On 17th May 2017, my Dad died. He was born on 17 April 1942. Dad had been fit and strong all his life (I don’t think I can even remember him having a cold) but a series of somewhat mysterious medical issues blighted his final year. His condition flummoxed the medics and he defied the odds so many times, particularly …
John Wickham (CHSB 1938-1945)
From The Times of London, November 10, 2017 Eminent urologist with a passion for vintage cars and themed parties who was a pioneer in the use of keyhole surgery. Until 1991, a patient whose kidney had been removed would be left with a 9 inch scar that would not disgrace a war veteran. All that began to change in August …
Martyn Ives Vesey 1959-1965
From Colin Snook: On Friday 21st April I attended the funeral of Old Cicestrian Martyn Ives Vesey at The Church of St James, Birdham who sadly died on 30th March 2017 aged 72. Martin McGranaghan was also present. During the service conducted by The Reverend Jonathan Swindells, Anthems were sung by the ‘Sansara Consort’ directed by Ben Cunningham, Choir Leader …
Kenneth William Woodfield 1941-1947
From Mrs Elisabeth Woodfield April 2, 2017 I am writing to let you know that my husband died on 1st December 2016, aged 86, so that you can amend your records. Ken always very much enjoyed receiving the Old Cicestrians newsletter, though we have not been able to travel to Chichester for some years. As your records may show, Ken …
Obituary Notices 2015
BALDWIN Peter – Died 21-10-2015 – Aged 82 – Chi High years 1944-49 – Born Chidham 1933 – National Service in Army – Trained at Bristol Old Vic –Joined West End Theatre Company – Jobbing actor best known for his role as Derek Wilton in TV’s Coronation Street which lasted 21 years. Later purveyor of Pollacks Toy Shop in Covent …
Sir Dudley Smith
Reprinted from The Times of London 27 December, 2016 Dudley Smith was an enthusiastic Thatcherite until in May 1990 he dared to express dissatisfaction by using a football analogy: “Do you sack the manager or don’t you? You may have a good manager but what if the team isn’t scoring goals?” Six months later Margaret Thatcher was out of office. …
S Barry Cooper 1955-1962
Sad early death of one of our most prestigious Old Boys; a mathematician who championed the cause of Alan Turing, the disgraced wartime codebreaker who has since been acclaimed as a hero. Without the tireless efforts of the mathematician S Barry Cooper, the story of Alan Turing, the brilliant but ill-starred computer pioneer and wartime codebreaker, might never have re-emerged, …
Bernard Price
Bernard Price by Doug Murgatroyd Bernard Price Broadcaster, Writer and Journalist Bernard Price achieved fame initially as a presenter on “Going for a Song”, “Collectors’ World”, ” and Country Game” and, later on, the “Antiques Road Show”. He was a pupil at the Lancastrian School and left around 1950, did his National Service in the …
Brian Davies AFC RN
Brian Davies attended Chichester High School in the mid-1940s and after reaching sixth form prefect status in the 50s left to join the Royal Navy in 1952. I knew him well as out of school we were both members of the Bognor Regis Athletic Club. He was an excellent quarter miler and became a member of the Club’s Sussex record …
Robin Wainwright 1943-2006
Robin died earlier this year aged 62 after a painful six-month struggle with stomach cancer. Robin’s roots were in Leeds and I first met him when he arrived at the Central Junior Boys’ school in Chichester. Robin was very tall for his age, very thin and with broad Yorkshire accent. It was obviously quite a traumatic time for him. It …