April 2021

• The Delanoy family have updated John Delanoy SG42's entry on our In Memoriam page.
   
• Do you have any EHS connections? The EHS Luncheon Club has announced that their Annual Luncheon will now not take place this year but look forward to holding it in May 2022, all being well.
   
• Pauline Ogden (née Ward), ex-EHS, corrects two IDs on the 1965 School Photo - Glyn Taylor and Phillip Wright. Glyn Taylor SG61 has just also made contact!
   
• John Dimmock SG59 writes: Sara Coutts, ex-SVC, who has been responsible for organising, preparing and serving the food for our reunions for the last ten years has decided to move on to pastures new. At a farewell event held appropriately in Beechurst Hall, Dr Carin Taylor, Executive Headteacher of the Staploe Trust, who many of you will know, praised Sara for her loyal service as well as her willingness to go well over and beyond her job description.
   
  As the local SGS 'boy' Dr Taylor had invited me to attend. On behalf of the Grammarians I offered Sara our sincere thanks and knowing her love of gardening gave her an appropriate voucher. It comes as no great surprise that she will not be working in the catering trade but has secured a position at Simpson's Nursery in Fordham.

March 2021

• John Gammon SG63's death in 2015 was reported at the time. Thanks to Peter Smith SG59 and further research a full obituary is now available on our In Memoriam page. It makes for interesting reading especially if you were into the music scene, in which John was a respected observer and operator. He was the subject of a BBC Heir Hunters programme in 2016 but it is currently not available via iPlayer.  
   
• Ian Hobbs SG48 and Brian Knott SG57 have heard that Fred W Thurling SG48, a Littleport boy, has died. No further details at present but please contact the editor if you know more.
   
  
• This photo of SG Old Boys was found by Brian Knott SG57. He had it from Robin McLaren, who died in 2009 aged 93 and was at SGS in the 1920s.
  John Dimmock SG59  reports it has appeared in Ely Old Photos on Facebook. John recalls that Robin ran a garage in Haddenham and that John Chapman was the father of Peter Chapman SG57.
  When and where was it taken and what names can you add? A 1937-40, 1948 list of OBs may jog your memory.
  
  
  standing: John Chapman - Walter Sparrow - 3 - Robin McLaren - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16
  seated: Les Read - 2 - 3 - John G Unwin - 5 - 6 - Gothard - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

February 2021

• Daniel Woodroffe in Norfolk is a grandson of the late Barry Woodroffe SG50. "He sadly passed on 23rd February 2013 after a short illness. During the times we spent together whilst I was growing up he spent lots of time speaking of his time at Soham Grammar school, growing up in Ely and moving to Norfolk at the age of 15. After watching a program recently, I have been spurred on to find out more about his time in Ely and at Soham Grammar School."
   
  Daniel hopes that someone reading this may be able to provide memories of Barry, including photos. He has no photos of his grandfather about the time he was at SGS and so has not been able to spot him on the 1952 or 1954 School Photos. For more information to jog memories about Barry please see In Memoriam and if you can help Daniel please contact the editor.
   
• John Fordham SG47 died on 27 January 2021 aged 84, writes Ian Hobbs SG48: John was a gifted mathematician and sportsman - SGS's first Soccer Blue (Oxford) and continued to play with Soham United for several years. He was also in the school cross-country team and continued to run long distance for many years in this country and abroad as a veteran. Diploma in Education, Oxford University; taught at Newmarket Grammar School (his wife Pauline taught at Ely High School): more information when available - also see In Memoriam.
  
  Chris Wain (Maths 66-70) writes: I played with John a couple of times, at left-back for Soham United including in 1966 against Soham Town Rangers, a keenly anticipated local derby! The last time I saw him was at the funeral of Bob Chapman, father of Colin Chapman whom I taught at SGS.
   
  
• Dannie Nicholas SG59's daughter Wendy writes: It is with the greatest sadness that I inform you of the death of my father Dannie John Nicholas. Following a long battle with [severe non-alcoholic] cirrhosis and COPD, he unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19 mid-January. He passed away peacefully on the evening of Sunday 31st January 2021.
   
  Funeral arrangements are uncertain at present and in current circumstances will be required to be small and private. It saddens me that we can't necessarily honour all of my father's wishes regarding his funeral but for anyone who would like to make a donation to charity in his memory, he expressed a wish that donations be directed to Bipolar UK [click here to make a donation]
   
  If you have memories, photos etc of Dannie to share with us and his family please contact the editor.
   
• Darren Tebbitt updates our In Memoriam page with an entry on Desmond Gutteridge (1934 entry, believed died 1999): "Des was a gentleman's hairdresser with a barber's shop in St Mary's Street Ely, known for his eclectic taste in bow ties - he never cut without one ....."

January 2021

• A Happy and Healthy New Year to all - keep well
  
  
• Lorna Delanoy (ex-EHS), widow of Michael SG48  informs me that the last of the Delanoy boys, John SG42, died on 4 January 2021. Don SG40? died in 1988 and Michael last year. It is hoped to have a full obituary in due course - for now see In Memoriam
   
• Norman South SG46, born and raised in Littleport, died on Christmas Day 2020 at the age of 85. As reported in the Ely Standard, 5 January 2021, he was a well known figure on the local sporting scene: via Chris Bent SG53 - see more in In Memoriam
  
  
• Darren Tebbitt's grandfather Les Tebbitt worked with a cousin Douglas Joe Heaps and Douglas's father Joe Heaps on the family farm in Haddenham. Darren has identified Douglas on the 1935 School Photo. Douglas was taken ill during the 1942 Harvest and diagnosed with Leukaemia, dying six weeks later aged 22.
  
  
  
  
  Darren has this photo of Douglas (right) with his friend Maurice Waddelow (left, d 1976), also from Haddenham, at Hunstanton in 1936. Maurice served in the Royal Artillery in WW2. Is it Maurice standing next to Douglas in the 1935 School Photo? Haddenhamites please report.
  
  Darren's former neighbour Geoffrey JA Newell SG51 b 1940 d March 2015 is in the 1952 and 1954 School photos.    
  

• Mr Leon Kitchen (History 1951-57)  died on 2nd December 2020, aged 93. His funeral was on Thursday 17 December at 2.15pm at the West Road Crematorium in Newcastle.
   
  His daughter Rachel writes:  As you know he was a very special man and I’m privileged to have had him as a father for so long. My mother Barbara and I really appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
   
  Through his son Mark, Leon held The National Autistic Society particularly close to his heart and donations in Leon's name are welcomed by the family.
   
  Leon attended many of our reunions, the last in 2009 and thereafter sent his apologies. He kept in touch via our website and contact with some of those he taught. In due course we will add his order of service and tributes celebrating his life to his page. If you have messages to be passed to the family/recollections of Leon to add to his page please contact the editor: with thanks to Ian Hobbs SG48.

November 2020

• The death of novelist John Harding SG62 in 2017 has been noted by Peter Smith SG'59'. John, who was from Prickwillow, was Head Boy in 1968 and read English Literature at Oxford - see In Memoriam and Pages by/on SGs
   
• David Bryan SG66 regains contact from New Zealand
   
• Lees Donaldson SG'59' has provided news of the death of Jeremy David (Wayne) Fisk SG58 - see In Memoriam
   
  Lees also writes: Although I have lived in Newmarket since the mid seventies, my visits to Ely diminished after my father died and my mother moved to Shelford.  She died last year on Christmas Day at the age of 99 so another link with Ely and the Scotch Home Bakery which my parents ran has gone.  I remember sometimes travelling to school on the bus with a box of freshly baked rolls which Mrs Jarrett had ordered.  I never did find out what they were for.
   
• It has taken ten years for us to be reasonably confident that this is 'our' Andrew K Bailey SG60: Ely Standard, 16th Dec 2010 - BAILEY Andrew, sadly passed away on December 7th, 2010. Much loved and loving son of Joan and the late Don, brother to Debbie and Dave, loving uncle to James and Ben. Thanks are due to Lees Donaldson SG'59', Pete Smith SG59 and Nick Cave SG60 - see In Memoriam for the full story.

October 2020

• 24 Oct: The reporting on our 2020 Reunion via Zoom two weeks ago is now available.  As it was recorded we all shared the many stories that were being told.  There are three sections linked to each other:
  1. Reunion Report (including Roll Call)
  2. The talk Some Funny Goings On at Soham Grammar School
  3. A collection of anecdotes.
  
  It'll take you a while.
  Either go to it via the Annual Reunions link or click here for the reporting on our 2020 Reunion via Zoom.
   
• 11 Oct: Our 2020 Reunion via Zoom took place yesterday and a report is being prepared. A third of those who registered had not attended before in this century (that's called historical perspective) for various reasons - distance, health, event clashes etc. We had many long distance faces on our screen - among them Australia, Thailand, New Jersey.
   
  We were delighted to be joined by Mrs June Lawrance and her daughter Gaye and by Mrs Carol Morton, widow of Michael Morton SG'54'. JROT (as we were reminded of John O'Toole (English 63-66)'s nickname) and Peter Scott (Maths 60-72) joined us. Not all who registered were able to turn up, the most dramatic being Eric Pearson SG60 in Kuujjuaq, Canada whose internet connection was knocked out by a blizzard.
  
  As Dr Carin Taylor of the Staploe Educational Trust said to us, let's hope that she will be warmly welcoming us back in October 2021 (date to be arranged) to our usual Beechurst Hall to be fed by Sara and her team and served by the senior students.
   
•  It's 18 years since this website was launched. We have had getting on for 104,500 visits. Thank you to all who have contributed material. The editor looks forward to hearing from those who may have more - stories, memories, photos, Soham Grammarian magazines etc that we do not already have.   
   
• In response to the 2020 Reunion letter sent to those for whom we had no email address, more have now provided one. If you'd like to be in touch with any of them please let me know: Kevin Brown SG63, Geoff Double SG68, John Drake SG52, Terry Jordan SG48, Bruce King SG64, Ranjit Kurrie SG61, Terry McHugh SG65, Chris Dubas-Pearce SG'65', Bill Peters SG48, Chris Wain (Maths 66-70), Michael Whymer SG52.
   
• Ted Bullman BEM SG48 writes that he was sorry not to attend this year. After long service in Comms in the RAF and MoD dealing with sophisticated technology, followed by a long stint in electrics, he's left that all behind and is telephone only these days. He enjoyed 5 years supervising the Sandringham Flower Show. If you wish to contact him, let me know.   
   
• Bernard White has written to inform us of the death of his brother Terence William Wright MBE SG37 at the age of 91 on 29 September 2015 - see an interesting account of his life and involvement in sail training for schools in In Memoriam. 
   
• John Woodward SG58 has made contact, thanks to his old friend Denis Wilkins SG53. He has enabled us to provide a more accurate Form 1T listing for the 1958 entry - see via School Lists > Entry Year Guide
   
  John's family moved to Hertfordshire in July 1960, the same time as Mr Rex Waller (Latin 49-60) departed SGS for Somerset. John completed his education at St Alban's Grammar School for Boys, which he compares unfavourably to SGS. He went to sea and became a Ship's Master.
   
  Rex Waller was a churchwarden at St Mary's Bruton where John's wife's uncle was the Vicar - John's wife and family were friends of the Wallers. John had planned to drive Rex up to Soham for our 2008 Reunion but Joan Waller had been admitted to hospital and not long afterwards, Rex died.  For John's recollections of SGS see the 1950s section of our Scrapbook page.  

This year's Reunion - how to join in this invitation only online event

• You can do a different kind of zooming - in and out and all about - the SVC website has a fascinating 360 degree aerial view of the Soham Village College campus and the surrounding town and countryside. See how much it has grown since SGS days - we have a direct link to the aerial view in Scrapbook > Other
   
  
• Back in contact or making contact: Nigel Haslop SG66 in Cambridgeshire, Brian Smith SG63 in Kent.  
  

• We have heard from his daughter Diana that John Butcher SG47 died on 12th September 2020. Further information is awaited.
   
• Bob Sculthorpe SG63 and his brother David SG65 have been in touch with the news that Charlie Maschke SG64 died on 12th September in Addenbrookes Hospital after a short illness. He was a boarder during his time at SGS.   The funeral is on 29th September 2020 at Cam Valley Crematorium, Saffron Walden - family only mourners due to COVID restrictions. More information on Charlie's life in due course
   
• Michael Smith has been in touch to say his father Trevor William Smith SG61 died on 30th August 2020, a month short of his 71st birthday. The notice in the Ely Standard on 10 September called him 'the Rock of the family'. His funeral was at St Mary's Ely on 24th September and it was planned that family all over the world would be able to view it. For much more see In Memoriam.
   
• Geoffrey Glover's father Albert Glover SG22's best friend was Professor Leslie Audus who left SGS in 1929. He has identified his father, next to Leslie on the Late 20s School Photo (see via School Lists/Photos), of which he has a copy, alas undated. His father has been added to our In Memoriam page (he was the first Little Downham boy to go to Cambridge University) and recollections of Leslie have been added to Leslie's page.
   
• Mike Yeomans and Eric Pearson, both SG60 musicians, add memories of Greg Holt SG60 - see via In Memoriam
   
• Charles Peacock SG44 has informed us of the death earlier this year of Chris Strawson SG44 from Ely. He was in both the Football and Cricket 1st XIs. He became a Squadron Leader in the RAF, retiring to the Isle of Wight. For much more see In Memoriam
    
• Simon Curtis SG67 had a new book published in August. The Farrier is a photo-book: Dr Curtis says "Wherever there are horses there are farriers. My photo-book celebrates the farrier's role, the environment they work in, and the variety of horses they care for. It is the culmination of a 10-year project with one purpose: to share joy and pride  for the craft of farriery.": thanks to Ivan Whymer SG56, who provided a cutting from the Newmarket Journal, 13 August 2020 - see also Pages on/by SGs
   
• A letter sent to friends by Edward Armitage advising of their move from The Moat to Cambridge Road, Ely reveals some of his early thoughts about the new Sixth Form Centre in Ely - see via Annual Reunions > 2012 > Report (end of) > Talk (end of)
   
• Brian Jackson SG50 has made contact from Australia and put us in touch with his brother Gordon Jackson SG52. They were Fordham boys - Gordon has not moved as far as Brian, who has had a career in aviation. Brian says he was sad to hear of the death of Clive Bray SG50 who lived at the top of his street and did quite a lot together.
  
  "One SGS memory that is indelibly embossed on my brain" says Brian "is that trackway with tractor ruts and freezing cold muddy water that I 'accidentally tripped' Mr Foster into during a cross country run. BOY did I pay -  he picked a long whippy stick and I copped it across the back of my legs until we made the road. We had a love/hate relationship." Another teacher taught Geography and was a Chelsea F.C  fan and loved twisting your ear and in his words 'I'll give you a bit of ginger'. Who could that be?
  

August 2020

July 2020

• From the Ely Standard 23 July 2020
  DELANOY Michael Ewart MBE. [SG48] Beloved husband to Lorna, father to Kevin, Craig and James and grandfather to Jordan, Joshua, Carlotta, Scarlet and Zak, died suddenly on July 9th 2020. Private family funeral. Donations in Michael's memory if desired to The Farmland Museum or British Heart Foundation c/o A.G. Carter Funeral Director, 6 Froize End, Haddenham, Cambs CB6 3UQ - see In Memoriam for a family tribute.
  
  Mike's contributions to local life (and those of his wife Lorna) will be well known to many of you, notably The Farmland Museum. His funeral took place on 31 July. With thanks to Lorna Delanoy, to whom our condolences; Ian Hobbs SG48 and Brian Knott SG57.
   
• Trevor Smith SG62 writes: I trust this finds you happy, healthy and free from all 'outside threats'. Here in Thailand we seem to have gotten off very lightly when compared to the UK.
  
  I thought I'd drop you a quick line to let you know that thanks to your prompt efforts in putting us back in contact, 5 former SGS pupils enjoyed a 2-hour 'reunion' Zoom chat a few days ago. It was mainly to celebrate joint 70th birthdays, but all 5 of us thoroughly enjoyed this 'international' chinwag: myself (SGS62) Thailand, and former classmates of SGS61 (or at least of that age group): Tim Ewer New Zealand, Nick Grainger Australia, Ranjit Kurrie Cambridge UK, and Doug (Fred) Neate in Leicester UK. Among other things we talked about the occasion of Tim, Fred, Nick and myself performing at the 6th Form dance (not sure what year!)
   
• For those of you with EHS connections Ely High School Luncheon Club have postponed their Annual Reunion to Saturday 22 May 2021, in the hope that it will be safe to go ahead by then.
  

• Malcolm Brooks SG51 is one of four St Andrew's School Burwell boys who gained County Scholarships to come to SGS in 1951. His daughter found a photo of them, one of whom was Michael Goodchild - see via Scrapbook/Burwell
   
• Ivan Whymer SG56 has provided Clive Bray SG 50's obituary published in a recent Newmarket Journal - see via In Memoriam
   
• Shirley Fuller writes of Colin Fuller SG51: "Sorry to hear about Michael Goodchild. A good friend of Colin’s. I am sorry to have to let you know that Colin passed away on the 17th June 2020. His funeral is on 9th July, West Chapel, Cambridge Crematorium."
  Another Burwellian 51er.  He will be added to our In Memoriam  page.
   
  
• Brian Thorby SG49 writes: Sorry to report that Michael Colin Goodchild SG51 died on 12 June 2020. He was originally from Burwell, later Exning.  He was 79 and had wife Gwen and a son and daughter. His funeral was on 23 June at West Suffolk Crematorium - for more see In Memoriam 
   
  
• Brian Knott SG57 writes: Rodney Fretwell's death was in the Ely Standard - died 31 May in Kettering aged 89.
  Born in Ely, educated at Soham Grammar School [entry year 1942], lived in Witchford, Little Thetford and Ely. Only child of Florence and Jack Fretwell of Stuntney - see In Memoriam
   
  
• Mike Hallam SG51 perhaps resolves the mystery of the girl in his photo from the 1957 outdoor production of The Taming of the Shrew by observing that such photos were posed specially as a record of the actors rather than being of the play as performed - see via History > History 2 > Productions

• Mike Hallam SG51 provides a photo from the outdoor production of The Taming of the Shrew by the Sixth Form and EHS in July 1957.
  Is anyone in touch with Jeremy Franklin? - see via History > History 2 > Productions

• On 29 April Martin Kyte SG'69' wrote: Sadly I have to tell you of the sudden passing of Chris Sangster SG63 of Burwell last week after a major stroke. Chris was at the last reunion and can be seen in the photo report. I knew Chris from way back although in recent years we became much closer though our shared interest in model engineering and clockmaking. Along with another of our friends we met every Monday night to talk of workshops and eat cheese. Soham Grammar School often cropped up in conversation.
  Further information will be added when available - for now see In Memoriam
   
  
• Jon Evans SG'61' has provided a photo of the coach that lost its windscreen on the joint trip to Europe with EHS in Summer 1964. He wasn't on the trip but his future wife Jean (née Williams) was one of the EHS girls who took part. We asked 'Who is the boy in the photo?' He has now been identified - see via History > History2 > School Visits ... 1964
   
• Ralph Dunham SG59 has provided a warm recollection of the late Bill Jethro Rennison, History 61-67, which will also interest the SG Scouts of that time - see via In Memoriam.
   
• Phil Green SG68 is in contact:  He says he was one of the unfortunate ones to lose the good teachers because of going comprehensive between the Fourth and Fifth Forms leading up to O Levels. In 1975 Phil joined Spillers Milling in Cambridge and followed a laboratory career across the industry, culminating in Quality Management roles before retiring early in 2017.
   
  He has added a few names to the 1972 School photo and added a colour photo of some of his friends walking in the procession to Soham Parish Church on 28 July 1972 for the service commemorating the end of SGS - see via History (at the bottom of that page).
   
• 16/4/20 Frank Haslam writes: Earlier today I heard from Alan Bray SG60 of the death of his brother Clive Bray SG50, on Tuesday 14th April, in West Suffolk Hospital. Clive had been there for 17 days suffering from pneumonia and another infection before being additionally diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus.  Clive and Alan have been great supporters of the Soham Grammarians. They can be seen sitting together, as usual, at the 2019 Reunion. Our thoughts are with Alan, and Clive's family and friends.
  If you have recollections of Clive or condolences to pass on, please send them to me via email - for more on Clive see In Memoriam
  In these troubling times, you will understand when I ask you to let me know if you learn of a Grammarian's passing.
  Keep well, you and yours.
   
• Chris Bent SG53 has informed us of the death of Terry Day MBE SG57:  "Terence Robert Day - Terry passed away Thursday 16th April 2020, aged 73. Much loved husband of Julie, father to Sarah, Stuart and Joanne. A celebration of Terry's life will be held later in the year." - Ely Standard, April 23, 2020 - see In Memoriam.
   
• Stephen Martin SG62 was browsing the Staff pages, including Bill Rennison, History 61-67.  He followed the link to the Tewkesbury History Society (THS), of which Bill had been Treasurer and found that Bill had died in 2017. Our recent Reunion letters to Bill's residential home in Reading were not returned so we were not aware of this. The editor last saw Bill at Gordon Hemmings' funeral in 2011 and had been in letter and phone contact thereafter. 
  
  Bill's page on this website has been updated with the THS tribute. If you have memories or photos to add to those coming in please contact the editor -
  see Bill's page via In Memoriam   
   
• Peter Nicholls SG39 adds Mr Turner (39-40) to those who taught English - "He was a graduate of Magdelene College, Cambridge, and was called up" - see Staff Timeline via School Lists > Staff