Peter Bullivant was the CO of 616 GS at Henlow when it first started in July 1958. At the time he worked in the Technical Publications Dep't of de Havilland Aircraft Co. at Hatfield. It was always said that 616 was the De Havilland Gliding Club, as so many of the instructors and staff cadets worked there.
I recall being on the very first one-week course there in Aug 1958 and being the first 616-trained cadet to go solo. Robin Millar had done his first solo there, but he was mainly Halton trained. He was another DH apprentice at the time. I count myself fortunate to have become a Staff Cadet together with a fellow DH Engineering Apprentice, the late Stan Easton. Another Staff Cadet was Roger Morrisroe who later became CFI at Nene Valley Gliding Club where a number of 'Refugees from 616' still fly, me included.
I 1963 Peter Bullivant left DH and Henlow to become a full-time Staff Instructor at No.1 Gliding Centre and he was replaced by John Allan, who was another DH person, in his case a Flight Test Observer. He went on to fly in the Concorde as a Flight Test Engineer.
Ah, happy days.