Ottershaw Film

Recently a film made about the Ottershaw School closure was discovered and a copy can be downloaded to view by clicking on this link: 
We are appealing for people to identify those pupils who appear in the film and also the woman commenting at the end so if you can help, please contact us at itmanager@osobs.com 

In late April 2020 we were delighted to have received an email in which the following was said:

"I was at Ottershaw between 1978 - 1979 - Andrew Horton OTT517 - East House.  I see from the  'Latest site additions' that a video about Ottershaw School has been discovered and that members were asked to 'name those who feature in it'. I am delighted to let you know that not only can I name a number of the boys and Masters, but I also appear in the film on three separate occasions!
  
As I recall, the film was made as part of the campaign to prevent the school from closure.  The film was made during the winter term 1977.  I feature first in the game of rugby in the opening scenes.  This was 'staged for the cameras and involved boys from the first XV and the U15 teams.  We practiced the one move seen on the film over and over again and then had to do it many times until the film crew were happy.
 
I then appear in the East House dining room at what appears to be lunch.  Grace was read by the East Housemaster Mr Marjoribanks.  I am sitting at the end of a dining table with Mark Weymouth (who was in the lower sixth and was a prefect) as well as two of my school friends Dominic Gill and Michael Henshaw.  There is also a close up of another friend from my dormitory Kevin Poole.  As the camera pans across the dining room I recognise most of the boys even if I can't name them.  Of the boys closer to my age I recognise Peter Barratt and Chris Willis.
 
My final appearance is in the scene when a room of boys is woken up.  I remember this distinctly as it was staged either just before or after lunch!  Mark Weymouth is the boy waking us up (in a far more restrained way than he usually performed this task!) and I recognise Michael Henshaw and Peter Robinson amongst the boys pretending to wake up.
 
Thank you so much for posting the video.  I have very fond memories of my time at Ottershaw and seeing this not only brought them back to life but has enabled me to show my children (and grandchildren) where I spent my formative years.
 
Kind regards   Andrew Horton

April 2021 - Dennis Pocock added the following :
The boy gently waking people in one of the mansion dormitories, is Mark Weymouth, OTT360, East House; behaving in a calm manner for the film, apparently his usual wake up method wasn’t quite so restrained!