Page 119 - WHO'S WHO OF DUDLEY ROTARY

390 William (‘Bill’) Leonard PEACH, JP (1928-2010) (Inducted 17.6.1963; died 3.3.2010 whilst still a
member.) Insurance broking. When he joined he was a Director of
Birmingham & Midland Insurance Brokers Ltd of St James’s Road, Dudley.
About 1970 this became H Clarkson (Dudley) Ltd at the adjacent property
Westox House. The firm moved to Falcon House and through merger
became Clarkson Puckle West Midlands in 1982, then Bain Clarkson in
1988. He was a director until 1989 but remained in business until 1996.
He lived in the Great Barr area of Birmingham for almost the whole of his
life. He was a keen golfer, for many years a Director of Great Barr Golf
Club and one-time club Captain.

391 Arthur Ronald (‘Ron’) TOWNLEY (1914-2002) (Inducted 9.12.1963; left in 1980/81.) Tyres
(Distributing). He was manager of Bakers Tyre Services, King Street, Dudley. About 1970 this
became a branch of Motorway Tyres & Accessories Ltd, a national chain, and his classification
was widened to ‘Tyres & accessories, distributing’. He was born in London and lived and worked
there until at least the 1950s. Immediately before the last War, at the age of 25, he was a
company secretary. During the war he served in the Royal Artillery and afterwards was an
Honorary Major in the Territorials. During his period of work in Dudley he lived at Norton,
Stourbridge with his wife ‘Johnnie’ (maiden name Violet Johnstone). They retired to the Oxford
area.

392 John Caleb HOGG (1912-2002) (Inducted 9.3.1964; left in 1993/94.)
Insurance, general. He joined the club as manager of the Commercial Union
Assurance Co.Ltd off in Wolverhampton Street, Dudley but in 1971 he joined
Lunt Comley & Pitt Ltd at Pensnett Trading Estate (renamed LCP Holdings
Ltd about 1975) as the firm’s insurance specialist. A native of Stourbridge,
in his 20s he moved to Blackheath where he was an insurance inspector, but
for his last 50 years lived at nearby Quinton.

393 Joseph Geoffrey (‘Geoff’) TURLEY (1920-2007) (Inducted 9.12.1963; left c.1971.) Brick
Manufacturing. A director and company secretary of Baggeridge Brick Co., Gospel End, Sedgley,
becoming Managing Director in 1968. He continued as a director of the brick company until
retiring in 1993. He grew up in Walsall. On leaving the local grammar school he started as an
accountant’s clerk in the bolt and nut trade. He progressed to be assistant financial accountant
for Simplex Electric Co. at Oldbury, where he qualified as an Associate of the Chartered Institute
of Secretaries. He may have moved directly from Simplex to Baggeridge Brick. From 1962 he
lived at Penn but in 2000 moved to Gloucestershire. His older brother Frank, Director of
Education, joined the club in 1962 (see #381).

394 Edward (‘Ted’) Thomas PERKS (1920-2002) (Inducted 9.12.1963; resigned
Nov.1977 on moving to Dorset.) Surgical Appliances (Retailing). Director of
Perks Medical Stores Limited with a shop in New Street, Dudley. He started
the business in 1963 and wound it up in 1978 on moving to Bournemouth
where he set up a residential care home. In later years he became resident
in his own care home, which was then managed by his daughter. He was
brought up in West Bromwich. On leaving school he started work as a
butcher’s assistant with his older brother Albert who had a shop in
Kingstanding, Birmingham, but within a few years they moved to Quinton
where Ted became a stores manager. After setting up in business in Dudley and before moving
south he lived in Sedgley, and then Kingswinford and Wall Heath.