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only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).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 241 to 250

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

Neale

Your input usually provokes a response from your compadres, so let's see what happens.

You're correct about the weakening of the grip on the perch. As sprightly 81 year-old it is very evident that tempus is fugiting!!

I think your wish for additional contributors from our age group is perhaps a little hopeful.

Fri 26-Jun-2020 20:05

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

Well Bruce, further to your comments on those contributors still clinging to their perches, my own grip is feeling a little wobbly these days. (I nudged past eighty five last week.) Although still a youngster, compared to the ninety something year old lion on Prince Edward Island, I'm still proud to stand alongside other members of the 1951 fifth form. Alex(February)will always be in the vanguard, while young Eric(October) brings up the rear. As we've often repeated, we would really like to hear from more of our year.

Thu 25-Jun-2020 20:13 - Victoria BC.

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

Mike

That's a great relief!

There may not be many active correspondents but I'm sure that we (happy) few can now relax knowing that the firm hand is in charge of the tiller.

While I'm wittering on I was recently reflecting on the words of a Jimmy Nail song about the River Tyne - "A big river" - and how it was then. South Shields alone had two dry docks, a shipbuilder, 2 ship repair facilities and Tyne Dock itself. If you add in all of the other shipping-related activities on both sides of the river the words of the song make absolute sense.

When I took my granddaughters on a day trip to SS a few years ago it was difficult to describe how the river was back in those days when all they could see was the current environment. I wonder if the school teaches students nowadays about the heritage of their own town?

Mind you they, and I were mightily impressed with the work that has gone into the development of the Roman Fort site.

Fri 19-Jun-2020 19:05 - ruskington lincolnshie

Mike Todd

Thanks for the concern, Bruce - much appreciated. I did actually reply to your email earlier this month, but maybe it didn't make its way through the ether.

I get copies of messages emailed to me, but there seem to be far too few hours in the day. The result is that the site has been badly neglected over the past few years.

One of these days I'll learn to say "no" to taking on projects.

I hope we're all well, and surviving through these difficult times.

I hope everyone is well, and

Thu 18-Jun-2020 21:36

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

I think that Robin Leslie's comments are accurate.

Having looked at the "newer" members of the SSGTSFB on the contact register I see that the last significant is in the early 1990's.

However, the main reason for posting this message is that following earlier correspondence and a direct message to Mike via "Contact Me" several weeks ago without a reply (very unusual) - the last input from Mike to any of our inputs was just over 18 months ago.

The site continues to work well (I changed my Contact Register password successfully yesterday) but in these uncertain times it would be nice to know that all is well with the person who put us all in contact.

Thu 18-Jun-2020 21:19 - ruskington lincolnshie

Robin Leslie | robin~DOT~leslie~AT~yahoo~DOT~com

Mike, I think the problem of communication, ie. of continuous communications here among OBs could be resolved by contacting all members, or those who are frequent correspondents,by
email and advising of the latest news. I would be prepared to consider contributing Mike and once again many thanks for this invaluable site.

Tue 9-Jun-2020 15:45 - Cobham Surrey

Robin Leslie | robin~DOT~leslie~AT~yahoo~DOT~com

Yes it does seem sad that the Guestbook is
filling up with only the older OBs. I think this happens to those of us when we reach the age of 70 years, or even 60 years today. During the 1940s and 1950s older people were regarded with a mixture of awe and respect but the 1960s narcissistic revolution brought with it the fall of authority and the subsequent decline in spiritual values.
Anyway I hope we will carry on the wonderful work that has been done to build this website. I don't think there is another website for OBs like this one where it is possible to have such close connections. Which reminds me I meant to ask whether anybody knows what happened to Ronnie Kemp(1951-1957)he was in Amateur Dramatics in South Shields, and Ian Murray the cricketer whose father taught at the school during those years. Well keep well and here's to all those septuagenarians and octogenerians who were at the High School for Boys.

Tue 9-Jun-2020 15:38 - Cobham Surrey

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

None but the oldies!

I find it regrettable That over the years none of the younger generations of our school alumni have joined in our correspondence. I can understand the really younger generation with their emphasis on technology but there is a huge gap of people who, apparently are not interested.

It is the same with a couple of other groups to which I contribute, but these are of a much more limited age range.

Maybe we just have to accept that as the regular contributors (eventually) fall off their respective perches there will be no more correspondence.

Pity.

Mon 11-May-2020 20:58 - ruskington lincolnshie

Robin Leslie | robin~DOT~leslie~AT~yahoo~DOT~com

Hello Mike I hope 2020 will bring you all a greater happiness! I was at the Boys High School from 1952-1954,leaving for Barnard Castle School in 1954. It was a wrench leaving the High School and sadly losing the many friends I had. In those days I played rugby for the under 14s and ran for the School in the County athletics Championships alongside Jack Talbut and (?) Muncaster.I still remember Ian Murray the cricketer. Ronnie Kemp, and Geoffrey Hilcote.
Keep sensible and safe during this very revealing time. Yours Robin

Tue 3-Mar-2020 18:51

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

Do I sense the possibility of a mini-reunion of octogenarians in 2020?

Sat 18-Jan-2020 21:07 - ruskington lincolnshie

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