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This continues to be an ‘interesting’ time at Bablake! Although pupils had engaged in a comprehensive remote learning provision during the first lockdown, it was a joy to welcome everyone back on site in September. We stayed open to look after the children of key workers and other vulnerable pupils and these young people worked hard to fill the buildings with laughter and learning, however; it felt very quiet. There are still many restrictions to follow so that we may keep everyone as safe as possible, such as one-way systems around the site, having to wear face coverings when moving around the school and keeping year groups apart. I suspect we will have far fewer colds and other viruses this winter because of the increased hygiene routines that even the most reluctant teenager is following! Some of our co -curricular programme has been hit but overall we are succeeding in providing a sense of normality for pupils, who are continuing to make great progress. The biggest impact has been on staff, since we can no longer spend much time in each other’s company and when we do, we have to remain two metres apart. The public examination results fiasco in the summer was certainly something that our A Level students could have done without. Once the dust settled, however, most Bablake students achieved outstanding grades and obtained places at their first choice universities. Although no league tables will be published this year, I am confident that we remain one of the highest achieving schools in the Midlands. The merger with KHVIII will have worried many former pupils and much as I would love to think that the two schools could have carried on as before, this is simply not the case. The finances of the Foundation meant that something needed to change. Lots of options were considered, but I genuinely believe that the move to become one school will protect much that is good about Bablake. I hope we will be able to share more of the plans with you soon, to help reassure you that there is no intention to throw out all our much-treasured heritage. Instead it should mean that we are able to continue to provide an outstanding education for young people in Coventry and beyond for many years to come. Once Covid rules allow, we look forward to welcoming you back at one of our events here at school. You may have seen our Remembrance service and we hope to be able to record a Christmas celebration from St John’s Church to share with you before we break up.
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DIGBY FINE ENGLISH WINES “What a delight! Not only are we Gold, we are Best-in-Class!”
In January 2020 Cpl Ali Ball was selected to represent the RAF in Lusen, Italy at the RAF Natural Luge Championships where Ali attained 3rd place and then went on to compete in the National Championships, coming a very close 4th. Ali hopes to compete for Team GB next season.
The biggest awards night of the year in Digbyland, the black-tie World Championships Awards Dinner. See Digby Wines
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Congratulations (albeit slightly late!) to Ben Roberts, who was appointed as CEO of the British Film Industry in December 2019. To read the article in full please follow the link: https://www2.bfi.org.uk/newsopinion/news-bfi/announcements/ ben-roberts-chief-executive-bfi
Phil, now living in Aberystwyth. Still an actor but in 2019 directed Macbeth in his home town. Phil sent in the article, which appeared in EGO magazine June 2019 issue. To read in full, please see pages 36-37 in the following link: EGO Magazine
Taken from EGO magazine June 2019 issue 4
Donald Shaw and Peter Dawson first attended Bablake Grammar as new students in September 1948. They were regarded, curiously, as second formers and their class was called ‘Shell X’. There were two other second form classes, Shell Y and Shell Z. At the end of the year they both progressed to Class 3L as third formers. The ‘L’ denoted that Class 3L studied Latin. Class 3G studied German and Class 3C neither Latin nor German. The same pattern continued in the fourth and fifth forms. At the mid year and end of year examinations Donald was nearly always top of the class. Peter was usually second or third, but always top in Mathematics. It had been normal for fifth formers to take the national GCE ‘Ordinary’ level examination at the end of their school year but the Labour government of the day decreed that no one under the age of sixteen should be exposed to the trauma of ‘O-levels’. This posed a dilemma for the school as most fifth formers were ready to become sixth formers, but they could not properly do so as they had not yet passed their ‘O-levels’. Therefore, what should have been the ‘lower sixth’ forms, were called the ‘transition’ forms and were divided into ‘TA’ for arts students and ‘TS’ for science students. Donald and Peter were both in Class ‘TS’. Donald studied Physics, Chemistry and Ciology; Peter studied Mathematics in place of Biology. Both stayed on for a third sixth form year aiming at gaining entrance to a University. Donald got a scholarship to University College, Oxford, to read Medicine; Peter was accepted by Jesus College, Cambridge, to read Mechanical Sciences. There was one difference. Donald went up to ‘Uni’, straight after school, in September 1955. Peter did his, then compulsory, National Service in the Royal Army Pay Corps before going up to ‘Jesus’ in 1957. After graduating Donald went on to be a radiologist at University College and Great Ormond Street Hospitals. Peter joined Taylor Woodrow Construction as a Civil Engineer and stayed with them for 36 years, ending up as Chief Design Engineer. Another contemporary of Donald and Peter throughout their years at Bablake was Donald Trelford, who went on to become editor of ‘The Observer’ newspaper for 18 years. Throughout their times at college and for many years thereafter, Donald and Peter kept in contact by letter, with frequent meetings during holidays. Peter invited Donald to be his ‘Best Man’ at his wedding in September 1965 but Donald was obliged to decline because of hospital commitments. Donald was married in 1964. By a strange coincidence, both Donald’s and Peter’s wives are named Anne. After Peter moved to live in Thailand in 1996 contact was reduced to news letters with their annual Christmas cards. In the summer of 2019 they discovered e-mails. After a few exchanges, Donald chanced to mention that he frequently visited his daughter, who lived in Thornbury, just north of Bristol. This amazed Peter as his son, David, also lived in Thornbury and Peter and his wife would be visiting David in September. A reunion was certainly a priority. Donald and Peter met for lunch at Thornbury Castle on 18th September 2019, seventy-one years after their first meeting in Shell X. 5
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Lift Up Your Feet and Put them on the Ground You Used to Walk on When You Were Young “In Spring 2019, I realised that September of that year would mark 50 years since I first walked into Bablake as a nervous 11-year-old. I haven’t kept in touch with many of my fellow pupils since I left but I am still friends with Richard Meredith, Paul Strickland and Andy Hall. I asked them if they would like to meet up to mark this momentous landmark and they agreed. We weren’t able to get together in September, so the nearest available date was October 12th, which also just happened to be Paul’s birthday. As part of the weekend, I contacted the school to see if we could arrange a tour. In no time at all, Peter Burden had replied and arrangements were quickly made. He was even willing to do this on a Saturday; which was much appreciated. The day eventually arrived; unfortunately, by that time, Andy had another commitment in Leeds in the morning but Paul, Richard and I (with partners) met at the Coundon, around 40 years since we had last been in there. After some teas and coffees (I think we had other beverages in mind when we were last there!) we walked down Coundon Road, looking at the flats where the old rugby ground had been, over the level crossing and then into the school’s impressive new entrance. Peter Burden was waiting for us at the entrance to the school and gave us a warm welcome. He told us that he’d done some research into our time at the school, which was all rather worrying! Firstly, he took us to our first form room when we were in Shell M. Whilst it has been updated – a projector and whiteboard have replaced the chalkboard and the straight lines of wooden desks have gone - the memories came flooding back. Mr. Monard (for some reason we called him ‘Winnie’!) always wore his gown and what were those strange French words he was using? We progressed down the main corridor to the hall which, again, was so familiar and so impressive. I don’t think I ever noticed the huge stained glass window at the end opposite the stage. I just recall the many daily assemblies with the Head and Deputy Head, Mr. Burrough and Mr. Van Hee and ‘Gabby’ Hayes shouting, “Don’t talk!” I also remember sitting in there doing ‘O’ Levels and ‘A’ levels. Paul and Richard were involved in school plays in the 6th form, so they had good memories of events in the school hall. We continued to tour the school, which was a mixture of the familiar and the new. I was always keen on sport (with the exception of rugby – apologies to all those teachers who envisioned me starring in the second row!) so the visit to the Sports Hall brought back many happy memories of being in the school basketball team. We were lucky, the Sports Hall was built a couple of years after we started at Bablake so we had the full benefit of that.
From left to right: Richard Meredith, Gary Jackson and Paul Strickland. 6
We continued our tour; passing the re-developed area where the temporary classrooms used to stand. We looked into what were the Metalwork/Woodwork rooms. In the mid ‘70s we had long hair, Paul unfortunately managed to get his caught in a drill in those pre-Health and Safety days. His flowing locks have never been the same since! I was sure there was a tuck shop somewhere opposite the door that led to the Music and Art rooms but no-one else seemed to recollect it. It’s commonly said that things you remember from your childhood always seem smaller when you re-visit them but I didn’t find that. The school is so big and impressive.
Peter had researched our teachers in meticulous detail: Messrs Monard, Malin, Carter, Brewer, Lawrence, Prime, Patchett and so on. Of course, when we were at school, we thought they were all ancient but it was good to know that many of them are still alive and well. I’m not sure what they thought about us then but, hopefully, they would be reasonably happy with how we turned out. After our school tour, we had lunch in what used to be the Jules Verne (now the New Spires). This was one of the first pubs we used to go in and it was probably the first time we’d been in there legally! By the afternoon Andy had joined us and I’d arranged a chauffeur-driven tour of Coventry to visit various memorable places. From our base in the Premier Inn in the Butts we ventured through Radford, past Barr’s Hill, which, in those days, was a Girls’ Grammar School. Needless to say, the connections between Bablake and Barr’s Hill were strong! We also drove past the sites of the old Grapes and Radford pubs, both of which witnessed many an 18th birthday party in the mid-‘70s. We then passed the school playing fields at Norman Place Road reminiscing about our times there. Then we went through Coundon, Whoberley, Finham and Styvechale and we stopped outside all our old family homes and junior schools - very nostalgic. Finally, we were dropped at the Squirrel (formerly the Hare and Squirrel) in Greyfriars Lane. After a drink, we walked to the Golden Cross; another of our first drinking dens, and then to the Windmill (Ma Brown’s) in Spon Street – now that is a pub that has hardly changed. Our night finished in Akbar’s in the Butts. Many things have changed in the 50 years from 1969 to 2019, not least the fact that working class kids like us could pass an 11 plus and go to a Grammar School for a great education. It looks like Bablake School has gone from strength the strength and we wish everyone there well. We’ve changed as well but our friendship is permanent and, underneath it all, we’ll always be ‘Bablake boys’.”
Class photo from 1970
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The International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame proudly announces as Honor Administrator in the Class of 2020 Bryan Finlay (CAN) – Honor Administrator Bryan started as a teenaged administrator in the late 1950s as the Secretary of the Coventry Water Polo Club, UK. In 1961, he helped start the Warwickshire Long Distance Swimming Association (WLDSA) and the next year was elected to the IMSHOF Honor Organisation British Long Distance Swimming Association (BLDSA) committee and served on their Board until 1968. He was an active supporter of their newly formed Pilot Life Saver (PLS) scheme. In 1964, Bryan guided 15-year-old Kevin Murphy (IMSHOF Honor Swimmer) on his Windermere entrance to the sport. In 1965, after several years on the Board of the BLDSA, he was elected as Custos Rotulorum to compile a list of as many of the British historical open-water accomplishments as possible, as well as those in other countries. This assignment was at a time prior to digital databases – so these were punched tapes (holes in a tape to be read by a computer reader). Later, he used a university-based Algol computer system to create lists that were typed on paper. At the same time, Bryan introduced a series of woven “flashes” for use on tracksuits etc. and they were extended to cover all of the recognized BLDSA courses. From his latter teens, Bryan always had an interest in the measurement and interpretation of data on core-body temperatures. In the 1990s he made ingestible temperature-telemetry pills (biomedical telemetry) and worked with marathon swimmers to obtain realistic readings during marathon swims. He published two papers (1995 -1996) describing the instrumentation and results of recordings on swims up to 12 hours, with a special note on the “initial”, one-to-two-hour, responses of trained swimmers after their entry into a swim. He continues these studies with Solo Swims of Ontario and works with HQInc on the development of their Elite system that is based around the use of a user-friendly, mobile-phone app. Bryan joined the Board of Solo Swims of Ontario in 1990; he served as its Treasurer 1991-2015, and Webmaster 1998-Present. He is a qualified Swim Master (Safety Officer and Swim Monitor) and has acted in that role on a number of marathon swims up to 25 hours. Most recently he acted in a ground support role for Honor Swimmer Liz Fry’s 2018, 20 hours and 54 minutes, crossing of Lake Huron. During his long marathon career, Bryan worked with more than 30 IMSHOF Honor Swimmers and Contributors. In addition to those mentioned above some of the more famous are: Marilyn Bell, Lynne Cox, Maurice Ferguson, Commander Gerald Forsberg, Harry Huffaker, Dr Vicki Keith, Sunny Lowry, MBE, Cynthia Nicholas, Michael Read, MBE, Willy van Rysel, Greg Streppel, Montserrat Tresserras and Christof Wandratsch. Apart from his administrative activities in marathon swimming, he also made his mark as a swimmer, especially in breaststroke events. Several of his records still stand today: 1966 Fleetwood-Morecambe 19.3 km, 1983 Coniston 2-Way 16.9 km, 1999 Lake Simcoe 35 km and 2001 Lake Erie 22.1 km. 8
In 2019 Major Rob Thomas, a former pupil from 1967 to 1971, joined us for our Remembrance service. Major Thomas spent the majority of his working life serving with the Army, including operational tours in the Gulf, the Balkans, Northern Ireland and Cyprus, as well as a huge variety of more exotic postings including Canada, the USA and Dubai. His final job within the Army was to command the Colchester Personnel Recovery Centre, a unit dedicated to enabling the recovery of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and servicewomen, wounds and injuries mainly sustained on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following retirement in 2016, he took up the position of Secretary to The League of Remembrance, formed in 1915 to support the widows and dependents of those who never returned from the battlefields of the Great War. This year, 2020, we were very fortunate to have another former pupil with us, Captain AJ Tracey (current Bablake parent and teacher at KHVIII), kindly shared her family history and her insight into the sacrifices we all make. Although we were unable to meet together in the school hall as previous years, the service did go ahead and was streamed live. You can watch the service by clicking the following links below: Remembrance Service Chamber Ensemble School website “Remembering Together�
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Below from left to right: Mark Evans, Luke Truslove, Ross Lacey, Rich Drury, Richard Lowe Class of 1998
Above from left to right: Class of 2011 Jordan Motlib, Riley McGuire, Tom Whitfield, James Judge, Mrs Helen Billings, Luke Wyman, Dan Smith
Back Row Left: David Johnson, Barry Winfield, Richard East, Simon Miles, Rich Hill, Kev Smith, Ian Smith, Rich Davies, Simon Partridge, Matt Partridge. Front Row Left: Martyn Rubery, Richard Jenkins, Dave Hastings, Ked Edwards, Rich Hartopp, Anthony Quinney (Names supplied by M Rubery) 10
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This year we said farewell to our Class of 2013 and our School Captains Sathvika Krishnan and Kogulan Vipulan, unfortunately due to the Covid situation they were sadly unable to have the celebrations that our leavers would normally enjoy. We wish them every success and happiness going forward, but remind them that they will always be welcome to come and visit us. We encourage them to keep in touch and let us know what they are doing! If you would like to see more of the album ‘Leavers Day Memories’, please follow the link below: Leavers Day Memories
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Edward kindly sent this photo in to us. He wonders how many of those in the photo will see this and what became of them all? Please get in touch with us if you know!
Left to right: Back Row, Norman Harriman, me (Eddie Allen), W Lang, D R Smith, C N Foster, Derek Over, R Reid,Trevor Glasgow, K Edwards, Bob Wilkes. Middle row: Frank Carpenter, R J Menzies, P S “Gabber� Green, J R Pountney, David East, David Cooper, D R Martin, *Derek Kaye. Front row: D. Sharp, David Taylor, David Field, J R Peppitt, R Crawford, J Falla (Form and maths master), L Perry, R Sharp, A Barham, J S Morris, A R Brown. *We are informed that Derek Kaye emigrated to Australia in 1963 and retired in 2000! 12
David contacted me with some photos he came across….
“In the short period between Final Exams and the end of the school year, the School ran one-week group trips to Europe. In 1955 the trip was to Stans in Switzerland. I was fortunate to have been able to save enough to join the 31 others and two Masters (Messrs. “Len” Finch and “Gusty” Gale), to take the trip. We took two trains in England, one from Coventry to London and another on to Folkestone, a Channel Ferryboat from Folkestone to Boulogne in France; and then another train through the night across France to Basle in Switzerland. The Swiss had a great integrated public transport system. We only needed one ticket from Basle to Stans, which involved a regular train to Lucerne, a ferryboat across Lake Lucerne to Stansstadt and then a narrow-gauge cog railway up to Stans. We then spent a hectic week touring mostly by private bus, including the three stage funicular railway trip up the local Stanserhorn Mountain (since replaced by an aerial cable car), a walk inside the Rhone Glacier, a hike down the spectacular Aare River Valley Gorge (Aareslucht) and a visit to William Tell’s birthplace. I still have a Swiss walking stick covered in metal badges from all these places.”
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Photo posted in ‘The Old Wheatleyans’ FB group by Richard Harvey Class of 1960 “Does anyone recognise themselves in this photo of Shell Z? I’m on the right end of the second row. Must be early 60’s” Left to right back row: F A Little, I M Twynham, N T Wood, P A King, L J Harriman, B W Hindson, P O’Neill, P G Watts, D C Sleath, R G C Hancox Left to right middle row: M D Lomas, M P Smith, P A Watt, B J Hollick, G A Pittaway, C R Sawera, J H Kimberley, A Taylor, P D Wigley, R V Harvey Left to right front row: P J Ord, W Prime, J Hall, A W Kennedy, D J Probert, H S Lewis, P J Leek, R B Mountford, D C Kear, K J Neail, P A Ward
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Alan Green was in Bomber Command; ending up as a POW in Stalag Luft 3 . This is a copy of a letter he sent home to his parents just after the Coventry Blitz. At the time he was stationed in Torquay in Devon…….. “Dearest Ma, Pa & Gwen, Many thanks for the letter I received last night around 7 o’clock. It was a great relief to know that you were all alive anyway, even if other things have gone. Very few people will have anything left after this war and if we manage to get away with our lives, we can consider ourselves lucky anyway. On Friday night, I heard rumours that 1000 people had been killed in Coventry, and naturally disputed them, thinking it was absolutely impossible that there could be such a death toll. On Saturday morning I got a paper, and got the shock of my life when I saw that it was true. As soon as I finished at 6-30 on Saturday, I tried to get through but it was hopeless. On Sunday morning I spent 2 hours in a telephone box, and got Coventry, but could not get in touch with you or Griffiths or anyone. I spent 2 more hours on Sunday night, and still could not get through. At last, in desperation, on Monday night, I rang Coventry Police station, but was asked why I wanted the Police. I told them, and they said they would be put me through to the enquiries department they had set up at the Council House. I spoke to a Mr Grant, who knew Pa, and he said there were no Greens on the casualty list, but that 60% of the casualties had not yet been identified. He said he would try and find something out about you, and get you to wire me. This as you may imagine did not relieve me much, especially since he told me there were quite a few casualties in the Morningside area. Anyway, I got back to the hotel very worried, and was overjoyed to find your letter on my bed. Grant told me that Earl Street was all in ruins (I already knew this from pictures in the paper). I had a letter from Basil this morning saying Pa was laid up with lumbago, and so, what with one thing and another, I decided to see my Commanding Officer with a view to getting 48 hours leave, to come and see you. The application has been successful, and so I shall come home either on Saturday night, or Sunday morning, but will have to be back here by Monday midday. The only trouble is I shall have to pay my own railway fare, so, if we have any money at all, I wish you could wire me a little on immediately to cover it. I understand that Earl Street shop is completely gone, Hertford Street windows smashed, the warehouse gutted, and Cheylesmore ruined. Is this correct? I suppose there is something left of my pet shop in Stoke Heath. I imagine we have lost £1000s of pounds worth of stock and other things, and are possibly up to our necks in “_it”. Tell Pa that if we get through all this, we can start again, and therefore not to worry himself to death about it all too much – it’s just no good! I have finished my course here, and assure you that I am not sorry, for it has been terribly hard work all the time, and I have hardly been out at all in the past 2 weeks what with exams and guards etc. I have never before taken an exam for instance after being on guard, and having had no sleep for 38 hours. You see I am generally made Guard Commander, which entails changing sentries all night, and as such am not allowed to go to sleep at all. On top of this, we get several hours hand drilling (when they make you sweat like bulls, and sit all the rest of the day in wet clothes – it’s marvellous!). But it gets you hardened up for the time when you meet Jerry. I am not at all sorry I joined up, because in the not too distant future, I may be able to get my own back on some of the rotten devils. I can assure you that if I continue to go through as an observer, I shall, as navigator and bomb aimer, lose no opportunities to pick out a few chemist shops!! cont/…. 15
If all goes well, I shall be home this weekend, and also home for 6 days leave a week on Monday, but don’t bank too much on this, as I may be posted without leave, even abroad. I have got my flying, but as I think I told you – it’s remarkable. The next part of my course will I understand be mainly flying. By the way, let me know where you are, because I see you posted my last letter in the Warwick-Leamington district. I am a guard again tonight, and so must go and look for someone to post this letter for me. I have missed one letter post already. Whatever happens keep your pecker up. We shall win through yet with a bit of luck – that’s what we must consider first. Other things will come afterwards. If you are short of ready cash sell my motorbike if it is still whole. Wilmot Evans might take it. But if you can manage, leave it, as I might be able to use it at my next station. I should become a Leading Aircraftsman in two weeks, although it may be a bit delayed. My pay will then be 5/6 a day with 1/6 extra flying pay I believe. This will be much better. Anyway, I think it is time I closed now. I am hoping against hope this letter will reach you. If you wire me any money, send it to Lucius (LUCIUS) Street Post Office, Torquay, where I will collect same. Keep Smiling I am your Son Alan PS Please excuse disjointed letter, and many thanks for thinking about a parcel at a time like this. I know that you have got plenty to occupy your three minds, and so do not worry about things like parcels. I will manage without until things get more settled. …..Alan”
All the above was sent in to me by Alan’s son, Stuart Green. His father Alan was the Grandson of the founder of Greens the Chemists, who had several shops in Coventry. 16
It has been so long since I wrote last that it is hard to know where to begin. Inevitably in the last year or so we have heard of the deaths of quite a number of former members of Bablake. Former pupils of various vintages will have their own memories of Ray Fox, Brian Peedle and John Morris. As for former pupils, I was startled by the sudden death of John Print just a few days after he had been with us for last year's Remembrance assembly. More shocking still was the death of Laura Cooley, formerly Fellows, at the age of twenty-seven and so soon after her marriage. As her last form tutor here I was glad to be able to attend her emotional and overflowing funeral.
There have been happier times too. The Christmas Fayre allowed me to catch up with several former pupils and colleagues and to sell some copies of The Lion and the Stars – even if it did also allow me to get the full force of the cold blast from the School’s front door. I spent most of a school day enabling Catherine Hardaker, now Day, to revisit her old Bablake haunts and share memories. I was delighted to receive from Phil Griffiths a framed needlework representation of the School coat of arms. This had been presented to Dr Frankland, possibly on his retirement as Headmaster. Phil tells me that Miss Twigg, the venerable school secretary, asked him if he would like it after he had brought order to the stationery cupboard in his time as School Captain. The Headmaster has also passed on to me two rather splendid Kenneth Wootton images of Alfie Carter and Mark Stokes, who taught here from Mr Bates’ appointment as Head in 1888 until 1930. I was pleased to be able to tell a contemporary and friend of mine who everybody was on the 1960 Staff photograph even though I didn’t have a crib sheet to hand. Which just goes to show, I suppose, what a Bablake anorak I am! I have gone on providing suggestions as to who might be invited back as our Guest of Honour at PrizeGiving. I have tried my hardest to understand a request for information about a relative who was thought to be third on our list of former pupils, but never fully understood what list this was. Having provided information for the captions I have been pleased to see portraits of Mr Burrough, Mr Cooke, Dr Nuttall and Mr Watson in all their glory on the stage in the hall. Mr Cooke particularly is so vividly captured that I always get the sense he is about to speak. And yes, I do know that there is an overlap of one year between him and Stuart Nuttall. That’s because there was! As I explain in my book, for a year we had a new Headmaster but still with the Director in place “over” him. Since some weird approximation to normality has settled on Bablake this term, archiving has resumed. One sad task recently has been to sort through much Bablake material – and some Henry's material too – which has come from the clearance of Terry Patchett's house now he is settled in a home. My annual talk to the Shells on the history of the School has gone ahead, but on Teams rather than face to face. It was a pleasant change to answer questions from some of the pupils afterwards in their rooms. Some were quite challenging, not least what was my favourite memory of all my years at Bablake. I have tried to keep calm and sanguine in the face of the major changes awaiting the School. It will, I trust, retain all that makes it Bablake. An Old Boy who was here a few years before me notes the lack of reference in the Seaborne chapter of The Lion and the Stars to the pernicious awareness of class distinctions which he found in the School, particularly as aimed at Governors’ Scholars. As I mention in a footnote in the second edition, Professor John Lee had made a similar point. Though I was shamefully aware, in my own school years here, of my very modest home, I have no recollection at all of having that drawn to my attention by others. I would be most interested to hear others’ recollections on this. 17
Donald Perrens DSO, OBE, DFC, MA died on Good Friday 10 April 2020, aged 101. Born on 1 January 1919, Donald taught Eastbourne College from 1946 until his retirement in 1981, 35 years. He spent his later years in a care home in Steyning, loved by the staff. Born in Willenhall, Staffordshire, he was educated at Bablake School in Coventry and graduated from St Catharine’s College, Cambridge in 1939. He was appointed to the staff by headmaster John Nugee in 1939, but the Second World War intervened before he could take up his post. This he did in 1946. In 1940 he joined a territorial battalion of the Staffordshire Regiment and was posted to France with the BEF; he managed to escape on one of the last boats to leave Cherbourg. For a brief period he was adjutant of the 8th battalion but by November 1941 he had transferred to the RAF. He was commissioned and after basic flying training went with 225 Squadron to North Africa flying Spitfires, where he served during the campaign in Tunisia, the invasion of Sicily and the Salerno landings. By the winter of 1944-45 the squadron had moved to Sicily and he was soon flying Spitfires with a reconnaissance squadron, number 208, where he replaced the second-in-command who was wounded. Based just north of Florence and south of the Appenine Mountains, he was flying a mix of fighter and ground attack missions. In October 1944 he was promoted Squadron Leader and flight commander and awarded a DFC. Tasked with leading an artillery ranging mission to find a large enemy ammunition dump 15 miles behind the front line just south of Bologna, he flew at a high altitude in order to avoid the heavy flak and spot the fall of allied shot. He reported two direct hits and destruction of the target. He could now have returned but continued over the target to direct artillery fire. He soon found that his Spitfire, repeatedly hit by anti-aircraft fire, was damaged and out of fuel. Wishing to avoid spending the war in a PoW camp, he decided to try to glide back to allied lines, 12 miles away. In fact he flew back over the allied lines and crash landed just outside Loiano, a commune of the City of Bologna in the EmiliaRomagna region of Italy. Badly injured, he was rescued from the Spitfire by allied gunners and was unconscious for over 24 hours. He had suffered compression fractures of the spine, a fractured skull and multiple lacerations. After treatment at a US Army medical unit, remarkably he was fit enough to return to 208 Squadron in early April and his award of an immediate DSO was promulgated in the London Gazette on 6 April 1945. The citation recorded that ‘his coolness and courage in the face of concentrated enemy fire set a fine example’. Following his discharge from the RAF, in 1945 he joined the College as an assistant master, teaching physics and as an active member of the cadet corps. By 1951 he had become head of the Science Department, when he seized the opportunity to modernise and re-equip the Physics and Chemistry Departments. In 1955 he became an extra-mural House Tutor to Gonville and in February was appointed Commanding Officer of the 3618 (County of Sussex) Fighter Command Unit of the RAAF in The Goffs in Eastbourne. Cont/.. 18
By 1960 Donald was housemaster of Blackwater, succeeding John Underhill, and in 1961 was awarded the OBE for services to the cadet corps. In 1972-73 he took over as acting Headmaster following John Kendal-Carpenter’s leave of absence. After this, he was appointed Second Master from 1973 to 1975. He had been commanding officer of the RAF Section until 1973 when, as a Wing Commander, he took over command of the entire CCF. Donald was an Eclectic cricketer, President of the Common Room and Chairman of the Eastbourne Schoolmasters’ Association as well as the College coach for tennis and hockey. Michael Partridge recollects playing rugby alongside him on Memorial Field in about 1950. Rugby was a game he rarely if ever played, probably due to his wartime injuries, Nevertheless he was a talented centre three-quarter, As a teacher of O and A-level physics, he was outstanding. All physicists wanted to be in Donald’s set. His endless string of successes give witness to his skills. The many flying scholarships and the number of OEs serving either in the RAF or in civil aviation as pilots show how influential he was in the lives of generations of Eastbournians. His enthusiasm and drive brought out the best in young men and nurtured the flying spirit in them. He retired from the College in 1981, but continued to maintain a very close link with the school, attending functions and receptions. Donald married Mary Robertson in 1946 and a daughter Pip was born. The marriage was later dissolved. He is survived by his second wife of 36 years, Marion, five grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren – and Pip, his devoted daughter, who teaches at the College. The school can be proud to have housed such a great man for so long. With special thanks to Michael Partridge from Eastbourne College, who kindly sent the photograph and obituary.
“Sheila was one of our Home Economics Technicians and worked at Bablake from 1988 to 2007. She was one of those people that you warmed to in an instant. Always thinking of others, she was a joy to be around. Long after retirement, she was a familiar face at Bablake, attending concerts, reunions and plays with her husband, Alan, who himself is a former member of staff. Alan was Head of DT from 1967 to 2005. At open events, she helped with refreshments and chatted easily with visitors and her homemade rock cakes were legendary amongst staff! Sheila fought an incredibly brave battle against her illness and remained strong throughout. She will be greatly missed by us all and our love and thoughts are with Alan and his family.” Sarah Harris (Class of 1981) Director of Admissions and Marketing 19
In loving memory of Helen Cooper (née Gaunt). Helen leaves behind children Jenson, Jack and Lucy, sister Zoe and brother Conrad, her parents and so many friends. Helen was diagnosed on 20 May 2020 with a new, second terminal brain tumour after previously surviving the eviction of ‘Brian’ (Brian was her nickname for the first brain tumour, after a misspelling on a text to a friend). She died on 2nd June 2020. Helen was taken from us at the age of 45. Helen attended Bablake from 1989 to 1993, having moved from Yorkshire. She excelled academically, played the tuba and was a star hockey goalie, playing for the school, Hampton club, the county and region. As a newcomer to the school in her teens (a difficult time to start at a new school), she gained admiration from her fellow team-mates with not just her ability to save goals but her sheer bravery. Helen kept her child-like sense of fun, energy and crazy humour throughout her life, but even when she was young she always had an adult sense of responsibility and a strong caring side. This, and her passion for sport, was what led her to study physiotherapy at Coventry University. Helen worked as a senior physio for the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust until 2014, working primarily with disabled children and young adults. She was considered extremely highly by both colleagues and patients alike. Many people have commented about how she was the most caring physio, always searching for new and innovative ways to help people. And many colleagues have recounted how much they learnt from her, not only in her knowledge and expertise but in her enthusiasm for her patients. Helen had a thirst for adventure, and learnt to scuba-dive in her early twenties, leading to more than a decade of extreme dive adventures, diving with professional, specialist equipment and searching in remote places around the world for sharks. Ten years ago, Helen became a Mum. Living at what became known as the ‘Funny Farm’ in Leicestershire, she created a loving, happy home for her children (and various orphaned animals!). She was such a wonderful, energetic, passionate Mum and she has created amazing memories for her children. Helen had been excited to start a new life with her kids after recently separating from her husband. Those who remember Helen will attest to the fact that she was never, ever afraid to be different, and she never stood in judgement of others. That made her a great friend to people of all walks of life, with people describing her as the most thoughtful, caring, wonderfully positive person you could ever wish to meet. She dealt with ‘Brian’ with her typical humour and bravery and made the best of everything. It is devastating that another brain tumour developed and took her so suddenly. For those of you that knew Helen please keep her memory in your heart. The family would like any card or flower money to be donated to Dogs Trust, one of Helen’s favourite animal charities. Special thanks to Sarah Beauchamp (Class of 1986) for sending in the above 20
We were extremely saddened to hear that the following former pupils and staff have passed away. Unfortunately in some cases we have not been informed of the exact date.
Former Pupils
Former Staff
Aubrey H Wagstaff
1932
2020
Brian Peedle
2020
William T Randle
1953
October 2020
Ray Fox
2020
David Hackett
1969
March 2020
Jen Smith
May 2020
Raymond Parker
1944
2020
Brian Tarry
2016
Ken Bull
1941
April 2020
John Morris
2020
Chris Gardner
1988
2019
John Rathbone
1938
2020
Robert Wilkes
1986
February 2020
Peter (Joey) Adams
1939
2020
Helen Salisbury
1985
May 2020
Michael Wareham
1964
November 2019
Laura Fellows
2003
December 2019
John Print
1960
November 2019
Just a taster of some of the photographs which were taken on the day by Mrs Tumber , it does seem a long time ago now! If you would like to see the complete collection, please see our Flickr Album We did have the Class of 2000 reunion planned for May this year, however, due to the current situation, this never went ahead. Hopefully, we will be able to organise events during 2021 and will have a lot to catch up with.
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Heather Taylor attended Bablake School between 1997 and 2005 and then went on to study Mathematics at the University of Manchester. In 2018, Heather joined Action Tutoring as the Head of Finance and Operations. Action Tutoring is a national education charity that helps disadvantaged young people to progress academically, so that their futures are not negatively impacted by their circumstances. It does this by partnering with local schools to deliver tutoring in maths or English, to those who need it most. Local volunteers are recruited as tutors to deliver the academic support. Through this activity volunteers are able to have a meaningful impact on the futures of the youngest members of their communities, supporting them ahead of their SATs (Year 6) and GCSE (Year 11) exams. There are options to tutor both in person or online, through a customised virtual classroom. This support is needed now more than ever before. The school closures have impacted every pupil but particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, where the absence of lessons and any additional support at home has simply pushed them further behind.
Heather has tutored both primary and secondary pupils in maths during her time at Action Tutoring and says, “Tutoring has been such a rewarding experience. Seeing pupils understand a new concept and knowing the impact this will have on them is wonderful - and it’s been great to practise my maths skills!” Action Tutoring is looking for volunteers to commit to tutoring for just one hour a week, for 8-10 weeks to help pupils who have been impacted by the crisis. Tutor in person at schools across Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Wirral, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sussex or connect as an online tutor from anywhere in the country. Volunteers can choose whether they wish to tutor maths or English and no previous tutoring experience is required.
For more information visit the website www.actiontutoring.org.uk/volunteer To complete the short online application form go to: www.tfaforms.com/332860 Contact us: 020 3872 5894 hello@actiontutoring.org.uk @actiontutoring
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Stay in touch with us by following the links below, or you can sign up yourself by registering directly via the website.
Unfortunately no events can be planned at the moment.
Find out about forthcoming events and former pupil news.
We are hopeful that we can start planning soon and get something in the diary early 2021.
Please continue sending me all former pupil news, any interesting articles, school photos etc. for inclusion in the next edition of the newsletter.
Sylvia O’Sullivan Alumni Relations Officer sosullivan@bablake.coventry.sch.uk Telephone: 024 76271259
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Bablake Privacy Policy As I am sure you are aware, there are new data protection laws to help protect your personal information. Our former pupils are very important to us and we want to keep you informed of what is going on at the school. A Bablake alumni database shall be maintained and is referred to as the 'Old Wheatleyans'. The purpose of this is solely to retain contact information to enable former pupils/parents to exchange/receive relevant information and news regarding the school, including events, reunions, career advice, networking and newsletters. As has always been the case, you have the opportunity to un-subscribe at any time. We are assuming you are happy to continue receiving information from Bablake School. However, if you want to withdraw your consent, you can ask to be removed from our database by contacting our Alumni Office by emailing fpadministrator@bablake.coventry.sch.uk We will always respect your privacy and assure you that any personal information we have will be kept secure. Please see our Data Protection Policy http://www.bablake.com/terms for further information.
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