ORIGINAL MESSAGE

NAME: Richard Wright

DATE: 06 November 2008

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1946-51

I was at QE from 1946 to 1951 (when my family moved to Bristol).  I have vivid memories of the school, but am impossible with names.  My housemaster was also history teacher (Winter, I think).  I was a lazy pupil in my first two years.  He threatened to cane me if I did not pull myself together.  It's fair to say that after that threat I did not look back.  There was a geography master (?Cox) who went bananas if you folded a map incorrectly.  The classics master Wingfield was, I now suspect, seriously damaged by his experiences in WW2.  We learned to swim in a putrid and cold pool.  I got the routine bronze medallion from the Royal Life Saving Society.  When she was a little girl my daughter found the medallion among my wife's trinkets.  She said in an awestruck manner: "Dad, did you save a life?"

1st REPLY

NAME: Vic Coughtrey   Then & Now

DATE: 6th November 2008

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-59

Well, Richard, you are the oldest Old Boy on the site so far, and we are delighted that you have joined us in this strange but pleasant little corner of the Web!  If you explore the site a bit further (particularly the mighty thread 32) you will find quite a lot about each of the former masters you have mentioned, and no doubt plenty of other stuff to bring back the memories.

2nd REPLY

NAME: Richard Wright

DATE: 13th November 2008

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1946-51

I was Mrs Higgins in Pygmalion, I think in 1950.  The producer was a senior English master.  I remember him as a civilised, elderly man.  What was his name?  Jenkins fancied himself as choir master.  My voice was soprano and I was drafted into the choir.  After two years I pretended my voice had broken.  I told my mother of this wheeze.  She upbraided me for lying and said she would contact Jenkins.  I begged her not to.  She backed down.

I caught the 107 bus to Cockfosters.  In winter it was repulsive to run for the bus and be choked by an upper deck yellow with smoke.

An influential book in my life was in the QE library.  It dated from 1906, was by Fox, with the title How to Find and Name Wild Flowers.  It proved how complex data can be systematically reduced.  That helped me in my archaeological career.  I could take you to the shelf, but I imagine that Fox's book has long since been replaced by something more 'relevant'.

I must stop being an old fogy as well as the oldest member.

3rd REPLY

NAME: Ian Sadler  

DATE: 10th December 2008

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1951-58

The senior english master at that time was Jack Covington - he produced all the plays in my time and I believe for a few years before.  Do you recall the Maths master 'Daddy' Raines?  He left in 1954 to become a farmer!  He seemed to make all maths easy and it was reputed that no-one who had him ever failed School Cert/O-level Maths.  He had a lot to do with the lighting of the school plays.  He seemed a general handy man. I recall seeing him vanish into the hut by the swimming bath to sort out the chlorination plant.  He had a marvellous fund of stories about all sorts of things and would spend half a lesson sometimes on a story - still managed to complete the syllabus.

4th REPLY

NAME: Nigel Wood  

DATE: 18th December 2008

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1957-64

It's interesting that the Jack Covington of c.1950 should be described as 'a civilised elderly man' (Reply 2), since he didn't retire until the 1960s.  I don't doubt the aptness of the description, though, because he was a wise and kindly elder statesman figure, commanding, for me at least, instant respect.  I have one Covington story, remarkable for its being so untypical... The 1961 school play was The Strong are Lonely, a powerful, serious (and gripping) piece.  Before the curtain rose, suitably portentous music was to be played from a tape.  But at the dress rehearsal what issued from the loudspeakers was Roy Orbison's Only the Lonely.  Jack Covington was at first bewildered and then almost incoherent with rage.  A memorable minute in my life: a very good joke and what seemed like an unaccountably over-the-top reaction.  Looking back, I put it down to the stress of producing the play.

5th REPLY

NAME: John Paine

DATE: 23rd December 2008

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1946-53

Dear Richard, as you can see, you and I came to QE at the same time and yet I have to say that I have no memory of a Richard Wright.  Now J.C.Wright is a different matter, and I have stayed at his house on several occasions in recent years.  I have many memories of the teachers of that period and would love to share them with others, particularly as they would make a history of the school in recent years more interesting!  I shall stay in touch with this web site so post another message, or give me an E-mail.

6th REPLY

NAME: Stephen Giles  

DATE: 6th January 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Inmate 1957-1964

Oh for a time machine, having seen Paraguay from the Iguazu Falls, which also border Argentina and Brazil, I would no doubt find that play [reply 4] very interesting in 2008.  Not so in 1961 of course, I have no recollection of seeing any school play.  I suppose that we had so much compulsory stuff thrown at us in those days.  I note that Dick Ware featured in the cast, now I wonder where he is today?  I did hear that he was a University Don many years ago.  I remember his ability to always provide translations to order in Fenet's [Finnette's?] Latin classes, which being a boy from Borehamwood, went against the norm - according to Fenet!

7th REPLY

NAME: Richard Wright

DATE: 25th January 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1946-51

John, you might have been a year ahead of me.  I can't remember whether I started in 1946 or 47.  My brother Christopher was at the school from about 1949-51.  There was another Wright (initials not remembered) who was interested in the birds (avian) of the area.  Might that be the J.C. Wright you know?  Give us some of your experiences.  You are better with names than I am.

8th REPLY

NAME: John Paine

DATE: 16th February 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1946-53

Dear Richard, please give me a note at my e-mail so we can talk further about those 'old days'!

9th REPLY

NAME: Michael Vinson

DATE: 2nd April 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1944-1951

Richard, are you the well known and revered Richard Vernon Stafford Wright who at one time resided at Oakhill Theological College and who in 1952 spent a week under canvas at Boreham Street in my company and that of the Christie brothers in what was the wettest summer known to man?  Are you the same Richard Wright who again in my company one summer afternoon with a camera 'ambushed' Dick B*** as he escorted his lady friend home from school carrying her satchel?  I have the photo (somewhere) to prove it.  If so I am delighted to have established contact.

10th REPLY

NAME: Richard Wright

DATE: 15th April 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1946-51

Michael, I am that person.  My father was on the staff of Oakhill College.  We lived in a flat in that splendid Georgian mansion, in its woodlands.  I suppose they have long ago been built over.  I remember a Christie, whose father had something to do with the court system.  I don't remember sneaking a picture of anybody in love, but I would not put it past myself.  Why were we under canvas at Boreham Street?  Send me a photo of yourself from around that time, and I am sure I shall remember you.

11th REPLY

NAME: Vic Coughtrey   Then & Now

DATE: 15th April 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-59

Richard, if you go here you will see that both the woodland and the mansion have survived.

12th REPLY

NAME: Michael Vinson

DATE: 18th April 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1944-1951

Richard it was good to make contact with you after the passage of nearly half a century.  I cannot find the photo but I have attached a more interesting one in which you will see in the centre a good looking chap with his mouth full of pork pie (Me).  On the left with his face contorted with rage on seeing what his mother has again put into his sandwiches is Richard Michael Vernon Bass.  With his concentration distracted by the sight of a passing pretty girl in his field of vision is George Melville Christie.  The little fellow on the right, in case you cannot recognise him, is your brother.  The naked male in the background defying gravity is not of our party.  The year 1951, the place the Festival of Britain.  Boreham Street lies between Hailsham and Eastbourne.  We camped on the farm of Mr. Justice Blanco White for whom Mr. Christie senior worked.  You came down from Bristol by coach and stayed with us for a week.  It rained and the year was 1952.  You can if you like contact me.

13th REPLY

NAME: Richard Wright

DATE: 7th June 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1946-51

Well, Michael, I'll have to believe you about the Boreham wood camp.  On the good side of my memory, I recognise everybody in the photo, and will send a copy to my brother Chris in Bristol.  For a recent photo of myself in your part of the world (mercifully low resolution) Google 'FFFAIF', click on 'FFFAIF home', use search for 'Fromelles' compound'.  I can't give you the direct link, because the system we are using rejects URLs as spam.

14th REPLY

NAME: Richard Wright

DATE: 7th June 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1946-51

Thanks for reply 11, Vic.  It still looks a sublime place to be so close to London.  Richard.

15th REPLY

NAME: Michael Vinson

DATE: 2nd July 2009

CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1944-51

Richard, I went to FFFAIF and saw your picture, not as I remember you but then who hasn't changed with the years?  Are you still in France on the dig?  Then are you now normally resident in Australia?  A ten pound pom perhaps?  In the meantime let me put a few names up in case anyone can bring us upto date.  My info is from the mid 1970's so very stale.  Dick Bass, then working as a credit controlller in the Midlands.  George Christie believed to have been working on a civil engineering project in Kuala Lumpur and Brian Nightingale who joined the British South Africa Police in 1953 in what was then Southern Rhodesia.  By the mid 70's he had retired but could not return because of the Ian Smith affair and if still there can't return now.  By the way it wasn't Boreham Wood (where the 107 bus used to go) where we camped but Boreham Street in Sussex.  Look forward th hearing from you.