Rob Blacklock 2025

PRESIDENT 2025 

ROB BLACKLOCK (BBGS 1957-1964) 

I was born on14th April 1946 at the Risedale Maternity Home. The late Ian Payne was born the day before me and we subsequently ended up in the same form at the Grammar School and became good friends. 

We lived in Yarlside Road, and I attended Roose Junior School. The school caretaker, Mr Birrell, was the father of Bob, Joe and Jack Birrell. Joe and Jack later taught me at BBGS. 

However, when I was about eight, we moved to Hawcoat but rather than change school I preferred to continue at Roose Junior School. This meant a journey involving two buses. My parents were quite happy for my brother and I to undertake this daily return journey, and during the summer term we cycled to school from Hawcoat. 

I passed the 11+ exam and started BBGS in September 1957. The Headmaster and Deputy throughout my time at school were Sam Price and "Chip" Robinson. I started in Form 1A, and the form master was Jim Watson, who also taught us Maths. I made lifelong friends from the first day at BBGS, and I remember Jim Watson organising hiking trips into the Lake District on Saturdays for those who were interested. We took the train from Barrow to Foxfield, then a train to Coniston where we would hike up Coniston Old Man. 

At the end of the first year, I went on a school trip to Germany and then Brussels. The trip was organised by "Skull" Hammersley, who taught me Geography. The other two adults on the trip were Mrs Hammersley and "Slasher" Hawkins. We travelled by train and stayed in Youth Hostels. We took essential things like an inner sheet sleeping bag, and everything had to fit into a rucksack. For two weeks the cost was about £30, and it was suggested that we included £10 for spending money. 

We caught the overnight sleeper from Barrow to London Euston and then we were free to spend the day in London. Most of us had never been to London but somehow, we all managed to get to Victoria on time to catch the boat train to Dover. We stayed in Heidelberg and then we made our way down the Rhine. 1958 was the year that the World Trade Fair/Exhibition was held in Brussels on a special site with The Atomium as the special feature. The Russian Pavillion had the Sputnik as its main exhibit. 

I went on another school trip, this time to Bavaria including Munich and Innsbruck. 1960 was a year of the Oberammergau Passion Play, but we all went to see another Passion Play performance in Austria. Five hours sitting on a hard seat outdoors listening to German and not understanding a word was no fun. 

I remember that school discipline could be quite violent on occasions, particularly with certain members of the teaching staff! Unlike today corporal punishment was not uncommon. One time I was caught talking to the person sitting next to me, before assembly had started, and one of the 6 prefects told me to go and wait outside Sam's office. On learning why, I was there, Sam immediately gave me three strokes of the cane. 

I enjoyed the sport at school and played for the school rugby teams through the years. The trip to play St. Bees was always interesting as they were always under pressure not to be beaten by BBGS. As one of the St. Bees' masters always refereed this never happened. 

I had decided that I wanted a career in medicine, so I went into the science stream of the express form and then after "O" levels into the 6th form. I applied to four universities to read medicine, and each accepted me subject to passing three "A" levels. In October 1963 I started in the second year at Edinburgh University to read medicine. Scottish students had to do a first year. 

I was one of the youngest in my year and found myself at the age of 17 before I was old enough to legally drink alcohol, cutting up dead bodies I enjoyed my time at medical school and met Ann who was reading History and who eventually became my wife.

After graduating I went to Barbados for a year to do my house jobs, six months of Medicine and then six months of Surgery. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the West Indies. Jeff Curry, who was a couple of years ahead of me at BBGS, and a graduate of Manchester Medical School turned up to work in the hospital with another Manchester Medical School graduate. 

Ann had a final year to do of her course but joined me after she had finished her finals for a holiday. We were able to visit some of the other islands in the Caribbean. Once we were back in the UK we married in September 1969. 

On returning to the UK, I decided to pursue a career in Surgery. There was a locum GP post available in Barrow, with Bruce Baynes' practice so I applied and was appointed. There were three of us as GPs, two receptionists and 13,000 patients. We did Surgeries each morning. We saw every patient who turned up then did home visits which often extended into the afternoon. In the evening, we did another Surgery seeing everyone who turned up. We were then on call overnight one in three and one weekend in three. The Practice provided the Police Surgeon so at night I was also the Police Surgeon for the town. One of the patients registered with the Practice was Sam Price, and on one occasion I had to call on him for a home visit. Fortunately, it was nothing serious and we had a good reminiscence. 

After six months I was offered a permanent position but to pursue a career in Surgery I needed to return to Edinburgh. Before getting on to the Surgical Training Rotation, I had a job for six months as a Senior House Officer in Urology. I decided that after completing my surgical training I would specialise in Urology. To this end I moved from Edinburgh to a Senior Registrar post in Urology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham. Then I was appointed as a Consultant Urologist to the hospitals of Coventry. 

Ann and I moved to a house in Kenilworth where our two sons were brought up. During my time as a consultant for the University of Warwick it was granted a medical school. I was involved with giving lectures, clinical teaching, and examining for intermediate and final exams, and became Honorary Senior Lecturer.

After I retired, I was involved with interviewing and selecting students for the Medical School. I was also an examiner and then examiner's assessor for the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons. 

This involved examining and supervising surgical exams throughout the UK and Dublin and at various exam centres in the Middle East, Indian Sub-Continent and Malysia. I was instrumental in a Charitable Trust and was involved as a trustee providing Bursaries to needy new medical students who were starting their studies at the University of Warwick Medical School. Until I retired, I was the Honorary Medical Officer for Coventry RFC for many years, and I still go and watch their home games. 

I continue to sit on the Animal Welfare Ethical Research Board of the University. 

Away from all this I enjoy retirement in France and all things French. I am fortunate enough to have a house in the South West of France that I visit as much as possible. I do get up to Furness a few times a year for OBA lunches and also to visit my sister and family who live in Ulverston.

My younger son has recently purchased an old wreck of a house in the centre of Ulverston that he is restoring with a view to moving up to Ulverston. I have a cousin and her husband who were both Barrow Grammar School pupils and who live in Furness, so my heart is still in Barrow and the North West.