Memories of Brian Stokes

By Fred Blick (QM 1938-47)

Brian Stokes (QM 1941-48) is greatly esteemed by Keele University on account of his influence and his contributions to its development from its very beginnings. Quite a lot is known about him from University records but it is unlikely that much is known, if anything, about his teenage and most formative years. Now that I am 91, as he would almost have been had he lived, I am probably one of the few people alive who can provide further information. What the University knows is set out in the latter part of this memorial, but I will first set out what I remember of him.

Brian suddenly resonated in my mind, in this late April of 2020, upon my hearing a BBC Radio Three broadcast of their own recording of a live performance of a Proms performance of the Second movement of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. It was brilliantly played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jan Pascal Tortelier (son of the famous cellist). This resonance made me research what I could about him.

Brian was born in 1929 and died in 1999. He lived about 300 yards away from my own home at 12 Montfort Road, Pleck, Walsall, Staffordshire in the 1940s. He came from humble beginnings, the Dickinson Drive Council Estate. We knew each other particularly well because we went to same excellent school, Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Walsall and because we both played knockabout cricket among a very small group of boys in Pleck Park, nearby. This playing started in the worst period of WWII about 1940/41 when the local area was being bombed by German aircraft and was being defended by anti-aircraft guns at Stone Cross, West Bromwich. The guns showered shrapnel on roofs and pavements at night to the accompaniment of searchlight beams. In our separate homes we stayed fearfully abed those nights. huddled in under-stair cupboards, head to toe like sardines in a tin; then walked about next morning collecting the shrapnel from the pavements as souvenirs. Later in the War in about 1943, Brian and I discovered that we had another common interest in listening to BBC Radio evening, orchestral concerts of music and we would hum themes recalled from what we liked. One of the themes I hummed to Brian was that from the 5th Symphony which I have mentioned above. He said he liked it too. Hence my recent resonating memory. However, we were never really very close friends. We were more like sporting rivals who had some common artistic interests.

From the left, front row, second Fred Blick (vice captain), fourth Brian Stokes (tallest).

At school Brian was in a form one year lower than mine. I was born in February 1929, he on 29 December of the same year. In two successive years 1945/6/7 we were both in the School Cricket First IX. He was taller than me and taller than the average boy for his age. He was a left hander and I was a right-hander. We were both bowlers and batsmen - rivals in a sporting way.

The Queen Mary’s School Magazine, The Marian,, dated January 1947 assesses Brian’s play as follows: “Stokes L. B - An aggressive left handed bat with a limited range of strokes. Has shown good progress as a slow bowler. With more experience should do well next season”. Two pages of the 1947 Marian tell their own story and show that Brian was an outstanding fielder with 11 catches. He must have fielded in a key position, mid-off or mid-on. It is to be noted that schoolboy cricket was played for limited number of overs and in one afternoon, so that all batting and bowling scores were in very low numbers all round, due to the pressures of time.

Brian was clearly extremely keen on cricket because my sister Mary (two years younger than me) tells me that in about 1948 he took her to see a match at the famous Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham. Unfortunately, she was not very impressed because she found watching cricket boring and, more seriously, she was wearing the wrong clothes - a blue suit! She eventually married a schoolmate of mine, Dennis York.

I left school in 1947 to go on to Birmingham University to study Law and, after two year’s National Service as a Commissioned Officer, to become a Solicitor. Brian went on into the Grammar School Sixth form. From then on I lost track of him until I saw the beautiful Memorial slate paving stone at the entrance of the Chancellor’s Building at Keele in about in the late 1990s. In retirement since 1994, I was attending outstanding literary lectures at the Chancellor’s Building given by the highly respected Mr Levitt. Imagine my surprise at seeing the Brian Stokes Memorial and my putting two and two together!

The Keele Connection

Every day Keele students walk past the Brian Stokes Memorial at the entrance to the Chancellor's Building, and perhaps wonder, "Who was Brian Stokes?"

Brian Stokes was a Founding Graduate of the Class of 1954 having come up to the University in 1950 i.e. one of the 157 students who first crossed Keele's threshold. He was the founding President of the Athletic Union (1950-51) and a founder member of the Keele Society, which represents all Keele Alumni and who raised the funds to provide the memorial to Brian. He had a distinguished career and is remembered most for his lifelong service to Keele, including many years as a member of the University Council.

After Keele

Brian was employed by Royal Doulton in Staffordshire and can be seen in publicity photographs. Here is England cricketer Colin Cowdrey on a promotional visit to the Royal Doulton Showrooms on Nile Street, Burslem, in the late 1960s . Brian is easily recognisable as the same person as in his school Cricket team photo. Brian went on to teach history at Cauldon College in the 1970s and was a hospital radio commentator for Port Vale Football Club, too.

From left to right: Denis Roberts (Royal Doulton), Colin Cowdrey, Frank Kerry (Advertising Director, Royal Doulton), Brian Stokes (Royal Doulton)

Brian Stokes used all his sporting, artistic and organisational talents for the good of society in an outstanding way. He was simply a great success and was liked by all he met. A good man. Cricket was clearly a very important driving force in his life. The outstanding Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Walsall, as well as Keele University, played a most important part in his success in climbing from his humble beginnings. The school motto is “Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes” - It is what you give that you will keep as eternal riches. By his life Brian demonstrated that motto from beginning to end.

Fred Blick. April 2020.
(With acknowledgements to Keele and Royal Doulton digital records)