A thank you lunch for three great servants of the Salopian Club

It was like entering the Salopian Club Hall of Fame when leading figures in the Club gathered for a lunch to thank three great servants of the committee.

Hugh Ramsbotham who is the outgoing Vice Chairman celebrated 50 years at Shrewsbury School in 2025. Hugh arrived as a pioneering Head of Careers in 1975. He introduced A Level Business Studies and developed the relationship between the School and Old Salopians which has proved so fruitful for careers advice over the years.  Hugh was also a celebrated and much-loved Housemaster of School House between 1983 and 1995. When he retired from teaching in 1998 Hugh became Honorary Secretary of the Salopian Club and has been a cornerstone of the OS Community ever since.

(Hugh Ramsbotham and Miles Preston - Current Chairman of the Salopian Club)

The Sports Chair is elected for three years with an option to extend to six, but Peter Birch (DB 1966-71) has heroically carried out the role for eleven years. With a budget of more than £50,000 and eleven sport clubs to oversee there’s a tremendous amount of work to do and Peter has been cheerful, diligent and supportive for more than a decade, whilst also running the OS Hunt.

(Ben Duncan - past President, Peter Stewart past Chairman and Peter Birch l-r)

Tony Barker (DB 1968-73) has been Honorary Treasurer since 2017. As the Salopian Club is a separate entity from the School with its own budget and accounts, overseeing the Club’s finances is job which carries a great deal of responsibility. Tony’s professionalism and laser focus has been invaluable to us as a Club. His passion for, and contacts in, alumni sport have also been hugely beneficial to the OS sporting community. 

(Stephen Holroyd - former Senior Deputy Headmaster, Richard Hudson - editor of the Salopian Magazine, Tony Barker, Nicko Williams - past President, Jackie Williams)

Past Presidents, Chairmen and current committee members and their partners travelled the length and breadth of the country to say thank you to Hugh, Peter and Tony.

Excellent speeches from Richard Hudson and the three leavers summed up the ethos of the Salopian Club- friendship, community and service to the School we all love.