Archived News/Activities

- Page 27 - October 2005 -

 Paul Winter (JRGS 1959-62) unearths some more interesting black & white images ...

I have been scanning again this morning - my old 1934 Wolseley 9. (Ex-Tom Craggs, who sold it to me - for £12 - prior to going to University.)
   An excerpt from an email I exchanged recently with Tom Craggs: "I'm glad you 'enjoyed' the car - known as the finest sports hearse in Rugby - but I must take issue with you on one point - 'If I was unfortunate enough to be overtaking' - you're very fortunate to have got it to overtake anything at all'!"
   Tom Craggs was in the Upper Sixth when I was either in the Fifth Form or Lower Sixth, which means that he either left in 1960 or '61. I incline to the latter, since I must have been at least 17 to have got a driving license.
   The Wolseley image were taken while the car was parked, I think, in Thornton Heath in a road where Paul Gurney and Trevor Lowe lived.
    And (lower-right): "The Lads on their Go-kart - a lethal device built by Murray Lowe, David Goodman and Trevor Lowe with an old Panther motorcycle engine.
   Paul Gurney has now discovered a single copy of the infamous "Trouserless Prefects" photo. I will scan that as soon as he produces it.

   The full-size originals can be found here: Wolseley1; Wolseley2; Murray.

Paul Winter, Ceredigion, Wales; October 2005 email

 Mel Lambert (JRGS 1959-65) hears from the webmaster of the Selhurst OCA site...

I have been trading emails with Steve Palmer, webmaster of The Old Croydonians Association for ex-pupils of the Selhurst Schools. Steve was asking me about copyright status of vintage material he has on the OCA site, and we compared notes. It seems that OCA plans to offer duplicate copies of large-format panoramic school photos with which we are all familiar, taken by Panora Ltd.
   As he writes: "Our plan is to offer the rescanned photos for sale to ex-pupils who, for one reason or another. didn't get a copy at the time they were at school, or have lost the ones they purchased.

   "We have secured the services of Keishy-Digital, based in London, and which specialises in working with digital 'film'. Because the manager is a distant relation to an 'Old Croydonian', we're getting the service for nought!

   "We're going to charge between £20 and £30 pound per copy. Keishy-Digital can print a very high quality output. The firm is also going to handle all the charging; we just point our members in their direction via the OCA website. We're not aiming to make a profit, just cover the manager's time. We think it's a good deal!"

   Copies of OCA's April newsletter in PDF format (22.6 MB in color) can he found here; and the current October issue (4.7 MB in b&w) can be found here. Both issues are full of memories from the school's 100-year history.
   My latest news, received via the Greater Manchester County Record Office, is that copyright of the vintage Panora panoramic images may have passed to another individual, whose identity Steve has been researching.

Mel Lambert, Burbank, CA, USA. October 2005 email

Mike Etheridge (JRGS 1963-65) adds: This is an interesting Association - I had quite an input into the building alterations at Selhurst in about 1969/70, including the construction of the ROSLA [Raising of School Leaving Age] block building, plus rewiring and alterations to both the boys and girls school. Other schemes carried out on behalf of Croydon College round about 1991/2 included the installation of a new hydraulic passenger lift, new incoming main cable to the boys school, and the provision of an intermediate floor in the boy's school hall.
   Another ex-JRGS pupil, Neil Henderson, was responsible for the construction of the hydraulic lift shaft that was built on the outside face of Selhurst Boy's school, bridging out some of the external windows, which were converted internally for lift access.
   I remember that most of my junior school colleagues that passed their 11-Plus went on to Selhurst Grammar school in 1958, and I have been able to contact about three of them through FriendsReunited.

 Paul Winter (JRGS 1959-62) has unearthed some unique black & white images ...

I have been looking again at my collection of black and white negatives from the early Sixties, and unearthed these images of a sports meeting, plus schoolroom shots.
   They are not as good quality as the last batch of slides, but remember that colour film then was a luxury. All of these B&W negatives were processed at home and the quality has suffered as a result.
   Click on any image to access a larger version. Our thanks to Paul Graham and Cliff Cummins for adding missing names.

   The full-size originals (complete with dust!) can be found here: Murray1; Howden.

   The full-size originals can be found here: Murray2; Sixth form; Sixthformer.

Paul Winter, Ceredigion, Wales; October 2005 email

Paul Graham (JRGS 1959-66) adds: I guess this event must have been the 1961 Sports Day at the South Norwood ground.
   Notice Mr. Ricks with the trademark cigarette. I had forgotten the once-familiar Mr. Chaundy and Mr. Cripps hat wear until I saw these. Isn't it astonishing how even a slight obscured glimpse can identify people after 40-odd years? By the way, I recognized Mr. Parker from his duffel coat; a nice chap. He must have taken us for Physics in 2C, though I don't exactly recall.
   I like the pupil with the backpack. Presumably 1960s high-tech radio communication from finishing-line judges to scorers? It reminded me of my teaching days in the 1980s when, as Head of Maths, I lead a team of scorers from my department each year at Sports Day.

ML adds: The sports meeting images must date from Spring or early Summer 1961, since physics teacher Mr. Parker reportedly left JRGS in July 1961 to join the staff of Croydon Technical College. Also, Mr. Howden left in July 1961 to join Purley County Grammar School.

Cliff Cummins (JRGS 1956-62) adds: What brilliant photos! I'm not sure if you know all the names, but if it helps I know some of them.

To the best of my knowledge, the lone sixth former is John Lloyd.

The sixth formers (from right-to-left): Robin Clark, fourth from right is Herbert Kitching, sixth from the right (I think) is Jonathan Levine. Third from left is Alec Davis. Fourth from the left is Peter Smith. Also, I think the third person from the right may be A. Foster. (Both Peter Smith and John Lloyd appear in the School Cups Football XI pictured on page 31 the July 1960 JRGS School Magazine.) I know all the faces, but cannot help with any more names.

Terry Weight (JRGS 1959-65) adds: What great photos. Thanks to Paul and Mel.
 As Paul Graham says, "Don't they look familiar". There were one or two gaps in my knowledge.
Mr. Dobson - Biology?
Mr. Parker - ??
Mr. Howden - ??
Mr. Maggs - this is where I feel silly - the name is so familiar, but his face is obscured.

ML replies: Yes, Mr. Dobson taught Biology, Mr. Parker took Physics (plus games, including staff cricket, bulb & shrub planting), Mr. Howden took Economics (plus Film Club & Chess Club), while
Mr. Maggs (pictured left) taught Latin and Senior Divinity. [more]

Paul Graham replies: I think we had Mr. Dobson for Biology in 3M, the last year before we made choices for the O-Level courses. I dropped Biology after that (except for the unofficial stuff in Martin Nunn's Geography lessons!).
   I don't know why I remember Mr. Parker. I'm just guessing he took me for Physics, probably in 2C. I wish I'd kept the school reports or books that would confirm stuff like this.
   Mr. Howden left shortly after this, and didn't take junior school anyway as he was Economics, but he was in charge of the Chess Club, which is where I came across him.
   I don't think I ever had Mr. Maggs, though I could be wrong. But he was famous for his hook, and being in charge of the Army Cadet Force.
   Check out the Teachers page on the website.

 Mel Lambert (JRGS 1959-65) reveals secrets of "The Fantail"...

 Paul Winter (JRGS 1959-62) has been rummaging through his vintage color slides ...

I have just acquired an Epson 2450 photo scanner that takes negatives and transparencies - "At last," you cry! Trying the scanner for the first time, I pulled out the assorted box of slides and what did I find? Two pictures of the 1961 or 1962 field trip (combined Geography/History, I think) and one the 1962 school prefects. Click on any image to access a larger version.

The slides contain a lot of dust that Mel Lambert has helped remove in Photoshop; I am not sure how to clean them without damaging these 40-year-old transparencies. Any experts out there? If anybody cares to email me with "Idiot -proof" instructions, I'll re-scan and put them up again under the same titles.

   The full-size originals (complete with dust!) can be found here: Field Trip1; Field Trip2; Prefects.

   I noticed several more trip slides but, unfortunately, they don't include any pupils. (If my young self had only realised that it is people that count, not scenery.) I also have some of the school buildings and windmill, probably dating from 1961.
   I tried two new parameters on them tonight - and updated yesterday's photos - including use of a natural colour restorer command, which certainly has made them almost "as new". Plus a touch of sharpening. Here are the results.

   The full-size originals can be found here: School hall; Windmill1; Windmill2.

   Below are two more images from the Geography/History field trip, and several from a trip that six of us made to Cornwall - the others being Paul Gurney, Trevor Lowe, Murray Lowe, Tony Hills and David Goodman ("Bone," for some reason; he of the pipe!). I know where Paul, Murray and Trevor are, but have lost touch completely with Tony and David. (He went to Australia with GEC?) I thought that the campsite looks quite "atmospheric" - Tony's Ford 8 looks very period now!

   Full-size originals can be found here: Church1; Church2; Clovelly; Map; Rock; Sea; Campsite1; Campsite2; Cliff.

   I hope that this is a useful contribution. I have also discovered another drawer full of slides, and am going through them now. And I still have a lot of B&W negatives to scan. The Alumni may get another installment, but don't hold your breath!
   Now to get to grips with the dust - I have not tried anything yet on that problem.
   I must commend Mel Lambert on this labour of love for ex-Ruskin Pupils. It is greatly appreciated; I have drawn both Trevor Lowe's and Paul Gurney's attention to it. Perhaps I can try and get them to contribute something.

Paul Winter, Ceredigion, Wales; October 2005 email

 Cliff Cummins (JRGS 1956-62) adds: What brilliant photos!
   Not sure if you know all the names, but if it helps I know some of them.

	Geography/History Field Trip Photo: Third from left is David Martin Fourth from left is Mr. J. N. ("Jack") Rhodes, who taught history at JRGS. ML adds: Mr. Rhodes joined the school in 1960 and left in July 1963 to join Kesteven Teachers Training College, Lincolnshire. He was also involved in the Army Cadet Force and the Archaeological Society.
	1962 Prefects Photo: Front Row: Fourth from left is Peter Brooker Fifth from left is Herbert Kitching Standing: Extreme left is Alec Davis Second from left (I think) is Alan Sale Fifth from left is Robin Clark Tenth from left (I think) is Peter Whitaker Eleventh from left (I think) is Keith Mottram

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