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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only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).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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Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btiinternet~DOT~com

Having got my Guestbook juices flowing again in responding to Robin Leslie, here are a couple of other thoughts. Somebody may know the answer to the query that follows assuming that someone from the second half of the 1950s reads this.

I entered the school in September 1950 and in my form were Roy Thomson and Harry Abernethy. Accounting for the 7 years to 'A' Levels most of my friends who stayed into the 6th form went on to university in Septmber 1957.(Regular readers from a few years ago may remember that I left post 'O'Levels to pursue an apprenticeship in the Royal Air Force). Looking at the School Photo Gallery and copies of the Atom on this site I see that Messrs Thomson and Abernethy both played in the First XV in 1958, and are holding a rugby ball marked 1957/58 to prove it. Also, Harry Abernethy was House and School Captain in 1957/58 as reported in The Atome for 1958 (he was also a leading light in the South Shields Air Training Corps quadron of which 'Scratcher Aitchison was the CO). So does anybody know why the School Captain remained until he was 19? Did he fluff A levels or was he going for a scholarship for one of the top universities?

Harking back to Robin Leslie's remarks concerning St Peter's. As I recall our headmaster, Bill (Pop) Lucas lived on Sunderland Road. His nearest church was St Peter's and I certainly do not remember him as a member of the congregation. In those days most men in his position were churchgoers and probably members of the established church at that. Does any of the old guard remember his religious persuasion. I am certain that I would have remembered hi if I had looked out from the choir stalls and seen my headmaster sitting there. But then, maybe that's one of my brain cells that's gone AWOL!!

Tue 2-Mar-2010 14:44 - Ruskington, Lincolnshire

Robin Leslie | robinleslie~AT~alumni~DOT~lse~DOT~ac~DOT~uk

Well that's marvellous Bruce! Yes, although I can't at present put your face to your name as it were, I wonder if you knew the following who were choir members at that time?
Wentworth Driver was a head choirboy,
Ronnie Kemp, Peter May,Peter Robertson (the vicar's son) Among the older members were. Mr Fairs, Joan White (who married Rev. Cole or 'Holy Coley' as we called him) and a Mr. Davidson was the choirmaster and organist. Mr Davidson used to tap his tuning fork on the Litany desk before each choir practice, while the Rev. Henry Robertson (the vicar) used the Litany desk to get the congregation to sing.
I was a regular soloist in those days from 1950 to 1954. Yes Bruce I remember
the Films in the Parish Hall, the Bring and Buy Sales, the Boys Club and the Scouts. I went to Church 3 times on a Sunday, Morning Service, Sunday School and Evensong, and choir practice one weekday evening. Looking back now, without rose-coloured spectacles, I can say that it was a golden time of my life for my immediate family, my aunts and uncles and grandparents were all members of the parish. I remember too the Garden fetes in the Vicarage grounds, where Henry Robertson provided some wonderful
entertainment. I don't know what happened to all those people though Peter Robertson went to Durham School and I left the High School for Barnard Castle School in 1954. Sybil Robertson, the vicar's daughter went to Church High School in Newcastle, Rev. Cole (the curate) married Joan White and took up a parish in Hartlepool and the vicar Rev. Henry Robertson went to a mining parish in Consett(?) Ronnie Kemp took up Amateur Dramatics with the South Shields Amateur Dramatic Society and married a leading lady. I would love to be in touch with anybody Bruce, but please keep in touch yourself for I'm sure I know you. I lived in Ambleside Avenue at the time, but we moved away to Scotland in 1956 and I and my brothers (Michael and John) left for Barnard Castle School in 1954. How wonderful to hear about you Bruce! Perhaps you remember more.....?

Sun 28-Feb-2010 17:47 - Buckinghamshire

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

In response to Robin Leslie's query about St Peter's.

I, too, was a choirboy at St Peter's at about that time. As I mentioned some time ago (I think in a separate email to Robin) our time must have overlapped but I don't recall hime at all. I wonder if he was also in the School choir under Mr Jackaman. I sent a photograph of the choir to Mike which appears in the photo gallery under 1950/51.

The mention of St Peter's church hall brings back a memory rather like one that I related during the Peck's Pasties saga of quite a while ago and the relative insolvency of most of the boys. From time to time the church would organise a film evening in the hall and on one occasion a friend of mine from the choir and I decided that we would like to see "Waterloo Road". It must have been about 1949 or 1950. The snag was that there was to be a silver collection to defray the cost of hiring the film and projector and my chum and I only had sixpence between us. Nil desperandum! In those days there was in circulation (just) a silver threepenny piece so we went to several of the shops at the top of the road and managed to trade our six pennies for two shiny silver threepenny pieces.

Mr Fair, then the choirmaster, who made the silver collection gave us both a very sideways glance when we put our offering on the plate, but he couldn't argue!!

As you say, Robin, happy days (mostly).

Sun 28-Feb-2010 16:39 - Ruskington, Lincolnshire

George Connett

Just started watching repeats of "When the boat comes in" on the Yesterday channel. It was good to see Edward Wilson again playng Dr Billy Seaton. Such a sad loss when he died so young ,so much unfulfilled potential, but at least we can appreciate and remember him from these repeats.

Sat 27-Feb-2010 20:40 - King George Road South Shields

Robin Leslie | robinleslie~AT~alumni~DOT~lse~DOT~ac~DOT~uk

I think it's a long shot but does anyone remember St. Peters Harton Parish Hall and the scout hut next door to it. The Church scouts and boys club used to be held there and there was a netball hoop in the Parish hall yard where teams played weekly. It was a well used hall by various groups and organizations and being on Harton Lane (or was it Moore Lane?)only a stones throw from the High School. I spent my early years, until I left South shields in 1954, as choirboy, Sunday school, and scouts at St. Peters Church Harton. There were High School
boys including Ronnie Kemp (SS Amateur Dramatic Society) Wentworth Driver and Geoffrey Hilcote who were also part of it all in those early 1950s. Happy days.

Fri 26-Feb-2010 15:54 - Buckinghamshire

Neale Backhouse, '46-'51 | neale70~AT~shaw~DOT~ca

Which way to the Olympics?

"Oh the Olympics are so exciting' said my better half last week. 'Let's go over to Vancouver and join in the fun." "But we don't have any event tickets" I replied. "Never mind',she said, 'We'll just mingle." Although feeling a bit dubious about what this mingling might entail, I said "OK lets do it", so next morning, bright and early, we drove up to Swartz Bay terminal to catch the 7am sailing to the mainland. The passenger lounge was already a sea of red and white clad travellers, many with "Go Canada Go" signs emblazoned on their backs, obviously also intending to join in the fun. After the ninety minute crossing to Tsawwassen, we found that Translink services had done their homework and had provided a small fleet of buses to whisk us off to the rapid transit rail station for a further 30 minutes train ride into town. I was immediately reminded of pictures I have seen of the Tokyo underground,where people are employed to push passengers onto the train, before the doors close. We were all cheek by jowl, surrounded it seemed by the school rugby scrum. Fortunately everyone seemed to think that this was part of having a good time and we arrived none the worst for wear downtown. Robson St.Square was the hub of the activity, where the accents and regalias of many nationalities were quickly noticeable. The party atmosphere was certainly infectious and long lineups had already formed at the improvised venues set up for the edification and entertainment of the visitors. Overhead a highwire zipline was busy ferrying the more adventurous across the square, above our heads.
Down by the waterfront, security was noticeably in evidence as large sections had been cordoned off and the Olympic Flame was surrounded by a high wiremesh fence, which meant that the hundreds of group photographs being taken had an unsightly foreground. It didn't seem to dampen the general good humour however.
After a picnic lunch on the waterfront with the sunlit snow capped mountains forming a back drop on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, we set about doing more mingling but by mid afternoon Liz had mingled almost to a standstill with me not far behind. So instead of returning by an evening ferry as intended, we joined what seemed to be the same mass of humanity that were aboard the morning train and headed back to catch the 5 pm sailing. We arrived home at around 7.30pm and hardly moved for the next twenty four hours.
Some thoughts on your 2012 London games. Expect shoulder to shoulder visitors along Oxford Street and the Embankment and look out for Canadian journalists on the hunt for something negative to say about your efforts!
Cheers, Neale.

Tue 23-Feb-2010 22:10 - Victoria BC, Canada

Eric Moyse 1946 to 1953 | eric~DOT~moyse~AT~sky~DOT~com

Just checking in, Mike and Mike.
However, regarding the mention of Donald Pickering, I agree tha he qualifies as a famous former pupil
(although it seems a bit hard to unload every bit of work on to Mike Todd). The obituaries that I can see on Google say that DP was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1933. The former is clearly possible but I am a bit puzzled about the dob as he was well known to my late brother Alan who was born in 1927 but I have no recollection of DP being at the school despite him presumably being only a couple of years above me. Any thoughts?

Tue 23-Feb-2010 10:21 - Reading Berkshire

Michael Lawrenson 1946 | lawrenson~AT~hollyburn~DOT~plus~DOT~com

Hi Mike

I see we’ve gone for more than a month without any contributions and I think this must be the first time this has happened. Just to reassure you that at least one old boy religiously checks the site once a day in the hope of seeing renewed activity.

Is there anyone else out there?

Mon 22-Feb-2010 23:15 - Scotland

Fred Dunmore | duncat~AT~blueyonder~DOT~co~DOT~uk

FOR YOU MIKE.
You may remember a couple of years ago I mentioned on the site that I thought that consideration should be given to including an old pupil of the school, Donald Pickering,in the category of a "Famous Old Boy". For some reason which I cannot bring to mind, you were unable to find any reference to him at the school. I remember him very well and I wonder if some other reader of my years can recall him.
Unfortunately he has recently passed away and there is a full page obituary for him in tonights "Shields Gazette" which states that he attended the South Shields High School.
If possible Mike, can you make further enquiries about this wonderful actor with a view to including him in the category I mentioned.

Thu 21-Jan-2010 19:21 - South Shields

Neale Backhouse, '46-'51 | neale70~AT~shaw~DOT~ca

I'm flattered Ian that you think I might still be a frolicsome seventy(plus)year old but since we are in confessional mode I have to admit that Liz and I managed to stay awake, sans company of any kind, on New Year's eve, until the ball descended (via TV)at midnight in Times Square, New York City. We have a hearty Scotish neighbour (tall dark and handsome)who has in the past been our firstfoot in the wee hours but he was otherwise engaged this year, so Liz stuck his photograph in a basket outside the front door and brought it in at 12.05am. Such was the extent of our merrymaking!
I do recall one or two summertime parties at Sylvia Harvey's house on Prince Edward Road, after a day soaking up the sun at Marsden. Lots of fun.
Eric's reference to basketball at Redwell Secondary School on a Tuesday evenings brought back memeories. It always seemed to be the team that included Alan Woodhouse that would end up victorious in our pickup games. I remember Auty and Len Travis sweating mightily. I also remember your underhand layup at the basket as a thing of beauty. I like to think I could still race up and down a basketball court, it gives me an excuse to lie down and rest!
Cheers, Neale.

Wed 13-Jan-2010 02:00 - Victoria BC, Canada

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