Logan 57, Cambridgeshire
Photo/page additions or
updates:
Philip Foreman 34
provides a snap of him as Victor Ludorum 1940
to his page - see Pages by/on SGs
John Gothard 53 updates the 1954 photo
of Form 2P, identifying Malcolm Rowell - see
via School Lists > Entry year guide > 1953
Roger Logan 57 updates the
1960 School photo, part 10, with Graham Housden
- see via School Lists
March 2008
Photo/page additions or
updates:
Keith Essex '64' updates the 1970 School
Photo
He also remembers the Radio Club - see
Scrapbook
Chris Goulty 54 updates the 1954 and
1956 School photos. Over time different names
have been provided on who is next to him in row
three in section 9 of the 1956 photo - Charlie Kent or Les Leston ... second
opinions sought!
He adds "Regarding School Lists it is my
recollection that they were not produced every
year whilst I was at school. I think there may
have been ones for my first [we have that]
and second years [we don't have that] at
school but don't remember lists for the following
years until I left in 1959 [we have none
for the period 1955-60]. This, if my memory
is correct, would of course explain why you have
been unable to obtain copies!"
If you can verify or modify Chris's recollection,
please contact the editor.
Peter Roe 46 adds a name to the
early 1950s 2nd XI Cricket photo: he has updated
two of the IDs in the Football 2nd XI 1948-49
photo - see via Sport > Sports photos
Contact
made with:
Michael Bayes 67, Spain "My
career has been in teaching - yes, in school all
my life! I am currently Head of Xabia
International College
in Javea, Spain"
Sid Cullum 59, Cambridgeshire
Robert Dove 61, New Zealand
Keith Essex, Ontario, Canada: he
was at the school 1969-71 in the Sixth Form, so
his peer group is the 1964 entry
February 2008
Photo/page additions or
updates:
Many items were added Nov 07-Jan 08 -
please check these as well.
We are pleased to provide a web page for the Ely
High School Annual Luncheons. The
official EHS Old Girls organisation
'folded' in 2005 and now has an annual luncheon,
no membership as such. If any former EHS is
interested in these events, Christine
Fuller, 243 High Barns, Ely,
Cambridgeshire CB7 4RN can be contacted - her
late husband John (1947 entry)
was a Grammarian. A number of Grammarians grew up
with girls who went to EHS or married an EHS
girl. Thanks to Lorna Delanoy for putting the
editor in touch with Christine - see main
site menu
Roy King 59 finds himself on the
1960 School photo
Mr Barry Bartholomew, PE & Games
1966-70 - see via School Lists > Staff
> left pre 72
Mr WK Beal Woodwork/Metalwork
1945-47 - first name? see via School
Lists > Staff > left pre 72
Mr IR Dinger
Bell English 1946 -
first name? see via School Lists > Staff
> left pre 72
Mr RH Brown OBE Science
1946-48 - first name? - see via School
Lists > Staff > left pre 72
Christine Fuller adds a little on her late
husband John (1947) - see In
Memoriam
Sport - see Sport >
Sport photos
Gary Mader 62 has provided a 1968
Football 2nd XI photo: first names are
still needed for a few please
Contact
made with:
Andy Benson '59', Suffolk
Chris Curtis 65, Suffolk: he has
identified himself on the 1970 School photo
Nick Davies 67, Northamptonshire
Mr Anthony Foster, French
1951-57, Cambridgeshire - see new page via
School Lists > Staff > left pre 72
Frank Greig 52, South
Australia, retired after a life in the newspaper
world and now living two miles from the largest
winery in the Southern Hemisphere
Chris Pip
Hart 48, Cambridgeshire
Trevor Salmon 60, Chair of
International Relations and Jean Monnet Chair of
European Integration, Aberdeen University since
1996; Professor, College of Europe, since 1995:
Trevor writes that he is about to publish his
tenth book Issues in International Relations,
Trevor C Salmon and Mark Imber eds, (Routledge
2008). "This is an introduction for all new
students to International Relations and assumes
no previous knowledge. For libraries the hardback
is £75. For students £21.99 – a
snip!" - see Pages by/on SGs
Michael Tuffs 61, Norfolk
January 2008 - Happy
New Year.
The author Brian MacArthur has
kindly given permission for this website to use
passages from his book Surviving The
Sword - Prisoners of the Japanese 1942-45
which refer to Flt Lt Leslie Audus:
Leslie's page on our website serves not only as a
tribute to his life-saving work among fellow PoWs
but also to Charles Carter 26, Leslie Partridge
30, Fred Hockley 34, Stanley Plumb 25 and William
Steggles 22 who are all buried in the Far East -
see Pages on/by SGs and In Memoriam >
WW2
Complete School Lists
for 17 of the school years since the end of WW2
have been added.
The Salvete information on new arrivals
has been sorted by entry year.
If you were at SGS when Form II was where first
years began you can now view your own version of
the Entry Year Guide.
If you have any School Lists for the missing
years, please contact the editor - your
contribution will be most helpful.
For all the above please go via School Lists
Thanks to Chris Jakes 65 of the Cambridgeshire
Collection, we have a photo of Mr
William H Mould - seemingly a very
successful and engaging Headmaster 1895-1914 -
and a long article from the Ely Standard
on his retirement. We are in touch with two
great-grandchildren of Mr Mould.
Two more chapters from the published School
History covering his time have been added - see History
John Bull 40-42
died in December 2007. He was an evacuee from
Cable Street in the East End of London and was
Lord Mayor of Westminster 1984-85 - see his
obituary in the Jewish Chronicle via In
Memoriam
Photo/page additions or
updates:
Brian and Beth Lane have provided, via
Les Read's daughter Wendy, a photo of a 1986
gathering of (very) Old Boys: can you
add names, date, why and where? - see
Scrapbook, Other
Two 59ers recently visited Gordon
Hemmings in Winchester - see
School Lists > Staff > left pre-72 >
Hemmings
Tony (Richard) Sharp 55 adds a Junior
Football photo from 1956 - which team was it?
Stan Harley, Terry Lupson, Trevor Parfitt, Tony
Sharp, and Rob Sowerby have filled in the names -
see via Sports
Pages added on Mr Terry Jones,
English 1955-57 and Mr Cecil Atkinson,
Music 1956-57 - see via School Lists >
Staff
Easter 1971 Switzerland - see via
History > History2 >
School Visits
Arms and The Man 1971:
updated with the article and images from
the Summer 1971 school magazine
ACF Bren practice: two photos from Mr
(Lt) Peter Scott of Bren practice on the
Barton range - see History > History2 >
ACF
Scout Dinner year 1966-67: Dudley Walton
63 adds some names - see
History > History2 > Scouts
Senior Prizegiving 1967: Don Fleet 61
and Nick Grainger '61' add some names - see Scrapbook
1970 School Photo: Tony Willenbruch 62
helps on a couple of names - see via School
Lists
Ten Little Niggers OB production
1959: Mrs Lorna Delanoy, née Freeman, has
provided a programme: some names need adding to
the photo of the cast ... History >
History2 > Productions
Michael Delanoy 48 provides a photo of
an early 1950s Cricket 2nd XI,
can someone pin down the year please? see via Sport
Incidentally, Lorna writes that the official EHS
Old Girls organisation 'folded' in 2005
and now has an annual luncheon, no membership as
such. If any former EHS is interested in these
events, Christine Fuller, 243
High Barns, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4RN can be
contacted - her late husband John
(1947 entry) was a Grammarian.
Terry Lupson 55 tidies up a few
of the names in the 1955 entry
Sadly, news of three deaths. If
you can provide more information, please contact
the editor:
Martin Ruczaj 59, several years
ago - via his cousin JP Admaski
Michael Searle Cynth
59, after a long illness, died 7 December 2007:
confirmed by his brother Colin; Mick had been
living in Cambridge for many years and the two
brothers worked very hard to make a great success
of the family business - see In Memoriam
Ian Tatham Spud
59, died in May 2006 after a long
illness; he had worked in the NHS: via his
daughter Gemma
Contact
made with:
Robert Bass 59, Cambridgeshire
David Coey '63', Cambridgeshire
Tom Crawford 59, Cambridgeshire
Paul Dunham 59, Cambridgeshire: a governor of Soham
Village College
Paul Hammans '68', Cambridgeshire
Terry Ellingham 59, Norfolk
Michael Fenn 61, teaching at a
university in Sweden
Adrian Foreman 59, Cambridgeshire
Mr Terry Jones, English 1955-57, Devon
Tim Jordan 59, Cambridgeshire
Roy King 59, Suffolk
David Morley 54, Cambridgeshire
Terry Newman 59, Cambridgeshire
Dick Peachey 59, Cambridgeshire
Tom Sandham '59', Worcestershire
Colin Searle 62, Cambridgeshire: brother
of the late Michael Searle 59: see Pages
by/on SGs
Tony (Richard) Sharp 55, Alberta, Canada
Denis Sindall 40: The Sindalls recently
moved to Northumberland when the Revd Canon
Christine Sindall retired as Rector of the
Cheveley Group of Parishes near Newmarket. Denis
was Health and Safety officer for East
Cambridgeshire District Council until his
retirement in 1996.
Ian Storey '59', Cambridgeshire
Dick Turnill 59, Cambridgeshire
Bob Tyler 62, West Midlands
Michael Woodruff 59,
Cambridgeshire
December 2007
A Happy Christmas
and all the best for the New Year.
The SGS
Football and Cricket reports since WW2,
as published in the Soham Grammarians to
hand, are now viewable via a new, easier
access link - Sport.
These include the report of the first ever win by
the 1st XI (5-2) against Newport GS, in the 53-54
season - can you imagine RAT's delight?
Earlier years will be added as time permits. It
appears that no cricket report was included in
the last school magazine in 1972. Was there a
report? Does anyone have the stats?
Missing - we do not yet have a Soham Grammarian Spring
1954 nor the Football 1st XI photo for the school years 1950-51 and 1965-66. Nor do we
have many of the 1940s team photos.
The lists
of names of those we are in touch with and those
we seek - see the new simplified link at
the top of this page.
We hear that there
is a 1930 School Photograph - if
an original print could be located and borrowed,
there is a possibility that another source may be
able to find names for many of them
We are looking for
the following, please put us in touch or let us
know where they might be:
Brigadier SJ Poole 56: Stuart
was an all-rounder - sport, singing, drama. His
father was headmaster of the school at Fordham
and his sister Patricia retired as Headmistress
of Acremont House, King's School, Ely.
According to the British Dental Journal
2001 "Brigadier Stuart Poole was appointed
as the new director of the Army Dental Service in
January 2001. Brigadier Poole was also appointed
Queen's Honorary Dental Surgeon with effect from
March 1 and Director Corporate Development within
the headquarters of the Defence Dental Agency
with effect from January. Brigadier Poole studied
dentistry at Guy's Hospital and took up his first
appointment with the Royal Army Dental Corps
following graduation in 1969. In 1994 he was
appointed Chief Dental Officer, HQ United Kingdom
Support Command (Germany), returning to the UK in
1996 to take up the Deputy Director Resources
post. He became Principal Dental Officer, 9
Region DDA in Central London soon after."
John WJ Leggett (left 1941):
Prefect. School Certificate 1939. Higher School
Certificate 1941; 1st XV Rugby; Captain 1st XI;
Cricket, Full Colours; Captain, Cromwell; Games
Committee; Editor School Magazine; Corporal ATC.
Son of Councillor and Mrs William Leggett of
Hempfield Place, Littleport. Group Capt JWJ
Leggett OBE RAF was a Defence Fellow 1969-1970,
King's College, London.
Malcolm G Sadler (left 1940):
Prefect, Captain 1st XI Cricket, Full Cricket
Colours. School Certificate 1939; 1st XV Rugby;
Captain Chicheley House, Games Committee.
Believed to have worked for BT.
Page
additions/updates
The Choir page now has some
photos from 1967 and 1968 - if you have better
quality versions or others to add please contact
the editor - see History > History 2 >
Choir
The Valete page, that describing
leavers, now covers 1937-53, based on the issues
of the Soham Grammarian to hand - see via School
Lists
Edward Armitage's account of a visit to Mr
& Mrs LG Johnson in their retirement
Rex Waller's brief note of a visit to Mr
& Mrs George Hunt in their
retirement
- for both masters see School Lists >
Staff left pre 72
If you were at SGS on 6 June 1946 you were given
a Victory Celebration certificate.
Have you kept it? - see Scrapbook, 1940s
Fred Eden 44 has provided a photo of some
of UVA - minus ties - on the Lawn after
1949 School Certificate - also
Scrapbook, 1940s
Scouts Oct 1966 - can you fill in the
missing names for the photos of the Troop
Dinner - see History > History 2
> Scouts > 66-67
The aeroplane that wouldn't land at
school, Autumn 1949 - see Scrapbook,
1940s
Photo
identifications
Brian Capper 68 tentatively identifies
Robert Medlock on the 1972 School Photo -
see via School Lists
Ian Hobbs 48 has completed the
1955 Fenland Whole Team line up by
slotting in Ray Bishop next to Mr Quinn - see via
Sport > Sports Photos
Contact
made with
David Bray 45, in London: in
February 1956, according to the Soham
Grammarian, David was awarded a Boxing Blue
at Cambridge as a Light Middle-Weight, the first
full Blue gained by an old boy.
Peter Eland 44, Cambridgeshire
John Fordham 47, Cambridgeshire:
in the Spring 1958 Soham Grammarian, RAT
wrote "The 1957 season was exciting for more
reasons than one, for besides enjoying an
unbeaten season for two years running, we had the
added pleasure of watching the fortunes of JJ
Fordham, our captain of four seasons ago, in the
Oxford team. John Fordham was awarded his 'Blue'
and on the following Saturday assisted the Old
Boys to defeat the School team for the first time
in the last match of the season."
Gordon Haynes '57', in Cheshire
Trevor Meacham 50,
Cambridgeshire
Peter South 48, contact
restored, in Cambridgeshire
November 2007
Mark
Bishop 70, newly in contact, had
interesting memory stirred by looking through the
web pages: "I remember there was an annual
cricket match/ afternoon tea with parents invited
... I believe it was 1972 when a large group of
boys literally lifted a small car belonging to
one of the lady teachers from the car park and
carried it around the school to deposit it in the
middle of the cricket square and then hiding to
watch the reaction when they came out for the
annual event." Does anyone else recall this
and were any photos taken?
He also recalls a hair-raising school bus story.
Do you have recollections of school bus journeys
and does anyone have photos of the buses that
were used for the runs to SGS? - see Scrapbook
Mark also wanted to know if he could get a
tie - see the link now added at the
top of this page.
In the late 1960s
onwards were you one of those who had driving
tuition at school? see Scrapbook 70s
The Scouting
pages have been updated.
Reports from the Soham Grammarian are
mostly complete from the material to hand and the
structure is now in place to add reports for
other school years.
If you have photos or recollections about
Scouting at SGS please contact the editor.
see History > History 2 > Scouts
Were you at SGS during either of
the two worst winters of the last
century(!) - 1946/47 and 1962/63? Please contact
the editor with your recollections of getting to
and from school, how life at school was affected,
and maybe photos of the conditions at the time.
The
wartime No.773 Sqn Air Training Corps reports
are now added. Do you have memories of that or
any photos you can share with us? - see
History
Bernard
Collen lived in Stuntney and left
Stuntney School at 14. He was great friends with
Eddie Fretwell and together they joined the ATC
at Soham. Although not a Grammarian he received a
lot of encouragement from the Head, Mr Stanley
Stubbs and succeeded in his ATC exams. Bernard
was awarded the DFM when flying Lincolns in
Malaya in 1951. The award was recorded in the Soham
Grammarian Summer 1951.
He retired from the RAF in 1973. Air Bomber Sgt
EG Fretwell RAFVR was killed in action with 178
Sqn on 15 August 1944.
see Scrapbook 1940s and In
Memoriam/1939-45 RoH
Reviewing some
past issues of the Soham Grammarian has
provided some additions to our In Memoriam
page
Extending our
reach back into the names of those who were at
SGS, two new pages have been started, based on
research on back issues to hand of the Soham
Grammarian (with more to be added):
- members of the Old Boys Association
(1937-40)
- the leavers named in the Valete
sections (1937-49)
.. are members of your family shown there? If so,
please contact the editor - see School Lists
Martin
Brunt 66, TV Reporter, is a well known
face to those who watch Sky News, making
him possibly the best known SG these days. Thanks
to Dudley Walton 63 for spotting Martin's
biography page on the Sky News website -
see Pages by/on SGs
Leslie
Caswell (did his Higher School
Certificate in 1934) was a highly talented artist
who was a student at the Slade and went on to a
career as an illustrator after war service in the
Royal Artillery. Research on him continues in the
issues of the Soham Grammarian but if anyone can
provide the editor with personal recollections or
photos of Leslie, and news of him, this would be
appreciated - see Pages on/bySGs
Who are
they? Perhaps like Peter Roe 46 you can
put names to some of the faces shown on this new
page - see Scrapbook
A page on the 7
Dec 1957 trip to see SGS' first soccer
Blue (John Fordham) play at Wembley has
been added - see History > History 2 >
School Trips
Dr Deidre
Holes has written an appreciation of her
father, CW Bill Allen
35 (brother of Terry 39), who died in February
2007 - see In Memoriam
Stephen
Murfitt 65 has loaned a copy of the
programme he designed for the 1972 production of The
Taming of the Shrew, so now we have a full
cast and production list as well as the colour
printed front cover. If you have any photos of
the production, please contact the editor.
Also:
- July 1941 A Midsummer Night's Dream
has been added
- July 1947 The Tempest has been added
- July 1948 Geneva has been added
- March 1950 production of She Stoops to
Conquer has been added
- June 1951 production by Form 3A of scenes from
the Merchant of Venice has been added
- 1954 HMS Pinafore page has been
updated with the review and an image from the Soham
Grammarian
- 1956 Hamlet page has been updated with
the review from the Soham Grammarian
- 1959 Bartered Bride page has been
updated with the review from the Soham
Grammarian
- 1961 Amahl page has been updated with
the review from the Soham Grammarian
- 1961 The Christmas Second Shepherd's Play
performed by the first and second forms, has been
added
- 1968 Antigone - photo, programme and
press review added
- 1969 A Man for All Seasons press
report and photos added
- 1970 Importance of being Earnest -
press photos and review added
- 1971 Arms and the Man - rehearsal
photo added from a press report
For all these see History > History 2 >
Productions
The account of the
dedication of the new assembly hall and labs in
October 1957 has been updated - see Scrapbook
Staff
pages updated or added - see via School
Lists > Staff
Mr Taylor (RAT), Mr
Tabraham, Mr Lawrance
Mathematics 1952-64, Mr KD Drake
Pottery & Art 1948-54, Mr GL Hunt
Rural Science 1926-52, and Miss AE Lowe
Housekeeper 1946-58 are the first staff members
to have their pages fully updated with all their
images from the school photos.
Other new or updated staff pages are:
Mr Michael Ades, Music 1960-64
new
Mr John Browning, History 1947-51
Mr RW Dunning, Art, Pottery &
Craftwork 1945-48 new
Mr AW Lowe, Latin 1948 new
Professor John O'Toole, English 63-66 new
Mr G Parrott, Science 1957-63
Mr AF Pusey, Music 1952-55 new
Mr GH Rees, French & German 67-70
Mr JF Symmons, History 1944-48
Dr JS Turner, Mathematics 1951-3, 1957 new
Mr GD Watts, Biology 1955-61
Making
contact:
Mark Bishop 70, in
Cambridgeshire, returned to the area after 20
years away
Mr Tony Cornell, Physics 67-72, in
Cambridgeshire
Peter Lupson 57, on Merseyside:
author of modern languages text books and Thank
God for Football so called because it's
about the church roots of famous football clubs;
it was the subject of a two-page article in The
Independent in October 2007 - see Pages
by/on SGs
Mr Neville McElderry, Chemistry
63-64, in Northern Ireland
Professor John O'Toole, English
63-66, holder of Australia’s first
Chair of Arts Education in 2005 at Melbourne
University: see also Scrapbook for the
1960s Stratford RSC Theatre camps
Barry Rowe 55, in
Cambridgeshire
October 2007
- Alfred Spinks
(1932), a Littleport boy who became Director in
charge of Research & Development at ICI, died
in 1982. It was said of him that his "intellect
bordered on the intimidating". He has been added to our In Memoriam
page - go there for his detailed entry
- Ken Gandy (35?)
was a well known resident of Ely when he died in
2004: he was a wartime evader when shot down in
France - see In Memoriam
- the Communities & other
links page has been updated. If it does not
include a website of relevance to SGS or where
you live in the local area (or lived when at SGS)
please forward the link to the editor
- Anecdotes are coming in about Mr
Hart whose
funeral was on 1 October - what can you add? -
photos would be especially welcome
- Congratulations to Peter
Easy 63 on promotion to Senior Vice
Principal, Napier University Edinburgh - see
Pages by/on SGs
- 30,000th visit logged on our
website
- 12 Oct 2007: Apologies to those
receiving an email today advising that the 2007
Dinner Report is now on line - the SG group email
address should have gone in the bcc: box and the
editor did not spot that it had gone in the cc:
box.
- 101 booked for our Annual
Reunion Dinner on Saturday 6th October.
Staff present included John Abbott, Dick Bozeat, John Browning, Warwick
Ellis, Leon
Kitchen, Alan Mason, Ted Quinn, Bill Rennison, Peter Scott and Gareth Wood.
some 1960s staff: Gareth Wood - Bill Rennison -
Peter Scott - Warwick Ellis
Mrs May Armitage, Peter Askem, Barry Bartholomew,
Gordon Hemmings, Norman Sherrington, Edmund
Tabraham and Rex Waller wished us well but were
unable to be with us this year.
New faces (since 2002) among Grammarians were Sid
Bonnett, Graham Carter, John Cornwell, Gary Dew,
John Gothard, Ken Grant, Stephen Halls, Nigel
Harper, Kenn Hunter, David Hobbs, Chris Palmer,
David Parr and Gordon Reynolds.
The entertaining talk was by Denis
Wilkins 53, immediate past President of
the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and
Ireland.
Presentations were made to Chris Bent 53,
who has stepped down as Coordinator and Reunion
Organiser. He has had some volunteers come
forward offering to succeed him.
A full photo report on the
evening can be seen via the Reunions link. A few
faces still need identifying.
- Mr
Hart's funeral at St Andrew's Soham
on 1 Oct was well attended by friends and
colleagues representing his work and interests.
Mike Rouse's tribute to him has been added to the
website.
He was laid to rest in Soham Cemetery close by
his parents and a few paces from Mr Riley's
grave. If you have any anecdotes or memories of
Mr Hart or photos of him, please contact the
editor.
- We hear that Professor Emeritus Leslie
J Audus (left 1929?) is recovering
after an illness. He was recently mentioned in an
article in The Times on a book of PoW
experiences of those held by the Japanese in
Java, to which he wrote the foreword.
- Harry Carter 49
has died aged 69 on 28th September. His funeral
took place at St Mary's Church, Burwell on 4th
October 2007. If you have any recollections or
photos of Harry please contact the editor.
- Mike Barningham
60 has added two Summer 1965 photos of Form 5T on
the stairs of the Technical Block: David
Camps 60 then set a new website record
for adding names to a new page - see Scrapbook
- 1960s
- John Hill 48 has
provided a photo of the class of 1948's last big
get together at the 1987 OB Annual Dinner - see Scrapbook
- 1940s
- The Government website on Preparing
for Emergencies has been added to
our Communities & other links page
- Making contact:
Graham Carter 63, in
Cambridgeshire
Philip Foreman, 34, in Northern
Ireland: Sir Philip was Chairman of Short
Brothers, Belfast - see Pages on/bySGs
John Fellows 64, in Essex
Chris Palmer 65, in North Yorkshire
- Photo updaters
this month - see School Lists:
1972 School photo - Mel Cornwell
67
September 2007
22 Sep
message from Geoff Griggs: Mr Lionel
Hart sadly
passed away this morning at 9am. .
The funeral will be on Monday 1st October
at St Andrew's Church, Soham, at
2pm, followed by interment at Soham Cemetery. No
flowers by request. Donations to the Cats Protection League may be sent to CE Fuller & Co, 23
Hall Street, Soham, Cambridgeshire CB7 5BN.
Anyone who has anecdotes or photos about Lionel,
please contact the editor. Tributes are being
posted on his page.
Geoff
Griggs writes: A lady from the Soham
Community Museum contacted me recently
as they have come by some sprint medals for a
chap called Reginald Allen. She
thinks they are from the 1920s and wonders if we
(as the old boys) could shed some more light on
him. She is fairly certain that he was a
Grammarian. Please contact the editor if you can
help on this.
Jenny
Jeffrey, Mr Tabraham's daughter
writes: I asked my father about visits from Soham
Grammarians and he would absolutely love that! I
could help him with the arrangements if he
wished, of course. His accommodation [near
Norwich] is not like a residential home -
everyone has his/her own individual
self-contained flat, with all the facilities one
would have at home; there are communal lounges,
but these are often completely empty except when
there is some sort of entertainment planned for
the tenants. Consequently SGS visitors would have
privacy in which to chat with my father.
If anyone would like to visit or to have an
address to write to Tabs, please contact the
editor
August 2007
Booking
information for the 2007 Reunion Dinner was
posted/emailed on Monday 20th August.
It includes news of a fresh stock of the
Soham Grammarians' tie.
The booking form can also be printed off from the
link on the Reunions page.
Geoff
Gammon 50 in Ohio says he has retired
and with his wife Dixie is heavily into
"Exotic Bird Breeding & Internet/Website
development-related activities. Never a dull
moment!" - see Pages by
John
Leaney 41 reports that Colin
Smith 41 died in Spalding in May 2007 -
see In Memoriam
Mrs Catherine Jay reports that her father Brian
Martin 49 died aged 69 on 15th July 2007
- see In Memoriam
Photo
updaters this month - see School
Lists:
1972 School photo - Ken Grant
'69'
1967 Senior Prizegiving - Dudley
Walton 63 names a few more faces - see
Scrapbook
1944 Inter School Sports Team
& Cricket 1st XI late 1940s
- John Leaney 41
Making
contact:
Ken Grant '69', Lincolnshire -
Ken arrived as a 2nd year: he hopes to be at the
Reunion
The Communities
& other links page now has the Soham
entry in the on-line encyclopedia Wikipedia
July 2007
Photo
updaters this month - see School
Lists:
1954 School photo - Neil Holmes
52
1972 School photo - Martyn Davies 66
Are you in contact
with Tony Fox (AEL Fox) from Littleport, one of
the 1952 entry? If so please contact the editor.
Making
contact:
Kevin Mader 67, Cambridgeshire
June 2007
Alan
Barber 59 writes: It was reported in a
local paper that Richard Munns or Billy as he was
known to many died on Monday 21 May 2007. He was
in the 1954 entry - see In Memoriam.
Photo
updaters this month - see School
Lists:
Fenland Counties (Middle School Shield)
Winners 1955 - Roger Munns 52
1952 School photo - Neil Holmes
52
1954 School photo - Neil Holmes
52
Neil also reckons - absolutely no connection with
the start of Wimbledon - what the editor thought
was an 'early' 1950's Christmas card is actually
mid fifties - see Scrapbook
May 2007
Mrs June
Lawrance has provided a number of School
Calendars. These are enabling updates to be made
of the starting year information (see School
Lists). Actual lists, rather than estimated
versions based on lists when forms had moved
further up the school are now available for the
1962 & 1963 entry years. Some other lists
have been improved with source information closer
to the year.
Mrs Lawrance has also provided a School Christmas
Card from the 1950s - see Scrapbook, 1950s
Colin
Sleath 51-52, now in Norfolk, is in
touch about the 1952 School photo: "Through
my son's enterprise I have seen this photo and
can confirm that the person in the front row is
indeed me, and congratulations to whoever made
the guess, as I was only at Soham Grammar for one
year and I'm surprised anyone remembered me
.."
Making
contact:
Jeffrey Easingwood 64-65, now in
Surrey: "We lived in Ely at the time and my
grandparents ran Butchers of Soham, Ltd
on the High Street. My father's job moved with
the reorganisation of British Rail from Cambridge
to Norwich and we moved too in July 1965. I did A
Levels at City of Norwich School then teacher
training in Nottingham (Clifton). I started
teaching at Hamond's Grammar School, Swaffham in
1974. It went comprehensive in 1977 by merging
with the local Secondary Modern and I stayed
until 1980. I moved to the City of London School,
being responsible for Junior School Science which
I still do. I am responsible for our outreach
program which involves inter alia
(see, Mr Sherrington's Latin wasn't entirely
wasted on me!) teaching science to some primary
schools in Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Lambeth.
I'd like to hear of my old mates - Richard Vince,
and Phil Jefferson (who was in 1 Alpha) in
particular."
April 2007 - view
Helpful
Points especially
on the SEARCH facility, and also check Messages
Beth & Brian
Lane report the death of Brian's cousin Rex
Lane 43, brother of Roger Lane.
"Rex died last Monday, 23rd April. Only
recently we were talking about Roger and now Rex
has gone. It was bowel cancer and he went very
rapidly downhill in about five days.
The funeral will be next Friday at St. Mary's
Church Ely at 2pm and then he will be buried in
an eco-friendly wood." Our condolences to
Rex's widow Janet and the family - see In
Memoriam
Wilkes Walton
reports the death of Norman Sneesby
36: "Pat and Norman were on a cruise which
had called in at Puerto Limon (I think) in Costa
Rica on 23rd March when Norman collapsed and
died. He was cremated out there." Norman
will be missed at our reunions and our
condolences go to Pat and the family.
Beth & Brian
Lane and Ian Hobbs (via Bill Peters) report the
death of Dr Brian Pullen 48, on
28 March 2007: the funeral was at 2.15pm on
Thursday 5th April in the West Chapel, Cambridge
Crematorium. Beth says Brian was at Soham from
1948 to 1955 and was a particular friend of Brian
Lane who last spoke to him about Christmas, when
they said their good-byes. He had been ill for a
long time. Family flowers only, donations to Wood
Green Animal Shelter or Hospice at Home.
Back in contact:
Gary Stroud 69 - Cambridgeshire
March 2007
Contact
made:
Stephen Halls 68, Cambridgeshire
Douglas Neate 60, Leicestershire: a
Bacon Cup winner and Football captain, he gained
qualifications at Loughborough College and
Leicester University and is the author of a
source book for PE - PE Essentials.
Wieslawa
Barnas emails from Warsaw. She says
"Quite recently, by sheer accident, I got in
touch with Mr Rob Sowerby, who went to Soham
Grammar School in the years 1955-1960. I told him
about my friend Graham Roger Hancock,
who also attended the same school from 1954 to
1960. And indeed, I spotted him on the
photographs one can find on your website. Graham
was diagnosed with cancer in July 2005. At that
time he lived in Warsaw and worked as a freelance
English teacher. He returned to London for his
treatment, which proved unsuccessful, and he died
on 23rd November 2006 in London." If anyone
has recollections of Graham, please contact the
editor, who will forward them to Wieslawa: his
name has been added to our In Memoriam
page.
February 2007
Rob
Sowerby 55's collection of old postcards
of Burwell is on the Burwell
website
Contact
made:
Alan Jarman 65, living in N Yorkshire,
working in London: his father was also at SGS
Terry Murfitt '59' (arrived 60,
left 64), now in Bedfordshire with the RSPB, via
Pye's and Rio de Janeiro; in touch with Stuart
Porter (see Pages by/on SGs)
who has prospered in the USA since 1978 and who
he hopes will soon be in contact.
School
Photo updaters this month - see School
Lists:
1960 - Geoff Coote 57
January 2007
Contact
made:
John Couperthwaite 53, now in Hampshire
Gary Dew 62, now in Cambridge
Kenn Hunter 67, now in West Yorkshire
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