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< Thread 64 Thread 65 (34 replies so far) Thread 66 >
< Thread 64 Thread 65 (34 replies so far) Thread 66 >
Replies 21-34
< replies 1-20
21st REPLY
NAME: Steve Lucas
DATE: 02 June 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Swimming & pool memories from my time: Non-swimmers were red trunks, swimmers were black or blue trunks. Red trunks could be borrowed and were either skimpy (Vic's observation) or else knitted from wool which, when wet had a crotch a good foot below the real crotch. Mr Fry ran swimming lessons at the Girl's indoor pool during Michaelmas Terms in order to convert as many 'reds' to 'blue/black' as possible. I seem to recall they were 'out of hours'. One was not (officially) allowed to use the boards at the outdoor pool unless one had passed a diving test in which case one was allowed to sew a red triangle onto one's black or blue trunks. Despite this, most people used the boards to 'bomb' (i.e. make as big a splash as possible) and the best in my year at that was Simon Hersom (a contributor elsewhere, but I think he had a red triangle!). There was a chap in the year above me (Ecclestone I think his name was) who once rode his bike into the pool just for the hell of it. He was seen by Piggy P and a 'B report' issued. The wooden changing rooms by the pool were, in my day, used for weight training. Sid Clark spent a lot of time in there repetitively lifting iron roughly equivalent to that in the earth's core. I also spent time there as I used to 'do' shot and hammer in the 6th form. I bet few of you know there was a hammer throwing circle on one side of the 3rd field. I was Borough of Barnet Hammer champion in '71, the only serious medal I won! Does anyone else remember a fish pond in the area around the shallow end of the swimming pool?
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen 
.jpg "James Cowen gallery")
Then & Now
DATE: 05 June 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
In talking about "slightly" cold water, Stephen [reply 20], you are obviously being sarcastic. It was usually very very cold and I for one as well as I suspect Vic and other non-swimmers would very much liked to have had a warmer indoor pool. Whether that would have got us to swim, though, I rather doubt unless we had some instructors, who actually knew how to teach people to swim and achieved success as a result. As far as I can recall the success rate after the first form (now year 7) was 0%. However looking at the glass half full, when I go in to the sea at Bournemouth with my tyre rubber ring to keep me afloat and others say it's freezing in, I can say, "You don't know the meaning of cold and shivering by the water side." Again looking on the half full glass I did make friends with other non-swimmers, several of whom were older than I, and we could chat before and sometimes during the absurd requests for us to float to the bar at the sides of the pool.
I do sympathise with the girl from QEGS who got a note to be "excused from swimming" [reply 19] as often as possible to avoid the combined disliked crocodile and the less than hospitable surroundings. Obviously unless a forged signature was used, she had a sympathetic parent acting on her behalf. I on the other hand put up with it myself for years and had no parental protests. Were we so indoctrinated to just accept our lot and survive the toughness and not appeal to our parents to query the whole absurdity of having so-called swimming lessons and never being able to swim? Fortunately all my 5 children have learnt but i know that if they had not and had gone to similar absurd classes I would have been at their schools complaining about it all. Incidentally I learnt from Paul Theroux on Saturday Live that Harvard University has similar compulsory swimming lessons for students. Maybe they are better and more effective.
Then & NowDATE: 05 June 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
In talking about "slightly" cold water, Stephen [reply 20], you are obviously being sarcastic. It was usually very very cold and I for one as well as I suspect Vic and other non-swimmers would very much liked to have had a warmer indoor pool. Whether that would have got us to swim, though, I rather doubt unless we had some instructors, who actually knew how to teach people to swim and achieved success as a result. As far as I can recall the success rate after the first form (now year 7) was 0%. However looking at the glass half full, when I go in to the sea at Bournemouth with my tyre rubber ring to keep me afloat and others say it's freezing in, I can say, "You don't know the meaning of cold and shivering by the water side." Again looking on the half full glass I did make friends with other non-swimmers, several of whom were older than I, and we could chat before and sometimes during the absurd requests for us to float to the bar at the sides of the pool.
I do sympathise with the girl from QEGS who got a note to be "excused from swimming" [reply 19] as often as possible to avoid the combined disliked crocodile and the less than hospitable surroundings. Obviously unless a forged signature was used, she had a sympathetic parent acting on her behalf. I on the other hand put up with it myself for years and had no parental protests. Were we so indoctrinated to just accept our lot and survive the toughness and not appeal to our parents to query the whole absurdity of having so-called swimming lessons and never being able to swim? Fortunately all my 5 children have learnt but i know that if they had not and had gone to similar absurd classes I would have been at their schools complaining about it all. Incidentally I learnt from Paul Theroux on Saturday Live that Harvard University has similar compulsory swimming lessons for students. Maybe they are better and more effective.
NAME: Peter Sumpter
DATE: 05 September 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1968-1974
In reply to Roger Nolan [reply 3], I was at the school from 1968-74 and helped raise money for the pool roof although it never happened in my time !!! I recall one Saturday school Fete day I was asked to swim for the juniors and seniors and ended up knackered. A guy called Fraser (Leicester House) was a great swimmer and also did both senior and junior although he was unfazed by the lengths... I do recall around 1972 some lag moved the goldfish from the fishpond to the swimming pool.
DATE: 05 September 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1968-1974
In reply to Roger Nolan [reply 3], I was at the school from 1968-74 and helped raise money for the pool roof although it never happened in my time !!! I recall one Saturday school Fete day I was asked to swim for the juniors and seniors and ended up knackered. A guy called Fraser (Leicester House) was a great swimmer and also did both senior and junior although he was unfazed by the lengths... I do recall around 1972 some lag moved the goldfish from the fishpond to the swimming pool.
NAME: Kammy Parkar
DATE: 14 November 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 2013 onwards
The present pool is called The Martin Swimming Pool. It is named after Barrie Martin, a governor.
NOTE FROM VIC: Many thanks for that info, Kammy. It seems that Barrie Martin is Chairman of the Governors. Apparently, his son Piers was a pupil from 1987-94.
DATE: 14 November 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 2013 onwards
The present pool is called The Martin Swimming Pool. It is named after Barrie Martin, a governor.
NOTE FROM VIC: Many thanks for that info, Kammy. It seems that Barrie Martin is Chairman of the Governors. Apparently, his son Piers was a pupil from 1987-94.
NAME: Nick Dean 
.JPG "Nick Dean gallery")
DATE: 19 November 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Interesting that these days so many bits of the school appear to be named after people, whereas 40 years ago, apart from the school itself, this applied - I think - only to the field at the front. I can't remember whether Stayplton bought/owned the land and gave it to the school or whether it was merely acquired when he was Chairman of Governors. With an Austinian sounding name like Chetwynd, it was probably the former, but, in any event, it's something to have given your name to a field, a road, a house - and a website.
DATE: 19 November 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Interesting that these days so many bits of the school appear to be named after people, whereas 40 years ago, apart from the school itself, this applied - I think - only to the field at the front. I can't remember whether Stayplton bought/owned the land and gave it to the school or whether it was merely acquired when he was Chairman of Governors. With an Austinian sounding name like Chetwynd, it was probably the former, but, in any event, it's something to have given your name to a field, a road, a house - and a website.
26th REPLY
NAME: Vic Coughtrey
Then & NowDATE: 19 November 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-59
"And be it known that during his Headmastership, in the year 1885, H.E. Chetwynd Stapylton, Chairman of the Governors, purchased for the School the Stapylton field, whereon the XI and the XV do play to this day".
It's in the School Chronicle [see Nick's query above].
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & Now
DATE: 23 November 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
In respect of Barrie Martin [reply 24] he is still chairman of the Governors and I spent some time talking with him pleasantly at the OE Annual Dinner of last Friday [15th Nov]. He was formerly governor of his son's primary school and was a member of the Friends of the School committee. He has also been a governor of QE Girls' school and perhaps may still be. A vote of thanks was given at the dinner for all his work on behalf of the school.
Then & NowDATE: 23 November 2013
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
In respect of Barrie Martin [reply 24] he is still chairman of the Governors and I spent some time talking with him pleasantly at the OE Annual Dinner of last Friday [15th Nov]. He was formerly governor of his son's primary school and was a member of the Friends of the School committee. He has also been a governor of QE Girls' school and perhaps may still be. A vote of thanks was given at the dinner for all his work on behalf of the school.
NAME: David Selway-Hoskins .jpg "David Selway-Hoskins")
Then & Now
DATE: 08 February 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1955-62
Adam Lines - belated reply to your reply 11. My Dad was headmaster of Osidge School and, as an eight year old I had to call him "Sir" at school - bizarre!
Then & NowDATE: 08 February 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1955-62
Adam Lines - belated reply to your reply 11. My Dad was headmaster of Osidge School and, as an eight year old I had to call him "Sir" at school - bizarre!
NAME: Stephen Giles 
DATE: 09 February 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: inmate 1957-64
In answer to reply 28 David, that must have been prior to John Hedge taking over as head of Osidge School. He was a very good friend of my dad, who was head of Foulds School in Barnet from 1967-1989.
DATE: 09 February 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: inmate 1957-64
In answer to reply 28 David, that must have been prior to John Hedge taking over as head of Osidge School. He was a very good friend of my dad, who was head of Foulds School in Barnet from 1967-1989.
NAME: David Selway-Hoskins Then & Now
DATE: 20 September 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1955-62
Does anyone have a copy of the tape of EHJ reading the School Chronicle [see reply 26] and have the ability to digitise it? I think a link to an MP3, or similar, file would be most enlightening. Reading the text of the Chronicle, no wonder so many passed out on Founders Day while it was being read to us.
Then & NowDATE: 20 September 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1955-62
Does anyone have a copy of the tape of EHJ reading the School Chronicle [see reply 26] and have the ability to digitise it? I think a link to an MP3, or similar, file would be most enlightening. Reading the text of the Chronicle, no wonder so many passed out on Founders Day while it was being read to us.
NAME: Stephen Giles
DATE: 22 September 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: inmate 1957-64
I certainly have the facility to both digitise and clean up recordings, but no longer from reel to reel tape.
DATE: 22 September 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: inmate 1957-64
I certainly have the facility to both digitise and clean up recordings, but no longer from reel to reel tape.
NAME: Ian Sadler 
DATE: 23 September 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1951-58
I have a reel-to-reel tape recorder and have transferred much from tape to CD. So if anyone has the tape I can make CD copy or send an mp3 if they are happy to trust it to GPO.
DATE: 23 September 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1951-58
I have a reel-to-reel tape recorder and have transferred much from tape to CD. So if anyone has the tape I can make CD copy or send an mp3 if they are happy to trust it to GPO.
NAME: Peter Sumpter
DATE: 21 December 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1968-1974
Regarding Osidge School [replies 28 & 29], I remember Mr Hoskins and Mr Hedge very well, being an ex inmate of that school.
DATE: 21 December 2014
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1968-1974
Regarding Osidge School [replies 28 & 29], I remember Mr Hoskins and Mr Hedge very well, being an ex inmate of that school.
NAME: Nick Dean
DATE: 25 May 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
DATE: 25 May 2015
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
A bit of useless information. Many of us know that OE Dick Aylard was Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales in the early 1990s. However, I was intrigued to see, from the obituary in The Times of one of his predecessors, Edward Adeane (who seems to have resigned after failing to get on with Diana), that Adeane's mother, Helen, had the maiden name of Chetwynd-Stapylton (misspelt as 'Stapleton'). I did wonder whether this made him a descendant of the great Henry Edward [reply 26]. However, a quick bit of research shows that his great-great-great grandfather, the Rev William C-S (1825-1919), was the brother of H E. No need, I think, to amend the charter.
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