Bob Bryans' words spoken by Tony Simpson at the church service on 3rd April

Derek West OW

Derek and I met through our connections with Wallasey Grammar School. He was three years ahead of me, so we were only vaguely aware of each other during our school days. However we were both moulded in the same fashion; by the influences exerted on all its pupils by those who taught there and the ethos contained in the very place which went back far in time. So when we met again some 45 years after leaving the School, we instantly recognised each-other; not so much because of what we looked like but because of our attitudes and ways of viewing the world around us.

 Derek was active in the School Boat Club and spent a number of his school years toiling in the printing press, one of the many extra curricular activities fostered by the School. Another important School activity was the annual newsreel. This was a film made by the boys every year from 1938 to 1969 which showed the important aspects of the School’s life. When he was a committee member of the Old Wallaseyans World Wide, Derek took it upon himself to track down these old newsreel films. He led the team which produced a DVD of the school’s life and times over a thirty year span from these original films. His drive and energy propelled the project forward and despite arduous hours of watching boys running round the school track, playing cricket, appearing in school plays and so on, a credible story was produced on DVD enhanced by a commentary that he wrote. Probably more than he ever knew, this action has rejuvenated interest in the School he and I attended (sadly now long gone) and the OWWW are still selling copies , some ten years after his project commenced.

The drive and enthusiasm as exemplified by his approach to recording a piece of visual history were characteristic of the Derek I knew. I will always remember him quizzing me about the exact conditions required for growing excellent potatoes. Potato cultivation was something I did rather casually but he succeeded very quickly in producing a tip top crop on his plot in Ducklington - I am still only achieving third place in my village show. I was really sad when he and Jenny decided to “emigrate” to France but our friendship continued and I was astounded to see the effort and enthusiasm he poured into his new estate. His hospitality was boundless and although quite ill by the time of my second visit, we still had earnest and humorous discussions on the best way to prevent “les sangliers” from taking dips in his pool.

So in this short piece, I have tried to encapsulate the qualities of a remarkable man-somebody who was rightly proud of his Wallaseyan origins. I for one will miss him badly but am consoled by my warm memories of him. As his family gather round to say farewell to him, they should know that the Old Wallaseyans will hold him in their thoughts and mourn with them too.

Bob Bryans, Chairman of the Old Wallaseyans World Wide 28/3/13