WOLVERHAMPTON MUNICIPAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL
OLD PUPILS ASSOCIATION
Latest News
November 2019 - I had an interesting email this week from a Dr Gabor Igloi, who has an address in Germany. He has discovered in his collection a record which appears to be an undated recording of a WMGS performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera HMS Pinafore. This is his letter:
Hello,
Sorry for jumping unannounced out of the ether. I have recently been sorting through a box of LPs that have been gathering dust for decades and I came across two LPs that are recordings of the HMS Pinafore production at the school (see attached). A glance at the internet led me to your page. They are undated but presumably this was not performed all that often. My only connection with the school was my brother Thomas who was briefly there from 1958 to 1959 when we moved to Croydon. The records appear not have been played at all but have no proper sleeves. I have no connection with the records but before they end up as land fill, I thought I would offer to send them to you, should you be interested or for the school archive, if one exists.
Regards
Gabor
I have assumed the performance may be from 1958-59 when his brother was at the school and have replied to say we would like the record for our archives. He has agreed to send it to me (free of charge) and I will digitise it and create a CD version and .MP3 files for anyone that wants a copy, before I pass the originals to our archivist.
If anyone can confirm when the school did HMS Pinafore I would be grateful. I think we did it more than once.
Gabor's brother, Thomas, had a musical talent and played the Cello, so he may well be in the orchestra on this recording. There is an article about him on wikipedia which you can find by clicking on the link below.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Igloi
Hello,
Sorry for jumping unannounced out of the ether. I have recently been sorting through a box of LPs that have been gathering dust for decades and I came across two LPs that are recordings of the HMS Pinafore production at the school (see attached). A glance at the internet led me to your page. They are undated but presumably this was not performed all that often. My only connection with the school was my brother Thomas who was briefly there from 1958 to 1959 when we moved to Croydon. The records appear not have been played at all but have no proper sleeves. I have no connection with the records but before they end up as land fill, I thought I would offer to send them to you, should you be interested or for the school archive, if one exists.
Regards
Gabor
I have assumed the performance may be from 1958-59 when his brother was at the school and have replied to say we would like the record for our archives. He has agreed to send it to me (free of charge) and I will digitise it and create a CD version and .MP3 files for anyone that wants a copy, before I pass the originals to our archivist.
If anyone can confirm when the school did HMS Pinafore I would be grateful. I think we did it more than once.
Gabor's brother, Thomas, had a musical talent and played the Cello, so he may well be in the orchestra on this recording. There is an article about him on wikipedia which you can find by clicking on the link below.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Igloi
November 2019 - Peter Evans sent me the complete list of names for one of the rugby teams in our picture gallery.
Peter tells us this about himself.
I was a pupil at WMGS from 1966 until 1972.
I was captain of Peel House in my final year, and captained the various cricket sides, including the 1st XI, which defeated Wrekin College in 1972. The only occasion in school history where this was achieved. (Credit is due to John Collinge, with both bat and ball, and bizarre weather conditions)
In 1971, l was elected student headmaster following a debate at the Senior Debating Society, in which l made fun of everything and everybody and won soley because l made those present laugh, much to the disgust of the history master Glanville Davies, who had been hoping for a more serious and reasoned debate.
I also appeared in a minor role in the school production of The Crucible which starred a young Frances Barber (then Brookes) and about which l doubt she'll wish to be reminded.
Peter tells us this about himself.
I was a pupil at WMGS from 1966 until 1972.
I was captain of Peel House in my final year, and captained the various cricket sides, including the 1st XI, which defeated Wrekin College in 1972. The only occasion in school history where this was achieved. (Credit is due to John Collinge, with both bat and ball, and bizarre weather conditions)
In 1971, l was elected student headmaster following a debate at the Senior Debating Society, in which l made fun of everything and everybody and won soley because l made those present laugh, much to the disgust of the history master Glanville Davies, who had been hoping for a more serious and reasoned debate.
I also appeared in a minor role in the school production of The Crucible which starred a young Frances Barber (then Brookes) and about which l doubt she'll wish to be reminded.
August 2019 - I have noticed a few items than might be of interest to members of the OPA that have been recently posted in the WMGS Facebook group, re pupils from the 1940's and early 50's. For the benefit of those who do not use Facebook, and with the owners permission, I have copied them into 'Memorabilia' in the members only section of this site.
June 2019 - I received an email this weekend from Rosemarie Hewitt (Nee Hawkes). Some of our more senior members may remember the Hawkes Brothers who seem to have been involved in the sports teams at the school. The email is summarised below.
Hi, 3 of my 5 brothers went to this school! Don, Geoff & Les. Don would have been 87 this June, Geoff who won a few cups for running is 82 & Les who was in the rugby team is now 77. Leslie asked me to look something up for him. While looking I came across a few photos he is in, also in the sports teams section I saw someone I vaguely recognise as his friend Pete Miller. I'm almost 100% sure that it is Pete Miller in the cricket photo but I will try to get Les ( who lives in Heidelberg & no internet!) to confirm it somehow. The photo is: 'Cricket team-1958. Pete, I think, is on back row, 5th from Left (dark hair). My brother Les was in the Rugby team then but I haven't come across a photo of him yet except the whole school photos from 56 &59.
Regards, Rosemarie Hewitt (Nee Hawkes)
Hi, 3 of my 5 brothers went to this school! Don, Geoff & Les. Don would have been 87 this June, Geoff who won a few cups for running is 82 & Les who was in the rugby team is now 77. Leslie asked me to look something up for him. While looking I came across a few photos he is in, also in the sports teams section I saw someone I vaguely recognise as his friend Pete Miller. I'm almost 100% sure that it is Pete Miller in the cricket photo but I will try to get Les ( who lives in Heidelberg & no internet!) to confirm it somehow. The photo is: 'Cricket team-1958. Pete, I think, is on back row, 5th from Left (dark hair). My brother Les was in the Rugby team then but I haven't come across a photo of him yet except the whole school photos from 56 &59.
Regards, Rosemarie Hewitt (Nee Hawkes)
May 2019 - I was on a bowls tour this week and we were playing at Swanage, Dorset on May 23rd. I spoke to a spectator at the side of the green and noted his midlands accent so I questioned where he was from. He was on holiday from Coventry but further questioning led him to tell me he once lived in Newhampton Road East and he was a pupil at WMGS from 1951 to 1953, but left when his parents moved to Coventry that year. His name was Robert Bannister. (not to be confused with a four minute miler called Roger Bannister). They always say it is a small world.
Although we are a South Devon Club there were six people from Wolverhampton in our team, including myself (Bob Tame) and the tour was organised by a seventh Wulfrunian who sadly died a month before the tour.
January 6th 2018.
Today I received the email below from Pittsburg USA. Can anyone help find Ann Holder (Patricia Anne Holder born in 1932, I think) or any of her descendants. I have replied, thanking the sender and have said I would see if I could help.
Update: October 15th 2018 - Unfortunately I have had no luck trying to trace Anne Holder or a descendant. She would have been at School c 1943-1950, She may have gone on to Leeds University to do French and English until 1954 when she may have returned to Wolverhampton and got married to someone named 'Probert', or 'Hall', or 'Forrestor'.
Today I received the email below from Pittsburg USA. Can anyone help find Ann Holder (Patricia Anne Holder born in 1932, I think) or any of her descendants. I have replied, thanking the sender and have said I would see if I could help.
Update: October 15th 2018 - Unfortunately I have had no luck trying to trace Anne Holder or a descendant. She would have been at School c 1943-1950, She may have gone on to Leeds University to do French and English until 1954 when she may have returned to Wolverhampton and got married to someone named 'Probert', or 'Hall', or 'Forrestor'.
Dear Mr Tame,
Yesterday I bought a book from a local bookstore here in Pittsburgh. I was intrigued by the sticker on the first page (image attached). Awarded to Anne Holder and signed by Headmaster R.R. Stephens. I googled the name of the school and it led me to your website.
It would be wonderful if you could help me locate Ms Anne Holder! I would love to know how the book landed here in the United States, and if possible would love to gift it to Anne or her descendants. I'm sure they would treasure it.
Thanks!
Tejas Gokhale
Update: The name of the book is "English Social History" by G.M. Trevelyan.