THE BULLETIN
of
THE CIRENCESTER OLD GRAMMARIANS 1940s ASSOCIATION
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The Association was formed in 1988 with the object of ‘keeping alive the spirit of the pupils who attended the Victoria Road school during the 1940s’. Former pupils from other decades are also welcome and the Association already has on its books members from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. The ‘spirit’ is kept alive by quarterly lunches in and around Cirencester and these are well attended by members and their guests.
The venues and dates for 2017 were:
Spring The Highwayman 9th March 2017 (58 attended)
Summer Minchinhampton GC 8th June June 2017 (64 attended)
Autumn Corinium Court Hotel 4th October 2017 (37 attended)
Christmas: Crown of Crucis 14th December 2017 (61 attended)
Forms on which to indicate interest in the lunches are forwarded to each member with The New Cirencestrian in December each year. To receive details please make sure you return the form together with the appropriate number of SAEs. No additional places can be guaranteed without such prior notice. It’s important to send the form in early and sometimes space is an issue – and we hate to disappoint.
In addition to the quarterly lunches, members are kept in touch by means of this website and our annual magazine The New Cirencestrian.
The dates and venues for 2018 were as follows:
Spring The Highwayman 8th March (48 attended)
Summer The Corinium Court 6th June (35 attended)
Autumn The Crown of Crucis 20th September (32 attended)
(Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the founding of the 1940s Association)
Finally
Christmas Minchinhampton Golf Club 4th December. (52 attended)
The dates and venues for 2019 were as follows:
Spring: The Corinium Hotel- 27th March (42 attended)
Summer: Minchinhampton Golf Club – 9th July
(40 attended)
Christmas: The Crown of Crucis – 10th December (45 attended)
The dates and venues for the 2020 lunches are as follows:
Spring The Crown of Crucis – 19th March
Summer The Minchinhampton Golf Club – 7th July
Christmas The Crown of Crucis 10th December
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24th OCTOBER 1881 – 14th JULY 1966
CIRENCESTER GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Victoria Road
Cirencester
COMMITTEE
President – Dr Brian Gegg
Vice-President – Peter Rowe
Chairman – this office rotates amongst the committee members
Hon. Joint Secretaries – Ann Green (Da Silva) & Pauline Parker (Sampson)
Hon. Treasurer – Pauline Parker (Sampson);
Members – Michael Rose, Malcolm Whittaker, Isabel Pitts (Beale), Frances Chapman,
Daphne Lissimore and Ralph Wilkins.
(The Committee meets on a quarterly basis and the next meeting will be held on 12th March 2020).
OLD GRAMMARIANS NEWS
This slot is available for any news concerning Cirencester or Old Grammarians that comes to light during the year. In particular, we are interested in anniversaries and general family news
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TRYING TO TRACE
CLASS 1A of 1959
Michael Jenner would like to hear from any of his former Classmates. He can be contacted on:
michaeljenner2010@gmail.com
Long lost relative in New Zealand would like to re- establish contact with his cousin Betty BREWER.
Betty was an Old Grammarian, round about Class of 1949/50. who lived at Woodmancote. Used to cycle to school each day. Mother was Gwen. It is thought she went to London to study and work in a hospital. Believed to have married but new surname unknown. Any information that might help to your editor – Peter Rowe.
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Also trying to trace Jane SELBY, born circa 1922, at the Grammar School from early to mid 1930s. An accomplished swimmer, she was also a high diver of some fame. Again, Peter Rowe would be grateful to receive any news of Jane’s adult years.
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Margaret FRENCH our Centenarian
Margaret was born on 14th January 1917 in the shadow of the Parish Church and grew up in Gosditch Street. She attended the Grammar School in a Class of the late 1920s and on leaving became a teacher before attending a missionary training college.
Margaret became a missionary being posted to Egypt and returning to Cirencester in 1969 fluent in both Arabic and French. She was long serving member of Cirencester Baptist Church and often played the organ during services. Margaret lived in the Watermoor Road almshouses. Many congratulations Margaret! Sadly, Margaret passed away on 11th January 2018.
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John LIGHT
John, who is an Old Grammarian, is one of two new columnists on The Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard.
Incidentally, The Standard, which has been based in Dyer Street for 114 years, has moved to Stroud.
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Malcolm WHITAKER
During 2016, during a special ceremony at Syde, the Gloucestershire High Sheriff, the Countess Bathurst, presented Malcolm with the High Sheriff’s Certificate (the first she had awarded), in recognition of ‘his great and valuable service to the community’.
As Chairman of the Gloucestershire National Farmer’s Union in 1989 he saw at first hand the changes that were taking place in farming. Importantly he recognised the problems these brought to the farming community who then had little chance of being able to discuss their difficulties and worries with people in a position to properly equipped to advise them. Malcolm recruited a group of farmers to bring their special talents to the task of helping farming communities.
This led to similar groups being formed nationwide under the umbrella of the Farm Community Network supported by other charities and is there to help and advise members of the farming community.
Congratulations Malcolm – job well done!
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KEEPING IN TOUCH
Like most similar organisations we occasionally lose contact with members. Especially those who either live abroad or spend a lot of time out of the country. No-one has to keep in contact, of course, but it is nice to know how people are getting on, where they live and so forth. This is a plea to people who have not been in touch for a while or able to attend quarterly lunches etc. So please get in touch with us, let us know you are alive and kicking. The contact email is:
peter.rowe137@gmail.com
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THE ‘NEW CIRENCESTRIAN’ MAGAZINE
The Association’s annual magazine, The New Cirencestrian, for 2019 is being worked on and will be published in December. Contributions for the edition will be welcome.
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CIRENCESTER NEWS
Ciren to Kemble Railway to be resumed?
There are proposals to re-open the Cirencester Kemble to Cirencester rail services it has been announced. It seems the plan is to use part of the old route from Kemble, going through the proposed new Chesterton development and turning to link up with the Royal Agricultural University, the Deer Park School and Cirencester College before continuing on next to Old Tetbury Road into the town.
Full details of the proposals are to be found at: www.cirentrain.org.uk.
If anyone has information on Bertram Hibbert (an OG who was killed in action in 1918) the editor would be interested to hear. Especially if there is news of any extant relatives.
As a result of this notice a reply has been received from Judith Hibbert. Bertram was her first cousin twice removed and she till has his ‘death penny’. His family originally came from Westhoughton in Lancashire. http://www.cirenhistory.org.uk/ww1_heywood_jones.htm#x1_ww1_hibbert_bertram. Might be a useful source,.
This slot is available for Cirencester news concerning residents. Don’t forget that the Wilts & Glos Standard is published weekly and a certain amount of its news can be accessed via:
wiltsglosstandard.co.uk
The Old Grammar School in Park Lane, Cirencester, has been sold on.
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Cirencester Amphitheatre Masterplan.
The Town Council has been working with various organisations to develop a masterplan to reconnect the amphitheatre with the local community and make it a regional and national destination. The area includes not only the amphitheatre but Querns Wood, Four Acre Field and the Obelisk. Planning permission is being sought for enhancement works around the entrances to the Obelisk from Cotswold Avenue and the Scout hut, including insertion of a bridge, staircase, steps and a toposcope. Interesting aerial photograph of the area in the Wilts & Glos Standard of 25th September 2004 at page 63.
See latest news section at www.cirencester.gov.uk.
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OBITUARIES (reported from 2014 onwards)
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Cynthia BELLAR (nee Curtis) Class of circa 1940
Ruth Jenner (nee Woodhouse) Class of 1959
Dorothy GRINNAL (nee Harding) Class of circa 1936
Peter MORGAN Class of circa 1939. In Australia
Michael J DENNIS. In Australia. Class of circa 1939
Robert (Bob) WARREN of Poulton. Class of circa 1950s
Margaret HENMAN (nee Stott). Class of 1947
Ann Margaret WEBB (79). Wife of Old Grammarian Arthur Webb.
Margaret ‘Meg’ MORGAN. Class of circa 1942.
John WHITAKER (84) Brother of Malcolm. Class of 1941.
Audrey VINER (94) Mother of David.
Donald Major SLINGSBY. Aged 94. Class of circa 1930. 19th June 2014. At Hunters Care Home.
Chloe DANCE – widow of our last headmaster.
Frank GOODALE. passed away in a Nursing Home in Sussex during August 2014. Many Old Grammarians will remember Frank as a member of a an early 1940s class. He was an excellent all round sportsman. His passing breaks one of the few remaining links with the past in the sense that he attended Old Grammarian functions in the old days – both dinners and Old Boys sports events. He was chairman at one point in the 1950s. In more recent years he joined us at 1940s lunches and Grand Reunions.
Gordon TIMBRELL (81) Class of circa 1943
Gordon, of Poole Keynes, brother of Freddie, passed away on 28th August 2014.
Yvonne MACDONALD (Gough) (92) Class of circa mid 1930s.
Yvonne, sister of Joy, passed away on 15th September 2014 at Cape Cod, USA. Joy was a few days short of her 93rd birthday.
Jeanne HURST (Biggs) 83
Jeanne, who lived at Poulton, was a teacher at the school 1950s to 1960s.
Marilyn WELCH (Smith) Class of 1959.
Marilyn died in late May 2014.
Margaret HENSON (Stott) Circa 1947
David SPECK (Circa 1944)
Madeleine DIBBEN Circa 1935.
Janet HARROLD (Ryland) (76) Class of 1949.
John GEGG (93) Class of early 1930s
Mary DAY (86) Class of the late 1930s
Josie CLARKE (81) Class of 1944
Frederick (John) ROBERTS (83) Class of circa 1943/4
Husband of Tessa (Hughes).
Peter HARDING (82) Class of 1943
Freddie TIMBRELL (83) Class of 1943
Henry ARCHER (83) Class of 1943
Stanley Neil CARRUTHERS (About 78) Class of 1946.
Roy TOWNSEND
Edna IRELAND
Edna was the widow of John Ireland, a teacher at the school in the 1950/60s. John was the author, with Edwin Cuss, of ‘The History of Cirencester Grammar School’.
Colin OCKWELL (About 83) Class 0f 1943
Doug HUGHES (76) Class of mid 1950s.
Barbara Joan THOMPSON (91)
Jennifer LETHBRIDGE (Tyreman) Class of early 1950s.
Philip LISSIMORE
The husband of Daphne (Teed).
Eric ‘George’ BUNYAN (87) Class of late 1930s
Originally lived in Watermoor Road.
Betty ROMANS wife of teachers Mr Romans.
Gerald MILLS (85) Class of early 1940s
Cozy POWELL (1947-1998) Class of 1959
Colin Trevor Powell (‘Colin Flooks’) was born in Cirencester and, in due course, went to Cirencester Grammar School circa 1957/8. On 7th January 2008 he was honoured by a blue plaque in his name which was unveiled at the Corn Hall in a ceremony attended by civic dignitaries and the great and good of the music world.
Whilst at the Grammar School he joined the school orchestra and became proficient on the drums and other percussion instruments. He went on to play with a number of well known bands and personalities. In particular he played with Black Sabbath and Suzi Quatro which will give an idea of his music genre. At the unveiling Brian May described Cozy as being of a generation that created a new way of drumming that was completely different. He was one of the greatest.
Cozy died in a car crash on the M4 at the age of 50.
Donald HIETT
Wendy THOMPSON (Stansfield)
David REYNOLDS (Class of circa 1944)
Robin Luther WALKER (Class of circa 1946)
Bryan Edward BENNETT (87, former proprietor of Bennett’s Garage) Class of circa 1940/1.
Sir Peter MAXWELL DAVIES. (81) Sir Peter, composer, teacher at the Grammar School in the early 1960s and, for a period, Master of the Queen’s Music, died on 14th March 2016 at his home in Orkney. He had been suffering from leukaemia. Whilst at the Grammar School he formed a school choir and a full orchestra which performed several of his symphonies on the BBC.
Roy Anthony DOWDESWELL (84) (Class of 1943)
Joan and Betty CLEMENTS.
Information from sister Primrose Croteau (nee Clements) New Hampshire, USA.
Dorothy WELLS (nee Cole) Class of 1935
Dick BUSHELL (84) Class of circa 1944)
William John DAY (82) and Christine DAY (76)
Robert (Bob) CURNICK (96)
William (Bill) WORLD (96)
Margaret THORN (Maulden) (83).
Ann HOOKEY (79) Class of 1949.
Frederick Colin LEA (Class of circa 1946}.
Richard (Dick) BUSHELL (Class of circa 1946)
Dorothy WELLS (Nee Cole) (Class of circa 1936)
Robert (Bob) LIGHT (Class of circa 1956)
John PONTING (Class of circa 1949)
Sheila RICHENS (nee Hunter) (Class of circa 1959)
Ted WHEELER
Margaret BOWN (nee Petrie) (97) Class of circa 1930.
Peggy ELLIOTT (Weekes) (80) Class of 1948
Brian MARSH (78) (Class of c1949)
Peter Alexander GRACZYK (63)
Pam WEBLEY (nee Gearing)
Rosemary KING (nee Bolton)(89) Class of 1940
Peter Harold WEBB (92) (Class of circa 1937)
We have just learned that Peter passed peacefully away on Thursday 19th October at Elm Lodge Nursing Home where he had been resident for some time. Peter leaves his widow Pam.
Peter was an extraordinary Old Grammarian. He was a member of the Old Boys Association after World War II and a Life Member. The Old Boys and Old Girls Associations merged in the late 1950s and Peter became the Secretary. The joint Association was disbanded in the mid 1970s.
When interest in the Association resumed in the early 1980s Peter and Pam were among the first to offer help and assistance in forming the new Reunion Committee which, between 1993 and the present has organised ten reunions bringing together many hundreds of Old Grammarians.
Derek WARING (88)
Derek was the husband of Rosemary Waring, Chair of the Reunion Committee.
Wendy VEITCH (82) (Class of circa 1948)
It is with great regret that we announce the sad news that Wendy, who was the Secretary of the 1940s Association, passed away on 10th November 1917 in Southampton Hospital.
Joy LOFTHOUSE (94) (Class of circa 1933/4)
It is with great regret that we announce the sad news that Joy passed away on, 16th November 2017. She had been suffering from pneumonia.
Janice SAVAGE (Nee Lea) (87) (Class of circa 1942)
Janice, sister of Eldon and the late Delmar, passed away in November. She lived in Cumbria.
John DYDE (86) (Class of circa 1943)
Margaret Evelyn FRENCH (100) Class of the late 1920s)
Margaret, who spent some time as a missionary, passed away on 11th January a few days short of her 101st birthday.
Geoff SIMPSON. A pupil of the late 1940s.
ROBIN WALKER
Bob FLEXEN (Class of 1934) (In his early 90s)
Ruth EVANS (nee Jenks) At school 1940/50.
John PITMAN (aged about 77) Class 1951)
Pamela BLOWING (Late 80s)
Pamela, the wife of Rodway.
Elizabeth (Betty) WEYMAN (91) (Class of 1937)
Olive HARRIS (94) (Class of 1933) Mother of Tony Harris.
Muriel (Meg) PERRY.
Pam Joan WEBB (87) Class of 1941/2.
Gordon WESKETT (Late 80s) Class of early 1940s
Eleanor WAITE (Age – early 20s) (Class of circa 1960s)
Eleanor passed away about 1970.
Ruth GREEN (nee Wheeler) Class of 1940)
Jane LINFORD (nee Shuttleworth) (Class of 1949)
Ken CARROLL Mid-80s (class of circa 1944).
Raymond WYMAN (Mid 80s) (Class of 1945)
Raymond ‘Wink’ Wyman passed away at his home in Newark, Notts, in mid-September. It is understood that his younger brother, who was a professor at an American university, passed away two weeks earlier.
Margaret RALSTON (Bailey) (94) Class of early 1930s.
Doug LEGG (Class of about 1934)
Harry GRENVILLE. It is with regret that we have to report the passing of Mr Grenville who passed away on Tuesday 6th November 2018.
Harry was a German Jewish refugee who came to this country with his sister and was brought up with a family in Cornwall. He served in the British army and later taught Science at our school. His own parents/grandparents perished in Auschwitz concentration camp.
His memorial will take place at 2pm Dorchester Corn Exchange on 25th January and will follow on from a Holocaust Memorial Service. Timing and other details are awaited.
Anyone wishing to attend should contact Brenda Lissimore who is in contact with Mr Grenville’s daughter.
Doug LEGG (Mid 90s) (Class of circa 1934)
Doug passed away on 9th January 2018. No further details to hand.
Dorothy WEAVING passed away on the morning of 17th December 2018. Further details awaited.
Maurice THOMPSON (94) Class of mid-1930s ) Maurice passed away on Christmas Day. His Thanksgiving Service will take place a 2pm Fridau 11th January at Watermoor Church.
Veronica YEGEN-HEAL (75) (Class of 1954). Veronica passed away on 3rd January 2019.
Mr R.J. Garner (94) (Class of mid-1930s)
No further details at present.
Kenneth WALKLEY (87) (Class of 1943)
Ken (brother of Jean) was resident in Vancouver Island, Canada, passed peacefully away in hospital there on 10th January.
Eldon LEA (87) (Class of circa 1946/7)
Eldon passed away on 29th January at a South Bristol nursing home. His funeral is set for Monday 11th February at the South Bristol Crematorium (off the A38) afterwards at Woodspring Golf Club.
Eldon, formerly of Jenner House, was a bank manager and brother to the late Janice and Delmar.
Robin PACKHAM
Rob passed away on 19th February in a hospice near his Bristol home. Rob was a much valued member of the Reunion Committee and will be sadly missed. Rob’s service Took take place at Westerleigh Crematorium on Tuesday 12th March.
Audrey BARTLETT (nee Aston) (83) (Class 1P of 1946)
We have learned that Audrey passed away recently in Australia.
Amy Eleanor BLISS (nee Ripley) 88 (Class of mid 1940s)
Amy passed away at home on 23rd April 2019. Sister of Geoff. Amy’s thanksgiving service will be held at Cirencester Ashcroft Church, Friday 24th May at 2.30pm.
Ruth GADD (nee Pady) early 90s (Class of late 30s/early 40s)
Ruth passed away at home on 9th May. The service celebrating Ruth’s life will be held at Watermoor Church on Thursday 30th May 2019.
Vernon HARDING 83 (Class of 1947)
Vernon passed away on 3rd June. He had been rushed to hospital suffering from an aortic aneurysm. A celebration of his life will be held at St Cuthbert’s Church, Wells on Monday July 1st at 2.30pm.
Patricia READ (nee Keen/Bradley) 80 (Class of 1948)
Pat passed away on 6th June. Her funeral service will take place at St.Peter’s Church, Siddington, on Wednesday 19th June at 11am.
John LAVERY (70app)(Class of circa 1948) – on 8th June – in Australia. No further details to hand.
Professor Jeffrey WYMAN (Early 70s) Class of Circa 1956.
Jeffrey (brother of the late Raymond Wyman) passed away in September 2018. No further details available.
Jean Sally HODDINOTT (nee FLUCK) (87) ( Class of 1943)
Sally passed away on 30th August 2019. The funeral service will be held at the North Wilts Crematorium on Monday 7th October at 11am.
Madge SMEETON (nee Walker) (app 90) (Class of circa 1940)
Madge passed away on 8th September. Her Thanksgiving Service will be held at Holy Trinity Church, Cirencester, on Tuesday 24th September at 2pm. ……..and…
David SMEETON, husband of Madge. Further details awaited.
Patrick PINCOMBE (app 77) (Class of 1953) on 10th October. No further details.
Daphne RIPLEY (mid 80s)
Daphne was the wife of Geoffrey Ripley of Bridge Farm, Daglingworth (Class of 1943). Further details awaited.
Ron BRUNSDON (93) died peacefully with his family on 11th November. Ron’s funeral service will be held on Tuesday 26th November at 2.30pm – All Saints Church, North Cerney.
Brendan Jones (Class of circa 1952) No further details
Betty Durham (Sister of Pat) (95) Betty (Dorothy Elizabeth) passed away on 19th November. A Thanksgiving Service in her memory will be held at at Holy Trinity Church, Watermoor on Wednesday 4th December at 2pm.
Squadron Leader Thomas James Palmer MBE (Aged 99)
Jim passed away on 7th December at Careford Lodge, Merriott. The dates he was a pupil at the Grammar School are not known, but would have been the 1929/1930 era. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and was on ‘Spitfire duties’ over the period of the D Day landings. Subsequently Jim became a career member of the the service.
His service was held on Monday 23rd December at Salisbury Crematorium, Barrington Road, Salisbury SP1 3JB.
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Irene STRANGE (82) Further details to follow
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Squadron Leader Brian WESKETT (88) Class of 1943)
Brian passed away on 39th January 2020 at Crawley Hospital. Brian was formerly a pilot with the RAF and later with Dan Air. Information from Brian’s widow Anne (nee Payne). A school photograph of Brian is at page 44 of ‘Looking Back at Cirencester Grammar School’.
Further information is awaited.
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Angela RICHARDSON (about 82) (Class of 1949)
Further information awaited.
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Ray BENFIELD (92)
At The Great Western Hospital, Swindon. Further information awaited.
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This page last revised on 21st February 2020
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THE OLD GRAMMARIANS NEWSLETTER Old Grammarians will be familiar with the OG Newsletter which has been published by Ralph Wilkins and Mavis Mills since the 1990s. For them both, the task has been a labour of love. After the 2016 Reunion, Ralph and Mavis retired and the post was taken over by Jennie Hale (Cullip) who is producing further editions.
GRAND REUNIONS
Reunions, held at the Bingham Hall, and open to all former pupils (irrespective their year of entry) their guests and members of staff, have always been popular. Reunions were held during 1993, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012,2014 and 2016. The eleventh Reunion was held on the weekend of 22/23 September 2018. Over a hundred were in attendance on both days. It was a great success!
STOP PRESS – REUNION 2020
THE TWELFTH GRAND REUNION WILL BE HELD AT
THE BINGHAM HALL ON THE WEEKEND OF 19/20th SEPTEMBER 2020