The ALMONDBURIAN T H E MAGAZINE OF TH E OLD AL MONDBURIANS’ S OCIETY
March 2011
3 4 5 6 10 13 16 19 27 28 29 30 34 35 38 39 40 41 41 42 46 49 51
IN THIS ISSUE
Chairman’s Letter OAS Calendar OAS Membership Annual General Meeting Executive Officers 2011
From the Headteacher
Annual Dinner/Founders’ Day Call to Action! And what became of …? Terry’s Teaser Nigel is Solicitor of the Year Yekeniyeley, Old Almondburians! Kimbolton trounce the Aussies In search of Vernon Scannell Cricket Badminton Golf Soccer Tennis Frank Anderson remembered Letter from Porthcawl Postbag Obituaries OUR COVER
This month, we launch our ‘Call to Action’ campaign to restore and improve the Cricket
Pavilion, which has suffered serious vandalism in recent years. Special feature: page 19
NEXT ISSUE The next issue of The Almondburian will be published on 1st July 2011.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. Closing date for contributions: 18th May 2011
The ALMONDBURIAN Editor: Roger Dowling
March 2011
The magazine of The Old Almondburians’ Society
Chairmen’s letter
T
E M I LY C O M E R / NICKY MURPHY
HIS year’s Annual Dinner was again well attended – a fitting tribute to Patrick O’Brien and Walter Raleigh who both retired after many years of dedicated service to the school. The traditional Founders’ Day parade up St. Helens Gate also had a respectable number of Old Almondburians present, with readings in church from the Joint Chairman and the Honorary Secretary. One of our main activities this year is the launch of the ‘Call to Action’ project, which is featured in this issue and involves a major refurbishment of the cricket pavilion. If anyone would like to be involved in any capacity, please get in touch with one of the members of the Committee. 3
We were particularly saddened to learn just before Christmas of the death of Austin Holroyd, a keen supporter of the Old Almondburians’ Society over many years.Austin was Social Secretary of the OAS before the war, and in more recent years – living only half a mile away from the School in Dark Lane - he would often give talks toYear 7 pupils about his early years at King James’s during the time ofTaylor Dyson.Austin was a valuable member of the 400th Anniversary committee. This will be our last Chairmen’s Letter as we have now handed over our responsibilities to the formerVice Chairman, Nick Briggs. We wish him every success in the coming year and we will attempt to support him and the rest of the committee as much as possible when we have time free from our upcoming role as new parents.
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: 7th March, 4th April, 9th May, 6th June, 4th July, 5th September, 3rd October, 7th November, 5th December.
is always very enjoyable evening. Quizmaster, as always, will be Keith Crawshaw, and a light supper will be provided during the interval.
GOLF The 2011 Gothard Cup Golf Competition will take place on Friday, 8th July 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).
ANNUAL DINNER This year’s Annual Dinner will be held on Saturday, 26th November. Full details, together with an application form for tickets, will appear in the next issue of The Almondburian, due out on 1st July. 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.
BADMINTON We play in the School sports hall each Thursday evening during term-time, from 7.30 pm until 9.30 pm. Further details from Andrew Haigh (andrew.haigh@oas.org.uk).
OLD ALMONDBURIANS’ CRICKET CLUB The new season will start on Easter Sunday, 24th April. Nets: 14th March, 28th March, 4th April and 11th April, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Further details from Jack Taylor (jtaylor73@btinternet.com).
QUIZ EVENING The annual Old Almondburians’ Society Quiz will be held in the Conservative Club, Almondbury, on Wednesday, 4th May at 7.30 pm. Generally, the contest is between around eight teams of three or four people. Members and their guests can enter their team in advance, or they are welcome to turn up on the night and participate in what
FOUNDERS’ DAY The traditional Founders’ Day Service will as usual be held the day after the Annual Dinner, Sunday, 27th November. Full details will be given in due course in The Almondburian and on www.oas.org.uk. 4
OAS Membership
Name
From
To
Name
NEW MEMBERS
M
EMBERSHIP currently stands at 737. Only 45 members are now still paying their subscription at the old rate, although 17 of these are members who have failed to notify us of a change of address, resulting in their magazines being returned. Because we have therefore lost contact with them, they will not be aware that the subscription rate has changed. With your help we have tracked down seven of the 24 such members who were listed in the last magazine and they are now pleased to be receiving their magazines once again, so thank you to the members who supplied this information. The remaining members with whom we have lost contact are listed below; these include three fully paid-up members whose last magazine was returned marked ‘gone away’. If you know the whereabouts of any of them, then we would be delighted to hear from you.The list has changed considerably since the last magazine, so please check carefully whether or not there is anyone on it whom you know.
AND RE W HAIGH
Dr Michael Lowis John Goodall Dr John Comyn William Nadin Simon Charles Hartley Sally Starbuck Stanley Kilvington
From To 1950 1953 1953 1949 2005 1979 1943
1955 1960 1961 1953 2010 1985 1948
Resident in
Northampton Wakefield Leicester Southport Lepton Dublin Stockport
Unfortunately, we currently have 31 members who are in arrears with their subscription for the current year.The vast majority of members now pay their subscription by standing order and it would be much appreciated if those of you who don’t yet do so could complete a standing order mandate. If not, please pay promptly. Subscriptions are due on 1st September each year. 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.
Name
From
To
Name
From
To
Kathryn E Auger
1982
1987
Sydney C Edwards
1962
1969
Kenneth Richard Massey 1957
1964
Peter Ralph Breach
1972
1978
Raldon Ian Gallaway
1947
1955
Michael J Rimmicans
1994
Anthony John Bradley Matthew S Brearey
Frederick C Bungeroth Stuart G Carby
John Chacksfield
1970 1988 1951 1962 1967
1979 1991 1959 1970 1973
Sarah E Foster
1989
Carl Maxwell Hague
1955
Michael Haigh
1971
Timothy Jackson
1965
Lucy J Jacob
1990
5
1992 1962 1978 1973 1995
Benjamin J Newton
1991
Michael Alan Taylor
1965
Gerard N Vinton
Michael Craig Vinton
1992 1977 1985
1996 1973 1983 1989
Annual General Meeting
10 Januar y 2011
The Annual General Meeting of the Society was due to be held at the‘Woolpack’,Almondbury,onTuesday,4th January, 2011, at 7.30 pm. However, due to problems with the availability of the room, the meeting had to be rescheduled for Monday, 10th January, 2011 at 7.30 pm, again at the ‘Woolpack’,Almondbury.
Attendance Nicky Murphy (chair) Andrew Haigh Keith Crawshaw Paul Balderstone John Broadbent Vicky Taylor Richard Taylor
Richard Green Angela Melling Bryan Hopkinson Roger Dowling Nick Briggs Emily Comer
Apologies for Absence Apologies were received from Jack Taylor, Martyn Hicks, Ian Walker, Gary Woodhouse and Nich Briggs.
The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Monday, 1st February, 2010, were read and approved and there were no matters arising. Joint Chairmen’s Report Nicky Murphy gave his report as ‘fine’.
Treasurer’s Report Keith Crawshaw gave his report as ‘extremely fine’. He went on to present the accounts for the financial year ended 31st August, 2010. Keith observed that subscription income is down following the anniversary year and we must be careful not to let membership drop off too much now that the anniversary is over. Andrew Haigh pointed out that, whilst it is true to say that some of the newer members have not renewed following the anniversary, it is also the case the subscription income was artificially inflated during the anniversary year, since there were also many longstanding members who brought overdue subscriptions up-to-date during that year. The Treasurer agreed, and noted that the cost of producing and distributing the magazine has also fallen during the last year.The excess of income over expenditure last year was £514.62, which was also down on the anniversary year but, again, that had been an exceptional year. He said that all in all it had been a steady year. Acceptance of the accounts was proposed by Richard Taylor and seconded by Paul Balderstone before being carried unanimously. 6
Membership Secretary’s Report Andrew Haigh gave his report as ‘fairly fine’. He reported that our membership currently stands at 737, compared with 817 at this time last year, which is a reduction of 80. However, this reduction is largely due to our new policy of being less tolerant of those who are in arrears with their subscription and it has been partially offset by the recruitment of 13 new members during the course of the year, which means that it can still be regarded as quite a successful year. Subscription rate for the FinancialYear commencing 1st September 2011 Keith Crawshaw proposed that the subscription rate remains at £10 per annum and that we should continue with free membership for the first year for those leaving the school. Andrew Haigh seconded the proposal and it was carried unanimously. Election of President Paul Balderstone proposed Robert Lamb should be invited to continue as president of the Society and this was seconded by Bryan Hopkinson before being carried unanimously.There were no President’s Remarks, due to his absence from the meeting, but Angela Melling thanked everyone on his behalf. Election of Executive Officers for 2011 Nicky Murphy proposed theVice-Chairman, Nick Briggs, as the new Chairman. He was seconded by John Broadbent and elected unanimously. Having been elected, Nick took the chair and continued down the list of Officers. He noted that there had been no nominations for Vice-Chairman this year. Paul Balderstone wondered whether John Broadbent might like to stand. John responded that he would prefer to leave the post open just now. Paul asked whether this meant ‘not now but later’. Keith Crawshaw wondered whether Vicky Taylor might like to take up the post and Paul Balderstone commented that, if she would, then he would be delighted, with her permission, to propose her. John Broadbent noted the recent influx of younger members into posts on the Executive Committee, which is good and is partly the reason for his reluctance to accept the post of Vice-Chairman, and he felt that we have to keep the momentum going. Bryan Hopkinson agreed that it is good to see younger Chairmen. Angela Melling added that, without wanting to put more pressure onVicky, it would also be good to see a female Chairman again.Vicky therefore agreed to stand and was proposed by John Broadbent and seconded by Angela Melling, before being elected unanimously. The other Officers were then re-elected as follows: Honorary Secretary Andrew Haigh Ordinary John Broadbent Honorary Treasurer Keith Crawshaw Committee Martyn Hicks Media Editor Roger Dowling Members Emily Earnshaw Chaplain Rev Dave Herbert Gerald Stead Representatives of the School Angela Melling There are two vacancies for Ordinary (Sue Cope is to be approached to replace Committee Members Walter Raleigh) 7
Any Other Business: Cricket Dinner RichardTaylor announced that this will take place on 12th February at Lockwood Park. He said that they have splashed out on an entertainer, Billy Flywheel, who will meet and greet, perform magic at the tables and make a speech. He also mentioned that nets will start on Monday, 24th January.
Cricket Pavilion Project Roger Dowling wanted to bring everyone up to speed on the proposal to launch a ‘Call to Action’ in the next edition of the magazine, for which Martyn Hicks will write a piece. He said that he just wanted reassurance that everyone around the table is happy New Chairman: Nick Briggs with what we are doing. Richard Taylor mentioned that the Trustees of the King James’s School Foundation were also very supportive when it was mentioned at their last meeting.The Chairman wondered whether the project could be sponsored by a brewery.
Quiz Evening Vicky Taylor asked whether we should set a date for this.The Secretary said that it is usually held on the last Wednesday in April, but that is in the school Easter holidays this year. It was therefore decided that it would be best to go into May andWednesday, 4th May was suggested, once again at the Conservative Club.
Date of Next Executive Committee Meeting The Secretary asked that the date be fixed for the next Executive Committee Meeting. He suggested Monday, 7th February, 2011, and this was agreed.
Vote of Thanks RichardTaylor said that he would like to propose a vote of thanks to all the Officers, since some people put in a tremendous amount of work to keep things going.
The Meeting Closed at 8.43 pm and was followed by the customary pie and peas supper. (Signed)_:
A M Haigh (Secretary) N Murphy (Joint Chairman)
8
Opposite:Annual accounts presented by N Murphy & E Comer (Joint Chairmen); K Crawshaw (Treasurer); J A Swift (Independent Examiner)
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR YEAR ENDED 31ST AUGUST 2010 2009
2009
Printing, Stationery & Postages: 4358 Magazines 4197.85 356 Others 446.15 4644.00 25 Jessop Prize 25.00 40 Young Old Almondburians’ Prizes 60.00 158 Sundry Expenses 50.00 43 Paypal Charges 31.49 6 Quiz Evening Expenses 19.80 KJS Contributions: — Founders’ Day Expenses 80.00 69 400 Anniversary Expenses — 400 Speech Day Programmes — — Design Prizes 45.00 130 Raffle Prize — 125.00 180 OACC President’s Day Sponsorship — 2011 Excess of Income over Expenditure 514.62 7776 5469.91
2009
7105
397
1749
175 — 50 1643
11119
5709 31 155 18 418 280 679 — 486
Subscriptions 5319.00 Transfer from Life Membership Account 29.27 Interest Received 5.07 Surplus on Sales of Ties 3.67 Surplus on Sales of DVDs 85.00 Surplus on Sales of Prints 20.00 Surplus on Reunion Disco — Surplus on AGM Supper 0.75 Surplus on Anual Dinner 7.15
7776
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31ST AUGUST 2010 2009
Accumulated Fund Balance as at 1st September 2009 7104.57 Add Excess of Income over Expenditure 514.62 7619.19 Life Membership Account Balance as at 1st September 2009 396.48 Add Interest 2.46 398.94 Less Transfer to Income & Expenditure Account 29.27 369.67 KJS Development Fund Balance as at 1st September 2009 1749.20 Add Interest 10.87 Sales of School Histories 20.00 1780.07 Net Annual Dinner Receipts in Advance 496.58 Net Reunion Receipts in Advance 217.13 Subscriptions in Advance 40.00 Sundry Creditors 642.82
11165.46
5469.91
18 19 80 180
Trophies 18.00 Stock of Ties 15.32 Stock of DVDs — Stock of Prints 175.00 Life Membership Account Nat West Bonus Saver 397 Account 369.67 KJS Development Fund Nat West Bonus Saver 1749 Account 1780.07 2149.74 Cash and Bank Balances Alliance & Leicester Bank: 5133 Community Inst Reserve 8138.04 National Westminster Bank: 3422 Current Account 467.00 79 Paypal Account 172.42 42 Cash in Hand 29.94 8807.40
9
11119
11165.46
OFFICE
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 2011
NAME
ADDRESS
CONTACT DETAILS
HomeTelephone: (01484) 305734 MobileTelephone: (07595) 175835 e-mail: nickybriggs@hotmail.com
President
Robert Lamb
King James’s School
Chairman
Nick Briggs
Vice-Chairman
VickyTaylor
17 Fair Street Huddersfield Yorkshire HD1 3QB
Honorary Secretary
Andrew M Haigh
Honorary Treasurer
Keith Crawshaw
Media Editor
Roger Dowling
Ordinary Committee Members
John Broadbent
WorkTelephone: (01484) 223930 Facsimile: (01484) 223934 e-mail: clerk.kingjames@kirklees-schools.org.uk
24 Alma Drive Dalton Huddersfield Yorkshire HD5 9EF
MobileTelephone: (07818) 475272 e-mail:vickytaylor6@hotmail.com
5 Benomley Drive Almondbury Huddersfield Yorkshire HD5 8LX
HomeTelephone:(01484) 533658
2 Arkenley Lane Almondbury Huddersfield Yorkshire HD4 6SQ
Orchard House Oughtrington Lane Lymm Cheshire WA13 0RD
Oaklea 97 Lowestwood Lane Wellhouse Golcar Huddersfield Yorkshire HD7 4EW 10
HomeTelephone: (01484) 432105 MobileTelephone: (07770) 220733 WorkTelephone: (01484) 400032 Facsimile: (01484) 469567 e-mail: andrew@rdhaigh.com WorkTelephone: (01924) 409311 e-mail: keithcrawshaw@tog24.com HomeTelephone: (01925) 756390 e-mail: roger.dowling@oas.org.uk
HomeTelephone:(01484) 650171 e-mail:oaklea97@yahoo.com
Emily Earnshaw
19 Rectory Drive Kirkheaton Huddersfield Yorkshire HD5 0JT
e-mail: ems-be-happy@hotmail.com
Martyn Hicks
12 Gernhill Avenue Fixby Huddersfield Yorkshire HD2 2HR
HomeTelephone: (01484) 539409 WorkTelephone: (01422) 371751 e-mail: martyn@screenprint.demon.co.uk
Gerald Stead
60 Holly Bank Road Lindley Huddersfield Yorkshire HD3 3LT
HomeTelephone: (01484) 654406
Two vacancies Chaplain
Rev David Herbert The Manse 5 Nursery Lane Belford Northumberland NE70 7NW
School Angela Melling Representatives Head Boy
Jamie Smith
Head Girl
Alice Harling
Badminton Section Representative
Andrew M Haigh
HomeTelephone: (01668) 219584 e-mail: daveherbert@btinternet.com
King James’s School
WorkTelephone: (01484) 223930 Facsimile: (01484) 223934 e-mail: clerk.kingjames@kirklees-schools.org.uk
2 Arkenley Lane Almondbury Huddersfield Yorkshire HD4 6SQ
HomeTelephone: (01484) 432105 MobileTelephone: (07770) 220733 WorkTelephone: (01484) 400032 Facsimile: (01484) 469567 e-mail: andrew@rdhaigh.com
11
Cricket Section Representative
Jack ATaylor
13Trenance Gardens Greetland Halifax Yorkshire HX4 8NN
e-mail: jtaylor73@btinternet.com
Golf Section Representative
Simon A Russell
Phoenix Cottage Upper Hagg Road Thongsbridge Holmfirth Yorkshire HD9 3TF
HomeTelephone: (01484) 685365 e-mail: simon@pacific-lifestyle .co.uk
Tennis Section Representative
Andrew M Haigh
2 Arkenley Lane Almondbury Huddersfield Yorkshire HD4 6SQ
HomeTelephone: (01484) 432105 MobileTelephone: (07770) 220733 WorkTelephone: (01484) 400032 Facsimile: (01484) 469567 e-mail: andrew@rdhaigh.com
Archivist
Nich Briggs
122 Kaye Lane Almondbury Huddersfield Yorkshire HD5 8XU
e-mail: nichbriggs@hotmail.com
Independent Examiner
Vacant
Vice-Presidents E Brian Carter K G Shaw D G Armitage Geoffrey Douglas J RichardTaylor J AmandaTaylor David Gary Croft RobertWilliams Emily Comer
M F Dyson Peter L Burns J A Ward Keith Crawshaw John M Drewery Malcolm JTaylor David A Bush Ian Shaw Nicky Murphy 12
Robert Brook Frederick J Sheard Richard J Green Paul A G Balderstone Jack A Taylor James N Taylor Graham Cliffe Bryan Hopkinson
From the Headteacher
RO BERT LAMB
I
One of the best schools in Kirklees – but only fifth in the new English Baccalaureate tables.How can this be?The Headteacher explains. N the 2010 School Performance Tables published in January a new performance measure was introduced – the English Baccalaureate. Schools were only made aware that the measure was to be introduced during the SCHOOL
English Bacc %
Position
Castle Hall
26
2
Homfirth High Shelley College
Salendine Nook
King James’s School Honley High School
Almondbury High School
Batley Girls’ High School Colne Valley Arts College Mirfield Free Grammar
All Saints Catholic College Whitcliffe Mount
Moor End Technology College Thornhill Community College Royds Hall High School
Newsome High School & Sports College Earlsheaton Technology College Spen Valley Sports College Netherhall High School Fartown High School
List excludes selective schools
30 25 21 18 17 14 11 8
1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
7
10
6
12
6 5 4 4 4 4 1 1 0
11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
13
Autumn term 2010, too late to affect the GCSE results for 2010 and too late for Year 10 andYear 11students in 2011 and 2012 as they had already chosen and started studying their GCSE subjects. To achieve the English Baccalaureate a student must achieve a GCSE grade A*C in English, Mathematics, two Sciences, a Modern Foreign Language (which includes Latin) and a Humanities subject. Despite the number of students studying French declining it is a measure in which you would expect King James’s School to do well. Our results in GCSE Mathematics are the best in Kirklees, the GCSE English results the second best in Kirklees and GCSE Science the third best in Kirklees. Pass rates at A*-C in these subjects are all at record levels and well in excess of 70%. GCSE History and GCSE Geography are popular subjects that achieve excellent results and we also offer Latin and Classical Civilisation. However our results left us in fifth position in Kirklees (non-selective schools only) in this measure despite
end up studying at either Oxbridge or another of the Russell group of Universities. Another reason for our fifth position was the omission of Classical Civilisation from the list of subjects counted as a humanity. Classical Civilisation is a long established and popular subject at the school and results are excellent. Its omission is so far unexplained by the Department for Education and may be a simple error. No argument has been put forward that the subject is less academically demanding or rigorous than history or geography GCSE, nor has it been suggested that it should not be classed as a humanities subject. The inclusion of Ancient History within the EBacc makes any rationale for the exclusion of Classical Civilisation more difficult to determine. Latin is another successful subject at King James’s. In fact we are one of only two comprehensive schools in Kirklees that currently offer this subject. Latin is still very popular with 20 of our current Year 11 students studying the subject. In 2008 we made the decision to offer the WJEC (Welsh Joint Education Committee) Certificates in Latin. These
Education secretary Michael Gove claims that the new English Baccalaureate will ‘recognise the achievements of GCSE students who complete a broad course of studies.’
having the best overall GCSE results in Kirklees for the second consecutive year. The main reason for this is the free choice we give our students in the options process. We offer a wide range of GCSE subjects, the vast majority being ‘traditional’ subjects that even our older readers will recognise and more than likely will have studied. We do not insist that the students study a language or a humanity. Instead we encourage them to study those subjects that they enjoy and excel in. Consequently numerous students achieved in excess of 10 GCSEs all with A* or A grades but did not qualify as Baccalaureate students.They may not have chosen History or Geography, for example, so that they could study GCSE Music or an extra language subject. Or, they may not have chosen a language subject, so they could study Physics, Biology and Chemistry. They will have succeeded, at the highest level, in four of the five Baccalaureate areas but unfortunately would not have chosen either a language or a humanity.Therefore they would not have qualified as a Baccalaureate student. However, all of these students will continue to succeed academically and the vast majority will
The Government needs to reconsider its definition of the Baccalaureate
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new qualifications are having a massive impact nationally with schools reporting double or triple the number of students taking up the subject to study at examination level. They are, without doubt, rigorous, academic qualifications
of England’s worst-performing schools. The percentage of Baccalaureate students at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield – generally regarded as one of the best schools inWestYorkshire – was 0%. Christopher Ray, the High Master of The Manchester Grammar School, speaking on behalf of HMC, said that the English Baccalaureate is a “half baked initiative” that fails to recognize the “obvious success of most students in our schools”. The Government needs to reconsider its definition of the Baccalaureate and allow schools to respond accordingly.The earliest that any school can do this will be in 2013. But you can be certain that when the 2013 School Performance tables are published, King James’s School will have achieved one of the highest, if not the highest, rankings in Kirklees.
with a higher percentage of their marks given for language or literature than the Latin GCSE criteria currently allow.They are accepted as equivalent to GCSE Latin by universities, including Cambridge.Yet they are omitted from the list of Baccalaureate qualifications.This may be a simple error, but it is one that the Government needs to be encouraged to correct. Until it does, students who take this course will not qualify as Baccalaureate students and this will not only affect our figures but may deter students from taking the subject. Opposition to the Baccalaureate as a performance measure is widespread. Many famous and extremely successful Independent Schools have introduced IGCSEs (International General Certificates of Secondary Education) which are not recognized and consequently they have seen their schools’ rankings plummet to the bottom of the tables registering lower results than some
What do YOU think of the English Baccalaureate? Letters and emails to the Editor (contact details on back cover).
…and back at the School
The 43-strong School choir travelled to the Manchester Evening News Arena on 29th November to take part in a prestigious ‘Young Voices’ concert The School has thanked parents, guardians, grandparents and friends who spent an incredible £33,356 at Morrison’s, thereby providing the School with 3,356 vouchers to purchase equipment for the new allotment Reflecting the School’s Specialist Science College status, a group ofYear 8 students worked alongsideYear 8 students from Almondbury High School on a project to study the life of scientist Marie Curie Year 7 students took part in a ‘Humanities Enrichment Day’ on 5th November All the cross-country teams made the regional finals – KJS was one of only five out of 1,400 schools to achieve this. 15
Annual Dinner/Founders’ Day
T
ANDRE W HAIGH
HE 2010 Annual Dinner on Saturday, 20th November, was a very special one. It celebrated the careers at the school of two longserving members of staff: former Deputy Headmaster Patrick O’Brien, who retired in the summer after thirty-eight years of loyal service to the school, and Walter Raleigh who retired after 31 years’ service. Both were Guests of Honour at the Dinner. The Dinner was attended by 113 Almondburians and guests, considerably better than last year’s disappointing 85. Those attending travelled from as far away as Massachusetts and Germany, as
well as all over the United Kingdom, and they spanned over seventy years at the school, from entry in 1936 right up to those who left in the summer of 2010 plus, of course, the current Head Boy, Head Girl and Deputy Head Boys and Deputy Head Girls, as well as former and current members of staff. As usual, the prize for attendance goes to the Class of 1947, who mustered nine of their year for this year’s Dinner. The excellent meal consisted of cream of roasted butternut squash and carrot soup, roast loin of Howden Farm pork steak with sage seasoning, Bramley apple sauce, pan gravy, herb roast
16
Top: Dave Bush; Brian Stahelin (Chairman of Governors); Walter Raleigh; Nicky Murphy; Jamie Smith (head boy); Emily Comer; Ian Rimmer (deputy head teacher); Rev Dennis Handley (Rector, All Hallows’ Church, Almondbury); Patrick O’Brien; Alice Harling (head girl) Middle and bottom: Patrick O’Brien and Walter Raleigh respond
potatoes and the chef’s selection of local vegetables, Wakefield rhubarb, stem ginger and apple crumble with vanilla pod dressing and sugar topping and tea or coffee with chocolate confections. The meal was followed by an entertaining speech from former Deputy Headmaster Dave Bush, who spoke about his former colleagues, Patrick O’Brien andWalter Raleigh before proposing the toast to the School.The Head Girl, Alice Harling, made an excellent speech in response and she was followed, in the absence of the Headmaster, by Patrick’s successor as Deputy Headmaster, Ian Rimmer, who also paid tribute to his former colleagues. Patrick O’Brien and Walter Raleigh then each had the opportunity to speak, reminiscing about their time at the school, before proposing the toast to the Society. Dave Bush had spoken about Walter’s reputation for delivering long speeches, and Walter was given quite a hard time by Dave, who had brought an egg timer with him which went off after ten minutes. Dave then gave him another five minutes and Walter still hadn’t finished, although he later claimed that, in fact, Patrick’s speech was longer than his! Nicky Murphy, Joint Chairman of the
17
Society, then made history by being the first Chairman of the Society to deliver his response to the Toast to the Society from an i-pad! There was also a presentation of sparkling wine made by the Chairman to
Nicky Green, recently retired after many years working in the school office. There should have been flowers for her as well, but your Secretary is quite hopeless and forgot to organize them, so these were delivered to her the following week. The formal part of the evening was concluded with the traditional lusty singing of the School Song and there was ample opportunity afterwards for people to return to the bar to mingle and reminisce. Once again the Dinner can be
The traditional Founders’ Day procession and service took place on Sunday, 21st November at All HallowsChurch,Almondbury.
considered to have been a very successful event that was enjoyed, I am sure, by everyone who was there.More photographs and a full list of those who attended the Dinner can be seen on the OAS website www.oas.org.uk. The 2011 Annual Dinner will take place at the same venue on Saturday, 26th November, so please put the date in your diary now to make sure that you don’t miss out on a great evening.
‘Thank you’ from Patrick and Walter
Patrick O’Brien writes: “I should like to thank members for the presentation of the painting of the school. It was a very enjoyable evening and the painting will be in a prominent potition in my house as a permanent reminder of my happy times at the school.”
Walter Raleigh writes: “I'd be delighted if you would pass on my thanks, not only for the present of the picture, which will be put in a prominent position in our home as soon as the decorating is finished, but also for the invitation to speak at the Dinner. It was humbling to hear all the kind words spoken by people both publicly and in private conversations.” 18
We launch a campaign to restore and improve an important School and community sports facility
The School and the Old Almondburians’ Society were proud in equal measure when the new cricket pavilion was erected in 1958 to mark the 350th anniversary of the School Charter. Sadly, it has suffered from serious vandalism in recent years and now badly needs restoration and improvement. In the following pages, Martyn Hicks explains why we need YOUR urgent help, and Roger Dowling looks back at that exciting moment over 50 years ago when the Countess of Scarbrough declared the pavilion open. 19
Cricket pavilion: a Call to Action MARTYN HICKS
A
Proudly opened in 1958 to mark the 350th anniversary of the School’s charter,the cricket pavilion now needs urgent restoration and updating
bit to the school, for myself I never really bought into the old part of it. I appreciated it, yes, but to walk into the art room with its glorious big picture windows, the biology lab, once again light and airy, it was these rooms that followed form and function that made me since realise that in architectural terms I am a modernist! That said, the building that did it most for me was the Cricket Pavilion. Just look at it on its opening day and look how proud everyone was; to me it was like an ocean liner – its sleek jutting angular face seemed eager to please, painted pale yellow and white, with a score box no (Continued on page 22)
LTHOUGH I have always liked the almost haphazard way that each generation has added its
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Slowly dying: the cricket pavilion when it was opened in 1958 and the building – minus its vandalised score box – today
The pavilion as it is today (left) and draft proposals showing how the pavilion might be restored and improved
Chris West RIBA 21
We’ve already made a modest start. less, elevated aloft and even a flagpole should any royalty attend. It really was fit Big thanks to Architect Chris West for purpose, way beyond the (1960-1966) who has produced some requirements of a school of 310 pupils super plans showing how we might who were lucky to have been educated restore and extend it to make it more in the stunning tree-lined landscape of suitable for today’s needs. And I have the Arkenley valley, and lucky to have the opened an account at the school called ‘The Sports Pavilion Development Fund’ Pavilion as its crown. I don’t even like cricket, but I was and I have deposited some money in it to always delighted to be the scorer. I even get it started. I am up to the challenge – let’s form made the potted beef, salmon paste, desiccated coconut sponge teas if asked. an Action Group. Let’s get off our I was happy in and around this sun-filled getting-fatter-by-the-minute backsides. Let us not let the Gaffer down. building. We need money and we need The Old Almondburians’ Society raised much of the money to build it, practical help: quantity surveyors, tree together with the Gaffer’s cutters, plumbers, electricians, etc, etc encouragement and the bold plans of etc. You can email me at architect Brian Pollard. Well done to martyn.hicks@hotmail.com or write to me at 12 Gernhill Avenue, Fixby, them, well done indeed! And now to today, in one generation Huddersfield HD2 2HR (tel (01484) collectively we have all been witnesses at 539409). Alternatively, you can contact the crime scene. Even today we still me via the campaign’s special webpage watch helplessly as this building slowly www.oas.org.uk/calltoaction.php, which dies. It’s the OAS’s only bricks-and- you can also use to contribute donations mortar asset, it’s had its head cut off and by debit card, credit card or Paypal. A call to action?YOU BET IT IS! it’s lying almost dead with a faint pulse, occasionally given a few drops of new blood by sympathetic Martyn Hicks (1970-75) is co-director of Screenprint Productions based in Brighouse,West cricketers. Yorkshire. Martyn studied photography at Come on, OAS members! Nottingham Trent Let’s do something before it’s too University and then late; let’s breathe new life into this worked for a screenprinting building that has given us lots and company in Leeds. asked for little; let’s make it He worked for three purposeful again, for us in the OAS years in the US before buying into and the school and the wider Screenprint community, let’s not be the Productions in 1988. company generation that stood back and The currently employs watched as it breathed its last some 70 staff. breath. 22
That proud day fifty years ago … ROGER DOWLING
‘T
The present editor ofThe Almondburian was present when the pavilion was opened in 1958. He recalls a day of excitement and pride
HIS pavilion will serve as a monument to, and a recognition of, the great devotion ofAlmondburians throughout the world.’ By a happy coincidence, I was editor of The Almondburian 52 years ago, and these words – in the Editorial of the Summer, 1958 issue – were mine. Discussions on the best way of marking the 350th anniversary of the Royal Charter had commenced informally in the early months of 1955. Needless to say, the redoubtable Gerald Dobson played a prominent role in these deliberations, and he was able to report the following year that the inspired idea had emerged to build a new cricket pavilion to replace the dilapidated old wooden pavilion which dated back to the days of Francis Marshall.
A sub-committee was formed and some initial plans were produced by architect Brian Pollard who had himself attended the School from 1946 to 1951. From these, the cost of the project was reckoned to be of the order of £2,000, and on this basis the Old Almondburians’ Society wrote to the Education Committee asking if they would be willing to meet half the cost if the Society and the School could find the remainder. A positive reply was received from the Chief Education Officer: the project had the green light. Throughout 1957, many functions were organised by the School and parents, culminating in a two-day School Fair held on 31st May and 1st June. The opening ceremony, on the grass tennis court in front of the Library, was performed byTaylor Dyson’s daughter Beryl, making a welcome return to the School. A wide range of entertainments had been organised, including concerts by the School Orchestra under George Beach, three
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Many will remember the old ‘wooden hut’ pavilion that dated back to Francis Marshall’s days as headmaster
There were countless stalls, for needlework, crockery, hardware, groceries, fruit, flowers, tombola, toys, books and the like, ending with a highly successful auction in the gymnasium. The enterprise was an enormous success, with 2,000 visitors and a profit on the day of a staggering £1,000 – equivalent to around £25,000 in today’s money. Meanwhile, in the manner of capital projects the world over, the cost of the planned pavilion had risen to twice the original estimate. Further appeals to Old Almondburians helped to bridge the gap, but £200 was still needed with the Grand Opening only a few weeks away. At this point, a valiant band of Old Almondburians decided to complete the work themselves, and the photograph of two town (Continued on page 26)
Left:A scale model of the new pavilion was proudly on display at the 1957 School Fair Right: It’s all hands to the brushes as Old Almondburians put a final lick of paint on the pavilion.The keen workmen included town councillors Clifford Stephenson and Kenneth Brooke, both of whom formerly attended the School
performances of The AGS Follies in the gymnasium, an aerial runway set up by the Scouts from the bunk to their hot-dog stall at their camp site, and a scenic railway for young children.
The New Pavilion
On one side of the school field lies A pavilion of wondrous size That seems so long and looks so high And by the field the road runs by Along by Arkenley. Now on a day the captains go To where the gentle breezes blow, First to the old school there below King James in Aimbry.
And on the roadway’s broad expanse A car drives up into our glance; The Countess makes a speech so fine, Golden words in every line, About the new pavilion. And at the closing of the day, When to sleep I pass away, I dream about their grand array Around our great pavilion.
P E Spencer (Form IV) The Almondburian, Summer Term 1958
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On the opposite page, clockwise from top: 1.The Countess of Scarbrough cuts a cake specially baked for the occasion 2. Head Boy David Morphet makes a speech 3.The School Scouts form a Guard of Honour 4.A speech from headmaster Harry Taylor 5.The headmaster receives the key to the pavilion from Alderman John Dawson, chairman of the Governors and the Education Committee 6.The Countess of Scarbrough speaking as she formally opened the pavilion 7. Excitement as the Countess’s limousine drives across the outfield as the Guard of Honour lines up to greet her
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’Allo ’Allo! The voice of dissent
Inevitably, a few non-sportsmen found the proceedings less than gripping. They were led by the resident japer of the 1950s, Gordon Kaye (1952-1958)
‘The Countess of Scarborough (sic) and the Sheriff of York came in this great Daimler limo and drove around the perimeter of the cricket field, where we were all lined up in classes. We were bidden to cheer and wave and make other applauding noises while these high-up folk grandly swept by. Of course, my bunch, young bolshy little yobs that we were, decided we would have no part in this. We greeted the limo with resounding silence, noses in the air, staring stonily ahead and with a marked absence of clapping.We were summoned to the headmaster’s study with alacrity. ‘It was a place I grew to know well during my schooldays. I remember one occasion when I was caught cheating with my French homework, copying from someone else’s book but still only getting 1/10. As I left the headmaster’s study, having received three strokes of the cane, he called out: “Kaye.” ‘I turned round, desperate to leave. ‘ “Next time, copy off someone who can do it, all right?” ‘He was a great headmaster. He appeared to be very stern, but he had a smashing sense of humour.’ René & me/Gorden Kaye (Sidgwick & Jackson)
councillors and Old Boys – Clifford Stephenson and Kenneth Brooke – hard at work with paintbrushes has a treasured place in the Society’s archives. The pavilion was opened on 5th June 1958 by the Countess of Scarbrough. Guests included the Mayoress of Huddersfield and Alderman John Dawson, chairman of the Governors and of the Education Committee, himself a former pupil under Robert Crump. It was an impressive and moving occasion, with the School Scouts forming a Guard of Honour as the Countess was led to the pavilion. One fourth former was even moved to compose a poem to mark the occasion.Two or three amateur dissidents led by Gordon Kaye – later to achieve fame in BBC Television’s ’Allo, ’Allo! and now a fully paid-up member of the Old Almondburians’ Society – failed to gain any measurable support. A cricket match between a Headmaster’s XI and an Old Boys’ XI had been organised to mark the occasion and we are fortunate that the proceedings were
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meticulously recorded in The Almondburian by fourth former D Billington. The match started at 11.30 am with the Headmaster’s XI batting first, and it has to be recorded that Harry Taylor gained an immediate – and some would say unfair – advantage by producing exYorkshire captain Billy Sutcliffe who scored 87 before being caught. Eventually the Headmaster’s XI were dismissed for 220. The match continued after the openuing ceremony whereupon Harry Taylor produced another rabbit from his hat in the shape of Yorkshire bowler Mel Ryan. He achieved figures of four for 21 and the Old Boys’ XI could only manage 124 for eight wickets in reply. It is perhaps fitting to let young Billington have the final word: The scorebook was closed and another record had gone into the book – another milestone in the long and famous journey of King James’s Grammar School. A great and beautiful pavilion to represent 350 years of a great and beautiful school.
And what became of …?
LATEST KING JAMES’S / GREENHEAD LEAVERS
Name
AARON James ABBAS Shakeela AMPHLETT Matilda ARMITAGE Bethany BARNWELL George CLAYTON Sarah CLEGG Oliver CRAWSHAW Emily DYER Sara GARNER Julia GELLING Simon GRIST Matthew HAIGH Jessica HANDLEY Isabelle HARRISON Sean HEAGNEY Sinead HOLLYHEAD Megan HOLMES Alexander HONOUR Rebekah HUDSON Keith JENNINGS William KENDICK Edward
To
York University Huddersfield University Leeds University Huddersfield University Liverpool University Huddersfield University York St John University Vision Express Sheffield Hallam Uni Huddersfield University Liverpool University Morrisons Chester University York University Seeking employment Leeds University Year out: The Zone Bishop Grosseteste UC Huddersfield University Year Out Central Lancashire Uni Northampton University
Name
Undertaking
LEWIS Hayden MANN Amandeep MARSHALL Mathew MORRIS Andrew PEADEN Hannah RENN Patrick SHUTTLEWORTH Laura SIMPSON Amy SINGLETON Naomi SLEVIN Nicola SMITH Alissa STEPHENSON Daniel STEPHENSON Erica SWIFT Sally SYKES Laura TAYLOR Alexander TAYLOR James WALKER Jack WHITELEY Megan WIGHTMAN Jake WORNE Lucy YOUNG Dominic
Maths/Computer Science Psychology Classical Civilization Child Nursing Biological/Medical Sciences Nursing/Learning disability Sport/Society/Development Trainee Optical Dispenser Mathematics Science Foundation Music/Popular Music Apprentice Butcher Primary Education English Lang/Linguistics Chemistry Northampton Uni (2011) Primary Education Fashion Design/Textiles Manchester Met Uni (2011) Sports Coaching Accounting/Finance
To
Manchester Met Uni Liverpool University Cumbria University KITS Leicester University Birmingham City Uni Edge Hill University Middlesex University Gap Year: Greece Huddersfield University A & R Training Huddersfield University Manchester Met Uni York St John University Central Lancashire Uni Louis France Northumbria University Manchester Met Uni York St John University Year Out York University Hill Brook Printing Inks
Undertaking
Criminology Orthoptics Physical Education Vehicle Mechanic Appren History Business Studies Secondary Maths Teaching Early Years Education Higher Education (2011) Psychology Childcare Computer Games Technology BTEC Dip in Art & Design English Literature Digital Design/Fashion Temporary Office Work Law Politics Occupational Therapy Liverpool Hope Uni (2011) English Lang/Linguistics Trainee Lab Technician
The following former King James’s School pupils received prizes in the 2010 Greenhead College awards ceremony: NICOLA SLEVIN Law Prize HANNAH J PEADEN Medieval History Prize MEGAN J WHITELEY Project Prize Information kindly supplied by Gerald Stead
A few words from your Editor
Articles from readers are always welcome, either by email or by post (editorial address on back cover). Photographs are also of interest; if sent as email attachments the preferred format is jpeg (.jpg) with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Alternatively, send your photographs by post and we will scan and return them without delay. When submitting photographs, always provide a caption identifying all people shown as far as you are able. 27
IN THE NEWS
David Anderson on Radio 4
David Anderson (1948-1955), Britain’s former judge at the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea, was one of the guests on Unreliable Evidence on BBC Radio 4 on 12th January 2011.The programme, presented by Clive Anderson, examined the difficulties of achieving justice over three-quarters of the earth’s surface in the face of competing national interests.
TERRY’S TEASER
Compiled by Terry Buckley (1948 - 1953)
Please send entries by post or email to the Media Editor (address on back cover) Draw: 30th April 2011 Prize: 12 months free OAS membership
22. Result of more than one mistake (6) 25. Furrow the brow or cadge (6) 26. One’s number one (5,3) 27. Found north of the border - free? (4) 28. ‘C’ is the difference between things English and French (6) 30. Big noises in the Army! (8-6)
ACROSS 7. Minor disturbance in a china shop? (5,2,1,6) 9. Post vocational option (2,4) 11. Ornithological jape (4) 12. Leading heavenly body on a decoration (8) 14. Taken aback in snatching handbag haste (6)
15. Stroke a female auto? (6) 16. End result of hopping (3) 18. Guided the cattle? (7) 19. Dead beat? (7) 20. Is singular in congratulating on engagement (3)
DOWN 1. One thrice! (4) 2. Listen for a change - not a sound! (6) 3. Is he the most fit? (7) 4. Cancel tickets in respect of the team (6) 5. Visually descriptive of the car Lou wrecked (6) 6. Potter (R) and Prosser confused the pressman (6,8) 8. Used to deduce brainwash? (7,7) 10. M. Astaire dances round the car (8) 13. A search for whip previously found underground (8) 16. Activity in The Mikado (3) 17. Wee - could be former lamb (3) 21. Net result of no venturing (7) 23. About to retry a main route (6) 24. Settled a deadly sin (6) 25. Sounds of gunfire right in the shrubs (6) 29. Two sound Israelis work a charm (4)
The winner of Terry’s Teaser (November 2010) was Andrew Haigh 28
IN THE NEWS
Nigel is Solicitor of the Year
O
LD Almondburian Nigel Priestley (1963-1970) has become Solicitor of the Year. Some 600 leading solicitors and their guests joined the president of the Law Society Linda Lee and BBC broadcaster Mishal Husain at the Law Society’s annual Excellence Awards event at Old Billingsgate in London. The awards are designed to recognise best practice and to celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement in areas that are central to the law profession today. Nigel is a Higher Rights Advocate and partner at Ridley and Hall, Huddersfield. He has a specific expertise in holding local authorities to account for their treatment of ‘kinship carers’: relatives caring for children who would otherwise be fostered and who often lack appropriate support. Amongst his successes last year, he won two landmark cases - one involving Kirklees Council – with national implications. He also successfully judicially reviewed Gateshead in a high profile case where a foster carer had been de-registered when a Muslim 16 year old foster child had become a Christian. “The judges thought Nigel Priestley is exactly the type of solicitor whom the profession should be commending – he is one who demonstrates through his work a passion for correcting the injustices of society,” said the Law Society. “He is an exemplar to all in the legal sector.”
Nigel Priestley (centre) with Paul Doble from sponsors DX Group and BBC news presenter Mishal Husain.
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Ridley and Hall is recognised as a leading firm in public law in the UK by specialist national charities as well as by many regional support groups who refer carers for advice. Kinship carers have received over £550,000 in back payments and significantly improved fostering allowances as a result of the firm’s work. Nigel Priestley worked closely with fellow Old Almondburian Graham Cliffe and others to secure a confidential out-of-court settlement from Kirklees Council in 2004 following alleged maladministration of the School’s ancient endowments. A reported figure of £800,000 has never been officially denied.
Yekeniyeley*, Old Almondburians! J O HN B ROAD BENT
U
Generous Old Almondburians help to fund a major project to bring water and electricity to a remote village in northern Ethiopia
P went the cry on Christmas approved! We have met many lovely Day 2010 as a 60 watt bulb people, most of them extremely poor but flickered into life in the village all of them warm and friendly towards of Adi Eblal in northern Ethiopia, us. Most of these experiences have been nestling in the skirts of the spectacular arranged by Asrat Kahsay of Image Adwa Mountains some 40km from the Ethiopia Tours & Travel, now a close troubled border with Eritrea. No-one in friend and Huddersfield Town supporter. Asrat was born in Adi Eblal, a village the village had ever seen such a thing, not one but two electric lights in a house in of 51 houses close to the town of Adwa. their own village! Ululations resonated It is by no means remote by Ethiopian their delight and enthusiastic dancing standards. Although there is a modern marked their joy. We were privileged to water supply system locally the village bear witness to what was truly a historic was not part of it. This includes a large day for over 200 village people. For us it reservoir supplying both Adwa and the was one of those unforgettable moments famous town of Axum, visited by most tourists to the country. There is also a of a lifetime. Throughout 2010 Jean and I were pressurised water pipe passing along the involved in a project to bring a water road about half a kilometer from Adi supply and later, electricity to Adi Eblal. Eblal to supply the local barracks. Most We have been John Broadbent (1948-1954) left King James’s Grammar School visiting Ethiopia regularly since 1997 to become a solicitor and had a successful career in private practice for 39 years. He retired in 1993 and was elected Fellow of and have travelled the Royal Geographical Society in 1996. John is currently President extensively to most of the Huddersfield and Halifax Geographical Association, a once occupied by Fred Hudson. An award-winning member parts of this much position of the former Huddersfield Photographic Society, he regularly misunderstood land. exhibits at its annual exhibition. John and his wife Jean have travelled widely throughout the We have spent more world. Ethiopia is their favourite and more time country for many reasons including its there enjoying many varied landscape, the hospitality of its people, the climate and the cuisine. fantastic travel Over 100 of his photographs of adventures – Fred Ethiopia are lodged with the Hudson would have contemporary photograph archive of the Royal Geographical Society. *Thank you! 30
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1. Looking NE from Adi Eblal 2. Elderly widow 3. Ato Berhe, oldest man in Adi Eblal with one of the younger generation 4. Covered pipe trench 5. Looking SW from Adi Eblal 6. Covered trench close-up 7. Tap at village edge 8. Ploughing the stony land with bullocks and wooden plough 9.The first running water in May 2010 10. Lady ululating
recently a factory has been built to bottle spring water and the villagers are now deprived of their cleanest available water supply leaving them entirely dependent on dirty and unreliable river water. The situation seemed both cruel and unnecessary. Prompted by scenes of elderly women struggling to fetch water from the river (at least a 45 minute steep walk each way) it was Asrat, together with his childhood friend, Tesema, who decided that the people of Adi Eblal deserved the benefit of clean water. They did the necessary legwork – seeking permissions, commissioning an architect and raising some money to get started. We became involved in January 2010 when we saw the scheme for the first time and were impressed by the
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organised and professional manner in which Asrat and Tesema had approached the task. However the distances for some of the pipe runs were hundreds of meters and it was clear that the scheme, though worthy, was underfunded. We also saw the route to the river! The terrain is extremely rocky underfoot and there is a steep gradient down to the river – how the older ladies ever managed to climb back up with their jerry cans of water weighing about 20kg is beyond our comprehension. Then we met the delightful people of the village, mostly older folk and many widows living alone.The situation is typical of any developing country – progress demands education and children leave their villages for school/college and jobs – the older
generation become isolated at home alone and daily existence is a struggle.Yet their genuine hospitality, and they have little enough to share, resulted in many invitations to drink coffee and eat popcorn and injera, the traditional flat bread. They are very poor but they are also very proud. We realised that with relatively little money and some effort on our part, we could make their lives very much easier and healthier. It was time to repay Ethiopia for our many pleasures. Thus the begging letters were composed and my old form mates were definitely on the mailing list. We had never done this before, and had rather mixed feelings about asking people to give money. However our cause was just and we needed to start somewhere. The reaction from Almondburians was excellent and cheques began to arrive. Other friends, especially those who had travelled in Ethiopia with us and
The site of the project, Adi Eblal, is near the town of Adwa (ringed) about 20 miles from the troubled border with Eritrea.
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therefore knew Asrat, also contributed and from the beginning of March to midApril we collected over ÂŁ2,000, enough to authorise the work to complete the water supply. The villagers certainly grasped the chance with both hands and within three weeks we had a phone call (mobile of course!) and were able to hear ululations from the village ladies telling us the water was flowing. Fortunately the technical side was straightforward. We took a line of pipes from the pressurised supply in the road, fed this into a new dispersion tank built on a small hill and then laid gravity fed pipelines from it to 4 different points in the village area. Thus we achieved clean potable water, available very close to the houses, within a very short time. We were able to make a quick visit to Ethiopia in May and saw for ourselves the completed work. In addition to our taps, some families had paid for extra pipes to serve their own houses. The village put on a great celebration for us, the priests blessed the taps and we danced and sang (in a fashion) to the rhythms of the masinko and drum. The project did not exhaust the funds in hand and the villagers themselves decided they would like to try for electricity to complete the modernisation of the village. We agreed to try and raise further funds in the UK while they would also raise money themselves. The new sense of self-belief in the village was palpable. Now we had villagers who were determined to continue to improve their own lives. To their credit they have raised over ÂŁ2,500 which is a huge amount of money for them.
Ethiopia: one of Africa’s poorest states
Ethiopia – formerly known as Abyssinia – is Africa’s oldest independent country. Apart from a five-year occupation by Mussolini’s Italy, it has never been colonised. But the nation is better known for its periodic droughts and famines, its long civil conflict and a border war with Eritrea. Almost two-thirds of its people are illiterate.The economy revolves around agriculture, which in turn relies on rainfall. Many Ethiopians depend on food aid from abroad. Ethiopia’s population is 85 million and the country is nearly twice the size of the UK. Life expectancy for men Source: BBC is 56 years; for women 59 years.
We also needed to raise a huge amount: £15,000 at least. More begging letters! We also needed to extend our mailing list – it is the case that people who have not heard from me often, if ever, were approached, including many Old Almondburians. The response was again magnificent. This aspect of the last 12 months has been as satisfying and heart warming as the work in Adi Eblal. People’s generosity when faced with a genuine good cause and knowing that all of the money will reach that good cause, is amazing. The electric project has been much more difficult to see through.We needed 50 9m poles, 1.5km of wire, a 50kW transformer and 51 house meters with accompanying internal wiring, plugs and switches. The difficulties have been exacerbated by the economic climate in Ethiopia making the cost and availability of the equipment expensive and difficult to source. In December we saw the arrival and erection of the poles and wire.The 50kW transformer is not yet to hand but we have a 25kW version to supply lighting
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for now. Thus the power supply has arrived in Adi Eblal. The remaining obstacle is the supply and financing of the house meters and ancillary fittings. Just to give us a fantastic Christmas present, one house was connected.The electricity authority hopes to find us another 19 meters soon but it will be a little while before the second tranche of 31 meters can be found. In the meantime the fundraising goes on. At a cost of £45 per house we need at least another £2,500. During our visit we were much encouraged by other developments. Many new fruit trees have been planted – mango, lemon, apple, papaya, banana and guava; vegetable gardens have sprung up – spinach, onions, tomatoes, garlic and chilli, The water infrastructure we put in has facilitated extensions to another 18 households in a neighbouring smaller village as well as a pipe to the local school which has over 800 pupils (in two shifts) and had been operating without any clean water! These two projects have been financed by a specific donation and hopefully the school will now complete a new toilet block very soon.
Thus there have been many positive developments made possible by the initial water project. It has all happened because more than 150 generous people, together with some local Probus and Rotary clubs, Lunch Clubs, U3A groups and the like have sent us donations. So far over £3,000 has been raised from 78 Old Almondburians. I am grateful to have this
opportunity to record everyone’s appreciation – not only Jean and I but the whole village. We really value your support. To find out more about the Adi Eblal project or to make a donation, please contact John Broadbent at 97, Lowestwood Lane,Wellhouse, Golcar, Huddersfield HD7 4EW (tel: 01484 650171; email: oaklea97@yahoo.com).
IN THE NEWS
Kimbolton trounce the Aussies The Sunday Times
F
IRST the Ashes – and then the Fireworks. It ended a bad year for our antipodean friends, and it’s all thanks to Dr Calloway, the former chemistry master of King James’s Grammar School. Millions all over the world enjoyed the spectacular New Year’s Eve London Eye fireworks display, generally agreed to have trounced Sydney’s display earlier in the day. And for the first time, the display was by Kimbolton Fireworks, founded by ‘master blaster pastor’ Rev Ron Lancaster who attended the School from 1942-1950. “I developed my interest in fireworks during my schooldays,” says Ron. “Although Doc Calloway didn’t actually encourage us to make fireworks, he was certainly not discouraging!” Kimbolton Fireworks – the UK’s market leader in firework production and operator fired displays – have been responsible for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay display for
several years, but the London Eye display was a ‘first’. London mayor Boris Johnson described it as ‘dazzling’. “We were delighted it went off so well,” says Ron. “It was a tremendous challenge – we only had eight hours to rig all the fireworks around the London Eye, and we also used three barges and six pontoons on the Thames.” The nine-minute show used 10,000 fireworks weighing about eight tons. 34
See the video at http://tinyurl.com/6ktt87d Interview with Ron Lancaster: http://tinyurl.com/yl5lgqa
A LIFE IN THE DAY
In search of Vernon Scannell
A NDREW TAYL OR
Andrew Taylor (1963-1970) and his older brother Richard both attended King James’s Grammar School while their father Harry was headmaster. Formerly a journalist, Andrew is now a freelance writer. His latest book – about schoolboy boxer and poet/novelist/broadcaster Vernon Scannell – will be published in 2012.
“J
UST 900 words or so on how you spend your day,” the editor of The Almondburian said. But it’s easier than that: when I look back over the last few months, I only need two words, not 900: Vernon Scannell. Scannell has pretty much taken over my life: I eat with him, sit at my desk with him, even turn over in the night – yes, since you ask, I sleep with him too – and ask him questions. Luckily my wife shares this obsession – she comes with us on weekend trips to Leeds University, where we pick over his diaries and delve into his most private and personal secrets. It’s lucky, too, that Scannell doesn’t quarrel much with us, although that could be partly because he’s been dead for the last three years. Scannell was a
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poet who lived for about thirty years of his life in Yorkshire – longer than I did, I realise with a slight shock – and about a year ago, I started work on his biography. Since then, as I say, he’s pretty much taken over my life, and a large slice of my wife’s life too. Most of my conversations get round to Scannell within a couple of minutes, which I guess may make me slightly less than interesting as a dinner party guest. I resent any time I’m sitting at my computer when I’m not engaged in something to do with Scannell, his family, his lovers, his friends or – best of all – his poetry. So a good day is one spent trawling through his papers, talking to his lovers, friends and relatives, and generally indulging my obsession. I’ve written half a dozen books in the last ten years, and I
have a couple more coming out in 2012, but none of them has fired my imagination like this one. Unfortunately, none of them has made me rich either, so the good days have to be interspersed with less good ones writing anything for anyone who will pay me money. That’s been the case for the last five years or so. Until 2005 I’d worked as a journalist without a break since I left university back in the 70s – at the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Daily Express, the BBC, and then at Dubai Television, first in the Gulf and more recently in London. When they made me redundant, I realised that I was too old and too grumpy to work for anybody else any more, so I had to start thinking for myself. The jobs I’ve taken as a freelance since then range from the sublime to the ridiculous – researching and writing a magazine article about the destruction of Lord Byron’s diaries in the early 19th
century for the Ritz Magazine, for instance (good), to putting together Facebook advertisements for cosmetics (less so). There’s a strict limit of 160 words and spaces for the whole advertisement, so I try to make the job sound interesting, as if I were writing a haiku, but I sometimes wonder if that’s what my father meant when he used to ask whether I was going to get a proper job, rather than being a journalist. I do a lot of my work sitting at my own computer in my own house, which has its advantages – my commute is about forty feet, I get coffee breaks whenever I choose, and there’s no problem with taking the odd hour or two off to watch the Test Match. And I can work my own peculiar hours – up at 5 am, perhaps, because I can’t sleep, and then catching up on the missing time with what my father endearingly used to call ‘forty winks’ later in the day. On the other hand, you sometimes get to miss
The unconventional life of Vernon Scannell
Poets aren’t often boxers. They tend to use parts of the brain that don’t respond well to being rattled around like ice in a cocktail shaker. Novelist, critic, teacher, and even journalist are all common enough ways for poets to make money to live – but professional boxer and fairground bruiser are unusual trades for a man who was to become one of the finest poets of his generation. A wife, six children, and three long-term lovers: little wonder that Vernon Scannell sometimes saw relations between men and women as, at best, a sort of armed truce. During the war, he was imprisoned for desertion after battling his way through North Africa, and then wounded in France three weeks after struggling up the beach on D-Day. He had two years on the run after deserting again when the war finished, selling dolls’ heads and dodgy perfume, teaching a bit, and making a few quid as a fairground boxer. His wounded leg got better, but the war left other scars that became visible over the years as he made a living as a poet and writer – no mean feat in itself. His last collection, with some of his best poems in it, appeared just a few weeks before he died aged 85 in Otley, West Yorkshire in November 2007. Andrew Taylor’s biography will be published by Oxford University Press in autumn, 2012
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the chit-chat and company that you get in an office, so it’s good every now and then to settle for the sweaty intimacy of the underground and have the occasional stint in London. The trouble is, when there’s plenty of work like that, I worry that I’m losing the momentum on the Scannell project (see, I told you a couple of minutes was my limit). And when there’s not, I worry that I’m going to starve. There must be a way of just being happy and contented, but I haven’t found it yet. But research for the writing is about as good as it gets. My wife and I travelled to southern Sweden recently to talk to a friendly old anarchist in his nineties – a respected designer and painter in his own right – who knew Scannell just after the war (there I go again). And looking
into the Byron story was gripping. I sat in the actual room where Byron’s diaries were fed, sheet by sheet, into a blazing fire, talking to John Murray VII of the publishing family, son of John Murray VI, who was the son of John Murray V and so on all the way back to John Murray II, who actually did the deed on May 17 1824. Just looking at the empty grate sent a shiver down the spine even of a grizzled old hack! There’s a fairly obvious problem looming on the horizon, of course – at the end of this year or just a little after, I shall have to hand over a typescript that will mark the end of my Scannell project, and life will feel horribly empty. But then, I’ve always thought that Dickens’s Mr Micawber is sadly under-rated as a philosopher. Something will turn up.
www.oas.org.uk
A number of articles in The Almondburian contain links to our website which includes: Archive photographs Audio interviews Videos Drawings Historical information ‘Buy Now’ pages and much, much more! Keep in touch with the Old Almondburians’ Society via the website
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Cricket
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HE Club AGM, held on Sunday, 31st October 2010 at the ‘Woolpack’, was very well attended. Our treasurer reported a healthy balance sheet, testimony to all the hard work throughout last summer by all connected with the club. Steve Slack will again take up the reins of First XI captain for the season ahead and deserves the backing of everyone to ensure success in 2011. Steve made his debut for the club in 1977 whilst still at the School and has remained a ‘one club man’ throughout his cricketing career.The fact he is still performing at the highest level is illustrated by him winning both the Section A and League Catching Prizes for last season. We are very optimistic for the new Second XI combination of experienced coach Carl Brady and former first team
JACK TAYLOR
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captain Stuart Sykes as captain and vicecaptain respectively. Having a parent and Old Almondburian leading the ‘youngsters’ (apologies to Graham and Richard!) will, we feel sure, enhance our strengthening relationship with school cricket. Against this background, all school and prospective OACC cricketers were able to avail themselves of the opportunity to sample expert coaching at the pre-season nets, in the School sports hall, on 24th January, 7th February and 28th February, and further nets are planned on 14th March, 28th March, 4th April and 11th April, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Recent most welcome news is that Geoff Headey has accepted the office of President of the Club. Geoff, an Old Almondburian and recent captain at Woodsome Hall Golf Club, is a former
distinguished captain of our Second XI. The Club eagerly look forward to his visits to Arkenley and, perhaps, the occasional playing appearance. John Clutterbrook is to continue as league representative, and assistant secretary, during John Headey’s frequent foreign excursions. The Club’s Annual Dinner and Presentation Evening was held on Saturday, 12th February at Lockwood Park.The change in date from post-season 2010 to pre-season 2011 was necessitated by the unavailability of several key figures for our usual September date. We are optimistically and enthusiastically looking forward to the coming season, spurred on by the recent
crushing Ashes victory by England in Australia.The new season starts on Easter Sunday, 24th April. We hope that many Old Almondburians will renew their association with Arkenley, from April through to September and rekindle recent and distant memories of our ‘Jewel in the Valley’, against a vibrant cricketing backdrop. At the time of going to press we are desperate for an umpire to represent the club, as a consequence of the retirement of our long standing umpire and friend, David Watson. If anyone can help us, either for one or two games or a longer period, please contact me as soon as possible at jtaylor73@btinternet.com or via the Editor.
Badminton
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OTHING changes very quickly in the Badminton section. We turn up, play some games (sometimes rather poorly, sometimes, as this week, we enjoy some excellent games), then we have a shower and some of us retire to the ‘Woolpack’. So, when you have written as many Badminton reports as I now have, it becomes something of a chore to know what to write about next.
AND RE W HAIGH
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As a result, I asked for ideas when we were in the ‘Woolpack’ recently, which perhaps isn’t the best place to ask for ideas. The result was that David Parry thought that the funniest thing to have happened this season was that Neil Gledhill had left the ‘Woolpack’ one evening leaving his wallet and the keys to his new car on the bar. A few
minutes later he reappeared and collected his wallet, before leaving again without his car keys (which Letitia had hidden), thus necessitating a further return to the bar! Of course, when Letitia started to play, Neil tried to tell her that the showers were mixed, but then he does that with all the female players the first time that they play. Whilst searching for other interesting things about which to write, I recalled the occasion that the Badminton report was made more interesting by reporting on the efforts of one of the girls to get into her car having locked her car keys inside. Surprisingly, this took the conversation off onto all the methods by which it is possible to break into a car. I really didn’t know that the Badminton section was full of people with criminal tendancies, and Roma Garnier appeared to know even more than most about the subject. However, having failed to come up
with much else that is worthy of writing about, I decided that it is time to share the writing of the Badminton report around a bit. I suggested that the next one could be written by Roma, in French, to ‘O’-level standard, thus giving you all the opportunity to do some revision whilst reading the OAS magazine. We play in the school sports hall each Thursday evening during termtime, from 7.30 pm until 9.30 pm. The fee, to cover the hire of the sports hall, shuttlecocks and showers, is £5 per person per evening. Our ages now span school pupil to retirement and a wide range of ability, so please come along and join us. Those who have played so far this season are: Neil Gledhill; David Parry; Martyn Hicks; Richard Green; Andrew Haigh; Hazel Pacurib; Nicky Murphy; Emily Comer; Craig Watts; Matt Glapinski; Margaret Lauba; Ian Daffern; Adam Daffern; Roma Garnier; Letitia Pelletier.
Golf: Gothard Cup
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SI MON RU SSELL
HE 2011 Gothard Cup Golf Competition will take place on Friday, 8th July 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 and anyone – including non-members of the club – is welcome to play or attend the presentation dinner afterwards. Please email at simon@pacific-lifestyle.co.uk if you would like any further details. 40
Soccer
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MARTYN HIC KS
DIVISION 4 Played Pts EADERS – things are going well! 11 28 The Almondburians Football Club Colton III 8 21 continue to sweep all before Almondburians Thornesians Res 10 19 them (except Lindley Liberal in the Norristhorpe 8 18 District Invitation Cup 1-2 and Modernians V 8 16 Thornesians Reserves on 22nd Leeds City OB Res 10 15 January 3-4 ... ouch!). Apart from that Batelians III 11 14 we are unbeaten, but most East Ardsley Res 11 13 9 9 importantly we were drawn against Hudds Amateurs III 10 8 Collegians, four divisions higher than us Centralians III 9 3 in the Yorkshire Old Boys Cup. You will Shadwell Res 9 2 be delighted to know that we sent them Sandal Athletic Res back to Salendine Nook with their rears tanned as 2-0 losers. Magnanimous in victory? Not on that day! We are pushing ahead with plans for the reformation of a Reserves XI next season.
Tennis
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AND RE W HAIGH
HE 2011 Almondburian Tennis season will run from Thursday, 9th June, until Thursday, 25th August. We shall play on the School tennis courts each Thursday evening between those dates, weather permitting, from 7.15 pm until dusk. 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 the princely sum of ÂŁ3.00 per person, per evening. Almondburian tennis is purely social, so why not come along and join us? 41
REPUTATIONS
Frank Anderson remembered
No teacher has attracted a greater mixture of emotions amongst Old Almondburians than English master Frank Anderson (1950-1964). Three contributors look back with respect and appreciation. David Morphet
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RANK ANDERSON consistently demanded the full attention of his class, frequently dropping on the unwary. Not everyone liked his all-too-often sarcastic promptings or appreciated his trademark objects of scorn (which memorably included the school stronghold of geography, or ‘coloured pencils’ as he put it). But for me he was an inspirational teacher and it was certainly due to his influence and encouragement that, after considerable head-scratching, I opted to read English after winning a place to read History. Fragments of Frank’s teaching
linger. It is as much due to him as anything that Ezra Pound and Louis MacNeice feature in my latest collection of verse – both poets were prominent in Frank’s literary pantheon. And I have used an Anderson leitmotif – ‘sincere self-deceit’ – throughout my life, having found it apposite in all manner of situations. Beneath a private, rather guarded, exterior were powers of sympathy which surprised when one saw them in practical operation, as when he had some of the Sixth Form help him with Saturday radio broadcasts to patients in local hospitals. (It was local news snippets that we had to read out - the studio was in the old Huddersfield Tech building.) After a
Frank Anderson came to Almondbury Grammar School as Senior English Master in 1950, with a BA degree from Hull University. He spent his National Service during the war in the Mediterranean in Air Sea Rescue, but modestly claimed to have spent most of his time asleep in front of a radar set. Before his demob, he made use of his excellent French by running a bar in Nice. At King James’s, he was always known as ‘Jock Anderson’ because of his Scottish antecedents. Caustic in tongue and a terror to the slacker, he could yet display the greatest kindness to a boy in trouble. He pioneered school drama productions using a makeshift stage in the gymnasium before the present purpose-built stage became available in 1963. In 1964, he left to become Head of English at Dinnington Comprehensive School, Sheffield.A close friend there, as Head of Art, was Old Almondburian John Mellard (19491954); he remembers him as kind colleague, albeit a little distant to some. In due course Frank became an efficient and thorough Deputy Head at Dinnington. 42
ly, the Andersons’ only child Ian was killed on the nearby M1 in a motorbike accident, aged 17 or 18. Frank himself died not long after retirement.
David Morphet (1951-1958) went on to Cambridge, where he studied English, French and Italian literature before joining HM Diplomatic Service. He later moved to the Department of Energy and then the private sector. A successful author and poet, David publishes his work at www.notionbooks.co.uk.
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David Heptonstall
LTHOUGH the school had a long tradition of Gilbert & Sullivan productions, an annual school play had not figured largely in the activities at AGS ( or KJGS as it should be) until Frank arrived. His first school play was Noah by Andre Obey in which he cast me as the Tiger; he had been in the RAF, in Air/Sea rescue, and I’m sure that this enabled him to provide the Tiger with a yellow/orange thick kapok-lined flying overall painted with stripes – I recall sweating mightily in this at each performance! He went on to establish annual productions, mainly of Shakespeare, and encouraged my theatrical ambitions; I especially
gifted Almondburian, John Victor Emsley, died in 1955 at the age of 20 while at Leeds University, Frank, knowing the quality of his verse, felt it should be published. I still have the slim hardback volume A Remarkable Sky. I kept in touch with him after he moved to be Deputy Head of the large Dinnington Comprehensive near Sheffield, where I have the impression that he developed a mellower character. I saw him in this role when invited to speak at the Dinnington Speech Day in 1979 or 1980, and on various occasions called on him and Vera when my wife and I and our three small children were on our way to and from Yorkshire. My strongest memories are in fact of Frank as he neared the end of his career.Tragical-
Frank Anderson’s 1957 production of Twelfth Night (left to right): G Bedford (Feste); David Morphet (Sir Andrew Aguecheek); David Heptonstall (Sir Tony Belch); R Pickering (Maria); David Cliffe (Malvolio)
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(Top): Frank seems less than engrossed in the proceedings at the School v Huddersfield College sports day at Aspley in 1952. ‘Nipper’ Newton in the foreground is monitoring the finishing line, while George Beach (distant centre) is keeping a general eye on the race. On the extreme right, Bill Rennison and a distant mill chimney are -– like Frank -– enjoying a quiet smoke. (Bottom): Frank’s mind appears to be more on his next Shakespearean production than the long jump in this action shot at Sports Day in 1953.
remember David Morphet and I playing Aguecheek and Toby Belch in Twelfth Night. Frank was an excellent director and was particularly concerned to develop his actors’ diction and volume. His rehearsals were always well organised and his cast (I think!) enjoyed his blend of encouragement and sarcasm; I certainly did. In the classroom no-one dared to step out of line and his lessons on English grammar, especially clause analysis, brought future benefit to many of us though perhaps we didn’t realise at the time how worthwhile this was. I know that some of his students certainly have no fond memories of him but equally there are many of us who owe a great deal to him
and who remember him with affection and admiration. He also gave us a first-class introduction to literature in general and poetry in particular. Incidentally, before specialist Latin teachers arrived (Tich Blackburn – Classics – had retired two or three years earlier) he started us off with Latin in the second year. I had an unusual opportunity of seeing After a week as a BBC studio manager, David Heptonstall (19491957) became a teacher and in due course became headmaster of Frank F Harrison Comprehensive Community School, Walsall. Having enjoyed acting at school, he became a professional actor on retirement and formed his own company at Matlock.
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Frank came to King James’s on his 125cc motor bike in 1950. When I arrived in 1953 I found a colleague who was already established as a ‘character’, very much ploughing his own furrow and single minded to a point. He never sought popularity, remaining outwardly unbending, yet in small and private ways he could be kindness itself. His lunchtimes would often be spent playing bridge, with colleagues who saw this warmer side – at the same time he gave no quarter! He was a man of great integrity, as straight as his fast bowling which terrified the First XI. He did wear a persona in the classroom, but I recall that the mask slipped when he was saying goodbye in his last assembly. He quoted from John Anderson my jo, changing it to Jock of course, and parodying Burns in a self-deprecating way; the school responded warmly. He had the last laugh, you might say. I always regretted that I did not get to know him better, but he was a good, if robust, colleague with just that touch of individuality which sets apart the authentic teacher.
other aspects of Jock. In the Autumn term, 1960, I was waiting after graduation to take up a post with the BBC and Harry Taylor asked me to work at the school as a general Arts supply teacher; so after only three years away from AGS there I was in the staffroom with all the teachers I had known as a student! It seems to me that I gravitated quite naturally to the more disreputable section of the staff and at lunchtimes I found myself playing bridge with Frank against George Beach and Walter Haigh! I was very much a learner at the game and Frank was certainly an unforgiving partner but he improved my game considerably – he also introduced me to duplicate bridge at the Huddersfield Bridge Club. After so many years I can still hear his voice, usually having a go at me. He was very much involved in Huddersfield’s hospital broadcasting service and on two or three occasions he invited me to help with programmes. I look back on my time with Frank Anderson and regard him as one of the three major influences on my education – the other two being Jim Toomey and Harry Taylor.
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Dr Jim Toomey (1953-1968) taught Latin at King James’s for 15 years and concluded his teaching career as Deputy Head of Bromsgrove County High School. He was awarded a Doctorate by the University of Birmingham in 1997 and was editor of Records of Hanley Castle, Worcestershire c. 1147-1547 published by The Worcestershire Historical Society.
Jim Toomey
RANK ANDERSON was certainly dedicated to scholarly matters. This meant that he appealed to and inspired the more able students but found it difficult to relate positively to the less capable unless they showed some desire to improve. His standards were very high and pupils had to meet them.
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Letter from Porthcawl
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DAVE BUSH
HE rapidity with which your esteemed editor’s request for another Letter from Porthcawl comes around is a disquieting reminder of how quickly my days of retirement are passing. Two further events in the latter part of 2010 emphasised this. The first was when Margaret and I celebrated our Golden Wedding with a family gathering in Scotland. This was equalled, although Margaret will say ‘superseded’, by my second Golden Wedding in November. She always said that I was married to the school first and her second! (I slip that exclamation mark in as I really do wish to emphasise her feeling and secondly to annoy Andrew Taylor who has in the past declared that I use too many). The first week in November 2010 was exactly fifty years since a shy little Lincolnshire lad slipped through the Old Kitchen Entrance to begin his teaching practice from Leeds University. Now there I was at the OAS Dinner so many
years on, well retired and a little less retiring, to propose the toast to the school but mainly to sing the praises of two former colleagues and very long serving members of staff,Walter Raleigh and Patrick O’Brien. Both in their turn spoke so eloquently, Patrick managing to spend longer on his feet than the famously garrulous Walter. There was also a very special moment for me as I managed to have my photo taken with the three students whom I considered the most able I have ever taught, Ruth Ainley (1979-1984), Bryan Hopkinson(19671974) and Martin Priestley(1963-1971). The following morning I joined a fair sized party of Old Almondburians on the traditional walk from School to Church for the Founders’ Day service. This was another most moving and worthwhile occasion but where, oh where were the representatives of the school? Not a single one. I cannot believe that if invited some pupils, staff and parents would not wish to attend. My time Andrew Taylor at the post service gathering was brief as I then drove over to Snaith where the aforementioned Ruth Ainley had arranged a superb Most able: Dave Bush with former pupils Ruth Ainley, Bryan Hopkinson and Martin Priestley 46
Roger L’Amie
Tom Jenkins (ringed) is now 4 living in the south of France. 3 20 21 On this 1996 photograph of 2 1 teachers and support staff: 38 1. Sue Cope 2. Nick Fazakerley 3. Sue Brown 4. Vicky Dawson 5. Anne Ferguson 6. Shirley Thackray 7. Mike Rattigan 8. Steve McNamara 9. Mary Bell, 10. Ian Gatenby 11.Tom Jenkins 12. Jay Snow 13. Graham Ormerod 14. Walter Raleigh 15. Dave Bradford 16. Chris Temperton 17. Gordon Griffin 18. John Shaw 19. Gillian Sykes 20. Sheilagh Hunter 21. Patrick O’Brien 22. Francesca ? 23. Judith Rushby 24. Angela Melling 25. Lesley Eaton 26. Sarah Watkin 27. Ethel Lumb 28. Ailsa Griffiths 29. Sue Hacker 30. Ann Turner 31. Carol Duncan 32. Kath Emerson 33. Christine Hazle 34. Lesley Walker 35. Joy Stainforth 36. Vicky Manchester 37. Dr Roger L’Amie 38. Liz Armitage 39. Pam Breeze 40. Robert Tellez 41. Nicole Green 42. Joan Shaw 43. Dave Bush 44. Clive Watkins (Headteacher) 45. Trevor Sykes 46. Bernard Redfern 47. Pat Reid 48. Jack Taylor 49.Val Lingard 50. Linda Woodhead 51. Lynda Dale 52. Carolyn Thirlwell Absent: John Eaton, Jo Hall
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Our thanks to Nicky Green for identification
spread for some twenty people who included Alan Clayton (1979-1984) Rachel née Nixon(1979-1984) and Bob (1973-1989) and Janice Field. I must mention that on our way
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north we stayed with honorary Old Almondburian, Dr Peter Griffin and his wife, Liz. Peter, Vice Principal at Greenhead College, always had a special regard for KJS and enjoyed his Thursday night badminton sessions at the school for many years. Now Peter has a house in the south of France and had told me on the telephone that he was sure that a former member of the KJS staff was living in the vicinity as he regularly saw him in the market at Lodève. I produced a staff photo and he immediately pointed to Tom Jenkins, our former and largerthan-life Head of Science, classroom raconteur and member of our barber shop quartet. Jack Taylor always said that the only sure way of getting Tom to practice was to leave a trail of Mars bars from the staff to music room. Peter will now approach him to learn more. Two other developments I found
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encouraging over the dinner weekend. [Younger readers please note: Lodge’s Firstly the revived Almondburians’ was one of Huddersfield’s first soccer team is defeating all comers - supermarkets, based on the site of the their exploits can be followed on The old Waterloo cinema]. And “That’s the Yorkshire Old Boys website - and we second flask you’ve broken,” retorted the former players are so grateful to Martyn chemistry master acidly. Duncan must also have been the only Hicks (1970-1975) for his efforts. Secondly the proposed revised national teacher ever to complete his register curriculum in England will include five with a ruler.The / and \ marks to denote compulsory subjects, one of which must am and pm attendance were filled in every Friday lunch time so be a language. The latter does not have to be modern so “I must now that his records were a work of art. here is the opportunity for assume my Inevitably it now seems I Latin to become a core Victor must assume my Victor subject at KJS. So many of us Meldrew Meldrew mantle on some hope the chance will be mantle …” matter educational. Last time seized .I quote yet again Taylor Dyson’s words from his speech in it was reports; this time it is exams. It is 1945. “Whatever happens …see to it that simply a plea to revert to something the old school is just slightly different resembling the old formal way of from any other school.” To maintain a examining pupils. I talk frequently to strong classical tradition is surely one teachers here in Wales and they confess that the present system involving teacher way of guaranteeing this. From optimism to sadness. I heard assessment, coursework and use of the via Dr John Hargreaves (1971-1990) of internet is widely abused. This was perfectly illustrated by the death of Duncan Clarkson*, former Head of Modern Languages at King what happened in my daughter James’s Grammar School. A Cambridge Catherine’s GCE French group. A pupil man who demanded and obtained high was required to translate a short passage standards from his charges, Duncan had from English into French as part of her a great sense of humour and loved coursework. ‘I’ve done it , Miss. I’ve playing with language. I remember his done it’, said she waving the overdue pinning a found key on the staff notice piece above her head. Catherine looked board with a note attached which read ‘a at it .’Thank you,’ she said. ’ The only qui?’ When we were having a daily problem is that it is in Spanish’. The girl ‘Clever Use of Adverbs Competition’ had pressed the wrong key. ’Chinese this Duncan was the master. I recall two.“If time?’ asked Catherine when the second wages go up prices must follow,” said the effort was produced. She expected a supermarket manager ‘lodgically’”. complaint from the parent for undermining daughter’s self confidence. *Obituary: page 51 I rest my case. 48
Postbag
YO U W RITE …
In praise of ’Appy ’Arry
From Dr John Comyn (1953-1961)
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whole school sang one of the Sea Songs, with the memorable phrase ‘Drake is in is Zammock’. Other memorable items were The Heavens Are Telling from Haydn’s Creation at a Founders’ Day Service, Roberton’s All in the April Evening and The Long Day Closes by Sullivan. Apart from the six years I spent studying chemistry, I have been singing ever since. I now sing in Leicester Bach Choir. It is a great privilege to sing bass in a good choir, and especially to perform such masterpieces as Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, Mozart’s Requiem and Bach’s Mass in B minor, just to name a few. Singing has been a very important part of my life, and this owes a lot to the apprenticeship I served with ’Appy ’Arry. If education is about preparing pupils for future life, then Harry Gledhill did a very good job on me and
HAVE only just joined the Old Almondburians’ Society, and the magazine has made me aware that there have been criticisms of Harry Gledhill. I thought I should add my views. Shortly after I arrived at AGS (as it was in 1953) Harry Gledhill auditioned every boy in the class, who was told whether or not he was in the School Choir. I was in, and never had any enthiasiasm for it, and when my voice broke I was glad to be out of it. However at the next Speech Day I was fascinated to hear the School Choir sing in four parts; I found it very interesting and actually volunteered to join; I was warmly accepted. The first performance was of Stanford’s Sea Songs with Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra in the Town Hall. I had a very limited vocal range and found it hard, but enjoyed it. The School Choir was a highlight for me for the rest of my time at Almondbury, and the standard achieved was high. Certainly all the volunteers in the basses and tenors were inspired by ’Appy ’Arry. At the next Speech Day the
John Comyn (back) in 1959. Coincidentally, his classmate Barry Livesey, who writes about Harry Gledhill overleaf, is front left; John Goodall, one of our latest new members (page 5), is front right 49
many of my contemporaries. I should add in conclusion that he played the organ at Woodhouse Church when I
married Greenhead Girl Hilary Brook in 1965. Huncote, Leicestershire
George’s orchestra was ‘alright on the night’
From Barry Livesey (1953-1961)
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READ with interest Martin Priestley’s piece on George Beach and the school orchestra. I had never realised that I seem to have been the founding timpanist –two performances at the School Fair! I wasn’t a timpanist at all but George knew that I played a side drum in the Milnsbridge Scout band. Would I give it a go? “Yes alright”; and George took me to two evening sessions of the Huddersfield Youth Orchestra where I acquired sufficient knowledge to get through the pieces that we were playing, one of which was Handel’s music for the Royal Fireworks. I have no recollection of being particularly grateful at the time for the effort that he was making for me but looking back now I certainly should have
been. ‘Scratch orchestra’ is not really adequate to describe the miscellany of instruments and players that George assembled but he welded it all together and as they say it was ‘alright on the night’ (or actually the afternoon). I knew little of George’s involvement in farming. I took a degree in agriculture and was involved in the industry for nearly 30 years. When I look at photos of George now I see a strongly built broad-chested man who would have been good to have on a farm in the ’40s when so much was still done by hand. He clearly made a very big difference to the lives of many young Almondburians. Shefford, Bedfordshire
George Beach and his valiant band of musicians in 1959
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Obituaries
G O N E B UT NOT FOR GOT TEN JAMES MAHONEY (1949–1953)
Fourth year school-leaver who managed the largest taxi firm outside London We are sorry to learn very belatedly of the death of James Mahoney from cancer in a Hampshire hospice on 8th December 2009. Sadly, he was not in touch with the rest of his family who only heard of his death towards the end of 2010. He was 71. Jimmy Mahoney left King James’s School (or Almondbury Grammar School as it was then known) at the end of his fourth year and so did not take any GCEs. He was a well-liked class-mate who got on with all his fellow pupils. His sister Vicki Hinchcliffe, who attended Longley Hall School, tells us that James was always full of fun and was very popular with all who knew him. He lived for many years in the Portsmouth/Southsea area where, after working in a number of commercial establishments, he eventually became the manager of the largest taxi firm outside London, a job he held for fifteen years prior to his retirement. He was twice married and had two children and three step-children. His brother and sisters all remember him fondly and only regret that he was not good at keeping in touch. David Heptonstall
DUNCAN CLARKSON (1970-1977)
Modern languages teacher who was a stalwart of the model railway society The Almondburian learns with regret of the death of former Head of Modern Languages, Duncan Clarkson. A Cambridge graduate, he will be remembered not only for his effective teaching and able control of the French Department but also for his many activities outside the classroom. Siddon will miss the House Master who led them to many successes during his period of office. The Locomotive Society, biggest in numbers and most restricted in quarters of all the school societies in his time, owed everything to his enthusiasm. The Almondburian itself, then the official school magazine, could not have continued without his business acumen in raising money from advertisements. 51
JEFFREY NEILSON TAYLOR (1966-1972)
Former professional footballer who went on to become an international opera star Jeffrey Neilson Taylor died on 28th December 2010 at the age of 80. He had battled against cancer for some years. Jeff became an amateur soccer player with Huddersfield Town while still at school in 1943. After National Service from 1947-1949, he gained a BA (Hons) degree in Geography and Geology at University College, London, funding his studies by turning professional with Huddersfield Town in a debut match against Chelsea. While at Town, he scored 29 goals in 71 appearances. As he was studying in London, he welcomed the opportunity in due course to transfer to Fulham in 1952. At Craven Cottage, he scored 14 goals in 33 games, playing alongside Johnny Haynes, Jimmy Hill and Bobby Robson. He then spent three years with Brentford, scoring 34 goals in 94 League matches before suffering a badly broken cheek bone which finally persuaded him to give up football in favour of a career in music.When he retired in 1958, the Brentford chairman offered him an extra £1 a week if he would consider signing a new contract. Jeff had become deeply involved in music making while at university, and spent five years studying at the Royal Academy of Music in parallel with his footballing activities. His retirement from football presented the opportunity to embark on a successful career as the singer Neilson Taylor, making many radio and television broadcasts, appearing at Glyndebourne with Glyndebourne Opera Company and at Covent Garden. While at Glyndebourne, Pavarotti introduced him to his own voice teacher Ettore Campogalliani with whom he studied in Milan. In 1974, he was appointed Professor of Singing at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama whilst continuing as a top performer on radio and television. Jeff was regarded as one of the finest baritones of his generation, and was also a talented pianist, composer and teacher. His repertoire was enormous, ranging from musicals (he appeared alongside Broadway star Elaine Stritch in Annie Get Your Gun) to Gilbert & Sullivan and classical opera. Jeff retired from RSAMD in 1992 but continued to teach privately at the highest level for some years. He was the elder brother of former Yorkshire and England cricketer Ken Taylor. Jeff Taylor’s memories of his schooldays, together with musical extracts, can be heard on the OAS website at http://tinyurl.com/3alp776. His recording of Procida’s Aria from Verdi’s opera The Sicilian Vespers has recently been re-released by Chandos on a ‘Verdi Celebration’ CD (CHAN3067). 52
DAVID HEPPENSTALL MELLOR (1948-1955)
Consultant Neurologist who became a world registrar for the ‘alternative’ Goons David Mellor, former Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, died in Nottingham on 13th October, 2010, aged 73. He qualified at Leeds University as MRCP in 1964 before moving to London’s University College Hospital and then to Great Ormond Street Hospital. A job in Philadelphia, USA in the Children’s Hospital was followed by a lectureship in Child Health at Aberdeen University and Senior Registrar at the Children’s Hospital. In 1973 he was appointed the first-ever Consultant in Paediatric Neurology at Nottingham’s University Queen’s Medical Centre where he remained until he retired as Senior Paediatric Consultant. While at King James’s, David won the Photographic Society’s Whitehead Trophy and composed poetry and humorous articles for The Almondburian; and in sport, he competed for Dartmouth at swimming, shot putting and throwing the discus. He is reputed to have overtaken Happy Harry’s car when cycling down Somerset Road and was banned from cycling to School for three months. At Nottingham, David organised hospital pantomimes with senior Medical Centre colleagues in unlikely roles. On retirement, as a charitable stunt, he cajoled the hospital hairdressing team to shave off his remaining hair and his beard and he began to sport one ear-ring. He planned to occupy himself with jazz, gardening, clarinet, skiing, hill walking, narrow boating, cycling and photography, not forgetting home improvements, cocktails, travel and ‘computering’. David was the best of company, interested in people, a good listener, and ‘sagacious, bold and turbulent of wit’, which made for hectic and hilarious repartee and gales of laughter reminiscent of schooldays on the mornings after The Goon Show. Indeed, he joined the ‘alternative’ Goons (the Guild Of One-Name Studies) and became world registrar for Heptonstall and similar surnames*, publishing his findings entitled Born Hep or Born to be Hep. David had four children: Harry, Sophie, Joseph and Polly by his first wife from whom he separated in 1983. His fifth child, Betsy-Ann Mei, now a teenager, was born after his 1986 marriage to Yin, a Consultant Paediatrician. John Earnshaw and Gerald Stead *Other luminaries include Old Almondburian David Heptonstall (1949-1957) and Huddersfield-born writer and radio producer Rayner Heppenstall.
OLGA IRELAND
The Almondburian is sorry to record the death at the age of 79 of Olga Ireland, wife of former PE teacher Ken Ireland, on 24th November 2010. Olga was very supportive of the School and took a keen interest in the Old Almondburians’ Society. 53
AUSTIN HOLROYD (1936-1941)
Former foundry owner who became a writer and prolific newspaper correspondent Austin Holroyd, a contributor to The Almondburian as recently as March 2010, died on 5th December after a short illness. He was 85. Austin was born in Holmfirth but sadly lost his mother when he was five and was brought up by an aunt and uncle. After early schooling in the Holme Valley, he was awarded a scholarship to Almondbury Grammar School, as it was then known, in 1936. He developed a deep affection for the School and what it did for him; so much so that in later life he often returned to give talks to pupils about the School in the days of Taylor Dyson. He described his decision to go to Almondbury Grammar School as “one of the best decisions I ever made in my life”. Austin left School after the Fifth Form to join the Public Assistance Department of Huddersfield Corporation. Then after a spell as a lorry driver (no licence being required in those days) he joined the Navy and spent over three years travelling around the far east. Austin then joined the family firm of Crowther and Gee, a successful foundry business in Firth Street.The company was sold in 1986, at which point Austin joined forces with a son and a friend to set up a rubber mouldings company, Huddersfield Polymeric, which was sold on Austin’s retirement in 1992 Austin was a man of many interests. He had a lifelong love of sport, having become secretary of Thongsbridge Cricket Club while still a schoolboy. He supported Huddersfield Rugby League Club for many years, and later played golf at Woodsome Hall, becoming club captain in 1988. A keen writer, his love of golf led to him researching the history of Woodsome Hall and publishing a book Woodsome—The Place and its People. He also became an equestrian columnist for the Huddersfield Examiner, having taken up horse riding and become a District Commissioner of the Pony Club.In recent years, he became a prolific contributor to the Huddersfield Examiner letters pages. For many years, Austin was a member of the Freemasons’ Connaught Lodge, and he was a volunteer with the Samaritans. Austin was an enthusiastic member of The Old Almondburians’ Society and could always be relied upon to support its activities. He was an active member of the team planning the OAS events to mark the School’s 400th Anniversary. Austin Holroyd’s memories of his schooldays, recorded in 2006, can be heard on the OAS website at http://tinyurl.com/3927aza. 54
Bob Goldsmith (1935-1942) writes: Over a period of several years in later life, Austin and I used to meet in York every six weeks or so. In the hotel by the station we shared a bottle of wine and had a modest sandwich lunch. He then caught the train back to Huddersfield and I returned by train to Scarborough. On these occasions we were always properly dressed.We wore our old school ties. Austin considered himself lucky to have been admitted to Almondbury Grammar School. He attributed this slice of good fortune to the fact that Holmfirth had once been part of the parish of Almondbury. It also obliged him to submit to a time consuming series of bus journeys between home to school, except in high summer when he could use his bicycle. We had various things in common. We had both started our long years of education at Stile Common Council School when we were four years old. We were not contemporaries: I was the elder by just over a year. My parents moved house to Almondbury before I was five. Austin’s fate was to go to Outer Mongolia (Holmfirth) not long afterwards. We did eventually sit in the same classroom but not until the academic year 19411942.We both belonged to Form 6 (Arts), an exclusive coterie.There were two members of the Upper Sixth (Philip Bean and me) and two of the Lower Sixth (Austin and ‘Dagger’ Lee). Neither of these two completed the academic year; Austin absconded to take up a clerical job with the Town Council and Dagger vanished down south where he prospered in business. The unfairness that can accompany the process of ageing did not spare Austin. From the age of 70 a driving licence can be renewed every three years if there are no reasons for refusal. Austin had some history of eye troubles, which obliged him to submit to an examination when his licence came up for renewal. Some six years ago, to his chagrin, it was not renewed and it destroyed much of his independence. He did his best to restore some of it by using a motor scooter with which he could manage to reach his beloved Woodsome Hall in one direction and the village of Almondbury on the other. Then came a further disaster. In trying to cross a ramp near Woodsome he fell backwards from his motor and broke a bone in his thigh.This injury meant a long process of rehabilitation. Eventually he seemed to have recovered. He saw fit to take the train, this time all the way to Scarborough last October, just before his 85th birthday. He was last man off the train and tackled the long platform, upright and steadily with a stately gait and no walking stick to help him. That is how I like to remember him. By that time I knew what a noble part he had played in the affairs of the town in which he had lived most of his life. He used to send me copies of his contributions to the Huddersfield Examiner and the Yorkshire Post. Only a few days before he died I received his comments printed in the Huddersfield Examiner on the dislocation visited on the residents of Hyde Park in Almondbury by the proximity of a bank cash machine and a layby for school buses. My wife always had difficulty in remembering the name ‘Holroyd’. She called him ‘Kilroy’ and he seemed to like this.When he telephoned he said “Kilroy here!” His departure is a major loss to those who knew him well. I am glad to have been one of them.
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