Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Great Plum wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 12:52 pm

sejintenej wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 12:21 pm As an aside, does anyone know what he got the MBE for

Third on the list...
https://www.freemasonrytoday.com/more-n ... %20Sillett

Thanks for that Matt. Downs Syndrome is a plague on us and does need to be understood

sejintenej wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 1:00 pm

Great Plum wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 12:52 pm

sejintenej wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 12:21 pm As an aside, does anyone know what he got the MBE for

Third on the list...
https://www.freemasonrytoday.com/more-n ... %20Sillett

Thanks for that Matt. Downs Syndrome is a plague on us and does need to be understood

I think the term plague is (unintentionally I hope) really offensive - I would genuinely congratulate Bob Sillett on his fundraising for the Down Syndrome association. Whether or not, in light of what is now known, he should have been awarded an MBE for his CH related works (or if this should now be withdrawn?) is a different question.

LHA wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 8:26 am On a sort of connected theme, Bob Sillett's daughter Tanya was a senior Police Officer from Surrey who was imprisoned for fraud. I recall her teaching French at CH for a brief period, so she joins the list of ex CH staff who have been ended up prison, although it should be stressed her crimes were obviously nothing to do with abuse.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-27291329

I wish her well with her rehabilitation

I should make it clear that the sentence was reduced to 18 months on appeal and the offender was released four and a half months from the end of the sentence on Home Detention Curfew (tag), as it usually the case for fraudsters.

There are copious news articles on the internet detailing all this.

I had no idea he had a doctorate.

The doctorate, MBE, MA, and cricket bat inventing, all came after he hit compulsory retirement age. West Sussex newspaper article and Third entry down in the Freemasonry Today notes.
All things considered, his use of that Lincoln quote jars a little.

I think the cricket bat inventing (Woodworm) was actually his son, Joe who is now onto another venture with the Funky Iron Company...

The story I heard was that it was a joint idea, based on an old cricket bat found in a shed with woodworm....

https://www.woodworm.tv/woodworm-about

It all began back in September 2001 when Joe Sillett was hunting in his garage for a bat ahead of a Sunday match for his club side Brook in Surrey versus The Zombies.

The only one he could find had a bad case of woodworm, and to repair the damage, Joe's father Bob carved out small curves towards the top of the bat, finishing it by hand and a Black and Decker power sander.

In the match, using his oddly shaped bat, he scored 142 not out, and it was at that point Joe decided to found The Woodworm Cricket Company, with our now famous shaped bats.

Thanks Julian for the clarification. Joes new venture is an iron in funky shape and colours.

https://thefunkyironcompany.com

I believe Joe also setup http://www.tekkers.co.uk

I can't see any buy links on the website now though, so not sure if still trading or just problems with website.

CHAZ wrote: ↑Mon Jul 30, 2018 2:19 pm I think the cricket bat inventing (Woodworm) was actually his son, Joe who is now onto another venture with the Funky Iron Company...

I just took the info from his talks website - Bob's Masonic Talks. Unless it's played on the beach, cricket is not really my thing.

jtaylor wrote: ↑Mon Jul 30, 2018 2:43 pm I believe Joe also setup http://www.tekkers.co.uk

I can't see any buy links on the website now though, so not sure if still trading or just problems with website.

According to Companies House Jo Sillett (Jonathan Mark Sillett) was a 27% shareholder and director of Tekkers Ltd but pulled out 3 years ago. It doesn't look as though it's ever made a profit.

Woodworm Ltd, which originally owned the cricket bat business, went bust a few years ago. The business was sold on but only fetched £220k, which was used to pay off the bank borrowings, leaving a shell company with unsecured creditors of £800k + who never saw a bean.

The latest funky iron business has been financed by crowdfunding. Based on my 40 year's experiencing of working with small businesses I'd say it's a bl**dy stupid idea. A classic example of wasting time and money to produce a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. They won't be able to match the cost structure of the big players so this can only work if customers are prepared to pay a premium to own a funky iron from a company with no technological credibility. I'm out!

I don't think that RDTS, member, iirc, of the Grand Order of the Secret Monitor and servant to charity, MBE, not for services to carbolic soap as a mouthwash, has, from what is on the record given extensive enquiries, done (or not done) anything near the level where the Honours Forfeiture Committee might reasonably be asked to consider the revocation of his honour. With a jailbird for a daughter, the man has suffered as it is. I recall it being said that he was in the same Lodge as the then Chief Constable of Sussex, which was very useful for the School. There was a rumour that when the School went to Sir Barnes Wallis's memorial service at St. Paul's on a chartered train, the Sussex Police drugs squad had been invited in and had swept the school looking for drugs, and little or nothing had been found. That is a report of a rumour, of the time not an assertion of the facts of the time, other than the fact of the rumour's existence. I certainly heard nothing to suggest that his Masonic contacts had been helpful in other matters, he who alleges must prove. I too had no idea he was styled 'Doctor', I don't recall him having a fancy Doctoral gown at Chapel.

Odd it seems to me that he retired compulsorily at 61, that might have been the CH contractual retirement age at the time.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/having-hono ... forfeiture

The Old Blues Facebook group includes the recent announcement of the death of the beloved Tom Jeffers (discussed on here also). Over 100 heartfelt messages of condolence and happy memories. Bob Sillett somehow managed to mention his (Sillett’s) MBE and lifelong service to the community in the little message that he left...

I think he’s quite brave/provocative even being in the group. When Husband was convicted there was a family member of his on there proclaiming innocence and witch hunt and accusing the victims of lying. I think they were shut up and/or chucked out quickly enough. You’d think Sillett would slink into the shadows after the revelations of his role in this sordid story, but he keeps a very public online profile and regularly posts stuff online about his life achievements and what a generally great guy he is.

Otter wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 1:40 pm The Old Blues Facebook group includes the recent announcement of the death of the beloved Tom Jeffers (discussed on here also). Over 100 heartfelt messages of condolence and happy memories. Bob Sillett somehow managed to mention his (Sillett’s) OBE and lifelong service to the community in the little message that he left...

I think he’s quite brave/provocative even being in the group. When Husband was convicted there was a family member of his on there proclaiming innocence and witch hunt and accusing the victims of lying. I think they were shut up and/or chucked out quickly enough. You’d think Sillett would slink into the shadows after the revelations of his role in this sordid story, but he keeps a very public online profile and regularly posts stuff online about his life achievements and what a generally great guy he is.

I did quite a bit of research on line yesterday into his daughter because of my ongoing interest with Surrey Police.

He was excellent at giving tangents and scared the living daylights out of me and my mates.