The Salopian Summer 2023

116
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Stephen Lewis (R 1954-59)
Stephen Lewis was born in Bedford in 1940 but moved with
his family to Windermere in 1944, where his father became
headmaster of Windermere Grammar School. A supremely
happy childhood included early education at the Craig School
under the generous guidance of its Headmaster, Edward
Hewetson (Ch 1915-21).
Shrewsbury took over in 1954. Scholarship took priority over
sport, although he represented Rigg’s with enthusiasm in most
games. Stephen, along with his brothers Tim (R 1950-55) and
Anthony (R 1952-56) were under the care of Hugh Brooke, a
talented Housemaster and great influence on all three.
Stephen became a Praeposter and Head of House and excelled
in history, particularly under Michael Hart. He won an Exhibition
to Peterhouse, Cambridge, following in his father’s footsteps. His
father tragically died before hearing news of this achievement.
Recently, Stephen was delighted to continue his education with
Mr Hart at the annual Marlborough Summer School.
After Cambridge, Stephen enjoyed a spell in the paper industry
in the UK and Brazil. However, the invitation to travel home
by boat to attend brother Anthony’s wedding proved a greater
temptation and he accepted with alacrity.
After a brief spell teaching, Stephen decided to become a
Chartered Accountant, joining Anthony at a small but highly
respected firm, Hodgson Morris & Co, in Liverpool. He was
placed 22nd in the country in his exams and, after widening his
experience with Coopers, he returned to Hodgson Morris. He
and Anthony remained in partnership until the mid-1990s when
the firm was taken over. Stephen left to build his own practice.
Clients followed and became not only business associates but
firm friends. He was still working for them from his hospital bed.
At Anthony’s wedding, Stephen met and subsequently married
Gillie Travis, younger sister of the bride. Anthony and Stephen
were therefore brothers, brothers-in-law and business partners.
Married life suited Stephen perfectly. He and Gillie became
proud parents of Sally, Ros and Tom (R 1986-91), with eight
grandchildren arriving in due course. Holidays were taken
in Abersoch, where sailing became a pastime. However, for
Stephen, the land and golf provided the stronger calling. At
Royal Birkdale Golf Club, he was both Treasurer and Captain of
that famous course, a role which Gillie also fulfilled for the lady
members, emulating her mother and her aunt.
When he wasn’t dreaming of splicing the fairways at Birkdale,
Stephen found his way to Formby Golf Club, where he also
served on the finance committee. He was a keen and regular
player until shortly before his death and loved the repartee of
the 19th hole.
He never once complained about his bad luck in contracting a
rare and aggressive cancer. Instead, he whiled away his time in
hospital with work, crosswords and the horses. He might have
become a bookie if he had his life all over again; changing from
chartered to turf would have amused him. Like all gamblers, he
didn’t disclose his losses, although he was proud to proclaim his
winners on courses ranging from Aintree to Punchiestown!
Stephen was a man of many parts - charming, warm-hearted,
witty, informed and generous. He will be greatly missed but was
the first to admit that he had had a good life.
[Anthony Lewis (R 1952-56)]
Shortly before he died, Stephen sent a brief account of a lunch
attended by 11 former Riggites, held annually for nearly 20
years, to remember their Housemaster, Hugh Brooke (Brookie)
(see page 92). Pictured from L to R are: John Bolton, Francis
Grundy, Nigel Burton, John Ingram, Mark Moody-Stuart, John
Sellers, Michael Palin, Stephen Lewis, John Gilbert, Mrs Carol
Boscoe (Brookie’s daughter) and Robin Hodgson. All were in
RHJB between 1954 and 1962.
John Alexander Salmond
Mackenzie-Grieve
(M 1951-56)
John Mackenzie-Grieve was
born in 1938 in London, where
his Royal Naval father was in
the Admiralty. After the war, the
family moved to north Essex,
where John was able to indulge
his love of everything equestrian,
with family friends who nobly
allowed him and his sister to
help with mucking out (and
riding the steeds responsible).
In due course John was dispatched to Shrewsbury. He devoted
his sporting time to the RSSH (of which he became Hunt
Secretary) and swimming, in which he also represented the
School. For his last year he was Head of House in Moser’s.
National Service in the Royal Navy followed. Adding fencing and
shooting to his talents for running, riding and swimming, he was
quickly involved in the Navy’s pentathlon team and won the
inter-services competition.
On leaving the Navy, John joined British American Tobacco
(BAT), with which he spent ten years in East Africa. He devoted
much of his spare time to another of his interests, natural history.
His enthusiasm extended to pretty much everything wild, to the
extent that when his fiancée, Jo Chevalier, first visited from the
UK, after one look at the containers on the verandah she quickly