Old Boy Geoff Lee contacted us to help him reconnect with a few of his former BGS friends. We were able to put him in touch with Brian Clarke whom he had last seen in 1961 as they left BGS. Brian and Geoff are now in touch and are planning to return to BGS together for Founders Day 2026.

We asked them to let us know how they had filled the intervening 65 years!

Brian Clarke (Class of 1961) 

1954 saw me standing outside BGS in Tenterden Street, fresh faced and feeling rather overawed with my new leather satchel and school uniform. 1961 found me leaving BGS 6th form with Latin, Greek and Ancient History for Manchester, then Birmingham University studying Classics. After graduating, I was offered a Masters/ Ph,D course in Romano-British Archaeology, but since I had wanted to teach and had already obtained a PGCE from Reading University, after my Manchester days I accepted the post of assistant Latin Master at Worcester Royal Grammar School, to include being in charge of the Army Section of the school CCF. I had already been commissioned as an infantry officer and was engaged to be married to Debbie, I needed the money!

 A few years later and with two very young daughters, I went back to Manchester University to study for an M.Ed in Curriculum Planning. 

My middle and later years saw me working in Initial and In-service teacher education within the Faculty of Education at Worcester University.  I led the B.Ed Hons In-service degree programme as well as undertaking research and consultancy work for various educational activities in the USA, EA and Hong Kong. My most satisfying and rewarding experiences were leading the EU Erasmus Student Teacher Exchange scheme at Worcester and working with Chinese teachers in Hong Kong.

I also continued serving with the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters and later the Mercian Regiment eventually holding the rank of Lt Col responsible for Specialist Training in the West Midlands.

My early retirement years were spent working alongside international colleagues in France, Italy, Scandanavia and Bulgaria. Now, having recently lost my wife, I help where I can in local charity work and with veterans in the Midlands. BGS did well for me, and I am thankful for the opportunities for which it prepared me. Indeed, sanctas clavis fores aperit!

Geoff Lee (Class of 1961)

On leaving BGS, I followed my maths/physics/chemistry A levels with three years at Brazenose College, Oxford, reading Physics then three years at the University of Sussex studying for a D Phil in Solid State Physics. In those years, away from studying, I kept up with small bore shooting, rugby and some casual cricket, I drove to Israel and Palestine on one vacation, which was formative, I learned to fly with the Oxford Air Squadron, and after a trial in Glenshee I took up skiing enthusiastically, including ski mountaineering. 

In 1969 I joined the Shell group of companies, first undertaking analysis of the performance of supertankers and then moving to planning and commercial work.  One of the attractions was the international travel; I worked in the USA, Switzerland and Malaysia for a few years each, and it was whilst working in the USA that I met my wife Nancy.  We made sure that our three children moved around which was very mind-broadening for them.  Finally, I joined a "boutique" consultancy specialising in downstream oil investments and advised on refinery sales and purchases worldwide.  In retirement I have undertaken work on the middle east conflict.