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'School days, so
they tell us, are the happiest times of our life'
In my case, joining KGS for the sixth form, they are certainly
amongst some of my fondest memories. It wasn't only the teachers,
trying to get some knowledge into our unwilling heads, but school
chums, remembered, if not in contact with.
It was a time of The Beatles, The Stones, Pete Seager, The Seekers
and The Springfields. 1967 was 'The Summer of Love' - but that
seemed to pass Kingswood by. Watching footage of the era on television,
browsing old pictures or in the recesses of my mind, I can't help
thinking what innocent times they were and how we used to make
our own enjoyment.
The teachers:
'Frosty' Wintour: My form master for part of my time there.
I know he taught French, so who taught me A level history? Whoever,
they have joined the ranks of the displaced in my memory
Elizabeth Ballinger: A level English Literature. I owe
so much to her; encouragement in my studies, a role model that
saw me eventually training as a teacher, to my love of literature
that is sustained today. Who remembers the hours pouring over
Sons and Lovers, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and Emma? I am
sure there were others that have slipped my memory. Whatever happened
to her?
Olive Baldwin:
was ever a teacher so tormented? As a sixth form group I fear
that we could identify the weakest link and play on it. Who remembers
the time the form hid a tape recorder in the classroom cupboard
and then locked it. 'Olive let me out' still brings a smile to
my face! Another time the whole form hid in a classroom across
the playground, watching as she searched for us. Oh the cruelty
of youth.
Min: (wasn't
she deputy at some time?) taught Latin and also looked after the
library - or is my memory failing? She seemed so old then but
I am probably of an age as I write this and still feel 18 inside.
Mr. Otty: played
violin (remembered in A Christmas Carol). Didn't he teach art?
Music Appreciation.
Did Mr Hilton take this? Whoever did helped encourage my love
of music that has carried on through life. Over the years I've
sung with bands, amateur opera and operetta, choirs, folk group
and a pop group whilst at college. I still sing in a choir - though
the voice is probably too tired for solo work now!
The Sixth From
Long breaks (or were these self study periods? in the Sixth Form
Centre, originally that wooden hut, playing cards with Janet Elliott,
Richard Lucas, Colin Leech, Nicholas Garland, Richard Meredith
amongst others. Janet Elliot throwing a cup of coffee over me
- why, I can't even remotely remember. Marguerite Williams - my
first proper date.
The School Play.
Christmas 1967 "A Christmas Carol"
(see picture)
Some of the cast (can others add to this?): Mrs. Cratchet - Janet
Elliott
Fred (Scrooge's nephew) yours truly
Mary (his wire) Jacqueline Webb
Kathryn Luff - Mrs Fezziwig
Martin Radford - either Fezziwig
John - played violin in school play and lived next to me in Bath
for several years
Ruth Mogg
I still have the note
that Mrs Enid Evans wrote to me after the play thanking me for
the few words I said on the last night. "Always - at the
end of such a performance - one is left with a feeling of sadness,
when the gaiety of rehearsals (somehow tinged with anxiety) is
over. Nevertheless, I shall miss all the activity next tem….."
Games: Never
an advocate of enforced activity even then, this has not changed.
I remember opting to study local history in the sixth rather than
cross country - and that's been much more useful as I've matured!
Thank goodness one of the guys had a car that we could use. It
was also about this time that I bought my Honda 50: cool? I think
not, but it did enable me to get further a field.
Other memories:
Who remembers
the lunchtimes we skipped out to the Station Master in Warmely
for a shandy or two?
Some of the sixth form
were involved with various churches and we ran "Youth Services"
at Holy Trinity and Hanham Road Methodist churches - could never
make up my mind whether I was C of E or Methodist and got the
best of both worlds. Anyone remember these? Isn't Andy Radford
(Martin's brother) now a Bishop?
(See picture of social
evening at "Holy Trinity", Kingswood. Must be 1967.
Jenny [Gould?], Nick Garland, Marguerite Williams, Iain Jessup,
?, Kathryn Luff, Martin Radford [Cannon Radford's youngest son]).
Memory fades over the
years and I am sure that there were some unhappy times too, such
is the folly of youth. However, what I have taken away with me
from KGS has helped make me the person I am today, and I'd be
keen to regain contact with anyone who remembers those days of
youth when friendships were many and life was easy?
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