Mr Edward Gray - A Career of 75 Years with Shoreham College
As pupil, then President of the OSA and Chairman of Governors
Edward Gray has been President of the Old Shorehamers’ Association for 38 years and has now passed over the mantle to the new President of the OSA, Mr David Abbott.
It is invidious to say who is the greatest Shorehamer of all time because there are quite a number. What one can say is that Edward Gray is in that number.
Shoreham’s all-time greats might include:-
William Harper, who founded Shoreham in 1852
The Samuel Gregory-Taylor era 1894 - 1930
The Emil Bruder era 1946 - 1965
Canon D. H Booth MBE and Mr J.L Wright
Rev F.R.D. Kennedy
Brian Mead
Roy Iremonger and George Harrison
And for the Old Shorehamers:
Basil Monk, Cyril Holloway, Clyde Dixie and Alan West
Apologies if some have been overlooked, and of course those currently involved with Shoreham College have not been included in the above brief summary.
Shoreham College commenced 164 years ago, and Edward Gray has been associated with the College for nearly half of those long years.
Edward was born on 24 October 1933 at a baby nursing home in London, one of 10 born there that month, but the only boy. The nurses used to bring in the babies two at a time, one on each arm. But Edward was larger than the girls, so he came in on his own. So they called him Buster Baby. Perhaps they knew that he was going to make a big impact and he has been known as Buster Gray ever since.
Edward became a day boy pupil at Shoreham in 1940 aged 7. His father was Monsewer Eddie Gray, a famous music hall artiste and founder member of the Crazy Gang. They were in the Royal Command Performance (before King George V) in 1933 and performed successfully for many years at the Victoria Palace Theatre. Monsewer Eddie Gray appeared in eleven Royal Command Performances in all and that meant that he had been asked, each time, to appear by the reigning King or Queen of the day.
Edward and his family lived in London and when WW2 commenced, his mother decided it was no longer safe. So they moved to 12, The Driveway, off the Upper Shoreham Road in Shoreham. Edward’s mother was correct, as their London house, along with others, were blown up by a mine that was dropped by a German parachute. Edward’s 11 year older brother (so 17 when WW2 commenced) was a fighter pilot and awarded the DFC.
Edward was at Shoreham for 10 years till 1950. The boarders were evacuated to Milland House, Liphook in Hampshire from 1940 to 1946, when they returned to Shoreham with Mr Emil Bruder becoming Headmaster.
Edward did National Service (aged 18 - 20) which was at that time compulsory and he subsequently joined British Transport Hotels, later becoming the General Manager of the Coburg Hotel in Bayswater, which overlooks Hyde Park. For many years from the mid 1960’s to the mid 1970’s, Edward hosted Old Shorehamer dinners in London, at the Coburg. These were very enjoyable, and Edward has many historic photos of these occasions, which include pictures of Mr Ray Bennett and many other much loved Masters and Old Shorehamers.
Edward’s eldest son (also named Edward) went to Shoreham as a boarder in 1973 till 1980 (and was also in Nelson). Young Edward now lives in Sydney, Australia, but was over last Christmas with his wife and son Angus (and they even saw Fulham FC win 4-0 from the Directors Box at Craven Cottage).
Edward was asked to join the Committee of the Old Shorehamers’ Association in the early 1970’s by Canon Booth, who was Headmaster at the time (from 1968 to 1975). Edward became President of the OSA in 1978.
No story of Shoreham College is complete without mentioning the Rev Dick Kennedy. He joined the College staff as Chaplain in 1949, and married the school secretary Miss FJD Bayley in 1951. He also taught Religious Education and Latin and refereed football matches and umpired cricket, even though he had suffered Polio whilst a young man. In 1965, he led the creation of the Kennedy Independent School Trust, a Charity which took over the well-being of the College. It was his leadership, faith and determination which (with the assistance of many others) enabled the College to buy and create the wonderful buildings and all else that the College has today. Dick Kennedy, always a Christian, only saw the best in everyone he met.
Edward became a governor of the College in 1978. Dick Kennedy was a governor for over 30 years and passed over the Chairmanship of the Governors to Edward Gray in 1994. Many governors have helped Shoreham College on its way, all working in honorary capacities and as a team. Peter Kent became a governor in 1994 and has used his skills as a Chartered Building Surveyor on all of the many building improvements carried out over the past 22 years at the College. Edward passed over the mantle of Chairman of the Governors to Peter Kent in 2015 with Edward continuing as a governor of the College.
I was a boarder at Shoreham from 1953 to 1961, and Edward and I met through the Old Shorehamers and became firm family friends. Edward has always been a positive and supportive person. That is a trait I have found with the staff at Shoreham over the years and with the many friends I have made at Shoreham and through the Old Shorehamers’ Association. I have friends who I have known for over 60 years now. They are still friends and supportive today. That is great and a trait that must have been put into our DNA by Shoreham College and all that it stands for. So thank you Edward, and everyone else.
Christopher Wynne - March 2016
