November 2013 issuu

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

November 2013

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IN THIS ISSUE

A word from your Editor OAS Calendar From the study … and back at the School Annual Dinner/Founders’ Day OAS Membership How I ended up ‘down under’ Gerald Hinchliffe: Historian Every picture tells a story Farnley Lines Now it’s Michael Jackson – the Movie Cricket Tennis Badminton My expedition to Nepal Sir David Brown – Industrialist Terry’s Teaser Postbag Obituary

(Opposite): This stylistic scraperboard drawing of the School entrance was by art master Edward Akroyd (1922-1957).The names of the four School houses are engraved into the stonework while a teacher addresses his class above.

The ALMONDBURIAN Editor: Roger Dowling

November 2013

The magazine of The Old Almondburians’ Society

A word from your editor

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RO G E R D OWLING

OR those intending to attend this year’s Annual Dinner, it’s not too late to get your application in NOW, but we ask you to do it quickly.The return to the School has proved a popular decision and we’re expecting a big turn-out on the day. It will be a special occasion marking both the 100th anniversary ofTaylor Dyson’s arrival in 1913 and the 10th anniversary of the arrival of the present head teacher Robert Lamb in 2003. Rebecca Addy, the winner of our Fred Hudson Expedition Bursary last year, will also be attending to tell us all about her trip – you can read her full report on page 27. Don’t leave your Dinner application too late or you could be disappointed: full details of the Dinner and how to apply are given on page 10.

Just as we went to press last time, we were sorry to learn of the death of Gerald Hinchliffe, our official historian and author of The History of King James’s Grammar School. We remind ourselves of the big contribution he made to the School and the Old Almondburians’ Society in a special feature on page 14.

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Old Almondburian Michael Jackson has been mentioned two or three times in recent issues of The Almondburian, most recently when Jim Toomey revealed that the young Jackson was responsible in his schooldays for a mock-Latin poem in the magazine. Sadly, he died prematurely of Parkinson’s Disease but his fame as a specialist writer about beer and whisky lives on all over the world. Now we learn (see page 22) that an entertaining full-length video Beer Hunter –The Movie has been made about his life.

Finally, we thank Ken Leech in Australia for writing to tell us about his life ‘down under’. We’d like to print more ‘My Life’ features so if you’ve had a varied career that might be of interest to others do drop us a line.

OLD ALMONDBURIANS’ SOCIETY CALENDAR

DATES OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, 2013 The Executive Committee of the Society meets upstairs at the Woolpack in Almondbury, at 7.30 pm. Meetings are usually held on the first Monday of the month, although there are exceptions due to Bank Holidays and school holidays, and there is no meeting in August. Any member of the Society who would like to attend one of these meetings will be made most welcome on the following dates: Monday, 7th October; Monday, 4th November; Monday, 2nd December.

Almondbury Parish Church will be held the day after the Annual Dinner, Sunday, 24th November, at 11.00 am. Almondburians are invited to assemble in Big Tree Yard at 10.30 am for the traditional procession up the hill.

The Executive Committee would urge all Almondburians to make every effort to attend this event. It would help if you are able to indicate in the space provided on the Annual Dinner ticket application form whether or not you expect to attend the Founders’ Day Service as well, but it is not essential and you are most welcome to turn up on the day if you are able.

ANNUAL DINNER This year’s Annual Dinner will be held at the School on Saturday, 23rd November.

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.

BADMINTON We play in the school sports hall every Thursday evening during term time, from 7.30 pm until 9.30 pm, until the season ends on Thursday, 22nd May. (No badminton on Thursday, 7th November because of examinations). Cost is £6.00 per person per evening.

FOUNDERS’ DAY The Traditional Founders’ Day Service at

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held at the ‘Woolpack’,Almondbury on Monday, 6th January 2014 at 7.30 pm. Nominations for office on the Executive Committee are required by the Secretary in advance of this date, so that the election of officers can take place at the Annual General Meeting in accordance with Rule Eight.

All members are urged to make every effort to attend the Annual General Meeting.

Andrew Haigh, Secretary 4

From the study

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RO B E RT LAMB

A year of change for the School but after another year of fine results King James’s continues to be the school of choice for Kirklees parents HE past year at King James’s School has been extremely memorable and in some respects a real eye-opener. Memorable because of all the changes that have taken place in such a short period and an eye-opener because we have had to get used to a new way of working. The reason for all of this has been our change of status from a school under local authority control to an Academy.

We started as an Academy on 1st September 2012 and the new freedoms and extra finance has allowed us to make many changes. Extra teaching staff have been employed in English, Mathematics and Languages allowing us to reduce class sizes. We have also employed extra support staff to take on some of our new responsibilities.

In addition, the extra funding has allowed us to make major changes to the fabric of the school and invest further in our ICT infrastructure and facilities.Although the extra finance has been really useful, all it has done is to highlight how badly funded we were in the past. Our funding per student is still the lowest in Kirklees and less than half of that of some other schools.

Hopefully equality will be restored when a national funding formula is introduced. The school will then

receive the funding it deserves allowing us to implement all the changes that will benefit our students.

The school continues to be oversubscribed with the demand for places in Year 7 far exceeding the numbers available. This is spectacular when you consider that our six nearest Secondary schools all have a surplus of places, with at least two of them being less than half full. Our reputation in Kirklees continues to grow and we are becoming the school of choice for an increasing number of parents.

It’s no surprise really, as every year we are receiving national recognition for our work and this year has been no different. At the end of June we had a lovely surprise when we received two accolades. We were informed by the schools network organisation SSAT that we were in the top 20% of schools nationally for the progress that our students make during their time at the school and that the average GCSE grade that our students achieve also puts us in the top 20% of schools nationally. To receive these awards was absolutely wonderful and shows that all the hard work done by our students and staff is being recognised.

We are hopeful that we will receive more national recognition during the

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current academic year, especially after another year of record breaking GCSE results. Our results are just getting better and better with every new Year 11 cohort endeavouring to set new records. The highlights of the 2013 results are shown in the charts on the right.

Unlike many schools who achieve results boosted by less rigorous qualifications, the vast majority of our results are based on either GCSEs or widely respected vocational qualifications.

We are obviously extremely proud of these stunning results and look forward with anticipation to our Speech Night at Huddersfield Town Hall on Thursday 14th November when we can celebrate the successes achieved by our students and staff. It should be a very memorable evening and it would be wonderful to see a

72.4%

98.3%

Students achieving 5+A*-C passes (including English and Mathematics)

Students achieving 5+A*-C passes

Over 30%

85% Students achieving an A*-C in Mathematics

GCSE grades either A* or A

large contingent of Old Almondburians in attendance.

Finally, I should like to thank all members of the Old Almondburians’ Society for their continued support of and interest in King James’s School.

It’s smiles all round as the School receives accolades from SSAT. Left to right: Daniel Stalmach (head boy); Jack Medley-Hill (deputy head boy); Robert Lamb; Megan Taylor (deputy head girl); Emma Appleyard (head girl).

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…and back at the School

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Local councillor raises parking issues

HE School has been in an unseemly row with a local councillor regarding car parking. For the past five years, the School has been forced to use a staff car park at the rear of the site for two temporary classrooms.When an application for a renewal of planning permission - normally a formality -was submitted earlier this year, Cllr Phil Scott, a former HGV driver and parent governor at Almondbury High School, recommended that the planning committee should require the classrooms to be removed or that the staff should be required to park on school premises and not at the top of St Helen’s Gate.

Chairman of King James’s governors, Brian Stahelin (left), said that he was incensed at Cllr Scott’s unfounded objections. “The School is full and over-subscribed,” he said. “If the classrooms had been removed we would not have been able to educate all the children in September.” Robert Lamb said that the councillor’s actions were “a disgrace” and in his 10 years at the School he had not received a single objection from residents.

Following a site visit, the council approved the continuation of the classrooms, subject to the School producing a ‘travel plan’ to minimise traffic to and from the School.

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Log tables - 2013 style

HE School has created a new outdoor classroom.

Whilst PE is traditionally taught outside in the summer months, the School has been exploring ways of making better use of outdoor spaces.

The Maths department use the 12 tree trunk seats arranged in a 360º circle to explore a range of mathematical concepts.The English department currently use it for reading, while the Science department uses it to study biodiversity.There are future plans to use the area as a theatre space.

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Pupils ‘shadow’ the Carnegie Book Award

IGHT pupils have each read eight books in eight weeks, meeting each Friday to discuss the books and decide which they thought should win the coveted Carnegie award.

The ‘official’ Carnegie Award is presented each year by members of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).This year’s winner was Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner - a firm favourite with King James’s School pupils. “It was agreed that this book deserved to win,” said Jenny Ainger, the manager of the Independent Learning Centre. “ It’s a memorable story.” Jenny is pictured above with (left to right) Rachael Swallow, ZoeYouds, Emma Hynes, Megan Gardner and Holly Bachas-Brook.

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Year 8 pupils are challenged to design rocket-propelled cars

)EAR 8 students received a visit from a team of engineers from the Turnbridge firm Cummins Turbo Technologies and were challenged to design, make and present their own rocketpropelled models.

The company has a hand in developing the Bloodhound supersonic car which is bidding to achieve a 1,000 mph world land speed record. Cummins are working with a number of Yorkshire high schools to help engage children in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

Some of the students’ model cars, taking part in races on the tennis courts, achieved speeds up to 60 mph.

Darren McGlynn of Cummins Turbo Technologies is pictured with (left to right) Olivia Buchanan,Will Heywood and assistant principal Rebecca Walton.

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King James’s hosts the Anne Frank travelling exhibition

IEAR 9 students have been learning about the life of Anne Frank, thanks to a travelling exhibition organised by the Anne Frank Trust.

The aim is to use the story of Anne Frank’s life, her hiding from the Nazis and subsequent death in a concentration camp to teach children about the dangers of prejudice in the modern world.

TwentyYear 9 students volunteered as ‘ambassadors’ and were trained up on the first day of the exhibition.Throughout the following two weeks they were the exhibition experts and took other classes, staff from other schools and the wider public around the stands.

The students are pictured here with some of the exhibition material.

SUDOKU

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Each row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain the digits 1 to 9

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Difficulty: hard

2 9

6

7

8 5 7 1

5 9 8 6

1 4 9 3

2 3 8 6

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5

5 9 1

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Annual Dinner/Founders’ Day

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The return to School proves a hit as ticket applications flood in HE decision to return to King James’s for the Annual Dinner seems to be popular with OAS members and those wishing to apply for tickets are urged to do so without delay. The event will be on Saturday, 23rd November at 6.30 pm for 7.30 pm. The ticket price remains at £27.50 and an application form is included with this magazine; alternatively, you can apply online at the OAS website www.oas.org.uk.

It will be a special occasion for a number of reasons. This year is the 100th anniversary of the arrival at the School of legendary headmaster Taylor Dyson and we shall be talking to Dr Ron Edwards (1936-1943) about his memories of the great man.

It’s also the 10th anniversary of the arrival of present head teacher Robert Lamb who will talk about its successes over the past ten years and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead following last year’s change to academy status.

We’ll also be welcoming back Rebecca Addy, winner of last year’s Fred Hudson Expedition Bursary, who used the award to help fund a trekking trip to Nepal where she worked with a small team to teach and help to provide educational facilities at a small village

school near Chitwan.

[Report: page 27]. We’ll be talking to Rebecca about the expedition.

And of c o u r s e there’ll be plenty of time to meet old friends to reminisce –and maybe make a few new ones. Get your ticket application in now, before it’s too late.

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Founders’ Day The usual Founders’ Day service will take place the following day, Sunday 24th November, at Almondbury Parish Church. It will start at 11.00 am (half an hour earlier than in previous years) so the procession up St Helen’s Gate will be at 10.30 am. Thanks to the efforts of our new Chaplain Rev Stuart Roebuck we are expecting a group of singers from the School Choir to take part this year.

OAS membership

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A ND R E W HAIGH

remember that your £10.00 subscription for 2013-2014 fell due on 1st September.

If you do receive a letter with this newsletter pointing out that your subscription is not up-to-date, please send your payment without delay. As I mentioned above, it does make life much easier if you pay by standing order so, if you can complete the updated standing order mandate that accompanies the letter and return it in the envelope provided, that would be even better! 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.

INCE the last magazine was published, we have been delighted to welcome three new members to the Society: Neil Schofield (1946-54), from Almondbury, Melvyn Haigh (1953-58), from Fenay Bridge Jonathan France, from Cowlersley.

Most members now pay their subscription by standing order, which makes life easy. Of the few who do not, most of you have been especially good this year at sending your subscription payment on time, so thank you!

However, for the very few who do not yet pay by standing order and also haven’t recently made a payment, please

Who are our members?

Members may be interested to see a membership breakdown by date of joining the School. Our present ‘core’ membership joined in the period 1940-1989 but it is good to see a small group from the 1920s and 1930s. It would be good to see more younger members, and contributions to The Almondburian from younger members would be particularly welcome.

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How I ended up ‘down under’ MY LIFE

KEN LEECH (1947-1952)

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Our correspondent was sent to Australia ‘at the request of Her Majesty’, but his career moved in many other directions before he retired in 1998

T’S taken me a long time to get to this, but having been urged, on more than one occasion, by your peripatetic correspondent Dave Bush to get on with it. I’ve also received visits from OAS members such as Mike Powner and his wifeAlice and I’m in sporadic communication with several surviving ’47ers, so I feel that the time has come to explain how I come to be at the other end of the earth.

Well, I was sent here by Her Majesty.

Not in chains you understand; although convict ancestry here has kudos similar to theAmerican First Fleeters, I cannot claim it. Older readers will remember National Service wherein we were all taught to be obedient and clean our shoes. My turn didn’t come up until I was twenty one due to some studies which I was undertaking and I was keen to fly so I opted for Regular service but only in the short term. No ‘lifer’ stuff for me!

To cut a long story short (you’ll see why later), after square bashing etc and certain tests and interviews had revealed that I had some qualities which endeared me to some chaps at the Foreign Office, I found myself dressed in civilian clothes Form 1A poses with Mr Bradbury in May 1948. Ken Leech is ringed.

(tenpence a day civilian clothing allowance) ensconced in a terrace house in Whitehall just opposite to Number 10. I discovered that I had been parked there while my security clearance was increased and then found myself at GCHQ in beautiful downtown Cheltenham. I later discovered that, to my parents’ horror, two men from London in brown trenchcoats and trilby hats had been doorknocking in Marsh and Lindley making enquiries as to my general demeanour with particular regard to politics, drink and so on.

I must have passed the test because I was sent to Hereford to learn all sorts of interesting things from some tough guys who train and play hard. Never having been a camper, the delights of sleeping rough in the Brecon Beacons were not appealing.

With five other members of my group I left Heathrow aboard a BOAC Britannia and proceeded to travel the world on a

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ton. Janine passport dewas born in scribing me as Adelaide and a Governwe often visit ment Official. her relatives The passport there. It’s not is full of blank like you nippages to this ping over to day and at this point the Of- Ken and Janine in the Melbourne’s botanic gardens.The Leeds: it’s 500 miles and ficial Secrets plant behind them is a Waratah, the floral emblem of eight hours in Act prevents New South Wales. me from enlightening you further as to my the car. My sister Judith (Senior) lives at activities but,suffice it to say, I visitedAus- Mount, a home from home for us.

I retired in 1998 and Janine and I sold tralia, saw some amazing things at Woomera and subsequently travelled back our house, added the proceeds in our suto England, paid my ten quid and had a perannuation fund and travelled to Lonfour week cruise on the Arcadia back to don where we bought a Swift Kon Tiki Motorhome and gypsied around Europe where I had just been.

That was 1960 and OZ had a popula- for three years. Upon our return we tion of about 9m. Today it is 22m. There bought a rural block on the Mornington were amazing employment opportunities. Peninsula south of Melbourne where I I opted for sales and marketing and spent take great pleasure in growing seventy five twenty years in the pharmaceutical indus- roses, assorted fruit trees and vegetables, try, starting as a Sales Representative call- and rather less pleasure in mowing six ing on GPs and ending up conducting large lawns. It is here in Rosebud that we clinical trials for the listing of new drugs. have been visited, as aforesaid, by Dave A mid life crisis and an amazing offer saw Bush and his lovely and talented grandme switch to travel as Director of Market- daughter Anna. We travelled around in ing for American Express, and eventually search of wild kangaroos which proved I ended my career as CEO of a group of very elusive, although the blighters are Real Estate Agents. During my working jumping out in front of cars all the time life I lived in Adelaide, Melbourne, when you’re not looking. We eventually Launceston (Tasmania), Sydney and finally found some near home on a friend’s farm where Anna and Dave were rather imsettled in Melbourne.

When I emigrated I was married to an pressed with an ‘old man’ Roo who Old Greenhead girl, Pat Beal, and we have cleared a six-foot fence in one bound.The three children and seven grandchildren, all bluebird of happiness (kangaroo) is always still living in Melbourne environs. Our in your own backyard.

I’ve rambled on but I think my tale is marriage ended in an amicable divorce and I have been married to an Australian lady told. Old Almondburians are always welcalled Janine for 35 years. Janine’s heritage come to call in but please email me first at

is Scottish – her maiden name was Hamil- yorkdale@aapt.net.au.

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OBITUARY

Gerald Hinchliffe: historian

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OurofficialhistoriandiedinMayattheageof91.HelovedtheSchoolandhisHistory ofKingJames’sGrammarSchool’willliveonasareminderofhistruescholarship

ERALD HINCHLIFFE was born in Huddersfield in 1922, the youngest of five children. He was educated at Lepton and then attended what was known in those days asAlmondbury Grammar School, an institution for which Gerald retained a special affection throughout his life.

Gerald started at the University of Leeds in 1940 taking a degree in English and was fortunate to complete his course whilst expecting to be called up at any time. In 1943 he volunteered for the army and served in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment until his demobilization in 1946.

Gerald then returned to the University of Leeds to train as a teacher. His first post was at Scarborough High School. He loved the town and the school, and over the years he kept in touch with many of his former pupils. He spent eight happy years in Scarborough from 1947 to 1955.As he walked to work with the sun sparkling on the sea he revelled in his good fortune. He was a member of the local dramatic society and appeared in a few plays performed at a local theatre. He met his future wife Joan and they married in 1955.

Gerald was always a keen sportsman.

In Scarborough he played for a local soccer club, and indeed had played for most of his early days at what he described as a reasonable level in school, university and army teams.

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In 1955, when Gerald accepted a university lecturing post, Gerald and Joan moved to Nottingham.After occupying a flat near Trent Bridge for two years they moved to their own home in Ilkeston Road, Bramcote, the ideal environment for their two children,Andrew and Margaret who arrived shortly afterwards.

Sport continued to figure in Gerald’s life. For more than 30 years he was a member of Nottingham Forest Football Club.Watching soccer was great therapy and watching Forest in their heyday was highly entertaining. Of limited cricketing prowess, he was nevertheless a cricket buff and it was one of his strong interests throughout his life. Being aYorkshireman, could it be otherwise?

Gerald was happy when he was writing, although he regretted not writing more. He contributed academic articles on the teaching of English, classroom interaction and teacher renewal. He researched and wrote his own family history. In 1963 he published King James’s Grammar School’s official history and wrote a revised edition for the School’s 400th anniversary in 2008.

Gerald’s long career in teacher training at the University School of Education provided many challenges and satisfactions. One of the highlights was being invited to speak at various conferences and locations in India in 1981. He benefited enormously from the friendship and hu-

morous camaraderie of his colleagues and drew considerable inspiration from his students.

Especially, and most importantly, Gerald was blessed with a great family. Joan always supported him, especially in difficult times. He took great pride in the achievements of his children, grandchil-

dren and son-in-law.

His passing is keenly felt by wife Joan, children Andrew and Margaret, son-inlawTim and his family, grandchildren Rebecca and Callum, brother Reg, nephew Stephen, nieces Judith and Lesley, by Linda and Martin and his friends from Yorkshire and Nottingham.

The two School histories ERALD HINCHLIFFE’S history of G the School came about as a result of a meeting between headmaster Harry

Taylor and a Mr Halstead of The Advertiser Press in 1961. Mr Halstead was keen to publish a new edition of Almondbury and its Ancient School,brought up to date from 1926 whereTaylor Dyson has left it. Coincidentally, Gerald wrote to Harry Taylor suggesting that it might be a good time to produce an account of theTaylor Dyson era – and so the project was launched.

The preparation of the book attracted great interest and Gerald received many contributions and reminiscences from Old Almondburians all over the world. To assemble these accounts in a single readable volume, supplemented by detailed appendices listing past masters, assistant masters, governors and prizewinners was a difficult task which Gerald attacked with aplomb.

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His writing style was very distinctive.

Anxious not to present tedious lists of dates and activities, he preferred to bring events to life through the eyes of those witnessing them. A good example is the arrival of Taylor Dyson himself in 1913, which could in lesser hands have been reduced to a terse summary of the facts and figures. But Gerald’s style was different: It was a morning in January, 1913.

The school bell had finished its toll and all was quiet in the“Big”.The militaristic Dr. Lubke stood straight as a ramrod. Herbert Walton carried his quiet air of distinction, the rotund Ernest Noble contemplated chemistry, expressionless. Fifty six boys stood behind the long, oak desks, tensely waiting. A door banged in the distance, measured footsteps became more distinct, and into the schoolroom, walking with an air of selfpossession and

hauteur, came the school’s new headmaster, Mr. Taylor Dyson…

The new History of King James’s School in Almondbury attracted nearly 400 pre-publication subscribers and was published to great acclaim in 1963. Copies are still regularly purchased by Old Almondburians and others keen to know more about the School’s early years.

But Gerald’s work was not yet over, though it was to be another 40-odd years before the second call would come. In 2008, there was a proposal as part of the School’s 400th Anniversary celebrations to produce an updated illustrated history of the School incorporating accounts of the many changes that had occurred since 1963. To cover the period up to this date

Gerald cheerfully accepted the task of producing a new, shorter version of his original history. For some, it would have been a relatively straightforward ‘cutand-paste’ exercise; but fortunately for us (and perhaps unfortunately for Gerald) he was a pen-andink man who did not take kindly to such frivolous aids as computers and word processors. Some months later, Gerald had produced in longhand a completely new history of the School, incorporating much additional material that had emerged since the original history saw light of day.

King James’s School is indeed fortunate to have been able to benefit twice over from a fine historian and former pupil whose devotion to the School never wavered.

‘An acknowledged authority on educational history’ John Hargreaves writes:

Gerald Hinchliffe's scholarly and very readable History of King James’s Grammar School was proudly drawn to my attention by the late Harry Taylor immediately after my own appointment to the staff of King James’s in 1970 and provided my own induction into the school’s fascinating history. It is poignant that Gerald’s death should occur in the jubilee year of the publication, whose engagingly graphic and evocative reconstruction of the history of the school and exploration of its historic buildings has provided successive generations of staff and students with a deeper understanding of their remarkable heritage. I was impressed on the occasions when I met Gerald Hinchliffe by the breadth of his knowledge and by his concern to interpret the history of the school within the broader context of educational history of which he was an acknowledged authority. Old Almondburians, past, present and future remain greatly indebted to his meticulous historical research and lively analytical narrative.

Fellow historian John Hargreaves taught at King James’s School from 1971 to 1990.

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Every picture tells a story

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David Heptonstall (1949-1957) remembers ‘Twelfth Night’ in 1957

and especially on the first night, he generally sat in the corridor with his head in his hands.

However, although he often had suggestions for improvement, I don't think he was ever disappointed with our performances.

In my memory the whole cast, particularly the leads, were unflappable and always managed to rescue things that went wrong on stage, as they sometimes did – late entrances, the odd forgotten prop and chunk of dialogue missed. I cannot recall that we ever took any prompts. One of the most impressive aspects of the show was the glamour of the young women cast members, all, of course, as in Shakespeare’s day, played by young boys!

I was in at least four of Frank’s annual productions and this was my last before leaving school. Over the years I have seen many productions of Twelfth Night, all good, but I believe I have never seen a better Aguecheek than Dave Morphet’s nor a better Malvolio than Dave Cliffe’s.There was talent amongst us, certainly, but we owed a great deal to Frank and his

directing skills.

UMBER 5 and Number 9 – the smell of the greasepaint filled an excited changing-room as the cast of Twelfth Night slapped basic make-up, known as 5 and 9 sticks, onto their faces to have highlights and liners added by members of staff recruited by Frank Anderson as back-stage assistants.

Costumes on and then we were ready to go – waiting only for the call-boys to send us, on cue, into the gym ready for our entrances.

The gym was now transformed into a theatre with full lighting and a very rickety stage built of Dexion angle-iron and boards with precarious steps up onto the acting area.The buzz of the audience out front increased the tension of cast members waiting for their first appearances – then curtain up!

I am on the right in this picture, with Dave Morphet as Sir Andrew Aguecheek and John Dobson as Fabian. Frank, as always, had worked hard directing the cast with precise instructions and clear explanations of what he wanted and what Shakespeare’s intentions had been, but during each show,

After a career in teaching, David Heptonstall retired to become a professional actor, writer and director.

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Farnley Lines

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OING on another long odistance trip soon, Dave?” asked a neighbour recently. Steady on; I only came back from Burma in February. However, I have no plans to hang up my bins and telescope just yet so another adventure is planned for 2014. Details cannot yet be revealed. One problem with visits to exotic locations is that they play havoc with my blood donor commitments.

I try now to give four times a year but after every trip to a malaria region I have to wait six months before being able to donate again. My target is one hundred donations and I am now in the low nineties. Should make it by 2016, health permitting. Last time I tried I was eleven days early. “I cannot bleed you today,” declared the nurse. It sounded like a pronouncement from the 18th century.

However, we did make one long trip during August when we drove through France to spend time with family north of Barcelona. While there I fulfilled another ambition by visiting the Nou Camp with grandson, Jordi, to watch Barcelona play Levante in the opening match of the season.

Barca were 6-0 up at half time and then eased off to win 7-0.The atmosphere was awe-inspiring but I have to admit that I realize how much we are spoilt by televi-

DAV E BUSH sion. The stadium’s sheer size – it holds 98,500 – means that even from half way up the terraces the players appear small and the absence of close ups, replays, and six different camera angles for every goal mean that the spectator is left with a feeling of being deprived.

Catching up with old friends from King James’s Before returning to the UK we spent three days with Yves Gasnier, French assistant at KJGS in 1968/9. As I have written before, Yves retains vivid and very happy memories of his time in Almondbury. His health has improved but he can walk only 100 yards. Forty-five years of friendship and to think it all started when I asked shortly after his arrival, “Yves, are you interested in football?”

After so many years in Huddersfield I

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Latest Bronze Medal winners:The Greens enjoy the sunshine in Porthcawl

our time as Richard was prominent as KJGS scout and scouter. What precious days they were.

And so it was that a few days later Margaret and I drove up to Areley Kings near Stourport-on-Severn to spend a few hours with Jim and BettyToomey in their beautiful home and garden. Once more we reflected as much on scouting as on the teaching of Latin and once more we regretted how lack of source material makes A History ofThe 46th Huddersfield only a dream. Nevertheless, any tales to the Editor from former troop members would be much appreciated. Despite health problems (‘eheu fugaces labuntur anni’ as Horace described the passage of old age; non-Latinists can google it for a translation), both Jim and Betty remain mentally as sharp as ever. He continues to add to his collection of framed letters he has had published in The Times.

cannot but retain an interest in Huddersfield Town Football Club; I note their result and know how Andrew Haigh, Geoff Headey, Graham Cliffe et al are feeling. However, it’s Rugby League and Huddersfield Giants – I still think of the team as ‘Fartown’ – who have stolen my attention of late.Winners of the League Title for the first time in 81 years! (AndrewTaylor, please note the much deserved exclamation mark). I had to email Richard Green to express how happy I was for him, such a faithful supporter over so many years.

Mentioning Richard leads me neatly on to announce the award of another bronze medal. New readers or those with memories not as good as they once were are informed or reminded that these fictitious but much prized presentations go to those Old Almondburians making their first visit to Porthcawl. Richard and wife, Nicky, both of whom have contributed so much to the School and the Society, had brought their caravan to a site on the north Gower coast.

They chose a beautiful day to spend time with us and how the conversation flowed. A stroll down Nostalgia Avenue? We were at full gallop for a number of hours. (Exclamation mark resisted). Inevitably reminiscences over scouting took up a fair proportion of 'Salvete, magistri!': two former Latin masters exchange memories at Areley Kings

Restaurant’s deserts get a dusty response While Reggie Sharp/Byram regularly contributes to the letters page of The Daily Telegraph my attempts to appear there have

20

all failed. Recently I wrote regarding the confusion over ‘desert’ and ‘dessert’.A small restaurant on Porthcawl seafront is called A Touch of Class and sets itself up as such.When the manageress enquired if all was well, I – painful pedant as always – said the meal was superb but pointed out the misspelling of ‘dessert’. “Printer’s error,” she declared. A common error indeed and I am ever tempted on such occasions to say, “I’ll have the Gobi and my wife will try the Sahara”.

My courage always fails me. The letter was prompted by an article in The Daily Telegraph where somebody had got their ‘just desserts’. I had asked if they had chosen apple crumble or chocolate mousse.

Re-reading my last Farnley Lines column I mentioned how one could become hoist with one’s own apostrophe. I remember when teaching its use to a lower form English class I took in a cigarette packet to demonstrate gleefully an error. It said ‘Government Health Departments’ warning.’ I wrote to said department pointing out that the apostrophe should be before the ‘s’ and that it was therefore responsible for millions of errors every day. A reply arrived promptly. It went something like this.

Dear Mr. Bush, If your presumption of singularity were correct then indeed it would be a gross error but as England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each has its own Department of Health then quite obviously the apostrophe is correctly positioned.

Gulp. A second helping of humble pie, please.

Gerald Hinchliffe I do not like finishing on a sad note but

feel I must. I was deeply upset to read of the death of school historian, Gerald Hinchliffe.

His magnum opus was an inspiration to me and we corresponded regularly over my years down St Helen’s Gate; I have kept all his letters. My only regret at the 2008 Dinner was that I had no chance to talk to him then.This year is the 50th anniversary of the publication of his history and I know there were plans to bring him to the Dinner and the School. How he would have loved that.

So, Gerald, be with us in spirit; I hope to see many of you there in body.

…and talking of Reggie

R

EGGIE BYRAM, a former editor of the OAS Newsletter and a frequent contributor to The Almondburian, has launched a new venture Calder Review.

In Reggie’s own words, it’s a ‘new, electronic and free magazine intended for literate and intelligent people throughout the Anglophone world’. Its central aim is to give readers something to think about – not necessarily to agree with, but certainly something to feed the brain. “ I see it as a small candle against the growing darkness,” says Reggie.

“Articles on all aspects of the arts and sciences will be particularly welcome, and we shall allow contributors fairly free rein, especially when they write something that challenges current thinking.”

Contributions should be no more than 3,000 words, in .doc or .rtf format, and should be accompanied by a 200 word abstract and author biography.

They should be emailed to Reggie at info@calderreview.com.

For further details, see the Calder Review website http://calderreview.com.

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REVIEW

Now it’s Michael Jackson – the movie

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Michael Jackson (1953-1958) became the world’s greatest beer writer before his untimely death in 2007. Now a full-length video has been launched about him

LD Almondburian Michael Jackson, who sadly died from Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 65 in 2007, was a legend in the world of brewing. An American company Wander Media Productions has now released Beer Hunter –The Movie about his life.

It’s an intimate picture of Jackson, as he travels to beer events all over the world.

There are also interviews with leading brewers, distillers, and beer enthusiasts, providing an insight into Jackson’s enigmatic personality, his remarkable contributions to beer and whisky, and his secret struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.

Michael Jackson left King James’s Grammar School in 1958 to become a reporter on the Huddersfield Examiner. He was the author of many influential books about beer and whisky, and his television series The Beer Hunter, originally produced in the UK for Channel 4, was shown in fifteen countries around the world.

The video was shot by film-maker John Richards who was originally hired in 2003 to produce tasting and promotional videos for Michael Jackson’s Rare Beer Club. With numerous television and documentary credits to his name, Richards – based in SunValley, Idaho – has almost a decade of experience producing documentary and corporate media for breweries and wineries.

He is the creator and director of The Wine Travelers, a television and internet series about travel, wine, and winemakers.

Beer Hunter –The Movie is a fast moving and often hilarious production, shot in cine verité style perfectly suited to Michael Jackson’s globe-trotting lifestyle. It will be enjoyed by all who know Michael, by those who like their beer, and by those lucky enough to fall into both categories. Copies can be ordered online at http://tinyurl.com/l9zp8w7.

Proceeds from the film and fund raising efforts will go towards research into Parkinson’s Disease.

Beer Hunter - the movie The story of Michael Jackson

Video includes rare footage and interviews with leading brewers and beer authorities telling Michael’s story.

Bonus features include: Visit to Sam Smith’s in Tadcaster Visits to Fuller’s Brewery and other pubs in London Footage from Paris trip for whisky tasting Interview with Rare Beer Club founder Rob Imeson sharing insight into Michael’s struggle with Parkinson’s disease Trailer: http://tinyurl.com/qxe5w47 Website: www.beerhuntermovie.com Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes Price: $20 + $10 pp (approx £18.76 total) 22

Cricket

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S the evening shadows lengthen over the Arkenley ‘square’, yet another cricket season, featuring league and cup matches, ‘20/20’ games and a ‘President’s Day’, draws to a close.

Shortly after the start of the new season both teams had to appoint new captains. First Eleven skipper ‘Cola’ secured employment in New York and vice-captain Sam Atkin stepped up. In the Second Eleven, Jon Mansell started work locally involving weekends and Ben Hodgson took over.

After a better season in terms of weather the final Leaguepositions for both teams are shown in the tables on the right. As more clubs have left the Huddersfield Central League our First Eleven could well be promoted to the Premier Section for 2014.

On Sunday, 18th August, a very successful President’s Day was held at Arkenley. Early morning showers did not delay a prompt 11 am start, with

JACK TAYL OR

FINAL LEAGUE TABLES 2013 First Eleven: SECTION A

Upper Hopton (Champions)

Old Almondburians’ CC 1st XI (4th)

Second Eleven: SECTION D

Leymoor (Champions)

Old Almondburians’ CC 2nd XI (6th)

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P

W

L

Points

9

68

22

16

2

P

W

L

Points

10

46

22

18 18

10

15 7

1

104

89

two OACC teams, an OAS soccer team, a visiting ‘Lagan’ CC team and a ‘Rock CC’ team participating. The ‘Rock’ are regular Sunday morning tenants and ‘Lagan CC’ are an enthusiastic Indian team, predominantly from Leeds. The round robin competition was won by the OACC team led by Jo George. The BBQ, beer tent, raffle and teas all recorded good business. All those who took part in organising, playing and staffing deserve high praise.

Our Dinner and Presentation

Evening in the New Year is still at the planning stage, but it is hoped to repeat the success of last year’s event, again at Lockwood Park, the home of Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club.

John Clutterbrook, the club’s Treasurer and League Representative, organised a very successful golf competition, held at Longley Park Golf Club on Friday, 16th August. This year there was an involvement of two players from Almondbury CC along with a couple of guests, making a total of 12 participants. The weather was extremely kind and a great time was had by all. Luke Wallbanks was the winner of the ‘nearest the pin competition’ and the overall winner on the day was guest Roy McNulty.

The day’s golf was followed by light

The scene at this year’s President’s Day in August.The beer tent and BBQ flank the pavilion.

Top picture: a cheerful Graham Cliffe was barman for the day.

8 24

refreshments in the clubhouse and the players finally adjourning to their ‘home ground’ at the ‘Woolpack’ to prepare for a further two days’ cricket at the weekend, league fixtures on the Saturday and the ‘President’s Day’ on the following Sunday.

May I suggest a delightful and apt read for all cricketers and supporters to help sustain us between cricket seasons? The book is entitled Not Dark

Yet, by Mike Harfield, published by My Back Pages Publishing. With a forward by former Lancashire and England cricketer, David Lloyd, it is ‘a marvellously evocative portrayal of village cricket’.

Finally, thanks are due to our tireless Secretary and ‘General Manager’, John Headey ( a ‘Collegian’!) for keeping the club in existence, now 38 years since its

reformation in 1976.

Tennis

I

AND RE W HAIGH

from the keener element of the Badminton Section, who wish to keep their Thursday evening exercise going over the summer months and enjoy some fresh air in the beautiful Woodsome Valley at the same time. As a result, the tennis played is, on occasion, unusual, but never more so than this year.

Striving to do our bit for the Olympic legacy, we were joined by the three Haigh girls for the earlier part of the evenings during the school holidays.They were

T’S Tennis, Jim, But Not As We Know It! A headline that could so often be applied to Old Almondburians’ tennis, but particularly so this year. At one time we did have one or two ‘proper’ tennis players who turned out especially for the tennis season, such as Patricia Robson. But, by and large, we have always been made up

17 25

Family fun: Back row, left to right: Neil Gledhill, Ian Lumsden, David Parry Front row, left to right: Annabel, Charlotte, Eleanor and Andrew Haigh.

all lucky enough to be on Centre Court to see Andy Murray receive his Olympic Gold Medal last summer and since then they have been equally lucky to receive some coaching at Longley Tennis Club from Lesley Stead, a former finance assistant at the school. No doubt inspired by all this, they came along to join in. How quickly they must have been brought down to earth!

Since we often had only between three and five players anyway, we often played the first set of the evening with six or seven people on court. The rules were simple: the adults were playing doubles with additional ‘obstacles’ on court. If a child played a shot, that was fine. If they tried but missed, then play continued anyway, leading to instances

of an adult playing a winning shot after the ball had ballooned off a child’s shoe, for example! Unusual, yes, but good fun and enjoyed by all (I think!). Once even when the belated summer holiday bedtime beckoned for the children, a couple more conventional sets could be played before Conservative Club time beckoned for the adults.

So, next year we require not merely more players, but some who can bring some young blood along as well, so that we can have a senior court and a junior court. Who knows, we might even be able to employ a coach? But, then again, some would say that we should have done that a long time ago! Now, I wonder what Lesley Stead is doing on Thursday evenings next summer…

Badminton

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N the 2013-14 season, we are making another attempt to keep the badminton section going! The new season started on Thursday, 5th September, and got off to a more auspicious start than last year with no fewer than five people playing on the first day of the new season!

More have promised to attend next week, so why not come and join them?

We play in the school sports hall every Thursday evening during term time, from 7.30 p.m. until 9.30 p.m., until the season ends on Thursday, 22nd May. Occasionally, there are weeks during

ANDREW HAIGH

26

term time when we are unable to play, due to the sports hall being full of desks for examinations. However, this season there is only one Thursday evening when we can’t play for this reason; consequently, there will be NO badminton on Thursday, 7th November.

The cost is £6.00 per person, per evening played, which is a contribution towards the hire of the sports hall, changing rooms and showers, the provision of shuttlecocks and the awarding of the Speech Day Prizes that are sponsored by the Badminton Section.

FRED HUDSON BURSARY

My expedition to Nepal

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REBECCA ADDY (2006-2011)

Rebecca Addy was winner of the Fred Hudson Exploration Bursary last year which helped to fund a three-week expedition to Nepal.This is her report

HERE are not many people at the ginning to value this opportunity for the age of 18 who can say that they cultural experiences I had been privileged have travelled to Nepal. It’s diffi- to encounter. cult to explain just how amazing this expeThen after stocking up on Haribos rience was without writing a novel but I and juice we set off on the two hour jourwill try. ney to the beginning of the trek phase – Having arrived in Kathmandu – the our bus ancient and in need of a MOT, capital of Nepal – after an epic flight, we trundled along as we watched those of began our acclimatisation to the heat and Nepal wander by carrying on with their humidity, blissfully unaware that this would daily tasks. No-one seemed in a rush to get seem cool in comparison to the 40º heat anywhere or do anything; even a cow was we were to experience in the other areas pondering in the alleyway to a shop. How we were to visit later during our expedi- different to life at home where we all rush tion. This period lasted for three nights around going nowhere half of the time. during which we stayed However a question in the Kathmandu Guest comes to mind: how do House, which was pleasthese people survive ant, with a working fan when there are so many and the company of a few staff in the shops yet so friendly cockroaches. little custom?

While in KathThe first day of mandu we visited Durbar trekking was, let’s say, Square which was a bril- On leaving King James’s School challenging for some of liant cultural experience Rebecca Addy studied our group who were Business Studies featuring ancient temples Geography, struggling with illness, and Physical Education at of both the Hindu and Greenhead College. She is now fitness and pain, but all Buddhist faiths. We also studying at Lancaster University soldiered on encouraged a degree in Economics and visited the Garden of for by each other and Geography. In her spare time Dreams where we re- she enjoys horse riding, strengthening the bond laxed and soaked up the swimming and running. Rebecca that was increasing daily. forward to further travel natural beauty of the area. looks Five minutes began to in the years ahead.

By now, I was already beseem like fifty when we 27

glory; but it was still extremely exhilarating and the sense of achievement was immense.

By now the silence of the mountain and beauty of the surrounding nature, (excluding leeches who feasted on the blood of a number of our party) had begun to set the mind wondering as we embarked on our downhill.With knees aching we returned to Kathmandu over rickety wooden rope bridges stretched across deep ravines, and I wondered about life, education, and the dreaded results day.

But here I marvelled at how satisfied everyone seemed with how little they had, unlike us always striving for more and never satisfied with our lot. I began to wonder whose way of life is better: perhaps their way of life is not worse, just very different.

After the trek we returned to Kathmandu Guest House for one night where we grabbed a shower and washed our clothes ready for the early morning rise the next day to set off on a seven-hour bus journey to Chitwan. After carrying one bag on our front and one on our back for at least 30 minutes of walking (no mean feat, I can assure you) we arrived at a pleasant coach that had a slightly higher chance of

had already been walking for eight hours in the heat and humidity not to mention the increasing altitude, but we arrived at our tea house at dusk to be greeted by our first non-European toilet of the expedition.

During my first experience of a monsoon, confusion arose when I didn’t know whether to bear the rain and just get incredibly wet, put my umbrella up but not see where I was going on the treacherously steep paths, or don my waterproofs but be roasted alive! In the end I decided the best option was to just stick at it and get SOAKED realising that the pounding rain was actually refreshing in the stifling heat.

After a few days of walking in the Himalayas uphill, we inevitably reached the peak point at 3,490m. Although we had split into two groups for those struggling, we waited to celebrate our achievement together when we were all reunited. The view from the top was supposed to be impressive – but it was clouded over for the majority of our trek so unfortunately we could not see it in its full Some of the children we taught at the school.There was a wide variety of ages and ability.

28

by showering me with water from its trunk. These magnificant gigantic animals, and their relationship with their owners, was an amazing sight to see and experience, especially from so incredibly high up on the elephant’s back! This definitely cheered me up after that day’s trip to the doctor’s which was the result of an ear infection All aboard: after bathing with the elephant Rebecca and her which had made me quite deaf. friends got a little wet.

I was sad to leave Chitpassing its MOT than the previous bus. On wan: the sunsets I had watched as I sat on arrival in Chitwan we were greeted by a the bank of the river with the odd crocodile charming man who drove us wildly in his took my breath away and I will never ever ‘jeep’ to our hotel and on the way we had forget their beauty. But the project beckour first encounter with elephants which oned and was only a short 30 minutes from filled the streets just like cars in England. It the Rest and Relaxation site. We arrived seemed the norm to them, but not to me. midday and were greeted by the local chilMy eyes lit with excitement at this experi- dren, the school children and the staff of ence, and filled me with anticipation for the school, who gave a welcome speech and presented us with flowers. I met with the next experiences to follow!

The hotel was better than I would ex- the head teacher and staff to try to deterpect to stay in here. It felt like heaven – mine what we could do to help in the best fans, en-suites with real toilets, lake view, possible way. Eventually we decided to take mosquito nets, on-site bar and restaurant. a journey into the town to buy a desk with I became group leader and Welcome: children and teachers from the village school booked the adventures for near Chitwan in Tibet meet the team this rest and relaxation phase, which included canoeing down the river to the elephant breeding centre with the occasional nine-foot long crocodile for company, elephant safari and elephant washing. For me by far the most exciting and memorable experience was riding the elephant bareback into the river where it laid down and after bathing it repaid me 29

shapes and the storage drawers children could for the teacher, eventually a water tank for recognise, draw the storage of and spell shapes water to be confidently. We heated by the also played with sun, teaching the children to materials to aid develop their the teachers sporting abiliand paint and ties, playing brushes so we football, catch, could paint the End of the project: the team poses in front of the specially kindergar ten painted wall which helps the children to spell, read and draw. skipping and room with educational images to be used Frisbee which the children loved! But we soon tired in the 40° degree heat and for teaching.

Our week’s endeavours resulted in were easily beaten!

Overall, I think the most important decorating the whole classroom, displaying a main wall with a landscape featuring thing I have learnt throughout this oncea main tree, with leaves made from our in-a-lifetime opportunity is to appreciate own and the children’s handprints, grass, what I already have: do I really need anthe sun, a river and animals such as rhino, other pair of jeans when I already have birds, ladybirds and butterflies.This would two pairs? These children in the school help the children to recognise colours, were so grateful for every little they had.I spellings and the landscape. We then was invited to visit the house of a little painted a number-snake to aid the devel- girl who befriended me. It had no beds, opment of counting for the children, along no electricity and no water supplies, yet with the alphabet and various flags to help they were happy and satisfied with their with literacy and geography skills – not lives and made me welcome into their home. If that were us, we would not be forgetting the Yorkshire Rose of course.

I also spent 3½ days’ teaching the content.

I will never again complain of doing children various aspects of education. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of a hard day’s work, because these people teaching and even considered a possible work so hard for so much less than us. It career change after the first day; but after has helped to open my eyes to a different the third day I realised it wasn’t quite as culture, climate and world out there so ‘easy’ as it first seemed. I taught the alpha- different from our own – not worse, just bet, numbers, and parts of the body using very different with different values and the song ‘head, shoulders, knees and toes’ challenges. I have realised I can achieve to engage the children in the activities.We more than I thought I could and that I also played ‘hangman’ to guess words have a tendency to be an organiser: I like which helped with spellings; this was done to get things done.

I hadn’t appreciated that before. mainly with colours.We then did this with 30

H A L L O F FAME

Sir David Brown, industrialist

A

LTHOUGH Taylor Dyson, in his book Almondbury and its Ancient School records the arrival of ‘Brown, D’ in 1913, the fact that this eminent entrepreneur attended our School has received remarkably little publicity over the years.

David Brown was one of 27 boys entering the School on 16th September 1913, just nine months after the arrival of Taylor Dyson himself. It was a time of great expansion: when Taylor Dyson arrived there were only 56 pupils on the roll. By the time David Brown left five years later the number had risen to over 200.

He was born on 10th May 1904, the son of Francis (Frank) and Carrie Brown. Their home was Park Cottage, Crosland Moor, and in the 1911 census we read that the household also included Carrie’s unmarried sister Clara and a young servant Emma Corbitt.

Frank Brown, described modestly in the census as a ‘gear cutter’ was joint owner with his brother Percy of the David Brown Gear Company, which had been set up by his father, the

ROGE R DOWLING

31

original David Brown, in 1860. Frank made a deep impression on his son.

“My father was a great man who worked hard and played hard,” David Brown recalled. “We lived on top of the factory and he made a practice of walking round the factory on a Sunday morning, taking me with him. I learned a great deal – he would point out a particular gear and what it was used for. Later he used to have me go down at 7.00 am in the school holidays to open the letters. I even used to have a rubber stamp so I could sign them.

“He had great drive, energy and ambition. He had a great sense of humour but he was impetuous at times. On one occasion, he fired a group of men he found loafing around in the yard only to learn later that they weren’t our men at all – they were contractors.”

When he was eight years old, David Brown became seriously ill and the family doctors didn’t think he would live. But a miracle occurred.

“One day my father walked into my bedroom with a lovely green bicycle. I

The David Brown ‘Valveless’ car was manufactured from 1908 to 1915.This example is on display at the Tolson Museum in Ravensknowle Park.

was so determined to ride it that I really think it gave me the will to live.When I went to Almondbury Grammar School I remember I won the slow bicycle race on it.”

Apart from this singular success on his bicycle, very little is known about David Brown’s time at Almondbury Grammar School. However, we are fortunate to have the recollections of Clifford Stephenson – later Cllr Clifford Stephenson and a close friend of the School over many years – who joined Almondbury Grammar School a year after David Brown and lived close to the Brown family in Lockwood.

“Motor cars were scarce enough to be stared at,” he wrote*. “Amongst the first was the ‘Valveless’ made by David Brown’s. Driven by Mrs Brown, it brought young David down Swan Lane, Lockwood on his way to Grammar School at Almondbury.”

A practical boy rather than one with academic ambitions, David Brown left after the fifth form to become a boarder for two years at Rossall School near Cleveleys in Lancashire. Founded in 1844 as a sister school to Marlborough College, Rossall School had an impressive record: its academic results were amongst the best in the country,

A History of Lockwood and North Crosland/Brian Clark

*

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with record numbers attaining distinctions in the Higher Certificate examinations and achieving scholarships to Oxbridge.

But this was not the route taken by David Brown. In 1921, at the age of 17, he left Rossall to become an apprentice in his father’s firm which by then, thanks to the war effort, had become the largest worm gear manufacturer in the world with some 1,000 employees. Percy Brown died in 1931, at which point Frank became Chairman and David became Managing Director.

The first David Brown/Ferguson tractor appeared in 1936 and a few years later history repeated itself as the Second World War led to a further dramatic expansion of the gear company. The aero division alone produced over 500,000 gears and the gearbox division over 10,000 tank transmissions.

As we have noted, the firm had already flirted with the idea of car manufacture and it may be that it was David Brown’s daily trips to School in the company ‘Valveless’ that led to his lifelong interest in motoring. The company acquired Aston Martin in 1947, and Lagonda a year later. A few years later, Aston Mar-

tin won the world sports car championship which included Le Mans and the third successive win at the Nürburgring. The Aston Martin DB5 (the DB being the initials of David Brown) achieved worldwide fame as the first James Bond car in the 1964 film Goldnger.

As a result of a reduction in the UK tractor market the company sold its tractor operations to Tenneco Inc of America, owners of the J I Case tractor company in 1972.

The family floated the group as a public company in 1993 and David Brown was acquired by Textron Inc in October 1998. In September 2008 the company was sold to Clyde Blowers of Scotland, owned by entrepreneur Jim McColl, in a £368 million deal.

Today, the company – trading as David Brown Engineering Ltd – is a leading supplier of heavy transmission systems for industrial, defence, railway and marine applications.

From his fairly anonymous days at Almondbury Grammar School, Sir David Brown had travelled far. In addition to his industrial activities, he was a natural adventurer who owned race horses, played polo, raced cars and motorcycles, and was a qualified pilot. In retirement he spent much of his time in Monte Carlo, where he died on 3rd September 1993 at the age of 89.

It was a full life for the winner of the

slow bicycle race.

The assistance of Donald Sykes (19431951) is acknowledged with gratitude.

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TERRY’S TEASER NO 10 Compiled by Terry Buckley (1948 - 1953)

Entries to the Editor (address/email: back cover) by 1st February 2014 1

3

2 20

8

5

20 9

20

4

20

10

10

13

16

11

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14 20

12

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Prize: 12 months free OAS membership

7

6 20

35 In music, a prize Italian jewel (5) 37 After work, he came back to be ill – a tragic figure (7) 38 Hod-carrier’s fate ? (7,3,5)

DOWN 1 Transatlantic savoir faire (8,4-3) 20 23 24 2 Great and small in North Wales (4) 22 23 25 24 25 26 3 Poke about – 3 points to nothing (4) 20 31 20 4 Terminate about nothing – dummy! (10) 20 27 28 35 20 29 5 Incomplete tea dance? (3) 6 The way to move coal? (7) 30 20 31 32 33 34 20 7 Topaz reserve across the pond? (11,4) 35 36 37 9 Before a crisis (5) 20 20 20 20 10 Discharge was about due (5) 38 12 Trim back from the polyanthus (3) 18 Stagger and sign out – amazing! (10) ACROSS 20 Curse the French way! (3) 19 Men of letters? (10) 1 The smoothest way to fly! (15) 21 Partook of repast past (3) 21 Agreements – plural – and singular! (4) 23 How did Gilbert wax? (7) 8 Top salesmen get the chop, arranging covers (7) 22 Veg springs a leak (4) 25 Down under in Old South Wales (5) 11 Domain found in Yorkshire – almost! (5) 24 Black hill in the Balkans? (10) 26 Brought down at auction (5) 13 Short way of counting for a spell (3) 27 Glue some pictures into a book (5) 28 Are returning in time (3) 14 He’s hiding in the helicoptor (3) 29 Oppugn in review (3) 32 Gypsy affected by light (4) 15 Come round, friend, to see the gem (4) 30 Retainer between banks (4) 34 Cure Achilles’ hearing problem? (4) 16 Product of spleen venting! (3) 31 Stop mother (3) 36 Letter from abroad found in 17 Pass a Greek character, the beast! (5) 33 Article is definitely found in another! (3) amphitheatre (3) 20

19

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20

17

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Name Email Tel

The winner of Terry’s Teaser No 9 (July 2013) was Peter Tracey (Whitley Bay)

Across 1. Film directors 9. Renege 10. Filament 11. Closing 15. Ideal 15. Ilks 16. Les 17. Eider 18.Add 20. Mat 22. Outcry 23. Casbah 25. Eel 27. Few 28. Evert 30. Oho 32.Atoll 33. Scrubby 36. Imagined 37. Jocose 38. Czeck republic Down 2. Innocent 3. Dwell 4. Refuse 5. Colon 6. Reeled 7. Profofilometric 87. St Bartholomew 11 Clarets 12. Old 13. Ism 14. Gateway 19. Dye 21.Ace 24. Broccoli 26. Lor 27. Fob 29. Ersatz 31. Huddle 34. Conch 35. Bijou

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Postbag

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YO U W RITE …

1954 school trip to France

From John R Bradley (1950-1957)

HE article Bonjour nous sommes d’Almondbury in the July issue prompted me to search out this photo from an earlier Reg Addy trip.This one was in 1954 to Annecy in Haute Savoie.

As I remember we spent about two weeks in Annecy at a beautiful boarding school, the Lycée Berthollet.

Our accommodation was a large open dormitory vacated by its usual inhabitants for the summer.

In addition to swimming in the Lac d’Annecy and going to the top of Mont

1. John Bradley 2.French bus driver 3. Jessop?

4. Ramsden?

5. Charlie Bungeroth 6. Mrs Bungeroth 7. John Dobson 8. Dodd 3 1 2

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4 5

6

7

9. Ken Shaw 10. Brian Roberts 11. David Matthews 12. Mr Thomas 13. ‘Jock’ Anderson 14. Jeremy Dyson 15. Michael Thomas 16. Reg Addy 11

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12 13 14

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The Lycée Berthollet today is much the same, apart from the glass canopy and the paved courtyard. In 1954 the courtyard was covered by the beautiful light crushed sandstone/ limestone which used to be the universal paving for all public spaces in provincial French towns and villages. Nowadays it has sadly been replaced in many places by tarmac.

I owe a great debt to Len Ash and Reg Addy and the inspiration of the Annecy trip. The full realisation of how much I owed them became clear in 1966 when I was assigned to assist a customer with the commissioning of a plant to produce ammonia at the factory of Ugine Kuhlmann in the Lille suburb of La Madeleine. No one on site spoke (or was willing to risk speaking) English.The solid foundation given by Ash & Addy and the pressing need to communicate worked wonders.

Victoria,Australia

Veyrier by Teléphérique (a scary ride for one whose highest climb until then had been Castle Hill!) we had various side trips to other places of interest.

I remember the ski resorts of Megève and Chamonix, with a magnificent view of Mont Blanc; Aix-les-Bains; Geneva; and Grenoble.

On the return journey we stayed in Paris for three or four days at a similarly vacated boarding school in the suburb of St. Mandé just outside the Boulevard Périphérique and next to Le Bois de Vincennes.

T

I owe it all to George Beach

From Chris Makin (1954-1961)

HE article on George Beach’s orchestra in the last issue of The Almondburian has prompted me to write and say what a debt of gratitude I owe to George, in two very important ways.

First, academically. I was a dull and lazy pupil, and it would be fair to say that discipline was not one of George’s strengths. So I failed O level maths. The only things I remember about his maths lessons were annulus, how to calculate the area of a ring (take the hole from the whole – gerrit?) and how to calculate the area of an erect trapezium. He would draw one on the board, and ask us what

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the picture was. The answer he expected was a lean-to shed, so that the area is calculated by taking the roof off: calculate the area of the rectangle, and then the triangular area of the roof. But one bright spark answered: “It’s a Beach hut, sir!”

I went into the sixth form on the arts side, with no maths. Maths O level was essential, so I took private lessons from George. He was wonderful one-to-one, and I passed in the November with flying colours. After that, accountancy was an obvious career choice! I qualified as a chartered accountant, took over a tiny accountancy practice, by a series of mergers became a partner in an international prac-

Chris Makin (right) has been the Leeds Symphony Orchestra’s principal double bass for the past 45 years. It is one of the longest established orchestras in the UK.

tice, changed to forensic accountancy and mediation, retired but never stopped, and at the age of 70 I have never been as busy professionally, or as happy. And without George’s wonderful tuition, none of that would have been possible.

And so to music. I can’t say that there was no music in my life, pre-Beach; I’d had violin lessons at junior school, been a chorister, and sung in Happy Harry’s choir from treble down to baritone as my voice broke. And at 16 I’d taken up the euphonium, and made quite a din practising in the music room in free periods. But at the end of first year Sixth I was told that the only double bass player in the school was leaving, and would I take up the instrument?

I was given lessons by John Hanson the cello peripatetic, and joined George’s orchestra within weeks – the noise must have been dreadful! But although the orchestra was, frankly, a rag-bag of talents and instruments (where else would you find a recorder, or even a saxophone, in a Haydn minuet?) George persevered, and the results were passable, with some magic moments. I remember, for instance, playing in a violin concerto with Howard (Stan) Ball as soloist, and he was a real talent, who went on to become leader of the Covent Garden orchestra.

But for me it was a correspondence course in accountancy, and the Hudders-

field Youth Orchestras, and later the Music Department at Tech, were my Student’s Union. I soared through the Associated Board exams with distinctions at all grades, rose through five youth orchestras from Junior to Senior in a couple of years, went abroad (to Norway) for the first time on a wonderful concert tour, met my wife Gillian in the Wind Band, played in the HuddersfieldYouth Brass Ensemble and then conducted it for 30 years, taking them on many concert tours to Europe and North America, appearing on TV and playing for the Queen and other royalty.

But double bass has always been my main passion. I became principal double bass in the Leeds Symphony Orchestra about 45 years ago, a position I still hold.

For 40 years I was principal bass in West Riding Opera. I even played for D’Oyly Carte a couple of times. Then there is chamber music, oratorios, the list goes on.

Little did I know, when ploughing through rehearsals of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik for strings, saxophone, ocarina and bass drum (!!) with George, that he was planting a seed which would bear such fruit.

What a wonderful, but seriously underrated, man!

Mirfield, West Yorkshire

We were sorry to learn as we went to press of the death of former OAS chairman and vice-president Geoffrey Douglas (1936-1944). An obituary will appear in the next issue.

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Obituary

G O N E B U T NOT FO RGOT TEN John Dawson Oxley (1935-1942)

Talented school sportsman who rose to a high level in the Royal Air Force John Oxley died on 5th July 2013 at the age of 88. He was born in Lowerhouses in 1924, the youngest of three boys. He was very proud of his Yorkshire roots, having retained warm memories of a happy childhood during which he developed a lasting love of music from his talented father and brothers.

He joined Almondbury Grammar School in 1935 and soon earned a reputation as an outstanding sportsman, excelling in athletics and football. He then took a science degree at Leeds University, where he captained the university soccer team and for a while played in the Leeds United junior team. He continued to love sport, playing squash into his sixties and taking a keen interest in rugby union and cricket.

After university he entered the electricity industry as a graduate trainee, followed by national service in the Middle East and Malta at the end of the war. In due course, with a young family, he re-entered the services and pursued a full career in the RAF where he reached the rank of Squadron Leader. It was a life he loved and in which he took great pride. He had several postings to Scotland, Hampshire, Sussex and Dorset before retiring from the RAF to take up a position at the British Standards Institution where he worked for 10 years up to his full retirement.

A man of great energy, he enjoyed making things: an ingenious sea raft, a wooden sledge and an enormous DIY shed are recalled with affection. He also played the piano and earned a reputation for the quality of his home-made wines.

Above all, John will be remembered as a self-assured, friendly, helpful and modest man with a great zest for life. He will be sadly missed.

Bob Goldsmith 3838 38

Now on sale

All who remember Harry Taylor will enjoy this new book about the School’s respected Headmaster from 1951 to 1973.

A well-known Almondbury figure, he was also a regular reader at All Hallows’ Church, the transcriber of the local parish registers, and one of the authors of a respected history of Almondbury. He played cricket for Almondbury Casuals, and earned a reputation throughout Huddersfield as a witty and entertaining after dinner speaker.

Morning Assembly gives a fascinating and often humorous account of Harry Taylor’s life and includes, in facsimile form, 100 prayers – ancient and modern – which he assembled over the years for use in School assemblies.

Get your copy NOW!

Copies of Morning Assembly cost just £10 plus £1.30

pp*. Please send your cheque, payable to the Old

Almondburians’ Society, to Andrew Haigh, R D Haigh & Co, Oakhill Road, Brighouse, West

Yorkshire HD6 1SN. Alternatively, you can order on line at http://tinyurl.com/bw9ms88 or through any

good bookshop.

*in UK. Mainland Europe: £2.70; Rest of World: £4.30 33 39

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 Archivist NICH BRIGGS Tel: 07771 865330 Email: nichbriggs@hotmail.com Website: www.oas.org.uk

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3ykffo3

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The Almondburian is distributed to OAS members free of charge.

Price to non-members: ÂŁ3.00