THE VESEYAN SUMMER 2022

THE VESEYAN SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

On the cover: Ryleigh and Samay

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Dear Reader, As the school year ends in a blaze of heat, we can now pause from our school lives and reflect on so many memorable moments over the past 12 months!

The fabric of our school buildings is being rejuvenated. Work is almost completed on the Science Block roofs and a temporary accommodation block is being erected on the lower end of the Biology playground. This will provide 6 classrooms and additional changing space. This should be ready for the start of the Michaelmas Term in September 2022.

This will mean that students will no longer come to school (as they have since September 2020) in sports kit on PE days. Instead, full smart uniform will be reinstated every day and students will use the changing facilities to get changed for sports Most importantly, it has been so good to see our school community coming back to life. Whether it be PTFA discos, school trips, art exhibitions, concerts, plays, work experience, competitive sports, awards evenings, primary outreach, OV dinners or even the legendary Shaggy Dogs event, we have relished the return of every single one of these community events during the course of 2021-22! It has been good to see the return of proper exams too! Our Class of 2022 have been simply amazing and we wish Year 13 and Year 11 the very best for the summer. We will see them all again on Thursday 18th and 25th August respectively.

Our student leaders have done a fabulous job this year. I was so proud to see Blessing and Krishan passing on the baton to the next leaders Darlina and Suleman in assembly. I know our new School Captains are inspired to do a wonderful job.

This re-start year is just the beginning.

Next year sees the start of our 51st period: our BVGS co-curricular programme, an extension of the school day, which will operate

fortnightly on Thursdays, providing interesting new opportunities across age groups such as Astrophysics or Big History, developing community and providing more opportunities to enable students to develop a life-long knowledge and enthusiasm for learning.

We also hope to continue our commitment to serve the local and regional community, brilliantly embodied by our brilliant Year 9 entries to the Birmingham Civic Society’s Next Generation Awards. (Have a look at the video endorsement of our work by Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, in this edition).

We will be inviting more primary age students to visit BVGS and be visited by us. This will provide excellent opportunities for our students to develop their social skills by connecting with the wider community and hopefully inspiring others along the way!

And, as the Commonwealth Games reminds us, community is not just local!

2022-2023 and beyond will see the return of foreign trips, renewing our commitment to our students being global citizens.

Indeed, the global becomes local next week. I am really proud to know that our community will be taking the baton in the Queen’s Relay later this week. Good luck in particular to Intishar from Year 7! And to OVs like Hamish Carter, who will be representing Scotland in the gymnastics.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer.

Dominic Robson, Headteacher

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CONTENTS INSPIRATIONAL CURRICULUM + STUDENTS CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2022 | PG 1 - 3 SPEECH DAY FOR THE CLASS OF 2021 | PG 4 GET TO KNOW THE NEW SCHOOL CAPTAINS | PG 5 - 6 THE STEMETTES SOCIETY | PG 7 - 8 YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE | PG 9 - 10 VIRTUAL CHINA | PG 11 THE NEXT GENERATION AWARDS | PG 12 BRING THE POWER | PG 13 - 14 THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES | PG 15 - 16 SCHOOL TRIPS | PG 17 - 23 SCHOOL EVENTS | PG 24 - 30 WELL DONE TO... | PG 31 - 32 SPORTS NEWS | PG 33 - 35 ENGLISH CORRIDOR REDESIGN | PG 36 - 37 NEW CO-CURRICULAR OFFER | PG 38

OUR STAFF VALETES | PG 39 - 44 CENTRESTAGE NEWS | PG 45

OLD VESEYAN NEWS OVA WELCOME MESSAGE | PG 46 SHAGGY DOG'S TEA PARTY PHOTOS | PG 47 - 48 IN MEMORIAM | PG 49 - 53 ANNUAL GOLF DAY | PG 54 - 55 OVA DINNER | PG 56

Celebrating the Class of 2022

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The Class of 2022 began life at the school in September 2020, in year group of bubbles, in a year none of us will ever forget. Just think about that. No exams, no farewell in Year 11, and then you encounter new academic year in an unfamiliar environment. In any normal school year, most of us, would feel a sense of trepidation, and nervousness mixed with a tinge of excitement and forgiven for finding the transition overwhelming.

Add the pandemic in to the equation and you get a sense of what this group of students had to overcome.

However, this is the Class of 2022. They approached all the challenges, the ambiguity and the uncertainty, with determination, optimism and defiance in the face of continued adversity.

Over the past two years in Sixth Form, the students have not survived their A-Levels, they have thrived in this environment, moving forwards and dealing with all before them with good grace and a smile on their face. The attribute, which permeates throughout every student in my year group, is resilience.

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Celebrating the Class of 2022

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Celebrating the Class of 2022

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Transitioning to online learning, managing increased levels of stress and anxiety.

Nevertheless, despite another lockdown, students developed strong bonds and were supportive of one another, and remained positive, growing as a group and as individuals.

dreams, inspire others and know that wherever you go in the world, you are always more than welcome here at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School.

As a Sixth Form Pastoral Team, we have nothing but praise and admiration for how the year group have acquitted themselves. They have worked tirelessly and prepared meticulously for their ALevel examinations. Thank you to the students, the teachers, the support staff and the parents for the continued support, which is integral to any success and enjoyment in school for our students.

This chapter has ended but there is no doubt that the students of 2022 leave an indelible mark on the school. The torch is burning brightly and transition in to the very safe and capable hands of the Class of 2023. They will work together in creating an even more fulfilled, enjoyable and stimulating Vesey experience for the school, local and global community to thrive here at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School.

The School captains Krishan and Oluwaseun Blessing said this about the cohort:

- Mr Davis, Head of Upper Sixth

“We are proud to be part of Vesey’s class of 2022. We have achieved a lot together. Some of the initiatives led or supported by class of 2022 include the Heritage Society, Medical Minds, Walk to Ukraine, Social Mentoring, Food Donation Appeals, Sutton Coldfield Community Games, the Giving Tree and COP26 environmental meetings to name but a few. As the year group depart on their own separate journeys, I hope our legacy benefits all who are part of this wonderful school for years to come.

Reflecting on the experience at BVGS, we have become more confident, witnessing individuals change and grow in their identities, forming friendships that will affect our ways of thinking and experiences for a lifetime.”

To the Class of 2022, be kind, chase your

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On Thursday 7th April, we held the annual Speech Day to celebrate the Class of 2021. The evening began with some light refreshments, followed by an awards and prizes ceremony and an address from our inspirational guest speaker, Anna Fielding (OV). Anna was formally the CEO of the Finance Innovation Lab and is currently Chair of the Economic Change Unit, a non-profit organisation working for a fairer economy. Thank you so much to Anna for attending.

Well done to all the winners of awards, and to the entire Class of 2021 for their dedication throughout what was a hugely challenging season during 2019-2021. Freddie Coleman was the winner of the prestigious Eddowes Prize. This award goes to the student who, in the eyes of the staff has made the greatest contribution to the good of the school by example and participation throughout his or her school career. We hope that students will take forward what they have learnt at Vesey. Keep in touch!

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Speech Day for the Class of 2021

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Get to Know the New School Captains

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We asked the new School Captains to introduce themselves, tell us their favourite food (important, of course) and tell us more about their plans for Vesey.

Hi, my name is Darlina and I am one of the School Captains at Bishop Vesey Grammar School. My favourite food has to be freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. Nothing can beat having them on a movie night: homemade and straight out of the oven. I am also a big fan of anything spicy though - hence my love of Nando's.

One of my favourite moments at Vesey so far has to be the 'Walk to Ukraine'. The sense of community was so strong. I enjoyed laughing, chatting, and passing around a rugby ball with my friends while we lapped the fields.

It was a scorching hot day though, and I remember people passing around my sunglasses and a bucket hat to keep cool. It felt very rewarding to see how much money we had raised to go to such a good cause by the end of the day. We also made it onto ITV! I applied to be School Captain because I wanted to give back and leave my mark on the school. I would like to help next year's L6th like U6th officers helped us, because I know without people like that, I would not have settled in as fast. I want to open up more opportunities for more people to enhance the Vesey experience for all.

One of the main goals I want to implement in my role is that of 'smarter education'. This would revolve around focused PSHE lessons, financial education, continuing increased diversity in the curriculum, a greater availability of sport options, and building on career support. Another one of my aims would be to cultivate our Vesey community even further. This would involve more social events, including more opportunities with Old Veseyans, charity-related occasions, and further networking opportunities.

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Hi! I am Suleman, the new School Captain of Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School.

My best time at Vesey so far was last Summer when we played rounders and were treated to ice cream on the last day. Favourite food? I mean, the only thing better than a refreshing ice cream has to be my grandmother’s chicken curry and rice, which is so delicious I’d even consider resigning just to take a bite (just kidding... I hope!).

I applied to this role in order to push my limits and develop myself into an experienced and skilled individual, and because I want to make a change in our school and improve the experience for every student here. My plans for next year revolve around the 3 L’s: to support Learning, increase Laughter and build Life skills. I will strive to unite the school, to be the best School Captain I can, and to leave a proud and positive legacy behind!

Hello, my name is Harry and I am a Deputy School Captain for 2022-23. During my 6 years here at Vesey I have thrown myself at every challenge, representing the school at all of our 3 major sports alongside academic events. I was encouraged to take this role as it offers me a chance to give back to this school which has given me so many opportunities such as the Cricket Tour of Sri Lanka. Through my time with this responsibility I hope to further the inclusivity of extra-curricular activities available here and support the house co-ordinators in reinvigorating the system here.

Back row, from left to right: Suleman, Harry Front row, from left to right: Darlina, Millie

Hi everyone! My name is Millie and I am one of the new deputy school captains. My favourite food is biscuits, specifically bourbon biscuits, just in case anyone is interested! I have had so many opportunities and experiences since joining Vesey, but one of my highlights would definitely be when we went to London for an art trip. I had never been to London before so I enjoyed experiencing this new city, and it was great to look around the galleries. The reason I applied for this role is because I want to be able to make a significant impact on the Vesey community, whilst also trying to better myself as a person. Now that I have this role, I would like to create a greater support network for those who want to study arts or humanities post-18 as this is something that can be improved upon at our school. Also, I would like to create more methods of supporting the year 12s as they write their personal statements and prepare to apply to universities or apprenticeships.

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Get to Know the New School Captains

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The Stemettes Society

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I am enjoying studying my chosen A-Level subjects of Physics, Chemistry, and Maths. Every lesson is fascinating and I am learning to see the world in a different light. I found myself curious to learn more about the subjects outside the boundaries of my specification.

In 2021, with the help of my teachers, I was able to find a group of like-minded people who were interested in the STEM industry called the Stemettes Society (https://stemettes.org).

The society comprises of girls, young women, and non-binary people aged 5-25 who have an interest in STEM. The society provides a great opportunity for meeting other people through mentoring and taking part in STEM programmes and events.

In the September of 2021, I had the chance to take part in a 6month mentorship with Mercedes F1 AMG Petronas partnered with The Stemettes Society. I attended online networking events and had regular meetings with my mentor, an engineer at Mercedes, and she offered me a lot of advice about my future steps and skills needed to progress into a STEM career.

- Adeola, Year 12

As well as this, I was invited to attend the Extreme E finals race in Dorset in December 2021, an off-roading motorsport competition created to help develop a more sustainable racing experience in an industry known for producing gas-guzzling cars and lots of carbon gases.

I was able to see how the world of Racing was starting to develop more sustainable fuels in the face of climate change. The Extreme E cars use hydrogen fuel which is generated from water and solar energy and is then used to charge the vehicles, allowing for a sustainable off-the-grid power generation.

I was inspired by all the work that went into the competition, and seeing the larger-than-life, futuristic cars up close allowed me to see all the important engineering that takes place in the working and performance of the cars. I also met inspirational people like Stephanie Travers, the trackside fluid engineer for Petronas and the first black woman to stand on the winner's podium in F1’s 70-year history, and engineers and the drivers of Lewis Hamilton’s amazing X44 team. I also got star-struck when I got to take a picture with Jenson Button.

The mentorship also included a site visit and tour of the Mercedes F1 Factory in Brackley in May 2022. I saw the offices and labs and some of the past F1 cars and trophies. It was an amazing experience.

The mentoring programme has been incredible. I also took part in a week’s virtual work experience with Bank of America in October 2021 where I learnt about the meaningful work that quantitative analysts do. I was fascinated to see how they used mathematics and skills similar to what I was studying at A-level but at an advanced and enhanced level to make informative graphs and data sets that show so much research and information.

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In my work experience, I also worked in a group to make smart financial decisions about fictional money each of us were given. We also learnt about how IT and coding were included in their jobs and other parts of the STEM industry that they worked with.

These experiences opened my eyes to the possibilities of a career in the STEM industry and they have motivated me to apply for a STEM-related degree at university next year.

The stemettes society mentoring programme has been an incredible educative and enriching experience and I hope more girls interested in STEM will look them up and become a stemette!

"These experiences opened my eyes to the possibilities of a career in the STEM industry and they have motivated me to apply for a STEM-related degree at university next year."

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The Stemettes Society

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Year 10 Work Experience

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I did work experience at RPS Quantity Surveyors in Digbeth and I had a wonderful time. Not only was everyone really nice, but I was given lots of challenging and fun work to do. I went out on 2 site visits to find out what happens at a construction site and I also was trusted with filling out contracts to the contractors. I had a really good time and even got invited to a company lunch on one of the days. Work experience is great and it made me realise what work life will be like in the future.

- Ben, 10W

"Work experience is great and it made me realise what work life will be like in the future. "

I worked for Aviation Recruitment Ltd, and did a multitude of jobs around Birmingham airport (working at boarding, in baggage, at recruitment, etc). It was extremely interesting, and gave me a great insight into the inner workings of the job. Overall, I would really recommend work experience to anyone who wants to develop their skills in a profession.

-Jacob, 10P

Adam, Zach and Eesa – park rangers in Sutton Park

David – Recruitment agency in Birmingham City Centre

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Jamie and Jeffrey – software design in the Jewellery Quarter

I did my placement at the Pype Hayes Veterinary Centre in Erdington. I contacted this place as I am considering a career in this field of work. In the 2 weeks I spent there, I managed to see a wide variety of interesting cases during the vet-patient consultations. I was able to observe multiple complex operations, carried out by the veterinary surgeons at the practice.

I managed to see biopsies, vaccinations, amputations and I even help to revive a litter of puppies once delivered. I also saw many castrations and spaying operations of dogs, cats and rabbits, as this is a very common procedure carried out on several animals per day. There were also more complicated cases, like cats and dogs riddled with tumours or recurring fatty abscesses or phantom pregnancies of female cats and dogs. On my 4th day there, a dog was brought in after it had accidentally trodden on a rotating electric saw, which had caused severe damage to two of its paws. I also watched the euthanasia injections of several animals, including an elderly cat, a young cat (which had to be put down due to its aggression), and even a seagull which had come in with a bloody, broken wing. Other than the cats, dogs and rabbits that were brought in daily, I also witnessed more “exotic” animals, like goldfinch fledglings, a bat and several pigeons.

Other interesting cases included animals that had come to have stitches taken out, infections in wounds or incisions from previous operations, allergic reactions to pollen or grass seeds lodged in the animals’ feet or ears and much more!

-Josh, 10W Aadil, Aditya and Affan spent their work experience with the Vesey IT Department. After many years of hosting work experience, the IT Team said that this group stands out as exceptional. Affan said: "I have really enjoyed the hardware side of IT, such as taking hard drives out of computers and laptops. I have also enjoyed writing down the data from computers." Aditya added: "I learnt how technology in the school has improved over time and how it is core to its function."

Hopefully, you will be able to read the thank you card here.

Kishun and Dylan – accountancy in the City Centre

Max – venue management in Lichfield

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Year 10 Work Experience

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Virtual China

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During the last two weeks of term, students participated in an immersive online programme, Virtual China, to improve their language skills and experience of China from their very own classroom. BVGS was partnered with a host institution in China, who trains teachers especially for delivering this exciting new programme. With the help of video technology, students visited places of cultural and historic importance in multiple cities across China and covered topics such as:

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics COP26 A visit to a Panda Zoo

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Arjuna, Aman, Moosa and Zia gained a place at the regional semi-finals of the Next Generation awards. As mentioned in the weekly newsletters, Year 9 had the opportunity during their PSHE lessons to tackle a current social problem in Birmingham and enter a competition in a bid to win £1,500 to implement their ideas to help deal with the issue.

This Thursday Arjuna, Aman, Moosa and Zia presented their project to a panel of judges at the Birmingham Midlands Institute in the city centre. All four students have done BVGS extremely proud by articulating their points well, responding to difficult questions from the panel and behaving in a professional manner throughout the duration of the competition. Many other schools have taken part in this competition and we will wait to see if they have progressed through to the finals.

We wish all of the boys the best of luck! #TeamRejuvenation

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The Next Generation Awards

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Bring the Power

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A variety of students attended the Commonwealth Summit on Wednesday 13th July to showcase the work they have been doing to support nearby communities. First of all Amos, Flynn and Charlie presented their ‘Knives don’t cut it’ project to a large audience and articulated the need for knife bins in and around the Sutton Coldfield area to keep Birmingham safe. Their presentation was outstanding and as a school, we are very proud of them.

All students who attended the trip then took part in a diversity and inclusivity workshop focusing on how the National Curriculum needs to incorporate far more black and brown historical events. The workshop was facilitated by Stuart Lawrence (younger brother of Stephen Lawrence), Lavinya Stennett (Founder and CEO of the Black curriculum). Our students engaged very well with the workshops discussing their thoughts and opinions surrounding the current curriculum and what needs to develop. Blessing was gifted one of Stuart Lawrence’s books as a thank you for her contributions during the workshops. Arnav, Ryan, Ryleigh and Amshuman articulated their opinions to a high standard and were congratulated by the team.

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The second workshops focused on mental health and well-being in schools involving group discussions on PE and how to improve the curriculum. Although we have an outstanding sport programme here at BVGS the students suggested mixing with girls from other schools during some of their PE lessons to increase their social and interpersonal skills. We think this is a great idea!

- Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands

- Blessing and Stuart Lawrence

After a quick lunch, the final lecture featured a rap artist delivering a piece of material on diversity and inclusivity. Blessing delivered an exceptional speech on how the curriculum needs to change and what we are doing here at BVGS to improve the existing history curriculum. Blessing received a standing ovation from the members of the Black Curriculum and is looking to work with them as she pursues her ambition to study History at Oxford!

Overall, we had an amazing day which empowered the voices of our students. We will now begin using the £1,000 grant received from the Commonwealth Summit and make Birmingham safer.

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Bring the Power

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The Commonwealth Games

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The Commonwealth Games 2022 is a very exciting event for our school, local area and nation alike.

Vesey hosted a Primary commonwealth games day ahead the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. In the playing fields we saw skipping, cricket, rock-climbing, badminton, African drumming and dancing, squash, rugby and kin-ball. A super event enjoyed by all who attended.

Thank you to Sport Birmingham for their organisation and collaboration.

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I recently found out that I was chosen to be a Batonbearer for the Commonwealth Games. It fills me with great joy, representing the whole school! From just one email, I managed to survive the 'rigorous' selection process. I have to travel all the way to Atherstone, then I have to run a selected part of the course, carrying the baton where I will pass it on. I am yet to know my fellow baton-bearers though. Thank you to all who have made this happen for me. I think this will be a great moment, I can't wait until it begins!

- Intishar, 7G

Mr Bungar, father of David who is in 9P, will also be a Batonbearer in the Commonwealth Games, carrying the baton on Monday 25th July in West Bromwich around 6:15pm. He said "I have been selected for the national work I do surrounding diversity and inclusion, helping to empower marginalised communities to excel and improve their lives." This is excellent, well done! ethan Miller

Good luck to OV Hamish Carter who will represent Scotland in gymnastics for the Commonwealth Games.

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Commonwealth Games 2022

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Trips

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Trips

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Trips

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At the end of June, we set off on our long-awaited music tour to Edinburgh! We stopped at Gretna Green on the way where we spotted a few people getting married! After 9 long hours on the coach, we arrived at our hostel and settled in.

On the first full day, we went to Loch Lomond. We had a boat tour of the lake and then we went on a walk up a big hill! The hike was very fun, but tiring with some wonderful views. We then had lunch and set up for our first concert outside the Loch Lomond Sea Life Center. It was an incredible place to do a concert with the Loch right behind us. As we were playing outside lots of people were walking around and stopped to watch and really liked the music!

On the next day we went to Stirling Castle, where we got chance to look around ourselves. It was really interesting and the gardens were amazing. Again, there were some fantastic views from the top of the castle. We then headed to Glasgow where we had some time to look around the shops and had a delicious dinner at the Steak and Cherry Restaurant. It was then time for our second concert at Adelaide Place Baptist Church. The audience was a bit smaller this time, but everyone really enjoyed it and we all had a fantastic time performing. We heard afterwards that there were people dancing in the streets outside!

On our last day, we went to Edinburgh Castle and walked down the Royal Mile. We saw the Scottish Crown Jewels, apparently the Queen was in Edinburgh at the same time but we didn’t see her! After lunch we had a ghost tour through Edinburgh, which also turned into a bit of a Harry Potter tour for my group as we saw lots of things that inspired characters and places in the books. Next, we had our final concert at Canongate Church where lots of people came to watch. We all performed really well again and I really enjoyed it.

We went back to the hostel for dinner and afterwards we all spent the evening on the balcony singing lots of different songs together. It was a brilliant experience and it was great to see some parts of Scotland, alongside having the opportunity to perform in lots of different places. I can’t wait for Italy next year!

- Luke, 9E

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On Friday 24th June, the Biology department and volunteering parents/staff took an excursion to Twycross Zoo, which is renowned as a specialist primate zoo. Students looked at primates and other groups of animals, observed their behaviour and made notes on their habitat, environment and the Zoo's conservation efforts. The winners of the best notes received a Nandos voucher, which was a big hit! This trip was enjoyed by all who attended, and the hope is to run it again next year.

- Mr Ellor

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Trips

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Trips

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Year 11 enjoyed a fantastic paintballing trip to celebrate their final chance to be together as a cohort. We wish those who will be moving on from Vesey all the very best.

Year 10 Historians visited the RAF Museum, Cosford on 11th July as part of their study of the Cold War. They took part in workshops handling and wearing artefacts from the Cold War Period, and exploring the exhibits in the 'National Cold War Exhibition' hangar, as well as the 'Test Flight' and 'War in the Air' hangars, learning about the beginnings of the RAF and aerial warfare, and its role in World War One and World War Two.

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Trips

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Trips

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What is your experience of MEP so far?

My experience of MEP has been very good so far. Lessons are very interactive and there are lots of activities! - Drooh, 7R

When was the trip?

We went on the MEP trip to Chinatown in Birmingham on 25th June. It was really refreshing to go out after a week of exams! - Izaan, 7R

What did you do on the trip?

The trip was epic! Firstly, we spoke to members of the public in Chinese. Then, we went to 'Haidilao Hot Pot Restaurant', which was delicious. We then sang a Chinese song in public, and finally got some bubble tea. - Shohadat, 7R

What was something new that you tried on the trip?

Exploring Chinatown for the first time - Izaan, 7R Finding the missing characters in restaurants names - Zachariah, 7R I tried glass noodles, which I had never tried before, and tofu! - Shohadat, 7R

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School Events

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A special awards ceremony was held on Monday 4th July to celebrate the outstanding dedication and sporting excellence of our junior athletes. The winners are as follows: Athletics Most improved – Jiahao Xu Young athlete of the year – Zak Tisdale

Hockey U’12 B Most improved – Esa Fazal Team player of the year - Charlie Gorton

Hockey U'13 C Most improved – Josh Creasher Player of the year - Hussain Bandali

Tennis Most improved – Aaron Sansgter Young player of the year – Sam Maynard

Hockey U’12 A Most improved – Jude Jean Team player of the year - James McCormack

Hockey U’13 B Most improved – Advik Reddy Player of the year – Sam Sharp

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School Events

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Hockey U’13 A Most improved – Oliver Hoe Team player of the year - Thomas Perry

Hockey U’14 A Most improved – Taran Kooner Player of the year – Matthew Page

Hockey U'15 A Most improved – Iuean Plunkett Player of the year: Kielan Mistry

Hockey U’14 B Most improved – Anand Singh Player of the year: Rafi Mian

Hockey U’15 B Most improved – Charlie Morris Player of the year- Matthew Robson

Rugby Y7 C Most improved – Patrick Kamdar Player of the year – Sidney Harris

Rugby Y7 B Most improved – Lazaros Karoglou Player of the year - Harris Bashir

Rugby U'13 B Most improved – James Bigge Player of the year – Jack Finn

Rugby U’14 B Most improved – Josh Gobran Player of the year – Toru Ashton

Rugby Y7 A Most improved – Libaan Siddiqui Player of the year – Joshua Lee

Rugby U'13 A Most improved – Owen Woodall Player of the year – Dan White

Rugby U'15 A Most improved - Jayden Hunter Player of the year - Tino Madziwa

Cricket 12 B Most improved – Moeez Jawad Player of the season - Kaushik Irvathraya

Cricket U’13 B Most improved - Tom Perry Player of the year - Kalvin Sandhu

Cricket Year 9 B Most improved - Elliot Winterbottom Player of the year - Toru Ashton

Cricket 12 A Most improved – Edward Mason Player of the season - Nirek Jaglan

Cricket U’13 A Most improved - Zubin Shetty Player of the year – Darius Sukumar

Cricket Year 9 A Most improved - Josh Russell Player of the season - Elliot Dowen

Cricket U'15 Player of the season - Luke Smith Most Improved - Kian Eratne

Special achievements: Taylor Ballett – 500 m in 1.40 Team of the Year – Year 8 Rugby team Sportperson of the year – Elliott Dowen

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Thank you to the Art department for a stunning exhibition in Old Big School on the 7th and 8th July which featured Year 9, 11, and Sixth Form work using a wonderful variety of media.

In total, the art sold amounted to £970! Please enjoy this short preview of images.

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School Events

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School Events

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School Events

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School Events

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This year's disco was a huge success with a record turn out for the first disco where more boys attended than girls - 147 boys and 144 girls! Students remained full of energy and enthusiasm despite the hot weather.

Thank you to the parent helpers and to Mr Doughty and Mr White for supporting. A very big thank you to the Vesey PTFA for organising and creating a fun night for our students and for students at Sutton Girls.

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On Friday 15th July, CENTRESTAGE performed their BVGS Summer Showcase in Big School. Over 30 students were involved in three performances of 'Ernie's Incredible Illucinations' by Alan Ayckbourn, 'DNA'

by Dennis Kelly and 'Bull' by Mike Bartlett. The production also included a wonderful mix of live music and speech performances. It was a real joy to be able to watch the progression of performances from Year 7 to Year 10, and we were so proud of every single student involved. Photos will be published in one of our September weekly newsletters.

After the disappointment of our last school play, Teechers being cancelled due to Covid, we are delighted to announce that CENTRESTAGE will be back running a whole school play, next year! We are currently in the process of selecting which play this will be - we can't wait to share our ideas soon!

We are inviting any students (Year 7 - Year 13 inclusive) who want to be part of this exciting project, to please get in touch! Drama helps develop social skills, team building, confidence and empathy. We would love to hear from you! You can message R O'Dowd on Teams or email admin@centrestageschool.org.uk.

Lessons next year will run as follows: Year 7 and 8 Drama: Monday 3:05 - 4:05 Year 9 and 10 Drama: Tuesday 3:05 - 4:15 Year 11, 12 and 13 Drama: Wednesday during Period 5 - Miss McGrail and Mrs Brown

'Shakespeare in the Hall' Summer Club, 8th - 12th August 2022 Looking for something for your child to get involved in this summer? CENTRESTAGE are delighted to announce that their successful 'Shakespeare in the Hall' summer course will be back this August! This year the course will run from 8th - 12th August at Wylde Green URC, Sutton Coldfield. In sessions, students will be learning about Shakespeare’s life and works in fun and exciting ways, creating their own ‘Shakespeare in the Hall’ workshop performance which will be open to all friends and family on the afternoon of Friday 12th August (the last afternoon of the club). As I’m sure you are aware, Shakespeare is an integral part of English lessons for students of Year 7+, but many students find this a daunting experience. Our summer club is a fantastic opportunity to get to know more about Shakespeare in an engaging and practical way. The performance will entail a mash up of interesting facts about Shakespeare’s life, scenes from various Shakespeare plays and the students’ own improvised work devised from our practical workshops.

There will be two courses to pick from: the first course will focus on the core texts of Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Macbeth. The second course will focus on Much Ado About Nothing (which is often a set text for GCSE and A-Level), Richard III and As You Like It. Sessions will be taught by a team of experienced CENTRESTAGE teachers, led by Ella McGrail (co-principal and lead teacher for CENTRESTAGE at Bishop Walsh and BVGS). Ella, after gaining her Masters degree, is currently studying for her doctorate degree in Shakespeare run by Birmingham University, based at the Shakespeare Institute in StratfordUpon-Avon. Ella will be joined by Beth Brown (co-principal and lead teacher for CENTRESTAGE at BVGS). Beth is a qualified secondary English teacher.

For more information, please contact CENTRESTAGE at admin@centrestageschool.org.uk

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School Events

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Well Done To....

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Well done to the six year 12 students who sat the HSK2 exam has all passed and received the certificate.

Further progress from our sensational Year 8 rower, Taylor. He has truly taken to rowing like a duck to water and is tearing up the record book, reaching 2km in a time of 7:32m. This is an unbelievably good performance for a Year 8 rower. Well done.

Well done to Anuraag for his recent achievement outside school in a cricket match played for his club, Sutton Coldfield Cricket Club. He bowled an impressive spell of 9 overs, 2 maidens, 6 runs and 6 wickets against Smethwick.

Spot his name on the board.

Well done to the Year 12 group who received excellent results in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. Set by an experienced team of teachers and university chemists, the challenge is designed to take students significantly beyond the syllabus and encourage them to think about science in the way they would at university.

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Well Done To....

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Well done to all students who took part in the Junior Physics Olympiad this year. The questions tested students problemsolving ability and general knowledge of Physics beyond their specification. This was both a challenging and voluntary competition for students so credit goes to all students for subjecting themselves to the challenge!

Bronze: Jacob A Thomas Y Hugo K Oyedeji S Michal M Troy C Aaron H Eesa S Aadil C

Silver: Oliver H Joshua K Kesh W Sanjay A Finley B Matthew R Mandeep S Jack W-S

Gold: Daniel C-H * William T * Yusuf A* Donald C Jeffrey T Umar B

*Top 3 scores in the year who will receive a moon ball prize.

Well done to George (9G) for successfully cycling coast to coast (211KM) to raise money for the charity, Sport In Mind, who, partnered with the NHS, deliver physical activity projects to improve physical and mental health.

Well done to Four Oaks Saints U13 cricket team who won the Burton & District Youth Cricket League Knockout Cup on 12th July. They beat Hilton Derby in a very close game, with some great performances from the Vesey team members - James, Alex, Kalvin and Eddie. James scored 38 batting and took 2 wickets, Kalvin took a wicket and Eddie bowled fantastically 5 wickets for 6 runs.

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Sports News

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

It was a very cold and wet April when we started our preseason training. However, the numbers at training were amazing. The enthusiasm was fantastic and the players took on everything that was thrown at them. The players worked hard on their fitness levels, fielding, batting and bowling skills.

This was a new challenge for a lot of the players as it was the first time they would have prepared for a cricket season in this way. This new way has seen the players begin to set new standards for themselves and produce a better outlook as a school.

The hard work paid off straight away, as our senior second team defeated Queen Mary’s Grammar.

This was signs of great things to come. The senior first team played some excellent cricket throughout the season, coming third in the Terry Patchett T20 cup held at Bablake School.

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The senior first team then played an exciting final against Princethrope School in the Warwickshire Schools Cup. They fell nine runs short of cup glory in what was an entertaining run chase.

We had cricket training on every night of the school week and we started an academy programme for players who demonstrated clear signs of potential. The players began to show great progress and we were able to get four teams from year 7 and at times we even had 5 year 7 teams on fixtures. The year 8 group had 3 teams, year 9 had three teams. The year 10 group had a great year as they were able to win three games which was a massive improvement from the year before.

The players really enjoyed their season and there was a lot of great performances and players moving up teams. The most stand out performance was two hat-tricks, one in year 7 and the other in year 8.

We have seen measurable improvements in many players and we look forward to the winter and the season to come.

- Mr Gordon

Follow the official @BVGSCRICKET Twitter for updates on cricket results, individual performances and moments of magic which make the game so memorable!

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Sports News

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Sports News

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Another academic year draws to a close, and what a fantastic one it has been for Bishop Vesey’s sport. It feels like we have returned to some normality with a huge amount of fixtures taking place across a variety of sports and extracurricular sessions back up and running. The uptake and interest for these has been exceptional and we are already having to look at additional sessions and sports to try to encourage all students to participate.

There have been many sporting highlights for both teams and individuals along the way and we look forward to many more in the new academic year.

I would like to thank the staff that are involved in running all the teams and extra-curricular sessions. Without their dedication and commitment the fantastic array of opportunities would not be possible.

Next year, we can look forward to the prospect of the first overseas tour for some time, with the senior hockey squad travelling to Holland and some domestic trips are in the pipeline.

I wish you a very healthy and happy summer and make sure you all come back fit and raring to go in September and seize the chance to start get involved.

- Mr Howell

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Daniel 8E says: The redesign has given the English corridor more life and personality. The variety of books on the walls inspire students to read more challenging novels, and explore more genres and styles. Now a more welcoming corridor, students feel more enthusiastic about English and reading.

My favourite book is The Lord of the Rings, which is one of the many great novels that adorn the walls of the new English corridor. It's full of action and adventure, allowing reader to travel to a new, complex world.

The English corridor designs have inspired me to read The Picture of Dorian Gray. The quote on the poster intrigued me.

Sanjay 9P says: The English corridor looks brilliant and is definitely the most eye-catching corridor in school.

My favourite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee produces a thoughtprovoking, clever novel as we see, through Scout's eyes, how she grows up and comes to the realisation that the world isn't the perfect place she throught it to be.

I'm inspired to read Animal Farm by George Orwell. Since the redesign many students have flocked to read it and they've recommended it to me.

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English Corridor Redesign

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

English Corridor Redesign

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Charlie 7R says: I think the redesign of the English corridor is very good and it has made it a nicer and fresher place to walk through.

My favourite book is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. I like this book as it shows a lot of emotions and different types of lifestyles in Nazi Germany.

The book series I am inspired to read from the books on the wall is the Harry Potter series with it's realistic and non-realistic environments.

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From September, we are introducing a Co-Curricular Period which will run on a fortnightly basis on Thursdays from 3.15pm to 4.15pm.

In the booklet (https://issuu.com/bvgs/docs/co-curricular_booklet_2022-2023), you will be able to read about the amazing opportunities on offer such as Golf, Latin, Astrophysics and Debating.

"We want our students to engage in scholarship that promotes the acquisition of knowledge and a lifelong love of academia. In addition, we want students across the School, to have the opportunity to develop their character through participating in altruistic activities that promote civic responsibility, kindness and thoughtfulnes."

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New Co-Curricular Offer

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Valetes

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Mrs Ward

In 2001, Alison came to BVGS originally to interview of a dual post in the library and finance but fate had it for her to work in the library for two hours a week and she never looked back. Throughout her Vesey career, Alison has served the school community with integrity, diligence and compassion. She has worked with thousands of students, helping them with book choices, overdues, lost books, printing and a many, many, many other things. We all wish Alison the best for her retirement, and we really can’t put into words how much we are going to miss seeing her everyday behind the library desk.

- Miss Brown

MISS REYNOLDS

Thank you to Miss Reynolds for taking up the challenge to teach Design Technology, we appreciate your efforts and wish you well in your next teaching adventure.

- Miss Bowen

Miss Bowler Holly has been a brilliant member of the English department, supporting numerous students with their studies over the past 18 months. Her can-do attitude, excellent subject knowledge and clear understanding of how to help students learn have made a huge impact, both in the English department and across the school.

We – and the students – will really miss Holly: her positive attitude, her knowledge and her wisdom! We wish her all the best as she begins her next role in education.

- Miss Croswaithe

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Miss Mudzvovera Miss Mudzvovera has been part of the Biology and Chemistry departments for 2 years. During her time here she has involved herself with a KS3 trip to Twycross Zoo, the KS4 Biology challenge and KS5 Biology Olympiad. We wish her well for the future. A calm, kind and considerate colleague that will be missed by students and staff. Good luck Miss Mudzvovera!

- Mr Graham

Mr Panagiotidis

Pavlos joined us in January 2019, and after taking a year out to complete a Master’s degree, returned to the Physics department in September 2020 for the last two academic years. Pavlos’ dynamism, enthusiasm and love of the subject has ensured students have, above all, enjoyed learning. He has run some fantastic extra-curricular clubs on advanced computational science, stretching and challenging sixth form students with university-level programming in Wolfram Mathematica and inspiring Y7/8 students to investigate the universe with Universe Sandbox in a Digital Astronomy club. We will miss his warmth, energy and humour in the department and wish him well on his next journey embarking on a PhD researching art & artificial intelligence at the University of Nottingham.

- Mr Bradley

Miss WEBLIN

Sharon joined the School in May 2008. Sharon’s initial role was as PA to the then Headteacher David Iddon, and then subsequently to Mr Robson. Both Head's were very appreciative of the organisational and administrative support Sharon gave, and she was integral in building relationships and maintaining effective relationships in the Vesey Community. Her role then widened even more to support the whole of the Senior Leadership Team in the Main School Office. Sharon has been a dedicated member of the school support staff and has demonstrated her flexibility, adaptability and innovation in all the executive support roles that she has undertaken. We thank her and wish her happiness as she uses her retirement to spend time with her family.

- Mr Swindells

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Valetes

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Valetes

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Miss Tillot We will miss Lucy. Juggling the demands of unpredictable cover lessons, teaching KS3 English classes and taking on a Year 11 form partway through the year must have been challenging, but she took it all in her stride. Her positivity, hard work and reliability throughout her time here have made a real impression on all of us. We know that she will thrive in her new position as an English teacher in London, able to share her subject knowledge and creativity with students. We wish her all the best.

- Miss Crosthwaite

Mr Byrne Vincent brought his knowledge of 19th century literature and rhetoric to the English department, constructing engaging lessons enjoyed by many across the key stages.

Students welcomed his revival of the school debating club: it was a space for them to air their views and construct powerful arguments, as well as offering the opportunity to enter competitions against other schools. He is always happy to discuss issues both large and small, as well as sharing puns and jokes. We wish him every success in his new role as head of department.

- Miss Lynch

Miss Lemin Claire is an outstanding teacher and has been a brilliant member of the English department. Over the past 7 years, her passion and enthusiasm, excellent subject knowledge and creativity have had a huge impact on the students at BVGS. Claire’s hard work, dedication and positivity will leave a lasting impression on both staff and students and she will be greatly missed by all! We know that Claire will go on to do great things in her new school and we wish her all the best.

- Miss Lynch

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Miss LAWRENCE

Amy joined us in September 2021 from Australia. Despite only being with us for a year she has had a huge impact on the school and in particular the SEND students. She works extremely hard supporting our students and shows care and patience in all that she does. She is able to know what the students need and then act upon it ensuring they are equip to learn. Amy aways comes into work with a smile and constantly goes above and beyond what is asked of her, always having the best interests of the students at the heart of what she does. She is really going to be missed by both staff and students alike. I know she will have an amazing time back in Australia and wish her all the best for the future.

- Miss Sly

MR DAVIS

Alex joined Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School P.E Department, as a Newly Qualified Teacher in January 2011. He took over as Form Tutor for 10 B and it was clear from the outset that he formed excellent working relationships with our students and had a natural inclination towards pastoral support. The School formally recognised this in appointing him as Head of Year in September 2012. Mr Davis is a most dedicated of Head of Year, spending hours at the end of the School day talking to students and parents as a means of maximising individual pupil potential.

His attention to detail and care for his students characterised his work throughout his time at BVGS. As part of the P.E Department, he was a key player as the School expanded its provision of academic P.E. Mr Davis also contributed to the sporting success of the School in the decade prior to the pandemic. Most notably, he coached the Under 15 Rugby Team who reached the NatWest Schools Vase Semi Final in 2016.

Mr Davis also supported the Co-curricular life of the School through involvements in the World Challenge, Duke of Edinburgh and a range of charitable initiatives. He now embarks on a new chapter of his life, starting a full time MBA at the University of Warwick in the autumn. We wish him every success in the future.

- Mr Goodwin

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Valetes

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Valetes

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

MR KEEBLE

The Languages Department bid a teary “auf wiedersehen” to the legendary Mr Keeble after 16 years of outstanding service. Naturally, he will be remembered for his love of penguins and his unashamed support for ‘Wolves’ but also, for being one of the most impressive yet humble practitioners you will ever encounter. Adored by his students for his dry and off-the wall humour, and for always going well above and beyond expectations in his teaching, he will be missed by them but most definitely by his colleagues.

- Miss Slater

MISS LAMB

Miss Lamb has remained dedicated to getting the very best from all of her Chemistry students throughout her time at BVGS. She has brought energy, enthusiasm and a smile into her classroom every day (along with some jokes that at least she considers to be funny). She will be greatly missed by staff and students, and we wish her the very best in her new appointment at Alcester Grammar School.

Fun Fact: Miss Lamb won a baking competition this year judged by Glynn Purnell!!

- Mrs Jarvis

Miss WHITEHOUSE

Catherine joined Vesey in September 2020 and seamlessly settled into the Physics department. She quickly established herself as a friendly, bright and caring member of the department with whom nothing was ever too much to ask. Catherine was soon promoted to Second in Physics a year later where she took responsibility to redesign the KS3 Physics curriculum, provided students/staff with excellent resources, ran the GCSE Physics mentoring programme, and promoted engineering to students through workshops, careers advice and an extra-curricular club. Her integrity, positivity, and kindness will be sadly missed by the Vesey community and our loss is Rolls Royce’s gain as she embarks on the next chapter in her career - engineering hybrid electric planes in Bristol.

- Mr Bradley

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miss kite

Angela Kite joined the School in September 2005 to take up the post of School Receptionist and has since developed her skills and knowledge to great effect and she has been the Senior Office Manager since 2013. Angela has been an amazing asset to the school over the years and her hard work and dedication for the whole school community has been greatly appreciated by countless staff, students and parents. Her organisational and management skills will be greatly missed as will the care that she has given to all the students she has attended to over the years. The school wishes Angela all the best for her new adventures.

- Mr Swindells

MR GRAY Geoff Gray joined Vesey in 2009 and his contribution to our school cannot be under-estimated. At a time in life when many think of retiring, he generously threw himself whole-heartedly into the Vesey community as a cover supervisor, a coach, a mentor, donor and champion of Vesey sport and a governor. He has been utterly reliable and diligent and always so supportive of his colleagues. A conversation with Geoff is always reasoned, constructive and thoughtful.

Despite retirement, luckily for the school, Mr Gray will be still be wellconnected with us, spurring us on. Thank you Mr Gray and enjoy the next exciting chapter!

- Mr Robson

miss Connor

Ingrid has been an enthusiastic and incredibly helpful member of department. As a department we thank her for all the lovely cakes that she has brought in and for the hard work teaching Vesey students. We wish her very well in her next role at Erdington Academy.

miss du

- Mr Williams

Miss Du is a very lovely and passionate young lady. We were so lucky to have her in Mandarin department this year. She has been very supportive and helpful, and she has been very kind and patient to students. I wish her all the best back in China in the future. We will miss you very much Miss Du! - Mrs Wang 44

Valetes

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Centrestage News

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

In May, we said goodbye to our inspirational and exceptionally gifted Drama teacher, Mrs Rebekah O’Dowd. She has done an amazing job for our students over the last 7 years. We wish her a long and happy retirement. Before she left, we met with Year 11, enjoyed tea and cake, and reflected on all the brilliant productions she has masterminded: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Jabberwocky, Two, Find Me, Toad, Poppies, Living with Lady Macbeth! The biggest source of joy to Mrs O’Dowd will be the legacy that Drama will continue at BVGS under the leadership of Miss Brown and Miss McGrail.

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Dear OVs, Welcome Old Veseyans to the Summer 2022 edition of The Veseyan. I hope you are well.

Unfortunately, we were not able to get the annual Old Veseyan sports day up and running, and in actual fact it wouldn't have happened because the afternoon was terribly wet and cold!

Sheila Randon very kindly held the annual Shaggy Dogs tea party at her home on Wednesday 13th July and a good number came along and we were joined with many young Veseyans. It was a truly excellent afternoon. Please enjoy the photos in the following pages.

Looking forward, The Old Veseyan dinner is set for Saturday 12th November 2022 in Big School. Booking will be through school. Is it a special anniversary since you left school? Get together with a few school friends and come along for a good night of reminiscing, a good meal and a glass of wine or two!

I am pleased to report some new committee members have joined our group, so look out for some new names.

Last but by no means least, it was a great shock and with sadness that I learnt of Stephen Roberts passing on Wednesday 6th July after quite a short illness. A long time member of the Old Veseyan Association and very proud Old Veseyan, Stephen came forward to offer his help with editing the Veseyan. I didn’t know Stephen before that but soon learnt of his deep passion for history and music. He was able to help for a few years and subsequently gave great support to the school cataloguing the huge amount of archive material stored in the old headmasters house. He was also writing a book in celebration of the schools 500th anniversary. It is very sad he will not be able to complete those projects and someone else with his skills and passion will be hard to find.

Stephen wrote many books and one of his last series was about the social history of Sutton Park and the town - “Glimpses into Sutton’s Past”, 5 books in all. Very informative and interesting and he would be honoured if you could read them in his memory. He will be greatly missed as will his enthusiasm for history, BVGS and Sutton Coldfield.

With best wishes, - Paul Wallis, Chair of the Old Veseyan Association

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OVA Welcome Message

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

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Shaggy Dogs Tea Party

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Shaggy Dogs Tea Party

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

In Memoriam

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Harry Leigh-Dugmore 1920 – 2020 (BVGS 1930 -1937) This Eulogy was delivered at the two wakes held for Harry on 8th April 2022 at the Plough and Harrow, Slade Road, Sutton Coldfield and the second at The Wheel, Naphill, Bucks on 9th April 2022.

Harry passed away on 8th March 2020 just one month short of his 100th Birthday and just as the Covid restrictions were kicking in. So, his funeral was a very small affair on 1st April 2020 with just four family members and two neighbours to see him off. We chose 1st April as we knew it would make him laugh.

So, we had to wait until this Spring to give Harry a proper send off. On 8th April we spread his ashes together with the ashes of his wife Majorie who has passed away in 2014. We rounded that off with a few words and a reading of “The lion that ate our Albert”, which was a nonsense poem that Harry loved, before repairing to the pub.

Because Harry also had friends in Buckinghamshire, where he spent his last few years, Harry’s two children, Felicity & Charles, then organised a second wake in Naphill on what would have been his 102nd birthday. Each event was attended by over 40 people.

To explain a couple of the names, Roz & Emily are two of Harry’s grandchildren.

“I don’t know whether I will get through this so I have a Plan B which is Roz & Emily are ready to step in.

They are armed with a copy of this so if you see panic flashing across their faces then you know I have gone off piste and I am just working from memory.

But 83 years ago, my Dad had no plan B. There wasn’t one when he set off to France as Private 201972 H Leigh.He had joined the Territorials early in 1939, so when the balloon was obviously going to go up he was called up and ordered to report to Birchfield Harriers racetrack.

They weren’t very organized so gave them all 6 pence to go and buy lunch. Many only went as far as the Crown & Cushion in Perry Barr but Harry walked a couple of roads further on to Thornbury Road where his fiancé’s family lived arriving as my Grandad-to-be’s lunch of steak and kidney pudding was coming out of the oven. This was donated to the new recruit and my Grandad had to make do with a chop. He didn’t mind as he had served in the First War being injured on the Somme.

So, France happened and the retreat to Dunkirk. Harry wrote a lovely article for the Old Veseyans Magazine and that was reproduced recently by the British Legion with some photos. If you Google “Harry Leigh” and “British Legion” it will take you there.

You can tell it is his own words and he describes in that typically understated way of his how the newly promoted Lance Corporal Harry Leigh led his men back to Dunkirk. It talks about how he ended up on his own with a few men, more than he should have commanded and how they came to accept his trust, his part in shooting down a Messerschmitt and the eventual shock of finding himself in Wales with the pubs open on a SUNDAY and the landlords refusing to take payment.

He tells it better than I could.

There was one positive outcome. My Mum had got engaged to Harry after they met at Fort Dunlop before the war but she declined to marry him until the war was over. Waiting for him to come back from Dunkirk changed her mind and she said she would rather be married and widowed than lose her fiancé. So, they married in Aston Parish Church on 24 August 1940 under special licence. He was now a Sergeant.

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His medals tell the story of his service.

1939-45 Star. He was there. Thanks Dad. Italy star. He wasn’t supposed to be there. He was on a transport ship bound for the Far East equipped with tropical kit. During the voyage they were re-deployed, landed in Italy and then marched up into the mountains in the middle of winter still in tropical kit. It took a while for them to get decent warm gear. He was glad he had taken his Dunlop wellies with him!

He moved up through Italy and was about to go into the front line in Austria on the Tuesday when Germany surrendered on the Monday. This would have been his first action since Dunkirk.

A few months later he found himself in Naples as Captain Leigh-Dugmore on embarkation leave for the Far East when the Japanese surrendered. An occasion that he celebrated by playing double bass in an American dance band. He told me that he can’t play the double bass but no-one seemed to care.

We used to pull his leg that both Germany & Japan surrendered just because they knew he was coming.

So why didn’t Churchill threaten them at the start with sending 201972 Harry Leigh? It could all have been over by Christmas.

The next one is the Foreign Service Medal. For France, Belgium & Italy.

The Defence medal for serving in the British Isles. Unusually, for a Dunkirk veteran, Harry did not take part in the D Day landings as his role included umpiring army ‘games’ around Dover, successfully fooling the enemy that a tiny number of troops were actually the entire army waiting to invade France. He always joked that was where he got his ‘war wound’ when nodding off holding a lighted cigarette!

The territorial medal. Major H Leigh serving in the Home Guard until 1956.

And the Police Special Constabulary Medal for long service awarded in 1966.

But there is one medal missing.

One was never issued for him being married to Marjorie. 74 years the two of them notched up together and those of you lucky enough to have known Marjorie will have felt he deserved a medal. She was generally well-intentioned but often misguided. A recent comment summed them up exactly: ‘He and your mother made a formidable pair – Yin to Yang I always thought.’

But the two of them loved each other as much on the day they were parted as on the day they were married. His devotion was demonstrated by the way he selflessly looked after her in the final years of her life even though it left him exhausted and probably shortened his own life but in truth, but he did not want any time without her, they were so devoted to each other.

There then followed a few years of him doing all sorts of things. In the aftermath of Dunkirk, an invasion was a real threat so the army mounted lookouts on key hills. There were not enough radios so two people manned each hill with a motorbike each so one could ride back to raise the alarm. His plea that he couldn’t ride one was met by “Well you bloody well better learn”. After this he spent weeks riding round the West Country on a motorbike identifying any flat piece of land that could be used as a landing field and persuading the farmer to render it safe by parking any machinery, materials or anything on it. His lifelong loathing of motorbikes stemmed from this.

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In Memoriam

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

In Memoriam

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

De-mobbed in 1946 he returned to Dunlop where he worked until his retirement in 1982.

He went on to achieve a lot in his life so the man was not defined by the 6 years he spent fighting Hitler. It is easy to focus on that. But his army career, from Private to Major, was a reflection of how he went through life.

He was unassuming in all that he did but with quiet confidence he would demonstrate his competence and receive promotion whether that was at work to end up as Personnel Manager or in his private life where he would always end up in the thick of things and often in charge. For example: · Captain and President of Walmley Golf Club where he was made Life Vice President · Governor of John Willmott Grammar School · Vice President of Heraldry at Birmingham/Midland Family History Society where he was made a Life Vice President. · Chairman of Birmingham branch of both the Royal Statistical Society and the Institute of Physics (he was a Fellow of these and other Institutes!)

He showed a quiet determination to better himself aided, and greatly encouraged by Marjorie - he did a lot.

After the war he took a Maths degree by distance learning and, professionally, showed great ability. He wrote a pioneering book on the Electron Microscopy of Rubber when electron microscopes were a novelty, travelling to America to present a paper and study the emerging use of electron microscopes.

Very useful tools for looking at viruses!

He has several patents in his name and the Leigh-Dugmore Calculation is still used as a way of determining the dispersion rates of microscopic carbon black in the rubber industry. A subject way above my pay grade.

But there was a shared determination between Marjorie and Harry that they would improve themselves.

Grandad Jackson’s business went bankrupt in 1930’s so they suffered very straightened times as he struggled to keep the roof over their house and Harry’s family lived in a Council House for a while after his parents’ marriage broke up.

They definitely bettered themselves but they were quick to help others where they could from lifelong donations to the Army Benevolent Fund, teaching the boy next door A Level Maths which started his career path, to offering to help the staff in the care home when Harry could barely walk!

They also took great pride in the successes of their son and daughter and then seeing their grandchildren prospering. But I am sure that one of his greatest pleasures is seeing the antics of his great grandchildren of which he had a collection of seven and to see how his legacy of humour is rooted through the generations.

It will come as no surprise to those who knew him that his final days were delightfully ordered.

Something happened on the Monday which meant that we knew that the end was near. The Care Home staff were beyond fantastic in the care and support they gave to Harry and to the family but even then, his family’s humour showed through.

His family were able to spend many hours at his bedside.

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As he slipped away, he would have an occasional flurry of minor distress and one of the care staff said that was while he was re-living some part of his life and that bit caused him distress. Dunkirk was one we guessed at but I thought it harsh when his grandchildren said one was caused by my teenage years and another by the experience of teaching me to drive. Although Felicity had been known to cause a few problems too!

But a delightful comment by his Grandchildren was deciding that he was lying there quietly having a last few days of peace and quiet because he would soon be joining Marjorie and she will be bringing him up to date.

His legacy and humour lives on.

- Nick Hammond

BRIAN “CHICK” ROBERTS (BVGS 1949-54) (BVGS STAFF 1961-67) I first knew of Brian Roberts when he was a teacher at Coleshill Grammar School, which I understand from Roger Crees, was his first job. At that time he had met my father, the headmaster at a local approved school in nearby Shustoke. Apart from their joint interest in education, their conversation inevitably found a common interest in sport, in the National Children’s Home and of course, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Brian as a former student and me as a junior student of the time.

Brian left Vesey in July 1954 and I started Vesey in September of the same year. Brian joined the staff at Vesey in September 1961 whereas I left in July of the same year! In spite of managing to avoid each other until much later, I met Brian at an Old Veseyan Dinner where he made the connection known. Thus, he never taught me or guided my pastoral care as a boarder.

However, I have been fortunate to obtain some fine words from Tony Laithwaite (OV and Founder of Laithwaite Wines), one of his students of the day and much better qualified than me to characterise this fine man and former student of BVGS. Brian Roberts.

Feb 8 2022 St Giles the Abbot Church, Farnborough, Kent “I’ve read that everyone has one teacher they remember as having seriously helped set them on a good road for life. For me - and a good few others - it was Brian Roberts. Though, at the time, I’m not sure we knew it. He had our respect - 60 years later I still feel uncomfortable calling him ‘Brian.’ It’s “Mr Roberts, Sir.” Apart all the ‘longshore drift’, ‘U-shaped valleys and stuff geographers do, he played a strong mentoring game. In charge of the Boarding House, he had a high tolerance of boy behaviour. He wasn’t soft. But there was always a wry smile when he explained how stupid you’d been. He’d been a boy once, not that long ago, in that very house. But he got to Durham. And the great thing was, in our year alone, he got four of us there too. Same college. All rugby men, like him. Some of us rather undeservingly. It’s always worth a go he said, life is not very logical. Have a go. See what happens.

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In Memoriam

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

In Memoriam

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

We had no idea he’d had a very tough start in life, being in a care home from a very early age. It was never mentioned. He was obviously a very happy man, Noreen, young family and all. He seemed to want to spread that happiness. His Geography field trips were perhaps the most memorable parts of our young lives. Going by train as far as Naples! Imagine…a bunch of Vesey’s boys loose, in the Sixties, in Naples!

Crazy idea, but we all came back… I think.

Some of us were still in touch with Brian nearly 60 years later. I think that’s a tribute to a man who was a really good teacher, but also great fun to be with.

I don’t feel I should be standing here doing this. If he knew Laithwaite was to do his eulogy, he’d beg you to find someone else. Others will know far more about his busy life. But I thank Noreen for the opportunity to salute the teacher who for me was ‘the one’.

For the record Brian Roberts was BVGS 1st XV captain for the 1953/54 season.

Noreen Roberts, Brian’s wife, wrote to Dominic Robson: “Brian had a very great affection for BVGS being there as a boy and then as a member of staff.

I passed on your kind invitation to visit the School House to my children. They were very excited at the prospect. The boys remember living there but not my daughter as she was only a baby. They are all teachers so finding an opportunity will be difficult.

I did enjoy our chat bringing back many happy memories of our time in the Boarding house”.

- Nick Hammond

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Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School hosted its 7th Annual Golf Day on the 23rd June inviting guests to enjoy a great day of friendly competition and networking. This event has been sponsored by X2 Workspaces since its inception and the school is proud and appreciative of business and sponsorship association with X2 Workspaces and the highly valued partnership in presenting this event for the benefit of the school.

This year the day was hosted at Great Barr Golf Club for the first time, the event featured nearly 60 Golfers who arrived in the morning to be greeted with brunch sandwiches prior to their round of golf.

There was a shotgun start and great game of golf enjoyed by all followed by relaxing on a very sunny terrace before dinner. A number of non-golfing guests also joined for dinner which preceded thank you speeches and the all-important prize giving.

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Annual Golf Day

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

Annual Golf Day

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

There were many events and competitions during the day including Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin and also Challenge the Student. The Challenge the Student Competition was undertaken by Harry (Year 12).

Harry provided excellent competition for all the Golfers on the 14th hole and it was certainly a day to remember for Harry as he got a Hole in One during the day! Congratulations Harry.

Congratulations also to the winners of the Competition, a team not so aptly named “The Bogey Men” as they managed a more than respectable score of 99. Mentions must also go the 2nd Place United Carpets Team who had been winners for the last two years and also the 3rd Place Little Owls Tuition Team.

The event provides valuable financial support for Vesey Sport. Graham Swindells, Finance and Operations Director explained “The Annual Golf Day has become an important event in the school calendar the event gives the opportunity for a range of stakeholders to participate in an enjoyable and relaxing day whilst giving the opportunity to network and develop new friendships.

The excellent course and facilities of Great Barr Golf Club were the perfect setting for this event.

We would like to thank everyone that has supported and attended this event especially those partners of the school that have been able to offer sponsorships and donations to make it such a success and we look forward building on our previous successes and to hosting the 8th Annual Golf Day in June 2023, which I am confident will be another very enjoyable day."

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We present the 2022 OVA dinner on Saturday, 12th November 2022. Is it a special anniversary year for you and your friends since leaving @BVGS1527 ? Calling especially the Leavers of 2012, 2002, 1997, 1992, 1982 and 1972. Book your tickets here (https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bvgs/annual-old-veseyan-dinner/eamdqqk).

Keep in touch with the Vesey Alumni Community and receive event and news updates by joining the Alumni Platform here, www.alumni.bvgs.co.uk/admin-portal

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The Annual OV Dinner

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15

FROM ALL AT BISHOP VESEY'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL

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EDITOR, NATALIE HARRIS

SUMMER 2022 | EDITION 15