The 105th Annual Dinner took place on Saturday 22nd November from 6:30 pm for 7:30 pm until 11:30 pm in the Oldfield Hall, King Charles I School, hosted by President Richard Woolley.
A group of Old Carolian friends arrived at the school hall at 6 pm. Our arrival found our caterers, Plyvine, hard at work. They have been our caterers for a number of years, and have won our approval under intense competition in the area. The Committee feel as if they offer good value for our four-course meal with coffee, at the price of £22. And don't forget that this figure has to cover the number of meals for our invited guests. Many people, in fact, probably do not know anything about Plyvine, which began in a very small way, as a one-man venture, back in 1980. Based in Brierley Hill, they are specialists in all types of event catering, with a fleet of mobile kitchens and refrigerated wagons, accompanied by chefs and waiting staff. After this free advertising, perhaps I shall get my dinner free next year; either that or sit on the top table with a chain of office around my neck. I think that I shall banish that thought considering the amount of politics involved. Plyvine staff were setting up wine counters and organising the bar. David Slater, ably assisted by Mike Wilson, was checking that all the individual identity cards were ready (these take hours to produce, incidentally, and he had been setting them out in the afternoon). Peter Picken and Colin Lloyd were making sure that the table seating was labelled and organised. Peter Guy was laying out the individual white dinner menus that he had printed. Roger Perrin was manning his Old Carolians Association fashion accessory table. Norman Broadfield was proudly laying out the King Charles I School historical CDs for sale, and a brilliant historical record they are, too; there was also, on his laptop computer, the old photographs of school events clicking past on its screen. Last but by no means least, Campbell Slater had laid out the recording CDs that he had produced, cataloguing his lifelong interest in the career of Buddy Holly. He has been to America many times researching the Buddy legend, playing in gigs, and is an accredited WI function speaker.
Looking around the hall, you had to admire the new boards, the individual school blinds and the dedications that had been placed there, following the work of Norman and Tim Gulliver. This year, there are two more boards; these are to recognise the winners of the Association's Prize, covering Latin, Economics and then Business Studies, over many years and a list of Headteachers at King Charles from 1566 to the present day.
On the top table this year were Tim Gulliver, recently retired Headteacher of the School and new Association Secretary; the Rev Rose Lawley from St Mary's Church; Terry Allsop, President of the Hartlebury Old Elizabethans' Association; Cllr Stephen Williams, Chairman of Wyre Forest District Council; Graham Merlane, ex-Headteacher of the School; Stephen Brownlow, the recently-appointed Headteacher of the School; Peter Picken, Treasurer; and Richard Woolley, Old Carolians Association President.
Following 'The Queen' and 'The Silent Toast', with specific mention of Past President and Association Secretary Martin Humphries, who had died earlier in the year, Rose Lawley said grace and the feeding frenzy began. The little brown envelopes on the table indicated that the traditional raffle was in place, and contributions were hoped for.
The food had been consumed, the coffee spoons had finished clinking and the chocolates had finally been consumed, and so it was time for a comfort break before President Richard Woolley rose to address the guests and introduce the speakers (with the 10-minute bell in operation).
Graham Merlane was on first. He reminisced on a 40-year relationship with all matters Carolian, from his time as Headteacher through some years as a Schools Inspector, all the time in touch with the Association of which he was made an Honorary Life Member in 1984. He dwelt on living in Woodfield House, school staffing and the building programme. He felt as if the merger had gone quite well, but left after 10 years to take on the HMI challenge, based in Richmond in North Yorkshire, covering an area stretching from the Tees to the border and across to Cumbria. His wife still works in the Oxfam shop there. The bell rang while he was in full flow but he carried on to record his appreciation of the campus and attractive buildings at the School and finished with some kind remarks on the Association and its efforts, asking the gathering to rise and join with him in a toast to 'the Old Carolians – for a vibrant past and a successful future'.
Stephen Brownlow, the incoming Headteacher, responded on behalf of the school, but, as a 'new boy', felt that he had to introduce himself to the audience rather than dwell on educational matters. And that he certainly did, with a PowerPoint presentation on an enormous screen on the Oldfield Hall stage. All in all, a spectacular presentation of his life to date, relating milestones such as 'O' levels and 'A' levels to failures of the England football team, including missed World Cup penalties and a video sequence of Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal. An unusual and entertaining address, enthusiastically received by the diners. It'll be a challenge to beat that next year, though!
The President responded for the Association, thanking all the organisers of the evening's entertainment. He travelled through his school career, moving to Kidderminster from Birmingham in 1958, when his father was promoted to the Midland Bank in Church Street. He mentioned many aspects and personalities of his life at Woodfield, with Jake Potter, as ever, looming large, but Bob Mason, 'Abe' Moonan, George Oxendale and 'Luke' Lucy all featured, in the middle of games of cricket and chess. School days were happy days for him and he reflected that 'we had some great teachers'. He just had time to mention his Second XI cricket captaincy and success as school chess captain, with the team winning the County Schools Chess Shield for the first time in about sixty years. All this and he still managed to beat the bell!
Jeff Webb proposed the President's health, confessing that he had known Richard for more than half a century, from their school days. Jeff is now a Professor of Mathematics at Glasgow University, and has lived up there for more than forty years, in a 'great city'. He thinks that Scotland a beautiful country, albeit with plenty of both midges and rain. He thought that today we would say that King Charles was old-fashioned and 'we had many good teachers, I remember all their names: "Sir". We boys were called by our surnames, Webb, Woolley [et al]'. He mentioned Richard's many interests: music, lepidoptera, photography and chess, the last being a key element of their friendship, as they played many games on a pocket set during breaks and lunch hours. The chess club was run by Mr H R Launchbury, who was once 'cheekily' asked him what 'H R' stood for; he instantly replied 'His Royal'. He related Richard's inability to take on board the physics behind electric motors, as presented by Kingsley Raw. They have been on holidays together on several occasions, and he gave an amusing summary of our President's strengths and weakness, as tradition demands. He was sure that Richard would be a successful President, ably supported by his wife, Jan; as the old adage goes: 'behind every successful man stands a surprised woman''! The President's health was enthusiastically supported.
Having collected up all the raffle envelopes, Peter Picken won the bottle of Glenfiddich himself, drawn by fellow top-tabler Graham Merlane, with only the smallest suspicion of collaboration or corruption.
The evening concluded in its traditional fashion with 'God Save the Queen' and 'Auld Land Syne', but this time with a major difference and, some might say, improvement. In the absence of an accomplished pianist, they were sung a cappella, but, for the first time in my considerable memory of these events, with the choir being led by our musical President on his mouth-organ.
An original ending to another very agreeable evening.
'Stormin'' Norman Broadfield and 'Captain' Peter Vaughan, 'Dynamic Duo' Correspondents