In Memory of PETER "PEBBLE" BEACH - 28/08/1928 - 30/05/2023
By Club President Tony Davies
Peter Beach joined the Old Sulians in 1949 and made 318 appearances for the club, before retiring in 1969.
Peter was Captain of the 2nd XV in 1959/1960 season. At that time, the Sulians had no ground of their own and used the City of Bath Boys School changing rooms at the Alexander Park site before making their way up Wellsway to Odd Down playing fields.
Our ground at Lansdown was purchased, clubhouse built, and Sulians played their first fixture on 2nd September 1961. Peter and his late wife Pauline along with his late brother-in-law and sister, Jim and Sue Trude, were willing volunteers and instrumental in ensuring the Sulians new home was completed. From that date Peter was a fixture at Lansdown serving behind the bar whenever he played in a home fixture, and, when he eventually retired from playing in 1969, the unofficial “Mine Host”, a role he continued well into his late eighties.
A vivid memory of Peter was in April 1965 during Sulians Easter tour to Cornwall and Devon, during which we stayed in a hotel in Bude. We came out of the hotel on a very cold morning to see Peter swimming in the sea!! He was very much on his own in the sea. It was a successful tour, Sulians drew 3-3 with Launceston, and beat South Molton 15–14 and Peter swam daily.
Peter was a great Sulian, and filled many roles on the Committee: -
- Club Vice Chairman from 1979 -1984,
- Club Chairman from 1984 - 1989,
- Club Vice President from 1965 - 2023,
- Club President from 1996 – 1999
- Club Life President from 2006 – 2023.
Peter, for many years, was also Bath Combination Rugby President.
Finally, in 2021, as a fitting tribute to a fantastic Old Sulian and a true gentleman, our home at Lansdown was named and became “Beach Field”, no better way to remember our very own rugby legend.
Peter was a constant at the Old Sulians, a true gentleman and a club legend, who will be greatly missed by all at Lansdown and we offer our sincere condolences to Tom and the wider Family at the passing of Peter, but will raise a glass often and remember him fondly.