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George Dixons Grammar School

Next to Martin Ashcroft is, I think, Pete Dunne. I am not 100 per cent sure, the old memory is struggling 50 odd years on!
Beyond who I think is Pete Dunne are two with their heads close together. I think the far one is Stephen Gould. See the captioned photograph on page 22 of this thread. It may help.
 
Having discovered this site and thread today prompts me to send a 'shout out' to the class of 1971leavers to the extent I can recall them! Fred Kilby, Michael Williams, Graham Howe,
Philip Street, Malcolm Ridout, Peter Muller,Clive Frazer, Bill Bonner, Robert Bissell, Peter Gregory, Geoffrey Newby, Henry Barrel, Geoffrey Hunt , John Smith, Gary Bushell with apologies to the dozens I have omitted! As for the girls who I met in the union of sixth forms in 1971........Rebecca Shields, Inger Fetter , Lynne Kenny (knew from before),Noelle Bartlett, Sarah Merritt, Anne Cottam, her friend Ann, Jennifer Bomber and now brain fade sets in! I sincerely hope all are alive and well and have put their privileged education to good effect!! While it is imperative to be forward looking in life I am always happy to share fond memories!
The author.......Duncan Jones! [email protected]
I am in touch still with Lynn Kenny and Noelle Bartleet. Best wishes, Avis (class of 71)
 
Thank you for your post--it's good to hear these accounts, they are the life of who we have come to be. Yes, the Head Boy in your 1st year was Ray Wainwright. Ray joined GD in '58 and was the last boy to 'jump' the 5th form having achieved all he needed in 'O' Levels taken in the 4th year to go straight into the Lower Science 6th. Ray was a superb leader; he was patrol leader of the Wolves in the School Scout troup and became a role model for me; he was a great encourager and helped me enormously. Such were Ray's leadership qualities he drove a coach and horses through the usual format for choosing Head Boy and was a year younger than the prefect cohort that he led. He was Normans House captain, a superb athlete and physically very powerful; he won victor laudorum on school sports day. He won a place to read Medicine at Barts but because he was too young went on VSO for a year, I think to Nigeria. I think he may have become a consultant cardiologist. If Ray were to be reading this, I hope I've got the story right; in any case, he is one of those whom I would like to meet to thank personally.
I've just realised I did not respond to or even acknowledge the above post of over 12 months ago for which I apologise. Many thanks for the background information on Ray Wainwright who was head boy when I started in 1963. I only remember him from school assemblies and was struck by how confident he appeared to be in front of the whole school.
 
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What a great photograph. Very natural with no posing. I wasn't sure if it was me in the background and sent a copy of the photograph to my brother to see if he could pick me out and he does confirm that the chap grinning in the background is definitely me (John Dale) so well done to Harry Flashman (Bernard), you've got a great memory for faces. Maybe Geoff could confirm that he is , indeed, the lad I appear to be sharing a joke with. The lad next to him partially hidden by Bill Hendon's hair is certainly Mark Goldberg.
Other than Martin Ashcroft and Rudolph Smith I don't recognise anyone else.
Just a bit of a boring side story I first came into contact with Martin Ashcroft when I was at St Hubert's primary school on the Wolverhampton Road and he was just up the road at what we used to call Castle Road School but having just googled it I see must actually have been Lightwoods Primary School. I remember we had a few 'run ins' as we passed each other on the way home from school which were a bit heated at times and I always came of second best.
I remember the horror when I started at George Dixon in 1963 not only to find that he was at the same school but also the same form. It was with some trepidation that I approached him early on only to find that he was really quite friendly and that any past differences were forgotten.
In those junior school days I always remembered his name as being David Ashcroft and he did explain to me once why he changed it to Martin but after all this time I can't remember what the reason was.
Rudolph Smith was also in that same first year form being 1A and I think Mr Percy was the form teacher. Messrs Ashcroft and Smith continued in the 'A' stream, if I remember correctly, while I was destined to wallow in the depths of the C stream from then on.
Sorry to ramble on. I'll go now and do some work.
Interesting post there John. Like you I started in 1A at GD and have good memories of Rudolph and Martin, as well as Paul Mayhew. My illustrious start in an ‘A’ stream class was doomed to have me with you John and others, swimming in the depths of the ‘C’ stream from year two for the rest of my sentence at GD. I have nobody to blame but myself for the attitude I took when, early on after a poor academic showing, I was told by one of the particularly acidic teachers that “somebody has to sweep the roads.” Subsequently I know that I developed a poor attitude that resulted in me leaving with only 3 ‘O’ levels. One year later at Hall Green Tech. I gathered up 5 more ‘O’s with grades 1 in Maths and English language and 3’s in Physics, Chemistry and English literature. Clearly, I responded to the attitude of the teaching staff at Hall Green, that all students be treated as young adults and not as potential road sweepers. Kudos to all the ‘A’ and 'B' streamers at GD who went on to have successful careers. However, I believe that many of us ‘C’ streamers went on to have successful careers also, despite the dire predictions meted out to us. Semi-rant over.
 
Attached is a photo an Ian While posted on the George Dixon School Friends Facebook page which shows people who were in the upper sixth form in 1971. Visit the FB page to see the people already recognized, or put names her.
 

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Hi Duncan.
I am in touch still with Lynn Kenny and Noelle Bartleet. Best wishes, Avis (class of 71)
I seem to remember you vaguely. I left summer 1971 and was Head Boy of the school 1970-71 with Philip Street & Malcolm Ridout my two deputies. I went on to Birmingham Medical School and in 1976 qualified as a doctor. I've been working continuously as a GP since and now am in private practice in Germany. I've never been out of work since 1976.
 
Attached is a photo an Ian While posted on the George Dixon School Friends Facebook page which shows people who were in the upper sixth form in 1971. Visit the FB page to see the people already recognized, or put names her.
Just found this forum I took that photograph and also appear in on the extreme left. I was and am a keen photographer and took and then developed and printed the school photographs in my final year of 1971
 
Hi Duncan.

I seem to remember you vaguely. I left summer 1971 and was Head Boy of the school 1970-71 with Philip Street & Malcolm Ridout my two deputies. I went on to Birmingham Medical School and in 1976 qualified as a doctor. I've been working continuously as a GP since and now am in private practice in Germany. I've never been out of work since 1976.
Hi David, just found this forum. I was in the same year as you and same classes of Physics Biology and Chemistry. Also played clarinet in the school orchestra. Good to hear memories from those days. I left Birmingham soon after going to university so lost contact. Now retired with grandchildren after many years in the computer industry.
 
Hi David, just found this forum. I was in the same year as you and same classes of Physics Biology and Chemistry. Also played clarinet in the school orchestra. Good to hear memories from those days. I left Birmingham soon after going to university so lost contact. Now retired with grandchildren after many years in the computer industry.
Any chance of giving your name as I might know you.
 
Hi Paul; like most of us, details of 50 years ago are not easy to recall. Your name escapes me as well. I was in the upper sixth in 1970 when you were in the lower sixth. A few people who were in the upper sixth with me stayed an extra year and are visible in your photo - Hamish Bradley, Mark Williams and Clive Corbett to name a few. Did you associate with Richard Fulford as I have recently been in contact with him. My brother and I were friends with the Miskins. I have been living in Canada (Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) since 1973 so I lost contact with my classmates until recently. I am also retired and have 8 grandchildren to keep me occupied. Glad you have been able to stay safe during the past 1½ years.
 
I remember Paul Wolf playing the clarinet in the school orchestra when I played the violin. I seem to remember Paul’s father who spoke with a heavy German accent and was a Jewish refugee from Germany like my father was. I think he was an academic or professor in Birmingham. I also remember Peter Müller who was also in our year, played flute in the school orchestra and had refugee parents. Hope you’re all well.
I‘m still practising as a GP with the Americans in Germany, am on my second marriage, have one 17 year old son, 3 adult daughters and 3 young grandsons.
Yes it’s Paul Wolf although your name Bob is not one I recall
 
Sorry Bob Hughes but I sadly don’t remember you doing physics, chemistry and biology A levels with me.
I was on the Arts side so I did not do the sciences like you. Attached is a list of students complied by Digby Emson which shows who was in the upper sixth and lower sixth in 1970.
 

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I was on the Arts side so I did not do the sciences like you. Attached is a list of students complied by Digby Emson which shows who was in the upper sixth and lower sixth in 1970.
I saw you list, was the Mills, Robert? He is my cousin and was there at that time
 
I remember Paul Wolf playing the clarinet in the school orchestra when I played the violin. I seem to remember Paul’s father who spoke with a heavy German accent and was a Jewish refugee from Germany like my father was. I think he was an academic or professor in Birmingham. I also remember Peter Müller who was also in our year, played flute in the school orchestra and had refugee parents. Hope you’re all well.
I‘m still practising as a GP with the Americans in Germany, am on my second marriage, have one 17 year old son, 3 adult daughters and 3 young grandsons.
Hi David as you recall my father was a German Refugee. He eventually retired to Israel where he died some years ago. I live in rural Cheshire now retired and busy with motorcycles, vintage and modern and a canal boat. Did some distance sailing in a three year break from work in the 1990s
I have three children and one granddaughter of my own and another three children all grown up of course plus five grandchildren from my second wife’s family. My brother Andrew Wolf who was also at GD has now retired as a professor of paediatric anaesthetics. I spent most of my working life in the computer industry in either the mobile phone or building and timber industries.
 
Hi Paul, good to hear from you after 50 years! Glad you’re well and like me enjoying a second marriage. Sorry to hear of your father’s passing in Israel. My father died in Birmingham aged 89 in 2015, he came to UK with the kinder transport from Germany in 1939. My mother who is a well-known Auschwitz survivor is still alive at 95 and lives in Hertfordshire near to my brother who was also at GD.
I well remember you playing clarinet in the orchestra. Why did you move to Cheshire?
I left UK in 1997 where I was working as a GP when my first marriage broke up and since then have been in Germany where I worked as a GP with the British Army until 2016, then as a GP in the German prison service and since Nov. 2020 I’m a GP in a private American practice in south Germany. I still live in the north near Hannover and commute 500km by train twice weekly. I love it though.
I don’t remember your younger brother.
 
The surname Mills is familiar but I cannot recall if the first name was Robert. It’s an interesting list to look at and handwritten. There are numbers by names, what significance are they? My name is there in lower sixth science where I was in 1970 until the start of the Autumn Term in September 1970. I recognise most of the other names in my year.
I also recognise several names from the upper sixth lists including Mark Williams who joined my year and Eli Pedahzur who qualified as a doctor eventually and is now retired. He changed his surname to Leyton.
 
I was on the Arts side so I did not do the sciences like you. Attached is a list of students complied by Digby Emson which shows who was in the upper sixth and lower sixth in 1970.
Hi Paul, good to hear from you after 50 years! Glad you’re well and like me enjoying a second marriage. Sorry to hear of your father’s passing in Israel. My father died in Birmingham aged 89 in 2015, he came to UK with the kinder transport from Germany in 1939. My mother who is a well-known Auschwitz survivor is still alive at 95 and lives in Hertfordshire near to my brother who was also at GD.
I well remember you playing clarinet in the orchestra. Why did you move to Cheshire?
I left UK in 1997 where I was working as a GP when my first marriage broke up and since then have been in Germany where I worked as a GP with the British Army until 2016, then as a GP in the German prison service and since Nov. 2020 I’m a GP in a private American practice in south Germany. I still live in the north near Hannover and commute 500km by train twice weekly. I love it though.
I don’t remember your younger brother.
Hi David yes good to hear from you. I lost contact with the school and my school friends when I went to university. My mother died whilst I was at university and my father moved to Israel. My first job took me to Cheshire where I stayed despite as a consultant working all over the UK. Our class mates that I remember best were Dave Lucas, Karl Mills and Ken Evans
 
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