From: Den Duggan
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2026 at 17:26
Subject: OWT February 2026
THE ONLINE VERSION
FEBRUARY 2026
EDITED BY DENNIS J DUGGAN
OBITUARIES Brian Jordan informs us that John Crouch passed away recently. He was one of the 1959 intake.
Terry Holt passed away on December 12th 2025, aged 82, after a short illness.
Mark Skevington contacted me as follows: it is with great sadness I inform you that my father, John Skevington (1945-53) died on his 91st birthday in July 2025. He settled in Sheffield via university in London after leaving school, but it's clear the school never left him. So he was delighted to reconnect in recent years, attending the final reunion in 2023. Thank you for making that possible.
FROM MARTIN POTTER 1965-72 Ernie Bell would doubtless have been thrilled had I reported that after leaving CBS I went on to obtain a Cambridge University degree. But that would not represent the whole truth, if such a thing exists in these times of alternative facts. Yes, I did study for a degree in Cambridge, at an educational establishment that is now a university, but one which was very much at the opposite end of the academic hierarchy to the somewhat better-known University of Cambridge.
I was awarded a CNAA degree in modern languages by the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology - a college which at that time did not even qualify for polytechnic status. It did eventually become a polytechnic in 1991 then, in 1992 after the passage of the Further and Higher Education act - it became an independent university, along with all the other polytechnics. Were I to reveal this to Mr Bell he would undoubtedly have been horrified. On the many occasions he spoke to us about our options on leaving school, he would invariably laud Oxbridge as the only worthwhile aspiration. On the other hand, if we chose not to apply ourselves, and did not put the work in, the best we could hope for was - and I quote - 'a degree in sociology at the University of Little Pidlington.'
I fear my degree falls somewhat into the latter category, and I sincerely hope that poor old Ernie isn't turning in his grave. In fact the degree was of a standard commensurate with a 'proper' university course, albeit not at Oxbridge level. I studied German and Spanish, but the course was unusual in that it included a large element of modern history relating to the countries whose languages we studied. The idea was to give us a better insight into the mindset of the local population during our study period overseas, and made for an interesting course. But my four years at CCAT were also hugely rewarding from a social point of view, making lifelong friends, enriching the local hostelries - and meeting my wife. We have been married for almost fifty years.
FROM ROGER DIGBY TILTON 1969-76 Question: is there a record, or archive, giving details of the syllabus for which we studied and sat exams? For example, I am interested to know the set texts for English Lit 'O' level in 1974, and 'A' level in 1976 - governed by the Joint Matriculation Board (Which I believe has since metamorphosised considerably since) Many thanks in advance for any interest or help.
Contact +22241950057 WhatsApp.
FROM ALAN RUDGE 1954-61 I was saddened to hear that John Crouch has passed away. He will be missed by the fencing world. If my memory is correct, fencing at CBS began in 1958, and John commenced his career under the guidance of Ray Waterfield, an excellent coach. I recall fencing against John when I was at university, and he was already very good.
I came across John many times, as we were both involved with East Midlands teams. Much later, we met at veterans' events. John was dedicated to fencing, and had exceptional organisation skills, which helped him with the roles he held. He was also an excellent President, respected by fencers of all abilities and international standing. His contribution to the sport cannot be under-estimated.
I hope that other fencers who recall John will share their memories.
FROM BRIAN STEVENSON 1959-65 I hope it's not too late for me to send in a memory of Bunny Hutchinson. Unlike many fellow Wyves, woodwork was probably my least favourite lesson of the week. I was totally inept at anything practical, and I can't recall actually completing any of the woodwork tasks set, not even that wretched table lamp thing we did at the beginning. As time passed I would furtively conceal pieces of mangled wood in my blazer pockets, where my mother would sometimes find them and question me before they were thrown away. She seemed more bemused than cross. Thankfully my dad seems not to have got to hear of these failures, as he may have taken a less charitable view.
What did Bunny have to say about this state of affairs, you may ask? It seems I was saved because of my usefulness to him in other matters. Many contributors have mentioned Bunny's love of horse racing. He was also very interested in boxing. In that period (early 60s), Britain was able to boast a number of heavyweight boxers who were competitive on the international scene – the likes of Dick Richardson, Brian London, Joe Erskine and of course 'Our 'Enery' Cooper. Mostly they were never quite good enough to win the really important fights when it came to the crunch, but they did have their supporters on the edge of their seats at times. As it happened, my dad was always very interested in these fights, and he and I would spend evenings listening to the wireless commentaries of Harry Carpenter ('oh.. back, back, back goes Erskine's head…') when the big fights were on. As a result I had a good knowledge of the heavyweight boxing scene at this time. Now, I don't know whether Bunny couldn't afford a radio or was pursuing other interests of an evening, but he never seemed to know who had won the fights, and would sometimes start his lesson (after the usual 'Now, gather round…') with the question 'Does anybody know about the boxing last night'? And of course, I, his worst pupil, usually only too keen to remain as anonymous as possible to avoid any attention being paid to my woodwork, was able to pipe up unexpectedly and furnish him with the result and a bit of an account of the fight. I think this somehow made him think kindly of me, and when he came anywhere near my bench, he would just grimace at what he saw and pass on without comment. This useful arrangement saw me through a year or two until I was able to give up woodwork.
When you look back, we were given some odd choices of lessons at school. At one point we had to choose between woodwork and art. Both of these were anathema to me, but even art was a better prospect than woodwork. Sadly, I was no more able to produce a painting to please Charlie Varley than I could fashion a bookcase to satisfy Bunny. But I never found an equivalent excuse for Charlie!
Dennis J Duggan - 1959-64