Dr. Geoffrey Norman Gibbons

He was born in Birmingham in 1927 and educated at Moseley Grammar School and Birmingham University where he was awarded an Honours degree in Law in 1948. He was awarded the degrees of Master of Arts of Warwick University in 1995 and Doctor of Philosophy in History in 1999 and published his doctoral thesis in 2001.

In 1946 he was appointed organist at St. Ambrose Church, Edgbaston an appointment he held until 1960 except for the years 1948 to 1950 when he fulfilled his National service commitment. He was commissioned in the Royal Army Service Corps and completed his service in Egypt.  Throughout his time in Egypt he organist at the Church of St. George in Moascar Garrison, Canal Zone.  He commanded `C' Section of 479 Supply Platoon and ended his service as acting Captain.  During his period of leave he visited Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, and Karnak.

On return to England he completed his Law Society's examinations and in July 1952 was admitted as a solicitor and joined a firm in Birmingham which in the ensuing forty years grew twenty times over with offices in Manchester, London, Exeter as well as Birmingham.  When he retired in 1994 he had been senior partner for seven years, had served as a part time District Registrar in the County Court, was a Chairman of National Insurance Tribunals, and between 1977 and 1984 was a Deputy Circuit Judge on the Midland and Oxford Circuit, hearing both civil and criminal cases.

In 1960 he was appointed Organist at the two churches in Henley in Arden and held that post for thirty-four years until 1994 when resigned to have more time for domestic interests.  He chaired committees to raise funds to rebuild the large organ in St. John's Church and replace the instrument in St. Nicholas Church with a chamber organ built in 1798.  For six years in the 70s he directed the Barnt Green Choral Society.  For a number of years after 1994 he played at the monthly services at Packington Church, (the estate chapel of the Earl of Aylesford), on the unique two manual organ built in 1750 to the design of George Frederic Handel.       For over 20 years he was a member of the Council and acted as solicitor to the Incorporated Association of Organists.

He has travelled widely in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, especially in Tunisia, and was appointed Tunisian Consul in the West Midlands in 1990 ano office he still holds.

Geoffrey Gibbons was elected to Solihull Council in 1960 and apart from a short period he remained a member until his retirement in 1997, being elected mayor in 1974 and again in 1984. He founded the Solihull Music Festival in 1988 and was the director of it for ten years. For many years he played cricket for the Old Boys team of his School, tennis with Sparkhill Tennis Club and swims and surfs in Cornwall.

In about 1978 he became a governor of Alderbrook School, Solihull, and has served through the headships of five headteachers, being elected Chairman of the Board of Governors in 1985, resigning in July 2003 on his removal to St. Tudy, Cornwall.

In 1974 he married Hazel and inherited two step-sons, has a daughter Sarah and eight grandchildren one of whom is a boy.