Harry on TV

Posted on November 30, 2018 by admin

 

Jeremy Vine

Judith Keppel on the Eggheads team knows the answer.

Adam foxed.

Harry cropped up in a quiz question on BBC2 TV yesterday (29th Nov).

On Eggheads the sports round ended in a tie and went into a decider. The challenger was given the first question.

Jeremy Vine, question master: “In the 1870s the Englishman Major Harry Gem helped to found the first club dedicated to which sport?”

Adam, challenger: “Cricket.”

Jeremy: “No, it’s tennis.”

Judith Keppel, on the Egghead’s team, appeared to know the answer.

Check link at 19.54 ins.

Posted in Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Leamington Club | Leave a comment

Harry’s Aunt Helen

Posted on October 22, 2018 by admin

    Harry’s father William Gem had twin sisters: Helen Maria and Mary born in 1795. Helen died in January 1873 and Mary in March of the same year.

Helen’s grave may be found in Warstone Lane Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, Birmngham just uphill from Harry’s grave. (Section: P, Grave No: 1527)

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the above photograph Harry’s grave lies centre left background (shuttering around the new grave architecture construction) and Hellen’s is centre right next to the path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Birmingham, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Obituary - Harry Gem, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Grave restoration – step three

Posted on October 20, 2018 by admin

The York stone plinth is now in position. All that remains now is to build the superstructure, once the original ledger stone has been engraved with Ellen Maria’s details and the side panel with the dedication to Gem and Perera is completed.

Posted in Birmingham, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Obituary - Harry Gem, Perera, Uncategorized, Warstone Lane Cemetery | Leave a comment

Grave restoration – step two

Posted on October 13, 2018 by admin

Footings in ready for constructuon of the new grave architecure once work is completed in the workshop.

Posted in Birmingham, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Obituary - Harry Gem, Warstone Lane Cemetery | Leave a comment

Grave restoration – step one

Posted on October 10, 2018 by admin

On the morning of Tuesday 9th October the team from Midland Conservation lifted the ledger stone and removed it off site. The details of Ellen Maria, Thomas Henry Gem’s wife, are to be engraved on the stone as she is buried here too but unrecorded on site.

Stone has been ordered for the construction of the new grave architecture. Completeion date awaited.

The ledger stone to the grave of the family Lawson, over which that from Gem’s grave was slid many years ago, is now seeing the daylight once again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Birmingham, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Obituary - Harry Gem, Uncategorized, Warstone Lane Cemetery | Leave a comment

Grave restoraton commissioned

Posted on September 19, 2018 by admin

Job done.

At long last, with sufficient monies raised, the restoration work has been commissioned via Midland Conservation Limited. A site meeting was held recently and materials ordered.

The ledger stone should be lifted early in October and taken into the workshop for the engraving of Harry Gem’s wife’s details.

More on the schedule as it is known.

Posted in Birmingham, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, Obituary - Harry Gem, Warstone Lane Cemetery | Leave a comment

Appeal has raised £8,000 of the £10,000 target

Posted on June 26, 2018 by admin

Our appeal for funds to restore Harry’s grave in Warstone Lane Cemetery, Birmingham has reached £8,000 and we send our grateful thanks to all the organisations and individuals who have given so genereously.

We have launched a Crowdfunder campaign to raise the final £2,000. Please help by giving what you can and spreading the word among your friends.

Click here for details

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Grave Restoration Appeal – Video

Posted on May 12, 2018 by admin

Gem's sketch of himself playing with Perera, against doctors Haynes and Tompkins, at the club they founded in Leamington.We’ll be launching a Crowdfunder Appeal in June to raise the remainder of the money required to commission the work to restore Harry’s grave. In the meantime, here’s an extended version of our video giving some of the background to the story of Harry Gem and Augurio Perera and details of the restoration plan.

Click here for video.

Posted in Ampton Road, Bath Street Racquets Club, Birmingham Rifle Volunteers, Edgbaston Archery & Lawn Tennis Society, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Leamington Club, Perera | Leave a comment

A Birmingham Gem

Posted on April 18, 2018 by admin

Article from the Birmingham Post of 9th October 1962, the 100th anniversary of Harry Gem’s run from Birmingham to Warwick.

Posted in Ampton Road, Bath Street Racquets Club, Birmingham Rifle Volunteers, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Leamington Club, Perera | Leave a comment

Harry Gem Grave Restoration Appeal

Posted on March 19, 2018 by admin

We’ve raised just in excess of £5,500 so far and need another £2,000 – 2,500 in order to commission the work. On top of that we hope to raise £1,000 – 1,500 to hold in trust to cover future maintenance requirements. If you can help please contact us at: theharrygemproject@gmail.com.

Click here to see our video giving a brief introduction to Harry’s story.

Posted in Ampton Road, Bath Street Racquets Club, Birmingham Rifle Volunteers, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Leamington Club, Perera | Leave a comment