Page 105 - WHO'S WHO OF DUDLEY ROTARY

330 Percival (‘Percy’) HILL, JP (1915-1981) (Inducted 18.11.1952; President 1964-65; died in
December 1981 whilst still a member.) Men's clothing manufacturing. Proprietor of W Hill &
Co. (Dudley) Ltd. The firm was founded as bespoke tailors in Tower Street by his father Walter
Joseph William Hill in or before 1926. It soon moved to the Hill Top Works in King Street, Dudley
where it remained until the 1980s, for most of that period as wholesale clothing manufacturers.
Percy’s older brother Walter Frank Hill joined their father in the business and took it over when
their father retired at the end of 1932. However less than 18 months later young Walter died,
aged only 28 and when Percy was just 18. Their mother Louisa stepped in to carried on the
business until Percy was old and experienced enough to step into her shoes, which appears to
have been when the firm became incorporated in 1939. From 1946 it produced men’s suits,
sports coats, flannel trousers and overcoats under the trade name 'Pathfinder'. Percy’s son
David eventually took over as MD. Percy was appointed as a magistrate in the 1970s. His home
was in Sedgley until 1955 and then in Wombourne.

331 Victor Leonard NICHOLLS (1914-1960) (Inducted 16.3.1953; member until shortly before his
death on 15.8.1960.) Classification Steel Manufacturing. He was managing director of
Grazebrook Foundry, Dudley and a director of M & W Grazebrook Ltd, iron founders and
engineers of Peartree Lane, Dudley. A former captain of Penn Golf Club, he was born and lived
in Wolverhampton until his premature death at the age of just 46.

332 Joseph CLITHEROE, MA (1912-1986) (Inducted 16.3.1953; resigned about February 1954
because leaving Dudley.) Education Administration (Local). He was an Assistant Education
Officer for Dudley Borough Council based at the education offices, St James’s Road from 1949
to 1954. He moved on to become Deputy Director of Education for Carlisle for about 10 years,
and then Chief Education Officer of Dewsbury until at least 1972. He eventually died in
Eastbourne. Born and raised in Preston he started work there as a teacher but during the last
War he served in the Army Educational Corps.

333 Donald Prince LLOYD (1917-1988) (Inducted 23.3.1953; left June 1961.) Accountancy.
Chartered Accountant and principal of William Lloyd & Co. of Priory Street, Dudley. The practice
was started by his father William Lloyd, club member #88. Although his early years were in
Dudley, Donald lived at various addresses in Edgbaston, Kings Heath and Quinton, and finally for
over 30 years at Kinver.

334 Alan Rutherford YOUNG, JP FRIBA (1910-2003) (Inducted 1.6.1953; left in
1988/89) Architecture. Principal of AR Young & Partners, architects of
Parsons Street, Dudley. He started work with William Hale & Son,
architects of Colmore Road, Birmingham, and was also a part time lecturer
at Birmingham School of Architecture. He set up his own practice in 1938,
also in the centre of Birmingham. He opened a second office in Dudley
shortly after the War, briefly in Dixon’s Green and Union Street and then
in the High Street. The Birmingham office closed about 1951 but the
business expanded in Dudley so he moved to Parsons Street in 1955 and
remained there until his retirement in the mid-80s. He was succeeded as head of the
architectural practice by Edward Lloyd-Hughes (club member #407) and then Ray Bowles
(member #522). Alan’s building designs included the Trident shopping centre in Dudley town
centre, Broadway Hall of Residence (now demolished) on Priory Road, the Beacon Centre for the
Blind at Sedgley, and the futuristic Finning UK construction vehicle centre in Cannock. He also
designed his marital home - Orchard Cottage, Gothersley Lane, Stourton - where he lived from
1939 until his death. His father was the well-known men’s outfitter Alex Young. Alan was a
director of the business which traded as Alex Young & Son. He was educated at Dudley Grammar
School (where he was known as ‘Stinker’!) and in later life became a Foundation Governor of