In Focus/OB Bulletin Summer 2011
John‘s widow, Isobel, wrote to inform us of her husband‘s death in June last year. She wrote: John excelled in English and History and he and John Pelling vied with each other each year for the History Prize. He left School in about 1936 when his father died and, instead of going into the Law as he‟d hoped, joined Martin‟s Bank in Liverpool. During the Second World War, he served in the Royal Engineers in bomb disposal, later transferring in 1941 to Egypt to serve in a transport unit. After four and a half years in Egypt at the end of the War, he returned to banking , later opening a Martins Bank in Holloway Circus, Birmingham, before becoming the Manager of the Sloane Street branch, later taken over by Barclays, in London. He retired in 1977. He was interested in all forms of history but his main interest lay in vintage motor cars. He was a commentator for over thirty years at numerous racing events, mostly for the Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC) and Bugatti owners‟ Club. Extracted from his obituary in the September issue of ‗The Automobile‘: He became a member of the VSCC in 1960 and began commentating soon after. Many readers will remember John and Bunny Tubbs ensconced in the startline box at Prescott doing dual commentary as the entrants shot off up the hill, or at Silverstone, when the tannoy clicked on and a familiar voice said “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen”, one knew exciting things were about to happen. His association with The Automobile began in 1989 when he became „our expert‟, contributing „Under the Hammer‟ each month. His comments were read avidly by enthusiasts, dealers and auction houses alike. He had an encyclopaedic memory when it came to Veteran and Vintage cars. For example, when viewing a Rolls Royce at Bonhams auction one day, he quickly commented, “The last time I saw that car was in 1938 in Birkenhead when it was blue and driven by the local bookie.” He is remembered as a quiet, gentle man with a dry sense of humour who was most at ease in his den at home where he had a comprehensive library covering all types of motoring. His own cherished car was an Alvis 12/60 tourer and he had a share in an Amilcar. He was an honorary life member of the Bugatti Owners‟ Club, the Alvis Register and VSCC.
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Sally Whitelaw, the daughter of Harold Jerrett OB, recently donated two Magazines of the Second Form from 1899 and 1900, written by members of that year. They are a fascinating insight into both life at Birkenhead School and life in general over 100 years ago. What is also striking is the command of language at that time in boys so young. With only 22 boys in the Second Fear, it seems that it was usual to compete against the younger and older forms - First and Remove, and Third: Directly after the match was over, the Shield was handed over to the winners (Third) and then McNaught (Captain) and his noble followers promptly marched off to Big School with their prize (the Great Shield), which they hung up behind Mr Finn‟s desk. And: The Summer Term was very enjoyable and rather eventful. We had a scare about scarlet fever, but good management prevented a case of scarletina going any further. We had some good cricket but, above all, was the glorious relief of Mafeking. We shall never forget the night of Friday, May 18th, 1900, when the news came that Baden-Powell and his brave garrison had been relieved. We all went half crazy with delight. Everybody made as much noise as possible with trumpets, dinner gongs, bells and anything else which would sound as loudly as possible. There are articles which describe in glorious detail Oberammergau‘s Passion Play, an otter hunt, a stag hunt, a visit to Biscuit Town (Reading - the home of Huntley and Palmer‘s biscuit factory) and Christmas holidays in Switzerland. However, Harold Jerrett had probably kept the magazines because his 2-part description of ‗My trip round the Mediterranean‘ was published in the magazines. His daughter says that he would have liked to have been a journalist but, to his lasting regret, he had to go into his father‘s shipping business. The business was eventually lost and Harold was sent out to Burma and, on his return, eventually ended up in the brewery business. Some extracts from his trip: My brother, a friend and I sailed from Garston on the Mersey in June 1898, in a steamer belonging to my father‟s firm, which was called the „Frutera‟. Our parents and relations were there to say „Good-bye‟, a proceeding not so very pleasant when sailors are looking on. Later ...When we got on deck, we saw a most delightful scene, for we found ourselves going gently into Port Empèdocle. ... Here we stayed for a week, discharging our cargo of coals and taking sulphur on board. ...Sulphur is very bad for the eyes, and I suffered very much from the dust which got all over the ship. In Marseilles … at the Museum is a magnificent fountain or rather waterfall, which flushes the drains of the city; an excellent arrangement, which Liverpool would be glad to have, if it were not such a big place. The Cafès are most superb, and everything in them is carried on in the most tip-top style imaginable. Palermo … Hearing that there existed some famous catacombs in this city, we asked the Captain if we could go. He said, “You had better not go there. You‟ll be scared out of your senses, if you have any.” …We saw hundreds of skeletons hanging on the face of the rock. .. Some had patches of skin on them, others had half of their beards left. …There were special chambers for monks and priests. In the mouth of one of these priests, his tongue hung out. This is quite true. We felt it ourselves; and took good care not to use that finger with which we touched it, for about a month after. We were told that the relatives of the skeletons take them down and dress them once a year. Pompeii … At the present moment they are excavating it. ...Here you can see the stalest bread in the world. It was found in the ovens, just as it was left when that dreadful time began. ...Then there are casts of men and women, all drawn up in pain, who were not able to escape. .. I am told that Lord Lytton‟s „Last days of Pompeii‟ contains a splendid account of those days, and I am going to read it as soon as I can. The magazines are now lodged in the School Archives.