< Thread 134 Thread 135 (33 replies so far) Thread 136 >
Replies 21-33
< replies 1-20
DATE: 29 June 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
I remember Rev Up [replies 17,19,20]. He had red hair and an explosive temper. I was in a detention after school one day when somebody decided twanging his ruler in the desk lid was a good idea. Unfortunately Rev Up saw him, hit him so hard his head hit the desk and then proceeded to snap his ruler into four. I have always been mightily impressed by that feat - try it - it's not easy.
.JPG "Nick Dean gallery")
DATE: 03 July 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Mr Upton had left when I arrived in 1964 [see replies 17,19,20]. I think there were only two Revs in my time, neither of whom I got to know: Kaye, about whom others have written with some approval, and Bloice-Smith, who took over from Pearce as senior RE master in the first comprehensive term. So far as I know, neither had a reputation for head biffing [see Derek's reply above]. There was also an RE teacher with the suitable name of Deacon, who struggled to maintain order in his classes and left to enter the ministry.)
.jpg "James Cowen gallery")
Then & NowDATE: 06 July 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
I continue to enjoy these tales of old masters of the school like Rev Up. I have already told my stories of the man elsewhere on the site with added comments but am intrigued that others can still bring further news on the site of them (Rev Up, Sam C0cks, Poker Pearce, Bernie Pinnock etc.) It is apparently an inexhaustible supply. I am reminded of Sean Lock's comments on one edition of 8 out of 10 cats on TV regarding Michael Jackson: "For comedy jokes he is a man who keeps giving even after his death." Then he looks in the air and says "Thank you, Michael." Does anyone know if some of these masters are still alive, apart from those I have remarked on in the site (Bop Wakelin, Ron Cosford and Neil Kobish)? I expect obituaries have appeared in past issues of The Elizabethan but I have only reconnected with QEs, OEs and The Elizabethan over the last two years.
DATE: 09 July 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Jas's enquiry at reply 23 is somewhat open-ended. However, the 1961 common room photo in Jenkins' book may provide a starting point. Most of the participants were still at the school in September 1964, of whom I'm certain, or virtually certain, that the following are no longer with us: Gould, Biggs, Townsend, Fairbairn, Pinnock, Finnett, Ambidge, Fry, Hayes, Shearly, Alford, Covington, Timson, Woodland, Pearce, C0cks, Smith and Crofts. I think the small number of others that I knew/remember are still alive: Wakelin, Thomas, Ken & Colin Carter, Purchas and Clark. Of the ten who were before my time, Wingfield (fairly recently) and of course EHJ himself are deceased; not sure about Jansen, Burnell, Hoyte, Dixon, Shillito, Cosford, Dilley or Reid. Any corrections?
Then & NowDATE: 26 August 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 56-63
It made me very sad on reading the obituaries of Kaye Townsend, who was murdered in Zambia in 2006, sent in by Chris Mungovan and Paul Wright. It is always of course for me sad to hear about people being murdered and whilst this was 8 years ago, for me, as a person only recently reconnecting to QE/OE matters it is new news. It must have been especially distressing to his relatives and former students. I never had him teaching me maths as not an A-Level student in pure or applied maths. From this thread and also thread 56 I see that several praised him highly for his teaching methods. Having said that I wonder that there is not more on site about KT given that he taught at QEs from 1956-65. Perhaps some others might recall more of the man and especially any good anecdotes. I did not know his first name was Kaye. That seems unusual for a man I think. I thought when he was spoken of as KT they just were quoting his initials.
I note that KT loved body building and allowed street kids in Zambia to use his gymnasium to keep fit. Apparently he was the owner of T&T gym and also the secretary of the Zambian Body Building Federation(ZBBF). ZBBF was meant to hold the African body building championship this year but for various factors was unable to do so and it is being hosted in South Africa in October, all being well. Zambia hopes to host it next year. I expect KT when at QEs was also involved in bodybuilding. Do others have any memory of this?
DATE: 28 August 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
I mentioned, in [reply 1], that, when I encountered Jack Curry during my first week at the school, I thought he might be a prefect. Ditto Townsend, who, though he must have been all of 30, had a rather youthful jaunt (as if about to hop) and wore a sports jacket and hush puppies, which were not uncommon attire for sixth formers at the time. He first made an impact on me by displaying a ferocious temper if too much noise was made during junior lunch and, indeed, took it upon himself to impose complete silence during lunch on Fridays. It was quite a relief to discover when he took us for maths (in I suppose 2c, since he evidently left in 1966 and we had Eric in the first year) that he was not only a good teacher, but a very friendly one too.
Then & NowDATE: 29 August 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Inmate 1956-63
Gently prodded by Jas! [reply 25]. I remember Kaye Townsend for one particular reason. In the spring of 1963 he did me a life-changing kindness. At the time the only career advice at school came from Mr E Jenkins who, having advised me that I was not "Oxbridge Material" alas, assured me that I would find plenty to occupy myself in the outside world. "There are so many opportunities for you", he said. "The City! The Armed Forces! Or .. The Church!" Although initially overwhelmed with excitement by all this I soon realised that none of these 'opportunities' rang my bell and I told Kaye. He asked me what I wanted to do - and that was a first - and I told him that I wanted to work in film or television. I also told him that it was very difficult to get any solid information about the industry, particularly in the "Yippee! We're all going to university!" environment of Q.E in the spring of 1963. On Founders Day that year, and unexpectedly, Kaye introduced me to a friend of his who worked in the film industry and then left us to talk. Although this man was a production accountant, rather than a front-line director or scriptwriter, he knew all about the inner workings of film and TV, the problem of finding work and the restrictive practises of the union whose apparent motto at the time was "You can't get a job without a union ticket and you can't get a union ticket without a job." There were ways around that difficulty he advised and then he told me what they were. I'm retired now after a lifetime in film and television.
DATE: 21 December 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1952-60
Having been taught by Donald Upton at QE [replies 17,19,20 & 21‑23], I was surprised to come across him again when I took up my first teaching post in England, after two years in Western Nigeria. He was the first person I met in the staff room at Alleyne's GS, Stevenage (as it was then). Whilst I was at Alleyne's (1967-1974), I also renewed acquaintance with QE, mainly as manager of the Alleyne's cross country team. Ken Carter was still managing the QE team at that time. Alleyne's usually had the upper hand in those days, but QE had some good individual runners, including Bill Dick, Guy McCallum and Cameron McVey.
29th REPLY
NAME: Nick Dean DATE: 23 January 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Some time ago [reply 1] I mentioned that, when John Curry first plonked himself down at our lunch table in September 1964, I had assumed he was a prefect. In the recently posted Underne photo from two years later, JAC is sitting next to Poker and I must say that my mistake of 52 years ago doesn't seem that silly! Good bloke, by the way.
DATE: 20 September 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1951-58
I noticed that Ken Marks mentioned Mr Raines in his reply in Thread 128 (the RMC thread). Strange that no one has mentioned him before and I cannot not see him on the the list of Staff [he's there now!]. Known as "Daddy Raines", he taught mathematics until he retired (early) in summer 1954 to become a farmer. He was one of the very few masters without a degree. He was a very relaxed teacher, about the only thing that irritated him was if your hair parting was not straight! We had him in the first year - he made everything easy and would frequently break off teaching to tell a story completely unconnected with mathematics - we heard how he had to dismantle the swimming pool chlorination plant because it had failed, how the reason he held his head on one side because he was born with torticollis and how Peter Wells, a former pupil, would be competing in the high jump at the Helsinki Olympic games in 1952 and that he was coming back the following week for the OE vs school athletics match (I remember being there - he cleared the high jump at the highest setting we had). In the same way that "Frosty" Winter was always the transition X form master in room A (later renamed B), Raines was the form master for transition S in room C (later renamed D). He always took mathematics for the 5th form and O-grade year and apparently with him as teacher no-one had ever failed. Does anyone else have any memories of him?
DATE: 20 September 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1951-58
Does any one remember Mr P J Livingston? He taught maths and physics 1951-55. He was my form master in class 2B (why we became 2B after starting as 1A I never discovered - we were the last entry of two first forms - there were three from 1952 onwards). He got the nick-name Stan (from Stanley) - we did Africa in geography that year hence the Stanley/Livingston connection. The way boys minds worked! He was a very good teacher - quietly spoken - always said "be quiet please", never "shut up". Well almost never, we must not have responded one day when he made a great effort and shouted "SHUT UP!" - great laughter by all, including him. He taught us maths in forms 2B, 3B and 4 after that we has Bernie Pinnock who wasn't quite as good. In form 5 and TX we had Livingstone for physics.& When he left he was replaced by Fairbairn. Livingstone also started the Magic Club. He left teaching to go into 'Business' we were told but had no idea what he did. Any more info or memories would be welcome. This reply is also the original message of a thread (101), started by Ian in August 2012. There were never any replies to that, so I've copied it to this thread, where it should be more at home!
DATE: 21 September 2016
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1948-1953
Yes, I recall 'Claude' Raines [reply 30]. He taught me maths for GCE O-Level and I passed! However I never thought he conveyed the 'go' of mathematics. I recall he was a stickler for neatness. Quote: "I could line up your homework papers at the back of this class and know by the tidiness who has arrived at the correct solutions". Crumbs, we thought. He was, like all our teachers, mimicked. His voice was thin and fairly monotone in my recollection. However full marks for his focus on that exam and its valuable score.
DATE: 18 August 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil from 1948 to 1955
I well remember Mr Livingstone [reply 31]. Don't remember his nick name. Remember that he was very interested in physical research. Very good in Physics. Though the very best teacher at that time in Physics was Richard Sewell. I passed A-Level, so he must have been good, and he arranged a whole term on astronomy. I was sec. to the astronomy club, the only one in a U.K. school at that time.