Cambridge & Oxford Eastbourne Grammarians' Society

COEGS was founded in October 1961 when all 9 Eastbourne Old Grammarians then studying at Cambridge University met up and, anticipating growing numbers, decided that a dinner at College would be a good way of enabling past, present and future alumni at Cambridge or Oxford to meet up. Eventually 108 such alumni of Eastbourne Grammar School (EGS, 1928-1977) and its predecessor Eastbourne Boys Municipal Secondary School (EBMSS, 1899-1928) were identified. Re-organisation of schools in 1977, forming Eastbourne Grammar & High School (EG&HS, 1977-1979) and Eastbourne Sixth Form College (ESFC, 1979-1993), led to 46 more alumni being located later while identification of staff of the schools and college who had graduated at Oxford or Cambridge led to a further 44 names being included on the COEGS roll.

The surge in those from EGS going to study at Cambridge or Oxford in the early 1960s arose from the vision and encouragement of the School's Headmaster, Mr Rex Shaw, who was the President of COEGS from 1962 till his retirement in 1973. Mr John Morris, his successor as Headmaster of the School and subsequently Principal of the Sixth Form College, also took over as President of COEGS. The closure of the Grammar School in 1977 led to both COEGS and EOGA becoming moribund; however - and happily - moves to revive both organisations led to them being resurrected in 1992. In 2007, agreement of members was reached to change the name of the Society from Cambridge Eastbourne Old Grammarians Society - which had become anomalous - to Cambridge & Oxford Eastbourne Grammarians' Society; this allowed the short-form name 0f COEGS to be retained.

The main activity of the small committee of volunteers running COEGS was to organise an annual formal dinner in college.  The first dinner in 1963 was held at Pembroke College, Cambridge (Rex Shaw's alma mater) as was the dinner in 2012 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment COEGS.  No dinners were held between 1977 and 1993 but the series was then revived. Initially held only in Cambridge colleges, the  the first COEGS dinner to be held in Oxford was in 1999 and the usual pattern then became two years in Cambridge followed by one in Oxford. The dinners were opened to anyone who had attended Eastbourne Grammar to come as a guest and the tradition developed that Old Grammarians who had dined once as a guest of COEGS were invited as guest members in subsequent years.

The 60th anniversary COEGS dinner was held on 26th October 2022; the Old Library in Pembroke College Cambridge was the appropriate venue. The organisers had decided earlier in the year that, because of the advancing years and, in some cases, declining health of surviving COEGS members and reducing attendance at the dinners, this would be the last to be arranged at a Cambridge or Oxford college. It was an enjoyable but poignant occasion. The guest of honour, Professor Peter Clarke, spoke appositely about the impact that Rex Shaw had had on the Grammar School and on himself. In accordance with tradition, portraits of Mr Shaw and Mr Morris were displayed on unoccupied chairs at the end of the table. A number of messages received from COEGS members unable to be present - including several from attendees at the first dinner - were read out.  Unfortunately Professor Howard Kirby, the long-standing Secretary of COEGS and a stalwart of the Society from its rebirth in 1992 - was prevented by ill-health from attending the final dinner; sadly he passed away in early December 2022.

While the series of annual COEGS dinners has now come to an end, the Society remains in existence and there are thoughts that it might be possible to arrange future events in the Eastbourne area, perhaps in collaboration with the Eastbourne Old Grammarians Association. Contacts for COEGS matters:

• Dr Chris Joyce: chris.joyce.1969@pem.cam.ac.uk
• Ray Wells: rayfelix@tiscali.co.uk