The Grammarian, 2015

Connected for success

700 offices

We have over around the world, so you don’t have to leave yours.

Can you help me expand internationally?

Anywhere and everywhere?

And I don’t even have to leave the country?

Absolutely.

We’re very well connected.

Not unless you’re planning a holiday.

McClure Watters

Audit · Tax · Advisory

RSM is a worldwide audit, tax and advisory network with over 700 offices in over 100 countries. Who better to help you realise your international ambitions.

To find out more connect to www.rsmmcclurewatters.com or telephone: 028 9023 4343

RSM Advert for BT.indd 1

27/04/2015 10:20:59

Chairman’s message Geoffrey Miller Fellow Grammarians, As this is my first letter as chairman I should begin by saying a little about myself. My first introduction to Bangor Grammar School came in early September 1964 when I entered through the distinctive but by then rather dilapidated portals of the old Connor House building, formerly the Bangor Golf Clubhouse, in the grounds of the then thriving and imposing Tonic Cinema.

By the time my own son left the senior school 49 years later, not only had the old Connor House building disappeared, so too had its replacement on Clifton Road along with virtually every trace of its former existence.

Indeed as I pen this note I look out over what were once the playing fields and subsequently playground on the main College Avenue site, now buried beneath a growing development of ‘Handcrafted Homes’ as the sales blurb goes, boasting design titles familiar to generations of Grammarians – Dufferin, School and Connolly. In the background, still looking forlorn and unloved, stand the brooding remains of the Crosby Building, which, we are told, might yet be re-born as eight bespoke apartments. There the aspirational will frolic in centrally-heated, double-glazed luxury where once we toiled in discomfort.

Whereas the physical fabric of the school that all current generations of Grammarians recall with fondness or otherwise has succumbed to the unstoppable force of the wrecking ball, the spirit and ethos of that institution remains alive and well. Already the new school on the Gransha Road has welcomed three years of new pupils and within another five years an entirely new generation of Grammarians will emerge for whom the College Avenue site will be of no direct relevance save for the images in the fading photographs displayed in the School Archive. Time marches on and, whilst holding dear such memories of the past, it is important to embrace the future and the opportunities it brings.

It is this theme that I wish to pursue during my term as chairman. Any visitor to the new school will be struck by the imposing Atrium, a bright and airy communal area that serves as a crossroads and meeting place.

There you will see important and tangible memories of the school’s illustrious history made possible by the generosity of Grammarians. At one end there stands the College Avenue building clock restored and keeping

New chairman Geoffrey Miller (right) is congratulated by predecessor Paul Weir

(almost?) perfect time; and since June of this year at the other side many fine examples from the School Archive resplendently displayed in two new cabinets.

Thus the Grammarians have ensured, now and into the future, that successive generations of pupils will have a context in which to view the school’s history. But for the Grammarians to truly develop and indeed survive it is essential we are also relevant to present and future as well as past generations.

In his final chairman’s letter my predecessor, Paul Weir, highlighted the work being undertaken by the Grammarians in conjunction with the Careers Department of the school to tap into our members’ enormous skills base to assist current pupils. The result of that work in the 2014/15 academic year was the highly successful Interview Skills Day and Careers Fair. In addition, work placement offers were put in place, several of which were taken up and proved of considerable benefit to employer and student alike.

In the current year we shall repeat these exercises and build on those foundations by including regular visits to the school by members of the Careers Forum. These members will provide services including intensive training on interview techniques. In addition they will pass on their expertise in employment areas as diverse as technology, engineering, commercial, public sector and trade. More information about this important aspect of Grammarians’ activity can be found in this magazine. If you haven’t already signed up to be a part of the Careers Forum, I would ask you to give it

3

serious consideration and I commend all those who have already done so.

Hand in hand with this development is our aim to expand active membership to embrace younger Grammarians. We now have updated our website and have included links to Twitter and other social media accounts, with regular feeds and updates keeping members informed of our programme of events and matters of interest. Indeed it is quite possible you are one of the many now reading this magazine in electronic format rather than the traditional paper version. Such innovations will afford members an opportunity to provide feedback on our traditional programme, including the annual Bangor and London Dinners, along with the Boxing Day hockey matches and autumn golf tournament, and provide the potential to expand these in new directions.

If we are to succeed in these aims, however, we need to attract more volunteers willing to assist in organising individual projects or, better still, to join the Committee and swell its ranks – the more the merrier!

In signing off I wish to record my thanks to the members of the Grammarians Committee who give freely of their time and talents in support of the Association throughout the year. Particular mention

should be made of Paul Weir who in a typically quiet and understated fashion steered the Committee through the past three years and who set in train the series of changes to which I have made reference in this address. I am grateful that Paul and several other former chairmen will be on hand as valuable members of the Committee to guide our progress through the next few years. Equally, the Committee acknowledges the continued commitment shown by Mike McConnell who from his London base has played a pivotal role in getting the Careers Forum up and running.

Finally, I must single out Jim Claney who retired this year from the Committee and who represents the living embodiment of the Grammarian spirit. From the organisation of the annual dinners to the editing and compilation of the magazine and much else besides, Jim’s contribution has been unparalleled. Any attempt to catalogue all that he has done for the school would only fall short of the mark so I will confine myself to simply saying “thank you Jim, enjoy your well earned retirement. Your legacy will be the continued growth and success of the Association to which you have devoted so much energy over the past 50 years.”

To all readers, enjoy this year’s magazine and remember we want to hear from you!

Specialists in Menswear and School Wear

Main suppliers of school wear to Bangor Grammar School pupils for the past 60 years Special offer 10% discount on all school wear in July 2016 Suppliers also for Glenlola Collegiate, Bangor Academy, St. Columbanus, Regent House, Sullivan Upper, and all local Primary Schools Baillies Menswear, 23-27 High St., Bangor, Co. Down BT20 5BG

4

028 9127 0412

Dates for your diary Speech Day – Seniors, 13 October (1-3pm); Juniors, 14 October 2015 (9-11am) New Beginnings (Year 8 Parent Information Evening) – 12 October 2015 (7-9pm) Bangor Dinner – Friday 13 November 2015, Marine Court Hotel (Booking form included with magazine).

Guest speaker: Alex Kane, columnist for the News Letter and the Irish News, as well as a feature writer for the Belfast Telegraph and a number of other outlets. An authority on unionism and unionist politics – and a former Director of Communications for the UUP – he is a regular guest on BBC, UTV and RTE television and radio programmes and election specials. Away from politics the great passion of his life is Sherlock Holmes and he has written and lectured on the books, films, literature and cultural impact for many years.

Grammarians AGM – Monday 7 December 2015 (6.30pm), venue TBC School Carol Service – Thursday 17 December 2015 (7.30-9.30pm), venue TBC Boxing Day hockey matches – Saturday 26 December 2015, new hockey pitches, BGS, Gransha Road London Dinner – Friday 26 February 2016 (eve of the England v Ireland Six Nations rugby match at Twickenham. Drinks reception 6.30-7.30pm with dinner at 7.30 (prompt). Location: The Wesley Hotel, 81-103, Euston Street, London, NW1 2EZ. Guest speaker: Dr Stephen Martin MBE, double Olympic hockey medallist and former captain of both the Great Britain and Irish hockey teams. Contact Mike McConnell as soon as possible to make a booking, email mikejmcconnell@aol.com or tel. 07847 190142.

Edinburgh Dinner – TBC Grammarians Committee, 2015 Patron: S D Connolly MA President: Mrs E Huddleson, M.SSc, B.Ed., PQH (NI) Hon.Vice Presidents: B A Styles B.Sc., W R T Dowdall Vice Presidents: Ken Best, Trevor Gray, Paul Weir Chairman: Geoffrey Miller, 32 Clifton Road, Bangor BT20 5EP Vice Chairman and Magazine Secretary: Terence Bowman, 8 Mountnorris, Newcastle BT33 0QZ Hon. Secretary: Peter Blair, 13 Ward Avenue, Bangor BT20 5HW Hon. Treasurer: Norman Irwin, 10 Riverside Road, Bangor BT20 4SA Hon. Membership Secretary: Lyn MacCallum, 23 Rossdale Road, Bangor BT19 6BE, email membership@grammarians.co.uk General Committee: Ken Best, Paul Weir, Alan Black, Gary McNinch, Walter Dowdall, Trevor Gray, Peter Matthews Past chairmen of Bangor Grammarians l929/l930 Dr S Patterson Rea l930/l931 M Wilkins l93l/l932 A W Corry l932/l933 F McKee l933/l934 J M McFeeters l934/l935 S M Claney l935/l936 V Salter l936/l937 S Christie l937/l938 J Ritchie McKee l938/l939 S Connolly l939/l940 E V Agnew l940/l941 W T Strain l941/l942 J C Taylor l942/l943 G A Matthews l943/l944 W J L Cairns l944/l945 S Smith l945/l946 Dr J C Nicholson l946/l947 A R Finlay l947/l948 F A Reid

l948/l949 R G Wilkins l949/l950 D B Moore l950/l951 E V Agnew l95l/l952 C D Radcliffe l952/l953 C Neil l953/l954 R L H Magrath l954/l955 J E Barbour l955/l956 H F Rea l956/l957 S Johnston l957/l958 W E Moore l958/l959 W Wilson l959/1960 R H Hamilton l960/l96l R D McConnell l96l/l962 G T Henderson l962/l963 R E McNeilly l963/l964 R K Hamilton l964/l965 W R T Dowdall l965/l966 A H Hewitt l966/l967 J Curry

l967/l968 R J A Simms l968/l969 R M Gray l969/l970 M R Butler l970/l971 B A Thompson l971/l972 H Blair l972/l973 R R J Boyd l973/l974 M M Brown l974/l975 R O Christy l975/l976 M Rea l976/l977 B Livingston l977/l978 J T Blundell l978/l979 W J L Cairns l979/l980 J C Taylor l980/l981 Dr J H Connolly l98l/l982 B J S Kissock l982/l983 R A Milliken l983/l984 M L J Morgan l984/l985 R J Parker l985/l986 J B Adrain

l986/l987 Dr R A Lightbody l987/l988 J A G Whyte l988/l989 D W Gray l989/l990 J R Lightbody l990/l991 S B E Johnston l99l/l992 W R T Dowdall l992/1994 W McCoubrey l994/l995 R O’Fee l995/l996 A C Briggs l996/l998 D McQuillan l998/l999 S B E Johnston l999/2002 N R A Walker 2002/2004 R J Claney 2004/2007 K Best 2007/2011 T J I Gray 2011/2014 P Weir

5

Principal’s report Elizabeth Huddleson This sees the end of my first ‘academic year’ in post.

In short it has been an eventful and varied year, with many highs and some lows. The pace of the job has not abated one bit and I have become used to expecting the unexpected on a daily basis. Among the year’s highlights are the following: External examination successes The 2014/15 academic year started incredibly well with a very pleasing set of GCSE and A-Level results.

At GCSE level 89.1% achieved more than seven GCSEs A*-C, with over 99% achieving more than five GCSEs, including English Language and Mathematics.

The highest achievers were Matthew O’Boyle with 11 A*s, closely followed by Mitchell Davidson and Jordan Edwards (9 A*s and an A) and Luke McWatters, Matthew Riordan and Alan Tabbada (7A*s, 3 As).

We achieved very good results at both A2 and AS, with 71.8% achieving three A*-C (A2) and 70.2% three A–C (AS), reflecting the dedication and hard work of both the boys and their teachers.

At A2, the highest achievers were Rory Donaldson (4A*s), Stephen Jackson (3A*s), Ben Dempster, John Hamilton (2A*s, 2As), Peter Jones (2A*s, 1A), James Carson, Dominic Greenfield, Matthew Leung (1A*, 2As), Aleksander Zagajewski, Daniel O’Boyle (4As) and Matthew Kennedy and Andrew Poxon (3As). We hope to continue this upward trend with aspirations, in time, to be the highest achieving all-boys’ grammar school at both levels.

August 2014 saw the roll out of the new threeyear School Development Plan. The primary areas which have been focused upon this year relate to selfevaluation, Year 8 transition and developing more concrete relationships with primary schools, alongside putting processes into place to better support staff and pupil wellbeing. Further good work continues in the use of data to set pupil targets and support learning, as well as in the area of ICT and how best to use it, maximising its value.

Combined Cadet Force (CCF) As well as academic achievement there has been considerable pupil success this year in the extra-curricular life of the School. CCF members have dominated the competitions in which they have competed. This includes winning all their races throughout the Regatta weekend in September 2014 at Portsmouth, resulting

6

in them being the overall winners. This in itself was impressive as some of the other schools had sailors who had been members of the Olympic Junior Team.

The CCF is a much valued and successful part of life at BGS. Due to a potential change in funding its future was in serious jeopardy in the earlier part of the year.

The consultation process that followed (to which over 80% of all schools in the UK responded) prompted a U-turn by the MoD. Not only does this mean the CCF at BGS can continue running, but pupils throughout the UK will benefit from an enhanced programme of activities supported fully by government and military leaders. This was evident at this year’s CCF conference, which was held at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham in March.

It was a very successful year for the Combined Cadet Force

Accelerated Reader All five Year 8 classes have put Bangor Grammar School on the map through their involvement and success within this year’s Accelerated Reader programme, reaching the standard of Model Reading Class Certification.

They are the first pupils in a post-primary school

Ice creams for Year 8 pupils after their successful involvement within the Accelerated Reader programme

in Northern Ireland to achieve this level. To achieve accreditation, each pupil has committed to reading for at least 30 minutes daily, complete tests on the book they have read and achieve a minimum 90% in each test.

If this was not success enough, classes 8HMM and 8STH went one step further and secured Master Reading Class Accreditation before term’s end. We are very proud of this huge achievement; as a teacher, to see boys enjoying reading so much is nothing short of a delight.

Green Schools Northern Ireland final Five Year 13 and 14 pupils were successful in reaching the final of the Green Schools Northern Ireland competition as part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) drive within the School. Their remit was to outline how they could make their school building more energy efficient.

The ideas were of a high level, especially considering the School as a building is already very high tech and designed to be efficient. The team was placed fourth out of 27 schools.

Careers Fair A new approach was taken this year towards an aspect of our Careers Education Programme, culminating in a Careers Fair in February. The Fair targeted our pupils in Years 10, 12 and 13. Pupils and parents were invited and afforded the opportunity to meet and talk with specialists from a variety of different professions through breakout sessions and on a one to one basis.

Many of the external individuals in attendance were former pupils of the School. This level of interest and support was most welcome and it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the part Mike McConnell has played in this. His motivation and enthusiasm has been unstinting.

Year 10 and 12 pupils and parents were also able to meet with representatives from each subject department and discuss options for the next phase of their education. This was welcomed by all parties and, as a whole, this proved to be a very fruitful day for the BGS boys and also for the Glenlola girls who responded to our invitation.

The hard work and vision of Vice Principal Mr Greer and Head of Careers Mrs Shaw is also acknowledged, as is the contribution that some of you have made to this area of school life.

Musical Events Whilst a fabulous space, the restrictive nature of the Atrium prompted us to hold the annual Carol Service off site this year, resulting in the service being held

Pupils who attended the Festival of Christmas Trees at First Bangor Presbyterian Church in December 2014

in Bangor Parish Church. Two services were held to accommodate the volume attending. As usual, the solo pieces, choir and orchestra surpassed themselves, providing a beautiful build-up to the magic of Christmas. The retiring offering was split between the church itself and FASA. The Spring Concert was an equally magical experience, allowing the pupils to showcase widely their musical talents. The programme reflected the breadth of musicality amongst the pupils, with the quality of performance being exceptional. Each passing year sees an increasing number of pupils becoming involved in the musical life of the School, which speaks for itself.

Sport and Extra-Curricular Our pupils continue to perform and succeed across

Jakob Swann finishes the 800m to win gold

7

many sporting disciplines. The Minor badminton team was second in the Irish Championships this year. We are starting to make a name for ourselves on the chess circuit. The Chess Club was started by a pupil, Andrew Todd, last year. His team is starting to win competitions within Ulster and most recently they competed at an event in London.

Athletics is the sport where BGS has been showing the most prowess this past year. At the Ulster Athletics Championship qualifiers, Aaron Sexton dominated and won the 100m, 200m and was part of the winning relay team; Aaron Blackmore won gold in the Inter 200m; Jakob Swann won the 800m; Andrew Finlay secured bronze in the Junior 80m hurdles, and Craig McMeechan took 25 seconds off his personal best in the Inter 3000m to win silver.

Whilst this meant on one level a reprieve, it has still been necessary to rationalise and remodel in advance of what will certainly be a few more difficult years to come.

Staff and pupil illness Every year brings with it different challenges in terms of the physical health and wellbeing of those within our community. This year has been particularly difficult, with cancer wreaking havoc.

As I type, three pupils are at various stages with their own private battle with cancer, yet they remain upbeat and courageous. As their Principal, I am so proud of each of them as they and their families inspire me and the School community daily through their grace and dignity.

March was a month of great sadness for us following the death of Doreen Beggs, our School Nurse. She died following surgery to remove a brain tumour. She had worked in BGS for in excess of 10 years and was much loved and valued by the pupils and staff.

Doreen went about each and every day with a smile on her face and proved to be a very effective and comforting listening ear for many of our pupils. The depth of love for her was evident in the number of staff and pupils, both past and present, who attended her funeral.

Bangor Grammarians recognised the achievements of the School’s successful athletes throughout the 2014-15 season at a special presentation function on 22 June 2015. Chairman Geoffrey Miller presented certificates acknowledging their success at the Irish Schools Athletics Championships to Aaron Blackmore, Aaron Sexton, Josh Majury, Andrew Finlay and Louis Gault-Reid. Aaron Sexton was also presented with a commemorative plaque to mark his outstanding performance in winning two gold medals (100m and 200m) and breaking the Irish record (200m). Picture shows (from left): Principal Elizabeth Huddleson, Phil Cartmill, teacher in charge of athletics, Louis Gault-Reid, Andrew Finlay, Aaron Sexton, Josh Majury, Aaron Blackmore and Geoffrey Miller.

School Nurse Doreen Beggs, who passed away in March

The Lows Budget Reductions in Education The Christmas term prompted much uncertainty for the 2015/16 academic year following an announcement of a 7% budget reduction by the Department of Education. For a voluntary grammar school this level of cut has the potential to be catastrophic and would result in job losses.

Much work was done behind the scenes to minimise the impact on the quality of pupil provision. All schools were greatly relieved (following a period of consultation) when a 0% reduction was announced.

8

Acknowledgements As ever, the staff in the School continue to work tirelessly for the pupils. Their work is much appreciated and does not go unnoticed. For this I extend my sincere thanks.

To the Grammarians Committee who meet faithfully each month – thank you for showing such an interest in the School and for contributing in the way you do.

It would be remiss if the many years of work put into the School by Jim Claney were not acknowledged. He will be sorely missed from the Committee.

Uncle Sam welcomes our young Grammarians While many of their contemporaries who finished their studies at Bangor Grammar School last year now attend universities all over the British Isles, two of the ‘Class of 2014’ have travelled somewhat further afield, to the USA. Daniel O’Boyle won an Academic Scholarship to the world famous Notre Dame University in Indiana, while David Weir was recruited on a Tennis Scholarship to Pfeiffer University, North Carolina. To have two such successes in one year is unprecedented, certainly for BGS and probably for any grammar school in Northern Ireland.

Here are some of the young men’s impressions of their first year of study in the United States.

David Weir Having played competitive tennis since I was 10, when I heard about the possibility of scholarships to American colleges I was immediately interested. The combination of continuing my sport and getting a degree was too good to miss.

I began applying at the end of Year 13, which made for a pretty hectic time. Two years to complete the process would have been better as the amount of paperwork is unbelievable, especially getting clearance from the National Colleges Athletic Association, which runs all major college sports in America. I then had a video of myself playing posted on YouTube and contacted college coaches, inviting them to view the video.

I received a number of positive responses, and after visiting four colleges in the Spring I chose Pfeiffer University in North Carolina. Pfeiffer is a small liberal arts college in the countryside, which is great because almost all the students live on campus, but we have a couple of large towns close by and Charlotte is only 30 minutes away, so there’s always plenty David Weir (left) on St Patrick’s Day to do. in the USA The academic year is divided into two semesters, so I get home for a month at Christmas and three months in the summer.

In the US system we take minor classes in freshman year, so we don’t have to decide our degree subject until second year. Student-athletes are only allowed to miss 11 classes per semester and have to achieve good grades or we lose our eligibility to play our sport.

College tennis has been really great. In the Fall

10

(autumn) semester we only play a few matches and do a lot of training. Our season starts in February – we have four practices and two matches against other colleges per week, so it’s pretty demanding. Each NCAA College plays in a league or Conference of colleges in their area. Pfeiffer is in Conference Carolinas, which has teams from North and South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. The winners of each Conference play a Regional competition, and the winners of this go on to compete for the National Championship.

I really like the way College tennis is much more of a team game than tennis at home, which is almost all individual. My teammates come from nine different countries but we all get on really well. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to study and play sport in the USA for four years, experiencing a new culture and making friends from all over the world. I would recommend it to anyone!

David Weir in action on the university tennis courts

Daniel O’Boyle

Daniel O’Boyle during a trip to Chicago

3,609 and a quarter miles… that’s the distance between Bangor Grammar School and the golden dome at the centre of campus at the University of Notre Dame in the United States. Less than three months after finishing my secondary school education, I headed to South Bend, Indiana, to begin my four years there.

Although it seemed like a sudden change, it actually came after a process of planning and applying to go to university across the Atlantic that began almost 18 months earlier. It took months of standardised testing and admissions essays to get to where I was.

I was able to fit in fairly quickly, being assigned to a residence hall where everyone soon began to know each other, and made plenty of American friends.

While at times the differences were hard to adjust to and people found my accent hard to understand, most people were very interested in knowing more about my life in Northern Ireland.

Almost instantly I was able to experience one of the cornerstones of college life in America: after a week of taking classes and making friends, I saw my first

American Football game, and Notre Dame’s famous ‘Fighting Irish.’ The entire student body, including myself, lived for the sports teams, with basketball season keeping up that atmosphere in the Spring. Covering sports for the student newspaper, I was immersed in the whole system.

Inside the classroom, I was able to take full advantage of the American college system and take classes in a wide range of subjects before my later plans to focus on a Political Science degree. Hearing the points of view of people born thousands of miles from me was always interesting.

One thing I wasn’t prepared for, no matter how much I knew about it, was the winter. I’d never seen snowstorms quite like the American Midwest, with temperatures as low as -27C, and at times it seemed to be never-ending. Although the beautiful campus looked even better with its frozen-over lakes and thick snow covering the grass, being outside for any length of time became a serious challenge.

After a year that seems to have flown by, I’ve grown to love the University of Notre Dame and college in the United States. After starting the journey last year, I can’t wait for what the next three years bring.

Daniel O’Boyle took this picture of Notre Dame in the middle of winter

Notice to Bangor Grammarians Every year we lose touch with approx. 20-25 members through changes of address that are not notified to us. To help avoid this, and also to ensure email can be used as a quick means of communication, we are continuing to add phone numbers and preferred email addresses to the Membership List.

It would be appreciated if you could help the Membership Secretary by sending such details to membership@grammarians.co.uk, including your name and current home address.

The annual Grammarian magazine is now available in a full colour PDF format. To help fight increasing production and distribution costs for the mainly black and white ‘paper’ version, we would encourage members, particularly those living overseas, to opt for the digital edition. Please contact the website if you would like to read The Grammarian in this way.

11

The amazing rediscovery – literally – of the school’s earliest known headmaster Terence Bowman …and he was related to President George Washington!

In recent months documentary evidence has emerged confirming the earliest – and very likely first – headmaster of Bangor Grammar School to be the previously unknown William Hanly Ball. The information, in the form of a News Letter article from October 1859, was discovered by Bangor Historical Society stalwart Sandra Millsopp.

Then known as Bangor Endowed School, it is known to have opened its doors in 1856 thanks to endowment through the will of local gentleman and politician Col The Hon. Robert Ward PC of Castle Ward. Through the terms of his will, made in 1828, Col Ward ordained that a sum of £1,000 should be ‘expended in building and endowing a Schoolhouse for the education of boys in Mathematics, Astronomy and Navigation.’

coincidence it emerged, just a matter of months ago, that later in life – during the 1870s – he served as Rector of St John’s Parish Church in Dromara, County Down.

This information came to light when I happened upon the name while researching another aspect to local history in Dromara, the village where my own great grandfather, Alexander Bowman, was born in 1854. Not only can it be revealed that the remains of the late Rev. Ball were rediscovered a few years ago buried underneath the vestry of St John’s Church, but, remarkably, he was a distant relative of first US President George Washington.

St John’s Parish Church in Dromara – William Hanly Ball’s final resting place

The News Letter notice from late October 1859

The first building occupied by the school was the ‘Old School House’ in Front Street, now Main Street.

It stood on the site of the present Bank of Ireland at the corner of Central Avenue. However, due to a lack of concrete evidence the history of the school has to date recorded the first headmaster as Mr R. T. Gowdy, who is credited with holding the position between 1856 and 1870.

Trying to find out more about William Hanly Ball at first proved difficult as he was not a native of Bangor and, seemingly, little if any evidence remained of his presence in the town. However, thanks to a remarkable

12

Much of the available information about our earliest known headmaster was provided by Dr Susan Hood, Assistant Librarian and Archivist at the Representative Church Body’s Library at Churchtown in Dublin.

According to official records William Hanly Ball was nominated for the position of Rector of St John’s in Dromara on 7 January 1874 and instituted on 12 April that same year. He had been ordained as a deacon in 1870, entering the priesthood the following year when he was appointed curate at St John’s.

The son of Nicholas and Anne (née Gilbert) Ball, he attended the Queen’s University of Ireland – a late vocation by all accounts. It was the degree-awarding university of the Queen’s Colleges of Belfast, Cork and Galway. Mr Ball died unmarried on 31 January 1879 (as confirmed in a brief death notice published a few

days later in the News Letter, which indicated he had passed away at the Rectory).

The death notice which appeared in the News Letter in early February 1879

Dr Hood directed my attention to a Ball family history, which was written by the Rev. William Ball Wright and published in York in 1908. Although a copy can be found on the shelves of the Linenhall Library in Belfast, I was able to access the entire book on a genealogy website.

Although the reference to William Hanly Ball was disappointingly brief, it nevertheless confirmed the names of his parents (not to mention many hundreds of his ancestors and contemporary relatives). His father, Nicholas, was born in County Armagh in 1787 and was married to Anne Gilbert by the Rev. Henry Crofton in Dublin on 3 April 1809. He resided successively in Counties Armagh, Down and Dublin, “and latterly at Valentia, County Kerry, where he kept a school.”

Although there was no reference to son William Hanly Ball, who was born at Clondalkin, Dublin, on 6 September 1817, being headmaster of any school, this was surely an indication of family involvement in the world of academia. In addition, and confirming the family’s presence in Bangor, Anne Ball died on 14 February 1864 and was buried in the town.

Our first headmaster was one of seven children – he had five sisters and an older brother, Thomas Hanly Ball, who also served as a Church of Ireland clergyman.

Ordained to the priesthood in 1843, Thomas’s first appointment was as curate in Annalong, County Down, ultimately moving to England where he was Domestic

Chaplain to the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres and also Vicar of Hartshill in Warwickshire.

Further valuable information was provided by Joan Browne, on behalf of the Dromara History Group, which is dedicated to the preservation of the area’s local history and which I have had the pleasure to address on several occasions in recent years. It was Joan who was able to close the circle by revealing that William Hanly Ball’s final resting place was beneath the vestry at St John’s Parish Church.

Several years ago it was decided to investigate the purpose of stairs beside the vestry that seemingly led to nowhere. It transpired that a crypt had been created under the vestry and that it housed two badlydeteriorated coffins and the bones of two bodies. A metal plaque on one of the coffins revealed its occupant was none other than William Hanly Ball, former Rector of the church and the man we can now identify as the earliest known headmaster of Bangor Grammar School.

Intriguingly, records held at the church indicated a long history of clashes between Rev. Ball and his immediate predecessor, Canon Henry Murphy (presumably then still resident in Dromara), over ecclesiastical matters. Canon Murphy was a strong opponent of the disestablishment of the (Anglican) Church of Ireland, which had become law on 1 January 1871.

The final word, however, rests with the 300-plus page Ball family history and the revelation of a family connection to George Washington. It is hard to believe William Hanly Ball, born just 18 years after the former President’s death on 14 December 1799, would not have been aware that Washington’s mother Mary was the daughter of Colonel Joseph and Mary Ball of Lancaster County in Virginia!

With grateful thanks to Trevor Gray and Barry Greenaway, Bangor Grammar School historian and archivist respectively, Joan Browne of the Dromara History Group, and Sandra Millsopp of Bangor Historical Society.

Noteworthy anniversaries 2015/16 1905

1936 1945

1955 1965

1966 1975

Richard Ashmore replaced as Headmaster by the Rev. James B. McFeeters School won the Medallion Shield for the first time Dobson’s Dairies commenced supplying milk under the Government’s milk scheme Harry Eadie was appointed to the Staff Randall Clarke advised the Governors he ‘had publicly flogged two sets of boys’ Winners of Medallion Shield and Hospitals Cup Dr Robert J. Rogers appointed as Headmaster School team won the Ulster Boys’ Golf Championships Combined Cadet Force was born from ACF predecessor

1976

1985

1986

Morley Hopkins retired from Connor House after 28 years Winners of Rugby ‘Sevens’ competition 1st XI hockey team shared the McCullough Cup Winners of the Ulster Schools’ Junior Tennis Cup Winners of Ulster Schools’ Cup and Medallion Shield Winners of Ulster Schools’ Squash League and Cup (squash was introduced that year) Winners of the Ulster Schools’ Cup Winners of the Belfast Junior Chamber of Commerce Debating Cup Inaugural Old Boys’ Association London Dinner

Source – Trevor Gray’s ‘History of Bangor Grammar School’

13

Bangor Grammar School hosts major careers day The spacious Atrium provided the ideal setting on Friday 13 February 2015 for a pioneering careers day at Bangor Grammar School.

With Year 10 to 14 students from Glenlola Collegiate joining those from the host school, it proved an overwhelming success, with more than 70 exhibitors, covering every area of the employment market, in attendance.

It represents a major triumph for Head of Careers Mrs Rosemary Shaw, as well as for London-based Bangor Grammarian Mike McConnell, who in recent months, through a careers forum established via the LinkedIn online networking site, has been encouraging former pupils to offer work experience and careers guidance to students nearing the end of their years at the school.

Indeed, a number of initiatives during the 2014-15 academic year, including an interview skills day on 19 November 2014, a work experience initiative that ran from 19-23 January and the 13 February careers fair, can be traced directly to a Head of Careers Rosemary policy meeting in January Shaw 2014 involving then newly appointed Principal Mrs Elizabeth Huddleson, Mrs Shaw, Mr McConnell and immediate past Grammarians chairman Dr Paul Weir.

Bangor Grammar School has long been associated with encouraging its students to pursue traditional university subjects such as law, medicine and languages.

As in the past, university remains the destination of the vast majority of school leavers.

However, reflecting the multitude of changes in modern life, not least in terms of technological advances, the careers fair welcomed a diverse range of exhibitors, from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, the Army and the PSNI, to major employers including Sainsbury’s, Randox, Denroy, Kainos and Citigroup.

Representatives from Queen’s University and the Ulster University mingled in the adjoining gymnasium with colleagues from South Eastern Regional College and Belfast Metropolitan College.

Philip Robinson, Network Planning Manager with Transport NI’s Eastern Division, represented Civil Engineering at the Fair and mobilised the Institution of Civil Engineers to attend with a breakout session.

While he adjudged the event overall as a success, he detected an inference that Civil Engineering currently only appealed to a minority. Regarding the opportunity for other employers to attend, like banks, solicitors, the NI Civil Service, etc., he felt there could be more scope to attract employers like these. For example, the NICS employed 28,000 staff, including lawyers, civil/ mechanical and electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, architects, accountants, etc.

“Apart from job satisfaction,” Mr Robinson added, “one aspect which most pupils really should know, but are reluctant to ask about, is starting salaries for graduates.”

The busy scene in the Atrium

14

First Trust Bank is proud to support Bangor Grammarians Talk to us about • Current accounts • Savings and investments • Mortgages and loans • Credit cards

Call into any branch • 0845 6005 925 + • www.firsttrustbank.co.uk

First Trust Bank is a trade mark of AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.), incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 92 Ann Street, Belfast, BT1 3HH. Registered Number NI018800. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. + Call charges may vary please refer to your service provider.

While there were understandable space constraints, given the large numbers of exhibitors and visiting students, for Simon Bull, a past pupil and father of two current pupils, representing PriceWaterhouseCoopers, it had been a very important exercise.

“Having so many options open to students is an invaluable aid to their future progress,” he said. “I’ve also spoken to quite a few Glenlola girls; I can see much merit in a joint venture between the two schools in future years.”

Special breakout sessions during the afternoon afforded students an opportunity to learn in more detail about careers in areas such as social work, the food and drink sector, accountancy, dentistry, retail and IT, with former Mayor (and past pupil) Cllr Peter Martin also offering guidance on a career in politics and local government.

Some of the Lower Sixth students had received a stark warning earlier in the day about their very future at the school when they received their mock examination results – were the same results to be awarded in August then they would not be admitted to Upper Sixth, so this had provided a timely warning!

Where the Lower Sixth year for preceding generations had been something of an easy run in advance of the ‘real’ A-Level examinations they would sit at the end of the following year, that ‘comfort zone’ is no longer available.

Those students with poor results (four Bs and three Cs being the cut-off point) were warned to work harder if they wanted to stay on at the school, and also to appreciate the important role played by the many companies attending the careers fair in providing employment opportunities in a rapidly changing world.

Kris Jones and Alex Turnbull, another two past pupils, represented Belfast-based digital technology solutions company Kainos at the careers fair. Their stand had some of the longest queues, the students no doubt attracted by the futuristic Google glasses, which can translate sentences the wearer was reading into any number of foreign languages, and the 3D headset that recreates the thrills and spills of a rollercoaster ride.

For Kris, who had left Bangor Grammar School just five years earlier, it was a first-ever visit to the new school and he was highly impressed.

16

Mrs Shaw was justly proud of everything the fair had achieved, pinpointing the attendance of parents in the morning as a vital element of that success. “It’s the first time we have done this and it has gone really well,” she said.

The Head of Careers, a guest speaker at the Bangor Grammarians’ London Dinner in March, was also delighted to have representatives from Belfast Metropolitan College and South Eastern Regional

Former pupil Ivan Humphreys, from JCP Consulting, a company with more than 40 years’ experience in the construction industry (it was responsible for heating and lighting services at the new school), said there had been considerable interest from parents and pupils.

Numerous advances in technology, he explained, meant people were being introduced to many different types of job that went well beyond traditional career paths.

Ivan Humphries of JCP Consulting

College among the exhibitors, saying they represented a “safety net” for under-performing pupils, with the Met, for example, offering Foundation Degrees in Mechanical Engineering in conjunction with Queen’s University.

Students have the option of either seeking employment when they graduate or transferring to Stage 2 of the BEng degree in Mechanical Engineering at QUB, where they can graduate with an Honours degree after a further two years of study.

Mrs Huddleson commented that steering the boys towards their chosen career path was something the school took very seriously.

“We strive to provide as much guidance, advice and knowledge as possible to allow the boys to make informed decisions about their future. The fantastic success of our first careers fair played a significant part in that.

“We were delighted with the involvement and attendance by the boys, their parents and all those who participated and made it such a positive and useful experience,” she added.

2014 Old Boys’ Dinner marked return to the Marine Court Hotel Former pupils gathered on 14 November 2014 at the Marine Court Hotel for their annual dinner.

The event, organised by Bangor Grammarians, marked a return to the hotel after the two previous dinners were held at the School itself – the first to acknowledge the final days at College Avenue and the second to celebrate the opening of the new campus at Gransha Road.

The guest of honour was former RUC / PSNI Chief Constable (and BGS parent) Sir Ronnie Flanagan, who delivered a wistful and often humorous reflection on Bangor and the Grammar School, while Principal Elizabeth Huddleson, in a well-received address, highlighted many of the events that had contributed to a busy first year for her in the ‘hot seat’.

Outgoing Grammarians chairman Paul Weir, who proposed the toasts to the Queen and the School, also thanked colleague Jim Claney, organiser of the dinner for the past 12 years, who had previously announced his intention to stand down from the Grammarians Committee.

Jim received a standing ovation in acknowledgement of his many years of unstinting service to the School.

Funds raised from a draw held during the dinner went towards the purchase of display cases for items from the school’s extensive archives.

The proceedings closed with a word perfect hearty rendition of the School Song.

All pictures unless otherwise stated courtesy of the County Down Spectator

Don Ritchie, Ben Livingston, Billy Martin, Frank Shane, Terry Watson, Ronnie Drury, Jim Claney, Maurice Watson Ian Alexander, Alec Woods, Michael Rea

Gareth Arnold, Michael Rea

Bob McIlroy, Mervyn Brown and John Smyth

17

18

Roger Clegg, James Conn, Lyn MacCallum, Gary Swenarton, Raymond Whiteford

Noel Graham,Trevor Gray, Philip Robinson, Norman Irwin

Colin Hawthorne, Barry McAllister, Alan Shields, Andrew Williamson, Andrew Gray

Barry Greenaway, Robin McKelvey

Guest speaker Sir Ronnie Flanagan (left) with Principal Elizabeth Huddleson and Grammarians chairman Paul Weir in one of his final duties. Picture: Ken Best

Barry Gray, Martin Kennedy, David Greene, David Humphreys, Charles Gray

Billy McCoubrey, Colin Jones, John Lowdon, Ronnie Patton

Lee Puckrin, Paul Weir, Mike McConnell

19

Six additional First World War casualties – Remembering their Sacrifice Barry Niblock Since publication in 2014 of the booklet commemorating 37 former pupils and a former Headmaster who gave their lives in the First World War, it has been suggested that a further six First World War casualties were former pupils of Bangor Grammar School.

Two of the names – Stanley Woods Maxwell and William Scott – are inscribed on the School War Memorial as having served and survived. Information suggesting that the other four casualties were former pupils came from an external source and has been accepted by the School. Their names are Reginald John Collier, Alexander McMurray, Thomas Schofield and Patrick Hugo Gerald Irving Vance.

Able Seaman Thomas (Tom) Schofield served in the Royal Navy aboard the armoured cruiser HMS Good Hope and was 27 when he was killed in action on 1 November 1914. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Born in Middleton, Lancashire, Tom had 12 years’ service in the Royal Navy. On 2 June 1909 he and Annie Lightbody were married in Wesley Centenary Methodist Church, Bangor. They lived in Castle Street with Annie’s parents before moving to 87 Ballymagee Street (now High Street). Tom worked at the Bangor Gas Works and his son – also named Tom – was born on 15 August 1912. Being on the Naval Reserve, Tom Schofield was called up in August 1914 at the outbreak of war.

HMS Good Hope was sunk by the German armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau during the Battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile. The entire ship’s complement of 900 hands was lost.

Stoker 2nd Class Alexander (Alex) McMurray served in the Royal Navy aboard the minelayer HMS Princess Irene, and was 20 when he was killed on 27 May 1915. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

Alex was born in Bangor and was a son of William and Mary Ellen McMurray (née Campbell) who lived in Abbey Street, then Gray’s Hill and then at 28 Dufferin Avenue. William McMurray worked as a plasterer and

20

Alex worked as a bricklayer before he went to sea.

Alex joined the Royal Navy in January 1915 and after training was posted to HMS Princess Irene.

Based at Sheerness in Kent, HMS Princess Irene was in the River Medway on 27 May 1915 when she blew up at around 11.15am as a result of an internal explosion.

There was only one survivor. It was reported that, at the time of the explosion, mines were being primed on the ship’s two mine decks.

Able Seaman William (Willie) Scott served in the Royal Navy aboard the battleship HMS Majestic and was 31 when he was killed in action on 27 May 1915. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

Willie was born on 18 November 1883 and was a son of William and Agnes Scott (née Gray), who were married in First Bangor Presbyterian Church. After Willie’s father died his mother remarried and Willie and his sister lived with their mother and stepfather at 8 Albert Street, Bangor.

Before he went to sea, Willie worked as an apprentice clerk in the Milfort Weaving Company. He was a member of Harmony Masonic Lodge No. 286 in Bangor and a report in the 4 June 1915 edition of the County Down Spectator indicated his wife and children lived in Kylene Terrace, Croft Street, Bangor.

HMS Majestic was torpedoed in the Dardanelles by a German submarine and the first official report intimated that Willie was ‘not included in the list of those who were saved’.

Sub-Lieutenant Patrick Hugo Gerald Irving (Pat) Vance served in the Royal Navy aboard the destroyer HMS Shark and was 19 when he was killed in action on 31 May 1916. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Born in County Fermanagh, Pat was a son of James Gerald and Clare Vance who lived in the townland of Ballygrot, Crawfordsburn. Pat’s father was a branch manager in the Belfast Banking Company. After leaving school Pat joined the Royal Navy and he was killed in action during the Battle of Jutland. Commander Loftus Jones, Captain of HMS Shark, went down with

his ship and was gazetted with a posthumous Victoria Cross.

Second Lieutenant Stanley Woods Maxwell served in ‘B’ Company, 8th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, and was 25 when he died of wounds in a Prisoner-of-War camp in France on 27 July 1916. He was buried in St Souplet British Cemetery.

Stanley was born on 23 January 1891 in County Antrim and was a son of Samuel and Agnes Maxwell (née Woods). After Stanley’s father died in 1897 the family moved to Belfast and later to Bangor where they lived at 55 Dufferin Avenue. After leaving school Stanley worked for Messrs J Woods & Company, Wholesale Tea Merchants, Belfast. He was a member of the Fortwilliam Unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force, he was a Lieutenant in the 14th Belfast Boys’ Brigade and he was a member of the Queen’s University Officers’ Training Corps.

In February 1915 he obtained a commission in the 17th (Reserve) Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, then in Newcastle, Co Down. He went to Ballykinler Camp and from there to the Western Front. He served with the 8th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 107th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division.

Initially Second Lieutenant Stanley Maxwell was posted as missing in action after the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Later his mother received a letter from him dated 8 July telling her he had a broken leg and was being held Prisoner-of-War by the Germans.

He told her he was being moved to another PoW camp and that he was not allowed to tell her where it was located. That was the last communication she received

from him and in October 1916 it was officially reported that Stanley Maxwell had died of his wounds on 27 July 1916.

Second Lieutenant Reginald John (Jack) Collier served in the Royal Flying Corps and was 19 when he was killed in a flying accident on 12 February 1918. He was buried in Bangor Cemetery (Newtownards Road).

Jack was born on 15 October 1898 in Belfast and was the only son of William Francis and Marion Frances Collier (née Townsend). William Collier was clerk cashier in the Northern Linen Company, Belfast, and when the Collier family moved to Bangor they lived at Windsor Villas, 125 Hamilton Road.

Jack Collier attended the School from 1908 until 1910 and before the outbreak of the Great War he worked in Belfast in the Cromac Street branch of the Belfast Banking Company. He was a keen sportsman and excelled at rugby, hockey and tennis. He was a member of the Officers’ Training Corps at Queen’s University Belfast from 1916 until 1917.

Gazetted Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps in August 1917, he was killed six months later in a flying accident at Yatesbury, Wiltshire. When flying at high altitude the engine of his aircraft failed and although he managed to right the machine and restart the engine the momentum of falling was so great that the plane crashed to the ground. It was reported that, earlier on the day that he died, Jack had been trying to organise a hockey team from amongst the members of his corps.

Former chairman attends booklet launch Past Grammarians chairman Trevor Gray visited the school on 4 November 2014, when copies of the First World War booklet were distributed to all present day pupils.

Trevor recalled how, 50 years earlier, he too had stood in Assembly, albeit at College Avenue, wearing the same uniform as the boys of today and paying respect to the school’s fallen of two World Wars.

“More importantly,” he said, “one hundred years ago, in 1914, over 170 former pupils of this school chose to wear a very different uniform, when they volunteered to serve in the British armed forces.

“Remember, there was no conscription in Ireland during the First World War; all those young men joined up voluntarily.

“The number of boys attending BGS at any one time was much smaller than it is today. Indeed, it has been estimated that no more than 230 former pupils would have been of service age, so the fact that 176 joined up is quite remarkable.

“Of the 37 who died (including one former Headmaster), the bodies of nine were never recovered, five were teenagers – not much older than you are now – 21 were in their 20s, and five were killed on the same day – 1 July 1916 – the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

“Two among that latter number were brothers – Arthur Hollywood, aged 24, and his brother James, aged 23. The telegrams notifying their parents of their deaths arrived a day apart. Can you imagine how they must have felt, coping with the loss of one son, when a second telegram arrived?”

Mr Gray also revealed that nine Military Crosses for Gallantry had been awarded to former pupils, including two to 26-year-old Captain Leslie Marshall.

He urged the boys to read the booklet thoughtfully and hoped they would find it as moving as he had.

“Wear your poppy with pride – and be proud that you are pupils at the same school as the brave young men who gave their lives in the war that began 100 years ago,” he added.

• The figure of 37 fatalities has now been revised. Please see accompanying article.

21

Honorary Secretary’s report for 2014 Peter Blair Bangor Grammarians welcomed Gary McNinch as a new committee member in January 2015.

The Bangor Dinner returned to the Marine Court Hotel after a two-year absence on Friday 14 November, with guest speaker Sir Ronnie Flanagan keeping a crowd of over 80 entertained. Grammarians also welcomed School Principal Mrs Elizabeth Huddleson to her first annual dinner.

The traditional Boxing Day hockey fixtures took place at the new school for the first time.

The Grammarian is again an excellent magazine which reports on the many and diverse activities of old boys and the work of the Association. Thanks are due to Jim Claney and the magazine sub-committee for continuing to put together such a high quality publication in 2014.This was the first year the magazine was also available in electronic form and was sent to 75 Grammarians.

The committee also produced a booklet to commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War, entitled Remembering Their Sacrifice, The School’s First World War Casualties. Written for us by Barry Niblock, it was distributed with The Grammarian magazine, while a copy was also presented to every pupil at the school.

It was with regret that the committee accepted the resignation of Jim Claney at the end of 2014. Jim was a past chairman of the Grammarians and had been the magazine editor for 12 years, as well as organiser of the Bangor Dinner. Over many years he made a huge contribution to the Grammarians.

If you wish to keep up to date with Grammarians news or events, visit the website at www.grammarians.co.uk or the Grammarians’ LinkedIn or Facebook pages.

In conclusion, may I pass on the thanks of the Grammarians’ committee to the Board of Governors for granting permission to use the school facilities for our meetings and activities. Thanks also to the School Principal and to the teaching and administrative staff for all their support over the last year.

Honorary Treasurer’s report for 2014/2015 Norman Irwin Due to the magazine’s publication requirements, this report outlines the financial position as at 30 June 2015 and not the year end 31 August.

For the 10 months up to 30 June expenditure exceeded income by £3,374, with the total assets of the Association amounting to £5,922.

The main source of income will again be the schoolboy membership, which I have assumed will be in the region of last year’s figure of £1,828. The annual dinner, which returned to the Marine Court Hotel, made £763, including the proceeds from the ballot.

The main item of expenditure this year was the purchase of two display cabinets which are housed in the Atrium of the school. The cabinets, which display archival material, cost £2,496.

The other expenditures are along normal lines, including production of the Grammarian magazine at £2,222 (of which £850 was recouped in advertising) and insurance costs amounting to £466.

My thanks go to School bursar Fiona Woods and her staff for their work in collecting and collating the schoolboy membership monies.Thanks are also extended to auditors John Adrain and Clive Briggs. A copy of the audited accounts will be available at the AGM in December.

22

Around Bangor in 1965/1966 Bangorians were saddened in March 1965 by the sudden death of Ward Park caretaker Frank Russell. Mr Russell, from Hamilton Road, was a familiar figure to the thousands who admired and fed the geese, ducks and other inhabitants of the park. The Spectator commented: “While Frank was in the park woe betide any dog not on a lead, or any cat which sought a rabbit for breakfast.”

A new bye-law in early May 1965 imposed an all-year one-way traffic system along Seacliff Road. Previously the one-way system had operated unconditionally during the summer months, but two-way traffic was permitted during the rest of the year between midnight and 10am. The Council sought the bye-law, which took effect from August 1966, because of the high number of accidents along the busy road.

On Wednesday 1 December 1965 two of Bangor town centre’s oldest businesses were destroyed by fire – the drapery store of Messrs William Simon & Co. and the Singing Kettle Tea Rooms, which occupied two floors above Simon’s on upper Main Street.

Damage was estimated at hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Bangor’s two units were joined by appliances from Donaghadee and Newtownards, with 21 men and 10 jets being involved at the height of the blaze. During the resulting operation, cars were also removed from the adjoining showroom of Messrs H. &. J. McGimpsey.

Easter Monday, 12 April, 1966 witnessed 60 young members of the Northern Ireland Youth Campaign for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament visiting Bangor.

They distributed leaflets and displayed posters calling for peace in Vietnam.

The group was led by 17-year-old Terry Hooley, who declared: “We are nonpolitical because politics in Northern Ireland is a dirty word.”

In August 1966 ratepayers’ representative Cllr Beryl Holland helped to form the Voice of Ulster’s Christian Ladies. Its aim was to “establish better relations between all sections of the community, without the weakening or a sacrifice of our distinctive Protestant principles, but as a sincere endeavour for genuine neighbourliness.”

It was 50 years ago…

Connor House pupils finally under one roof at Clifton Road Terence Bowman Whilst to many past pupils the old Bangor Golf Club clubhouse within the car park of the Tonic Cinema will be forever the place they associate with Connor House, January 2016, somewhat unbelievably, marks the 50th anniversary of the school’s move to Clifton Road.

Connor House’s life there, lasting some 45 years, vastly exceeded the time spent at Moira Drive, despite all those deeply ingrained memories of the Tonic Cinema sweet shop, nearby Ward Park and the Carnegie Library.

While a Preparatory Department for those aged eight and over had existed within Bangor Grammar School in pre-Second World War years, it was not until the mid-1940s that, in an effort to resolve pupil congestion at College Avenue, it first occupied the premises at the

Tonic Cinema.

The building’s foundation stone had been laid by a Miss Connor in 1904 and it seems to have been in acknowledgement of this that the decision was taken in March 1945 to re-name the building Connor House.

Early headmasters included J. M. Rawlings (1933-50) and J. D. Andrews (1950-56), while prominent among the staff members was former Army officer Morley Hopkins, who joined Connor House in 1948.

Even in the immediate post-War years the boys enjoyed a range of educational outings to destinations such as the Copeland Islands, Bellevue Zoo, Carrickfergus Castle, Belfast Museum, Castleward and, memorably, Queen’s Island in November 1953 to see the launching of the 32,000-ton tanker British Engineer by Mrs Clarissa Eden (wife of future Prime Minister Anthony Eden). Many of the outings took place at Hallowe’en and were followed by sausages and chips in the canteen and a fireworks display in the school field at College Avenue.

In 1956 Mr Andrews resigned to become head of Newry Grammar School’s Preparatory Department and in his place the governors appointed Gordon Thomson from a shortlist of four, including Mr Hopkins. At his first prize distribution in April 1957, Mr. Thomson was able to announce that a new class for six to seven-year olds under Miss Joy Cooper (later Mrs Peden) would start the following September. With the addition of a P2 class (under Miss Maureen Fetherstonhaugh) in 1961 and a P1 class in September 1963 (the earliest teachers were Mrs Sheila Terence Bowman, who recently succeeded Jim Claney as editor/ magazine secretary of The Grammarian, had an early baptism in the world of the printed word in 1966 when P5 teacher Derek Wilkins appointed him as editor of a compendium entitled Our Class. It comprised a page with a photograph and personal details such as hobbies and favourite TV programmes for each of the boys in the class.

The following year saw his self-appointment as editor of the P6 Times, a limited edition publication – one copy for each member of the class – comprising news, views and cartoons, all run off on the hand-operated Xerox machine in the staff room. In all, 30 copies were printed and sold at 1d each. That half-crown, Terence recalls, was squandered on sweets and ice lollies which he shared with best friend and business manager Peter Driscoll.

One thing led to another and Terence wound up as editor of the Mourne Observer in Newcastle while still in his 20s. He remained at the newspaper for 35 years, during which time he carved out a separate career as a published author. To date his output has comprised 10 titles, including three contemporary history books about Bangor and another two about the Ards.

All was leading inexorably to his new role at the helm of the magazine you are now reading. Should you be seeking anyone to blame, look no further than Derek Wilkins!

23

Hill and Mrs Liz Foye), the school was able to provide a total of seven different classes for four to 11-year-olds.

Numbers had almost doubled inside 10 years to nearly 200. However, emphasising the need for a new school building, the children were being taught at four different locations – the main Connor House building (P1, P3, P4 and P7), the ATC hall beside the school (P6), the Bangor Sea Cadets’ hall in Ward Park (P2) and a room in the ‘Orlit Block’ at Bangor Grammar School (P5).

Obtaining a new home was a real challenge, but with Mr Thomson’s determination and the full backing of Bangor Grammar School Headmaster Randall Clarke, the day eventually arrived, in January 1966, when the seven classes were united under the same roof at Clifton Road. It had not been all plain Bangor Grammar School teachers sailing. Plans to open the doors at Clifton Road in September 1965 could not in Henry Rea and Harry Eadie helped to move furniture into the Orlit Block the end be realised. As a result, during the four months that preceded the move in September 1965 for its temporary classes had, of necessity, been divided between Moira Drive and the Orlit Block. residents from Connor House, pending Mr Thomson retired in 1981, having completed 25 years of distinguished the move to Clifton Road the following January. Spectator pictures service and building up pupil numbers to 205. His successor was Roy Topping, vice-principal of Fullerton House, whose decade at the school was marked by increased involvement in a wide range of sports, including mini-rugby, minihockey, football, cricket, swimming, athletics, gymnastics and sailing, and the provision of music instruments.

Mr Topping resigned in December 1990 and John Ekin, vice-principal of Bloomfield Road Primary School, took up the post at Easter 1991. Preparatory schools were facing a challenging time, as entrance to grammar schools was by then based on academic merit. Preparatory school children could no longer continue their secondary level education as fee-payers.

This had an adverse effect on numbers as many parents felt there was no certainty their child would gain a grammar school place simply by remaining in a Helping with the temporary move to school such as Connor House. However, the school weathered that difficulty and the Orlit Block in September 1965 in a short time opened a pre-school facility for boys and girls which proved very were (from left): David Graham, Colin successful, with numbers reaching 20 by 1997.

Corbett, Ian Brown, David Geary (all Form One) and Paul Tweed (P7) The greatest change in Mr Ekin’s time as headmaster, however, was the introduction of co-education to Connor House itself in September 1999, as it enabled them to enrol girls from the pre-school class, many of whom were sisters of boys already attending the school. The number of girls attending Connor House had reached 15 by 2000, rising to 33 and another 14 in the pre-Prep class in 2004 (when the total number of pupils at Connor House was almost 150).

The new Bangor Grammar School at Gransha Road included provision for a relocated Connor House. However, as history records that was not to be, with financial constraints on the main school forcing the latter’s closure in June 2011.

Much of the historical information for this article has been drawn from Trevor Gray’s extensive ‘History of Bangor Grammar School.’

The former Connor House building at Moira Drive shortly before it was demolished in 1969. Spectator picture

24

The P2 ‘hut’ in Ward Park – better known to generations of young Bangor people as the ‘Duck Pond’

The new Connor House at Clifton Road

Remembering Connor House The Academic Cup (also known as the Preparatory Department Cup) was first awarded in June 1966. It was the oldest annual trophy and by the time Connor House closed in June 2011, it had been presented to a total of 46 different P7 pupils, including several sets of brothers and three girls.

Academic Cup winners 1966 Geoffrey Bowman 1967 Graham Neill 1968 Terence Bowman 1969 Ian Paterson 1970 Tom Trouton 1971 Johnny Rea 1972 Ivan J McComb 1973 Simon Hinchcliff 1974 Chris Capper 1975 Alistair Shaw 1976 Gary Alan McMahon 1977 Brian Thomas Gamble 1978 Stephen McDonough 1979 David John Brian McKee 1980 Andrew Brian Byers 1981 Garry John Sanderson

1982 Alan Cummings 1983 Owen John Garrett 1984 Mark Cummings 1985 Conor Catchpole 1986 Jan Cunningham 1987 Simon Nicholas Lyttle 1988 Andrew John Slane 1989 Mark Alan Lyttle 1990 Neil Harrison 1991 Darren Tomkins 1992 Steven Downie 1993 Richard Gray 1994 Andrew Gray 1995 Alastair Majury 1996 Christopher Cook 1997 Christopher Cargo

1998 Christopher Milligan 1999 2000 Ian Jones 2001 Christopher Eccles 2002 Ben Farmer 2003 Drew Magowan 2004 Carolyn Ekin 2005 Zachary Wood 2006 Constance Kendrick 2007 Lauren Tenner 2008 Rhys Counsell 2009 Christopher Cree 2010 Peter Smith 2011 Lewis Orr

In a series of short reminiscences, covering five different decades, a number of Academic Cup winners reflect on the important part Connor House played in their young lives.

Geoffrey Bowman (1961-66) There used to be an outdoor basketball court between the ‘big school’ and the back field. All gone now, but in early 1966 with Connor House established in its new Clifton Road premises, P7 pupils often used the all-weather pitch to play football at lunchtime.

One kickabout came to a premature end when I punted the ball high into the air and it came to rest on an adjacent flat roof. We all knew the roof was out of bounds but I felt obliged to rescue the ball, so with youthful vigour I shinned up a convenient drainpipe.

No sooner had I thrown the ball down than disaster struck in the form of a passing grammar school teacher. Without any of today’s ‘health and safety’ concerns, he ordered me down, then gave me a stern telling off for breaking the rules (rather than my neck).

“Who is your teacher, boy?”

“Mr Thomson, sir.”

“Report to him and tell him what you did!”

Geoffrey Bowman in 1966, on the An encounter with Gordon Thomson was unavoidable as he was taking P7 after the break. At the evening he received the Academic Cup start of the class I explained to him what had happened.

“This requires a suitable punishment,” he told me sternly. “See me after class!”

For the next 40 minutes I replayed the events in my mind and agonised over the possible consequences. After class I stayed at my desk but to my amazement Mr Thomson merely sent me on my way.

What about my punishment? It took me some time to realise the punishment had already been self-administered, and almost 50 years later I still remember it.

Tom Trouton (1966-70) I transferred to Connor House in P4 from Trinity Primary School on the Brunswick Road so I was therefore ‘upstairs’ in the Clifton Road building for all of my time there. In spite of being a ‘blow-in’, I quickly made friends.

Edna Perrott was my P4 teacher, while my other teachers were Derrick Nash/ Harry Williams (P5), Morley Hopkins (P6) and Gordon Thomson (P7 and Headmaster). Some of my best memories are of sports days, learning how to play cricket, fireworks displays in the back field, Dick Milliken bringing us the Schools’ Cup after the first BGS win of 1969, and singing in the choir in the P1 room with Mr Thomson on the piano.

He had us sing a lovely medley of Irish ballads which I can still whistle; I can also remember the first few lines of most of the songs which were run off a hand-operated Xerox machine.

Swimming lessons during the summer term were at Pickie Pool, which we would reach by marching crocodile-fashion along Clifton

25

Tom Trouton in 1970 with the Academic Cup and the Mathematics Cup

Road, High Street, Bridge Street and Queen’s Parade.

Randall Clarke was Headmaster of the ‘big school’ and he would occasionally pay a scary visit to Connor House in a severe suit and black billowing teacher’s robe.

The two days we sat the 11-plus exam in P7 are especially etched in my memory because of the water bombs we fired from our first floor vantage point onto the other pupils arriving into school at 11am!

I went on to BGS and from there to Queen’s to study Medicine in 1977, qualifying in 1983. I then trained as a Cardiologist in Northern Ireland and the USA and returned to a Consultant position here in 1993. I work at Antrim Hospital and the RVH and live in Ballinderry with my wife Dorothy. We have five children.

My time at Connor House was happy and I think of those days frequently.

Chris Capper (1967-74) It was all a long time ago, but if the smell of floor polish and sour milk ever hit the nostrils again it would be straight back to sandpits, tidy boxes, fountain pens, homework stars, Mr Hopkins sending Bob for “20 Slim Kings, a packet of paper handkerchiefs and a Twinkle for Caroline”, and the Greek Gods.

The latter was the P7 project, not the boys of that particularly fine year: a rugby international, a chief executive, a head boy, and who knows what other future glories. I can still name them all, in the photograph taken in the front garden on our last summer.

Chris Capper’s P7 class in 1974, the year many of them moved on to BGS. Back (from left): I can’t remember much else though. There are Robert McDowell, Kenneth Thompson, Mark Mawhinney, Peter Cunningham, Peter Robinson, the wince-inducing (even now) stupidities I Michael Smyth, Philip Fisher, Kevin Wykes, Mark Kennedy, Trevor Pollock. Middle row: Richard committed which I haven’t managed to repress.

Maxwell, Andrew Ralston, Mark Tinman, Keith Nichol, Chris Capper, Shane Logan, Kevin Eakin, Paul Magennis, David Sterling, David Madley, Gordon Hamilton, David Trouton. Front: Hugh And there was one small and unexpected Cairns, Gavin Gould, Andrew Malcolm, David Tonks, Colin McKee, Russell Lewis and Peter moment of triumph. In P5, I was praised by Mr Barry.

Williams. I’m pretty sure that was a rare event, though as I say, my powers of recall...

He asked me to stand up and read my poem to the rest of the class. It must have been momentous, because I can even remember some of the lines. Repeating them would still be within the threshold of public embarrassment.

Showing off and broadcasting something I’d written? To a critically-discerning and difficult-to-please audience? It might have given me an idea...

Jan Cunningham (1979-86) Growing up on Clifton Road I was ideally positioned to attend Connor House. I have vague memories of getting – or more likely being – dressed in early September 1979 for my first day. The blue cap with gold cross was an object of much mystery in early days and the diktat that shorts had to be worn in all weather instilled a natural resistance to the cold – very useful when playing rugby at windswept Ballymac!

Specific moments are hard to recall, but looking back now I can see how fortunate I was to be educated at the school. What strikes me is the breadth of opportunity afforded to all pupils from an extraJan Cunningham’s Connor House class from around the beginning of the 1980s. curricular perspective.

Back (from left): Mark Johnston, Jonathan Morgan, Scott Myles, Dermot Woods, We all had the chance to try out for the school choir Jan Cunningham, Gareth McCartney, David McAfee, Timothy Compston, David and play the recorder with Mrs Irvine in P4. Never the Shannon. Middle: Nicky Patterson, Andrew Larmour, Robert Walsh, David Millar, most musically inclined individual, I shudder to think of Christopher Buckler, Patrick Morris, Aynsley Cheatley, Roger Nicoll, Christopher the aural torture I inflicted by my rendition of ‘Three Jefferson, Allister McVicar. Front (from left): Colin McDowell, Gary Smith, Alistair Blind Mice’.

Adair, Aaron McManus, Peter Turtle, Ronan O’Sullivan, Greg Martin, Robin Participation in the school play was also actively Thompson, Patrick McMillan and Peter Whyte. encouraged. In my final year it was ‘Wind in the Willows’. Things were progressing quite nicely until some of us got over-exuberant during the climatic fight scene at Toad Hall. The weasels never stood a chance… The play was notable for a stand-out performance from Chris Buckler, now of BBC fame, as the eponymous Toad.

Perhaps not surprisingly, given the fact my working career started on the rugby pitch, my overriding memory is of playing sport at the school. Again my recollection is of encouragement and inclusion. No one was pigeon-holed and you were given the chance to turn

26

your hand to any sport.

We had a golden year in 1986, dominating the North Down Primary Schools’ sporting circuit: mini-rugby champions, seven-a-side football winners (still a sore point for my Kilmaine contemporaries), hockey champions, unbeaten in cricket games and winning numerous events in the North Down Schools’ Athletics meet. Successful times indeed!

It is only with the benefit of hindsight (and having two children of primary school age) that you appreciate the sacrifices made by the teachers to nurture the environment mentioned above. To them all – Mrs McCracken, Mrs Williamson, Ms Patterson, Mrs Irvine, Mr Ross, Mrs McCausland and Mr Topping – a belated but heartfelt thank you.

Chris Cargo (1990-97) It feels like a very long time ago since I was frozen alive during the winters from 1990-1997 in the shorts and cap of Connor House, but it is definitely a time I look back upon very fondly. Most of the memories I can recall, as ever, revolve around sport but there were many others.

There weren’t too many boys to choose from with a class of 20 in each year, so it meant everyone had to give everything a go. Activities ranged from sunflower growing to speech festivals in Hamilton House, with recorder playing and carol singing in between.

However, as I’ve said my main memories are games-related and for such a small school we definitely punched above our weight in the sporting arena thanks to Mrs English. There were the annual sports days at Ballymacormick and swimming galas at the leisure centre, but there was also hockey, rugby, tennis, cricket and football to be played.

Other memories include the annual nativity play where in my last year I was given the task of narrator, which I realise now pointed towards my distinct lack of acting talent. I managed to manoeuvre my chair so the back legs fell into the gap between the main and temporary stage. As a result I fell backwards to give the parents a laugh and me a very red face. It is safe to say I have not stepped into a dramatic arena since and I am not planning on it any day soon.

Overall, it was an amazing primary school and I am sad to think it no longer exists for others to enjoy the same experiences as mine. A lot of my class have gone on to become very successful engineers, doctors and sportsmen and it is always nice to see each other when we return home around Christmas to reminisce about our very special Connor House days.

Pictured on Sports Day at Connor House in 1994 are (from left): Jamie Mulgrew, Chris Cargo, Robert Espey, Glenn Williams, Calum McDowell and Matthew Morrow

This Christmas picture dates back to Chris Cargo’s P2 year at Connor House in the early 1990s. It features Ali Moore, Jamie Mulgrew, Chris Cargo, Robert Espey, Glenn Williams, Calum McDowell, Matthew Morrow, Peter Tipping, Philip Li, Christopher McCollum, Jamie Mendez, Jonathan McDowell, Gavin Williams, Greg Ferguson, Carl McConkey and Gavin McCullough.

Christopher Eccles (1994-2001)

Christopher Eccles in 2001

I spent a thoroughly enjoyable seven years growing up at Connor House and hold many fond memories of my time there.

While I certainly attribute the foundation of my successful higher education and subsequent career to the high quality of teaching and supportive environment at Connor House – alongside many Saturday evenings of lessons and patience from my Nan – it is often those lessons removed from the curriculum which I have found stay with me longest.

How, for example, to stand on a chair without ending up in the Royal remains a personal favourite, serving me as well now as it did when I was seven – thanks Mrs Patterson!

In retrospect, I think my time at Connor House can be measured nicely by the gradual change in ambition.

Looking forward to my time ahead at the Grammar and beginning to decide my future upon leaving P7 seems a far cry from the grand ambition throughout P1 of finally making it onto Mrs Williams’ wall chart for those who could tie their own laces!

Nevertheless, some of my favourite memories come from those earlier years. In particular, I remember the series of dinosaur books which was introduced to my P2 class. I was fascinated by dinosaurs at the time, and to my frustration I couldn’t get my hands on the final two or three books in the series, such was their popularity with the class.

I remember that if I could track one down, I would sneak it home in my bag overnight, run up to my room and read it quickly when I got home, and replace it in the classroom before anyone noticed the next day...

Needless to say, it’s better late than never to atone for your sins, and I’ll be sure to have 100 lines on Mr Ekin’s desk by the end of the week!

I do, on a more serious note, enjoy this anecdote as a microcosm of what Connor House has provided to thousands of students through the years – opportunity; the opportunity to learn and to develop as an individual, if you were willing to reach out and grasp it, and for that I will forever be grateful to the school and all the staff during my time.

27

Fifty years on and memories of our Medallion Shield win are as sweet as ever Lyn MacCallum September 1965 – 50 years ago and it just seems like yesterday, yet a further half-century back was the middle of the First World War. Memories of another sun-filled summer were already fading, Bangor’s thousands of tourists had long since gone home, the Rolling Stones were on top of the charts with ‘Satisfaction’ and the obligatory ‘short back and sides’ haircut had been depressingly endured for the return to school.

However, there was a major silver lining for Bangor Grammar School’s youthful rugby team that already had been highly successful in its Under-13 and Under-14 years. The team finally had something to play for – the Medallion Shield. There were no subsidiary competitions, just the one focus and that was to win the Shield.

Victor Christie and Derek Wilkins took over coaching responsibilities from Don Jameson. There was a quiet confidence within the squad, and an immediate determination to increase training intensity. During break times, games of touch rugby were organised in the playground, using a rolled-up school cap as the ‘ball’ – excellent for honing our handling skills!

This dedication was soon reflected in the results. Eleven matches were played in the first term with a total of 169 points scored and only 25 conceded. An average of just over 15 points per game – quite impressive, given that a try was worth just 3 points in those days. Only two matches were narrowly lost – away to Belfast High School (9-3) and at home on 6 November to a strong Belfast Royal Academy (0-5). That was to be the last defeat of the season.

The nine matches in the second term produced a total of 110 points scored, with only 3 against.

As the first round of the Shield approached, extra training sessions took place after school, in semi-darkness, on the grassy area behind Crosby House (taking care not to trespass on Harry Eadie’s cricket square!). Van Morrison’s former school, Orangefield High, was to be our first opponent. A wet January had caused the Bloomfield playing fields to be even worse than usual, so the match was played on the Bangor RFC pitch at Ward Park (now the all-weather area beside Broadway). Despite a flu epidemic causing a few selection changes, it turned out to be a comfortable 33-0 win for Bangor, with tries from speedy wing and boy soprano (no correlation) Kevin Platts (4), captain and out half Dick Milliken (3), centre Johnny Young (2), and centre Ricky Craig (1).

However, the first real test came two weeks later against a strong Ballymena side, on a very muddy pitch at Bloomfield on a bitterly cold, wet and windy afternoon. The conditions certainly didn’t lend themselves to Bangor’s open running style of play. After a tough, scoreless first half, Ballymena missed a penalty close to the posts, inspiring Bangor to fight their way back to the visitors’ line, where a blind side move by the halfbacks sent Milliken over unopposed for the only score of the game.

Round 3 involved a long trek to the North West to do battle with Foyle College on 5 March 1966. It seemed a never-ending journey as there was no M2 and by then the M1 only extended to Lurgan! However, at least the weather was good, the pitch was dry and the team played probably their best rugby of the season. Tries from Young (2), Milliken (2) and MacCallum (1) earned an impressive 19-0 victory.

For a well-earned rest the following Saturday, the team became the first BGS Medallion XV to travel to Dublin to watch an international match at Lansdowne Road, where they enjoyed Ireland defeating Wales 9-6. Over in O’Connell Street, however, Nelson’s Pillar didn’t share this good fortune having been blown up by the IRA a few days earlier!

A week after the Dublin trip, the annual Medallion Seven-a-Side Competition offered the chance for BGS to win the Hospitals Cup for The Bangor Grammar School Medallion seven-athe second time in three years. A narrow 5-3 win against a strong RBAI side team from 1965-66, winners of the Ulster Schools’ Seven-a-Side Competition (Hospitals side (which went on to win the Subsidiary Event), was followed by Cup). Back (from left): Lyn MacCallum, Raymond victories over Regent House, Foyle College and Ballygomartin HS. The Whiteford, Johnny Young, Vic Swain. Front: Martin evenly-contested final against Methody was taken to extra time before Wells, Dick Milliken (captain) and James Conn.

28

The Bangor Grammar School Medallion squad from 1965-66, winners of both the Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield and the Seven-a-Side Competition (Hospitals Cup). Back (from left): Headmaster Randall Clarke, Robert Forsythe,Vic Swain, Anthony Irwin, Gary Swenarton, Billy Kirk, Ricky Craig, Kevin Platts, Victor Christie (coach), Derek Wilkins (coach). Middle: Simon Youl, Alan Topping, Martin Wells, Dick Milliken (Captain), Donald Wakeford, John Young, James Conn. Front: Charlie Quin, Peter Ringrow, Lyn MacCallum and Raymond Whiteford.

Vic Swain scored the winning try to secure the trophy for Bangor. It was an impressive but exhausting all-round performance just five days before the Shield semi-final.

On 23 March about 800 supporters turned out to watch the midweek match at a windy and ever-muddy Bloomfield, where the opponents, once again, were main rivals Belfast Royal Academy. Playing against the wind, Bangor endured a rough and intense struggle before some great teamwork led to an excellent try by centre Alan Topping. The battle continued unabated into the second half, but with a BRA try disallowed for off-side (who needs video!), the team held on to their slender 3-0 lead to put the School into the final for only the second time in its history. Bangor Grammar had first competed in this competition in 1916, but had not reached the final until 1936, when future Irish International Hugh Greer led his team to victory.

The 1966 final against Rainey Endowed was staged at Pirrie Park in Belfast, on the Methody 1st XV pitch, where underfoot conditions were atrocious. Despite this, both teams played some great rugby. Bangor completely dominated the first half, winning the ball at ease and putting the Rainey defence continuously under pressure.

Eventually, from an attacking scrum, a well-executed ‘scissors’ move by the halfbacks sent Dick Milliken cleanly through under the posts for a try, which was converted to give Bangor a 5-0 lead at half time. The second half began more evenly, but in the final quarter Rainey came back very strongly, applying pressure through a succession of high kicks. From one of these they managed to score an unconverted try, taking the score to 5-3 with just over 10 minutes remaining. However, Bangor somehow managed to withstand the final onslaught to gain a welldeserved victory and bring the Medallion Shield back to College Avenue.

A measure of the team’s quality and style of rugby was the fact that all 18 tries in the Shield campaign were scored by the backs, with a regular supply of ball from a well-organised and mobile pack of forwards.

It was a highly successful season – indicative of all the hard work and dedication from the entire squad – and the perfect springboard to even greater achievements to come three years later, when the team won the Schools’ Cup and senior Schools’ Sevens to complete the ‘Grand Slam’ (believed to be a unique achievement in the history of Ulster Schools rugby).

The euphoria of victory was cut short by the tragic death of Dick’s father, who collapsed in the pavilion shortly after the match.

The Bangor team in the Medallion Shield final was: (15) Simon Youl, (14) Kevin Platts, (13) Alan Topping, (12) Johnny Young, (11) Ricky Craig, (10) Dick Milliken, (9) Lyn MacCallum, (8) Billy Kirk, (7) Vic Swain, (6) James Conn, (5) Martin Wells, (4) Anthony Irwin, (3) Raymond Whiteford, (2) Donald Wakeford, (1) Gary Swenarton.

29

Retirement beckoned for ‘The Bird’ after 40 years at BGS THE end of the summer term in June 1966 marked the retirement of a highly popular Bangor Grammar School teacher who set a longevity record that stands to this day.

Arthur Leslie Hawtin – known to generations of schoolboys (and colleagues) as ‘The Bird’ – taught at the school for a full 40 academic years, narrowly beating Maurice McCord into second place by a matter of weeks.

At the time of Mr Hawtin’s appointment to teach English and Latin in 1926, pupil numbers at Bangor Grammar School had risen to 158, prompting additions to the teaching staff. A native of Oxfordshire and an Oxford graduate, he had previously taught at Lurgan College and Sullivan Upper.

In his early years, Mr Hawtin assisted with the Medallion XV, the U-13 XV and the 1st XI cricket team. Indeed, during his first year he helped to cut the grass on the playing pitches and marked out the lines!

He was appointed Vice Principal in 1946, but perhaps his most lasting legacy was the Debating Society, which he set up in February 1927. Some 20 years later, it was he who began The Gryphon.

During his long career Mr. Hawtin taught three generations of some families; he is said to have told one unfortunate boy: “You’re as bad as your grandfather – when he wasn’t asleep in class.”

On his retirement in 1966 – an event described

by Headmaster Randall Clarke as “the removal of an ancient landmark” – Mr Hawtin received a cheque which Mr Clarke said was “a token of esteem and affection from the staff and boys.” In addition, James O’Fee, Honorary Secretary of the Debating Society, presented him with a silver tankard.

Calling him “a kindly benevolent man”, the Spectator ended its report on the presentations with the words, “A wise old bird indeed.”

Guest of honour at the Old Boys’ Association dinner a fortnight later, when he was presented with an oil painting, Mr Hawtin told his former pupils: “I have had an interesting and enjoyable life here, during the course of which I have had to break in three Headmasters; at least I have broken two and severely bent the other!”

He returned to chair a meeting of his beloved Debating Society in the autumn of both 1967 and 1968. Sadly, having devoted 40 years of his life to the School, he did not enjoy a long retirement; he died on 8 September 1970, aged only 68. However, Mr Hawtin had lived long enough to witness the 1st XV lifting the Schools’ Cup the previous year.

As for ‘The Bird’, some say Mr Hawtin earned the nickname from his habit of walking around the classroom with his hands behind his back, holding his gown bundled up like a tail!

Connor House Headmaster Gordon Thomson with P7 pupils on a Hallowe’en outing to the offices of the Belfast Telegraph in 1965.

Back (from left): Rodney Hall, Fergus Thompson, John Matthews, Alan McDowell, David North, Peter Simms, Richard Woods, Fergus Griffith, Evan Bell, Alastair Bullock, David Marsh, Paul Lampe, Don Chambers, Paul Finlay, David Dyson. Front: Roy Forsythe,Vincent Gillespie, Stephen Strother, Peter Burrows, Colin Simpson, David Orr, David McKee, John McCarter, Geoffrey Bowman, Philip Woolley, Jonathan Marsh, Arthur Foster and Paul Tweed.

Members of the P7 class in June 1965 who had created a scale model from balsa wood of the new Connor House are pictured with woodwork teacher Morley Hopkins. From left: Warren Page, Terry McCartney, John Winter, Michael McBride, John Thompson, Karl Mullawney, David Gray, Bradley McFadden, Peter Matthews, Tom McCartney, Richard Marshall, Brian Martin, Charles Taylor, Ian Slater, Richard Reid, Nicholas Davidson, Dennis McKeown, Nigel Boullier, Richard Edey and Don McClean.

Source material – Trevor Gray’s ‘History of Bangor Grammar School’

31

Archivist’s report Barry Greenaway Discoveries and Events Thanks to coincidental research by Sandra Millsopp, a member of Bangor Historical Society, towards the end of 2014, we have discovered the name of the first Headmaster of BES/BGS. His name was William Hanly Ball and until now little if anything was known of the period 1856 to 1860. His appointment as Master was mentioned in the Deed of Bequest (1856), the School’s founding document, although his name was not included.

After handing over to Thomas Gowdy in 1860 Mr Ball took holy orders, becoming a Church of Ireland Rector.

Having established BES perhaps he felt the need for spiritual security! (An extended report on this discovery appears elsewhere in this edition of The Grammarian) Another find following a talk given by the Archivist at the North Down Museum, and subsequent research by a number of people, was the discovery that the number of men killed in the Great War is now 44, not 38 as previously believed. Two of the additional names were known but not that they were Old Boys. A third name is that of Stanley Maxwell, hitherto listed on the ‘also served’ roll but who in fact died of wounds received at the Somme. All six names are recorded elsewhere in this edition of The Grammarian and details have been entered in the Bangor Grammar School Register.

Bangor Grammarians have generously presented two display cabinets and other display equipment. Items from the School’s archive collection can now be seen by everyone for the first time since we left College Avenue.

On 3 October 2014 the last Mayor of North Down, Cllr Peter Martin (5485), invited former staff to a reception in Bangor Castle. Peter regaled us with stories of his time at BGS, much to the embarrassment of some! The evening was a great success. Photographs are held in the Archives.

Photographic records of the following events are now in the Archives: the 2014 Art Exhibition, the 2014 Carol Service (held in Bangor Parish Church for the first time in 25 years) and the First 100 Years Exhibition. We also hold copies of the BBC School Report submissions from BGS pupils, one of which featured the Archives, while another drew upon the archival record. Both featured BGS and the World Wars.

The Bangor Grammar School Register Fourteen years in the making, the Register is as complete as is currently possible. It contains the names of every known pupil from 1878 to 2014. It also lists Headmasters, Staff, Head Boys, captains of rugby, cricket and hockey and Oxbridge entries.

Many of the pupil entries are sketchy and further information is always welcome. It is currently unpublished but may be viewed in the School’s Archive Facility.

Silver Trophies The Archives hold a large collection of silver trophies going back to 1924. These include numerous imperial measure sporting trophies as well as academic awards. Many should still be presented but are not. They will, however, be displayed thanks to the Grammarian cabinets.

Of the 73 items catalogued since September 2014, these are a noteworthy selection: • The Ray Mowat Shield for Senior Javelin • The MCC Shield: commemorating the cricket match against BGS (25 May 2007) • School shield: Westminster School, Adelaide, Australia, match v BGS (14 February 2007) • School shield:Victoria, New South Wales ( no date) • School shield: The Perse School, Cambridge (no date) • School shield: The King’s School, Macclesfield (2002) • School shield: Barnard Castle School, Durham (no date) • BGS Year 8 reading reports (2008);Year 13 (2014) • Stephen Connolly’s speeches as Headmaster, gift of Mr S.D. Connolly (2002-13) • BGS full school photograph (summer 2013) • Plans, records and other documents for the Wilkins Centre (1987-89)

32

• Connor House: The Gibson Cup (presented 1995) • Connor House: The Preparatory Department Cup (first awarded 1965/66) • Connor House: The Bob McKee Memorial Cup, gift of the Nixon Family (1961) • Photograph of Herbert Hannay (1940) and documents • Transcript of talk given by D. B. Greenaway at North Down Museum, BGS and The Great War (November 2014) • The Edward Mitchell Cup U151/2 for 880 Yards.

• Remembering Their Sacrifice (Barry Niblock), booklet given to every boy (2014) • First headmaster William Hanly Ball, BNL extracts supplied by Sandra Millsopp (2014) • BGS School photographs from 1968 and 1975 (rolled) • Simon Walters (5921) generously donated his Honours Blazer (Music) to the Archive collection

Grammarians chairman Geoffrey Miller (left) and Archivist Barry Greenaway with one of the new display cabinets

Contacts Since the last report the Archives have received and fulfilled as far as possible requests from the following people: Lyn MacCallum seeking leaver information from the BGS Register and Medallion rugby photographs/ reports from 1965-66 Thomas Speers sent a personal update for the Register Ray Elliott requested information on the Sir Walter Smiles Cup for swimming Mike McConnell requested photographic material for the London Dinner Terence Bowman was supplied with information on Connor House trophies and confirmation of the names of war dead Daire Cunningham (Staff) asked for old Gryphons to illustrate the latest edition of the school magazine in May 2015

33

The Class of 2014 Ben Dempster The simple fact that it has been an entire year since I left the safety of Bangor Grammar School is, in all honesty, something that terrifies me. I remember attending the open night in P7 and wondering what it would be like to spend seven years there. I could never have believed I would enjoy my time quite as much as I did, leaving with a tremendous sense of pride in my school, backed up by a wealth of good memories.

I treated the new school at Gransha Road a little coldly, arriving there halfway through a year and thinking it wouldn’t have the charm of the wellworn walls of College Avenue. Having then spent a year and a half there, I can say it has developed a character all of its own, and will, in a very short time, be treated with the same warmth as the old school was. Many of the boys across my year felt the same way and our last day was an emotional one. It marked the end of a highly pressured year, coupled with many challenges – particularly that most demanding of masters, UCAS. Some of the boys before our Formal at the Europa Hotel My final year also saw the retirement of Mr Connolly, who for a long time had been a great leader for the school, and the accession of Mrs Huddleson. It was amazing to see how professionally the new Principal approached what was, undeniably, a very stressful time for her.

She has already made improvements to the school and I know she will continue to do so for a very long time.

Since leaving, the boys of the Class of 2014 have gone from strength to strength. Personally speaking, I’m lucky enough to be studying Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and really enjoying it. I have come across a number of Old Boys from other years who have greeted me with the same sense of brotherhood that was a constant theme during my time at the school.

It’s difficult to keep abreast of what everyone has been doing, and they seem to have scattered themselves all over the UK and beyond. I’ve tried to include, however, a few examples of successes over the past year.

We had a number of academic triumphs at A-Level, which have led to several boys undertaking some prestigious university careers. Stephen Jackson is enjoying the high life studying Maths at Robinson College, Cambridge. Rory Donaldson has settled well studying Chemical Engineering in Manchester. James Carson is having great success combining Law with Business in Edinburgh. Glenn Burton, Stewart Jackson and Dan Orr have joined me in the field of healthcare, taking on one of the toughest professions in the country – Nursing. Meanwhile, Curtis Reed continues to follow his dream of becoming an actor, while Alex Zagajewski is using his considerable intellect to study Physics in St. Andrews.

Our year group was characterised by numerous successful sportsmen who have continued to pursue their goals. Andrew Shaw is still playing rugby for Ulster, now moving up to U-20 level and looking ahead to the inter-pros (in September). Andrew Mellon remains at the top of his game in athletics, having competed on an international level numerous times, most recently in Brussels and Liverpool, with great success. He is also looking ahead to starting a degree in Business Economics at Queen’s in September. Aaron Stubbs is hoping to take up a coaching role as he chases Greg Shevlin after completing the Dublin perfection playing tennis for Ulster, something he has done for many years Marathon

34

Getting You Best Price Lisburn Road Holywood Bangor East Belfast Lisburn City 0GmDFT 0OF 5FBN

www.templetonrobinson.com

35

now. Paul Angus, as usual, is steam-rollering the swimming world and somehow managing to fit in a Chemical Engineering degree at QUB. On an equally impressive note, Greg Shevlin has completed three marathons already this year, despite only recovering from meningitis just a short time ago. He supports a range of causes, including Marie Curie, Meningitisnow.org and Addiction NI. Two boys have also managed to make a success out of studying in the USA – David Weir achieved a tennis scholarship allowing him to study at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina, while Daniel O’Boyle capitalised on an opportunity provided by the Sutton Trust to take a place at Notre Dame University. You can read more about them elsewhere in this magazine.

There are many more I could mention and I know we have all benefited from the great preparation our time at BGS gave us. I wish all the boys of the Class of 2014 every success in all they do, and hope they too left the school with a number of happy memories and warm feelings.

Grammarian memorabilia For details of how to purchase items described below, contact Honorary Treasurer Norman Irwin, tel. (028) 9145 9826 or email ijavren@aol.com CROSBY BUILDING – A limited edition print of the original BGS building at College Avenue, painted by local artist Phyllis Arnold, is available at £10 + UK p&p of £3 (if required). These are also available from Feherty Travel, High Street.

CUFFLINKS – We have a new supply of the specially-commissioned cufflinks with a gold Gryphon on dark blue background (£10).

SLATE COASTER – Commissioned to mark the move away from College Avenue, these cost £5 each. Sets are six for £20 or eight for £25.

OLD BOYS’ TIE – The current design, with gold Gryphons on a dark blue background, is available at £12.50.

SUBSCRIPTIONS – Members are reminded they may become subscribers to the scheme to elect Governors by making a subscription to the Capital Funds of the School.

LEGACIES – It has become commonplace in independent schools for former pupils to consider their school when leaving various legacies in their will. More details can be obtained from the Honorary Secretary.

GRYPHON MAGAZINE – Members should note this is now an on-line publication.Visit bangorgrammarschool.com

205 Carnalbanagh Road, Broughshane, Ballymena, Co Antrim, BT42 4NY Tel: 028 25 861711

www.stephens-catering.com 36

2015 London Dinner puts focus on youth The 30th annual London Dinner was held on 6 March 2015 at the Wesley Hotel (adjacent to Euston Station), which is the UK’s first ethical hotel and conference centre. By supporting a hotel structured as a social enterprise (one-third of its income supports international education projects), this was a break in tradition. All attendees were able to have choices of starter, main course and desserts and the feedback on food and facilities was positive.

Earlier in the week there were potentially 58 attending, but last minute cancellations resulted in 55 (51 Grammarians and four guests), nevertheless a record for the London Dinner. There were 33 apologies in total, including ex-Headmaster Tom Patton. Although he had been satisfactorily discharged from a spell in hospital, he was advised not to travel. Tom had previously missed just one dinner in 30 years!

Many thanks go to Jim Claney who helped the dinner organiser to make contact with pupils who had left the school over the previous four years. This enabled those at university and at an early stage in their career to attend. Indeed, one-third of all attendees had been at the school after 2000. It was particularly pleasing to Bangor Grammar School Principal Elizabeth Huddleson (centre) with (from left): Mike McConnell (London Dinner organiser), Rosemary note that more of the ‘young guns’ at Table No.6 had Shaw (Head of Careers), Ian Henderson (chairman of the Board of signed up for the Careers Forum – first promoted at Governors) and Geoffrey Miller (chairman of Bangor Grammarians) the 2013 dinner, along with the now well-established LinkedIn online networking site.

Special thanks went to guests who had travelled over from Northern Ireland, including Principal Mrs Elizabeth Huddleson, Grammarians chairman Geoffrey Miller, Board of Governors chairman Ian Henderson and Head of Careers Mrs Rosemary Shaw.

Allan Smith, in proposing the Toast to the Queen, included a history lesson on Toasting as well as many school reminiscences. It was believed his speech was a Guinness Book of Records contender for its length as a Toast!

Mrs Huddleson, who introduced herself to those who had not attended last year’s dinner, summarised numerous interesting ‘non-curricular’ activities at the school, including BBC news reporting events, flying model aeroplanes in the Atrium, boys dressed as very convincing girls for in-house drama competitions, male staff getting their legs waxed for Children in Need, running a school bank, a PSNI initiative called Cop Stop, and funding a primary school in Uganda. Many other activities as well as academic /sporting achievements are detailed elsewhere in the magazine.

With the difficult economic climate regarding Grammar School budgets, it was pleasing to hear there would be no redundancies this year. The Principal stressed the importance of the school working closely Toasting the future success of Bangor Grammar School are (from alongside schools in the Bangor Learning Partnership left): Anthony Butler, David Wallace, Paul Bryans, Wilson Wallace and and the North Down area. The school’s Development Maurice Hamilton Plan, she stated, included working with local primary schools.

For exiles it was interesting to hear there were now waiting lists to attend Bangor Grammar School, with the Principal advising the new Year 8 cohort that BGS was not just a GOOD school, it was becoming a GREAT school – with its daily focus on Excellence, Community and Opportunity.

37

38

Grammarians were very pleased that Mrs Shaw had accepted their invitation. She spoke passionately on the importance of Grammarians becoming involved in supporting the Careers Department and pupils entering their final two years at the school. Mrs Shaw said the provision of Experience, Advice and Guidance in a wide range of careers was invaluable.

She encouraged Grammarians to join the Careers Forum / LinkedIn site. Various examples of meaningful involvement in work experience, the Interview Skills Day and the Careers Fair were highlighted. Mrs Shaw presented Mike McConnell with a BGS plaque and a Guest speaker Sir Ronnie Flanagan (left), former Chief Constable of bottle of fine French wine as a ‘thank you’ for his work the RUC and the PSNI, with Bangor Grammarians chairman Geoffrey in this regard.

Miller (centre) and London Dinner organiser Mike McConnell Geoffrey Miller proposed the Toast to the School and further endorsed Rosemary’s comments, advising that Northern Ireland Grammarians would be attending the annual Year 8 New Beginnings Day in October to promote membership and the role of the Grammarians.

Grammarians were very grateful to former Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan for flying over from Abu Dhabi to attend the dinner as guest speaker. While he was educated at Belfast High School, Sir Ronnie had always held BGS and its Old Boys in high regard. Taking the school motto ‘Justitiae Tenax’ as his theme, he cited numerous examples of holding onto justice and equality for all. Typical was Dick Milliken who, on returning to Ulster after playing for the British Lions, insisted on taking part in an Ulster trial and unfortunately sustained the serious ankle injury that would end his rugby career.

Sir Ronnie’s love of poetry was evident through his recitation of Kipling’s ‘If ’, relative to a rugby scrum’s front row, plus W. B. Yeats in reference to making a major decision on controlling marches in Belfast. All attendees felt a deep sense of pride in their school in light of Sir Ronnie’s address. Fittingly, it was followed by the School Song being sung with gusto, led by Barry Greenaway and Stephen Montgomery.

All four speakers received a standing ovation for their informative, interesting and humorous presentations.

Attendees subsequently adjourned to the residents’ bar where they continued to discuss key issues, including how younger Grammarians could further support the school. Gavin Adair proposed that exiles could target the outstanding sum of £5,000 required for the Ugandan Primary School project (footnote – it is pleasing to note that following the Dinner, £1,300 was raised). This was agreed and is currently being actioned.

Final ‘bragging rights’ go to Geoffrey Miller who was still discussing school projects at 1.30am, yet teed off at 11.30am later that same morning at Donaghadee Golf Club!

If you are interested in attending next year’s London Dinner on 26 February 2016, contact Mike McConnell, mobile 07847 190142, or email mikejmcconnell@aol.com. This is the eve of the England v Ireland Six Nations rugby match at Twickenham.

Guest speaker Dr Stephen Martin MBE is a double Olympic hockey medallist and former captain of both the Great Britain and Irish hockey teams. He won Gold at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, Bronze at Los Angeles in 1984 and finished sixth at Barcelona in 1992. Stephen has great memories of his time at BGS and will share these, together with some moments as an Olympic athlete and working within the Olympic family.

Guests who attended the 30th annual London dinner for former pupils of Bangor Grammar School. Photographs courtesy of Barry Greenaway

39

Obituaries Dr ROBERT J. RODGERS It was with deep regret we learned of the death on 19 July 2015 of Dr Robert J. Rodgers, Headmaster of Bangor Grammar School between 1975 and 1979, and until 2014 Patron of Bangor Grammarians, Aged 42 at the time of his appointment, in succession to Randall Clarke, he was a former pupil of RBAI and had graduated from Queen’s University with an Honours degree in History. He subsequently gained his M.A. in 1969 and his Ph.D. in 1973.

Having taught in Annadale Grammar School and Grosvenor High School, Dr Rodgers moved to Stranmillis Training College in 1968, rising through the ranks from lecturer to the post of Academic Registrar.

As with any new Headmaster, Dr Rodgers made a number of innovations following his arrival at Bangor Grammar School, not least the awarding of ‘Colours’ for non-athletic activities.

He tendered his resignation in January 1979 following his appointment as Headmaster of Coleraine Academical Institution.

Five years later Dr Rodgers was appointed Principal of Stranmillis College.

A man of deep Christian faith, Dr Rodgers’ funeral service took place at Fisherwick Presbyterian Church on 27 July past.

ALAN LOGAN

BILL LANGTRY

Alan Logan, who died on 6 November 2013, was born in Bangor in 1925 and attended Bangor Grammar School from 1933 to 1941.

He served with the RAF from 1942 to 1946, and was commissioned as a navigator/ bomb aimer in Ontario. His operational service was on Lancasters. After the war on demobilisation he spent four years at Queen’s University studying Commercial Science. Shortly after graduation he joined the Ormeau Bakery as a graduate trainee manager, becoming marketing director and, for many years, managing director.

Alan’s passions were rugby and family. His love of rugby was kindled at Bangor Grammar. His first lesson in September 1933 was timetabled to be Chemistry. Instead, that entire first week was spent learning the laws, positions, tactics and ethos of Rugby Football!

He later became an extremely popular member of Bangor RFC, captaining the 1st XV in 1950-51 and was appointed president in 1982-83.

He was Founder Chairman of Bangor Round Table and chaired both the North Down Development Organisation (1993-98) and the North Down Partnership for Peace and Reconciliation (199699).

Alan was profoundly decent, loyal and kind – the perfect gentleman.

He lived a very full life and had a positive influence on everyone he met.

Alan’s sons Gavin and Shane (Ulster Rugby CEO) also attended Bangor Grammar School.

Shane Logan

Former science teacher William Herbert (Bill) Langtry B.Sc (Hons.) passed away on 23 February 2015. He joined the staff in 1959 following two years at Annadale Grammar School and went on to give 35 years’ service to Bangor Grammar School.

Bill was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution and Queen’s University, where he graduated with Honours in Chemistry. Described as ‘the complete scientist’, he was capable of teaching not only the three sciences, but also Astronomy and Navigation – making him the ideal teacher for Bangor Grammar School.

A keen sportsman, he represented the staff against the pupils in rugby, hockey, badminton and golf, while under his supervision the school’s Sailing Club enjoyed many successes. In addition he was in charge of the ACF for many years; at the time of his retirement in 1994 he was Head of Chemistry and Senior Master.

Bill lived in Newtownards and his funeral service was held at the town’s St Mark’s Church of Ireland on 28 February. He is survived by his wife Anna, sons John and Simon, daughter Alison, stepdaughters Joanne and Lynn, grandchildren Leanne, Amy, Richard, Katherine, Samantha, Sam, Paul, Chloe, Daniel, Jacob, Esther-Ann and Joseph, brother Ian and the wider family circle.

• Source material courtesy of Bob McIlroy in The Gryphon, 1994

ALISTAIR McKENZIE Alistair McKenzie, who attended Bangor Grammar School between 1959 and 1966, died suddenly on 26 June 2015. He was 67.

A well-known member of the Bangor music scene in the 1960s, he

40

was the keyboard player with leading local band The High Wall while still at school. An engineering degree at Queen’s University lost out to music and Alistair moved to London. It was there he auditioned successfully for Mickie Most’s RAK Records and was rewarded with a place in a new band being assembled around American singer Suzi Quatro.

Two Number Ones (Can the Can and Devil Gate Drive) and a number of other hit singles followed, along with live tours that took the band around the world. Alistair moved on in the mid1970s, joining several more bands in the London area, where he had remained close to younger brother George, another former pupil of Bangor Grammar School.

In the early 1990s Alistair returned to Bangor to care for his elderly parents, living in the family home at Glenburn Park, opposite Ballyholme Primary School which he had attended from the day it opened in 1953.

He resumed his involvement in the Bangor music scene, playing on a regular basis with the popular Flange Band. Alistair also joined the Northern Ireland Civil Service, working for the Social Security Agency, and was still employed there at the time of his death.

Terence Bowman

Rev. Dr JOHN BRIAN MOORE The Rev. Dr John Brian Moore, who attended Bangor Grammar School between 1945 and 1950, died on 14 January 2014.

Born on 20 January 1933, his home congregation was First Bangor and he came to personal faith in Christ through a CSSM mission at Ballyholme. In 1950 he started further studies at Magee University

College in Londonderry, continuing at Trinity College in Dublin, from which he graduated BA in 1953.

Dr Moore pursued his theological studies at New College, Edinburgh, and the Assembly’s College, Belfast, in preparation for the ordained ministry. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Ards on 27 May 1956 and served his assistantship at Oldpark, Belfast, until he was ordained and installed in First Portglenone on 5 November 1958.

It was during these years that he developed his conviction of, and skill in, expository preaching and its application to daily life.

On 16 December 1965 he was installed as minister of the Albert Street congregation in Belfast. Some months later he married Jean Stewart Lowry from Portglenone and they settled down to manse life in Belfast. They had two children, Christine and Iain.

Following the union of Albert Street and Argyle Place in February 1971, the congregation was renamed West Kirk. Dr Moore’s preaching focus on the Lordship of Christ during these years gave hope and inspiration to many in the congregation living through the social upheaval of the times.

Within the wider Presbyterian Church, Dr Moore served as Convener of the Home Board (1996-2000) and Co-Convener of the Board of Mission in Ireland (2000-2003). He was a delegate to the 19th General Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in 1964 and a member of the Foreign Mission Committee.

The Presbyterian Theological Faculty Ireland awarded him the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1997. Dr Moore retired to the town of his birth on 30 June 2001.

Contributed BRYAN BLAIKIE Bryan Blaikie, who died on 5 July 2015, just three weeks short of his 81st birthday, attended the Grammar between 1947 and 1953. He lived in Bangor all his life and was well known, both for his sporting interests and his work.

When he left school, Bryan joined the McNeill Group, destination in those days for so many boys from the town. At the same time, he studied for Public Health qualifications.

That led him into local government where he eventually became Director of Environmental Services for North Down Borough Council.

Bryan was a talented sportsman, a member of Ballyholme Youth Club, a badminton player, and later coach, with local clubs including Ballyholme Presbyterian and, above all, a golfer.

Bryan was a member of Bangor Golf Club. He joined in 1946 and for over 20 years played to a one handicap. He was a member of the squad that won the All-Ireland Senior Cup in 1981 and 1984.

Bryan was the club’s matchplay champion five times and three times strokeplay champion.

Inevitably he got involved in the administration and became Greens Convenor, Captain in 1996 and was a Trustee.

To Margaret and all the family may we offer our sympathy.

Ian Alexander DEREK DAVIS Renowned RTE broadcaster Derek (christened Frederick George) Davis, who attended Connor House between 1955 and 1959 before moving on to a County Antrim boarding school, died aged 67 on 13 May 2015.

The product of a mixed marriage, Derek resided during his Connor House years at 51 Clifton Road. His

father owned a picture framing business in Belfast. After leaving school Derek went to Queen’s University to study law, playing a prominent role in the Union Debating Society.

In a newspaper interview, he once put his start in broadcasting down to a row with a BBC producer at the Wellington Park Hotel in Belfast. The producer was so impressed with Derek’s debating skills that he asked the young undergraduate to contribute to a programme. He went on to be trained as a BBC reporter.

Derek became a household name as co-anchor of RTE’s Live at Three afternoon programme in the 1990s. He also contributed to many programmes on BBC Northern Ireland and had a passion for food, sailing and angling.

Noel Curran, director general of RTE, described Derek as “hugely popular” with both audiences and colleagues. He is survived by his wife, three sons and a wide family circle.

NOREEN BLAIR Mrs Noreen Blair, who not only had a lifelong affection for Bangor Grammar School but was also for some years a valued member of staff, died on 17 November 2014.

Born in Monaghan on 14 August 1933, Noreen was a lab technician and school nurse in the late 1960s and early 1970s, based in the Chemistry Labs in Crosby House. Head of Science at the time was Joe McKeown, while the chemistry staff included Bill Langtry, Bob McIlroy, Walter Corbett and Ian Morrison.

Noreen was also active on the PTA committee and helped to organise the annual PTA dances, which were held in the Assembly Hall at College Avenue. She would also lend a hand with applying the make-up for school plays.

Living close to the school at Ballyholme Road, Noreen enjoyed seeing the boys pass by on a daily basis. This was something she greatly missed when the school moved to the Gransha Road site.

Noreen’s late husband Hal was a former pupil and past chairman of the Board, while her sons and grandsons are all past or current pupils of the school.

• Less than a week before her sad passing, Noreen found the time and strength to contact the editor of the Grammarian with a news item for the 2015 edition. She explained how many years before either BGS or Gransha Boys’ High School occupied the site at Gransha Road, the landowner stipulated that in future years it could only be used for educational purposes – thus ensuring it never fell under the beady eye of housing developers.

PETER SHERRIFF Peter John Sherriff, who attended the School between 1946 and 1954, passed away on 15 February 2014. He was 75 and resided in Groomsport.

A former captain with the Merchant Navy, Peter served his apprenticeship on the Atlantic Ocean with the Belfast-based Head Line shipping company. In later years he was closely identified with the Masonic Order in Bangor, holding a number of important positions. He also served as company director of the local Redcliffe Masonic Housing Association Ltd. The funeral service in Groomsport Presbyterian Church on 19 February 2014 was followed by interment at Bangor New Cemetery. Peter is survived by his wife Anne, son Richard (196878), daughter-in-law Lyn, grandchildren Emily and Dan, and the wider family circle.

RODNEY STUART BAMBRICK It is impossible to estimate the number of people whose lives were influenced and enriched by knowing Rodney Bambrick during his long, interesting and diverse life. His death occurred on 14 March 2015.

Born on 1 March 1927 and a Bangor Grammar School pupil from

41

the age of seven until he left in 1944, Rodney was the consummate ambassador for the school and the education he received there, at The Queen’s University of Belfast – he insisted on ‘The’ – and as a world-wide traveller.

Rodney was a musician; music-lover – an ardent supporter of The Ulster Orchestra; composer; teacher, Head of History in Bangor Secondary School and a Senior Teacher in Bangor/ Gransha Boys’ High School; an author and exponent of excellence in the English language; and an enthusiast for all things which interested him, not least his immaculate garden at his Bangor home. If he did something, he did it well.

I met him at The Ulster Society of Organists and Choirmasters and remember him mostly as the Society’s long-serving Honorary Secretary. His monthly newsletters and annual reports were masterpieces of prose in musical English and delightful to read.

He was Organist and Choirmaster at Queen’s Parade Methodist Church for many years. He was a composer and a champion of Allen Computer Organs from their very early days in Northern Ireland. He ‘adopted’ the Tonic Theatre organ when it became homeless, rebuilt it in Gransha Boys’ High School and sadly failed in his attempts to have it re-housed in BGS’s new buildings.

Rodney was always excellent company, full of life and magnanimous in all things. He exuded happiness and humour. Both were infectious.

He was Bangor through and through, a gentleman and the finest of human beings. The world is a better place for the 88 years he spent in it and a much poorer place without him.

In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem.

Ian Hunter

at the heart of life in Northern Ireland

RONNIE BLACK Ronnie Black, who died on 17 May 2015 at the tragically early age of 59, attended Bangor Grammar School between 1967 and 1974.

However, it was as a teacher at Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College that Ronnie was best known. An excellent educator who was popular with students and staff alike, he joined the staff of its predecessor, Gransha Boys’ High School, as a newly qualified Geography teacher in 1977.

When Gransha merged with Bangor Girls’ High in 2001, Ronnie stayed on, playing a vital role in the birth and subsequent development of Bangor Academy and Sixth Form Centre. He gained widespread respect as the backbone of school life, always trying to help those pupils others might have given up on.

He had little difficulty remembering many of the names and faces of the thousands of boys and girls who passed through the portals of both schools during his 38-year teaching career. Outside his teaching duties, which included roles as head of year and, for a time, vice principal, he maintained a long-term involvement with the army cadets, as well as organising special after-school programmes for challenging pupils. Ronnie was also renowned for his dedication to pastoral care.

His health worsened in 2014 after doctors diagnosed a brain tumour, forcing him to leave the school he loved so much. His passing leaves a huge gap in the life of the school.

Ronnie resided at Warren Road, Donaghadee, and is survived by his wife Janet, whom he met when both were teaching at Gransha, sons Richard, Andrew and Stephen, as well as a wide family circle.

Bank of Ireland Bangor is pleased to support Bangor Grammarians 028 9145 3800

B

42

Bank of Ireland, 82a Main Street, Bangor BT20 4AG

‘As a junior at Ballymena Academy I’d studied A Short History of Ireland by Randall Clarke’ Raphael Sutter (1958-87) On my first day at Bangor Grammar School, Ernie Brown (my HoD) and I supervised the entrants’ examination.

He told me that when talking to the Headmaster about me he’d told Randall: “He’s from Ballymena. He’ll be a good sensible man – no fancy ideas!” Ernie, who called us ‘boss’, was a good boss who applied mathematics to real life situations.

As a junior pupil I had studied A Short History of Ireland by Randall Clarke, Senior History Master of Ballymena Academy. “He has left so he must be very old,” I thought. I didn’t realise he would be my Headmaster at BGS. My former Latin teacher at the Academy, Mr Driscoll, quickly became Jimmy.

Miss Henderson worked in the office in Crosby House. If she were late ringing the 3.30pm bell, Henry Rea would come down from his room and ring the bell on his way out. He could do the cryptic crossword and chat at the same time. Joe McKeown drafted the school timetable. When asked how he always had the last two periods off on Fridays he smiled and replied: “Purely by chance.”

Next door we sat round a large table in the staff room. Chess was popular. Jack Murphy and I made a not-very-successful attempt to learn the moves. Somebody looked at our board and said: “It’s checkmate.” Neither Jack nor I knew who was Raphael Sutter, camera at the ready, in check! as many will remember him in the Once over lunch I asked Jack which of us was the true Irishman. We opened 1970s our jackets. The label inside his read ‘Daks of London’ – mine said ‘Donegal Tweed.’ When Jack became seriously ill he had to stop teaching; despite this he came in to prepare one class for its Certificate examinations. A woman at Lisnabreen Church praised Jack’s persistent efforts to get her through her night class exams. Jack was ‘a scholar and a gentleman.’

Photography Club When I took over the Hobbies Club from Gray Horner it became the Photography Club. The darkroom moved from the attic and was upgraded in the room below. It was always magic watching the image slowly appear in the dim red light.

The O-level Photography course had a theory paper and a practical where it was required to choose a subject from a list, take a photograph, develop, print and mount it. It should show flair as well as technical quality. I entered boys for this exam in which they did well over the years.

We got a cine camera to make Maths films – one such was ‘Tangrams’. A square was cut into geometrical shapes and rearranged by animation into different figures. When we reached the 1969 Schools’ Cup final I asked Randall for money for two reels of 8mm cine film. He asked Jimmy Welch if I knew enough about rugby to justify spending that sort of money.

Action from Bangor Grammar’s victory over Campbell College in the 1969 Schools’ Cup final

Raphael Sutter B.Sc was educated at Ballymena Academy, Queen’s University and Stranmillis Training College. His first and only teaching post was in Bangor Grammar School, where he was appointed in 1958 to teach Mathematics and junior Science.

He also taught R.E. and General Studies and in his later years he entered pupils for G.C.E. Photography. Closely associated with the Dramatic Society, where he took charge of lighting and, on one infamous occasion, make-up, he also took charge of the Photographic Club and he made a notable contribution to the school through his photography, leaving a comprehensive pictorial record of several generations in the School Archives after he was granted premature retirement in 1987.

43

Jimmy assured him that I did. I must have done something right for BGS didn’t win the Cup until I started running up and down the touchline! At times I also had to tell the boys to stop cheering and start taking photographs.

Once, when we were to play against Ballymena Academy, one of our team asked me: “Sir, where do your loyalties lie tomorrow?” Well, when there was a scrum near the Bangor line the Press stood behind Bangor looking for the try, while I stood behind Ballymena looking for the Bangor break!

The New Intake The annual evening for parents and boys of the September intake started with a slide show with recorded voiceovers by the boys. The Seacourt Video Studio we used was equipped to semi-professional standards. One Japanese student was asked, in an interview, what he thought of the teachers. His reply: “They are too soft. In Japan if you do not work you are out.”

For ‘Bangor Made by Bangor Maids’ Ian McDowell was driven in an old Alvis car to the Balloo Industrial Estate.

He interviewed representatives of three units for the opening in Enterprise House. He and Mark Weir discussed the film and their careers with Secretary of State Douglas Hurd who opened the complex.

We entered external contests, for example Kieron Crawley and Michael Pentland were placed in the top 10 in the UK Section of the Post Office Telecommunications competition. We had other successes too.

Camps During a Scripture Union camp at Moffat I drove the boys to nearby St Mary’s Loch for canoe training by army instructors. Safety test: swim out and dive under an anchored canoe, come up the other side. One wee boy told the instructor his mother didn’t allow him to swim as he had athlete’s foot. The instructor’s reply: “Your mother’s not here. What are you going to do?” “I’ll swim sir.”

When I came back for the boys the instructor said, “Well sir, we’ve tired them out for you.” Back at Moffat they piled out of the minibus and immediately started playing football!

For a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) camp at Jurby the BGS contingent crossed over to Liverpool where they changed boats for the Isle of Man. I travelled in style – by plane to Ronaldsway Airport. A soldier drove me to the camp at Jurby.

At Cultybraggan in west Perthshire the boys failed the SAS’s challenge to find them as they moved around, while at Crowborough in East Sussex a flight in a Chinook helicopter piloted by former CCF member Brian Service was an exciting event. Alan Mackie and John Culbert took the controls under Brian’s supervision.

Attached to a safety line I sat facing the open door. When the helicopter turned it banked and the floor sloped down to the open gap. The crewman waved casually from the doorway to people on the ground and beckoned me to join him. I indicated that I was perfectly happy where I was!

Only half of those waiting to go up had ever flown before. As the sick bags were being handed out Brian declared: “We are going to take you up and try to make you sick!” When airborne for a while he cut the engine and the helicopter dropped like a stone. He then hovered about 25 feet above the ground, lowered a rope, down which very excited boys scrambled from the helicopter. The locals complained that we were disturbing the pheasants! Kipling’s poem ‘Tommy Atkins’ springs to mind.

In 1987 David Wilson and David McMurray went to see round Aldergrove and have a flight in a helicopter, which included circling the school (details appear in The Gryphon for 1987). Mr Patton and the pilot later visited David (McM) who was seriously ill at home. The pilot brought him mementos and had a very gentle way with him. My recording of the visit was greatly treasured by David’s mother.

I enjoyed my life at Bangor Grammar School, especially time spent with the fine Raphael Sutter today, almost set of boys in the Photography Club. I met recently with former stalwart Terence three decades after retiring from Bowman who rose to become Editor of the Mourne Observer in Newcastle and his teaching position at Bangor says his interest in photography played a major part in his early career.

Grammar School

44

The very special feeling of notching up 100 international caps Chris Cargo I was very lucky this year to reach my 100th cap for the Irish Men’s hockey team and to thus become only the second Grammarian after Sam Martin to achieve this feat. Sam was a world-class player, competing in three Olympic Games and collecting two medals, including gold at Seoul, so to say I have achieved something he did feels very special.

I was lucky to collect my first cap back in 2009 at the Celtic Cup in Edinburgh. For a long time I didn’t think this was ever going to happen because after deciding to go to Bath University, I was out of sight of the Irish coaches. However, I was fortunate to be called up for the senior Interprovincial in 2009 because of a late injury. On the back of this, I was picked for an Irish development side to go to the Celtic Cup, where we won the tournament and many of us have gone on to become a major part of the squad ever since.

Since then, I have been lucky enough to go to major tournaments all around the world, including the European Championships in Germany and Belgium, the Champions Challenge in Malaysia and Argentina, and the World League in India and the USA. We were also very lucky in January to go to Cape Town for two weeks for a training camp, which was an amazing experience.

However, one of the most memorable experiences was playing our Olympic qualifier in front of our home crowd in Dublin in 2012. Even though the end result did not go our way, the experience of playing in front of thousands of home supporters is something I will never forget.

These trips and tournaments are amazing but they are definitely not holidays and the sacrifices to play at this level are by no means easy, but for me the rewards are definitely worth it. For example, a normal training week includes two gym sessions (Monday morning at 6am and Wednesday evening), two club training sessions (Tuesday and Thursday evening), a club match on a Saturday, at least one running session and frequently a regionally-based Irish training session on a Sunday. This is all on top of a full week of work or university.

In the build-up to tournaments most weekends are either training camps in Dublin or matches abroad so there is not much time for family or friends. This year has been particularly busy, with our Olympic qualifying campaign including a tournament in San Diego in February and a training camp before this in South Africa. We then had another tournament in Antwerp in June, to be followed by the European Championships in August in London.

This means workers have had to take over 50 days of holiday this year already, with many taking unpaid leave or working during any free time on the trips to make sure they are available. This is not easy but it is necessary if you want to overtake the nations that train full time and qualify for the Olympic Games.

Knowing how busy this year would be and with the opportunity of Olympic qualification, I wanted to concentrate fully on this goal. Therefore, I took a sabbatical from my job in London to play semi-professionally in Belgium so

A civic reception was held in May 2015 to mark Chris Cargo’s 100 caps for Ireland. He is pictured with Ards and North Down Mayor Alan Graham and (from left): John Smyth, Raymond Parker, Jeremy MacAfee, Deirdre Kennedy, Liz Cargo, Dai Kennedy, Jackie Cargo, Chris Harte, Michael Harte and Noel Riddell

45

I could train full time and ensure I was available for all trips and training camps. This meant the opportunity to train four times a week on the pitch, four times a week in the gym and playing against some of the best players in the world.

However, as of the time I’m writing this, in mid-July, we are now very close to qualifying for the Rio Olympics and becoming the first Irish hockey team to do so since 1908. We just have to wait and see if our recent results have been good enough so hopefully the hard work is only beginning and I can keep adding to my 112 caps.

I would like to say thank you for all of the messages of support I have received from various Grammarians over the years, and especially Chris Harte and Roy Mairs for their coaching whilst I was at school. Bangor Grammar has the capacity to produce internationals at many sports, especially with their new facilities. I am a big believer that sport is a huge part of gaining a great education and I would love to see ‘the Grammar’ being successful in the sporting arena again.

Honours even as festive hockey fixture moves to a new venue George Wilson The tradition of Boxing Day hockey has thankfully remained a constant over many years, the only difference in December 2014 being that this was the first festive fixture to be played at the splendid new Bangor Grammar School facility at Gransha Road.

As usual the BGS 2nd XI took to the field against an Oldies XI comprising players whose age range spanned at least three decades. The early exchanges understandably enough, were dominated by the more youthful school team, their eager running and early passing not allowing Norman Irwin’s charges the chance to settle.

Indeed, within 15 minutes it was 2-0 to the school team, one goal coming as a consequence of a short corner and the other an incisive counter-attack. However, the Oldies gradually established a foothold in the game, the collective nous of Keith Mulholland, George Wilson and Gareth Boyd providing a midfield platform on which to build. They were ably abetted by the quick movement of Paddy McCalister, whose constant promptings created opportunities for the forward line.

Gareth Stranaghan was the main beneficiary of this supply but he was in particularly benevolent Christmas mood, not wishing to take any of the many presents offered up. Then, as half time approached the Oldies did reduce the deficit, Roger Taylor latching on to a Mark Dornan cross to slot home.

Suitably piqued at this attempt to upset their mood of festive cheer, BGS began the second period with renewed zest. However, by now the Oldies defence had established a playing format which proved difficult to break down.

Chris McConkey, Duncan Morris, Glenn Stranex and Warren Boal anticipated well and when they did happen to let an opposing forward past their collected ranks, ‘keeper Chris Wilkinson proved a more than capable last obstacle.

Indeed, midway through the second half the Oldies, somewhat against the run of play, achieved parity. With little time to think following an attack on the left Stranaghan reacted instinctively to a deflection to sweep home adroitly from an acute angle. Even more piqued by the relative injustice of it all, BGS increased their efforts and with five minutes remaining they regained the advantage, slotting home from close range.

However, just as the minutes slipped by towards the final whistle, there was a quite splendid denouement.

Following sterling work from Morris and Boyd, Mulholland collected the ball to the top left of the circle. His first touch was sure, his second not so and just as the ball wriggled free of his reach, he contrived the most inventive reverse sweep shot from a vertical position to send the ball fairly fizzing into the roof of the net.

An excellent strike to provide a suitably fair end to proceedings, one befitting the season of good will to all!

Final result: Oldies XI 3 BGS 2nd XI 3 • Many thanks to T. Campbell and John Scott for umpiring and also to everyone who provided much needed refreshments after the game

46

Action from the Boxing Day hockey match INDOOR FOOTBALL During the winter a group of old boys play indoor football on a Thursday night, commencing in September. The new school provides a great hall which can accommodate five-a-side and seven-a-side matches. The games are competitive but played in a good spirit. If you wish to turn out please ring Norman Irwin on (028) 9145 9826.

Members of the Oldies XI who took part in the festive hockey fixture

47

My family and Bangor Grammar School George Matthews When asked to pen some words on my family history with Bangor Grammar School, my immediate reaction was to ask ‘Why me? There are many families with long associations with the school, then I agreed to give it a go and maybe someone else will take up the challenge next year.

I attended the school from 1967-1974 and my memory tells me I had a largely enjoyable stay. It was uneventful from an academic point of view until in Form 4 a light bulb went off when I attended a computer course which was to send me on a journey through college and industry.

After I left in 1974 my father, also George, presented the Matthews Cup to the school. He had been a pupil himself in the 1920s, chaired the Old Boys’ Association in 1943 and was also a governor in the 1950s.

I have a copy of the 1943 AGM minutes (professionally printed) where it is George Matthews (Jun.) interesting to note the school had just enjoyed a record enrolment of 207 and the Old Boys’ rugby club had a membership of 151. Remarkable when you consider the year.

The Matthews Cup is the second family trophy as my maternal grandparents presented the Hannay Bowl for athletics in memory of their son Herbert, who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War and is commemorated on the boards at the school.

This was an endowment award and my brother Gregory, who attended the school from 1952-1959 and was a member of the team which won the Clark Cup for sailing in 1958, remembers taking a ten shilling note to the school for the award.

That was a princely sum in those days.

The Hannay connection with the school probably George Matthews (Sen.) predates the Matthews connection as both Herbert’s father (also Herbert) and grandfather, William, attended as pupils. Indeed it was from the inscription inside an award given to William in 1870 that Barry Greenaway identified a previously unknown headmaster of the school.

This certainly predates my earliest known Matthews connection, which was the gift to the school of the clock on the Crosby Building in 1906 by my great great uncle, Thomas Matthews.

So the generations move on. My son Andrew attended the school from 2003-2010 and has just completed his college studies and commenced work. Will the family association continue for the next 140 years?

Andrew Matthews

We want to hear from you!

Visit the Bangor Grammarians’ website at www.grammarians.co.uk for news and information about our dinners, as well as sporting and other events. Please make use of the site and contact us to register your interest in the Bangor, Edinburgh or London Dinners or any other events by email: info@grammarians.co.uk

48

News Professor James Nixon DL (1952-61) was awarded an OBE in the June 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to healthcare and to the community in Northern Ireland. His late father Dr Robert Nixon was a GP in the town and the last MP for North Down at the original Stormont Parliament.

Born in 1943, James studied medicine at Trinity College in Dublin and then worked at Ards Hospital for a brief period. He was working at Musgrave Park Hospital at the start of the Troubles, subsequently being appointed as Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon to the Belfast City and Musgrave Park Hospitals in 1977. He served as Medical Director of the Green Park Healthcare Trust from 1989 to 1996, retiring in 2007 to a part-time consultancy role.

In addition, he served as Honorary Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Queen’s University in 1999 and was appointed as Orthopaedic Advisor to the Department of Health programme to introduce an Integrated Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service in Northern Ireland (ICATS) in 2006. He remains Clinical Demonstrator in Anatomy at Queen’s University Belfast, an appointment he took up in 2008.

Professor Nixon is the author of various papers on aspects of trauma, gunshot wounds, hip surgery and hip replacement, clinical management and medical education. He also chairs the Mitre Trust at Musgrave Park Hospital, which to date has raised over £10m to improve patient care in that hospital.

He serves as president of The Friends of Camphill, Glencraig, a body which raises funds to help support that community, and he is a trustee of the Belfast Arthroplasty Research Trust, raising funds to support research in the area of joint replacement for arthritis.

His other interests include sailing, fly fishing and beekeeping. He is a past chairman of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) in Northern Ireland, and he is a RYA Council member in London. He was appointed Honorary Consul for Iceland in Belfast in 2005 and was appointed HM Deputy Lieutenant for County Down in 2010.

Norman Irwin (1960-72), renowned as a skilful hockey player during his schooldays and beyond, was a member of the Pickie Bowling Club B team which secured the PGL Junior Cup after defeating Old Bleach B in Larne on 13 August 2015.

Chief Superintendent Peter Farrar (1976-83) left his post as District Commander for the policing district that covered the former Council areas of Ards, Castlereagh, Down and North Down in January 2015, to take up a new position at PSNI Headquarters.

Ken Best (1966-73) and Geoff Sloan (1963-70) contributed numerous examples of their work for a 10day exhibition in January at Bangor Library, showcasing a variety of photographic styles. The former captured the landscape and character of North Down and the Ards Peninsula, while the latter opted for the Cuban capital Havana.

Andrew Muir, who attended Connor House in 1981, was the unsuccessful Alliance Party candidate in North Down at May’s General Election. Cllr Muir is also the new president of the Alliance Party, having previously held the position of chairperson for two years.

Baron (David) Trimble of Lisnagarvey (1956-63), former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and MP for Upper Bann from 1998 to 2007, remains the most recent former pupil of Bangor Grammar School to represent a Westminster constituency and also, to date, the school’s sole recipient of a Nobel Prize (for Peace in 1998).

Actor Jamie Dornan, who had a starring role in two series of The Fall on BBC television (and quite likely a third), as well as the lead male role in the screen version of Fifty Shades of Grey, is a son of Grammarian Prof.

Jim Dornan (1955-1967).

Jim, an internationally renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist, was guest speaker at the Old Boys dinner in 2012. A similar invitation to his famous son may well get lost in the post as Jamie attended Methodist College!

Jamie Boag (1981-88) was operations manager of the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team which won the Volvo Round the World yacht race in June 2015.

49

Ian Wilson (1958-69), retired manager of the North Down Museum, author of a number of local history publications and until recently president of Bangor Rotary Club, is the new chairman of Bangor Historical Society. He succeeded Bob McKelvey, who had held the position for 33 years.

Sports Personality.’ In May 2015 he commentated from a studio in California on the Irish Open, which was being staged for the first time in 76 years at Royal County Down in Newcastle, some 40 miles from his home town of Bangor. Altogether now – ‘It’s a hard life but someone has to do it!’

Mark McCall (1979-86) is head coach of Londonbased Saracens Rugby Club, winners of the 2015 Premiership title after defeating Bath 28-16 on 30 May 2015. It was a second title success for Mark, the other one having occurred in 2010-11.

And finally… following a successful run on Radio Ulster, Numbers 2s – described as a sitcom set in the heart of Stormont – made its debut on BBC One NI with six episodes screened in January and February 2015.

A recurring storyline, always guaranteed to raise a laugh or two, was the bitterness harboured by Permanent Secretary Tony Hunt because he had been ‘robbed’ of a place at Bangor Grammar School after failing the 11-plus by a single mark, unlike his smart civil servant underling Ricky (years of attendance not known!).

Should Grammarians be affronted at this grievous slight on the school’s good name for the sake of a cheap laugh? Not a bit of it. One recalls the words of Oscar Wilde – “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

Indeed, if we could actually afford them, the writers of Number 2s would be high on our wish list of afterdinner speakers!

Former professional David Feherty (197076), now an accomplished writer and broadcaster with CBS Sports and the Golf Channel, received an Emmy nomination in 2014 for ‘Outstanding

Cover Design: Ken Best

50

Content Design: Carolyn Scott

52