http://www.sohamgrammar.org.uk/Soham Grammarians

What was new on our website in 2019?

please scroll down the page

For other years please return to the foot of the current What's New page
please note that as this website grows some older page navigations may now be obsolete

December 2019 

• This website achieves over 100,000 visits.
  Thank you to all who have made this possible through your provision of material and updates.
   
• Mrs Beth Lane writes: My late husband Brian’s elder brother Russell Lane has died aged 84. He also attended Soham Grammar School [1946 entry]. His funeral is on Thursday 19th December at March (Fenland) Crematorium at 10.30am then afterwards at the Golf Club next door.
   
  Brian Lane SG48 died in 2017 - a page on his life has been added - see via In Memoriam. 

November 2019

• Aubrey F Butler SG48 died on Monday 4th November, aged 82.  His funeral service will be on Wednesday 4th December at 1pm at Cam Valley Crematorium, Field Farm Drive, Great Chesterford, Saffron Walden CB10 1FE. See also In Memoriam
   
  
• Michael Bunting SG53 died on 1st November, aged 77.  There was a very well attended Celebration of Mike's Life at St Mary's, Ely, on Thursday 21st November 2019 at 1pm, followed by a private burial. He had at one time been a regular member of the SG53ers attending our Reunions. He had even hoped to be with us this year but was too poorly. We will miss him. For more information please click here
  A eulogy given at the service will be added shortly.
   
  
• Mervyn Pamment  SG53 adds some footballing memories of Lionel Fleet SG43 & Physics 1956-61 - see these via the link in Lionel's entry on the In Memoriam page
  

October 2019

• Greg Holt, the son of Mr Ken Holt DFC (see below) has made contact thanks to Peter Moulton SG61. Greg has provided a 115 Sqn photo taken outside the Cutter Inn, Ely. We also welcome Greg as a Soham Grammarian as he was here briefly before the family moved to Devon in 1961 - see via In Memoriam or Mike Rouse's talk.
  
  
• Peter Nicholls SG39 recalls that among the staff that came and went rapidly during WW2 were Mr Wandersford and Mr Lloyd. Are there any other wartime staff names we can record?
   
• In his Reunion talk Mike Rouse spoke warmly of Mr Ken Holt who taught many soon-to-be-Grammarians (and Mike, who went to Kings Ely) at Silver Street School in Ely. Ken Holt left SGS in 1938, was a Squadron Leader DFC in Bomber Command and went on to have a successful teaching career in many schools. Our page about him is linked from Mike's talk and elsewhere. 
   
• Peter Leonard SG65 has bought a pot made by the late Mr Peter Askem - this can be seen on 'Peter's page' - see via Reunions
  
  
• Brian Thorby SG49 reports that his good friend at SGS Tim Dickinson SG50 died in June. He lived in Stowmarket and was often at our reunions, last in 2015  - for more see In Memoriam
  
  
• We have discovered that Mr Lionel Fleet SG43, who returned to teach Physics 1956-61, died on October 16 2017 aged 85 in a residential home in Paignton, Devon. He retired as Headteacher of Northgate High School, Dereham. If you have recollections of Lionel, please contact the editor - see more via In Memoriam
  

• Alan Diver SG40 and Lionel Fleet both lived in Isleham. Alan has contributed a wartime anecdote about a train home that they were waiting for - see via Lionel's entry in In Memoriam
  
  
• The Photo Report of the 2013 Reunion has at long last been added - see via Reunions
  
  
• Thanks to James Gilbert SG65, among his father Luther's (SG30) papers was the 1938 programme for Twelfth Night. This has been added. We are reminded of the approaching time of Remembrance by the fact that three of the cast did not return from WWII - see via History > History 2 ... Productions
  
  
• Those of you who were at SGS in the 1960s may remember the Litter and Conduct cards that could be issued by Prefects - see via History > History 2 > School Admin
  
  
• The talk that Mr Gordon Hemmings gave as Senior English Master at the 1966 Speech Day can be seen via his page linked to In Memoriam
  
  
• A date error for the Pageant of the 14th Legion has been rectified. The date given in the 1970 issue of the School Magazine (16th June) is wrong. The Programme for the 1969 Speech Day which describes the Legion event is dated 16th July 1969.
  
  
• Peter Grange SG53 and Gary Stroud SG69 are back in touch.
  
  
• Simon Thornhill SG65 and Vince Gudgeon SG66 have added memories of the Boarding House and the relationship between the boarders and the Armitages - see via History > History 2
  
  
• Ralph Sparrow SG46 has made contact
  

September 2019

• Michele Stern has informed us of the death of her father Herman Kon a few months ago He came to SGS in 1940 after being evacuated with the Jews Free School to Ely where his father became in charge of the refugee boys' hostel at 37 St Mary's Street. His story can be seen via Scrapbook .. 1940s 
  
  
• Brian Knott has informed us of the deaths of the Merry brothers, Dennis in Ely 2015 and Anthony in Essex this year. Both were in the 1946 entry.
   
• Christine Smith writes: My husband William Bill John Smith, entry year 1940, died peacefully at home after a long illness on 6th August 2019 - for more about Bill see In Memoriam
  
  
• Catching up - Trevor Smith reported the death of Gary Stimson (1962 entry) in October 2018. Gary returned to his studies as a mature student and retired as a headmaster. Trevor's recollection of their rock band days with Adrian Estall can be seen via In Memoriam.
   
• And Sue Godwin has informed us of the death at the age of 87 of her father Cyril Eden (1942 entry) whilst driving on the A12 to his flat in Hornchurch on 27th November 2018. "We had Dad's funeral in Soham Baptist Church where he had pumped the bellows of the organ as a boy and he is buried with my Mother in Isleham cemetery.  One of the things we put in his coffin was his Soham Grammar School tie. He had a fantastic memory for facts and figures - often correcting his younger brother Fred about events from their past and was always proud of the fact that he had gone to Grammar School. Fred Eden SG44 is now the sole survivor of the Eden brothers who attended SGS." See also Scrapbook .. The Edens at SGS and EHS
  

August 2019

• Our 2019 Reunion Lunch is on Saturday 5th October in the Beechurst Hall at Soham Village College. Doors open at 1230 and we sit down for lunch at 1330. Tickets are £28/head, the same price as last year, for a three course meal including wine. Click on BOOKING FORM for further details of how to book. It is important to let John Dimmock know by 18th September that you are definitely coming.  Invitations go out on 13th August.
  
  The three times Mayor of Ely, Mike Rouse, will be our speaker. Mike is an Honorary Grammarian. He taught at Soham Village College, is an historian, author and photographer. He played a major role in the preservation of the SGS archive when managing the SVC Resource Centre.

July 2019

• Alan Bray writes: I have heard from his wife Linda that Geoff Griggs SG60 passed away on 23rd June. He had suffered many years with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and was admitted to Addenbrookes on 22nd June with pneumonia.  His wife, son and daughter were with him. I knew him for 60 years and he was my Best Man back in 1970.
  
  Geoff's funeral was at West Suffolk Crematorium, Risby, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6RR, at noon on Wednesday 10th July. The St Edmund's Chapel was packed. Among those attending were Alan Bray, John Dimmock, Paul Dunham, John Goodge and Frank Haslam.
  The editor adds: Geoff was of great help in the early days of this website and was often at our reunions when in good health. His In Memoriam entry adds more detail.

June 2019

• John Dimmock writes: "It is with great sadness I report that Ivan Cox SG64, after a long illness, passed away on Thursday May 23rd. The funeral has been arranged for Friday June 21st at 2pm. It will take place at The Ark, Beck Road, Isleham CB7 5QP. This is a new building run by Isleham High Street Church."
  
  Ivan was a Prickwillow lad. He was Head Boy 1970-71 and was in the Cricket and Football 1st XI and was Bacon Coronation Cup Winner in 1971. We last saw him at the 2018 Reunion. If you have recollections of Ivan please send them to the editor.

April 2019

• Michael Clark SG55 is back in touch. He's in Queensland, Australia. He is Isleham born but was brought up in Cambridge. His memories - travelling by train from Cambridge - wagging off 1959 Sports to to see England play Italy at Wembley followed by retribution from EA - how his life in later years changed for the better - have been added to the 1950s section of our Scrapbook page - see the link on the left of your screen.
  He has also added names to the list of those starting at SGS in 1955 (see via School Lists > Entry Years)
  
  
• Mike Hallam SG51 has made an interesting contribution about his time at SGS (some of which has come from memories shared by Mr Leon Bill Kitchen) and his career in education - see via Scrapbook, 1950s
  
  Mike has also provided his recollections of Mr Peter Askem, with fine examples of his own work done for A Level. "As a 6th former SGS paid me £10 per term to be Peter’s pottery studio technician." - see at the end of the Talk on Mr Peter Askem 

March 2019

• Richard Pledger some time ago provided some issues of the Soham Grammarian from the 1930s & 1940s. His father, Peter Dinkum Pledger, whose childhood was spent in Australia, left SGS in 1938. His uncle John was also at SGS.
  
  We are trying to identify those in a Scouts photo, taken by Starr & Rignall, which we think dates from about 1934 - Peter Pledger is on the extreme right of the back row. Mr Riley was Scoutmaster but he is not shown:
  
  
  
  
• A new page has been added showing the advertisements in the Summer 1936  - maybe some memories will be stirred?
  see via Scrapbook, 1930s
  
  
• By the way, from the Christmas (Michaelmas) 1934 Soham Grammarian:
  "We are pleased to announce that electricity has now been installed in the School."

February 2019

• AJH Warburton was taught by Mr Norman Sherrington (Latin 60-68) at Boteler GS, from where Norman moved to Soham. His tribute can be seen on Norman's page -  School Lists > Staff > left before 1972 > Sherrington
  
  
• Nick Bridge SG71 (1 Alpha) makes contact. Whilst clearing stuff he has found the Newmarket Journal July 20 1972 front page report THE FINAL SPEECH DAY. Are you in the photo?
  - see via History > History 2 > Speech Days > 1972 (scroll to the bottom of the page)
  
  
• Richard Harvey Windibank SG55 now in Somerset and known as Richard Harvey writes to solve a mystery about the 1956 School Photo: "I remember that the woman sitting between Ron Sallis and Miss Lowe was Miss White, a Speech Therapist. I was nearly 12 at the time and am in the front row." - see via School Lists/Photos > 1956
  
  Unfortunately that year is in the sequence of mid-late 1950s years for which we have yet to find the School List booklet that was published annually from 1946. Does anyone know why the School List apparently was not issued 1956-59?  - see via School Lists > Lists Index
  

January 2019

• May 2019 be kind to you!
   
• Time to put our 2019 Annual Reunion Lunch in your Diary or Calendar please - Saturday 5th October.
   
• Jannette Scanlan writes: "My father Harold Frank Goodwin who is 95 this year attended your school in October 1937". Harold is in section 1/10 of the 1937 School photo. He might also be in section 10/10 of the 1935 School Photo. He is listed as 804 Goodwin, HF in the Admission Register for the School Year 1935-36. Janette says Harold has lived in Linlithgow, Scotland, since 1946, is in very good health and very active in his church and community. "It was wonderful seeing my Dad as a 13 year old."
  see 1935, 1937 via School Lists & Photos: see Admission Register via same path > Index > 1930s
  
  
• Reported on-line in the Ely Standard of 14th January 2019, the death of Sidney Cox, aged 82, of Sawston, on November 13th 2018 and his funeral at St Andrew's Church Isleham on November 30th 2018. It is believed that he was in the 1947 entry: see In Memoriam

---