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Wolverhampton Municipal Grammar School- Old Pupils Association |
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Bob Tame's unofficial web site for:
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Wolverhampton Municipal Grammar School- Old Pupils Association |
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Direct links to other parts of this site:
I have lost a lot of my contact email addresses of the 1959 intake, if any of you still read this can you email me to update your details, thank you. Email to Bob Tame
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There is an 'Official' WMGS Old Pupils web site (http://www.muni-grammar.org.uk/), however I will continue to keep information updated on this site, especially for pupils from my era (Late 50's early 60's). I will expand my memories page with memories sent by others, as and when I can find the time.
If you are not already a member, why not consider
joining the Old Pupils Association? It only costs £8 per year and more details
are given on the official site.
Link to Application form.
November 26th 2011 .. A reunion of some old pupils
took place in the school hall today, organised by Dorothy Bennett (Tame).
I was there together with six others from the 1959 intake.
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1959 intake, Mike Pagett, Mike Potter, Bill Griffiths, Dave Mcsorley, Phil Ward, Bob Tame |
Old pupils from various years |
Reminiscing on the balcony |
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November 6th 2011 .. Mark Leadbetter sent the
following info:-
Hi Bob
Here is some info other old pupils may be interested in. It is a dinner dance
on 12 Nov at the Park Hall to aid the 'Gelliwig' charity set up by Mr Thompson
and Mr Birch. I go every year and it is pretty good, with the Joe Loss Orchestra
playing. If anyone is interested, the contacts are in the attachments. Here is
the link to the Hostel site which I think is well worth supporting. Dinner Dance link
Regards Mark Leadbetter, ex WMGS 07530 018850
November 4th 2011 .. Jayne Pearson (nee
Rushton) sent the following memory:-
I was caught throwing snowballs in the yard by a prefect - no idea of his
name we called him "little head" as he was tall with an extremely tiny head,
possibly in 1973, there were a couple of us but I can't remember who else this
was.
I was given 100 lines:- "I must refrain from throwing snowballs in the
school yard as they may be grit laden hence causing injury to the recipient"
That was three lines a piece in a school book, when I handed them in he
told me that he had actually reduced it to 50. You may be interested but those
words oh those words.....
September 24th 2011 .. Malcolm Costley has send a rugby team photo which I have added to the Sports pictures page, it is the Junior 15 from 1963-64. Malcolm has identified all but three of the players. Here is his email:-
Hi Bob
I was at the Muni from 61 to 68, your sister`s name rings a bell but I don`t
think she was ever in a form with me. My only claim to fame was playing the
title role in The Mikado in 1967 I still remember the two solos I had to sing.
It’s the last couple of days I have trouble with! (Last couple
of minutes in my case - Bob). My other love at school was cycling we used
to go on days out and weekends with Bill Whitehead the chemistry teacher. The
lads I remember most are John Newton, Guy Muhlemann,Victor Evans, and David
Grain. I recently managed to contact Bill Whitehead after more than 20 years and
had a day’s cycling with him he`s over 70 now but still very active mind I`m 62.
The Muni was Bill`s first job. Another pal of mine back then was Paul Latham who
I had not been in contact with since getting married in 1972, but the other
Saturday out of the blue he phoned me His mother had died at the age of 102 and
when he was clearing her things he found a box with names addresses and phone
numbers of friends from school so he phoned me on the off chance, what a
coincidence after nearly 40 years! I`m hoping to attend the reunion on November
26th, it would be great to go back inside the old place I often stare at it when
I drive down Newhampton Road. I trained as a pharmacist after leaving the Muni
and worked for Boots for 40 years I still do one day a week but have virtually
retired . Best wishes and regards Malcolm.
PS have you ever heard anything from the lads mentioned above I would love to
know if they still cycle it would be great to arrange a ride with Bill Whitehead
again.
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August 11th 2011 .. My Sister, Dorothy Bennett (nee Tame), has arranged for a get together of old pupils from the 60's and 70's at the school building in Newhampton Road. The date of this event is Saturday 26th November, 2011 between 2pm and 4pm. Partners are welcome as are items of memorabilia/photos etc. that people may have. I will add more details as I find them out or you can email me to express an interest in coming. The event is advertised on Facebook's WMGS page for those who use facebook and a number of pupils have indicated they will be attending.
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February 1st 2011 .. It is with great sadness that I have to report the recent passing of Ian Hemsley, peacefully at home on the 7th of January 2011, at the age of 62.
Ian was a classmate and friend of mine from 1959 to 1964 (class 5B) when I left. Ian remained at the Muni until 1966 to take 'A' levels. We shared a common interest in steam trains and spend many hours outside school watching trains around Wolverhampton. Although I have not met Ian since we left school we have kept in touch by email and on facebook and friends reunited web sites, and he has kept me updated on WMGS pupils where he could. We also shared an interest in Family History where we found that my mother and Ian's father were born very close to each other on the Northumberland coast near Blyth.
I have sent my condolences to his family.
>Bill Griffiths, one of our classmates attended the funeral service and act of thanksgiving on January 31st and sent this report:
"After Bob had copied me in the sad e-mail about Ian's passing I determined to ensure that I would be present at his funeral. A few days in advance of yesterday's event Bob had told me the funeral would be a private affair for family and very close friends only, but followed by a memorial service at the Church of the Ascension in Wall Heath. I am now retired so to get there for the 3pm service was no problem, since I needed only to drive through the city from my home in the north of our great metropolis. The church is positioned on a very busy junction and close to a school, but even allowing for that I needed to park 500 metres further down the road. All of the kerb areas were packed with parked cars and the approach to the front door of the church was busy with people arriving for the service. As I approached the church door I was asked for my name by a representative of the undertakers. The church was absolutely packed to the rafters and when I announced I was friend rather than family I was sent to the hall built on the side of the church. In the hall I joined a further 20+ people and the service was relayed via the church's PA system. If that many people come to say farewell to me I will be gobsmacked!!! The service was full of love and recognition of Ian's many talents, his love for knowledge, books and trivia but very especially that he was a true anorak for "God's beloved railway", as he called it. It was at this point that Bob received a mention of thanks for his note on the Muni website. After the service I wanted to stay and try to see if any other of our past colleagues was there but I was needed at my parish church in Coven to prepare for another funeral later this week. I didn't have the chance to meet his family but the level of love and affection in that place yesterday was sufficient to care for all of us his old schoolmates who could not get there. Bill Griffiths"
Ian
Hemsley 1948-2011
Aug 4th 2010 .... Email from John Mills: Bob. I have just discovered your site(s). Quite a lot of nostalgia. I joined the school in 1959 from Warstones Infants School. I am the very small boy 6 in on the front row (Sect 3 of the 'photo). The boy to the left of me is I think John Holland, the other I cant recall. I left the school in 1965 (resits) and fully retired this year after a long and fairly successful local government career.This involved me moving about a fair bit so I havn't still got many wolves contacts. I remember going to Fox's Lane scrap yard with Mick Brown getting bits for his old MG's whilst I spotted locos on Stafford Road shed. Winter pe at Dunstall Park still brings back chilling memories although I subsequently became a competive club runner including cross country. One of the names on your pages is Brian Bullock who, I think, was in my class. The references to teachers, Douell of course, Nixon and Rachel Heyhoe, who taught me English. She used to tell us jokes in class which I think were quite risque. It is difficult to believe it all finished 45 years ago. The last 7years following redundancy from Staffordshire Moorlands DC in 2003 (a new CE with whom I didn't get on !) has been largely interim and consultancy work, including observing overseas election missions, mostly in the former Yugoslavia. I live in the Staffordshire Moorlands and am an active walker and occasional climber/caver. Other interests include narrow boats and Land Rovers. Please feel free to put this on your site and I would be glad to hear any reflections from people who remember me. Regards, John Mills
December 15th 2009 .... I remember today would have been the 60th Birthday of Elaine Brindley, Elaine Hill as she was when at the Muni, from 1961 to 1968, had she not died in 1998 at the early age of 49 after contracting breast cancer. RIP Elaine, a good friend.
June 2009 .... I received an Email from David Delany, who some of you may know, reproduced below:
Hello Bob, I have to tell you how pleased I am to have discovered your web pages today. You see, I am a railway enthusiast, my father was in REMO, I went to the Muni and I love Llangrannog. I was at the Muni from Sept 1962 (I think) until July 1969. Certainly I am in the 1963 photo on your site, .....thats me, last on the right in the front row (the smallest boy in the school). I have had a fabulous morning reading the comments about the teachers I knew but have not thought about for years. I can still remember the boy's half of our register: Allen, Alton, Beaseley, Bonner, Brittain, Clamp, Dams, Darby, Delany, Gorman, Howell, Hutchisson, Morton, Rogers, Swain. I can't remember many of the girls names sadly, although I recognize Gillian Horton (did I really put a spare cows eye in her satchel during a biology practical or was that another girl?). By the time of A levels, Christine Peters was in my class and a great friend. Looking at the sports photos, I see Roger Williams in the first fifteen, Roger is still in the area and has been my Dentist since he qualified. Memories of freezing on the racecourse are a link to an interest in railways, a few of us would scan the adjacent Oxley shed for anything interesting noted during games so that we could go back later for a closer look.
May 2009....I will not now be organising an official reunion for the 1959 year group as I have not had any contact from any other members of the year group for quite a long while. I also have a number of other committments and now live 200 miles away from Wolverhampton. If any of the 1959 intake ever visit Torbay and want to meet up then email me to see if we can arrange a meeting.
May 2009....I notice there is now a forum on the official WMGS site where users can post articles, check it out if you are interested. by clicking here
Feb 2009....Geoff Cook, my cousin who was at the school from 1956-61 was in a local Pop Group, some details of his pop career are to be found by clicking here
May 2008....Ian Hemsley recently informed me that Yvonne Miles ('A' stream when she was at Muni) has recently passed away. Yvonne sent the picture of the Hockey team on my pictures page and was remembered in reminiscences of Marie Lou Howes.
April 2008....I have now left Northampton, where I have lived for last 20 years and have retired to Paignton, South Devon.
Jan 2008....I have discovered there is now a facebook group for the WMGS at Facebook. I have joined it but not everyone will like facebook so I don't recommend joining unless you are interested in Facebook.
Nov 2007....Bill Griffiths has contacted me recently to see if we can generate any interest in a reunion of the 1959 Intake.. please contact me if you would be interested! I have about 30 contacts so far.
Nov 2007....Here's an email received recently from Wendy (1957 Intake).
Hi
I've only just discovered the website! Whilst at Muni I was Wendy Cashmore (or Aggie 4 eyes thanks to Trevor Creed, who'd carried it over from St Luke's School. - Thanks Mate!)
I now live in Wales and am shortly moving to Crete.
I well remember leaving at the end of year 4, when Mr Douell, wrote on my report, "that I'd be lucky to get a job in Woolworths, if I didn't come back to do O levels. Several years later I was introduced to him at a teachers' meeting, when I was Head of Business Studies at Parkfield School. He bought both Lynne Evans and I a drink and Tony Steele told us that was a first!
Best wishes to everyone. I'm joining OP assn so that I can keep in touch.
Wendy Rees (nee Cashmore)
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As this page is now growing and has been in existence for a while I have moved some of the earlier material to an archive page, which you can get to from the bottom of this section.
June 2006:
I did submit an article for the spring newsletter but as usual I was too late, my personal view was they had enough material and printed it three days early. Still, It might get into the Autumn Newsletter.
Also likely to make it into the Autumn Newsletter will be some correspondence I have had from Clive Pearson, a pupil from 1945-1951, now a retired consultant, living in Australia. He found my web site while doing a search of the internet for DG Outlaw!! and he has added to my memories of the teachers we all knew and loved (or did not get on with!)
February 2006:
After sending the email below, Brian has very kindly written to me with a few more names for the sports teams, some of which he was in during his time at the school, You find them by clicking here or on the Sports pics button above.
Email received from Brian Bullock:
Hi Bob, long time no see. Found your WMGS site the
other day, most interesting. I can certainly help out with additional names for
the Rugby and Cricket teams,It was really uncanny seeing all those ugly mugs
starring at me from a computer screen. I will keep this fairly short as I am not
a whizz kid with a key board. Was it really nearly 47 years ago since that Sept.
59 intake. I have a few items that may be of interest for the newsletter
relating to our intake. I now live in beautiful South Devon on the edge Dartmoor
National Park where I have business interests. I also commute between here and
Townsville in tropical North Queensland where my wife has a nursing post.
I have led, to put it mildly, a colourful and adventurous life, and may be
of interest to those who remember me. I am afraid that I was not one of the
academics of our intake. I think I spent most of my latter school years either
playing sport or in detention. However some 10 years later I did manage to end
up with 7 GCE O Levels. Anyway this one finger typing is taking me forever so I
will get back to you at a later date.
Footnote Oct 2007: Brian advises me he is emigrating to Australia soon.
Best Wishes to yourself and anyone else out there who remembers me.
Regards Brian B. Formerly 1C,2C,3D,4D,5D. Sept. 1959 to July 1964.
August 2005: Keith Barnett (1957-62) was
wondering if anyone knew which WMGS ex-pupil lives the furthest away from
Wolverhampton. He'd like to nominate Michael Baker who lives near Palmerstone
North in the central area of the North Island in New Zealand. It would be
interesting to hear of any other ex-pupils living further away. Email to 
(Keith is in West Auckland [the New Zealand one not the
County Durham one] so he is one of the most faraway ex pupils.
May 2005: After 40 years since we last met, I met up with Haydn Jones for a meal and a chat. He is Director of Intellectual Property for a company based near Towcester and lives near Reading. He lent me a few old school magazines and photos, some of which may appear here at a future date.
April 2005: The AGM and annual luncheon was
held at Whittington Hotel on 17th April 2005
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March 2005: |
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We always require short articles for the Newletter, relating to school, and request that ex pupils put pen to paper and send their articles to Geoff Welch. |
February 2005: I have learnt that the 1955 intake will be meeting up for a 50th anniversary celebration in the Major Buckley Suite at Molineux on Saturday October 8th 2005.
February 2005: I was rather confused when I
received my WMGSOPA newsletter today, to find an article in it that I wrote for
the Spring 2002 newsletter. I have no idea how it got into the current
newsletter as some of the information in there is now three years out of
date.
I was very pleased this morning to get a
phone call from Lou Crow (Marie Louise Howes when she was at school). She is
really pleased to have re-established contact with Kathryn Jones, as a result of the advert I
put on this site and they are planning to meet up later this year.
December 3rd 2003. I meet up with John Bennett, a colleague
from my year at School, after 39 years. I recognised him as well! Realising we
lived within 10 miles of each other in Northants, we recently got in touch and
arranged to go out for an evening meal at a local hostelry where we reminisced
over old times. As well as being in the 'A' stream, John was very good at
sport when at School, and was in the school Cricket and Rugby Teams as well as
the school athletics team. As a result he has pictures of all these teams
which I have borrowed and added to the site. We cannot remember all the names
on the pictures, so help from pupils of our era will be appreciated in adding
names to faces. Ian
Hemsley has already supplied me with a number of the
names from the cricket teams.
Thanks to Lynda Chugg (Lynda Roper when at
school) for passing me contact details for Gill Hartley - Gill is now in New Zealand!
I wanted to know because Gill's pictures are on the Teachers page and she was not aware of
this. She is now, as I have written to her and she has given me her permission
to keep them there. Thank you, Gillian. I have now found out Gillian's
mother lives about ten doors away from my mother in
Wolverhampton!
14th June 2003 - Memorabilia day and AGM at the school, and I finally catch up with three other members of my year group. Philip Smith, Bill Griffiths and David McSorley all return to the school, and we are caught on camera by my sister Dorothy.
From L to R Philip Smith, Bill Griffiths,Bob Tame, David
McSorley.
Quite a large number of Ex-Pupils have now
registered at the web site: www.friendsreunited.co.uk. Why not pay
it a visit. (Don't forget to come back)
Do you remember the School Musical Productions
- See HMS Pinafore below. A number of pupils
also played in the inter-schools orchestra and a picture (1972) may follow
later. My Sister was involved with one or two of the G&S productions and
is now a member of her local G&S society in Warrington.
My Memories of the Teachers (with help
from classmates and other pupils)
School Prospectus and Rules 
(supplied by John Bennett - 1959 intake) - Note this is the
unedited 1959 prospectus.
1963 Picture - Click on a segment for a larger image
If you are not on that picture click here for a look somewhere else.
I was a pupil at WMGS (The Muni) from 1959 (1C)
to 1964.(5B).
I was in 'Drake' House (is that why I now play bowls?)
My three sisters were also there as follows:-
Rosemary Tame 1961-68, Dorothy Tame 1968-75 and Mary Tame 1972-77.
When I joined the Old Pupils Association, I was
told that I was one of the younger members. This still appears to be the case,
although more younger ex-pupils have been showing an interest recently, Why not
consider joining if you are not already a member? .
Membership costs only £8 per year.
Members of the Old Pupils Association receive 2
newsletters a year.
They are also invited to gather for monthly
coffee mornings, 10:30 to 12:00 at Quality (Goldthorn) Hotel on first Monday
of the month,
They usually have an annual re-union and
year groups have also had re-unions, 1949, 1955 and 1957 intake are three I am
aware of. Last year's reunion took the form of a luncheon after the AGM in
July, and also a Christmas dinner.
Application form to join the WMGS Old
Pupils Association
If you were at the Muni when I was, then I'd
like to hear from you. Please email me at Bob
If you have any old photos that you would like
to see on this page, please scan them in and email them to above address.
I maintain this site in my personal webspace as a hobby. If you want to find out more about me then please visit my Homepage
1964 Production of "HMS Pinafore" (Photo supplied by Roger King)
Howard Bampfield send a story about a funny incident during a performance of this production, (Or was it during Pirates of Penzance?) see my Memories page.
There is a photo of the school on the site at the
end of this link, Click here to see it.
Click on the link to read some more
Memories of the Muni from Myself and
others.
My last School report - Click on
it to read it. 
(1959 intake) (if you can help with more
names from the 1959 intake please email me)
If names do not match faces, remember it was 43 years ago when I left!
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Most of the Boys |
Where are they now? Do you know? |
The Girls (I can't remember all the girls) |
Where are they now? |
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Tony Blake |
Leicestershire |
Brenda Allerton | W'ton |
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Mike Body |
W'ton |
Jennifer Annely |
Denby (I don't know which Denby, I'm hoping to find out soon) |
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Bill Griffiths |
Coven, but is planning to retire to Somerset |
Pru Bishton | |
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David Gough |
Codsall |
Stephanie Collins | |
Ian Gutridge  |
Was Solihull now Cornwall |
Carol Croyden | |
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Ian Hemsley |
Ian sadly passed away on Jan 7th 2011. |
Louise ?? | |
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Alan Jones |
Berkeley, Gloucestershire |
Ruth Davies | |
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Haydn Jones |
Reading, Berkshire |
Lyn James | W'ton |
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David McSorley |
Near Cannock. | Gail Pritchard | |
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Barry Philips |
Left at earliest opportunity to join the Army, could be anywhere, was a good friend at School. | Lesley Simmonds | Mold, Clwyd, Wales |
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Mike Potter |
Nantwich, Cheshire | Gloria Tomlinson | |
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Phil Smith |
Beverley, Yorkshire | Lesley Watkins | Sicily |
| Paignton, South Devon. | Mary Whittaker | Codsall | |
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Phil Ward |
Now near Penzance in Cornwall, previously in Southampton. | Anita Maiden | |
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Josie Forrest
Susan Forrester Valerie Turner Glennis January |
Josie is possiby in Walsall |
I also have the full list for Class 5A in 1964 supplied by Gloria Roome (nee Powell) and on that page I have started to add any other names that anyone recalls from the other classes in our year.
Famous ex-muni people:(Very short list at
present)
Ralph Banthorpe (at School circa 1960 to 66) reached the semi finals of the 200 metres at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. (Now a dentist in Shropshire I think)
Rachael Heyhoe Flint (Games mistress around 1963) was an England Ladies Cricket Captain (Now a Wolves F.C. Director)
Frances Barber (nee.Brookes) - actress (Article in Autumn 2001 Newsletter)
Lesley Roberts - Has been a singer with the Joe Loss band - her stage name is Vivi Caan
Send me any others you know !!
Web Sites owned by Ex-Pupil's
Page last updated - November 28th, 2011
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