STOURBRIDGE OLD EDWARDIAN CLUB

ED-WORDS NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2026

The opportunities were unlimited (one of my colleagues indeed ‘signing on’ for further periods such that he was the last National Serviceman in all three services to be demobbed; at the age of 60 with the rank of Air Chief Marshall!).   But even with my lack of enthusiasm, the two years ‘passed like the twinkling of an eye’.

So it has been with the Presidency of this most wonderful Club, for which I have been privileged to serve without the resentment with which I served Her Majesty over 65 years ago, causing the time to seemingly have passed so much more quickly.

It has been overwhelmingly rewarding to have been your President, with my hoping that the forthcoming 5 months will be mutually enjoyable and satisfying.

My very best wishes.

Arnold.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS are visible on our Events Calendar>>. That section has been updated to clearly identify those occasions that are open to Club Members.

This includes any dates for Mussels lunches and Fish and Steak evenings.

Please phone the Club directly on 01384 395635 for details of any event (do not respond to this email as responses will not be monitored).

A comprehensive list of all bookings (including venue hire) may be viewed within the Events Calendar section>> . 

PAST EVENTS write ups are on the website HERE>> but specifically the following are worth a mention since the last newsletter:

Our "now famous" lunchtime talks with buffet have been outstandingly successful - some have been sold out within 24 hours of advertising! 

To ensure, you don't miss out, please consign the following dates to your diaries for future lunchtime talks with buffet and look out for (and act upon) the booking advice about a month in advance:

• Friday 18th September: Chance Glass (Henry Chance)
• Friday 20th November: Evolution of Motor Car Design 1910-1950 (Kenneth Wright)

• We currently have about 200 members thanks to the efforts of our Hon. Membership Secretary,  Andrew Taplin. Application forms are downloadable from the website CLICK HERE>> for anyone interested in membership.
• Andrew has also successfully rented some 5 car park spaces (in the bottom level of the car park) to various local businesses. More are available if you know of anyone who wants to rent one. Please complete a membership enquiry by CLICKING HERE>> .
• The Club is in a good financial state under the capable stewardship of our Hon. Treasurer, David Burrows and the continuing external revenue obtained through venue hires (mainly owing to the efforts of our stewards Tim and Tracey).
• The overall "fabric" of the Club premises is in good shape, closely monitored and actioned by our head of House Committee, David Trewin. 

The Club premises will be closed from Saturday June 20th, Reopening on Monday July 6th. The car park will still be available during this period.

Our stewards will be taking a well-earned holiday.

Congratulations are in order to two of our league snooker players who are shown receiving their awards from top professional Gary Wilson at a recent event at Stourbridge Institute:

1. Our Steward Tim Purslow who was awarded runner up in the over 65s' competition (Tim doesn't intend to turn professional any time soon!)
2. Ed Davies who received the trophy for winning the Kevin Franklin trophy. Ed did extremely well having had a couple of years off (great player and good to see him back with us), he also played Gary Wilson  in the exhibition after the presentation.

We are sometimes requested to provide information on previous newsletters. You may access these simply by going to the website www.oldedclub.org.uk  then click on the Newsletter Archive subsection of the "Members" tab in the top level menu bar. For rapid access CLICK HERE>> and then just click on the date of interest.

In recent weeks we have been made aware of the sad loss of some long serving, valued members and good friends. Our thoughts are with their families and friends.

• David Giddings
• Adrian Clark
• Paul Stevens
• Patrick Shiner

Adrian attended KEGS in 1955 and stayed through to the sixth form reading Languages.

He was not into sport or the cadet corps but slowly developed his passion for classical music.

This was fostered by the annual visits of the CBSO from Birmingham when we were entertained with a concert.

His other main love was drama and he took part in several plays directed by Dennis Waters, a teacher of languages. Dennis had been able to get girls from the High School to join the cast and all performances were exceptional and well supported.

The cameraderie of the cast and stage crew was evident when many years later Adrian invited the cast to join him at SOEC for a Reunion which also included Dennis Waters (“Drip”) as he was known!!! This ran for many years but as Dennis got older and left the scene numbers dropped off and the event closed.

It was one of Adrian's skills to organise and run similar events in London from his tourism associations and promenaders.

After he left school he went to Queen's College, London and graduated in French. He joined the Tourist Board and spent time in New York and other European cities ending up back in London.

His final abode was in Sydenham Hill which gave him access to all the delights he wanted in classical music. He was a regular Promenader and stood in the middle of the Royal Albert Hall for most of the concerts – some 70+ per season!! He also went to the main concert venues and saw all the world's best orchestras and conductors. Opera at Covent Garden was also a delight but he did not like Ballet very much.

His main opera venue was Glyndebourne in Sussex. He enjoyed the whole experience of the singing and costumes and the “atmosphere”. Everyone was in dinner suits and the ladies in evening wear and to see up to 2000 in the gardens so dressed was a delight. On one occasion we were changed and ready to depart to the opera and Adrian appeared suitably attired. On looking closely his jacket was flecked with white spots. It looked very trendy but on closer inspecton it was his shirt showing through the moth holes!!! Next morning required a quick visit to Brighton to get a new Tux!!

Adrian considered himself a Londoner and he did not wish to spend his last few years in Stourbridge. Ill as he was he still managed a trip La Scala in Milan and saw five very long operas.

His health began to decline rapidly even though he was attending several local hospitals.

He had requested to be put with Mom and Dad in Stourbidge cemetery. His funeral was on the 15^th June and many of his music friends came up from London. His obituary was in the Telegraph. There was also a musical event in London for more of his friends in tourism, music and The London Guiding Association.

Roger and Gaye Hadley

With less than 90 numbers, and 3 wins per month the chance of winning is probably the best of any regular lottery.

My Principal under whom I trained on my way to becoming a Chartered Accountant had offices in Halesowen and Bromsgrove such that in the early to mid-1950s I frequently found myself on a Midland Red bus between those two delightful Worcestershire towns with a diversion enroute taking in the village of Belbroughton.

Those were the days when a trainee was paid a very small amount of money; my principal indeed informing my Dad upon his committing me to the training contract (I was too young at 16 years of age to enter into a contractual relationship), that I was his first trainee whose parents would not be paying him a ‘premium’ for the privilege of his training me!

I took to it like the proverbial duck to water such that on my qualifying at the age of 21 my Principal magnanimously said, “How much do you want”, with his willingly paying it after he had caught his breath, my regarding it as a sort of compensatory ‘catch up’!

The halcyon days were short lived in that within four months I found myself a National Serviceman within the Royal Air Force with my earnings reverting to what they had been before I qualified as a Chartered Accountant!

But those two years were rewarding in a different sort of way particularly as regards experience on life’s pathway and giving me a start as a teacher / lecturer.

Reverting to my Halesowen / Bromsgrove bus journeys, public transport has the advantage of creating acquaintance with those one would otherwise not meet; sometimes leading to friendship.

Thus it was with me, in that during those training days a very smartly dressed black man was often on the same bus leaving Bromsgrove at four thirty-ish, our eventually getting into conversation and sitting together.   After a while, I put two and two together saying to him that I suspected that I was very fortunate to be engaged in sharing conversation with George Headley the West Indies cricketer often referred to as the Black Bradman.

I was correct, his having settled in Dudley, playing as the one permitted professional in their Birmingham league side and coaching cricket at Bromsgrove School.

His son Ron, followed in  his father’s footsteps firstly playing as a youngster at Dudley with his father then  professionally with Worcestershire and in 1973 being coopted into the West Indies touring side with whom he played seven first class matches including the first two of a three Match test series; and one ‘one day International’.   Eventually after reaching his peak as a professional cricketer, he played for Old Hill in the Birmingham league, which is where I met and formed a friendship with him.

Ron brought his son Dean with him to Old Hill, his playing in the junior sides, one of which was managed by Rita and I.   Dean not only went on to play professionally for the Middlesex and Kent County sides but also internationally for England, his appearing in 15 test matches and thirteen ‘one day’ International matches.

The first instance of three consecutive generations of the same cricketing family playing test match cricket; and I was there!

Dean and my own son, Richard, played together as youngsters at Old Hill and as young professionals; it being appropriate at this point to spend a few moments highlighting the magnificent work of the Professional Cricketers Association which provides support for present and past players who find themselves in need or difficulty; with similar organisations operating in other areas of sport and recreation; not only do the careers of young professional sportsmen and women come to an abrupt end as regards earning power; but the way of life changes indescribably often with a devastating effect on mental health.

There is a limit to the numbers that can be accommodated within the administrative and supportive areas of their sport; with only a very small minority morphing into successful careers in other areas.

In that regard, a notable example is David Sheppard who played test cricket for England when an ordained clergyman (eventually becoming Bishop of Liverpool) and reportedly after having dropped a catch being rebuked by one F S (“Freddie”) Truman along the lines – “best t’ keep t’hands together Reverend”.

Life is full of coincidence some of which is delightful such as my meeting George Headley. Another name that I remember with affection is Albert Thomas.   He was the paid professional at Old Hill in the immediate post war years, 1946 to 1950.

As a boy, I spent a lot of time at Old Hill Cricket Club often going with my father who was in charge of the feeder system leading to those who would eventually play in the Birmingham league sides.   As a result I had the utmost respect for Albert Thomas both as a coach and as a player.   His bowling was so accurate that I recall in one Birmingham league match he bowled 20 successive overs without conceding a single run.   He lived in Kidderminster travelling to Old Hill  by train.   So every Birmingham league match was for him “away from home”

After leaving the Royal Air Force I spent some time with a firm of Chartered Accountants in Kidderminster and as such had occasion to visit one of their clients, a builders merchants.

Upon going into their office the first person I saw was Albert who I at once recognised but had to explain who I was since he had last seen me when I was a boy; but his delight was mutual with our sharing many cricketing memories, and his producing match winning cricket balls from his filing cabinet!!

This does however bring me full circle to the problem highlighted earlier in this ramble.

Albert had been fortunate to find employment but it was menial in the context of what his life within professional sport had been leaving me with a sadness that I feel to this day.

My recollection of him will always be -

“Albert Thomas, Cricketer and Gentleman”.

Arnold Homer.

25 June 2026.

In order for you to keep abreast of the news of KEVI College Stourbridge, then rather than ask them for specific articles to spoon feed to you,  we have thought it is best for you to explore their latest missives directly as relevant. Their website is included at the foot of this email but for convenience CLICK HERE>>  .

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