Nick Sloan:
I found your offer of a reward irresistible.
Andy Hayes is alive and well and visiting my little house in Colorado for the summer. Please send that case (it was a case, wasn't it?) of Chablis to my work address, so that Andy and I can drink to your very good health this Sunday.
Please tip a few on my behalf at the OGA dinner, too.
Best,
Mick -
PS: If you remember me at all (blazing a trail of self-induced mediocrity, as I did, in class and on the rugger pitch), I'm sure you will recall I was well-known for my upstanding character and veracity in all matters such as this.
The photo of the RAF cadet camp at Gutersloh is a mixture of about three school's RAF sections. As I remember there were about ten of us. I am in the middle of the back row, first peaked cap from the left! Mike Bergquist 69-75
So where is Andy Hayes (71-76)? He really must be found. I've tried putting up a reward but no news.
I'm thinking of setting up a website which will feature a 'virtual Andy Hayes' and, a bit like Vernon Yates or Arnold Rimmer of Red Dwarf, it would be pretty scary but full of strange happenings.
Here's an anecdote to tempt you all to find him;
After a dodgy try given by the home ref in a Middx Cup match against the HCS 1st XV by Sir William Borlase? everyone got a bit fired up for our kick off. The ref somehow sensed this and while the kick off ball was in mid air and we ran with menace into the waiting opposition pack, the ref blew his whistle.
The ball had gone the ten yards, we naturally had travelled twelve as usual and even the backs were waving their arms and screaming as they ran in the right direction, for once.
The ball fell harmlessly at the feet of their pack. The ref without hesitation sent Andy off. Apart from a slight abuse of the offside law, no offence had been committed and no contact had been made. Andy Hayes off, the first of our team since (Neil Messider? in 1971/2.
Dave Thomas, as captain, politely asked the ref why Andy had been sent off. The ref looked shocked and might have have actually been shaking, I couldn't really tell (because being a second row it was not my job to pay attention to detail). Dave was dismissed ten yards with an arm wave and a mutter but no real explanation by the ref who genuinely didn't have a technical reason to send Andy off.
I have thought about this strange reaction on the part of the ref for many years.
I do not feel cheated by his mistake. Not at all, in fact my belief in human nature and the intangible, mystical spirit of inner awareness has been enhanced by the ref's sending off of Andy Hayes that day.
I have concluded that the ref had a premonition or an instinctive belief that something very, very, very bad was about to happen should one of his players catch that kick off ball and that the very, very, very bad thing would have been executed by Andy Hayes.
And do you know, I shared that belief.
Andy was sent off for 'looking too hard'.
Run that one by the Sky Sports' pundits and the fourth official!
I think at the following assembly when Joe Avery announced 'the disgrace' of a Harrow County boy being sent off we clapped our hands slowly but quietly as Andy was invited to leave the assembly to make his way to the Clock.
For more Andy Hayes trivia visit 'andysnot here.com' or rather than waste time find the bast..d!
kindest and look forward to a few jars at the OGA dinner tomorrow
2nd Form Photo See Martin Flack below........ Back row far right is Graham Carter I think. Memory gets a bit hazy after 35 years!
Re: 2nd Form Photograph ( new additions etc ) To start the ball rolling, how about... Back Row 3rd in from the right. Looks like Andrew Ritchie - famous for highly polished army boots. Is he now famous for highly polished officer's brassware? Brother Jim, as featured elsewhere in rugby photos. Middle Row 5th and 6th from the right hand side. Howard Wynn. Sergeant Wynn etc and next one in, I think is Malcolm Leach. Front Row, 2nd in from the right...is this Barry Welch?
Well, well! I had heard that this site existed but only just found it and have spent a couple of days going down memory lane. Many names I recognise from the original 1K of 1970 through to 6th form via 4M (the M was for Mees, and Harry Mees certainly was one of the best teachers you could imagine - Anyone remember The Gentlemen Cribbagers of 4M and the little cribbage boards the he made for us to play crib with him each lunchtime?)
I have several interesting photos and copies of concert and show programmes including The Mikado with Bryan Kesselman who was also in Ruddigore. Carl Jackson's name appears a lot in the concerts and although I had organ lessons with Arthur Haley, Carl was in a different league. Good to see Arthur Haley's picture in Jan 2001. I still play the organ and sing in choirs.
I was in the RAF section of the cadets and have a photo of the 1975 camp at RAF Gutelsloh. I am not good with names so will forward it to see if the gaps can be filled.
Also good to hear so much about Jim Golland; an inspirational teacher who once liked a piece I wrote "in the style of Dylan Thomas" so much that he put it in Gaytonian (although I don't have a copy) and sent it to the Harrow Observor who actually published it. The only time I have had anything in print.....wow! Is his email address anywhere to be seen on this site?
I left HCB to train in hotel management with The Savoy Group after failing French and only getting music A level. I have managed a number of hotels in UK and moved to Virginia in '94 to manage Keswick Hall. Have been running my own multimedia company for the last couple of years in Canada and am moving back to the States after Easter to open a new country house hotel/private club in Wisconsin.
Would love to hear from any of the 2D guys whose names I can still recite as I was the registration monitor! Bond, Coles M, Coles P, Doyle, Dudley, Elton, Fogwill, Giles, Gorgin, Green, Holter, McGuigan, Malone, Merrick, Moore, Roberts, Ruparell, Simmonds, Stael, Taylor, Walker, White, Wigmore (seen your site Mark!), Wiltshire, Woods.
Best wishes at the reunion
Stephen Beaumont
I trust the arrangement was not reciprocal?! You schoolboys! Tut tut...
The Dinner on Friday - Lounge suits, Ian - and anyone else who wondered. No tickets sent out these days. Look forward to seeing you there.
Re the early fifties: I was there 1947-1953. Can't remember an Atkinson, apart from the blessed Cyril (no, he was Atkins, come to think of it), but you rarely remember the names of anyone even a year or two below you.
Just found this great site, after a tip-off. I was at "the other Harrow" 1957-63. Captain of the world-conquering second XV. My brother JAMES was also an inmate, about 5 years later. I am still in touch with EUAN HUNTER, who now also knows about the site. More comments/observations to follow later. Keep up the good work !
Thanks Martin. Puts me in mind of the spare sausages doled out by the dinner ladies at the back of the dining hall at lunchtime.
IAN GAWN
Mike Bergquist, It was "The ploughman homeward plods his weary way" - not that I ever had detention, of course!!!
Dear Ian, More black pudding than black tie!
Talking of "lines", who remembers the second sentence of Jim Golland's " Contrary to expectation and the general impression I seek to create at every opportunity I am not, in fact, a bull elephant"?
Incidentally, is the dinner on Friday "black tie", and should I have received a ticket? I sent my cheque in some weeks ago.
IAN GAWN
Mentioning George Cowan reminded me of deputy heads detention! What was that script we had to keep writing out, with all the letters touching the top and bottom lines?
Mike Bergquist 1969-75
Cowan......vengeance is mine!!!!!
(Barbara... how do you spell vengeance?
PS. web site is excellent
Hi.I am happy to see Harrow School. I love these guestbooks. I know it's a lot of work. Well appreciated. Keep up the good work. I am looking up my ancestors. Wheatleigh, Maxwell GGfather Wheatleigh, Eric Hugo Gfather
Bizarre or what? Thought I'd come and have another peek to see if various bodies from the early fifties had emerged after I bleated about their absence. So where is everyone from that period? You can't all be dead, and I can't be the only one from those days who has managed to have acquired keyboard skills. Go on, be brave, make yourselves known ... do something dangerous - like running in Spadger's Alley!
Chris A (48 -53)
Just to congratulate Jeff Maynard on what has become a hotbed of memories, nostalgia, and, for some, a place to express their hate of the place. For me, HCS (1965-72) was the launch pad for a career as a pilot in the RAF and thereafter in civilian life flying a widebody jet around the world. More importantly, it was the place where I forged lifelong, priceless friendships with like-minded blokes, friendships which are still kept very much alive today. Don't get me wrong; the place and the system were far from perfect and I did my fair share of skiving along with everybody else; my point is merely that your school years were as good or as bad as you made them, and those who found them to be bad years probably have largely themselves to blame. I'll get off my soap box now, I'm surprised I came out with all that, but I just felt I had to counter some of the more nasty and vitriolic entries that have been posted here. Once again, congratulations on a great site, if anybody remembers me and wants to mail me I'd be delighted to hear from them.
Spence Smith (1K 1965,then 2C,3C,4D,V4,L6ScC (not a great scholar!))
Cyber-nostalgia. The chance to re-establish contact with our former peers and a) stare misty eyed at the photos b) laugh at the anecdotes and c) renew old friendships d) settle old scores with former enemies (they say revenge is a dish best served cold). What do I remember? Mainly, the entire register of class 1N 1968/69. As form captain, I called the damn thing each morning and I still can 32 years later. What else? The reverential hush in assembly as JR (Avery) announced the death of the recently retired Lt-Col W.M. Bigham, broken only by a lone voice saying cheerily and quite audibly “The old b*st*rd’s snuffed it” . I’ll not name names, but the speaker was tall, had very red hair and wore glasses. Also, being kicked out of the Black Hole of Calcutta (A13 or 14) by Fat Cook the caretaker (“Git orf the bleedin' premises!”) after he found me snogging my girlfriend (Hilary S., my first true love) after school when we were supposed to be working on painting the set for the upcoming Convergence production. Ha! One lunchtime, a bunch of us removing the trousers from Kieran Healy while sitting on Church Fields across Lowlands Road from HC Girls School. The said trousers were then delivered to a group of waiting girls over their school fence. I never knew how he got them back, assuming he did.
That’s enough of that. I’ve been viewing this site for a few weeks now. It’s an enjoyable wallow with practical potential. Though I wonder, where are all the bad boys? From my year at least, only A-formers seem to be writing in. Come on you D-formers! Regale us with your lively tales of skiving, abusing teachers, getting stoned in the bike sheds and the (rank smelling) toilet behind the arch. Maybe the bad boys are ashamed at not being Senior Partners, Global V-Ps, esteemed Doctors or prominent politicians. Maybe they’re ashamed that they ARE Senior Partners, Global V-Ps, esteemed Doctors or prominent politicians! Me, I’m just a lawnmower, I mean renegade IT Consultant. I’ve worked in IT since leaving HCS in 1974. For 15 of those years, I was a freelance analyst/programmer/consultant/designer/etc, usually developing or fixing big corporate database systems for a variety of mainly blue-chip clients. Now I’m an employee again, of an international market research firm. I’m specialising in applications of hand-held kit and automated document scanning and interpretation (OCR/ICR as it is known). New toys have made it fun again.
I live in Watford, am married with two sons. One is a Haberdasher, the other is about become a Merchant Taylor. They are both excellent schools and my contact with them has made me realise that HCS in my day was not far short of current independent school standards, “a very real achievement” considering the class sizes and academic mix.
I’m still in fairly regular contact with a number of old friends from HCS and there’s more I’d love to find, but I’ll save them for another time.
Cordiali Saluti Dave (Lloyd-)Jones HCS 68-74
I discovered the site today and can be found on the 1965 1K class photo. I left HCS at Christmas 1970 (not one of the school's finest academic achievers)and although life began for me after that, I have been glued to this website tonight full of nostalgia. I still live in Harrow and for 30 years have been a professional musician and composer(no thanks to Arthur Haley)and incidentally also detest rugby (thanks to Viv Edwards) If anyone remembers me, and would like to get in touch, please do so. Does anyone know what ever happened to Michael Portillo? I too remember HOT PIG whatever happened to him?
I sense that Jim Golland may be neither a technophobe nor very far away and so (not wanting to be marked) I will keep it short.
It seems that one can no longer carry out a simple task like a spot of research into the cryptanalysis of pre-computer age, machine-generated polyalphabetic substitution cyphers without being propagated somewhere like here facing a set of long forgotten school photographs.
Thank you Hugh (Major) Skillen.
All that time you were carrying around the secrets of WOYG, Bletchley Park & Enigma and none of us knew. Did we? ..........
So we'll skip the memories and get straight to some essential detail:
What is a CDS ? (Question from Mr Geoff Twigg)
A CDS is very drab green London Transport utility vehicle. Very rare, all of them quite different and each one carrying a vital, unique and highly coveted number. (e.g. CDS1234). Hence the obvious excitement in the event that one should be spotted racing along Sheepcote Road at break.
I was at HSCB from 1956 to 1963 in forms 1A, 2B, 3C, 4B, V(1), L6ScA and A6ScA. In the unlikely event that anyone remembers me after 37 years I would be delighted to receive a blast from such ancient times. Some names that spring to mind are Malcolm Hayward (TANK), Dave Fryer, Tony Baron and - much earlier - Colin Wright, Martin Curtis.
And who was SMATE. Does anyone remember?
(See Me At The End)
Okay, I'll bite.
I stumbled upon this site when I decided for no good reason that I wanted to know what happened to Joe Avery in latter years. I guess I'm still skiving off, avoiding work any way I can after all these years.
I'm firmly in the Killingback camp in terms of my miserable memories of 'Arra County (1971 through 1976; 1K photo, front row, second from the right) Although years of politically correct grooming since then have weeded out any traces of the homo-phobia we worked so hard to cultivate at the time.
That said, this does make for compelling reading in a prurient, car-crash sort of way.
Any of my former friends/associates/partners-in-crime lurking out there? Jim Bassett, Martin Bazen, Derek Kirkham, Leigh Kilham (went to New Zealand), Jon Carratt, Ian Scott. I'm sure I've forgotten many others. . . .
Mick -
Keith Greatbatch is right about 'Buck'. Thanks for reminding me that so many misfits got through to HCGS from Vaughan. I remember your lot tonking us (Longfield) 4-1 at soccer in 1970 in an Harrow cup match? you had nice kit as well. My boots were from Woolworths and had moulded studs which was naff but I think they left their mark on a couple of your players. 'Chunky' Ian Tomalin played left half in white 'Alan Ball' boots and I played center half in a good old fashioned 2-3-5 formation in the same side. Didn't do us much good though!
And yes, memory fades like hair......
kindest
G'day Keith, glad to hear that you're alive and well. Heard from Dave Merton through this site, which was really good. Apparently Michael Angus (aka Pug) is alive and well with wife and two kids in Harpenden! Does anyone remember Mr Shadrack, the Religious Studies master? I actually took RE for GCE 'O' level together with other enlightened scholars like Michael Angus, Richard Slim and Peter Sturtevant amongst others. I can tell you it wasn't because of our religious leaningsa though. Peter Cole had been the normal (although he was far from it)in the 3rd form and we thought that it would be a great idea to have a laugh and 'skive' for a couple of years by doing RE . Shadrack, however replaced Peter Cole and although he was a pretty serious and altogether religious guy with an obvious calling, we gave him absolute hell, poor guy! I remember when 'Pug' started punching the curtains in one lesson to Shadrack's absolute disbelief. "What the hell are you doing Angus?", shouted Shadrack. Mike Angus simple replied, "Just punching the curtains sir!"....classic!!!! Anyway good luck with the reunion guys, Perth, Australia is a long way otherwise I'd be there. Maybe we should have a 'year' reunion sometime!
Hey Nick Sloan, your memory must be fading with the years !! "Phillip" Buck is the guy in the 1K 1971 photo. A Geordie boy as I remember. He was also at Vaughan Junior School with me. As was Michael Angus, Richard Slim, Leigh Kilhams and David Stone.
Didn't Andy Hayes go off and do something with medicine - brain surgeon or similar!!!??? It would certainly be a turn up for the books if he came out of the woodwork. I remember him in a basketball match against Harrow Weald. One of their guys was about to go for a slam dunk (or at least get as high as teenagers could get given their size)in the new gym at the changing room end - remember the store doors - well they were open. Andy took this guy out as he was in mid air and put him straight through those doors. We would have been proud of that on the rugby pitch - but in a "non contact sport" !!!!!
Good to hear that Pete Smart's seen the site. G'day Pete.
Will return for more light reading in a while
Keith
I am very impressed by this web site and I will send you some stuff when I have written it out. I was a pupil from Sept. 1943 until March 1948. When I started Randall Williams was head and then Crowle-Elliss until Mr Simpson arrived. I was in Weldon House and Simpson Junior was in my class for some of the time. Peter Lucas
A truly stirring site. Am I the only owner of a copy of the 'Happy Poison' Christmas Entertainments programme featuring both C Anderson and M Portillo?
I shall certainly attend the 90th Birthday event.
Great stuff.... Keep it up.
Howard Aiken 1965 - 71
Thanks for the great 'knobs' in the language laboratory story Nick, gave me a real nostalgic laugh. A big 'hi' to you to Sandra, gosh I can't believe this site, I remember you very well and Convergence. Glad to hear that you're well and that the girls will be making an effort with their site.
Absolutely fascinating reading. Well Done you guys. I was at HCGS for girls 1971-1978, and have found photos and notes from some people I remember. Fond memories of the productions !!!! Lets hope the girls can produce such a great Web Site. I actually work at Harrow College( which used to be the girls school) tutoring in Special Needs. The Whitehouse is still there but the traffic lights are gone. look forward to seeing more in the future
sandra
Michael Schwartz is--of course--right in his identification of the players in the Under-14 rugby photo. Full marks, Michael, and my apologies to anyone I mis-identified! Regarding the Callard & Bowsers pencil box, I remember it as being one of those presentation woodenboxesof Terry's of York choccies but, hey, I was wrong about the rugby team, too. In any case, I am pleased to be remembered for something other than being Diane Abbott's boyfriend. John Tygier was telling my horrified spouse recently about howI also attended school dressed in a home-made blazer that my mother had made, which was a slightly different green from the regulation color. Where my wife comes from, that would have been like wearing a target on one's back for bullying. Curiously, instead, everyone thought it was cool. Not sure whether being high tech is all it's cracked up to be, Michael. I'm a geophysicist and I spend 90% of my time at work in front of several computer screens interpreting seismic data. Like you, I find that I keep coming back to this site ("they don't make nostalgia like they used to") and am a little puzzled why anyone would wish to "switch the life support off." It was an imperfect institution but so what? (I don't think I was a saint myself). -pw
Peter Smart mentioned the language lab. Anyone remember Mr Jakabowski? the technician? "move your knobs to the right, boys"
Jon Adams reminded me of the infamous full class playback of Andy Hayes (AKA the missing link) as he read out, in plausible BBC tones, the Saturday soccer results. "Derby County 2 Queens Park Rangers 1, Manchester United 3 Aston Villa 2......etc.
And did Hughie and Jakabowski laugh and did anyone worry? I think not. Did Andy get a French o level, who cares? We were all too busy playing with our 'knobs'!!
Just read the original guestbook, great to see a note from Keith Greatbach and Neil Sheddon (also in OZ I see), both of whom I remember in my year. I didn't really hang around with them that much though. I saw a comment about Major Skillen too, my first French master. I had an exchange partner in Albertville, France that was organised through the school and Major Skillen. The first exchange took place whilst I was in the first form (1N, yes a Northwick boy)and 30 years later that 'exchange' friend, Phillippe and I still keep in touch and our families visit each other. He has a son the same age as mine and we plan to 'exchange' them next year! Too bad that Phillippe could never quite understand Major Skillen's Scottish French accent!!! Still I thank the Major for many a fun time in the language laboratory!!!! Does anyone remember the language laboratory and poor Skillen trying to control the technology with pupils shouting the odd swear word through the system?
I agree, very addictive this website! I've done hardly anything except recall my times at Harrow County since first finding the site two days ago. I must admit I've had a smile on my face remembering some of the pranks and laughs that we had. As for the photo of Class 3W, I'm far right, third row from top; my son (yes, just one who's ten) reckons I look like a girl. Must admit there's a lot of hair, only wish it could have all stayed on my head! Loved looking though the photos. I wasn't a rugger boy really but remember some of the guys in the photos like Phil Cotterill 1975 5th form team. If I remember correctly he came from Northwich, Liverpool. Tonight (Aussie time) I'll scan through the 'original' guestbook. If it's as interesting as the current one I'll be back. Well done Jeff Maynard very impressive, you deserve many accolades!!!
To say this site is addictive is an under-statement, Jeff!
The comments about turgid old farts were insulting. I don't know what kind of education their utterer wanted...
Anyway, to business, and Paul Ware's photo of Under 14 Rugby 1967-8 in particular.
Filling in the question marks, I would say that the first left, back row is Hiscocks, possibly with Barkas as second one in. Sixth from left is Waldron (I think he played for Wasps in the end) then Hoon (nicknamed Percy) on the end.
For second row I believe the player on the far right of the photo is Glazebrook not Hiscocks.
Front row teacher is Mr Walker of the Physics Dept, with Leary on the extreme right of the picture.
1967-8 was a memorable year for rugby as it was the last in which I graced the field of play before running cross-country. I am sure that the Middlesex Sevens got over it somehow.
Incidentally, my memory of Paul Ware is that cardboard box formerly housing Callard & Bowser toffees but latterly transporting his pencils. I wonder if he has become more high-tech since then.
Yours in papyrus
Michael.
Dear Ian, What a funny exposition of school life! I can only assume you had a good English teacher. I started playing rugby, cricket, boozing etc. at the Old Gaytonians when I was but 14 and a bit... Thirty two years on and we're getting ready for The French Weekend again.( All welcome by the way! ) Sport inclined ex pupils were fortunate to keep in touch but this excluded so much from others who attended school but didn't break into a sweat on a regular basis. This was our only focal point for so long until Jeff minted this site. Now we have a virtual clubhouse (a bit twee - sorry )and we're all 'walking' in and out as we please, saying as we see fit. Keep popping in is all I would say - there's bound to be someone to talk to!
thank you alex,look forward to the 1979-1983 [E form]sufferers saying hello.Mr Wilkins, hello? He did like the Clash mind. Mr Morrell teaching In Saudi for some years i heard.
We still play 5-a side with Jamie Sellars and Gary Carey,my year.Most of us are balding.Nothing prepares you for that!!
Sorry to hear Ian Killingbeck's comments, even though there were plenty of younger teachers there in his day, while the turgid old farts were becoming less in number.
As for the school being brain stem dead, that might explain why it has grown since he left, culminating in the recent multi million pound new wing and expressive arts block that have been built.
Like many people, if you have a dislike or have a negative view of something, it is unlikely to change, but the web site is a whole lot more than a nostalgia trip. Like the archives, it serves a dozen different purposes.
I recently heard the comment that the Old Gaytonians Association was run by "a bunch of rugby playing old farts", this coming from someone who has had no contact with them since he left in the early 1970's. I run the archives for the School and OGA, and was never a sportsman, am not gay, and am not an old fart, being 32. Saying that, I am also not the youngest committee member.
Sorry to hear your comments Ian, but despite being so anti, you were obviously interested enough to read a fair bit of the site's content.
For all those who have asked about other form photo's, I have just picked up the remains of the original archive from the local library, and there are quite a number of 'new' ones from the late 50s, mid and early 60s, and early 70s. watch this space!
As for those who have mailed me regarding the 90th on March 31st, all have been noted, and are expected!!
Thanks for that, and keep 'em coming!
Had a little more time to read through the various messages left, which bought back great nostalgic moments and times that were neither happy or good. It was a strange place between 1971-1976. Living a little in the past with a headmaster who seemed to be totally out of whack with the time. I did have some great mates and some great teachers. I remember guys like Harry Mees making history so interested, a great English teacher who we used to visit after school called Jane Austen. I also, unfortunately remeber some of the more sadistic teachers too. I was no angel but learnt a lot despite myself or the school. I've been away from blighty for nine years and still cannot believe the influence that the place had on me. So good to read comments of others thought I was the only one who had those experiences. Anybody remember Pug (Michael Angus), Slim (Richard Slim), Roger Coen, Derek Newman or even Paul and Mark Decker (even went to Primary School with them, 16 that year from Priestmead). I heard Martin Townsend on the radio the other day (yes, here in Australia!)commenting on Madonna's wedding. He's editor of OK! magazine.
Stumbled upon the page by accident. Regards to all of my ex-classmates and long suffering teachers from 1971-1976. Peter Smart Perth, Western Australia
What a wonderfully nostalgic site. It is a shame that some of the more "retrograde" opinions, such as those of Mr. Killingback didn't stay undocumented.
Let me quote: "Anyway how can this have been a good place to be…..THERE WERE NO GIRLS! What with that and a few dodgy teachers earning the prefix ‘bender’ it’s a wonder we all didn’t end up gay. As a neighbour of mine said while discussing his options after passing his 11 plus, ‘What! Harrow County? I’ll be buggered if I’m going there!"
It was exactly those opinions which forced me and many others - I am not here going to mention Michael Portillo - to have rather mixed experiences of the School. It was that prurient, picture-postcard view of sexuality which kept us in the closet and made us fell strange and different.
Since leaving - and isn't that ironic - I have met many other "Gay"-tonians. Many of us have become extremely successful and are now very happy: no thanks to the views espoused by Mr. K.
Have a wonderful day on the anniversary and looking forward to meeting other Gay Gaytonians.
I was at the School between 1972 and 1977.
Simon Harris
Ian, I disagree with your conclusions.
I hated the school and many of your comments are right on.
But Jeff has NOT created a site devoted solely either to nostalgia or laudatory comments.
Elsewhere in the Guestbook you will find many uncensored negative comments.
It was part of our lives and I, for one, am interested in how it developed, where my companions went and what, after the passage of years, they think of the experience.
Hey get a grip out there! While we were there, the place was a dump presided over by a bunch of turgid old farts desperately trying to emulate that other school on the hill. I can only assume this site is a symptom of the current nostalgia outbreak infecting most forty-fiftysomethings (mid life crises?).
This school was pronounced brain stem dead many years ago & this life support machine should be switched off.
Noticing Peter Lawson’s comments re: writing off C & D stream boys aged 12 despite them belonging in the top 5% intellectually. This touches on the true story behind the school. What is so good about a school that takes the best from an affluent middle class area and being proud to succeed in only getting half through to university? Did they believe the other half where there only to make up the numbers. I was made to feel one of the latter & I was in the B stream!
With the high quality of pupils entering their front door & the apparent modest achievement targets they set themselves, these guys must have been living the life of Riley. Easy street – no wonder the same names crop up decade after decade. Do a few amusing anecdotes about a favourite flaky teacher make him a good teacher?
Anyway how can this have been a good place to be…..THERE WERE NO GIRLS! What with that and a few dodgy teachers earning the prefix ‘bender’ it’s a wonder we all didn’t end up gay. As a neighbour of mine said while discussing his options after passing his 11 plus, ‘What! Harrow County? I’ll be buggered if I’m going there!’
Back to Peter’s remark about there being no showers. There were showers in the pavilion. I remember being herded in by some welsh psychopath called Viv Edwards, a creature placed somewhere between Marquis de Sade & Vlad the Impaler. I remember it was so cold in there your jewels disappeared faster than the scrummage machine on a foggy day.
My other memories include Bengy (aka twisty) Bunting taking over the tuck shop and turning it into a retail emporium from the back of the biology labs, selling useful educational items such as kitchen utensils – including the bengy spoon a favourite amongst the grosser elements. (Is my memory playing tricks or was he trying to sell cars as well?).
...and playing basketball before geography, with the black & white globe. After a particularly hard pass the two hemispheres parted company and in our hurry to restore it before Mike Green arrived made it appear Columbia shared a border with the Congo. Nobody noticed after a while.
…and someone(name withheld) setting light to rivulets of meths from the drum copying machine & four of us frantically stamping out the flames while presenting an expression of intent interest at an increasingly suspicious Mr. Green.
Shit! I’m in danger of catching a dose of nostalgia. I’m outta here.
The real reason for me entering this site is to find out what happened to my old friend Cary Alleyne (1969 – 74, left 2 years early - good call). I have nothing but good memories of him in & out of school and scouts (4th Harrow Pioneers – the only redeeming aspect of HCSB life). If you’re out there Cary let me know what happened to you.
to anyone who remembers me it would be great to hear from you.what a great site regards to all
Nick Sloan mentioned Paul Rockey. Does anyone know what became of him? I still have nightmares when I think of those hours of cruel circuit training he subjected us to.
Steve.
Great photographs but Ray Tapper, Johnny Hoskins the rugby stars at school and later don't feature. Thanks Jeffrey for bringing back the memories of the 54-60 brigade and Colin Dickins too for letting me win at squash..as if he ever would. Amazing co-incidence to find the first message I read is from me ole mate G3OYP alias the pro vice chancellor of York and Professor of Electrical Engineering one Kel Fidler. Yes Kel the invite for you to become a vice president of the Council for Independent Further Education is on its way Mr. Charlesworth was on the staff in June 60 he taught Geography and delighted in wearing his RAF uniform much as it was when he was demobbed, to the chagrin of the Colonel. He taught tennis and awarded me with the singles trophy then...those were the days hohoho.
What a surprise to find this site! I've been more or less completely out of touch with HCSB things since I left in 1962 - although I have recently renewed friendship with Bob Arthy who was a year ahead of me. It would be super to hear from others who might remember me - some of the old names in the photos evoked all sorts of memories.
Kel Fidler
Only had a chance to have a quick look at this sight, I left HC in 1977.
Seems good, will come back, my brother's name is spelt BrYan not BrIan,
All the best!
I'm not going to go into the realms of the 'best rugby team ever to put on a HC shirt', because that's not a very HC thing to do and is not relevant on such a splendid web site.
I would however, like to pay tribute to my colleagues of '76 who dragged me along to very happy times at the Watford Road playing fields.
Look up the fifth form team of 1975 in the photo gallery and I'll tell you the tale.
Front row forwards, Phil Green, 'Chunky' Tomalin and Andy Hayes that were brutally efficient at whatever hookers and props get up to in the days when you had to hook a ball and cripple your opposite number as he dangled out of the top of a scrum, screaming for his mother.
Two second rows that could play back row and jump without help to catch a line-out ball, my partner Jez Newell and I could outrun all of the squad over 800m (apart from Dave Thomas) and Jez had more school colours than the f'ing rainbow.
A squad that effectively had back 4 back rows that combined cynical cunning, strength, recklessness and the ability to play in the forwards at second row or when required in the backs, Mark Lewis, Simon Young, Dave Thomas, Jon Adams. (I actually felt sorry for the bloke from St Nicks who Dave cut in half in mid air just as he thought he was going to score by the flag),in fact I think I was physically sick when I heard the thud of the impact.
A scrum half who you couldn't even see let alone hit, Chris Berge, two fly halves, Arwel Hughes who would have made Phil Bennett look sad on occasions or Steve Butcher who probably taught Mike Catt how to plumb the depths and hit the heights of creative play.
We had centers who you couldn't keep out of a fight (Ian Abbott, Paul Spencer and Paul Turim) and wingers who you dearly wanted to scrag if you could catch the bastards.
But most of all we had a coach who inherited us from Gareth Lloyd-Jones, Paul Rockey. We thought we were good in the 4th form.
At our first team meeting 'Mr' Rockey suggested that anyone who was not totally 'on board' for a brutal fitness and monastic life might like to 'f off' and take up needlework. Nobody did but I believe that we can all still run the dark because of Paul's sadistic commitment to 'winders' and to 15 man rugby even in the mid '70s.
The class of '76 was small but beautifully formed.
I'm sure we did, but I don't remember losing.
My goodness, they're starting to come out of the woodwork now... Nick Sloan and Ian Abbott both on the same day. If anyone finds Andy Hayes, please send him my regards... best hooker I've ever known.
If anyone's interested, I've got Dave Frankel's address in Spain.
And if anyone knows the whereabouts of the Gagola brothers, I'd appreciate knowing.
Steve Banks HCS 1971-1976
Agree with Abbo's comments of yesterday. I'll put up a decent bottle of Chablis for the first Old Gayt to track down 'the missing link' Andy Hayes, class of '76.
For those of you who are not au fait, Andy is a bit like the planet Pluto, you know the bugger's out there somewhere......
Just found out about the site, a lot of fun. Now a banker living in Seoul, Korea, which has been home for quite a few years - if anyone is out this way drop me a line.
One constant memory remains the register of Form 1K in 1967 - definitely the high point of my time at HCS, it was pretty much downhill all the way after that! Anyway it left such a ghastly impression on me I can still remember all the names on it, 30+ years later!! So, if you see your name below - where are you now??
Barker Bickerdike Clarke Coleman Davies Dunworth Farrow Felgate Frost Gee Gough Hobbs Horne Hunt James Kingston Lilley Merrison Moore Moss Pomiankowski Rees Scott Sharp Smith ME Watts Werner Whitlum Williams
Sorry! Of course my years were actually 1972-1977, not 1970. By the time I left the sixth form had disappeared, and we all departed for sixth form college - me to Pinner, most to Lowlands.
CCF-Navy Section-proposed reunion. Navy section members from mainly, but not exclusively 70-74 are invited to a reunion planned for sometime this summer, at the moment we can locate Simon(Sid) Stevens, Dave(Cat)Carlen, Jim Wiseman, Robert Dore, Simon Moore and me, Does anyone know the wherabouts of :- Simon Goodes, Eddie Bowles, Steve Wilkins, Mike (Bike) Koller, Ian Doyle, Andy & Steve Maughan, Chris and Phil West, Robert(Trebor)Ward, and anyone else from that mob, please email me with any contact details. PS Crabs and Pongoes also welcome. Thanks. Chris
Such an interesting read, except my years seem under represented - 1970-77. Drinking parties were common (I'm told by one ex-staffer at the time that many of the teaching staff were partial to their booze). We produced a series of school magazines ("3rd Form News" "Format" "Viewpoint") run out on the school Gestener duplicator in the staff room. Simon Harris helped me. We still see each other. Anyone else out there...?
Just when you thought it was safe to surf the net. Andy Hayes where are you?
1K 1972 photo names / corrections for Neil Shedden.
Nick Sloan, Simon Kearey, Andy Gagola, Ian Tomalin, Richard Tibbles, Simon Buck. Hope that helps.
Having signed in before reading many of the amazing memories displayed i feel i should add two of my strongest A worst the caning as a result of being caught having coffee and toast lunchtime in the CCF rado hut- the crime possession of school keys A best Richard (it is Fred Bilson - ed.) Bilson not a small man as i remember walking from desk to to desk top waving his arms about reciting Wordsworths daffodils
I am in touch with a few people from that time including Alan Ragget Andy White Darryl Whiteley
Brings back both wonderful and terrible memories.
Thanks for organising this superb site! - our old school is quite a magnificent old structure which enhances the feeling of nostalgia. Ironic this feeling though, since I remember loathing every minute while I was there (1975-1979)! I would love a photo of my old form 'F' from anybody who has one, and of course to hear from anyone that knew me at the time. I'm as insignificant now as I was then, but I've traveled around somewhat in the meantime (currently in Hong Kong, soon going to Spain, will be in UK between June-August '01). I especially remember the football games we'd play at lunch-times, Jeff Rubenstein walking in with his broken arm on first day (twice!), Chris Ball acting as class bouncer when difficulties emerged!. Any teachers that remember me too, I'd love to buy you a pint or whatever is your tipple. Please email me. Best regards, Haydn Meadows.
In that 1975 picture it is Jonathan Coad, not S Cody.
Mike Bergquist
Received notification of this website from Simon Stevens and Mark Walmsley. Fantastic funseeing all those faces. I think there is an error on upper sixth 1975 photograph. The middle row third from left was a young man called Clive Nicholls not Reynolds. I heard he was working for the Met Police chasing unpaid parking tickets. Anyone who remembers me please get in touch
I am suprised and delighted to come accross this site with so many old familiar faces. I am now a resident here in the U.S.A. and would welcome information regarding the OG's.
Best Wishes:
Richard Porter.
What a great site! The 1971 3rd form pics made me laugh for ages. Contact me if you remember me!
Mike Bergquist 1969 - 1975 (yes, I bailed out a year early!)
Reading the site made me feel very young, Class of '76; I particularly enjoyed reviewing my hair in a couple of the photos, thanks to all, a very real achievement! 'Dalek-like' handshakes all round.
Thanks also for reminding me of 'Hot Pig'. Does anyone remember the one letter addition to a Sheepcote / Kenton Road advertisement for Gayton Fair[y], mid 70's? Nice touch, pity we didn't have colours for humour but who would have wanted a gold blazer anyway?
kindest rgds to all
A great web site. 3D 1971 photo brings back memories - did I really look like that?
The unidentified chap in the CCF Navy Jackel Trophy photos of 73 & 74 is Jim Wiseman who was at school with me 69-76. He left school to join the Navy and became at least a PO if not a CPO.
rgds, Simon Stevens
I have just discovered your magnificent site. Memories of the past are flooding back and every new page starts further activity withg the 'grey cells'
I will be providing additional information for you in the near future with particular reference to the 4th Harrow Scout Group and Rover Crew. As a starter I am setting out below full details of those persons in the Rover Crew [1951] photograph.
Back Row. Robin Gannellin; Peter Pope; Reg Gettins; Bernard Broad; John Stollery; Alan Vincent; George Ball; Peter Louth; Frank Honeysett. 4th Row. Tommy Thompson; Walter Thompson; Johnnie Walker; Roy Moodie; Brian Prince; Ken Hyde; Howard O'Mahoney; Malcolm Webster; Wally Vandome; Ken Sydenham. 3rd Row. Rob Gibbons; Eric Hinkley; Geoff Hartley; Martin Broad; Richard Owen; John Pockett; John Stevens; Colin Groom; Arthur Jeffkins; John Barron; Stan Adams. 2nd Row . Roy Norman; Tony Cresswell; Frank Holmes; Arthur Mayhew; Jack Beet; Bryan Stanford; Alan Stroud; Alastair King, Peter Weston; Derek Norman. Front. Richard Mogg; Len Skelton; Ian Greenhalgh; Peter Moffet; Graham Shirley.
I trust this will be of help with the 'project'
4th Harrow Rover Crew Re-union - 31st March 2001 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- After many years since our last official get together a gathering is planned for Saturday 31st March 2001 to which we are anticipating an attendance in excess of 100. We already have acceptances from 90 retired 'Rover' Scouts and their wives. It would seem that we have coincided with other celebrations planned for that day. Our meeting is being held at the District Activity Centre, 1A Walton Road, Harrow where refreshments will be available from 1700 hours. Should any ex-members of the Rover Crew who read this message wish to attend please contact either myself via e-mail at michael.courtnessNOSPAMREMOVETHIS@ntlworld.com or 'Charlie' King at 2 Blenheim Road, Harrow. HA2 7AH (Tel 020 8863 6808)
Keep up the good work.
Mike Courtness 1953-1958
Hello again. Unfortunately having just moved house access to my "0ld Stuff",as my wife affectionately calls it, is restricted by my inability to remember where I have lodged the box. Suffice to say I will locate it and regail you with a plethora(?) of names dates and trivia. Meantime should Donald Ridley ,Keith Boost or "Jabber" Justice visit the site please e-mail me. Thanks fellas. Michael ('49 to '56)
Hi, great web site!
I was an inmate of the establishment from 59 to the summer of 66 (I think - time plays tricks on the memory, doesn't it).
My fifteen minutes of fame at HCS came when I compered the Christmas Entertainments of 1965 - Heatwave. That was followed by one of the masters asking who I was and if I attended the school - I obviously made a great impact in my time there!
I'm in regular contact with John Sewell and Peter Robinson both of the same vintage. John has in his possession a tape of most of the Heatwave production - fascinating listening!
Congratulations to all those involved in the construction and rumming of the site.
According to the classical music station I listen to here in Houston, today is Chopin's birthday. With regard to Dennis Harvey's comments on Harrow County School'supcoming celebration, may I respectfully submit that you don't have to be alive to have a birth-day. I haven't lived in the UK for years and so shouldn't comment on the present-day education system. I do have mixed feelings about my time (1965-72) at HCBS. However, I feel that the opportunity to learn was offered to me even if I personally wasn't mature enough always to appreciate it. No nostalgia AT ALL? Hated EVERY MINUTE of school? So what-- hey, I'm a volunteer guide at the Natural History Museum here and can assure you that the most popular exhibits(by far) are the dinosaurs--long dead, terrible, with no modern analogs. If that's how you feel about HCBS, so be it: it shouldn't detract from your enjoyment of the birthday celebrations one bit! -pw
Boy have I been overjoyed at finding you! I have only just found you and not examined the site thoroughly but even so it is so pleasing in its friendly manner. I do look forward to coming back soon. Michael '49 to '56
Nice words Colin. It's nice to see that your pride is not in far-flung ancestry.
Regarding Dennis Harvey's contribution 26th February: He surely cannot believe that the present messy educational system is better than what we had. Not even David Blunkett and Tony Blair suggest that! Years of laissez faire and levelling down have left their scars and current government proposals indicate, yes, "raising standards for all", and also restoring a system which caters for each according to his needs. They are unlikely to restore grammar schools (in name, anyway) but they do seem to be returning to the idea of pursuit of excellence. The system may be messy, but I believe it's getting better and, within it, so is our School.
As for what birthday we are celebrating, as an Old Gaytonian for nearly fifty years I have kept faith with the School in all its guises and value friendships from all generations. The School has evolved - not always smoothly - and each stage had its unique characteristics. The Harrow County of Ernest Young's pioneering years was no more typified by the Randall Williams years than the immediate post-war years or sixties generations by each other or by the Gayton High School years. And now, as Harrow High School, it is evolving further and under Christine Lenihan there is a real appreciation of, and appetite for, past traditions and history - and high standards.
The School is not the same; it never was. But continuity has been evidenced not only by a set of (also continually evolving) buildings but by many fine teachers who have bridged generations. We all have a particular affinity with our own generation, but we also have an affinity with those who went before and made the institution what we inherited and with those who followed and inherited our evolution of the School.
It's not just bricks and mortar; it's our School's 90th birthday. Of course I shall be there on 31st March - and I am sure I shall find it in my heart to extend a friendly greeting to Dennis Harvey if, after all, he should decide to come.
Returning to the site after hearing so much from my brother Michael about the reunion. Nice to see his picture in the Harrow Observer! looking forward to the 31st March. Three thoughts flash before me. 1. How many families can claim to have had 3 brothers at the school at the same time? I can think of the Diners, Sugars, Gagolas. Any others? An exclusive club. 2. Who remembers 'Coats in a jug'? 3. Can you recall the wonderful notice put up by the hot drinks machine close to the inner quad: 'All hot drinks must be consumed by the machine'. A wonder it didn't drink itself to death.
I was at HCS from 1960-64. In fact I am in the 1963 IVc photo. I have found that many of the comments left in the guest book and the articles apply to me. I will, however, mention that I joined the pipe band to get out of the bull of the army cadets. All the places in the drum section were taken so I learned to play the bagpipes and am in demand at Burn's night suppers! It's like riding a bike - you never forget.
I have enyoyed logging in occasionally and reading the comments of a number of my contemporaries.
Fascinated to learn copies of Slime are still in circulation. In addition, the search for the derivation of Hot Pig.
I am sorry to introduce a note of controversy, but I am not sure what 90th birthday is being celebrated on 31st March. Surely it can only be either the buildings or the fact a school has existed on the site for 90 years?
I am sure if Harrow County still existed then this web site would not have developed in the form it has. As a parent I am accumulating experience of the tight reign schools now keep on any website with their name attached. Some hazy memories have been invoked from this web site and I did, on balance, enjoy my time at Harrow County, making and keeping some fine friendships. However, time has moved on.I cettain believe the current education system and associated government policies with its concern on raising standards for all represents a marked quality improvement on that which prevailed during my time at Harrow County.
Jeff: I have just discovered your excellent Harrow County web site. It certainly brings back memories, mostly good ones, of the years I spent at the school from 1957-1964. One day I will contribute some reminiscences of my own. In the mean time, here are some names of the people in the photo of Form 1C, 1957:
Back Row, left to right: Unstead-Joss, x, x, Simons, Paul Holland, Pete Nicholls, x, Blackburn, x, x, x, Ron Berg, Brian Bilgorri, Harry Levine
Second Row: x, x, Richard Thwaites, x, x, Colin Levy, Williams, Peter Victor, x, x, Chris Snell, Dave Morish
Front Row: x, Kilvington, x, x, x, Mr. Clarkson, Townsend, Dave Toeman, x, x, Duval
Cheers from Toronto,
Peter Victor
Thanks to all those who have e-mailed me regarding the 31st March. I can't reply to everyone, but all are listed and noted. You are all expected!!!
Does anyone remember the time when the school was addressed about the preponderance of 'That Phrase' (meaning 'Hot Pig', except that Roy Avery couldn't bring himself to say the words)? And does anyone remember what was then scrawled next day, all over the school? You guessed it: 'That Phrase'. Just a thought.
Yes, I do remember this oration. There had been another oration about graffiti where we were told that we wouldn't treat the furniture at home like this. "I wouldn't treat the furniture at home like this" promptly appeared on a desk in the library.
We were also told to "watch our style" and were asked "what kind of school is this?" in relation to a bullying incident. The expert reply was of course "Please, Sir, a grammar school".
It is little wonder that a certain Jago turned to the Head in an end-of-term review and declared that it was a pity there was no award for rhetoric for members of staff...
Long live the defenders of the proletariat Mao-Tse-Cowan and Joe-En-Lai.
I was at HCS from 1970 to 1976 (repeat 5th year!) and now a three o level genius to boot - well if it is good enough for John Major it is OK for me!
After 22 years in the MOD hence the email) working for my old head boy (Michael Portillo)help to export arms I now work for the DETR in London helping to export water (now I can sleep nights).
Living in South West London.
I was pointed in the direction of the site by Mike Woods- what fun to see so many names and remember so many friends-those hours spent hanging around backstage with Dickie Salter,Richie Milstead, Ali Muir, Howard Wiesbaum, Leon Loberman and many others.I have a copy or two of Slime ( being the official supplier of said magazine to the Girls' school...) and it still makes me laugh, but the photocopying is so poor I doubt it would scan.More hours were spent in the company of Jon Farrow and Brian Dogget and of course in A2-I have plenty of play programmes and photos in my loft back in the UK. I didn't spend the same hours on my school work as I did on drama and don't regret it one bit. As do many others I owe Harry Mees an eternal debt of gratitude. One of my favourite quotes from that era was "fatty" cook the caretaker coming in to throw us out from a play rehearsal-"scuse me for protruding but get off the bleeding premises". Katie Finch-convergence
Does anyone remember the time when the school was addressed about the preponderance of 'That Phrase' (meaning 'Hot Pig', except that Roy Avery couldn't bring himself to say the words)? And does anyone remember what was then scrawled next day, all over the school? You guessed it: 'That Phrase'. Just a thought.
I have spared you all by keeping most of my reminiscences of my time at HCBS (1965-72) for e-mails with Jeff Maynard, Jim Golland, and Alex Bateman. However, since John Jeffers did ask about the author of "Hot Pig"... No, it wasn't actually me, but I was there at its genesis (about 1968). The author (and artist) was David G. Little. His image can be seen in the 1965 1K photo. His (legitimate) artwork can be seen in the Gaytonian magazines of the time. Sadly, Dave took Timothy Leary's admonition to "Turn On, Tune In and Drop Out" a little too literally. God knows what happened to him after that. It was unfortunate, too, that the school caretaker of that era was a rather portly gentleman who thought that the graffiti he was charged with cleaning off was aimed at him (it wasn't). Incidentally, as someone who now regards any form of vandalism with a deep loathing, it seems strange that I could once have regarded graffiti as a form of artistic expression!
-pw
Wonderful site.
Huge amount of work by Jeff and Alex.
I'm curious if the following are still alive:
A. R. Simpson George Thorne
Can anyone help with a copy of Cadet magazine for 1969, for the archive? This is the only edition I am now missing.
IF YOU ARE INTENDING TO VISIT THE SCHOOL ON MARCH 31ST, PLEASE CAN YOU INFORM ME!!!!!!
I NOTE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE MENTIONED IN THE GUESTBOOK THAT THEY INTEND TO COME, BUT HAVE NOT TOLD ME.
I NEED TO KNOW SOME IDEA OF NUMBERS EXPECTED ON THE DAY SO THAT THE SCHOOL CAB CATER FOR THEM
PLEASE DO THIS!!!!!!!!!
Hi Jeff
Thanks for posting the Jackal trophy photos, I do have the missing names now.
1973 one of the Andy Maughans (back right) is in fact Steve Maughan, Front row is Wiseman (I think nicknamed Jock)
1974 Again Wiseman, and I'm fairly certain that Ian was Ian Doyle.
The unknown teacher on the 1971 staff photo - back row, far left - with the beard, is Chemistry teacher Dr O'Shea - known by his nickname as "Tessie".
Best wishes
Jeff; I finally made it to your/our website. Congratulations on creating it.
Coincidentally, I am with Stephen Constant, with whom I am very much still in touch. He, as you know, now lives in Norway but still comes back here frequently.
Keep in touch.
Great site. Sorry not to have known about the reunion, but hope to be there on 31 March.
I will try to dig out some memorabilia of my years at HCS - especially with the RAF Section of the CCF.
Some of you may also remember my brother, Barry Tyler, who was at HCS util about 1953, and who now lives in Yorkshire.
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of reminiscing with one Michael Portillo about some of the HCS teachers in the 60's, so this seems to be a year for remembering those happy days.
1979 - 1983
Congratulations on the site, Well Done!!
It's great to see that in the 90 years the school's been going, everyones opinion of it seems the same.
I would love to be able to help with materialistic donations, but I burnt everything just a few hours after leaving the old place....However, if you need any help with names or classes etc from my year, (the one above Mr Bateman), then get in touch.
Keep up the good work
P.S. Any chance of adding Gaytons name to your linked search engines ?
What fun! But am I the only survivor of the middle-fifties? Okay, the memories bit. Harry Mees of course (very embarrassing for my son years later to get <Gloucestershire on> "... ah roight young Atkinson' I rmember teaching your farther many years ago.. <Gloucestershire off>. Then Hugh Skillen who managed to get me speaking French well enough to serve me very well in later years. And Paul Oliver for all the art and jazz (or should I say "... Arfo- American music ..." (Simpsonese!))
I was in both School Scouts and the RAF section of the CCF. The skills learned in both served me in good stead during National Service in the RAF and I spent two happy years in Germany skiving, playing Rugby and Scouting. Surprising how many old Gayts I met during the years I lived abroad, incredible so many managed to survive having bones regularly broken on frozen,rutted fields (and do I remember trying to do up fly buttons with frozen fingers when changing in the pavvi!). I left in 1953 when I realised that Simpson not only knew my name but recognised me in the corridors!
Couldn't seem to leave the Scouting bit and was GSL of 4th Harrow for about ten years - no, it wasn't a lot of fun ... HCS produced all chiefs and no indians :-(. Too many arguments, too much politics.
Still involved with Scouts - running Scout Association's Web Site and active in my new District in Cambridgeshire (moved up some fifteen months ago).
May get down to the open day on March 31st because we've got a 4th Harrow Rover Crew Reunion in Harrow the same evening.
Chris A. 1948 to 1953
what was the real identity who wrote HOT PIG all over the school! Graffiti before we knew what the word ment!!!! i would be pleased to hear from anyone who remembers me i played jesus in the only junior convergence production with the girls school i played table tennis andwas a member of the path finder scout troup the teachers i remember and nick names are benderhayes maurice venn-told you to get in the cubourd Harry mees-a great teacher ci anderson-our radical english teacher gimpy ellendon boys i can remember are mick hopkings (paddy) mick day(kink) vernon yates (subversive) ian thorne kieth thorn(table tennis partner) phillip ashliegh ( " " ) pete joyce steve blackman rip
I haven't the time to browse the whole site at this visit but, to quote Arnie, "I shall return!" It looks great
Does anyone know what happened to Clingbine, Form 3B 1963-64 photo, 3rd from right, front row.
What a great dose of nostalgia. I was at HCS from 1960 to 1968. I saw the photo of form V(4) 1965 and can confirm that I am top row, 5th from left. My friend John Tyler (still my friend) is middle row, 2nd from left. The pupil credited as Sabine is in fact Robert Samuels and Eric Sabine is bottom row 1st from left.
I have recently ben communicating with Alex Bateman concerning my involvement in the RAF section of the CCF and if you are reading this Alex, sorry I'm so long in responding.
I will try and get along on 31st March.
It would be nice (in a perhaps bizarre way) to know what happened to Dr Simpson, Roy Avery, Billy Duke and his successor.
Just a word about Roy Avery. I lived in Mill Hill. So did our then new head who joined circa 1964. At one of his first assemblies he told the school that he did not approve of Saturday jobs.That week I met him by name for reasons I cannot remeber.
The following Saturday I went to serve the next man in the queue at the greengrocers where I worked and greeted him with you usual "Yes mate what can I get ya." The embarrassement was almost mutual when we both realised who the other was but to his credit he bought his fruit and veg and never mentioned it again!
Gordon Silver
What a wonderful website. It is a great way to learn a little about what an English grammar school was like.
Attended 1969-1976
Like the site.
Alex Bateman told me about the web-site which looks very good. I was at the school from 54-59.
I have some form photos from the 50's which I will try to dig out and send you in due course.
Thanks to Dave Lloyd-Jones, the list of staff on my web page for 1971 is much more complete. Only a few queries left... ;-) The website is at http://www.mice.dircon.co.uk/School/hcs_staff.html
Keep up the good work, Jeff!
Mark Wigmore (HCS 1970-77)
The events for the 90th Birthday of the School are as follows:-
FRIDAY MARCH 30th. The Old Gaytonians Association Annual Dinner takes place this day (for members only) at the Sportsground at South Vale, Sudbury. This is being organised by Tony Rhoades and members will receive further details from him in due course.
SATURDAY MARCH 31st. The School are hosting an 'official' birthday event this day, from 12:00 to 4:30pm, which is open to ALL former pupils and staff, and their guests. There will be tours of the School and also displays of material. refreshments will probably be of the tea and cakes/sandwiches type, and it is proposed that there will be a charge for this. No set price has been fixed, but we have another meeting on Feb 15th. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS THE SCHOOL WISH TO HAVE AN IDEA OF NUMBERS, SO PLEASE CAN YOU E-MAIL ME WITH YOUR INTENTIONS SO THAT I CAN LET THE SCHOOL KNOW. THEY WILL BE NOTED, BUT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REPLY TO ALL PERSONALLY.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 4th. This will be a day more of ceremony, and will feature (at the School) the official opening of the new Expressive Arts Block by Clive Anderson, and the New Wing. Although there probably will be a few spaces, it it mostly invited guests only.
Any further details will be posted as soon as possible.
Here are the names for the 1963 stage crew photo contained in the "photographs section of this web site.
Back Row: Harry Mees; David (Sandy) Saunderson; Unknown; Bob Locker; Tim Bush; Graham Schofield; Gareth Jenkins(?); Dave Thorne.
Middle Row: Rick Fenge; Jerry Krause; Jerry White; Dave Munns; Bruce Varley.
Front Row: Richard Fowler or Steve Richards; Chris Mc Manus.
regards graham
Jeff congratulations on your web site. I was at school 59-67 and spent a lot of my hours as one of Harry Mees's layabout (another contributors description) backstage crew. I'm still laying about backstage in various theatres. I can identify the people in the 1963 backstage photo sent by Steve Clyne as I took it. I also have some other photos of dramatic society events including some good pics of banned activities and Macbeth. Also have images of CCF field day and the school as it was in the early sixties. I am in touch with a number of ex HCS lads and I will pass on the URL. It will be great to hear from any of my contemporaries at school.
I have just relinquished the secretaryship of the Old Gayts Association but I would encourage all guestbook readers to join, as many old frienships are renewed via the association and membership costs almost nothing.
NOW FOR THE SALES PITCH..............I am now helping to run the Old Gayts 300 club which has around 560 members and which pays out three £75 prizes per month and lots of big prizes at Christmas. It also funds a big piss up at the Sudbury Old Gayts Clubhouse just before Christmas each year. It costs just £1 per month to join (£12 standing order per year) and ALL PROFITS are used to help promote the HCS/Old Gayts fellowship and communication that members feel is vital AND help with repairs to the Sudbury Clubhouse AND help fund Alex Batemans archive activities (who has provided much material for this web site). IF YOU WANT TO JOIN or MAYBE GET MEMBERSHIP FOR YOUR CHILDREN, please email me and I will arrange it. Email address is graham_leachNOSPAMREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com
best wishes graham leach
was at harrow county girls 1971 - 1976. have loved looking through photos and recognising faces I used to know. Will pass details onto Ruth who was also at harrow county
Just a short note to start - a great site to look through.
Selwyn Tash informed me about the site only yesterday (he sits in front of me at Spurs - sad that we are!!).
A pity I didn't know about the reunion - I would love to have made it.
I will start to look out my memorabilia........I know I have a number of photos from my time there
Dear Mr Maynard
Just thought I’d enlarge a bit on my remininscences of 10 mins ago.
Peter Lawson, HCBS from 1969 to 74, Preston House. I’d come with 5 other guys from Kenmore Park. No idea who my Housemaster was. Despite the fact that some mimicry of Public Schools was in vogue, we didn’t seem to go in for the House thing except in Sport. I left for City of London after O-levels. I never really knew why.
My memories are ultimately favourable but they are not without unpleasantness. I am a teacher now (Head of Mod. Langs. at Mill Hill School). Anti-bullying councils which are now the ticket would have been considered not only risible but unnecessary for the inner quad, but I wonder.
That pavilion was unbelievable. We had to change there before going off to those pitches down near Sudbury. No showers, or if there were, we didn’t use them. And those bogs! Was that the only set? I refer to the ones through the arch near Technology. There was graffiti in organic, textured daubs, but there were no locks and there were no cleaners and we were dirty, dirty boys. We simply educated ourselves sharply that sit-down facilities would have to be eschewed.
I remember an air of sedition and violence in certain areas of the school, though people didn’t actually get beaten up as far as I remember. A lot of shaping up but no hits. The A1 corridor had a vibe that was retro even then. My memories of it are in black and white.
I remember some fine teaching upon which I still draw. Great French teacher called Geoff Salter got me started. Don Wilkie made me fall in love with Spain and was a lovely guy. Gareth Lloyd-Jones taught me German. His delivery was an extraordinarily eclectic mix of jokes and strong verbs; he was an inspiring teacher who effortlessly drew the best out of his charges.
George Cowan was a brilliant teacher whose mindmaps and chants are as sharp for me now as they were. Jim Golland is another. I live in Pinner and keep seeing his name around, but to my regret, I have not met him since 1974. He taught me Macbeth and did it with energy and sensitivity. His teaching mirrored the fast-moving rhythms of the play itself and his ability to embrace the vulgar and the esoteric was a major player in my own desire to read books. I regret never having been taught by Jock Lafferty, about whom I heard so much, not least from my very good friend then and now, Jon Grogan.
I never really enjoyed the Scouts at HCBS and. Looking back, to have had four troops was quite something. I was in the Merrymen, seen at one stage as the Cinderella outfit lagging behind the bronzed Pathfinders, but licked into shape by the chartered accountant and old boy, Philip Levi. I remember from Scouts Eddie Kerr, Rick Lee, Richard Crouch, Bob Dean, Bob Albury and many others. Curiously though, my memories are mostly anodyne. We used to begin the school year with COSF (Camp on the School Field). We also went to Switzerland (1970) and the Isle of Man (1971). The worst job I ever had, to borrow Pete and Dud, was emptying those chemical lavatories. Oh boy.
The best bit of Scouts was the football. I turned out without distinction for several years for the arcanely named Diabolo.
I sometimes wonder if the C and D stream boys weren’t cruelly written off, aged 12. I was fortunate not to end up there. Had I done so, I would have had to drop Latin and I would not have been permitted to take German. That would have been a body blow for me. God knows what I’d be doing now. The School was unabashed to trumpet the merits of the elite and served those boys with distinction. I remember over 40 boys getting into Oxbridge in 1971. Some of them, as we know, are famous. But the shame of being in 2D could only have kicked its members in the guts and ushered in a paradigm of failure. Yet they were supposedly intellectually in the top 5% of the nation.
It would be good to hear from people who remember me. No hair these days, but 2 daughters and a lot of curiosity about where I came from.
Oh, and if anyone has a copy of ‘Slime’, I’ll pay well.
Peter Lawson
1969 to 74 (left after O-levels for different climes). Nice site. I'd be curious to find out something more of my contemporaies as, understandably, your site seems to be heavier on the 60s just before I came. However, most of the people you refer to were still there for us.
I remember much laughter amidst fine learning with DG Lloyd-Jones Esq (think I have his initials right). What was that pavilion like? And those bogs! They were quite horrific and caused us all unquestioningly to simply eschew all need for sit-down facilities during the working day.
Now attending Gayton High school which is now know as Harrow high school. I find this very intresting and amusing seeing some of my teachers in their younger days such as Mr Bridges
Sad to relate that I do remember what 'CDS' means - 'Central Distribution Services' - as all good bus spotters will know. The vehicles carrying that banner were part of London Transport's service fleet and as much a joy to behold for a Harrow spotter as a 'GS'!! Oh dear, what have I done.
Humble, grovelling & abject apologies, in an earlier missive I gave Tom Greatbatch the somewhat advanced age of 72, in fact he's only just had his 71st birthday, thought I should put this right since he's my father-in-law - a couple more Old Gayts that I know the wherabouts of are Tony Knight aged ? (over 50) and Ian Clark (4th Harrow HCS 1966 on, we both live in the same village with kids at the same school, and it was only whilst talking about scouting that we realised we had passed through HCS at about the same time.
Sir Paul Nurse was featured on a School's TV programme on Channel 4 this morning (Feb 2nd), but unfortunately the scenes shot last year at the school, with him and Keith Neal, failed to maike it into the final programme.
The Old Gayts dinner falls on Saturday 31st March, and the School are having a 'founding event' the following Wednesday (April 4th). I have a meeting next week to hopefully finalise details of both, and any other items that might be arranged.
Details will be posted as soon as possible
Excellent.
Thoroughly enjoying this retrospective view. Happy memories of lunchtime drinking at the Kings Head aged about 16 (Jacket & Tie left in the cloakroom) when Jim Maddison (Maths) turned up and for the price of a pint we secured a lift back to school!
Can anyone help in the whereabouts of any of the following 1966-1973 chaps?
Laurence Trott John Torrie Alistair Muir David Ventura David Powell Glen Karpel John Braude Neil Phipps Andrew Smith Howard Webber Peter Vincent John Abbott
Colin Dickins recollections of the true "Eggy"Webb are correct. He was deep into Yoga and one occasion entertained (or "instructed")us in the gentle art by standing his head in the middle of the table with legs crossed in the lotus position, bare to the waist, so he could demonstrate his skills at isolating various muscles of his abdomen. he was remarkably good at it. He also used to swim the length of the school bath under water. I don't think he would have lasted long under Simpson but Williams was more tolerant of eccentricity.
H Hi Jeff: I received a card from Harry Mees over Christmas, and he mentioned the possibility of a reunion in March. There is a cheap fare war on until tomorrow night, so I am interested to know whether this plan has matured- and if the date has been fixed yet? I didn't see any mention on your site. Please let me know as soon as possible if there is something planned. I would like to see a few of those old familiar faces. Thanks, Brian Lowes
1.Anyone yet come across asite for fomer pupils at Harrow County Girls School?
2 Had a reply from Malcolm Ingram - he is coming to UK next year.
3. Jim Golland has been very helpful with info about my grandfather and his chldren from his first marriage(my Dad, Reg, also HCS in the twenties, was child of the third ! wife.)
4. My 12-year-old is puzzled by photos of Dad in Form 1c (1955) and in the band in 1958 - so Dad had a life before 1988!
Cheers all IAN GAWN
In my day (1947-53) Eggy was the other Webb (as opposed to Cob) and taught something mysteriously called "Hygeine". I think it was supposed to be our introduction to "the facts of life", although he would expatiate on defaecation among other things. He also taught General Science to the first year in the old Harrow Tech building in Station Road. His methods with both subjects were somewhat intimate, which was no more than gleeful entertainment to far from innocent youngsters, and probably were the reason for his departure to the Isle of Man - although I can't recall anyone being adversely affected.
Eagers, who arrived during my stint there, was Swedish and his problem was as much an impediment of speech as anything to do with being a foreigner. I don't recall him being called Eggy in my time - but, then, Jumbo Jones was known less alliteratively as Hippo Jones to generations preceding mine.
I am trying to write up the history of the School Cadet force, and apart from wanting to hear from any ex-members (of any era), I am particularly wishing to hear from anyone who was at the school between 1970 and 1980.
The cadet records are non existant for this period, and 'Cadet' Magazine had ceased to be, so I am stuck at the moment.
Thanks
I was somehow not surprised to discover the web site - all that suffering during the Simpson era had to find an expression sooner or later. Seeing the photos and reading the comments confirmed that my memories of those days were not distorted - it really was rather grim. Was the bubble-car-on-the-roof owner A. Daniels? What I did enjoy was playing (as a drummer) in the pipe band - which I have not seen much mentioned so far. I think the school moulded me - starting as an ordinary miscreant, I developed into a full-blown hobble-de-hoy 5th former. It is interesting that what sticks in the memory is not anything academic but the silly details of masters' quirks and so on. In this vein I confirm my memory of "Eggy" as being Mr. Eagers, who spoke with an accent. He always appointed a form secretary in each of his classes to record misbehaviour. Thus the classic phrase to be practised by all serious master impersonators, was: "'oo is the sekkerterry? - poo 'im down for 'un'red lines for torrking errrrrrh errrm errrrh." I think one secretary was Hooper, or rather 'oopairr. This and other rubbish I have carried in my head for 40 years. Incidentally, I failed O-level French, but have lived mostly in France for the last 28 years. Another memory is the late fifties craze for bus-spotting. Sometimes at lunch time in the outer quad, on the Sheepcote Road side, there would be a sudden rush of boys towards the railings crying "CDS, CDS". I did not know then what a CDS was and I don't know now. Does anyone remember - it would be a great weight off my mind after all these yaers of being in the dark.
Congratulations on the web site, which I shall continue to visit in the hope of reading more historic trivia, and, perhaps hearing from my contemporaries.
Thank you to those who have put all the work in to bring this site about and contribute to it.
Memories '56 to '63
In the late 1950's I remember trying to play hooker on that cold muddy field. I was short and tubby and non-athletic and was terrified to be inside the scrum (although it was marginally warmer in there). I even played hooker later, briefly, for the UCH Dental School fifteen and came close to enjoying the game. The only time so far in my life that I have entertained serious thoughts of suicide were when waiting in the corridor outside the Biology Lab knowing that Bigham would ridicule my homework and both physically and emotionally abuse me. Having said that, I later came to enjoy Zoology with Mr Neal whose appreciation of the Badger and its exquisite privacy were a delight. Also, the wonderful smell and atmosphere of the Chemistry and Physics Labs on my first days in 1956. All that dark wood and the strange apparatus in the cupboards; those stoppered bottles of coloured compounds. I remember a bus strike and hitching a ride to school in an Armstrong Siddely Sapphire with 6 other schoolkids from Kingsbury.
Tony Douglas and Ian Suatt were at the school in my time, does anyone have contact with either of them or know their whereabouts.
I was told about this site by Jim Golland who called me (35 years after we'd last met) via my brother (David Buckley - HCS 1953-61)to ask about the 1964 issue of Gaytonian which I had redesigned in 'modern' style and was the first issue of Gaytonian to break out of the traditional format.
It is fascinating to learn from this site that people one has known for years are OGs, such as David Hantman (the family optician), Bryan Kesselman (who used to lead the choir at our synagogue) and Steven Games (whose esteeemd father served with me on Brent Council for 11 years).
I did not enjoy my time at HCS but rather to my own surprise have many fond memories including -
- skiving off 'cross country' by crawling through a hole in the fence around the site of the future Northwick Park Hospital (never thinking that in not so many years time I would have four children born there), coming out by The Ducker and waiting for the serious runners who had done the whole circuit and then following them back up Watford Road to school
- Bill Haley's prolonged improvisations on the organ when staff filed out after assembly on the last day of term
- standing right at the end in the 1960 Jubilee school photo and not having the nerve to run round to the other end so that I'd come out twice
- Harry Mees telling an interminable and wonderful, and maybe true, story about one of his many relatives who worked as a drivers or guards on the GWR getting out of his train in the Severn Tunnel for some reason and seeing it run back down into the tunnel
- actually being there when Simpson used the term 'woodpecker shoes', meaning winklepickers
- winning the 1964 mock election as the Conservative candidate and Jim Golland (rather ungraciously I thought) deploring the conservatism of scholboys in that year's Gaytonian (sadly, my later efforts to become a Conservative MP were unsuccessful)
- Nick Tyrhwitt's (have I spelt that correctly?) extraordinary striped blazer which he wore on sports days
- redesigning the school magazine (but not getting a 'colour' for doing so, which it more than deserved)
On the less fond side, I remember the appalling smell during games from the Harrow School farm, having money extorted every Wednesday morning for the Pavilion Fund (whatever happened to it?)and the deeply weird cadet force which I absolutely detested.
As for staff, I will always have enormous affection and respect for those great men who staffed the History and English Departments - Harry Mees, Jerry Lafferty, Jim Golland and many others whose names are on the tip of my tongue but which I can't quite remember. Other names which come to mind as decent men I am pleased to have known are Maurie Venn (Geography), Mr McKewen (Physics) and Ken Waller (Latin and Music).
I'm afraid I do not remember with affection men such as Dr Simpson, who sneered at anything that was not Oxbridge and who was reactionary even by the standards of the late 1950s, 'Swannie' Amos (Head of PE) with his curious enthusiasm to say 'Bend over boy' and then hit them with a skipping rope for next to no reason, Mr. Cowan and his ridiculous TRALA (toilet roll and lavatory patrol) and 'Colonel' Bigham whose pretence at running a schoolboy army was displacement activity for heaven knows what.
Whilst they were, no doubt, well meaning men by their own standards, at the time I thought them ridiculous and absurd.
With the maturity that comes with middle age, I now feel I was far too kind to them - they were utterly awful, uttely ridiculous and I utterly loathed them and I loathe them still. There, that's something I've wanted to say for a long time.
Finally, I must make a confession. For all my dislike of my time at HCS, when my wife and I came to choose secondary schools for our three boys we chose Haberdashers and Queen Elizabeth's Barnet, both of which (QE in particular) have a striking resemblance to HCS both phyically and ethos. I suppose, for good or ill, you can take the boy out of the school but you cannot take the school out of the boy.