Item 202000796 - Interview with Greg Boyes-Varley 1973

Interview with Greg Boyes-Varley 1973
Greg and his two brothers were day boys at St David’s living as they did behind the school in
Second Avenue. The family lived in Cape Town and Zimbabwe until 1966 when Greg joined the
school in march in standard 2. Coming from Zimbabwe Greg didn’t understand Afrikaans and
his teacher, Mrs Michael organised extra lessons for Greg with Mrs.Kenesovitch. Brother
Anthony was head of the high school and other Brothers such as Br Andrew, Br Aidan (bursar),
Br Bosco (Mario), Br Timothy, Br Dennis, Br Ronald and Br Ezekiel were still teaching.Br
Ezekiel was a brilliant Maths teacher and taught extra Maths on a Sunday declaring that that
was more important than going to Mass.
Greg had a tough time at school and was teased, because of a speech impediment and injury to
his face. He was playing on a trampoline when his leg got caught and his face was badly
damaged by a broken coke bottle. Mr Owen-Smith a plastic and maxillo- facial surgeon
operated on Greg and due to this he was determined to become a maxillo-facial surgeon
himself. Greg went to the Wits Speech and Hearing Therapy unit and eventually overcame his
speech impediment and now speaks at conventions and deals with patients confidently.
Greg recalled Nassey Simaan, the popular rugby coach who had no favourites and chose his
teams by selecting the boys he felt had guts. To be selected Greg had to tackle one of the boys
and he chose a big boy from standard 5 who always teased him. He flattened him and when
Nassy asked him to show the other boys how to tackle he selected the same boy again and
annihilated him once more. The boy never teased Greg again after that.
Greg’s father was a very active member of the St David’s community, was on the PTA, was
chairman and helped commission the building of the McGregor oval. He also used to organise
all the fathers and sons cricket matches and arranged for some English cricketers, Don Williams
and Peter Stringer to come and coach cricket at the school.
Greg remembered a day at the end of standard 8 during Nuffield week when he was playing at
leg slip and was hit squarely on the head with the cricket ball. The other boys made him get up
and he carried on taking 8 wickets. Patrick Quarmby was particularly kind and supportive.
The new Science lab has just been built and Greg remembers some experiments which blew
holes in the ceiling.
There was an African compound next to the white house where Mr Scott lived and the boys
used to buys cigarettes from the staff.
Anthony Bartlett (now living in Belgium) was the DJ for all the parties they organised with each
boy taking a turn to have a party on saturday night. Legally the boys couldn’t drink, even when
they went to university as they were all 17.
Academically Greg did well, became a prefect, got his university pass for matric and went on to
study Dentistry at Wits University. It was the last year of the JMB matric.
Greg remembers St David’s as being a great school where he made some good friends and in
his subsequent dealings with boys from local schools he thinks the St David’s boys are the most
humble.
He feels that it was a big mistake to close the boarding and then to replace the JMB matric with
the TED version. That was when a large number of boys left the school and went mainly to St
John’s.
Greg would have liked his son to go to St David’s but the family left to go the UK from 1994 until

1997. When they returned Oliver was in standard 1 and when they applied the then principal of
      the prep Mr Royce’s secretary was extremely rude and said there was no place for him. Oliver
      then went to St John’s and then on to Michaelhouse. Rees Carr’s father Ronnie who was
      coaching cricket intervened but by then it was too late. Greg was very sorry that his son didn’t
      go to St David’s but the experience he and his wife had in the UK was very good and he learnt a
      lot whilst at King’s hospital. Greg now practises at the Morningside Clinic and often lectures
      overseas and has written a number of articles. He is currently mentoring Etienne Raffner (2003)
      a dentist,doing a 5th year.
      Greg has been to two MOB’s dinners pre 1994 and is on the mailing list.
      Greg would like to get involved in an advisory capacity especially with boys who would like to go
      into medicine.
      He is touch with many of his old colleagues and remarked on the fact that St David’s has
      produced many doctors.
      Paul Sutej – Professor of Rheumatology in the US.
      Ian Jones – Dentist
      Bruce Potgieter – son in Matric 2011
      Etienne Raffner -2003 – dentist
      Daniel Shepherd – intern at Bara
      Glen Jones
      Peter Rossini
      Desmond Schatz
      Paul Sutej
      Michael Ross – vet Kyalami
      JE – July 2012