Eagle News Jan 2012 - Bedford Modern School
Eagle News Jan 2012 - Bedford Modern School
Eagle News Jan 2012 - Bedford Modern School
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The Magazine of the Old <strong>Bedford</strong> <strong>Modern</strong>ians’ Club<br />
In this issue:<br />
President’s<br />
Project -<br />
cricket<br />
scoreboard<br />
World<br />
War Two<br />
Reunion<br />
Gordon<br />
Staple<br />
Memory<br />
Stir<br />
Glenys Lee<br />
Award<br />
Winner<br />
page<br />
page<br />
page<br />
page<br />
page<br />
69<br />
72<br />
74<br />
80<br />
83<br />
New Series Vol 5 No 3 (Issue 104) <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>2012</strong>
The Magazine of the Old <strong>Bedford</strong> <strong>Modern</strong>ians’ Club<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> <strong>Modern</strong> <strong>School</strong>,<br />
Manton Lane, <strong>Bedford</strong> MK41 7NT<br />
(01234) 332543 e-mail: obmclub@bedmod.co.uk<br />
<strong>School</strong> phone: (01234) 332500 <strong>School</strong> fax: (01234) 332550<br />
66<br />
The London Lunch 67<br />
The President of the Club 68<br />
The President's Project 69<br />
Head's Letter 70<br />
Rugby 7s Festival 71<br />
<strong>News</strong> from Reunions 72<br />
Book Reviews 73<br />
OBM Lodge 74<br />
(founded 1892)<br />
<strong>School</strong> Website: www.bedmod.co.uk<br />
Club Website: www.obmclub.co.uk<br />
President: John Quenby (1953-58)<br />
Chairman: The Headmaster, Michael Hall<br />
Secretary: Richard Wildman (1956-65)<br />
Treasurer: Ashley Knight (1965-72)<br />
<strong>Eagle</strong> <strong>News</strong> Editor: Richard Wildman<br />
Contents<br />
New Series Vol 5 No 3 (Issue 104) <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>2012</strong><br />
How Monica was appointed 75<br />
Back to BMS after 50 Years 76<br />
No Room for Crooners in the Choir 77<br />
Memory Stir 78<br />
Club Sport 85<br />
Sporting Contacts/<strong>School</strong> Shop 86<br />
Obituaries 87<br />
Directory 93<br />
Cover: A try in the making? An incident in the Inter-OBM.<br />
Rugby 7s Festival - see page 71. Courtesy Francesca Hardwick Photography.<br />
BMS EAGLE NEWS<br />
Advertising Rate Card <strong>2012</strong><br />
FULL COLOUR PRICES<br />
Full page back cover or inside back cover,<br />
full colour only £250<br />
Half page back cover or inside back cover,<br />
full colour only £140<br />
Half page full colour ROP £125<br />
TWO COLOUR PRICES<br />
Full page (black & white) £170<br />
Half page (black & white) £90<br />
Quarter page (black & white) £50<br />
Series discount for 2 consecutive insertions – 20%.<br />
Magazine format – A4.<br />
Copy date for May <strong>2012</strong> issue is<br />
1st April <strong>2012</strong>. Copy can be in any Microsoft or<br />
AppleMac format. To reserve space, send copy, or for<br />
enquiries please contact Sarah Turnham in the<br />
Development Office at<br />
sturnham@bedmod.co.uk or on 01234 332654.
The London Lunch<br />
will be held in the Churchill Room and Terrace Room D<br />
at the House of Commons<br />
by kind invitation of Richard Fuller (1971-81), MP<br />
The London Lunch<br />
on Monday 5th March <strong>2012</strong> at 12.15 pm for 1.00 pm<br />
Cost: £58 (which includes gratuities and an initial serving of wine)<br />
Free draw for a Mr Speakerʼs Single Malt (or equivalent)!<br />
Please write as soon as possible to the Club Secretary at the <strong>School</strong>, with the<br />
following information:<br />
1. Name(s) and years at <strong>School</strong> 2. Cheque (to OBM Club)<br />
3. Daytime phone number, and e-mail address (if any) 4. SAE (for admission card)<br />
Note: Discounted rail tickets (tube extra) may be bought in advance from<br />
the Tourist Information Centre, Old Town Hall, St Paulʼs Square, <strong>Bedford</strong>.<br />
You may send a cheque with either the form on the reverse of the address sheet<br />
accompanying this magazine, or a letter.<br />
To pay by bank transfer, please phone the Secretary, 01234 332543.<br />
Please Note:<br />
ELIGIBILITY: OBMs and current and former staff only (regret no non-OBM guests).<br />
THE COST has had to go up because the catering charges at the House of Commons<br />
have increased.<br />
RESERVATIONS must be accompanied by payment.<br />
CANCELLATIONS cannot be accepted after Monday 27th February.<br />
DRESS: Lounge suits and Club ties – ladies (OBMs and staff)<br />
please dress accordingly.<br />
DIET: Let us know if you have a particular dietary requirement.<br />
The Founder’s Dinner<br />
will be held at the <strong>School</strong> on Friday 6th July <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
Full details in the May issue.<br />
67
68<br />
The President of the Club<br />
The President of the Club<br />
John Quenby (1953-58)<br />
On leaving <strong>School</strong>, I joined the family firm of millers<br />
and grain merchants, R Quenby & Sons Ltd. Following two<br />
periods working with Quenby’s (with a short spell of training in<br />
the Intelligence Corps in between), the firm was sold, and I<br />
decided to seek my fortune in Australia, arriving in Sydney on the<br />
same plane as the Beatles in June 1963. I applied to the Sydney<br />
Flour Company for a job and was appointed chief cost clerk for a<br />
new factory they were just bringing on stream. However, being<br />
drawn to the new world of commercial computers, I successfully<br />
applied for a traineeship with ‘Big Blue’ (IBM), with whom I was<br />
to work in various systems, in programming and managerial roles,<br />
until I was ‘poached’ by an American customer, Kaiser Engineers,<br />
for whom I ran the critical path project management system for a<br />
huge engineering project to build an alumina refinery at<br />
Gladstone on the Queensland coast. On successful completion of<br />
this and following a brief sojourn selling computers for ICL<br />
Australia, I returned to my project management role at Kaiser for<br />
construction of a multi-million dollar aluminium smelter, with an<br />
engineering office in Melbourne but with a construction site in<br />
Bluff, at the southern tip of New Zealand. (I was proud to see on<br />
a visit a few years back that the smelter is still functioning very<br />
well!) Eventually I took up a senior computer systems<br />
management appointment with the leading Australian electronics<br />
giant AWA, again based in Sydney.<br />
In 1974, however, I accepted an appointment as IT manager for<br />
a Dutch company, Wavin Plastics, with factories in the UK. This<br />
was followed by an appointment in 1979 as systems director for<br />
the Granada Group, with whom I enjoyed promotion outside the<br />
specialist IT area, eventually becoming MD of Granada Overseas<br />
Holdings Ltd, with far-reaching responsibilities across a number<br />
of European companies (including the chairmanship of each<br />
subsidiary board – a great test of my language skills, first<br />
awakened at BMS!), some 1,250 employees on the various<br />
payrolls and about £125 million in turnover, yielding 10% pre-tax<br />
profits. Unfortunately, Granada decided on a shift of strategy and<br />
I had to set about assisting with the disposal of the companies<br />
within Overseas Holdings. Truly this was one of the most difficult<br />
periods of my life, as I had established close personal<br />
relationships with each subsidiary MD (always a local), most of<br />
whom could not fathom why we would dispose of such successful<br />
and profitable businesses.<br />
Knowing something about racing cars, I decided to apply for the<br />
unexpectedly vacant post of CEO of the RAC Motor Sports<br />
Association, the governing body of British motor sport. Somewhat<br />
to my astonishment and delight, I was installed in this illustrious<br />
role in October 1989.<br />
There followed 12 years of<br />
involvement in the<br />
administration and<br />
governance of motor sport,<br />
from the most humble club<br />
levels to Formula 1 and the<br />
World Rally Championship.<br />
During this period<br />
I was responsible for the<br />
sporting organisation of each year’s British Grand Prix at<br />
Silverstone and one European Grand Prix at Donington. I sat,<br />
initially as deputy, then as full member, representing the UK,<br />
of the World Motor Sport Council at the governing body, the<br />
FIA. This led to my frequent appointment as a judicial ‘steward’<br />
at international motor sport events from Argentina to New<br />
Zealand, allowing me to greatly enhance my network of friends<br />
throughout the world. This was a truly privileged period of my<br />
life. At the age of 60 (in 2001) I decided to retire from full-time<br />
employment (arguably the RAC MSA was not only full-time but<br />
fully time-consuming) and concentrated for a few years on<br />
providing specialised consultancy, concerned mainly with ‘lifing’<br />
safety critical components on historic grand prix racing cars.<br />
These days I continue to work on the Trireme Trust archive,<br />
having designed and overseen the creation of a database of all<br />
the Trust’s documents which relate to the construction of the<br />
trireme Olympias in 1982, and associated sea trials up to<br />
1994. During the past year we have put the archive summaries<br />
on-line, thus enabling interested academics to locate specific<br />
documents of interest and to arrange physical access to them<br />
at the River and Rowing Museum at Henley. More information<br />
can be found at www.triremetrust.org.uk. I also work as a<br />
part-time archivist in the team at the Military Intelligence<br />
Museum, Chicksands, in which role I mostly find myself writing<br />
obituaries! More information can be found at<br />
www.army.mod.uk/intelligence/museum.aspx. As a keen<br />
member of the MCC, I spend much of my spare time in<br />
summer at Lord’s, while the winter months find me supporting<br />
the <strong>Bedford</strong> Blues or helping with the organisation of <strong>Bedford</strong><br />
Rowing Club’s Head of the River events.<br />
I am delighted and greatly honoured to have been chosen to be<br />
OBM President for this year. I hope that I will be able to be<br />
both supportive and innovative in continuing the development<br />
of links with the <strong>School</strong> through functions and activities which<br />
keep OBMs in close touch with the <strong>School</strong> of the<br />
Black and Red!
The President’s Project<br />
Iam delighted to announce that the OBM Club Committee at its September 2011 meeting<br />
gave consent to establishing a new initiative called ‘The President’s Project.’ Each year,<br />
The President’s Project will aim to raise the sum of £5,000 to purchase a new item of<br />
equipment for the <strong>School</strong> that will immediately benefit BMS students.<br />
After discussion with the Headmaster, Michael Hall, and Director of Sport, Patrick Jerram, we<br />
have decided, this year, to raise funds for a mobile electronic cricket scoreboard. This will<br />
enhance spectators’ viewing experience and the <strong>School</strong>’s cricketers will be delighted to see<br />
their scores go up in lights. A mobile scoreboard will offer the <strong>School</strong>’s sports staff maximum<br />
flexibility for scoring matches at all levels. Following the success of the <strong>School</strong>’s inaugural<br />
alumni Rugby 7s tournament in September, the Development Office will be running the<br />
<strong>School</strong>’s first-ever Cricket 6s Festival on Sunday 17 June <strong>2012</strong>. Our aim is to have raised the<br />
target of £5,000 by then, so that the <strong>School</strong> can unveil the new scoreboard at the event.<br />
The President’s Project has the full support of the Development Office. If you cannot find your<br />
cheque book, Richard Claas (Development Director) will gladly send you the necessary forms<br />
to make a one-off gift by credit or debit card, or a regular gift by direct debit. As the <strong>School</strong> is<br />
part of the <strong>Bedford</strong> Charity, all gifts can be made tax-efficiently. A simple declaration is all that<br />
is needed to increase the value of your gift by a quarter, at no cost to you. And if you pay tax<br />
at either forty or fifty per cent, you can claim a rebate.<br />
I very much hope that you will wish to support this year’s President’s Project<br />
With best wishes,<br />
The President’s Project<br />
John Quenby (1953-58)<br />
OBM Club President Image courtesy of Electrovista<br />
The Presidentʼs Project<br />
I would like to make a gift for The Presidentʼs Project and enclose a cheque for<br />
£25 £50 £100 Other ______________<br />
I would prefer to make a gift by debit/credit card a regular gift by direct debit. Please send me a giving form.<br />
Name<br />
__________________________________________________________________________________________________<br />
Address ______________________________________________________________ Postcode ____________<br />
Please complete the section below if you are a UK taxpayer<br />
By signing this declaration, you can add 25% to the value of your gift at no cost to you. Higher rate tax payers can claim tax relief<br />
on their donation in their Self Assessment Return. Please remember to notify us if your circumstances change. You must pay UK<br />
Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the tax the charity reclaims on your donation in the tax year.<br />
GIFT AID DECLARATION<br />
I am a UK tax payer and wish all donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise to be tax effective<br />
under the Gift Aid scheme.<br />
Signature _______________________________ Print name __________________________________ Date _____________<br />
The Friends of BMS is part of The <strong>Bedford</strong> Charity, registered charity number 204817.<br />
Please complete and return this form (or a copy of it) to the Development Office,<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> <strong>Modern</strong> <strong>School</strong>, Manton Lane, <strong>Bedford</strong> MK41 7NT.<br />
✄<br />
69
70<br />
Head’s Letter<br />
Head’s Letter<br />
Michael Hall<br />
Since my letter to you in the last <strong>Eagle</strong> <strong>News</strong>, another<br />
cohort of students has completed its final weeks at BMS<br />
and joined the OBM family.<br />
Importantly, they excelled in their final examinations with no fewer than 44 Year 13<br />
students achieving A*/A grades while over half of all our Year 13 students passed<br />
at least one subject at the top two grades.<br />
Our 2011 public examination results placed us ahead of all other co-educational<br />
day schools in the East of England and I hope that you will share in our pride, knowing that your <strong>School</strong> is going from strength<br />
to strength.<br />
In September, we enjoyed our first ever inter-OBM Rugby 7s Festival which brought so many of you (and, in some cases, your<br />
parents) back to the <strong>School</strong>. Helping OBMs to keep involved with their <strong>School</strong> and in touch with each other is a priority for me,<br />
so I am very pleased to announce in this edition of <strong>Eagle</strong> <strong>News</strong> two initiatives which the OBM Club and the Development Office<br />
will be taking forward in the coming months to further this aim.<br />
The first is the launch of OBMs Online which will enable you to find and make contact with other OBMs directly. OBMs Online<br />
works by allowing you to update your details and news securely over the internet and then deciding what information you wish<br />
to be published for other OBMs to see.<br />
The Development Office will be trialling the new service with selected OBMs in the first few months of <strong>2012</strong> with the aim of<br />
making OBMs Online available to all alumni by the summer.<br />
The Development Office is also taking steps to reinvigorate The 1764 Society, members of which have remembered the <strong>School</strong><br />
in their wills.<br />
On the back cover of this issue, you will see a page which I hope will incentivise OBMs who have already taken steps to include<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> <strong>Modern</strong> <strong>School</strong> as a beneficiary from their estate, but who have not yet informed the <strong>School</strong>, to contact the<br />
Development Director, Richard Claas.<br />
It is of the utmost importance to me that, where OBMs have made provision for the <strong>School</strong> by making a bequest, we are given<br />
the opportunity to thank them during their lifetimes, so do please tell us if you have taken this step.<br />
Finally, whilst I have already mentioned Rugby, this summer sees the inaugural inter-OBM Cricket 6s Festival on Sunday 17<br />
June <strong>2012</strong>. I look forward to seeing many of you again then.<br />
Best wishes,<br />
Michael Hall<br />
Headmaster
INTER-OBM RUGBY 7s FESTIVAL<br />
‘AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS’<br />
On Saturday 3 September 2011, BMS hosted its very first<br />
alumni Rugby 7s Festival with 11 teams and more than 125<br />
OBMs taking part. The event, the brainchild of Chris Stephens<br />
(1991-2001), was organised by Sarah Turnham from the<br />
<strong>School</strong>ʼs Development Office. The eventual winners of the<br />
tournament were the team of 2011 who beat their peers from<br />
2007 in a closely-contested cup final by 35 points to 28. The<br />
veteran team of the ʻNinetiesʼ won the shield competition, with<br />
victory over the team of 2003 by 27 points to 14, while the<br />
team of 2001, despite losing all their group games, were<br />
victorious in the plate final, winning their match against the<br />
team of 2008 by 24 points to 14. Nursing sore muscles, and<br />
in one case a dislocated finger, the players gathered together<br />
again for a black tie dinner in the evening to raise funds for the<br />
development of rugby talent at BMS and for the Friends of<br />
Rwandan Rugby. The guest speaker was Richard Chadwick<br />
(Staff 1971-2009) who for many of the players was their<br />
Rugby master.<br />
Richard Claas, the <strong>School</strong>ʼs Development Director,<br />
commented: ʻIt was a great day, with fantastic support from<br />
both colleagues at the <strong>School</strong> and businesses in <strong>Bedford</strong>. I<br />
was particularly pleased to see so many former parents<br />
coming back to BMS to watch the matches and relive<br />
memories of many an afternoon spent on the touchline<br />
supporting their sons when they were at the <strong>School</strong>. After<br />
such a successful event, which had all who took part in the<br />
Festival talking about it for weeks later, we were left in no<br />
doubt that we had to repeat it. Not wishing to leave other major<br />
sports behind, the day has also galvanised us to run the first<br />
Inter-OBM Cricket 6s Festival this summer. We are delighted<br />
to have hit upon a formula which can involve so many OBMs<br />
and provide everyone with an opportunity to enjoy a terrific<br />
day back at their old schoolʼ. The inaugural Inter-OBM<br />
Cricket 6s Festival will be held on Sunday 17 June <strong>2012</strong>,<br />
and the second Inter-OBM Rugby 7s Festival on Saturday<br />
8 September <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
Inter -OBM Rugby 7s Festival<br />
INAUGURAL INTER-OBM RUGBY 7s FESTIVAL<br />
CUP COMPETITION<br />
Semi-Finals<br />
TEAM 2009 0 TEAM 2011 45<br />
TEAM 2005 0 TEAM 2007 38<br />
Final won by TEAM 2011 35 TEAM 2007 28<br />
SHIELD COMPETITION<br />
Semi-Finals<br />
TEAM 1990s v TEAM 2002 - WALKOVER<br />
(Team 2002 withdrew due to injuries)<br />
TEAM 2003 21 TEAM 2006 19<br />
Final won by TEAM 1990s 27 TEAM 2003 14<br />
PLATE COMPETITION<br />
(Straight final owing to the withdrawal of Team 2000 due to<br />
exhaustion)<br />
Final won by TEAM 2001 24 TEAM 2008 14<br />
BMS would like to thank the many local companies for their<br />
support and sponsorship of the Festival including Barworx,<br />
The Blue Glass, The Embankment, Francesca Hardwick<br />
Photography, Jeeves Barbers, Marquees with Pryde, and<br />
The Wellness Hub. Photographs of the Festival can be<br />
purchased from Francesca Hardwick Photography at<br />
www.myimagesbyfrancescahardwick.co.uk The password to<br />
access the OBM Rugby 7s Festival Gallery is ʻredandblack.ʼ<br />
71
72<br />
<strong>News</strong> from Reunions<br />
TEA-TIME REUNION FOR WARTIME OBMs<br />
On Wednesday 15 June 2011, the <strong>School</strong> hosted<br />
a 1940s tea party in the Refectory for more than<br />
70 OBMs, together with their wives and other<br />
guests, who attended BMS during or before the<br />
Second World War. A tour of the <strong>School</strong> in the<br />
capable hands of its students preceded<br />
entertainment by the <strong>School</strong>ʼs jazz musicians.<br />
A traditional tea of sandwiches, fairy cakes and<br />
scones was served, with further entertainment<br />
provided by Peter Tipping, including his<br />
impersonation of the wartime comedian, Rob<br />
Wilton, famous for monologues. Several Old<br />
Owenians, alumni of Dame Alice Owenʼs <strong>School</strong>,<br />
now in Potterʼs Bar, but whose previous home<br />
was in Islington, also joined their OBM<br />
contemporaries at the event. Owenʼs <strong>School</strong><br />
was evacuated to <strong>Bedford</strong> in 1939, and all those<br />
attending recalled their gratitude to the citizens<br />
of <strong>Bedford</strong> and to BMS for taking care of them.<br />
Richard Claas, Development Director, said: ʻWe<br />
On Saturday 24 September 2011, BMS hosted a<br />
25 Year Anniversary Reunion for OBMs who left<br />
between 1984 and 1986. The event was part of<br />
the Development Office's busy programme of<br />
events for the <strong>School</strong>'s extended community, with<br />
those attending revisiting shared memories of<br />
their days at BMS, as well as catching up with<br />
each other on everything that has happened<br />
in the intervening years. Richard Claas<br />
(Development Director) said: ʻIt's always a<br />
pleasure to organise events on behalf of our<br />
alumni and to help them renew old friendships.<br />
There was a great atmosphere on the night and<br />
I very much hope that we have inspired our old<br />
boys from these years to keep in touch with one<br />
FRIENDSHIP RENEWED<br />
AT 25 YEAR REUNION<br />
were truly humbled by the response we received<br />
from our old boys; it was wonderful that so many<br />
of them were able to join us. It was a great day<br />
for the <strong>School</strong>, and we are already planning a<br />
second reunion for wartime OBMs, as well as a<br />
grandparentsʼ day, in the summer of <strong>2012</strong>.ʼ<br />
(from left) Jim Empson, Mark Robertson and Roger Paton with<br />
the 1947 <strong>School</strong> photograph<br />
another in the future.ʼ The next reunion is a<br />
<strong>School</strong> Disco for 1987 to 1989 leavers and<br />
their partners, on Saturday 26 May <strong>2012</strong>.
BOOK REVIEWS<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> Then & Now in<br />
Colour by Richard<br />
Wildman.<br />
Colour photography by<br />
Alan Crawley. The<br />
History Press (2011) ,<br />
hardback in dust-jacket,<br />
95 pp, ISBN 9 780752<br />
463216, RRP £12.99.<br />
Reviewed by Alan Cox<br />
(1955-64), formerly a<br />
senior editor of The<br />
Survey of London.<br />
Nobody knows more about <strong>Bedford</strong>’s past, especially from<br />
Victorian times until the present day, than Richard Wildman.<br />
He has a positively encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject,<br />
so any book by him on the town’s history is to be warmly<br />
welcomed. His latest offering consists of a fascinating<br />
selection of double-page spreads, with a larger old sepia<br />
photograph (or, in a very few cases, an old drawing or<br />
watercolour) and a smaller up-to-date colour photograph.<br />
Here I must pay tribute to Alan Crawley’s sparkling modern<br />
images. They reflect tremendous patience on his part, not only<br />
to wait for a suitably sunny day, but also to stand until a rare<br />
gap occurred in the incessant stream of traffic. As you turn<br />
the pages, Richard takes you on a leisurely guided tour<br />
around <strong>Bedford</strong>, as it was and is now.<br />
For OBMs of my era, two buildings, now gone but illustrated<br />
in the book, are reminders of that period. One is the Liberal<br />
Club, which stood in Midland Road next to the BMS Junior<br />
<strong>School</strong>, which held its morning assemblies in the Club’s large<br />
upstairs room. For the rest of the day it served as an extra<br />
classroom for the main school. Smelling of stale cigarette<br />
smoke and beer, it was a most incongruous setting for such<br />
functions. The other building is the Star public house, which<br />
stood where the Harpur Street extension to Marks and<br />
Spencer is now. At the end of lunchtime, one would often<br />
encounter a group of BMS staff wandering out, usually led by<br />
Mollie Kingston, cigarette dangling from the corner of her<br />
mouth.<br />
In his short introduction Richard bemoans the wholesale<br />
clearance and redevelopment which took place in the town<br />
after 1945, and which reached a crescendo in the 1960s.<br />
Many of the photographs in his book illustrate the bitter fruits<br />
of those times, and show very clearly how all too often<br />
characterful old buildings have been demolished, to be<br />
replaced with the modern buildings which at best are boringly<br />
banal and at worst positively ugly. Thus, where the former<br />
George Hotel (later Murketts car showroom) stood in the<br />
High Street, next to the Swan Hotel, there stands Swan Court<br />
(built 1959-60), its ‘vacuous façade’, as Richard rightly calls<br />
it, now looking positively tawdry. For me the saddest loss is<br />
Dust’s drapers, ladies’ hats and clothing shop at No. 75 High<br />
Book Reviews<br />
Street. As the old image in the book shows it was a gloriously<br />
idiosyncratic, over-ornamented Victorian confection. As a boy<br />
I was always fascinated by the busts of three famous<br />
architects – Palladio, Wren and Inigo Jones – which, for some<br />
reason, adorned the ground floor, beside the shop windows.<br />
On a happier note, Alan Crawley’s present day photographs<br />
show in vibrant colour just how attractive are those old<br />
buildings that survive. There are still plenty of older façades<br />
above modern shop-fronts. This is particularly true of the High<br />
Street, where the Borough Council has plans to improve the<br />
current run-down state of many of the buildings, with the help<br />
of Heritage Lottery funding. It is to be hoped that these plans<br />
come to fruition and that gradually more appropriate shopfronts<br />
can also be introduced, restoring what was <strong>Bedford</strong>’s<br />
premier shopping street to its former glory.<br />
My one criticism of this book is the fact that many of the old<br />
sepia photographs are spread across the centrefold – an<br />
irritating practice which breaks up the unity, and spoils the<br />
integrity, of the image. Despite this, I really enjoyed looking at<br />
the photographs and reading Richard’s always informative<br />
captions, and I warmly commend it.<br />
Up Before Dawn by Edward<br />
Kent, edited by Susan<br />
Payetta.<br />
Published in Grenada by<br />
Sail Rock Publishing<br />
(2011).<br />
sailrockpublishing@gmail.com<br />
Paperback, 179 pp., illustrated.<br />
Dr Edward Kent, CBE (1936-39) who was known as ‘George’<br />
at BMS, possibly because that was the name of the then<br />
Duke of Kent, died in 2009, aged 88. He had been working<br />
on his memoirs, which have now been published. The story<br />
chronicles the author’s adventures, beginning with his<br />
childhood on the family cocoa estate in Grenada, and<br />
including his years as a boarder in <strong>School</strong> House, when Mr<br />
Liddle (Headmaster) was the house master. Edward lost the<br />
sight in his left eye as the result of an accident when he was<br />
aged 9 or 10. This prevented him from serving in the war,<br />
during which time he managed a cocoa plantation. He later<br />
organised estates growing nutmegs, sugar cane, limes and<br />
bananas, and rearing livestock. In 1962 he was invited by the<br />
Duke of Edinburgh to attend the Second Commonwealth<br />
Study Conference in Canada, on the human effects of<br />
industrialisation. Awarded the CBE for services to<br />
agriculture in 1992, Edward was made an honorary Doctor of<br />
Laws by the University of the West Indies in 2007. His book<br />
shows that he had total recall of many interesting incidents,<br />
and is full of information about his eventful life in the<br />
Windward Islands throughout most of the last century.<br />
73
Lodge Ladiesʼ Festival in the Malvern Hills<br />
Historically, Freemasonsʼ Lodges are restricted to ʻmen onlyʼ. It is<br />
little wonder, therefore, that whilst we endeavour to involve our<br />
ʻother halvesʼ as much as possible, our wives or partners may<br />
feel somewhat left out of our activities. In order to obviate this<br />
problem, it is common practice for lodges to organise a function<br />
whereby the ladies are fêted. To this end an Invitation Ladiesʼ<br />
Festival was arranged in Great Malvern over a weekend in late<br />
September 2011. The charming Abbey Hotel is located in the<br />
centre of the town and in the lee of the Malvern Hills. The<br />
weekend was arranged so that those attending could take<br />
advantage of the local facilities or the surrounding countryside,<br />
some venturing to Hereford, one group having an exquisite lunch<br />
at a pub in deepest rural Herefordshire, others to the Three<br />
Counties Autumn (agricultural) Show and to the Malvern Theatre<br />
where they enjoyed a new play Three Days in May, which has<br />
since transferred to the West End. The more intrepid found that<br />
the views from the high paths on the Malvern Hills were a feast<br />
for the eye. Meanwhile, a Gala Dinner for the ladies was under<br />
preparation for the Saturday evening. Our Master, Jason<br />
Woodworth (1984-91) together with his wife Nikki, welcomed a<br />
total of 56 ladies, guests and lodge members to a sumptuous<br />
dinner with live musical accompaniment. From the comments of<br />
those who were present at this festival, it was pleasing to know<br />
that the event was appreciated and enjoyed by so many. Those<br />
who attended agreed it was a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing<br />
weekend in one of the most pleasant parts of the country. Our<br />
thanks go to Nigel Boothby (1950-58) and his wife Greta for<br />
helping to make the event so successful.<br />
Congratulations to Gordon<br />
Staple<br />
In October 2011, Gordon<br />
Staple (1954 – 61) was appointed<br />
Deputy Provincial Grand<br />
Master of <strong>Bedford</strong>shire (55<br />
lodges/1900 Masons), the<br />
highest rank attained by a<br />
member of the Lodge since its<br />
consecration in 1931. Gordon<br />
was initiated into an Essex<br />
lodge in 1969 and joined the<br />
OBM Lodge in 1983, becoming<br />
Master in 1992 and<br />
subsequently serving as Lodge<br />
Secretary for nine years.<br />
OBM Lodge Award 2011<br />
The OBM Lodge Award for Personal Achievement was awarded<br />
to Sam Edwards (Year 13) at the <strong>School</strong>ʼs end-of-year assembly<br />
in July 2011. Sam was nominated for his impressive commitment<br />
to his studies, especially in Design and Technology (Product<br />
Design) and for his commitment to the <strong>School</strong> as a whole.<br />
Richard Griffin (1965-70), the Lodge Charity Steward, presented<br />
a cheque for £750 to assist Sam with the purchase of books and<br />
resources for his degree course in Mechanical Engineering at the<br />
University of Bath which started in September. Sam, who lives in<br />
74<br />
OBM Lodge<br />
OBM Lodge<br />
Meppershall, <strong>Bedford</strong>shire, said: ʻI owe the award mainly to my<br />
work on the Robo table tennis project in Product Design. The<br />
machine fires table tennis balls at the player to provide an<br />
excellent training exercise.ʼ Previous Lodge Award winners are<br />
Tom Wheeler (Rugby), Marek Behnke (Skiing), Adam Ingledew<br />
(Swimming), Sam Towler (Golf) and Stephen Hartill (Community<br />
Service).<br />
The Federation of <strong>School</strong> Lodges<br />
The Federation of <strong>School</strong> Lodges was founded in 1947 and<br />
currently has some 130 member school lodges. The OBM Lodge<br />
(consecrated in London by Lord Ampthill) was one of the 14<br />
founding lodges and hosted Federation annual festivals at the<br />
<strong>School</strong> in 1975 and 1992. The Federation, though not wishing to<br />
be seen as elitist, was founded in the belief that school Masonic<br />
lodges have by their very nature a quality of their own. It is<br />
designed to promote and spread knowledge of, and friendship<br />
between, lodges and members who have a similar background.<br />
The schools represented are of a wide variety of ages, types and<br />
locations. A former Vice-President of the Federation was Cedric<br />
Woodger (1918-27), a much-respected senior <strong>Bedford</strong>shire<br />
Mason, a member of the OBM Lodge from 1942 until his death in<br />
2002, and Lodge Secretary for 18 years.<br />
New Members Welcome<br />
Lodge meetings are great social occasions. Our members are<br />
aged from their twenties upwards and most live in the <strong>Bedford</strong><br />
area, although others come from Norfolk, Warwickshire, Devon<br />
and even as far away as Cyprus, France, Dubai and New<br />
Zealand. You will have the opportunity to meet fellow OBMs,<br />
visitors from other school lodges and freemasons from<br />
elsewhere. After our meetings, we hold a dinner (known as<br />
ʻFestive Boardʼ), a semi-formal occasion with plenty of good food<br />
and wine. Our meetings, held at the <strong>School</strong>, usually start at about<br />
4pm and the dinners finish by 10pm. Furthermore, as a<br />
freemason, you would be welcome at other lodges in this country<br />
and abroad. We meet at BMS on Saturday afternoons in October,<br />
December, February, April and either May or June.<br />
For more information, call Simon Collier (1981-91) on 01234<br />
830987 or e-mail collier-simon@sky.com or the Lodge Secretary,<br />
Ian Brown (1956-63) at obm5268@yahoo.co.uk
Returning to BMS after eleven years, to attend and speak at a<br />
dinner on 18 June 2011 for leaving staff, I was shocked by the<br />
signs of ageing among former colleagues still employed there, not<br />
yet rejuvenated by retirement. But as for Monica Hetherington,<br />
Shakespeare put it best:<br />
"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale<br />
Her infinite variety..."<br />
As the gloriously long-flowering career of our Cleopatra of the<br />
classroom drew to a close, I could reveal in my speech how I had<br />
feared it would be nipped in the bud... In 1977 Peter Hetherington<br />
had a calling: to give up his position as Head of English at BMS and<br />
follow the great Romantic poets, Byron, Shelley and Keats, setting<br />
sail for the Mediterranean. But before he did so, I was appointed<br />
his successor, and Monica Simons was summoned for interview.<br />
Now I am sure that at this first meeting between Monica and Peter<br />
a spark was struck, although full ignition would be delayed. And<br />
what a combustion it was! The Headmaster was Brian Kemball-<br />
Cook, known as K-C. An eminent classical scholar with a Double<br />
First from Balliol College, Oxford, he was approaching the end of a<br />
distinguished career. Misguidedly, I imagined that Monica's<br />
appointment would be problematic. There seemed to me to be<br />
three weighty objections, apart from the fact that George Cullen,<br />
the formidable Head of Games, had made it clear that he expected<br />
a rugby player to be appointed. Firstly, Monica had graduated from<br />
a place famous not for its dreaming spires, but for its fish dock. I<br />
therefore spoke up as follows: ‘Headmaster, we Oxonians should<br />
perhaps bear in mind that the University Librarian at Hull is the<br />
acclaimed modern poet, Philip Larkin. His most celebrated poem<br />
has a Latin title, to understand which, you sir, a scholar of Balliol,<br />
need no translation. Allow me to quote from Annus Mirabilis:<br />
Sexual intercourse began<br />
In nineteen sixty-three<br />
(Which was rather late for me) -<br />
Between the end of the Chatterley ban<br />
And the Beatles’ first LP.’<br />
K-C did not speak, no doubt moved beyond words by this sad poem<br />
of missed opportunities.<br />
The second difficulty I anticipated was that Monica had no<br />
postgraduate professional qualification as a teacher. Again, I spoke<br />
up, emboldened by my previous success: ‘Headmaster, may I<br />
remind you that the outgoing Head of English, Peter Hetherington,<br />
is no more qualified than Miss Simons. Furthermore, his<br />
predecessor, Norman Frost, was academically unqualified, and yet<br />
How Monica was appointed<br />
How Monica was appointed<br />
(with a little help from Philip Larkin)<br />
by Richard Claridge (1953-61, Staff 1967-2000)<br />
he was promoted to Vice Master.’ I<br />
pressed on: ‘Headmaster, surely<br />
there is a case for the amateur<br />
approach – “amateur” from the<br />
Latin “amare, to love,” a verb, as you<br />
yourself, a scholar of Balliol, will<br />
surely know, which conjugates in<br />
the present tense “amo, amas,<br />
amat.” K-C looked at me in<br />
amazement. I was sure I had again<br />
won my point.<br />
Monica Hetherington directing<br />
Troilus and Cressida in 1982<br />
(photo: Stuart Buxton, 1978-83)<br />
The third difficulty I foresaw was the weightiest, and I had no<br />
arguments to counter it. K-C was on his own this time. For her<br />
interview (as nostalgia recalls it, though Monica herself and Peter<br />
believe she had a frizzy perm), Monica wore her hair not in a tight<br />
bun but in a pony-tail which, from time to time, she would toss in a<br />
winsome way, like those young American women in Friends. She<br />
wore a pair of long, sleek, chestnut-brown, leather boots. I thought<br />
that K-C's customary composure had slipped. The mettle of the<br />
man who had climbed the Matterhorn, translated Homer, and been<br />
awarded the Croix de Guerre avec Palme was being tested as<br />
never before. I held my breath. Then it happened: serenity suffused<br />
K-C's countenance, and he made the appointment.<br />
And what an appointment it proved to be, although, to be frank,<br />
Monica did absolutely nothing for BMS rugby. But in all her varied<br />
roles - in the classroom, in her direction of superb school plays -<br />
Waiting for Godot, and The Tempest are outstanding memories for<br />
me - in her management of the English Department and the Sixth<br />
Form, in her careers and tutorial work, Monica set the benchmark<br />
for professional excellence. An amateur too, in the best sense of<br />
the word, loving her subject and caring for her students, Monica will<br />
always be remembered fondly by hundreds of OBMs, for the quality<br />
of her teaching, for her kindness and encouragement, and for the<br />
cheerful, positive outlook which she imparts. And then there is her<br />
tact, her intuitive sense of the right word or gesture, whatever the<br />
occasion, a quality that springs from her sensitivity to the feelings<br />
of others, and one that has endeared her to colleagues and friends.<br />
So let everyone give praise to Brian Kemball-Cook for his<br />
courageous judgement, and to Monica, for all the charming ways in<br />
which she has enriched the life of BMS, students and colleagues,<br />
past and present, surely give their thanks and their love.<br />
75
BACK TO BMS AFTER 50 YEARS<br />
ROGER SMART (1956-62) and DAVID TURNER (1956-60)<br />
both ex-<strong>School</strong> House, visited BMS on 9 June 2011. Roger<br />
was articled to a small-to-medium-sized firm of accountants in<br />
Berkeley Square in London. ‘After qualification, I had a varied<br />
career, working for what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers, in<br />
London and Montreal, and for Unilever as their Group<br />
Financial Accountant, and as Operations Manager in their<br />
export company in Bristol. Then, confronted with the possibility<br />
of being moved to a Unilever overseas subsidiary, but with a<br />
family (two daughters) and a spaniel, who were very happily<br />
settled in the Bristol area, I joined a management buy-out<br />
team as their Finance and Administration Director. After five<br />
years and a successful sale, I decided to try something new,<br />
and became a lecturer at what is now the University of the<br />
West of England, where I spent 13 very agreeable years prior<br />
to retiring in 2006. I feel that life has been very kind to me<br />
since I left <strong>School</strong>. I am now enjoying retirement in a beautiful<br />
part of the countryside with my family, which includes two<br />
young grandchildren. I am very grateful for the fact that BMS<br />
provided me with a good education and sporting opportunities<br />
which outweighed the less than enlightened environment of<br />
<strong>School</strong> House.’ David, who lives in Victoria, Australia, and<br />
spent his career in the Australian meteorological service, later<br />
wrote to thank the Secretary and RICHARD CLAAS<br />
(Development Director) ‘for giving me such a warm welcome<br />
when I visited the <strong>School</strong> with Roger after a gap of over 50<br />
years. I am sure that you have had a surfeit of horror stories<br />
from the J E TAYLOR era. Suffice it to say, it seemed to me a<br />
harsh and repressive regime even by the standards of the day.<br />
This was exacerbated by being a boarder at <strong>School</strong> House, a<br />
cold, damp and dismal place, where we lived in near-<br />
Dickensian conditions, there being no hot showers and but<br />
one coal fire to heat a three-storey house. (I don't count the<br />
hot pipe in the changing rooms, which only functioned<br />
sporadically!) However, I rather enjoyed going to the <strong>School</strong><br />
itself, as it was always warm, and the younger masters were in<br />
the main fresh and enthusiastic, eager to inspire us with their<br />
knowledge, in contrast to their older colleagues, many of<br />
whom were well past their use-by date! After expunging my<br />
BMS experience for many years, finally curiosity got the better<br />
76<br />
Back to BMS after 50 years<br />
(from left) Philip Bunyan, Roger Smart, David Turner and Barry<br />
Illingworth<br />
(from left) Richard Claas, Roger Smart, David Turner and<br />
Richard Wildman<br />
of me, and I contacted the secretary in 2002 regarding news<br />
of the <strong>School</strong>, and, through his good offices, regained contact<br />
with my best friend at the time, Roger Smart, and fellow<br />
<strong>School</strong> House 'detainee' BARRY ILLINGWORTH. From the<br />
reply, and the issues of <strong>Eagle</strong> <strong>News</strong> which started arriving, it<br />
appeared that BMS now was a vastly different place from the<br />
school I attended. This impression was confirmed when I<br />
attended an OBM reunion in Sydney in 2005, where<br />
STEPHEN SMITH, then Headmaster, gave us all an update on<br />
the <strong>School</strong>, particularly the move to new premises, cessation<br />
of boarding, and the introduction of co-education. Reading<br />
between the lines, it would appear that had it not been for his<br />
stewardship and foresight, BMS would have been in a very<br />
parlous state if it had continued in the old way, direct grant and<br />
assisted places entry having been abolished, and the <strong>School</strong><br />
having to compete in the market for full fee-paying students.<br />
As I was coming to the UK in 2011 after an absence of 35<br />
years, I mentioned to Roger that I would be interested in<br />
visiting the <strong>School</strong>, and he said he would kindly arrange our<br />
visit.’<br />
rogerbsmart@btinternet.com<br />
hrturner@webone.com.au<br />
PHILIP BUNYAN (1956-63) adds: ‘Last summer, four ex-<br />
<strong>School</strong> House boarders met after over 50 years. The gettogether<br />
was organised by BARRY ILLINGWORTH (1953-<br />
59) in Ross-on-Wye to celebrate the visit of David Turner from<br />
Melbourne. David and Roger Smart paid a visit to <strong>Bedford</strong><br />
which included a tour of the school with Development Director<br />
Richard Claas and OBM Club Secretary Richard Wildman.<br />
David and Roger were impressed by the changes made at the<br />
school to create a more harmonious and modern environment.<br />
No doubt the introduction of girls has played a significant part<br />
in this. Incidentally, I recently met ex-<strong>School</strong> House<br />
contemporaries GEOFF TAYLOR (1957-62) who has his own<br />
building company in Coventry, and DAVID WATERS (1955 -<br />
61).’<br />
jebunyan@yahoo.co.uk
No Room For for Crooners in In the Choir<br />
No Room for Crooners<br />
in the Choir<br />
by Andrew Sewell (1957-64)<br />
When I stir the thick soup of my memories, I am surprised to<br />
find personalities and events to whom and to which I have<br />
given no thought for more than half a life-time, suddenly arise<br />
fresh and clear. The trigger (or soup spoon?) in this instance is<br />
the mention in the May issue of the 80th birthday of Paul<br />
Paviour (1940-48), OAM. Paul, however, is preceded in this<br />
reminiscence by John Railton (Staff 1951-57), because in my<br />
youthful experience the two are connected as follows.<br />
My elder brother David (known as Sam, 1954-59, who died in<br />
1992), had been recruited by John Railton into the choir of St.<br />
Andrew’s Church in <strong>Bedford</strong> where John was organist and<br />
choirmaster, much admired and respected for the quality of the<br />
music made under his direction. Meanwhile, at my primary<br />
school, a certain Miss Jordan had discovered I could sing well,<br />
in tune and with a pleasant tone, and she encouraged me to<br />
improve and develop. My brother, having attended a concert<br />
where a choir of which I was part gave a rendition of All in the<br />
April Evening sufficiently well to melt the hearts of the captive<br />
audience of doting parents, announced he would arrange an<br />
audition for me with John Railton. This duly happened: I sang<br />
a few scales for him, he set me a few tricky intervals with the<br />
good old tonic sol-fa, and I was in, aged ten, and so came under<br />
the tutelage of a fine BMS musician before actually getting to<br />
the <strong>School</strong>.<br />
John was a gentle and softly-spoken person, but he was<br />
uncompromising in his pursuit of excellence in music-making.<br />
On one occasion I yawned during a choir practice, and he<br />
rounded on me: ‘You are no use to me like that. Go home!’ I<br />
walked home in floods of tears because I thought, in my tenyear-old<br />
mind, that I had been ejected permanently, and that<br />
was very distressing to me. Even my stolid, rather taciturn<br />
father could see how distraught I was, and roused himself to go<br />
to the church to find out what was up, but they had all gone<br />
home by then. It took a lot of coaxing and assurance from my<br />
brother to get me to return, and when I did, John Railton shook<br />
my hand, said ‘Welcome back,’ and added with a smile, ‘I hope<br />
you got enough sleep last night!’<br />
John Railton was a wonderful pianist. Unlike Norman Frost<br />
(Staff 1941-67) who used to throw himself around at the<br />
keyboard, John would sit perfectly still, his face a mask, while<br />
beneath his fingertips exquisitely shaped musical phrases and<br />
cadences would emerge from the piano as if he and it were in<br />
a private dialogue on to which we were lucky to be allowed to<br />
eavesdrop. Once heard, never forgotten. When it was time for<br />
him to move on to greater things, he chose as his farewell gift<br />
the multi-volume Grove’s Dictionary of Music, and each<br />
choirboy was detailed to present a volume. He received Volume<br />
7 from my hands, with a smile and a thank-you.<br />
Clearly, John Railton’s shoes were going to be very difficult to<br />
fill at St. Andrew’s, but by a stroke of great good fortune Paul<br />
Paviour came forward. He seemed to be hardly older than we<br />
were – though in truth he was 26 – but it became clear very<br />
soon that he had rigorous ideas, and great energy in pursuing<br />
them, and there would be no retreat from the standard of<br />
choral singing he had inherited. He was brimful of innovations<br />
in the repertoire of anthems we learned, and forthright in his<br />
criticism of any kind of slackness in their execution. He would<br />
not tolerate, for instance, any slurring or swooping between the<br />
intervals of notes in any piece. ‘There is no room in this choir<br />
for Bing Crosby!’ he would declare. Apart from my brother<br />
David and myself there were other <strong>Modern</strong>ians in the choir,<br />
most notably Tim Souster (1952-61) who achieved a high<br />
reputation as a musician and composer, prior to his death in<br />
1994, aged 51, and Nicholas Legge (1952-60) who could play<br />
on the church organ, with great aplomb, any Bach Prelude &<br />
Fugue one cared to specify.<br />
My cynical friends would say that the main attraction for me of<br />
choir membership was threepence (1.25p) per service and<br />
half-a-crown (12.5p) for weddings and funerals. Not so. Paul<br />
made the singing rewarding in itself, with the added<br />
satisfaction that under his guidance one had a sense of doing<br />
something well as a result of his desire for excellence. After<br />
the serious business, Paul would relax and show a more funloving<br />
side. He was capable, I remember, of wonderful<br />
improvisations at the piano, and we would gather round and<br />
challenge him with such requests as Happy Birthday to You in<br />
the style of Mozart or Yankee Doodle Dandy in the style of<br />
Beethoven, or God Save the Queen in the style of Bach, and<br />
off he would go extempore to the delight and amusement of us<br />
all.<br />
Paul’s indefatigable music-making showed itself another way:<br />
he ran a choir called The Elizabethan Singers in <strong>Bedford</strong>, and I<br />
was flattered to be asked by him to join it. It performed<br />
successfully at <strong>Bedford</strong> Music Festival by winning, I remember,<br />
a prize for sight reading, and a trophy for choral singing. In the<br />
following Monday’s English lesson, when ‘Toots’ Cooper (Staff<br />
1926-68), having been in the Corn Exchange audience that<br />
night, congratulated me on the choir’s success, he added ‘I<br />
hope your Exeat was in order.’ I was aghast because I had<br />
forgotten to get Dan Dickey (Staff 1949-80) to sign an Exeat<br />
for me, and we all knew what condign punishment awaited<br />
those out after Lock-Up with no Exeat! Fortunately, ‘Toots’ was<br />
only teasing.<br />
I could say more, but this is probably enough, except to assure<br />
Paul, aged 80, that he is fondly remembered back in <strong>Bedford</strong>,<br />
where he made more impact that perhaps he knows on the<br />
lives of some singers, amongst whom I am happy to number<br />
myself.<br />
77
78<br />
Memory Stir<br />
Memory Stir<br />
RICHARD ANTHONY<br />
SANDERS (1945-48)<br />
writes from Victoria,<br />
Australia: ‘I left BMS in<br />
July 1948, to spend two<br />
terms at the Collegiate<br />
<strong>School</strong> in Bournemouth,<br />
and completed the rest<br />
of my schooling at King’s<br />
<strong>School</strong>, Harrow (which<br />
has since closed),<br />
finishing as Head Boy and playing 1st XI soccer and cricket.<br />
When I was at school in Harrow, the vicar of the church where I<br />
was confirmed was Joost de Blank, who went on to become<br />
Bishop of Stepney and later Archbishop of Cape Town. In the<br />
course of my work in Melbourne, one of my assistant managers<br />
was South African and she happened to mention that her<br />
mother was the Archbishop’s first deaconess. It is truly a small<br />
world! I joined the ANZ Bank at the then Head Office in<br />
Cornhill and worked there, at 4 Threadneedle Street and 6<br />
Albermarle Street, during which time I also completed two years’<br />
National Service. I emigrated to Australia in 1958, completing a<br />
few years in the punched cards and methods department, on the<br />
introduction of personalised redesign of customers’ special<br />
cheques to meet computer specifications, prior to<br />
computerisation. I then changed direction to branch banking,<br />
being appointed to various posts as branch accountant in and<br />
around Melbourne, including my first managerial appointment as<br />
assistant accountant at 394 Collins Street, where we had 184<br />
staff – it was quite an experience. I then had a number of posts<br />
as a branch manager, including one in the Western Districts of<br />
Victoria, before retiring as Manager (Retail Banking) at an<br />
Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne Branch in 1991. During my<br />
career I represented the Bank at tennis and table tennis both in<br />
the UK and Melbourne. I won the Combined London Private<br />
Banks Tennis Championship a few weeks before I emigrated,<br />
and reached the final of the junior table tennis Private Banks’<br />
Singles Championship. In Melbourne, I was a member of the<br />
men’s tennis team which won six grand finals before I<br />
surrendered the racket for the golf clubs in 1970. I have only just<br />
given up golf.<br />
In retirement, I settled down to study family history which has<br />
been – and still is – an absorbing hobby. Several books of mine<br />
are in the Record Offices at <strong>Bedford</strong> and Aylesbury. These are:<br />
A History of a Saunders/Sanders Family covering 1487 to date<br />
- mostly Beds and Bucks but also in Oxon, London and Herts,<br />
written in conjunction with my cousins, one in Luton and the<br />
other in Illinois (formerly of Wellingborough); A Brief History of<br />
Five Families – containing two branches of the Boteler family;<br />
the Cordwell, Peisley and Richbell families; The Roberts Family<br />
of Willesden and a Supplement of the Altham family. These are<br />
covered from the aspect of intermarriage with my<br />
Saunders/Sanders ancestors and go back to the 1500s, quoting<br />
wills and parish records. In my research I have referred to over<br />
250 microfilmed parish records, and around 100 wills. I am<br />
nearing completion of the third edition of my own family history<br />
of a Saunders/Sanders family, and have been able to include<br />
more of my Hillingdon connections, whereby a daughter of a<br />
Margery Saunders, one Catherine Killigrew, became a favourite<br />
of Charles II and had a child by him. I have been fortunate to<br />
enjoy a few overseas trips in my retirement; I also brought the<br />
family over in 1979 when John and I attended the OBM Dinner.’<br />
dicktom2@tpg.com.au<br />
BARRIE THORPE (1945-53) had lunch with old schoolmates<br />
Dr JOHN COMERFORD and PHILIP (then known as JOHN)<br />
SIMMS. ‘We thought other OBMs might be amused by a<br />
photograph of the three of us with ROGER KINGSTON, having<br />
just won the Beds County Junior 4 x 110 yards relay at Luton in<br />
1953. John and I previously had a bad day at the 1953 AAA<br />
Championships at Motspur Park, both being unplaced in the<br />
long and triple jumps. In the recent photograph we are holding<br />
Philip's samovar, in lieu of the cup which we handed back 58<br />
years ago! Roger and Hazel (ex-DAHS) live in Bournemouth<br />
and have been married for 56 years - three more than I have! I<br />
remember his schoolboy courtship causing him much grief with<br />
JET. His older brother Dave (D J KINGSTON) is living on the<br />
Isle of Wight. Best wishes to anyone who remembers us.’<br />
SMECE@aol.com<br />
Relay team of Roger Kingston, John Simms, John Comerford<br />
and Barrie Thorpe
Philip Simms, John Comerford and Barrie Thorpe today<br />
MICHAEL WATSON (1950-1958) writes: ‘I celebrated my 70th<br />
birthday at a local hostelry with some of my oldest friends,<br />
including contemporaries MIKE CRISP and ROGER<br />
PATTERSON. Our friendship dates back to the time that we<br />
started school together, in 1945, at Goldington Road (now<br />
Castle Lower) <strong>School</strong>. We all joined BMS in 1950, the<br />
academic ones continuing after I left. Both Mike and Roger left<br />
the area when their respective work commitments took them off<br />
to pastures new. I remained in <strong>Bedford</strong>, sending my roots deeper<br />
and deeper into the <strong>Bedford</strong>shire clay. We have kept in touch<br />
over the years, occasionally getting together, with our respective<br />
Michael Watson (centre) with Mike Crisp (left) and Roger<br />
Patterson (right)<br />
wives, for an evening out. We talked over old times, and our lives<br />
under the dictatorial headship of JET. Can you imagine wearing<br />
a school cap these days, with a white button sewn on top to<br />
denote that you were a non-swimmer? During term time, when<br />
the wearing of school uniform (with the shirt tucked in!) was<br />
compulsory at all times, I was unable to go out walking with my<br />
own sister because you were not allowed to socialise with<br />
members of the opposite sex. And then, of course, came the<br />
mass migration into Woolworths (just across Midland Road),<br />
Memory Stir<br />
after the end-of-term service, purely and simply because it was<br />
out of bounds during term time. I well remember the day that the<br />
school bell fell silent. It hung on the wall in the quadrangle, just<br />
under the eaves, on the second floor, and used to ring out to<br />
denote the beginning and end of break. One day, at the end of<br />
break, the clapper descended to the quad amongst all the boys<br />
returning to their classes. It landed approximately six feet in front<br />
of me, missing one boy by a few inches. From then on we had<br />
an electric bell. (The old bell, presented by the Revd ‘Piggy’<br />
Langdon in 1909, remains at the <strong>School</strong>, mounted on a wooden<br />
frame. – Ed.) 'Toots' COOPER was the master who inspired me<br />
most during my time in the senior school. He taught English in a<br />
way that I could understand. He was the only master I ever saw<br />
stand up to JET. Second to him has to be BOB CLEAR. He<br />
was always so kind, and tolerant of my lack of ability in the<br />
metalwork classes. He treated every boy, whether First Form or<br />
Sixth Form, as an equal.’<br />
michael.doreenwatson@ntlworld.com<br />
ED SMYTH (Smyth minor, 1952-56) writes: ‘Left to right in<br />
the picture (overleaf) are my son Tony, my Mom (who is now<br />
100), and sister, AnnaLee Atabay, in Ankara, Turkey, in the mid-<br />
70s. The car, a 1942 Packard 110, was originally a gift from the<br />
US Vice-President to President Inonu during the last war. My<br />
sister and her husband, Abadin (grandson of the first Minister of<br />
Health in the new Turkish Republic) later bought it as salvage<br />
from the Turkish government, and used it as their everyday car,<br />
eventually driving it through communist Bulgaria and through<br />
Austria, and shipping it to the USA from a German port.<br />
Widowed at 38, my sister found it was just too much to maintain,<br />
and the car eventually ended up with a collector in California. Of<br />
course, automobile manufacture in the USA was curtailed for<br />
war production. When in 1942/43 our family left California,<br />
where my father had been teaching <strong>Modern</strong> European History at<br />
Berkeley, to join the OSS (forerunner of the CIA), he sold the<br />
family car, a 1926 Essex coupè with rumble seat, to my cousin<br />
Rick for $15, and we did without a car until 1948. Dad helped<br />
with the planning for the invasion of Sicily, and later with the<br />
establishment of the new constitution and government after Italy<br />
surrendered in 1943. His appointment as American Editor-in-<br />
Chief of the captured German Foreign Ministry archives, stored<br />
in the old manor house in Whaddon, near Bletchley, Bucks, led<br />
us to England, and my brother WALT and me to BMS and <strong>School</strong><br />
House, with my sister attending school in Stony Stratford, where,<br />
again, the family was without a car for several years.’ Ed added<br />
79
80<br />
Memory Stir<br />
later: ‘I thought you might be interested in a photo I took last<br />
August at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, near<br />
Orianenburg, Berlin, where British pound notes and US dollars<br />
were forged by Jewish prisoners (plates and notes were later<br />
found in an Austrian lake, as described in the book, Operation<br />
Bernhard). The former commandant’s house is now,<br />
appropriately, a lavatory. I was in Berlin for the 50th anniversary<br />
of the Wall, which was begun on 13 August 1961, and then<br />
visited Spain, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary and the Czech<br />
Republic. I also went to Dresden, now a beautiful city again,<br />
having been rebuilt and restored after the Anglo-American firebombing<br />
in February 1945.’ Ed recently found his father’s notes<br />
on possible English boarding schools (he thought that Stowe<br />
<strong>School</strong> was ‘snooty’). Ed’s thoughts about <strong>School</strong> House in the<br />
early 1950s include: ‘The magazines from the 1890s, featuring<br />
adverts for magnetic corsets and Pears soap, in the study hall<br />
bookshelves, above the remains of an old radio which served as<br />
a trash can, coal and coke used for heating and cooking, lead<br />
used for everything from water pipes, church roofs, toys and toy<br />
soldiers, Teddy boys (the louts of the day), suppressors in cars to<br />
block interference during the few hours of BBC TV, daily school<br />
milk in the quad (and the delivery thereof by electric carts with<br />
the operator walking in front<br />
to steer and stop), cars and<br />
trucks with one headlight on,<br />
fog lights and the round<br />
licence displayed in the front<br />
windshield. Wasn't that just<br />
yesterday?’<br />
smythhoward@gmail.com<br />
MIKE CRISP (1950-59) writes: ‘I was most interested in JOHN<br />
DIXON’s reminiscences last time. It seems I must have been a<br />
complete innocent, as I had no idea of the existence of such<br />
“dens of vice” as Joe Keech's Billiards and Snooker Saloon,<br />
though I did visit Barbara's Bun Shop in St Loyes Street!<br />
However, I feel I must take issue with John's description of the<br />
then Headmaster and Vice Master as "a miserable pair".<br />
Goodness knows JET had his faults, and it was certainly difficult<br />
to penetrate the prudery and pomposity with which he insisted<br />
on surrounding himself, but under it all he did have a sense of<br />
humour, albeit one that, like himself, was more than a little out of<br />
touch with the times. I think he should be given credit for trying.<br />
The Revd E J BENNETT I found to be a kind and often very witty<br />
man who could have us in stitches in the form room with his<br />
eccentricities and asides. I particularly remember his praying at<br />
the beginning and end of term services for “Fee Leep, Duke of<br />
Edinburgh.” Could that mispronunciation just possibly have been,<br />
metaphorically of course, tongue-in-cheek?’<br />
andeven@greenbee.net<br />
PETER LITCHFIELD (1951-61) whose obituary of his father<br />
JESSE (1930-35) appears elsewhere, went up to Jesus<br />
College, Oxford. He became a physicist studying elementary<br />
particles, first at CERN in Geneva, and later in the USA. Peter’s<br />
first wife, Pauline Kenyon, was killed in a car accident in 1971.<br />
In 1972 he married Suzanne Spry and they have two children,<br />
Michael and Kathryn (Fin). Michael married Claire Edwards and<br />
so Jesse had two great-grandchildren, Harry (5) and Dylan (2).<br />
BARRY WATSON (1953-59) writes: ‘For many years we<br />
classmates of the Fifties, RICHARD BURGESS, JOHN<br />
QUENBY (Club President), NORMAN WELLINGTON and I<br />
have met up regularly at <strong>School</strong> and at the House of Commons.<br />
This has involved a long journey from deepest Norfolk for<br />
Richard, so it was decided to meet on neutral ground on Friday<br />
2 September 2011. The venue was The Lazy Otter at Streatham<br />
near Ely, on the banks of the Great Ouse. After some very fine<br />
food, we then walked a couple of miles along the river bank. We<br />
agreed to repeat the event on a regular basis.’<br />
btwatson@hotmail.co.uk
TERRY ROTHWELL (1954-61) and Evanne, who live at Fish<br />
Hoek, near Cape Town, went to Wynberg Boys’ High in August<br />
2011, to watch the touring BMS rugby team. Evanne writes:<br />
‘Unfortunately, the games had been brought forward, so we<br />
arrived as they finished. Here is a picture of some of the boys<br />
and staff, with a backdrop of Table Mountain.’<br />
terry@marques.co.za<br />
Terry Rothwell (standing, 4th from right) with some of the BMS<br />
rugby squad and staff<br />
TIM BOON (1955-65) writes: ‘On 2 July 2011, I was joined<br />
by my sons ADAM (1985-92), DOMINIC (1985-94) and TOBY<br />
(1990-2000) to compete in the one-mile Great British Swim in<br />
the Royal London Docks. There were over 3000 swimmers on<br />
the day, with each race having around 300 participants, and<br />
races being started every 30 minutes. It all looked rather<br />
intimidating when the organiser pointed to a tiny buoy on the<br />
horizon, and told us that was the half one point. The start was<br />
quite a scramble, with a lot of swimmers employing water polo<br />
tactics in an attempt to get ahead of each other. However, as<br />
the swim progressed, the field spread out and swimmers were<br />
able to find their own rhythm and even enjoy the experience, but<br />
it was quite a relief when the finish line came in sight. Times<br />
were as follows: Dominic 27 mins 03 secs, Adam 28.41, Toby<br />
32.25, Tim 36.47. At the moment we all intend competing this<br />
year and would welcome any OBMs who would like to join us.<br />
Were there any competing last time?’<br />
timmyboon@hotmail.com<br />
MICHAEL DANIELS (1959-64) writes: ‘Life and retirement in<br />
British Columbia have been excellent. My wife and I visited<br />
with a friend in <strong>Bedford</strong> in August 2011, en route to London<br />
Memory Stir<br />
(from left) Norman Wellington, Barry Watson, Richard Burgess<br />
and John Quenby<br />
and Southampton to catch a repositioning cruise back to New<br />
York and a flight to Vancouver. In retirement, we are travelling<br />
extensively, having made monthly excursions to California<br />
(October 2010), Hawaii (November 2010) and Mexico<br />
(February 2011). We made a 24-day trip to the Amazon last<br />
year, but spend most of the summer at our home in Maple<br />
Ridge, BC, acting as hosts to those whom we have met on our<br />
travels.’<br />
michaeldaniels@shaw.ca<br />
TOM DEVESON (1957-66) wrote an obituary of the writer and<br />
teacher David Holbrook (1923-2011) in The Guardian on 2<br />
September 2011, in which he said: ‘I experienced his generosity<br />
and humanity as a Cambridge undergraduate more than 40<br />
years ago. His responses to my essays are models of their kind<br />
– pages of closely typed arguments, jokes, assertions,<br />
disagreements, suggestions and speculations, with further<br />
hand-written footnotes in black ink, courteous and thoughtful<br />
(from left) Adam, Tim, Toby and Dominic Boon<br />
81
contributions to the unending dialogue between generations.<br />
When I staged The Winter’s Tale recently with 60 ten-year-olds<br />
in Kilburn, North-West London, the girl in the hijab speaking<br />
Shakespeare’s lines about “great creating nature” was part of<br />
that dialogue. It would not have happened without Holbrook’s<br />
encouragement and example.’<br />
MICHAEL GODFREY (1963-72) was awarded the OBE in the<br />
Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2011, for services to the<br />
automotive industry. Congratulations from the Club and the<br />
<strong>School</strong>! Mike writes: ‘I have fond memories of captaining the 3rd<br />
XV and playing for the 2nd X1 - also at that time introducing<br />
tennis, having played briefly at junior county level. I graduated<br />
from Brunel University with 1st Class honours in Mechanical<br />
Engineering, and was fortunate enough to be sponsored by<br />
Vauxhall Motors and then to<br />
be employed by <strong>Bedford</strong><br />
Trucks, working on quality<br />
and reliability projects. I<br />
joined Honda in Swindon in<br />
1985, where I have held<br />
various senior positions and<br />
am now currently responsible<br />
for site facilities, safety and<br />
environment (including a coordinating<br />
role for Honda's<br />
other seven factories in<br />
Europe) as well as national and local government liaison. I<br />
represent Honda on linked trade organisations and am vicechair<br />
of the Board of Governors of the Swindon Academy.<br />
Marian and I have been happily married for almost 35 years, and<br />
our two children have gone through university and are gainfully<br />
employed! I am in contact with MIKE SELBY (1966-72) who<br />
is now in America.’<br />
mikebg@btinternet.com<br />
NIGEL ARMSTRONG (1964-72) lives on the Isle of Arran.<br />
‘The scene at the Corrour Bothy that Easter, halfway on our<br />
tramp through the Cairngorms, has stayed with me. The large<br />
party straggled out along the strath. It included three<br />
distinguished, well at least distinguishable, figures One had a<br />
broken collar-bone courtesy of a teacher/pupil rugby game:<br />
they always seemed such a good idea in the planning Another<br />
wore wellington boots with some (albeit untested) panache: we<br />
hadn’t yet reached the boulders around the Pools of Dee. The<br />
82<br />
Memory Stir<br />
third was in unusually good humour, notwithstanding that his<br />
large canvas rucksack was supplemented by two equally large<br />
carrier bags that he swung by his sides, in rhythm with his gait.<br />
Those three were on the staff, Messrs FURNEAUX, WILSON<br />
and FRANKS respectively. The boys’ preparations seemed<br />
even less thorough, centred as they were on raids on their<br />
fathers’ ageing wartime kit and, perhaps worse, ageing wartime<br />
advice. Mothers no doubt gained comfort in the knowledge that<br />
the Headmaster, BRIAN KEMBALL-COOK, would be of the<br />
party, at least for a few days. It was rumoured that he had<br />
climbed the Matterhorn, although he never said. I liked that. I<br />
also valued bits of advice that he offered. Get to know<br />
something of the richness of Gaelic place names, whereupon he<br />
gave a short discourse on Clach nan Taillear near to the bothy<br />
where, with no little irony, a group of poorly-clad tailors had<br />
perished one winter. Think ourselves lucky: K-C’s visits to the<br />
hills had started BPB (before plastic bags), with dry kit<br />
dependent on being wrapped in oilskin. The next day dawned<br />
as in an Arctic Easter, indeed it was rumoured we’d almost<br />
walked there: hard frost and limitless blue sky. But various<br />
aches, pains and degrees of what I understand the alpinists call<br />
“glacier lassitude” meant the party began to break up. John<br />
Franks and I chose to kick steps up a steep snow bank (we<br />
wouldn’t have known how to put crampons on, never mind how<br />
to use them) and onto the Cairn Toul plateau. We were<br />
comforted in finding two other life forms up there: ptarmigan in<br />
their winter plumage, and a distant cross-country skier who<br />
seemed to be mocking our less graceful way of travelling.<br />
Forty years on, some might take a different view of our<br />
adventurous training (the subtlety of the shift from ‘arduous’<br />
training was lost on me). Perhaps, like my many subsequent<br />
visits to the hills, it helped foster a spirit of independence in us;<br />
perhaps even iconoclasm. Those beginnings have meant that<br />
I’ve spent a disproportionate part of my life in remote places, in<br />
changeable weather, with wet feet. I’m grateful to BMS for<br />
many things, but oddly that’s by no means the least.’<br />
naajap@hotmail.co.uk<br />
DAVE WINTER (1972-80) from Shrewsbury, and his son Ben<br />
completed a 100km cycle tour of Anglesey to raise vital funds<br />
for national charity Meningitis Research Foundation. Dave<br />
comments: ‘Shortly after his first birthday in December 2006,<br />
Ben was admitted to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in a poorly<br />
state, and was quickly diagnosed with meningococcal<br />
septicaemia. Treatment took about a week over the Christmas
period, and he made a full<br />
recovery. We thought we’d<br />
do a bike ride together to try<br />
and raise funds to help<br />
others to come away<br />
unscathed from this<br />
devastating illness.’ Ben<br />
and Dave completed the<br />
course over four legs, each<br />
varying between 20 and 30<br />
km, and found the<br />
experience very rewarding.<br />
‘We were struck by the<br />
kindness and generosity of campsite owners, locals and tourists<br />
alike’ said Dave. If you would like to donate please go to<br />
www.justgiving.com/Ben-Winter. Meningitis Research<br />
Foundation, Midland Way, Thornbury, South Glos, BS35 2BS.<br />
Prof NICK GROOM (1974-84) who is Professor in English at<br />
Exeter University, kindly sent a copy of the new edition of his<br />
best-seller, Introducing Shakespeare, now subtitled A Graphic<br />
Guide (Icon Books, 2010). ‘This version has been translated into<br />
German. The original edition (2001) has been translated into<br />
Czech, Croat, Indonesian, Serbian, Chinese (mainland only),<br />
Albanian and Vietnamese. I've got two contracts with OUP at<br />
present, in addition to Thomson’s The Seasons, which should be<br />
out soon.’<br />
N.Groom@exeter.ac.uk<br />
SIMON DIFFEY (1977-80) took part in the Goodwood Revival<br />
‘where I was entered by the charming Count Glasius to drive a<br />
1963 Lotus 23B sports car in the Madgewick Cup. We were<br />
chuffed to be the first “privateers” home, in 5th place, especially<br />
as the experienced endurance racer Paul Knapfield had crashed<br />
into the chicane right in front of me, which necessitated a<br />
restart. Olav Glasius is the Count of Bennebroek, a beautiful<br />
hamlet just outside Amsterdam. He took my wife Sarah and me<br />
on an enlightening tour during our last visit. He sent the car<br />
over a few months before the event, and my engineer Bo Hare<br />
and I restored the bodywork back to its original Ermine white.<br />
We managed to race-prepare the car just in time for a quick test<br />
session at Mallory Park prior to the big day. Also at Goodwood<br />
I met up with PHIL STAINTON (1972-82) who had driven his<br />
Edwardian Silver Ghost down to join in the Rolls Royce track<br />
Memory Stir<br />
Simon Diffey in the 1963 Lotus 23B, with (from left) Bo Hare,<br />
Count Glasius and Sarah Adams-Diffey<br />
parade and another race chum, ‘Big’ TONY WILLITT (1975-77),<br />
who took the photograph. I also have news of DAVID WOOD<br />
(1995-2001), who is leading project engineer with FPM Facility<br />
Service Ltd, a property company which looks after the buildings<br />
of Luton Airport.’<br />
simon@merryprinters.co.uk<br />
ADRIAN LEE (1978-88) and his sister Helen have donated the<br />
Glenys Lee Memorial Prize for Creative Writing to be awarded<br />
annually, in memory of their mother. The first winner is<br />
ALEXANDRA HALL (Year 13). This year's competition,<br />
judged by Mrs MONICA HETHERINGTON (Staff 1977-2011)<br />
was for a short story entitled 'The <strong>Bedford</strong>shire Leavers,' a<br />
modern take on Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and involving a<br />
motley assortment of 'pilgrims' journeying to St Pancras, who<br />
are trapped overnight in a train at <strong>Bedford</strong> station. To while<br />
away the hours, each traveller tells a tale. Alexandra said: ‘My<br />
story explores the relationship between a young boy growing up<br />
Alexandra Hall and Mrs Monica Hetherington<br />
83
in Suffolk just before the war and the ghost of an Anglo-Saxon<br />
prince who was buried in a mound near his house. I was<br />
inspired to write by a recent holiday in Suffolk when I visited the<br />
Saxon burial ground at Sutton Hoo’.<br />
MATT WHEELER (1985-90) and Sarah are the proud parents<br />
of James William Alan, born on 10 August 2011, a brother for<br />
Lizzie. (Thanks for this news to IAIN WHITE, Staff.)<br />
OLLIE CHINNECK (1990-2001)<br />
married Louise McCallum at Berkhamsted <strong>School</strong> Chapel on 9<br />
July 2011. OBMs in attendance were (left to right) Tom<br />
Howe, Alex Chinneck, Sam Howe, Ben Howe, Oli Chapman,<br />
Ollie Chinneck, Nick Lockwood, Justin Irvine, Steve Lyon and<br />
Mark Bullerwell. Photo: Natalia Reddy, kindly supplied by<br />
MARK BULLERWELL.<br />
JAMES YELLAND (1992-99) living in Leeds, is currently Chief<br />
Beer Buyer for ASDA.<br />
MARK LEE (2004-09) and his brother JORDAN (2004-11) are<br />
studying in the USA. Mark, who is in his second year at Eckerd<br />
College, in St Petersburg, Florida, writes: ‘Being on the sea we<br />
have access to sailing boats, which is a new experience for me.<br />
We have a great sports section, including the top ten nationally<br />
ranked basketball and volleyball teams, so the sporting ethos is<br />
very strong. The climate obviously helps. College work is hard<br />
and there is plenty to do, but we train for soccer every morning<br />
at 6 am, and again after school for a couple of hours. College<br />
work gets done at other times: life is very relaxed but<br />
demanding. Grades must be met or it’s no soccer! The soccer<br />
league we compete in is the hardest in the USA colleges. We<br />
travel to places like Jacksonville, Miami, and the Carolinas for<br />
soccer which is great. There are six of us from the UK,<br />
84<br />
Memory Stir<br />
including a couple of girls.’ Jordan was awarded a soccer and<br />
academic scholarship at Darlington <strong>School</strong> in Rome, Georgia, a<br />
High <strong>School</strong> (VIth form equivalent), where he is the only student<br />
from the UK and will spend two years before going to college.<br />
He is captain of the U-17s soccer team, and a regular in the U-<br />
19s. Jordan has played in the USA national finals in Idaho, and<br />
soccer tournaments in Atlanta, South Carolina, Orlando, and<br />
Indianapolis. His day consists of soccer training from 6.15 am<br />
until 7.30 am, followed by breakfast and then school, starting at<br />
8.15 am. There is soccer training after school on three days, and<br />
matches or tournaments most weekends.<br />
For further information, go to: usasportsscholarships.co.uk<br />
Mark Lee playing soccer for Eckerd College
GOLF<br />
Ben Pile writes: ‘The OBM team of Steve<br />
Goddard, Colin Matthews, Chris Parry,<br />
Matthew Pile, Simon Pile, and myself<br />
played against St George’s, Weybridge, in<br />
the first round of the Grafton Morrish<br />
Public <strong>School</strong>s Golf Trophy Final on 7<br />
October 2011, in blustery conditions. We<br />
triumphed in three quite tight matches,<br />
Matt and Simon winning 1 up in the front<br />
match, Colin and Steve victorious by 3 & 2,<br />
and myself and Chris running out 4 & 3<br />
winners in the anchor leg. A fine victory,<br />
but the slowness of play meant we had<br />
little time to rest on our laurels before<br />
having to go out in the afternoon in a<br />
second round against the highly-fancied<br />
Solihull team, who have won the event<br />
twice in recent years. Three very close<br />
matches ensued, with all going to the 17th<br />
or 18th. Unfortunately the opposition<br />
proved just a little too strong on this<br />
occasion, and we went down 3-0, but with<br />
honour upheld, as Solihull (who were to<br />
lose in the 4th round to the eventual<br />
winners, Birkenhead) knew they had been<br />
in a tough match. The OBM team were<br />
able to drown their sorrows and enjoy the<br />
evening, without having to worry too much<br />
about the stableford plate event the next<br />
day. A few drinks and a fine dinner gave<br />
the team a chance to reminisce about "the<br />
good old days" (well, Colin at least claimed<br />
to remember these!) and made for an<br />
enjoyable evening. The following morning<br />
we played in the stableford event in which<br />
we finished 5th out of over 20 teams<br />
competing (who themselves had all<br />
qualified from events all over the country),<br />
sport<br />
so this was a good performance. The<br />
team represented the <strong>School</strong> in fine<br />
fashion, and the name of BMS appeared<br />
in The Daily Telegraph on 8th October.<br />
Thanks for the support from the <strong>School</strong><br />
and the OBM Club: we hope to get the<br />
team together next year.’<br />
benpile@hotmail.com<br />
OBM Golf rep: Richard Ebbs<br />
richardebbs@sky.com<br />
01234 344100 or 07986 306217<br />
FOOTBALL<br />
The OBMs v The <strong>School</strong> Football matches<br />
will be held at the Field on Friday 23<br />
March <strong>2012</strong> (k.o. 2.30 pm).<br />
Please contact:<br />
Sam Manners (Football rep) or<br />
Lisa Chapple (BMS Sports Administrator)<br />
Tel: 01234 332655<br />
sportsadmin@bedmod.co.uk<br />
if you would like to take part. Spectators<br />
are also very welcome!<br />
WATER POLO<br />
The OBM Water Polo event will take place<br />
at the <strong>School</strong> Pool on the weekend of<br />
24/25 March <strong>2012</strong>, the choice of date<br />
depending on whether <strong>Bedford</strong> Blues are<br />
playing on the Saturday, as many players<br />
support the Blues!<br />
Mark Bullerwell<br />
mark@behindbarsgroup.com<br />
ROWING<br />
This year’s Rowing Race Day is on<br />
Saturday 31 March <strong>2012</strong>, followed by<br />
dinner at The Embankment. Further<br />
details will appear on the Club website<br />
www.obmclub.co.uk in due course, or<br />
contact:<br />
Michael Biggs 07882 644431<br />
020 8591 8972 MikeBiggs@aol.com<br />
James Wood writes: ‘I was interested to<br />
read in The <strong>Modern</strong>ian (Autumn 2011) of<br />
the excellent results that BMS rowers<br />
have achieved at various international<br />
regattas. However, the statement on page<br />
20 that “Ed Munno is the first BMS<br />
student to compete in the World Junior<br />
Championships and be awarded a medal<br />
since former BMS pupil and Olympic<br />
rowing star Tim Foster,” is not correct, as<br />
my twin brother, Mark Wood<br />
(1991-2001), competed at the Junior<br />
World Championships in Duisburg in 2001<br />
and won a bronze medal as stroke of the<br />
GB VIII. I do not want to detract from what<br />
have been amazing performances by<br />
current BMS students, but I would like it<br />
noted that my brother achieved similar<br />
things during his school rowing career.’<br />
j_n_wood@hotmail.com<br />
Club Sport<br />
Grafton-Morrish OBM team (from left): Colin Matthews, Simon Pile, Chris Parry,<br />
Ben Pile, Steve Goddard and Matthew Pile<br />
85
Club Sporting Contacts<br />
CLUB SPORTING CONTACTS<br />
CRICKET Andy Trott, 11 Stimpson Avenue, Northampton NN1 4LP 07866 557753<br />
FIVES Chris Ryan, 2 Merril’s Field, Biddenham, <strong>Bedford</strong> MK40 4GX 01234 352689<br />
GOLF Richard Ebbs, 63 Days Lane, Biddenham, <strong>Bedford</strong> MK40 4AE 01234 344100<br />
HOCKEY Mike Carter, 5 Clarendon Street, <strong>Bedford</strong> MK41 7SQ 01234 215441<br />
ROWING Michael Biggs, 2 Spinnaker Close, Barking, Essex IG11 0GS 07882 644431<br />
FOOTBALL Sam Manners, sammybaby7777@hotmail.com<br />
WATER POLO Mark Bullerwell, mark@behindbarsgroup.com 07770 390599<br />
Open Monday to Friday in term-time, 1.30pm to 4.30 pm (01234) 332556<br />
Scarves – collegiate style £21.50 Polyester Squares £10.00<br />
Cravats £12.25 Cufflinks £16.50<br />
Blazer Badge: Cloth £9.50 Metallic £22.50 Blazer Buttons (small: £1.60 each & large: £2.30 each)<br />
Heraldic Shields £34<br />
Enquiries welcome for sportswear with the BMS colours or crest<br />
SPECIAL OFFERS<br />
BMS Waterproof Fleece Lined Jackets (old stock), Large size only, bargain at £20<br />
BMS Rugby and Water Polo Sweaters, wool, sizes 38 and 40, £15 (cost price)<br />
Black and Red ‘hooped’ old-style Rugby shirts, cotton, sizes 38 & 40, £20 (price of new-style BMS reversible polyester strip is £32)<br />
White cotton Rugby shirts, long sleeves, all adult sizes, £8 (to clear)<br />
Long-sleeved Cricket Sweaters trimmed around the neck in school colours £16 – most sizes, Slipovers £13 – most sizes<br />
For above items, please indicate size(s) required and make cheques payable to ‘BMS Shop’, adding at least £1.50 p&p<br />
TIES<br />
BEDFORD MODERN SCHOOL SHOP<br />
Sole official suppliers of OBM Club items<br />
Club Ties £11.50 Silk £27 Bow Ties (pre-folded) £9.50<br />
Obtainable only through the Secretary or the <strong>School</strong> reception.<br />
Please send cheques for ties (to ‘OBM Club’) to the Club Secretary at the <strong>School</strong>, and add £1.50 p&p (sent by recorded delivery)<br />
BMS Choir in ‘Songs of Praise’<br />
The BMS Choir was invited to participate in a commemorative service to remember the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001.<br />
Staff and about 50 students from BMS were performing as members of the congregation at the service in the Church of Christ the<br />
Corner Stone, Milton Keynes, which was broadcast on ‘Songs of Praise’ (BBC One) on Sunday 11 September 2011.<br />
Information please<br />
JOHN CHRISTOPHER POINTER (1942-47), County House<br />
Mrs Beryl Marshall (nee Pointer) would like to know Mr Pointer’s whereabouts, as he is her father’s youngest cousin. The Club<br />
lost touch with Mr Pointer after he moved in 2002. (beryl.marshall4808@yahoo.co.uk or contact the Club Secretary)<br />
86
S T A N L E Y<br />
W A L T E R<br />
WALKER (Head<br />
Groundsman<br />
1970-80) died<br />
suddenly on 7 July<br />
2011, aged 93.<br />
Stan, who lived in<br />
Stevington,<br />
followed J P<br />
HEAZELL, who<br />
had taken over<br />
when C L ‘Fiddy’<br />
ROGERS retired in 1959. When Stan<br />
retired, BRIAN CRANE was Head<br />
Groundsman for about 18 months, and was<br />
succeeded by BOB FOLDS, who held the<br />
post from 1982 until he retired in 2009.<br />
Bob, who knew Stan slightly, remembers<br />
him as a friendly person, who obviously<br />
enjoyed his job.<br />
JESSE PHILIP LITCHFIELD (1930-35)<br />
County House, died on 20 August 2011,<br />
aged 93. His son PETER (1951-61) said<br />
at the funeral: ‘My father Jess was born in<br />
Riseley, the youngest of a family of four by<br />
nearly 20 years, and something of an<br />
afterthought. The family were the village<br />
craftsmen. His father, followed by his elder<br />
brother, was a wheelwright and carpenter,<br />
his mother ran the village shop and his sister<br />
married the village blacksmith. At the age<br />
of 11, Jess won a scholarship to BMS<br />
where he got good school certificate results<br />
and these days would have gone on to<br />
university. However, his father said it was<br />
time he got a job and earned his keep and<br />
he joined Barclays Bank in Luton. It was<br />
there that he met, at a dance, Vera Preece<br />
who would become his beloved wife. When<br />
the war broke out he quickly joined up. He<br />
wanted to join the navy but the recruiting<br />
sergeant diverted him into the Royal<br />
Marines. As a grammar school boy he was<br />
interviewed for a commission but when the<br />
board discovered that he had no<br />
independent means to cover his mess bills,<br />
he remained in the ranks. It was while he<br />
was training in Scotland in 1941 that he got<br />
leave to return to Riseley to marry Vera.<br />
Everything was arranged but a last minute<br />
hitch occurred when it turned out that Vera<br />
had not been baptised. “Don’t worry”, said<br />
the vicar, “she can be baptised on Sunday<br />
and married on Monday.” So Jess was her<br />
godfather one day and her husband the<br />
next. His military career was a chapter of<br />
accidents, including finding his unit had left<br />
without him after he returned from a short<br />
illness, which spared him landing on the<br />
beaches on D-Day. Instead he spent most<br />
of the war in the Far East, fighting the<br />
Japanese down the Malay peninsula, and<br />
was in a landing craft heading to invade<br />
Hong Kong when the atom bomb ended the<br />
war. Despite the army’s notorious tendency<br />
to put square pegs in round holes, they<br />
seemed to have got Jess right in that he<br />
ended up as the regimental pay sergeant.<br />
In 1942 I was born, coincidentally on the<br />
same day (16 May) as Jess. In 1947<br />
William Philip (Will) was born. Will followed<br />
Jess into Barclays Bank, but into the<br />
technical department where he played a<br />
major role in computerising the bank. In<br />
1972 he married Trisha Green and they had<br />
three children, Phillip, who is also a particle<br />
physicist working in the same field as<br />
myself, Cassandra (Cassie) and Joel (Jo).<br />
After the war Jess rejoined Barclays Bank<br />
and progressed through the ranks in<br />
Bletchley, <strong>Bedford</strong> and Wolverton, ending up<br />
as manager of the Hoddesdon branch. He<br />
was an old-fashioned banker, nothing like<br />
the whizz-kids who go by that name today.<br />
He ran a well ordered and profitable bank.<br />
Perhaps his major achievement was in<br />
providing the loans that enabled the<br />
resurrection of the moribund market<br />
gardening industry in the Hoddesdon area,<br />
in the face of the scepticism of his upper<br />
management. When he retired in 1978, he<br />
and Vera went to live in Letty Green where<br />
they tended their garden and travelled the<br />
Obituaries<br />
OBITUARIES<br />
Jesse Litchfield and his great grandson<br />
Harry<br />
world. Vera died in 1994 and Jess was<br />
never quite the same afterwards. He lived<br />
alone in Letty Green until 2003 when he<br />
moved to the assisted living accommodation<br />
at Broad Oak Manor. He was independent<br />
until about a year ago when he had to move<br />
into the nursing home. He liked Broad Oak<br />
and his care there was exemplary, right up<br />
to the end. Jess was a stalwart of the<br />
Hoddesdon Rotary club, serving as its<br />
president and acting as treasurer for the<br />
annual traction engine rally. He was also<br />
treasurer of the Haileybury Friends of the<br />
Home Farm Trust, a charity for people with<br />
learning disabilities. He was a member of<br />
the Ancient Britons and supported their<br />
charitable activities. In his youth Jess was a<br />
crafty spin bowler and a talented badminton<br />
player, often with Vera in front of him at the<br />
net. As he got older he turned to golf and<br />
bowls. Both Jess and Vera bowled for their<br />
county, though Jess tended to keep it quiet<br />
that Vera could beat him. He played good<br />
enough bridge to win the wine at his local<br />
club until very recently, finally giving up when<br />
he said he could no longer remember the<br />
cards. His subscription to Sky Sports was<br />
company for him through the years after<br />
Vera’s death. He was also a great gardener.<br />
His garden at Letty Green was always<br />
immaculate and a riot of colour. It was one<br />
of the highlights of the annual village garden<br />
open day. Even in the depths of winter there<br />
was always something blooming in his<br />
garden. He loved pottering in his<br />
87
greenhouse raising his own bedding plants,<br />
tomatoes and grapes, which he turned into<br />
Chateau Letty Green. His fruit cage<br />
provided enough strawberries and<br />
raspberries to fill their freezer for a whole<br />
year. Jess was the kindest of men.<br />
Everybody he came across liked and<br />
respected him. He will be much missed by<br />
all his family and friends.’<br />
pjl@physics.umn.ed<br />
KENNETH GEORGE COVINGTON<br />
(1929-35) South House, died suddenly at<br />
home in Lincolnshire on 20 September<br />
2011, aged 92. As reported last time, Ken<br />
visited the <strong>School</strong> on 28 March 2011, with<br />
his daughter Susan and her husband<br />
Robert. Ken was born in Argentina, and,<br />
whilst at BMS, lived at his aunt’s home in<br />
Sandhurst Road. He excelled at boxing,<br />
then part of the physical education<br />
curriculum. On returning to Argentina, he<br />
did military service in the Argentinian<br />
Grenadier Guards (including a spell in the<br />
mounted Presidential Guard), before<br />
travelling back to the UK after the outbreak<br />
of war, to join the British Army, in which he<br />
served in the RASC, in North Africa, Sicily,<br />
Italy, France and Germany. After the war,<br />
Ken, who did not want to be an accountant,<br />
as his father wished, went back to Argentina<br />
again and became manager of a<br />
department store in Buenos Aires. Whilst<br />
there he married and had a family, before<br />
coming back to the UK in 1954 to be<br />
manager of two privately-owned family<br />
stores, and then service manager for<br />
Waitrose, having responsibility for opening<br />
new stores throughout the country. Ken,<br />
who became a widower in 2002, was a<br />
great-grandfather.<br />
88<br />
Obituaries<br />
JOHN WYNDHAM CARLTON (1933-39)<br />
South House, died at home in Canada on 6<br />
May 2011, aged 89. DAVID YORKE<br />
(1952-59) writes: ‘My uncle, who was<br />
relatively small of stature, coxed House and<br />
<strong>School</strong> VIIIs. He had a distinguished war<br />
record, rising to the rank of major, and was<br />
stationed in Malta during the siege. After<br />
the war he served in the Territorial Army, The<br />
Queen’s Own Surrey Regiment, before<br />
emigrating to Canada with his family in the<br />
1950s to live in Calgary, Alberta. He spent<br />
the rest of his working life as a teacher,<br />
eventually becoming Principal of the Prince<br />
of Wales High <strong>School</strong> in Calgary. John and<br />
Vera enjoyed a very happy and active<br />
retirement in Qualicum Beach, Vancouver<br />
Island. Although living in Canada for many<br />
years, John retained the greatest affection<br />
and loyalty to the mother country, and visited<br />
family in Britain on several occasions. He<br />
also retained a fierce loyalty to BMS and<br />
kept in touch either directly, or through me.<br />
Throughout his life he displayed all the best<br />
characteristics imbued in him at BMS, of<br />
which all members of his extended family<br />
were very proud.’ The Calgary Herald said:<br />
‘John was very proud of his service to the<br />
Calgary Board of Education as teacher and<br />
Principal (Mount View, Fred Seymour, and<br />
Prince of Wales). John was the ultimate<br />
professional, dedicating many hours to<br />
providing support and leadership in the<br />
Alberta Teachers’ Association, at local and<br />
provincial level. John's love of the arts, in<br />
particular Gilbert and Sullivan, led him to<br />
many wonderful school productions of The<br />
Mikado and HMS Pinafore. John had 24<br />
wonderful years of retirement in beautiful<br />
Qualicum Beach, golfing and getting<br />
involved in town and strata business. John<br />
leaves Vera, his loving wife of forty-two<br />
years, their four children, five grandchildren,<br />
and two great-grandchildren.’<br />
yorke906@btinternet.com<br />
HENRY (Harry) LLOYD BUXTON<br />
(1934-41) County House, died on 28 July<br />
2011, aged 88. FRED SAMUELS<br />
(1964-72) writes: ‘After leaving <strong>School</strong>,<br />
Harry joined the RAF and completed his<br />
training (lucky Harry!) in the US Navy base<br />
at Pensacola, Florida, after which he was<br />
appointed to Ferry Command. Whilst based<br />
in Montreal, Canada, Harry met Margaret,<br />
whom he would marry in 1944. After the<br />
war Harry and Margaret returned to<br />
England, where he completed his BSc<br />
degree at Cambridge. Upon graduation<br />
Harry joined Shell and returned to Canada<br />
to take up his first appointment in Lachine,<br />
Quebec. Harry and Margaret lived in<br />
Montreal, Quebec, Burnaby (British<br />
Columbia), Chester in England, and finally<br />
Oakville, Ontario, where they retired. During<br />
their 67 years together Harry and Margaret<br />
raised nine children and had 29<br />
grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.<br />
Surprisingly, Harry also found time to<br />
volunteer at his church and the Oakville<br />
Historical Society where he was at one time<br />
President. For his sustained volunteer<br />
contributions, Harry was awarded the<br />
Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage<br />
Award in 2009. Harry was one of the<br />
founding members and the "elder<br />
statesman" of the OBM Canada Chapter,<br />
and regularly attended our monthly dinners<br />
in Toronto until he found himself slowing
down after a stroke a few years ago. He will<br />
be remembered for his wit and wise words<br />
and as a gentleman.’<br />
Sevnoaks@aol.com<br />
ALLAN NORMAN ANSELL (1935-42)<br />
County House, died on 31 May 2011, aged<br />
86. STEVEN ANSELL (1986 -92) writes:<br />
‘My grandfather was born in Shefford, Beds,<br />
the eldest son of<br />
Frank and Ivy<br />
Ansell, and brother<br />
to NEIL (1941-45),<br />
who now lives in<br />
Hertfordshire.<br />
Allan won a<br />
scholarship to<br />
BMS, where he<br />
excelled at sport,<br />
becoming captain of the rugby team, and a<br />
member of the school rowing team. When<br />
Allan left school he joined the Royal Scots<br />
Greys, intending to go to India as an officer<br />
in the Indian Army; however, he was<br />
hospitalised, preventing him from going with<br />
the six-monthly draft. Demonstrating his<br />
typical impatience, Allan joined the RAF to<br />
train as a pilot, and was posted to Canada<br />
for training. However, the war ended before<br />
his training was complete, so he returned to<br />
England. He left the RAF and went to work<br />
with his father on his fruit farm in<br />
Melbourne, Cambridgeshire. Allan decided<br />
to get his pilot’s wings during his spare time,<br />
so he trained at Marshalls Airport in<br />
Cambridge. He rejoined the RAF, qualified<br />
as a pilot, and was then posted to Yorkshire<br />
and subsequently to RAF Kabrit in Egypt as<br />
a night fighter pilot. Whilst serving in Egypt,<br />
Allan contracted polio and was left severely<br />
disabled. However, after eighteen months at<br />
Headley Court and thanks to his sheer<br />
determination and grit, he again flew<br />
aeroplanes. Allan’s last posting was to Little<br />
Rissington, Gloucestershire, where he was<br />
a flight instructor. After leaving the RAF,<br />
Allan worked for Barclays Bank until he<br />
retired. He enjoyed his long retirement, and<br />
always spoke fondly to me about his time at<br />
BMS. Allan was delighted to come along<br />
and watch me in the XV (B) in my early<br />
years at school.’<br />
Steven.Ansell@uia.co.uk<br />
THOMAS BRIAN SMITHSON (1942-45)<br />
South House, died in <strong>Bedford</strong> Hospital on 9<br />
September 2011, aged 84. The Revd<br />
MARTIN SMITHSON (1965-74) writes: ‘My<br />
father, who was always known as Brian, was<br />
born in Bradford. His father was a<br />
Methodist minister, which involved the family<br />
in regular<br />
moves to new<br />
appointments.<br />
When they<br />
came to<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong>, Brian<br />
and his younger<br />
brother DAVID<br />
(1942-46)<br />
joined BMS.<br />
David also<br />
became a Methodist minister and served for<br />
many years in India, before returning to this<br />
country when he was appointed to serve in<br />
Manchester. Sadly, he died (aged 55) in<br />
1983, leaving his wife Beryl and three<br />
children. On leaving <strong>School</strong>, Brian trained as<br />
a veterinary surgeon. He returned to<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> following his training, and worked<br />
as a vet in the town, in two different<br />
practices, for over 40 years. It was on his<br />
return to <strong>Bedford</strong> that he met Margaret,<br />
whom he married in 1955. They lived in<br />
Kempston for nearly all of their married lives.<br />
In earlier years Brian’s work was varied and<br />
included both farm animals and domestic<br />
pets. He was well-known on many of the<br />
farms around <strong>Bedford</strong>. Later he<br />
concentrated more on small animals and<br />
particularly surgery, for which he developed<br />
a high reputation. Brian’s skill with his<br />
hands was not only put to good use on the<br />
operating table. He was a superb<br />
water-colour artist, specialising in flowers,<br />
many of which he had grown himself. His<br />
work was extremely detailed, often involving<br />
a magnifying glass and an extremely fine<br />
brush. His painting received an award from<br />
the Royal Horticultural Society and some of<br />
his paintings were published in the form of<br />
greetings cards. His other main interest<br />
was his garden at his home in Kempston,<br />
which he developed and cared for with great<br />
Obituaries<br />
skill and knowledge over the years. Brian<br />
was an avid reader, being especially fond of<br />
Thomas Hardy and other classic authors.<br />
His love for and knowledge of words made<br />
him an expert solver of crossword puzzles.<br />
He continued to enjoy his garden and his<br />
life at home, even after being diagnosed<br />
with cancer in 2010, spending only the last<br />
week of his life in hospital. He is survived<br />
by his wife Margaret, their son Martin and<br />
daughter Julia, and five grandchildren.’<br />
mt.smithson@ntlworld.com<br />
BRIAN ARTHUR BLACK (1938-45) North<br />
House, died on 6 July 2011, aged 82. His<br />
exact contemporary DEREK NORMAN<br />
remembers that Brian lived for all of his<br />
married life in the estate Goldington. Brian<br />
leaves his wife Joy and sons Ian (who was<br />
Headmaster of a local school and used to<br />
play for <strong>Bedford</strong> ‘Ath’), Stephen and Andrew.<br />
DAVID LYCETT KNIGHTS (1940-47)<br />
East House, died peacefully at home in<br />
Rushden on 28 July 2011, aged 82,<br />
following a short illness. He leaves his wife<br />
Betty, daughter Gaynor and son Michael,<br />
who mentions that David had a number of<br />
friends in the OBM Club and used to attend<br />
Club events when he was fitter.<br />
JOHN COURTENAY MILWARD (1941-45)<br />
County House, died on 8 February 2011,<br />
ten days before his 82nd birth- day, in<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> Hospital, following complications<br />
arising from an operation. His son<br />
ANDREW (1968-73) writes: ‘My father<br />
worked for<br />
George Fischer<br />
Castings in<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> for<br />
many years after<br />
his return in<br />
1948 from<br />
National Service<br />
with the Royal<br />
Signals in<br />
Singapore. On<br />
89
etiring from GF, after seeing the closure of<br />
the works (now the site of Britannia Wharf<br />
housing development), he lived quietly in<br />
Wilstead, but still managed to travel abroad<br />
frequently, when he was not supporting and<br />
helping <strong>Bedford</strong> and County Athletics Club.’<br />
The following tribute was published on their<br />
website: ‘John Milward was the club’s<br />
greatest and most loyal servant from 1954.<br />
John started his career at the club as a<br />
distance runner but soon became central to<br />
the club’s administration and development,<br />
providing commitment and expertise as<br />
coach, technical official and club officer,<br />
holding a wide variety of posts, including<br />
fixture secretary, officials’ secretary,<br />
statistician, records keeper, and announcer<br />
as well as being treasurer for a good<br />
number of years. John was meticulous in<br />
everything he did and always had the Club's<br />
best interests at heart. When working out<br />
the statistics for our club awards, for<br />
instance, he would strive to be as fair as<br />
possible to every athlete and would spend<br />
hours poring over results, worried lest<br />
someone might be forgotten or feel<br />
undervalued. As a humble person, John<br />
never sought praise for what he did but<br />
always gave credit to others where it was<br />
due. In later years, with the advent of<br />
computers and the internet ‘John steadfastly<br />
refused to enter into the modern<br />
technological age, preferring to work on his<br />
battered old typewriter and use snail mail.<br />
John will be greatly missed by his family,<br />
close friends and friends at <strong>Bedford</strong> &<br />
County and throughout the athletics<br />
community in <strong>Bedford</strong>shire.’<br />
amilward@aol.com<br />
ROBERT WARDEN OWEN (1940-45)<br />
County House, died suddenly on his farm in<br />
Occold, Suffolk, on 10 March 2011, aged<br />
80, as briefly recorded last time. JIM<br />
WOODGER (1954-65, Past President),<br />
who knew Robert as a client of his<br />
veterinary practice, kindly sent us the<br />
obituary from the Diss Express (8 April<br />
2011). Robert left <strong>School</strong> at 15 to take<br />
over the family farm in Marston Moreteyne<br />
with his brother. He was chairman of<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> Young Farmers’ Club and later of<br />
90<br />
Obituaries<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> Agricultural Executive Committee,<br />
and was a JP for 13 years, before moving to<br />
Suffolk, where he was also a very popular<br />
figure. He leaves his wife Grace (they<br />
would have celebrated their Diamond<br />
Wedding last year), three daughters, one<br />
son and 11 grandchildren. He was the<br />
brother of ANTHONY (1944-50) and the<br />
uncle of GUY (1981-84).<br />
JOHN MARSOM (1942-50)<br />
County<br />
House,<br />
died on 4<br />
November<br />
2011, aged<br />
80.<br />
PHILIP<br />
(Eddie)<br />
R U T T<br />
(1943-52)<br />
writes:<br />
‘John died<br />
at the Stone House Care Home, near<br />
Aylesbury. He was suffering from<br />
Parkinson's Disease and had been nursed<br />
at home over a long period by his wife<br />
Marcia. John's father kept the fine old<br />
English inn The Crown at Northill, which had<br />
been in the family for generations. John<br />
is well remembered by his close friends at<br />
BMS, PETER GARRATT, STUART<br />
HOUGHTON and myself. We all recall his<br />
dry sense of humour. John's fine physique<br />
equipped him for being the outstanding<br />
athlete he was - a very fast wing<br />
three-quarter in the 1st XV and a quick<br />
bowler for the 1st XI. A fine sprinter, he<br />
excelled at the 100 yards and 220 yards,<br />
and in the long jump. Perhaps he was most<br />
proud of having taken eight wickets for<br />
three runs on his first appearance for the<br />
1st XI in 1949. On leaving <strong>School</strong>, John<br />
performed his National Service in the RAF,<br />
then joined the Royal Insurance Group in<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong>. Eventually he became local<br />
manager of General Accident in Aylesbury,<br />
before setting up his own brokerage in<br />
1987, from which he retired ten years ago.<br />
John continued to play rugby after BMS,<br />
playing for the <strong>Bedford</strong> ‘Ath’ as well as the<br />
OBMs. He played cricket for Ickwell, where<br />
he captained the team. In 1966 John<br />
married Marcia Geach (ex-Convent <strong>School</strong>,<br />
step-daughter of ERIC HOWARD, 1926<br />
-31). Their happy marriage was to last for<br />
45 years. They had three daughters,<br />
Kathryn, Elizabeth and Claire, and four<br />
grandchildren to whom, together with<br />
Marcia, we extend our deepest sympathies.’<br />
DEREK NORMAN (1940-45) adds:<br />
‘Despite his laid-back attitude (sport was fun<br />
and was to be enjoyed), John was a prolific<br />
try scorer, thanks to his electric pace. He<br />
had, of course, the privilege of playing<br />
outside two of the <strong>Bedford</strong> Ath’s best centre<br />
three-quarters, PETER MEARS (1935-41)<br />
and the late PERCY SCRIVENER<br />
(1927-30). John’s athletic prowess was<br />
such that, without being a member of an<br />
athletic club, he once entered the 100-yards<br />
sprint in the <strong>Bedford</strong>shire Championships,<br />
coming a very close 3rd in the final.’<br />
philiprutt312@btinternet.com<br />
DEREK JAMES LIDDEY-SMITH (D J<br />
SMITH at BMS, 1941-48)<br />
North House, died on 23 April 2011 in Norwich<br />
from pro- state cancer, aged 79. Mrs<br />
Rebecca Elliott writes: ‘Whilst at <strong>School</strong>, my<br />
father was a<br />
chorister and he<br />
had fond<br />
memories of<br />
singing in the<br />
BBC Religious<br />
S e r v i c e s<br />
broadcasts from<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> during<br />
Portrait by Hilary Moore<br />
the war. He was<br />
at one point very<br />
involved in the OBM Lodge, of which he had<br />
been Master. Born Derek James Smith in<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> in 1931, my father did not change<br />
his name to Liddey-Smith until he was in his<br />
40s. He spent his working life as printing<br />
manager for first, Watford Town Council, and<br />
then, Cumbria County Council. He retired<br />
early to run a B&B in the Yorkshire Dales
efore retiring fully to North Norfolk, where<br />
he spent the last 15 years of his life. He<br />
leaves his wife Elsie, three children and four<br />
grandchildren.’<br />
elliott944@btinternet.com<br />
JOHN REGINALD SANDERS (1945-48)<br />
Shakespeare House, died on 1 February<br />
2011 aged 77. The Editor apologises for<br />
several inaccuracies in the obituary last time,<br />
which were his responsibility. RICHARD<br />
ANTHONY (Dick) SANDERS (1945-48)<br />
writes from Melbourne: ‘I am John’s<br />
surviving brother, our youngest brother Keith<br />
(not an OBM) having died of a brain tumour<br />
in 1996. I followed John to BMS at the start<br />
of the Christmas Term 1945, in<br />
Shakespeare House under Mr E H<br />
PROUDFOOT and his wife.’ See Dick’s<br />
item in ‘Memory Stir.’<br />
dicktom2@tpg.com.au<br />
STANLEY<br />
GARFIELD<br />
PERRY (Wg<br />
Cdr retd)<br />
(1949-52)<br />
North House,<br />
f o r m e r<br />
Secretary of<br />
Bunyan Meeting in <strong>Bedford</strong>, died on 26 May<br />
2011, after a long illness, aged 77. Stan<br />
joined the RAF on leaving <strong>School</strong>, and spent<br />
25 years as a navigator, including service in<br />
Italy, before being promoted to Wing<br />
Commander and put in charge of No 115<br />
Squadron, Brize Norton, an unusual<br />
appointment for a navigator. After retiring<br />
from the service, Stan, who enjoyed meeting<br />
people and taking part in sport and music<br />
(especially choral singing – he once sang in<br />
a 400-strong choir at the Albert Hall), was<br />
appointed Secretary of Bunyan Meeting.<br />
Stan regularly went to Edgbaston to watch<br />
the Test match. He was married for 53<br />
years to JENNY (former BMS Library staff);<br />
their sons WILLIAM (1971-81) and<br />
MATTHEW (1975-82) both spoke at the<br />
funeral in Bunyan Meeting. Stan’s brothers<br />
are DAVID (1949-51) and CHRIS<br />
(1949-55, <strong>School</strong> Bursar 1962-98, Past<br />
President and Fellow of the Club).<br />
DAVID GORDON WALKER (1951-55)<br />
East House,<br />
d i e d<br />
peacefully on<br />
8 July 2011,<br />
after a long<br />
illness, aged<br />
73. RICHARD<br />
H A N D Y<br />
(1989-98)<br />
writes: ‘My<br />
great-uncle<br />
joined BMS<br />
when his family moved to <strong>Bedford</strong> from<br />
Norfolk. On leaving <strong>School</strong> he took a<br />
position with Lindum (Lincoln) Ltd as a<br />
trainee quantity surveyor. During this time<br />
David had an accident whilst driving the<br />
firm’s van. This left him confined to a<br />
wheelchair for the rest of his life. David<br />
Obituaries<br />
completed his training as a house designer<br />
and initially worked with Marshman, Warren<br />
and Taylor. However, owing to the demand<br />
for his own designs he soon set up his own<br />
business, David Walker Associates. His<br />
designs and plans have been used for many<br />
residential buildings in and around <strong>Bedford</strong><br />
and further afield. Although David lived<br />
most of his adult life in Higham Ferrers, he<br />
kept his contact with <strong>Bedford</strong> throughout<br />
his life. He was a founder member of the<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> and District Access Committee and<br />
served as the chairman for many years, up<br />
until his death. He was proud of the group’s<br />
work in making life easier for people with all<br />
kinds of disabilities. He is survived by his<br />
sister Margaret and will be greatly missed<br />
by his family, friends and all who knew him.<br />
David was a big man with a great<br />
personality and love of life.’<br />
richhandy@hotmail.com<br />
ALFRED JOHN TATMAN (1951-56)<br />
County House, who died peacefully on 26<br />
November 2010, aged 71, worked for Gibbs<br />
& Dandy, builders’ merchants, in <strong>Bedford</strong> for<br />
37 years. In rowing, he was cox of the<br />
Colts ‘A’ in 1955. John leaves his wife, their<br />
two children and three grandchildren.<br />
(Thanks to Mrs Tatman and to MIKE<br />
COOPER, Staff).<br />
ROGER COLIN FOX (1969-72) West<br />
House, was killed in a car crash on 22 July<br />
2011, aged 56.<br />
Dr MARK POWLSON (1967-75) North<br />
House, died on 5 September 2011, aged<br />
52. His brother CARL (1980-91) writes:<br />
‘Mark was born in Dartford, Kent, and<br />
attended several schools before joining<br />
BMS. He qualified as a doctor at Guy’s<br />
Hospital in London, where he was editor of<br />
the Guy’s Hospital Gazette. Posts at several<br />
hospitals followed, culminating in the<br />
position of senior registrar at Shrewsbury<br />
Hospital. Mark then took a change of<br />
direction into medical journalism, becoming<br />
assistant editor of The Lancet and<br />
91
subsequently a senior civil servant at the<br />
Department of Health, where he edited the<br />
Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report. Mark<br />
had a passion for literature, cooking and<br />
gastronomic holidays. Mark leaves a son,<br />
Gareth, currently studying at Leeds<br />
University.’<br />
STUART DAVID RANDALL (1977-82)<br />
South House, died on 8 June 2011 from<br />
liver cancer, aged 47.<br />
PAUL MASON (1978-81) East House, died<br />
on 24 April 2002, aged 37. His sister<br />
Margaret kindly let us know, following the<br />
recent death of their father. Paul, who was<br />
a keen football supporter, had three sons,<br />
one of whom has played for Cambridge<br />
United Under 11s, whilst the eldest is now<br />
at university.<br />
ALEXANDER PAUL WILSON (2000-05)<br />
Tilden House, died on 7 October 2011 from<br />
malaria, aged 25, whilst travelling in<br />
Namibia. JACK LEADBETTER<br />
(1998-2005) writes: ‘For anybody to die at<br />
that age is tragic, but particularly for<br />
92<br />
Obituaries<br />
Roland Stanbridge in 1954<br />
someone who was supposed to be on the<br />
trip of a lifetime across Africa, with friends<br />
from Clifford Chance Law <strong>School</strong>. Every<br />
person you speak to will have their own<br />
memory of Alex. Whether this was him<br />
dancing around in his boxer shorts for Tilden<br />
House, hitting golf balls teed up on beer<br />
bottles in Letchworth, or getting stuck in a<br />
lift on a school trip to France, the common<br />
theme in all stories was of an excitable, funloving<br />
and mischievous friend. As Alex went<br />
to Cardiff University, we didn’t see as much<br />
of him as we did at BMS, but his warmth<br />
and humorous nature meant that the<br />
months which went by without seeing him<br />
felt almost seamless. Alex’s kindness was<br />
unrelenting, even if you really didn’t want<br />
that lift in his J-Reg rusty white Corsa. Alex<br />
was remembered in a service at All Saints’<br />
Church, Sudbourne, Suffolk on 28 October<br />
2011. Our thoughts and condolences are<br />
with his mother Cheryl, father Nigel, and<br />
sisters ELIZABETH (2006-08) and<br />
Katherine.’ TOM PARKMAN (1994-2005)<br />
adds: ‘In a third team cricket match, when I<br />
was captain, Alex bowled a string of no<br />
balls/wides within his first six balls. The<br />
umpire told Alex he must continue until we<br />
had at least six 'good balls' bowled. On his<br />
16th ball, he dollied a ball up, the batsman<br />
came down the wicket to slog him for yet<br />
another boundary, but sliced it straight to me<br />
and was out! I could never forget such an<br />
event.’<br />
jack.leadbetter@btinternet.com<br />
The late Roland Stanbridge (1940-45)<br />
MIKE STANBRIDGE (1950-58) is writing a biography of his brother ROLAND<br />
(1940-45), South House, the eminent violinist, who died in 1989. ‘Being 12 years<br />
younger than my brother, I know very little about his early life. Would any OBM of the early<br />
1940s who remembers Roland, please contact me, by e-mail (address below), or<br />
through the Club Secretary? Roland was awarded a scholarship at the Royal College<br />
of Music at the age of 16 for his violin proficiency and musical ability. This achievement<br />
at a very young age was displayed on the BMS honours boards amongst other university<br />
placements. He won the Queen’s Prize for Music at the RCM in 1947 and after two<br />
years’ National Service in the Band of the RAF, he went on to play in numerous orchestras<br />
- ultimately becoming leader of the Philharmonia, the Bergen Symphony, the<br />
Bournemouth Symphony and the Royal Ballet Orchestras, amongst others. He toured<br />
the world with various orchestras, spoke French, German and Italian fluently and became<br />
a wine connoisseur, a gourmet and an absolutely wonderful cook. After a very successful<br />
career he died of a heart attack, aged 59.’<br />
micstanb@btinternet.com
<strong>Eagle</strong> <strong>News</strong> Directory<br />
Accountants<br />
John Wildman (67-74)<br />
15 Grove Place, <strong>Bedford</strong>, MK40 3JJ,<br />
01234 358800. www.jwaccounts.com<br />
David Birch (67-74), and Mark Standish<br />
(68-78). Mazars, Milton Keynes<br />
01908 664466<br />
Chartered accountants and business advisors<br />
working with owner managed businesses,<br />
private individuals and international groups.<br />
Agricultural Contractors and JCB Hire<br />
A & A Lammie (47-52) (78-81).<br />
Church Farm, Tempsford, Sandy.<br />
01767 640272<br />
01860 404871<br />
07860 404871.<br />
Architects<br />
Stephen Day BA (Hons) DipArch RIBA<br />
(84-89) – Fabric Architects,<br />
24 Mabel Grove, Nottingham, NG2 5GT,<br />
0115 9819243, 07967 387944,<br />
office@fabricarchitects.co.uk,<br />
fabricarchitects.co.uk<br />
Stuart Devonshire BA (Hons) BArch RIBA<br />
(88-95) – mk40 architects<br />
46 Harpur Street<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong><br />
MK40 2QT<br />
01234 330646, 07786 858221<br />
sdevonshire@mk40architects.com<br />
www.mk40architects.com<br />
mk40 architects is a young practice interested<br />
in producing architecture that is derived from an<br />
understanding of the client’s aspirations and<br />
brief and the project’s site and context. We<br />
have a broad portfolio of work from new build<br />
houses and extensions to educational buildings<br />
and sports facilities.<br />
Asset Finance<br />
Robert Piggott (77-82)<br />
Red <strong>Eagle</strong> Finance Ltd, 07725 198754<br />
Commercial asset finance brokerage<br />
specialising in Hire Purchase and Leasing for<br />
business users<br />
Books – Antiquarian, Secondhand<br />
Peter Budek (73 – 80). <strong>Eagle</strong> Bookshop, 103<br />
Castle Road, <strong>Bedford</strong><br />
01234 269295<br />
www.eaglebookshop.co.uk.<br />
Building Contractors<br />
Richard (Dick) Gray (64-71) – R.P. Gray Ltd<br />
01234 772007<br />
14 Wilden Road, Renhold, <strong>Bedford</strong><br />
MK41 0JP rp_gray@yahoo.co.uk<br />
www.rpgray.co.uk<br />
NHBC registered House Builder - est. 1980.<br />
Commercial, industrial domestic.<br />
Car Sales<br />
John Mantle (in memory of his father,<br />
Ian, 30-37)<br />
Mantles Group Ltd, 115 London Road,<br />
Biggleswade, SG18 8EX<br />
01767 602700 www.mantles.co.uk<br />
Long established family business specialising in<br />
Ford, Kia, Mitsubishi and MG motor cars.<br />
Andrew Soul (64 – 72), see under<br />
Coach Hire<br />
Chartered Surveyors<br />
Andrew Lester MRICS (68 – 76)<br />
AML Surverys and Valuation Ltd, 4 Burrows<br />
Road, London, NW10 5SG,<br />
0208 9607573,<br />
andrew.m.lester@btinternet.com.<br />
www.a-m-l.co.uk<br />
Giles Ferris Bsc Hons, MRICS (82 – 91)<br />
Stimpsons Eves, 74a High Street, Newport<br />
Pagnell, Milton Keynes, MK16 8AQ,<br />
01908 611408, www.stimpsonseves.co.uk.<br />
Giles.ferris@stimpsonseves.co.uk<br />
A well established local firm of chartered<br />
surveyors<br />
Coach Hire<br />
Andrew Soul (64-72). Soul Garages Ltd, Olney<br />
& Milton Keynes, 01234 244300<br />
Franchised dealership for Subaru, Fiat, Daihatsu,<br />
MG Rover and Proton. Sales, Service & parts.<br />
Dentist<br />
Andrew Fox (79 – 81). Ballard & Tucker, Saffron<br />
Road, Biggleswade, Beds, SG18 8DJ,<br />
01767 312970<br />
Engineers – Civil & Structural<br />
Neil Johnson (64-71) – Unit 9, Beancroft Farm,<br />
Beancroft Road, Marston Moreteyne, <strong>Bedford</strong>,<br />
MK43 0QE, Tel: 01234 768684, Fax 01234<br />
768707, neil@nja-group.co.uk www.njagroup.co.uk<br />
Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers:<br />
Building Design Consultants<br />
Garage Services<br />
John Mantle<br />
(in memory of his father, Ian, 30-37)<br />
Mantles Group Ltd, 115 London Road,<br />
Biggleswade, SG18 8EX<br />
01767 602700<br />
www.mantles.co.uk<br />
Long established family business<br />
specialising in Ford, Kia, Mitsubishi and MG<br />
motor cars.<br />
Financial Advisor<br />
Charlie Wade (86-97)<br />
Specialising in personal and corporate finance,<br />
including investments, pensions, life assurance<br />
and mortgages. Based in London and Milton<br />
Keynes.<br />
07958 997001<br />
Charlie@themartincliffepractice.co.uk<br />
Graphic Design & Corporate Event<br />
Organiser<br />
Oliver Gee (01 – 08)<br />
Red Occasions Ltd, Studio A, 6 Bromham Road,<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong>, MK40 2QA. 020 8960 7573,<br />
0845 1226638, oliverg@redoccasions.com,<br />
www.redoccasions.com<br />
A communication company based in <strong>Bedford</strong>.<br />
Our three main divisions: Events, Design & Web<br />
and Video production. We can offer a<br />
standalone service or an integrated<br />
communication solution.<br />
Guest House/Self-Catering<br />
Roger Burgess (60-68). Park Hall,<br />
West Wales, 4 Star self catering, max 20<br />
01545 560996<br />
www.park-hall.co.uk<br />
Edwardian gentleman’s residence, set in<br />
4.5 acres of ground. Perfect for reunions, family<br />
holidays, celebrations.<br />
Health Insurance<br />
Paul Nash (73-80),<br />
Western Provident Association<br />
01234 824770<br />
Paul.Nash@wpa.org.uk,<br />
www.wpa.org.uk/paulnash.<br />
Directory<br />
Health Insurer of the Year 2007<br />
(Insurance Times 2007)<br />
93
Insurance<br />
Directory<br />
John Miller (60-69) – Bell HealthCare, 29/31<br />
Station Road, Hinckley, Leics<br />
LE10 1AP, 01455 251199<br />
john.miller2@towergate.co.uk<br />
Internet Communications Agency<br />
Matthew Burgess (88-97). Phew.<br />
0845 125 9070<br />
www.phewdesign.com<br />
Logistics and Supply Chain Consultancy<br />
Bruce Cornfoot (86-91). Tamaris Consulting<br />
Ltd. info@tamarisconsulting.com.<br />
0844 884 2658<br />
Derbyshire-based boutique management<br />
consultancy helping medium to large companies<br />
create world class end-to-end supply chains.<br />
Management Systems Consultancy<br />
Ian McIver (60-67) 31 Hartshill, <strong>Bedford</strong>,<br />
MK41 9AL, 01234 328816 or<br />
07968 568057. ian@ianmciver.freeserve.co.uk<br />
Creation & implementation of practical systems<br />
to manage businesses and achieve<br />
accreditation to external standards<br />
Mortgages<br />
Mark Leach (72-81) – Independent Mortgage<br />
Intermediary, 01234 772772,<br />
mtleach@btconnect.com<br />
Optometrist<br />
<strong>Jan</strong> Kuszlewicz (67-75) – John Kaye,<br />
8 Library Walk, Putnoe, <strong>Bedford</strong>,<br />
01234 325060<br />
Community Optometrist, NHS, Private Eye<br />
Examinations, Contact Lenses, Extensive Frame<br />
Range, Convenient Location, Free Parking<br />
Simon Browning (70-78) – Simon Browning<br />
Optometrist, 55 Harpur Street, <strong>Bedford</strong>, MK40<br />
2SR. 01234 353454 sbrowning@eye1.co.uk<br />
NHS and Private eye examinations. Contact<br />
Lens consultations.<br />
Optomap peripheral and central retinal<br />
examinations carried out.<br />
Pest Control<br />
Matt Wheeler (85-90)<br />
Professional Pest Management Ltd, Unit 7A,<br />
Old Bridge Way, Shefford, Beds, SG17 5HQ.<br />
01462 811818<br />
Fax: 01462 811812<br />
pests@ppmlimited.demon.co.uk<br />
Specialising in Domestic and Corporate Pest<br />
Management. Council Appointed. Nationwide.<br />
Port Authority Security Clearance<br />
94<br />
Photography & Photographic<br />
Lee Garland (92 – 99) – Lee Garland<br />
Photography, Studio 248, 111 Piccadilly,<br />
Manchester, M1 2HX, 07779 662178<br />
www.leegarlandphotography.co.uk<br />
Printers<br />
Simon Diffey (77-80). Merry Printers,<br />
22-36 Hastings Street, Luton, LU1 5BE,<br />
01582 726959. www.merryprinters.co.uk<br />
Property Developers<br />
Anthony Inchbald BSc ARICS (78-83).<br />
Elliot Charles Group, Elliot House, White Horse<br />
Yard, Stony Stratford, MK11 1AE,<br />
01908 561330, info@elliotcharlesgroup.com<br />
www.elliotcharlesgroup.com<br />
Residential Relocation Agents - United<br />
Kingdom & Overseas<br />
Douglas Fensome (56-62).<br />
The County Homesearch Company,<br />
1B Rothsay Place, <strong>Bedford</strong>, MK40 3QD.<br />
01234 354592. douglasfensome@countyhomesearch.co.uk<br />
www.wefindhouse.com<br />
Home finding service for private and corporate<br />
clients to purchase or rent in Herts, Beds,<br />
Cambs<br />
Roofing<br />
Dean Henrickson (81-90) M&J Flat Roofing<br />
Limited Triumph Way, Kempston, Beds, MK42<br />
7QB, 01234 854890,<br />
0844 800 3912, Fax: 0844 800 1081,<br />
mj@mjroofing.com<br />
deanhenrickson@mjroofing.com<br />
www.mjroofing.com<br />
Solicitors<br />
Gideon Cristofoli (76-86). Bookers & Bolton,<br />
Alton, Hants, 01420 82881.<br />
Jeffrey Mills (52-60). Jeffrey Mills Solicitors, 26<br />
Market Square, St. Neots, Cambs,<br />
PE19 2PJ. 01480 219699/475871.<br />
www.jeffreymillssolicitors.co.uk<br />
lawatmills@aol.com<br />
Also at St. Ives and Sawtry.<br />
Graham Humphrey (65-67). Borneo Linnells<br />
Solicitors, Dixon House, 77-97 Harpur Street,<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> MK40 2SY. 01234 353221.<br />
www.borneolinnells.co.uk<br />
Offices also at Milton Keynes and Newport<br />
Pagnell<br />
Vincent Foley (79-85).<br />
Borneo Linnells Solicitors, Dixon House,<br />
77-97 Harpur Street, <strong>Bedford</strong> MK40 2SY.<br />
01234 353221. www.borneolinnells.co.uk<br />
Offices also at Milton Keynes and Newport<br />
Pagnell<br />
Training and Research Services<br />
Ricky Thakrar (01-05)<br />
Accelerator – Bringing Pace to Change<br />
0203 008 6038<br />
www.acceleratorsolutions.com<br />
Is a reputation for great customer service critical<br />
to your organisation's success? Accelerator<br />
helps organisations succeed through improved<br />
customer service, leadership and management.<br />
Transport<br />
Simon Harris (76-81). HTS,<br />
196 Foster Hill Road, <strong>Bedford</strong>, MK41 7TB.<br />
01234 314522, 07801 365116,<br />
simonhts@ntlworld.com www.htstransport.co.uk<br />
Light haulage, courier and removals<br />
Travel Agents<br />
Allen Sturges (51-56).<br />
Consultant to <strong>Eagle</strong> Travel,<br />
11 Goldington Road, <strong>Bedford</strong> MK40 3JY<br />
01234 348882<br />
office@eagletravel.co.uk<br />
www.eagletravel.co.uk<br />
Valuers, Land and Estate Agents<br />
Jeremy Clayson (64-71). Warmingtons,<br />
Park Farm, Stevington, 01234 823661.<br />
Warmingtons. Your local independent agents<br />
with a rural perspective specialising in village<br />
and county property<br />
Veterinary Surgeons<br />
Nigel Jacklin (82-89). Rhodes<br />
Veterinary Surgery, 95 Queens Park Parade,<br />
Kingsthorpe, Northampton. 01604 712070.<br />
David Chennells (61-70). Acorn House, Linnet<br />
Way, <strong>Bedford</strong>,<br />
01234 261839/266412.<br />
Fully equipped purpose built seven vet clinic for<br />
companion animals and also farm services<br />
Web Design & Web Development<br />
Jonathan Woods (89-94). Studio 24 Ltd,<br />
0870 241 6159 www.studio24.net<br />
jonathan.woods@studio24.net<br />
Professional web design and web<br />
development services from an award winning<br />
agency.
WWW.FISKENS.COM<br />
SUPPLIERS TO FISKENS FINE HISTORIC AUTOMOBILES, SIMON DIFFEY OBM, WWW.MERRYPRINTERS.CO.UK<br />
Advertisements<br />
Red <strong>Eagle</strong><br />
Finance Ltd Finance For Business<br />
Asset Finance<br />
Hire Purchase<br />
Finance/Operating Leasing<br />
Cars for Directors<br />
Property Finance<br />
Re-Finance of existing assets<br />
IT Equipment Funding<br />
Plant & Machinery Funding<br />
Cars,Vans & Trucks Funding<br />
Specialised Equipment<br />
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Local & Independent<br />
Traditional & Structured<br />
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Fully Approved Introducer<br />
to all Major Banks &<br />
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Contact Robert Piggott<br />
Tel: 07725 198754 Fax: 01234 403136<br />
email: rob@redeaglefinance.co.uk www.redeaglefinance.co.uk<br />
95
Thank You.<br />
If you have left a gift for <strong>Bedford</strong> <strong>Modern</strong> <strong>School</strong> in your will,<br />
please let us know so that we can thank you in your lifetime.<br />
Write to: Mr Richard Claas, Development Director<br />
<strong>Bedford</strong> <strong>Modern</strong> <strong>School</strong>, Manton Lane, <strong>Bedford</strong>, MK41 7NT<br />
Tel: 01234 332576<br />
Email: rclaas@bedmod.co.uk