Tracing the Class of 74/75
Jon Griffin and Gerry Kreibich
Former Birmingham Mail Business Editor Jon Griffin, together with two of his old journalism student colleagues, has launched a bid to find out what happened to their old classmates in honour of the man who trained them.
Jon, Colin Sykes and Nigel Pickover were part of the ‘Class of 1974/75’ on the NCTJ course at Richmond College, Sheffield. They have all kept in touch with Gerry Kreibich, who was a senior lecturer at the college, and are now hoping members of the same class will come forward to share how their careers turned out.
It comes after they helped Gerry, who recently celebrated his 89th birthday, to update his website ‘Teaching Journos’, which looks back on the careers of former Richmond students.
“Over the past 16 years I’ve been delighted by out-of-the-blue messages from former students who’ve discovered my website and enjoyed the nostalgia. But I’m even more delighted when I can put former students unexpectedly in touch with one another – and that’s what’s happened with this trio from 1974,” said Gerry.
“That leaves 22 people who are out there somewhere little knowing that they are pictured here together in the bloom of their youth. Maybe a few of them will see this – I’m quite excited.”
The Richmond College Sheffield Class of 1975. Top Row (from left): Bev Simmons, Kathy Leeds, Andy Chapman, Bill Riley, Colin Sykes, Pete Bailey,Josie Decker, Gary Moran, Hylda Taylor. Middle Row: Trevor Bevins, Jon Griffin, Richard Horsley, Dave Parnell, Nik Wood, Simon Mills, Paul Calverley, Ian Ross, Nigel PickoverFront Row: Judith Spivey, Anne-Marie Kinsey, Jo Cracknell, Laura Seale, Jayne Clucas, Maureen Barrett, Vicky Holmes.
Not pictured: Liz Hardy
Gerry taught at Richmond in the 1970s and 1980s alongside Ron Eyley, Lyn Cooke, Frank Littlewood, Peter Collins and Geoff Bull.
Jon, who had a 40-year career in the regional press, said: “It’s been so good for us to keep in touch with Gerry, now we’d like to give him an extra birthday present by finding out today’s details of the rest of the class of 74/75.”
Colin, who worked largely in radio before himself moving into training at the University of Sheffield, added: “We were unusual students at Richmond where most other young people seemed to be studying office skills or accountancy. Above all I learned the nuts and bolts of how to be a journalist. Nearly fifty years on I’m still proud to call myself that.”
Anyone on the photograph who wishes to get in touch can contact Gerry at gerry_kreibich@hotmail.com.
