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Welcome to the Guestbook
Feel free to add messages relating to the site and the school. The only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).

It would be appreciated if you gave an email address, where you now live and said when you were at the school, but you don't have to.

Plase note that if you click on an email address below you will need to replace ~DOT~ with . and ~AT~ with @ in your email program. The Guestbook presents these this way to avoid email address harvesters collecting your email addresses from the page. I know it's a pain, but it's very much better than the alternative.

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There are 500 messages in the guestbook
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Viewing messages 31 to 40

Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btinternet~DOT~com

To stir the pot one more time. I wonder if any of the "oldies" contributors recall the difference between matriculation and the other qualifications that preceded the GCE "O" and "A" levels that I was subject to?

By the by can any of you remember the name of the senior Latin teacher of that era - whose name I cannot recall - who persuaded me the Virgil and I were a lost cause.

Sat 23-Sep-2023 19:32 - ruskington lincolnshie

Mike Todd | old~DOT~boys~AT~boyshighschool~DOT~co~DOT~uk

I think that there are two main reasons why only a quarter of the school evacuated to Appleby.

Initially, the evacuation zone was only Gateshead and Newcastle but South Shields protested and was eventually included.

But, as far as I can recall, the evacuation zone was limited to those children living close to the river - and since the Harton school was outside that zone, not all pupils were evacuated.

And it was only a voluntary scheme, of course.

Mon 11-Sep-2023 10:59

Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btinternet~DOT~com

Thanks Mike. Absolutely fascinating

Of course it (the site) raises more questions , which is probably why you haven't incorporated the information
into the main school website.

Why just a quarter of the school and the Head-"Pop" Lucas- remaining behind with the rest and most of his staff??

Presumably, if the evacuation was anything like that in the south of the country they didn't stay away for too long.

Sun 10-Sep-2023 21:26 - ruskington lincolnshie

Mike Todd | old~DOT~boys~AT~boyshighschool~DOT~co~DOT~uk

Bruce, a bit of info on the evacuees is on the pages that start at:

http://boyshighschool.co.uk/thepast/wart
ime/ww2/sshs-war-01.htm

I've not integrated that into the public side of the database - at least not yet.

Sat 9-Sep-2023 13:07

Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btinternet~DOT~com

Thanks Mike.

I haven't used this feature of the site much but it has opened a whole range of information, particularly in relation to my own era.

But what a can of worms have been opened concerning those very early years. I think there was a thing called "matriculation" that existed in my brother's time (1945 - 50) but our new correspondent mentions a new category entirely. And what about the years when the school (apparently) was evacuated.

Here we go - we're not finished yet!!

Thu 7-Sep-2023 20:33 - ruskington lincolnshie

Mike Todd | old~DOT~boys~AT~boyshighschool~DOT~co~DOT~uk

Indeed, Bruce - and welcome Earle Stobart!!

As for WWII entries, Bruce, so you get a rough idea if you go to the "Old Boys Database" on the front page.

In the date range just put 1939-1945 and you'll get a list. However, it will include all those who entered in September, 1945, after the end of the war.

It should return 905 records (but with very limited information for privacy reasons). I've queried the database and there were 743 who joined between 1/9/1939 and 5/9/1945

However, these are only approximate numbers/selections as there are other criteria which I didn't control for.

Wed 6-Sep-2023 09:49

Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btinternet~DOT~com

Wow!!!

Not only a new contributor but one older than the "oldies".

Perhaps Mike has some record of those who entered our school during WW2.

Another Canadian too

Tue 5-Sep-2023 21:10 - ruskington lincolnshie

Earle Stobart | estobart~AT~sympatico~DOT~ca

Anyone left from the 1948 Higher School certificate class left

Tue 5-Sep-2023 14:54 - Canada

Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btinternet~DOT~com

Not good news from the "oldies" who seem to be the only contributors. Wouldn't it be great if some of the "in-betweeners" -ie those before the internet - joined in.

I have a new rule for those in their later years. THOU SHALT NOT FALL DOWN STAIRS.

1. It hurts

2. The effects last forever.

Other than that follow Winston Churchill's dictum and "keep buggering on"

Fri 1-Sep-2023 20:26 - ruskington lincolnshie

Mike

Not sure, Neale - I'll have a look later (just heading off to the Freeman to have my kidneys checked!) - but it looks like the RETURN key got stuck
Just waiting to leave and checked - lots of RETURNS so I've removed the.

Thu 17-Aug-2023 12:42

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