had a rather insignificant path through LCGSB.
A reasonable clutch of O levels marked the high spot of my academic career - it was downhill from then on,
though I did scrape a 2:2 at Cardiff in Biblical Studies. Dropped from the school rugby team in the second
year (I just did not grow - nickname at one point in school life was 'Tiny'), I managed to hang on to play
in George Swan's U15 cricket and I remember playing in the schools county KO final at Hove - amassing 2 not out.
A major claim to fame was peeling potatoes with Cliff Richard at a camp on the school playing fields organised by John Davey. Cliff also taught me the guitar chords to 'Daydream'.
Best thing that happened to me was becoming a Christian in the fifth year. No surprise that in the 1980s I helped pioneer a new church in Eastbourne which has now grown to nearly 200 members and which runs a thriving community centre there. I bump into Mike Voigt every so often when he brings his grand-daughter to dance lessons at the Centre. We reminisce about the great production of 'The Long and the Short and the Tall' in 1966. True to form, my performance as 'Whitaker' was described in the school review as 'adequate'. I am also a trustee of the school chapel.
I've lived in Eastbourne since 1972 and taught in East Sussex secondary schools for 20 years. Happily married with four beautiful grandchildren, I'm still working full time in church leadership and have been Chair of Churches Together for Eastbourne for the last seven years.
I became Chairman of OLO at the invitation of John Davey who assured me that it did not involve any work, really. Why do we fall for these things?
We all owe a great debt to John and Maurice for their immense work in helping OLO to become the excellent body it is today. Many thanks, friends! As their successors, Eric Mears and I would be most glad to hear from others who might like to join us as a steering group who can carry the organisation into the future.
FIRST joined the school in 1959, having
been at a BFES boarding school in Germany for a couple of terms and half a dozen primary schools
before that. Dad was in the RAF and had been posted to Newhaven.
I joined Killer's 2B then 3B & 4B and left when Dad was posted to Aden.
After a couple of years away, he returned to RAF Newhaven (unusual to return to
the same station but he was nearly due to retire so given a choice of final posting) and
I to LCGS where I joined my old classmates in 5B just in time for O levels. (although the numbers suggest
only a one year gap, the school had abolished the 'Remove' whilst I was away).
After a fairly decent set of O levels - in spite of two syllabus changes in three months ! - I joined the science sixth & stayed there for the full course gaining a respectable set of A levels and a place on the chemistry course at Sir John Cass. Downhill from there I'm afraid : although quite good at maths I really didn't like calculus & failed miserably to grasp the Schrodinger equation with which my chemistry course seemed obsessed. After dropping out of uni I knocked around at various temporary jobs until eventually joining APCM at Rodmell cement works. Much happier with some real bench chemistry and a day release HNC course.
Several years later I applied for another job within APCM and moved to Derbyshire. In the nick of time as it happened because the Rodmell plant closed down as soon as my back was turned. Spent the next 30+ years at Hope becoming a specialist in XRF chemistry & computer database systems. Retired soon after 60th birthday - scheme rules no longer classed that as 'early' (swingeing deductions before that) and I had just about reached max payout level. Working longer would have seen me paying recently increased contributions for little extra benefit.
Now retired with no need to find paid employment so should have plenty of time on hands. I've been taking an interest in the OLO site for several years - who from the 1964 panorama can forget that ! - and was invited by Maurice to become membership secretary then assistant webmaster. As well as the OLO site, I also run a website for kids who spent time at the British schools in Aden and help out with the website for alumni of my German boarding school. Away from the computer, I have been a Parish Councillor - although gave that up when the rest of the council started making decisions without telling me about them !
I've no intention of changing anything that Maurice has accomplished although have a few new projects in mind:-
The OLO is still desperately in need of somebody even younger to help maintain
the website. Ideally, one of the eleven year olds from LCGS's final year
and perhaps he or she would then like to set up a new website (probably hosted
from the same account) which Priory School pupils would be able to join.
That strategy should see the OLO website outlasting all of us.
There's nothing wrong with the OLO finances. Martyn & I have inherited a healthy bank account which should keep the website running smoothly for some time. However, within the next few years the 'clearing banks' are still threatening to run down the use of personal cheques, so we shall need to have some new system in place for members to send us money. Greater use of 'electronic banking' (which a few last-minute reunion bookers used last time) or a website facility to print out a bank paying-in slip that members can take to their local branch ought to fill the gap. We also need to have some plan in mind for what should happen to any residual balance when the last of us shuffles off. If indeed we spawn a Priory School website, that problem gets shelved for another forty years. Else we should perhaps make provision to leave it all to the Chapel Trustees.
The OLO has always been run as a 'benevolent dictatorship'. Not a lot wrong with that: Maurice has done a magnificent job and I shall be even more benevolent. Without getting silly by electing committee members who would need to have regular meetings, I would like to see a little
more accountability. If anyone would like to join a 'virtual committee' (all business conducted by email or telephone) do please get in touch.
Eric Mears
September 2010.
Some progress towards a Virtual Committee has been made. The following have agreed to take part :-
Janet Pope (61-68) - our 'Ladies Secretary'
Barrie Woollard (58-63) our Membership Secretary
John Why (45 - 50) -
David Cox (54 - 60) -
John Logsdon (59 - 66)
and of course Martyn and Eric
At the 2014 Reunion Meeting, we held a short business meeting at which
approval for all of the above was sought and other nominations invited.
New members added were :-
Alex Bodman (65 - 69)
Valerie Shrubb (63 - 69)
John Fry (53 - 61)