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Bruce Graham

Mike

Good luck with your further research on all of the building work at the school.

As I mentioned in a previous reply, I started at the school in 1950 and so lived through almost all of that first expansion.

As I recall the changes were announced in 1951 and work began in 52. For more than a year the school assembly hall existed with a builders cloth partition along the whole of the western side while the new hall extension was constructed in what had been the western courtyard area (opposite the Head's office). Certainly by the summer of 54 the new hall was in use, turned through 90 degrees, in time for the O Level exams that year. The new gymnasium and technology block were also in use by then.

Sat 14-Apr-2012 14:24

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

Mike

In answer to your query below, the dining facility was certainlt there when I began at the school in September 1950. I seem to recall that the buildings were of the sort of pre-fabricated style that was so common in the late 40s. Perhaps one of our correpondents from that era can remember them being put up?

Fri 13-Apr-2012 14:09 - Ruskington, Lincs

From Mike T: Thanks, Bruce. The one that remained towards the end of the 60s (the sixth-form centre) definitely looked concrete-and-asbestos prefab.

I've found the buildings showing on a poor copy of an OS map from the 50s (together with a collection of buildings beyond on the YMCA field).

There's one of the YMCA-field buildings left on a 60s OS map. Oddly, that building is still there on the 70s and 80s OS maps, yet it isn't there on the 1968 aerial photo.

Any and all info is useful, as I'm trying to compiled a time-line of all the various building works.

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

Bryan is absolutely correct. The buildings were, in the first half of the 1950's, the school cafeteria, dinner block or whatever other name the boys could give them.

Thu 12-Apr-2012 18:35 - Ruskington, Lincolnshire

Bryan Cooper | bryglen~AT~bryancooper~DOT~wanadoo~DOT~co~DOT~uk

The buildings Mike refers to were, I think, the old dinner block.
The Sixth Form Centre was originally in the smaller building for 1961/62 and transferred the following year to the larger one.

Thu 12-Apr-2012 10:12 - North Wales

From Mike T: Thanks Bryan (and Bruce). The main reason I was asking was that it struck me as odd that a dinner block should consist of what appear to be four separate buildings (and seemed a lot of space when you consider how small the replacement dining hall was).

They would have been there when I started, but I always went home for lunch, so didn't know much about them.

Have either of you any idea when they were built? I think it may well have been before the 1950s expansion.

Mike Todd

A question for those who were at the school before 1960.

At some time, a group of buildings was constructed to the north of the school. They're the four buildings that can be seen in the bottom left of the 1963 aerial photo.

/photos/aerialphotos/1962-aerial.jpg

There is a long building on the right (which was eventually cut in half and became the Sixth Form Centre), a smaller building on the far left, a much smaller building between them, and a chimney-like building lower left of the group.

I'm trying to understand when these building were built and what they were used for.

I believe that one (or more) of them were used as a dining hall, but can anyone shed any certainty on the date and use of these building?

Many thanks

Wed 11-Apr-2012 17:31 - Rothbury

Robin Leslie | robinleslie~AT~alumni~DOT~lse~DOT~ac~DOT~uk

Mike it was very good news to hear of the High School's anniversary as it is
moreover a double clebration for me. I'm proud to say that I attended the High School from 1952-54 so that's a celebration to mark for it was indeed a wonderful school. I'm also delighted that Rory Underwood is the guest speaker as I went from the High School to Barnard Castle School in 1954 where I also enjoyed my time there. Rory Underwood played his rugby at Barney
some years after me but how nice to know that the High School and Barney are linked. I played for SSHS under-14s
at rugby under a Mr. Callaghan who, incidentally, went to Barnard Castle School before becoming a staff member of the High School. Such wonderful memories, One further memory will always remain with me, that is I spiked myself at the end of a relay race on the running track that was in those days (1953)by the railings at the St. Marys Avenue entrance to the school. I'm glad to say that I represented the High School in their relay team at the Durham County Championship held at Reyrolles track in Darlington alongside Jack Talbut and Victor Muncaster.

Wed 4-Apr-2012 13:03 - Buckinghamshire

Mike Todd

For Bruce and others, I've updated the front page with some additional details about the dinner. It is formal attire (lounge suits), but not black-tie. And the menu is now included.

Also, there will be an open day towards the end of the academic year so that those unable to attend the dinner can still get a chance to look around.

Fri 30-Mar-2012 18:06

Neale | nealebackh~AT~gmail~DOT~com

I getcha Eric. So does that mean when my para dispatcher shouted, "Go!!", I should really have answered, "Where to?"

Thu 29-Mar-2012 22:37 - Victoria BC, Canada

Eric Moyse 1946 to 1953 | eric~DOT~moyse~AT~sky~DOT~com

OK Neale
I always understood that you have to enjoy something, possibly yourself, although that should be done with care. Nowadays "enjoy" is often used without an object, which sounds incorrect to me and my dictionary does say that it a vt. Perhaps it is a transatlantic thing.But then I am old (although if I remember correctly, about two months younger than you).
Hope you are well.
Yours in pedantry
Eric

Thu 29-Mar-2012 09:51 - Reading Berkshire