Page 5 - ODs Archives 2016

Updating Report by the Archivist – No. 18
Published May 2016
New donation from Vale family the highlight so far this year From Devon in February we received thirteen postcards all in prime condition covering the early 1930’s. Achieved because our own website makes it such an easy way for anyone to get a message to our Secretary. Within 48 hours I had responded and within a few days a padded envelope containing them arrived. The names of two ex-pupils (one of which was an OD) concerned are William Alfred VALE and Arthur Thompson VALE who were at Derby School in the very early 1930’s. Arthur was in the OTC and both played Cricket and Football and interestingly were both in Cruikshank’s House, which in 1935 became Grime’s House. The postcards donated by John Vale, son of William Alfred Vale are the first showing Cruikshank’s House that we have ever had donated, which makes this so important. See below Bygones Report Derby Telegraph 1 April 2016
Oxfam and the OD Society – In February 2016 the Society Secretary received a contact message from the Manager of the Oxfam Charity Shop in King Street, Belper that someone had donated a special Photographic Souvenir Specimen Album
dated May 1957 containing seven large B&W Derby School photographs and would the Society like to have first choice? As Archivist I visited the shop in early March and after examination made an offer of £10 under the marked price of £29.99, which was accepted. The album is now in our possession and because of its uniqueness it has just been drafted into another story for the Derby Telegraph Bygones. We are awaiting publication.
Derby Grammar School and PTA Food Fayre – The Society was represented on Saturday 12 March by the Archivist and also our President, in the Michael Bishop Hall showing a slide show of our latest donated photographs, a selection of school caps from both the 1930’s and 1950’s, plus a selection of OD Society ties, cuff links, scarfs and the Centenary DVD of Colin Bell’s “History of Derby School to the end of the 19th Century” and the St. Helen’s House Centenary painting, all for sale at current prices.
Mrs Caroline Euston, the new PTA Chairperson personally expressed her grateful thanks for ensuring we were present and showing our flag!
Derby Moor Community Sports College
– Further research has taken place since my last update in January by Andrew Polkey, Maurice Cass and myself. We were given the opportunity of photographing numerous archives brought originally by Mr Norman Elliot in 1966 to the new School site. For myself the icing on the cake was finding the original lectern used in Big School and which was presented by the OD Society to the School in 1946 remembering those pupils who had died during WWII and who are also remembered on our War Memorial. I must admit that I had thought it had been lost and/or damaged forever so I am thankful it has been found in perfect order at Derby Moor Community Sports College.
Old Derbeian Society
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