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Summer 2015
Robin Bradbury (1937-1943)
writes: “I would like to report that
having benefited from Norman
Birley’s Three Sixth’s classes on
Friday afternoons, I have just
completed sixty years as an elected
member of my various Parish
Councils as I have moved around
Somerset after returning from my
National Service as a Staff Captain
with the R.E.s at the BAOR GHQ.
Sixty years is quite enough and
I am not standing for re-election
this year. I have greatly enjoyed the
companionship and the ability of
helping to deal with local issues.
I have mastered the techniques of
Standing Orders and procedures
– all of which I trace back to those
interesting exercises we held just
before going out onto parade on
Friday afternoons with the OTC.”
Robin also sent in this mug to the
MTS memorabilia exhibits. He tells
the story of how he was awarded
it: “This mug was called a “Povah
Pewter”. It was presented to me in
1942 at a late summer Assembly in
the Great Hall by N.P. Birley, the
Head Master, and was in some sort
of recognition for my work in the
O.T.C. It is marked “Hills Cup” but I
never saw that, whatever it was.
I had been taking an NCO’s class
in Map Reading with junior cadets
and had managed to fire them up
with some unexpected enthusiasm.
It was a topic that I enjoyed and
apparently that carried over to the
other pupils.
At that time I was a Private in
the school Home Guard platoon in
the 6th Hertfordshire Battalion of
the Home Guards. The following
school year I progressed rapidly
in the Corps, from Lance Sergeant
to Sergeant to Under Officer, the
most senior cadet in the school.
Meanwhile I had become a full
Corporal in the Home Guard – the
Head Master, Mr Birley, was only a
Private and on one occasion I had
to rebuke him on exercises. The
Home Guard were stood down and
disbanded at around Easter 1943.
My training at school was a
considerable help to my service in
the real army. After a short spell
in the U.K. at various military
railway depots, I was posted to the
Rhine Army and at the G.H.Q. was
given the post of the Staff Captain,
Royal Engineers (Transport) which
was bliss. Fancy being in charge
of a national railway system, in a
supervisory role, “running” a railway
and being paid for it! I did two and
a half years’ National Service before
my demobilisation and, truthfully, I
enjoyed every minute.”
John McNally (2000-2007) writes: “I have recently started with the Metropolitan
Police Service on their Graduate Scheme. I started training on 29th September 2014
and ‘passed out’ at the end of January this year. It’s been a wonderful change and I
would obviously encourage any of the current Taylors’ students to look into it if they
are inclined towards a career in the public sector.”
Philip Simon (1992-1997)
writes: “On 29th - 30th May
I am going to be cycling 155
miles from London, taking in
some of the monuments of the
Kindertransport and finishing
at The Anne Frank House in
Amsterdam. I have been assured
there is an overnight ferry
between the two countries where
no cycling is required, at which
point I will be eating, sleeping
and deciding which hymns should
be sung at my funeral!
The money being raised for this
event will go to support the work
of The Anne Frank Trust, which
uses Anne’s life and inspirational
message as an anchor to educate
people about damage caused
by all forms of prejudice and
discrimination.
Each rider has an individual
target of £1,500 and if you
feel so inclined, I would be
delighted if you would sponsor
me. This can be done through
my VirginMoneyGiving page at
PhilipCyclesLondonToAmsterdam.”
Alan Sherwell (1962-1969) is now
Chair of Trustees at the National
Liberal Club. Alan is also Chair
of Governors at Thomas Hickman
School, Aylesbury.