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Replies 21-37
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.jpg "James Cowen gallery")
Then & NowDATE: 12 January 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
I have just received another letter from John (Bop) Wakelin [see some of replies 11-20]. He has unfortunately had another fall at home whilst trying to recover from his hip operation. This has amongst other things caused back trouble and other complications which has put back his hopes of increased mobility again. I hope that he recovers from this and does not have any more falls, not good at any time and especially when you are 85. My wife and I hope to visit him again when I go up to Cambridge in February for my old college's bi-annual Boat Club dinner. He did say when we last saw him that he would welcome contact from any OEs he taught and especially those who were in his S Level History groups such as in my days at school Ron Pullen and Ian Cullen. I mention this as maybe some contacts may result from Vic's new 'Where Are They Now?' feature. I will write to the OE Membership secretary Alan King to confirm whether or not he has Bop's current address for official records.
Then & NowDATE: 18 February 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
My wife Ayleen and I did visit John ('Bop') Wakelin this weekend when we went up to my old college's boat club dinner. He is recovering well from his fall and doing all the physio prescribed exercises like myself. He expects to go to Hinchinbrook schools anniversary day in March and has staying with him a young man from Hungary, who is helping with the cooking,shopping and cleaning about the house. This young man also drives his car, as Bop has not yet got back to driving again despite the physio saying it would be good for him to do so, exercising his legs and feet to some extent. He continues to work on his current book project, which is giving his views on welfare and pension payments by the State. Here's a photo I took of him complete with his stick, along with my wife.
Then & NowDATE: 07 November 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
Last Saturday my wife and I visited John ('Bop') Wakelin at his Elsworth home again. He had returned from his summer stay at the family bungalow near Maldon at the beginning of October. Besides talking about our respective family news we talked for about two hours about national and international politics. His mind and talking was as sharp as ever but he still suffers health-wise from his ME and now some arthritis, for which he has had some massage treatment. He descended from upstairs on his stair lift. He is usually able to walk about his large garden down to the pond at the far end. He sees his son Richard regularly and his daughter Ann is expected to come from Australia for Christmas. I expect he would welcome any correspondence and visits with advance notice from others who benefited from his past history teaching.
Then & NowDATE: 04 April 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
I have received in the post a copy of John Wakelin (Bop)'s latest book he has written. It is called Welfare Without Benefits and published 2016 by Arima Publishing The retail price is £9.95. Part 1 of the book sets out how the British Social Security works and the many examples of waste and injustice. Part 2 identifies the principles which should determine how such enterprises are managed and proposes a much fairer and more effective system. Whether it will be read in the right places and action taken I do not know but it is good to see Bop is still keenly analysing important issues and is actively involved in a campaign for change. It takes me back to earlier days when he supported liberal policies and in fact stood as a Liberal Party candidate. In more recent days of course they are the Lib Dems and have been in the ruling coalition, which I believe did to some extent moderate extreme Tory policies and assist in some of the economic recovery. In his most recent correspondence with me Bop thanks me in respect of the piece about him published in a recent issue of The Elizabethan. He clearly either gets a copy of the magazine or his attention was drawn otherwise to it. I may try to visit him again this month (April) if I go up to Cambridge for a Sidney Sussex College gathering.
Then & NowDATE: 07 April 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
I notice in the latest issue of the newsletter of The Old Elizabethans (Barnet) Association, The Elizabethan, that at least one person has taken up the suggestion to write to John (Bop) Wakelin. I quote from the section 'News, Views and Letters to the Editor': "Fast approaching Special Correspondent status, David Lowen reports that having seen John "Bop" Wakelin's address in the last issue of The Elizabethan he plucked up courage and wrote to him. He received a very warm response and to his great pleasure the great man remembered David from the 1950s and wrote a nice reply. In his letter Bop mentioned books he had written and said that he had a new one coming out soon. [I have mentioned this publication in my previous reply]. Simply type his name into Amazon Books and take your pick". I would continue to encourage others also to write to him and I think he would be pleased to hear from you. I like the fact that there is space for letters in the magazine. Maybe I too will write in.
DATE: 10 September 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
James I dare say that Bop might be impressed to learn that my holiday reading for our current stay in Playa San Juan, near to Alicante in Spain, is AJP Taylor's Struggle for Mastery in Europe, which I have in pdf format on my iphone! Unfortunately it's 52 years too late for A Level History, but a fascinating read nevertheless. I'm up to the chapter on the Polish Crisis of 1860!
Then & NowDATE: 01 November 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
It has been about a year since my wife and I last visited John (Bop) Wakelin [see reply 23], although we have communicated by letter in the meantime. We were able to visit him again in Elsworth on Sunday 30th October. I gave him a photocopy of the article Bop Books from the last issue of The Elizabethan written by Richard Davies OE, who has also phoned him and been to see him. This was warmly received along with a Founders Day order of service card and the FQE Fete programme, both from the last Founders Day. He was pleased that a visit was made by us and from Richard Davies as well as from another OE, David Lowen, whom I mention in reply 25. Bop is 87 years old now and says he thinks that the 80s years are a very good time to live through. He says he is thinking of writing another book with his views on the NHS, which he hopes some will take notice of, as was the case with his previous books. Besides family news I shared what I know about QEs and the OE family.
Then & NowDATE: 05 November 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
In regard to John (Bop) Wakelin, there may be some who are interested in his health since his hip operation. He is able to move around fairly well but still uses a stick and has neglected continuing some of his exercises. When he saw me walking without a stick, as should be the case after the two years since my operation, John says he believes he too should resume doing more exercises and hopefully also abandon using a stick. He continues as before having home help in the house from workers from oversees (Rumanian and Hungarian men and ladies) doing tasks such as cleaning and cooking.
DATE: 06 November 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
Please give BOP my best wishes next time you see him, and also stress that he must do his excercises in order to regain full strength. Please also mention that I have started to read Struggle for Mastery in Europe for the second time in three months, having first read it whilst on holiday in Spain - how sad is that !!! Well actually not at all, it's a very good read for relaxation rather than A Level History!
Then & NowDATE: 09 November 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
I will give Bop your best wishes, Stephen, next time I see him. This may be in Jan 2017 when I go with my wife up to my old Cambridge college for a boat club dinner. I will also mention that you have been reading Struggle for Mastery in Europe by AJP Taylor. I could also include the same in a Christmas card we usually send to him. I feel BOP is more interested and involved with social issues than in history these days, as mentioned in previous replies. You could of course convey your best wishes to him personally, as Vic has his address. Bop always seems to welcome contact with OEs, which has been more frequent recently (see 25th and 27th replies). He would I know be especially pleased with those who passed A and S Level History during his time of teaching at QEs. I do not suppose he would remember everyone, though good teachers remember many. He does mention Chris Brand living in Edinburgh whom he has kept in touch with and for whom he has a special fondness. He wonders about other S level pupils he taught such as Ian Cullen and Ron Pullen but I could not convey any recent news of either.
Then & NowDATE: 24 February 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
My wife and I visited Bop again this month whilst also going to a Sidney Sussex College event. We did not see him as we planned to in January due to the visit of his son Richard with Richard's wife and his grandchildren, at the same time as his male assistant had to return to Hungary on health grounds. Bop seemed in good health, though he has not abandoned his stick whilst walking round the house and still uses his stair lift. I did pass on your best wishes, Stephen, as I said I would. He could not recall you when I mentioned your name but after 60 years it would be difficult to imagine he would remember too many unless of course they were in his S-Level study group or have been in touch with him recently. Bop is in the process of writing another book, this time on his views how the NHS should be run. He has submitted a summary to his publishers and asked our views on what he proposed. It is good to see that this former member of the Conservative Bow Group has a mind as lively as ever and cannot bear to be silent on his views.
DATE: 25 February 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 1957-63
That's curious James. I was always under the impression that BOP (Balance of Power) was a raving Liberal. You are saying he was involved in a Conservative group?
Then & NowDATE: 02 March 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
Yes, Brian, Bop was originally a Tory and as I say a member of the Bow group. He used to talk with me about some of the members he knew such as Keith Joseph (later Sir Keith/Baron Joseph). He switched to the Liberals, possibly about 1963 at about the time I left school. In fact he later stood as a parliamentary candidate for the Liberals after he moved to Huntingdonshire, though he was not elected. What his political position is now I do not know but will ask him if I should see him again or should I write to him.
Then & NowDATE: 05 March 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
When talking with Bop at our last meeting, though I did not ask him about his main political allegiance now, I did ask him, amongst other discussion of current political matters, what was his views on the Brexit position. He said that he voted to leave in the referendum. I asked whether he would still hold this view, should he be economically worse off, for example by higher shop prices. He said he thought it was still worth it, the UK being more responsible politically for our affairs rather than as a result of EU policies and directives, even if we did help shape these policies in the EU. He does, however, currently benefit from immigration from other countries, as he has helpers from Eastern Europe both in his home and at his caravan site at his summer residence in Malden, Essex, which is his birth town.
DATE: 05 March 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1956-63
James, I would also be interested to know where we stand now as regards the "Balance of Power" - is there one? It doesn't really bear thinking about, or is it bare??
DATE: 06 March 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 1957-63
Interesting [reply 33]. I also left in 1963 so either he converted earlier, or was wavering for a couple of years before making the switch. However, I do seem to remember him banging on about the "balance of power" and assumed the former.
Then & NowDATE: 12 March 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
When referring to the Balance of Power the fuller title should be the BOP in Europe, when countries were at war with one another and alliances were formed with one bloc of countries against another bloc and one country would swing the balance from one side to the other by joining one of the blocs of countries. England was of course at war at various times with Spain or France or the Netherlands. At one time, in Charles II's reign the English navy was fighting the Dutch navy. Later William of Orange was invited over to become joint ruler with his wife Mary, daughter of James 11. We do not of course have a BOP in Europe, as there are no wars and the EU does not have any country e.g England holding any real BOP between two countries, though there may be a BOP held on certain political issues. Politically in a sense there was a BOP by the Liberals, when neither the Tories nor Labour had an overall majority and of course the Liberal Party under Nick Clegg went into coalition with the Tories under David Cameron, to their detriment in a later election. Whether there is a BOP anywhere in wars in Africa and Asia today I think not, like there was with the BOP in Europe.