Roy Lawson 2002

ROY LAWSON 1946 – 1954

When I received an e-mail from Derek Lyon informing me that I had been elected as President of the OBA I was somewhat surprised, but pleased to be of service.  In a year in which the election of Presidents has occupied the media somewhat, I can assure the members of the OBA that the European observers were not excluded from the election process, and no one demanded a recount.

I found life at the BGS to be very stimulating and enjoyable.  The ethos of the school was very apparent. We were there to achieve high standards in the classroom, on the sports field, and in personal behaviour.  Failure was not to try one’s best.

I look back on the teachers of that period with great affection and a great deal of humour. Alan Preston gave me a shock when, as a new teacher, he accosted me in the corridor. To my surprise he asked me to take him trout fishing in the Lakes, which was my major skill at the time. We became good friends.

“Johnny Sawts” was a great influence in my life – he re-introduced me to Scouting and my days with the 3^rd were simply brilliant. They taught me self-sufficiency, discipline and teamwork in every way. The Cotton Wool took fright and was no where to be seen when the 3^rd played British Bulldog.  I rose to the dizzy heights of an ASM with the 3^rd and put a little back into Scouting, which I have always regarded fondly as a force for good.

Who could ever forget the original thinker Chris King? A real opener of horizons and fundamental thoughts, a wonderfully warm man and a great companion in the Outdoors.

Every time I hear Jerusalem I think of Sam Ollie! and then his rendition of “Over the road, stony and grey….”

It is to Les Whittaker that I owe a life long debt. He met me on the School drive, on a Saturday morning after a House Match. Standing there holding on to our bikes he convinced me I should go to University and told me how to get a Scholarship so that I could afford to go! Thanks “Bull”, alias Leslie.

Pym Lawton was my favourite teacher. The way he could dissect your work and give you a verbal massage was a lesson in the art of humorous critique. He made the lessons fly by.

Sam Price was without doubt a man to be reckoned with! He put me in the modern side in the 6^th form when I wanted to do science. I went to his office every day for a week before he agreed to my requests to do science.  To Sam the BBGS was his life’s work and he told me that to help the best to achieve their potential in class and on the field, and the less gifted to be helped to a better position in life gave him great joy and fulfilment;  a man of standards and a Standards Bearer.

On the dubious supposition that people may be interested in what I have achieved, I can claim that I was, and am, very proud to be the first person to organise, and obtain reluctant approval for, an unsupervised meeting of the 6^th Form Boys and 6^th Form Girls.  Yes, my real achievement was to organise a “Beetle Drive” in the Girls School in the evening.  I suppose it could have been regarded as a “bit cool”, except that we would not have used such intemperate language in those far off days.

London (King’s College) was my next educational establishment. I went to London for no better reason than that hardly anyone else from Barrow went there! An Old Boy convinced me at Speech Day to grow up and go out in the World to pastures different and far from one’s mates!  I did a spell in the Nuclear Reactor industry with English Electric, in the Midlands, sorting out a few problems with the early designs.  I gave up Cross-Country running for rock-climbing, mountaineering and squash.

While at English Electric, I met and married Hilary (original Essex Girl) – some 39 years ago.  We have two children, a married daughter, who is a Bronze Medallist International Power Lifter at a modest 52 Kg body weight and a “partnered” son, who every now and then decides it is time to travel again and goes off to some of the remote regions of the World.  Hilary is a Blue Badge Guide, not merely for the South but also for Cumbria!

I next joined Plessey, in Somerset, in the Military Marine business;  sailed quite a lot with the “Grey Funnel Line” [Navy for the ignorant!], but mostly in the depths!  I mixed Military business and civil communications over my career span, did quite a lot of travel in the States and South America in the 60’s - 80’s.  In Peru at the Airport, my colleague and I were arrested, accused of smuggling and had our passports confiscated.  It is surprising how exposed one feels when minus a passport.  However it was just a ruse to ensure that we could not leave till we had finished a job well for the Peruvian Navy. An Admiral returned the passports…..

It was in B***A*** that the Secret Police gave us cards to cover robbery and rape, but a special number to call when we had shot somebody.  Hmm! I didn’t think Sam would approve of such behaviour! We went for a meal instead – so my confession says anyway.

Now we are retired, living in Poole in Dorset, where we have been for the last 19 years or so. I have to admit it is warmer and drier than my birthplace, but of course, the people are not the same…I do the odd spot of fishing and walking and am a dab hand with the chain saw and do not let anyone see the inside of my garage.

I have always kept up a very warm friendship with some of my contemporaries, who I met either through Scouting or through Schooling together for some 7/8 years.  A very worthwhile life investment.

As for what I would like for the OBA – well the increasing membership and successful progress must be as the result of some sterling work by the dedicated Old Boys and Girls, who give their time in the Engine Room of the Ship. Long may their efforts continue and we should all encourage and help them.

Perhaps we could encourage the ladies to supply us with more contributions…to us mere males, the BGGS was a world unto itself!!!!!!

How to encourage the 6^th Form College to take up membership must be one of our priorities – any ideas are welcomed.