Telford club to meet for final time after 33 years

The Monday Night Club which is run by two teachers from the Blessed Robert Johnson Catholic College was launched by maths teachers Martin Stamp and Dave O’Leary in May 1981. Today, Mr Martin Stamp continues to run the club alongside Mr Neil Bentley with support from students of the school and sixth form college.

Martin said: “Dave approached me with the idea of running a club on a Monday night as a trial until the end of that academic year, I agreed to help him and here we are 33 years later. After Dave left the school 10 years later I decided to continue running but first needed to pass my driving test so I could drive the school minibus which was our only form of transport for the club.”

During the club’s 33 years, various teachers and students of the school have volunteered and helped run the club. Mr Bentley started helping 14 years ago when he was a student at the school.

Mr Bentley said: “The club was a great escape from the stresses of exams and coursework, once I’d finished the school and sixth form I wanted to continue helping the club, although I left the school I have never left the club, it is just by chance that I have ended up back as music teacher at BRJ for the past two years.

“It was a difficult decision to close the club but a couple of contributing factors have lead to the decision, Mr Stamp is retiring at the end of this academic year and I am moving to teach at a new school plus the Blessed Robert Johnson is going through a transition year ahead of its move to the new Holy Trinity Academy, Priorslee opening September 2015.”

The final meeting tonight will include a short mass in the school hall followed by a BBQ party for current and past members, their families, careers and volunteers of the club.