East Barnet Old Grammarians
December 2010 Newsletter
IN MEMORIAM
I am reporting the very sad death of Fred (Freddie) Sunderland (1948-1953), a great
character remembered by many for his all round sporting talents. A member of Hadley house,
he played soccer for the school, for Barnet Boys and a Hertfordshire representative side. He
also ran cross-country for Hertfordshire Boys. A keen boxer, he reached the final of the
London junior A.B.A championships and his greeting to close friends was a short, unseen
punch in the solar plexus, unseen because it was so fast,
leaving you totally breathless.
Our friendship became closer at the Hadley youth
club, where he showed himself to be a very competent
cricketer and of course at Old Fold Manor Golf Club
where he was a scratch golfer. We were team mates for
some years in the Hertfordshire county team. Whilst on
national service with the R.A.F he played for Fighter
Command and was revered for his golfing prowess during
his national service.
The one sore point between us (it became a joke
later in life) was that we were both posted to Cyprus at
the height of the troubles at different times of course, me
for about 20 months, Freddie for 3 hours. He landed at
Nicosia with his Squadron, and then was quickly told he was going back to Britain and his
Canberra Bomber was warming up to take him to St. Andrews to play for the R.A.F. He stayed
in England thereafter.
In amongst all his sporting talents Freddie had an artistic side, and he completed his
formal training to become an Ecclesiastical Draughtsman, i.e. designing windows for churches,
signs and windows for livery companies, even banks. He was very proud of that and for the
award presented to him at the Goldsmiths Hall for an apprentices competition. In about 1963 he
turned professional golfer and his first real job was when he went to Abridge Golf, Essex club
as Assistant. Full pro jobs at Upminster golf club and other clubs in Essex followed. Sadly we
lost touch when I moved to Surrey.
He was captain of East Anglia Professional Golfers Association - a great honour. He
played in the open golf championship and is still course record holder at Old Fold Manor Golf
Club, Barnet, with an amazing score of 63.
In his later life he had a love of teaching and mentoring youngsters into golf. He even
taught Frank Bruno and it was while teaching that he collapsed and died. A sad loss to family
and friends and to me, a great character and friend from my past gone.
Doug Platts ( 1950 - 1955)
Les Hubbard (1947-1952) reports that his friend, Margaret Preece, (1943-1945)
passed away from a stroke on or about the 21st of September.
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despite many attempts, was unable to be revived.
The former Essex PGA champion, who
lived in Upminster, has left behind his devoted
wife, Frances, also 74. She explained the void that
her husband, who became known as "Mr. Golf ",
has left in many people's lives. She said, "Many
people have told me that if Freddie were to
choose where and when he could go that would
be it, but I am bewildered, just overwhelmed with
it all. Freddie was as fit as a fiddle and I am
finding it quite hard to come to terms with his
loss. He was such a popular man and in my life he
was so exciting and full of vibrancy and now
everything has gone"
Warley Park Club Manager, Kevin Smith,
paid tribute. He said: "Freddie will be deeply
missed by many people at Warley Park. He was
an inspiration to many golfers at the club and
someone that would always make you feel very
special."
Freddie's funeral was held at South Essex
Crematorium in Corbets Tey yesterday
As well as wife Frances, Freddie leaves
behind his daughter Karen and two grandchildren from his first marriage.
From the Brentwood Gazette, Sep. 1, 2010:
A much-loved golfer died on the Crondon
Park course last month. Freddie Sunderland, 74,
had a heart attack while teaching a promising
young golfer at the Stock club on August 11.
The flamboyant and popular man was
head professional at Crondon Park, following a
successful playing career around the Essex
circuit. Shocked friends and fellow professionals
have described Freddie as a "fantastic man, who
would make a 28-handicapper feel like a pro".
The former amateur boxer first decided to
swing the clubs for a living in 1964 when he took
up a junior role at Abridge golf club. He was soon
snapped up by Upminster Golf Club where he
later became Head Professional.
In 1980 Freddie began an 18 year spell
around the fairways of Brentwood, spending time
as the resident pro at Warley Park in Magpie
Lane and Weald Park in Coxtie Green Road. He
spent the final decade of his career at Crondon
Park where he became well known for his
dedication and unbounded enthusiasm towards
developing young talent. It was while coaching a
14-yearold boy that Freddie collapsed and,
1st XI 1959-1960 from Tony Jackson
Top Row: Mal Griffiths, Ray Hilsdon, Rob Carpenter, Bob Henderson, Av Bostock, “Tosh” Viney
BottomRow: Chris Macfarlane, Mick Sperring, John Lewin, Mick Johnson, Tim Hopkins, Tony Jackson
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Mike Brazier is 80
One of the legends of East Barnet Old Grammarians
reached 80 in October. Whilst Mike would be the first to say
that he was not alone in his endeavours over the years, nobody
else has dedicated themselves to the Club so fully and for so
long. He was there at the beginning in 1948 when EBOG FC
played at Ludgrove and met up in the Cat pub in East Barnet
Village.
He is pictured below in that first season (in the middle
at the back) a raw recruit aged 18 (Ed note: The additional
information below the photo was provided by Mike himself).
There were no changing rooms at Ludgrove so players changed
at the school and walked, in their kit, a mile to the ground.
Only one player had a car and this was a 2 seater full of corner
flags & nets.
He went on to play in each of the 7 decades since, over
1100 games, and won representative honours and several
winner’s trophies on the way. All four of his sons also played for the Club.
Mike was the driving force behind the fundraising and building of two Clubhouses and still
takes a strong interest in the Club. To this day he is a generous donor and can often be seen at the
Club, sometimes as Saturday Manager. Mike more than anyone is the reason EBOG still exists and it
gives him great pleasure and justifiable pride to see the Club still thriving after 62 years.
EBOG FC 1948/49 taken at Old Camdenians ground at Bow Lane, Finchley on 29th January 1949. It
was EBOGFC's first season in the London Old Boys League and was taken because Frank Seargent was
emigrating to the USA - we won 7-2
Back row: Allan Clayton, Bob Pickerden, Gordon 'Bim' Hufford, Bern Fish, Mike Brazier, Frank
Seargent, Dave Bray, Dave Allen
Front Row: Harry Guy, John Lance, Len Walsh, Gerry Marks, Trevor Pitman
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LETTERS
Dear Mike (Brazier)
Although not an EBOG, I did belong to the
same Youth and Drama Group as Hazel Tripp,
David Read and others including my husband,
Alan Ward. David, Hazel. Valerie Wrighton
(EBOG), Douglas Gooch Harris, Anne Wrighton
(EBOG), John Benchley, Alan and I were all
members of the same group and all got married
at about the same time, 1958-1959. During those
years we had a caravan holiday and a Broads
holiday together. Around 1990 we all had a
holiday together in Constable country and a
couple of other holidays triggered by the 1988
EBOG Golden Jubilee.
David & Hazel Read’s address is:
“Highview”, Clappentail Park, Lyme Regis Dorset
DT7 3NT. I don’t know if they receive the
Newsletter but Hazel may possibly produce an
article if asked. Sadly, their younger son, who was
an extremely good tennis player, contracted
cancer in his arm and subsequently died. Hazel
has been fundraising ever since.
Best wishes,
Congratulations to Maurice Canter (1947-1952)
and his lovely bride, Elaine, who, in September,
celebrated their Golden Wedding.
Maureen Ward
Hi Brian,
I think that the quadrangle design, to
which you referred in the last Newsletter, had
been used for many years in large buildings to
maximize the use of free light (Ed. note: John is
referring to my contention in the September
2010 Newsletter that the two quadrangles
wasted valuable space, thereby contributing to
the overcrowding of the school. He is of
course right but then, as Newsletter Editor, I’m
not required to let facts or logic hinder the
expression of my opinions).
I myself don't remember lights being
turned on in the school. There was one small light
in the corridor behind the stage end of the big
hall. I think this was placed in this dark area to
discourage snogging. Didn't work as the installer
had left the switch exposed. I guess that any staff
member or prefect who saw the light off could
spring into action. I myself was never caught!
Dear Brian
I have had the pleasure of seeing a couple
of newsletters courtesy of Brian Barnett.
Congratulations on the work you do compiling
such interesting material.
I have attached a document which I hope
you will consider for inclusion in the next
newsletter. (Ed. note: Doug is referring to the
tribute to Freddie Sunderland on the front page)
May I ask you quite separately from that
about my class/year mates (1955 leavers - except
the bright ones)
To stimulate the newsletter I presume we
must move up the years and my memory being
awful, only some names come to mind of my
year. John Postlethwaite, Anthony Davis, John
Lockwood, David Brock, Chris Mansell, David
Stott, Peter Kite, Alan Fowler, Alan Antonbring,
Tim Ostler and others. Then there were so many
nice girls - Valerie Barker, Pauline Webb & friend
Irene from New Barnet, Valerie Carter, Sheila?,
Carol Wheatcroft, Brenda Causton.
John Pargeter (1949-1955)
[email protected]
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Maybe others with a better memory can
fill in some of the gaps, but I know I was with a
smashing group of people who made school a
good experience and a good start in life's
journey. It would be great to hear how everyone
is doing.
With kind regards
Doug Platts
(1950-1955)
[email protected]
that he left well alone as I don’t remember being
sent to Mr. Clayton for that particular crime. As a
former teacher myself, it has since crossed my
mind that, for a man with a scientific background,
the teacher in question must have been able to
draw on both imagination and flair when report
time came round. Then again, I was obviously
not a good student so probably fell comfortably
in the ‘could do better if she tried’ category.
My thanks again to you and to Brian for
producing such an enjoyable read.
Very best wishes,
Vera Roper (1942-1949)
[email protected]
Dear Brian,
Following on from the opinions regarding
Mr. Clayton’s punishments, I recall some
inconsistencies of punishments. For example in
the first year I was invited to sing a ‘chanson’ in
our French class. For a laugh instead of Frère
Jacques or some other French ditty, I belted out
Elvis’s “You ain’t nothing but a hound-dog” to
much laughter from the class and Madame Pirie.
In the same year I was condemned to a Saturday
morning detention by Mr. Clayton for the heinous
crime of being out of my seat while waiting for
the teacher to arrive.
In the fifth year when a group of us tied a
fellow class mate with rope to his chair and lifted
it and him on the desk, the teacher when arriving
for class coolly said, “OK boys, untie him and we’ll
get started!” However in the same year when we
got caught tying up another pupil in the
playground we were punished with three lashes
of the cane on our backsides by the head “Sam”
Johnston.
You could argue that corporal punishment
works, as to this day I have never been involved
in tying up anyone else.
Your Editor’s hometown of Westlake Village,
California recently honoured him with the title of
their Snake Charmer of the Year. I’m available for
weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other festive
occasions and give EBOG’s a 5% discount
Rick Smyth 1957-1965
Dear Roy (Bertauche),
Thank you so much for continuing to send
the East Barnet Old Grammarians Newsletter. I
must confess to having very few memories of my
time at the school – perhaps because a lot of
water has passed under the bridge since – but I
enjoy reading the letters and, who knows, may
even get round to writing one myself. What does
happen to time these days?
I do recall spending quite a bit of lesson
time watching whatever sport was taking place
on the playing field during what should have
been science. I think the long suffering teacher
must have been so relieved when I didn’t appear
Dear Roy
The September Newsletter was the first
when I see no mention of my contemporaries. I
thought I should redress the balance.
I can remember seeing the original school
being built. I started in September 1937 at the
age of 11 and left in 1942 at 16. Key to my
education were Mr. Wellens, who was a brilliant
maths teacher, and Miss Oddie who taught
English. This foundation has been with me for my
whole life.
Art was taught by Mr. Scanes who also ran
the stamp club. My art is best summed up by his
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Association and in particular
the River Otter for which I
received recognition with the
MBE. I hope this stirs a few
memories with my contemporaries who survive.
Sincerely,
Alan Knights (1937-1942)
despairing note on my report "He tries ".
On leaving school Bernard Fish and I went
for an interview with a certified accountant in
Monks Avenue. Bernard Fish got the job which
worked out to my advantage as I was offered
articles with a chartered accountant which was
recognised as the better qualification. Thus it was
that I started work with two other classmates,
Frank Sergeant and John Hoare.
Frank did not complete his training and
went to live in California - the last I heard he was
still there. John Hoare also left without
completing his training and took a job in the city.
He died a few years ago.
Another classmate, Stan Thompson, also
trained as an accountant and went into
commerce. Stan was a martyr to a stomach ulcer
whom he christened Percy. Through a joint
interest in angling I kept in touch with Stan until
Percy triumphed a few years ago and Stan died.
As with many in my class I served with
1374 Squadron ATC. All will remember Mr. Yates’
service to this squadron.
In the difficult war years we had regular
dances at Anchor Hall and ensured that all the
girls in the class were invited. Joy Clayben, Enid
Loynes and Felicity Wright will all remember
those days.
Gender separation in the classroom was
strict - boys on the left, girls on the right. Other
contemporaries Daphne Maidstone and Jean
Thompson come to mind.
It was at a joint ATC & GTC dance at the
Royalty Southgate on 8 December, 1944 that I
met my wife Joyce Tibbles and we had 60
wonderful happy years until she died at home
with dementia in July 2009.
I regularly did firewatching at the school
and got to know Alan Clayton very well. I also
served with him on the ATC Committee. He was a
brilliant headmaster.
In a previous Newsletter mention was
made of a bomb in Cat Hill. This fell in front of
our family home at 84 Cat Hill. At the time I was
with Len Walsh in the road behind and we helped
rescue those affected. Sadly one of our
neighbours died and one opposite was seriously
injured.
Others in my class not mentioned include
Alan Millbank, Colin Willock, Ken Millard and
Derek Yeomans.
After I retired in 1986 I got involved with
voluntary work With the South West Rivers
Brian,
I think that is time that I put something in
the Newsletter about Pat. I leave it to you! It
seems a bit curt but I really don't know what else
to say - I am of course devastated, after 57 years
together, knowing that she will never come home
again.
Pat has been suffering from the onset of
Alzheimer's Disease for the past few years and I
regret to say that her condition has worsened to
the extent that I am now unable to cope
physically with the situation. So, much to my
regret, it has been necessary for her to be moved
into St. Christopher's Nursing Home in Hatfield
for permanent care.
I am sure that many Old Student's will
remember Pat and the way she always supported
me in the work that I did with, and for, the
Association and the School, although she, herself,
did not go to the School. Without Pat's support
and encouragement I could not have devoted the
time that I did to the Association, especially with
the building of our own Clubhouse and then the
development of the second Clubhouse and
playing fields at Alan Drive, and for this I shall
always be grateful.
Regards
Mike Brazier (1941-1947)
[email protected]
Dear Editor
I was recently conducting a Romanian
friend round East Barnet. On reaching the top of
Church Hill Road, opposite St. Mary's Church, it
was noticeable how well Oak Hill Theological
College blended into the surrounding landscape.
However the new East Barnet School completely
dominates the neighbouring houses and is a blot
on the landscape. (See photograph at the foot of
page 1, Sept. 2010 Newsletter)
Yours sincerely,
Brian Warren (1951-1953)
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Dear Brian,
John Lambert’s letter in the last
Newsletter mentions an end-of-year stunt
involving a banner placed on the school roof. Not
only am I able to reveal the identity of the
perpetrator of this outrage, but I have
photographic evidence. The miscreant (and I’ve
checked with him that he doesn’t mind being
grassed up) was Tim Brook, seen beaming
proudly in the picture, and the year was 1965.
(Ed. note: Imagine Mr. Clayton’s reaction if,
during his time, we had placed a banner on the
School saying AL’S CAFÉ !)
fearsome figure, frighteningly tall (“two metres”,
he claimed) with mad, staring eyes.
Embarking
on
an
A-level
Pure
Mathematics course, however, I immediately
found him to be the gentlest, most sensitive of
men, with a mischievous sense of humour, and a
thoroughly good teacher. He would tell us that
Mathematics was the only subject for which you
didn’t actually have to know anything, and that
mathematicians are essentially lazy people,
always looking for ways of avoiding hard work.
This appealed to me enormously. Every problem
had an “elegant” solution or, failing that, what he
called a “hack method”. We were often reminded
that “radii are equal in the best circles”. I
remember Jack giving an excellent speech at an
EBOG Dinner/Dance some time in the late 1960s,
but I believe that, sadly, he passed away not long
afterwards.
John also mentioned music teachers. Mrs
Gauld was extremely strict – you had to sit stock
still and not make a sound – and didn’t really give
the impression that music was something to be
enjoyed. Her replacement, Mr. (Roger?) Jacob,
was much more easy-going. He even invited us to
bring our own records to one lesson; it was his
misfortune that the current No.1 single was “My
Old Man’s A Dustman” by Lonnie Donegan, which
was probably not the sort of thing he had in
mind, as borne out by the expression on his face
as it was playing! For some reason we had to
troop over to a church hall in Freston Gardens for
music lessons at this time.
Desmond Sergeant’s arrival coincided
with my taking music as an O-level option. There
were only three of us – Cheryl Wells, Sheila Rowe
and myself – and he would frequently leave us to
our own devices while he busied himself with the
construction of the organ, as John has described.
During one lesson he sent me to the
hardware shop in Cockfosters to buy some bits
and pieces for the organ! It was through
Desmond’s influence – and no doubt Angus
Johnston’s – that it became possible for students
to learn almost any instrument. I flirted briefly
with the trombone, but found it a difficult
instrument to transport to school on a bicycle!
By the time the new hall complex was
completed there were two music rooms plus a
number of practice rooms , all equipped, to my
delight, with a piano. I spent many a happy
lunchtime in one or other of these rooms, often in
the company of Dave Brewer, who played the
Tim lives in Canberra, Australia, and is an
Adjunct Lecturer at the National University. I
assured him that he was probably safe from
detention by now.
Tim sent me this wonderful photo of Jack
Taylor in full flow in 1963.
The classroom, incidentally, is one of the
“temporary” huts erected below the tennis courts
in the early 1960s while the new hall, gym etc
were being built. As far as I know they’re still
standing – they’re visible on Google Maps.
I didn’t encounter Mr Taylor until the
sixth form; until then my impression was of a
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bass, or John Danter, an excellent guitarist who
later found fleeting fame as the co-writer of
“Making Your Mind Up”, the 1981 Eurovision
success for Bucks Fizz. Alternatively, we would
sneak round to Ray Ogles’ house in Bohun Grove
– sometimes when we were supposed to be on a
cross-country run – where the living room
contained not only a piano and a guitar but a full
set of drums. Great days!
Does anyone know the whereabouts of
John Danter or Ray Ogles? Or of Steve “Soot”
Sutherland, another budding musician at the
time?
Andy Sharp (1958-1965)
[email protected]
1956-1957 Under 15 XI from Tony Jackson
Standing: Mr. Clayton, Chris Phillips, Dave Northwood, D. Turner, Tommy Newman, Roy Jeffries, Neil
Emmerton, Peter Hanshaw, Don Hufford
Seated: Dave Breen, Brian Levan, Mal Griffiths, Tony Jackson, Richard Bates
that we were there. Poor old Ted, he went very
red under his white hair. He pondered then
addressed us, saying: "You let me down. You've
made me look a prize chump!" I bet he got some
stick in the staff room. Somehow or other he got
me through A level Physics, and I went on to get a
Physics degree at Essex University in 1972. Good
man!
By the way you can still see the old school
(pre demolition) on Google Earth.
I was at East Barnet from 1963 to 1969,
and now live in Nottinghamshire. I've lost touch
Hello Brian
The incident that comes to mind occurred
when I was in Physics for a double period with
Ted Humphreys.
I think he was just a bit deaf because he
didn't hear the bell at the end of our double
period, and carried on oblivious to the external
noises of pupils changing locations etc. We all
knew that we were due to go to PE with Mr.
Viney and looked at each other furtively. About
15 minutes after the bell, there's a knock on the
lab door and in walks our PE teacher, confirming
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with everyone except my old mate Jeremy Berks
who's alive and well in Southgate. Of course I'm
in close touch with my brother, Barry, who was
head boy a couple of years after I left.
Thanks Brian and the team for the work
you put in.
Philip Noskeau (1963-1969)
East Barnet Old Grammarians Chairman, Terry Boyce, advises
that to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the School, the
Head Teacher, Nick Christou, has kindly agreed to host a reunion of
past pupils and staff at the new school premises on Saturday 23rd
June 2012.
The following day, Sunday, a less formal gathering will be
held at the East Barnet Old Grammarians Clubhouse in Barnet.
Planning is in the very early stages, but you will be kept
informed as it develops. The EBOG web site will be subject to a
make-over and will be the main vehicle for communication on the
re-union; the new-look web site will be launched early in the New
Year.
In the meantime, we ask you to put the date in your diary and
spread the word to all ex-pupils and staff that you have kept in touch with or know the
whereabouts of. Also, if you know of any reason why 23rd June may not be a good idea, please
let Terry know. It doesn’t clash with the Olympics, so we won’t have to put that back. Terry can
be contacted at [email protected] but not all at once please, there are around 10,000 expupils!
PAM COXEN’S SPANISH DIARY
as did the making and fitting of the wedding
dress with many trips to the city to ensure it was
perfect in every way, flamenco style in satin and
lace with a flowing mantilla held firm with a large
comb.
Our church is perched on the top of our
mountain village, and on the day a 200 metre
long blue carpet extended from the doors to the
closest point that cars could reach. Only family
and closest of friends attended the ceremony but
the streets were lined with local people and
tourists alike to take in such a beautiful bride. It
was a somewhat longer service than we would
expect in the UK with the church doors left open
for whomever to wander in and out as they
pleased.
I was fascinated with the gold coins that
were passed from groom to bride and back, a
symbol I supposed of “what is mine is yours”. The
end of the ceremony was marked with the
fluttering of the white doves of peace above our
heads after which cameras flashed as
photographs and videos were permitted to be
used around the altar, before were ambled back
Hurrah! We are well into October now and
I think that I can safely say summer is almost at a
close. 2010 has been one of the hottest I can
remember with temperatures in
Seville soaring to 104 degrees
and over. It is still very hot
during the day but, dispensing
with fans and air conditioning,
we still only need a thin cotton
sheet on the bed at night. On the brighter side,
the huge net curtains shrouding our bed have
remained an ornament this year as the town hall
sprayed the offending areas early to the
temporary demise of the mosquito.
With such a large proportion of foreigners
resident in Spain now it could be expected that
some of the strong customs and traditions might
have become a little diluted. One that certainly
has not, in smaller towns and villages, is the
Spanish wedding, and that of our granddaughter
last year, was no exception.
I think that the Spanish mother must start
to save for her daughter’s wedding upon
conception! Planning definitely took over a year
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There were no speeches but the bride and
groom opened the dancing after passing through
the tables with gifts for every guest, wine and
cigars for the men and soft slippers for the ladies
so we might kick off our heels under the table
and dance in comfort.
I left for home about 2am but I think the
doors finally closed around breakfast time.
Happy autumn everyone, I am hoping to
enjoy a chilly week in Oxfordshire in
November.
into the sunlight.
An interval of a few hours took place
before the evening reception that started at 9pm.
This was held at a hotel some 10 kilometres away
as we have nothing large enough in our tiny
town. 400 people attended what I can only say
was the most amazing function I have
experienced. After drinks and tapas in an
extended marquee we took a 7 course meal in the
main hotel, the last of which was a plate
of “wedding cakes”, four delectable varieties of
tiny morsels washed down with champagne.
LIFE IN RURAL FRANCE
From Leon King (1940-1947)
From the very first time I set foot in
France, I wanted to live here. Several more
holidays have not changed my mind, and now,
after living here for sixteen years, I know what
appealed to me all those years ago, and I have
never regretted the decision to become a French
resident. I have learned a lot about the French,
and much of it has turned out to be different from
what I expected.
This village of several hundred souls is
surrounded by farms and woodland with the
County Town no less than fifty-five kilometres
away, so you might not expect to find the
abundance of refinement that reveals itself only
to those who have the time to look for it.
I cannot speak of city life in France, being
no more than an occasional visitor to Paris,
where the same city problems exist as in big
towns everywhere, but I do know something of
rural France with its values, its abundant social
life, with its hidden cultural pleasures, its
easygoing ways, and the warm hearted welcome
that awaits newcomers.
I shall draw a picture of everyday life here,
and you can make your own comparisons with
life in England. So let’s get straight to it. Most of
the villagers walk to the boulangerie every day.
Fresh bread has a special place in everyone’s life,
so some locals shop for bread up to three times
daily.
As with so many activities, the chance is
taken to exchange a word or two with
neighbours. It is usual to greet everyone in the
shop and all will reply. Women and children will
kiss each other and include local menfolk, but
nowadays men do not normally kiss each other;
they will always shake hands at the first meeting
of the day. The kisses are never on the lips, but
consist of brushing cheeks, and even very small
children take part in this, waiting patiently for
their turn to come.
Every Christmas, Les Hubbard (1947-1952)
brings holiday cheer to local residents, regardless
of whether they have been naughty or nice. It’s a
tough job but he never complains.
This process is much more important than
may appear. I have seen a latecomer to a
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At 643,000 square kilometres, France is
roughly three times the size of the United
Kingdom, and it shows in several ways, the most
notable of which is the traffic density. In Paris
and some half dozen other towns, congestion can
cause delays, whereas in the country area it is
almost non-existent, even on roads designated
“departmental” where I estimate that, on a trip of
fifty kilometres, I may encounter only ten or a
dozen other vehicles. So driving becomes a
pleasure once again, an experience I have not
enjoyed since I was at school. And somehow
there seems to be plenty of money to improve
roads, build new roundabouts and bridges, like
the fabulous new bridge at Millau (although we
Brits can claim some of the credit, it being
designed by Sir Norman Foster).
We were the first English couple to live in
this village. There are now some thirty-five
houses owned by British residents and every one
has been made welcome, led by the Mayor in his
speech at the welcome dinner on the village
green.
More of this and other news next time.
Leon King
gathering of thirty or more locals in the village
hall bring the meeting to a halt for as long as it
takes for him to go round the table, kissing and
shaking hands before taking his place.
This is a habit throughout France, and its
virtue is that it establishes a universal procedure
governing the behaviour of everyone upon
meeting acquaintances, leaving no-one in any
doubt about what to do. It is so widely regarded
that failing to do so would be taken as a slight. It
also determines behaviour between the
generations, thereby improving relations
between adults and teenagers, and even between
teenage boys and tiny children, for whom it is
entirely natural.
It is true that walking to get bread can
take longer, since I meet so many acquaintances
along the way, each requiring the greeting
procedure, but it is a trade-off made with great
pleasure – a few seconds in exchange for a
comforting process with friends that develops
genuine community sociability.
You will not be burdened with facts and
figures in this series, unless they help to make
clear some point about everyday life, and here’s
one now:
SHEILA WARREN’S REFLECTIONS
While basking in the
warmth of the early
morning autumn sun here
in Italy, there came to
mind a poem learned long
ago at primary school. It
was called “Autumn” and
it began: Season of mists
and mellow fruitfulness.
When a child, I thought it
just referred to apples in the orchard. However, I
now realise the poet intended another meaning
as well and that a person’s “third age” was
personified in this poem about the “third season”.
The “mists” could well correspond to our
“senior moments“, the misty memory, the misty
vision, the misty hearing ... all on the negative
side. The “mellow”, on the other hand, reminds us
of the time to relax and take things easy, enjoying
life in a leisurely kind of way. The “fruitfulness”
can be how the younger ones grow in
understanding by looking to us, learning from
our experience, wisdom and advice – they are the
“fruits” of our third age. Thus the first line ends
on a cheerful note and indicates that the negative
side of the third age is outweighed by the positive
sides. Do we insist on saying that the glass is half
empty when in reality it is half full?
Now about myself:
I live in a community in a town in
northern Italy. The community consists of four
members: an Anglo-Italian man (Buddhist)), a
Japanese woman (Buddhist), a young Romanian
gypsy lad (Evangelical), a not-so-young English
woman (C. of E.). Don’t start laughing, I’m not
making it up.
Sometimes it’s riotous fun, and anyway it’s
nearly always riotous. Different genders,
different cultures, different religions, different
languages, all mixed up in one small flat. How do
we survive? Well, don’t you believe in miracles?
Actually things are looking pretty black at the
moment because our cleaning lady has gone back
to Romania for a few weeks. (Can’t think why
Sarkozy wants to get rid of all these Roma – Italy
can’t do without them!).
11
To live in a community one has to be
adaptable. And of course, in the summer there
are all the staying guests (note I didn’t say
paying). At one stage last summer we had 12
sleeping in the flat – in the beds, on the sofa, on
the floor, even the sun-lounger came in handy.
The only real problem was the bathroom (we’ve
only got one and here in Italy the bath, shower
and toilet are together). However the family
upstairs saved the situation and kindly opened
their doors in emergencies.
One day a metallic object appeared on the
living room floor, nearly 3 metres long and 50
centimetres wide. Written on it in large letters
was the word PILATES. The latest gadget – the
best gadget – for keeping fit, I was told. Now the
idea was for it to be taken down into the cellar
for work-outs. Nevertheless a year has passed
and it still occupies pride of place in the living
room. I should explain that ours really is a ‘living’
room: kitchen corner, dining table, coffee table,
bookcases, television (for TV, DVDs and what
have you), and sofa (for sitting, lying and
occasionally sleeping). When visitors come, they
usually ask politely what this apparatus is (how
ignorant can you get?). The explanation is given
in great detail but not accompanied by a
demonstration - the nearest I got to this was to
trip over the straps that project out from the
sides.
On yet another topic, I have read with
interest the various comments and opinions
regarding Mr. Clayton in previous EBOG newsletters. Personally I believe that, despite his faults
(and don’t we all have them?), he was a truly
great and exceptional man. On a visit to England
years ago, Stella Burbidge and I called on Mr. and
Mrs. Clayton when he was partially disabled,
having suffered a stroke. We sat round in the
lounge and had tea together, sharing our
different experiences. It was then that I realised
for the first time what an exceptional person Mrs.
Clayton was and the old saying came back to me:
“Behind every great man there’s a great woman.”
THE CLAYTON DIARIES TRANSCRIBED BY BRIAN WARREN
4-8-1949 TO 5-12-1949
The Headmaster left on the 4th of August
for a fortnight, as a member of the Hertfordshire
County Team speaking to Dutch teachers about
secondary education.
Mr. Clayton and his wife took twenty
pupils to a Promenade Concert (30th August).
The 4th, 5th and 6th Forms saw a film, ”Atomic
Physics”, provided by the Tottenham Gas Works
(20th Sept.) On the 14th July an electric
gramophone arrived at the School. The following
day Mrs. Gotell took-up her appointment as
Matron-Housekeeper. The Ernest Farris band
played for the Leavers' Social (18th July) The
same day Certificates of Merit were awarded to
John Fryer, B. Freedman, Madeleine Wilding, Phil
Edwards, L. Reeves and C. Baines for their work
in the Barnet Arts, Crafts and Hobbies Exhibition.
.Julian Adams, Hazel Harding, Isobel
Milliken, A. T. Whitaker and R. G. Patten were
members of the Hertfordshire Athletic team,
which were taken by Mr. Clayton and Mr. Viney
to the All England Inter-County Sports at
Carshalton. G. Marks spoke to leavers about the
Old Students' Association. An exciting cricket
match (16th July) between the School and the Old
Boys ended in a tie at 28 each but it had been
interrupted by a terrific thunderstorm.
Autumn Term commenced with 102 in the
1st Year and six pupils from Secondary Modern
Schools. Miss Bennett retired as Secretary after
12 years and was replaced by Mrs. Fenner. Mrs.
Gibson took over as Vialou House Mistress from
Mrs. G. Smith and Miss Thomas became Hadley
House Mistress.
The diaries do reveal, in some cases, the
long hours of work Mr. Clayton devoted to the
School. In this Diary one noted the time spent
preparing the 1949 Autumn Term's Timetable,
on the 3rd-4th September (note Saturday and
Sunday). On the 3rd from 7.00 to 10.30 pm Mr.
Clayton and his nephew typed the teachers'
Time-Tables. On Sunday Mr. Clayton, his nephew
and Miss Tomkins worked in the morning. From
2.30 pm to 12.30 am Mr. Clayton and his nephew
prepared the stencils. Then they began
cyclostyling at 12.30 am and finished at 2.30 am.
The Diary noted "All preparations for opening of
term completed."
On the 6th September a social evening
was provided for forty French boys from Cuffley
County Camp, by Mr. O'Hare and Iris Lane.
Ernest Far's band was used for the Old
12
Students' dance (10th Sept.) and the next day
contractors began extensive repairs to the flat
roof of the School.
The Railway Club listened to Mr. Holmes
expound on “Railways a hundred years ago."
On the 16th of September there was a
Photographic Exhibition of the School party visit
to Rome from 8.00-10.30pm for parents and
friends.
As the number of Sixth-form leavers and
former pupils increased so did the number of
entries relating to them. Those entries indicated
Mr. Clayton's great interest and concern for his
former pupils
On the 25th September Miss Lehmann,
Mlle. Dalbert, and Mr. Yates took 98 pupils to the
Third Annual Economics Conference of the
Economics Association at Senate House, University of
London, where 500 pupils were present.
The 1st October recorded a visit by The
Railway Club to Loughton and Chadwell Heath. Two
days later the Lower VI Science and Secretarial VI
(33 pupils) visited a factory and export exhibition of
the International Chemist Co., Orpington, with Mr.
Legge, Mlle.Dalbert and Mr. Clayton.
The 5th October witnessed 253 pupils
going to the Odeon, Barnet, to see “Hamlet” to
which the Staff were admitted free!
A visit was made to the International
Chemical Co., Chenies St. WC1 by 18 pupils of the
Secretarial 6th, on the 12th October, followed a few
days later by 26 boys and girls to the Chislet Colliery
in Kent and to Canterbury.
The Railway Club made a visit, as recorded in
the Diary, to the new extensions at Epping, with
Mr. Holmes.
On the I2th November Miss Brooks and
Mlle. Dalbert took a small group to the National
Book Exhibition at Grosvenor House. The same day
fifteen Stamp Club members went to the British
Museum.
J. D. Hyde entered a course at Southampton University and Margaret Bryant was to
return to her Honours Degree in German at Sheffield
University.
Terence Stockbridge, on demobilisation from
the RAF, was to return to the Hornsey School of
Art, while Helen Howland was accepted for a
second-year course in Catering at the Hendon
Technical College. K. J. Harvey was to be admitted to
University College, London for economics and R. T.
Bridal had been awarded a County Senior
Scholarship at University College, Hull.
Visits were made by R. R. Joy prior to entry to
University College, Leicester and J. B. Fonseca was
entering an Honours School of Electrical
Engineering, Kings College, London.
A three-year Montessori training course
awaited Dorothy M. Cook to be a Nursery
Teacher. Pamela Harrison (née Shirley) was
teaching at Church Hill Road Junior School since
September 1949. D. W. Best had gained entry to the
Honours School of Physics, at University College,
Leicester.
Mary Glendinning had won a Silver Medal
for French in the London Chamber of Commerce
Examination, while H. W. Meyer commenced an
intermediate B.Sc. (London) taking Pure and Applied
Maths, and Chemistry. Finally, R .F. Bowman was
making good progress in the Civil Engineering
Department, at Queen Mary College. He was also
playing hockey for the 2nd XI and rowing for the
College
On the 12th of May Miss Brooks gave
notice of possible group exchanges with the Écoles
Normales at Chartres. The School Captains, Iris
Lane and Denys Morrish, were accepted on a
Herts. County 6th Form party to the Special 6th
Form Centre de Vacances Franco-Britanniques at
Granville, Normandy.
On the 24th May thirty-eight boys and girls
were taken to see Jour de Fête at the Polytechnic
Cinema, Regent Street.
From the 15th-22nd June reference was to
three visits. The first was Mr. Hughes taking
thirteen pupils to a Spanish show at Enfield
County School. The next was to see “Macbeth” at
the Arts Theatre and finally Mr. Collins took boys
to see period furniture at the Geffry Museum.
On the 24th May the performance of “A
Midsummer Night's Dream” at the Barnet Drama
Youth Festival, was called “a poor show”. Three
days later the School achieved its most successful
result ever in the Herts. AAA Schools' Sports, at
Queen Elizabeth Boys' Grammar School. This was
followed by J. T. Scott coming second in the 440
yards, at the Herts. AAA Youth Championship, at
Watford and gaining a Herts. Standard Certificate
and a Southern Counties Standard Certificate, with
a time of 53 seconds.
I wonder if anyone still has a copy of the
School photograph taken by Panora, on the 2nd
May 1950?
In the School the typewriters were repaired
and a 16mm. sound projector was delivered for
the exclusive use at School.
13
On the 6th of May Stanley Thompson
delivered material for the next issue of the Old
Students' Circular, while the School Magazine was
distributed on the 9th of June.
Janet Oldman, Form V was a member of the
Guard of Honour for Princess Margaret, while
former pupil Joan Ring, a Petty Officer in the WRNS
was Guard of Honour for the Queen, at the
launching of the Ark Royal.
LETTER FROM ALLAN CLAYTON TO THE LATE JEFF GRAY (CIRCA 1953-1960)
8th June, 1965
life is going on much as usual outside, that Oxford
Street is crowded with shoppers that the
Underground is packed to capacity. Another
aspect is that the wards represent a real slice of
life. Each person has come there from a different
direction. It is amazing how cheerful people can
be in the most adverse circumstances.
On the whole I am enjoying my
retirement. I keep very busy. About half my time I
spend writing to Old Students, particularly when
they change their status when they marry, to
congratulate them when they become parents, to
send messages of encouragement when they are
due to take examinations, sending letters of
congratulation when they are successful in
passing and when they earn promotion or move
to better posts.
The Governors were kind enough to buy
me a typewriter as a leaving-present. It has been
invaluable to me, as writing by hand is almost
beyond my capacity. Even my typewriting is slow
and inaccurate, although I have been doing it
since 1921. As so many of our old students are
abroad, my correspondence tends to take on a
world-wide aspect. They are scattered over the
five continents. I know where most of them are.
Over 60 are in the USA, in widely different States,
doing very different kinds of jobs. Incidentally
quite a number of our PhD’s are there holding
important positions.
About 30 of our Old Students are across
the border, in Canada. Even such a trouble spot as
Africa seems to offer some attraction to both Old
Boys and Old Girls. We have representatives in
Ethiopia, Kenya, the Congo, Northern and
Southern Rhodesia, Nigeria, Johannesburg, Natal,
Libya. Our representatives in Asia are mostly in
Aden, Malaysia, Indonesia. Australasia and New
Zealand have naturally attracted a fair number of
immigrants. The Old Students in Europe are
much scattered.
Very occasionally I go to functions
organised at the Club House. I find it difficult to
identify many of the younger ones. Those who
Dear Jeff,
This morning I received a letter from Dave
Northwood informing me that he had been
elected Secretary to the Old Boys' Football Club.
In the course of the letter he intimated to me that
you had been in hospital for some months. I was
very shocked to hear this sad news. I hope the
operative treatment has been completely
successful and trust that very shortly you will be
on your feet again and well on the way to
complete recovery. Hospital life can be very
tedious, especially if one is seriously ill. When
visiting friends in hospital, I could never imagine
myself at the receiving end; but the time came in
1947 when I had a month in St Andrews Hospital,
Cricklewood, suffering from a severe dose of
pneumonia. My next experience was in 1959
when I had a month in Highlands Hospital,
Winchmore Hill, with a cerebral thrombosis. That
precipitated my premature retirement.
The hospital saga was renewed in 1963,
with a second bout of pneumonia. I was in
Highlands again, for three weeks. I had the
advantage this time having an Old Girl, Miss Jean
Robertson, as my Staff Nurse. She looked after me
very well and won golden opinions in the ward
for the efficient and kindly way in which she
looked after all her patients. After 6 months at
Highlands she sailed for Australia to visit
relatives, to work in various hospitals and to
widen her experience. She went to almost every
part of Australia before deciding to start on the
homeward trek. She sent me some very
interesting letters, giving me her news and
impressions.
After all this experience of hospitals I
came to the conclusion that they are like Schools;
each has its own individuality, its own
atmosphere and its own way of achieving the
same ends. Another impression I had was that
hospitals are a world apart, largely cut off from
the world of reality. It is difficult to imagine that
14
were at the School, in my time have changed out
of all recognition.
I find great interest in collecting
information about Old Students. The local
newspapers are a fruitful source of information.
In my peregrinations through the district I meet
many past and present pupils and their parents,
and the many persons whom I have encountered
in and out of the educational field during my 29
years of residence in the area.
Mr. Johnston very kindly invites me to the
major social occasions at the School: Speech Day,
Sports Day, School Plays and Concerts, the Old
People's Party (I almost qualify for this on age
grounds). These visits to the School help me to
keep in touch with the parents and the staff. Over
the years there have been many changes in the
personnel of the latter. Retirement has
eliminated some.
Mr. Yates retired about 3 years ago to
Lytham St. Anne's, next door to Blackpool.
Unfortunately, he fell ill and had to spend many
months in hospital. When he came home he had
to spend much of his time in bed. He needed a lot
of nursing. He developed Parkinson's disease,
along with other maladies. He could not really
enjoy his retirement. As you probably know, he
died last October. Miss Brooks represented the
School at the funeral. He had rendered great
service to the School by his excellent teaching
and by his development of the Economics
Department to a high level of efficiency. By his
sterling work as Commandant of the ATC he
greatly widened the sphere of his influence.
Cricket Team circa 1956 from Dave Northwood
Standing: Mr. Clayton, Jack Abraham, Brian Levan, Dave Cotton, Jim Taylor, Roger Trickett, Geoff
Smith, Jeff Gray, Alan Haddon, Bob Henbest (Woodwork Teacher)
Seated: Dave Larcombe, Roy Jeffries, Tony Harding, ?, Barry Sheppard (Ed. note: some of the names
may be incorrect; others have identified some of the players differently)
however, I did not teach them. Barry Yates, the
son of Mr. Yates, married an Old Girl of the
School, Tessa Atkins. She is the first of our old
Girls to become a Head Mistress. She reigns
supreme over the Cherry Tree Church of England
Primary School in Blackburn.
Mr. Hughes, the Spanish Master, retired
I had known Mr. Yates since 1923. He was
an Old Boy of High Storrs Grammar School,
Sheffield. This was the School of which I was
Senior Modern Languages Master before I came
to be the first Head Master of East Barnet
Grammar School. Two of the brothers of Mr.
Yates were at the School when I was there,
15
have done me the signal honour of naming it the
Clayton Hall, a generous gesture which I greatly
appreciate. Behind the larger stages there are
two dining-rooms and a mammoth canteenkitchen.
The third element on this site of the old
huts and the upper tennis-court is a very fine and
modern gymnasium, well provided with showerbaths and changing-rooms. The old gymnasium
has been converted into workshops for
woodwork and metal-work. The rooms on the
back corridor have been converted into 3
spacious Staff-rooms and a new Art and Craft
rooms. The former canteen-kitchen has been
transformed into a well-equipped Domestic
Science Room with a flat in which the Girls can
practise their House-Craft. The old Assembly Hall
has become a handsome School Library with a
spacious balcony. The front corridors have been
widened to admit the construction of alcoves to
be used as cloak-rooms by the girls.
The main entrance is from the former
playground for Girls. On the right is a short
corridor leading to the Laboratories. Off this
corridor are the School Office, the Head Master's
study, the Medical Room, the special rooms for
the Deputy-Head (Miss Brooks) and for the
Senior Master (Mr. Taylor). On the bottom
corridor there is a Sixth Form Reading Room,
comprising the old School Office and store-room,
the Entrance Hall, the old Medical-Room and the
bell room.
The former Staff-rooms, the former
Library have become extra class-rooms. My room
and the room of the Senior Mistress and sundry
store-rooms have become 'division rooms' for
small Sixth Form groups. The playgrounds have
been extended, but there is not enough room.
Please give my respects to your parents,
Get well soon,
Yours sincerely,
Allan Clayton
(Ed. note: Dave Northwood, who sent me this
letter, added: Jeff sadly died in 2007 and, as a
matter of interest, the funeral aftermath was held
in the gardens of Sir Johnny Dankworth and
Dame Cleo Laine’s home at Wavendon. Jeff's wife,
Sheila, was their Private Secretary. It was a
memorable "send off”)
about 3 years ago. His health has much improved
since his retirement. Mr. Thurman is in semiretirement. He still teaches Mathematics parttime. About 2 years ago Mrs. Gibson and her
husband retired to a new bungalow in Cornwall.
Their elder son is a representative of Messrs.
Reeves, colour manufacturers, of Enfield, in New
York.
Miss Brooks is now Deputy-Head of the
School. Mr. Taylor is the Senior Master. Dr.
Whitworth, the Head of the English Department,
has been appointed Head Master of Enfield
Grammar School. Quite a lot of the younger
members of the Staff have sought and gained
promotion in other Schools. However, a
considerable number of the older members of the
Staff have stayed on. Amongst those who were at
the School in your time who are still there are Mr.
Salamé, German Master. He has recently
published a German Course for School in three
volumes. He has also written a lot of scripts for
the German Lessons on the BBC radio.
Mr. Till, who was appointed Art Master in
January 1947, still reigns supreme in his new Art
Room. Mr. Viney, who was appointed on the 1st
of July 1947, is still doing sterling work in the
Physical Education Department and Mr. Hill, who
came in September 1947, is still Senior
Geography Master. Miss Thomas, who came at
the same time, is still an enthusiastic teacher of
French. Miss McLachlin and Miss Handy are still
in the Biology Department. Mr. Lumsden is still in
charge of Divinity. In the last few years he has
taken groups of pupils on educational cruises. Mr.
Humphreys is the only member of the old Science
Group remaining. Dr Craig, BSc, PhD. is the Head
Master of the Commonweal Grammar School,
Swindon. Dr. Legge, MA, MSc, PhD. as one of Her
Majesty's Inspectors. Mr. Bradford, BSc is Senior
Chemistry Master at the Simon Langton Grammar
School, Canterbury, Mr. Covell, BSc, is Senior
Physics Master at the Ifield Grammar School,
Crawley.
As you possibly know, the School has
undergone a major structural modification. A
much-needed and much larger Assembly Hall has
been established. It is octagonal in shape and has
two large stages, thus providing ample
accommodation for dramatic and musical
activity. The Governors and the Head Master
16
STELLA BURBIDGE’S RUSSIAN HOLIDAY
spent their first month in Russia taking an
intensive Russian language course and the girls
learn it at school. Eve looked after us the whole
time and took us sightseeing to the Kremlin, Red
Square etc.
Everywhere there are fantastic buildings
including numerous gold-roofed churches, in
contrast to the plain ugly blocks from the Soviet
era. The streets and pavements are very wide,
making it impossible to cross the streets in the
normal way so there are numerous underpasses
with steps and a ramp on one side for
wheelchairs. At least one street has twelve lanes
for traffic.
The cars are nearly all large and dark with
tinted windows. The drivers have absolutely no
courtesy so traffic is a nightmare. We even saw
some cars driving on the pavement. There is little
parking available so people just leave their cars
on the pavement.
We went on the Metro (underground
railway) a few times. It is fantastically efficient
with frequent rapid trains and fast escalators
which take you very deep underground. The
stations are something to behold – all different,
beautifully decorated with marble – incredible.
In the Metro you get a good chance to
study Russian faces. The people are unsmiling
and unfriendly. You get the impression that they
have had hard lives and, in the case of the older
people, this is undoubtedly true.
When you visit the churches and, for
instance, Chekhov’s house, where we went, there
are people strategically placed to watch you. The
police are conspicuous, even in he parks, to stop
you walking on the grass by blowing their
whistles.
We enjoyed pleasant autumn weather,
with beautiful yellow-leaved trees, mostly
birches, and there were only two days of rain.
The highlight of this year for me was in
September when I went for a two week holiday to
Moscow with my daughter, Helen, and her 19
month old son, Daniel. There is no direct flight
from Johannesburg to Moscow (Mr. Zuma is
supposed to be organising it) so we travelled on
Emirate Airlines via Dubai who are the cheapest
and most direct airline for this journey. In
addition they allow 30kg. of luggage which was
needed as Helen took both a pushchair and a
fold-up camp cot.
The airline’s main disadvantage is the
hours you have to spend between flights. Dubai is
an enormous airport with many facilities –
mainly shops. There are Muslim prayer rooms for
males and females but, guess what? No
playrooms for mothers travelling with young
children!
The flights themselves were no better
than “all right” and the staff were slow and
inefficient. I enjoyed best the last flight when I
was separated from the others and had a window
seat. It was a day flight – light most of the time –
and I saw the Arabian Peninsula and the east
coast of Africa.
We were not particularly going to see
Russia but to visit our friends who are living
there. Scott Reynolds is Minister-Counselor for
Agricultural Affairs at the American Embassy.
His wife, Eve, is Chinese (they met when he was
posted to Shanghai) and they have two daughters
aged 11 and 6).
We arrived at their townhouse in the
embassy complex. It had five bedrooms, five
bathrooms and two kitchens, one for
entertaining. From my bedroom window I could
see a beautiful big white building, which was
floodlit at night.
The girls attend an international school to
which they are taken in a school bus. The parents
There will be a reunion of those who STARTED school in 1957 who will be reaching 65 in 2011 when
Sue Bell is arranging another get together. It will be Saturday 18th June 2011 at the EBOG Club, open
from noon with food available at 2pm. Details from Susan Barry (Bell) 01929 421150.
[email protected] Please register with Sue, it helps with the catering. Pictures from the
gathering in 2006 can be found on the EBOG website and click on ‘ebog photos’, or use the link
http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/rosbertauche/REUNIONS/2006-06-17%201st%20yr%201957/ Sue would
like to see the people who couldn’t make it last time. She’s doing all the hard work; all you’ve got to do
is turn up!
17
For the middle weekend we all went to
visit the town of Rostov which is 220km. northeast of Moscow, on lake Nero. We travelled by
car, Scott driving, and the journey took
interminable hours because getting out of
Moscow was a real mission. After this the road
was bordered by forest on both sides, and at that
time of year an abundance of mushrooms
appears under the trees. The people pick and eat
them, and at the sides of the road people were
selling buckets of mushrooms, as well as
pumpkins and apples and other things.
We spent Saturday night at a small modest
guest house by the lake. “Kremlin” is an
anglicisation of the Russian word “kreml”
meaning “citadel” and every town has its “kreml”,
a walled area with lots of churches etc.
For dinner in Rostov we went to a
Georgian restaurant. In Moscow we only went to
cafeteria type restaurants as the others were too
expensive. At one cafeteria, to which we went
more than once, the tables were marble and the
decor was striking with huge chandeliers hanging
from the high fancy ceiling and enormous marble
columns.
The food everywhere was very
colourful and tasty. A frequent item is a “bliny”, a
folded pancake with various fillings. In Rostov we
ate “hachapuri”, the most delicious dish I have
ever tasted. It looks a bit like pizza but with soft
pastry and only cheese on top. Caviar is
expensive even in Russia but one day we had it
for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Moscow is one of the most expensive
cities in the world, but we didn’t feel it because of
our friends’ fantastic generosity.
One thing I enjoyed very much was a visit
to a supermarket. The shelves were very well
stocked and the days of long queues that one
heard about in Soviet days are definitely a thing
of the past. We stocked up with bars of chocolate
and packets of sweets to bring home. The fresh
fruits and vegetables were impressive. We also
bought a few bottles of vodka! In the open
markets we bought hand-painted key-rings,
fridge magnets and wooden dolls as souvenirs.
Early in our stay we went on a boat ride,
which I enjoyed very much, on the Moskva River
which winds through the city and passes many
beautiful buildings. On our last day we went for a
walk along the river and we had the thrill of
seeing a lone fisherman with a small rod catch a
very big fish, about half a metre long, We joined
in the fun and took photos with Helen’s camera
and the fisherman’s.
That evening at Domodedovo Airport we
saw that one of the airlines had a beautiful
aquarium the whole length of the long counter just the thing to park Daniel in front of in his
pushchair. He loved the
colourful little fishes
and
since
these
incidents “fish” has
been a favourite word.
(Ed. note: Stella
Burbidge
was
my
classmate from 1947 to
1952 and has lived in
South Africa for many years. She can be reached
at [email protected] In her accompanying letter
to this article she recounted this amusing
anecdote :)
Yesterday I started reading the letters I
wrote to my parents when I was an au pair girl in
Paris. In one I told them I was going to a talk
about Madagascar. I added, “Please tell me where
Madagascar is, I don’t want to appear ignorant.
It’s somewhere around Africa, isn’t it?” Now I did
O level geography and this makes me wonder
what they taught us! Anyway, I made up for it
when I was there: I was chatting to a young
English couple at a hotel and the wife, who had
heard me speaking French to my Belgian friend
with whom I was travelling, congratulated me on
how well I spoke English!
LEN BREWER (1942-1947) REMINISCES
been well conditioned accordingly. I trust other
EBOGs will bring to the table a sample of their life
features. I have lived a very full life and in truth I
really am not sure which passage would be found
sufficiently interesting to my old school chums,
indeed if any.
During the war we invariably had our
When Brian Pritchard
asked me if I would make time to
write a page or two for the
Newsletter, it was a compliment
for I believe we all have lived
through an extraordinary period
in world history and each of our fortunes have
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avoided RAF station duties by playing rugby for
the Station team!
Not initially familiar with the rules of the
game I soon discovered how quickly one learns
from being bruised and buffeted twice a week by
the beefiest of players. Yes ribs were broken,
teeth knocked out, my nose for some time had a
generous leaning to one side, but having only one
night of office duty to fulfil was compensation.
I was detailed to guard the WAAF`s
quarters where I caught a new recruit trying to
steal knickers off the clothes line! Tut tut. There
was little flying, far too many personnel, and not
enough planes, but the ramifications of observing
flights along the Berlin Corridor was a most
interesting “conflict” between East and West
Europe. Off duty ventures into the town were
dangerous for Köln (Cologne) had been flattened
by the RAF during the war. I did mange however,
to visit Nurburgring Race Track where my
roommate’s uncle, a certain Captain Easton, had
raced prior to the war. We “raced” round what
track was left, in a VW Beetle, an amazing
experience.
The city of Köln festered in the shambolic
destruction which existed at that time. The Bailey
bridge built over the Rhine allowed traffic to
cross at 10mph. The Cathedral had escaped most
of the bombing. Local deals with Nescafe coffee
and silk stockings were rife. The RAF had
adopted Field Marshall Rommel’s previous HQ.
The buildings were superb, my room cleaner an
ex Messerschmitt fighter pilot arrived on the dot
at 06.30 each morning and left at eight o’clock in
the evening. The boss, Jonny Johnson, of Dam
Buster fame flew between the twin spires of the
Cathedral which had consequences!
I had the travel bug, and on returning to
civilian life I accepted a colonial permanent
posting to work with the EAR&H Administration
in East Africa, based in Nairobi. The work related
to a substantial UK capital investment into the
Railways and Harbours Administration of British
East Africa, major upgrading of the Ports of
Mombassa, Tanga and Dar es Salaam, also the city
terminals of Kampala, Nairobi and the Victoria
Lake ports.
I headed the small consultancy office in
Nairobi, initially with fear and trepidation of the
huge responsibility. I had married Anne Porter
(an Old Minchendenian) at St Mary’s Church
Barnet just prior to leaving the UK. Needless to
lessons interrupted by air raids. The
incomparable Mr. Clayton headed a variety of
teachers, and one would have had to go a long
way to find a better school. Being blessed as a
member of the unforgettable unbeatable School
Soccer X1 remains something special. Each and
every regular member of the team can be
justifiably proud of the record achieved.
I have so many happy memories and sad
ones where school/team mates have sadly
inevitably departed. Being unfairly caned by Mr.
Clayton for supposedly whistling in Charlie
Chopin’s class hurt at the time, as I believe Pete
Matthews was the guilty offender so he owes me
a pint of the best. Swallowing a pin that one of the
girl classmates (Pat Hobbs) had pinned onto my
shorts during a Gym period was certainly another
event which comes to mind. Cotton wool
sandwiches came to my aid; not a pleasant
experience.
On the last day at school I walked around
the playing fields channeling many thoughts. The
particular chums I had associated with were
during my time at school, Dennis Bell and Derek
Fenn, buddies from the days at Osidge Primary
School, also the members of the school X1 and
Dave Bray and Peter Baker were particular
classmates. Seeing the tennis courts reminded me
of Barbara Thrussell and Pat Hobbs and where
they used to hide to avoid Gym lessons, but I
certainly recall clearly the fear for my future. My
mother had suggested a visit to the local
engineering company of Standard Telephones &
Cables as a start.
My exam results were far from being
biased towards science. I did however venture
into the direction of engineering for whatever
reason, and by chance I was offered an
indentured apprenticeship which set the tone for
my future career.
My time at STC was invaluable. Pete
Walsh, John Austin, Terry Hulme and Alan Thoms
were former EBOG`S who also found their way to
STC. Some joined me in playing for the firm’s
soccer X1. The excellent apprenticeship provided
the basis in engineering.
Having completed my engineering
qualifications, National Service called, and the
inevitable single fare to RAF Padgate, then to
Hornchurch for aircrew selection, then OTC at
RAF Jurby (IOM) which led to a posting in
Germany. Once installed in comparative luxury I
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hotel. Suddenly another aircraft appeared on the
horizon, clearly destined for the airport. It duly
touched down, taxied alongside our Argonaut
and out stepped Princess Margaret!
The efforts to re-route the now foot
trodden red carpet towards her, were in vain.
Winston Churchill would have been delighted
with the appropriate sign she gave as she walked
directly over to the waiting open topped
Sunbeam Talbot for onward travel to the British
High Commissioners House!
The following day coincided with the
Royal Show. The Princess appeared with her
usual grace, and in particular admired a new
David Shepherd painting on show. David was at
ease with the princess. The picture was on sale
for charity at a mere £700. I actually saw the
same picture in a gallery in London ten years
later being offered at close on £30,000.
To be continued.
Len Brewer [email protected]
add Mr. Clayton made time to join in the church
service.
In 1956 it took 2 full days to travel to
Nairobi in a BOAC Argonaut. The first stop was
Rome, where we were dished up a huge bowl of
spaghetti in the airport’s prestigious hotel, then
to Cairo, for a burger and a mug of tea. On to
Khartoum, where at night the conditions were
freezing. The reception committee was made up
of armed guards (Suez was about to explode). On
board we were quite content not to eat but
settled for the plane to be refuelled. On to
Entebbe where we accepted an astonishingly
large selection of tropical fruit, and finally we
reached Nairobi where the sky was blue with
pockets of cumulus cloud and the sun was
generously warm in October.
We were greeted and escorted over a red
carpet to the VIP lounge, (an ex RAF Nissen hut).
Gin and tonics, ice and lemon flowed and I looked
around for the expected guide to take me to my
THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDING NOVEMBER 2010 from Roy Bertauche
The new school from the old boys entrance which
is now the car park entrance. This large car park
has relieved congestion in neighbouring roads.
To the right of the entrance road are 4 new
netball/tennis courts. Behind the grey post you
can just see the caretaker’s house, the only
original building still standing.
This is the new central entrance which passes
directly through the middle of the old gym and
old school
The new look in Chestnut Grove. The first gate is
the car park exit; the second is the main student
entrance.
We wish all our readers a Merry Christmas or
Chanukah or generic winter holiday and a Happy
New Year.
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