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The ALMONDBURIAN T H E MAGAZINE OF TH E OLD AL MONDBURIANS’ S OCIETY

July 2011

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IN THIS ISSUE Chairman’s Letter OAS Calendar OAS Membership Quiz Evening 2011

From the Headteacher

Terry’s Teaser Pavilion Appeal: a great response Harry Taylor’s morning prayers Cricket Soccer Badminton and Tennis Golf Reg Addy’s house revisited Letter from Porthcawl Edward ‘Teak’ Akroyd Fred Hudson: 100 next year CAMRA salutes real beer expert Postbag OAS Shop

The Editor welcomes articles and letters on relevant topics; emails should be sent to almondburian@oas.org.uk or you may prefer to write to the editorial address given on the back cover.We reserve the right to edit articles as necessary.Views expressed by correspondents are not necessarily those of The Old Almondburians’ Society. The next issue of The Almondburian will be published on 1st November 2011. Closing date for contributions: 20th September 2011

The ALMONDBURIAN Editor: Roger Dowling

July 2011

The magazine of The Old Almondburians’ Society

Chairman’s letter

NICK BRIGGS

S this is my first issue as Chairman I’d like to take the opportunity to update you about some of the exciting things we’re involved in at the present otime.As we announced in the last issue of The Almondburian, we’ve launched a major project to renovate or even rebuild the cricket pavilion at the School.The project is being spearheaded by Martyn Hicks, fresh from his success in re-launching our football section last year, and I am pleased to say that the project has already received widespread support.A report on progress so far appears on page 9. Another new initiative is that we are planning to launch an ‘Old Almondburians’ Society Hall of Fame’ to honour and celebrate the lifetime achievements of some of our many illustrious members.We plan to announce the first recipient of the new honour at this year’s Annual Dinner. 3

This year’s Dinner will be on Saturday, 26th November, and I have no doubt that it will be the usual outstanding occasion. The Galpharm Stadium has acquired a high reputation for its cuisine, so the high quality three-course dinner together with witty speeches, the launch of the new‘Hall of Fame’ and the opportunity to meet up again with old friends and acquaintances should be more than adequate reasons to attend. Our traditional Founders’ Day service will be held the morning after the dinner, on 27th November. Finally, on page 30 we report on plans to mark the centenary of former Second Master Fred Hudson. We know that he is remembered with great respect by Old Almondburians all over the world. It’s a very exciting time for the Old Almondburians’ Society, and I hope to see you at all the various events and activities during the coming year.

OLD ALMONDBURIANS’ SOCIETY CALENDAR

DATES OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, 2011 The Executive Committee of the Society meets upstairs at the ‘Woolpack’ in Almondbury. Meetings are held each month at 7.30 pm, with the exception of August when there is no meeting.Any member of the Society who would like to attend one of these meetings will be made most welcome on the following dates: 4th July, 5th September, 3rd October, 7th November and 5th December.

increase in the rate of VAT, and an application form is included with this magazine. Early applications are always appreciated. It is always good to see members making a special effort to stage a re-union of their year at the dinner and such occasions are always enjoyable, so those with a special anniversary this year, members of the classes of 1941, 1951, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1986, 1991 or 2001, for example or, indeed, anyone else who takes a notion to do so, should consider starting to organise their class re-union earlier rather than later.

GOLF The 2011 Gothard Cup Golf Competition will take place on Friday, 8th July 2011 at Woodsome Hall Golf Club with the traditional presentation dinner in the club house afterwards.The tee time is between 4.00 pm and 5.00 pm. Further details from Simon Russell (simon@pacific-lifestyle.co.uk).

FOUNDERS’ DAY The traditional Founders’ Day Service will be held at All Hallows’ Church,Almondbury, at 11.30 am on the day following the Annual Dinner: Sunday, 27th November. Almondburians are invited to assemble in Big Tree Yard at 11.00 am for the traditional procession up the hill. The Executive Committee would urge all Almondburians to make every effort to attend this event. It would help if you are able to indicate in the space provided on the Annual Dinner ticket application form whether or not you expect to attend the Founders’ Day Service as well, but it is not essential and you are most welcome to turn up on the day if you are able.

ANNUAL DINNER The Annual Dinner will take place once again in the main Banqueting Suite at the Galpharm Stadium on Saturday, 26th November at 6.30 pm for 7.30 pm, so please put the date in your diary now to make sure that you don’t miss out on a great evening. The ticket price this year will be £26.00, a slight increase on last year due only to the

OAS Membership

AND RE W HAIGH

INCE the last magazine was published, we have been delighted to welcome just one new member to the Society: Chris Sykes (1971–1979), resident in Cobham, Surrey. Our total membership currently stands at 740. Subscriptions are due on 1st September each year so, if you receive a letter with this newsletter pointing out that your subscription is not up-to-date, please do complete the updated standing order mandate that accompanies it and return it in the envelope provided without delay. Alternatively, you may renew online, using PayPal or a debit or credit card, by visiting www.oas.org.uk and clicking on the ‘Join/Renew Online’ button.

Quiz Evening 2011

HE ‘1970s’ team, comprising Bryan Hopkinson, Alan Thomas and Marie Thomas, beat ‘Dartmouth Youth’ by 88 points to 76 to win this year’s Quiz Evening at Almondbury Conservative Club on 4th May. From the five-round semi-finals, ‘Dartmouth Youth’ and ‘1970s’ qualified for the final (by 10 points and 4 points respectively) leaving the ‘Guzzlers’ and the ‘Cricket Section with more time to enjoy the supper. In the six-round final the teams were level after the first buzzer round. ‘Dartmouth Youth’ then moved ahead, only to fall behind when the ‘1970s’ displayed a superior knowledge of butterflies. They continued to increase their lead throughout and maintained it in the final buzzer round.

K EITH CRAWSHAW

I offer my congratulations to the winners with thanks to the other players for taking part and particular thanks to Jack Taylor, our resident scorer, and Andrew Haigh, our resident caterer. With only 12 competitors in four teams of three, the attendance this year was particularly disappointing and certainly the lowest in over 30 years of trophy battles. It is difficult to organise an event such as this, set questions and get an appropriate format when we don’t know how many teams will turn up. Clearly to be fair to everyone we need to have an earlier commitment from members to take part in a team each year. Please let us have more support in future to keep the tradition of this competition going. See you in 2012!

FROM THE HEADTEACHER

Ofsted verdict: ‘Outstanding’

RO BERT LAMB

our already high standards even higher. We are determined to provide an excellent standard of education for all our students. So it is wonderful to know that Ofsted recognise our efforts. The Ofsted report which was officially published at the start of May contains many complimentary comments including: “Students have excellent attitudes to learning” “Lessons are very well-planned and wellpaced.They involve a very wide range of learning activities that fully engage and thoroughly challenge students” “As a result of the school’s excellent planned provision, students are developing exceptionally strong work-related and enterprise skills” “Teachers consistently ensure that students recognise the relevance of their learning to their future adult and working lives”.

N 30th and 31st March the School received a visit from Ofsted.The purpose of the visit was to look at our work in Economics and Business Education. As we do not provide formally assessed courses in economics or business, the visit focused on enterprise education and the development of economic and business understanding, and personal financial and enterprise capability for all students. They interviewed students and staff, analysed the work of our students, observed lessons in every subject area and looked at a wide variety of documentation.Their conclusion was:

“The overall effectiveness of enterprise education and the development of students’ economic and business understanding and enterprise and financial capability are outstanding.”

Ofsted rate a school’s performance in four keys areas and their judgements were as follows: Achievement: Outstanding Quality of teaching: Outstanding Quality of the Curriculum: Outstanding Leadership and Management: Outstanding We are obviously delighted with these conclusions. As a school we strive for excellence and are determined to raise

Since the report was published we have been contacted by Ofsted. They would like to visit the School again and

further research our good practice in cross-school enterprise and work related learning, with a view to publishing it on Ofsted’s ‘Good Practice’ database. This will then allow other schools to learn from our work and improve their own practice.

If Ofsted decide to publish an article then it will be further recognition for the enormous strides that the school has made over the last few years. All we need now are some excellent examination results in this year’s GCSE examinations!

and back at the School… Year 10 students took part in a Business Challenge Day in the Sports Hall.

The School’s production of ‘Smike’, a pop musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Nicholas Nickleby, was voted a great success.

Year 9 students gifted in science took part in a science trail at York University’s Science Learning Centre. Topic of the day was climate change.

The School took part in an E-Safety Week and a range of events included a design project.

Photos: Jenny Ainger

TERRY’S TEASER

Compiled by Terry Buckley (1948 - 1953)

Draw: 30th September 2011

Prize: 12 months free OAS membership

37. Keep the servant, having lost the queen (6) 38. Old, free hen - on the contrary ! (6,7)

DOWN 2. Walk mare about to find legislator (8) 3. Renders unconscious around bend 500, and gets the praise (5) 4. In having fallen ill, Edward kept a clean sheet (6). 5. Bade farewell to the hairstyle ? (5) 6. Where to get the tan uneven in Kent (6) 7. Long ruler (5,8) 8. Fleets wouldn’t assemble in the same class (6,7) 11. Get a sub to go forward (7) 12. Berth on the Flying Scotsman (3) 13. Clear catch (3) 14. Since the French came in, one can hear a pin drop ! (7) 19. Bustle in riding a donkey (3) ACROSS 21. I had a girl (3) 1. Fuzzy watchable kind of TV set (5,3,5) 24. Mad about it and the right to annoy (8) missing from the register (3) 9. Take the air away and relax (6) 22. Confused, Dorian made headway (6) 26. Two abroad dig up turf (3) 10. Raise Jeans gallery (8) 27. Drew one, but in doing so, were 27. Pale during swansong (3) 11. One aurally posts and rises (7) victorious ! (3) 28. Round optic item (5) 15. Altogether defenceless (5) 30. Cry of discovery in a Soho nightclub (3) 29. Exercise - up, down, quiet, then up again 16. Poetry in good enough taste (3) (4,2) 32. Island of decor, fun, and sun (5) 17. Iron round the junction for the first meeting (5) 33. Heart of a perfume (7) 31. Frenzied man about to twitch (6) 18. Container tax (3) 36. At home, in this place, the National 34. Man in the money has a glazed look (5) 20. Up to a certain time, the learner is 35. Dog of the century, or a soldier (5) Trust becomes innate (8) The winner of Terry’s Teaser (March 2011) was Tony Sykes (Holmfirth)

www.oas.org.uk Keep in touch with the Old Almondburians’ Society via the website 8

Pavilion appeal: a great response

OLLOWING my tear-inducing rant about the future of the Cricket Pavilion I should like to thank John Senior for being the first OAS member to offer his financial support to the cause. His cheque has been put into The Sports Pavilion Development Fund account, watched over by the hawk-like gaze of Keith Crawshaw. Subsequently, further contributions have arrived and the balance now stands at £1,728, a great start to where we need to be. Other offers of help have also been welcome in many areas; for example a letter arrived from John Aspinall: I've just read your ‘Call to Action’ in the March edition ofThe Almondburian and wondered if I may be able to assist in some way. I attended school from 1956 to 1961, and played a lot of cricket and football. I witnessed the opening of the pavilion and agree something ought to be done.My whole career has been, and still is for three days a week, in the building industry. My wife and I sold our business JTA Construction in 2005 after trading for 27 years.The company that bought us retained me as a consultant for two years and I’m still there, mainly concerned with the quantity surveying and estimating functions. John’s letter arrived out of the blue at just the right time. Chris West’s first plans as seen in the March edition needed to be costed which John is now in the process of doing.We have also been asked by several people to consider a new build design perhaps more suited to meetings

MARTYN HIC KS

and sport, located in a slightly different position. This more ambitious plan is being worked up again by the ever-helpful Chris West and will be costed out by John in readiness for some meetings planned for 22nd June. We have also received enthusiasm from the school PE department; cricket is back on the agenda at school; and a team is not only representing the school but making use of the Pavilion (this is really excellent news). Many others have offered support and I am sure they will be brought to the forefront as their areas of expertise are required. By the next issue I hope to present to you costed designs rendered up as artist’s impressions, at which point we will be formally launching the capital-raising phase of the project. So dust off those cheque books, sharpen those quills,tell your families that you are going to enter hard times, because you feel an overwhelming need to contribute.

SUBSCRIBERS SOUGHT

Harry Taylor’s morning prayers

Next year, we plan to publish, in facsimile form, a unique set of daily prayers compiled by Harry Taylor for use in Morning Assembly. His son ANDREW TAYLOR recalls those daily gatherings.

VERYBODY has their own iconic memories from their time at school – Sports Day perhaps, or Happy Harry playing the organ at Speech Day, or maybe meetings of the Gardener’s Shed Club, which were held discreetly behind the green shed at the top of the Bunk, leaving no evidence behind except for a few careless tab ends trodden into the dirt. But for those who were at King James’s during the HarryTaylor years between 1951 and 1973, one of them must be morning assembly – the whole school drawn up in rows, from the bright-eyed little boys in short trousers (yes, short trousers) at the front to the cynical old Sixth Formers, who were just about starting to shave, at the back. There would be a quiet buzz of side-of-the-mouth conversation for as long as you could avoid the eyes of the staff standing along the side, then a hush as the Gaffer himself approached up the corridor.

Did anyone else notice how his footsteps on the gym floor, echoing in the respectful silence, always sounded slightly uneven, as though he had a limp? Even if you did, you wouldn’t have dared to say so.There was the morning hymn –‘Fight the Good Fight’, perhaps, belted out with more gusto than tunefulness, and probably a few announcements. Maybe the cricket team had beaten Huddersfield New College, or some ‘guttersnipe’ had been writing on a wall somewhere, and it had to stop. And in between, the prayers.Harry Taylor had his own collection of prayers, culled from the School Statutes, from other prayerbooks, from historical and religious figures such as Sir Francis Drake, Thomas Arnold, or St Augustine. In those days beforeWordPerfect, they were all written out in the clear, legible and disciplined hand that everyone would recognise from their end-of-term re-

ports, and gathered together in a small A5-sized file. Some of them – his favourites, no doubt – I can still hear, in his voice:

to give people who came later some idea of the Harry TaylorYears – but the focus will be on the prayers themselves, as he wrote them down and as he said them. For those who were there, it will bring back memories, and for those who weren’t, it will be a unique insight into the daily act of worship that used to be demanded by law in schools all over the country. Even more than that, perhaps, it will be a glimpse of some of the things that were most important to HarryTaylor himself.And if that sounds rather solemn, it shouldn’t. There is one prayer in the collection which I confess I don’t remember from morning assembly, but which seems to sum up the spirit of the man.

“Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee as thou deservest, to give and not count the cost, to fight and not heed the wounds …” “ … it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same until it be thoroughly finished,which yieldeth the true glory …” “Make this School as a field which the Lord hath blessed, that whatsoever things are true, pure, lovely and of good report,may here for ever flourish and abound.”

Now the OldAlmondburians’ Society intends to publish the collection as a book. My brother, my sister and I will write brief forewords describing Harry Taylor’s various connections with King James’s and the village and church of Almondbury, and there will be photographs

“Give us a sense of humour, Lord, Give us the grace to see a joke; To get some happiness from life, And pass it on to other folk.”

How to become an official Subscriber

‘M

ORNING ASSEMBLY’ will be published as a limited edition next year. It will be a superb high quality facsimile hardback edition of Harry Taylor’s hand-written original, with additional biographical material and previously unpublished photographs. H A R RY TAY L O R Demand is certain to be high, but you can guarantee your copy by subscribing to the publication now at the special price of only £10 + pp. The names of all subscribers will be listed in an Appendix. To subscribe, please complete this form and return it to Media Editor,The Old Almondburians’ Society, Orchard House, Oughtrington Lane, Lymm, Cheshire WA13 0RD. (If you do not wish to deface the magazine, please make a photocopy). Alternatively, you can subscribe online at www.oas.org.uk/morning assembly.php. No payment is required at this stage.

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Name Address Tel Email

DAILY PRAYERS FOR A YORKSHIRE SCHOOL

Cricket

JACK TAYLOR

HE Club’s Annual Dinner and Flywheel’, a comedian and very intriguPresentation Evening was held ing magician; my watch is still showing on Saturday, 12th February at the time suggested by Billy! The general Lockwood Park. 70 people attended and consensus was very favourable for a furenjoyed a three course carvery buffet. ther visit from the talented illusionist in The Chairman welcomed the Arrow the not-too-distant future! After the meal and capital entertainHuddersfield Central League President Mr J Carson and his wife, the new ment, Steve Slack, First XI captain, made Cricket Club President, Mr. G. Headey presentations (see panel) in recognition of achievements in and his wife, and the the 2010 season. recently installed FIRST XI PRIZES Tim Taylor There were enOld Almondburians’ BATTING couraging attenChairman, Nick BOWLING Steve Slack dances at pre-season Briggs, and his part- FIELDING Luke Booth nets, held in the ner. It was pleasing School sports hall, to see the support SECOND XI PRIZES supervised by Second BenWallbanks from an eight-strong BATTING XI captain and qualicontingent from the BOWLING Joe George fied coach Carl ‘Rock’ Cricket Club, FIELDING LukeWallbanks Brady. He introduced our Sunday morning a bowling machine, tenants at Arkenley. YOUNG PLAYER OF which proved to be Entertainment, both THE YEAR not quite as accurate in the course of, and (Donated by Richard Taylor) as Alan Kay in his after the meal, was George Brady prime! provided by ‘Billy 33 12

LEAGUE POSITIONS SECTION A P W HECKMONDWIKE 4 3 OACC 1st XI 4 1 SECTION E

opening batsman Richard Taylor registered a well deserved fifty, only Current leaders to be eclipsed by 8th position current King James’s schoolboy George Brady who scored 52 not out Current leaders and took 5 wickets 7th position for 12 runs! George was going to Lords the following day, accompanied by father and Second Team skipper Carl, for two days’ intensive coaching sponsored by the King James’s Trust Fund. The First XI, playing away at Woolley, lost by four wickets. The following week, playing on Saturday 30th April, both teams registered victories; the Firsts won away against Azaad by seven wickets and the Seconds beat Leymoor at home by 132 runs. In the first round of the Allsop Cup, to be played on Sunday 15th May, the First XI, have been drawn to play fellow Section A club, Heckmondwike, away.The Second XI, after overcoming Denby Grange away by one wicket in the preliminary round of the Tinker Cup, will play Section D club Silkstone at Arkenley on the same Sunday, in the first round. The eternal lure of Arkenley Cricket Ground, especially at this time of the year, is no longer a secret! Come along and share the experience; enjoy the scenery, the facilities and the cricket on view. Every visitor will be made very welcome.

ON 15 MAY 2011 L Pts 1 18 3 7

P W L Pts HORBURY BRIDGE 4 3 1 18 OACC 2nd XI 4 1 3 7

Pre-season work on the pavilion and outfield, supervised by John Headey, was well attended and the number of volunteers present augurs well for team spirit in the club this coming season. It was most interesting to read of encouraging comments and proposed plans in the March edition of The Almondburian and hear later of confirmation at OAS meetings, of plans being led by Martyn Hicks for the renovation and future development of the cricket pavilion, now 53 years old. The new season commenced on Sunday, 24th April. On a gloriously sunny day with Arkenley looking ‘picture post card’ perfect, the Second XI played Calder Grove. All the pre-season work on the ground was highlighted by the verdant outfield and the shimmering square. The tree-fringed boundary stood out, silhouetting the views over Woodsome and Lepton beyond. Even the ageing pavilion greeted the onset of cricket, boasting new carpeting throughout. Against this welcoming backdrop the Seconds lost a closely contested game by just one wicket. Veteran

33 13

Soccer

MARTYN HIC KS

a Red Arrows manoeuvre failed to keep the ball out of the net, resulting in Thornesians taking the three points – the three points which did us in, come the final shakedown. Colton as it turned out were worthy winners and we look Played Pts forward to seeing them 22 55 next season in Division 3. 22 54 However, it has been a 22 47 most enjoyable return to 22 44 Saturday afternoon football 22 35 and everyone concerned 22 31 22 30 has thoroughly enjoyed the 22 24 journey.The team has been 22 20 exactly that: a team, 22 20 everyone pulling together 22 19 as one, no ‘prima donnas’, 22 6 a good mix of youth and experience, and no moaning when the squad rotation system is used. The train for Division 3 will pull out of the station before we know it.Would you like to climb on board?

AD you asked me at the start of the season if promotion from the lowly Fourth Division was our objective, I would have said yes …and more. The fact of the matter is that despite being the best footballing team by a DIVISION 4 country mile, we have Colton III tripped up twice to Almondburians opposition who were – to Norristhorpe put it politely – direct and Thornesians Res belligerent.We are slightly Hudds Amateurs III lacking a ‘Plan B’: when Leeds City OB Res football doesn’t work, get Modernians V Batelians III stuck in! Typical was our defeat Sandal Athletic Res at Thornesians at Centralians III East Ardsley Res Christmas when we Shadwell Res absolutely laid siege to their goal and had two balls stick in mud on their line; we then saw a long-hoofed ball land at the foot of their striker (filling in a Sudoku puzzle at the time) who took one swing at it. Diving bodies re-enacting

Badminton and Tennis

S the 2010–2011 Badminton Section draws to a close I note ithat, whilst fewer individuals have played this season, attendances since January have been markedly better than last season. So, although we have had a

ANDREW HAIGH

smaller pool of players on which to draw, they have all been playing much more regularly. Of course, more players are always welcome. However, we are now in the twilight of the season, our traditional extension to

the season from Easter to May Spring Bank Holiday which is, of course, a very short extension this year; only four weeks to be precise. This is a time when attendances traditionally dwindle and this year has been no exception. Of course, it doesn’t help when there are those who show a poor attitude. Martyn Hicks, for example, arrived last week only to announce that he wouldn’t be playing, since he was going on holiday the next day! Now, I have difficulty in comprehending why someone would arrange a holiday that includes a Thursday and causes them to miss badminton, but I have to accept it. Having said that, what does going on holiday until the next day have to do with anything? Surely a thrash around the badminton court would get the circulation going and reduce the danger of a deep vein thrombosis on the forthcoming long-haul flight, would it not? Yet, there was no reasoning with Martyn and off he went, leaving us with just four players. So, there was to be no rest for the wicked during the evening and Craig Watts and I had to end the evening with a game of singles, the mother of all battles in which neither of us got more than two points ahead and it took nearly half an

hour to separate us, leaving us both flat out! The ‘Woolpack’ was an even more welcome sight than usual that night, but just wait until Martyn gets back from holiday! Now we have only one week of badminton remaining before we transfer to our summer activity of tennis. From Thursday, 9th June until the unusually late date this year of Thursday, 1st September we will, weather permitting, be playing tennis on the school tennis courts between 7.15 pm and dusk, so please join us if you can. During term-time, it is possible to play badminton in the sports hall if the weather is inclement, although this is not possible during the summer holidays, due to maintenance work in the sports hall.The fee, to cover the cost of balls (and showers during term-time), will be £3.00 per person, per evening. Badminton will resume in the school sports hall onThursday, 8th September and each subsequent Thursday evening during term-time, from 7.30 pm until 9.30 pm. The fee for badminton, which covers the hire of the sports hall, changing rooms and showers plus the cost of shuttlecocks, is £5.00 per person,per evening.Again,please come along and join us if you can.

Golf: Gothard Cup

SIMON RU SSELL

HIS year’s Gothard Cup Golf Competition will take place on Friday,8th July at Woodsome Hall Golf Club, with a presentation dinner at the club house afterwards. Tee time is between 4.00 pm and 5.00 pm. For further details, contact me at simon@pacific-lifestyle.co.uk. 15

Reg Addy’s house revisited

ROGE R D OW LING

OST Old Almondburians will have memories – happy or otherwise – of the traditional cross-country runs that were such an essential part of the PE curriculum.The route varied according to age: youngsters did a fairly straightforward route up Arkenley Lane, down Sharp Lane, along Farnley Line and then back to the School. For older pupils, there were various extensions to the route, taking in the lower reaches of Castle Hill at one end and an extension along Birks Lane and Dark Lane at the other. A leisurely runner myself, I had plenty of time to admire the scenery along the way; and as I ambled along Sharp Lane I

was always intrigued by a house on my left that was like no other in the locality. For a start, it had a rendered green finish rather than traditional soot-coated Yorkshire stone. It had metal window frames, curved at the corners. And oddest of all, it had a flat roof. In due course, I somehow learned that it had another point of interest: it was owned by Reg Addy, our French master. Having left school in 1959, I had no occasion to recall this unusual house for the next 50 years.Then, I read the chance remark in a recent Dave Bush Letter from Porthcawl (July 2010) that he ‘believed’ the house was eventually the home of Old Almondburian Austen Smith. Could this be true, I wondered.

Reg Addy’s house in Sharp Lane is now the home of Trevor and Pat Smith.The original design was based on the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht.

Austen (1968-1976) is Reg Addy taught French at King James’s briefly occupied by Grammar School from 1927 to 1964. His now an eminent unexpected death at the age of only 60 another couple before she and Trevor acquired Consultant Surgeon at shocked the whole School. it in 1967.The house had Charles Clifford Dental been built for Reg and Hospital in Sheffield and Nell Addy in 1933. when I contacted him he Although the basic strucconfirmed Dave’s recolture of the house has not lection and kindly put me changed over the years, it in touch with his parents has been modernised by Trevor and Pat – who still the addition of a lovely live in the house – with a conservatory on the view to arranging a meetsouth-facing elevation ing. And so it was that overlooking Arkenley Sunday, 29thAugust 2010 Valley, and a garage at the found your intrepid side. The original cast reporter not only enjoyiron window frames – ing the President’s Day cricket at Arkenley Lane but also fitting in always a problem to maintain – have now been replaced by alloy frames to the origia nostalgic visit to ‘Reg Addy’s house’. Reg Addy came to Almondbury in nal design. “The house was actually one of January 1927 after a short spell teaching at four similar houses in the area, although Whitchurch Grammar School in ours was the first,” said Pat. “Two of them Shropshire. In his younger days he was a have since been demolished and the other keen harrier and was responsible for re- has been substantially re-designed with a introducing cross-country running as a pitched roof.” Oddly enough, two of those houses had school activity (how appropriate that the route should pass his house!). Holding an strong connections with the School. One honours degree in Modern Languages of those demolished is the site of the house from Leeds University, he was junior built ten years ago for Old Almondburian French master under Leonard Ash until and Chairman of the King James’s Trust, the latter’s retirement at the end of 1953 Graham Cliffe (1959-1966). The other, when he became Head of the Department. nearby, was formerly the home of Old He was Jessop Housemaster for more than Almondburian and Huddersfield councilten years and he was also School Librarian. lor Clifford Stephenson. It is now owned A highly respected teacher, he very sadly by Tim Brooke, son of the late Cllr and unexpectedly died in 1964 at the age Kenneth Brooke, an Old Almondburian of only 60, a great shock not only to the who played a prominent role in the project School but also to his wide range of friends in the late 1950s to build the present and acquaintances in Huddersfield and cricket pavilion. Pat mentioned that they always knew beyond. Pat Smith told me that the house was the house as the ‘Le Corbusier’ house on 17

account of its art deco design, and I subsequently discussed this aspect with Reg Addy’s son Nick (another Old Almondburian) who now lives in Mirfield. “My parents were clear that they wanted a ‘contemporary’ design of house,” said Nick. “They were both keen francophiles and had travelled widely on the continent. They were familiar with the pioneering building designs of ‘Le Corbusier’, the pen-name of the French-Swiss architect and designer Charles-Édouard JeanneretGris, and other leading designers.”

As architects, they approached the Huddersfield architects Stocks, Sykes and Hickson in St Peter’s Street.The choice of Stocks, Sykes and Hickson as architects was a good one. The company’s leading light at that time was Clifford Hickson who had already made his mark in Huddersfield. He was responsible for at least three town centre cinemas – the Princess, Empire and Grand – and in the housing sector he designed the Roebuck Memorial Homes atWaterloo. Still attractive today, they became Grade II listed

for so readily showing me around. My thanks too to Nick Addy and his sister Judith Winkworth, who were veritable mines of information; to Graham Cliffe; and to Austen Smith who – thanks to the chance observation by Dave Bush – set me off on this particular trail. Having opened this article with a recollection of school cross-country runs, it is perhaps appropriate to conclude with two other related points of interest. Nick Addy represented the school regularly between 1956 and 1963, ran for Huddersfield Schools, and was aYorkshire triallist and reserve. He organised cross country teams and events throughout his teaching career, and remained a runner until heart attacks and what he describes as ‘knackered knees’ slowed things down to brisk walking speed.“I have been fortunate in inheriting my father’s linguistic and athletic abilities, but not so lucky in my legacy of the Addy heart problems,” he says wryly. Finally, a confession from Austen which needs no further amplification. “The position of the house was very useful,”he recalls. “After puffing up Arkenley and over the brow,down past the Sykes &Tunnicliffe Mill (now flats), it was the work of seconds to dodge into our house, refresh myself with a cold‘pop’,nip over the back fence and stroll down the field, across the beck and up to the Woodsome woods. I could rejoin the Farnley Line road in good time to see the 6th to 20th places steam past, timing the ascent over the wall to join my fellow backmarkers.They were no doubt surprised to see me appear over the wall,apparently having had to sacrifice a few places to answer a call of nature.”

buildings in 2004.To construct the house, Hickson suggested a builder, Mr Butterworth, who conveniently lived next door to the Addys’ proposed new home. Le Corbusier did not, of course have a hand himself in the design of the new house; in fact, he famously built nothing at all in Britain apart from a temporary exhibition stand for the Venesta Plywood Company for use at the Building Trades Exhibition in 1930. He was, however, hugely influential all over the world. In Holland, an artistic movement De Stijl (‘The Style’) was set up in 1917; its art was based on the geometry of the straight line, the square, and the rectangle, combined with a strong asymmetry and the predominant use of pure primary colours with black and white. One of the principal founders of the movement was the Dutch architect and furniture designer Gerrit Rietveld. The Addys were familiar with the De Stijl movement and the work of Gerrit Rietveld. In particular, they greatly admired his ‘Rietveld Schröder House’ in Utrecht, built in 1924 in close collaboration with the owner Truus SchröderSchräder. “My mother told me that this was the building on which their house was based,” said NickAddy.“The interior of the house also had a very distinctive style: it was strongly influenced by the interior of the famous house E1027, owned by the furniture designer Eileen Grey in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in the south of France.” It was a fascinating experience to visit this unusual house which had aroused my interest so many years ago, and I must express my thanks to Pat andTrevor Smith 19

LETTER FROM PORTHCAWL

It’s a dog’s life down here (x 5)

DAVE BUSH

O my Lincoln City mug has been visit to Porthcawl. He had been down to consigned to the back of the Bristol to see his beloved Rovers lose yet crockery cupboard.Those among again. They too have been relegated but you who follow ‘the beautiful game’ and at least they retain their league status. He in particular my life-long support of The is still very much involved in KJS life deImps will appreciate and sympathise with spite his retirement last July and was able my feelings on the last day of the season to update me on current matters evolvas they slid out of the Football League for ing there.The most intriguing and excitthe second time.The last occasion was in ing for me was the possibility of Latin 1988 when they bounced straight back. and Classical Studies taking their place in the Options forYear 10. I reHowever, times have changed mind readers that under the in the‘Conference’ or‘Blue latest regulations (why do Square Premier’ as most they have to keep changteams are full-time profesing?) pupils must study sionals and a quick return a language;‘modern’ is is unlikely.Those with no not specified. Then interest in such matters mirabile dictu Patrick can join my wife who emailed me with the put our marriage of 50great news that 20 plus years in jeopardy had opted to take with her comment, ‘I Latin and 30 for Clasdon’t know how you can sical Studies.Well chobe so depressed over sen, students; well something so trivial.’ done, KJS! At least Patrick To continue my eulogy O’Brien understands. He of the School’s hierarchy I was prompt in sending me cannot resist a comment on an email expressing his conschool uniform. Former stucern. Patrick has always been dents will remember no high on my list of ‘favourite doubt my drive, some will say people’ but he rose still higher obsession, to maintain high earlier in the year when he collected his silver High sartorial standards: KJS today standards of dress at King James’s. Now Photo: Jenny Ainger award for a second 20

Tessa’s five new arrivals: now happy in their new homes around the Principality

being somewhat incommunicado for the last eleven weeks. Life has been dominated by pups produced by our cocker spaniel, gorgeous but very demanding. They have served to remind us firstly that we are not as young as we were and secondly that we are in deepestWales.When Melissa had pups we were both working (how did we manage?) and they went to places such as Bridlington, Blackpool, Pontefract and Scarborough while here Tessa’s offspring have gone to places such as Dinas Powys, Capel Hendre, Cefn Cribwr and Llanelli. Now that the last has been sold I shall be able to resume more regular contact with fellow Old Almondburians. As I approach the 15th anniversary of my retirement and despite a very full and satisfying life in Porthcawl I still frequently reflect on my King James’s days and periodically turn to the diary which I kept during my final year. As I write this, the date is May 10th so I’ll cross my study, open up the diary for that day and, no deception, reproduce exactly my entry:

Porthcawl Comp. is highly regarded both for its academic standards and its nationally acclaimed Drama and Music Departments. However, as I wait outside each afternoon to collect my granddaughter, I am appalled by the decline in the general appearance of the pupils. Skirts are closer to belts and ties worn so low they practically disappear under V-necked jumpers. My delighted approval therefore can be imagined when I heard that King James’s now has very strict rules on the wearing of jewellery, length of skirts and is contemplating the introduction of clip-on ties. Add to this a recent Ofsted report which classed the School as ‘outstanding’ and all we Old Almondburians can justifiably feel a warm glow of satisfaction in the School’s development.

‘Hands up all those who remember Melissa?Yes, you Ruth on the back row.’ ‘She was Caecilius’s slave girl in the Cambridge Latin Course.’ ‘Quite correct, Ruth, but wasn’t there another Melissa?’ ‘Sir, didn’t you have a dog called Melissa?’ ‘Well remembered! Indeed we did, so called because she was a honey-coloured Golden Retriever.’ (mel mellis n honey).

Mother died andYear 11 left. I taught my last GCSE Latin lesson.Such bald facts outline a day of great emotion. Many tears shed and feelings often disguised outpoured.Having pre-

I apologise for the convoluted way in which I have introduced my reason for

at last be released. Inevitably served a safe distance from pupils for so long, it was a I repeat the cry of these days some pupils had brought in drink, were badly begreat relief to be able to disThe Retired: haved and were sent away.The play one's more intimate “However did I vast majority were excellent and thoughts.To be able to show have time to little or no damage was done. genuine pupil-teacher Imagine having to be grateful for teacher-pupil affection, to work?” that! Year 11 brought me wine, share moments of warmth, champagne,a book ,a giant card and individual sadness,compassion,gratitude with young peoones. Final assembly with them and more tears ple with whom hundreds of hours have been and signings and best wishes and home to a telespent over five years has left me again emotionphone call at 4.30 to say mother had died at ally drained. 4.15.Tomorrow ‘home’. I received the telephoned news that mother's Mother would have adored our pups death was imminent at lunchtime and told this to close colleagues.In turn I asked them to pass We always had a dog when I was young. it on to the senior pupils in the Latin class so Yet life races on at an alarming pace.Anthat they would understand why I had not been other 15 years and my children might be as buoyant in their last lesson as I should have saying similar things about me.That is liked. why I try to fill every day. Badminton Again they came to my room in tearful em- Committee meeting tonight and Twinbraces and I was more moved than I have ever ning Committee tomorrow morning. been in thirty -five years of teaching,as though I repeat the cry of The Retired: a great outburst of pent up love for pupils could ‘However did I have time to work?’

New gate marks 400th anniversary

Jenny Ainger

A fine new commemorative gate has been erected at the ‘1938’ entrance to the School in Big Tree Yard. Carrying the fleurs-de-lys and Yorkshire Rose emblems of the School, it marks the partnership between the School and The Old Almondburians’ Society to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Charter granted by James I in 1608. 22

REPUTATIONS

Edward ‘Teak’ Akroyd

‘Teak’ taught Art andWoodwork from 1922 to 1957.A quiet, undemonstrative man, he contributed in many ways to the life of the School throughout his 35 year-long career

DWARD AKROYD joined Almondbury Grammar School as a part-time teacher in 1922, becoming its full-time Art andWoodwork Master a year later. A quiet, serious young man in his late twenties, he had been a conscientious objector during the First World War; he was rewarded by a spell in Strangeways Goal in Manchester, about which he would occasionally chat to his staffroom colleagues in later years. He took his school duties seriously and in addition to his normal teaching responsibilities was quickly drawn into other aspects of school life. Our earliest photograph shows him with the cast of the early School production of Gilbert & Sullivans’ The Gondoliers around 1925, alongside other recent recruits John Baldwin, Johnny Hopton and Robert Burn. He would continue to design and paint the backcloths for school G & S productions for the rest of his career at King James’s. He also took a keen interest in

school sport in these early years and proved to be a very capable footballer and tennis player. The Art and Woodwork building at that time was located near the top of the ‘bunk’ in Big TreeYard; an unsatisfactory brick-build building (regarded as ‘a monstrosity’ byTaylor Dyson), it had been hastily built in 1901 as a condition of a grant from the recently-formed Board of Education. We will never know the identity of the witty pupil who, noting Akroyd’s initials EA had the ingenious idea of adding a T and a K to form a nickname so appropriate to a woodworker; suffice to say that it remained his affectionate nickname throughout his long career at King James’s. Indeed, it seems so much more appropriate to the man than the more formal ‘Edward’ that we shall retain it for the remainder of this article. Teak was much given to making dog-

matic statements to his pupils in order to instill in them the basic principles of drawing and painting. Not only did he assure them that parallel lines do indeed meet, but he could also demonstrate precisely where on a drawing this happy convergence took place. He also liked to hold a sheet of white paper up to the picture window, beyond which dark clouds invariably scudded across the grey Huddersfield sky, declaring that the sky was a thousand times brighter than the sheet of paper. Of course, most of his arrogant pupils knew better, dismissing these unlikely statements as the ravings of an elderly teacher who was sadly losing touch with reality.

In the Staff Common Room, Teak was a great lover of debate and he particularly liked to put the case for the underdog in society. However, his intransigence could make this a wearying experience. “In argument he sticks to his own point of view, with toughness of teak,” drily reported one frustrated colleague. When not arguing, he would contentedly tackle the daily crossword puzzle in the Manchester Guardian. “He was quiet and imperturbable, very self-contained, and highly respected,” says Jim Toomey. “We young ones (four of us coming jauntily straight from University or the Services), who called each other by Christian names, always called him Mr Akroyd.

Teak had been at Almondbury Grammar School just three years in 1925 but was already hard at work producing scenery for the School’s Gilbert & Sullivan productions.This photograph shows the cast and ‘behind the scenes’ helpers for The Gondoliers. Terry Buckley

Lunchtime hockey sessions and musical water jars

EAK’S lessons were mainly demonstrations:“Come round the second bench boys!”.We must have watched Teak make quite a few blanket chests on the side; however, his expert craftsmanship must have been something of an inspiration for me. I still possess a small veneered box made under his guidance. On entering the fourth and fifth forms, I was entrusted with the woodwork room key each dinner hour where Roger Swire and I would lock ourselves in and either cut dovetails, make clothes horses to sell or – more often – play hockey with two mallets and a block of wood using the aisles between the benches for goals. One memorable day, a masterkey turned in the lock and who should be standing in the doorway but Teak (blue smoke puffing from his St Bruno) and Jock Anderson (looking thunderous). Neither said a word and they just stared and left. I guess they’d had a bet in the staffroom as to whether we were working or skiving; fortunately, we were cutting dovetails at the time so Teak won but it could have been tricky for him. Art lessons were similar to woodwork with Teak sitting at his desk quite oblivious to what most of the class were doing, particularly those of us on the back row being entertained by Frank Sykes’s tunes played with a ruler on water jars. I remember Frank’s excellent sketches of the wing line of Jaguar Mk VIIs or XK 120s. After leaving school and completing National Service, I spent 14 very happy years teaching woodwork and metalwork in Wensleydale. Later, I lectured at Worcester College of Higher Education and Haybridge High School in Hagley.Then I set up my company Ashem Crafts*, which sells rotary planes for chairmaking all over the world.We regularly visit the US to teach Shaker and Windsor chairmaking using our unique tools. Looking back, Edward Akroyd proved quite an influence on my career. Peter Hindle (1949-1955)

*www.ashemcrafts.com

“Older colleagues used simply surnames to address each other, and it is alleged that they did not know the Christian names! In the classroom he may have felt undervalued; he did not see the ‘brighter’ pupils, as Woodwork was regularly set against Latin.” For many years,Teak was a member of Huddersfield Art Society, an organisation that still meets today. Member Jean Parkinson recalls he used to have ‘lively arguments’ with fellow member Harold Blackburn about colour. “He was clearly a very skilled watercolour painter,” says

Jean. “He started giving watercolour lessons in the Society’s rooms in Station Road, but the Society eventually objected because he charged for these lessons.” For many enthusiastic sketchers Teak’s greatest contribution was to introduce them to the medium of ‘scraper board’. For the benefit of those who have never encountered it, scraper board consists of a sheet of cardboard coated in white China clay with a thin layer of black Indian ink on top. Drawings are produced by scratching away at the surface in the manner of an engraver, producing a crisp

The mysteries of perspective and the foul smell of woodworkers’ glue

MUST thank Teak for teaching me perspective drawing – I remember his saying that parallel lines meet, but cheeky individuals used to argue with him about this optical phenomenon.That was his weakness as I recall; he could never seem to keep order in the class, especially in Art – I recall his plaintive cry “Here!” A great shame because it was clear to me that he was an extremely talented artist in whatever medium he chose to work. Some of his wood/lino cuts were like art deco or modern movement, now that I’ve seen similar works in Europe. In the school library there were rather good books on art, falling to pieces as I recall.There was a little book I treasured describing how to draw railway locomotives – imagine the perspective in the driving wheels, connecting rods and the like, drawn as 3/4 views from the front. It was all there and it greatly appealed to me who worshipped all things mechanical! And italic lettering – there was a wall chart in the Art Room that demonstrated the exact positions on an imaginary line where the Gothic script letters and numerals went. I remember how popular italic script fountain pens were in around 1953.Then there were other wall charts: I particularly remember one showing the Gill Sans typeface. At the time I didn’t know who Gill was, but Teak’s lettering charts somehow stayed in my brain and years later I researched Eric Gill and his creations in sculpture, typefaces and lettering. I owe my long-lasting interest in this field of typography to Teak. In Woodwork, the skills we had to master were so difficult because the wood was so hard to work! Maybe it was always good hard wood, perhaps oak supplied by the Education Committee.Again Teak never seemed to make a mistake; his demonstrations always came out right! I still recall him showing us about how to hold the chisels and how to keep them sharpened and correctly aligned.That stayed with me; to this day, I’m fastidious about have the tool cutting edge geometry right and I never forget the saying ‘a good workman never blames his tools’. Every thing was done by hand; there were no such things as power tools.A foulsmelling fish-based glue boiled away on a gas ring somewhere – Teak never appeared to use any other adhesives than that traditional woodworkers’ glue.About that time in the mid 1950s synthetic adhesives were coming on the market. I recall Brian Hawley, who was a few years older than I, asking Teak for permission to build a canoe in his own time but using the Woodwork room’s facilities. Hawley and a friend duly built this craft from what I imagine was a kit of parts. I recall Teak being quite sceptical of what Hawley & Co were up to with the latest adhesives. On the other hand I would have thought that Teak would have been proud that one of the boys wanted to build something like a canoe. Hawley was the only boy in the school during my time who ever, to my knowledge, attempted something as challenging as a canoe off his own bat.

John Sharp (1951-1958)

and very effective picture. Scraper board was a very popular advertising medium from the 1930s to the 1960s as in skilled hands it could produce crisp illustrations which reproduced well in magazines and newspapers. Teak was one of the few art masters

to see its potential as a teaching medium, recognising that it had the great advantage for us novices that any mistakes could readily be covered by further coats of indian ink until one was satisfied by the final result. Roger Sykes was without 26

Continued on page 29

Top left:Teak’s cover design for the Almondbury Pageant of 1936 Top right:This fine stained glass window was designed and created by Teak, back in the days when the date of the School’s Royal Charter was thought to be 1609 Centre: Teak’s vellum Memorial Book, open at the page recording the death of Taylor Dyson’s son Marcus Bottom left: A stylistic scraper board drawing of the ‘new’ School entrance of 1938 27

Above:The Art Room in 1955 Front row of desks, left to right: G I Kaye; P M Howe; G P Dronfield; D B Hardy; E S Germaine. Second row: J M Beaumont; G A Moore; D Holroyd; J R Greaves; J S Holmes Third row: C H Beresford; J S Cooper; M D Horn; W R Godwin’ R Dowling Fourth row:T Barber; ?; ?; H Butterworth Fifth row: B Firth; R L Kilburn; ?; R M Arnold Standing at the sink in the corner are T Brennan and P Bottomley.Teak looks on benignly at the back.

Left: This evocative scraper board drawing by Old Almondburian Roger Sykes (1946-1953) shows the old staircase leading up to Dorms 1 and 2, as it was in the 1950s. In addition to many drawings published in The Almondburian, Roger regularly contributed drawings to The Huddersfield Examiner for its ‘In and About’ column.

doubt a particularly fine exponent of scraperboard drawing, followed a few years later by Brian Littlewood. “ I did plan to leave school at the end of the Fifth Form,with financial support from a job with the Huddersfield Examiner, to train at the Leeds College of Art,” says Roger Sykes. “But this was stopped by Teak and the Headmaster at a meeting with my mother. So Teak said that it was best to keep your art as a hobby and never be constrained to have to teach it for a living. He never ran

short of good advice, but you had to ask!” So how do we sum up the career of a teacher who gave so much to the School over such a long period? Was he a great Art Master? Probably not, and he almost certainly recognised that himself.Teak was not so much a teacher as a demonstrator; a man who was never happier than when painting, drawing, chiselling or bookbinding in the hope that his efforts would encourage others to follow his example. If a

TEAK AND TYPOGRAPHER ERIC GILL

I AM

SURE that the Old Almondburians’ Society must include many learned members who enjoy nothing more than an evening of Proust or Trollope. Others, of a more technical bent, may prefer a good workshop manual. But your sad Editor is never happier than when browsing though a catalogue of printers’ typefaces: I can spend many happy hours just comparing the relative merits of a lower case ‘g’ in Century Gothic, AvantGarde or Gill Sans. I blame Teak for this, for he was himself very keen on lettering and calligraphy. If you look carefully at the photograph of the Art Room on page 28 you will see, high on the far wall, a poster displaying a full alphabet of Gill Sans Bold designed by the English sculptor Eric Gill whom Teak admired greatly. Gill was a strange man, whose sexual predilections are best discussed no further in this family publication; but he was a fine typographer whose Gill Sans Serif typeface remains as fresh today as when he designed it around 1930. (If you travel on the London Underground to this day, you will still see on every station sign its precursor – the ‘London Underground’ font – which was the result of an earlier collaboration between Gill and Edward Johnston). Gill also designed the elegant seriffed typeface PERPETUA which was also one of Teak’s favourites. Many, myself included, feel that it remains one of the most handsome typefaces ever designed. In an unspoken tribute to Teak, I chose Gill Sans and Perpetua as the principal fonts in the Illustrated History of King James’s School in Almondbury, published to mark our 400th anniversary two years ago.These fonts are also used generally throughout The Almondburian and specifically in this panel. Roger Dowling (1952-1959) 29

pupil chose to show no interest,Teak saw no reason to pursue the matter further; indeed, he was inclined to view such a pupil with a degree of sadness rather than anger: sadness that the pupil would not gain the pleasure from Art and Woodwork that he himself had enjoyed throughout his life. He doubtless felt that the misfortune was the pupil’s, not his. Teak was probably too gentle and quiet

a man to be an inspirational teacher to many of his pupils, and it comes as no surprise that he was happiest when looking after his bees at home. But make no mistake – his many contributions to the life of the School over 35 years live on today as a lasting legacy to his time at King James’s Grammar School. What are your memories ofTeak? Write to The Almondburian at the address on the back cover.

LOOKING AHEAD …

Fred Hudson FRGS: 100 next year

The Old Almondburians’Society plans to mark the centenary of the birth of one of King James’s Grammar School’s greatest-ever teachers

EXT year will see the centenary of the birth of former Senior Geography Master and Second Master Fred Hudson. Born in Bradford, he joined the School in 1935 as a First Class Honours Geography Graduate from Leeds University. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he stayed for 37 years and during this time, as senior Geography Master, he built up a department second to none in the School. From 1954, he was Second Master; many joked that his FRGS really stood for ‘Fred Runs the Grammar School’. We plan to mark the centenary in a number of ways: Next year’s Annual Dinner (on Saturday, 24th November 2012) will feature guest speakers who will recall their memories of the great man. Special

guest of honour will be his daughter Ann Walker, herself a former teacher. We are hoping to set up a Bursary to be awarded to a present or former pupil of King James’s School to enable the applicant to fulfill a project of exploration or expedition anywhere in the world. There will be a special ‘Fred Hudson’ issue of The Almondburian next year with photographs and reminiscences relating to his 37 years at the School.

Do YOU have any special memories of Fred Hudson or would you like to be associated in any way with the centenary plans? If so, please contact John Broadbent, Oaklea, 97 Lowestwood Lane, Wellhouse, Huddersfield HD7 4EW (tel(01484) 650171) or email The Almondburian at almondburian@oas.org.uk.

IN THE NEWS

CAMRA salutes real beer expert

“My name’s Michael Jackson. No, not that one, but I am on a world tour.”The late Old Almondburian beer and whisky writer lectured all over the world and was a widely admired authority on the subject.

LD ALMONDBURIAN Michael Jackson was the world’s greatestever writer on beer, according to the award-winning magazine BEER. Its writers and readers know a thing or two about the subject: the magazine is sent out quarterly to the 125,000 members of the Campaign for Real Ale, CAMRA. An article in the latest issue has nominated three of Jackson’s books on beer as the best ever written on the subject. Top of the list is his classic TheWorld Guide to Beer (‘the beer book against which all other books are judged’). It’s closely followed by Michael Jackson’s Beer Companion, another classic dealing informatively with the relationship between beer and food.

In third position is The Great Beers of Belgium. This was a country close to Jackson’s heart. “No country,” he wrote “can match Belgium for the gastronomic interest of its beers.” Born in Wetherby, Michael Jackson attended King James’s Grammar School from 1953 until 1958. He left at the age of 16 to become a trainee on the Huddersfield Examiner, for which he had already submitted jazz reviews and news stories. He soon became a successful reporter, initially in Edinburgh and later in Fleet Street, from which it was a natural progression to develop an enthusiasm for beer. J a c k s o n ’s first book, The English Pub, was published in 1976, followed a year

later by The World Guide to Beer which brought him international fame. Michael Jackson was also an important reviewer of whiskies, the interest in which dated back to his time as a journalist in Edinburgh. His knowledge of whiskies was recognized by the prestigious award of ‘Master of the Quaich’, the highest possible accolade the Scotch Whisky Industry can bestow. In 1989 he published Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion—the world’s best-selling book on the subject—followed in 2001 by Scotland and itsWhiskies. He also made his mark on television with his 1990 series The Beer Hunter, six programmes that described the beers of the world’s great brewing countries. Shown first on Channel 4 in Britain and the Discovery Channel in the US, it has been endlessly repeated worldwide. For some 10 years, Jackson suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and diabetes.

His early death in 2007, at the age of 65, robbed the world of a much-loved writer, critic and television performer. CAMRA, set up in 1971, is a voluntary, consumer organisation to promote real ale,real cider and the traditional British pub.

Michael Jackson on ‘Women’s Hats’

Perhaps it was the young Jackson’s concerns about women’s hats in the 1950s that made him turn to drink in later life. And are hats any different today?

HE greatest enigma mankind has encountered since Elgar set his to music is the problem of women’s hats.The most popular feminine creation comprises a minute ‘cloche’ of material, designed to cover the least possible area of the head and be held in place by a six inch nail decorated with a plastic sphere. I cannot understand the science of feminine headgear. For the same reason, I fail to comprehend why, in winter, women clamour for fine stockings in order to make it appear that they are not wearing any; and in summer, they douse their legs in some revolting liquid to make it appear that they are. M Jackson (4 Alpha) The Almondburian, Autumn 1956 32

Postbag High Jump triumph

YO U WRITE …

From James Clayton (1947-1951)

HIS was my moment of glory on the sporting front for Siddon. I managed to clear four feet eight-anda-half-inches, wearing hard plimsolls and landing in a shallow sand pit.The event was the under-14 high jump and took place in the summer of 1950. I would be interested to know how many of the onlookers can be recognised. The photo appeared in the Huddersfield Examiner. Old Catton, Norwich

Memories of Leonard Ash

FromWallace Brown (1944-1949) USTIN Holroyd’s article about iLeonard Ash (The Almondburian, May A 2010) brought back my own recollections. Mr.Ash taught me for perhaps a year. I have four vivid memories of him, but beyond those almost nothing. First, an amusing method of arranging French pronouns (or something) as a football team, from goalie to left winger. I think ‘y’ was in goal. The object was to show the correct order of pronouns appearing before the verb. I remember copying the‘team’ into my exercise book. Second, Foz’s unusual hair style, a kind of very short crew cut, which I had begun

to notice on some of the many gumchewing GIs on the streets of Huddersfield in 1944. He reminded me of a hedgehog. I don’t think he ever chewed gum! Third, a memorable tour of Paris on the blackboard. I was one of several in my class whose proposed 1947 school trip to Paris had just been finalized. Seemingly off the cuff, with intimate knowledge, Mr. Ash, chalk in hand, began with the charms of Ile de la Cité, then traversed various thoroughfares, noting the many attractions. Needless to say the lucky ones among us couldn’t wait to board the train for London, and on to the Newhaven Ferry.

Unfortunately Mr.Ash could not come. Fourth, one afternoon, last period, doubtless for good reason, Mr.Ash kept us in after the bell. When he spoke it was entirely in French. As time went by the class got more and more annoyed. Any restlessness only prolonged the detention. Finally, he produced a bag of sandwiches (les sandwiches au fromage) and very slowly ate them. I don’t believe we ever

caused him to keep us in again. Most of my French came from Reg Addy, who lived in a cool art nouveau house [article: page: 16]. He wore double breasted jackets with mismatched trousers. At my first French class in One Alpha I asked him if spelling counted.As it turned out spelling was more important than talking. Wallace Brown,New Brunswick,Canada

The Old Boys’ Network

From Dr J P Toomey (Staff 1953-1968)

CAME to King James’s in 1953, fresh from two years of National Service. I spent much of that time in charge of the Education Centre of one of the Royal Signals Regiments in Catterick. As a trained teacher, albeit in Classics, I was expected to teach English, Maths and History for the Army Certificate of Education; this qualification enabled regular soldiers, some of whom had been in the Army since before the war, to return to civilian life with, hopefully, a little more confidence. I enjoyed all this, but I am already digressing.What I really want to write about is how I arrived at Almondbury on time. I was appointed to the School in the early summer of 1953, to begin duties on 3rd September. But my demob date was 6th September, so the problem was to be allowed to leave the Army some days early. My CO (Royal Signals) was adamant that it was impossible to release me before the correct date: such an idea was unheard of. So I decided to see what the Education Corps Colonel could do;

he was the education chief for the whole of Catterick Garrison. This Colonel was a man by the name of Evans. Again, he said it was quite impossible, the Army couldn’t break its own rules! What about Queen’s Regulations? But where was this job I was talking about? “At Almondbury.” “Good Lord,” he said, jumping out of his chair, “that’s my old school!” He made a few phone calls, and of course I was released in time to meet the Fifth Form Latin set (among others) on 3rd September. ‘Ginger’ Evans had been captain of Fenay House in 1933 and read Modern Languages at university.As a result of our meeting he renewed his contact with the School, and spoke at a Speech Day in the l950s, by which time he was Major General Evans, Director of Army Education. He was the first Old Almondburian I met, a good omen for the future! Long live the Old Boys’ Network! Stourport-on-Severn,Worcestershire

Do you have any examples of the Old Boys’ Network in action? Write to The Almondburian at the address on the back cover.

HISTORY

OAS SHOP VIDEOS

CHINA MUG

The Royal Charter rns to its home at King retu James’s

ROGER DOWLING tells eventual chance rediscoverthe strange story of the Charter’s ‘disappear ance’ y in 1952 by members of the School’s Surveying and its Society

‘T

HE ORIGINAL LETTERS PATENT do not exist’, recorded Taylor Dyson in his classic Almondbury and its Ancient School of 1926, echoing the words of Canon Hulbert’s earlier Annals of the Church and Parish of Almondbury But they were both wrong: the Letters Patent (‘the Charter’) in fact lay, undisturbed over many years, in a strong box at the unlikely location of Denby Grange Colliery just a few miles away on the road to

Wakefield So how did the School come to be parted from its own Charter? And why did it require services of the School’s the Surveying Society to reunite it with the School on 6th April 1954? It all started with a planned Society, led by Geography visit by members of the master Fred Hudson, local history exhibition to a being organised by Yorkshire Archaeologica the l Society in Leeds Hudson was

China Mug: £10.00 inc pp (UK)

TEDDY BEAR An Illustrated History of King James’s School: £12.50 inc pp (UK)

Floreat Schola! DVD £15.00 inc pp (UK)

HISTORY

Teddy Bear: £13.75 inc pp (UK)

PAPERWEIGHT

A History of King James’s School: £12.50 inc pp (UK)

Anniversary Weekend DVD: £15.00 inc pp (UK)

ANNIVERSARY TIE

ANNIVERSARY PRINT

Anniversary HISTORYTie: £12.50 inc pp (UK)

Anniversary Print: £25.00 inc pp

Paperweight: £31.50 inc pp (UK)

KEY FOB

Key Fob: £8.50 inc pp (UK) HISTORY

All items available online at www.oas.org.uk or by post from Andrew Haigh, Floresco House, Oak Hill Road, Brighouse HD6 1SN. 35 Please make cheques payable to33 ‘The Old Almondburians’ Society’

Chairman NICK BRIGGS 17 Fair Street, Huddersfield,Yorkshire HD1 3QB Tel: 01484 305734 Mobile: 07595 175835 Email: nickybriggs@hotmail.com Secretary ANDREW HAIGH 2 Arkenley Lane, Almondbury HD4 6SQ Tel: 01484 432105 Email: andrew.haigh@oas.org.uk

Treasurer KEITH CRAWSHAW 5 Benomley Drive, Almondbury HD5 8LX Tel: 01484 533658 Email: keith.crawshaw@oas.org.uk

Media Editor ROGER DOWLING Editorial address: Orchard House, Oughtrington Lane, Lymm, Cheshire WA13 0RD Tel: 01925 756390 Email: almondburian@oas.org.uk Website: www.oas.org.uk Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3ykffo3

The Almondburian is distributed to OAS members free of charge. Price to non-members: ÂŁ3.00