Robert Stanwell (BGS 1954-1961)

As penance for a slight delay (41 years) in joining OBA, I was urged by Godfrey Finn (OBA membership secretary) to commit my recollections to paper for eternity.

For six years up to 1954 my schooling had entailed a leisurely distracted stroll, twice daily, from my father's butcher shop in West Street, (today Ashton's Carpet Warehouse), up Emery Lane, over the old Town Bridge and left through the Market Place and Bank Street to my known universe of Park Junior School.

Suddenly they told me I couldn't go there any more. "Turn right after the town bridge from now on, and wear this cap, or else!" The dawn of growing up had arrived and what a change; uniforms with gold braid, no girls, detentions, teachers with trousers not skirts, school dinners, giant pupils, prefects, jobs, and dorks in uniform playing soldiers after school!
For BGS the 1950s brought many changes. One can recall standing in massed ranks to cheer as the foundation stone was laid for the "new" science block next to Rowley Road entrance (1955 I believe), and in my second year the new school hall/gymnasium came into use.

In truth, before the new gym, PE had been a fairly leisurely affair, comprising a bit of running and general leaping about, but with the new facility came a rude awakening in the person of Killer Mayes, an excellent teacher dedicated to his circuit training and getting those who did not want to be fit into prime condition. We also had actual showers to remove the sweat and stench - funny, those were the first showers I had ever seen. The secret was not to appear too active or Killer would make you go up a level and do more squat jumps and bench thrusts (or was it the other way round?).

Looking back one has to admit that it was no bad place to grow up (apart from the absence of females). The environment was superb; high quality teaching, great sports facilities, the quiet efficiency of Mrs Clarke, the secretary, and the ultimate weapon of authority Joe Williams, the caretaker, a man to be crossed at one's peril.

The Staff were a dedicated, professional bunch, and my first day at BGS coincided with the first of Sid Ricketts as Head, a respected figure steering a well-run ship. I recall the delights of learning from Norman Haworth (Captain Mainwaring), Stan Cawthorne, incredibly laid back and inspiring, Titch Collin, (Toto ouvre la porte), Snoddy Deighton, (you boy!), and many others including the aforementioned Killer.

Mrs Clarke's serene efficiency as school secretary had to be admired, although I know these days such a role is a little more stressed with the advent of computerisation, local management of schools, Ofsted and all that. I have the first hand experience in that my wife, Joy, also a Bostonian, from Woodville Road, has spent 10 years as school secretary at the multi-racial Arboretum Primary School in Derby inner-city.

My own passion of school days was the sporting side of things. Unfortunately being a lad of only average ability, I found myself in Parry's House, then quite unreasonably overloaded with gifted sporting stars. A "fix" I always believed, and so my love of cricket was forced to blossom in the BGS unofficial cricket club which flourished, nightly, on Woodville Road playing field. You always knew that someone would be down there for a game; sometimes a dozen or so. Regulars included Jim Greenfield (we used his bat), Gordon Lammie, Derek Ridley, Mike Creek, Rob Ryan, and a few BGS youngsters such as George and Keith Stephens. It was at those sessions that I practised the art of long straight slogging, so valuable in future years!

I did not figure in school teams at all until lower sixth, when, by chance, I was accosted by English Teacher Tom West whilst loitering around the corridors at 4.30 one summer's Friday afternoon, (I was doing the loitering, not Tom).
"Do you play cricket Stanwell?"

"Sort of, Sir"

"Can you be here at 1 o'clock tomorrow?"
"Yes, Sir"

"Be here then. First XI are short"

With trepidation, I remember shuffling out to bat for my maiden innings, but thanks to some surprisingly loose stuff from Louth GS bowlers I was able to carve some 4's and 6's using uninhibited Woodville Road style slogs. Never looked back as they say, and then enjoyed 10 pleasant years with Old Bostonians CC as lower order slogger/3rd change bowler. Only ever made one 50! It was the day that the then Old Boys Captain, Roger Wicks, got married. Half the team went to the wedding, and the other half with a few hastily gathered reserves played a match at Woodhall Spa. The dearth of batting talent that day necessitated my batting at number 3. It was still a slog!

Evidence of this illustrious sporting career can be found on the excellent OBA website in the 1960's Sport section.

Any-one still awake? "Where is he now?" I hope they cry!

Well, armed with a few O's, A's and a couple of S levels in 1961 I spent a very interesting year in the Boston Tax Office before descending on Sheffield University. My twenties were spent pleasantly job-hopping around the country before the lure of breweries took hold. Joined Allied Breweries, Burton-on-Trent in '74 as Industrial Engineer, and later became immersed in IT and ISO9001 Quality Management stuff. Redundancy struck in '96 and I set up my own IT Consultancy, with a 4-year assignment at Rover Group Birmingham as the highlight. On August 12th this year I start a new career as an employee of Derby City Council; a venerable institution!

Married in 1972 to Joy Harvey, spinster of the parish of Boston, we now have 2 adult "children", Laura and Matthew and one marvellous little granddaughter Sophie. We have been happy residents of the Derby suburb of Littleover for 28 years, but you never lose those early memories. Floreat Bostona! Come on United!

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