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of School at the Old Bristolians’ Annual Dinner 2024
EDITORIAL THANKS
A huge heartfelt thank you to all contributors in this issue of Bristolienses. Want to contribute to our 2025 issue? Let us know! community@bgs.bristol.sch.uk
Printed Summer 2024. Design: adart.design
Bristol Grammar School University Road, Bristol BS8 1SR
+44 (0)117 923 7037 community@bgs.bristol.sch.uk Bristol Grammar School is a Registered Charity No. 1104425
FROM THE SOCIETY
By Marcus Cryer
What a year! 2024 was my second year as Chairman of the Old Bristolians’ Society, my eighth year involved in the committee and 43 years since I first set foot in the Great Hall! As an Old Bristolian, a parent of Old Bristolians, a member of the Bristol community and a friend of the School and Sports Clubs, I feel honoured to work so closely with all involved. The past few years have seen some significant changes. It has become important to understand our Society’s role, and how we fit within the golden triangle of the school, the Sports Clubs and the former students of the school. For me it is simple. Our job as a society is to support the School, help the Sports Clubs and engage with the Alumni, whilst retaining our independence.
At the start of the academic year, myself and many other OBs were delighted to support the Future Pathways event at the School arranged by Pete Jakobek, Society Past President & Alumni Relations Manager. Arranged a bit like speed dating, a variety of Old Bristolians spoke to current Sixth form students in three-minute intervals. Instead of industry-specific advice, they were encouraged to ask questions on interviews, CV’s and how to navigate their future if they weren’t sure yet what direction to take. It’s important that we show the current students that there are many opportunities available to them, with Old Bristolians available for support in every avenue. If you’d like to find a mentor or become a mentor, visit our dedicated mentoring platform on the OB website.
Another huge partnership the Society hold is with the Sports Clubs and we are pleased to report that we recently agreed terms for a new lease at our Memorial Playing Fields at Failand. The War Memorial Ground was bequeathed to the Old Bristolians Society for those OB’s who made the ultimate sacrifice. The new lease gives the Sports Clubs security of tenure, enabling them to apply for grants and continue to improve the facilities. If you have never visited, I’d highly recommend visiting on Remembrance Sunday one year. It is highly moving.
EVENTS
Every year we look to build on our current event calendar as well as honour long standing events. One of the longest standing is the Old Bristolian Lunch Club on the first Friday of the month from October to June. You can read more about this on page 10. If you’re local to the area, we’d love to see you. If you’re a fan of golf, our second annual Old Bristolian v Old Cliftonian Golf Day has been arranged for Thursday 19 September – email me on marcus@hydes.co.uk if you’d like to get involved.
Annual Dinner
Every March we hold the Annual Dinner which is the perfect opportunity to arrange a reunion for your year group. It’s truly an amazing, uplifting event full of walks down memory lane and we always host a guided tour beforehand to look around the site. Save the date for next year, 15 March 2025, which will be the 112th dinner.
Reunions
If you want help organising a reunion at any time, please do get in touch or send us photos of you all together! We love to see members of the #bgsfamily together around the world or here in Bristol.
Members of the Old Bristolians Committee at the Annual Dinner 2024. L-R: Secretary Ian Southcott, Vice- Chairman Mike Burmester, President Peter Jakobek, Chairman Marcus Cryer and Treasurer Richard Leonard.
See you soon
To help combat the January blues we have informal drinks in London and this year we held them at The Moniker. It was great to see such a mix of OBs from recent leavers to slightly less recent! We plan to repeat this again so make sure to visit https://alumni. bristolgrammarschool.co.uk/events to see all of our upcoming events.
Certainly the School, the Sports Clubs and the Society are in a great place, and the support that we give each other is appreciated and respected – long may it continue!
Marcus
Cryer OB 1993
Chairman
of the Old Bristolians’ Society
FROM THE HEADMASTER
I am delighted to report that BGS is a school in fantastic shape. Among many highlights this year, we were awarded The Sunday Times Parent Power Southwest Independent School of the Year 2024, as well as being listed in The Week magazine as Best for Dance and Drama, and being included in The Spectator magazine’s top 80 Oxbridge schools in the country.
I also had an unusually effusive ISI inspection report last summer – which described how ambitious, rounded and kind our pupils were (‘confident with no hint of egotistical behaviour’) and commented positively on the strength of the relationships between staff and pupils.
I am fortunate to have been elected Chair of HMC (the Head’s Conference. A recognition, I’d like to think, of all that BGS is doing and leading the way on. My work has already brought into sharp focus the financial and political threats facing the independent schools’ sector, threats which will –unintendedly but undoubtedly –make our schools less diverse and harder to access. As you would expect, this is an issue we’re addressing seriously throughout the school, and particularly through our 500 Campaign, which is already having a tremendously positive impact.
I am immensely proud of our pupils, their attitudes and efforts, and their achievements. As well as brilliant academic results across the board, the levels of participation and excellence in the performing arts – Dance, Drama and Music – are at an outstanding level. Taken together with Sport, Outdoor Education, our enormous Clubs & Activities programme, and so much more, the breadth and roundedness of a BGS education has never been stronger.
Our greatest strength, remains our community. Our children, their families, our wonderful teaching and support staff, our friends in the community, and fundamentally, the Old Bristolians’ Society.
Head of School 2024-25
I have always sought to emphasise the importance of OBs within our school family. I continually remind pupils that the foundations laid, and the friendships nurtured while still at BGS, will serve them in more ways than they can imagine throughout their lives, something I see repeatedly in my interactions with OBs at all stages and from all walks of life. Our pupils also recognise, and appreciate, the huge amount given by OBs in terms of time, expertise, university & work advice, visiting talks and more.
I hope that as you read through the rest of this wonderful magazine, you get a sense of the many opportunities to make new friends and contacts – through professional & social networks, or simply by supporting students with time, advice or, for those who can, financially. I am grateful that so many of you choose to do so, and I often hear from you about the fulfilment you derive from it. It’s all part of that spirit of legacy and giving back, which has been central over the centuries to the culture of BGS. As we get closer and closer to our quincentennial anniversary, that culture has never been stronger. Thank you.
Jaideep Barot Headmaster
Over
£ 1.6 million
raised so far for life-changing bursaries
“I promise to carry your kindness and generosity with me every step of the way. Your support has not only changed my life but also inspired me to pay it forward and make a positive difference in the lives of others, just as you have done for me.”
The whole school community gathered on the 7 November for Giving Day – where over £400,000 was raised from 500 people and a large gift which was used for matched funding. This money raised has enabled 30 children to begin their Sixth Form education with us in September. In addition, thanks to funds raised throughout the year and together with support from trusts and our endowments, many more children throughout the school are receiving philanthropic support for their Bursary Awards.
Due to lack of funding we are still in the heartbreaking position every year of saying no to promising children who would benefit from being at BGS. Our aim is to ensure that all bright and able children, who would benefit, can have the chance to shine at BGS.
Look out for our new promotional film, which is coming out this autumn ahead of our next Giving Day in 2025. A new legacy brochure is also being sent to encourage those who choose to do so, to make provision in their will, so that we can create a permanent endowment to support more children.
More bright and ambitious children than ever before, from all backgrounds and without financial means, are now benefiting from an education at BGS, thanks to their own hard work partnered with the philanthropic support of over 800 OBs, parents and friends.
Our vision is that by 2032, the 500th anniversary of our school, one in five children will receive substantial (over 50%) means tested Bursary Awards through our 500 Campaign which is already
creating a lasting impact – not only on the lives of the Bursary Award holders and their families, but on the whole school culture.
Funds raised come from leadership donors, some of our most generous supporters, who sponsor Sixth Form studentsoften with up to 100% of their fees. We are also grateful for and reliant upon all those who choose to donate with smaller donations and with their time, expertise and friendship.
To find out more, please contact our Development Director, Nadine Latte
nlatte@bgs.bristol.sch.uk call 0117 933 9637 or visit our website
Nadine Latte Development Director
FROM THE SPORTS CLUBS
Failand Club House Development
The Society and the Old Bristolians Sports Club have agreed terms on a new lease of the War Memorial Ground at Failand to ensure the financial future of the Memorial. The lease will also provide security of tenure for OBSC and enable grant applications towards a major development project which will ensure the facilities meet the required safeguarding standards particularly for the Junior and Ladies sections of the club.
OBSC have already secured an RFU funding grant to improve facilities and some £50k is being spent to refurbish the inside of the clubhouse. Works by volunteers across all three playing sections will continue with completion due by early June.
There is a new accessible entrance way, new carpeting, newly designed bar and room dividers to create a conference room. The work to refurbish will bring the facilities up to date for all OBs but also make the clubhouse more appealing for sublets.
The major building development plans are available on the Sports Club website and updates will be added as the planning process is completed.
Rich Berry
Old Bristolians Sports Club Director
Hockey Club
Just over 120 Old Bristolians hockey players celebrated another successful winter season at their Annual Dinner last week. The Club continues to put out 11 senior sides and 5/6 junior sides into West and County competitions.
This season the senior sides saw the Men’s 2nd XI promoted as Champions and the Women’s 4th XI promoted in second place. Every Saturday our teams compete in Leagues across the West of England and South Wales, with our players ranging from 13 yrs to 73 yrs young and everything in between. Our Men’s and Women’s 1st XI’s both compete only two levels down from National League, finishing 3rd and 7th in their Leagues.
The Club enters the National Master Championship with our Men's O50’s and Womens O40’s. The men got through to the third round, before a narrow defeat, and the women made the second round… next year!
Our junior section continues to thrive, with around 200 youngsters playing regularly on Sundays and Tuesdays at the Stirratt pitch. We have to congratulate our U10’s this year who became County Champions, scoring 30 goals and only conceding 1!!
For the past couple of seasons we have welcomed Flyerz hockey into the Club. Flyerz is accessible hockey for all abilities and ages. We have players joining us from across Bristol and we work hard to advertise in the Community. We are limited with no availability of accessible toilets, but we try to run as many sessions at the Stirratt as we can. We currently have around 20 people joining us on a regular basis, of all ages.
The Club is now looking to summer League starting in May, with 6 women’s and 4 men’s sides playing in the local Leagues. Matches will be on the Stirratt most Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 19.30. We can’t promise champagne hockey, but we always manage a warm welcome
Jan Bowen Hockey Director
Rugby
Every Saturday morning I take my three year-old daughter to Rugby Tots at the local church hall. At that age the 'class' resembles some sort of heady mix of organised chaos and complete chaos, with some toddlers listening intently to instruction and others taking both the law and their imaginations into their own hands and creating their own fun and games. Whilst they throw around rugby balls and jump through hoops of various colours, it is a far cry from what we might think of as 'rugby ' in any form. It’s not about playing rugby though, not for them. They’re just keen to run around and laugh with their parents / 'responsible ' adults / other children, do their own thing in the corner, or take
a minute for a snack and a drink. It’s not really about the rugby for the adults either; it’s about introducing children to the idea of there being an activity called rugby that is fun, that happens regularly and, most of all is available to everyone.
This introduction to the concept of rugby is held in high regard by the Mini & Junior section of Old Bristolians RFC, which is a source of enormous pride to the club. On any given Sunday there are upwards of 350+ kids of all ages and abilities, from U5s to U15s, tearing around the luscious fields of the Memorial Playing Fields of Failand, learning the skills that will take them to the adult game but also keeping salient the notion that rugby is fun, it happens regularly, and its available to everyone.
The Senior section holds that same ethos throughout as well. We operate three Senior Men’s sides plus a very active Vet’s XV, another source of pride for the club. In an era when established local rugby clubs that have been part of the Bristol rugby landscape for generations are struggling to field a single side,
getting three and occasionally four sides out on a Saturday shows the strength of the club and the commitment of our players to keeping the game alive in an Old Bristolian shirt. Results matter to a certain extent, leagues have rankings and everyone prefers to win than lose, but ultimately we keep playing because rugby is fun, it happens regularly, and it’s available to everyone, of all ages and abilities.
Off the pitch the club organises a wide variety of functions; dinners, tours, curry nights, awards ceremonies, Remembrance Day services, sponsors’ lunches, kit, liaisons with the Bristol Bears, to name a few. It’s an incredible club to be a part of and if anyone reading this is even considering dusting off an old pair of boots, or introducing the next generation to the magnificent game that is rugby, then Old Bristolians will welcome you with open arms. Because rugby is fun, happens regularly, and is available to everyone.
Tristan Fowler OB 2000 Chairman, Senior Section, Old Bristolians RFC
“We keep playing because rugby is fun, it happens regularly, and it’s available to everyone, of all ages and abilities.”
‘A fantastic surge of interest in girls’ cricket has inspired the launch of our first girls-only side, the U11 OBW Blazers’
Cricket Club
Highs and lows across the 2023 season set plenty of challenges to address in 2024. A strong Youth section is essential to sustain success and the Youth coaches have worked incredibly hard to build numbers across all age groups.
A fantastic surge of interest in girls’ cricket has inspired the launch of our first girlsonly side, the U11 OBW Blazers, giving the prospect of future talent flowing through into the Ladies team.
An embryonic ‘South Bristol’ Girls’ Hub was created to attract more girls to the club and compete with longer established sides in the north of Bristol. Success was immediate with the team reaching the final of the Gloucestershire County Cup, sharing the trophy with Apperley in a rain-affected final whilst on the verge of victory.
The hard work and enthusiasm of the Youth coaches and volunteer group also meant that thirteen of our Youth players were selected for Somerset and Gloucestershire programmes for 2024 – a remarkable achievement – and Gareth Griffiths, our Youth coordinator, won the Somerset Cricket Foundation ‘Inspired to Play’ award.
The Ladies’ team remains a real force, despite having a frustrating season where opposition sides often failed to field teams. But when the side did eventually get to play – including a very enjoyable friendly with our U11’s –there were very strong and encouraging performances.
The Men’s section had a challenging season. On the positive side the 1st XI bounced back into the West of England Premier League. However, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th XI only won one league match each suffering from a lack of consistency and availability in selection at all levels.
This was as a result of several top performers having left or retired and prompted some hard thinking and planning to revitalise our playing strength. Hard work by the membership and cricket development committees has produced an influx of talented players and we should be able to field some of the strongest and most stable squads that we have had for several years.
The aim is promotion for 1st and 2nd XIs and consistent performance by the 3rd XI. We must look to revive a 4th XI particularly to provide a bridge for youth cricketers and BGS students into adult cricket. Overall one of our most important and central
aims as a club is to provide as many children as possible, at all ages, with access to cricket in a fun, safe and inclusive manner.
Club spirit and social activity is an important focus as shown by last season’s Club Sixes Day which brought together all the playing sections of OBSC.
The cricket nets have been refurbished with new extended netting and a 30m artificial pitch was installed to support the coaching programme especially within the Youth and Ladies sections.
Michael Dodson Chairman OBWCC 2024
A YEAR IN PHOTOS
Want us to arrange an event or reunion? Contact us – community@bgs.bristol.sch.uk
The Old Bristolians’ Society continues to cherish friendships, expertise, advice and support, hosting events throughout the year for all OBs. DECEMBER 2023
FEBRUARY 2024 Donors Lunch
A regular on the Society social calendar, the first Friday of every month from September to June features a two course meal and a guest speaker at the OB Memorial Ground. ALL YEAR Lunch Club
FEBRUARY 2024 Past Presidents’ Lunch
Bristol Rugby players Dave Woodward, OB 1962 and Will Capon, OB 2018
NOVEMBER 2023 Giving Day
JUNE 2023 Leavers Dinner
Justin Harford and Jane Hicks say goodbye to the Class of 2023 in the Great Hall.
NOVEMBER 2023
Remembrance at BGS and at Failand
Our second-ever Giving Day raised over 350k for bursaries at BGS.
MARCH 2024 Annual Dinner
for the 112th Annual Dinner
15th March 2025
SEPTEMBER 2023 Speed Networking Careers Evening in the Great Hall
Old Bristolians returned to the Great Hall to help students with networking skills.
MARCH 2024 Charter Day
This year we’ve enjoyed our annual performance from the BGS Music department at Christmas, a Q&A from Bristol Bears’ player and Old Bristolian Will Capon (OB 2018), a lesson on how to use the digital archives, Rich Berry discussed mental health training in schools, David Moon spoke about William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible, Nick Burroughs shared his memories of literary festivals and finally Alex Goodland came to speak about his sabbatical from teaching at BGS in the Galapagos islands Join us next year!
Nadine Latte and Mike Burmester at the Christmas Lunch Club
Old Bristolians’
PROFILES
The BGS family includes experienced and talented OBs from all over the world. This year we have been working on a new film showcasing the incredible and varied pathways our Old Bristolians take, demonstrating how good education can impact lives. Some of the interviews in this issue were part of this filming process and we look forward to sharing the finished product with you later in the year.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
Belnice Helena Nzinga | Andy Christie | Bethan Clark
Sir Tim Holroyd | Robert Lacey
Belnice Helena Nzinga
OB 2021
Belnice attended BGS from 20142021 and is now in her third year as a medical student at Bristol University. Whilst at BGS she was a Senior Prefect, won the Classics Reading Competition, The Ian White Prize for Allround Contribution to the Sixth Form and annually won the Pi day competition beating her own record year on year finalising with an incredible 1010 digits of Pi in her last year. Belnice then voluntarily undertook a project working part time at BGS in the year after her A-levels to work on a bursary film project.
What are your first memories of BGS?
I remember having this kind of sense of awe on my first day. I had a maths lesson or a chemistry lesson and then we baked cookies or flapjacks, then used the climbing wall. The whole day was amazing. I remember thinking, oh my gosh, how can it get any better than this? And it did. It just got better and better.
Can you remember what subjects you started to take an interest in? Which of the teachers had the most impact on you? I loved every subject really, but English, Classics and Drama were the places where I developed my confidence. Biology and Chemistry are why I get to do what I do right now. My Head of House, Miss Glenn, she was brilliant. My Classics teachers Mr Keen and Miss Cox. Really, so many of them… can I say all of them?
What are your plans after University?
I’m in my third year right now so I’m exactly halfway through my degree. I love working with children so I think I want to go into paediatrics or maybe become a GP. I just spent a week in France working with a group of disabled children and it was the hardest and most amazing thing that I've ever done.
What would you say to someone about to start at BGS, particularly on a bursary?
I think it’s very easy to feel that sense of imposter syndrome where you question if you deserve to be there. Your background might be a bit different or you might come from a different walk of life to someone, but you deserve to be here just as much as anyone else. You’ve done incredibly well to get to this point. So keep going, keep taking opportunities and saying yes. I’ve learnt that if something scares you, it usually means you should definitely do it.
“Keep going, keep taking opportunities and saying yes. I’ve learnt that if something scares you, it usually means you should definitely do it.”
What would you say to someone considering giving back to BGS?
First of all I’d say thank you. It’s amazing they’re considering supporting a child at BGS, it means an awful lot. When you donate to the BGS Bursary Fund, it’s so much more than just investing in a child's education, you invest in their whole future, in the rest of their lives. The experiences I had at BGS were incomparable to anything my 11-year-old self could have imagined. And that’s something really special. It makes me really proud that BGS is part of something so fundamental to a progressive society, ensuring that the school reflects people from all walks of life.
Aside from education, what do you feel you gained from attending BGS?
It gave me confidence. From feeling like an imposter at the start and then being introduced to all these experiences… from drama to travelling abroad, you soon start to realise that the world is your oyster. It gives you a different frame of mind and makes you believe that you can navigate the world, you can make a contribution to society. It’s really special to come away from education feeling that way.
Andy Christie
OB 2017
Andy attended BGS before winning a rugby scholarship to Harrow School. Now a professional rugby player for Saracens and Scotland, he remembers his time at BGS fondly. ‘Bristol Grammar School did so much for me and I know I wouldn't be where I am today without being there.’
What was being at BGS like for you?
I’ve always been a very loud abrasive kid but I was quite nervous to join a new school, even though I had quite a few friends from rugby and football there already. I remember how warm it was, how welcoming and very quickly I found myself in amongst it. I remember my first rugby session. I was a massive kid and the coaches said ‘Okay, you're big. Can you run?’ And I was like yeah, I can run and before I knew it I was in the team and went from strength to strength.
What were your memories of Failand?
I grew up in Failand, my mum still lives there and when I go back home, I run around the place when it's empty! I played for the Old Bristolians Rugby Club, so I spent a lot of time at Failand, and I love it. Failand brings back memories of wet late evenings training and Saturdays playing games and House Rugby. I was in Diamonds Yellow House, and we won in year 7, scored eight tries, it was unbelievable. Even thinking about it now brings a smile to my face.
Which of your teachers had the most impact on you?
Mr Goodman, Mr Scott, Mr Sellers and Mr Blackburn, they were all brilliant with me in different ways. They were all very involved in sport and I still talk to them; they’ll send me congratulations, and messages of good luck. There’s still a strong connection from being at the school and it just shows that BGS really cares about individuals even though I’m now 25 years old and haven't been at the school for 10 years!
What happened next beyond BGS and where did that lead your career?
BGS put me in a brilliant position in terms of sport and education which gave me an opportunity to go to Harrow on a scholarship. I moved to London, took my younger brother with me and moved from Bristol Academy to Saracens Academy from there signed for their senior academy.
It’s been a weird journey and looking back at it now, it feels like it went very quickly. It was a brilliant experience but I still go back to Failand regularly because of my family. Admittedly not enough but it's still very close to my heart.
You come from a culturally diverse background and were able to play for Scotland because of your mum’s family. What does that mean to you?
I’m mixed race; my dad’s Nigerian, mum’s British and her parents are Scottish, so obviously there's a fair level of diversity within my own family and that gave me the opportunity to represent Scotland, most recently in the Six Nations, which was an exciting one for me.
“Winning the Calcutta Cup was one of the best days of my career and then playing against Ireland in Dublin was an incredible experience which I will cherish my whole life.”
Beyond your incredible achievements, you suffered unfortunate injuries recently. Has this given you time to reflect and diversify your interests?
When I first broke my arm I was told it would take 12-16 weeks to recover. I tried to push it a little bit as I was hoping to be back playing for Saracens and, any sportsman’s dream, the World Cup. But unfortunately it didn't heal as it should have, so three operations later I was there watching from home which was tough. It's something I’ve spoken about quite openly as a very hard time in my career. I learnt and grew from it, which put
me in this position to have a good season this year. However, I broke it again in March, almost exactly a year later. I now have a lot of free time, not doing what I wanted to do and looking for outside interests.
How will you fill your time now?
I want to try to do work that would benefit others and give me a sense of fulfilment. I'm a patron for ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ and the Saracens Foundation ‘Sporting Routes’ which gives refugees from around north London the opportunity to play sports. Seeing the impact that this involvement has had on their lives, and the amount of fun they have playing sport despite going through such tough times really reminds me how lucky I am. In a time when I was struggling with my broken arm, it put things into perspective when comparing it to being uprooted from your home country and forced to move somewhere else for your own safety.
What are your thoughts on our 500 Campaign, creating opportunities for bright and able students to attend BGS whilst increasing diversity and inclusivity?
I’m stunned hearing about the diversity of the school. I had a phenomenal time at BGS, and I was fortunate that I had an older brother there who paved the way for me. He was far more intelligent and better behaved than I was, so teachers were a lot nicer to me! Despite my brothers being there for me though, BGS wasn’t the most diverse place when I was there which is typical of a lot of schools. It was very white middle class. I think for the school to maintain its status in terms of how impressive it is but to also increase diversity is impressive and I am very pleased to hear about it.
“There is no better place than BGS to be able to try your hand at so many different things. Try everything!”
What would you say to Bursary Award holders from culturally diverse backgrounds about to start at BGS?
The first thing I’d say is to be yourself. Being mixed race can sometimes feel like a battle in understanding who you are. In reality, everyone is individual so whatever your own interests are, whatever you’re passionate about, really dive into that. There is no better place than BGS to be able to try your hand at so many different things. Try everything! Finally, I would add that Bristol Grammar School did so much for me, and I know I wouldn't be where I am today without being there and I know that that's the same for so many people.
Bethan Clark
OB 2002
Bethan Clark (Fowler) is a qualified registered Domestic Abuse Prevention Advocate with Women’s Aid and works for Next Link, training GPs at practices across Bristol. Working directly with victim survivors to help them ensure their safety and support any practical and emotional support needs they may have. Bethan also speaks to second year medical students at Bristol University about the health impacts of domestic violence abuse on patients.
What are your best memories of BGS?
All the extra curricular things that were on offer to me! I was deeply involved in music during my time at BGS and took part in lots of concerts and performances with some really incredible people, including a flute quartet
‘Passion Flutes’ and the amazing organisations of popular music by the Head of Music Richard Osmond with the likes of Sting and the Police and Simon and Garfunkel. I also had my passion for the outdoors nurtured during my time at BGS and took part in the DofE bronze award, lots of Summit Club trips and even a month long expedition to India with World Challenge, lead by Dr Dimberline, which set me on a course to travel the world as and when I have been able to ever since.
What was your next step after BGS?
I sat my A-Levels in Geography, Music and Psychology at BGS in 2002 before accepting a place at Exeter University to study Childhood and Youth Studies. I knew I wanted to work with people, maybe specifically children, but I hadn't figured out what just yet so this was a good base for me.
Tell us about your career path to date
After University I decided I wanted to follow law, specifically working in the family courts as a child advocate through divorce, child arrangements or care proceedings. I therefore completed the law conversion course and legal practice course (GDL and LPC) but then struggled to find a job in my chosen field due to legal aid cuts. I worked in insurance law for a couple of years but it wasn't for me, and after leaving I worked at a primary school in South Bristol as the family liaison worker, which was much more closely aligned to my initial goals. I have since worked for First Response (the gateway to Bristol Children’s social services) for about seven years, and have been working for Next Link for about two years now. My role is to train all staff in GP practices in Bristol to help them spot patients who are suffering DVA, and to respond safely to disclosures. They then refer the victim survivors to me and I work directly with them in whatever way they want to help them move forwards; this could be helping them to leave a relationship, guidance through the court system, safety planning or emotional support validating their experience.
How did your education and experiences at BGS contribute to your career success?
BGS prepared me well to go to University and undertake further study. I think the ethos at BGS to explore the world around us and to play to our individual strengths also made me not shy away from a less traditional career path.
What advice would you give to your younger self or to current students who are looking to pursue a similar path?
My career didn’t take a traditional route so I think that would be my advice.
“Don’t be afraid to side-step, or even start again if what you’re doing isn’t fulfilling your professional goals and ambitions.”
Be confident in who you are and even if your career isn't set out ahead of you from Day 1 you will make a difference and you will get there in the end.
Sir Tim Holroyd
After leaving BGS, Tim read jurisprudence at Wadham College, Oxford and then qualified as a barrister and joined chambers in his native Liverpool. He practised as a barrister on the Northern Circuit for nearly 30 years. During that time he began sitting as a recorder (a part-time judge) in the early 1990s, and became what was then a Queen’s Counsel (“QC”: now King’s Counsel, “KC”) in 1996. In 2009 he was appointed a High Court Judge, assigned to the Queen’s Bench Division, and was subsequently knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He sat as a judge on a wide range of criminal and civil cases, and from 2012 to 2015 was a Presiding Judge of the Northern Circuit. In 2017 he was appointed to the Court of Appeal, and was subsequently appointed a Privy Councillor. His judicial title is now the Rt Hon. Lord Justice Holroyde. He is at present the Vice-President of the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division. Much of his work (though not all of it) involves hearing appeals and applications in criminal cases, including recently the successful appeals of many former sub-Post Masters and Mistresses who had been convicted of offences of dishonesty on the basis of evidence produced by the Post Office’s Horizon accounting system. He remains a friend of BGS and attends OB events in London when he can, offering advice and support to young OBs who are interested in pursuing a legal career.
What are your best memories of BGS?
I particularly enjoyed my time in the sixth form, studying the subjects of my choice. I also greatly enjoyed the sports, in particular tennis and fives.
Can you remember any teachers who had an impact on you?
My housemasters – Mr Michael Booker and Mr Ron Cockitt; my English and Classics teachers; and above all Mr Tony Verity, the head of the Classics department and a man to whom I owe a great deal.
Beyond BGS – why law?
When I started my A levels, I had no idea what career I might pursue. Fortunately, the career advice which I received presented me with a simple dichotomy: to become a Classics master or to become a solicitor. I knew that I did not want to be a teacher, and so the choice was effectively made for me. Whilst at university I was expecting to go on to become a solicitor, but a late change of plan led to my starting at the Bar instead.
What have been the highlights of your career?
Taking silk, and my judicial appointments.
What’s next for you?
Retirement!
What motivates you?
I enjoy my work, and I believe I am making a valuable contribution as a judge.
How do you relax?
My wife and I have fairly recently become grandparents. Spending time with our grandchildren is a great delight, and a highly effective break from thinking about work.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Looking back, I think I was unnecessarily anxious about a lot of things; so I think my advice would be to loosen up!
“Looking back, I think I was unnecessarily anxious about a lot of things; so I think my advice would be to loosen up!”
Robert Lacey
OB 1962
Historian and royal biographer Robert Lacey is best known for his pioneering biography of the late Queen, Majesty: Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor (1977), together with his more recent studies of Saudi Arabia, The Kingdom (1981) and Inside the Kingdom (2009) both critically acclaimed around the world – and banned in Saudi Arabia. Robert’s latest publication is a hundredyear-old collection of Nursery Rhymes illustrated by the Scottish artist Claud Lovat Fraser. Captain of Trott’s (the Green House) Robert won an Exhibition to Selwyn College, Cambridge, taking an honours degree in history, followed by a Diploma of Education, with a distinction in practical teaching.
What are your earliest memories of Bristol Grammar School?
I grew up in Bristol in Clifton and remember walking on the Suspension Bridge – and hearing about the Grammar School from an early age. I knew that if you were clever, it was the place to go. I can recall my parents saying, ‘You better do well in your 11+ or you won’t be able to go to the Grammar School’.
So, the institution on the hill at Tyndall’s Park loomed in my imagination and when I did pass my 11+, I was not disappointed. To this day, I don’t think a month goes by when I don’t think back to the Great Hall, and those Tudor beams in the ceiling that I now know to be false, along with the portraits of the Thorne Brothers - Bristol merchants who had gone across oceans and in
“To this day, I don’t think a day goes by when I don’t think of the Great Hall”
our own Bristol way, helped open up the new world, then decided they wanted to devote their wealth to help other Bristolians thrive. I looked up at their portraits every day in assembly and I well remember the motto of the school, Ex Spinis Uvas ‘from thorns to grapes’ – a combined joke and a boast with a meaning. I’m proud to be a thorn-bred grape.
One of my ambitions is to live until 2032, when I shall be 88 and when the school can celebrate 500 years of contributing to history. When you’re at school you laugh at the memorabilia -- the badge, the tie – but now they mean so much to me. It is wonderful to be part of history.
Did your love of history start at BGS?
History became the thread of my life – the route by which I went on to university. I found myself writing history books, biographies, and nonfiction. I can remember my history masters, Mr. Charles Hill, Mr. Millward and Mr. Isaac. They were mentors to me. I loved sitting in their lessons – and I thrived on the competition that was the school ethos in those years.
Tell us about how you became interested in the Royal family?
I didn’t grasp the significance of the monarchy until after I left Cambridge and began writing for the Sunday Times in London. People started talking about something called a “jubilee” and I didn’t know what that was. It struck me as strange that the whole nation was getting convulsed by this manufactured event to celebrate this epitome of privilege. What was going on here? I was drawn to this strange institution as a reflection of British society – almost as an exercise in anthropology. Why does Britain need a royal family? Why do so many “ordinary” people feel the need to worship these “special” people?
I wrote my book ‘Majesty’ in 1977 as the opposite of Jubilee worship. “If Elizabeth II were not a queen,” went the opening line, “no one would write a book about her.”
What did you do after the success of ‘Majesty’?
I’d been working as a journalist to finance my book writing, but Majesty launched my career as an independent writer. I went to Saudi Arabia to write about the ultimate royal family – Arabia was just Arabia until the House of Saud re-branded it with their own name. Then I took my long-suffering family to live in Detroit to write about Henry Ford, the inventor of assembly line, moving on to other American icons -Grace Kelly, the film star who literally became a princess, and Meyer Lansky, the legendary “brains” of organised crime.
Do you feel Bristol Grammar School influenced your career choice?
My mentors at BGS taught me to look behind the façade – to see what things meant and explain them – never to accept anything at face value. There was a BGS ethos of achievement and excellence, but it was excellence that had to be earned – that had to have a damn good reason. Explaining excellence in everything from thronesitting to organised crime (what’s the difference?) has been the theme of all my books.
How have you stayed connected to BGS since you left?
I became a member of the Old Bristolians Society as soon as I left school, and I greatly enjoyed my year as OBs’ president. When I was in the Sixth Form I loved the Monday lecture in the University Lecture Theatre, listening to the speakers from all walks of life. So, it has always been an honour to get invited back to give one of those lectures. I feel I’m going home.
“Bristol Grammar School taught me to look beyond the surface, to look beyond the facade, to see what things meant, to explain things, not to take things at face value.”
Robert
Lacey with
bedouin tribesmen in the desert north of Medina, December 1979
Temple Meads LONDON Paddington
French Friend Reunited
In April 1965, a young and rather nervous BGS fourth form student stood in a long line of other English students at the Gare de Nord in Paris waiting to meet his French exchange partner for the very first time. I had left Temple Meads Station with a group of other BGS students early that morning, crossed London to Victoria Station (where we had met up with pupils from other schools around the country), caught the Newhaven to Dieppe cross channel ferry and then travelled by train to Paris.
The line of apprehensive English students moved slowly forward until it was my turn to be introduced to my French exchange partner, Dominique Noirot, who was a few months younger than me. He and I then set off with Dominique’s father, a SNCF train driver who had been a prisoner-of-war in Germany for much of the Second World War, across Paris to the Gare de Lyon for what was then a 3 hour train journey to Dijon where Dominique lived. By the time we arrived at Dominique’s house
where I would be staying for the next 3 weeks, it was late in the evening and there was only time for me to be introduced briefly to the rest of Dominique’s family, none of whom spoke any English, before unpacking my case and going to bed.
The next morning, I woke up to the smell of fresh coffee as Dominique, his brothers and I all had a large bowl of coffee for breakfast together with some French bread and Dominique’s mother’s homemade jam.
PARIS
Gare de Nord
Newhaven
Dieppe
David Yeandle OBE OB 1962
DIJON
We then went out to explore the local area including a park where we played football with some of Dominique’s friends before returning home for dinner. This was typical French home cooking by Dominique’s mother and the evening meal always seemed to start with a large bowl of chicken or vegetable soup which had been simmering all day in the kitchen. After dinner during which red wine was usually served (even to Dominique and me!!), we all sat around the large long dining room table and I tried (with some difficulty) to understand French TV and the conversation between the Noirot family members.
Dominique and I seemed to get on very well from the start and, despite the obvious language difficulties, I was immediately made to feel part of the family by Dominique’s parents, his 4 brothers (3 older and 1 younger)
‘We took Dominique to London where we saw all the main sights and he was photographed with a policeman outside the front door of 10 Downing Street, a door that I thought at the time I would never enter and yet I was to become a fairly frequent visitor’
I had not been taught at BGS!! I was also shown some of the many interesting and historical sites in Dijon as well as the large lake quite close to the city centre which was just starting to be developed. During this 3 week stay, the only English person who I met on a couple of occasions was John Mills, my fellow BGS student and a close friend, whose exchange partner
We also went to my grandfather’s farm in the village of Othery near Bridgwater on the Somerset Levels which Dominique found really interesting, visited the caves in Cheddar Gorge and took him to Taunton to watch country cricket being played for the first time. I must admit that, like most foreigners, he found the game strange and rather slow at first but he was eventually to enjoy playing cricket with my friends Filton.
Next year, we repeated the exchange and, whilst staying with Dominique this time, I travelled quite widely with his father driving the family and me around many parts of Burgundy of which they were fiercely proud, including a memorable visit to the Hospices de Beaune. We also had day trips to both Chamonix in the French Alps and Geneva, a place that I was next to visit when working for the United Nations in 2018, as well as travelling through the Mont Blanc Tunnel into northern Italy. When Dominique stayed with us that summer, we again got on very well and, having consulted decided that, next year, we would travel independently to each other
that Dominique, his younger brother Marc and I would go out most mornings to gather fresh mussels from the rocks on the beach which would then be cooked by his mother for dinner that evening.
This arrangement continued for the next few years during the summer and our friendship really seemed to develop as we grew older. By now, the circle of Dominique’s friends who I knew was quite wide and included an attractive girl, Geraldine, who was eventually to become his wife. We spent a lot of our time during the summer in Dijon playing football and cards around the lake and adjacent canal as well as frequenting some bars where we played a form of skittles and I learnt to play boules. I also had a memorable week’s holiday at a house at Ault Onival, just south of Boulogne, on the Normandy coast with his parents when I remember
A few years after our first meeting, Dominique’s parents invited my family to stay with them for a week during the Easter holidays. Having eagerly accepted this invitation, my father drove my mother, my 2 sisters and me to Dijon to stay with Dominique’s family where we had some great French cuisine and visited a number of vineyards and local historical sites. My father and Dominique’s father seemed to get on very well despite not speaking a word of each other’s language and were able to have lengthy discussions about gardening and food which often involved lots of gestures and laughter. One vivid memory that I have of this visit was when Dominique’s mother arranged for us and all the Noirot family to have a fondue bourguignonne one evening. I remember my father, having cooked a small piece of steak in the hot oil, making the “schoolboy error” of putting the cooked steak and the fork on which it had been cooked in his mouth which he burnt. Fortunately, the rest of the meal went off without further incidents.
When I went up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge in October 1971 and Dominique left secondary school that year to start work in the Caisse
d’Epargne in Dijon, our circle of friends naturally widened. However, we still manged to meet up most summers for some time together which one year included my first experience of a French wedding when one of Dominique’s older brothers, Michel, got married. In subsequent years, I was to attend a few other French weddings including Dominique’s own wedding to Geraldine in 1973 which I remember as being one of the best, and certainly the longest and most lively, wedding celebration that I have ever attended.
Dominque and I continued to keep in touch over the next few years and one summer, after spending a week in the Loire Valley, my wife and I stayed with Dominique and Geraldine in their flat in Dijon where we enjoyed Geraldine’s excellent French cuisine and Dominique’s extensive wine cellar. A few years later, Dominique, Geraldine and their young daughter, Maud, stayed at our house in Eastleigh for a few days and we were able to show them some of the historical sites of Southampton and Portsmouth.
Perhaps inevitably, the combination of increasing family commitments and work demands meant that Dominique and I then drifted apart and we eventually lost contact with each other. On a few occasions, I tried to contact Dominique who, by then had moved into a house on the outskirts of Dijon, by phoning his employer, Caisse d’Epargne.
By that time, Dominique had a senior management position in this bank and the telephone receptionist always told me politely but very firmly that she could not put me through to him. Eventually, I gave up and felt that it was unlikely that I would ever make contact with someone who had probably been one of my closest friends when I had been growing up.
You can therefore probably imagine my surprise when, completely out of the blue, I received a short email from Dominique asking if I was the David Yeandle who had been his French exchange partner more than 30 years ago. I almost immediately replied giving Dominique my contact details and, very soon afterwards, we had our first telephone conversation for many years. It was quite amazing that, despite my relatively rusty French and Dominique’s equally rusty English, we managed to have a lengthy conversation and caught up on all that had happened in our lives since we last spoke. I have to say that it felt as though it was only a few days rather than
Following that telephone call, my wife and I arranged to visit Dominique and stay at his new house just outside of Dijon. We flew from Southampton to Paris and then caught the train to Dijon which took about half the time that it had taken when I first did this journey in 1965. We were met by Dominique and Geraldine at Dijon Station for what was quite an emotional reunion before driving to their house where we stayed for a few days. We had a great time revisiting some of our old haunts in Dijon and meeting other members of Dominique’s family over some excellent meals with plenty of high quality French wine both at his home and at some local restaurants.
The last time that I saw Dominique was in October 2015 when Dominique came to the UK with his younger brother, Marc, and a couple of friends to watch France play in some matches in the Rugby World Cup. Dominique had always been interested in watching rugby and this interest had increased when his nephew Benjamin Noirot had been selected for the French squad and had made his international
“true friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation”
enjoyable dinner with all of them in Southampton as they were staying in a hotel there on their way to Cardiff Arms Park. Since then, we have managed to keep in touch with the occasional phone call or email and cards at Christmas/ New Year.
Friendship is a very precious commodity and, as George Washington the first US President wrote in a letter in 1783, “true friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation”. I think this is a very wise reflection and, like many people, I have had many acquaintances over the years but only a few people who I can really say are true friends and I certainly include Dominique Noirot, my French partner, amongst them.
David Yeandle OBE 30 November 2023
SIXTH FORM
“
I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE…”
In 1943 Headmaster John Garrett introduced Sixth Form Lectures, where a series of external speakers would talk to the students in their last years at BGS about a variety of topics. Now in 2024, these lectures still happen every week and are an integral part of the BGS Sixth Form experience. Here Society Vice Chair Mike Burmester, writes about OB John Bassett returning to speak to the students about his career.
In October 2023 John Bassett (OB 1980) returned to BGS to give a Sixth Form Lecture having retired the previous Friday after a long and varied career. Romesh Vaitilingam, his schoolboy peer and current chair of governors, greeted him warmly with a fraternal hug before John started his talk to the students.
After a very traditional BGS education of Latin, Greek and ancient history, John studied classics at Oxford. His career went on to include journalism, researcher at the House of Commons, postgraduate at UWE and a long spell in the British Foreign Office as well as time at GCHQ in Cheltenham. As John specialised in cyber security, you may recognise him from BBC2 Newsnight, Radio 4 Today programme or the Times newspaper.
His talk could be divided into two parts. The world in 2065 and his career learnings. The first he admitted was personal speculation and doubtless wrong,
John Bassett is the President Elect for the Old Bristolians Society, taking over as President in March 2025 at the Annual Dinner.
the second what the Duchess of Sussex might term “his truth”.
What then were the standouts from this fascinating lecture?
Looking forty years ahead (when I will not be around to know the outcome, but the students listening would be), I found the following:
World population growth from today’s 8 billion to 10 billion.
• Colonisation in space with rival spheres of influence as on earth
• More nuclear weapon states
• Cities emptying and high streets closing
• Retirement age 70 plus.
As to the learnings John took from his forty-year career:
• Take risks
• Tell the truth
• Find the people you can trust
• Expect the unexpected
• Have fun.
After some thoughtful questions from the audience to which John responded in his forthright manner, the session closed.
A most worthwhile hour spent in his company and we hope to see him again at Tyndall’s Park.
Mike Burmester OB 1965
Mike Burmester and John Bassett
TONY STIRRATT
The Stirratt Pitch
There are few people whose contribution to their time on this earth is marked by a physical legacy in addition to all those relating to their families, careers and communities – Tony Stirratt was certainly one to be numbered in that elite group.
The Stirratt pitch – an ATP (artificial turf pitch) – came into being in the late 1990s as a facility to provide a surface for the playing of ‘field’ hockey. Playing on such a surface was increasingly the way the game was played from the 1970s and was made mandatory for major competitions from 1976. Naturally, clubs and schools playing at the lower levels of the game gradually followed suit and the need to provide such surfaces became more apparent.
The rationale for moving to such artificial surfaces may have something to do with safety as I can bear witness to – a hockey ball bouncing irregularly on grass can easily rear up and crack a tooth – an injury that is revealed every time I smile!
The installation of an ATP at the school’s sports ground at Failand became part of the focus for the Old Bristolians’ Sports Club in order to provide a modern surface for the hockey section. It was agreed that the new pitch would be a shared facility with the school with the cost being shared equally between both parties. The initial investment was to be £312,000 – a not inconsiderable sum. The Society agreed to provide a loan to the Sports Club of £50,000 which
left a mere £106,000 to be found. This is where the drive, the energy and commitment to hockey of Tony Stirratt came to the fore. Tony had been a BGS Hockey 1st XI player during his time at school
With over £100,000 to raise, a fundraising programme needed to be put in place to achieve this considerable goal. Tony’s determination, his ability to organise and inspire others to chase down this figure resulted in the target being reached, the pitch being installed and play commencing in 1999.
Tony’s role was such that the pitch had to be named after him although his natural modesty precluded him from referring to it as such in any reports, assessments or correspondence I could find.
A lease between the School and the Society is in place and runs up until 2029. Since the first installation, the pitch was re-laid in 2016 and will be due to be re-laid again in a few years time – this is the nature of such pitches.
With Tony’s recent passing (see obituary on the website), the pitch will remain a lasting memorial to his love for the School, the Society and the sport of hockey.
As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-Day this year, my connection lies in the fact that my uncle, Ian Fyfe, a war correspondent with the Daily Mirror was the only journalist to be killed on D-Day. He had volunteered to travel to Normandy with a British army unit in a glider which crash
landed. He was trapped beneath a jeep and died soon after. In the confusion and being surrounded by German soldiers, his body was never recovered. After a campaign by the Daily Mirror his name was added to the memorial at Commonwealth War Graves location at Bayeux.
Ian Southcott – Secretary OB 1971
Ian Rolling Moves to New Zealand
My wife and I first visited New Zealand in 2002 when our second daughter moved there. We visited regularly and then our eldest daughter moved there in 2016. At the time our son and family lived in South Africa so we applied to move to New Zealand. The application started smoothly but then the NZ government suspended all applications through the Parent Visa scheme for so say 2 years. The suspension continued for longer and then Covid arrived so we eventually had our invitation to apply at the end of February 2023.
It was then all systems go and we had to get police checks completed and have medicals, not in Bristol but in Plymouth! Our daughter and son in law, as our sponsors, had to supply financial information going back over three years and prove their relationship. After a few medical hiccups caused by NZ Health, we were granted our visas at the beginning of October 2023.
The next three months went very quickly and remarkably smoothly. We sold our house in a week, found a company to ship our belongings and much to the estate agent’s surprise, completed on the house and moved to New Zealand on the 21st December.
We spent Christmas with our daughter in Te Miro, above Cambridge and bought cars before the New Year as we were in Auckland for New Year. We started house hunting immediately and found a house quickly. The Real Estate agent started drawing up the contract and then realised that to buy a house in New Zealand, you have had to live in the country for a year. Fortunately we could apply for an exemption and got it within 24 hours of applying. This happened at the beginning of January and after a sale is agreed and searches completed, the sale becomes unconditional and you don’t have the worry of the purchaser pulling out at the last minute as in the UK. The completion date was agreed and we moved in at the beginning of March.
Cambridge is less than two hours south of Auckland, on State Highway 1 and just over an hour north of Rotorua. It has an English feel to it with a cricket field on the edge of the town and a tree-lined Main Street with lots of cafes and independent shops. Hamilton is half an hour away.
If any OBs’ are planning to visit New Zealand, I would be very happy to give guidance if required and meet up. My contact details are:
The town is Cambridge, my email address is ianrolling@yahoo.co.uk and my NZ mobile number is +640211171402 ��
Ian Rolling – Former staff
Memories of BGS
Alan Boyce OB 1965
Alan visited BGS in October 2023 with his daughter Molly, and emailed us afterwards with some memories of his time at BGS. He added ‘To be back in the Great Hall and remember some of the ‘moments’ I had while at the school, especially as head boy, was amazing. What a privilege it was to have attended such a fine old school.’
‘To be back in the great hall and remember some of the ‘moments’ I had while at the school, especially as head boys, was amazing. What a privilege it was to have attended such a fine old school.’
One of my fondest memories was visiting the tuck shop with some coins and having to make the tough choice between Fruit salads and Refreshers, which were more expensive but more chewy. The trick was to pace yourself in case you were asked a question in the next lesson!
I was part of a barbershop group (Phil O’Shave and the Cut Throats) and we did a school assembly once where we sang Evaline while I shaved Mr Speak with a ‘false’ cut throat razor. Unbeknown to the audience, I had some artificial blood up my sleeve and while we got more and more enthusiastic about singing the song, Mr Speak started to wriggle and bleed. Most people laughed but I fear some of the younger members of the audience were concerned that I was actually harming their most beloved house master!
I was lucky enough to sing with the school choir in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. My parents came to see us and my father agreed to tape the solo of one choir member singing Oh for the wings of a dove Afterwards, he handed me the tape and we excitedly put it in the bus cassette player on the way back to where we were staying. Unfortunately, it had been a long day and the perfect recording was interrupted by my father’s snoring!
Watch the last known recording of by scanning this QR code.
Scan this code with your phone camera
https://linktr.ee /bristolienses
Do you have any old photos or memorabilia of BGS? Contact us!
The 20 year reunion for the Class of 1982, held in 2002.
Recent News
Behind the Scenes – Our new filming project ‘Began at BGS’ – Coming soon
Old Bristolians in the Wild
1. Robert Lacey, OB 1962 – Royal Historian 2. Nigel Hall, OB 1960 – Sculptor
3. Sarah Crew, OB 1989 – Chief Constable at Avon & Somerset Police
1-3. Teachers Pete Jakobek and Jamie Corsi bump into Old Bristolians at the rugby
Old Bristolian Visitors to BGS
It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later
Joseph Elliot, OB 2002, speaking to students about his latest book
Louis McKenzie left his role as Drama teacher at BGS to focus on his acting career
Ian Rolling said farewell to BGS at Failand before moving to New Zealand
Paul Mason, OB 1958, and his wife Joanne visited us from Boston
Nigel Harris retired after 27 years
Artist Avi Gray, OB 2008, judged the whole school Art competition
We’re deeply saddened to announce the deaths of people associated with Bristol Grammar School notified to us in the last 12 months. Please join us in honouring and remembering them.
Paul Abrams 1970-2023. BGS 2008-2023.
Val Ackland Died 2023.
Donald James Barnett 1937-2023. BGS 1945-1953
Robert Ian Beese 1946-2023. BGS 1958–1965
Michael Anthony Clarke. Born 1947. BGS 1955-1965
Howard Neil Cleeve 1946-2023. BGS 1957-1964
Derek Reginald Clifford 1930-2018. BGS 1941-1947
Andrew Frederick Dun 1960-2023. BGS 1969-1979
Alan John Durbin 1941-2023. BGS 1950-1960
Beryl Fellows Died 2024. BGS 1993-2019
Michael Gaherty Born 1930. BGS 1946-1949
Dudley Frances Goodfield Born 1940. BGS 1951-1956
Thomas Paul Griffiths Born 1931. BGS 1941-1948
Roger George Harris 1932-2019. BGS 1940-1949
Harold Leslie Hazell 1929-2022. BGS 1940-1948
Mark Hill 1960-2022.
Alan Mollyson Kelly 1935-2023. BGS 1943-1953
Raymond Reginald Knowland Born 1930. BGS 1941-1948
Richard Lynn 1930-2023. BGS 1944-1948
Iain MacGregor 1941-2023. BGS 1949-1959
Brian Frederick Mahle 1930-2023. BGS 1938-1948
Derek Michael Nott 1944-2023. BGS 1968-2004
Andrew Peter Osborn Born 1957. BGS 1968-1973
Elizabeth Jane Sutton 1980-2020. BGS 1991-1998
Anthony Francis Stirratt 1933-2024. BGS 1942-1952
In memoriam
Michael Hu 1998-2022. BGS 2011-2016
Tony Jackson 1951-2023. BGS 1962-1970
John Windsor Tovey Born 1931. BGS 1941-1947
David John Weeks 1932-2021. BGS 1946-1954
Claire Wegener 1956-2022. BGS 1994-2014
Leonard Colston West Born 1929. BGS 1940-1947
Robert Arthur White Born 1950. BGS 1961-1968
David Andrew Charles Wilkinson 1970-2021. BGS 1981-1988
Gilbert Riddell McMillan 1924-2023. BGS 1956-1962
Robert Spiller 1937-2021. BGS 1947-1955
Full obituaries, where provided by family, friends, or news resources, are available on our new Obituaries page on the website (scan the QR code with your phone camera on the right for links) To inform us of a death or to provide an obituary, please contact us on community@bgs.bristol.sch.uk
Old Bristolians Society Management Committee 2024-25
Chair Marcus Cryer
Vice Chair
Mike Burmester
President Rev James Harris
President Elect
John Bassett
Immediate Past President
Peter Jakobek
Treasurer Richard Leonard
Secretary Ian Southcott
School Liaison Officer
Peter Jakobek
Archivist
Anne Bradley
Careers Co-ordinator
Rob Hagen
Sports Club Officer
James King
Sports Club Representative
Rich Berry
Nick Stibbs
Trustees
Julian Portch
Melanie Guy
Martin Bates
If you would like to contact any of the management committee members please email community@bgs.bristol.sch.uk
Past Presidents of the Society
1900 Herbert Ashman Bart
1901 Charles McArthur
1902 C E L Gardner
1903 Bourchier F Hawksley
1904 The Rev T W Openshaw MA
1905 Sir Hubert Llewellyn Smith GCB, MA, BSc
1906 Professor H Lloyd Tanner DSc, FRS
1907 The Rev V P Wyatt MA
1908 Sir Hartman W Just CB, KCMG
1909 Philip W Worsley JP
1910 W Nicol Reid
1911 The Rev A W Oxford MA, MD
1912 T B Silcock BSc
1913 The Rev Canon F E Brightman MA D Phil, DD, FBA
1914 The Rev A B Beaven MA
1919 Sir Holman Gregory KC
1920 Sir Cyril Norwood MA, D Litt
1921 George Langford
1922 Col T H Openshaw CB, CMG, MS, MB, FRCS, LRCP
1923 The Rev Canon G A Weekes MA
1924 The Rev Canon Peter Barker MA
1925 D S Davies MD, LLD, DPH
1926 Col T M Carter OBE
1927 R C Hobbs
1928 Oscar Berry
1929 Sir Duncan Grey LLD
1930 Cyril Rootham MA, MusD
1931 Wilfrid E F Peake
1932 Sir Cyril Norwood MA, D Litt
1933 J Sumner Dury JP
1934 T Reaveley Glover MA, LLD, DD, Litt D
1935 Rear-Admiral V H T Weekes CB, CMG
1936 Charles W Stear
1937 E W B Gill OBE, MA, BSc
1938 Brigadier A L W Newth CBE, DSO, MC, TD, DL, JP, Legion of Merit (America)
1939-1945 Col G S Castle MC, TD, DL
1946 Brigadier M Angell James VC, DSO, MBE, MC, DL
1947 The Right Rev Henry McGowan MA
1948 The Right Hon Lord Gridley KBE,MIEE, MP
1949 J E Barton MA, Hon RIBA
1950 Rev Canon J M D Stancomb MBE, MA
1951 Sir W Marston Logan KBE, CMG
1952 Professor T F Hewer MD, FRCP, FLS
1953 Leslie Morris MA, BSc
1954 Sir Oliver Franks PC, GCMG, KCB, CBE, MA
1955 R C W Cottle
1956 Sir W Ivor Jennings KBE, LittD, LLD, QC
1957 H P Lucas BSc
1958 The Right Rev Bishop D B Hall BA
1959 C R Setter JP, FIOB
1960 Sir Douglas Veale CBE, MA
1961 Dr John Garrett MA, DLitt
1962 C H Clements
1963 E H Totterdill FCll FIArb
1964 K W Jones ACIS
1965 Very Reverend D E W Harrison MA
1966 Alderman L K Stevenson
1967 H C H Punchard
1968 Col J B Cossins MBE
1969 J Angell James CBE, MD, FRCP, FRCS
1970 Philip E Maggs
1971 Edward V Colman
1972 Vivian H Ridler CBE, MA, FSIA
1973 Sir Paul Osmond CB, MA, CIMgt
1974 M E Dunscombe TD FBOA, FSMC
1975 Air Vice Marshal W J Maggs CB, OBE, MA
1976 R A Dolton
1977 D J Mann CBE, MA
1978 Dr J Mackay MA, DPhil
1979 Professor B H Harvey CBE, MA, MSc
1980 J C Higson
1981 M L Booker MA
1982 The Very Rev S H Evans CBE, MA
1983 J B Ackland OBE, FRIBA
1984 G F Jarrett TD, MA
1985 D W Williams OBE, TD, DL
1986 E H Dehn BA
1987 J R Cottle MA
1988 P F Stirratt BSc (Econ)
1989 Major General IOJ Sprackling OBE, BSc
1990 K J Stidard AE, DMS, MIMgt
1991 T L Beagley CB, MA, FCIT, FIRTE(Hon)
1992 M B Nichols FCA
1993 J R Avery MA, FRSA
1994 A F Stirratt MA
1995 Professor Keith Robbins MA, DPhil, DLitt, FRSE
1996 E A Warren MA
1997 K G H Binning CMG, MA
1998 K D J Prowting FCA
1999 His Honour Judge PNR Clark MA
2000 R Lacey MA
2001 M Sisman LLB
2002 C E Martin MA
2003 J A E Evans MA
2004 R F Kingscott Dip Arch (RWA), ARIBA
2005 R A R Cockitt BSc
2006 Professor Sir Nicholas (‘Nick’) Wright MA, MD, PhD, DSc, FRCP, FRCS, FRCPath, FMedSci
2007 D L J Watts JP, MA, FRICS
2008 D Pople MA
2009 P J Revill MA
2010 K T Gerrish BA
2011 N A Baldwin
2012 G E Ratcliffe BDS, DDPHRCS
2013 D Furze MBCS, CITP
2014 D Yeandle OBE, MA, MCIPD, FRSA
2015 M N J Burmester BA, ACIB
2016 J D Perkins MA
2017 Anne Bradley MA (Oxon)
2018 Melanie Guy
2019 John Sisman
2020 Rich Berry
2021 Rich Berry
2022 Kate Redshaw
2023 Peter Jakobek
Annual Dinner
Saturday 15 March
CAREERS + MENTORING
Volunteer to be a mentor, attend a careers or networking event or join our Linkedin group.
EVENTS
Organise a reunion table for the Annual Dinner, attend our networking drinks in London or Bristol or come along to our Lunch Clubs.
GIVE BACK
Donate to our 500 campaign and help change lives through bursaries at BGS.
VISIT US
Have lunch in the Great Hall, have a guided tour around BGS, or come back to talk to the current students about your journey after BGS.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow us on social media, join our private Linkedin and Facebook groups or download the Old Bristolians app.
TALK TO US
If you want to visit, suggest a new event, advertise your business or have any questions or feedback, get in touch.
The Old Bristolians is a community for Old Bristolians by Old Bristolians. Let’s stay connected.
