HSGS, late forties, early fifties

[Steel City Reject]

Through Friends Reunited, a now defunct website, we made contact with 22 of the 32 pupil faces in this picture. This was 2B, Form Master Mr Bateman, in 1950. Smith T (back row, far left) was the ringleader in arranging a reunion in 2003 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release from the school which had been celebrated by hoisting Wardley R (back row 3rd from left) up the flagpole, the hoisters physically punished by Mack G despite it being our very last day. I was the angelic wastrel, back row far right. Many of these fine chaps have died (understandable - we are all well into our eighties) but a few are still in touch. Two live in Oz, one in Italy, another in Austria.

I don't know the year in which the staff picture was taken. Our group managed to identify nearly all of them. I have good memories of some of these patient and gifted men but less charitable of some of the others. Despite the efforts of the affable Bryn Baker (3rd right, middle row) and Basil (back row, 5th from right) I failed French 'O' level then perversely made my career in a French company for 28 years. (Il faut parler la langue de la maison!) Fred Allen (top left) taught me how to fettle bits of metal and Monty Beaumont (top right) never got me better than last in cross country runs. Pete Coulson (middle row, 5th from left) taught English and was very encouraging.