The vision of our earliest benefactors was to found a school thatwould educate young people to the highest possible standard;young men and women who would make a valuablecontribution and a positive difference to our community and tosociety as a whole.

Henry Dunster, one such early pupil and later Headmaster of theSchool, sailed for America in 1640 to become the first President ofHarvard University. Last September, a party from BGS along withmany of our US Alumni bore witness to the fact that America’soldest and most renowned seat of learning still bears the mark of adown-to-earth Bury lad.

The legacy of our early benefactors lives on. With each passingterm the Schools are proud to deliver news of the latestachievements of pupils, staff and Alumni. The last year has beenno exception.

The Autumn term saw the completion of our magnificent newKindergarten and Pre-school. This unique facility embodies theethos of our Schools and the vision of our founders in providing thefinest environment imaginable in whichour youngest pupils will cultivate a loveof learning. This early foundation willstand them in good stead to takeadvantage of all that BGS has to offer.

The hopes of our founders, HenryBury and Roger Kay continue to befulfilled. They would have every reasonto be proud of the flourishing dualfoundation that the Bury GrammarSchools are today.

Issue 11 Summer 2009

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TKeyKeyTHE BURY GRAMMAR SCHOOLS

JDA1157-jarvis-BGS TheKey.indd 1 23/10/07 18:22:58

Si monumentum requiris, circumspice

Foundation for the Future - Early YearsThe summer vacation seemed interminable for our youngestpupils who eagerly awaited their return in September to take upresidence in their new school. Their expectations were wellrewarded, for our new building is inspired in its design andperfectly addresses their every need. It is testament both to asupportive community and to over two years’ hard work by adedicated team of staff.

The new purpose-built Kindergarten and Pre-school, one of thefinest in the country, boasts many remarkable features and offersyoung children the best possible start to their education. The £3.2million building was designed by the Schools’ Project Director, PeterSkinner.

We were delighted to welcome The Right Honourable the Earl ofDerby as our Guest of Honour at the Opening Ceremony on Friday7th November, reinforcing the strong historical links with the Derbyfamily which date back to the School’s foundation around 1570. Thesixteenth Earl gave the school the land on which it is built andopened the Boys’ School in 1903, and his son, The HonourableArthur Stanley, opened the Girls’ School in 1906 and the Roger KayHall a year later.

The Opening Ceremony took place in the splendid octagonalassembly hall – a central feature of the new school. The young

pupils sang beautifully and presented gifts to John Findon, Chairmanof Governors, and to Lord Derby. In his address Lord Derby thankedthe children for their warm welcome and made reference to thehistorical connection between his family and the school, dating backto the period of his ancestor the 7th Earl who was beheaded inBolton! Guests were impressed by the many innovative and imaginativefacilities of the new school which include: a unique and excitingrooftop playground with views of the whole borough; a large librarywith computer suite for interactive learning; a music room withadjoining practice rooms for individual tuition; a bright new gym forspecialist sports education and spacious classrooms equipped withstate-of-the art technology.

Headmistress Bobby Georghiou said ‘I should really like to takethis opportunity to thank the Bury community for the supporteveryone has given us in building our Kindergarten. Its openingtoday is a source of great pride to us all and we are honoured thatLord Derby has performed the ceremony. Just as our community hasshown such faith in the Bury Grammar Schools, we believe that thechildren in our care will grow up to become its finest citizens. TheKindergarten is our expression of the greatest confidence in thefuture of our school and our town.’

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Steven Harvey,Headmaster of the Boys’School, writes:St Paul, in one of his letters, draws adistinction between physical templesand living temples. Having to preacha sermon on that theme recently gotme thinking about the fabric whichis BGSB – a fabric which is bothphysical and living.

The boys are at the heart of our living fabric. We were delightedthat almost 10% of last year’s Upper Sixth won Oxbridge places.Christopher Bryant, was among the top 10 students nationally inthe Further Mathematics (Additional) examination.

At GCSE, almost 20% of the year group achieved either A* orA in all of their subjects. Nicholas Hobhouse, who achieved an A*in all 12 of his subjects, was one of over 19,000 candidatesnationally who took the International GCSE in Mathematics and hewas among the ten who achieved the highest overall marks.

I have spoken often of the emphasis which we place on our co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Space does not allow meto go through all that we do in these areas. But I would like tomention a few things.

First, last summer’s World Challenge Expedition to Mongoliaby a group of 17 senior boys and 4 members of staff.

Following an initial acclimatization, the group undertookcharity work, which was centred on two orphanages. The boyswere struck by how happy these abandoned children were andfound their time with them a humbling experience.

The trekking phase followed. Five days were spent on horseback,galloping across the Steppes and wide open valleys; trekkingthrough coniferous forest at the edge of Siberia; and killing,skinning and butchering a sheep for dinner.

The final phase of the expedition was the well-deserved periodof rest and relaxation. Visits were made to Tiananmen Square, theForbidden City and to the Great Wall.

In September, a brand new initiative, ‘Heartbeat Bury’, wasused to launch both the School’s move towards Healthy SchoolsStatus as well as the new First Form boys’ Personal, Social andHealth Education programme. During the day the boys participat-ed in a range of activities related to healthy living - includingpreparing healthy food, and workshops on the dangers of smokingand on how to maintain a healthy heart. The day culminated in asponsored two mile run and the boys raised £1000 for the BritishHeart Foundation.

This year 17 Lower Sixth students have been taking part inYoung Enterprise. This is a national competition which encouragesstudents to ‘learn by doing’ by setting up and running their owncompanies. Throughout the process the students learned many newskills – including sales and marketing, production, logistics,finance and personnel management.

In February, four representatives of the Young Enterprise group,Umar Arshad, Mitchell Cocker, Simon Powell and Harpreet Sahni,took part in a Dragon’s Den-style competition held at KPMG inManchester. After some tough questioning about their businessmodel they won 3rd prize in a competition which attracted over 20schools from across the north-west. They then went on to win 2ndplace in the area final.

In March, Daniel Jackson, Nishan Ghoshal, James Andrew andStephen Fielden took part in the annual Chemquiz competition,which is hosted by Manchester Metropolitan University. Our boyssecured first place, beating off some stiff regional competition; andthey are much looking forward to the national competition to beheld in London later in the year.

Also in March, our CCF had its Biennial Inspection. For theinspecting officer, the day of the inspection was his last workingday as an Army Officer. He wrote: ‘Yesterday was somewhat coldwhen we were out on the sports field, but all I saw certainlywarmed my heart, for although the number of biennial inspectionsI have conducted is not vast, that of your CCF was, withoutquestion, the very best and I thank you and all your staff for all thework that had quite plainly been put in to ensure this was so. Icould not have wished for a better way to end my last full workingday as a paid member of Her Majesty’s Forces than as I did and Icertainly feel I have finished on a very definite high’.

The end of the spring term saw the very fine joint Schools’production of The Sound of Music. It was an excellent example ofthe two schools achieving together what one school could notachieve on its own. So great was the demand for tickets that a fifthnight had to be arranged.

Apart from the boys, of course, the living fabric of this schoolincludes its staff (both the teaching staff and the support staff) –and a talented and committed body they are, too. Last summer,several long-serving colleagues either moved on or retired. CaroleStirzaker, who was with us for 17 years, teaching French, Germanand Latin, left to pursue full-time her talent in floral art. RichardJohnson, who taught Economics and Business Studies for 18 years,and who was our A Level Examinations Officer, left the teachingstaff in July but returned in September as our full-timeExaminations Officer. And we said farewell to Tony Harrison, whohad taught English at the School for 25 years.

Five colleagues retired in July. Between them they had givenover 136 years of service to the School. Mike Byrne retired fromthe Junior School after 19 years on the staff. Sandra Glancy retiredafter 16.5 years at BGS. John Kendall retired after 33 years on thestaff. Tony Young retired as Director of Studies, also after 33 yearsat the School. And Malcolm Curtis retired after a career herespanning 35 years.

Then in December we bade farewell, from the teaching staff, toPat Newton – after 100terms, just over 33years, teaching atBGSB. He remains, Iam delighted to say, akey figure in the CCF.

The living fabricof BGSB includes theinvaluable contributionwhich is made to ourlife and work byvarious visitors to theSchool. Most notable

this year was Lord Hurd. He was Guest of Honour at Prizegiving,and came to the School the following morning to speak to SixthForm Historians and Politics students. It was a memorable visit.

A word about the physical fabric. Last September saw theopening of our brand new Kindergarten. It is a huge asset and I knowof no other Kindergarten anywhere in the country which can matchit. The next project is a new Sixth Form Centre. Our hope is that thefirst stage of the building programme will begin later this year.

In the Boys’ School, we have this year started a majorrefurbishment of our science facilities – a refurbishment which,when complete, will give us a state-of-the-art teaching and learningfacility for all three sciences.

Living fabric and physical fabric. A very important part of theSchool’s living fabric are those who so generously support ourdevelopment programme - both our building programme and ourbursary scheme. The fabric of BGSB – both the living and thephysical – is strong and will, I hope and pray, enable us to ensurethat this school continues to flourish.

When I spoke to the Old Girls at their AGMand dinner on Founders’ Day Eve in May, Itook as my theme the well known words:‘This shall we find who seek it faithfully.’Seeking, I believe, is about searching, aboutembarking upon a quest for something; ithas a sense of aspiration about it and it isnot like looking which is cursory andrequires little effort. This aspirational

seeking continues to dominate our school.This has certainly been a year of some terrific achievements

only achievable with strong determination and belief in theultimate goal. As I reported at Prizegiving in September, results lastsummer showed just what our girls can achieve when they are inthe ‘go seek’ mode. Our A level results were among the best witha 100% pass rate and 82.4% of the grades at A and B. 30 students(over 40% of the cohort) each gained at least three straight Agrades. Ten students gained at least 4 A grades and one 5. Threetook up Oxbridge places in October: Uzma Ahmed, JessicaShepherd and Susan Taylor, along with Michaela Don who had anunconditional offer based on her results of the previous year. TheGCSE results took our breath away. Of the 1022 papers taken onlyone fell below a grade C with the result that our overall pass rate is99.9%. 82% of all grades were at A/A*. 9 girls had 10 A*, 41 girlshad 10 A/A* and a further 3 who took 9 also gained 9 A/A*.

In September we opened the new Kindergarten. On its walls aremurals of swans: from cygnets paddling furiously by their motherswith a few straying away, to elegant adult birds serenely swimmingalong the current, and those taking off along a stretch of river andstill more in flight. We have among the lowest fees in the area andyet we brought in a £3 million project where children play on theroof, work in lovely classrooms, have assembly in a glorious halland work at computers and smart whiteboards putting them intouch with the wider world and all its future challenges. Mygrateful thanks to all of those whose generous donations made ourkindergarten possible.

The most remarkable achievement of the year must go to UpperSixth Form student Heather Sellars. She told me last May that sheintended to swim the English Channel and in so doing raise moneyfor her three chosen charities: for leukaemia research having losther grandfather to the disease, for the Sixth Form World ChallengeExpedition to China and for her school: she wanted to contribute tothe Appeal. So began one of the most gruelling practice schedulesimaginable. She swam Coniston, she swam Windermere, she spenther summer in Dover practising for ever longer periods and thencame home and made Hollingworth Lake her second home – comerain or shine and always in very cold temperatures. But whenHeather stepped off the beach in Dover on September 27th, turnedher face to Calais and swam, she had no idea if she could do it forshe had never managed quite so great a distance before. Most ofyou will know her story by now for Heather was successful. Whenshe returned to school for Monday assembly, every girl and everyteacher in the Roger Kay Hall stood in recognition of herachievement and the same thing happened when she spoke to theOld Girls at their reunion lunch the following week. What you maynot know is that Heather raised more than £19,500 and with muchof it going directly to the Sixth Form Centre, she becomes ouryoungest major donor.

Using more conventional methods of transport but still in thespirit of adventure and of seeking new challenges, our studentshave travelled far and wide this year. In the Summer holiday thegeographers went to Iceland and the Festival Choir to Austria.Linguists have visited Madrid and Historians, Berlin. Others haveskied in Panorama, British Columbia, Canada and in la Massana,Spain. No one will be travelling further this summer than JessicaWhiting who is to go to Australia for two weeks for the bi-annualHarry Messel International science school having secured hernational place as an outstanding physicist.

Laura Stoker (U6) gained her Associated London College ofMusic diploma on the clarinet which earns her the right to join thestaff in sporting an academic gown at next Prizegiving and is a veryimpressive achievement. The Sixth Form debating team won tworounds of a local Rotary public speaking competition to becomeregional finalists. Anneessa Mahmood, a member of this year’sLower Sixth Young Enterprise team, was voted Bury Student of theYear placing her in the top ten of 1074 students participating in theCompany Enterprise Programme in the Manchester area.

At the end of this academic year three members of staff are toretire. In the Senior School Mrs Cheyne was appointed as Head ofPsychology and introduced what is now one of our most popularand successful subjects with many girls choosing to study it atuniversity. M Bret has been a highly popular figure in our Frenchdepartment and will be remembered affectionately for his Galliccharm. It is impossible for me to imagine Bury Grammar Schoolwithout Diana Robinson, Head of Kindergarten. She has been aleading inspiration behind our new building and seen Kindergartenthrough a very successful inspection. She seeks the absolute bestfor her young children and she is also a giver. She works very longhours and she has also been a most generous donor on more thanone occasion to the Appeal. I said it was impossible for me toimagine BGSG without her so I am glad that I do not have to do itas she took up on Founders’ Day the Chairmanship of the OGAwhere she will continue to do a wonderful job.

We were inspected in February and received a glowing reportwhich concluded thus: ‘. . the school is notably successful, from theearly Years Foundation stage onwards in meeting its aims for theacademic success and personal development of all its pupils.Academic achievement is strongly developed by the high quality ofthe teaching and the pupils’ positive approaches to learning. Thepupils’ outstanding personal development, marked by theiropenness and positive approach, is fostered by their extra-curricular opportunities, the responsibilities they enjoy and highlevel of care for the best interests of the individual pupil.’ Thewhole report can be seen on the ISI website, www.ISI.net.

So we have had our own excellent BGSG school report andwe’ll allow ourselves a quick pat on the back but then its time tomove on back to the main job: our outgoing Upper Sixth must goseek their fortunes, our younger pupils must seek and develop theirtalents and we must all work together once more to build a SixthForm Centre because that is where the future of the two BuryGrammar Schools lies – in the limitless abilities of the students.Once more I appeal for the support of our Old Girls and Boys, ofour parents and of our friends. And I have no doubt such supportwill be forthcoming even in the most difficult times for: ‘This shallwe find, who seek it faithfully’.

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Bobby Georghiou, Headmistress of the Girls’ School, writes:

Berlin has been the backdrop to some of the defining moments ofEuropean history. In the 20th Century, for example, the death ofthe tyrant and dictator, Adolf Hitler, and Allied soldiers meetingin the city, signalled the end of the Second World War. Berlin hasalso witnessed the division of the country into democratic andcommunist states. This November, Germany will celebrate the20th anniversary of the momentous fall of the Berlin Wall;therefore, it seemed like an opportune moment for girls studyingHistory at GCSE, AS and A level to visit this historic city duringthe Easter holidays.

Highlights of our stay included: an illuminating night excursion tothe Reichstag, the German Parliament; a challenging Third Reichwalking tour, including a visit to the exact location of Hitler’s bunker

during the last days of the war; a trip to historic Potsdam; a tour ofthe Olympic stadium, built by Hitler for the 1936 Olympic Games;and a visit to the site ofCheckpoint Charlie, thefamous border crossingduring the Cold War.

After three hectic days andcountless German doughnuts,we arrived back in Liverpool,exhausted, but in unanimousagreement that the trip hadbeen a great success.Mrs C. Bevis

BGSG History Trip to Berlin

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Sir John CharnleyScience LectureOn Tuesday 10th June students studying Science at the BuryGrammar Schools were delighted to attend a mostinformative lecture given by Chris Faux, a former colleagueof Sir John Charnley and Chairman of Trustees for the SirJohn Charnley Trust. Chris Faux spoke passionately aboutthe ground-breaking research and work of Sir John whodeveloped a pioneering method of hip and joint replacementsduring his time working at Wrightington in the 1970s. Hislife-transforming surgery was at the cutting edge oftechnology and his techniques are still in practice to this day.

Sir John Charnley was born at Heywood Street in Bury in1911. Along with his sister Mary, he was educated at BuryGrammar School, gaining a place to study Medicine atManchester University in 1929. At the outbreak of war hevolunteered for army service, enlisting in the Royal ArmyMedical Corps, and was posted to the Middle East. It was thiswartime experience which sparked his interest in Orthopaedics ashe developed various types of appliances which enabled injuredsoldiers to return home to their families.

Working as an Orthopaedic Consultant he became a specialistin the treatment of arthritis, a crippling condition for somepatients. In 1960 he elected to head a team at WrightingtonHospital, devoting his time to the development of a new hipreplacement technique.

Chris gave a hands-on demonstration which captivated thestudent audience, many of whom have ambitions to studyMedicine themselves, and learning of the work of a former pupilwas inspirational. Students were shown examples of TeflonArthroplasty, where a coupling of plastic and metal is made,representing the joint, and cemented into position in the pelvicbone. The ingenuity of Sir John was clearly evident as thestudents learned of further inventions: a brush to clean the insideof the bone before securing the replacement joint, and a new‘clean air’ operating system which drastically reduced infectionrates from 10% to 0.4%.

Chris Faux gave a most entertaining and informative accountof the life and work of Sir John Charnley, the importance ofwhich has been acknowledgedworld wide, resulting in manyaccolades; but none meantmore to Sir John than beinggranted ‘The Freedom ofBury’. We are proud that hiseducation at BGS gave himthe self-belief to realise hisdreams.

Musical Masterclasswith Sir Thomas AllenOn Monday 26th January twelve students drawn from BuryCollege, Holy Cross College and Bury Grammar Schools wereprivileged to be instructed in a two-day masterclass delivered bythe world-famous baritone, Sir Thomas Allen.

The masterclass was inspired by the Rector of Bury and Chairmanof Governors at Bury Grammar Schools, Rev Dr John Findon, whocontacted Sir Thomas after listening to a radio interview. Sir Thomasreadily agreed to come to Bury to encourage and motivate youngstudents in their study of singing, giving freely of his time.

All twelve students worked individually and collectively with SirThomas and benefited hugely from the experience, visibly growingin confidence over the two days as Sir Thomas advised them how toproject their ideas and emotions through music. The students hadchosen a variety of pieces ranging from popular musical theatre toLes nuits d'été, by Hector Berlioz, Rejoice Greatly, from Handel'sMessiah, and Benjamin Britten’s Cradle Song.

The final two-hour masterclass was open to the public. It was arare opportunity to observe the ‘maestro’ at close hand and anabsolute treat to hear the students sing at their very best. All twelveparticipants were agreed that the occasion had been the highlight oftheir musical careers.

Sir Thomas’s musical career has spanned four decades; he hasperformed to great acclaim in more than 40 roles with the world’smost famous opera starsand regularly appears atThe Royal Opera House,Covent Garden, and atthe Metropolitan Opera,New York. His contri-bution to music wasrecognised when he wasawarded a knighthood in1999.

The Mind’s Eye –Exhibiting Artistic TalentMembers of the school community, together with invitedguests including artists and friends of the Schools arewelcomed each year to the annual Art exhibitions held in theGirls’ and Boys’ Schools.

Every year we are astounded at the wealth and variety ofcreativity in its many forms.

The exhibitions offer students the opportunity to showcase thefruits of their labour over the two-year GCSE and A level courses. Hundreds of square feet of display space are devoted to exhibitinga wide range of Art work, and constructions are always keenlyawaited and enthusiastically viewed by staff, students, parents andvisitors alike. The images below provide a flavour of the workdisplayed.

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Extending the hand of friendship .....Heralding Harvard’s HeritageReunion group celebrates Bury’s linkswith Harvard – following in the footstepsof Henry Dunster, the first President ofHarvard (1640).

On 20th September 2008 representativesof the Bury Grammar Schools visitedHarvard for the inauguration of the HenryDunster Society. The event was attendedby 32 people and included alumni who hadtravelled from as far as Queensland,Australia and others who had flown fromthe west coast of the US and Canada. Itwas a huge success.

A special highlight of the weekend was an interesting andthoughtful presentation by Megan Sniffin-Marinoff, the UniversityArchivist, in the august setting of the Pusey Library. The groupwas treated to a rare glimpse of Dunster artefacts including aviewing of the 1650 Charter of the Harvard Corporation, draftedby Henry Dunster. This is considered to be the Magna Carta ofAmerican higher education, normally on public view only whenHarvard appoints a new President.

Megan’s illuminating account of Dunster as a Lancashire ladfrom Bury Grammar School who had a profound and lastinginfluence on the formation of Harvard, and indeed, on Americanhigher education, was exceptional. Dunster was a former pupiland Headmaster of Bury Grammar School and his experience ofrunning a Lancashire grammar school was put to good use at

Harvard. Indeed wemay claim that BuryGrammar School ispart of the rockfrom which Harvardwas hewn.

The Schools wererepresented byDerek Calrow, asenior Governor andChairman of theD e v e l o p m e n t

Committee, Bobby Georghiou, Headmistress of the Girls Schooland Francine Healey, Development Officer. The Reunion Groupenjoyed a full weekend of celebrations, based in the welcomingand ambient atmosphere of the Harvard Faculty Club. As the daydrew to a close, the pleasure of learning new things and meetingold friends was enhanced by a gourmet dinner in The Jewel Box atUpstairs on the Square.

There is no doubt that the inauguration of the Henry DunsterSociety was a huge success and as we move towards the 400thanniversary of Dunster’s birth next year it is expected that linksbetween our two countries will strengthen.

As an act of generosity and to mark this historic occasion, OldBoy Geoffrey Wandesforde-Smith has formally registered a coat ofarms for the Henry Dunster Society with the UnitedStates Heraldic Registry. The arms of the Society jointhose of the Schools with a ship symbolisingDunster’s journey to America in 1640.

In July 2008, after two years of planning and fundraising, a group of 17 students and 4 staff members from BGSB embarked upontheir long-awaited World Challenge Expedition to Mongolia. The team that returned 4 weeks later was united in the opinion thatmemories of adventures shared and friendships forged during this life-enriching experience would stay with them forever. Bothstaff and pupils felt honoured to have been welcomed into the society of a truly remarkable people.

All photographs courtesy of Nathan Chandler (BGS 2008) who is now a professional photographer www.nathanchandler.co.uk

World Challenge – a life-changing experience

“By the end of the trip we were all exhausted but could saywithout risk of over-exaggeration that it was the best month any ofus had ever had!” Nico Hobhouse.

“It was touching to be made to feel so welcome by all of thechildren, who found wearing our sunglasses hilarious, loved to playbasketball and ambushed us with a surprise water fight at anyopportunity.” Nathan Chandler.

“Despite the differences in lifestyle I have never seen suchlevels of generosity and they showed to all the members of ourgroup how kindness can cross any boundaries of language.”Robbie Hernandez.

“An awesome adventure.” Mr. Ferguson.

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BGSG Sixth Form student Jessica

Whiting has been selected to attend a

prestigious science summer school at the

University of Sydney. Jessica is one of

five UK students who have been selected

to join other young scientists from around

the world for the biannual Harry Messel

International Science School.

When she isn’t attending lectures ontopics such as extra-terrestrial life and DNA,Jessica will have the opportunity to visitmany of the world-famous tourist attractionsin the area.

Jessica was nominated for the summerschool by Mrs Fielden, Head of Science atBGSG, and won her place after submittingpersonal statements and letters of recommen-dation, and completing an interview. She was

very surprised butdelighted to beselected and is lookingforward to thisexciting opportunity totravel and meet otherstudents and famousscientists. We wishher well ‘DownUnder’!

Traditional ThemesEducation moves forward at a startlingly fast pace, but it is reassuring to know that some of our oldest traditions have not beenabandoned. School assemblies are a BGS institution, providing a platform for the recognition of academic and sportingachievements, and an opportunity to expose pupils to thought-provoking ideas through music, poetry and prose.

However, the regular gathering of staff and students has a more profound effect than supplementing classroom teaching. The congregationof our school community serves to reinforce a common identity and acknowledge our place in the great history and rich tradition of theSchools. Assembly is a time to recognise themes of corporate responsibility and shared experiences; our non-denominational gatheringspromote good relations between ethnic minorities and the importance of tolerance, manners and moral values.

In producing interesting and informative material, many members of staff go above and beyond the call of duty to deliver their messagesin an entertaining and often humorous format to which their audience can relate. We have posted a selection of assembly scripts from thelast year on www.bgsdev.demon.co.uk.

In October 2008, courtesy of Madeleine Lindley Ltd, First Year pupilsof both Schools had the opportunity to meet Rick Riordan, a leadingAmerican author of books for children and adults. The studentslistened to an informative talk about Rick’s books and career,including his Percy Jackson series, which features a twelve-year-olddyslexic boy who discovers he is the modern-day son of a Greek god.Prior to a book-signing session, the author led a lively quiz based onGreek mythology.

2008 was the second year of“Booked Up”, an initiative run byBooktrust, to supply a free book toevery Year 7 child in the country.Dave Cryer, a keen advocate ofreading and an inspiring author,ran a drama workshop based onsome of the Booked Up titles forthe boys. He later worked withYear 7 girls who performed some

wonderful interpretations of scenes from the books. All the pupils wereinspired to take an interest in reading. Dave kindly answered questions putto him from members of the Girls’ School book club, the Bookaneers,about the publishing process and how to become an author.

Following a tour of BGSB last year, Old Boy of the school Dr. PhilipGrubb very kindly chose to make a gift of books to the Boys’ School LRC.The books, chosen on Dr. Grubb’s behalf by Mrs Montgomery, cover arange of subjects and will be of particular benefit to Sixth Form studentsattending university interviews. Staff and students are very grateful to Dr.Grubb for this generous and thoughtful donation.

Mrs Brandon, Head of English in the Boys’ School, was instrumental inorganising a book fair in association with PageNation as part of the WorldBook Day activity. The event was held in the LRC and commissions fromthe sales have helped in providing a number of new books for the library.

Joseph Delaney, author of the bestselling Spooks series, visited BGSBon Tuesday 10th March by arrangement with Random House Children’sBooks. There was a ‘Meet the Author’ event in the LRC at lunch time andJoseph talked about his spooky series including the brand new story writtenespecially for World Book day called The Spook’s Tale.

In May 2009, author John Malam visited BGSB to conduct an

Information Book creationworkshop with First Yearpupils. The boys worked inteams each electing anAuthor, Editor, Designer andIllustrator and collaborated toprepare plans for books on avariety of subjects connectedto healthy eating, a topic onthe PSHE curriculum. Titlesincluded Kidz Guide 2 Fruit,Chef’s Guide to School Dinners,

Delicious but Dangerous and Super Soup. Dave Cryer returned to theschool in May to lead a creative writing workshop. All the boys learned agreat deal about the writing processes and skills.

Both Senior Schools are participating in the Bolton Children’s BookAwards this year and a number of boys attended the launch event inJanuary. In May, thirteen girls from the Bookaneers club attended aworkshop organised by the University of Bolton and participated inactivities ranging from scriptwriting and drama to textiles and art.

A highlight for Kindergarten pupils in the Spring term was a visit fromaward-winning author-illustrator Emily Gravett. Emily spent a wholemorning in Kindergarten, reading some of her stories to the younger pupilsand explaining to the older children how she gets her ideas for both for thestories and the illustrations.

Emily was soimpressed by the newKindergarten building– in particular thelibrary – that she drewand autographed thelittle mouse from one ofher books on the librarywall. She also made agift of autographedbooks to the childrenand to the library.

Sydney Summer School Scientist

Budding Bookworms

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The Sound of MusicThe end of the Spring Term saw the Boys' and Girls' Schoolsjoin forces once again, this time in a production of The Soundof Music. Following the success of last year's production ofLes Miserables, tickets for this year's show had sold out withinhalf an hour of going on sale, leading to the addition of anextra night which also sold out within the hour.

Many cast members had been lucky enough to take advantageof the 2008 Festival Choir trip to Austria, where they were able toget into character “on location” and flex their vocal chords duringwonderful performances in Salzburg, Kitzbuhel and near toAchensee.

So many pupils from both schools wanted to be involved thatin order to allow as many of these keen young actors as possibleto have a role, a double - and in the case of some roles quadruple- cast was involved.

The cast did a superb job of sustaining the production over the5 performance nights and the previous months of rehearsing mostdefinitely paid off. Mention must also be made of the orchestra -made up of 14 students and 5 staff - which was never less thanexcellent. Similarly, the back-stage crew executed seamlessscene transitions and wereintegral to the success of theproduction as a whole.

A huge amount of credit isalso due to the members of staffresponsible for the production:the musical direction was takenon by Mr Chris Hyde, who wasassisted by Miss Britton, and the overall direction was shoulderedby Mrs Hammond.

No doubt parents, pupils, staff and friends of the Schoolalready await next year's production with eager anticipation!

Australasian AdventurePupils from BGSB will this summer embark upon the firstmajor overseas sports tour in the School’s history.

The BGSB group, made up of a Senior Rugby squad of 22, aDevelopment Football squad of 18 and 5 members of staff, will besetting off in July on their 3 week tour, the highlights of which willinclude visits to Brisbane, Auckland, Queenstown, Dunedin,Christchurch and Sydney. During the trip, each team will play sixmatches and in their free time the staff and students will be able tomake the most of some of the activities and sightseeing opportuni-ties that these fantastic destinations have to offer.

The tour has not come about without a huge amount of effortfrom both the players and the supporting staff. A programme offundraising events has been taking place over the last 2 years, oneof the major highlights of which was the “Bushtucker Ball” held inSpring 2008 at the Edwardian Radisson Hotel in Manchester. Thetrip has also been made possible thanks to the generous gifts andsponsorship that the teams have received.

The efforts of the staff and students involved have beenrecognised by established sportsmen Gary Neville and PatSanderson (BGSB1989), each of whom has sent a good luckmessage to the teams.

There is no doubt that the chance to tour far-flung parts of theglobe playing the sport they love is a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity for the boys, and we wish them a safe journey andsuccessful games.

For further information about the trip, please contact the tourorganiser and Director of Sport Lee Hilton at the Boys’ School.

A Glacial GetawayForty-six pupils from Bury GrammarSchool Girls had the learningexperience of a lifetime when they wentto Iceland in the Summer holidays. Thegirls studying for GCSEs and A levelsare all enthusiastic geographers andwere keen to see at first hand some of the geologicalwonders they had learned about in school lessons.

They started with the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoonand from there experienced the two extremes of intense heatand cold: the warm lava coming from one of the mostdestructive volcanic eruptions in the history of Iceland to theglaciers of Skaftafell National Park. They saw geysers spoutingup to 20 metres, and some spectacular waterfalls.

The visit was not for the faint-hearted as it also included atrip in a light aircraft to Heimaey Island, site of the volcano,and a three hour whale-watching and puffin-spotting boat tripin the Iceland Fjords.

To say that the girls were impressed with the experiencewould be an understatement. Headmistress Bobby Georghiouwas surprised to receive on her return to school after theholiday forty-six postcards from her students describing theamazing time they were having.

Mrs Georghiou said: ‘It was obvious that the girls made themost of their time in Iceland. They learned a lot and were fullof enthusiasm for everything they saw. I can’t imagine anyother holiday which might generate 46 postcards. I suspect

they may want to go on anothergeographical adventure next year.’

Leader of the expedition andHead of Geography Mrs VictoriaLeaver said: "The trip provided somevery keen geographers with a fantasticopportunity to witness some impressive

geological features first-hand and has fuelled the girls’ interestin the natural environment."

BGSB on BBCDuring the weekend of 7th/8th March, the Boys' School assemblyhall was turned into a television studio by the BBC for abroadcast of "The Big Question". The production team arrivedon Saturday afternoon with two 40 tonne trucks carryingseating, staging, lighting and sound equipment. On Sunday theflagship programme, which takes the BBC's prime religiousaffairs slot on BBC1, was broadcast live at 10.00am.

The show is presented by Nicky Campbell and the topicsdiscussed included the legacy of the British Empire and the role offathers. The great bonus for BGSB was that several members of theSixth Form - Jack Harrison (who has a conditional place to studyFilm Production at Bournemouth), Alex Jackson, Sam James,Andrew Langhorn, Jordan McBriar and James Tsim - were able totake advantage of the offer of work experience during the course ofthe weekend. The producers were so pleased with the facilitiesavailable that they have asked to return on three further occasionsduring the year.

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The Proof of Endearment is Endowment

We should like to record our gratitude tothe following Patrons of ‘The Way Forward’ Appeal

Nick and Pam BrownAlistair Burt MP

Derek CalrowNeville Cormack OBE

Mark Elder CBEPeter Haslam

Robert Hough DLJanet Lawley

Bridget McIntyreSir Peter OgdenHarold Riley DLPaul Rink OBE

Dr Gill Samuels CBEGeoffrey ShindlerNicola Shindler

Sir Cyril Smith MBE DL

Colin SnapeThe Stock Family

Sir David Trippier DLVictoria Wood OBEThe Yearsley Group

Sir John Zochonis DL

A Wealth of TalentMembers of the BGS community have found many innovative waysto use their skills to support the Appeal. Particular recognitionshould go to two noteworthy efforts from the last academic year.

Channel SwimLast September, 18-year old Heather Sellars realised her dream of

becoming one of the youngest people in the region to successfullytackle one of the toughest challenges in world swimming – crossing theEnglish Channel. She overcame a fear of jellyfish and battled throughbusy shipping lanes to complete the 21 mile swim.

After a strict training regime which saw her sacrificing a relaxingsummer in favour of sea-training in Dover, she finally set off on hergruelling journey on Saturday 27th September 2008. Four hours intothe swim the likelihood of success was bleak as she had to takepainkillers for severe back pain. However, she persevered and themoment Heather spotted France she was spurred by her determinationand courage to achieve her goal. She completed the swim in 10.5 hours,stepping onto French sands proud and exhausted.

Heather returned to School to an emotional and rapturous welcome inAssembly accompanied by her proud parents Carol and Callum Sellars.

The students gave Heather a standingovation lasting minutes. HeadmistressBobby Georghiou welcomed her homesaying, “Heather’s achievement is aninspiration to us all; we are so veryproud of her. Heather has undertaken anamazing challenge which she tackledwith great courage and sheer determina-tion. Well done Heather.”

In recognition of her outstandingachievement in completing this test andraising a total of £19,500, for the SixthForm Centre, World Challenge andLeukaemia Research, Heather was

recently presented with The Rochdale Childer Award.

Theatre SchoolAnother new fundraising venture came in the form of Theatre Week

2008 - a first for Bury Grammar School Girls. Held last summer, theweek-long course proved to be an excellent experience for 40 BGS boysand girls. Theatre Week allows students from the ages of 7-14 toparticipate on a one-week course during the summer holidays, workingtowards a final performance for an invited audience. Each day thepupils are invited to join workshops based upon Drama, Dance, Music,Costume and Stage Crafts. The pupils themselves take completeownership of all areas of the production under the watchful eye andcareful guidance of the highly professional staff. All participants wereagreed that the week was great fun and they gained valuable experience

of all aspects of theArts. The proceeds -almost £3,000 - weredonated to the Appeal.

Theatre Week 2009is entitled Bury SchoolMusical and will takeplace from 17th to21st August. Thereare still some placesavailable on thec o u r s e . P l e a s econtact Bury GrammarSchool Girls if youwould like to join us.

It gives me great pleasure to report that we have now raised£3.25 million towards our appeal for bursaries and newbuildings.

It has been a privilege to meet so many people who areinterested in making a difference to the future of our schools. Someare willing to lend their expertise, some like to help pupils directly,impacting their lives and career choices, and others are keen toprovide the support for capital projects which will have a positiveimpact on the education of generations of future pupils.

Within the last four years, we have raised sufficient funds tocreate 50 bursary places, offering gifted young students the life-changing opportunity of a BGS education. This has been achievedthrough the generous support of individual sponsors, as well as apool of monthly and one-off donations.

Our magnificent new Kindergarten and Pre-school was openedin September and is testament to the overwhelming support wehave received. Our youngest children will benefit from the finestenvironment imaginable in which to cultivate a love of learning.Looking forward

To complete the single vision which addresses the needs of ouryoungest and oldest pupils we must now look forward to the nextphase of our development plan – a new Sixth Form Centre for thepupils of both Schools.

To date we have £850,000 dedicated to this project which is afantastic achievement. However, if we are to reach our goal wemust sustain the momentum of our Appeal.

The whole project will cost in excess of £3 million. We expectphase one, the construction of a Lecture Theatre, to commence laterthis year.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us. Ournew developments are a great source of pride and serve to remindus of the worthiness of the Appeal. If you are considering offeringyour help, we urge you to share in our future, now.

Francine Healey, Development Officer

Development Fund Reaches £3.25million

BGS Old Boys’ Association Supports Bursary SchemeAt the 2008 AGM, a proposal was made to fund a half-bursary for a Sixth Form boy. We are delighted that the proposal was wellreceived by the members of the Association and in September 2008 a bright student was able to commence his A level studies at BGSowing to the generosity of the Association. We have no doubt that this opportunity will have a positive impact upon his future; themembers of the Association wish him every success and will look forward to hearing about his progress.

Any enquiries regarding support of the BGS Bursary Scheme can be directed to Francine Healey, Development Officer, Tel: 0161 764 1733or email francine@bgsdev.demon.co.uk

Cum laude et pecuniaThroughout our history we have been fortunate to benefitfrom legacies – gifts of all kinds, left by friends, parents andformer pupils. This year we have received two mostgenerous bequests, one from Peter Dearden (BGS 1960) andone from Margaret Timpany (BGS 1936). Both had aninestimable affection for their school and were life-longmembers of the Associations. For them, the motto, “Cumlaude et pecunia”, was most certainly true. They eachcultivated a thirst for knowledge and a spirit of adventureat BGS and attributed much of their success in life to thequality of their education. Their final act of generosity willensure that others have the same opportunity.

In September, owing directly to the generosity of Dr MargaretTimpany, two bright new pupils will commence their educationat BGSG, each secure in the knowledge that they will receivethe financial assistance necessary to complete their schoolcareers.

Peter Dearden’s gift has positively influenced the progress ofour new Sixth Form Centre which will provide our studentswith the facilities they need to take full advantage of a BGSeducation in the 21st century.

A legacy to Bury Grammar Schools will help futuregenerations enjoy the rich benefits of an excellent education.For further information, please do not hesitate to contactFrancine Healey.

9

t is Endowment

ecord our gratitude tof ‘The Way Forward’ Appeal McIntyreer Ogden Riley DL

Rink OBEamuels CBEy ShindlerShindlermith MBE DL

Colin SnapeThe Stock Family

Sir David Trippier DLVictoria Wood OBEThe Yearsley Group

Sir John Zochonis DL

To date we have £850,000 dedicated to this project which is afantastic achievement. However, if we are to reach our goal wemust sustain the momentum of our Appeal.

The whole project will cost in excess of £3 million. We expectphase one, the construction of a Lecture Theatre, to commence laterthis year.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us. Ournew developments are a great source of pride and serve to remindus of the worthiness of the Appeal. If you are considering offeringyour help, we urge you to share in our future, now.

Francine Healey, Development Officer

Derek CalrowDerek Calrow is a Governor, Chairman of theDevelopment Committee and an Appeal Patron.He is a passionate supporter of our Schools andcommitted to ensuring the success of our Appeal.Derek writes:When seated in the magnificent surroundings of Bury Parish Church onFounders’ Day, listening to the commemoration of our founders andoriginal benefactors, one has the opportunity to reflect upon theimportance of their gifts. To some extent, the list is symbolic becausetheir names are not known personally to the current generation.However, the vision and generosity of our forefathers brought our Schoolinto existence and our Governors remain committed to the founders’aims to deliver the finest education possible to bright girls and boys,irrespective of means. To achieve this, we must continue to rely uponbenefaction.

As independent schools, the Bury Grammar Schools can not call upon thetaxpayer to fund building developments which will undoubtedly enhance ourpupils’ education. Similarly, since 1997 and the advent of a LabourGovernment, meritorious pupils whose parents cannot afford our fees receiveno assistance from the Government.

It was a Rochdalian and a Patron of the Schools, Sir Peter Ogden, a hugelysuccessful computer entrepreneur, who challenged Bury and other independentgrammar schools to raise money to fund bursaries. He has been a mostgenerous contributor to our Schools, recognising the quality of education whichwe deliver. We are grateful to Sir Peter for his early support which hasundoubtedly encouraged others to give generously to our bursary fund.

The new Kindergarten is further evidence of what can be achieved if thereis the will to succeed. The facilities in this purpose-built school are second tonone and demonstrate the quality we may anticipate in the new Sixth FormCentre.

Recently, the Schools have benefited from a legacy in excess of £200,000from the estate of Peter Dearden, an Old Boy of the school. Peter graduatedfrom Birmingham University in Chemical Engineering, going on to build hislife in the USA. His generous bequest reflects his affection for BGS and thepositive impact it had upon his life. His vital contribution will go towards theSixth Form Centre.

That great servant of the Bury Grammar Schools, Jack Farraday OBE,made a bequest in his will which has made it possible for a decade of pupilsto benefit from BGS education. There are also others who have been willingto make a final, but lasting, gift to enrich the education of our pupils today.

Over the years, many talented students pass through these schools. Theyleave us as confident individuals, armed not only with the knowledge theyhave acquired, but also with a sense of belonging and comradeship. It isheart-warming to view the response of our alumni. Many are willing toensure that others receive the benefits which have helped them achievesuccess in life.

I am a proud grandfather of six. It gives me the greatest pleasure to seethe progress of five grandchildren already at BGS – and one little lady is inwaiting! I declare a self-interest in my donations to the splendid facilitieswhich they will enjoy now and in the future.

We have had some wonderful responses from alumni, parents, formerparents, Governors and staff, both current and retired. It says something ofthe extraordinary commitment of some current parents, who not only pay feesfor their own children, but also give generously to both bursaries and buildingdevelopments. I give you my warmest thanks.

The Boys’ and Girls’ Schools are in excellent shape in the hands of StevenHarvey and Bobby Georghiou. Under Steven’s stewardship there has been atransformation of the standing of the Boys’ School. The recent Inspectors’Report of the girls’ school was truly outstanding. David Harrison capablyhandles the finances of the schools with total dedication.

Lastly, Francine Healey co-ordinates events, alumni relations andfundraising. As an Old Girl and current parent, she is steeped in the bestinterests of the Schools.

I urge everyone to support the Appeal as they are able. Every donation willmake a difference to our schools’ future, whether modest or significant. Igive you my assurance that your contribution will be gratefully received andprudently applied.

For further information about the Appeal, please contact FrancineHealey, Development Officer on 0161 764 1733

aches £3.25million

Supports Bursary Schemefor a Sixth Form boy. We are delighted that the proposal was well08 a bright student was able to commence his A level studies at BGS

hat this opportunity will have a positive impact upon his future; theforward to hearing about his progress.

be directed to Francine Healey, Development Officer, Tel: 0161 764 1733

In September, owing directly to the generosity of Dr MargaretTimpany, two bright new pupils will commence their educationat BGSG, each secure in the knowledge that they will receivethe financial assistance necessary to complete their schoolcareers.

Peter Dearden’s gift has positively influenced the progress ofour new Sixth Form Centre which will provide our studentswith the facilities they need to take full advantage of a BGSeducation in the 21st century.

A legacy to Bury Grammar Schools will help futuregenerations enjoy the rich benefits of an excellent education.For further information, please do not hesitate to contactFrancine Healey. Tel: 0161 764 1733 or email francine@bgsdev.demon.co.uk

email. francine@bgsdev.demon.co.uk or Derek Calrow on 07813 773336.

Founders’ DayCelebrationsThe traditional Founders’ Day march toBury Parish Church took an abrupt‘about turn’ this year. Lead by theSchools’ CCF, pupils and staff had tochange course as the procession wasdiverted around Bolton Street whilst theusual route was closed because of a policeinvestigation.

On the occasion of Founders’ Day it isour tradition to give thanks and celebrate thevision and the generosity of the founders andbenefactors who brought our School intoexistence. They recognised the value of agood education and established a schoolwhich would deliver the finest educationpossible to girls and boys, irrespective ofmeans. Our Governors remain committed tothose values today.

It is also traditional to pay our respects tothe Old Boys who died in the two Great Warsand a two-minute silence was held after thewreath laying at the War Memorial. Bugler,Chris Parsons, played the Last Post.

This year, we were delighted to welcomeHenry Ashcroft, who last attended theService some 67 years ago. Henry is reputedto be one of the finest mathematicians theschools have ever produced; he was pleasedto return and enjoyed the Service whichremains unchanged from his schooldays.

At the lunch following the Service, JohnFindon, Chairman of Governors, acknowl-edged the support of current benefactorswhose generosity is so vital to the future ofour schools.

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TThhee KKeeyy

Battlefields Tour 2008

This year the Schools welcomed some new staff members. Among them are Helen Brandon, Head of English, and Tim Nicholson, Head ofMathematics, in the Boys’ School.

When asked for their first impressions of BGS we found some recurring comments, most especially regarding the calibre of our pupils and thewarmth of our community.

Helen writes: “As a Bury girl who counts a number of Old Boys from 1995 – 1998 amongst her acquaintances, it’s fair to say that my firstimpressions of BGSB were formed long before I darkened the threshold of Tenterden Street. These Old Boys all had a number of things in common:a healthy appetite, sporting prowess, excellent banter, forthright opinions and a generous nature when it came to getting in a round. Having survivedmy first year here, I now realise that there is a very good reason why my friends share these qualities: you can take the boy out of BGSB but youcan’t take BGSB out of the boy!

As the first woman to hold the post in nearly five hundred years of the School’s history, I felt I had a great responsibility resting on my shoulders.Looking through the books in the English stockroom, I was struck by the fact that the bookplates showed that some of the texts had been lent out totwo or three generations of the same family! The values of family, continuity and community are integral to the success of BGSB and I have beenmade to feel very welcome.

Meeting the boys and getting to know them has been one of the most exciting aspects of my job. I consider myself to be very lucky to work withsuch entertaining, witty and bright boys. The main differences I have found are the extraordinary self-confidence that the lads have, particularlywhen it comes to performance, and their good manners…”.

The remainder of Helen’s report along with Tim Nicholson’s full report can be found on our alumni website www.bgsdev.demon.co.uk

First Impressions

Over half-term 40 pupils and 7 membersof staff went on the School’s 15th annualOctober battlefields tour. To mark the90th anniversary of the end of the FirstWorld War this year’s trip visited sitesconnected with some of the last battles ofthat terrible conflict. As usual the tourfeatured a unique itinerary, the fruit ofmonths of careful research in thiscountry, France, the USA and Australia.

Amongst the special events on thisyear’s tour a wreath was laid at theAustralian National Memorial at VillersBretonneux on behalf of PulteneyGrammar School in Adelaide, SouthAustralia, six of whose former pupils arecommemorated on the memorial. A CCFcolour party took part in a specialcommemoration at the American FirstWorld War cemetery at Bony, where ourbuglers played the American ‘Taps’ inplace of the more familiar ‘Last Post’. Asalways, the graves or places of commem-oration of several Old Boys were visited.In addition sixth-former Nico Hobhouselaid a wreath at the Pozieres Memorialwhere his great-great uncle Captain PaulHobhouse of the Somerset Light Infantryis commemorated. Chris Lees, a veteranof five battlefield tours, was able to visitthe grave of his great-great uncle,Corporal Alfred Smith, from Burnley,

who was killed only days before the warended. Chris laid a wreath and read outAlfred’s poignant last letter, in which heexpects to be back home by Christmas.

The tour ended with a visit to the graveof 19 year old Lieutenant Joseph Morrisof the Lancashire Fusiliers, the last BGSOld Boy killed in action in the FirstWorld War. He died on 4th November1918, exactly one week before the end ofthe war. Joseph Morris was one of threebrothers, all Old Boys, members of theSchool cadet force and officers in theLancashire Fusiliers. The other two wereboth seriously wounded. Joseph has theSchool motto ‘Sanctas Clavis ForesAperit’ inscribed on his headstone. ASchool wreath was laid on his grave bySenior Cadet Alex Benn, the buglersplayed ‘Last Post’ and the tour party sangthe school song as a fitting conclusion toanother successful tour.

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War MemorialThe History Department at the Boys’ School is involved in anumber of research projects with which alumni and readersof The Key may be able to help.

The Bury Virtual War Memorial, which aims to eventuallyrecord each of the estimated 3,000 men from the Bury area whodied in the Great War, is being added to as time permits. Theentries for 1914-1916, based on the Bury Times ‘Books ofHonour’ published after the war, are nearly complete.Unfortunately , the ‘Bury Times’ never published the planned1917-1919 volumes, so gathering the entries for these will entailgoing through the bound copies or microfilms of the newspapersthemselves to locate and record the original obituaries andphotographs. This will be a very time-consuming process.

One of the 97 Old Boys of the School who died in the FirstWorld War was Lieutenant Robert Taylor Hardman of the SpecialBrigade, Royal Engineers. He was killed on the disastrous FirstDay of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916, aged 27, and iscommemorated on the massive Thiepval Memorial to theMissing. A couple of years ago an identity tag and a whistlebelonging to Robert Hardman were kindly donated to the school.It is planned to display these together with a photograph of him.Unfortunately the picture accompanying his obituary in the ‘BuryTimes’ is of very poor quality and Manchester University, fromwhere he graduated in Chemistry, does not have a photograph ofhim in its archives. I am wondering if any relative of his might beable to help.

Walter OliveyAnother, earlier, military Old Boy was Lieutenant Walter

Olivey. He died at the Battle of Maiwand in Afghanistan in 1880.He is believed to have been the lastofficer in the British army to be killedcarrying the Queen’s Colours intobattle. There is a magnificentmemorial to him in the Roger KayHall, paid for by his former schoolfel-lows and unveiled in 1911. The schoolhas recently been in touch with two ofWalter Olivey’s relatives, Mr. PaulGeddes and Mr. James Heale, whohave kindly supplied a large amount

of fascinating information about him, including photographs,letters and newspaper articles. It is hoped that this informationwill form the basis of a talk and display about Walter Olivey andthe Battle of Maiwand later in the year.

Wartime RefugeesWe are keen to gather further information about the remarkable

initiative undertaken by the School before the Second World Warwhereby Jewish refugee children from Germany were placed withhost families in Bury. It had been agreed with the Headmaster, MrLord, and the Governors that the school would offer an educationfor 4 boys and 4 girls, provided homes could be found for them

with local families. This was a revolutionary decision, giveninternational relations at the time, but it was most certainly ahumane course of action.

In December 2008 Dr Victor Maxwell (BGS 1939-1946)visited the school and talked to Sixth Formers about the periodimmediately before the 1939-1945 War. He gave an illuminatingaccount of the political situation which led to some victims ofpersecution fleeing Nazi Germany. He spoke of the warmwelcome his family had extended to one such refugee, WolfgangPlessner. Wolfgang’s escape from Germany was arranged byMiss Hilda Buckmaster, a School Governor. The studentsrelished the opportunity to learn about life at BGS during thisdifficult period and to ask pertinent questions of Dr Maxwell.

Subsequently Mr Michael Oppenheim (BGS 1940-1947) haswritten a short article about the refugee lodged with his family,Ernest Sussman. Michael was just nine years old when Ernestarrived in England and they both attended BGS. Ernest stayed inEngland after the war and became a Mathematics teacher.Michael and Ernest remained close friends until Ernest’s deathsome years ago.

Other refugees whose names are known to us are Hans Fessler,Ernst Fraenkel and Joely Caniol. There were eight refugeechildren in all.

Articles written by Mr Victor Maxwell and Mr MichaelOppenheim can be found on the alumni websitewww.bgsdev.demon.co.uk. They make for thought-provokingreading; the families involved made a huge emotional, physicaland financial commitment to save the lives of strangers.

Local HistoryThe History Department is currently looking to increase the

coverage of local history in its teaching programme. One aspectof this is a planned project to commemorate the 65th anniversaryof the Christmas Eve V-bomb attack on Tottington in 1944. Anyinformation which readers could supply would be very gratefullyreceived.Mark Hone

Lost Alumni – Our Reunite ServiceAs the years go by, many of our former pupils unfortunately have difficulty keeping in touch with each other and often, owing to changesof address and circumstance, are unable to maintain contact for very long. We are always very pleased to help with reuniting “lost” alumniwhenever we can; we are in touch with thousands of Old Boys and Girls and will always do our best to locate your old classmates for you.Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like our assistance in finding old friends.

Equally, we are always grateful to receive any information about the alumni we have still not been successful in locating. Please do takea few moments to view the Lost Alumni area of our website; if you have any details about the Old Boys and Old Girls listed, please contactLouise at the Development Office on 0161 764 1733 or email louise@bgsdev.demon.co.uk

TThhee KKeeyy

12

Summer Fun DayBGSB Parents’ Association held their secondSummer Fun Day on 29th June 2008. Featuringa paintball alley, a giant slide, a jugglingworkshop, an auction, a climbing wall, aninflatable bungee run and many otherattractions, the scene was set for a spectacularfamily day out.

Despite being beset by inclement weatherconditions, parents, staff and pupils put in a hugeamount of effort and delivered a spectacularoccasion, raising a grand total of £4,400 for theSchool.

2009 sees the return of this event and willfeature many of the traditional favourite stalls andactivities, as well as new features including a pirateship obstacle course and CBBC’s Crocodile Joewho will be bringing a stuffed crocodile and aselection of live snakes. Braver spectators willhave the opportunity to have their photographstaken with the snakes.

The Bury DinnerA good time was had by all at the annual Founders’ Daycelebrations. Guest of Honour at the Reunion Dinner on 8thMay was Derek Calrow, who was attending his 52ndCONSECUTIVE Old Boys’ Dinner. Derek is a passionatesupporter of the Schools, a Governor, Appeal Patron andChairman of the Development Committee, as well ascommitted parent, grandparent and Old Boy. He wore hismany hats equally well as he reminisced about his days atschool whilst also highlighting the ongoing Way ForwardAppeal. The Headmaster brought the Old Boys up to date withthe extremely busy and varied endeavours of the School.

Attending his first dinner as new Chairman of the Old Boys wasformer pupil and teacher, Melvyn Ince, who had the pleasant dutyof presenting a Gerry Halpin original watercolour of the Schools tohis predecessor, John Hutton, on his retirement as Chairman after9 years.

Amongst the 120+ Old Boys attending was Clifford Billings -the first time he’d returned to the Annual Dinner since leavingschool in 1940. Attendees travelled from far and wide, includingBarry Henstock, who made his annual trip from Canada.

Old Boys who wish to receive the invitation for future dinnerscan do so by joining the Old Boys’ Association for a lifesubscription of £25.00. Please contact Michelle Bradshaw byemail: michelle@bgsdev.demon.co.uk or tel: 0161 764 1733.

The London DinnerThe BGSOB London Dinner took place on Monday 11th Mayin the splendid setting of the Strangers’ Room in the ReformClub on Pall Mall. Edward Lord arranged the event with hiscustomary aplomb.

Whilst it would be impossible to mention all alumni present,note must be made of Sir Brian Cubbon GCB, Derek Calrow(School Governor), Alistair Burt MP (Tory) and David Armsbey(Second Master at BGS Boys, History teacher extraordinaire,return attendee after his triumph in 2008 and standing in for theabsent Headmaster).

Other tables consisted of some young whippersnappers andsome most distinguished gentlemen for whom the term Old Boyone might say has now become apt. Age had not (yet) witheredthem, I am pleased to report.

The formal proceedings began, after a few erudite words ofintroduction from Edward Lord, with a fine rendition, by theChairman, of The Carrigan Grace. Having disposed of Grace, theChairman proposed a toast to The Founders and Benefactors.

Then came the opportunity for the participants to remember thefine words of The School Song and how to pronounce Latin. Ithought the rendition was quite tuneful. In time-honoured tradition,all present then introduced themselves.

A highlight of the evening was Sir Brian’s speech. Hereminisced in a most amusing manner about time spent in bombshelters at BGS during the war; the oratory culminated with SirBrian proposing a toast to The Queen, Duke of Lancaster.

Another highlight of the evening was the review of the past yearat the School given by David Armsbey. Suffice to say, the Schoolis doing jolly well. Notable retirements mentioned were MalcolmCurtis (Business Studies and Economics) and John Kendall(French). Mr Armsbey was careful to mention the perhapsapocryphal (origin certainly lost in the mists of time), Blue won atOxford for his pugilistic efforts all those years ago by Mr Kendall.

The final speech, albeit prompted by the Q&A session towardsthe end of the evening, was given by Derek Calrow. Derek workstirelessly for BGS and is actively involved in the ongoingfundraising work of the Development Office. It was a rare pleasureto have him attend a London Old Boys’ Dinner. He spoke about theassociation of BGS with Harvard and the Henry Dunster Society,paying particular tribute to Geoffrey Wandesforde-Smith and thework of Francine Healey, Development Officer of the School.

Sadly, there was no Lancastrian cheese nor were there any blackpuddings.

David Shapiro missed his first London dinner in 25 years so Ihad the responsibility of representing the Shapiros.Marcus Shapiro (1981)

There is an active BGS Alumni Group on the professionalnetworking website LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com

BGS Old Boys’ Annual Dinner Reports 2009

Bury Lunch – October 2008Suzanne Gauge was contacted last year and asked if she would bewilling to organise a reunion for her year group. She embracedthe challenge and enthusiastically organised one of the largest andmost successful reunions for many years. We were delighted thatSuzanne’s interest in the Old Girls’ Association was renewed andpleased that she has chosen to become actively involved with theAssociation, taking on the role of Secretary. For furtherinformation about the OGA please do not hesitate to contactSuzanne by email: s.gauge@btinternet.com or tel: 01706 632724.

1988 Year Group - 20 Year ReunionLast year I

somehow foundmyself responsiblefor organising our 20year school reunion.I seem to rememberthat I received thecall 3 weeks aftergiving birth to mysecond child. Onreflection, Iwondered what onearth I had agreed to! However, organising it proved to be afantastic experience. Tracking people down was certainlychallenging but the more people I got in touch with the more keenI became to contact everyone on the list. I was hooked. To behonest, the job was made so much easier by the fact that nearly allmy former school mates were up for the event and it wasfascinating to find out what everyone was up to and where theywere in the world. Incredibly around 10 people were scatteredacross 4 continents.

In the end, we managed to get 40 people together. Ahead of theevent the usual concerns surfaced with most people - would it allbe about what people had achieved and how successful they wereand, of course, what on earth will I wear? However on the day itwas all about renewing old friendships, seeing how the school hadchanged, reminiscing about what we used to get up to in school -all the old stories came out - and having a good laugh at old and in

most cases incriminatingphotos that had been dug upout of parents’ lofts! I think our group wasconsidered a little loudactually, probably fuelledby large quantities ofalcohol. One friend arrived

for our reunion to be told ‘oh yesyou’re with the 1988 group -you’re in ‘the party room’.

It is amazing how the yearsmelt away when you get togethereven when you haven’t seenpeople for 20 years. I wouldrecommend the experience to all‘old girls’. To be honest, it was a shame the day passed so quickly.Suzanne Gauge

London, May 9th 2009Arriving at Tavistock Square the Saturday after Founders’ Day

is one of the highlights of my year. I strive to look composed but itis not every traveller who approaches London with a laptop, aprojector and 1lb creamy Lancashire, 1lb tasty Lancashire, 1lbcrumbly Lancashire – and I could go on. The tradition of theHeadmistress bringing Lancashire cheese from Bury Market to theLondon Branch OGA annual lunch and meeting was begun Ibelieve by Miss Lester and it now gains me admission to one of thebest lunches London could provide. It all appears as if by magicfrom various holdalls and wheeled cases, is co-ordinated in a wayonly those educated in the best of northern schools could achieveand tastes unbelievably good.

As you would expect, we all exchange stories as I come armedwith my contemporary BGSG anecdotes which are often trumpedby the memories of all of our London Old Girls. Anyone attendingcan tell you that the careers are rich and varied and that there is agreat deal of pleasure to be had in exchanging news of the yearsince we last met and sharing plans for the future. It is the Schoolwhich still brings us all together and this is friendship at its best.This year we had the pleasure of being joined by two young OldGirls studying at London University in their first year and I verymuch hope that more may join next year.

The story of the year this time must go to Mrs Enid Hunt whohad discovered Miss Kitchener’s grave in Foxton, Cambridge.Distressed by its state of disrepair she contacted School and theGovernors agreed to finance its restoration. We looked at thephotographs comparing before and after and recognised again thepower of the school bond which led an Old Girl from a differentgeneration to respect the memory and rest of a formerHeadmistress.

Sue Durrans and Brenda Parmiter presided over the event withgreat warmth, were duly elected to continue and are to be thankedby us all for the organisation and energy which they give to ourthriving and very successful London Branch. Next year is in mydiary (8th May) and the cheese is on order . . .Bobby Georghiou

13

On a wet and windy Saturday morning, it did not look asthough the annual May Gala at BGSG would be taking placeoutdoors as usual, but a brave decision by the organisers sawthe BGSG Parents’ Association open their ‘All-American’themed gala at 12 noon in bright sunshine. Although this soongave way to intermittent showers, the afternoon’s entertain-ment and fund-raising for the school was not spoiled.

A highlight of the event was the visit from local celebrity andBGS Old Boy Andrew Nutter, who judged the ‘American HomeBaking’ competition. After sampling more than 25 entries, heawarded prizes to Simone Udwadia, Philippa Rogers, Faye Hughesand Shona Ali.

Also on offer at the Gala were cheerleading demonstrations andclasses by the Heywood Cheerleading Squad, a “mad hair” parade

for Junior School pupils,fairground rides, stalls,raffles, a balloon race and aKindergarten fancy dresscompetition. The wholeevent was accompanied by afantastic selection of up-beatAmerican tunes from theSchool band.

The Parents’ Associationwas successful in raisingover £6000 from the eventfor School funds.

Home and Away – Old Girls’ Reunion Lunches

May Gala

I Am Justice:A Journey Out of AfricaPaul Kenyon (BGS 1984) is an award-winning journalist who has worked forthe BBC for almost twenty years. He iscurrently a reporter for Panorama andit was whilst making a documentary onAfrican migrants in 2007 that hebecame friends with Justice Amin.

Every year thousands of Africans risktheir lives on one of the world’s mostperilous migration routes. In his newbook, A Journey Out of Africa, PaulKenyon tells the story of just one ofthem, Justice Amin.

14

International ChampionAbigail Irozuru (BGSG 2008) is currently studying Law with French Law at UniversityCollege London (UCL) and has just completed her first year.

In addition to her studies, Abigail, a talented long jumper, has been training hard and hasthe 2012 Olympics firmly in her sights. Abigail represented BGSG throughout her schoolcareer and very few could match her athletic prowess. We are proud that the School has beena springboard to her future success.

Despite a nagging injury, Abigail hasamassed 8 international fixtures forGreat Britain since 2007. Theseinternationals have been at very highlevels, and Abigail has seen a steadyprogression in her performance tocoming 8th in the final at the WorldJuniors in Poland and, later that year,becoming Commonwealth YouthChampion. In February 2009 Abigailalso competed at her first seniorinternational meeting at Glasgow.

Abigail now aims to qualify for theEuropean Junior Championships in July.She has already jumped over 6 metresthis year and hopes to meet thequalifying standard of 6.10m for theevent. Sadly, her training is once againbeing hampered by injury, but we hopeshe will not suffer too great a setback.

Abigail is grateful to her sponsors, theRon Pickering Fund, Lloyds TSBSportsaid, Adidas and Virgin Trains. Shealso deeply values the support of hercoach, John Crotty, friends and family.

Perhaps 2012 will be the year of thefirst BGSG Olympian.

Choral ConnectionAfter a long and successful career as Head of Music at BGSG, Dorothy Stoddard has,in her retirement, been delighted to reconnect with former pupils.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my years of teaching at BGSG was conductingthe Festival Choir, and when I came to retire after many years of working with suchtalented and gifted singers, it was quite a sad moment for me, thinking that my days as achoral conductor were about to end.

I need not have worried. In the summer of 2008, a year after retiring, I was approachedby a choir in Rochdale who were longing to sing but did not have a Director. And so"Serenade" was born.

Word soon got around and before long we had a choir of excellent voices, including anumber of past students of BGS. It has been an absolute pleasure to remain in contact withthese former pupils and to witness their transformation from school girls into lively,interesting young women busy getting on with their lives. Our choir members represent arange of age groups and a diverse selection of career paths, but the one thing that many ofus have in common is a keen interest and a warmth of spirit that we all shared during our

years at BGSG.Last summer, I also spent a day acting on a film set near

Coventry, directed by Elena Makris (nee Gabrilatsou,BGSG Head Girl in 1994). I had a fantastic timeimprovising the role of a posh lady sipping champagne anddancing at a civic reception. Ricky Tomlinson was themayor and the part of the headmistress was played by PamFerris. Elena was excellent. She has such energy andhumour – clearly still full of the BGS spirit! - and I lovedwatching her work. She kept coming up to me and givingme my orders - just like school but roles reversed. I lappedit up!

I am fortunate that my retirement has been enrichedthrough my association with former pupils and I lookforward very much to forging future connections.

TThhee KKeeyy

current affairs

£12.99/$34.95preface publishingan imprint of random housewww.rbooks.co.uk

www.prefacepublishing.co.uk

Cover Photographs © National Library of Scotland

Cover design by Two Associates

Eighty miles off the North African coast, a tiny fibreglass boat is sinking.

There are twenty-seven men crammed on board. All are desperate. Then

one of them spots a ship on the horizon. They clamber onto the floats of

a giant fishing net as their boat finally rolls over and disappears beneath

the Mediterranean Sea.

Justice Amin, is exhausted, cold and soaked. As night comes, all hopes of

rescue fade and he is left drifting in a hazy place between Africa and

Europe, darkness and light, innocence and experience.

Justice’s journey began in Ghana, at the hands of his uncle, an abusive

medicine man. Determined to make something of his life, he fled across

the Sahara Desert, before being captured, jailed and tortured. He

managed to escape and headed for the people smugglers of Libya, who

he hoped would sail him to freedom and prosperity across the sea to

Britain, the ‘home country’.

Every year thousands of Africans risk their lives on one of the world’s

most perilous migration routes. Paul Kenyon tells the true story of just

one of them, Justice Amin.

IAMJUSTICEAJOURNEY

OUTOFAFRICAPA

UL

KENYON

I AM JUSTICEA JOURNEY OUT OF AFRICA

PAUL KENYON

ObituariesIt is with great sadness that we record thedeaths of the following Old Boys, OldGirls and former staff members:

Richard Booth (1970)John Carter (former staff)Stephen Cohen (1963)Anne Crossley (1956)John Crux (1956)John Fairbrother (1962)H Trevor Forrester (1944)Sean Foxcroft (2002)Mary HamerRoger Hamer (1965)Joanne Hodgkinson (1982)Stuart Hope (1944)Doreen Hyde (1940)Angela Lees (1953)Wayne Parker (1993)Edna Rowley (1943)Virginia Sharp (1982)Betty Soper (former staff)Eileen TownsendGeoffrey Wignall (former staff)Joan Wilkinson (1940)

Further information is available on ourwebsite www.bgsdev.co.uk

15

Golfing PlatformAfter leaving the confines of Bury andBGSB, and graduating from PlymouthUniversity with a degree in Geologicalsciences, I quickly secured a positionworking offshore in the North Sea as aLogging Geologist. However, I hadalways been drawn to the idea of militarylife, notably after my experience of BGSCCF and University OTC (OfficerTraining Corps). Before long, I foundmyself being dressed in Green afterpassing both physical and mentalselection phases as a potential RoyalMarines Officer.

Passing out from the CommandoTraining Centre, I had the great honour for ashort while of leading a troop of RoyalMarine Commandos in deployments abroad.I had wanted to fly for the Navy but,discovering that I was too old to do so, Idecided to look for an occupation that wouldallow me to combine work with my mainhobby and passion – Golf.

The oil industry is perfect for me as itallows me half the year off to spend timefollowing such hobbies, so I was soon backoffshore working as a Well Site Geologist. Iwas later asked to head out to the PersianGulf to work on an expansion phase ofoffshore oil & gas fields, discoveries ofwhich have recently made Qatar the richestcountry in the world per capita. It is herethat I have had the great fortune to beinvolved with ALS BD-04A which, at 40320feet, is the longest drilled well in the world.

Much of my success in the field ofGeology is thanks to the excellent subjectgrounding given to me by the staff at BGSB.I would like to thank all my teachers and inparticular Mr. Bishop and Mr. Bradley whoinspired in me a thirst for geologicalknowledge.

Thomas Kirkman (BGSB 1989-96)

During his leave from work, Thomaslives in the south of France, where he enjoyscompeting in amateur golf tournaments andplaying for his club team, as well asindulging in his other hobbies, DIY andastronomy.

Old Girl Catherine Masling (1987 – 1995) has pursued a careerin the Armed Forces following University.

Catherine was the first girl to join the CCF, in 1993, and theexperience sparked her interest in a military career. Whilst studyingat Leeds University, this interest was developed through involvementwith Leeds University Officer Training Corps (LUOTC) and it wasduring this time that she decided on a career as an Army Officer.Catherine completed Officer training at the Royal Military AcademySandhurst (RMAS) in December 2000 and was commissioned intothe Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). Her career to date hasincluded postings across the UK and Germany and operationaldeployments to Bosnia in 2001, Iraq in 2003 and Afghanistan in 2007,interspersed by Staff appointments. Despite the high operationaltempo, opportunities for sport still present themselves occasionally

and she continues to play hockey for the Corps team and has learnt to sky-dive. Her mostrewarding post in her career to date was as the Operations Officer for the unit with whichshe deployed to Afghanistan, as it involved being part of a team that provided real-timemedical support to the soldiers on the ground. That made a difference. In addition to hercareer, Catherine is married to Craig Terblanche, also a serving Army Officer. Catherine hasrecently promoted to Major and will shortly be taking up a post in Germany.

The Queen’s Commission for two Old BoysOn 27th September 2008, proud parents and former pupils of BGS, Major Steve andJeanette Douthwaite of Walshaw Park, Bury, attended the Royal Military AcademySandhurst to watch their younger son Philip pass out as a 2nd Lieutenant aftercompleting the demanding Territorial Army Commissioning Course. Philip, who leftthe school in 2006, is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at LiverpoolUniversity where he is a member of the University Officer Training Corps. He willreturn to Sandhurst in September 2009 following graduation to undertake theRegular Army Commissioning Course after which he wishes to follow in his father’sfootsteps and serve in the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

This was the second proud occasion this year for the Douthwaite family. In June, elderson Stuart who left the school in 2003 and who also studied at Liverpool University, passedout of the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth as a Sub Lieutenant in the RoyalNavy. He is currently training to be a Warfare Officer and has already served on the aircraftcarrier HMS Ark Royal visiting Norway and the United States. At the end of October hewill join HMS Gloucester, a Type 42 destroyer based in Portsmouth.

Steve is currently serving as theOfficer Commanding at the DefenceSchool of Transport Workshop nearBeverley in East Yorkshire, commuting atweekends to Bury where the family settledin 1995 after returning from Germany.Jeanette, a radiographer, works for theBolton, Bury and Rochdale breast-screening service.

As Stuart and Philip embark on theirrespective military careers, Steve preparedto retire from the Army in May 2009 after39 years’ Service. Time at last to do thegardening and hopefully become activelyinvolved in the local community.

Armed for Success

Memory LaneWhen we look back on our years at school, certain memoriesseem to stand out more than others: school trips, newfriends, favourite teachers, sports days, talent shows,dramatic fire drills and celebrated snow days oftencontribute to our best recollections and defining moments.What’s your most outstanding memory of your years atBGS? We invite you to submit your best stories to the Memory Lane section of our alumniwebsite www.bgsdev.co.uk . Contributions will be posted on the website and our personalfavourites will appear in Issue 12 of The Key.

TThhee KKeeyy

16

CONTACT DETAILSSteven HarveyHeadmaster

Bury Grammar School BoysTenterden Street,Bury BL9 0HNTelephone: 0161 797 2700Email:headmaster@bgsboys.co.uk

Roberta GeorghiouHeadmistress

Bury Grammar School GirlsBridge Road,Bury BL9 0HHTelephone: 0161 797 2808Email:info@bgsg.bury.sch.uk

ce,

David HarrisonBursar

Bury Grammar SchoolsBursar’s OffiFarraday House, Bridge Road,Bury BL9 0HGTelephone: 0161 764 4442Email:dah@burygsoffi ce.demon.co.uk

cer

ce,

Francine HealeyDevelopment Offi

Bury Grammar Schools Development OffiFarraday House, Bridge Road, Bury BL9 0HGTelephone: 0161 764 1733Email:francine@bgsdev.demon.co.uk

Exciting New BookWilliam Hulme and His Trust by Ian Fallows (BGS 1935-42)

Have you visitedour website?www.bgsdev.co.uk

All members of the BGS Communityare welcome to browse the alumniwebsite. This interactive site allowsyou to upload your own articles andphotographs and share your memoriesof the School with others. You canread news of old classmates, viewphotos in the gallery and be among thefirst to learn of future events andreunions.

We have limited space within TheKey but full versions of articles andmuch more news can be found on thewebsite.

Please register online using the aboveaddress. If you have any suggestions toimprove the site or any difficultiesregistering please contactlouise@bgsdev.demon.co.uk

You may be interested to note thatthere is also a very active BGSprofessional networking group onwww.LinkedIn.com

Old Girls’ and Old Boys’AssociationsThe OGA and OBA are as committed as ever tokeeping BGS alumni in contact with each otherand the Schools, and to recruiting new memberswith each passing year.

In addition to sports teams and recreationalclubs, each association organises a fantasticannual reunion, which presents a wonderfulopportunity to tap into the thriving network ofBGS alumni. In addition to the groups based inthe North, both associations have active Londonbranches, whose reunions and events are alsoopen to all.

Association members receive annualnewsletters, invitations to all events and access tothe Schools’ facilities. Alumni are alwayswelcome to take advantage of all that the groupshave to offer, regardless of age and leaver year.

For more information about becoming amember, please contact the associations directly:-OGA Secretary Mrs Suzanne GaugeTel. 01706 632724Email. s.gauge@btinternet.com

OBA Secretary Mr Martin EntwistleTel. 01204 882502Email. martinentwistle@mac.com

The Hulme Trust was set up in 1691 under the will of WilliamHulme of Kearsley in Lancashire. It has been one of theoldest, richest and most influential of all educational trustsin the country but very little has been written about eitherWilliam Hulme or the work of the trust. This book arguesthat what little has been written on Hulme, his early life asan orphan and his Manchester connections, has at timesbeen based on false premises, and sheds light on the realman behind the trust.

The Hulme Trust is special for a number of reasons. Fromsmall beginnings, when an annual rental from the estates ofunder £100 was sufficient for four poor students to be given amodest allowance, the trust had grown 150 years later to anannual rental of over £5,000, thanks to careful managementand the unique circumstances of Manchester in the IndustrialRevolution. By the mid-19th century the trustees were mainlyrich landowners, accused by their detractors of ignoring the criticism of humblermortals, their country estates in sharp contrast to the living and working conditions of theslums of Manchester. They were ardent supporters of the Church of England and devoted tokeeping control of the trust within their own circle. The controversy which raged aroundthem mirrored the 19th-century struggle between the Church of England and theNonconformist Churches, and the passions raised were more intense than can be found withany other similar trust.

The exhibitioners themselves are also investigated. Nineteenth-century critics dismissedthem as cosseted and cushioned non-entities, manipulated by the Church of England for itsown purposes and contributing little if anything to the intellectual life of the nation. Thisbook studies the lives of the many who can be traced and gives a varied and moresympathetic view of their contribution to 18th- and 19th-century society.Priced at £16.99 plus £5.00 p&p for UK and EEC. To purchase your copy, please send acheque payable to Bury Grammar Schools, together with your name and delivery details toThe Bursar, Bury Grammar Schools, Farraday House, Bridge Road, Bury, BL9 0HG.

Images of the Bury Grammar SchoolsA superb set of signed Limited Edition prints by Gerry Halpin MBE MAFA.

As part of our CENTENARY APPEAL weare delighted to bring you a furtherinnovative opportunity to help fund the newSIXTH FORM CENTRE at The BuryGrammar Schools.

Until very recently, Gerry Halpin taughtpainting and drawing at BGSB and it wasthis rewarding experience which promptedhim to continue his support of the Schoolsby publishing this exclusive set of ‘Imagesof the Schools’.

The Limited Edition prints are available asprint only, with double card overmount(ready to frame) or with overmount andchoice of frame. Prices from £30.

Please contact BGS Development Office,by email: michelle@bgsdev.demon.co.ukor tel: 0161 764 1733.