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Feel free to add messages relating to the site and the school. The only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).

It would be appreciated if you gave an email address, where you now live and said when you were at the school, but you don't have to.

Plase note that if you click on an email address below you will need to replace ~DOT~ with . and ~AT~ with @ in your email program. The Guestbook presents these this way to avoid email address harvesters collecting your email addresses from the page. I know it's a pain, but it's very much better than the alternative.

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There are 500 messages in the guestbook
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Viewing messages 151 to 160

Alex Patterson VUA 1946-1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike and readers,
I had a look at Alan’s Macarena letter and at the Youtube version he referenced and tried out a bit of it on the kitchen floor. It brought back memories of a 60th wedding anniversary party we attended recently where the DJ played a mix of The Macarena, YMCA and the Hokey-Cokey. Most of the guests were contemporaries of ours and most of the dancers were confused and knackered by the end of the third repeat. It was like musical chairs, and if you did YMCA moves to the Macarena you were a gonner. The winners received a six pack of Guiness. I didn’t win.
School dances seemed to be few and far between. I can’t remember more than one from 46-51 Maybe Neale, Eric or Bruce can recall more. I couldn’t dance for toffee and the only dance I ever attended I was stalked by this giant of a High School girl, Beryl I think, who for some reason took a shine to the little squirt that I was at the time. Thank Goodness for dances like the Bradford Barn Dance and the Dashing White Sergeant!!
Ma Goudie partnered by Alf (Pan) Headley taught us how to dance. They danced a mean Foxtrot….I think. Does anyone remember other dances in that timeframe?
Best wishes from a warm and sunny 16C North York,
Alex

Sun 6-Mar-2022 23:05 - North York, Ontario, Canada

alan wightman | aconlan111~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Good Morning, Mike & Everyone,

`Growing old is mandatory, growing-up is optional´.

Los del Rio, `Macarena Mix´ YouTube 17/1/2014 `Youmovetv´. Part of Keep Young & Fit Programme. Have fun with your `younger´ family members, e.g. at birthday parties. (Practice the moves!)

`Sandancer´`Geordieland´.

Wed 2-Mar-2022 11:38 - south Shields

Eric Moyse | eric~DOT~moyse~AT~sky~DOT~com

Thanks for all the loppakitty memories. I remember playing this game at school and not in the street where "Cannon" was the thing.
Re John Graham, he was (is?) a distant cousin of mine and he was a champion swimmer snd a good fast bowler. My clearest memory of him was his fight outside the music room with prefect Skelly Elliot. I do not know what punishment was meted out for fighting but I imagine that this fracas was a bit of an embarrassment for the staff.

Mon 28-Feb-2022 16:56 - Reading Berkshire

Alex Patterson VUA 1946-1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike and other O.Bs.,
In Garwood Street backlane there were four to a team in Loppakitty. One who stood with his back to the wall, who cradled the second person’s forehead in his hands against his stomach. The third and fourth persons formed a line behind the second supporting him like in a rugby scrum. Girls weren’t allowed to be the wall person. The other team then jumped onto the backs of the scrum as close to the Wallman as possible until the scrum collapsed. Three collapses changed the teams; a ‘no collapse’ won the game. The first team with three wins were the champions. Other games were “Tiggy” and “Killer” (a game involving marbles, a gutter, and a drain cover), whoever was nearest to the drain without losing the marble was the winner. I always tell my girls, “ I lost my marbles years ago.”
Bruce, I was at RAF Locking for GCA Training and RAF Kinloss for the balance of my service and I share your brother’s sentiments about ‘boyhood to manhood’.
Best wishes from a snowy North York,
Alex.

Mon 28-Feb-2022 06:02 - North York, Ontario, Canada

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

Correction. That should have read 2202.

Sat 26-Feb-2022 15:43 - ruskington lincolnshie

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

Further to Alex's numerology it occurred to me that this year is unique in another way. The roman numerals for 2022 are MMXXII - this double digit coincidence will not occur again until 2211 - MMCCII and not again in this Millenium.

Just a thought.

Sat 26-Feb-2022 15:15

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

Alex

No my brother was CD Graham - one of three Grahams in the A Form one year ahead of you. Relating to National Service my brother always said he "went in like a boy and came out like a man".

Lopakitty. How many were in each team? I think it was ultimately banned at the school as being too dangerous -reflecting on your experience.

You mentioned Weston Super Mare in your National Service experience. After "O" levels I began an RAF Apprenticeship at RAF Locking near WSM that led on to a very diverse career around the world.

Fri 25-Feb-2022 18:47

alan wightman | aconlan111~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Good morning, Mike & Everyone,

Specific to `horror welcome´ and `Basic Training at Catterick Camp!

`You raised me up to walk on stormy seas
To more than I could be.
The `legacy´ of an Army,
Memories of 6 a.m. Reveilles!

`Sandancer´- `Geordieland´.

Thu 24-Feb-2022 11:48 - south Shields

Alex Patterson VUA 1946-1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike et al,
With reference to Alan Wightman’s (AKA Sandancer) letter about the ‘2’s’. First, I notice that he has covered all the 2 words, viz, ‘to, too and two’. Well done Alan, and second, having ‘National Service’ and ‘horror’ in the same sentence surprised me. I was in the R.A.F. in Weston-Super-Mare and Forres in Scotland and had two wonderful years, which had positive impact on me and I look back on those two years with great pleasure. Perhaps I was one of the lucky ones.
Eric, I played ‘Loppakitty’ in the backlane of my gradparents in Garwood Street, to the strains of “Loppakitty, loppakitty, one, two, three. Off, off, off, with a “Whee, whee, whee”. I once overshot the mark and leapt headfirst into the back yard wall…and the Ingham.
Bruce, were you related to John Graham the giant long plunger? I don’t see him on any of the school photos. His name crops up in The Atom a couple of times, but not in the list of names. All I remember of him was his size…I thought he was a teacher and I’m not mistaken he ended up on stage at one assembly being admonished by Mr. Lucas for some misdemeanour.
Back to the ‘2’s’. The numerologists have been going crazy here about the palindromic date this week, 22022022, which only works of you insert 02 for February. But I’m sure it won’t be included 200 years from now when the corresponding date will be 2222222, when the same people or I should say their descendants will go ballistic.
Best wishes to all and for peace in Ukraine,
Alex Patterson

Wed 23-Feb-2022 20:36 - North York, Ontario, Canada

alan wightman | aconlan111~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Good Morning `2´ Mike & `2´ everyone,

From 2 years 6th. Form directly `2´ Catterick Camp for 2 years National Service & the `horror´ proved `2´ true!!
Anybody else?

`Sandancer´- `Geordieland´.

Tue 22-Feb-2022 11:16 - south Shields

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