Back Row: H.P.Bryant, F.P.Moorby, W.A.Smart, B.G.Carfoot, L.Watts, Mr D.M.Davies
Front Row: F.Lee, G.Starbuck, W.J.Adams (Captain), F.K.Webster, L.B.Birch
Floor: K.B.Howkins, G.A.Staley

Back Row: B01, B02, B03, B04, B05, Charles May
Middle Row: M01, M02, M03, M04, M05

Back Row: B01, James Woolley, B03, B04, B05
Middle Row: M01, Charles May, M03, M04, M05
Front Row: F01

On Friday and Saturday, the 17th and 18th December 1920, the Society staged its first production. It was a comedy in four acts written by Madeline Ryley called Jedbury Junior.

The cast is given below, which included Mr Nicholson himself who played the neice. Also, probably most notably was a young George Cooper, who can be seen on the extreme right, who was to go on to have the longest ever association with Burton Grammar School where he would retire as deputy headmaster some 48 years later!

CAST

Christopher Jedbury Senior (An East Indian Merchant)
F.J. Richards
Mrs Jedbury (wife)
J.J. Baker
Christopher Jedbury Junior (son)
F. Waterton
Nelly Jedbury (daughter)
E.W. Misater
Whimper (man-servant)
George Cooper
Job (valet to Jedbury Jnr.)
G.W. Britton
Major Hedway (retired soldier)
H. Lyon
Dora (neice)
E.C. Nicholson
Mr Glibb (President of the Society for the suppression of juvenille gambling)
H. Henson
Mrs Glibb (his wife)
S.D. Berry
Tom Bellaby (lawyer)
B.C. Saunders
Mr Simpson (Manager of the Bombay House)
F.B. Buxton

B04 is C.H. (Bert) May, M07 is Stanley Dagley, who was Head Boy but for some reason, not taking the customary central position, and seated on the grass in the centre is John P Bull.

The following signatures also appear on the back of the photo and it would be nice to associate them with the correct faces:

A.H. Benton, E.H. Greenwood, W. Summers, W.S. Chambers, W.C. Cobb, G.R. Brotherhood, L. Watts, G.A. Staley

So far, the only pupils identified in this 1934 VI Form photo are James ‘Jim’ Woolley, standing second from left, and John P Bull, center back. Centre of the front row is Stanley Dagley who was headboy at the time.

It is a sobering thought that many of those featured would soon be seeing active service in WWII – a thought that would have seemed pretty inconceivable at the time.

This picture, believed to have been taken in June 1934, remains a slight mystery. Aside from Mr Nicolson (Chemistry) in the central position who is easy to pick out, the others confirmed are R.G. Neill (Biology) to his right, John Bull second from left on the front row, two to his right is headboy, Stanley Dagley, and James ‘Jim’ Woolley (prefect) second from right on the front row.

This well survived picture shows the 1931 Wellington House with Mr ‘Cherry’ Orchard as House master.

The pupil at the far left of the first standing row, slighty blurred, is John Woolley. In the back row, and 8th from the right side of the picture is his younger brother Jim Woolley. It is a sobering thought that John, the elder, was born in 1913 and Jim in 1915; just before and after the outbreak of World War I.

Seated third from left on the middle row is Stanley Dagley who went on to become headboy.

This excellent find shows the complete Nelson house for 1931. The Headmaster during this period was S.E. Wilson. Masters featured include E.C. Nicholson (House Master?) and A.C. Brown and the only pupil identified is Charles May who can be seen 5th from right on the centre row.

It is tantilizing to know that photos of the other three houses were taken and it is my hope that they can all be rescued before it is too late.

The original of this 1934 Nelson House picture was a fairly poor quality photo so this is about the best possible.

The picture was supplied by the daughter of John P Bull who can be seen fourth from the left on the first row seated on chairs. E.C. Nicholson (Chemistry) still appears as House Master and A.C. ‘Chazzer’ Brown can be seen to his left.