Blogscrape

I had a chequered career at SCGS: 1957-1965.

My family moved back to the UK from Singapore in 1956 and I went to Grand Avenue primary. Mrs White was a grey haired old lady who managed to coax me through the eleven plus – it required a “second chance” go at the tests but she somehow got me through. I lived in Berrylands and SCGS was my local Grammar school. I think my parents would have preferred Tiffins, but I had no regrets

I have distinct and clear memories of my first term. Bushing did happen, but not to me.

I was in Villiers and the intake was split into houses for the first term. One of the names I remember was Marcus Plantin who went on to fame in TV land

Another was Michael Basman, who made a name for himself at school by selling enormous amounts of UNICEF cards at Christmas. Michael went on to do big things at chess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Basman

After the first term we were divided into four classes according to ability. I ended up in 2D and dropped Latin in favour of technical drawing (taught by Mr Turner). I somehow got my act together in the fourth form and was put up a class to 4C.

Technical drawing proved much more useful as I ended up at university (after repeating a year in sixth form) doing Electrical Engineering and getting a PhD in Control Engineering at Sheffield.

The year I left to go to university, 1965, A.J. Doig retired and the school moved to Thames Ditton. I was very sad to see the school disappear because it was as though my past had also gone.

Looking back, the school had amazing traditions. Teachers in gowns; houses competing in various ways, not just sport; a canteen for lunch (two sittings per day); rugby, which I played until I was about 15 and then took up swimming; the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which included a five day hike in the Brecon Beacons, shadowed by Fernyhough and Cadogan (I still can’t get used to them having first names)

I now feel as though I got a real education at SCGS. There was a degree of freedom combined with quality teaching.

I moved to Australia in 1972 and this is the first trace of SCGS I have come across on the Internet. The memories it has brought back are well worth re-living.

A last note. I was known as Dunn while at the school. At university I joined my middle and last name and am now known as Bernard Robertson-Dunn.

Bob H! My creaky grey cells are telling me that I and Len Neldrett were table prefects to messrs Chris Lucy, ??Finlayson and Cuffley.

Paul H: I am a bit loath to publish my address etc on the net –likewise Alan Bolt’s details — however if you send me your details via friends reunited I will forward you what details I have. Cheers -Dave

Can anyone give me contact details for Alan Bolt please? Email/address/phone.
Thanks Paul (SCGS 1959-62)

Well, Bob Harris….. seems like only?… err 40 years ago! Yes it was a Path Lab and after letting me out for good behaviour a few years back I’ve been recruited to commission a new IT system covring most of the labs in West London – no peace for the wicked! The only person that I’ve kept up any contact with is Tony Dallimore who is now based in Wellingborough. I was involved in a band with Mike ‘George’ Packwood until he died in 2002 – quite successful at the time (20 years of regular pub and club work so not at all to be sneezed at!). Now spending my time between NZ and UK chasing the sun and trying not to grow old gracefully!
If you are still in the Surbiton area (or within travelling distance thereof) there will be a meeting of old lags in the Victoria in Victoria Road at 8pm on 4th Sept where Bas Hunt, Joe Turner and several other old members of the teaching staff will be joining us for a glass of foaming, nut-brown tonsil bath. ALL WELCOME……

What an afternoon, I have just spent two and a half hours reading the whole blog. What memories as somebody else said it is now 43 years ago that I moved on from SCGS. Many names came back to me, especially three bloggers namely Ken Percival, Chris Leaney and Colin Fleming. Perhaps I should have hidden behind my initials “RCH”. Good spot to out “CLF” although I had spotted his name as missing from the list. Some how the dim distant memory always packaged Colin with Dick(Naylor).

Two things struck me, firstly just how many masters there were and how easy it is to associate names with houses. Colin was Egmont, Dick:Lovelace, Ken:Coutts and I am not so sure about Chris, was it Egmont again? I am not going to write forever (I will write again once the memories return) but a few updates for Colin, it was Nigel Ralph, Mick Douthwaite (so sad to hear he has past, I do remember the “Douthwaite Roll” straight over the handlebars as he cornered from the Portsmouth Road into what I later learned was Thorkhill Road((I lived there 76-83)). It was Graham Cuffley and Martin Redstone. Ken to my eternal embarrassment I remember “borrowing” your bike and riding it into the back platform of a 265 bus in Hook Road. Finally today, Chris I have a vague memory of you heading off to work, as you left school, in a path lab or something similar.
Keeping blogging and thanks for the memories.
RC (Arsy)Harris (Villiers) nowadays a more reasonable Bob.