Further conversations with OOs David Tomley and the Gibbs brothers who were present at the time confirm that, in fact, the party took place during Speech Weekend following the annual cricket match against the Old Oswestrians, and the ceremony referred to was the handing over to Mr Williamson of a magnificent, unnamed Silver Cup, which would ultimately bear the Latin inscription Studus et Rebus Honestis, meaning zeal and Honest Effort. 

The Gibbs Cup.

The miniature Cup, dated 1957, which was presented to John Robbie.

The original English motto, thought up by Mr Gibbs himself, was translated into Latin for Mr Gibbs by the School Latin Master David Lewis before it and the name for the Cup, which was at that point still undecided, were added, and along with the Cup, Mr Gibbs handed to the Headmaster a small replica which was to be kept permanently by the winner of the award as a memento of the occasion.

This cup, Mr Gibbs said, together with a small silver replica, was to be presented annually to the boy (and now, girl) regardless of age or ability, who was deemed to have been the best citizen of the year, that is to say the person who has shown the best community spirit in School life throughout the year.

John Robbie in 1957 receiving The Gibbs Cup and replica from HRH Princess Alexandra.

John Robbie, today, holding his miniatire replica of The Gibbs Cup, dated 1957.

In thanking Mr and Mrs Giibbs for their generous gift and excellent thought, Mr Williamson added that it was a Cup which could be won by either Senior or Junior, as the latter could prove himself (or now, herself), as good and loyal a citizen as an older person. Finally, Mr Williamson added that he thought it would be appropriate to name the cup The Gibbs Cup, and after a vote of thanks to Mr and Mrs Gibbs for their hospitality and wonderful gift to the School, a most enjoyable evening came to an end. 

On Speech Day the following year Mr Williamson announced to parents and friends gathered on the quadrangle that a cup had been donated to the School by Mr and Mrs Gibbs of Birmingham, with the express wish that the Cup should be presented each year to the boy who had shown himself outstanding in community service. It was not to be given as an honour for success in work or in games, nor for mere popularity, but simply for good citizenship, and he commended it as an ideal to aim at.

The gift to the School of The Gibbs Cup with its declared ideals was like manna from heaven for Headmaster Williamson, and it clearly became one of his favourite awards on Speech Days where, during his many speeches, he often made it clear to parents that whilst important, he did not regard success in exams and sporting achievement as the be all and end all of an education. For him the spiritual development of a boy was of equal importance in producing a well-rounded person and valuable citizen of the community. To this end he would often encourage day boys to take more part in daily Chapel life, even entreating them to attend Sunday Services, which, largely speaking, fell on deaf ears.

The following extract from a speech made on Speech Day 1952, taken from The Oswestrian magazine of July 1952, illustrates perfectly my Headmaster's views on this topic only a couple of years after the School was presented with the Cup, and miniatures, by Mr and Mrs Gibbs at the Wynnstay Dinner Party. 

Extract from Mr Williamson's speech made on 4 July, 1952.

During the whole of my time at Oswestry School (1952-1960), and before, the Headmaster steadfastly awarded his favourite Cup yearly apart from 1954 when, for some reason, no award was made. The first presentation was made as early as late 1950 when the recipient was, rather fittingly, a Midlands boy named Brian Scrivens who lived, and was brought up, in Wolverhampton. 

The first recipient I remember being awarded the Cup, and whom I knew quite well, was Max Bussey, a fellow Lancastrian, who was given the Cup in 1953, and in 1955 it went jointly to RD Rogers, whom I cannot pick out in my mind, and RB Wilkinson, one of two brothers attending the School, both of whom I knew well.

The School 1st XI football team: D Pickup (bottom, far left), J Robbie (bottom, far right).

The boys who won it in 1956 and 1957, Philip 'Pip' Narraway and John 'Curly' Robbie, were several years my Senior, but I was familiar with them as a very Junior fellow member of the school first XI football and cricket teams. I knew John better, who was, like myself, a boarder at School House, and It was John who took me under his wing and made me feel welcome when in the company of the school sporting gods of the time. The grainy press cutting below shows both Pip and Curly photographed after a cricket match against The Boys' High School in the early to mid-fifties.

Narraway (back, second left) and J Robbie (back, far right) circa 1954.

Narraway, a beanpole of a man, was probably known more for his long distance running, at which, like Tony Hughes after him, he excelled, winning every long distance event with supreme ease, and Pip told me himself that 'Fattie' Felton tried to encourage him to take up athletics as a career. Although a day boy, and day boys were often regarded as second class citizens by a number of boarders, Narraway was idolised at School House for his sporting prowess, and the air was filled with cheers of encouragement whenever he stepped on the track, or came running onto the quadrangle well ahead of all opposition at the end of the Triangle road race or Steeplechase. 

In 1958 the winner of the Cup was CC Moore-Bridger, the oldest of three brothers, and a day boy who lived on Morda Road, Oswestry, and where my brother and I were often invited for Sunday lunch. One of Christopher's younger brothers, Timothy, won the Cup twice, in 1962 and 1963. Tim was also made Head Boy and captained the School cricket team and is now a Governor of the School.

1959, the year following Headmaster Williamson's retirement, saw the Cup go to Richard Jeremy, a friend of mine who is pictured below, 2nd left next to my reclining brother, on a school trip to Merano in 1958. Richard was a speed freak and together with Tony, RA Hughes he trained as a racing driver and later, in the 1960s they raced in Formula Junior Events. It was around this time in the early sixties that he gave me the fright of my life during a 60 mile white-knuckle ride to the seaside town of Borth as we raced against several other OO car - mad nut cases.

Richard Jeremy (seated, second left) with my brother on a school trip to Merano in 1958.

I remember RJ Fuller, who won the award in 1961, from my time at Oswestry during the fifties. He was a day boy who became very involved with the CCF when this organisation was first  introduced to the School by Major Frankland in 1958/9. Richard was tall and a talented athlete, against whom I often competed on the athletics track. The picture below was taken during Sports Day at Park Hall Army Camp Stadium in 1960, where he was part of the winning 4x100 relay team. I was in the team (Oswald) that came 2nd, yet again chasing RA Hughes to the finishing line.

Members of Burnaby's victorious 4x100 relay team. (L-R) Michael Walton, Richard Fuller, Tony RA Hughes (holding the Victor Ludorum) and David Bebb.

I am grateful to David Ward, the School Archivist, for researching The Gibbs Cup on my behalf, and below is a comprehensive list of recipients of the award. I note that the first girl winner of the Cup was Janice R Jackson, to whom it was given in 1976, just four years after girls arrived at Oswestry School in 1972. 

gibbs-cup-research.pdf    

Since the time of the first presentation of the Cup in 1950, succeeding Headmasters have rarely missed handing out the annual award although, sadly, a miniature replica is no longer given to recipients as a memento. This practice lapsed upon the passing away of Mr Gibbs in 1968 as no provision had been made for its continuation.

It should come as no surprise to learn that none of my classmates was ever awarded this special prize as, on the whole, we were an unruly and self-centred bunch, but my friend John Robbie who is a couple of years my senior and who looked out for me as a very young arrival in the School 1st XI football and cricket teams was, deservedly, given the award in 1957.

Quite remarkably, John, who was awarded The Gibbs Cup by HRH the Princess Alexandra during the 550th anniversary celebrations still has his miniature, which has followed him around the world. He and his wife Doreen are living quietly in a small village in Cheshire.

Doreen and John at one of our regulat gatherings of Old Oswestrians and wives.

Sunday lunch at The Docks, Selattyn. I am the official photographer.