Tuesday 29 March 2022 The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) has paid tribute to Leeds comedy legend Barry Cryer (OL53) who died in January at the age of 86. Barry, who went on to work with the stars of British entertainment, got his first taste of the stage in a number of school productions at Leeds Grammar School. His indisputable comedic talents developed at school where he presided over The Bovril Sandwich Society. He last visited the school as the guest of honour at the Leeds Luminaries awards in 2018 which celebrated high-achieving alumni of Leeds Grammar School, Leeds Girls’ High School and GSAL. He presented the awards at a special gala dinner and entertained guests with stories of his childhood in Leeds. Principal Sue Woodroofe said: “Welcoming Barry back to school for his last visit was a real treat! He was generous in his time for our community and after a laughter-filled dinner, he then proceeded to add some of my colleagues to his famous regular phone call schedule, keeping in touch with all of us. Barry had a way of making you feel at ease in his company, he wore his brilliance lightly and was always so supportive of GSAL; we will miss him hugely.” Barry Cryer’s obituary will be included in Memento, the school’s alumni magazine later in the year. Image: Barry Cryer, back row, second from right. Alumni
