Page 103 - Redditch People

Redditch People

Leonard lost touch with his friends after joining-up for military service in 1940. However,
three years later he was invalided out of uniform and went to work at High Duty Alloys in
the metallurgical Laboratory under Edward Thorold Stewart-Jones (1912 - 1962).

Leonard mentioned the ideas of forming a Society in Redditch and Edward replied that he
had heard about a similar idea from another acquaintance - Eric Shaw - who was working
in the laboratory of Needle Industries in Studley.

As a result Eric Shaw and Robert got together and decided to involve other like-minded
friends including Stewart-Jones and Dennis Treadgold. Leonard believed that Eric
introduced Philip Wilson. During these preliminary meetings - held in the back parlour of
the Rising Sun in Alcester Street - he produced Dennis's pre-war letter, which helped to
crystallise their discussions. One of the suggestions was that the embryonic group should
be called "The Redditch Society". It was decided to add in parentheses the words
"Science and Literature" to make clear what the main interests would be.

Leonard thought he was the best qualified "local " to write a "prospectus" outlining the
ideas which could be circulated and also to provide a list of names of local people of
influence who could be approached for moral and financial support. The group arranged
an inaugural public meeting in the old temperance hall in Worcester Road, (then known
as the "Kingfisher" from the British Restaurant established there during the war). A
well-respected local figure, the Rev W. J. Wray was asked to be chairman of the inaugural
meeting. He was then minister of the Congregational Church in Evesham Street, a former
lecturer and tutor at West Hill Colleges, Selly Oak, Birmingham and a man of considerable
charm and erudition.

Eric Shaw opened the meeting with a statement and the Indicator reported the
proceedings. The Rev. Wray was elected as President when the Society was established
and the small ad hoc original group became the first committee with the addition (at the
Rev. Wray's suggestion) of Wilfred Ashworth and his wife. They were both members of
the Congregational Church. At that time Wilfred was librarian of the British Cast Iron
Research Association at Rowney Green and his wife a radiographer. The early committee
meetings of the Society were held at their house in Mount Pleasant where the initial
lecture programme was planned. The Society was able to afford an occasional famous
speaker of the day through the Lecture Agency. The newly formed Society seemed to
enjoy almost instant success and public regard and the Redditch Society For the
Appreciation of Science, Literature and Art was reborn.

Leonard became Editor of the Redditch Indicator in 1946 and, in 1948, Eric Shaw resigned
the Secretaryship on getting another appointment as a scientific officer at the fishery
research station at Pitlochry and Leonard took over as secretary for a time, with Mr Robert
Ball, then manager of the Midland Bank, Church Green West, assuming his former job as
treasurer.

Leonard married Esme Houghton (1914 - 1950) in 1941 but after her sudden death in
1950 and his subsequent remarriage to Irene J Cooper (nee Bryant) he moved in 1951 to
Wiltshire to begin a new life. Later he moved to Newent in Gloucestershire where he lived
until his death in 2001.

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