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Barnt Green Sailing Club - BGW Page 2. 4th February 2007
Nigel Gough, Chairman/Fishing Club presenting their gift to Ben and Christine with Brian Allen, Vice Commodore/Sailing Club waiting to present the BGSC gift. David Richards, BGFC and past Chairman of Barnt Green Waters looks cheerily on along with about 120 members of both clubs and some bird watching members. The two gifts commemorating Ben & Chris's retirement are shown below.
More pictures here and a report to follow soon......
The Commodores invitation to members.......for 4/2/2007 Dear Member, As you may be aware, Ben Solloway who has been our Keeper for the past 27 years and his wife Christine retired on the 25th of December 2006. Ben has since been working as temporary Keeper and will actually finish on the 31st of January.
Ben and Fred pictured in the Hay Meadow, Ben comes back to help Fred periodically with various tasks. His son in law and daughter, Fred and Lisa Rollins, will be taking over officially on 1st of February thereby keeping the role in the family and this will be the fifth generation of the family to be keepers on the Bittell Estate. In order to thank Ben and Christine for all their work and help over the years Barnt Green Waters, together with the Sailing and Fishing Clubs are holding a lunch time event on Sunday the 4th of February. We plan to start at 11.30am and there will be a free finger buffet lunch available. At approx 12 noon after our first race of the day there will be a presentation to Ben and Christine by the fishing and sailing clubs. The sailing club will be presenting Ben and Christine with a cheque of donations from members to wish them a healthy and happy retirement. The event will then carry on until approximately 13.30 to enable members to chat with Ben and Christine. If you would like to add to this donation, please send a cheque to This event will also be an opportunity for members to meet and chat to Fred and Lisa who are very keen to meet members and become involved with both clubs If you are able to attend please let
A delighted Ben and Christine Solloway receiving their 25 years of service salver, presented by BGW on behalf of the Sailing and Fishing Clubs, from Gordon Britton, Chairman at that time. 19th June 2003
The Retirement of Ben and Christine Solloway. Ben was born on Christmas Day 1941 - a present from Father Christmas to his parents and to all of us who he has so loyally served. In 1952 his father, Norman Solloway, succeeded his grandfather Levi Solloway (who had succeeded his father in law, a Mr Broom who was Water Balliff to the Earl of Plymouth, the then owner of the Bittell Estate) as Keeper to Barnt Green Waters and Ben came to live in Reservoir Cottage. In 1961 he married Christine and left Reservoir Cottage to live in Hopwood and later Kings Norton. In 1978 he followed in his father's footsteps to become our Keeper and returned to live in Reservoir Cottage. Having lived on our estate for his formative years, he knew the land and water well and had the advantage of the knowledge and skills that were passed down from father to son.
Ben and Christine in 1993
After retiring Norman was a regular visitor to Upper Bittell, keeping a fatherly eye on the new Keeper. Ben's duties required him to be security guard, groundsman, tree surgeon, dog handler, negotiator, fish handler, caretaker, machine operator, odd job man and on call most hours. To keep Barnt Green Waters, the Fishing Club and the Sailing Club all happy was sometimes difficult. He would not have coped without a share of the workload being carried by Christine, ever helpful and cheerful. His handling of vandals and criminals when protecting our property was always risky and he was often assaulted and sometimes injured. Ben and Christine had two children, Mark and Lisa, who lived at Reservoir Cottage until they in turn married. Our retiring Keeper and his wife have served us faithfully and well for over 28 years and we wish them a happy, healthy and well earned retirement. Gordon Britton , on behalf of Barnt Green Waters and the Sailing & Fishing Clubs.
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