Orchestra late 60s

By Jim Kingsley ott811 1963-69 on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 08:42 pm:

Can you name the musical talent, all looking pretty pleased with themselves on dislay at Fairfield Halls, Croydon in 1967? Kingsley brothers on clarinet & cello!

1st XV 1967 L to R Back... Bishop,Hill,Atfield,Neill,Snowden,Kingsley,Parkinson,Smiff,
L to R Front ....Balnave,Haig-Brown,Russell,Luttman,Jones,King,Williams
Where are you now?

1st XV 1968.....can anyone name these reprobates?

By Robin Whyte, OTT 878, West, 1964-71 on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 09:21 am:

Jim

I best remember you for your role in the school musical ‘The Mikado' as Poo Bah. I think the music master at that time was a Mr Crook (who replaced Roy Wigram) who brought new enthusiasm for music and opera. Brian Stubbs, the then chemistry teacher, was the Mikado, John Lawrie the Lord High Executioner and James Bickell, Nanki Poo. Many of the cast seemed to be chosen for their powerful voices which made the production very popular (as did the girls in the cast from Willy Perks).

I am a contemporary of your brother Benj. We were in the CCF together; two of the four remaining army cadets after our fellow cadets joined the RAF section after we passed our "Basic" exam. Andre Scruton was one and the other was the guy I have named as Hewitt in the 1st XV rugby team.

With regards to your naming the 1969 1st XV they are left to right, back row, Burnett-Smith (elder), Bill Chandler, Duncan Hill, Lindsay Grieg, Robin Wills, Charles Williams, Brian Stahelin (I think), and Danny Stone. Front row left to right are: Paul Smith, Benj Kingsley, Snowden, Jim Kingsley, Hewitt (?) George Harrop and Adrian Carter. Looking at the list only four of you were in the upper sixth and Bill Chandler and Danny stone were Vth formers, so the majority of the team were Lower Sixth. How did your school matches fare that year?

My recognition of people in the school orchestra is a lot weaker. However I think from left to right they are: Smith (?), Lawrie (?), Goldsmith (?), Unrecognised, Parkinson (half hidden), Furlonger, Unrecognised, Kingsley (elder), Root (percussion), Unrecognised, Unrecognised, Unrecognised, Bickell, Oldham, Kingsley, Walker (double bass), Wigram, Unrecognised (piano).

Best wishes to Ben.

By Benj Kingsley OTT 855 1964 -70 on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 08:26 pm:

Robin... I do not know how on earth you remember all those names. I have forgotten most of them, but I have recently returned to the UK having spent the last 27 years in Africa, so the sun probably burnt them out of me! Isn't it Martin Harrop/Harrap, not George - or is he out there....he can answer himself. I'm living with James whilst I resettle, and we/he will be putting some more pictures on here soon. You can then dazzle us again!

I do remember that, as you say, the 1968/9 Rugby team having had mostly Lower Sixth members went on to form a very good 1969 team which I had the honour of captaining, and if I recall we had quite a good season, especially in Sevens.

My mother still regrets me not going on to Sandhurst after the CCF, after all I was Sarn't Major at one time (wasn't it fun) but my hippy ideals did not fit somehow, pity! Who was it that blew half his face away with a blank? Or is that another one of those exaggerated memories?

One other question. How come you left in 1971?

Thanks again, we'll talk more.

By Bill Chandler ott897 65-70 on Saturday, September 22, 2001 - 05:40 am:

Benj,

I think I have aged a few years since those times. Like yourself I have spent many years overseas... I think it was your Brother, James who gave a talk on his experiences with VSO? Anyway I spent a year in Jamaica pretending to teach... Now I live in Chicago and Winter is coming. I do not have any photos and have been completely out of touch with any of my school friends... The story I most relate is the time we dressed up in our CCF uniforms armed ourselves from the rifle stockpile and rounded up the "boys" during morning break. I found myself tussling with the Burser who was most offended by our political demonstration. The same year I think Graham S. was kicked out of the CCF for (shock!) long hair. Hello Graham if you read this!

Regards,

By Robin Whyte, OTT 878, 1964-71 on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 06:03 pm:

Benj -
Always what wondered what happened to you. I think we are both right about Martin Harrop. I'm pretty sure his name was George Martin Harrop, but was known as Martin.

With regards the cadet that blew half his face away with a 0.303 blank round; a bit of an exaggeration as I was the cadet involved and my whole face is still with me! To put the record straight (as nobody would listen to a second year boy, and the story grew in the telling), it was another cadet (who will remain nameless) who pointed his rifle at me and on being asked if his safety catch was on, pulled the trigger (possibly to find out, as their was no ill feeling between us). I was about six feet away at the time and the discharge blew a hole in my right face below my eye and between my nose and the cheekbone. It felt like someone thumping you in the face and knocking you backwards. I remember the cadet dashing past me yelling for help and thinking that everything looked bluish when you looked through a blood filled eye. I was off school for about a month while my stitched up face healed. My eye was very slightly burned but recovered over the next couple of years to give pretty good vision apart from a slight blurring. It made shooting at the rifle range slightly difficult as I had to use my left eye for sighting the target while holding the rifle right handedly. The Sun newspaper, then in its infancy, reported the accident saying 600 cadets involved; out by a factor of 10.

Yes, I left in 1971. My excuse was that I wanted to take all the sciences at GCE O' Level and the school's timetable did not accommodate it. In reality my O' Levels were mediocre so I repeated the Fifth form and ended up with a good number with fair grades. I also think I fitted in better with my younger brothers' year as I was a bit of a late developer. It also served me quite well as I ended up as CSM in the CCF (although I felt that honour should have gone to Graham Storton who was a good leader, but as Bill Chandler said was chucked out of the CCF on account of his long hair), chairman of the YFC, won my school colours and was a school prefect. (Well, it's about time I blew my own trumpet!). I too considered joining the forces as a career after university, but never did.

I too intend going to the meeting at the Red Lion in Dean Street in April next year, so see you then.

By Paul Smith 868 1964 -1970 on Thursday, September 27, 2001 - 09:00 pm:

Ghosts from the past or what!!!?

Amazing that you all have such incredible memories for detail. Just logged on to read the message board for the first time - fascinating stuff!. After leaving university taught in Greece for a year, travelled and moved up north before coming back to London. I've been a headteacher of a primary school for 11 years now in Waltham Forest. Live in Enfield where I'll be starting a new job in January.

Some memories of those days:
* wearing caps!
* hiding to avoid having a hair cut every other week!
* the ballroom dancing club with the girls from Willy Perks! The summer balls in the library!!
* getting blasted at a 1st XV end of season bash and tackling the fir trees in the rear gardens! Did you rescue me Jim?
* unravelling a golf ball all around the classroom in the History lesson!
* finding the Latin teacher's note book ( Mr Weston?) and altering his notes!!
* burning toast in the common room

and the rest.

Who was it that I was caught out with visiting the girl's school in Chobham to find that when we got back at 12.30am, climbing up the ivy back to our rooms there had been fire drill and Rod Maclaren had dumped us in it in a big way? I think this was the first of my demotions in a period that saw me relegated from the position of school prefect to deputy prefect! We did enjoy ourselves!

I've got pictures of the football and cricket teams which I'll post up when I have a minute. Still involved in rugby, coaching U17's at Saracens,largely as consequence of my son's involvement. Any excuse for a pint or two!

What's this about a meeting at the Red Lion? Let me know.

Paul