Doc Freeman's car

I can remember the registration DOR 10 - used to haunt me.  It seemed whenever I was up to no good, it would appear out of nowhere, which meant I quickly had to adorn my cap and raise it nonchalantly

 

I beleive it was a Wolsey of sorts ?

 

Regards

 

 

Brian Gates

Doc Freeman's car

I can remember the registration DOR 10 - used to haunt me.  It seemed whenever I was up to no good, it would appear out of nowhere, which meant I quickly had to adorn my cap and raise it nonchalantly

 

I beleive it was a Wolsey of sorts ?

 

Regards

 

 

Brian Gates

Dancing lessons with County High

One of the perks of being in the 6th Form was the occasional get together with the girls of  County High with the idea of learning to dance.  I seem to recall it was very popular, and got everyones hormones doing what they are supposed to do at 16 !  By the way I still can't dance !

 

Regards

 

 

Brian Gates

Dancing lessons with County High

One of the perks of being in the 6th Form was the occasional get together with the girls of  County High with the idea of learning to dance.  I seem to recall it was very popular, and got everyones hormones doing what they are supposed to do at 16 !  By the way I still can't dance !

 

Regards

 

 

Brian Gates

School Report

I have my 1949 School report in front of me -  The Masters just used initials, and some are not that legible, so you can probably help out

 

Eng Language/Lit = RHW - R H Watts ?

History                = RHW

 

Geography          = FHR - F H Robinson ?

 

Latin                   = EOJ - E O Jones he writes 'definitely on the downgrade' !!

 

French - can't decipher, but I don't think it was Cissy Cass

German - again can't decipher

 

Maths                = RS   - R Smith

 

Physics/Chemistry = WmCF = Wm C Ferguson

 

Art                       =  ABR = A Barron-Renton ??

 

I'll have a look at a few other years later on

 

 

Regards

 

 

 

Brian Gates

School Report

I have my 1949 School report in front of me -  The Masters just used initials, and some are not that legible, so you can probably help out

 

Eng Language/Lit = RHW - R H Watts ?

History                = RHW

 

Geography          = FHR - F H Robinson ?

 

Latin                   = EOJ - E O Jones he writes 'definitely on the downgrade' !!

 

French - can't decipher, but I don't think it was Cissy Cass

German - again can't decipher

 

Maths                = RS   - R Smith

 

Physics/Chemistry = WmCF = Wm C Ferguson

 

Art                       =  ABR = A Barron-Renton ??

 

I'll have a look at a few other years later on

 

 

Regards

 

 

 

Brian Gates

welcome to a new member

Hi Brian,

Welcome to the club. I hope that you enjoy your stay. Please contribute if you feel like it. Photographs are particularly welcome.

I have started to try to recruit new members by writing to other clubs such as FriendsReunited and maybe Yahoo etc. You are the first member so recruited so maybe it is going to work.

best regards,

jim wishart, list manager.

welcome to a new member

Hi Brian,

Welcome to the club. I hope that you enjoy your stay. Please contribute if you feel like it. Photographs are particularly welcome.

I have started to try to recruit new members by writing to other clubs such as FriendsReunited and maybe Yahoo etc. You are the first member so recruited so maybe it is going to work.

best regards,

jim wishart, list manager.

morning assembly

Hi,

I don't know whether they still have morning assembly at the College. In the early fifties it was quite an occasion with hymns and prayers.

There was one Collect that stuck in my memory, the one that finishes

"...to give and not to count the cost, to labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that I do Thy will......."

It seemed a bit onerous at the time but at this distance of time I feel a bit warmer to it.

 

In the School History there are poignant stories about the Head reporting the loss of ex-pupils in action in the war.

 

Any other memories of Assembly?

 

regards,

jim wishart, list manager,

 

morning assembly

Hi,

I don't know whether they still have morning assembly at the College. In the early fifties it was quite an occasion with hymns and prayers.

There was one Collect that stuck in my memory, the one that finishes

"...to give and not to count the cost, to labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that I do Thy will......."

It seemed a bit onerous at the time but at this distance of time I feel a bit warmer to it.

 

In the School History there are poignant stories about the Head reporting the loss of ex-pupils in action in the war.

 

Any other memories of Assembly?

 

regards,

jim wishart, list manager,

 

England's footballing humiliation

Hi,

Another one for the older ex-pupils. This one is appropriate for the start of the football season and the hopes of the England side.

I remember the awful humiliation expressed by various masters when we lost to Hungary at Wembley. It was the first time that our national side had lost at our home ground. In those days we did not participate in the World Cup, presumably because we didn't approve of Johnny Foreigner messing around with our game.

regards,

jim wishart, list manager

England's footballing humiliation

Hi,

Another one for the older ex-pupils. This one is appropriate for the start of the football season and the hopes of the England side.

I remember the awful humiliation expressed by various masters when we lost to Hungary at Wembley. It was the first time that our national side had lost at our home ground. In those days we did not participate in the World Cup, presumably because we didn't approve of Johnny Foreigner messing around with our game.

regards,

jim wishart, list manager

'Winter Sport'

Hello to all the older exx-pupils

 

Can anyone remember the winter of 1947, with the snow slide near the old squash court?

Many hours of sliding the width of the field on pieces of card board ( all we could find).

 

John

'Winter Sport'

Hello to all the older exx-pupils

 

Can anyone remember the winter of 1947, with the snow slide near the old squash court?

Many hours of sliding the width of the field on pieces of card board ( all we could find).

 

John

more 'flying' memories

correspondence between jim wishart and john groves

 

John had said that he thought that he could recognize himself in the group photo in front of the Meteor.

 

Hi John,
thanks for that, I have just replied to your messsage on the site.
I will try to improve on the picture.
I was there when the tiger moth crashed!!!
The photo could have been Hullavington, I think it must have been.
I was very keen on flying and dreamed of being a pilot, yet when up in an Anson, sitting next to the pilot and offered a 'go' at taking controls I chickened out.
regards
jim

Hi Jim,
Many thanks for your swift reply and enlarged photo, now printed for posterity!
Brings back many memories, some good and some not so good, my mother had died in the April before that photo, and I had to leave PSSW after the return from Hulavington.
I also had dreams of flying but came to nothing, but I DID handle the controls of the Anson, it wobbled a bit and the pilot soon took over again, I must have flown it for at least 15 seconds!! Someone in the rear of the plane released his parachute which filled the plane with yards of nylon. Perhaps he saw who was flying it!
The little glider was an experience that would never be allowed today, still it was great fun for us.
I visited Middle Wallop last year and saw the old Austers now in the museum.
Thanks again for your interest. Please keep the site running as it is of great interest to many old pupils.
John

 

 

hi again John,
thanks for the mail and the kind comments,
I think it ought to be put on the message board, do you mind if I do that?
regards,
jim wishart, northampton

Hi Jim
Of course you may post my e-mail. I am still 'in shock' with memories now flooding back, those were good times even with the post war rationing and shortages, I remember the Lincoln crash,( I thought it was a lanc.) I think part of one wing came off as it came down.
 
Looking at the photo didn`t we look odd in those little school caps? I can`t see modern 15/16 year olds wearing them.
John

 

thanks for that John,
I'll attend to it.
I am almost certain it was a Lincoln but when we first saw it, it was directly overhead as it started to dive. The only significant difference between the lincoln and the lancaster was that the former had 'thin' fin and rudders as against the wider ones of the Lancaster and it would have been difficult to made the identification from that position.  It may be that I remember reading it in the newspaper report.
 
I have been trying to add a picture of the school to the introductory page but so far without any luck, the web is very slow at the moment.
 
Did you get into bomb disposal in your national service or did you sign up? I was in the RE's as a Topo draughtsman, got to Cyprus which was good fun.
 
I am at present trying to find out about my fathers war service, he was in the Artillery in a light anti-aircraft battery.
 
regards,
jim

 

 

more 'flying' memories

correspondence between jim wishart and john groves

 

John had said that he thought that he could recognize himself in the group photo in front of the Meteor.

 

Hi John,
thanks for that, I have just replied to your messsage on the site.
I will try to improve on the picture.
I was there when the tiger moth crashed!!!
The photo could have been Hullavington, I think it must have been.
I was very keen on flying and dreamed of being a pilot, yet when up in an Anson, sitting next to the pilot and offered a 'go' at taking controls I chickened out.
regards
jim

Hi Jim,
Many thanks for your swift reply and enlarged photo, now printed for posterity!
Brings back many memories, some good and some not so good, my mother had died in the April before that photo, and I had to leave PSSW after the return from Hulavington.
I also had dreams of flying but came to nothing, but I DID handle the controls of the Anson, it wobbled a bit and the pilot soon took over again, I must have flown it for at least 15 seconds!! Someone in the rear of the plane released his parachute which filled the plane with yards of nylon. Perhaps he saw who was flying it!
The little glider was an experience that would never be allowed today, still it was great fun for us.
I visited Middle Wallop last year and saw the old Austers now in the museum.
Thanks again for your interest. Please keep the site running as it is of great interest to many old pupils.
John

 

 

hi again John,
thanks for the mail and the kind comments,
I think it ought to be put on the message board, do you mind if I do that?
regards,
jim wishart, northampton

Hi Jim
Of course you may post my e-mail. I am still 'in shock' with memories now flooding back, those were good times even with the post war rationing and shortages, I remember the Lincoln crash,( I thought it was a lanc.) I think part of one wing came off as it came down.
 
Looking at the photo didn`t we look odd in those little school caps? I can`t see modern 15/16 year olds wearing them.
John

 

thanks for that John,
I'll attend to it.
I am almost certain it was a Lincoln but when we first saw it, it was directly overhead as it started to dive. The only significant difference between the lincoln and the lancaster was that the former had 'thin' fin and rudders as against the wider ones of the Lancaster and it would have been difficult to made the identification from that position.  It may be that I remember reading it in the newspaper report.
 
I have been trying to add a picture of the school to the introductory page but so far without any luck, the web is very slow at the moment.
 
Did you get into bomb disposal in your national service or did you sign up? I was in the RE's as a Topo draughtsman, got to Cyprus which was good fun.
 
I am at present trying to find out about my fathers war service, he was in the Artillery in a light anti-aircraft battery.
 
regards,
jim

 

 

new photographs posted

hi Steve,

great new photos that you have posted. Just what we need. For some reason the thumbnails aren't showing yet but I expect the will in time.

I'd be interested to see names and descriptions if you could add them.

I don't know why but the view from the School House made me tingle, I know that area so well but hadn't seen it since about 1952,

regards,

jim wishart, list manager,

new photographs posted

hi Steve,

great new photos that you have posted. Just what we need. For some reason the thumbnails aren't showing yet but I expect the will in time.

I'd be interested to see names and descriptions if you could add them.

I don't know why but the view from the School House made me tingle, I know that area so well but hadn't seen it since about 1952,

regards,

jim wishart, list manager,

Early 80's veteran

Hi!

Great to see there are still so many Symonds veterans out there!. I was at PSC from 1980 - 82, studied English Lit, Chemistry and Biology. I remember some great times, students like Sarah Pearce, Giles Croker, Kirsty Young and the like - any of you late-thirty-somethings still out there? What happened to Dr Salter, Prof Pankhurst, Bo Priestley, Mrs Baldry etc,etc.I remember wearing some dodgy gear to the renowned Biology Dept parties at the then Weeke Hotel, but thats life!Hope to hear from you soon - you may remember me as Tracy Horne; I'm now Tracy May, married with a son, living in Kings Worthy and working at the hospital as a Biomedical Scientist.

Early 80's veteran

Hi!

Great to see there are still so many Symonds veterans out there!. I was at PSC from 1980 - 82, studied English Lit, Chemistry and Biology. I remember some great times, students like Sarah Pearce, Giles Croker, Kirsty Young and the like - any of you late-thirty-somethings still out there? What happened to Dr Salter, Prof Pankhurst, Bo Priestley, Mrs Baldry etc,etc.I remember wearing some dodgy gear to the renowned Biology Dept parties at the then Weeke Hotel, but thats life!Hope to hear from you soon - you may remember me as Tracy Horne; I'm now Tracy May, married with a son, living in Kings Worthy and working at the hospital as a Biomedical Scientist.