Old Boys, Girls and Teachers Guestbook

home > guestbook

home

past

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only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).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.

Add a message | Search

There are 500 messages in the guestbook
<<< 1 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 50 >>>
Viewing messages 341 to 350

Alex Patterson, 46 - 51 | alexpatterson~AT~videotron~DOT~ca

Hello Mike,
Thanks for the clarification. Sir Ken seems to have the answer on the education front. Is he also "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound."?
OFSTED reports like his are something to aspire to. Lucky students!!
Regards from a seasonal Montreal,
Alex Patterson

Thu 16-Apr-2015 01:47 - Montreal, Canada

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

Alex - the title "Executive Head Teacher" indicates that the Head is looking after more than one school. Ken Gibson has been overseeing other schools in the area as part of a local remit to improve teaching standards. To say he has succeeded where others have failed is a bit of an understatement.

At Harton he oversees the main school, which has its own "Head of School" and the 6th form, which has a "Director of 6th Form".

As for Hart6n - it doesn't quite render properly in normal text, but it is part of the "branding" for the 6th form (youngsters seem to like to make num63r5 work for l3tter5 for some reason)

Wed 15-Apr-2015 23:14

George Connett | georgejamesconnett~AT~googlemail~DOT~com

Hi Alex, I know the feeling and I hope you didn't find the capitulation of Sunderland too painful yesterday.

Sun 12-Apr-2015 11:05 - Harton South Shields

Alex Patterson 46 - 51 | alexpatterson~AT~videotron~DOT~ca

Hi Mike and George,
Ooooooops!!! Sorry George for accusing you of being a new name. Something was niggling me this morning, while watching Sunderland take a drubbing from Alan Pardew's Crystal Palace. The Toon Army should be careful what they wish for. Anyhow I decided to do a search on your (George's) name to see that you have been a frequent contributor. I can blame my advancing years...why not?
Regards,
Alex Patterson

Sun 12-Apr-2015 01:34 - Montreal, Canada

Alex Patterson, 46 - 51 | alexpatterson~AT~videotron~DOT~ca

Hello Mike,
Nice to see a letter from a new name, George Connett. By the way George, the Old Timers might include Shearer, Giggs, Beckham and Gerrard!!!
When I was in England last year, I took a drive up to the school and managed to take a couple of decent photos notwithstanding the locked gates and ubiquitous CCTV cameras. One of the photos was of the school as I remembered it, mainly by judicious cropping to cut out the new bits. Another was of the Ofsted banner, declaring the school, “Outstanding in Every Category” The categories were ‘Achievement of Pupils’, Quality of Teaching’, Behaviour and Safety of Pupils’ and ‘Leadership and Management’. Not bad things in which to be outstanding. So I was feeling quite proud of the my old school, particularly when accompanied by my daughter and two of my grandchildren. They all loved the older building...Mallory Towers and St. Trinians-ish and imagined it must have been fabulous to have attended such a school; for me it was.
One of the other photos I took was that of the school sign...Harton Technology College, Executive Head Teacher, Sir Ken Gibson, B.A.(Hons), M.Ed., NLE. I think it was Bruce who asked a while ago why it was “Executive Head Teacher”. I don’t remember seeing an answer. Is there an “Academic Head Master” or any other type of Head Master? Anyhow, “Congrats, Sir Ken and keep up the good work.”
Another part of the school sign read “hart6n, innovation & progression” and it’s not a misprint, it is a ‘6‘ instead of an ‘o‘ in the first word. What does it mean? My bam has never been so boozled.
The weather here is finally changing...we’re above zero...although I still have ice and snow in the garden, but the pouring rain today should help get rid of that.
Regards from a warmish, rainy Montreal
Alex Patterson

Fri 10-Apr-2015 18:58 - Montreal, Canada

George Connett | georgejamesconnett~AT~googlemail~DOT~com

Thanks Alex for reminding me about the old timers Good Friday match at Horsley Hill Stadium. I used to go with my dad, happy happy days , memories that will live forever in my heart.

Sat 4-Apr-2015 11:29 - south shields

Alex Patterson | alexpatterson~AT~videotron~DOT~ca

Happy Easter Mike and readers.
Are you all off to the Parade and then to Horsley Hill to see the Old Timers...aah happy days. We're having 10cm to 15 cm of snow tomorrow.
Regards from a cool Montreal.
Alex

Fri 3-Apr-2015 13:40 - Montreal, Canada

Ed. Forster | r2edforster~AT~live~DOT~ca

I'd been thinking that when visiting my kids school they all had lockers with padlocks, We all had a home classroom & wooden lift top desks where I kept books etc. Don't recall anything being stolen., except a stamp album given to me by my Uncle Joe who was a merchant marine captain, it was loaded with old stamps from all over the world. So I went to join Arnold Joseph's philatelic club, I had left it on a sill outside the class for about two minutes, went to pick it up & it was gone I chased all over to no avail. so to the thief who stole it " I want it back, if you are still alive" ED.

Tue 24-Mar-2015 10:52 - Snowy PEI Canada

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

May I join in with the others of the old brigade of regular contributors to the Guestbook in feeling disheartened by the passing of Michael Lawrenson.

As has been said, not only did he make valuable comments of his own he could also be depended on to respond to one-on-one correspondence in clarification of issues, always in a positive and light-hearted manner. A few years ago when I enquired about the impact of the severe snows of 1947 on the High School (I was still at Harton Juniors) he was quick to elicit replies from a number of the others.

Our contact may have been - quite literally - ethereal but he will be missed.

Mon 9-Mar-2015 19:33 - Ruskington, Lincolnshire

Eric Moyse 1947 to 1954 | eric~DOT~moyse~AT~sky~DOT~com

Sorry to hear about Michael Lawrenson. He was a very nice guy.

Thu 5-Mar-2015 10:22 - United Kingdom

<<< 1 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 50 >>>