Old Wheatleyans Newsletter - Issue 6

JULY 2015 F ORMER P UPIL N EWS

Old Wheatleyans Summer Newsletter

Welcome to the summer edition of the former pupils’ newsletter...

Dear Old Wheatleyan, We have been delighted to welcome many former pupils to school this term for various reunions. Many had not been back to their alma mater for several years (or, in some cases, several decades!). Acquaintances were renewed and reminiscences shared amidst gales of laughter and fresh complicity. Old Wheatleyans particularly enjoyed meeting some of the current generation of proud Bablake pupils, who were themselves most intrigued to hear tales from yesteryear. We were very pleased to receive so much positive feedback: a common theme was that so much had changed but that much was still reassuringly the same. Yes, there were excellent new facilities and a ‘kinder’ approach to discipline, but Bablake still stood for a rigorous and ambitious allround education, accessible to as many as possible, regardless of background and despite such a significant demand for bursary-support. As one OW put it: “The school still smells of achievement and commitment!”

I think we all departed ‘on a high’, and these memorable occasions would not have been possible without abundant communication and organisation. For all their enthusiasm and industry, I would personally like to thank: Sylvia O’Sullivan, Alumni Relations Officer; Peter Burden, OW and Archivist; and Rachel Hollinrake, Alumni Database Clerk.

July 2015

Please get in touch with us if you would like to visit at any stage; it would be a joy to welcome you back.

Vale Rachel Hollinrake (Class of 2003) who joined the Alumni department last September and who has been working tirelessly in updating all the contact details we hold for former pupils on the Old Wheatleyans database - some of you may have been in contact with her already and maybe even met her at recent reunions.

She has worked methodically through the 1950s, 60s and 70s and we are now in contact with more former pupils than ever thanks to her!

Rachel is now leaving us to start her new career with a local solicitor’s. Rachel has been a tremendous asset to the department and we will really miss her but we wish her luck with her new role.

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Former Pupil News cont…

Bradley Gill - Class of 2007 Auditions successfully for CBSO Chorus We congratulate former pupil and music scholar Bradley Gill not only on landing the role of Chorus Manager for the University of Birmingham Musical Society in the first year of his Music degree, but also on successfully auditioning for the prestigious City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus, where we believe he is the youngest ever successful auditionee.

Founded in 1973 and directed by internationally-renowned choral conductor Simon Halsey for over 30 years, the CBSO Chorus is one of the pillars of Birmingham's musical life, attracting amateur singers from throughout the West Midlands and beyond. Performing regularly at the Symphony Hall with the CBSO, it is in regular demand from a whole host of other world-class orchestras.

We are certain Bradley, who was at the heart of so much of Bablake's excellent music between 2007 and 2014, will thoroughly enjoy his time with the CBSO Chorus!

Mark Best - Class of 2006 Former 1st XI Captain Is Cricketer Of The Year While a good number of our senior cricket scholars (Dan Mousley, Ross Parnell and Dan Smith) are making excellent progress at county level with Warwickshire CCC, today we congratulate our former 1st XI captain and cricket scholar Mark Best on being named the Birmingham League's 2014 Cricketer of the Year.

Currently studying at Loughborough University, and a Loughborough MCCU regular, Mark's performances as 1st XI opening bat for Berkswell CC gained the especial notice of the Birmingham League in their end of season awards.

Indeed, Mark had a superb debut season for Berkswell CC where he became the Saturday 1st XI’s top run scorer, accumulating 781 runs at an average of 48.81, making five fifties and three centuries.

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Former Pupil News cont…

Thoughts turned to the General Election during U6th Enrichment Thanks to the technical wizardry of Theatre Technician Mr Malcolm Wyatt, the Rehearsal Room was transformed into a studio for the 2015 U6th Enrichment Question Time session.

We were delighted to welcome back to Bablake former Fairfax House captains Caitlin Edwards and Chris Starkey, now graduates in English and History respectively, to join U6th pupil Beckie Carter and Chair Mr Mark Woodward on the panel. For Caitlin and Chris, it was also a chance to renew the keen rivalry of the 2010 Bablake Mock Election where they locked horns as leaders of the Labour and Conservative parties.

Mrs Cathy Scott-Burt (Head of Enrichment) added: 'The 2015 Enrichment Question Time was an especially engaging event in the run up to this year's General Election, and it was interesting to hear the thoughtful views of some of the country's youngest voters.

There was an excellent range of questions set to the panel with the respective merits of key political parties, the influence of the media and life decisions being just three of the areas covered. Speaking in front of your peers is one of the most difficult challenges for a pupil to face, so I would especially like to congratulate Beckie Carter on accepting an invitation to sit on the panel. She was an intelligent contributor and spoke most confidently on a good range of topics.

Political clashes were handled firmly but politely and the panel remained friends at the end of the discussion- a lesson I feel our Commons' politicians could learn from!'

Craig Lawlor - Class of 2001 Releases Debut Single Former pupil Craig Lawlor (2001- 2008), a stalwart of our 1st XI football team and regular performer with his band 'The Griff' at our Battle of the Bands, has just released his debut download, 'If You Knew', via SoundHub records on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.

While studying Sports Coaching at UCLan (University of Central Lancashire), Craig made the North West his musical home, fronting bands for several years. Now, largely influenced by his love of Bob Dylan, American and English blues and folk, as well as British indie bands such as The Smiths and The La’s, he has decided to branch out on his own.

Craig's Facebook page describes his music as follows: 'Combining a variety of genres, his insightful and poetic lyrics sit on top of driving, upbeat acoustic guitar rhythms accompanied by his harmonica playing'. As well as pursuing a solo career as a singer-songwriter, Craig has been working for three years as lead analyst at the Blackburn Rovers FC Academy, is now the U21 team's performance analyst and also assists with first team analysis.

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Former Pupil News cont…

International dream coming true for Holly Payne - Class of 2002 Former pupil Holly Payne left Bablake in 2009 to study Biology at the University of Birmingham. Holly’s studies, however, were always second in line to her dream of becoming an international hockey player.

From the age of 12, Holly was selected for the county hockey team, where she developed and excelled. Shortly afterwards, her skills were recognised by the regional development officers, which led to her forming part of the Midlands Hockey team.

At the age of 15, Holly began moving through the ranks playing for England U16, U18, U21 and finally the senior team. Whilst playing internationally, she also completed her degree in Biology and a Master's in Toxicology, in addition to playing for Birmingham University 1st XI. We were also always indebted to her for bringing her university 1st XI back to Bablake to test the mettle of our Senior teams.

Finally in 2015, at the age of 23, Holly's hard work and persistency have been recognised with selection for the Great Britain women’s hockey team. She will obtain her first full international cap in February this year when she will be travelling to Valencia, and she also remains hopeful for the Olympics in Rio in 2016!

Asked about her early grounding in hockey, Holly stated: 'Bablake gave me the passion for the game and taught me how to be hardworking and resilient. I cannot thank the School and the PE staff enough for the opportunities they gave me, as well as all the support and scholarship funding throughout my years as a pupil.'

We wish Holly all the very best for her debut for Team GB and look forward to reporting further on her successes.

With immense thanks to Miss Jade Payne (Girls' PE) for the information.

Rory Dulku - Class of 2007 Steals the show The Bromsgrove Standard gave former pupil Rory Dulku the equivalent of a 5star rating for All and Sundry's recent production of John Osborne's play 'Look Back In Anger'.

Reporter Tristan Harris wrote: 'Every member of the cast contributed to a fantastic evening which left the audience with a few smiles but, overall, emotionally drained.

Rory Dulku stole the show as the 'angry young man'- he made acting look effortless as he dominated the stage with his strong and intimidating performance.

There were plenty of stand-alone lines in this production which were delivered impeccably throughout, mostly from Dulku, to give the crowd much-needed breaks from the constant dramatic tension.

The chemistry between the characters on the night was as good as you will get and, while the gritty realism ruled, this was also a good advert for naturalism, with the amazing acting enabling the audience to suspend its disbelief from the off.'

Well done, Rory! We are sure this is the first of many 5star ratings to come!

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Former Pupil News cont…

Bablake 1st XV retains the Mick Hibbert trophy for the 3rd year running A traditionally partisan crowd at Coventry RFC's Butts Park Arena was treated to a thrilling contest that Bablake's 1st XV edged 15-11 to retain the Mick Hibbert Trophy.

Playing the final third of the second half with captain Brad Pinkham agonisingly in the sin bin, the Bablake pack successfullly pinned KHVIII into its own 22 for a significant period before the ever dangerous KHVIII backs broke free and threatened a dramatic late score. The Bablake tackling, impressive all evening, however stood firm to allow our proud captain, an England U18 Lamb, to receive the Mick Hibbert Trophy from our new Chair of Governors, Mrs Julia McNaney.

1st XV coach Mr Rob Burdett (Head of Boys' PE) commented: 'Congratulations to both sides for helping produce such a thrilling match. Bablake started in fantastic form and were worthy leaders after the first 20 minutes via a dashing try by winger Chimdi Ogbuneke, successfully converted by Harry Garforth. However, we went in at the break with a slender 10-8 lead.

The character and skill of the KHVIII side very much came to the fore and they took a deserved 11-10 lead with a deft drop goal midway through the second half after putting us under intense pressure. At that point we were certainly on the ropes, but I thought our character in defence was then outstanding and kept us in the match. The final try was a great team effort and came after a bold decision to turn down the opportunity of a penalty goal. I was particularly pleased for the U6th boys playing their final 1st XV match and especially for captain Brad Pinkham, who has been outstanding all season.' Many thanks to the officials who helped allow such an exciting open contest, and to Coventry RFC for once again hosting this fixture.

Hannah Elsy - Class of 2005 Former School Captain Hannah Heads to the Fringe Former pupil and 2011-12 school captain Hannah Elsy, director and producer at Slick Rat, a London-based theatre company developing and producing new and experimental musical theatre, is proudly taking 'The Quentin Dentin Show' to theSpace @ Niddry St, during this year's Edinburgh Fringe.

The show, which will be performed each night between 10pm and 11.30pm from Friday 7th to Saturday 29th August, is a new rock-musical and dark, surreal comedy about a bland twenty-something couple selling their souls to a media tycoon who has been beamed down from the satellites!

Asked about the production, Hannah commented: 'The score and script are entirely original and the company has a choreographer, designer and a four-piece rock band playing the score live. It is a large-scale project and incredibly ambitious for our first time at the Fringe.

We met at the National Theatre Studio, where I've been working on its Young Studio programme. We worked on the show from scratch there before also performing it at the Rich Mix theatre in Shoreditch.'

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Former Pupil News cont…

Will Hine - Class of 2006 Former Pupil signs for top UK Dance Label Local Coventry Telegraph journalist Antonia Bannister has posted an exciting update today on former pupil Will Hine (aka Whiney), who has just signed with Med School, one of the UK's best respected dance labels.

Will, who is currently studying Geography at the University of Manchester, learnt his musical craft on the piano and violin at Bablake before applying his special prowess to his favoured musical genre of drum 'n' bass.

As happy creating his own music or remixing others' tunes, two years ago Will was DJ-ing at our Crystal Ball in Bablake's Main Hall; now he is looking forward to a summer spent on the decks at some of Europe's best venues. In the meantime, we eagerly await the release of Will's debut album for Med School.

‘Old Boys’

Cricket Recently more former pupils have been connected with the Old Wheatleyans RFC than Bablake Old Boys cricket club. However, this article mentions Matt Payne. Unsure if the Adam David Walters is ours (mentioned later for Nuneaton)! A number of current pupils play for Bablake Old Boys or Kenilworth Wardens.

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Other News…..

Archbishop of Canterbury visits Bablake during his return to Coventry Bablake was very honoured to host a visit from the Most Reverend and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. Upon arrival, the Archbishop visited a Shell classroom on his way to a forum with pupils representing many of the values of our community.

In the discussion forum, while surveying our International Cross of Nails scrapbook, the Archbishop asked each pupil present about their role in our school. It was a privilege to hear them explain so eloquently about their commitment and passion.

From there, the Archbishop moved to our Rehearsal Room where he was able to listen to our Junior Choir and mingle with a dozen faith leaders from across the city, before leaving to present a lecture at Coventry University. With such a hectic agenda for his day in Coventry, it was a great honour that he took time to visit Bablake. Our Chaplain Reverend Sacha Slavic commented: 'Spirituality and religious practices have an undeniable contribution to make to peace, reconciliation and harmony in our world. As Pope Francis said, 'For the sake of peace, religious beliefs must never be allowed to be abused in the cause of violence and war. We must be clear and unequivocal in challenging our communities to live fully the tenets of peace and coexistence found in each religion, and to denounce acts of violence when they are committed.'

What better way then than to invite children, faith leaders and others to engage in dialogue. We are so pleased that Archbishop Justin with his track record and commitment to peace and unity, and a busy schedule, was able to enhance this agenda by his presence. Yesterday was a very proud occasion for our school community.'

Headmaster Mr John Watson said: 'We have been thrilled to welcome the Archbishop today, as well as faith leaders from all over Coventry. It was a special gathering which signalled our joint commitment to peace and reconciliation in our world and to the growth of mutual understanding in a multi-faith society.'

Former Wheatleyan editor and aspiring journalist Beth Rowland, who intriguingly had been baptised by the Most Reverend Justin Welby when he served the Coventry Diocese, added: 'The Archbishop is an amazing man. I really valued the chance to meet him and ask him various questions about his work and my faith. I sensed he very much wanted to stay longer and hear more about the work Bablake was doing to maintain its International Cross of Nails status.'

(Photograph by Mark Radford Photography for the Coventry Telegraph.)

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Old Wheatleyans Rugby Club Just Another Day For Old Wheatleyans RFC Comics!

The Old Wheatleyans RFC 2014 End of Season dinner compères Richard Drury and Richard Lowe have set the Christmas comedy bar very high with their spoof video of East 17's 1994 winter classic 'Stay Another Day'.

Coventry Telegraph reporter Antonia Bannister reports on Bablake's own Ant and Dec-alikes, complimenting the duo who joined with their other two housemates to record the comic video. She also extracted a moving quotation from Old Wheatleyans RFC vicechairman Paul Wright: 'Dru & Lowey are the heartbeat of our club and all the boys look up to them whether it’s on or off the field. It’s a shame their musical aspirations didn’t go to plan, but they still enjoy all of the attention from the boys (and girls). Dru, Lowey, Séan and Danny love nothing more than breaking into voice around their house and love a quiet night in with a rom-com! Who said rugby lads were boisterous?!'

Vice Presidents' Day At The Old Wheatleyans RFC The Old Wheatleyans RFC entertained local rivals and table-toppers Dunlop RFC at Norman Place Road (aka 'Stade Wheats') on Saturday 7th March for a 2.15pm kick-off, where both the 1st and 2nd XVs were in action.

The 1st XV is currently led by ex-KHVIII player Ben Craig, while the 2nd XV is captained by Old Wheat Joe Bristow, who has galvanised the team since his promotion to Stags' skipper.

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Former Pupils Enjoy End of Season Rugby Club Dinner Christ the King Social Club kindly hosted the 2015 Old Wheatleyans RFC End of Season Awards dinner this year and thanks to the tireless organisation of Dean Bryant, Paul Wright and other key club officials, those attending had an excellent evening.

With The Two Richards (Drury and Lowe) invited once again to introduce the awards on the night, all the diners were guaranteed plenty of entertainment to add to the excellent food and fine company present.

Richard Drury (1st XV top try scorer) and Joe Bristow (2nd XV top try scorer) were delighted to be among the prizewinners on the night, and it was excellent to see so many other former pupils, from all generations, including many of last year's leavers, present for the dinner.

2015-16 promises to be another excellent season for the Old Wheatleyans RFC and we look forward to reporting, later in the year, on the club's progress.

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Let’s hear from the Archives……..

In the last few weeks I feel this Archivist has been thoroughly spoilt. The May Reunion for the 1994 and 1995 intakes seemed to achieve a particularly delightful warmth. Just three weeks later a further Reunion for pupils from the sixties was just as enjoyable.

This, of course, was my own vintage and it was good to catch up with people I hadn't seen, in some cases, for decades. It was particularly strange to meet again two “boys” who were in the very first group I ever taught, when I was a prefect and David Scholar cajoled me into teaching a small number of his fifth form for O-Level English Literature. Their memories of some of their behaviour in the lessons were even more vivid than mine, but I seem to remember that all but one of them passed! Needless to say, the Archivist faced many questions on the day and on Facebook afterwards about everything from why the Bardic Chair was no longer on the stage to Edward Burrough's career to what the record was for the greatest number of people from one generation of a family to go through Bablake. Next term we have further Reunions to look forward to: one which I suggested for the fortieth anniversary of our first admitting girls and one on a smaller scale, we imagine, for those evacuated to Lincoln with the School from 1940 to 1943.

As far as the more mundane filing clerk element of my job is concerned I have embarked on the mammoth task of thinning out our former pupil records. This has a grim satisfaction of its own about it and is also enlivened by the odd moment when I cannot resist being sidetracked either into reminiscence about a particular character or into reading some amusing or alarming account of what the pupil did. I was particularly taken by a letter which said something like “I am writing to apologise for my behaviour on the recent trip. I now realise that it was not at all appropriate to shave off part of my eyebrow...” Anything I do discard is being shredded. I have recently investigated the possibility of having some of our records digitised. I must say that the estimated cost was very substantially more than I had imagined.

I have escorted various former pupils on tours of the school. I have gratefully received gifts of School caps. I spent a most enjoyable hour or so exchanging school memories with Mike Harris, who has most generously donated some splendid History books and others to our library. I have provided John Oakley with the odd date in Bablake history to add to a calendar he is producing.

I have always known that visual perception and memory is not a strength of mine. One thing has now underlined how bad I am. Andrew Harvey, a contemporary of mine, has been putting on Facebook some before and after photographs of the school in 1968, when we were leaving it, and at the recent Reunion. When I looked at the older photograph taken from by what was then the waiting room and is now the meeting room (see page 13), I thought, how strange, I don't remember that there was ever a little window up there, above the corridor. When I looked at the one taken this month, I found to my astonishment that the window is still there!

Perhaps I just never look up in that direction.

Reason we lost two houses….

I know that many present and former members of the School were distressed when both Baker and Billing House were discontinued, which was in 1991. What happened was this. Once the School had become fully coeducational the six-House system which had operated since 1922 began to creak. The particular problem was that it was often impossible to find enough boys or girls in a particular age-group to compete against other Houses. It was therefore decided that we should go down from six to four. As far as I am aware, the only reason that Baker and Billing were the two to go was that it happened that the House Heads, Alan Brown and Graham Burgess, were only too willing to give up the role.

Needless to say, no one asked me my opinion on this. For what it is worth, from a School Historian’s point of view it would have made more sense to keep Baker and lose Crow, since Samuel Baker founded the Black Gift School to which Samuel Billing and Thomas Crow were later benefactors.

I hope this helps explain and that you may feel able to forgive.

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A walk down ‘Memory Lane’ ...

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Then and now ......

Photographs courtesy of Andrew Harvey - 1961-68

6th Form Block 1960s

6th Form Block 2015

Swimming Pool 1960s

2015 Same view point as above but now with Languages block and Junior School 12

School Foyer 1960s

School Foyer 2015

Metalwork Dept 1960s

DT (Design Technology) 2015 13

Miss Twigg’s retirement ….

L6P/Q 1966-67 Stephen Mitchell, Alf Strange, Stephen Harris, Hugh Hill, Cliff Wagstaff, Ken Davies, Charlie Reeves, Mick Rees, Sam Parsons, Mick Roach, Jim Gascoigne, John Wheway and "Dink" Tranter. Form Master Denis Ward

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Reunions As our U6th leave, the Classes of 1994 & 1995 return Over 100 former pupils and staff gathered at Bablake one Saturday in May for the Classes of 1994 and 1995 Reunion, just a day after we had said goodbye to our current U6th.

The Alumni department, Prefects and our caterers worked tirelessly before and during the event to ensure everyone had a fantastic day.

As well as being able to take a poignant wander round the campus to visit old haunts and be introduced to new facilities, the former pupils mingled with current and former staff over a buffet lunch.

Speeches from Mr Burden, our current school captains Bradley Pinkham and Keisha Simms, and Headmaster Mr John Watson were well received and the party began again later in the day in Earlsdon as our guests revived their youth!

Miss Rachel Hollinrake commented: 'When we began organising the event in October, we never expected such a successful turnout. It was great putting the names to faces, even though they had changed somewhat since the 6th form pictures in their Year Books and Mr West's Design Technology and School Trips archives!'

Mr Mark Woodward (Head of Careers) said: 'As always, it is fantastic to be reunited with former pupils. Everyone's journey since Bablake is fascinating and I am always so grateful for the excellent help our former pupils so willingly offer to our current pupils. All Bablake pupils stand out from the crowd; they are assured, confident, humble and so impressive!'

We are looking forward to developing our reunions even further in the future, as we are very keen to stay in touch with all our former pupils.

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Successful Spring Coffee Morning Reunion ...

Generations were joined at Bablake when former pupils from the 1940s through to the early 60s met current pupils at our Spring Coffee Morning on a sunny spring morning in April.

Our former pupils, who assembled in the school's Main Library, were welcomed by Headmaster Mr John Watson, reminisced about their own days at Bablake and spoke to Archivist Mr Peter Burden. They were also able to chat to some younger pupils as Mr Gary Park (English) brought his Shell class to meet the former pupils and make comparisons between their current school day and those of over 40, 50 and even 60 years ago.

The pupils found it a very inspirational experience, coming away with lots of stories to tell their friends, in particular after hearing about the rendition of ‘The School Song’. Mrs Scott-Burt (Music, Enrichment and Outreach) presented a super ‘re-worked’ rendition of ‘The School Song’ with our 4th, 5th and 6th formers. Afterwards some of these pupils even spoke with the Headmaster requesting that they too should have a school song to sing in assembly each morning!

We were so pleased that the morning was successful and that all our guests seemed very happy to be back visiting us. The day was a poignant one for many and we hope to be able to host a similar Coffee Morning again next year.

Forthcoming Events Festival of Hockey and Netball for Bablake Old Girls Saturday September 5th 2015 As just one of the events being planned to highlight and celebrate 40 years of girls at Bablake since September 1975, Head of Girls' PE Mrs Sue Smith, herself a former pupil, has begun arrangements for a festival of hockey and netball on Saturday 5th September!

She writes: “We would like to invite our Old Girls back to play some netball and hockey on Saturday 5th September with play starting at 10.00am for netball and 2pm for hockey”.

The emphasis is on fun and, whether you still play or would like to come back and find out what skills you have retained, we would be pleased to see you. Equally we would be pleased to welcome spectators. Hopefully some PE staff who taught you will also come along, and Mrs Thomas is already looking out old photos and team lists!

The structure of the day will depend very much on the response, and more details will be circulated once we know numbers.

Should you be interested, or know of someone who would, please email Sue Smith asap sms@bablake.coventry.sch.uk or call the school main office on 02476 271200.

As far as possible we will try and keep year groups together. Some players may, however, need to link with a year above or below as we will try and balance the teams and are sure we will not get a perfect distribution of positions for each year.

New astroturf pitches were laid in August 2014 and the netball courts at school are being relaid this summer, so it will be a fitting way to open the courts, especially as the charity netball tournament last September was such an enjoyable day.

It has been suggested that we arrange something for the evening, so please indicate if you are interested in this, so we can plan ahead accordingly. We hope to see you on 5th September.

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Forthcoming Reunion for Class of 1975 and a ‘Special Celebration of our First Girls’ A reunion for the Class of 1975 is taking place here at Bablake on Saturday 10 October 2015 in celebration of the 40th anniversary of girls joining the Bablake community! Following feedback we have received from initial mailings concerning Bablake’s 40th anniversary of the move to co-education, we have decided to invite the first girls who joined that year for a late afternoon tea, and have then planned for the 1975 year group to join us for a celebratory dinner in the evening.

Whilst many of our pupils forge durable friendships and remain in contact long after they leave the school, links with today’s community can be more difficult to maintain.

We are extremely keen to re-establish links with our 'First Girls' and the whole of the 1975 year group and are pleased to say that we are in touch with many who started together on the same day in 1975. However, there still remain some from that year whom we cannot reach, and any assistance you can give with this would be much appreciated.

If you would like to attend or receive further information, contact Sylvia O’Sullivan (Alumni Relations Officer), sosullivan@bablake.coventry.sch.uk If you are in contact with any of your friends from your years at Bablake, please encourage them to contact us.

With thanks to Clive Greatorex (Facebook) for the photograph

Welcoming back former pupils...

When the time comes for our pupils to leave Bablake and move on, either to work or higher education, most will probably think that they will never return again!

However, schools today are welcoming back their former pupils and looking to develop lifelong relationships with them. In all sectors, schools are trying to establish different ways for their former pupils to keep in touch with the school and are hoping that they will see the benefits from these links.

There are many ways in which schools can gain from this alumni networking. Former pupils can offer career opportunities, work experience, internships and career advice to current pupils, as well as advice regarding job searches, university and course choices. Those who left within the last few years and are close in age to present pupils are important role models for those who are working their way through examinations and are concerned about what they do next. Former pupils may also assist in supporting the school with fund-raising for the development and future of their school.

Former Pupils may not always agree that their school days were the best days of their life, but it is a fact that many owe a lot to the school they attended and to the individuals who taught them. Reaching out can unlock a font of goodwill which can be of real benefit to both current pupils and the school as a whole, and we are always delighted to hear from those we have lost touch with over the years.

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Forthcoming Reunion of our ‘Lincoln Old Boys’...

Evacuation memories….

The first provincial Blitz of the War was on Coventry on November 14th 1940. Among the many buildings damaged was Bablake School,where the library was completely burnt out. The air raid shelter suffered a direct hit and several members of the public were killed.

The School was closed for a few days until plans were made for the future. One of the teachers, Horace Curt, came home to Lincoln where he happened to meet the Lincoln Director of Education, who offered them the use of the old school on South Park which had eight classrooms available.

On November 23rd, 297 boys and the staff arrived in Lincoln by train and were welcomed by the Mayor and the Director of Education. Buses took the boys to the City School, where billets were allocated to them throughout Lincoln. The furniture arrived on December 3rd and school work was started six days later. A maximum of 358 pupils attended.

Tony Averns was one of a later group of Bablake former pupils who visited Lincoln in 1990 on the 50th anniversary of the evacuation. He told me that he really enjoyed his war time stay in Lincoln,. He was billeted in Rookery Lane for a year or so, and then on to Skellingthorpe Road at Swanpool. The Bablake boys used the facilities (including the swimming pool) at South Park Girls’ High School and the laboratories at the City School on Monks Road and the Grammar School on Wragby Road. He remembers the Westwick Estate bombing in May 1941 and a British plane being shot down near Lincoln.

Many of the Coventry boys had bicycles and visited local aerodromes to see the aircraft being prepared for flights.

Usually they went to R.A.F. Skellingthorpe (Birchwood), but also went as far as Waddington and Swinderby.

A reunion is in the process of being organised for the remaining former pupils who were part of the above evacuation, on Saturday 19 September 2015.

For further information please contact Mr Peter Burden at pfb@bablake.coventry.sch.uk or by calling the school on 02476 271200 and leaving a message or writing to him at: Bablake School, Coundon Road, Coventry CV1 4AU.

Boys from Bablake School billeted with Mr and Mrs Atkinson at Witham View Hostel

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Other School Publications You can now read Bablake publications online. Visit the publications section of the school website using the following link: http://bablake.com/publications_item.php?item=1 and simply click on the cover to view in an interactive PDF viewer.

Diary Dates Published annually, the Wheatleyan is Bablake's official school magazine.

Each issue celebrates the best of the preceding academic year.

Stretch appears once a year and is edited by a small group of L6th students in their work experience week. We believe it is student journalism at its best!

40 Years of Girls ‘Old Girls ‘ Hockey & Netball Tournaments 5 September 2015 Contact : Sue Smith sms@bablake.coventry.sch.uk *******************************

Bablake ‘Lincoln Boys’ Reunion Saturday 19 September 2015 Contact: Peter Burden pfb@bablake.coventry.sch.uk *******************************

As well as highlighting forthcoming events, our termly newsletter is an instant record of Bablake’s pupils’ most recent tremendous achievements.

Contact:

Sylvia O’Sullivan - Alumni Relations Officer

Email: Telephone: Website:

sosullivan@bablake.coventry.sch.uk 024 76271259 www.bablake.web-intouch.com/ www.bablake.com/former_pupils.php www.facebook.com/groups./bablakereunited www.twitter.com/bablakeschool http://instagram.com./Bablakeofficial

Facebook: Twitter: Instagram:

First Girls & Class of 1975 Saturday 10 October 2015 Contact: Sylvia O’Sullivan sosullivan@bablake.coventry.sch.uk

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