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Replies 21 - 40
< replies 1-20 replies 41-60 > replies 61-80 >> replies 81-100 >> replies 101-120 >> replies 121-139 >>

21st REPLY

NAME: James (Jas) Cowen  James & Ayleen Cowen James Cowen galleryThen & Now

DATE: 19 November 2013

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63

I confess to being a Daily Mail reader and in connection with Nick Dean's recent postings [replies 18 & 19] I was interested in reading a report on Wed 30/10/2013 on page 21. ("Why Darcy and Percy win places at Oxbridge"). It reported a study on names that showed that social mobility in England is hardly any better than in medieval times and that educational status is even more strongly inherited than height. The researchers were Dr Neil Cummins and Professor Gregory Clark from the LSE. Thank goodness that there are a few who managed to buck this trend but there are still Darceys, Mandevilles, Percys and Montgomerys up there, though not at my old college.

22nd REPLY

NAME: Nick Dean  Nick Dean Nick Dean gallery

DATE: 03 January 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71

More wit and wisdom of W.De'ath [see reply 16 & others]. Browsing over Christmas in the Oldie Annual for 2011, I came across the following advice: "Anyone who grew up, as I did, in horrible, boring places like Boreham Wood, Potters Bar and New Barnet should go to any lengths, up to and including mass murder, to avoid having to go back to them". And we used to think that talking in assembly was a serious matter ...

23rd REPLY

NAME: Nigel Wood  Nigel Wood

DATE: 06 January 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1957-64

Modified Chinese curse: May you live in interesting places.

24th REPLY

NAME: James (Jas) Cowen  James & Ayleen Cowen James Cowen galleryThen & Now

DATE: 06 January 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63

I note that at least Borehamwood, Potters Bar and New Barnet do not appear in the latest cr*p towns book, although Bury St Edmunds, where dear old Winkie disappeared to, does. Perhaps some of us have not travelled around as much as W de A does, flitting so much between England and France but I still enjoy my visits back to the places he mentions and in some ways they have improved on the old days, as I have said elsewhere. I hope some day even to visit Bury St Edmunds, as I am sure it has many good points.

25th REPLY

NAME: Nick Dean  Nick Dean Nick Dean gallery

DATE: 08 January 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71

I went to Bury St Edmunds for the first time last spring and I can strongly recommend it. Not only a fine cathedral, but the home of Greene King.

26th REPLY

NAME: James (Jas) Cowen  James & Ayleen Cowen James Cowen galleryThen & Now

DATE: 11 January 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63

I shall definitely go to Bury St Edmunds this year with my wife, provided we keep alive, maybe combining it with the next visit to the Cambridge area. That is my new year resolution settled on. I hope also to see Bop Wakelin, my old history teacher, who lives near Cambridge and has invited us to visit in the early part of the year before he departs for his yearly exodus to Malden, Essex to help at a holiday camp.

Departing from Bury St Edmunds chat and returning to Borehamwood, Potters Bar and New Barnet [replies 22-24], I am not a person who lives in the past and have enjoyed so much of the last 26¾ years living in this area and experiencing so much in all the nearby towns and places but I still remember fondly the days spent not just in Welwyn Garden City (16 years from 1971 to 1987) but also those early days of Borehamwood, Potters Bar and New Barnet. High Barnet has the Northern Line of the underground of course but New Barnet, Hadley Wood and Potters Bar had the Eastern Region of BR, not at all boring in my younger days watching all the ER steam powered trains go by, sometimes solo but also with that Borehamwood OE, Bob McDonald. Potters Bar also gave me an income from caddying so often at North Herts Golf Club, where I see the OE Golf Society still play rounds and the garden I used to tend in between working shifts at St Pancras Midland Region enquiry office.

In relation to Borehamwood of course I have so many fond memories, some of which I have commented on elsewhere. An article by Ally Ross in The Sun of 7th January took me back to the days of waiting at the corner by the Red Lion for our minibus taking Borehamwood Athletic Club members to the various meets. There was just 1 other QE guy in the team (Andy Bond, also of Harrisons House.) There we saw various TV and film stars go by and we used to shout out hello to them. In the article Ally Ross is commenting about Evander Holyfield appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, now produced there. "Have you", said Channel 5's Emma Willis, asking the question on everyone's lips, "ever been to Borehamwood?" "No." "WHAT? Not even the Wishing Well pub on Shenley Road, where they've got live entertainment, Friday and Saturday, and 'full Thai menu'? Oh, Evander, the sights we could've seen there together. Aldenham Reservoir, Meadow Park bowling green, the Spice Garden restaurant ..."

Elstree Aerodrome?

27th REPLY

NAME: James (Jas) Cowen  James & Ayleen Cowen James Cowen galleryThen & Now

DATE: 14 January 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63

It is a pleasant change to see in a recent Ally Ross article in The Sun full credit being given to Borehamwood rather than Elstree, although I admit the studios do still have the name 'Elstree Studios.' Indeed Ally Ross says "To my astonishment and utter delight Evander Holyfield's first Borehamwood foot was planted in the Celebrity Big Brother house, on Friday night. The final piece in the most gloriously-deranged jigsaw since 2006, the Dennis Rodman/George Galloway year."

However even a loyal to Borehamwood supporter like me cannot justify the reference to dear old Aldenham Reservoir being in Borehamwood, though I too have spent many pleasant houirs walking around it and nearby as well as watching the cricket at Elstree Cricket Ground. The whole article was most informative and entertaining, as indeed is the Wikipedia entry on Elstree Studios, which othere might also like to study and enjoy.

28th REPLY

NAME: James (Jas) Cowen  James & Ayleen Cowen James Cowen galleryThen & Now

DATE: 16 January 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63

Talking of Greene King, Nick [reply 25], reminds me that besides their ordinary pubs they also run Old English Inns, who advertise in local papers accommodation off season at very good rates per night. These are worth looking out for as accommodation and the meals including breakfast are very good. We have stayed on the Isle of Wight but also several times at Wadesmill near Ware, Herts when visiting our family, who live in Hatfield/Bishops Stortford.

29th REPLY

NAME: Mike Carter

DATE: 25 January 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 1957-63

Some of the posts from Jas have chivied me into adding further to the comments on this site which I continue to enjoy reading. My memories of Bury St.Edmunds tend to be limited to visits to the Angel Hotel where the bank I was with held bi monthly managerial lunches way back in the 1970's and 80s. Being a non drinker I always seemed to have a car load of colleagues to take to the lunches which were always very popular until such time as cut backs in the early 1990's brought them to an end. Since then my only visits to the town have been passing through on the way to Ickworth House which is well worth a visit. I left the bank in 1994 and ran a post office in the heart of the Norfolk Broads for the next eighteen years. I might not have earned so much but the stress levels certainly went down and I could look out over the village green onto the river and think how lucky I was.

30th REPLY

NAME: James (Jas) Cowen  James & Ayleen Cowen James Cowen galleryThen & Now

DATE: 04 January 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63

I hope to visit the National Trust property at Ickworth when going to the Bury St Edmunds area this year, Mike. I see in the Trust handbook for 2014 it describes it as "a grand place for a truly entertaining day out" and the house is open from 14 March on, though the park, shop, cafe and restaurant are open all year. Since retiring from work I have visited many properties not seen before but Ickworth is not one. We have been to Suffolk and Norfolk including some of the Broads a couple of times but there are areas still my wife and I hope to go to, including the sites of some of Constable's paintings. We are often surprised at the number visiting many properties, even the less distinguished ones in the week during the main March onwards season. Sissinghurst and Chartwell in Kent of course have many visitors but we have also enjoyed two visits to Batemans. Our most visited place is Stourhead, about an hour away from us in the car or camper van.

31st REPLY

NAME: Mike Carter

DATE: 09 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 1957-63

Being something of a bibliophile I always like to browse the libraries at National Trust and other properties open to the public. Ickworth is very interesting in that the library only has two walls (think about it) and some wonderful bookcases. Blickling where I volunteer every week has one of the best libraries in the NT and also an excellent second hand book barn with some 25,000 titles (absolute paradise). Well worth a visit. It also has a stamp shop which is where I can still carry on my hobby started well before I went to QE. We do have some 400,000 stamps for sale although I do have to confess that there are a lot of duplicates along side some real gems (all donated). It is interesting to comment that one of my colleages in the stamp shop is an ex teacher, somewhat older than myself who regularly played against the old boys from QE at cricket. It's a small world!

32nd REPLY

NAME: James (Jas) Cowen  James & Ayleen Cowen James Cowen galleryThen & Now

DATE: 17 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63

For those of you not on the authorised official OE communications list there is a notification I have received that the 49th Annual Dinner Debate [a return to the original message & first 10 replies!] is to be held on Saturday 22nd March 2014 at 6 pm at the school. The dress code is black tie and the price including the 3 course dinner is again £30 for OEs and guests. Purchases should be made via the QE online shop by Friday 7th March. The teacher in charge of debating is Mrs Nisha Mayer. Some senior Year 12 students are also expected to be there again.

33rd REPLY

NAME: Nick Dean  Nick Dean Nick Dean gallery

DATE: 17 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71

Reflecting on dinner-debate irreverence and self-help of the distant past [reply 1 et seq], I couldn't help noticing that this year's invitation (for the 49th such event), just received via the OEs, restricts attendance from the school to "invited members of the Lower VIth" and that it comes from the Headmaster and someone styling herself "teacher in charge of debating". I confess I haven't attended since 1975. Maybe the 50th?

34th REPLY

NAME: Martyn Day  Martyn DayThen & Now

DATE: 23 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Inmate 1956-63

After an unbroken 50 years of non-attendance at the Annual Dinner Debate I thought that I might make an appearance this year - but when I asked a friend what "Dress Code - Black Tie" actually meant he suggested that it probably wasn't my kind of affair. He then asked what time it started. When I told him that I didn't know he said "Um...1953 sounds about right!"

35th REPLY

NAME: Vic Coughtrey  Vic CoughtreyThen & Now

DATE: 23 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-59

I was going to say that anyone expecting to see me there must harbour a pretty innaccurate image of me - but then I remembered that I've been behaving very strangely lately ...

36th REPLY

NAME: Stephen Giles  Stephen Giles

DATE: 23 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: inmate 1957-64

Why people find it necessary to dress up in a penguin suit just to have a meal and a discussion I cannot imagine. Frankly, I would much rather have a meal out with my wife.

37th REPLY

NAME: James (Jas) Cowen  James & Ayleen Cowen James Cowen galleryThen & Now

DATE: 24 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63

[Re reply 33]: Why not come this year, Nick, to the 49th with or without guests? I for one will welcome seeing you and any others from the site. I expect to come with my wife. Last year my youngest son and his wife deputised for me as my wife was detained in Torbay Hospital suddenly taken ill on holiday. The debate is on the subject of Scottish independence or not, as you know. At least we have a vote on it down here at the school after the debate.

In relation to Mike's point [reply 31] about one of his colleagues in the N.T.stamp shop playing v the old boys from OEs at cricket and it being a small world, I have experienced over the years in talking with others many connections not just with the Borehamwood/Barnet areas but also with QEs. Last year in an art gallery in Polperro (Cornwall) I talked with one of the receptionist volunteers, who went to school in the Barnet area and who married a girl educated at QE girls school. I really enjoyed hearing his reminiscences of the old days.

In our Peter Pan club in Andover one person I talk with lived on the 107 bus route. I told him that this bus and the 292 in Borehamwood are still running with the same numbers but with routes changed a bit. Another, Reg, lived and worked in both Borehamwood and Welwyn Garden City, both of which were places I dwelled and worked in. I especially like hearing his reminiscences of the film industry in Borehamwood. He says his house in Eldon Avenue was opposite a field where much filming was done and requests were often made to householders to be extras in films. He says his mum can be seen as a passenger in one of the On the Buses films and some scenes were made at Aldenham bus depot. From the Wikipedia website for On the Buses I cannot find any reference to Borehamwood but references to Wembley studios and Wood Green bus depot. Maybe others have more information. He also said film stars used to meet at a pub called something like The Stars and Stripes. I do not recall a pub of that name and certainly it is not about now, though there is a pub The Shooting Star in Rossington Avenue. Maybe others will know more. There has been much to talk about. Have others experienced the same?

38th REPLY

NAME: James (Jas) Cowen  James & Ayleen Cowen James Cowen galleryThen & Now

DATE: 26 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63

In relation to my last posting about the On the Buses films I have seen the error of my ways. By moving on from the TV series wikipedia to the film write ups I see that the first 2 spin off films On the Buses and Mutiny on the Buses were mostly shot either at EMI-MGM Elstree studios on stage 5 or on location in Borehamwood. Most of Holiday on the Buses was filmed on location at the Pontins Holiday Camp in Preststyn, North Wales. The films were made by Hammer Films Productions and On the Buses was the 2nd most popular movie in the British box office in 1971 earning £1.5 million in the UK with £1m overseas giving a profit to Hammer of £532K.

39th REPLY

NAME: Roger Nolan  Roger Nolan

DATE: 26 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1960 to 1967

Re your reply 37, Jas, your friend Reg may have been thinking of The Mops and Brooms in Rowley Lane. It's got the same monosyllabic sound as The Stars and Stripes and it is quite near the studios.

See Thread W9, reply 1

40th REPLY

NAME: Paul Buckland

DATE: 27 February 2014

CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 1962-69

I too received an invitation to the Annual Dinner Debate but must decline as my old D.J. no longer fits. In my last twenty years at work I was invited to many events but never once was the invitation 'Black Tie' and I am loathe to buy one just for this one event. I am wont to wonder with Stephen Giles, and by extension, Martyn Day whether a Dinner Jacket is really necessary in 2014 for events such as these. I noted that the invitation was signed by 'Mr' Neil Enright, a solecism that would never have been permitted by Sam C0cks nor I suspect by E.H. Jenkins.
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