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Past Members

Some of our past members are listed below:

  Member Interest(s)
  Bill Bradford Bill was a popular member of the London OBBC and regularly hosted the Club's Christmas Meeting - which holds fond memories for those of us lucky enough to attend. Indeed, those meetings could be compared to the festive gatherings, described by Frank Richards himself, of congenial and enthusiastic friends.

Bill's collection was enormous and provided hours of happy browsing for some of us! He also spoke regularly, at Club meetings, about his favourite authors of adventure stories, detective fiction and schoolboy tales.  

     
  Frances-Mary Blake Sadly, France-Mary passed away on 5th December 2009. She was a much-loved member of the Club and contributed many splendid items - usually extolling the virtues of Herbert Vernon-Smith. She was also an active member of the Friars' Club. The 'pen-picture' which she provided for the Club's website reads as follows:

"My father introduced me and my sister to the Greyfriars Saga when he bought the first Skilton book, "Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School" for us. It was probably just as much for himself as he had read and enjoyed The Magnet in his youth. Anyway I loved the books which followed. When I went away to boarding school aged eleven, I took "Billy Bunter's Banknote" with me and as it just passed the school censor, I used to quote passages to my fellow girl pupils.

Many years later I visited Foyles in London and discovered the wonderland of The Magnet as published by Howard Baker.
 
Years later too I became aware of the book clubs which continue the extraordinary attraction of Greyfriars, with its vast cast of life-like characters who survive because the author Frank Richards understood so well human characteristics in varying circumstances.

I joined the London Old Boys' Book Club some five years ago and since then have met and enjoyed the company of good and clever friends."
     
  Tommy Keen Tommy was another much-loved Club member with very diverse tastes. He could wax lyrical about Talbot of the Gem and then turn his attention the Gracie Fields and deliver one of her monologues, without a script! He met Gracie on numerous occasion and stayed with her, and her husband in Capri.

He also met Joan Crawford - a meeting which some of his workmates arranged without his knowledge!

Tommy also made contact with AP sub-writer George Richmond Samways and maintained contact with him until the latter passed away in 1996. Click here to read the Samways Letters..