before Trevor’s tragic and untimely death in 2011. Some of the research for the book was undertaken in the College’s Archive, including an interview with Terry Walsh, Senior Fellow, who wrote the chapter on sport for the 2008 history of Dulwich College by Dr Jan Piggott. The Valiant Cricketer is available from the Commissariat – visit shop.dulwich.org.uk or contact the Comm via commissariat @ dulwich.org. uk or +44 (0)20 8299 9222. Calista Lucy Keeper of the Archive A Lifetime in English Education: Philip Vennis from Pupil to Principal in Post-War Britain (Matador, 2012) This biography of Philip Vennis, written by his widow, Diana, is excellent. Those of us who remember his lively contributions to the running of Scout camps and field days in the early 1950s, or who, like Philip, were taught Classics by Philip Vellacott, will find an added interest. After a foreword by Philip’s son, Mark, and an introduction, the book covers in eight chapters the eight stages of Philip’s life, from his time at Dulwich as a boy to his nearly twenty years as a college principal via Bletchley Park (where as a young naval officer he learnt Japanese), Cambridge, the London Institute of Education, and the three schools where he had been a member of staff, a deputy head, and a headmaster. As well as being an amusing and stimulating account of a life dedicated to education, the book gives a short, but very interesting, account of the background history of the establishments where Philip worked, together with the areas they served: East Ham, rural Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire. Photographs abound and it is particularly pleasing to see that the Founder’s Day programme for 1943 mentions readings from Virgil’s Aeneid and Sophocles’ Antigone! Scout camps in the 1940s look very much like they do today and the many photos of activities that went on in Philip’s schools remind one of what goes on at Dulwich. There are also over thirty coloured plates, including one of his Lower Sixth Summer Term report of 1943. When Alick Hamilton (‘Hammy’), my Ivyholme Housemaster, died his epitaph was ‘A very happy schoolmaster’. Diana has made it clear in this biography that the same words can be said of Philip. Garth Davidson (45-52; staff 69-93)
Alex Hemming was also a scrum-half who played for Old Alleynians and Blackheath and was a reserve for England. He is a Past President of Kent and was a member of the RFU committee for many years. He was Liaison Officer for many international touring sides, including the All Blacks. He was President of the Alleyn Club in 1988-89. Terry Walsh Senior Fellow
The Valiant Cricketer: The Biography of Trevor Bailey
Trevor Bailey (37-42) played
for the 1st XI for five years (two as captain), won a Blue at Cambridge and went on to become one of England’s
best all-round cricketers. He played for Essex
from 1946 until his retirement in 1967, achieving the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets eight
times and, even more remarkably, in 1959, the double of 2,000 runs and 100 wickets – the only player to have done so since 1945. He played in 61 Test matches, taking more than 100 wickets and scoring more than 2,000 runs. He was President of the Alleyn Club in 1990-91 and on Founder’s Day 2006 he opened the Trevor Bailey Sports Centre. Alan Hill’s biography Trevor Bailey, The Valiant Cricketer, was published by Pitch Publishing in June 2012. Mr Hill started writing the biography
7
Made with FlippingBook HTML5