John Hubbard, convenor of The Chips Club of retired Bournemouth School staff, writes with the sad news that Tony Jordan, another staff member, died in June. We understand that he was coming up to 74, and he had been suffering from Parkinson’s for a number of years.
John says: “I am sure that there will be many members of the OBA that will have the fondest of memories of him and his dynamic presence over his years at the school, and may want to remember him in their own way through your website. He was a wonderfully warm and energetic colleague.”
That is certainly true in my case, as Mr Jordan was an inspiration for me and many of my cohort. I remember particularly his motto, passed to us as we left school for work or university life. It was this:
You have time. But you do not have a lot of time. You have time to do everything you wish for. But you do not have time to waste.
This momento mori has stuck with me, and seems poignant today.
A note from the Membership Secretary, Mr Graham Jones:
There will be an Extraordinary General Meeting of the association committee and members at Bournemouth School on Tuesday 25th June 2024 at 7pm.
The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the proposed winding up of the Old Bournemouthians Association.
Please indicate if you wish to attend, preferably by email. Minutes of the Committee Meeting are also available by email. Please let me know if you want them.
Further context, also from Graham:
… for the past several years the OB’s has only existed as a dinner society, organising a re-union dinner once a year. With the ageing of the membership and a lack of recent leavers joining the Association, to say nothing of the effects of Covid, the numbers attending the dinner has declined dramatically, though there is the possibility of the school organising such an event in their new catering premises.
The committee has also dwindled in size with only five or six stalwarts attending committee meetings or AGMs. There is the possibility of us merging with the school’s alumni society, but the Association would need to have each member’s individual permission to pass on personal data.
The EGM will be held at 7pm on Tuesday 25 June 2024, at Bournemouth School, East Way, Bournemouth (enter by the left hand door, at the church end).
I have had a few enquiries regarding the annual re-union dinner. Our contract with the Highcliff Hotel finished last year and the committee decided not to renew it. The plan was to hold a less formal dinner at the school in their new building. For those of you who are unaware, the school had a £4 million building project which has delivered a new 6th form study area on the lower floor, a large catering facility (capacity about 360 pupils) on the 2nd floor and a suite of teaching classrooms on the 3rd floor. This is all in preparation for an expansion in the number of pupils entering the school, as the number of pupils in the catchment has increased. The building occupies part of the senior playground and the senior cycle shed area.
The intention was to hold the first dinner in summer/autumn of 2023, but unfortunately the school lost several key personnel in the catering and site management departments during the year. This has meant that the dinner has been pushed back into 2024. At present I have no date for it, but I will be in touch further when there is a firm date.
The dinner is intended to be a more casual affair than previously with less emphasis on speakers and offering an opportunity to view the school buildings for those who have been away for some time.
Gradually the Old Bournemouthians’ Association is going to be coming under the wing of the Bournemouth School Alumni Society, with the OBA website becoming part of the Bournemouth School website. The Alumni Society is not intended to be a fund-raising society as much as one which can offer help to present-day pupils, for example by offering mentoring, both in person and remotely or by offering advice from ex-pats who could assist students who are travelling overseas.
Please remember to update me with any changes of address or email, so that I can keep in touch with you.
The Hammond Perception is a new novel published by OB Martin Reed and is now free as an e-book on Amazon until the 8th September!
The blurb reads:
We follow Thomas Hammond from shy, insecure and sexually confused schoolboy to become a centred young man who has learned the difference between sex and love, and is prepared to fight for whom, rather than what, he believes in.
December 1967, in an alternative world where a hidebound Britain maintains a fragile peace with Nazi-dominated Europe. Tommy doesn’t question his sheltered, repressed life until he meets Iona at the Sixth Form disco. She introduces him to a world of Left Bank intellectuals and left-wing philosophers. When the King suspends Parliament and appoints a venal crony as PM they become politically active, organising a schoolkids’ trade union. But as democracy collapses and fascists, Maoists and anarchists run wild, their relationship also hits the rocks. Around them, a cast of journalists and spies, students and politicians scheme, deceive and betray one another.
August 1968 finds Iona caught up in Red Guard fervour while Tommy drifts in a psychedelic haze, as the madness reaches its violent climax in Trafalgar Square.
“The Swinging Sixties on steroids, written by someone who was there!”
Martin writes of the book and of his time at BS:
I was at BS from 1961-68. I went on to study Mathematics at the University of East Anglia, then had a career as a lecturer. In retirement, I have been writing techno-thriller novels set around that time. My latest is “The Hammond Perception: Romance and Revolution in an Alternative 1968”. Much of it is set in a grammar school not unlike BS, and those of my age will recognise Jasper Dodds, Tom Bircher and others. It’s available on Amazon in e-book and paperback; use this link to reach your local Amazon page. In fact, the e-book will be free for three days: 6th to 8th September.
I’m very keen for feedback and reviews, so please download a copy!
The funeral will take place of Old Bournemouthian Gordon Prosser at Woking Crematorium, Surrey, on Tuesday, 27 June, at 1200. All are welcome to attend.
Gordon, of Send, Surrey, died aged 91 on Saturday, May 27.
Born in Bournemouth, Gordon attended Bournemouth School from the age of eleven to nineteen, completing an extra year because his mother had been initially too ill to give permission for him to stay on in sixth form. During that time, he became Head Prefect.
After completing Royal Marine training during National Service, Gordon pursued a career in banking. He was a great supporter of the school and attended the annual Old Bournemouthians’ dinner well into his late 80s.
Gordon is survived by his wife, Margaret (Peggy) and son, Neil. A daughter, Claire, predeceased him.
Douglas (“Dougie”) Sherwood, the last of four Old Bournemouthian brothers, died peacefully in December 2022. He was at the school during the war (1941 – 1948) and was one of four Old Boys who went to Sandhurst in 1948. Douglas distinguished himself by becoming a Junior Under Officer. The other three Old Boys were Tom Farmer, Johnny English, and Tony Baxter – probably a record School entry!
Dougie was a popular character. He played cricket and football for the School at all levels. He was also a very good table tennis player. He retired early from the Army as a Major to further other activities including valuable charity work with his wife Ann.
We have received the following email from Wayne Lines, an Old Bournemouthian:
A former student of Bournemouth School and close friend of mine (David Coleman) died in Poland on Feb 1st. Dave arranged a reunion about 9 years ago including a tour of the school where about 25 of us from the ‘class of 1972’ were made very welcome.
We have arranged a celebration of his life. Sadly, I’m only in contact with a handful of former classmates but anyone who knew Dave would be most welcome to join us. The details are below. (The RSVP is to his sister).
I have just had the sad news that Ken Maxted has passed away. Ken taught for many years at the school and was an Assistant Head, Master in charge of the Sixth Form, Head of Romsey House and a member of the Geography Department.
He was a founder member of the staff cricket team and he played for them with distinction for many years. Ken also organised the staff five-a-side for a time. He was a thorough teacher of geography and helped to build the subject into one of the most heavily subscribed in the school at one time.
As an Old Boy of Taunton’s School, Ken must have had divided loyalties when the two schools met of the sports field but Bournemouth School usually won out in his affections. He will be sorely missed by his colleagues at the monthly ‘Chips’ gatherings.
Jill Deedman has got in touch with the sad news that, on 22nd September 2022, her husband Douglas Deedman passed away peacefully aged 73 years at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.
Douglas was a pupil at the school 1959-1966, later working at the school as a laboratory technician until going on to train as a teacher.
He taught Physics and Computer Science at the school and was also IT Co-ordinator from approximately 1990 until 2022.
The service is to be held at Bournemouth Crematorium on Thursday 6th October, 2.30pm. No flowers by request please, if desired donations to be made payable to Dementia UK C/O George Scott funeral services, 1537 Wimborne Road, Kinson, BH10 7BD, tel. 01202 578079.
Calling all cricket enthusiasts – we have cricket for you! Now is the perfect time to reconnect with Bournemouth School through the game! If you, your friends and/or your family are interested in social, friendly cricket where you’ll be able to catch-up with fellow school associates then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. You’ll find contact details and more information on the club below.
We play weekly Sunday friendlies across some of the most picturesque grounds that Dorset, East Wiltshire and the New Forest have to offer. Games tend to consist of innings of 35 overs and more importantly a tea break between innings. After each game there’s often a trip to a local pub for a post-match debrief. We don’t have training sessions during the summer but do run a few pre-season net sessions in the later winter months to welcome in the summer and dust off the inevitable cobwebs.
As mentioned above, many Old Bournemouthians have joined our ranks and so the club is a great place for people who were previously involved in the school to meet up. This said, we are also an inclusive club with a diverse range of players from around the local area. We recruit men and women into our ranks – essentially anyone who enjoys a sociable and friendly approach to cricket is welcome – whether you haven’t played in years and are looking for a way back into the sport or are a keen cricketer looking for a Sunday side, BSACC is an excellent fit.
You can find out more by visiting our website here.
History
Staff here include Ken Maxted (centre) John Hawkins (seated) and Mike Webb (behind John Hawkins)
The BSA Cricket Club started life in 1969 as a Bournemouth School staff team, which played games mid-week and on Sundays either at Castle Lane, on the school ground, or in the surrounding countryside, often in close proximity to a country pub. As time passed and staff left or got older, the club opened its doors to include parents of pupils. With the further passage of time the staff element of the team disappeared completely and the remit widened further to include Old Boys of the school, which is mainly how the club operates today.
Contact Us
If you have any further queries and/or are interested in joining then please don’t hesitate to contact us. Emails for our recruitment secretary and team secretary are included below. Don’t forget you can also get in touch with and follow us on Facebook and Instagram by clicking the links below.
Imagine the scene – you’re at a picturesque ground bathed in the glow of a beautiful summer’s day. Why not make this a reality?
Tom Ansell Recruitment Secretary tomansell49@gmail.com
Max Harries Team Secretary max.harries@hotmail.com
