Dear Alumni,
Well what can I say! Our 125th Anniversary event was amazing! Any worries I had due to the current situation were completely unfounded! Thank you so much to everyone who was able to come, there were over 200 of you! You came from one end of the country to the other, Edinburgh to the Isles of Scilly and even further afield! Rob Hodges and Gavin Eyre came from France but Sydney (Sam) Endacott beats everyone though as he travelled from Houston, Texas!
Geoff Davis and I are blown away by the positive feedback we have received. Thank you to everyone who has written to us. I love reading your correspondence - especially your DHSB memories. I can say no more but the culprits who adjusted the wiring so Radio 1 transmitted from the school radio instead of the BBC School Service have come clean after 50 years! I think a detention or two must be in order there!
I had the pleasure of speaking to so many of you, I'm sorry I never got to talk to all of you. Our most mature Alumni was Ron Henwood who was 93 years young that day! He started in 1939 and showed me himself sat in the front row of our 1940 whole school photograph. He was a delight to talk to.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Bunny Warren's children, Anne and Peter. Anne remembers living in Penzance with her parents when the school was evacuated there. Anne and Peter have shared their memories with me which will be added to the Alumni website (https://www.dhsbalumni.com/) and Alumni & Archives Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Devonport-High-School-For-Boys-Alumni-Archives-102991571784303/) at some point. Anne was delighted to win a framed print of the school in the raffle. Now this print has a great history itself!
In the late 1970s, DHSB student, Michael Phare drew the school. He left school in 1981, and left the drawing too. Fast forward to just several years ago when Michael and his peers asked to visit the school. During the tour, in E Block, Michael's print was spotted! I can only imagine his surprise - I wish I had been a fly on the wall!
We love the print so much we put it on the label of our Indian Pale Ale 'Colonnade.' This was launched at our event, along with Alonzo, a bitter. Michael had kindly told us to use the print however we wish to but he had no idea a bottle was waiting for him, with his name badge attached, when he registered at the event! Unfortunately I missed that moment but again I would've liked to have been a fly on the wall!
The print got a lot of attention at the event and people were keen to buy it. Consequently it will soon be available to purchase on our Alumni website (https://www.dhsbalumni.com/). Thank you so much Michael! It was lovely to meet you and your peers.
I met John Bowden's son Andy too (unfortunately John couldn't make it and I would be quite rich if I had a £1.00 for every time someone asked me if he was there 😀). Andy took great pleasure in parking in his dad's old parking space!
Thank you to those who brought me memorabilia to see. I'm sorry I couldn't spend longer looking at it and chatting to you.
Thank you to those who wore your school caps, ties and scarves! I loved seeing it!
I was delighted to see former staff Ted Attewell, Ron Faulkner, Rod Watson, Michelle Heighway and Jo Miller. Ted Attewell taught at DHSB for 40 years! That's a lot of students he taught maths to! Great to see current staff too, Dave Riggs (a former DHSB student too!), Andy Guy, Jo Nally, Tracey Downes, Linda Witchell, Taimur Huq and Tristin Huq, and last but not least our Headteacher Dan Roberts who made a great barman!
We started the event with a lovely buffet. The Lord Mayor, Mrs Terri Beer, and her consort Colin Steer arrived. We were thrilled they could join our celebration - one of 4 engagements they attended that day! Our School Captain, Thomas Hyndman and Prefect Lucy Ottewell gave them a tour of the school, including our history exhibition. The Lord Mayor gave a speech and she had really done her homework on DHSB! She then planted our 125th Anniversary tree and buried a time capsule - I'm going to leave a letter for my descendants to check it out 😀
There were two great talks in the afternoon and a guided walk around the perimeter of the school. All were greatly enjoyed! The talks will be available to view online soon for those who could not attend. My thanks to Dave Riggs, Ian Hodgins and Richard Fisher.
There was much reminiscing as our Alumni were free to wander around the school buildings at their leisure - even the hallowed Colonnade! A first for many as I believe it was restricted to sixth formers only in bygone days!
Well all this going down Memory Lane is hungry work so we were treated to a lovely curry in the evening. Many were happy to wash it down with a bottle of Alonzo or Colonnade!
I can't not mention the spontaneous rousing rendition of the school song by Carl Hutchings, Darren Balkwill and Peter Kelland. Thank you I loved it! I would've joined in if I knew the words!
As dusk approached we made our way to the Colonnade. All I can say is WOW! JHAV produced an amazing light arrangement for us. Different colours and transitions which were on a 45 minute cycle. The 4 main blocks and colonnade were all lit up. I have seen some fantastic photos, which I will share with you soon. We even have some brilliant photos taken with a drone! I've attached a few photos to give you a flavour of the day.
A big thank you to everyone who came and made the day the success it was. There was an amazing atmosphere - happiness filled the room. Mind you, that could be because we have been barely let out for 19 months! I like to think you were all enjoying yourselves though! I also like to think Alonzo J Rider was looking on and smiling at his legacy - I did trace some of his ancestors but unfortunately they were not able to make the event.
Thank you too to everyone who bought raffle tickets and DHSB merchandise. All proceeds will go to the school and is much appreciated. There are 3 unclaimed prizes, numbers, 14, 46 and 201 - all chocolates. Let me know if you have one of those numbers. If not, I will have to eat them myself 😀
We will soon have photos of the day on our Alumni & Archives (https://www.dhsbalumni.com/) website so keep an eye out!
Please continue sending me your memories and photos, we enjoy seeing them. If you would like to ask me anything please email alumni@dhsb.org
I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone who helped on the day, staff: Sarah Nicholson, Barry Hardman, PTFA members: Mike & Kim Spencer, Sally Smale, Jules Pearce, Lianne Rubery and Josanne Stewart, my mum Julia Paull and my son Fintan. My thanks also to our 3 great roaming photographers Lacey Carey, Brian Aitkenhead and Wes Ashton. Thank you to to our School Captain Thomas Hyndman, and his 3 fantastic teams of Prefects (I know from your emails you enjoyed meeting them). Thanks to Carolyn Bruce-Spencer, our Chair of Governors and thanks too to Dan Roberts for his support. Again, last but not least, my biggest thank you goes to Geoff Davis! Geoff we pulled it off! (with the help of a few pasties 😀)
I look forward to meeting you at our 130th Anniversary in 5 years time! Pencil it in and tell all your friends 😀. If you are not receiving this Newsletter directly and would like to just register on our Alumni website.
Best wishes,
Beverley Kinsella
Alumni Engagement & Archives
