Re ... Disaster!

I've just visited the site and seen Jim's note of 30 Nov in What's New. I see there's a lot missing ... but can we post messages?

Re ... Disaster!

I've just visited the site and seen Jim's note of 30 Nov in What's New. I see there's a lot missing ... but can we post messages?

paying homage to our illustrious alumni Tommy Cooper and Jack Dee

Mike Conlan has just sent out the winter edition of the OS newsletter. Also included in the mailing was the latest list of members. Reading some of the entries it seems we have a good selection of students who ended up in aviation as pilots. So with a nod to them and our comedian alumni (sorry I lied about Tommy Cooper) here is something for the long winter evenings--

 

At Qantas Airlines after every flight, pilots fill out a form called a gripe sheet, which conveys to the mechanics problems encountered with  the aircraft during the flight that need repair or correction.  The mechanics read and correct the problem, and then respond in writing  on the lower half of the form what remedial action was taken, and the  pilot reviews the gripe sheets before the next flight.  Never let it  be said that ground crews and engineers lack a sense of humour.  Here  are some actual logged maintenance complaints and problems as  submitted by Qantas pilots and the solution recorded by maintenance  engineers.  By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has  never had an accident. 

      (P = the problem logged by the pilot.)  

     (S = the solution and action  taken by the engineers.) 

 

      P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
      S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
      P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
      S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
      P: Something loose in cockpit.
      S: Something tightened in cockpit.
      P: Dead bugs on windshield.
      S: Live bugs on back-order.
      P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
      S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
      P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
      S: Evidence removed.
      P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
      S: DME volume set to more believable level.
      P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
      S: That's what they're there for.
      P: IFF inoperative.
      S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
      P: Suspected crack in windshield.
      S: Suspect you're right.
      P: Number 3 engine missing.
      S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
      P: Aircraft handles funny.
      S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
      P: Target radar hums.
      S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
      P: Mouse in cockpit.
      S: Cat installed.
      P: Noise coming from under instrument panel.  Sounds like a midget  pounding on something with a hammer.
      S: Took hammer away from midget.

paying homage to our illustrious alumni Tommy Cooper and Jack Dee

Mike Conlan has just sent out the winter edition of the OS newsletter. Also included in the mailing was the latest list of members. Reading some of the entries it seems we have a good selection of students who ended up in aviation as pilots. So with a nod to them and our comedian alumni (sorry I lied about Tommy Cooper) here is something for the long winter evenings--

 

At Qantas Airlines after every flight, pilots fill out a form called a gripe sheet, which conveys to the mechanics problems encountered with  the aircraft during the flight that need repair or correction.  The mechanics read and correct the problem, and then respond in writing  on the lower half of the form what remedial action was taken, and the  pilot reviews the gripe sheets before the next flight.  Never let it  be said that ground crews and engineers lack a sense of humour.  Here  are some actual logged maintenance complaints and problems as  submitted by Qantas pilots and the solution recorded by maintenance  engineers.  By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has  never had an accident. 

      (P = the problem logged by the pilot.)  

     (S = the solution and action  taken by the engineers.) 

 

      P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
      S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
      P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
      S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
      P: Something loose in cockpit.
      S: Something tightened in cockpit.
      P: Dead bugs on windshield.
      S: Live bugs on back-order.
      P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
      S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
      P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
      S: Evidence removed.
      P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
      S: DME volume set to more believable level.
      P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
      S: That's what they're there for.
      P: IFF inoperative.
      S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
      P: Suspected crack in windshield.
      S: Suspect you're right.
      P: Number 3 engine missing.
      S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
      P: Aircraft handles funny.
      S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
      P: Target radar hums.
      S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
      P: Mouse in cockpit.
      S: Cat installed.
      P: Noise coming from under instrument panel.  Sounds like a midget  pounding on something with a hammer.
      S: Took hammer away from midget.

Founder's day photos

Mike Conlan has just posted the winter edition of the Old Symondian magazine. In it there is an interesting photo of the procession into the Cathedral. I think that it is late forties. I have posted it here. There are three other photos of masters that I think I recognise that follow it.

Founder's day photos

Mike Conlan has just posted the winter edition of the Old Symondian magazine. In it there is an interesting photo of the procession into the Cathedral. I think that it is late forties. I have posted it here. There are three other photos of masters that I think I recognise that follow it.

Remembering poetry

I keep getting lines of poetry popping into my mind from long ago, this you may remember yourselves. I was moved by it at the time.

Do you remember the poem and who taught us it?

 

No sound of joy or sorrow
Was heard from either bank;
But friends and foes in dumb surprise,
With parted lips and straining eyes,
Stood gazing where he sank;
And when above the surges,
They saw his crest appear,
All Rome sent forth a rapturous cry,
And even the ranks of Tuscany
Could scarce forbear to cheer.

 

It is those last two lines that I struck the chord.

 

Jim Wishart,  

Remembering poetry

I keep getting lines of poetry popping into my mind from long ago, this you may remember yourselves. I was moved by it at the time.

Do you remember the poem and who taught us it?

 

No sound of joy or sorrow
Was heard from either bank;
But friends and foes in dumb surprise,
With parted lips and straining eyes,
Stood gazing where he sank;
And when above the surges,
They saw his crest appear,
All Rome sent forth a rapturous cry,
And even the ranks of Tuscany
Could scarce forbear to cheer.

 

It is those last two lines that I struck the chord.

 

Jim Wishart,  

The 1955-63 cohort

On Friday 15 Sep, the 1955-63 cohort of Symondians held a reunion dinner at
the Farmers Club, off Whitehall. The event was organized by Chris Haines and
looks like being a regular annual thing - this was the second.

I thought Chris's extensive contact list of 1955-63 people might be of value to
someone on Nostalgia Corner. I don't feel free to include their email addresses
here, but if you want to get in contact with one of these people, I could
forward a message.

(* indicates those who have responded to Chris Haines)

- - -

Colin Archer* James Kimpton
Martin Aymes Michael Lancaster*
Mike Barron* Stuart Mariner*
Keith Beeson* Richard Marsh*
Peter Boardley* Colin Matley*
Malcolm Boddington Roger Maule-ffinch*
George Bowen* John Merriman*
Nigel Carpenter* David Page*
John Collis* Mark Perkins*
Chris Cooper* Laurie Peter*
Martin Cooper* Michael Phillis*
Michael Cosgrove* Andrew Proctor*
Mike Critchell* David Sansome*
David Day* John Sanders*
Tony Davies Tom Sawyer
David Dawson* Michael Selfe*
Malcolm Dawson Roger Skinner
John Eatwell* Robbie Sprague*
Frederick Finch* Frank Stilwell
Derek Fox* Richard Stoneham*
Paul Green Roger Thornton*
Denis Griffiths* Les Thorley
Jon Grove* Michael Turner
Tony Grove* David Walton-Masters
Chris Haines* Peter Watson*
Eric Hammerton* Owen Williams*
Robert Hammond Malcolm Wilton*
Kenneth Humphries* Lesley Yaldren
Garth Jeffery*

The 1955-63 cohort

On Friday 15 Sep, the 1955-63 cohort of Symondians held a reunion dinner at
the Farmers Club, off Whitehall. The event was organized by Chris Haines and
looks like being a regular annual thing - this was the second.

I thought Chris's extensive contact list of 1955-63 people might be of value to
someone on Nostalgia Corner. I don't feel free to include their email addresses
here, but if you want to get in contact with one of these people, I could
forward a message.

(* indicates those who have responded to Chris Haines)

- - -

Colin Archer* James Kimpton
Martin Aymes Michael Lancaster*
Mike Barron* Stuart Mariner*
Keith Beeson* Richard Marsh*
Peter Boardley* Colin Matley*
Malcolm Boddington Roger Maule-ffinch*
George Bowen* John Merriman*
Nigel Carpenter* David Page*
John Collis* Mark Perkins*
Chris Cooper* Laurie Peter*
Martin Cooper* Michael Phillis*
Michael Cosgrove* Andrew Proctor*
Mike Critchell* David Sansome*
David Day* John Sanders*
Tony Davies Tom Sawyer
David Dawson* Michael Selfe*
Malcolm Dawson Roger Skinner
John Eatwell* Robbie Sprague*
Frederick Finch* Frank Stilwell
Derek Fox* Richard Stoneham*
Paul Green Roger Thornton*
Denis Griffiths* Les Thorley
Jon Grove* Michael Turner
Tony Grove* David Walton-Masters
Chris Haines* Peter Watson*
Eric Hammerton* Owen Williams*
Robert Hammond Malcolm Wilton*
Kenneth Humphries* Lesley Yaldren
Garth Jeffery*

New pages on the nostalgia site

Hi,

I have added a new page on the site here entitled 'a short history of the school'. This was produced by the College and is published by courtesy of the Principal Neil Hopkins.

There are other new pages as well including a group picture of the school taken in 1904 which shows the first headmaster Telford Varley,

best regards,

 

Jim Wishart

 

New pages on the nostalgia site

Hi,

I have added a new page on the site here entitled 'a short history of the school'. This was produced by the College and is published by courtesy of the Principal Neil Hopkins.

There are other new pages as well including a group picture of the school taken in 1904 which shows the first headmaster Telford Varley,

best regards,

 

Jim Wishart

 

Request for information on Doc's family

Hello, everyone

 

Having been posting to the group on and off for years, I'm now surprised to be making an appeal for information that two weeks ago I had no idea I'd need.

 

I've just learned that Dr P T Freeman, headmaster of PSS from 1926 to 1956, had close connections with my family. I'd like to talk to his grandchildren – or indeed, if they're still alive, his children.

 

I learn from Neil Jenkinson's history of the school that Doc's wife was called Daisy, and when Doc became head they had two young children, Joyce and Bill. Joyce married Allon Barron-Renton, who taught art at PS. About 18 months ago their son Tim posted a brief recollection of childhood in Varley Lodge to the OS Society Website. Tim mentioned a brother, Andy.

 

Tim Renton left PS in 1966,  three years after me. I've just got an email address for him from the PSC directory at http://list.psc.ac.uk/, but messages to that address keep bouncing. I'll be contacting the Old Symondians' Society to see if they can help me further with that.

 

These are all the names in Doc's family that I know of, and I don't know who survives and who doesn't. I'd be grateful for any information about them, and especially for any contact details. Please email me off-list, unless your information is of general interest and appropriate to post publicly. (It may even be that descendants of Doc subscribe to this list behind obscure IDs.)

 

I'm very keen indeed to find out about a time in my family history that was influenced by that impressive man. So my deepest thanks in advance for any information you can give me.

 

Chris

 

[My email address is what's left when you remove the numerals from:  chris-cooper1@ntlworld2.com3]

Request for information on Doc's family

Hello, everyone

 

Having been posting to the group on and off for years, I'm now surprised to be making an appeal for information that two weeks ago I had no idea I'd need.

 

I've just learned that Dr P T Freeman, headmaster of PSS from 1926 to 1956, had close connections with my family. I'd like to talk to his grandchildren – or indeed, if they're still alive, his children.

 

I learn from Neil Jenkinson's history of the school that Doc's wife was called Daisy, and when Doc became head they had two young children, Joyce and Bill. Joyce married Allon Barron-Renton, who taught art at PS. About 18 months ago their son Tim posted a brief recollection of childhood in Varley Lodge to the OS Society Website. Tim mentioned a brother, Andy.

 

Tim Renton left PS in 1966,  three years after me. I've just got an email address for him from the PSC directory at http://list.psc.ac.uk/, but messages to that address keep bouncing. I'll be contacting the Old Symondians' Society to see if they can help me further with that.

 

These are all the names in Doc's family that I know of, and I don't know who survives and who doesn't. I'd be grateful for any information about them, and especially for any contact details. Please email me off-list, unless your information is of general interest and appropriate to post publicly. (It may even be that descendants of Doc subscribe to this list behind obscure IDs.)

 

I'm very keen indeed to find out about a time in my family history that was influenced by that impressive man. So my deepest thanks in advance for any information you can give me.

 

Chris

 

[My email address is what's left when you remove the numerals from:  chris-cooper1@ntlworld2.com3]

Welcome to Simon Adams

Welcome to the site Simon ... I see you were at Kelso and perhaps you have some memories of your Boarding Days that you are happy to share with us all and, of course other memories of the School, its Masters and fellow students ...

Take care ...

Doug Clews
Assistant Manager

Welcome to Simon Adams

Welcome to the site Simon ... I see you were at Kelso and perhaps you have some memories of your Boarding Days that you are happy to share with us all and, of course other memories of the School, its Masters and fellow students ...

Take care ...

Doug Clews
Assistant Manager

Peter Symonds 400th anniversary

Hi,

I have received this message from Mike Conlan who runs the Old Symondians Society. I expect that most of you are already members of that society but if not, how about joining?

regards,

 

jim wishart, list manager.      

 

 

"In 2007 it will be the 400th anniversary of Peter Symonds and as such I am liaising with the College in February to discuss what events we can hold.

 

As such, I am trying to enrol as many new members to the Society as possible and wondered if you could either mail your members or post a message on your messageboard for those who are not members who may like to join??"

 

Thanks

 

Kind regards

Mike Conlan

www.oldsymondianssociety.co.uk
21 Borough Fields
Wootton Bassett
Wiltshire
SN4 7AX
Tel: 01793 849050 Fax: 01793 849550

Peter Symonds 400th anniversary

Hi,

I have received this message from Mike Conlan who runs the Old Symondians Society. I expect that most of you are already members of that society but if not, how about joining?

regards,

 

jim wishart, list manager.      

 

 

"In 2007 it will be the 400th anniversary of Peter Symonds and as such I am liaising with the College in February to discuss what events we can hold.

 

As such, I am trying to enrol as many new members to the Society as possible and wondered if you could either mail your members or post a message on your messageboard for those who are not members who may like to join??"

 

Thanks

 

Kind regards

Mike Conlan

www.oldsymondianssociety.co.uk
21 Borough Fields
Wootton Bassett
Wiltshire
SN4 7AX
Tel: 01793 849050 Fax: 01793 849550

Welcome to John Briggs

John has just joined. I welcomed him by email and he wrote back with these memories of his time at Peter Symonds and later---

 

Jim,

Attached is a photo of my Rival 41C.

As you see it is junk rigged, that  has turned out to be very successful for effortless sailing. Unfortunately, now I am slowly moving ashore as my health precludes life afloat now, so I have put the boat on the market, not very vigorously though, I might add. One gets so attached to the boat, although I am fully aware that one shouldn't.

The other picture is the view from the flat looking south. The village name, "Ta Ho Tun", means the oyster fishing village, no oysters now though, at least not edible.

Where did you have your Moody ? Why did you pack up with it. ? Did you do much sailing with it ?
You mention "Doc" and his lectures. Yes, I too was greatly influenced by his lectures, and enjoyed them greatly, when he went into geology and paleontology and various life forms and how they evolve. Even though they were only black & white slides in that day and age they opened my eyes to vistas that have never dulled my enthusiasm over the years. As you say they were very wide ranging and the ones about the bible were THE lectures I dreaded the most. The slide show lectures I enjoyed immensely.

Is there anything on the Internet about him as a person ? A biography or the like ?

What do you do now for a living ?

I started on a farm, as I told you last time, then because of the pressure of National Service,  on joining  the RAF I became a male nurse as I felt that it was the nearest to dairy farming that I had done up until that then. Later after about 2 years, I studied to become a radiographer and medical photographer. The radiography then brought me to Hong Kong, where eventually I became an administrator.

Strange as it may seem,  I disliked working in hospitals so I found a niche in the local Chest Service, where surveying people on location for TB, gave me a wide and detailed insight into Hong Kong society, from factories to universities, from government departments to hotels.

All that ended in 1976 when I became a full time administrator behind a desk looking after a number of sub departments,where there were many aspects of the administrating  I was none too keen on doing. Gradually however, I collected a wonderful team of staff working immediately with me, shielding me from much of the mundane work.

During this time in Hong Kong, my terms of employment, gave me 10 -11 months holiday every 4 years with a travelling budget that was geared to sea travel even after the air age came in. This enabled me to be able to travel widely around the world in a style that not every one could do, from the luxurious for short periods to the back packer style for longer stretches.

Now, I am contentedly enjoying a simple life overlooking the sea.

Hoping to hear from you further

Regards
 

Welcome to John Briggs

John has just joined. I welcomed him by email and he wrote back with these memories of his time at Peter Symonds and later---

 

Jim,

Attached is a photo of my Rival 41C.

As you see it is junk rigged, that  has turned out to be very successful for effortless sailing. Unfortunately, now I am slowly moving ashore as my health precludes life afloat now, so I have put the boat on the market, not very vigorously though, I might add. One gets so attached to the boat, although I am fully aware that one shouldn't.

The other picture is the view from the flat looking south. The village name, "Ta Ho Tun", means the oyster fishing village, no oysters now though, at least not edible.

Where did you have your Moody ? Why did you pack up with it. ? Did you do much sailing with it ?
You mention "Doc" and his lectures. Yes, I too was greatly influenced by his lectures, and enjoyed them greatly, when he went into geology and paleontology and various life forms and how they evolve. Even though they were only black & white slides in that day and age they opened my eyes to vistas that have never dulled my enthusiasm over the years. As you say they were very wide ranging and the ones about the bible were THE lectures I dreaded the most. The slide show lectures I enjoyed immensely.

Is there anything on the Internet about him as a person ? A biography or the like ?

What do you do now for a living ?

I started on a farm, as I told you last time, then because of the pressure of National Service,  on joining  the RAF I became a male nurse as I felt that it was the nearest to dairy farming that I had done up until that then. Later after about 2 years, I studied to become a radiographer and medical photographer. The radiography then brought me to Hong Kong, where eventually I became an administrator.

Strange as it may seem,  I disliked working in hospitals so I found a niche in the local Chest Service, where surveying people on location for TB, gave me a wide and detailed insight into Hong Kong society, from factories to universities, from government departments to hotels.

All that ended in 1976 when I became a full time administrator behind a desk looking after a number of sub departments,where there were many aspects of the administrating  I was none too keen on doing. Gradually however, I collected a wonderful team of staff working immediately with me, shielding me from much of the mundane work.

During this time in Hong Kong, my terms of employment, gave me 10 -11 months holiday every 4 years with a travelling budget that was geared to sea travel even after the air age came in. This enabled me to be able to travel widely around the world in a style that not every one could do, from the luxurious for short periods to the back packer style for longer stretches.

Now, I am contentedly enjoying a simple life overlooking the sea.

Hoping to hear from you further

Regards
 

welcome to new member-- Gordon Edwards

hi,

I am pleased to welcome new member Gordon Edwards. We swapped emails and here is his to me. It includes quite a few names that might jog some memories--

 

 

Hello Jim,

 

    Thank you for your welcoming message.

    I attended the school from September 1949 until the middle of the 1957/58 school year when I joined a company knowh as English Electric and developed a career in Nuclear Power culminating at Heysham Nuclear Power Station when I retired as the Maintenance Branch Head.

    Whilst at school I went through the Science stream and have fond memories of my Maths teacher, Mr Cousins, the Physics teacher "Biffer" Smith and the Aplied Maths teacher "Harry" Hawkins. I was very friendly with the Michael Cox the son of the Biology teacher ("Pongo" Cox). Doc Freeman was the Headmastervery nearly the whole time I was  there. I was a keen member of the CCF and was in the RAF section with CAN Yates as the officer in charge "Hetty" Hammond was the CCF Commanding Officer at that time. I think that I have still got some photographs taken whilst I was at school which I will try and find. Some of the people I knew quite well were/are Roger Coombes, Bob Hinds, Michael Cox, Ian Clinton, Roger Beetham, Geof. Butt. I did join the Old Symondians Association but unfortunately let my membership lapse and have lost touch with pretty well every one now.

    I recently made contact with Mike Conlan of the OSS and am still to follow that up.

 

    Best Wishes and a Happy New Year,

 

            Gordon Edwards.

welcome to new member-- Gordon Edwards

hi,

I am pleased to welcome new member Gordon Edwards. We swapped emails and here is his to me. It includes quite a few names that might jog some memories--

 

 

Hello Jim,

 

    Thank you for your welcoming message.

    I attended the school from September 1949 until the middle of the 1957/58 school year when I joined a company knowh as English Electric and developed a career in Nuclear Power culminating at Heysham Nuclear Power Station when I retired as the Maintenance Branch Head.

    Whilst at school I went through the Science stream and have fond memories of my Maths teacher, Mr Cousins, the Physics teacher "Biffer" Smith and the Aplied Maths teacher "Harry" Hawkins. I was very friendly with the Michael Cox the son of the Biology teacher ("Pongo" Cox). Doc Freeman was the Headmastervery nearly the whole time I was  there. I was a keen member of the CCF and was in the RAF section with CAN Yates as the officer in charge "Hetty" Hammond was the CCF Commanding Officer at that time. I think that I have still got some photographs taken whilst I was at school which I will try and find. Some of the people I knew quite well were/are Roger Coombes, Bob Hinds, Michael Cox, Ian Clinton, Roger Beetham, Geof. Butt. I did join the Old Symondians Association but unfortunately let my membership lapse and have lost touch with pretty well every one now.

    I recently made contact with Mike Conlan of the OSS and am still to follow that up.

 

    Best Wishes and a Happy New Year,

 

            Gordon Edwards.