Brab Smith

Tony Shardlow holding@lineone.net
Just found the BGS website and it brought back some happy (and maybe not so happy!) memories. The photo of "1957 Prefects" must be more like 1963/64, since John Toplis, TAK Thompson and one or two others were contemporaries of mine (1957-64). Also, isn't that Ezra's son in front row, next to "the Beak"? He didn't even arrive at school until around 1961/62. I remember tasting my first chapati in Ezra's house when a few of us 6th-formers were invited round!  

How about a page for Brab Smith? The man was an inspiration for me, and I still remember his ability to draw a perfect circle with one sweep of his arm, and also some of his favourite phrases such as "flog you with a knotted bootlace", "chalkless dust", "unwanted political prisoner" (to describe a piece of bent pipe cleaner), and . Some years ago, I came to watch my son playing Rugby for his school (King Edwards V Ways) against Abbott Beyne, and was very pleased to bump into Brab once more. We both deplored the loss of the old BGS. After graduating from Birmingham in 1968 (Maths/Stats), and a short spell working in London, I spent 30 years working for Cadbury Schweppes, mainly in Birmingham. I took early retirement August 2001, and am now enjoying the fruits of my labours!