George Glass (1944) Memories
May 7, 2009 – 4:23 pmMarch 2009
Dear Roger,
Thank you for the chat we had over the phone the other day and your advice. I pen therefore a letter of my life, if there is anyone out there left who was at CBBS during the war years who would be interested.
My years at school were between 1940 and 1944 from Monkton Combe Preparatory School; not the best of years for the school or pupils – due to the war, Bath blitz, temporary kitchens on the car park in front of the Headmaster’s study, clothes rationing, gas masks, shortages of food and the good things of life. But in spite of it all we survived.
The staff, under the watchful eye of Dr Taylor, kept things going remarkably well. Latin and History were a nightmare under Dancy and James, my only encounters with Matthews were with the ‘dap’! Nevertheless I enjoyed French with Froggy Holden, English with Mr Burt, Art with Mr Whiticker and Science with Mr Hambleton.
In my class was Roger Bannister – a ‘bright lad’ who as a junior won the senior cross-country event, and Raymond Leppard who always played the piano at morning assembly.
You can rather gather I was not an academic at school but a ‘plodder’ and enjoyed rugby and athletics. Nevertheless I obtained 2 School Certificates enabling me to start on my career.
And do not forget the wartime working holidays organised by Mr Hambleton and others, collecting pit-props at Bovey Tracey and harvesting camps in Worcestershire – digging potatoes or if you were lucky, picking fruit, but do watch out for the land girls!
The Headmaster, Dr Taylor, organised on a Saturday night that the 5th and 6th forms from CBBS and CBGS should get together to learn decorum and to dance under the teaching of Madame A Carter. Being able to dance to Victor Sylvester strict tempo has served me in good stead ever since; having met Diana, D R Wakefield, there, we eventually got married in 1950 and have been together ever since.
I must mention my older brother J R Glass 1935-41 who was called up during the war, obtained his wings in Rhodesia and was killed in Italy flying spitfires.
Briefly my life was as follows:
Articled pupil with Mr Bevan-Jones in the Corporate Property Office, City of Bath for a year and passed the first examination of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Joined the Old Sulians RFC and had many matches with local clubs, not forgetting a little beer drinking under the control and supervision of John New.
Called up for National Service, Bodmin. Passed a W.O.S.B., trained at Newark and obtained a commission in R.E. Work Services finally serving 18 months in Malaya.
On return joined Nixey and Jordan Chartered Surveyors in Bath and studied for 3 years as an articled pupil to become an Associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Experience followed at Aldermaston A.W.R.E, Bristol and 3 years in Trinidad through the Crown Agents with the Works and Hydraulics Department.
Back to the UK and Birmingham. After working for two firms, managed to obtain a Partnership with A.G. Robottom and Partners eventually becoming a Fellow of the RICS, retiring in 1992.
All during this time I kept up my golf, having played before the war at Lansdown, Bath. Joined Moseley Golf Club eventually becoming Captain and President and have just been made an Honorary Member.
Played for the Worcestershire 2nd team and became Captain of the Worcestershire Seniors. I was also a member of the Chartered Surveyors Golfing Society, was Secretary and Captain of the Midlands section and eventually National Captain.
While a member of St Andrew’s Golf Club in Trinidad I represented Trinidad and Tobago in golf teams versus Jamaica and Barbados.
My wife and I have been members of Aberdovey Golf Club for 20 years where we have had many golfing holidays.
I was happy to become a Life Member of the OSA, reading the newsletters, sadly reading of the death of many of my contemporaries.
I do regret not having taken more of an active part in the affairs of the OSA but the distance between Birmingham and Bath is considerable and there is always a time limit on what one can do.
Having started this letter I am now obliged to finish it. I hope it is not too long-winded but no doubt you know how to precis!
Yours sincerely,
George P. Glass
3 Responses to “George Glass (1944) Memories”
Dear George,
It was good to read of your C.B.B.S. experiences on the O.S.A. letter page;
I was at the School from 1942-1947.
Many of your experiences match my own at that
time, and, like you, the education that was drummed into me at that time stood me in good stead thereafter. Unlike you my career was in accountancy, (but never in the Bath area) mainly in the Motor Industry. Prior to this however I spent several years in the social field after qualifyling from a Home Office course at Ruskin College (Oxford) as an Approved School Housemaster. The work was most satisfying, but the hours were long and somewhat eratic as the needs of the (boy) pupils always came first. I was then married with a very young family, and it was when I finally realised the children were losing out that I reluctantly had to give up this calling and return in a big way into accountancy, from whence I came to York, finally retiring here. Since then I have really enjoyed the more relaxed life; long may it continue!!
Best wish to you,
Alan.
By ALAN F. PALMER on May 12, 2009
Hello George
As an exact contemporary, I remember you well from those years. My memory of who was in which “form” is different from yours and I am quite sure that Raymond Leppard was a year (or possibly two) ahead of both of us.
Your piece made me wonder how many of 4L1, the names read out twice every day like a mantra for all those years, are still around
Andrews, Bannister, Brook, Burgess, Cawthorn, Child, Davies J.A., Davies J.H., Denham, Hart, Harvey, Kirby, Leat, Lloyd, Luckman, Manley, Morgan, Newhouse, O’Shaughnessy, Partridge, Robertson, Smith, Snowdon, Wilson.
Of those, I saw Polly Partridge a few times over the four years or so after leaving school and was very touched when Terry Leat turned up at my father’s funeral in the eighties – thinking it was me!
I remember Roger running in the school mile in 1944 and finishing third. He subsequently made better progress than Mike Derrington and Tom Smith who finished first and second.
My one beef with young Bannister was – is – that he conferred on me the nickname “Spike” which it took me more than twenty years to get rid of.
Best wishes to all who have survived,
LEWIS Cawthorn
By Lewis Cawthorn on Sep 26, 2009
Hi George,
I was at City of bath boys school from sept 1939 to 1944, I think I remember your name. I do remember some of the school pupils, Tom Smith, Peter Board, george tomkins and a lear and a hunt. I believe hunt got an army commission. We have lived in Canada for 55 years, and my daughter found the old sulian site on the internet. I did visit the old school a few years ago but it didn’t seem to be the same as I remember. I remember marcus matthews giving the whole junior school the “dap” of which I was one. Also remember froggie holden (he lived into his 90s). Also Dr taylor at assembly saying “2 boys on the #? bus did not give up their seats to the ladies”
By derek hanney on Feb 5, 2010