SGR 16 - SGGS HOME page

Transcription

Spring Grovian Report No.16: Feb 2010
Spring Grovian
www.springgrovegrammarschool.org.uk
Issue 16
Report
February 2010
200 OSGs Attend 2009 Reunions
T
he Organisers of the June 13th reunion were delighted to meet
up with 116 OSGs and staff on a glorious day at the old school
in Isleworth; witness the photos in the following pages.
The need to recruit more from adjacent years for ‘58/59ers meant a
few less for the “whole-school” reunion in October but over 120 OSGs
turned up on the day, with several who have only just found us. The
general concensus was that although there were a few years that
were, not surprisingly, poorly represented there was more
intermingling between years and hopefully more friendships will
result.
W. Thames College Principal Marjorie
Semple again attended to brief us on the
refurbishment process and although the
campus is very much a building site,
progress can be seen and news that the
concrete block on the “West Lawn” is
next in line for demolition brought the
biggest cheer of the day.
Main organisers Avril and Pam seem
determined that there will be another
reunion this year so keep a space in the
Sylvia Cheesman ‘45,
diary for around the first Saturday in John Young, Pam Neal, Ray
Pearce, Avril Acott (all ‘53)
October and we’ll do it all again.
In
This
Issue
P2
Editorial
Ray Pearce ‘53
P3
Mysteries of Spring Grove House
Diane Higgs ‘60
P4
June Reunion
Peter Salter ‘59
P6
October Reunion
Avril Acott ‘53
P8
The Searchers and me
Frank Allen ‘60
P10
SGGS Thoughts from Abroad
Freddy Friedman ‘57
P12
Sepia Seeps into Black and White Marjorie Stammers ‘42
P14
I Was There
Mischa Wilson ‘50
P15
Heston Aerodrome
Mischa Wilson ‘50
P18
Links
Sue Gardner ‘58
P19
Ann Lusher
Peter Wotton ‘46
P20-24 Letters
B.Cutting ‘44, B. Standivan ‘51, J.Lainson ‘53;
1
J Wheeler ‘51. M Philo ‘53, J.Bloomfield ‘54
T
to anyone who has sent copy not
included so far. My filing system is
adequate at best but I do find things in
odd corners of my computer that
should have been put into my SGGS
files but have gone astray when saved
into the wrong file in a hurry.
Once more the copy locker is bare so
get writing those of you who have yet
to contribute.
Talking of contributions; the magazine
fund and the tree fund have been
considerably
increased
by
your
continued generous contributions. The
SGR will continue and the tree will be
planted. Thank you.
The present “team” of founder
organisers Pam Isom and Avril Acott
and late comer yours truly hope to
continue, with the usual provisos, until
2012.
Olympic year perhaps but,
more
importantly,
the
planned
completion year for the refurbishment
of the Spring Grove site and the year
for the planting of the L.T. Brown
Cedar with due ceremony.
We would like to have a Special
Reunion to mark the occasion and
your suggestions as to how we
can make this a memorable day
will be welcomed. Certainly we
hope all years from 1937 to ‘63
will give us some input.
If this reunion society is to
continue after 2012 perhaps
some new blood will be needed to
keep it all going.
Volunteers?
Editorial
he threatened pre-christmas
postal strikes and the arctic
weather around the holiday and
new year both contributed to the last
SGR of 2009 becoming the first issue
for 2010. Spoiling our record of two
issues in each of the past eight years;
but as no-one seems to have noticed
and/or complained, if I say nothing,
probably no-one will notice.
Though noted in her school days and
subsequent track career for being first,
Sylvia Cheeseman now has the
reputation for changing the habits of a
life time and is consistently last - when
it comes to leaving reunions, aided and
abetted by Heather Gunn and and Jean
Raffe. Photographic evidence below of
the last three to leave the October
reunion..again.
Thanks to the contributors to this
edition, one or two arriving at the last
minute to pad the pages sufficiently to
make a reasonable read. My apologies
..and finally..some family history
..my father was in the Home
Guard at Isleworth during the
war. I remember him leaving the
house in uniform but know no
more than that. Does any OSG
know what they did and where
they met ?
Ray Pearce ‘53
2
Mysteries of Spring Grove House
Diane Higgs ‘60
M
secret doorway a fact or just a
delicious rumour??
ystery No.1.
At the June Reunion at Spring Grove
House, I met up with fellow
classmate, Jean Furlong.. We sat
on the steps of the terrace beneath
Mr Hart’s Room in the afternoon
sunshine and reminisced about our
schooldays at SGGS.
Smiling
because we knew the terrace was
‘Out of Bounds’ Jean asked me if I
remembered the rumour of a secret
passageway leading to the Music
Room via a door in the entrance hall.
After trawling through my memory
I vaguely remember something
about this. Jean thought the
passageway led from somewhere
outside Mr Hart’s Room to the
‘Minstrel Gallery’ in the Music Room.
Jean went on to say that one day,
just before a half term, a boy had
fallen through the door and by
chance it had shut tight on him.
The lad was locked in!.
His
mother alerted the police when he
failed to return home but rumour
has it that he wasn’t discovered
until some days later!
Jean says that she remembers
Miss Ransom taking her class up
into the Minstrel Gallery via a
stairway. Of course, after a glass
or two of wine in the warm June
sunshine, we simply had to find
out!
But sadly, after much
prodding and tapping of the
panelled walls in the hall we found
absolutely nothing.
Can anyone else shed any light on
this? Who was this boy? Is this
M
ystery No.2
I left Spring Grove in 1960, but
about 30 years or so ago I was
passing through Isleworth and
couldn’t resist stopping my journey
to take a look around the old school
grounds. Like everybody else I was
astonished at the awful vandalism of
the 1960 planners but I eventually
looked through the window of the
Summer House. There, propped up
against a wall, was the marble
fountain from the Art Room.
Someone had removed it and left it
there to collect dust. Oh, I do wish
I had tried to find out more about it
but I hadn’t a clue who to
ask…..does anyone know what
happened next?
Diane & Sandra Gilbert & Mystery3-?
at Carisbrook Castle 1958
3
‘58/9ers 50th Anniversary Reunion
June 2009
O
rganisers of the June 13th reunion, '59ers Rosemary Jervis, Mary
Pollock and Barbara Wren and '58er Peter Salter, were delighted
to meet up with 116 OSGs and staff on a glorious day at the old school
in Isleworth; witness the photos.
Quite a lot of new 'old' faces shared the day with former school pals. It
was good to meet up with members of the Blight clan, Creed siblings,
Sternham and Jervis sisters, and the Beecham brothers, and to greet
the married couples Conroy-Chantler and Perrow-Hayward and WarneHart again.
Folk came from afar; Bob Garnham '57 from New Zealand, Lesley Booth
'58 from Oz, John Harbour '58 from the US just for the weekend, Jackie
Warne '63 and husband David Hart '60 from Denmark, '59ers John
Beecham and Roger Fry from Bonnie Scotland, Ray Dent '62 from
Wales, and from many other places in between.
Staff members Muriel Hosking, Ken Pearce and Tom Reynolds no doubt
were delighted to see and hear of successful lives and careers of guests,
and which were shaped by them and their colleagues all those years
Top right:- Richard Lawrence; Rosie Lawrence; Roy Schofield
Bottom Right:-Mick Shaw; Keith Lomas; Bernard Hunt
This issues caption competition:- What is Peter about to say?
4
ago. It was pleasure to thank them all publicly for everything that they
did for us some fifty years ago before we set out on our life journeys.
The organisers of this event are retiring from the front row and
hope to meet up with many of you again ere long, hopefully at
the next all-school reunion at Isleworth; remember these reunions are for you, so support them to make them successful.
Ed’s note. I’m sure you will all be grateful to Peter and his organising team who raised and generously donated, £190.00, to
our donation funds; £75 to the general fund and £115.00 for
the “L.T.Brown Cedar Tree”. More about the tree and the
next reunion later in the magazine.
Above :-The milling throng....twice
Below left:-John Harbour; Arthur Angel; Roy Schofield
Below right:-Gill Sternham; Mervyn Jones; Lesley Booth
5
October Reunion 2009
W
hat can I say that hasn’t already been said? Our Reunion
last October was most interesting, I think that as time goes
on, we are forgetting the difference in the years we were at
Spring Grove and greet each other as old friends and family.
Certainly the atmosphere was wonderful.
As usual seemingly
endless teas and coffees were prepared and served by our honorary
OSGs Penny and not Veronica this time but Annie, and of course the
wine, thank you again Brian for setting up our wine and soft drinks
bar. I certainly haven’t forgotten to mention the wide variety of
delicious food prepared and supplied by Lizzie. The other staples are
the photo boards with the odd letter prepared and set up for us by
Pam and Brian
Inevitably some of our older friends are unable to come now but we
were delighted to see two old school friends from ’53, Audrey Rowland
and Jean Carter. Marjorie Semple (the Principal) also came along after
lunch to talk about the progress of the new buildings. Having been to
Above:- Minglin’ an’ Chattin’
Below:- 14 of our loyal gang of 48ers
6
the topping out ceremony last May
and meeting some of the Architects,
Builders and Staff, I am very
enthusiastic about the plans – almost
wish I was a bit younger so that I
could study there too.
Finally, thank you to all who came to
make it such an enjoyable and
successful day and to those who
couldn’t make, we missed you and
hope you will join us on Saturday
2nd October 2010.
7
The Searchers And Me
Frank Allen (a.k.a Francis McNeice)
Complete article after the SGR15 taster snipet....
I
t was late fifties and as rock and roll came in one window screaming and
yelling so my education went quietly out another. All the dedicated tutoring
in the hallowed and beautiful halls of Spring Grove Grammar School was a
sad waste of time as I picked up a guitar and refused to put it down again. At
the turn of the decade I left my seat of learning with nothing more than GCEs
in English language, French and woodwork to justify my space in the
classroom. Pathetic.
Almost fifty years on, with the publication of my second book, The Searchers
And Me-A History Of The Legendary Sixties Hitmakers, I would like to think
that dear Mrs. Hemming might have had just a little pride in the results of her
long hours trying to instil in me the principles and the beauty of the English
language. It is certainly something that she, or I come to that, could never
have foreseen. And ironically it was that old devil rock and roll which
precipitated my efforts.
Somehow, with precious little talent, I
managed to make a career in music that has
lasted for many decades more than I could
have hoped and which shows no sign of
ending. My first band, a skiffle group called
The Ambassadors and formed along with
former pupils of Spring Grove (Tom Hanlon,
Jonathan ‘Taffy’ Evans and John Boterill)
gave me the grounding and following a spell
with Cliff Bennett And The Rebel Rousers I
finally ended up as the bass player and front
man with Liverpool based hitmakers The
Searchers, albeit that they had achieved their initial chart success without any
help from me.
In 1999, following the submission of a short article, I was asked to write a
book and the result was Travelling Man, a humorous look at the touring side
of the group. It sold well and has remained in print to this day. I stuck to what
I knew and what I thought I could safely complete without making a fool of
myself. Of course it was inevitable that diehard aficionados of the genre would
want the complete biography, which Travelling Man most certainly was not.
I declined, mainly through not being at all sure that I was equipped for such
an arduous and serious task. There were many things that I did not know
about the band`s history. They had been around for quite a few years before
I came across them. But eventually I decided that if I wanted to call myself a
writer, and I had most definitely got the bug by now, then I should take on the
challenge.
8
In all I must have spent three years on the project some of which was in
Spanish hotel rooms where I decamped in order to avoid those annoying
everyday distractions and other long hours in the National Newspaper Library
trawling through microfilm of old Melody Makers and NMEs. It is a BIG book.
Twice as long as my first effort it has ended up at over 440 pages and with
more than 160 photographs. Maybe too long for comfort but I was only going
to do this once and I didn’t want to leave anything out.
I covered my early life before music took over my life completely and
naturally there are references to my days at Spring Grove where I idled my
time until I left in 1960. Three archive photographs illustrate my days there.
A shot of myself and Lyn Coleman at the front of the building to the left of
the main entrance, a bunch of us goodness knows where in the grounds and
a shot of myself in my pristine new school uniform about to leave home for
my first day at SGGS. The sharp eyed among you might spot that I am not
wearing the horizontal striped tie of first year pupils. The early signs of a
rebel perhaps? I have also reproduced those puny GCE certificates as a sign
that my mind was not a complete vacuum.
Thank you Kate Hemming for your invaluable instruction during those
formative years. I`m glad your time was not entirely wasted. Mr Sonji, bless
him, actually encouraged me to make a solid bodied guitar as a woodwork
project. It looked like a guitar but sadly would not play like one. But he
understood my passion and I will be forever grateful to a truly lovely man.
I doubt that K Stuart Hart would have the same sense of pride in my
endeavours. He was an immaculate man, not a thread out of place and a rigid
and overly dignified manner and a plummy, precise pronunciation that could
easily have been the prototype for the pretentiously vowelled Brian Sewell.
Stiffly pressed striped shirts with white collars, a dark tie knotted to
perfection and a beautifully fitting Prince Of Wales check suit. I once went to
him and said that one of my pals had told me that he liked Elvis Presley. K
Stuart Hart looked down on me with a curdling look of contempt and without
the remotest sign of amusement replied. ‘Don`t be facetious boy.’ I learnt
very little about music from Mr Hart, although quite a lot about fashion. I just
wish he could have seen the wider picture and that any appreciation of the
arts, no matter how high or low, is infinitely better than none at all.
I hope that some of my fellow pupils who
shared those days of fun, naivety and terror
in deepest Isleworth will want to check it out.
The Searchers And Me-A History Of The
Legendary Sixties Hitmakers
Published in hardback by Aureus
(direct order only)
www.aureus.co.uk
or
www.thesearchersandme.com
The Searchers homepage
www.thesearchers.co.uk
9
SGGS thoughts from abroad
Freddy Friedmann ‘57
he wind is blowing the tall palm trees outside my window as I look
towards the sea. Here at home this is rare because even in winter
the wind is not often strong and cold. This winter wind reminds me
of when I attended SGGS from 1953 to 1957. That wind whistled
through the cracks in our rattling windows on the top floor class room,
which had once been the quarters of the servants. It was the wind that
we had to endure when we trotted out in skimpy football uniforms, when
the south pitch was iron-hard by frost. We weren't even allowed to put
on pants.
Now that I am seventy and retired, memories are just as fresh.
Memories of names are not as vivid as the faces because I can still check
up on the old long school photograph.
I left school after an undistinguished career both in scholastics and
sports and came to Israel to try and find any relatives that had
survived WWII. I lived on a kibbutz where I worked hard and learned
Hebrew. My first job was driving a mule team delivering food to the cow
shed. SGGS had not prepared me for this, or apparently I had been ill
that day when mule driving was being taught. I also missed the lessons
in cotton picking, haystack buildings, shovelling chicken manure
and trawler fishing. The school dinners had stood me in good stead when
it came to surviving on poorly cooked food. The dinner ladies made my
stomach as strong as iron. I could digest anything except Prussic acid.
Those meals of gristle and over-boiled cabbage had done their job well.
I have kept in touch with a few fellow pupils. Recently Margaret
Anderson (Elders) informed me that at the last reunion they had talked
about me a bit. Apparently I had beaten Mr. Short at wrestling in the
gymn.. I had forgotten that because I was much better at boxing. I had
connections with Vic Wride, who is now a geologist. Gary Anderson who
is now a painter, Andrea Cameron a librarian. Kathy Murphy retired on
the Isle of Wight and Ken Johnson. A few years ago when I visited
London to buy Laser equipment for my Physiotherapy Clinic, I found out
that Ken Johnson was going to be the next President Of the Isleworth
Rotary Club. Being a Rotarian for the last twenty years, I phoned him up
to congratulate him. He invited me to address his club, which I did with
great pleasure. I told them that when I played cricket for Drake House,
I had always fielded at short leg which suggested healthy British
humour, as my left leg was five centimetres shorter than my right. Ken
invited me round for drinks after the talk and he gave me much news of
other fellow pupils.
Other happy memories came from our Skiffle Group. It happened but
few were aware of it, some of us formed a skiffle band called The
T
10
Sinners. Jerry Gross and Tony Parton played guitars, Dave Turner was on
drums, Vic Cornheim(not SGGS) and your humble servant on washboard.
We were enthusiastic but good we were not but we had fun and that was
the point.
On retrospect, the education at The Black and White though not perfect
in every degree, did encourage me to want to know much more and that
I have done, having built up a large library taking up an entire room in
my home. The school taught me fair play and sportsmanship, something
which is rare in most sports especially professional events. I believe that
it was due to the mind set of Mr. Brown. I do not think that most of the
teachers were very good but it was the whole that mattered and not the
specifics.
I am very grateful that I went to SGGS and met so many that gave me a
good, safe start in life. There were very few days when I did not want to
go to school.
LT Brown Cedar Tree Fund
A
s most of you must know by now, there
is a fund for donations to finance a cedar
tree for the refurbishment landscaping
plan at Spring Grove House. The “L.T.Brown
Cedar”, will be dedicated to OSGs who were
lucky enough to have been educated at Spring
Grove.... or any other fitting dedication. Let us
know your preferences for the dedication.
The contributions from the reunions took the
tree fund past £2,000.00 and ensures that the
tree we plant will be substantial. We hope that
as many as possible of those who have contributed will be at the reunion for the dedication planting, which we expect to be on completion of
the refurbishment programme in 2012. Full details will be distributed
when the arrangements are finalised.
If you have not yet made a donation and would like to help us ensure that
the tree that we plant is substantial, please send your donation to Pam
with a note to tell her it’s for the tree fund. Her address is on the back
page.
Please make Cheques payable to P.Isom.
A secure & easy donation method for overseas OSGs:- You can donate via a
PayPal account; make payment to [email protected] , annotate the payment
“SGGS tree fund”.
To donate using this method go to www.paypal.com and follow the links
11
Sepia seeps into ‘Black and White’
Marjorie Clark (Stammers ‘42)
hat is it about “Spring Grove” that the magic remains
so positively in our memories, even though parts of
the buildings and grounds are no longer there?
Each reunion we enjoy at the old school, thanks to the warm
welcome we receive from the West Thames College, and the
sterling efforts of Pam, Avril and the team, in organising them,
giving us another chance to relive more of the magic.
This year after our ‘fix’ at the reunion, I’m on a ’high’
remembering all sorts of little incidents regarding what is still
there and not (all of which I had not mentioned in my previous
writings to the magazine).
My time at Spring Grove began in 1937, with Mr Joy as my
form master in room 15 on the top floor, he was of course the
well known Arsenal centre-half. My brother also remembers
directing the team manager to Mr Joy, when he called at the
school one day to see him. On clear days we could see
Richmond Hill and the North Downs quite clearly from our
windows tempting our attention to wander from the lesson. To
my shame, I recall on more than one occasion, Mr Joy scoring
a direct hit on me with a well aimed piece of chalk (I doubt if
it would be approved of nowdays, but it was very effective I
can assure you!).
My second year was marked by English teacher Miss Kate
Klarner doing a years teaching swap with Miss Sara M. Light of
the USA. She was a very different lady from Miss Klarner, who
was always dignified and sensibly dressed wearing her gown
on duty at all times. Whereas Miss Light was a ‘Thoroughly
modern Millie’ American. A small slim figure, teetering into
class on very high heels carrying all her books in front, with
handbag on top under her chin to steady the pile. We always
expected her to trip over something! She told us we were well
ahead of her class back home in America which was nice to
pass on to Miss Klarner when she returned the following year
(1939).
I have mentioned taking Latin lessons in the Headmaster’s
study before, but now also recall his subtle sense of humour.
On the occasion of our first lesson when he translated our
Christian names from the Latin, but the nearest to Marjorie was
W
12
Margaret which meant ‘Pearl of great price!’ From thereon he
referred to me by that phrase accompanied by a little smile.
A trip up the back stairs brought us to “Kipper” Hemmings tiny
staff room where it was quite usual to find steam rising from
rows of soggy football socks drying on his fire guard around yet
another coal fire after wet days on the playing fields
Wandering down into the basement, just at the base of the
staircase was where Mrs Archer (the caretaker’s wife in my
time) held a ‘Tuck shop’ at breaktime during the war. I can’t
quite remember how she coped with sweet rationing!
Occasionally I had to stay to dinner at school. This was not
something I particularly enjoyed as Miss Griffin, Headmistress
presided at the head of the table and insisted on us using
French in conversation. I was unusually quiet – a rarity for me
as my report book records!
Now, a few cameos into things that are not there now.
Miss Bromwich’s cottage was so familiar to us girls, where in
spite of the wartime shortages, under her ‘eagle eye’ we learnt
how to keep house, ‘make do and mend’, and cook. Although
we were surprised at her using a whole double period showing
us how to produce potato crisps, when it was still possible to
buy Smiths crisps for 1 or 2 old pennies!
Alongside the cottage was the hut where Mr Varney
encouraged us to sing and appreciate good music. I remember
one year he helped us to produce a wonderful performance of
“Tales of Vienna Woods” held in the hall.
The Banksian Room was the one place that should have been
preserved, it being the sole connection with Sir Joseph. My two
years in the Banksian Room with Miss Nash as form mistress
was my favourite time, even when she had us dissecting those
dreadful smelly dogfish! Such a remarkable classroom, grotto
like at one end with rocks, waterfall, pools of fish and birds
flying in through the glass roof during lessons; surely in ‘a class
of it’s own’!
Out in the grounds, the grand row of mature Elms on the West
lawn, out of bounds in the winter because of branches falling,
seemed as if they would be there forever, as did the wonderful
old Cedar tree with it’s platformed seat around the bottom of
its huge trunks where we would gather to chat and hastily
finish off our homework before the bell rang.
13
I WAS THERE
D
Mischa Kent Wilson
id I imagine all that? Was it a strange dream?
All the bombing, our eleven
plus exams in three feet of
water, yet safe in the school
air-raid shelter—some fast
asleep as I remember it.
Heston airport was the
Luftwaffe target. Remember
Heston? It was right next to
Berkeley Junior school. That's
where Neville Chamberlain
used to come in. Remember
his "Peace in our time"?
I was there as he flew in and
talked to us in that small
crowd: I remember it well.
Now it had become an
operational airfield. Incoming strafed bombers, a squadron of photoreconnaissance Spitfires, plus all the other returning and crashing aircraft.
My mother had prepared me in 1943 for my journey from Berkeley Junior School
in Cranford, Middlesex to Hounslow West Underground Station via a coach. For
me it was all part of our big wartime game and adventure that could know no
equal. Shrapnel, anti radar strips, mobile anti-aircraft guns, searchlights, bomb
decimation, air raid shelters, wardens, lost roofs and windows. Dead school
chums and families. We were quite innocent then - real young people. It was
the way things were!
Here we were, in an underground train bound for a mainline station. Where was
that mainline station? Where were we bound for? Strange: I don't remember
any school teacher being with us.
We arrived at a big station out of London. Were we told where we were? Off by
coach to a large hall in Nottingham where we were all fed from a beautifully
prepared meal - l can remember the new potatoes. A brief time for recollection.
Where were Paul Jackson, Geoffrey Gibson, Ruth Hills and the rest? I noticed
that many more of my school chums were not there either. I never saw any of
them again. That loss of mine still exists. What happened to them?
There was so much more – particularly our educational offering that was
minuscule. To add a mass of evacuees to an already over-stretched school with
existing educational problems meant that all the pupils suffered a lack of
education and it was this educational vacuum that caused my parents to take
me back to Heston. I never did settle back into any school education programme
after that and where were my old school chums?
Very much later, my "driven" needs and educational battles began as an adult
and eventually I was very successful. Within days of that return, the V2
rocketry stage began and the first German score in the area was a Junior school
in Southall, quite close by.
14
Heston
airport
or
'aerodrome' (as it was once
called) started as Heston Air
Park and was built by
Airwork Ltd and officially
opened on 5 July 1929, to
coincide with hosting the 2day Kings Cup Air Race. By
then, the Airwork Flying
School had become well
established, many privatelyowned aircraft had moved
in. The Household Brigade
Flying Club, also known as
the Guards flying club, had
moved from Brooklands. Frequent public events helped promote Heston as a
major centre of private flying, with air displays, public demonstrations of new
aircraft types, 'garden parties', air races, and as the starting point for longdistance flight record attempts. The King's Cup race was again staged at Heston
in 1931.
Heston with its primary 1100 metre long airstrip, plus two more, saw the birth
of British Airways on 30th October 1935 and had become very busy by this time
with its large passenger numbers. In 1932 it was designated as a commercial
diversionary airport, often required for Croydon Airport — where I - very much
later learnt to fly (until the money ran out!) - which was prone to fog and
Gatwick which was often waterlogged. Night flying facilities were installed and
further developed. It is claimed that the central building was the first purposebuilt airport control tower, on which all modern control towers are based.
It also saw the development of the autogyro, helicopters, left - a 1933 trial; and the
sleek Napier Heston Racer — G-AFOK below. Constructed for an attempt to set the
World's Landplane and Absolute Speed
Record. The Nuffield-Napier-Heston
35 was originally conceived in 1936
and financed by Lord Nuffield. The
racer's airframe was purposely
designed around and powered by a
top secret, specially built, blown version of a 24-cylinder, 2,450 HP Napier Sabre
engine. The prototype first flew at Heston o n 1 2 t h June 1940 but after only five
minutes the engine overheated and with inadequate elevator control the pilot, who
15
was being scalded by steam from the radiator mounted below the cockpit, tried to
carry out a forced landing. The aircraft stalled at 30 ft above the airfield. The Racer
impacted heavily, with the undercarriage driven through the wings and the tail being
broken off. It never flew again.
In 1937, the airport was bought by the Air Ministry and developed to be almost
as large as Croydon, making it London's second airport. With the outbreak of
war civil flying was suspended at Heston
The airport led a series of important innovations including the installation of the
Graham radio-telephone equipment and night-flying by means of floodlighting.
Photo-reconnaissance missions across Europe gave Heston a very important
'just' pre-war role. It was seen as 'most significant' in the history of air
photography. The success of these missions very quickly led to a Spitfire
squadron’s replacement to become part of 11 Group Fighter Command,
renamed as Number 2 Camouflage Unit (to conceal the unit's real function).
Heston also served as an 'escape' field for strafed bombers and fighters
returning from military European missions.
Their Majesties the King and Queen visited Heston Airport on 22nd July 1940
and by August 1940, as part of the Battle of Britain, the Airport and our
surrounding area began to experience a good deal of enemy bombing activity.
Heavy structural damage and death were recorded.
On 19th September of that year a magnetic mine was dropped on the airport.
It demolished the main hangar and many aircraft. The significant damage was
inspected by HM the King. Six days later a high explosive bomb fell outside the
Heston airport boundary and many more houses were badly damaged. This
bombing increased in the area. The Luftwaffe had identified Heston airport's
significant and widening wartime role.
By February 1941 there were 36
Spitfires rising to 56 in early May.
Later in the war the airfield was also used by the American Army Air Corps with
B17 flying fortresses. It also became a casualty evacuation centre for D Day.
The impact of WW 2 on education, evacuation and growth and development
patterns of personal damage experienced by many Heston residents plus a
whole amalgam of other issues is an area keenly researched by the Imperial
War Museum, a variety of universities both at home and abroad and particularly
by the University of Reading and University College London.
How odd ! Heston airport has now gone. Perhaps our only awareness of Heston
at all comes when we pass 'Heston Services' on the M4 which passes through
the middle of the airfield. Norwood Green’s aptly named Airlinks golf course was
also built on part of the aerodrome. Another odd feature in my opinion is that
so many of our residents in Heston and Isleworth, barely experienced the 2nd
World War at all and thus were unaffected by it.
Ed’s note:- As an ex (has-been) - aviator (feet-not-on-the-ground) I found this
fascinating. I had no knowledge of Heston’s importance to British Aviation’s
development. With Mischa’s approval I have added a few snippets gleaned
from internet research (mainly Wikipedia) to fill space available on the page.
Were any OSGs aware of this aerial activity at Heston and
therefore probably over Isleworth too? I certainly wasn’t.
16
For those of us stuck in the Uk for this unusually icy winter a reminder that
we’ve see it all before.
A rare shot of the “team” working hard planning the next reunion and SGR.
‘Ed’(‘53) & Iris (SGCS ’56)Pearce;53ers Avril Acott & Pam Neal; Bud Cutting (‘44)
17
LINKS
I
Sue Gardner ‘58
would like to thank all who have contributed to the newsletter for passing on
such interesting information of their lives post SGGS and memories of their
school experiences.
I was particularly pleased to read the articles by Jack and Marjorie Stammers in
issue 15. We met at a recent reunion where they were very interested in some
old school photos I had taken along showing myself at the school in the ‘50s and
my mother there in the ‘30s. Mr Callow and Miss Richards were at least two of
the members of staff who appeared in both! Marjorie was immediately taken
with a photo of me in school uniform and was convinced that she recognized me,
however as our paths could not possibly have crossed or overlapped at school I
was sure she was mistaken. We conversed for a while and gradually discovered
that she and Jack had lived opposite to me for several years. Here was the link
then, she probably remembered me because we had been neighbours. How
strange that one chance meeting – drawn together by SGGS- revealed many
years later how close we were to each other in my childhood.
Another link is with David Helsdon who was a year above me at school. Meeting
my then future husband Trevor in 1958, I was introduced to his best friend
Martin who is David’s eldest brother. Our friendship is still ongoing so I see
David occasionally at family or social functions. Whenever we met conversation
inevitably turns to our memories of SGGS. I doubt our paths would ever have
crossed but for my husbands friendship with Martin.
My first day at the school found me in the music room with new intake, waiting
to learn which form, red, white, or blue we were assigned to. I recognized Irene
Williams as we had spent some time together at primary school. She was with
Elizabeth (Betty) Greaves who was known to her. It was reassuring to see at
least one familiar face on such an important day for us all. Forms white and
blue departed to places then unknown, taking Irene and Betty with them,
leaving the remainder 1 red. It was then that I met Jane Redstone, lonely and
distressed, having just moved to Harlington from Porlock in Somerset, and
feeling totally bereft. She and I palled up and together with Irene and Betty,
the four of us remained friends through schooldays and beyond. I still have
photos of us all at Ruislip Lido.
My link with Jane was broken when she emigrated to Australia and I never heard
from her again. Irene now lives in Diss, Norfolk and we are rarely in contact.
Betty and I however are now living out our retirement in the same street in
Ashford (Middlesex) and have very much kept in touch with each other over the
years.
Finally another link I should like to mention is with Alan Sabey, also in print in
issue 15. Sadly Alan and I both lost a parent while we were pupils at the school,
a difficult thing to cope with so young. I am glad that he was able to share the
experience of his loss with the readers, we were never encouraged to discuss
our feelings at the time.
It seems that the wonderful SGGS still links so many of us, locally and
worldwide. As with many others I shall always remember my link to the school
and I feel grateful that my destiny led me through the imposing wrought iron
gates at the entrance so many years ago.
18
Ann Lusher
Peter Wotton ‘46
I
n SGR 14 Richard Dawes wrote that he had discovered that he had
won the Ann Lusher Prize for English. However, he did not know
anything about her so I got in touch with Richard and told him
what I knew.
In SGR 15 Avril (Acott) Cutting said that she had no
information about Ann although in the same edition there was an
article by Rosemary (Oxspring) Beales who was in the OSG Dramatic
Society with Ann.
As Ann was slightly older than me I did not really know her when I
was at school.
However, in 1955 I married another OSG, Marjorie
Reading ’47, who was also a member of the OSG Dramatic Society.
At one time I had a large photograph of the cast of “Blithe Spirit”
the highly amusing farce by Noel Coward.
Ann very successfully
played the part of Elvira, a dead wife who returns to haunt her former
husband.
Marjorie was the second wife, Ruth, while Eileen Forrest
was the incompetent medium, Madame Arcati.
Unfortunately, the
photograph was lost during a house move.
Ann was an attractive, intelligent, warm-hearted young woman and I
can remember a splendid party which started at her parent’s home in
Osterley and ended at the “Red Lion” in Hounslow. Her health was
not very good even then but she had an indomitable spirit and made
light of her disabilities.
In the late nineteen fifties there was an attempted revival of the
Dramatic Society and many of the rehearsals were held in my house.
I was not a member of the Society but I read some of the parts when
actors could not attend and, more successfully, made the tea! Ann
was not actively involved because of her work schedule (I think by
then she was a highly efficient hospital almoner) but she gave what
support she could.
She took a great interest in my children
especially when Marjorie died in 1972.
She was at my wedding when I remarried in 1978 and I surveyed a
bungalow for her at Pyrford, near Woking when she retired. In her
last years she was not well but still took an active part in twinning
arrangements with a European town and she was also involved in
other local voluntary groups.
She died in 1993. She was the sort
of person who could “get things done” and I feel that life had treated
her very cruelly but her spirit and determination enabled her to carry
on despite her illnesses and I never heard her complain.
19
The 2010 All Comers Reunion
Saturday 2nd Oct. 2010
As in previous years it will start at 11.00am
Coffee on arrival. There will be a buffet lunch,
And time for an uninterrupted trip down Memory Lane before tea.
Be sure to order your carriages for 3.30 pm by which time you will
probably be talked out.
(except for Sylvia C and Jean R & Heather G of course)
All for just £17.00 - where else can you get such value
and NO price increase?
Come and join us. Get together with your year groups and let Pam
know if you’re interested in meeting old friends and coming to see
how the Spring Grove House landscape is changing.
Its as easy as
A, B, C; just complete the enclosed form,
or download a form from the website, and send it to Pam at the
address on the form.
Please enclose a stamped and addressed envelope for confirmation
and name tags. Friends and family will be welcome.
Letters to the editor
Dear Ed,
Congratulations on a great
SGR! I can throw some light on
the photo of the girl prefects on
page 17:
Back row,
left end Ena Sutton
(I'm 99% sure)
2nd from left
Doris Berry
(already identified)
3rd from left can't remember
4th from left
Myrtle Atkins
5th from left
Pam Crook (already identified)
front row, left end
one of the Fox twins?
front row, right end
Jeanne Lewis
Cheers Bud (Cutting ‘44)
20
Dear Ed,
I enclose a cheque for £10 to ensure the next issue of the
magazine and to make a contribution to the tree fund.
My husband was reading the story about the tree and
remembered that his aunt, Elsie Titchen, had made a drawing
of the front of the school when she was a pupil. She is
mentioned in the Old Spring Grovian Magazine, Vol 1, No. 1, in
an article by J.L.Davidge and was therefore probably one of the
1923 - 29ers. She is still with us, aged 97, and lives in a
retirement home in Bristol. I enclose a copy of the drawing
showing the original tree and the house.
His uncle, Frank Marston, also a 1923 - 29er, is also still alive
and lives in Toronto.
Yours sincerely,
Brenda Standivan ‘51
Thank you Brenda for your letter and the donation. The drawing is
reproduced below and probably doesn’t do it justice.
21
Last time in SGR 15.....
John Wheeler ‘51 was sorting his old photos and came upon this picture on the left
and sent it asking who, what, where?
Joan Lainson ‘53 replied.....
too have this photo. It was taken at New
Milton, 1951, at a caravan holiday
organised by Miss Johnson, our English
teacher. John being two years older than
the rest of us must have been there to help.
I cant remember how long we were there or
in fact what we did. The people
photographed are (from the top and left to
right)). John Wheeler, David Pratley,
Malcolm Harvey. Michael Philo, Margaret
Brayley, Maureen Carter and myself. I know Mike has no recollection of
the holiday but hopefully Malcolm or David have.
Margaret won a scholarship to Wycombe Abbey School and left us soon
after. I enclose a photo of a leaving party held for her at her house. I did
visit her once at Wycombe Abbey but lost touch after that. It would be
good to know how she fared.
Thank you for the magazine. It's great to read people's memories. I have
nothing but good memories and think how lucky and privileged I was to
attend such a great inspiring school.
I
Joan sent some great photos from this time, sadly this photo wasn’t the
greatest and didn’t reproduce very clearly, sun position was critical in
those days, even so there are a lot of ‘53ers even I can recognise. Ed
22
I forwarded Joan’s letter to John. This is his response. ED
reat that Joan remembered “The Event”. We were actually at
New Milton for 2 weeks. “Johnny” Miss Johnson was
(obviously) in charge and made all the arrangements for
travel & hire etc. and asked if I would have a stab at supervising(??)
the boys. Johnny had to leave at the end of the first week and
Thelma Lidstone (in my year) came to ensure the girl’s safety for the
second week. If I remember correctly, Thelma arrived with the
gaggle of Parents, anxious to make sure their respective offspring
had survived. This gaggle include my Father who arrived in his car
which, at the time, was a V8 American Ford 8 seater wagon that he’d
purchased at a military auction a few years earlier and had rebuilt it.
It looked pretty specy for it’s day. The body was made of Beech
wood. All highly varnished
Big headlamps etc. etc. I think it was only the boys who climbed in
and over it and Dad took us for a ride around the locality. 1951 was
still a time when a ride in private car was still a treat, especially for
youngsters (as we still were at the time). I think it was on that day
that the photos were taken. I seem to remember that there was
another photo of the day with everyone in the car either sitting on it
or inside it looking out of the open windows. Wouldn’t turn too many
heads now, would it?? If I can find it, I’ll send a copy.
The 2 weeks weren’t altogether sunny. As usual, we had a few days
when it rained sufficiently to confine us to our respective caravans.
I don’t know what the girls did (probably cooked the evening meal)
but us fellas played pontoon and (the mind boggles at the memory
of it) sang along to Frankie Lane, Guy Mitchell etc. David Pratley
being the Star Turn when “Jezebel” erupted and he appeared to
levitate vertically off the bunks during the chorus. We must have had
some 78s because it was played more than once to enable encores.
We really knew how to live it up, in them thar days!!
If you are speaking to Joan at all, please say “Hi” for me – I
remember her as a 14 year old as well. Doubtless she’s wearing
make-up by now and looking pretty flash.
G
Regards..............John Wheeler ‘51
...and from NZ came an e-mail that disproved Joan’s doubts about
Mike Philo’s memory ...
he pic. on page 8 is a group from '53 on holiday together in
about '51. That's me on the right above Joan Lainson. Kim
carter next to her. On my right Harvey and Pratley.
T
Cheers .....Mike Philo ‘53
23
From John Bloomfield
‘54:Bottom left corner Miss Ashcroft
Then what looks like a
much chubbier Dolly
Ransom, but could be
someone else.
Dolly
should really be much
nearer LTB than that.
Then
Ann
Waldron
(Fifth year in 1954). In
that posish she should
be head girl, which
should make it 1956 but I suppose she may
have stayed in the sixth
form for a third year,
making it 1957.
Then a girl whose face I remember clearly, from fifth form 1955. Then
ditto, I think.
I would suggest that the girl right of Ann Waldron would have been
another 1954 er if it was '56, so the odds are it was '57 and all the '54
ers in upper sixth the previous year had then gone, except Ann.
Perhaps she stayed on for a Scholarship level exam - or had they
ended that process by then?
£10 on 1957, at evens. Never mind, 'cos I'll do a welsher anyway.
JB
Thanks John ...that was very helpful...I think....
I still don’t know if this is the photo to which Margaret Elders ‘57
referred, I can’t identify the “beanpole”....any clues Margaret?
Please send any copy or photos for SGR
or for inclusion on the website to
Ray Pearce
16 Park Ave, Eastbourne,
E Sussex
BN22 9QN
E-mail: [email protected]
To sort from junk mail please put ”SGGS”
in the subject line.
Donations, queries, complaints
& anything difficult to:Pam Isom
4, Chatsworth Grove,
Farnham,
Surrey,
GU9 0DJ
E-mail: [email protected]
Please make all cheques payable to Pam Isom
24

SGR 16 - SGGS HOME page

Transcription

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