This is definitely the last posting today - someone has asked where the name "Mini" (or sometimes "Min") came from...
Richard Salter invented the name when I played football [illegally for a 1st Former] in Outer Quad in the same group as my elder brother Nick. In true HCS fashion, instead of just calling me "Peter", a new name was invented originally "Mini Vincent" - as my brother was "Vincent"!
PV
I forgot to mention...
I am in contact with one Tony Kirkland who left HCS after a scholarship year in around 1958 before going to University. If anyone remembers him, please contact me and I will pass the info on (he isn't on email as far as I know). I just happened to find myself sat next to him at work in 1988...
He says he was on the Honours Board - but the recent photos don't show this period. Can anyone confirm his story?
PV
Memories of HCS Stage Lighting 1969-1971
I will close my postings with a few words about the team behind the Stage Lighting at HCS in those days...
For the benefit of modern stage lighting engineers, it really was a team effort from start to finish - with everyone who wanted to be involved right through to the performance itself. And if you look at programmes from the time you will see a large lights staff - and not just for the hours of work in getting the settings prepared (which we did from scratch every time). We had to PERFORM the lighting changes just as much as the cast performed the play, as all the dimming was manual with no presets. There were around 40 channels if I remember correctly, some of which could be switched 2 or 3 ways. A complex lighting change could involve:
a. One person following the script and calling the cues. b. One or two people (sometimes three) on the dimmers of the main board. c. One on the second set of dimmers which were on the facing wall (from the old HCGS board I believe). d. An additional person to adjust gel-changer settings. e. In the middle of all this some of the patching might have to be changed so dimming on the main board might include some faster dimming to zero, switch to another outlet, then dim up to finish at about the same time as everything else!
We used to call lighting changes the "Dimmer Dance", although Richard Bunt coined the term on Alan Munns' antics to synchronise the lighting effects of the "Drum Break" during a particular ChrisEnts - which people watching from the audience would have had no idea was achieved manually with zero gizzmoes!
Anyone else out there with same time, earlier, or later experiences to add?
Peter Vincent
Academic Memories...
My last year at HCS was in Chris O'Donoghue's Vi form (see picture from 1971 [it says 1972 but I am sure it was taken at the start of the year before my accident at Xmas]) which were the schools academic failures (although full marks to those that got out of this cycle) - BUT you will see at least two Merit ties (with the badge on a plain green background) and several Colours ties (with the single diagonal band). There are also some proudly wearing their CCF badges - Simon Goodes in particular who dedicated himself to the Navy section. Others were to get awards later in the year...
However, I am now BA(Hons) [1st Class from Open University] and MBCS in case anyone is interested... I wish someone had managed to talk me into starting my academic career while I was still at HCS, as I realised soon after leaving that I wasn't a Dunce after all despite a career in the "D" stream and could have got to at least a decent University if not Oxbridge itself.... But miss the Lights Staff (see earlier posting)?
Other teaching staff worthy of mention IMHO: - The Head (Mr. Avery) who pulled some strings to get me into an Electronics course at Willesden Tech (also the Electrical Engineering head's son, one Dunmore who was a pupil at HCS, also helped but I never knew him as far as I know). It was this chance, bypassing the normal entry requirements, which put me on the road to eventual academic success. - Mr. Cowan (Deputy Head)- who was 100% fair to everyone, and knew the names of all the nearly 1,000 pupils. "The Ploughman Homeward Plods His Weary Way"... - Mr. Golland, who I suspect was one of the few who had higher hopes for me than most and put up with my continual absences during the Diamond Jubilee year on Lighting duties. He also dragged my set to A Midsummer Night's Dream on a beautiful summer evening in Hyde Park - which might not have helped the exam results much but was much appreciated. - Mr. Deakin - who despite being one of the first masters without a degree when he first came (1966 or 1967), was THE Physics teacher. - Mr. Lafferty - being taught Burns and Macbeth by a Scot, even if I couldn't understand a word, was a delight! - Mr. Taylor - the long suffering form master of 4D who did his best to make our lives tolerable. - Mr. Chris O'Donoghue - the same for Vi, plus in the Scouts I had the pleasure of his footballing abilities (I believe he was a 'Pro at one time). - Mr. Arthur Haley - those unforgettable end of term flourishes on the organ after assembly.
If anyone remembers me, please get in touch.
Peter Vincent
Memories of a Flying Lighting Engineer 1971...
Few distinctions while at HCS, although Stage Lighting enthusiast - especially during Diamond Jubilee year (1971). Had a leading role in most of the big lighting challenges of that year (Hamlet, Bartered Bride to name just two), along with Mr Jim Maddison, Richard Bunt, Paul Lewis - not forgetting the girls Catherine Davies, Jane Deal and Ann Richie - and their minder Miss Elisabeth and another generation of up and coming boys and girls to take over after we moved on, including Tubby Taylor and Jackie Cooper (and the musical Carl Jackson in the generation after them?), who had to do a lot of the donkey work...
Going back to me, I am probably most famous to the general population at the two HC schools for the swallow dive at HCGS while fixing up their lights which finished my lighting career at the end of 1971... and put an end to any hopes of decent O level results...
A couple of years ago I helped with the lighting for a school North of London. How different it was to HCS - the teachers did a Le Mans start at 4pm when the car park emptied leaving volunteers like me to provide some outside school activities for the children (I had no link with the school and was just helping a friend while stuck in digs during a long contract). However, the children weren't allowed to do anything - electricity is too dangerous, ooh that's too high up [even on the most stable platform I have ever seen]... The kids were allowed to do the operating (low voltage remote control affair) - but as they had no part of the build up they were not that interested.
So I take my hat off to Norman Tyrwhitt, Jim Maddison, and Harry Mees who had to take the can when I had my fall at the end of 1971. The HCS kids (Stage and Lights) WERE allowed to do the full business from start to finish which included high voltage (remember when you made the footlights live Tubby?) as well as aerial and rope work. We were all trained during an apprenticeship period by the older ones before being allowed to do anything serious and mine was the only accident I can remember - although nowadays I wonder why we didn't at least wear harnesses which would have left me high and dry but in one piece [100% recovered thanks]. Not to mention Harry's Beam Team (which Alistair Muir talked me into joining one Scout Show) - 20 ft up in almost pitch darkness on three beams and a small catwalk. I see on the photos that those beams are hidden now, so obviously the current crew aren't allowed to fly. However - the challenge was part of growing up and I did at least leave HCS as a young and wiser adult.
If anyone remembers me, please get in touch!
Peter Vincent
Anyone who remembers the aircraft spotters circa late sixties (see photo on this site) is invited to join us for a beer or three at the Lord Moon of the Mall pub in Whitehall just off Trafalgar Square on 11th July from 6 p.m. We will move on at about 7.30 in search of more beer and perhaps a meal so bring lots of cash! Hope to see some long-lost (but not forgotten!) faces!! Contact me for any more details.
I have just discovered this wonderfully entertaining site and have spent a couple of hours already looking through the contents. My years were 1950-1956 and I am therefore in the full set of form photos for the start of the 1955/56 year - in AVIMod.
I can add some more information and anecdotes to some of the items I have so far read from your contributors.
I remember W E "Billy" Duke's "throw a log at it". He also used to describe a polygon as a dead parrot! As a result of this I have spent a lifetime annoying people with my poly-puns; e.g. polyfilla is parrot food, etc.
There are numerous wonderful instances of Dr Simpson's way with words. He once pronounced "budgerigar" as if it was the title of a pop song (of the 40's?). As one of your letters already says, he expected every pupil to join either the cadets or the school scout troop and used to take it as a personal affront when some didn't. One day the cadets were parading on the school field and some boys did a bit of barracking. The next day Simpson denounced them in assembly and said that they were "cynics, saboteurs and non-conformists". After that there were three ways to describe a boy at the school. He was a cadet, a scout or a non-conformist!
I note that one of the letters says that Col(?) Bigham - he was a Major when I was there - was the only master to use the cane (this in the mid 60's?). In the early 50's the ruler and the cane were used quite frequently and by quite a few of the masters (as I know from personal experience!).
KJA
Re: Alex's 'request'. It just goes to show that The Mail is way behind the Times... Hello Alan Springford too - it's about time you surfaced!
Great site. Pictures of people I haven't seen for 30+ years.
My memories of music classes go back twice as far as Chris Harman's. We didn't do singing and music much then either and we had Sammy Watson to contend with rather than a glamorous young lady! My sole memory of the classes was of being asked to find middle C on the piano and being told to try just above the key hole! Enjoyment of singing, at least to my own ears, came a decade or so later when I cultivated the art of drinking beer and I learned a whole range of songs not considered appropriate for use in schools. In later life I learned to play a little on the recorder with my children, which I rather enjoyed. Perhaps we should have been doing that in music classes rather than what was attempted. What was attempted?? Fooks introduced me to classical music in English classes when he played records of the incidental music to Midsummer Night's Dream.
Today (Friday 29th) have just had another call about Mr P. This time from the Mail on Sunday who want to to do a piece on'Politicians at School'.
Another plug for HCS!
I had vowed never to leave any comments, my feelings having been already summed up by a previous correspondent with the entry “I’ve spent 28 years trying to get over the experience of Harrow County – and now this”. However my psychiatrist is a great believer in aversion therapy.
Rachelle Goldberg’s contribution and Ray Symons memories of that Music examination have prompted me to say something we should have said a long time ago. Rachelle, I’m sorry for the way we treated you. But you see, 3D just don’t do singing, not then (and speaking for myself) not now. I seem to remember you found that out on your very first lesson with us. You announced we would start the lesson by singing an aria of which you were particularly fond. You got us to open our mouths all right, but that was more from shock. We stood up to sing (you thought this would be a good idea as it would help with our breathing!), and what came out, I’m sure, even Fat Boy Slim would have trouble doing something positive with.
Still, there is more to Harrow County than music lessons………which is a shame actually.
PS John Young fails to mention that his 6% in the music examination actually placed him 11th out of 68.
Hi Colin, 'Potillo'? Is there something we don't know? M
The school is also given a name check in today's Telegraph (28/06/01) in an article about Portillo. It mentions the others around him in his year and his starring role as a corpse in a school play.
When I have more time I will post more of the article.
Steve
For those who haven’t seen it, the Sunday Times carried a piece by columnist Godfrey Smith. It was particularly about modern family preference for “having the children at home”, rather than sending them away to boarding school.
He went on, “Keeping them at home saves a pot of money. Take Harrow, whose inner workings are being unfolded to us now in a new lTV series. There is an alternative down the hill. It started life as Harrow County School in 1911 and has long been on terms of friendly rivalry with its great neighbour. It was invited to send a team to play Harrow rules football - the only school ever to get such an invitation – and lost by one goal.
“Harrow on the Hill draws its boys from all over the world; its namesake simply from the borough of Harrow – sometimes from very poor families. That hasn’t stopped it from turning out Sir Paul Nurse, director-general of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund; Sir Nigel Scheinwald, UK permanent representative at the EU; Clive Anderson, the television presenter: Geoffrey Perkins, head of comedy at the BBC; and Michael Potillo.
“Harrow County lost its way when it went comprehensive in 1975 as Gayton High School (although ti did turn out cricketers such as Mark Ramprakash and Angus Fraser), but it is back on track since relaunching as Harrow High, a mixed comprehensive, three years ago.
“Meanwhile, the bright boys from Portillo’s year have not forgotten the debt they owe their alma mater. When they left they gave a slap-up dinner in the school canteen – all they could then afford – to their old headmaster, Roy Avery, and his teachers.
“Twenty years on they gave a glittering dinner for them in the House of Commons. That’s how they feel about The Other Place at Portillo’s place.”
(The logic doesn’t bear too much examination, but it’s nice to have such a plug for the School – then and now – in the biggest and most prestigious Sunday broadsheet.)
Peter Lawson wrote about playing football in the inner quad and said "I once sweatily received a ferocious volley from Mr Marchant". Personally, I'll always remember Bernie for his incredible overhead or "bicycle" kick. With his gown billowing around him, he would put Robbie Fowler to shame. I heard theat BM had given Watford's Nick Wright some coaching before the Div 1 play off final a couple of years ago. Nick's opening goal in that match certainly bore all the trademarks of a "Bernie Special".
Hi! Your photo of "Form 2? 1965" is actually Form 2B. I was in that class. I am third from the right in the middle row.
I'll see if I can ID a few other names and send them to you. Right now I think I see Brian Webster (5th from the left, middle row), Andrew Boxall (2nd from the left middle row), and Anthony Bradley, on the right end of the bottom row.
I think the boy 4th from the left in the top row might be ???? Welch. And 6th from the left in the top row might be Michael (?) Chadwick.
Also, I think the boy at the very end on the left of the top row is ?????? Wyatt. Cruelly, we used to call him "Jumbo".
FYI I have been living in Chicago for the last 21 years and I work in the Foreign Exchange Department for Bank One.
Well done on the WebSite. Very nostalgic!
I remember Rachel Golberg's music lessons, organised chaos seems like the best description. It must have been hard for her trying to control a bunch of boys who had no interest in music. I remember the earlier mentioned exam, if I remember correctly I got 5% and Kevin Peter (Baldi) got 4%. Also I saw an earlier mention on Mick Cook, more affectionaly known as Skin. He was my form teacher in 3D 1971 and if more teachers had been like him I probably would have done better at school.
In response to Rick Fletcher's discourse about lattice balls: I still have two left, but I've moved on from that sort of thing now. At least six games of football would go on widthways and concurrently on the inner quad, no-one being perturbed by what now seems to me the totally unacceptable confusion of there being no pitch markings, no player identification etc. Drainpipes for goalposts, if you were lucky. I once sweatily received a ferocious volley from Mr Marchant in C4 for being uniformedly dishevelled and in particular for allowing a lattice ball to bulge and tear my blazer pocket. Like Rick, I have noticed the soft tones of the pergolas, walkways and potted rubber trees that have supplanted Osgood and Chivers.
My last year at school was Dr. Simpson's first. I remember the subuded ripple of mirth that followed his arrival at his first assembly wearing a mortar board. Assemblies at the time were still held in the old hall where the layout obliged the staff to walk in from the back and walk through the lines of boys tot he stage. I don't think 'Square' was too amused at the greeting. He made it quite clear that he intended tightening things up but I believe he gave up on us older boys who had just be nurtured to a year under Crowle-Ellis's very liberal approach. Rick Jamieson wonders what the staff thought of the new era. My impression at the time was that the older ones who had all joined the school in the twenties as young men under Randall-Williams, were now close to retirement and evidently decided to stay on for the few year remaining to them. Quite a few of the younger ones moved on at the end of the first year. The ATC had been a flourishing organization but was summarily terminated and replaced with Army Cadets under Bigham who arrived with Simpson. None of the staff who had contributed to ATC joined the Cadets. Only one of our number made the switch to the cadets as I recall and that was because he was offered the seargant major's job! I was a prefect at the time and recall not long after his arrival there was a huge uproar when 'Square' caned one of the senior boys as the result of a badly handled situation which I still think should have been settled amicably without violence. There was talk of general resignation by the prefects but we were talked out of it by Brister who was senior master. 'Square's' response was that 'it was a clear case for corporal punishment'. House concerts were then a ritual at the end of the autumn term. Mick Hornby and I wrote a skit for Weldon House entitled "Mutiny on the County" in which Captain Bligh, speaking with a strong Scottish accent, announced that the behaviour of several of his crew "was a clear case for keel-hauling". Early next term the announcement was made that some of the acts 'were not up to standard' and house concerts would be discontinued for a while. From what others have written about later experiences, we were lucky to get away with it so lightly!
As it seems important to put in a good word for the junior school we all came from I would like to mention Belmont Juniors, quite simply the best, nothing more needs to be said. Move over all you others, Belmont was unbeatable
Neil
Jez Newell where are you to back me up here!
Paul Romney's description of Jim Golland's apparent embarrassment at one of Square's rants raises an interesting question, which I see has been mentioned before.
What did the master's make of the Square regime ?
Picking up on Richard Fletchers comments regarding the Sunday Times article, I was contacted by Godfrey Smith who had seen the start of the Series on Harrow School on ITV (Might only be the London area). He wanted to compare the two suggesting that with the people HCS turned out, why would you want to pay £18,000 a year to go to the place on the Hill? The final comment was to be along the lines of "If you cant afford Harrow, Harrow High (as now is) is the next best thing!!" This was ammended when I pointed out Harrow High is now a mixed comp and far removed from the HCS days!!
Just found your web page from Friends Reunited. I was at HCS 1956 - 63 and then onto Bristol University to do Chemistry. From there I have been in Plastics. Excellent to see photos from the 90th Birthday - I would have come if I had known about it! Jim Golland brings back memories of my aweful Eng. Lit.! I live in the Midlands now but feel free to contact me. Regards Robert
Does anyone else remember the assembly at which Square shared his joy at attending a Buckingham Palace garden party? He described seeing from afar the Queen wheeling Prince Andrew (I think) in a push-chair. "A gracious Lady, head of a great Empire," he rhapsodized. Five years or so after Suez, this was too much for even a moderately critical mind, and his sentimental eloquence instantly foundered in an upsurge of jeering.
No one has yet mentioned Square's open anti-semitism. I suppose the big influx of Jews must have occurred during his headship. It was Pete Fowler, I recall, who told us how Square had complained to his (Pete's) brother that too many Jews were coming top of the class. I recall the headmaster stalking into a classroom where some of us sixth-formers were exercising our option to eschew Games. His baleful glance swept over us. "Not all Hitler's ideas were bad," he remarked, explaining that he meant the Nazi cult of physical fitness; but some of us were unconvinced. Besides, I for one would have been glad to turn out for a bracing game of soccer, had not that plebeian option been foreclosed by his snobbish impulse to emulate the school on the Hill.
Harrow County in the early 1960s was an institution at war with itself. The drive for Oxbridge success could not be achieved without nurturing our critical intelligence, which was done with particular success in English. Inevitably, the intoxicating practice of critical inquiry prompted us to challenge the stale and snobbish conformism that the regime also sought to impose. In retrospect, one recognizes the regime's dilemma as typical of tyrannies that feel the need to modernize, and Square, like many a tyrant, could not quite bring himself to grin and bear it.
In Adv. VI Arts (1961-2), some of us disseminated a mildly subversive magazine called The Seeker. Soon afterwards, Square stamped into one of Jim Golland's double periods (Volpone, I think it was) and lectured us for an hour on our iniquity. Jim sat on a desk at the front of the room, wrapped in his capacious gown, trying to pretend he wasn't there. At one point Square turned to him and addressed him grimly as "Mr. English Master." Was it then or another time that he denounced us as "the arty-crafty Communist mob"?
Picking up on Geoff Plow / Peter Lawson comments regarding Kenmore. Can I claim honorary membership of the Kenmore fraternity, having started at the primary school in 1962, which must have been the same time as you Peter on the basis that we joined HCGS in 69. Never made it to the junior school as the family moved out of the borough for a few years, returning to Kenton to enter HCGS via Elmgrove with Danny Thomas, Simon Rosenberg and Peter Barker.
Peter have you preserved a collection of those small plastic balls with holes that we were mandated to use for football in the inner quad? Specially designed to preserve the school infrastructure, but useless for the Beckhamesque free kick, or was it the Bobby Charlton thunderbolt in those days.
Incidentally I observed during the school tour at the recent birthday bash, that the current masters - or should they now be called teachers - have come up with a cunning plan to prevent football in the inner quad. A covered walkway, which appears to be based on the Kapellbrucke at Lucerne but missing the pictorial panels, divides the quad in two. To one side have been added "picnic tables" useful for trading Pokemon cards, the other a life size chess set; presumably in order that the school can assemble on the first floor corridors overlooking the quad to view the chess club in action.
As a matter of interest HCGS was featured in an article in the Sunday Times 17th June.
RF 69 - 76
Congratulations on a wonderful piece of work. I have enjoyed browsing and I am just a little disappointed that my years in the school are so thinly represented. I spent my working life in schools in Warwickshire initially in King Edwards School Nuneaton and latterly at Kenilworth Grammar school which became Kenilworth school in 1975 - the largest and most successful Warwickshire Comp. I retired in 1997 as Head of Castle Sixth Form Centre. I was at HCS between 1939-47.
In reply to Colin Dickins request for more sporting highlights.
Steve Rigby (68-75 ??): Middx Rugby, England School Trial??, Wasps ?? Great wing forward - school rugby captain - good bloke!!
Dave (Beb) Thomas (70-77 ??): Middx Rugby, England Schools (pretty sure of that). Strangely enough I think the same spec as Steve ie: Great wing forward - school rugby captain - good bloke!!
By the way Beb was younger brother to Danny Thomas - who I remember well as a fun/funny/great tackling and running full-back, and the 'conductor' of the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the ChrisEnts of 1975 which was mentioned in the pictures area.
I was selected for Midddx Schools in 1975-6 season - but could not play that game!!
I'm pretty sure that in those few years there were some others for both Rugby and Athletics.
COLIN DICKINS ORIGINAL MESSAGE FOLLOWS
colin@north-wood.demon.co.uk Date: 6/15/01 Time: 1:45:54 PM Comments SPORTING SUCCESSES
Can you help?
The School is planning to apply for sports college status under the Government scheme. This will increase the support and facilities it receives from central and local education authorities. Also, evidence from established specialist schools shows that there is a beneficial effect across the curriculum.
To support the application it is hoped to make reference to past sporting successes and I should be grateful if anyone could add to or flesh out the following list:-
Pre-war Middlesex County cricketer (?Jack Durston) J V Powell – 400 metres(?) – Berlin Olympics 1936 Tom Misson – Walker – Helsinki Olympics ?1952 Rugby 1952-53 – Unbeaten(?) team supplied 11 members of the Middlesex Schools side and 3 England schoolboys (Maddox, Mettler and Norman?) Peter Mettler – many years playing rugby for Wasps and Middlesex – England trial 1976 - Rugby Middlesex (?and England) representation at School level Cricket – Angus Fraser and Mark Ramprakash – Middlesex and England; Angus now Mx. Captain; Mark has moved to Surrey Alan Yarrow played rugby for Middlesex
Old Gaytonian successes include winning the Middlesex RFU Agar Cup nearly every year it happened; and, at cricket, winning the Mayor of Harrow’s Cup (?year)
Please reply soon if you can help.
I’ve volunteered to hep the School with this and I plan to come back soon. Promise!
I see that the stage staff elite is mentioned at last. Martin Cove called it the 14 foot flat club - the correct title was the 14 foot book flat club and I think that I was a founder member. Was it during the Critics that I dropped this enormous piece of scenery? By the way, have met up with Tony Eldridge - he is now called Tony Spencer, lives in Finchley and his daugther is a friend of my daughter. Also see Stewart Wiseman and Howard Levene (occasionally)- although they are both much older than me (about a year!) and of course my brother Selwyn. For Michael Schwartz - Stanburn old boys are still alive and kicking but we are refined and quiet. The site is great and I see that for all the bad memories nearly 20,000 people have hit it since November.
As there have been a few here mentioning connections with ex-Heriots Wood girls, it seems appropriate to note that a reunion has been organised on 1 July 2001 for girls who left the Heriots Wood 5th form in 1976. For further details contact Hilary Lawson (nee Bocking)whose email address is: DHTOE@42lawson.fsnet.co.uk
In response to Michael Schwartz note, I deny all knowledge!! There must have been a few Bateman's over the years (none related to me!) as i keep getting asked if I was the bateman who booked such and such in 1963, or whatever. I am in reality a young Gaytonian, going to the School from 1980 onwards.
i do recall one thuggish incident during my time as a Senior CCF NCO though. At that time we had John Lyons lads to make up the numbers, and one was giving a lecture in the RAF hut. As all the officers were out of the way about four of us decided to draw weapons from the armoury and go on 'patrol'. Upon reaching the RAF hut door I gave it a swift kick only to see it disappear into the middle of the room. The frame was so rotton I am surprised more didn't fall off. Anyway immediately we 'scarpered' follwed by the JLS lad who grassed us up with the words, 'Sir, I think Bateman has kicked the door off its hinges' Luckily for me I was told to fix it quick, and being an RQMS did the decent thing, found the smallest cadet I could and delegated!!
A thug? Me? Never!!
I was at HC 1956 - 63.
An excellent site, really worth exploring.
My add something later. At the moment my memories of the promised rewards, and the way the place prepared for the wider world are mostly negative.
In my last year at HCS I was told by Mr Marchant to take a piece of paper round to Mr Bright. One or two pupils were to see a certain Joe (not Stalin, but not far off...). Mr Bright looked at the peice of paper and exclaimed: "Bateman, you thug, go and see the headmaster". Having met Alex a few weeks ago, I can not imagine anyone less thuggish!
Is there a guilty secret from your past, Alex?
As for Ms Goldberg's exam, how I wish that sciences werew the subjects deemed fit only for the lower orders of 2C and 2D. Metalwork and music were always far more enjoyable.
PS temporary greetings to Old Gayts from Singapore, where I am covering a telecoms conference. It's all go!
It was really hilarious reading Ray's comments. I laughed so much. I remember the occasion very well.
There was also another time when I made one of the forms do a test and several boys had signed themselves Rory Gallagher, and I had to try and deduce from the handwriting which of the pupils it was. Rachelle Goldberg
Just spotted loads of spelling mistakes - crotchet?. I was pretty bad at English as well as music!
Interesting to read Rachel Goldberg's comments.
I remember being in her class. I was in the C stream and I think only the C & D streams took music. The C&D steams were not the most committed of music pupils to say the least and had a hard time taking music seriously. That year was the first and only time we had a music exam and it was one of the funniest exam experiences I ever had. It started with Ms Goldberg explaining something along the lines of "there is an error on the exam paper and that in the 2nd question, third line, the note should be a crotchet not a quaver". One pupil's response of "what's a crotchet?" was taken up by almost the entire room and developed into a chorus. The exam continued, with almost everyone not taking it seriously at all and competing to give the most rediculous answers. For example I remember :
Q. What is a quaver -A. a crisp Q. What is a tempo - A. a felt tipped pen Q. What is this famous tune (music supplied) - A. Beanz meanz Heinz
etc. etc.
I guess you had to be there!!
I recently saw Dave Bright at a friends wedding. he had been year head of the year above me, and left gayton 9as it then was) about the mid 1980s I think. Since then he has suffered ill health and the death of his wife, has moved to his native Wales and back to the local area. Apart from a bit of white hair he looks pretty much the same though.
Picking up on a recent(ish) thread, I met Mike Cook (English teacher 69-71 or 2) last week. He's still at Haberdashers' Aske's in Elstree, where he went after HCS. My son has been in the Habs prep school for 4 years and I'd never met Mike in that time, but as my lad is about to enter the main school, I went to a parents' induction evening and there he was. He's well and looks much the same as I remember him. OK, maybe he looks a little older, then I guess I do too. I asked him who he remembered from HCS and besides the obvious Portillo, Anderson, Perkins Book Room gang, he seems to remember the bad lads most of all. In particular, he recalled how lots of boys possessed expensive gold-plated pen and pencil sets, which as it turned out had been nicked from Debenhams. That occurred about 1971 and resulted in about a dozen boys from my year being suspended. I should be flattered that he didn't remember me at all! I only had 5 minutes or so to chat to him between meetings, but I've no doubt I'll be seeing him again soon. I must tell him about this web site.
Also, I had a look at Professor Richard Tufnell's Middlesex University web page. He has a photo on there in which he looks EXACTLY the same as when I last saw him in 1974. He was my last form master at HCS and also taught me a lot of practical, useful in an everyday type of stuff in the Tech labs, not least when I spent many after-school hours in there making props for Hamlet.
Last, no I am not the bastard offspring of Gareth Lloyd-Jones. Gareth, you were also my form master (in 72/73 I think) and if you're wondering how on earth you could fail to recall a pupil with the same, relatively uncommon surname, it's because I changed it. At HCS, I was David Jones and Lloyd was my middle name. Later on, I worked in 2 consecutive jobs where there was another David Jones. The confusion over phone calls and mail was just about managable, but the camel finally suffered severe spinal injuries when one of the "other" David Jones's received a large Income Tax refund that had taken me almost a year to negotiate with the Inland Revenue. A deed poll was drafted soon after and the hyphen inserted. There are other David Lloyd-Jones's around, but they all seem to be in positions of eminence in Law and Medicine and (wait for it) Education. So it goes.
Should have said yesterday that I went to the Girls School and also Priestmead. I remember going to the Sith Form dos with the Boys and Heathfield Girls who we disliked!! Rachelle goldberg
Hilarious pics. (I went to the girl] school)
Blimey, I feel dizzy. Someone please tell Harry Mees that I became a historian, and tell Jim Golland that my work owes a lot to the close reading of texts we practised in English. That's by way of saying that the Sixth Form at HCS was, in my case, intellectually formative. More when I've recovered.
i'm sorry but I actually should have written Dave. Williams not Bob. So sorry
I think Michael Portillo sang in my choir??? 1971/2 I must have a lot to answer for!!!!!!!! all good wishes Rachelle goldberg
Found out about the Website this week.
what an interesting account to read.
i notice that no one mentioned music.
i taught at the School from 1971-2 and recognised quite a few names on the Emails.
I do remember conducting the Christmas Concert owing to the fact that Arthur Haley was recovering from a serious car accident.
I also remember that the size of the choir suddenly went up too and all the pupils seemed terribly enthusiastic. I had a marvellous year there.
i was one of three female staff and some of the Staff refused to speak to any of the female staff because they resented the fact that their domain the Staff Room was occupied by females. Of course there were very many amusing moments. I can recall being asked to put music to the school film and then invited to come and watch the premiere. Major Skillen who had helped make the Film with Col. Venn was featured treading grapes in france.
I remeber putting the Dambusters march to the part where boys were filmed abseiling down the building!
On another occasion one boy who obviously did not know I was the music teacher was heard to say. I didn't know we had girls in the school!!
Look forward to keeping in touch with Staff and pupils Rachelle Goldberg
In the photos I believe Vick Mietkowski is holding a plastic comb though I remember the standard tool used was a protractor or six inch ruler. This would have been the last year the game was played as decimal coinage was introduced the next year. Though the rules are exactly as have been described, needless to say we thought we invented it! -pw
I'm interested in the pictures posted of the game that we called shove halfpenny...which, of course, for those who know the habits of Northern pubs, was nothing like the game up there.
What this game was - and we played it in 1959-62 - was a game played with coins on a table that basically followed the rules of football, with goals, corners and teams (generally, as in the 1970 picture, two people a side).
We played the game with combs: the combs were used to 'flick' our player (at that time, an old One Penny coin)onto the 'ball' (at that time, an sixpence). The aim was obvious - to get the sixpence into the opposing goal.
Now we, of course, thought we invented this game: we had serious competitions in the old A1 room when we were in Lower VI Arts when we would take on all-comers from various other classes. The main players in this circle were David Griffiths, Laurence Samuels, Tony Eldridge, me and some Polish kid whose name I've forgotten.
I do remember, in some discussion, working out the rules for corners...and even inventing what was and was not a foul.
Are there any out there who played this game in an earlier period? And, for those who followed, like those in the picture, did you still use combs? Or did other things (cheque cards would have been great, but they weren't invented when we were at school)get to be used?
I write this idling away an hour at work..
I fell into your excellent site by happy accident. I shall return with some photos which you may not have
I'm responding to Geoff Plow's little tangent on Kenmore Park. Into HCS in 69, yes. I was joined by Jon Grogan, Dominic Long, Colin Price, Colin Greatrex & Alan Southcombe. Pat Coady, a year or two before was also Kenmore.(On the Glebe School tack also: Mike Townsend and Stephen Malnick in 1969.)
And for those that missed it it is:
http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/
A few notices back, Ray Parnell mentioned the 'friends reunited' website. It is fantastic and I urge people to have a look at it, as it includes primary as well as High Schools. The address is on Ray's message.
Mr Lloyd Jones, Sir (or can I call you Gareth). I have to say that your memories of the rugby coaching and the dedication to the cause of the masters is very much as I remember it. You may also have resolved for me one of the greatest mysteries of all time - why did the P.E. masters office always smell so strongly of Ralgex. I always assumed that the masters used to enjoy spraying the stuff onto the pupils to make them smart for the rest of the day. Now I believe it may have been to mask the odour of various illicit substances such as alcohol. Never mind, some of my fondest memories revolve around cricket, rugby, basketball, swimming, cross country, athletics and the excellent masters such as Paul Rocky, Dave Bright, Mr Stewart.
All along I had assumed the problem was me after leaving in 1972 and spending the following 28 years never far from being restrained in a giggle jacket, it was this damn place all along doing the same for all of us. I was one of the (Kenton) HCBS usual suspects '67-'72, a self inflicted C streamer with older brother Stephen '64-'70 who is now a successful lawyer elsewhere on the planet. I can now safely confess at distance to the removal of the skeleton from B12 on a Friday evening in '72 to the phone kiosk opposite. There all my guilt has gone. Others may write here for their own reasons, I just feel I have to thank Dick Tufnell and Arthur Anderson for my gift in tooling and CAD/CAM since acquired, and Herbie Collins for inspiring me to braze a file onto a vice. I must also thank 'get a grip' Deakin for helping me cultivate the explosive hair trigger needed to defuse subordinates with. Other than that I found the whole thing rather wasteful, apart from the many and varied humerous images still etched, for instance Bill Lane sneezing his teeth out whilst negotiating the stairs between B15 and B16 at speed and the whole lot smashing on the floor. Have noted the presence of many I recall whilst on the site, met Andy Moore c.'79 who was in the Police at that time, had contact with Paul Lilley all the way from '67 up until about 5 years ago when he moved to Stevenage, he supplied a limo for my wedding in '84, ran into John Dunworth about the same time who was at Kodak. Had a very hazy recollection attending an equally hazy party with Pat Coady, Chris Burdge and Alan Springford about 15 years ago, Pat assured me that Tony Wright had been a pastry chef at some point, knowing Pat I somehow disbelieve him, and I have also emptied many a bottle in the company of Derrick Davies, now at Unisys HQ in Milton Keynes, up until my 40th in '96.
SPORTING SUCCESSES
Can you help?
The School is planning to apply for sports college status under the Government scheme. This will increase the support and facilities it receives from central and local education authorities. Also, evidence from established specialist schools shows that there is a beneficial effect across the curriculum.
To support the application it is hoped to make reference to past sporting successes and I should be grateful if anyone could add to or flesh out the following list:-
Pre-war Middlesex County cricketer (?Jack Durston)
J V Powell – 400 metres(?) – Berlin Olympics 1936
Tom Misson – Walker – Helsinki Olympics ?1952
Rugby 1952-53 – Unbeaten(?) team supplied 11 members of the Middlesex Schools side
and 3 England schoolboys (Maddox, Mettler and Norman?)
Peter Mettler – many years playing rugby for Wasps and Middlesex
– England trial 1976 - Rugby
Middlesex (?and England) representation at School level Cricket – Angus Fraser and
Mark Ramprakash – Middlesex and England; Angus now Mx. Captain; Mark has moved to
Surrey
Alan Yarrow played rugby for Middlesex
Old Gaytonian successes include winning the Middlesex RFU Agar Cup nearly every year it happened; and, at cricket, winning the Mayor of Harrow’s Cup (?year)
Please reply soon if you can help.
I’ve volunteered to hep the School with this and I plan to come back soon. Promise!
Geoff Plow, I went to Kenmore Park, I used to live opposite the school gates in Moorhouse Road. I started at HCS in 1965, leaving in 1972. Others from KP that year were Barry Taylor, Dave Gledhill, Alan Perkins and Geoff Tidball. I haven't stayed in touch with any of them unfortunately, but if any one of you reads this please get in touch. Perhaps we'll have to fire up another website!! Oh no!!!
What nostalgia. Interesting to see what masters are remembered with affection, and those without! Attended HCSB from 1954 to 1962. I was one of the 'nonconformists' who didn't join the Cadets or Scouts. We were a rare breed in those days. I still live in Stanmore. Somewhere I have a complete set of form photos, will look them out, they may be of use. I also had a complete school panoramic photo taken sometime during that period. Thanks, keep up the good work.
Apologies for the double press of the send button (previous blank e-mail deleted- ed.). I seem to do that every time. Still, not bad for a simple Welsh lad who only found out about the electric recently, and is now totally addicted to the HCS site. Think what a truly sad person I shall be in five weeks, six days, thirteen hours and ten minutes (approx) when I finally retire and have time to spare and can get round to replying to all those who have written so kindly in the last few weeks. Martin Flack, search 'Professor Richard Tufnell' to see his C.V. & photo (and John Cave's.) Rich is the only HCS staff I am still in touch with. We write every Christmas, and he occasionally comes to stay when working in Bristol where I now live. Don't be fooled by the 'Professor' handle. When the fourth pint has gone down, it gets just like old times.
Gareth
Time to mention Kenmore Park, I think. I know that Kevin Maton has tried elsewhere on the Internet to find a few people who went there. In 1968 there were Mike Cordy, Kevin, Stephen Green, Nigel Glover, Alan Day and me (and I've probably forgot others).
Any idea of how many there were in previous years?
We never had Portillo (could have phrased that more felicitiously), like some schools down the road, but we did boast Tessa Peake-Jones, a.k.a. Raquel from 'Only Fools And Horses'.
Memories include epic soccer clashes with Glebe, Stanburn and St Bernadette's. And rounders. The rest is hazy. Do help an old man remember.
A Stanburn lad speaks up! Geoffrey Perkins, who lived in Barn Crescent off Lansdowne Road, attended Stanburn and Harrow County. His career has been more in the Clive Andewrson mould rather than that of Michael Portillo, as he is now head of comedy at the BBC. I did see a picture of him in the Guardian a few years ago - he still looks 18!
The 1965 Stanburn intake at Harrow County comprised your humble servant, Laurence Greenfield (running his own business), Peter Jobber and Geoffrey Richardson (part of the back corner clique), Alan Howe (went to Watford Grammar instead; must have known something), Barry Ditton, Arthur Atkins (last heard of in the environmental health department of Folkestone Council), Martin Packer (now a professor; see Some Old Gaytonians page), Ian Webb (headboy at HCS), Peter Ashby, Brian Melichan (computer specialist and linguist), Andrew Powell and I am sure there must have been one or two more.
Stewart Gillies (recent posting) - there's a name I remember!
In answer to your question, Stewart, I was informed by Nick Tyrwhitt (to those of us there at the time, he will only ever be Nick - sorry, Norman) at the 90th. bash that it was 'spent on worthy causes by Mr. Avery in the late 60's'. Whatever that meant, I got the impression Nick wasn't too sure, either.
Story by Ron Taylor about being clocked by Anderson from the Craft Room window climbing over the back gate when late had resonances - Pete Lund and I were clocked by Andy Caprara from same window climbing over said gate, but going in opposite direction, probably on a Wednesday afternoon (Games and I parted company somewhere around the 4th. year). Unfortunetly he didn't save it up for some years before mentioning it, we were dragged up in front of Square the next day and given the usual lecture plus caning. I think I hated the lecture more, because it was always so boring. He never hit you that hard, not compared with other members of staff - Smiley Saunders was one of the worst, Malcolm Clarkson was definitely the worst!
Firstly I would like to appologise for getting Mick Cooke and Colin Done mixed up in a previous entry. It was indeed Colin who was tragically killed in a car crash. They were both form masters of mine at different times, and it is good to hear Mick is still teaching at Habs. Thanks to Gareth Lloyd-Jones for putting me right. I never was any good at art but got to know Norman Anderson through the RAF section of the CCF. He was always tremendously supportive of the section and was keen to get as many cadets to be awarded with flying scholarships or their gliding licences. We used to take the .... out of him in those days thinking he was a bit soft. It's only later, when you are older and wiser, that you realise how people have helped and encouraged you in your past!
Mike Bergquist (69-75)
Just caught up with the last week or two's guestbook. For those who remember Mike Cook (HCS English Dept 1970-72 ish - we boys called him Mick), he's still teaching English at Haberdshers' in Elstree.
While I'm here, I'd like to echo Martin Flack's sentiments about Norman Anderson. Mr A was not only a most human of human beings, but a superb teacher. I studied Art because I was hopeless at science, but within a few of his double period lessons, he'd opened my eyes and turned me into a reasonable sketcher of life and still life. His teaching of observation and seeing beyond the surface of things was probably the most profoundly effective and influential lesson I received at HCS.
I remember "Herby" Collins having been in his metalwork class. During my time there he built a sidecar for his motorbike. The brick wall return outside the metalwork room formed a handy desk for rapidly copying homework before classes started.
Peter Morey [1952 - 1957]
It is with some hesitation that I add my contribution to this fascinating website; I've no idea what made me search for it. I was at HCS 1951-59, during the reign of the charismatic and disciplinarian Square Simpson. I look back on my time there with great affection, but no doubt slightly dulled by the passing of time. I live in Bucks, passing the days as one of Her Majesty's District Judges and enjoying it greatly. If anyone remembers me I'd be happy to get in touch.
|John Fortgang.
I think there was also a master called Mr Davies when I joined HCS...I blame Maynard J.(again) for wrecking my dinner! Can anyone elaborate? And what about Mr Collins, the 'metalwork' teacher who must have lived in a house made of old school desks...and Jack, the technician.( I think he used to bring a dog to school with him??? ) Who remembers scratching engineer's 'blue' with a scribe? This was a vital exercise in the development of an important bracket or somesuch thing... And, the black japanned baseplates with your own house number - beautifully crafted in brass! Actually, talking of technology, I bumped into Richard Tufnell and John Cave when I was doing some teacher training at Trent Park. These former masters, turned university lecturers have written many books on this subject - go to Amazon .co.uk and see. They may still be at Trent Park - at this point Gareth LLoyd Jones usually provides an answer..! OK I'm gone again.
Thanks for the web site. Quite a few memories.
Sorry to hear about Norman Anderson.
I do have a related story.
I was chronically late for school. This was unfortunate as this meant an automatic detention each time and a caning from 3rd offence onwards.
Offenders were caught by Prefects who were posted either at the main entrance or at the gate on Gayton Road.
I used to solve this problem by getting off the 114 bus at the Granada, going up Bonnersfield Lane. When I reached Gayton Road, if there were no prefects on the gate I'd get to the fence by the 5th form entrance (overlooked by the Craft Room) and climb over and sneak in via the archway and mingle with everybody else as the assembly ended.
If the Prefects were posted at the gate I'd wait until they were looking the other way, dash across Gayton Road into the first front garden and cross fences until I reached the school at the same spot.
Only when I reached the 6th form did Norman let drop that he had seen me many times. I hate to ponder my fate if he'd reported me.
Of course, the one thing we never knew (and still haven't discovered) is how the various masters really felt about the "Square" regime. Whilst some embraced it I get the feeling that others (e.g. Anderson, Webb, Oliver) were decidedly less enthralled.
To add to the discussion on Art teachers, the pre-war long-time Art master was George Neal.
Mr. A. N. Anderson, who sadly passed away last year, joined the school in 1953. There is an interesting obituary at http://www.jeffreymaynard.com/harrow_county/ananderson.htm, written by John Cavanagh, who joined the School in 1975.
Also, in the early 1960s, the second art teacher was Alex Caprara. Today, he is a painter and graphic artist. Web site http://www.opus-online.co.uk/about/staff.html e-mail: alex@opus-online.co.uk
Jeff Maynard
Mike U-J,
Not sure about a specific Priestmead site (I never went there) but you might like to try :
http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk
which is a 'generic' website for keeping in contact with others from your old schools - and, incidentally, how I found this excellent site in the first place. And the cause of me spending more hours here wallowing in nostalgia than I care to mention !
Regards,
Ray Parnell (1967 - 1974)
I see lots of references to Priestmead !! As an old alumnus of Priestmead school, does anyone know of a website where we can dump our memories?? (I was an excellent left-arm over the wicket bowler in those days, and was instrumental in winning some sort of cricket cup (donated by a grateful parent) around 1960 - "red house"). Regards, mike
With reference to Richard Miller's earlier mail, I remember Mr Efosopolous in the art department, closely followed by a really influential (for me )nice guy called...Michael Melville Bewer Swain. After him came the creator of Captain Harrow,the revolutionary Mr '...you can call me Malcolm' Poynter. There were others I'm sure, but I conclude with a mention for Norman Anderson - he gave academic no hopers like me a direction. Thanks.
Neil Stubbings/Chris Bradshaw et al, Typical. Ungrateful post-sixties softies. Have you any idea how hard it was for the staff who taught rugby/Cross Country etc escorting you excitable boys down the Watford Road dressed in your warm rugby kit when all we had were two track suits each, blowing the whistle from the middle of the pitch while you enjoyed yourselves in the snow, walking you back to the cold showers, having to stay in the PE office until nearly 6.00 p.m. because the scotch bottle was still not empty. THAT was dedication, my son. Before you start moaning, think back and marvel that we sacficed so much and still stayed in the profession.
Chris Bradshaw, hallo and thanks for the confirmation about Leapy Lee. Interested to hear about Gaz Stenner giving Dave Bright some verbal - no change there then. Why was it that all the P.E. masters appeared intent on inflicting as much pain and humiliation as possible. I remember those walks down to the Watford Road playing fields to run around after a rugby ball and if the weather was really bad we were given a reprieve, all we had to do then was a cross coutry race, including Football Lane (I think that's what it was). Anyway doesn't matter what it was called the result was complete exhaustion. Apparently that was all character building and made us the people we are today. Probably accounts for quite a lot.
Neil.
TRYING TO THINK WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE ART TEACHER IN 1966. INTRODUCED HIMSELF TO US AS FRED. HE WAS INTRESTED IN MADRIGALS AND SERGENT PEPPER BY THE BEATLES. DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER RULING THAT ALL TROUSERS WERE TO BE NO LESS THAN 15 INCHES AT THE TURNUPS....... UNFORTUNATELY FASHIONS HAD CHANGED AND MOVED ON UNDERSTANDABLY UNBEKNOWN TO 'SQUARE' AND WE WERE NO LONGER IN OUR ROCKER PHASE(ANYBODY REMEMBER A GREASER CALLED ABBOTT}WE WERE INTO FLARES AND JIMI HENDRIX ...PEACE AND LOVE
Really enjoying all this nostalgia and all these guys I remember. But why all this accent on Priestmead? In my year 1969 1K was made up with boys from three different schools - Priestmead, Vaughan Road and Stanburn. I was one of the latter and there were 13 of us if I remember rightly - just as many as Priestmead. In fact one other Priestmead boy was in 1W - Robin Wynde A QPR fan like myself - but in 1N was Iaian Cobb from Stanburn so numbers were level that year. I can remeber many of the lads from Priestmead - Colin Pollard, Steve Bonnick, Steve Fitzwater Ronnie Hulman, Gabriel Hearst etc but also the lads from Stanburn - Gary Reading, Simin Corscaden, Huw Dorkins, Philip Bunt, Steve Freedman, Brian Glicker, Leonard Klein, Clive Nicholls, John Attwood, and myself of course. We have had soem distiguished old boys too - whats the betting on Michael P now? And Clive Anderson went to that primary school. So come on Stanburn lads - speak up for us too.
Steve
Apologies to those who have noted in the guestbook or mailed me regarding the list of 90th Anniversary attendees, that they are not included.
In checking the register again, of the five concerned, only one appears in the register. It is probable that those others instead signed the GUESTBOOK not the REGISTER, the former containing comments, the latter giving addresses and dates of birth.
What a great web site! I have been an avid follower for some time. I was surprised to encounter my own youthful features c/o David Bradburn's 4d photo. My school career was somewhat less than brilliant, having started in 1a then continued to 2b, 3c & 4d. I remember Harry Mees very well having been in 4th Harrow Foresters Troop. I have not seen any reference to the scout summer camps. The first one I attended was in Hathersage in Derbyshire, the second in Stradbally, Waterford and the third on Guernsey. I seem to remember that my beer drinking career started on the steamer crossing.I have lived in Sydney, Australia for 35 years, this site has certainly brought back some memories. I can still visualise Square railing against the "non conformists" and the wearers of "polychromatic socks". It was interesting to see the reference to Priestmead school, which I attended and also to the Belmont Rattler which my friends and I used to ride up and down on until we wore out our welcome.
WOW! I am very impressed with this web site. I cannot believe the tales I am seeing, the faces and names that are cropping up. I was at HCS form 67 – 73 and have some great memories from my days at school. I remember vividly the slatings I got from the likes of Jago and Colonel Bigham (fully justified) and the comments on my report from Mr Burton (chemistry – not justified I then came joint top of the year with Tim Eales). My entire class failed geology ‘O’ level after two years with Maurice Venn. Some of them are now working in that field!
I can but wonder what these teachers would say now if they could see me – Colonel Bigham in particular. A biology teacher!
I would love to get in touch with some of my old friends from school and I am very sorry that I didn’t encounter this site in time to come to the reunion. I hope there will be others – and soon too.
Good luck with the site
Nick B
Very interesting site. It brought back memories that were buried very deep. I look forward to exploring it in greater depth when time is more freely available. I believe I have one or two photos to add to the collection.
1969 - 74
To agree with Ian Cobden's earlier posting, myself and Kevin Peter (better known as Baldi) signed the guestbook at the reunion and aren't included, I thought it could be something to do with us being perpetual D streamers. Long live the Benjy Brigade, Hall Hanging and Juica Jim runs!
Just noticed an error in mmy email address corrected above but in the meantime have had a chance to read some more which has generated memories.
Does anybody know what happened to the Pavilion Fund which was built up by outright extortion & blackmail?
Sitting under the clock awaiting justice was certainly an unsettling experience.
Fascinating, I was another middling achiever who did well as a result of having been at the school through the days of "Square" 1957 -1964.
Sad to hear that so much has been lost because looking back it was a tremendous institution although it didn't seem like it at the time.
I saw the list of those who attended the March reunion.Funny,I could have sworn that I attended and even signed in..I went to a school where reading and writing were thought to be useful!
Just came across this site. How nostalgic it is , I will need hours to go through everything. I think that I have some Form photos for my era starting with 1C in 1952 , I will dig them out and forward as soon as possible.
Would that be the same Rodney O'Mahoney I new whilst playing for the school at table tennis?
Mike Bergquist (69-75)
Hello to Neil Stubbings and Paul Spencer - Neil the physics teacher was Leapy Lee!
71-76
In answer to Pete Smarts enquiry re. the water bombing incident, I was stood next to Rodney O'Mahoney when he threw it. Not satisfied with soaking the unfortunate chap with the water bomb, Rodney then twisted the taps round (one of the Physics labs) and turned them on the chap who was standing there in shock at what had just happened.
The aftermath was all a lot of people being rounded up into the old gym, and eventually Rodney was "grassed up". I can remember a number of people chasing the "snitch" up Gayton Rd into a then derelict Bernie Inn. A bit of useless information - Rodney was leader of a small group of idiots called the 2W IRA - I still have a medal in my possession for distinguished service (a recycled regular church attender medal - God knows how these were procured).
Its good to see other names coming out of the woodwork, I think Pete Smart mentioned Gaz Stenner, I still see Gaz who when drunk goes into completely over the top Shakespear renditions - so against popular opinion he did learn something at school. A couple of years ago after an Old Gayts Golf day - we retired to the Royal Oak on Watford Heath with Chris Berge, Dave Thomas, Ian Abbott etc and Dave Bright. Gaz staggered out of the pub, saw Dave Bright and, after a few moments shouted at the top of his voice, "Dave Bright, you ******* b*****d" - Dave took it very well.
It was good to see Gareth's comments re Ged (Jed) Done who was my form teacher for a year, he was well respected and popular with all of us, and I remember we were all deeply shocked by his death.
Does anyone remember Bernie McAdam - we had a lot of fun at his expense!!
I have just been directed to this site by Neil Stubbings.
I was at HCS 1971-76 and seeing some of the pictures has brought back some memories.
I shall have to find some of the pictures that I have of various teams.
Well done Neil Gill, it was Chunky Cowburn! He was indeed the cohabitor with Jane Austen. I was by the way in about 4G by then and not 1N by the way. Hadn't thought about going to girls houses alone until at least Year 2...lol! Neil Stubbings, I remember that day in the hall with Mr Hart, can't for the life remember who threw the water bomb though. If I remember correctly it wasn't one of my 'crowd' either, much to our surprise!
How wonderful! Who said nostalgia was dead - just discovered this site and been lost in memories and names floodng back for nearly a couple of hours. (Thanks Jeff).
Very sorry to have missed the re-union, but there are a bunch of names in the guest book to whom I'd like to say: Hi!
Class of '69, left in '76, memories: 1K intake with a whole bunch from Priestmead School, Hamlet (a tumbler), Rugby thru the years and as an Old Gayt, Scouts, Chess and many teachers names I thought I'd forgotten and to whom I am grateful.
Now living in Herts. Married, 2 kids.
Mike Berquist You're right about Mike Cook moving to Haberdashers: we saw him a few times after he left HCS, but lost contact. It was Colin Done (Econ/Hist) who was killed in his car near Borehamwood. Colin also moved to Habs after HCS. He was an Old Haberdasher, and a great bloke, outstanding cricketer and hockey player.
Best wishes#
Gareth
I remember Mick Cooke, he was my form master in either 70/71 or 71/72(D stream of course!). He moved to Haberdashers but was tragically killed in a car accident! I seem to remember hearing he went into a tree. I was sad when he left HCS and I remember being totally devastated when I heard of the accident.
Mike Bergquist(69-75)
The other English teacher I recall beginning with 'C' was Mr Cooke. Surely it was not he who was cohabiting with our beloved Miss Austen (apart from the majority of 1N by the sounds of your last message Peter! Yes, we were subjected to the flowers around the gas taps by Mr Gupta. Can you remember who the physics teacher was who used to delight in connecting unsuspecting first formers up to the Van der Graafs generator - may have been Mr Lee? I also have a memory of our last summer in that wonderful place when the 5th form as we were then, were all called into the Small Hall by the Head (Mr Hull?). Someone had lobbed a carrier bag full of water out of the old physics lab on the second floor looking out over Gayton Road and had managed to find its target! A very wet and knaffed of gentleman had phoned the school to complain. Can Peter or anyone else help - who did it?
Was Jane Austin sharing a flat with "Chunky" Cowburn, also an English teacher?
Thanks again Neil for provoking more memories that weren't quite as bad as some of the days at HCBS. Jane Austen was everything I, as an adolescent boy at the time was looking for. Red hair, a perfect lisp, reading John Master's novel and bringing Shalespear to life (oh well perhaps that's a bit of poetic licence!) She did however invite Gaz Stenner, Mike Angus, Richard Slim and a lot of others to her flat rom time to time when she lived in north harrow. Can't remember who she shared the flat with at the time but it was another English teacher whose surname I think began with a C. Perhaps someone else can help with the memory on that one. Hey Neil do you remember Gupta srawing flowers around the gas taps with chalk? No, I am not surprised that the is now in the property game, I believe that he would have quite an aptitude for that. Other teachers good and bad that spring to mind include Mr Keeler, Maths, Mr Shadrack, RE and Dave Birt, 1st form English. Sorry Neil but prefer to forget the likes of Hayes (History), Colonel Venn and Marchant, but that was personal....then not now, but I don't remember as to why, maybe it was me...lol
Looking back through the recent messages, I see the school pool has come to the forefront. I have very mixed memories of this pool. Apart from spending most of the summer terms freezing various parts of my anatomy, one of the alternative uses for it we found was somewhere to try out the polystyrene hovercrafts we had made in TD. The caretaker didn't take too kindly to the oil slicks we left behind.
I also used to help the caretaker with the chlorine level tests and occasional cleaning duties. It was on one of these missions to prepare the school pool during the easter break, that I decided to ride my push bike around the outside of the empty pool. With two laps successfully negotiated, I was a bit suprised, as I tried to hop my bike over one of the pump pipes, to find myself flying trough the air dropping nearly 10 foot onto the concrete bottom of the pool. I reckon I was lucky to escape with only badly broken leg. Still, it netted me a few months off school with no daily ear tweaking from Gupta or wooden hairbrushing from Morrell.
Well, well! What fun to read Peter Fowler’s railway memories. Foster was surely “Tom”, called a foreman in my first spell at Wealdstone, and I assumed him to be still so in 1953. He was a lean, dyspeptic character and I felt he didn’t like me much: probably, I now suspect, because I was a grammar school “toff” (and, of course, my father was not the Station Master!).
The other two Foremen were Reg and Charlie, the latter surely the model for the Fat Controller. He was instinctively kind and good with people, but not Brain of Britain. One hot August afternoon the driver of a down train hooted as he came in. I ran to the cab and he said a workman’s hut the other side of the road bridge, next to the up electric line, was on fire. I told Charlie and the two of us rushed to and from the men’s loo on Platform 1 carrying buckets of water over two electrified tracks! Fortunately, there were no disastrous mishaps – and, of course, we did no good whatsoever, the hut being razed.
Incidentally, my introduction to the job in 1951 was by Peter Wyatt, a few years older than me and by then a student at Leeds. He lived in Bolton Road in Harrow. I believe he married a nurse in Leeds and settled there. I’d love to know if anyone has heard anything of him and where he is now.
Love the Driving School story.
As secretary of the Debating Society I was responsible for giving "Square" the announcement to read:
" The Middle and upper School debating societies will be holding a mass debate......"
(Say it quickly!!!)
I don't think he ever understood why everybody laughed
After all these years I have finally found out how the stimulator went, thanks Peter for that. I was also reading some of Peter Smaets messages earlier, asking if anyone remembered certain teachers. I cannot imagine why you remembered Jane Austen Peter! Was it just the attempts to control a bunch of adolescent boys whilst reviewing that dodgy scene from Night Runners of Bengal? I don't think so. Mr Gupta, you will be pleased to know now has a string of properties to his name in the Hammersmith area which he manages with his brother. I wonder how the physics teaching is going. Does any one else remember Mr Hayes (History) and Mr Bunting(Biology and the Discount Store). What about the fearsome Colonel Venn? Mind you, he was very nice to me the day my shoe flew off during a game of footie and went straight through his office window. One last memory before signing off and that is of Mr Lodge the Maths teacher. Any boy talking or yawning in his lessons found the chalk or board rubber hurled at their open mouth. Invariably a perfect shot. Chalk dust! McEnroe had nothing on old "Porka"
PS Sincere apologies Mr Lodge if you ever read this.
Re the Railway reminiscences: my father was the Station Master at Harrow&Wealdstone from 1953, when we moved south, and 1964 (he's still alive, 100 in September). I used to work during my summer holidays as a porter both at Harrow and Belmont...the Belmont job, as you can imagine, was such a doddle I could spend most of my days there reading books.
My father was appointed there after the crash: almost all the staff who had witnessed the crash left the service pretty well immediately, having so obviously been traumatised (though we didn't seem to understand those things at that time).
About the only survivor was an Inspector called Foster, a man with the sharpest of tongues and the driest of wits.He used to despise the 'bowler hat brigade' who frequented the station in the rush hour; and I well remember standing with him on No 2 platform at about 7.45 one morning when a man attired in this uniform of the 'toff'ran down the stairs and asked Foster how to get to Broad Street.
'By train', Foster replied, winking at me and walking off in haste.
Foster evidently was not aware of the impending Americanisation of customer service etiquette.
Thanks for that memory Neil Stubbings. I had forgotten all about that glorious day in assembly concerning Harrow Driving Centre. Yes I was on of the lads that had a great time on the stimulator! In fact maybe I never, ever quite recovered. That driving centre was a real hoot actually. A couple of years ago on one of my trips back to blighty I took my son to Legoland and I swear they've designed a ride based on the Harrow Driving Centre where you get to drive Lego cars instead of the real ones that they some how allowed us to practice in.
Hello,I had the joy to attend gayton 86-90.Great years!!!!!!!!
Great site, need all day to go through everything so will have to come back later. One memory immediately springs to mind was in assembly when the polish superviser from the labs was helping out by taking groups of boys to Harrow Driving Centre. His announcement in assembly to god knows how many boys of a vey impressionable age was that he would be "taking a group of boys for a session on the stimulator" Was anyone out there one of those boys? Can you tell us how it went!!!!
Many thanks for all the comments re the Schneider trophy (yes, my typing skills were also not very good!) I also remember the "swimming pool" - my recollection is of a fearsomely cold process where "Swan" would shout at you as you changed into your "swimming togs". Then he would shout louder as you approached the edge of the pool, trembling with cold and trepidation. Then he would shout even louder, exhorting you to "JUMP, BOYS" In we would go, less terrified of death by drowning than we were of Swan's revenge (a wet slippering) The "splashdown" was followed by what seemed like hours of flapping around in the (very) cold water, propelling pieces of polystyrene across the shallow end of the pool. The worst was yet to come. "OUT BOYS" came the cry from Swan. One leapt out, temporarily grateful for the respite. I am not sure where the towels came from that we used to dry ourselves, but they were rough! It was also cold, since in my days at the school the previous ice age had not quite receded. Therefore the subsequent drying process was rapid, but painful. Parts of the body not used to rough treatment were pummelled. Enough said. To this day, I regale my grandchildren with tales of "how to dry themselves quickly after a bath to stop getting cold"
Er - by the way, I actually learnt to swim many years later, after the trauma of the school lessons had worn off!
Oh, Jeff - what wonderful memories you bring back. Thanks very much. Regards, Mike
I wonder how many old boys were killed in the Harrow and Wealdstone disaster? Someone told me that Alan Neal (1940-7) was amongst those who died. He had the amazing ability of being able to sit on a chair poised at the edge of a table then make a somersault landing on the floor while still sitting on the chair. I am sure Dr.Simpson would not have been amused.
Further to Colin's note, here's another link - a gruesome photo of the '52 train wreck: http://danger-ahead.railfan.net/gallery/harrow.htm
As I mentioned in my reminiscences, I was on a bus on the bridge between the first and second collisions.
Regards, Martin
Delighted to follow Martin Cutter's link re Stanmore station. I sen the following to the author:- Fascinated to come upon your piece via link in www.jeffreymaynard.com/harrow_county.
In 1951, at the age of 15 (and again in 1953) I spent my school summer holidays working as a porter at H&W. The loco then was steam push-pull and didn't run round to the front at each end of the line. I remember the magic "baton", actually a large steel ring with a key on it, which had to be used to switch points for passing at Belmont, and possibly elsewhere, so as to avoid head-on conflict with another (imaginary?) train on this line. Standard railway practice, I think. I always hoped for a free ride (when I should have been working) but I didn't get lucky, unlike one or two regular lads there.
Incidentally, mention has been made of the 1952 crash at Harrow - 3 trains, 111 or 112 killed. I cycled there from School when I heard about it and nervously offered to help (God knows how!). Rather relieved to be told, not too unkindly, to go away. A friend, who had just left John Lyons and was earning a few bob as a porter spent many gruelling hous crawling through the wreckage finding victims.
Re. the thread related to old Stanmore Station, those of you interested in old photos should visit this site: http://www.magma.ca/~dewi/trains/stanmore/stanmore.html
Regards, Martin
Regarding the Supermarine S6b seaplane that John Boothman flew for the Schneider trophy race, It is now housed in the 'avaiation Gallery' of the Science Museum, london. Near to it in a case is the huge Trophy (and I mean huge. The marble base is about 4 and a half foot high, and about 4 foot square). The aircraft is just sitting on the floor, not suspended, but is difficult to photograph due the the fact that the gallery is very dark, and the aircraft 'hemmed in' by other exhibits. I tried when I wrote the article at the end of last year, but none were any good.
As for the George Neal artworks, I do have one not of, but including the pavilion, plus others of the war memorial (outside) and views of 'the ruins'. There are overall about half a dozen. I can scan them in and send them over to Jeff.
(Glad to see the School badge article Jeff!!)
As a child in Stanmore, I was told that the Stanmore Village station building was used as a location in the old Will Hay comedy "Oh Mr Porter".
Can anyone confirm this?
I apologise Jeff for not contacting you to congratulate you on the web site. It was really fun to see so many familiar faces at the 2 reunions in recent months. My memories of school are on the whole very positive. I arrived at HCS in 1966 entering the 3rd form having come from 2 years of a public school where the day to day discipline was far more strict & therefore the regime at HCS was for me at least easy to cope with. Although I was no great academic the most indellible memory of the school was the talent of so many of the teachers ,the characters &the talent of the pupils as is borne out by the success of so many of my contempories .The school did not only aim for high academic achievement but also for success in sport drama music etc etc & did achieve it----there are few schools today who come any where near what HCS achieved on a regular basis.
I've read a lot of negative comments about Viv Edwards--he could be a tough b---d but many forget that although he was hard was in charge during the most successful years for HCS Rugby & my recollection is that once he left success was much harder to come by--I didn't like him--I used to impersonate him with some success with the younger boys--but I saw that his strict regime did breed success.
For those who might be interested my younger brother Mark lives in Cape Town & is a leading international commercials producer. My older brother Brian still lives in Roxborough Park in Harrow--his film credits also include ''Not Without My Daughter'' & ''Vice Versa''--he's working on a new movie now .
I live in the West End during the week & in a picturesque village--Hartest in Suffolk on the weekends.
Hope to see more news of my contempories
Stephen Gilbert
I do not recall George Neil's picture of the swimming pool but there was a water colour of the sports pavillion hanging somewhere. What happened to that I wonder? It was me that had the vague recollection about the Supermarine seaplane hanging in the Science museum. Can anybody confirm?
The opening date for the Harrow-Stanmore railway was 1890 (and not 1980). It started in Gordon Avenue (and not Grodon Avenue).
Airfix used to make a model of the Supermarine S6B, but with changing consumer tastes and Airfix's own troubles (I stopped buying them and so sales fell by about 95%) I do not know if it is still in the catalogue.
Thanks for the kind comments on the Schneider trophy article. If anyone has any queries or questions on anythng related to the School, I will do my best to answer them.
With material I have in the archive, I have written a few other articles which are with Jeff at the moment, who adjusts the format so they can appear on the site. One is the story of the swimming pool, but unfortunately I don't have a copy of the photo mentioned of the foundations being dug. I do have a lovely watercolour painted by george Neal the Art Master, whcih is incorporated in the article, but can be available otherwise if required.
Jeff, thanks for pointing out the Schneider article, it certainly puts an end to all the guesswork! I will visit the Science Museum soon, I did not realise that the trophy and the aircraft were on display there. Many thanks again.
An interesting article Alex. Isn't the plane exhibited at the Science Museum? I know I have seen it somewhere. The plane was made by the Supermarine company which made a technological breakthrough in the design of the airfoil of the wings which was incorporated into the Spitfire fighter when it was built a few years later.
There is a new article about John Boothman, the Boothman Window (the stained glass window over the front door of the School) and the Schneider Trophy. Click here!
Sorry, yes , I know It's Schneider, not Scheider. Finger trouble. So what's new? Luv Spence
Mike U-J,m I too am interested in the Scheider Trophy winner (?) in the window by the clock. I always thought that he was an ex HCS man, but have not been able to verify that even after watching several Discovery Channel programmes on the subject. As a pilot myself I am very curious. Can anybody help? Cheers all Spence Smith
Short note about the swimming pool.
When I was HCS (50s) there was a photograph on one of the walls (don't remember which one) which showed parents working on its construction.
I believe it was excavated entirely manually.
Photo would be a nice addition to website if it survives.
Yes, indeed - thank you all for the memories of the Belmont Rattler. Now another one for you all out there! (Why I have waited 40 years to ask these questions is merely a reflection of the fear and trepidation that I have have experienced at the hands of this school!)
What is the significance of the seaplane in the stained-glass windows near the famous clock?? I have always had the impression that the window was in honour of an ex-pupil who had been the pilot who had won the Scheidner Trophy (a prize to do with seaplanes)but this may well be one these famous urban myths!
Regards, Mike
A note in haste. Barry Lightman is quite right about the Belmont Rattler.
It was a single track line opened in 1980 with its Stanmore terminus in Grodon Avenue (named after Frederick Gordon, who put the money up for the line). The line contributed greatly to Stanmore's development from being a country village to becoming an important suburb.
Belmont Station was opened in 1932, and if you park your car behind the fish and chip shop in Belmont Circle you are parking on the station area.
There was a rifle range in the fields around Belmont (now, who shall I nominate among the people I couldn't stand at Harrow County...).
Stanmore became Stanmore Village in 1948 (to avoid confusion with a certain other Stanmore on the Underground). It closed to passengers in 1952, but the odd freight train ran through to Harrow & Wealdstone. Belmont made it to 1964, and I can remember a lorry parked by that station in 1966-7, with the track being lifted up.
Traces are becoming harder to find but the disused platform at Harrow & Wealdstone was the Belmont platform. At the Stanmore end there are a couple of cottages called Porters Cottages and, as Barry says, the house in Gordon Avenue was once the station.
Peter Scott's book has all the details, and Railway Magazine has in the past carried articles on the line.
Another note in haste. A few weeks ago, my step-daughter was dropped off at a party - that is my other job, unpaid taxi-driver. The surname of the host family was Rosenblatt. Any relation of Malcolm Rosenblatt, I asked the young man? That's my father came the reply. It was a real pleasure to swap stories with Malcolm (although I was saddened to witness the effects of his acute arthritis). Malcolm tells me that he is still in contact with many of his fellow students in A6M 1972, may of whom now occupy very senior positions in the finance departments of some of the largest companies based in the UK.
Come on, you economists and accountants, tell us the secrets of your success!
Michael.
A note in haste. Barry Lightman is quite right about the Belmont Rattler.
It was a single track line opened in 1980 with its Stanmore terminus in Grodon Avenue (named after Frederick Gordon, who put the money up for the line). The line contributed greatly to Stanmore's development from being a country village to becoming an important suburb.
Belmont Station was opened in 1932, and if you park your car behind the fish and chip shop in Belmont Circle you are parking on the station area.
There was a rifle range in the fields around Belmont (now, who shall I nominate among the people I couldn't stand at Harrow County...).
Stanmore became Stanmore Village in 1948 (to avoid confusion with a certain other Stanmore on the Underground). It closed to passengers in 1952, but the odd freight train ran through to Harrow & Wealdstone. Belmont made it to 1964, and I can remember a lorry parked by that station in 1966-7, with the track being lifted up.
Traces are becoming harder to find but the disused platform at Harrow & Wealdstone was the Belmont platform. At the Stanmore end there are a couple of cottages called Porters Cottages and, as Barry says, the house in Gordon Avenue was once the station.
Peter Scott's book has all the details, and Railway Magazine has in the past carried articles on the line.
Another note in haste. A few weeks ago, my step-daughter was dropped off at a party - that is my other job, unpaid taxi-driver. The surname of the host family was Rosenblatt. Any relation of Malcolm Rosenblatt, I asked the young man? That's my father came the reply. It was a real pleasure to swap stories with Malcolm (although I was saddened to witness the effects of his acute arthritis). Malcolm tells me that he is still in contact with many of his fellow students in A6M 1972, may of whom now occupy very senior positions in the finance departments of some of the largest companies based in the UK.
Come on, you economists and accountants, tell us the secrets of your success!
Michael.
Good evening from Victoria on Vancouver Island. I attended the school in the mid and late thirties, leaving to join the RAF at the end of the summer term 1940. When I first attended the school, that small swimming pool had just been opened. I recall that in my final year, we often took our lessons in classrooms at Harrow School (on the Hill) although I never did know wh