The challenge posted on this website in January was to identify the plays, if there is more than one, the year of the production  and the individuals taking part.   That might be possible. Less likely is to identify the role that they each perform.  

Answers were to be sent to JH (the Editor) at :   holdstock.groups@gmail.com

Robert Holmes wrote from British Columbia

Robert Holmes, British Columbia, Canada

Mon, 17 Feb

Dear Mr. Holdstock,

I was fiddling away some idle winter hours yesterday, and what better place to do that than on the internet.  On a whim I decided to look up my old school, Ealing County Grammar School for Boys, as it was known in the 1940’s. I came across The Old Ealonions’ website and was intrigued to see photos of one of the old school plays numbered 1A,B,C,and D.

I am happy to be able to tell you that all four photos are of Julius Cesar, which was performed in December 1953, and in which I played the title role.  I have attached a copy of the brochure which was handed to members of the audience.

The photos brought back strong memories of those times and I can now recall only a few of the fellow members of the cast, particularly of Arnon Bentovim, my best friend and who, like myself became a doctor.  He ultimately became a child psychiatrist at the Middlesex Hospital, whereas I worked in Uganda, East Africa, and later emigrated to British Columbia, where my wife and I have lived for fifty four years.

I noted that John Oxley grew up in Southall, as I did - right next to a council house estate, which meant that I had to do a certain amount of street fighting on my way home from from the 607 trolleybus.  I could hold my own with any of them.

I was at Ealing Grammar from 1947 to 1954, when I went up to St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, - a wonderfully liberating experience after the rather harsh discipline of the martinet A.Sainsbury Hicks (2nd class Honours Cardiff).

Looking back (Respice) I am amazed that I learned the script of Julius Cesar while I was in my final year at EGS, while studying four A levels, which also entailed travelling to Acton Technical College twice a week for evening classes in Botany and Zoology.   I attained four A levels, including a Scholarship in Chemistry (thank you, Mr. Thornhill) to add to my eight 0 levels.  That level of concentrated learning held me in good stead at St. Mary’s Hospital, where most of my colleagues had been to public school.

I last caught a glimpse of the old school in 2004 when I was staying at a friend’s flat in London.  It was a sad sight - total change of name and direction, even Walpole Park was different. There had been a small aviary there with a parrot called Norah, which the boys taught to swear indecently.  

I am almost 85 years old now and my wife and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary last year.  We have five children and fourteen grandchildren.  I have spent most of my medical life working with ‘native’ indigenous peoples, from whom I have learned so much and gained so much personal and professional satisfaction; not for me the rat race of Harley Street.  We live next to an Indian Reserve and are surrounded by hills and mountains. We are blessed.

Here is a scanned copy of the Julius Cesar production.   II was taught English at the school by the wonderful teacher and person, Mr. Vaughan Jones.  

Yours truly,

Robert G Holmes MB. FRCSC

The photos of the school play that were featured on the front page of the January edition of this website, evoked a response from distant British Columbia, Canada.

Robert Holmes wrote to say that he was the male lead, no less, and, to prove it, he supplied a copy of the programme, with his name at the ‘top of the bill’.

His letter appears below and the programme is shown on the next page, together with follow up correspondence from Peter Hillman, who supplied the original photos, and others.

John Holdstock (Editor)

Robert Holmes is centre of the back row, above

Warwick Hillman, wrote:

Initially, the parrot in Walpole Park was revealed in the local paper to be officially called Aurora, though we all called her Laura for years, and Hello Laura was what she parroted back to her admirers.

Vaughan Jones was (our father’s) predecessor as Head of English.    I attended all the EGS plays Dad produced from 1952 to 1960,  but did not attend EGS myself.

The only 2 cast members I previously could remember were Robert Holmes as Caesar and Ben-Tovim as Mark Antony, plus A.E. Barrell, who famously came on stage with his glasses still on at the Saturday performance, and led to the first time I heard Dad swear!   Barrell’s parents ran the tobacconist shop in South Ealing Road opposite the church.

The cast list, however, evoked a mine of memories.    GJ Hunton had played Ariel in The Tempest in 1952, selected for the part because he had a very good treble voice.   I can put faces to Heathcote, Trott, Hurrle, Hopkins, Leamy and Worsley, but there are doubtless others I have forgotten. I also remember Shand and Willcox as swimmers from the annual galas we used to get dragged along to.

Regards,

Warwick Hillman     

Peter Hillman

5 Mar 2020

Thanks John

Very interesting. I recognise some of the names in particular D B Crowhurst who was the oldest of three Crowhurst boys.

The 1953 production of Julius Caesar was by my father, which is how we came to have the photos, courtesy of the Middlesex County Times. The parrot in Walpole Park was called Laura, not Norah and was reputed to be 100 years old!

Best wishes

Peter

This prompted the following comments

from Peter and Warwick Hillman

Peter Hillman supplied the photos.   His father taught English at Ealing Grammar School at the time the play was produced.

JH (Ed)

Dear John

Further to my earlier email, I recall being in plays in which Mr. Vaughan Jones directed the stagecraft.  In particular, I remember him showing me how to fall realistically, after I had been stabbed by conspirators.   He had taught me English from Classical 1, and I still hold him in very high esteem.  Who could forget his wonderful 5 litre Bentley, which completely overshadowed Sainsbury Hicks’s V8 Ford?

Unfortunately, I never got to know Mr. Hillman, who, I believe, arrived at EGS in my final year when I was no longer studying English.

I met Mr. Vaughan Jones one last time in September 1955 on the Calais-Dover boat ferry when I was returning from a hiking trip to Morocco.  We recognized each other immediately and he kindly invited me to lunch, which I gratefully accepted, being penniless and extremely hungry.   

Yours,

Robert G Holmes

Robert subsequently penned the following:

PS:

The school magazine for the Spring term 1952 was edited by Mr Vaughan Jones.  His departure from the school at the end of the Summer term is recorded in the 1952 Autumn magazine, which was edited by Mr Hillman, who refers to producing The Tempest, for the 1952 school play.  The Spring 1954 newsletter does not include a report on the 1953 school play featured in this article.

JH (Ed)

SCHOOL PLAY