Old Harlovians

444 page views and 111 visitors to the site so far, which I think is pretty good for 5 days.

Unless my co-authors add a posting or two, there won't be much activity on the site next week as I am pretty busy.

Hope you have all enjoyed it so far. Don't forget to feel free to add your comments to the postings.

Best wishes

Harlovian

(Photo courtesy of Phil Alexander)

Some of you may remember Dave Lehan from the early 1960's. A bright lad with a very quick sense of humour.

I made contact with Dave by e-mail through Friends Reunited in 2002 and was dismayed to learn from him that he had contracted motor neurone disease.

I sent him several more e-mails, but only received one or two replies and have heard nothing from him since 2002 and his e-mail address is no longer active.

The photo also shows the old fives court and "Tectum" (Latin for roof as I am sure you know), where many a secret ciggie was smoked!) - The window looking out on to the fives court was a classroom for Form One (the youngest boys) when I first attended in 1956, but later became the prefects room, where I had a few administrations of the slipper to keep me wholesome!

First Report - They All Went Downhill From Then On!

I think I was daft enough to show a few more of my reports on the website! Anyway, this is worth a look just to remember K L Dames handwriting!

Who remembers Dora Stanley? She was my first form teacher. Funny little thing.

A few photos during and after the reunion!

The time on the photos is an hour out it should read one hour later as I had not altered it when the clocks went forward in March!

Old Silas Jones died and left each of his three grandchildren the same bequest.

John spent all his having a good time, Bill wasted his and Jane used hers wisely.

The old man had been determined to treat the grandchildren equally, and in a way he did, but each got a different sum of money.

WHY?

Leave your answers in the comments. First correct answer gets a gold star!

Since Tuesday 20th March when the blog started, there have been 81 visitors and 290 views. This is fantastic!

Disappointingly, however, only 8 of you have subscribed to receive new postings to the blog by e-mail and only 6 have signed up as friends of Harlovian.

My thanks to those who have subscribed and signed up as friends and a gentle nudge to those who I invited to sign up as friends and have not yet done so.

Come on chaps!

I am sure you will all join me in wishing Bill a speedy recovery after his recent stay in hospital.

Bill has been in touch with me and assures me that he is "on the mend" and is now back home and struggling through his e-mails (all 124 of them!)

Get well soon Bill!

Got your Own Website or Blog?

If you have your own website or blog then you can let me know and I will post a link to it under Harlovian's Links for you. I suggest you register on this blog first as a friend of Harlovian by responding to the invitation that I sent you to do so. (You don't have to do anything else and it is free). I want to reveal information only to friends of Harlovian to ensure that the blog is mainly used by Old Harlovians.

Please note that I have included a link to Brian Wheatley's website. (See link on right). Brian runs a guest house in North Wales and I am sure he would love to meet up with any Old Harlovians who wish to take in North Wales for a holiday!

Not the most interesting read, but interesting in that Mr and Mrs KL Dames get a mention. Many of you will remember that "Dick" and Mrs Dames were keen archers.

I did a Google search and this document appeared. They are mentioned on page 23 when they attended a contest in Ilkley, Yorkshire on September 11th 1948

I recall that we used to have a den in one of the old air raid shelters. It was the one close to the PE hut and where they used to deliver the school milk. Often we would cook beans on an old paraffin stove that we had hidden down there.

We had an assortment of pans stored in the shelter and one night Bryn Gear decided (for some reason) to take the frying pan out. Maybe it needed washing. He duly stuffed it beneath his blazer, but someone in authority accosted us and demanded to know what he had under his jacket and then of course why he happened to have a frying pan hidden under his jacket!

Bryn quick as a flash told him it was a present for his aunty! Got away with it too!

This one is for Geoff Lyons, (on left) - who I know has viewed this blog - (All the way from America!)

You have probably seen this on the website Geoff, but here it is again! Note the gun in your belt!

Whatever happened to Malcolm Inskip??

This is the venue for the Old Harlovians reunion dinner. Of course the school no longer exists, having been demolished in 1965/66. As previously mentioned. this year's reunion will be on Saturday 19th May at 7.00 for 7.30 pm. Tickets £24 each. Bring your own booze. Glasses provided!

Contact Michael Dyke via the website at:

http://www.oldharlovians.co.uk

Teachers

Edgar Overton - known as "Chewy" as he was forever chewing/eating chocolate and dribbling. Taught Maths. Think he was from New Zealand.

Spooky Stapleton - Another maths teacher. Very nervous and I think he was a pilot in WW I (and maybe WWII). I remember Peter Bell hid a pigeon in his desk once and he nearly had a fit when he opened the desk and it flew out! We were very cruel then!

Godfrey Harvey Taught English, Maths and Geography (I think). He looked about 12 and smoked a pipe. I remember listening to the Beatles first album with a few other boys in his study. He also had a bit of a temper and used to sulk a lot when he didn't get his own way!

David Langley Taught English and Art. He had a little convertible car and always wore cords. Had a beard and also smoked a pipe. He was pretty good at giving the slipper!

Anything to add?

Morning all!

The blog has had 90 + hits since yesterday and 35 visitors. Chris McCready has kindly updated the website with a link to the blog, so it is all looking good! Please send in any stories, school memories or news about yourself and what you are up to at present and I will be happy to publish on the blog.

Have a good day!

Old Harlovians, I would encourage you to subscribe to this blog.It is free! (See panel on right).

This means that new posts to the blog will automatically be sent to your e-mail address, which will be a speedy way of communicating with you and keeping you in touch with any "Old Harlovian" news.

The Committee. L-R Treasurer Tony Cook: Chairman Roger Pyle: Secretary Michael Dyke

The Old Harlovians’ Reunion - Report by Hugh Jones (1956-63)

10th June 2006

England’s Opening Game Of the 2006 World Cup
Paraguay 0 England 1 (an o.g. by Paraguay!)

That’s probably enough about the England game! Watched in a delightful pub called The Gate, (Mr Baldry’s local) in Sawbridgeworth. At least a couple of wines were consumed and the atmosphere was good, if not the game. Still, we have 3 points in the bag and a positive start to our efforts. I kept thinking about Jack Dee, the comedian who hosted a recent edition of “Have I got News For You” when he said “ It has been 40 years since England won the World Cup and in one months’ time it will be 40 years and one month since they won it!”

This year, we stayed in The Railway Inn in Sawbridgeworth (highly recommended) £50 per night and £5.95 for a full English breakfast. Roger Beck and I shared a room, so it worked out even cheaper for us! Mind you Roger’s snoring was infinitely worse than last year!!

Myself, the Rogers - Beck and Brickwood, Phil Alexander and Chris McCready stayed at the hotel and the delightful Aina (pronounced Eye na), Richard Baldry’s young lady, ferried us to the reunion and back along with help from the local taxi company.

There is always something to report of interest at the reunions. This year it again concerned young Roger Beck.

Whilst waiting for the dinner to get underway, the smokers amongst the party were outside, joined by non-smoker Chris McCready, who, incidentally, later on in the evening after too much wine and gin & tonic, had to be physically restrained from having a fag! (I don’t suppose you remember that!)

For some reason, I went back inside (probably to search for a corkscrew as I had left mine in the hotel), when Roger Beck came rushing in and said “Hugh! You must come outside, my first wife Kathy has turned up!” At this point I must tell you that Roger had not seen her for more than 30 years, hence his rather flustered demeanour!

Apparently, according to Chris McCready, they were standing outside chatting when this rather handsome woman walked up to Roger and said accusingly; “Are you Roger Beck?” Chris immediately thought she was the police and that Roger was about to be carted off to the local Bridewell for some misdemeanour or other. Surprising how your mind works isn’t it Chris?

I had last met Roger’s first wife at the christening of his firstborn son, Dudley, in 1970, but I recognised her immediately and had a brief chat with her. I asked her how she knew that Roger would be here this evening and she replied “You have a very comprehensive website!” Without going into the details of why she was there, needless to say it was not to stab, assault or insult him, but it rather knocked the wind from his sails and he spent most of the evening saying “Fancy her turning up tonight, would you Effing Jeffing believe it!”

Anyway, when the evening came to a close, Chris McCready persuaded one of the waitresses to approach Roger and say - “Are you Roger Beck?” Of course, we were all in on the joke and it was most amusing to see the colour drain from his face for the second time that night!

Enough! Let us return to matters in hand. Firstly, our thanks to the committee for all their hard work in putting the evening together and our gratitude for offering themselves for re-election for the umpteenth year! Roger, Michael and Tony, you are stars! Well done!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I thought the food was excellent: watercress soup followed by salmon en croute, then Duck and Chicken with roast potatoes, green beans and carrots. For pudding, spotted dick with syrup and custard. (Beck of course wanted fresh cream with his!) Followed by cheese and biscuits and coffee. Lovely!

The “shall we hold the reunion in May or June?” saga continued and was finally resolved by a vote, which unanimously agreed that it should be held in May each year and on the 19th in 2007. Of course the stupid author didn’t realise that he will be 60 on May 18th next year, therefore will not be able to attend on 19th May, as he will be getting very drunk in Lancashire celebrating the fulfilment of his 6th decade with his family and friends. Never mind, I am certain that you will have a great time without me and Chris McCready will have to write the annual review! However, if Billing (without the S) doesn’t show up, I know that you will conjure up a suitable punishment for him!

There were four first timers at the reunion: David Barker (54-57); Max Blake (59-61); Tony Milton (45-51) and John Morgan (48-53). Gentlemen, we hope that you had a very pleasant evening and look forward to seeing you in the years to come.

The election of officers took place and as previously mentioned, they were unanimously re-elected en bloc: Chairman - Roger Pyle (53-58); Secretary – Michael Dyke (50-58) and Treasurer – Tony Cook (48-57). Robert Collins (40-45) proposed that the Chairman should become President. The Chairman, however, thanked him, but said that he would only take the job on an annual elected basis and did not want the job for life! (Visions of zimmer frames and commodes at the top table!)

Robert Collins also asked if anyone knew what the symbols on the school badge meant. Chris McCready (swot!) was able to provide illumination on the subject, as he recalled a having conversation about it with “Dick” Dames. The motto means “God Gives Increase”, the three circles depict the Holy Trinity, the swords depict the Knights Templar and the shells the symbols of pilgrims, altogether signifying that the Knights were to protect the pilgrims. Well done Chris!

David Collins (39-42) thanked those who had organised the evening and Chris McCready proposed a toast to the Committee. Thanks were given to Norman Pegrum (38-43) for providing the sound system and finally, (and this is my favourite!) David Barker (54-57) asked why the information that he had sent for inclusion on the OH website had not appeared. Chris McCready apologised, hiding his head under his jacket (presumably in shame) and said that he would see to it. Seriously, we are grateful to you for the wonderful website Chris, just speed things up boy!

The meeting closed at 11.03 pm and we made our way back to the pub. McCready had won a rather fine bottle of whisky in the raffle which Baldry and Alexander proceeded to demolish. I rather think that Alexander did most of the damage as Richard Baldry left us at about 1 am.

I vaguely recall being asked to leave the bar at about 2.45 am and off to bed, which was luckily on the ground floor! Another lovely evening, full of friendship and shared memories of our times at Harlow College.

See you in 2008.

This is the first post for the Old Harlovians, former pupils of Harlow College, Old Harlow Essex, which was opened in 1862 and closed in 1965.

Each year we hold a reunion for old boys and this is held in the school church formerly St John's which is now an arts and community centre.

This year the reunion will be held on May 19th at 7.00 for 7.30 p.m. In 2008 the reunion will take place on 17th May.

If you log on to the website, you can get Michael Dyke's (OH sec) details in respect of the reunion.

The tickets are £24 each to include the food, but bring your own booze! Glasses are provided.

Please bear with me until I get this blog up to speed.

I am allowed up to 5 co authors so I will be contacting some of you in the near future to see if you will help in running this with me.

Wait for the call!