Old Boys, Girls and Teachers Guestbook

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Welcome to the Guestbook
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only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).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 281 to 290

Edward Forster | r2edforster~AT~live~DOT~ca

Was just thinking back 81 years when I first went to the High School, the second year it opened & as I only lived close by in Lisle Rd. I kept the cricket gear, each form had a net & we all got to school early to bang the ball about. Two years later the war started. My younger brother Billy by six years joined, was wondering if anyone remembers him. He died about 10 years ago.

Sat 25-Aug-2018 19:34 - PEI Canada

Neale Backhouse 1946-1951 | nealebackh~AT~gmail~DOT~com

So sorry to hear of the passing of Bill Dodds.
I passed through Harton Infants and Junior Schools with Bill . I remember he alternated with Maurice Ridley as top boy in the A form, right through Junior School. After Juniors we were all in the same form at the High School, where Maurice and Bill continued their excellent work. I might claim consciensious plodder status by comparison.

At Westoe rugby club, Bill and I spent several years packing down in the scrum, trying to make sense of the proceedings.

After coming to Canada I'm afraid I lost track of all my contemporaries from those early years, so that hearing of Bill's passing is a shock, as my recollection of Bill will always be of a fit young man in the prime of life.

Rest in peace old friend.

Mon 16-Apr-2018 04:20 - Victoria BC

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

Eric Moyse's memories of the winter of 1947 bring back some of my own earlest recollections of those years. Of course for most of the younger readers of this Visitor Book - if there are any (probably all like Mr Trump "Tweeting") - this is all history, Rationing, what was that?

For the record, when the blizzard began I set out for my Harton Junior School and got there only to be turned back when the school was closed. My journey back to Quarry Lane was difficult at the beginning but the ascent of Kyffin View was horrendous.
I have to say, though, that the sledging on the said Kyffin View after the storm had abated was fantastic. No cars on the roads in those days.

Fri 13-Apr-2018 20:10 - Ruskington, Lincolnshire

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

Regular contributors to this Guestbook will be sad to learn of the passing of Bill Dodds who died suddenly on 3rd April. He was in the same school year as Neil, Alec and me and afterwards he became a highly-respected notary and solicitor in the town. I knew him mainly through rugby. We both played for Westoe (as did Neil)and he then became an esteemed member of the Committe, fulfilling many offices over many years. His funeral is scheduled to take place next Friday, 13th April at South Shields and there is a short obituary, which scarcely does him justice, on the rugby club website.

Sun 8-Apr-2018 10:12 - Reading Berkshire

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

The recent cold weather and snowstorms caused me to have a look through these archives for mention of the great winter of 1947. There are 5 such messages but my recollections do not seem to be there. So here goes: On the morning of the great snowfall I struggled to St Mary's Ave only to be told that the school was closed. I struggled back to my home on the Cleadon Park Estate and then, being bored, called for my contemporaries Brian King and Geordie Kettle who lived nearby. We slid our way to Cleadon Hills, where the snow had piled up to about 20 feet against the waterworks wall. One of us, either Brian or Geordie, promptly fell into a drift and disappeared. Somehow, we dug him out and he emerged unscathed but well soaked. Being eleven-year olds we thought nothing of it but it could well have ended in tragedy. No health and safety then!

Tue 20-Mar-2018 10:42 - Reading Berkshire

Phil Williamson | williamsonphil6~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hi. Love the site - been here before. Embarrassed by being an "unknown" on the Mikado Principals photo - even more embarrassed in terms of what I look like. At the other end of the line is Alec? Clegg (or Coates) - his surname changed during the years there but I can't remember which way round - he and I were "guards" and didn't have to sing or anything thank god.
If anyone know of details re the Old Girls High School - i.e. not the one near the Ridgeway- I'm trying to find details of Linda Cubey - my cousin who died in her 30s. I'm trying to get info for her son - particularly any photos. I know her best mate was called Belinda. She was about 3 to 4 years older than me so went there about 1963 - 1974.

Thu 1-Mar-2018 12:17 - East Riding of Yorkshire

Barbara Donegan | barbara~DOT~donegan~AT~yahoo~DOT~co~DOT~uk

Many thanks for this wonderful resource. Managed to track down details of a relative in the late 1800s (putting together a family tree as a gift).

Thu 18-Jan-2018 13:37 - Scotland

Alex Patterson 1946-51 VUA | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike and all the other readers on this site.
As I start this, it's still Christmas Day (11;59 pm) in Georgian Bay. We are at our daughter's lovely home in Victoria Harbour and the snow is belting down with gale-force winds. Our cars are buried in the driveway with the snow drifting up to the tops of the doors on the leeward side of the cars. We must have had about 20 inches of snow since 4;00pm when it started. I know it's pretty and all that but 'give me a @#$^*##$!!! break. I promise to write more next year (more than Backhouse that is) and see if we can encourage some younger contributors to join in.
We're blessed to be around for another year surrounded by our family at Christmas and hope the same applies to you and that you've all had a pleasant Christmas Day and I wish you all the health and happiness for 2018...and thanks again Mike for making this site work.
Regards, from a bitterly cold, blowing snow, white-outs, freezing rainy Victoria Harbour
Alex Patterson

Tue 26-Dec-2017 05:16 - Victoria Harbour, Lake Huron

NEALE Backhouse | nealebackh~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hi Mike
It's noon here on the west coast, Christmas Eve. We have snow and 0 degrees C. I have the house to myself as Liz is still battling frantic crowds and traffic for last minute additions to our Christmas Eve get together at #2 son's place this evening (we are off the hook!).So I could say, it's all quiet on the western front. It must be about 8.00pm in Rothbury so you are that much closer to experiencing the Christmas spirit that seems to come over us all on the special day. It seems that someone magically surrounds the 25th of December in a warm glow that we wish could last all year,but has a hard time lasting after Boxing day, for one reason or another.
So while I'm in right mood at present, I would like to wish you and our other Guestbook friends a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! (I hear Liz in the garage).

Sun 24-Dec-2017 20:33 - Victoria BC

Edward Forster | r2edforster~AT~live~DOT~ca

Noticed that I've reduced to 5 down, must be some ancient old school characters still alive, as I'll be 92 next month, tempest fugit.
As I've mentioned before, I still have my Geordie accent toned down so I can be understood even though I left for Canada almost 67 yrs. ago.
Xmas will soon be here. I wish all the best to all in the guest book & say Mike has done & is doing a great job.

Fri 15-Dec-2017 16:39 - Prince Edward I sland.

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