Harrow County School for Boys
Gayton High School / Harrow High School

virtus non stemma

Welcome to the Virtual Gaytonian.  This is the website for all Old Gaytonians - former pupils and staff of Harrow County School for Boys (Middlesex, England), Gayton High School, and, as the school is now known, Harrow High School.

Gaytonians and those with information or publishable reminiscences are welcome to contact me.  If you've been here before, there are lots of new items and over 1,000 photographs.  I'll keep adding material, so come and visit again.  Remember to sign the guest book/message board.  There is more to read below.  Bookmark this page!

Remember to join the Old Gaytonians Association! and check the OGA website for current events.

Jeff Maynard (HCS 1962-69)

---oOo---

Remembrance Day

The War Memorial  Harrow County School War Dead

Rev. Randall Williams remembers the War Years



Steeped in blood is my Remembrance Poppy.
Redder than red with the ichor of a million Britons.
Mine might have mingled with it
Had not the bullet missed, the shell splinters
Gone astray. Fifty-five bonus years of life
I have been given, years in which
to grow through manhood to a ripe old age,
Not so my comrades. This they were denied.

(verse written by Sidney Fooks, MC, former English Master at Harrow County School, First World War officer, who was to have another 21 bonus years.)


Some major pages:  Music and Drama   Combined Cadet Force  4th Harrow Scouts   Cricket  Form Lists 1911 - 1950

Click to read about the opening ceremony and the first 75 boys in 1911

Download Stephen Frost's paper on Ernest Young, the First Headmaster

Gaytonians in the news:  

2014: Harrow County featured in Schools at War website
2013 New Years Honours:
Cricketer Mark Ramprakash has been awarded an MBE
Music industry executive David Munns has been awarded an OBE
2013 Queen's Birthday Honours:
 Dave Gordon (HCS 1962-68) has been awarded the OBE for services to Broadcasting and the London 2012 Olympic Games

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Jeffrey%20Maynard/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.IE5/JWLAYK7L/Schools%27%20Centenary%20logo%20KWB%20v1.jpg

This website celebrated its 15th anniversary in September 2015!

---oOo---

We have ties, scarves, badges, films and books - come to the online OGA shop!

Following the broadcast on 7th November 2008 of the BBC programme “Michael Portillo, Death of a School Friend”, Gary Findon’s family and friends have recorded a CD of his compositions for piano, flute and clarinet. It includes performances by Gary himself. All proceeds go directly to the charity Papyrus. www.papyrus.org.uk   Visit: www.myspace.com/garyfindon  or  www.andyfindon.com  to hear samples and buy.

Click for photographs of Past Reunions

OBITUARIES:

Hans Neubroch
Sadly, Group Captain Hans Neubroch, OBE, RAF, aged 92, died peacefully October 5th 2015 in St. Charles, Il, USA.  He attended Harrow County 1939-41. Serving the RAF 1941-1978 his distinguished career included Brixmis; RAF Wattisham; JSSC; S.H.A.P.E.; S.E.A.T.O, and MBFR.
Click to watch Hans Neubroch talk about his wartime experiences
 

 

Mr. George Cowan, Deputy Headmaster
Sadly, George Cowan died after a short illness on Friday March 6th 2015, aged 97.  
He was Deputy Headmaster from 1964 to 1975. He is also remembered for being an enthusiastic supporter and Vice-President of the Old Gaytonians Association.
Click for 2001 photograph  With former Staff Members
  Mr. Cowan's Room

Martin Humphrey
Sadly, Martin Humphrey died on September 29th 2014, aged 78.  
He attended Harrow County from 1948 to 1955. He was an outstanding breast stroke swimmer, a prefect and went on to Imperial College to read Chemistry. He was subsequently an active member – lighting and sound – of the Old Gaytonian's Dramatic Society. 
Click for 1951 photograph.

Ioan 'Taffy' Roberts
Sadly, Taffy Roberts died in January 2014, aged 97.  
He attended Harrow County from 1928 to 1934 and had a notable career in Bomber Command in WWII.  He was an original member of the Old Gaytonians Rugby Football Club, and was Membership Secretary of the Old Gaytonians Association for many years.

Clive Pigram
Sadly, Clive Pigram died on December 26th, 2012.
He attended Harrow County from 1950 to 1957 and was a Vice-President of the Old Gaytonians Association. 
Clive's funeral is to be held on Tuesday, 8th January at 1.00 pm at St.Martins Church, Eastcote Road, Ruislip, HA4 8DG.
Click to read obituary by OGA Chairman Geoff Spring
  Click for photo

Ken Blackburn
Sadly, Ken Blackburn (HCS 1939 – 46) died on October 7th 2012  after a long illness.  He had been a member of the Air Training Corps and a Scout at the School, and later a Rover Scout.  He was also a Senior Prefect and a fine athlete, winning the Victor Ludorum Trophy as the best all round athlete.  He was later a very active member of the Athletics Club.  He appears in the 1946 Athletics Team photo, along with brother Bob. 
http://www.jeffreymaynard.com/Harrow_County/Athletics1946.htm
 

Alan Coxon
Sadly, Alan Coxon died on November 7th 2012.  He
was an outstanding sportsman, getting his cricket blue for Oxford (i.e. in the Varsity Match) as a bowler. He was match-winner against Cambridge with his bat, scoring 60 or 70 runs.  In rugby, he was a powerful and aggressive full back and captained the OGRFC in the late 1950s-early 1960s.  He joined Guinness Brewery from University, ran their Nigerian operation for some years and rose to become Head Brewer. He was the last main board director to leave them following a controversial takeover and worked in the industry in the Far East and South America, setting up breweries and consulting.
Click for 1948 Athletics team photograph

Peter Hammond
Sadly, Peter Hammond, died suddenly on June 30th, 2012.
He attended Harrow County 1944 to 1950. In recent years he was very involved in sailing organizations for people with disabilities.

Derek Wolfe
Sadly, Derek Wolfe (HCS 1966 - 1973) died suddenly on September 24th 2012, at the age of 58. Derek was one of Harrow County's top athletes in the
early 1970s.   Cross Country Captain 1972 to 1973. Competed in the English Schools Cross Country in 1973.   He served on the Old Gaytonians Athletic Club committee for more than ten years.
Click for photo of Derek Wolfe and 1971 Cross Country Team
 

William H Swan, OBE
Sadly, Bill Swan, died on April 7th, 2012.
He attended Harrow County 1932 to 1938, and during the war served as a fighter pilot in the RAF in North Africa and Europe. He later flew as a test pilot, before joining the Foreign Office. He was on stage at the school for the Centenary Celebration in January 2011.

Bill Pain
Sadly, we have learned that Bill Pain died on March 10th 2011. 
Bill was a contributor of photographs to this site.
Click for photo of Swimming Team 1949
Click for photo of Cross Country Team 1950

Click for photo of Upper VI Science B 1951-52

Mr. Maurice Venn, CBE
Sadly, Maurice Venn, former geography and geology teacher, Deputy Headmaster and CCF Commanding Officer died on Tuesday February 21st, 2012.
Click for article about Mr, Venn

John Carroll
Sadly, John Carroll, died on March 15th, 2012, aged 94.  He attended Harrow County from 1929 to 1936 and was Head Boy.  He played cricket and rugby at school and for the Old Gaytonians Rugby Football Club.  John Carroll was President of the Old Gaytonians Rugby Football Club from 1976-1990.
Click for photo of 1st XV Rugby Team 1933

David Ogilvie
Sadly, David Ogilvie passed away on 16 November 2011 after a long battle with cancer. He attended Harrow County from 1952 to 1959. He joined the UKAEA after leaving school and then had a long career with the engineering and project management company AMEC.
click for photo of Form 3A 1954

Mr. Kenneth Waller
Sadly, Mr. Waller, who taught Latin, Greek and Russian at Harrow County and Gayton High from 1957, played the school organ and was active in school music, died suddenly on January 6th 2012 after a fall.
Click for a Memoir by Jonathan Lewis
Click here for tributes

Old Gaytonians Association:
About the Old Gaytonians Association  Officers and Contacts  300 Club   Rugby   Old Gayts Golf Society  Harrow Athletics Club  Join the Old Gaytonians Association
Gaytonian Centenary Celebrations

Gaytonians in the news:  

Congratulations to our Harrow High School Basketball Team 2011-2012 (click to see the team in action)

BBC4 broadcast a two part programme: ‘Grammar School – A Secret History’.
Programme One aired on Thursday 5th January 2012 at 9pm on BBC4
Programme Two aired on Thursday 12th January 2012 at 9pm on BBC4
In this two part series we heard from ex grammar school pupils and a cast of some of Britain’s most well-known and well-loved household names, all from humble working class or lower middle class backgrounds, many of whom passionately believe they owe much of their success in life to their grammar school education. They included Michael Portillo. Alex Bateman (our Old Gaytonians Association Archivist) helped the producers and supplied some footage from "Makers of Men".

Congratulations to Carl Jackson, Organist of the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, who was awarded the MVO in the 2012 New Years Honours List.

Chris Finill (HCS 1970-77) has just finished his 2011 3,000 mile Run Across America, raising money for Help for Heroes.  You can read about it on this website: http://www.runacrossamerica.co.uk.

"Top of the Class"  BBC Radio programme with Michael Portillo and Mr. Kenneth Waller was broadcast on Tuesday July 19th, 2011  on radio four.  See http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012l1y6

Queens Birthday Honours:

Sir Nigel Sheinwald KCMG has been promoted in the Order of St Michael and St George to GCMG

Richard Boyd, DL, FRSA., Chief Executive Officer, Disability Essex has been awarded the OBE for services to Essex.

----

Michael Portillo (HCS 1964-71) has a new television series - Great British Railway Journeys   

Chris Finill (HCS 1970-77) represented England in the Commonwealth Games Ultra-Distance Championships in September 2009.  On 18/19 October 2008, he ran 151 miles 248 yards in a 24 hour track race in London - the furthest run by an Englishman in 24 hours for 19 years and the furthest by a GB athlete for 8 years.  Chris was the first runner to test the Marathon course for the 2012 Olympics - click for article in the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-1392387/LONDON-2012-OLYMPICS-Olympic-marathon-dry-run-goes-hitch.html

Old Gaytonian and Nobel Laureate Sir Paul Nurse has been elected the new President of the Royal Society. 

New book - No. 617 Dambusters Squadron by Alex Bateman (Editor of the Old Gaytonian Magazine and OGA Archivist).

New Book - Lancaster, the Biography by Brian Milton (HCS 1958-61).

Martin Cheeseman (HCS 1962-69) was awarded the OBE in June 2009.  He is Director of Housing and Community Care at the London Borough of Brent.

Bob Garrett (HCS 1954-62) has been appointed Chairman of the Unit for Corporate Governance in Africa at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.  He is also due to become Master of the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants.

The National Portrait Gallery has commissioned a portrait of Nobel Prize winning Gaytonian Sir Paul Nurse.

Dr. David Zideman, Honorary Physician (Civilian) to the Queen, has been made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the June 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours.

John Nickolay (1946-51) became Mayor of Harrow on May 8th, 2008.  He is the first Old Gaytonian to be Mayor of Harrow since Sir Horace Cutler in 1959.

Brian Crowe (1951-59) has become Mayor of Hillingdon.

Mark Ramprakash (1982-86) has become the first man in county cricket history to average over 100 in two consecutive seasons.

Sir Nigel Sheinwald KCMG has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to the United States of America.

Click for Gaytonians who have been Parliamentary Candidates

Click for archived news and obituaries

Register of former pupils

Harrow High - Bricks Appeal
(This was the reincarnation of the Pavillion Fund!  Every Old Gaytonian was invited to BUY A BRICK in the new Sports Hall wall.  In return for a donation of £25, a plate bearing your name will be on a brick for all time.)  Click for Photograph.

---oOo---

From the 1967 Gaytonian:

HYP HENS

Spare a thought for the long
suffering English teacher trying to cope with long
legged boys in mud
spattered shorts and short long
haired aesthetes dabbling ideas in un
rhymed verse entirely de
void of hy
phens.

            JAGO.  (J. S. Golland) (reproduced here by permission of the author)

---oOo---

Editorial          New additions to this site 

1911  The first issue of Gaytonian - Why we are Gaytonians  Historical Notes

Staff 1932  Staff 1955  Staff 1958  Staff 1960  Staff 1963   Staff 1967   Staff 1974  Staff 1986  

Staff Changes 1947

Former Staff Members, January 2001  Harry Mees, March 2001

 

Major sub-pages:

Some Gaytonians   Staff Members

Photographs - an interesting and growing collection  Still images from "Makers of Men" - 1960s 

Music and Drama   Combined Cadet Force  4th Harrow Scouts   Cricket 

Form Lists 1911 - 1950

 

School Trophies   The School Badge

Wait under the clock!  (The story of the school clock)

The War Memorial  Harrow County School War Dead

John Boothman, the Boothman Window and the Schneider Trophy

Rev. Randall Williams remembers the War Years

The School Organ

1920-26 - reminiscences of Ken Grimes

1920-54 - reminiscences of Mr. H. W. Brister

1925-30 - reminiscences of Denis Higham

1930-34 - reminiscences of Eric Sillick

1934-39 - reminiscences of Monty Maizels

1935-40 - reminiscences of Albert Dunkley

1936-41 - reminiscences of Victor Dobb

1938-60 - reminiscences of Paul Oliver

1938-44 - Memories of Harrow County by Bernard Wood

1939-44 - reminiscences of Bernard Gillespie

1939-45 - Memories of My Time at Harrow County by Ronald Cornish

The 1940s - reminiscences of Brian Hester

1940-47 - memories of the School Swimming Pool by Brian Hester

1940-47 - memories of Phillip Arnold

1940-47 - reminiscences of Arthur Hilton

1940-45 - reminiscences of life in the D Forms by Jim Moore

1941-48 - reminiscences of Mike Smith  
Out Of School           Anti-heroes

1942-48 - reminiscences of Ian Johnson

1943-48 - reminiscences of Newton Richard Huntley Myers

1945-  reminiscences of Bill Burchell

1946-51 - Dr. A. R. Simpson - Anecdotes by Phil Chesterman

1947-53 - Neither Worth nor Birth, and an Uphill Battle! - by Graeme Young

1948-53 - The Goliaths Who Taught Us - reminiscences of Bill Walker about the staff - in verse

1948-55 - reminiscences of Gerry Freed

1948-56 - reminiscences of Colin Mynott

Memories of HCS by Jim Golland (1954-75)

"Happy Memories" by Don McEwen (1956-83)

1952-58 - reminiscences of Graham Haigh

1952-58 - reminiscences of John Runnicles

1952-59 - reminiscences of Martin Cutter

1953-60 - reminiscences of Richard Watson

1956-63 - a memoir by Paul Romney

1956-60 - reminiscences of Brian Slater

Reminiscences of Peter Fowler:
Rough Boys in B5 - 1960   Beautiful Delilah and the Damned, B8, 1961  Now and Then

1959-65 - Dr. A. R. Simpson - a Personal View by Richard Buckley

1947-53 - Dr. A. R. Simpson - a Different Personal View by Colin Dickins

1947-52 - Yet Another View of Dr. Simpson & Harrow County by Richard Mogg

1958-63 - Life under the Doctor by Peter Ward  (a pdf file)

1959-66 - Yet another memory of HCS by Ken Elvy

1959-67 - reminiscences of Robert Bogin

1959-67 - reminiscences of Graham Leach

1960-  - reminiscences of Paul (Bernie) Eustace

1961-67 - reminiscences of Jerry White

1961-76 - A Teddy Hall Fifteen by Jim Golland

1963-70 - reminiscences of Alan Kershaw

1963-70 - reminiscences of Alan (Tass) Taylor

The 1964 Mock Election by Richard Buckley

1965-72 - reminiscences of Michael Schwartz

1965-73 - reminiscences of Dave Hantman

1966-72 - reminiscences of Peter "Mini" Vincent

1966-73 - reminiscences of Paul Danon

The 1966 Mock Election and Other Stories by Edward Kerr

1968 - Letter to the Editor of the Gaytonian by Jeff Maynard

1967-72 - recollections of Jon Grunewald

1971-76 - reminiscences of Neil Forbes

1977-81 - memories of Gayton High by Paul Hymas

1979-84 - reminiscences of Alex Bateman at Gayton High

 

School Prize 1913  School Gossip, October 1913  Debating Society 1914  1915 Schoolcap  Ernest Young sends a postcard 1915  George Thorn sends a postcard 1919  School Prize 1924

Empire Day 1921  Speech day 1922 with Viscount Gladstone  School Gossip, January 1925  Railways and Airways Club 1927    Television 1930  

Form Vd 1933-34

Who's Who in the School (Prefects & Captains etc.):  1922-23  1923-24  1928-29  1930-31  1932-33  1933-34  1935-36  1936-37  1937-38  1938-39  1939-40  1940-41  1942-43  1943-44  1945-46  1946-47  1950-51  1951-52  1952-53  1953-54  1954-55  1955-56  1956-57  1958-59  1959-60  1960-61  1961-62  1962-63  1963-64  1969-70

Speech Day 1936 wth George Lansbury, M.P.

School Fete 1938  Digging Trenches 1938

School Gossip, April 1943  School Gossip, July 1945

House Entertainments 1944  House Entertainments 1946  

The Law Society and the CCF, 1946-66, by Hugh Skillen

School Gossip, February 1946  School Gossip July 1946  Gaytonian December 1946  School Sports 1946

School Gossip, March 1947  School Gossip, December 1947  Travel Club 1947

Speech Day 1948 - Dr. Simpson's Report  French Exchange Visit 1948

School Gossip, March 1950

Sports Day 1951

Gaytonian 1952  Gaytonian 1954  Gaytonian 1956

The Railways and Airways Society, 1954

Dr. Simpson's Caning Book - 1950s

Gayton Times 1958  Gayton Fair 1958

Form 4A 1959 - class list

Randall Williams gives a book to the School Library 1960

1960/61 Sixth Formers - in October 2002  Mathematical Pie 1960

Radio Programme about Harrow County and Oxbridge Results 1960

Speech Day 1961

By-Election 1962

Our Ford Van - 1962

Episode Six

Backstage 1963

Power with Pain - a traditional lecture - by Bob Garratt, 1963

Philosophical and Debating Society 1963

Timetables:
Form 1A 1963  Form 2A 1964  Form 3A 1965

Merit Awards, July 1964

Sixth Form Society 1964

School Uniform Regulations 1965

School trip to Ireland with Arthur Haley 1965

Gayton Fair 1965

Enquiry (Harrow County Science Magazine) 1966

Gaytonian 1965  Gaytonian 1966  Gaytonian 1967   Timetable

Form 1K 1967 - class list  Junior Prefecture 1967

Speech Day 1966 (prizewinners)  Speech Day 1967 (prizewinners)  Speech Day 1968

Enquiry (Harrow County Science Magazine) 1967  Enquiry 1969  Enquiry 1970 

The Film Society 1968  The Slav Society 1968-69

1968 intake list

On to further education 1969...  

D'Arcy Cricket - 1970

Doggett determination: the case for an alternative HCS cult-figure

Fourth and Fifth Form Class Lists 1970

1971 - One Man's Year by JSG

Oxford and Cambridge Successes, December 1971

Gaytonian 1972  Lady Teachers 1973

The year in brief (from Gaytonian) 1974

Scholarship Sixth Form List 1974

Staff List and School Calendar 1974-75

Gayton Boys in the news, 1982-83

Opening of the All-Weather Gayton Sports Surface, 1987

Stemma Enterprises - a Gayton High School project, 1998

 

French, Spanish and German Exchange Trips (1947-85)

Afro-American Music Society 1950  Anglo-American Music Society 1952 
Afro-American Music Society 1954  Afro-American Music Society 1958 
Afro-American Music Society 1960  Afro-American Music Society 1970 

Athletics  Sports Champion 1923  Athletics 1958  Boat Club 1949-50  Bridge Club 1969  Chess Club

Cricket 1944  Cricket 1950  Cricket Club 1969  Cricket Fixtures 1968  Cricket Fictures 1969    Cricket Fixtures 1970  Cricket Fixtures 1971  Cricket 1972-75

Cross Country Club  Cross Country 1946-48  Cross Country 1981-82

Lawn Tennis 1948

Life Saving Awards  
1926  1928  1935  1937  1938  1939  1940  1941  1942  1943  1944  1945  1946  1947  1948  1949  1950  1951  1952  1953  1954  1955  1956  1958  1959  1960  1961  1962

History of Harrow County Rugger 1921-1958 by Alec Amos

Old Gaytonians RFC card 1938-39 and 1939-40

Rugby Players 1946-47  Rugby Football Club 1963-64  Rugby Players 1966-67  Rugby 1975

Sports Day 1973  Sports Day 1974  Sports Day 1975

Prefects and Officers 1964-65  Prefects 1969-70  Imposition Slip  Prefects Graffiti (big file)

Gayton High 1975-98

The School Archive

The New Wing 2000

Harrow High School Basketball 2011-12

School Songs

Gaytonian Bookshelf  Poetry Corner

 

Guestbook - add your comments here!  Click to read the guestbook

The (Original) School Film  Worth not Birth - The Film

Join the Old Gaytonians Association

Tail End Charlie
  
Harrow County School for Girls

Acknowledgements
Webmaster/editor of this virtual Gaytonian magazine:
Jeffrey Maynard  jeffrey@jeffreymaynard.com

Hits from 14th November 2000: Hit Counter