George “Bill” Bellerby
Bill Bellerby now the “elder statesman� of Guildford. Was born in South Wales in March 1917. Educated at Penarth Grammar School And the University of South Wales. Where he became a school teacher. During the Second World War, He served in the, Queens Royal (West Surrey) Regiment 1940-1946. He came to live in Guildford in 1948.
Who is Bill?
Bill became President of Guildford Labour Party and a councillor on Guildford Borough Councillor. Stood as Parliamentary candidate for Guildford in 1955 and 1959. Elected Surrey County Councillor for Guildford, and famously in the early 1980’s with his wife Doreen who also represented a Guildford ward Labour holding all three seats. When Mayor of Guildford set up a well respected holiday play scheme, Unemployed Workers Centre also heavily involved in Education and arts issues in Guildford (Bellerby Theatre circa 1980s). Bill Bellerby is still fighting to save local services such as the shuttle bus aged 91.
So with that brief introduction of some of the few amazing accomplishments of Bill’s lifetime. Here’s a closer look at the man himself. A man of many surprising parts and interests, who has contributed greatly to the quality of life in the town throughout a long period.
+ A nondriver, + An Honorary Rotarian, + First Head teacher of Knollmead School, Tolworth and remained in post for 20 years, + Trustee of the Classical Road Show, + Set up charity to give children “exceptional musical experiences”. + President of Guildford City FC, 1973, + Life President West Surrey Big Bands Society, 1973, + Hon President of Guildford Arts Committee, + With giving his name to a student block at the University, + President of Guildford Society 1974-6, + Made Life Member of Guildford Society, 2010. + Made MBE, 1991 + Mayor of Guildford, 1972/3 & 1973/4, + GBC councillor for 43 years, + Surrey CC councillor for 10 years, + Freeman of the Borough, 1995.
Overview.
Bill has achieved all these things, from purely wanting to serve his community. And with all the years of hard work, I only discovered that Bill was the man behind all of these wonderful things in 2010, by chance in a tiny article in the local free paper. And I am sure that there are many who still wouldn’t know Bill.
Which led me to this interview with Bill. By the Guildford Society. At the recent meeting of The Society when Bill (and Doreen) were given Life membership Bill told us, with characteristic clarity of mind and speech, that he came to Stoughton Barracks on 14 June 1941. He was selected to support the training of new recruits to the ATS, 14 men among 300 young women. Doreen’s reaction on hearing about this was to follow him as soon as she could. “Well you would, wouldn’t you?” Bill came from South Wales, born in Penarth, south Cardiff. His father worked in cement manufacture. He had to travel to find work in the period after the first war and was killed in an accident at his job in Woodstock. Bill was 11 then; his mother died a few years later and Bill and his sister were brought up by relatives. He started a course at university in Cardiff – English, Latin and History - but gave up after two years feeling that the financial strain was too great on those who were funding him. Like his dad, Bill had to travel to find work, and found himself in digs near Llanelli. “I asked my landlady – where can I meet girls in this town? She replied there were only two ways; one was to join the amateur dramatics and the other to pay two shillings on a Tuesday night at the Ritz Ballroom in Llanelli. I paid up my two shillings and there I met Doreen.” They were later married in March 1941. In 1940 Bill was called up into the army and posted to the Queen’s Royal Regiment, in Devizes. Towards the end of basic training he broke a leg whilst doing the high jump, and was sent home on sick leave until it mended. On his return he found that his section had been posted to India. At the time he thought it was bad luck to have missed them, but when he subsequently found that most of his squad had been killed he realised how lucky he had actually been.
A few weeks before demob, Bill, having the necessary educational qualification, took advantage of an opportunity for a year’s teacher training course. At the end of the war both Bill and Doreen had come to like Guildford so much that they decided to stay. “We adopted Guildford and Guildford adopted us.” So they never went back to Wales to live. South Wales in the inter-war years offered many opportunities for socialist political activity. Bill joined the Penarth Young Socialists when he was 16 and remained loyal to the Party throughout. He joined the Stoughton Labour Party soon after the war and became a Councillor (for Stoke Ward) in 1953. He was Labour candidate for Guildford in the General Elections of 1955 and 1959. The local Labour party always had an annual dinner and the Bellerbys preceded the event with drinks at their house for the speaker and other guests. They met, he recalled, Hugh Gaitskell, Michael Foot, Nye Bevan and others. Although staunchly a Labour man, Bill has always understood the sense of compromising on issues in order to get things done, and has always maintained very good working and social relations with all parties. He tells amusingly of a letter to the Surrey Advertiser in one of the parliamentary campaigns, from a Mr Bellerby who wanted it to be known that he was not a socialist and was not related to Bill. This is offset by recalling a kind letter from Lord Nugent, Tory candidate, wishing him well in the Election campaign but not enough to win! He has been the champion of many local campaigns: the Bellerby Theatre and Electric Theatre; the shuttle bus - which he rode continuously all day in protest against its closure; he has supported charities and music and drama activities – just look at the list of societies that have honoured him on the first page of this article.
When he was President of The Guildford Society, Bill had a disagreement with the Committee over the issue of bringing County Hall to Stoke Park: he saw it as an opportunity for employment and influence in the town, the Committee did not; so at the end of his term he decided not to stay. Judy recalls getting Bill involved in an abortive attempt to get a skating rink in Guildford in the 1950s and admired his willingness and enthusiasm on behalf of the campaigners. Bill was Mayor for two consecutive years. He owns up to having nearly lost the Mayoral Chain when taking a trip in a hot-air balloon in the course of his duties! “I would never have been asked for the second year, if I had lost it! Another story, another time,” he promised. Bill would not say what he thought his finest achievement: too modest, perhaps. There’s much to tell and little space to devote. Many readers/members will have cameo memories of contacts with Bill or Doreen. The Bellerbys were not to have children and they have compensated by throwing themselves wholeheartedly into their political and social activities. Bill described how he would cycle to school in Tolworth, and spend most evenings in attending, or preparing for, meetings, dinners, theatre or constituency work: “a pretty full life, all in all.” Now in his early 90s, Bill retains a clarity of thought, sense of humour and memory that many people a generation younger must envy. It was such a pleasure to meet……..Bill Bellerby. Postscript: We asked Bill if he had ever visited Beatrice Webb House He recalled it well. He knew it as a centre used by the Southern region of the Labour Party for regular quarterly week-end meetings/conferences. You can’t surprise Bill with anything. But he didn’t know the story of the Shavian Window
A small example of yet another charity Bill’s involved in.
TALKsurrey Our membership has yet again been busy on the collecting front, with tin shaking taking place at Waitrose, West Byfleet and in Guildford high street. Many thanks to all those who helped out. The West Byfleet collection enabled us to showcase our latest collecting aid – yellow fluorescent tabards stamped with the TALK logo and a short statement of our work. The tabards will replace the sashes that have served us well but were beginning to show signs of wear. In addition, many of us found that they did not always remain in place and sometimes found their way to our ankles! The public reaction to the tabards was very good. Many of those who donated said that they had been attracted by the tabards. “I saw you as I was parking the car and was able to get my money ready,” said one lady. Others were able to read clearly what TALK’s mission was, rather than having to come up close and scrutinise the collecting tin or the sash. Certainly the donations at West Byfleet were very regular. Some of you with experience of similar tabards might like to know that, despite fine, sunny weather, thanks to the material used, we all maintained our cool. Of course, the sashes will be available if you do not fancy wearing the tabards. The Waitrose collection raised £479 and the Guildford street collection raised £504.
By Chris Caulfield April 26, 2011. A couple who have spent most of their lives fighting for Guildford, celebrated their 70th wedding Anniversary last Friday. Bill and Doreen Bellerby, now 94 and 91 respectively, have been involved in politics and local campaigning for almost all of their adult lives and say the secret of their relationship’s longevity is trust and the willingness to let each other live their own full lives. The couple were both made honorary Freemen of Guildford in 1995, an honour which has only been bestowed upon 17 people in 150 years. Four years earlier, while Doreen was Mayor of Guildford, they were both awarded MBEs by the Queen and made honorary graduates of the University of Surrey. Bill has spent much of his life concerned with Guildford arts groups, while Doreen took on national issues. A keen campaigner for women’s rights, she worked on a Government task group that brought in equal rights for women. Bill said: “Doreen was a Guildford councillor for 41 years and a Surrey county councillor for 20, while a I was Guildford councillor for 42 years and on Surrey for 10. “We have both been independent of each other. “Doreen’s work was a lot more exciting than mine. She was optioned by the then home secretary to chair an inquiry into discrimination against women which led to the Act of Parliament giving equal opportunities to women. “She was sent to Russia and met President Brezhnev and to Israel to meet Prime Minister Golda Meir.
“She did quite a lot of national level work, far more than I ever did at Guildford.” “Looking back at the service we did on the councils, every year was important, but I think 1991 was the year, when Doreen was Mayor of Guildford, we were both made MBEs by the Queen and the university made us honorary graduates.” Bill was born in Penarth before the family moved to Cardiff and then to Llwchwr in Wales. Soon after, he enquired as to how boys met girls He was told to go to the Ritz Ballroom dances. “The dances cost two shillings, but there were so many girls there you could take your pick. “I thought, that sounds great value at two shillings. “I got there and all the boys were lined up along one wall and all the girls lined up against the other. “The band started a quickstep, nobody moved. Then a foxtrot, nobody moved. Then they played a waltz and again, nobody moved. “I asked someone what was going on and was told they all sat through the first three dances summing up the women and the next song we will all be over there. He was right. The band started up a quickstep and voom – across the floor everyone went.” “I looked across to a girl and told her I couldn’t dance. We went on to the dance floor and after the song she said ‘you’re right, you can’t dance’ and took me across to see her sister, Doreen.” That was in June 1939. Two years later they were wed. As children in South Wales they were used to poverty as the county was locked in a great depression. Doreen’s father was out of work for four years.
When Bill was 11 his father, himself out of work for three years, left the country looking for employment and was killed in an industrial accident. Five years later his mother died and Bill was sent to live with friends. Asked if this where his socialist views took root, he said: “I think so. We were socialist from the emotional side of things. We saw the unemployment. We saw the stress they went through. We queued at the soup kitchen at the top of the hill. And I think all those things made us feel there is something wrong with the system that allowed that and we became Labour members. “But we believed in the fundamental beliefs of the Labour Party, and we might have had different views with the party but we never faltered in our beliefs.” Outside of politics Bill was a headmaster in Knollmead in Tolworth Primary School for 19 years, having started teaching at Shalford before making stops at Northmead Boys School in Stoughton, Perry Hill in Worplesden, the Albury School, Farcombe School in Goldaming and a stint as deputy head of Woking School. Bill added: “We have never stopped the other person doing what they have done. “We have never stopped the other doing what they want. We have had a good life and if you want to have a good life you need to have good friends and we have great friends.” The couple will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary by inviting four close friends to their Guildford home for dinner.
The Shuttle Bus.
Battle to save shuttle bus By Colin Parker September 03, 2008
The executive will mull over the decision at its meeting on Thursday night. Impact of closure
Supporters of Guildford’s axed shuttle bus scored an important victory on Tuesday night in their attempts to save it.
Speaking at the meeting Joanna Hay, from the Guildsafe Retail Partnership, said she was concerned at the impact of the shuttle bus closure on shops in Guildford.
Members on the borough council’s environment and housing scrutiny committee have asked the executive to rethink the decision to end the service.
“The credit crunch is hitting hard in Guildford. I have lost and closed down three independent traders,” she said.
More than 50 campaigners attended the meeting at the council offices at Millmead on Tuesday this week.
“Guildford is a wonderful cultural place but it has a steep hill. Once we have lost someone from the town centre they will not return, and they will go to Woking or Reading.”
Honorary Alderman Bill Bellerby, 91, who ran his own survey on bus usage, said he hoped the decision would now be overturned.
Officers at the meeting admitted they should have begun discussions on the future of the service last year.
“I think it was very good so many people turned up to support the shuttle bus,” said Mr Bellerby.
Mark Reed, strategic director at GBC, said he had supported the scrapping of the bus because there were other services available, and he was not sure the council was legally allowed to run one.
“I hope the executive will take the message. They should not take into account cost. There are currently other proposals that cost far more and with less usage.”
He added bus company Safeguard was unwilling to carry on providing the service.
The committee on Tuesday backed a Conservative proposal to have the executive reconsider the axing and explore new ways of providing a service.
“It is rare to find a council that is providing a bus at this subsidy to a relatively small number of users,” he said.
However, a stronger motion put forward by Liberal Democrats, to grant a temporary contract and work towards ensuring a longer fixed-term agreement, was defeated.
“The advice we gave to the executive was robust. This service should not be put out to tender again.”
THE GUILDFORD SOCIETY Design Awards 2010
Bill Bellerby, who is a Past President of the Society, generously volunteered to present the bi-ennial Design Awards of The Society on 21st October this year .
Bill.