Congratulations Huw, on your list of successes from the old
OSS.However at present it appears a little light on the industrial and
commercial side.
I could mention in all modesty that I was working for Simon
Engineering from 1973 to 1977as the Project Director on the one
million barrel per day Teesside installation that brought the first
North sea oil ashore in the U.K. in 1975. ( This was ahead of the well
advertised B.P. project)
With a peak labour force of over 9000 men at site and a total
installed cost of over £250.000,000
it was at that time the largest, land based project in the U.K.
Best wishes and keep up the good work.
John ( W.T.J.Davies)
On 09/02/2011, Huw <huw(a)ovlhs.co.uk> wrote:
Hi All,
had a brain storm in our meeting tonight and we have a bit of list of
former pupils of Secondary Schools in Ogmore (Higher Elementary,
Secondary, Grammar, Secondary Modern and Comprehensive) and have come up
with the list below....
Please feel free to add any we may have missed, with a much detail as
you have and as I am on the CB Committee I will pass on to the
School....Plus as a Society we are naturally interested in any
achievements from valley people....
Ogmore Secondary Schools 1910 - 2011
Notable Past Pupils (in no particular order)
Gareth Thomas – Welsh International Rugby Player (1995 – 2007), Captain
(2006 – 2007) Captain British Lions (2007), Wales most capped player
(100 caps). (longest interception try at the old Arms Park - 90 metres)
Graham Hodgson - Welsh International Rugby Player 1961-1967 full back.
Dr Brian Tucker – Head of Australian Bureau of Metrological services.
Deighton Rattray - Chief Dental Officer for Wales.
T. Jacob Jones, MC, BA, Teacher, 1910 – 1919, Head Teacher (Higher
Elementary School) 1919 – 1921. Head Teacher (Ogmore Secondary School)
1921 –
1946, Head Teacher (Ogmore Grammar School) 1946 – 1948, Retired in 1948.
He Chaired the music committee of the 1948 National Eisteddfod in
Bridgend.
Ivor Davies - Awarded Industrial Order of heroism in Wyndham Colliery 1962.
Percy “Bow” Burgess – Awarded Medal of the Order of the British Empire
for Meritorious Service (Gallantry), Penwllyngwent 1962.
Lyn Davies, CBE – Long Jump Olympic Gold Medal 1964, Tokyo. European
Long Jump Gold Medal, Budapest, 1956. President UK Athletics, 1999 – 2011.
Fisher Morgan – Member of D`oyle Carte Opera House.
Billy Ingram – Playright (District Nurse).
Norman Lewis - Welsh Bantam and Flyweight Champion of Wales, 1949. He
was the only Welshman to hold both titles together.
Nicky Fisher – Lost to Ken Rowlands for vacant Welsh Light-Heavyweight
Title in 1953.
Arthur Albert Rees, MBE, MSM, Welsh Guards, RSM at first post Second
World War trooping the colour, 1949. Also appeared in “They will not be
Divided” and “The Conspirators” motion pictures.
Emrys Davies – Fired first artillery shot against German and Italian
forces in Africa, 1942 and the last ever shell fired from the 25-Pounder
Field Gun when retired from active service in 1992.
Windsor Davies – actor (“it ain`t half hot mum”).
Don Mackney, OBE – Head of the Soil Survey of England & Wales, 1977 –
1985. In 1985 and 1986 he was President of the British Society of Soil
Science.
Winston Spanswick – Arsenal FC Triallist, 1950.
Gwyn Jones – Arsenal FC Triallist, 1950. International Football Referee.
Malcolm John – Professional footballer with Bristol Rovers, 1960s.
Glanmor Griffiths - WRU Honorary treasurer, 1984 – 2003, WRU President,
2007, 2008.
Aelfryn Evans - Teacher Tynewyd Boys School, 1946 – 1970, Head Teacher,
Tynewydd Junior School, 1970 – 1982
Alun Victor Williams - building and commissioning Uskmouth Power
Station, 1959.
Jason James - Bass guitarist with “Bullet for my Valentine”.
Miss Jane Davies - Teacher, Fronwen Junior School, 1941 – 195?. Teacher
Nantymoel Junior School 195? - Head Teacher, Glynogwr Primary School,
19?? – 1983, Head Teacher Nantymoel Junior School 1983 – 1985.
Frank Morgan - Mathematics Lecturer, Cardiff University.
Michael Brown – Actor, Stage name: Michael Forrest.
Keith Bradshaw – Welsh International Rugby Player, 1963 – 1966
Glyn Moses – Great Britain Rugby League International Player: Former
rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s
who at club level has played rugby union (RU) for Newbridge RFC, and
Maesteg RFC, and at representative level has played rugby league (RL) for
Great Britain, Wales, and Other Nations, and at club level for Salford,
and St. Helens, playing at Fullback, i.e. number 1. Glyn Moses won caps
for Wales (RL) while at St. Helens in 1953 against England, and France,
won caps for Other Nations (RL) while at St. Helens in 1955 against
England, and France, and won caps for Great Britain (RL) while at St.
Helens in 1955 against New Zealand (2 matches), in 1956 against Australia,
in 1957 against France (3 matches), and in the 1957 Rugby League World
Cup against France, Australia, and New Zealand.
Glyn played rugby union for Newbridge RFC before signing professional
forms for Salford in November 1949. Unfortunately Glyn never found his
niche at the Willows and became so disenchanted that he decided to
return to Wales at the end of the 1950-51 season. Moses attempted to get
on the books of newly formed Cardiff RLFC but was refused permission by
Salford. So it was that some fifteen months passed before the great
Saints` coach Jim Sullivan persuaded Glyn to come to Knowsley Road. He
signed for Saints on the 31st. December 1952 after making his debut his
debut in the 22 to 2 victory over Leigh on Christmas Day! Apart from one
match against Wakefield away Glyn was an ever-present player in the
fantastic Saints team that did not lose an away match that entire
season. He scored 7 tries including a vital score in the 24 points to 14
Championship Final win over Halifax at Maine Road.
In the 1956 RL Challenge Cup Final programme he was listed at 5 feet 9
inches tall and weighed in at 12st 4lbs. His fine form for the Saints
led to Glyn being awarded 9 Great Britain caps, 2 Welsh caps and a
further two caps for the Other Nationalities team. He was a member of
the 1957 World Cup touring team to Australia where he played three tests.
Glyn won one RL Challenge Cup winners medal (1956 RL Cup Final v
Halifax), one Championship Final winners medal(1952-3) and one
Lancashire Cup
winners medal (v Wigan 1953-54) for the Saints. By 1959 Austin Rhodes
had established the full back berth as his own and Glyn played his final
game for the Saints against Leeds on 28th November, 1959.The
Principality`s loss was our gain! Glyn Moses in attack and defence a
forerunner and model for the modern full back.
Dai Moses - Former Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league
footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at club level has played rugby
union (RU) for Maesteg RFC, and at representative level has played rugby
league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Salford, and Swinton,
playing at Prop, Second-row, or Loose forward/Lock, i.e. number 8 or 10,
11 or 12, or, 13, during the era of contested scrums.
Dai Moses won a cap for Wales (RL) while at Swinton in 1959 against
France at Stade des Minimes, Toulouse on Sunday 1 March 1959.
Bobby Gapper – Huddersfield Rugby League
Reggie Jones – Salford and Rochdale Hornets Rugby league. Welsh
professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s who at representative
level has played for Wales, and at club level for Salford. Reg Jones won
a cap for Wales while at Salford in 1946.
Professor Lyn Davies - Queens Scout
Leonard Rees –
Professor Barry Davies – Head of English, University of Newfoundland.
Mogg Williams – The “People`s Poet”.
Shirley Browning (and Daughter) – Represented Wales at swimming
? Roberts – Designed WRU Schweppes Cup.
Barry Clack – Painting.
Harold Mason – Painting.
Stan Norris, MBE - 2008 for 55 years service to the community (in charge
of Wyndham Boys & Girls Club).
Derek Jones – Lay Preacher.
Fred White – Only person from valley killed as part of the International
Brigade during the Spanish Civil War, 1937.
Jean Ferguson – Chair of the bench, Bridgend Magistrates.
David Prosser – Emerged from the hills of Wales to become one of the
leading financial leaders in London in the 1990s. Prosser studied pure
mathematics at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and initially
became an actuary. He was later employed as a stockbroker before
eventually moving to an executive position with CIN Investment
Management Company. In 1988 he was hired by Legal and General Group to
head its investments division, and by 1991 he had risen to the position
of chief executive and director of the company. Known for his modesty
and desire to avoid the spotlight, he was also considered a highly
effective manager, running a tight ship and weeding out directors and
other employees who failed to perform.
A LONG JOURNEY FROM THE WELSH HILLS
One journalist described Prosser as a "stereotypical Welshman—pinched
face, thin-rimmed spectacles and no sign of extravagance" ( Scotland on
Sunday , September 15, 2002). His background stemmed from the hills of
Wales, where his grandfather worked as a hill farmer. Prosser was an
active boy, standing out as a rugby player, though he reportedly was not
ambitious in school. Nonetheless, his family history taught him a
valuable work ethic. His first job, he said in a company newsletter sent
to Legal and General Group workers, involved breaking stones at a rock
quarry.
Commenting on the experience, Prosser said, "It can be very hard work
until you find the technique. I wouldn't want to do it now" (London
Sunday Times, September 12, 1999).
Prosser credits much of his career success to his father, who veered
from the family farming trade and studied to become a mathematics teacher.
Prosser said in a union magazine, as reported in the London Sunday
Times, that his father gave him the best piece of advice. "When I left
home to go to university, my father told me to always be true to myself,
to always try my best and to remember that a pint of beer eases stress"
(September 12, 1999). Prosser followed in his father's footsteps,
studying pure mathematics at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and
earning first-class honors. While he considered teaching as a
profession, financial incentive drove Prosser to become an actuary, a
career path
also chosen by his brother. In 1971 he was appointed a fellow with the
Institute of Actuaries.
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