Old Boys, Girls and Teachers Guestbook

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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only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).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 401 to 410

Robin Leslie | rbn_leslie~AT~yahoo~DOT~co~DOT~uk

I remember both Ronnie fenton and John Talbut, both were in the same year as me and John Talbut was in the same form under Mr Halling. John Talbut and I and Victor Muncaster formed the successful under 14 relay team that won the relay at the Durham County Championships at Darlington Rolling Mills ground in 1954. Jack had entered the High School after coming up to Tyneside from Wandsworth in London. I'm sure Jack Talbut was an England schoolboy international! Not only was Jack full of fun in class and elsewhere he was a pleasure to know. Ronnie Fenton I knew less well but for his size he could hit a ball with force and was a very nippy dribbler. God rest Ronnie I have never forgotten either him or Jack. In 1954 I sadly left my very happy years at the High School and went on to Barnard Castle School, but I will always treasure those two years at the High School.

Thu 3-Oct-2013 20:04 - United Kingdom

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

Just a liitle more on hearing about the death of Ronnie Fenton. Ronnie played in the very successful South Shields Schoolboys which reached the national semi final but only to lose to Manchester Schoolboys. I remember going with my father to watch them at Simonside Hall , must have been in the 1956- 58 time zone.Also in this team was another ex old boy, John Talbut,who is not listed amongst famous old boys but who played for West Bromwich Albion and was regarded as a none compromising and commanding centre half. Not sure if John and Ronnie ever played in the same West Brom side ,John was born in the same year as Ronnie and I'm sure he would be chuffed to see his name being included and recognised along with other famous ex old boys.

Sun 29-Sep-2013 19:20 - Central Gardens South Shields

Eric Moyse | eric~DOT~moyse~AT~sky~DOT~com

Today's Shields Gazette on line today reports the sad death at the age of 73 of former football star player and manager Ron Fenton, a Shieldsman who I am pretty sure attended the School. Perhaps another alumnus who visits this website can add more.

Sat 28-Sep-2013 09:53 - Reading, England

From Mike T: Thanks for that, Eric. Yes, I can confirm that Ronald Fenton was at the school from September, 1952. There's a mini-biography on the "famous Old Boys" page.

Neale Backhouse | nealebackh~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hi Mike
I couldn't resist just one more of these. From the Editorial page of the Victoria Times Colonist this morning, "Family farms can grow jobs."
I promise that's the last. Neale.

Sun 22-Sep-2013 21:18 - Victoria BC Canada

Bryan Cooper | brayncc~AT~gmail~DOT~com

I'm currently on holiday in France and idly looking at previous posts. One that caught my attention was in regard to the 'Remove' form. When first introduced it appeared to be called 6 something but, certainly, in 1960 and 61 it was called 5R (I know, 'cos I was there!). If you look at the relevant pics you can see that the members of the Remove look a lot older than their putative contemporaries. In 1960/61 one of the members was about 18, as I remember.
How old was the oldest boy to attend? I suggest Malcolm Stoker who must have been 21 when he left.

Sun 8-Sep-2013 20:49 - Airvault, France

From Mike T: It's difficult to give a meaningful "oldest boy", because a number of boys joined at age 18 or 19 in the 60s and 70s to sit or resit exams, and some of these left at 20 and 21.

But Malcolm Stoker was one of several boys who left aged 20.

The youngest leaving age? That was Wilfred Hutchings, who left at the age of 5y 4m. But that was in 1919 when the school was taking boys of 5 and 6 years of age.

Sadly, not all the school's records include leaving dates, so my database has nearly 300 boys whose leaving ages are unknown.

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

Hello Mike,
I read with sadness the report, in last week’s Gazette, of Alan Brooks-Tyreman’s death. My contemporaries would not have known him, but from all of the comments I have read, I would like to have met him.
I wonder if he realised the impact he had made on his students’ lives. I often wonder if teachers realise how influential that impact may be. I look back on my time in school in South Shields and remember Miss Snowdon from Gilbert Street, Mr. McHugh from Barnes Road and a host of memorable teachers from the High School. We’ve read recently about “Basher” Grey; Others from that same era, Dr. Skilling, Charlie Constable, Arnie Josephs to name but a few, have left an indelible impression on me and on my contemporaries whose reminiscences are recorded in the Guest Book. These are memories from 60 to 70 years ago...and we remember them well. I’m sure the students of Mr. Brooks-Tyreman will remember him too and count themselves lucky to have crossed his path. At his young age he would have had perhaps another thousand students through his classes and I feel sorry for those who will have missed out on the experience of learning from him.
He has certainly joined the ranks of great teachers who have made their mark in our great school.
Regards, from a sunny, muggy, Montreal,
Alex Patterson

Tue 3-Sep-2013 15:35 - Montreal, Canada

David Thompson | davta60~AT~blueyonder~DOT~co~DOT~uk

Sad death reported of Mr Brooks-Tyreman,teacher at Harton for 25 years aged only 48.

Sat 24-Aug-2013 11:13

Neale Backhouse '46 to '51 | nealebackh~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Oh my God Alex! I'll have to keep Liz away from the Guestbook for a while. If she finds out that you read Sonnet #29 to Marjorie on your 50th wedding anniversary, I'll be in the doghouse for weeks!
Moving down the page to Sonnet#30,there is that magical first stanza,"When to the sessions of sweet silent thought I summon up remembrances of things past." Years ago that inspired me to tackle Marcel Proust's "Remembrance of things past" in three volumes (Penguin edition). Oh how I laboured. I managed, more or less, to get through vol.1, but that was it. What a tortuous road. I can't really remember any of what I read except that he went on and on over minute details. The kind of thing that a "lesser" novelist would have dispensed with in a couple of sentences. I suppose the purists will say that the beauty is in the details. Maybe some of my erstwhile colleagues may add some light on what I was missing. Hands up anyone who has read all three volumes.

Sat 10-Aug-2013 20:04 - Victoria BC Canada

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

Hello Mike,
I have read with interest the recent reminiscences of life under “Basher” Grey’s tutelage.
I’m afraid I must have been one of his lost causes according to his comments on the four reports I still have in my possession. I tell my grandchildren that my mother must have lost my other ten or eleven “superb” reports while bragging about my academic prowess to her friends. She probably hid these surviving reports from sight.
I quote F.G.G. verbatim from the reports I have.
-------------------------------------------

“Disappointing in Composition. He sometimes gives the impression of being easily satisfied. F.G.G.”
“Good. F.G.G.”
“Good. F.G.G.”
“He shows interest and ability. F.G.G.”
“Good. F.G.G.”
“Careless mistakes in ‘expression’, and lack of detail in Lit. answers. F.G.G.”
“Rather frivolous at times but he is improving. F.G.G.”

The “Goods” were for Gym and Games; the rest for English.
---------------------------------------
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When I look back on my English lessons with Basher, it is with great fondness; I always looked forward to his classes. He did what he was supposed to do; he instilled a love of the English language in me. He introduced me to Sonnet 29, with the words, “Take this and read it aloud twenty times and next week tell me what it means.” I must have been fourteen or fifteen at the time and the impact it had on me was significant. The sonnet has become a family favourite. Fred’s influence has now been felt for three generations in my family. I recited it for my wife on our 50th wedding anniversary, my daughter used the words at her husband’s funeral and my granddaughter when she graduated from McGill, and always with the acknowledgement of “My Dad’s teacher” or ‘My Grandpa’s teacher.” Last night I used it as a lullaby to my one-year old grandson for whom I was babysitting. Well done Fred!!
I looked forward to his classes and loved it when someone would try to divert his attention from teaching by asking about bird watching. He sometimes fell for it
but always seemed to turn the question into a life lesson. I still don’t know why he was called “Basher”...but I assume it was because of his ‘full on‘ attitude to rugby and life in general. I’m also sure that it was Basher who wielded a leather strap from an old L.N.E.R. door window.
Happy days!
Best wishes from a warm and muggy (82 F Humidex) Montreal
Alex Patterson

Thu 8-Aug-2013 02:10 - Montreal, Canada

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

After perusing 'famous old boys' & reading about William ( Bill )Hewison I recall playing games with him & his younger brother, I recall the last time we met outside the fish & chip shop in Harton when I was 16 & had left school prior to sitting the final exam, he shouted out " Forster funked the Durham " & an old guy thought he had used the other " F " word & ranted at him. Sorry to see that he died a few years ago.

Sat 3-Aug-2013 18:07 - PEI Canada

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