The Almondburian: November 2020

The ALMONDBURIAN

THE MAGAZINE OF THE OLD ALMONDBURIANS’ SOCIETY

by

to The Almondburian do not necessarily reflect the views of The Old Almondburians’ Society

(Opposite):

Homeward bound: two teachers make their way across Old Kitchen Yard on a snowy winter’s afternoon in 1996 in this scene imagined by Roger Dowling in the new OAS book No beating about the Bush. See page 7.

The ALMONDBURIAN

Editor: Roger Dowling

November 2020

The magazine of The Old Almondburians’ Society

A word from your Chairman

WALTER RALEIGH

WELCOME to the July issue of The Almondburian . I hope you enjoy it.

It is with great sadness that I begin my contribution to this issue. After much debate and soul-searching the Executive Committee felt they had no other choice because of the ongoing Covid-19 pan-

demic than to cancel this year’s Annual Dinner, even though it was going to be such a special occasion for us all (see page 6). To cancel the Dinner on our 100th anniversary is particularly disappointing after a number of our overseas members had indicated their desire to join us at the old School. We can only hope that next

year we can make the Dinner even more of a special event and occasion.

Sadly, and for the same reason, we have also had to cancel our annual Founders’ Day service. Again we had plans to make this a very special occasion with the School taking a far more prominent role in both planning and participation. Once again we can only hope next year will allow us to produce an event of which we can all be proud.

Finally on this theme of cancellations,our joint initiative with School regarding the Heritage Weekend project, which has been such a success over the last three years, was also cancelled because of the pandemic. In the Kirklees area the number of events last year involved in the Heritage Weekend project was 68 but this has fallen to just 16 and most of those are ‘virtual’ visits via the internet.

Those of you that haven’t been able to attend the Annual Dinner recently or visit as part of the Heritage Weekend will not have seen how the School has developed and changed over the last few years. You can now take a virtual tour round School by visiting the OAS website at https://tinyurl.com/yb5dn5ua. It is well worth the time and shows how schools now have to introduce innovative ways to sell themselves to prospective parents and students.

However, as a committee we did not want to allow the 100th anniversary of the OAS to pass with a whimper and have nothing to celebrate. A number of suggestions have been made which I hope all members will support.

At the suggestion of Keith Crawshaw

the idea of replacing the felled sycamore from Big Tree Yard has gained much support from those attending our committee meetings. Having spent many happy days under the great canopy it provided I was absolutely sickened when I returned from one holiday to see the magnificent tree on its side (see The curious demise of ‘Big Tree’ on page 42). It was vandalism of the highest order and those responsible should hang their heads in shame.

To replace Big Tree with a beautiful oak tree will be a fitting way to celebrate our anniversary and something for future generations to enjoy. The buildings manager Keith Ramsden has promised to look around the Big Tree Yard area to find a suitable site for the new oak tree and some seating for students.

I suggested we might combine our anniversary with that of the 125-year celebration of the Rugby Football League. Those reading my account in this month’s magazine of the actions of Francis Marshall, headmaster of Almondbury Grammar School from 1878 to 1896, ( The story of the Rugby Rumpus on page 24) will see what a significant role he played in causing the Great Split that led to the creation of the Rugby League in 1895. My suggestion is to apply for a Blue Plaque to be put on the Old School House to commemorate the fact Marshall lived there (see page 37). Ian Rimmer, our Principal, is supportive and having contacted the local Civic Society, there would appear to be no reason for the project not to go ahead. And finally, may I say thank you to all

those who have contacted the Society and registered their interest in being a subscriber to Dave Bush’s book No beating about the Bush (see page 7). Again, my sadness is that with no Dinner the launch of this will be a much lower key

event than we had planned and which the book certainly deserves. I can now tell you the total number of subscribers exceeds our original target of 150. A great effort!

Keep safe!

ANDREW HAIGH

SINCE the last issue, we have welcomed two new members to the Society. Firstly, Charlie Starkey (196875), now living in New Jersey, USA. Charlie, whose story is currently being told in The Almondburian, produced the jacket illustration for Dave Bush’s final-year diary No beating about the Bush published by the OAS this month.We are also delighted to welcome Eve Haigh (201520) from Almondbury. Eve was Head Girl last year and is now studying for her ‘A’ levels at Greenhead College.

In addition, we have been very pleased to welcome back a former member, Philip Goldsmith (1941-46), now living in Sidmouth, Devon. Philip was Director of the European Space Agency in Paris from 1985-1993. After leaving King James’s, he studied at Pembroke College, Oxford and subsequently worked as a meteorologist with the Meteorological Office and as a research scientist at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell. He is also a former President of the Royal Meteorological Society. His interests include golf, gardening, antiques and old cars.

Sadly, since the last magazine was published, we have learned of the deaths in 2019 of former Head Boy David Micklethwaite

(1941-49), resident in Penistone; and David Matthews (1950-58), resident in Bognor Regis.We have also been notified of the deaths this year of Andrew Firth (1961-67), resident in Grimsby and Richard Morley Brook (1942-45), of Almondbury.

Please remember that subscriptions for 2020-21 fell due on 1st September. The vast majority of our members now pay their subscription by standing order, which makes life easy. If you are one of the few who do not pay by standing order and you have already sent your £10.00 subscription for this year, thank you very much for being so efficient!

If you do not pay by standing order and you haven’t recently made a payment for this year, then you will receive a letter with this magazine pointing out that your subscription is not up-to-date. In this event, 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.

Annual Dinner 2020

ANDREW HAIGH

IT is with great regret that, due to the continuing uncertainty around the Covid-19 situation, the Executive Committee has taken the difficult decision to cancel the Annual Dinner this year. The likely requirement to ‘social distance’ with over one hundred people from different households means that we may have had to set out the tables in exam format, with everyone at their own small table! This wouldn’t really make for a convivial dinner, even assuming that everyone would be able to travel to the event.

Of course, this year’s dinner was intended to be a celebration of the centenary of the Society and so the ‘Centenary Dinner’ has been postponed until 2021. The good news is that the addresses by our prin-

cipal speakers David Morphet and Bob Field are not lost: both have kindly agreed to hold them over until next year’s Dinner. Please put Saturday, 20th November, 2021 in your diary now and surely, by then, we can all look forward to a great evening! For the early birds who have already booked their ticket this year, your ticket will be valid for next year. Alternatively, if this is not convenient, you can request a refund.

Founders’ Day

The traditional Founders’ Day Service was due to be held at All Hallows’ Church, Almondbury, at 11.30 a.m. on Sunday, 22nd November. Sadly, along with the Annual Dinner, this event has also been cancelled this year.

Dates of Executive Committee meetings, 2020

Executive Committee meetings are usually held on the first Monday of the month and members of the Society who would like to attend one of these meetings are most welcome.The next meetings will be on 2nd November and 7th December.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Executive Committee meetings are being held virtually by ‘Zoom’ at 7.00 pm.This means that members who are usually unable to attend can now do so, including our many members abroad. For the Zoom meeting ID and password, please email Andrew Haigh at andrew.haigh@oas.org.uk.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Society will, Covid-19 restrictions permitting, be held at ‘The Woolpack’, Almondbury on Monday, 4th January, 2021 at 7.30 pm. If this is not possible, then it will be held virtually by ‘Zoom’. 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 8. Members are urged to make every effort to attend the Annual General Meeting.

Andrew Haigh, Secretary

No beating about the Bush

Now on sale: former deputy headmaster Dave Bush’s diary account of his final year at King James’s School, after a career spanning 35 years

MARCH 1996

11 is called a ‘Nelson’ after Admiral Nelson, who ne eye, one arm and one leg near the end of his life. betterawarenessofhistoryknowthatNelsonneverin fer to say ‘one eye, one arm and one ambition’.

day 5th March 1996

E’RE proud to announce the launch of our latest OAS book No beating about the Bush, published on 1st November on the occasion of the centenary of the OAS. Unknown to his colleagues, former senior Latin master and deputy head Dave Bush kept a daily diary as he counted down to his final day at King James’s School in July, 1996. A long-time con tributor to the pages of this magazine, Dave became a legendary figure who had spent his entire career at King James’s. He joined the School, then a grammar school, in 1961 as a junior Latin, French and English teacher. In due course he became the dedicated

Wpositive stroking helps at every level.

Had to smile when Lesley from the kitchen reported that if there is a problem in the local Co-op, the manageress threatens to ring Mr Bu We have never met. What will it be like to be Mr Unknown?

House Master of Jessop and, as his career developed, he became Deputy Headmaster and for a period Acting Headmaster.

Tuesday 25th June 1996

A GLORIOUSLYsunny day and, dare I say, one of the mo inactive for some considerable time. What a contrast one week ago. The walk to school was delightful, a true su mer morning when I furtively performed my annual civic duty of cutti back briars and branches crossing or overhanging the paths I have no trodden for 12 years. Unless somebody does the same, the paths will overgrown and impassable within three years.

PresentationEveningatHudders昀eld Town Hall. Havartaken of an excessive amount of mayoral whisky in mayor’s parlour after proceedings I was in no state to up this entry until the following day. This, I suppose, is for I was not inebriated; but a combination of the hard n, plus exhaustion and plus an inevitable partial sense of ntthat,despitenotgoingtobeduntilaftermidnight,Iwas y to re昀ectonaverysigni昀cantandmemorableday. ainby4.00amandasIwritethisinthecolder,soberlightof orningIcannowre昀ectmoreobjectivelyonmylastPresentation merly known as Speech Day. Initial reactions or re昀ections? ne of great relief. My voice did not give out, I did not break asmostself-consciousofatricklingtearatonemoment–was t]asstudentsemergingfromanexamfrequentlythinkonlyof that they got wrong, so I needle myself with thoughts of the me read out near the end, a stumble over a title, and planting hecheeksofladyfriendsattheendofthesessionintheparlour–morningthedeputymayoress.Howimproper!Didshemind?practicewentwell,muchbetterthanlastyear.Myannual rereadytobetrottedout.“Donotgotothetoiletsunlessabsolutely y. Last year a Year 7 pupil went and was lost in the bowels of the all for three days”. Then, “It is not unusual for those massive eliers above us to tremble during the singing of the school song”. I dupandtheywerenotthere–the昀rsttimein35years.Improvising ly I said that they must have been taken down for health and safety nsjustincasetheyfell. Theeveningdidgoverywell,Imustagree.It’sallsofamiliartomebut edapparently it was all very impressive. The Head

Year 9 Latin was most enjoyable for me and I hope for them, a less with a liberal helping of etymological offerings. They do seem to feed ha pily on these and I hope it isn’t self-delusion.

Did some stripping of my study’s festooned walls and shredding of cumulated piles of paper on my desk. I wonder what percentage incre there has been in paper used today compared with that in 1961. In t days of the ‘Banda’1 or whatever it was called and later Gestetner2 dup cating machines – themselves a real novelty – comparatively little pap was produced. Now whole forests are used up. I suppose it helps with t

The diary, with jacket design by Emmy awardwinning artist and former pupil Charlie Starkey (196875), paints a fascinating picture, warts and all, of the gossip and intrigue of life at the School a quarter of a century ago. We think you’ll be surprised and amused in equal measure.

The 248-page diary, published as a hardback, is priced at £15+ pp and you can order the book using the enclosed slip or on the OAS website

www.oas.org.uk.

l Overleaf: No beating about the Bush is reviewed by KJS Principal Ian Rimmer

ANYONE can be a teacher; after all, we have all been to school for at least 12 years, right?”

I’ve lost count of the number of times I have heard this message, either direct or implied, throughout my 32-year career. Through his diary, Dave Bush describes his final year at King James’s School; the same school of which, 25 years later, I am Principal. But is it the same school? Are the is sues faced by staff today much the same as they were a quarter of a cen tury ago.bbbb

What first strikes me about No beating about the Bush is the mere notion of it being known in advance that it would be Dave’s final year. For so many, retirement creeps up on them; a dawning realisation that the profession is taking its toll and they can do no more. And then for Dave to have had the foresight to record its events is remarkable. The alignment of these two stars have led to a unique, yet real, insight into the world of a 1990s secondary school.

IAN RIMMER

In September 1995, I had just moved to an inner-city 11-16 comprehensive in Portsmouth. I cannot remember with any degree of certainty my thoughts of Monday 4th September, but I very much doubt they would have mirrored Dave’s opening recollection of “Beautiful morning, church clock strikes…”

For Dave, Day 1 wasn’t an Inset Day, as it typically is these days. Printing out timetables on the first day was seen as new, when compared to previous shouting out details in the dining hall.The mere notion nowadays of starting term without timetables having been pre-printed and carefully sorted into form groups well in advance is absurd; but this routine itself is shortly to become outdated, as students and their parents will be informed of their timetables in advance of the new academic year via an app on their smartphones.

And a staff room exam results discussion amongst colleagues was seen as a significant change from the practice of 30 years previ-

Everything, but nothing, has changed

KJS principal Ian Rimmer compares and contrasts life at KJS today with Dave Bush’s account of his final year as Deputy Head 25 years ago.

ously, when the then Headmaster would spend seconds analysing exam performance, but an awful lot longer debating cutlery distribution.

Yet how things have moved on significantly since then. The 21st century league table culture means that exam performance is now pored over ad infinitum, demanding ever-increasing levels of forensic scrutiny, but producing a seemingly ever-decreasing return in meaningful conclusion.

Yet, despite these and other differences, Dave’s observations resonate in so many ways with the experience at King James’s today. Staff today will recognise the view that by 12th September the relaxed feeling from the holiday has already disappeared. In how many other professions can one sincerely say that, I wonder? Regrettably, the job is non-stop; no (meaningful) break and lunch has become the norm for senior staff. Perhaps the recently enforced homeschooling will positively change a few outsiders’ attitudes to the profession.

The time and emotional toll taken by his other duties is self-evident, but Dave’s constant references to his lessons are both refreshing and heart-warming, even allowing for “the 28th time starting Classics”. His observation that “beginnings of lessons are so important” remains true.

Salutary references to key events of the

time, such as Dunblane and the far-tooclose-to-home murder of headteacher Philip Lawrence outside a London school (how we forget that knife crime was an issue then too) place this book firmly in its own context. A time when ‘Big TreeYard’ still had a ‘Big Tree’ and the curriculum was witnessing the introduction of Information Technology. The latter has provided an unwelcome facility for a surge in complaint ‘letters’ from ‘keyboard warriors’. Were ‘pen and paper warriors’ a recognised thing back then? But the nature of the complaints hasn’t changed at all. “Angry parents (still) being misinformed by their child”, except that perhaps now that child is the angry parent and perhaps they are doing the misinforming. Curse on email!

Whatever the media, the issues remain broadly the same: substitute ‘social media fallouts’ for ‘fights’, ‘hair styles’ for ‘nose studs’ and add ‘mobile phones’. And then there are the buses; same numbers, same tardiness. How many others have chanted “A bus, a bus! My kingdom for a bus!”?

Waiting 50 minutes for the K78 to arrive is seemingly a recurring concern. I know that many employed elsewhere would not consider routinely giving up 50 minutes of their

When Big Tree Yard still had a Big Tree: Dave Bush with happy cup winners in his retirement year

time for free. 50 minutes of staff goodwill, for there is no such thing as overtime! And this goodwill, upon which schools utterly depend, is correctly referred to often by Dave. Funding concerns frequently, and almost immediately, lead to discussions around staffing, for that is by far the biggest expenditure of any institution. However, as Dave correctly asserts, cutbacks in staffing can quickly lead to undervaluing staff and in turn to a loss of confidence and goodwill.

What comes through is Dave’s genuine honesty and concern for students

really comprehend the changing nature of KJS”, and that “Teachers in other schools see KJS as a paradise”. It should be said that, whilst I have very much enjoyed my now 16 years here and I am indeed very proud of the School, I wouldn’t go quite as far as to suggest it is paradise!

What also comes through is Dave’s genuine honesty and concern for students.Tales of self-harm, children being thrown out of home and child neglect may come wrapped up under the label of safeguarding these days, but the mental or physical distress for the child hasn’t changed and Dave’s deeprooted compassion is very evident, despite the ‘Big Bush Blast’ image. Dave alludes to the fact that behaviour management strategies currently at our disposal these days are far fewer, and far less physical, than they were. That said, an occasional ‘Rimmer Rant’ can be heard echoing down the corridors, its relative rarity arguably its greatest strength!

Occasional complaints from neighbours and the ever-present worry of Ofsted are nothing new, though the latter no longer comes with hefty advance notice; I get a phone call and half a day’s warning of their impending arrival. I can equally concur with Dave’s suggestions that “Former pupils… don’t

Dave’s most sobering observation however is, in reference to exam results, “Almondbury are clearly closing the gap”. In that regard times really have changed. For September will see a new dawn in the history of King James’s School, as we absorb 120 children from our, as it will be then, former neighbour and we will be providing education for our new year 7 cohort on that site, whilst our new 10 classroom teaching block is built.

Perhaps I should start my own diary, which might read (assuming I have five years left in the bag):

“Monday 6th September 2020, 975 days to go – One school, two sites, new block. How complicated school life is compared to 25 years ago…”

NO BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH

The final-year diary of David Bush

Price: £15.00 + pp

(UK: £3.00; Mainland Europe: £9.50; Rest of world: £17.50)

248 pages

Hard-back

234 x 156 mm

ISBN 978 0 9557314 2 6

Published

Classroom commentary

LAUREN NUTTON KJS STAFF

Our writer reports on the long-awaited return to School

COVID carries on… After what feels like an eternity, we have made the interesting transition back into the classroom. I would love to say it has been plain sailing but I’m afraid I would be lying. The fear, the confusion and the ‘new normal’ is real and I can’t say I’m particularly enjoying it.

Firstly, the return to school felt so surreal. Usually, around the beginning of September, the staff walk into the hall and they’re jolly, tanned and – having finally caught up on sleep – fresh faced.

However, this year, there was a sombre atmosphere. We were all separated into Covid-19 complying groups and we were all talking behind masks. Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful to see my colleagues: I had genuinely missed human inter action but not like this. It felt strange, robotic al most.

Then, the kids came back. We had new systems to teach them; they had to sanitise their hands and wipe down their tables upon entry of every room; they had a one-way system to learn; they had to wear masks in the corridors. It was a

lot to take in but the only safe way to allow us to come back. Despite all of the new protocols that they had to learn though, the students here were amazing! It was almost like they had never been away. Eager and ready to learn, they settled straight in and just got on with it. It is a difficult time for us all and we have had to learn how adjust to the vast changes that have allowed us to return to school. The staffroom: once buzzing with teachers, is now somewhat isolated, at times. It’s very easy to feel lonely but, being one of the more talkative and lively members of staff, I have finally started to get some work done in my lunch time and before school (because there’s nobody to talk to). I do hope though, in the future, we learn from this isolation and appreciate each other more.

Some of the students don’t quite understand why they can’t hug their friends and why they can’t mess around and be normal teenagers but eventually, they will be able to and, it will all go back to normal, and this will all just be a horrible memory that we put behind us – one can hope anyway.

New classrooms on the way BUILDING PLANS

AS we reported in the July issue, K ing James’s School is set for further expansion . It follows the decision of Kirklees Council in July 2019 to close the secondary phase of Almondbury Community School (ACS), resulting in the urgent need to create an additional 150 secondary places at King James’s based on 30 additional pupils over five school years.

The new development, on which work is about to commence, takes the form of a new two-storey teaching block located at the rear of the site, near to the location of existing prefabricated classrooms which were re-located during the summer break to a new temporary location on the lawn in front of the ILC.

It will provide a total of ten

classrooms, which will in due course replace the temporary classrooms on the site and also remove the Schools’s present reliance on rooms that no longer meet modern-day teaching requirements.

The building, designed by architects Farrell & Clark to a brief from consultants

DPP Planning, will be finished in a buff brick with feature panels of stone. In designing the new school, the aim has been to integrate the building into the existing topography of the site through appropriate landscaping, and also to provide social spaces for pupils.

Vehicular and pedestrian access into the new block will remain as at present, and additional parking provision is being provided within the bus turnaround and parking area off Arkenley Lane.

A school travel plan is also being prepared which will set out various measures to discourage car use and promote sustainable travel habits.

It is hoped that the new block will be completed by September 2021. n

SUDOKU

Difficulty: medium

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

Kimbolton: the display is over

RON LANCASTER MBE (1942 - 1950)

Inspired by Chemistry master Dr Calloway, Ron Lancaster set up Kimbolton Fireworks in 1964. Faced with escalating costs, the company has now sadly closed. Our ‘master blaster pastor’ explains how it all started.

IN his Quartet of poems T S Eliot uses the words ‘In my beginning is my end.’ These words have often had a strange feel as I think of the chemistry I learnt at Almondbury.

Arriving in 1942, I worshipped Dr and Mrs Calloway, and even kept in touch in their retirement. But we must not forget the Jarmain Family and the big factory at Kirkheaton where my father was a maintenance engineer. The factory worked continuously and during the war I would ride down on my bike when he was on the night shift, to savour something of the chemistry of that time. Just to add to the unusual, my cousin who was studying chemistry at Cambridge was to be moved temporarily from the College and based in Leeds University as a government inspector and he came to live with us.

Needless to say, fireworks were always an attraction and we used to look forward to November but for a week or two we

had the pleasure of looking at the wonderful items in their glass cases in the shops. We saved our pocket money to buy another item for our collection as we pored over the display in Fairbanks Bakery in Westgate, getting them out each night to make comparisons.

By 1940 all this came to an end as we realised that Lion and Standard were gearing up to take on military contracts. Lion’s factory was visible from Almondbury but it was not so easy to go and watch the daily testing of Thunderflashes and Very Stars. It was a lot easier to go to Standard at Crosland Hill by bus where most days they tested parachute flares with useful ’chutes when it was fun to chase them as they descended, armed with a long stick to outwit some other youth. I know Derek lbbotson also remembered it well.

The call of University in 1950 led to

Right: 50th anniversary of VJ Day in 1995: Vera Lynn (inset) pressed the button to start our companys biggest-ever display which used five barges on the Thames

Durham and even though I had always thought of reading medicine, a vocation to the Anglican church was there and I decided against Chemistry and Biology and went for Theology and Psychology. In 2009, by which time I had become well established in the firework trade, I was delighted when Durham conferred on me an Honorary MSc.

After curacies at Morley and Harrogate and six years as a parish priest, I was appointed Chaplain at Kimbolton School in Cambridgeshire in 1963 to teach Divinity and Chemistry. At the interview I asked if there was anywhere I could build a couple of labs as a firework research establishment! I still look back with amazement in that neither Kimbolton School nor I could have seen what this might lead to and like so many things, regulations were getting stricter all the time. My six years as a curate enabled me to

get to know Lion and Standard and I shall always be grateful for the support and friendship of those firms and in particular to Richard Greenhalgh of Standard . Unfortunately the UK firework industry was experiencing serious problems with retail but there was a good opportunity to change the format of display fireworks. It was this that gave Kimbolton the opportunity to assist, since most displays took place during the summer vacations and boarding schools like Kimbolton have a 24 hour day in term time.

We set up a factory near the centre of Kimbolton in September 1964, with a storage facility some miles away for obvious reasons of safety. In 1990 we erected a new factory on a new four acre site outside the village.

By 1970, along with one or two colleagues, we found ourselves conducting

Time for celebration: Big Ben strikes 12 as Kimbolton Fireworks provide yet another magnificent New Year’s Eve display. Kimbolton also provided the displays for the London Olympics and Paralympic Games in 2012

many major displays such as Henley Regatta and for BBC TV. In 1975 I was asked to join the Jubilee Committee for the Jubilee display in 1977, and in 1978 Kimbolton conducted the display for the anniversary of the Coronation in the gardens in front of Buckingham Palace.

After that we conducted many displays involving the Royal Family, such as the opening of the Humber Bridge, the Thames Barrier, the Barbican Centre etc. I was elected to a Fellowship of the Royal Institute of Chemistry in 1983 for my lectures to schools and universities on the chemistry of pyrotechnics; and in 2013 I was awarded the Royal Institute of Chemistry Blue Plaque which proudly stands on the wall of the new chemistry labs at Kimbolton School. To my great pleasure I was awarded MBE in 1992.

Kimbolton’s largest display and undoubtedly the largest in living memory was to celebrate the end of the war. We used 18 tonnes of fireworks on five Thames barges, spread over two miles, with five barges of sound between four miles of bank – and there were a million spectators. Dame Vera Lynn (who sadly died recently at the age of 103) pressed the button to start.

The next big display was the Hong Kong Handover, followed by the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012. All

these special displays required meticulous preparation with our wonderful teams working together, each with the Team Leader. My son Mark was in charge of the Hong Kong display – he had served there in the Army so he knows Hong Kong well. With the whole world watching, the display took place in the pouring rain, but it was a triumph thanks to waterproofing. The emotional load which comes with many of these events can be unbelievably stressful!

Once a Company reaches a certain size, the overheads become a serious problem and the EU insistence on CE marking was clearly going to cost an enormous amount of money. This, combined with severe competition from China resulted in our advisors sadly suggesting the liquidation of Kimbolton Fireworks last year.

There is a time for everything. My motto was Ex luce lucellum – out of light a little profit. We might have just about made it, and who knows what the future of firework manufacture might be?

But it was great while it lasted. n

Final verdict: “It was great while it lasted!”

Sticking to my principles REMINISCENCE

DR JOHN COMYN (1953 - 1961)

John Comyn thanks Physics master Cecil Gill for inspiring him to take up a career in physical science and Music master Harry Gledhill for introducing him to fourpart singing. A specialist in adhesives, he looks back on happy days at King James’s.

HUDDERSFIELD’S trolley

buses are held in great affection by Old Almondburians of my vintage. In the 6th form I sometimes cycled to school, but otherwise caught the number 90 at Fartown Bar, and joined a young lady on the upstairs back seat. She was Hilary Brook, a Greenhead girl who lived in Fixby. Now we are still together after 55 years of marriage. We were married at Woodhouse Church on 21st June 1965. the best man was Old Almondburian Mike Pogson. and who should play the organ but ’ appy ’ arry Gledhill.

I owe a tremendous amount to Harry Gledhill. I hated singing treble in the school choir, but after my voice broke I heard the choir singing in four parts at speech day, and thought it was very interesting, and volunteered to join. He never refused a volunteer. I got a firm foundation in singing bass, and apart from the six years when studying chemistry I have been singing ever since. For about 30 years I have been with Leicester Bach Choir, and I also performed with Ashleyan Opera, until it closed (due to lack of people). If the opera had a bar keeper the role always seemed to fall on me – Lilias Pasta in Carmen – Luther in Tales of Hoffman. I did not tire of typecasting.

Sixth form at King James’s was a very happy time. I did Maths, Physics and Chemistry for two years and got a distinction in chemistry,

Married

for 55 years: John Comyn thanks the number 90 trolleybus for leading him to Greenhead girl Hilary Brook whom he married in 1965.

So what exactly is glue and how does it work? John Comyn sticks to the facts

Glues have been around for a long time; even the ancient Egyptians used them in veneering the treasures of Tutankhamun. In the olden days they originated from plants and animals; but during the 20th century synthetic chemicals have largely taken over, and nowadays we use the more respectable name of ‘adhesive’. Today, adhesives are used in all types of manufacture. A wide range of adhesives is used in making cardboard boxes, with rarely a staple to be seen. Apart from expensive handmade shoes, footwear is now adhesively bonded (again, a more respectable word than ‘glued’) using hot melt adhesives for the basic construction, natural rubber latex for linings, and solvent based polyurethanes or polychloroprenes for sole attachment.

Adhesive bonding is used increasingly in the construction of aircraft. Structural bonding began with the De Havilland Mosquito in 1938, which was made of plywood. Modern civil aircraft are basically made of aluminium alloy, and rubber modified epoxide adhesives are increasingly used. Manchester’s modern tramway uses bonded steel rails.

Rubber-to-metal bonds are used for engine, transmission and exhaust mountings in automobiles and in railway bogie suspensions. However, mass produced car bodies are still made of spotwelded mild steel: the large-scale bonding of car bodies is a prize that still awaits the adhesives industry.

Even human beings can be repaired by adhesives: special cements are used in dentistry and orthopaedic surgery.

Mother nature uses adhesion to construct plants and animals, and some animals are masters at the exploitation of adhesion - like barnacles that stick to anything that floats in the sea and insects that can walk on ceilings. Adhesives are remarkable chemicals. As to how they work, it’s a subject about which whole books have been written.

Like mine.

l Adhesion Science by John Comyn (second edition) Royal Society of Chemistry, November 2020

and in the third year studied chemistry, physics and zoology, and was awarded a distinction in physics. The teaching in all these subjects was excellent and physics in particular was a scientific revelation. The physics master was Mr Cecil Gill (for some reason his nickname

was Cedric) and it was he who really taught me to think physical science. In fact he paid me the greatest compliment ever in his Yorkshire accent “’e as a thorough grasp of physical principles”. And so to Bristol University to study chemistry. Then to Leeds to work for a PhD in physical chemistry. After two years one of my supervisors (Professor F S Dainton FRS, later Lord Dainton), was appointed vice-chancellor at Nottingham and the other, K J Ivin, went to Queen’s University of Belfast as Professor of Physical Chemistry, and I went along. By this time I was married and Hilary got a job teaching in a working class protestant area of the city; she adored the job, the staff and the children. Northern Ireland was peaceful during our year (1966-67) but words were flying. I was offered a fellowship at Queens but declined as I got a lectureship at Leicester Polytechnic. The politics went violent just after we left, and every pub

Sixth Form 1961. Back row (l to r): John Comyn, Rob Arnold, John Harrison, Chris Arnold, David Hobson, Edward Bottomley, David Chambers, Gordon Senior, Barry DeBoer, Martin Fitton Front row (l to r): Barry Livesey, John Goodall, Michael Pogson, Roger Wild, Tony Hirst, Cecil Gill, Jim Crosland, Bruno RIchardson, Roger Crossland, Roger Mallinson, Frank Yates

Harry Gledhill, photographed in 1955

we frequented was bombed at some time. We loved Northern Ireland and its people, on both sides, and explored it in our red mini.

I had only been at Leicester for 1 year when I was promoted to senior lecturer and head of polymer chemistry. I stayed there for 22 years at which time I had become a reader. As I look back I see that the chemistry department at the poly was really good, and many of our students went on to very succesful careers.

If you wanted to do research in a poly you had to get external funding. The first grant is the most difficult one, and mine was from the Ministry of Defence. Most of my work has been on adhesive bonding. I founded the International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives which still flourishes. The second edition of my book Adhesion Science will shortly be published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

At the age of 48 I quit to work for myself as a consultant; it was a good move. As I left I was made a visiting professor at De Montfort University (which the Poly became).

We have two sons, Ben who lives locally and Tim who lives in Leeds with his family, but works in Huddersfield as technical director of Ionix Ltd. We are both BSc (Bristol) and PhD (Leeds), and on one occasion we graduated at the same ceremony in Bristol, Tim with an MSc and me with a DSc. I then had to rush back to Leicester to switch from academic robes to the costume of an ancient Egyptian soldier, as I was singing in Verdi’s Aida .

Right now I am still working parttime, but otherwise build model railways, ride my bike and read. n

Richard Laing conducts Leicester Bach Choir in St James the Greater, Leicester. The author (ringed) is in the centre of the back row

Sue Sutton ARPS

CROSSWORD by Hérisson

Entries to the Editor (address/email: back cover) by 31sh January 2021. Prize: 12 months’ free OAS membership

l The winner of Crossword by Hérisson (July 2020) was Peter Tracey

ACROSS

1. No lazy workers here! (4,2,8)

9. Tenant gone? No-one about – it’s touching. (7)

10. Give credit to a writer. (7)

11. Material only fashioned after new beginning. (5)

12. Galaxy and city lawyer. (9)

13. Before start, achieve breakthrough. (6)

15. Believed power on again. (8)

17. Dress fabrics thanks to very loud Greek characters. (8)

19. Meagre survey they vacated. (6)

22. Explain the last of you in delicate arrangement. (9)

23. Flower part pupil utilises in reverse. (5)

25. Newsman I found in front of office of lost building. (7)

26. Crazy bar act with central ring circus performer. (7)

27. Rocky or Emily – the Lord Lucan creation. (3,6,5)

DOWN

1. Botha dethroned, worried and stressed.(3,3,8)

2. View Niall, oddly corrupt. (5)

3. Seafaring crack cocaine. (7)

4. Real article, a cult assembled. (6)

5. How oat frond waves? (2,3,3)

6. The point Sector 5 out. (7)

7. Group member destroyed brainstem. (9)

8. Comfort brew with care. (3,3,8)

14. A full five out relating to discharge. (9)

16. Mad Peter, aka ‘Bird’. (8)

18. Email ‘it’s losing a variation’ for exclusivity. (7)

20. Food provider, Macavity, for example, with two queens. (7)

21. Age network on the rise – look out! (6)

24. Slate artist leaving party. (5)

The story of the Rugby Rumpus FEATURE

WALTER RALEIGH

There were high hopes when Rev Francis Marshall became headmaster in 1878. But Marshall’s antagonism towards the ‘professionalism’ of his favourite sport of Rugby Union led ultimately to his downfall – and the formation of the Rugby League.

FRANCIS MARSHALL applied for the headship of Almondbury

Grammar School in early 1878. From a list of 30 candidates he was offered the post and arrived in Huddersfield for the start of the summer term on 10th April 1878. It is said ‘he came with a reputation as an efficient organiser, firm disciplinarian, a successful teacher, especially of Mathematics, and a rugby fanatic.’ He was a portly man and frequently had a Havana cigar in his mouth.

Marshall was born in West Bromwich on 22nd September 1845, the son of a Borough Surveyor who also owned a tube manufacturing company and a timber yard. He attended Brewood Grammar School in Staffordshire and graduated from St John’s College, Cambridge in 1868. On graduation he was appointed Vice-Princi-

pal of Carmarthen Training College and ordained Deacon of St David’s.

He arrived in Huddersfield with his widowed mother, who lived with him in the school house. In January 1884 he married Catherine Ann Taylor, the daughter of John Edward Taylor, of North Field House, an Almondbury manufacturer.

His brother Charles Henry Marshall also followed him north. He was a solicitor and later Registrar of Holmfirth. As a solicitor Charles later helped his brother in the prosecution of clubs falling foul of the strict Rugby Football Union (RFU) rules.

Aside from his main role of teacher Francis Marshall quickly became part of the rugby establishment. He enrolled the school as part of the RFU and so was able to attend Yorkshire Rugby Club meetings and meet the movers and shakers of the

game in Yorkshire. At the time each club, large or small, had the same voting power. He also joined the Huddersfield Rugby Club and watched matches as well as becoming one of the best known local referees. He quickly made progress in the administration of the game inYorkshire. He was Treasurer to the Yorkshire Rugby Union in 1888/9 and 1889/90. He was elected President in 1890/91 and from 1889 until September 1892 was aYorkshire Representative on the English Rugby Union Committee. There is little evidence he played the game to any sort of level, possibly through ill health, but rose to be one of the outstanding referees of this period. However, he did cause controversy, frequently smoking his Havana cigars whilst on the pitch refereeing.

Marshall’s rise to prominence in Yorkshire Rugby was attributed to his desire to stop any form of professionalism creeping into the game. He was a great exponent of the idea of ‘Muscular Christianity’, believing exercise should be taken as part of having a healthy body and a healthy mind. He introduced Rugby into the curriculum at AGS.

He accepted the principal of ‘expenses’ being paid for travel and accommodation but nothing more than this. He was aware of what became known as ‘veiled professionalism’ and was prepared to fight this battle to the death. With the advent of the Yorkshire Cup massive crowds were attending matches. Spectators were paying large amounts of money to attend and victory in the competition brought great civic pride to the local communities. Teams became more ‘professional’, training up to twice a week. Food such as a leg of mutton was frequently being given to players by supporters so they could build up their strength before a big game. Trainers were brought in to get the players fit and players were being brought into teams from junior clubs or from outside the area. Teams were also being rewarded with lengths of cloth for new suits if they won important games. Teams wanted to win at all costs.

Welsh and Cumbrian players were arriving to strengthen teams on the promise of a job in a local mill or even, for the super stars, the promise of being a landlord in a local pub. People such as Francis Marshall did not

Almondbury Grammar School rugby team in 1884. Rev Francis Marshall is on the back row wearing bowler hat.

like what was going on. Marshall was determined to do something about it but with large crowds and money available it was going to be difficult to stop. At a Yorkshire Cup game between Leeds and Halifax at Headingly in 1892, 27,654 attended and players began to want some of the money generated. Since 1885 professionalism had been allowed in Association Football and at their FA Cup final, where players had been paid, the crowd was less than at thisYorkshire Cup game.

Saturday afternoon fixtures kicking off at 2.00 pm were normal but as teams began to travel further afield to Hull in the east and to Wigan in the west players could not catch the earlier trains in order to play, as they worked until 1.00 pm. But attending crowds wanted to see the best players so clubs, with the support of their committee men (the factory owners) came up with a scheme not to pay players but to compensate them for money

lost by not working on Saturday mornings. These payments became known as ‘broken time’ payments. But the likes of Francis Marshall in the north and the RFU in the south were vehemently against such practices.

Interestingly enough, games in the south took place on most days in the week. For instance the game between Middlesex and Yorkshire took place on a Monday afternoon in February 1893. The crowd of 2,000 reflected the social status of those who could afford to attend a game of rugby on a working afternoon. Compare this to the fixture between Yorkshire and Lancashire in Huddersfield when the game attracted a crowd of 23,270 on a Saturday afternoon. The game in the south still depended upon the middle classes for their support unlike in the north of England, and the large crowds and the money taken at the gates in the north was a major source of income for the RFU.

As well as getting time off to play there was also a concern for players who might get injured in the north. The Pall Mall Gazette recorded that for the three seasons, 1890/1, 1891/2 and 1892/3, there were 71 recorded deaths of men playing rugby, along with 121 broken legs, 33 broken arms and 54 broken collar bones.

Northern clubs such as Hull and Bradford had brought in an insurance scheme where support was given if men could not work because of a rugby injury. The players had to contribute 25% of the cost of the premium but were well looked after and so they accepted this as a good form of insurance. Unfortunately the RFU saw this as just another step toward ‘professionalism’ and so set their stall against it. As far as they were concerned if you could not afford to look

Francis Marshall was the editor of this set of official rules of ‘the Rugby Union Game’, published by Cassell in 1895.

after yourself when injured you should not be playing the game.

In 1886, Marshall wrote a new set of rules and regulations regarding ‘professionalism’ which were accepted by the RFU. These rules included:

l No ‘Broken Time’ payments

l No unpaid ‘loans’

l No Testimonials

l No Tours

l No employment on condition of playing for a particular club

l No employment in the ‘drinks industry’

l No match payments known as ‘boot money’

l No gifts from well-wishers or sponsors

l No abuse of insurance schemes.

But rules were only of any use if someone was to enforce them. In Yorkshire the man delighted to do this was Francis Marshall, helped by his brother Charles. He publically stated in the local press that if anyone was aware of any wrong-doing at their club they should contact him and he would do the rest.

Within weeks Marshall and his brother began their work. Marshall had been told that Paddock Cricket Club, which also had a rugby section, had employed their star player, Lorryman, as a groundsman. This was against the rules and the club had to appear in front of the Yorkshire Committee. They were found guilty and Lorryman was banned from playing for Paddock. Paddock merely received a warning as this was the first time any club had been accused of breaking the new rules.

Lorryman kept his job but played for Brighouse Rangers.

In 1888 an unemployed printer called F A North was offered a job at the Goodall & Suddich factory if he agreed to play for Leeds. Marshall presented the facts and Leeds were found guilty and suspended for three months; North was prevented from joining the club. Leeds were the first club to be suspended for abusing the new rules introduced by Marshall and the RFU.

The next prosecution involved Brighouse Rangers. Someone complained to Marshall that seven of the Brighouse team were employed at a local dyehouse. He made enquiries and found that Herbert Hartley, a stoker at Hartshead Moor Colliery, had met with representatives of the Brighouse club and had been offered a part time post at the local silk mill. Marshall argued that Hartley would only have moved if his pay was being made up by playing for Brighouse. On 12th November1888 Brighouse were found guilty, and were suspended until the New Year. Hartley was banned from joining the club.

Low Moor Rugby Club complained to Marshall that Cleckheaton Rugby Club were in breach of the rules.They claimed that a player had been induced to leave their club to join Cleckheaton for the princely sum of a length of cloth for some trousers. Cleckheaton argued the cloth was an incentive for the man who trained hardest at their training sessions. Both were found guilty in January 1889.

The first player to be banned for life for

Seven of the Brighouse team were employed at a local dyehouse!

being a professional was C E ‘Teddy’ Bartram of Wakefield Trinity. Bartram was awarded a Testimonial by the club, having captained the Wakefield side from 1883 to 1890. He had appeared 14 times for Yorkshire and had played in three North v South matches. He and the club were found guilty of breaking the rules. Wakefield were suspended for 3 months for contributing £50 to his Testimonial fund and Bartram was banned for life.

Heckmondwike had become a very prosperous town as new industries opened up factories there. It came to Marshall’s notice that Heckmondwike had three internationals in their side. One of them was John W Sutcliffe, known as ‘the football phenomenon’ for the length he could kick a ball. He was cohabiting with a woman called Nancy Jubb and her brother didn’t get on with Sutcliffe. He therefore reported to Marshall that Sutcliffe had boasted to him that Heckmondwike were paying him 10 shillings per game. The books from Heckmondwike were examined by Marshall and his brother and they could not understand how such a successful club had only two fixtures where more than £20 was taken at the gate. Heckmondwike were found guilty and banned sine die, though this was reduced to 3 months on appeal in December 1890. Sutcliffe was banned from playing for Heckmondwike.

Committee complained to Marshall that more clubs were being accused of offences in Yorkshire than all the rest of the country put together. But this didn’t put Marshall off. On 20th January 1890 Marshall questioned officials of the Leeds club about some of the work being done on their new pavilion. An allegation was made that one man who played for the club had also been paid for carrying out some plumbing work.The club was suspended for a month and the player banned from playing for Leeds.

Though he was becoming unpopular in Yorkshire Marshall was approached by someone from Lancashire who didn’t like what he had heard regarding the Oldham club.There were concerns about their three Marshall was increasingly held in ridicule for his opposition to what he called ‘veiled professionalism’

After the case, the Yorkshire

new players, their work, wages and what jobs they had left in Wales. The Lancashire RFU had refused to get involved, so Marshall made enquiries. Oldham’s players were interrogated and their books inspected at the Grand Hotel in Manchester.The result of the enquiry was announced on the evening of Wednesday 29th October 1890. There was great rejoicing outside the Hotel when it was announced the enquiry had found no wrong doing.

However, Marshall – already unpopular inYorkshire – was now also a marked man in Lancashire and many threats were made to his wellbeing.

Despite his best efforts, clubs continued to abuse the new rules and try as he might

the cases against numerous clubs were found ‘not proven’. But other than Marshall, there seemed no appetite amongst Committee men to accuse clubs of professionalism. Unofficially, ‘broken time’ payments continued and as a result Yorkshire became the dominant force in rugby.

By early 1891 Marshall realised his fight against professionalism had been mainly ineffective and he felt the only way to stop it was by questioning all the transfers of players coming into play forYorkshire clubs from outside. With the support of the RFU he drafted some proposals and they were approved in October 1892. All players moving into new clubs, but particularly from outside the county, had to appear before their County Committees. They were asked why they were moving and all the details of wages and pay both in their new employment and their old work had to be produced. They could only move at the end of the season and the Yorkshire Committee even agreed that new players could not play in the Yorkshire Cup until they had served a period of residency in their new town.

But at the Wales RFU AGM in May 1892 they made it known that they were not inclined to make any enquiries about the movement of players. Mr H Gwynn, the Swansea representative, said ‘the new rules are totally unnecessary and unsuitable for the game inWales.The rules are constantly broken and never enforced.’ The Welsh AGM agreed to ‘not prosecute any players in Wales and not help any prosecutions in England’.

During 1892 the elite rugby clubs from Yorkshire decided to form a League, if necessary outside the jurisdiction of the Yorkshire RFU.There were still some clubs in the south who thought that any new league meant ‘professionalism’, so they opposed it. Similarly, in Lancashire a group of the major clubs decided to form a similar competition.

The RFU, particularly their southern members, were against the formation of these new Leagues as they felt that more competition was against the ethos of ‘playing for fun’.

TheYorkshire members had had enough and so at their AGM in June 1893 it was overwhelmingly carried that Broken Time payments should be allowed.They proposed this for the RFU AGM later in the year. Shortly after, Lancashire at their AGM, also supported the principal of Broken Time.

A meeting of the RFU AGM took place at Westminster Palace Hotel on the evening of 20th September 1893 when the proposition to allow Broken Time payments was to be discussed and voted on. The Yorkshire Representatives travelled down to Kings Cross in a specially hired 12-carriage train charging 10 shillings a head. The meeting was the largest gathering in the RFU’s 22 year history.

It was an uproarious meeting both because of the topic but also because of the great animosity felt towards Rev Marshall from the northern delegates.The debate was heated. Those against the motion did so because they felt that:

l Sport is for enjoyment, not for winning

l It would lead to many clubs becoming bankrupt as had some in the FA

l This, in turn, would lead to fewer clubs for people to play in

l Professionalism would lead to more injuries

l It could lead to problems with betting.

Marshall expressed the view that ‘if a man can’t afford the leisure to play a game he must do without it.’

Those who proposed the motion did so because:

l It was fair to working class men to be able to play the game whenever it took place

l Broken Time payments would prevent full time professionalism

l Players who train and keep in condition deserved to be rewarded for their efforts

l With massive crowds attending, players deserve some of the money raised especially when injuries to players could occur

l It would rid the game of ‘veiled professionalism’

l It would move the game away from being a sport just for the middle classes.

After a heated debate the vote was taken: 282 votes ‘against’ and 136 ‘for’. Broken Time payments were to remain forbidden.

The Yorkshire Post described the decision as a victory for ‘Veiled Professionalism’.

The majority view of the southern clubs, and the RFU, was to take advantage of their position after the vote and drive out any hint of professionalism from the game by adhering to the rules even more strictly than before. Any club found guilty of breaking any rule would thrown out of the RFU.

The view of most of the northern clubs was to accept the decision and move on. They were not inclined to break away from the RFU. But if they had known what Marshall was up to they might have had different views.

In the run up to the RFU annual general meeting, Marshall had been the guest of the

Chairman of the RFU, Mr R Westray. Westray was not only RFU Chair; he was also President of the Cumberland RFU. The purpose of the meeting between Westray and Marshall was to determine how they should deal with allegations of the ‘kidnapping’ of two players from Cumberland clubs by Huddersfield, Marshall’s club. In effect, Marshall was putting himself in the position of excommunicating his own club from the sport.

The outcome was that less than two months after the AGM vote Huddersfield were charged with ‘professionalism’ by the RFU. They were accused of offering Cummerdale Hornets players John Forsyth 30 shillings a game and George Boak 25 shillings a game to join Huddersfield. Both players had also been offered work at the Read Holliday chemical works on Leeds Road.

After a meeting of 5½ hours Huddersfield were found guilty and banned from playing until the end of 1893. It was only through the efforts of the Yorkshire Representatives on the RFU committee that they also avoided being thrown out of the RFU.

Over the next few months Wigan, Salford and Leigh were all found guilty of ‘professionalism’ and suspended for differing amounts of time. The major clubs of Lancashire andYorkshire met and talk of leaving the RFU took place. The RFU tried to introduce new rules, saying that clubs accused were guilty until they could prove their innocence. This was too much and though the ruling was thrown out at the 1894 RFU AGM the major clubs in the north agreed that if any of them were thrown out of the RFU they would all resign.

At 6.30 pm on Thursday 29th August 1895 representatives of all the major northern clubs met at the George Hotel in Huddersfield and agreed to hand in their letters of resignation from the RFU.The Northern Union was formed, later to become known as the Rugby Football League.

As for Marshall he had become so unpopular in Huddersfield that it is said that he never went the same way home from the Railway Station to the School because of threats to his life. The School suffered as wealthy manufacturers withdrew their boys and so numbers fell. As a result the Governors, who had long been concerned at the amount of time he spent on RFU affairs, discussed the situation with him and, as a result, he resigned as headmaster and left the School at Christmas 1896.

He took up the post ofVicar in the village of Mileham in Norfolk where he stayed until his death at the age of 59 in April 1906. n

The schoolhouse in Marshall’s time. He resigned in 1896 and was replaced by Leonard Griffiths from Magdalen College, Oxford

Life in the days of ‘Old Marshall’

HARRY MAFFIN (1894 - 1897)

Almondbury’s much-respected family doctor recorded his memories of Rev Francis Marshall in a tape recording stored for over 60 years in the OAS archives.This, in his own words, is what it was like to be a pupil at AGS 125 years ago.

THE first time I entered Aimbry Grammar School was in 1893 but I joined the School as a pupil in January 1894. The headmaster was Francis Marshall, the Reverend F. ‘Old Marshall’, we used to call him.

He didn’t believe in sparing the rod, and there was plenty of it. But he was a very good headmaster – if any boy showed promise he would help them all he could. It was not good them slacking because if they slacked they would get spanked and they would still have to do the work. We used to have heaps of homework, sometimes fours hours a night. It was far too much, but it doesn’t seem to have done me a a fat lot of harm.

There were four regular masters. Mr Marshall was a Cambridge Wrangler who wrote a lot of text books, on the Gospels and on Mathematics. He was a very able mathematician and Gills were his publishers. He died comparatively early and I believe his wife had a regular income from his publications. She was an Almondbury lady, from the Taylor family, one of the most prominent in the village at that time. Mr House, the classical master, was an Oxford Double First – he’s still alive now [in 1958] aged 88 but he’s been bedfast for a couple of years.

Then there was Herr Max Grabner, who taught French and a little German. He was a fat little man, whom we didn’t care for; he was too ready to give out impositions, and he was too keen on French irregular verbs about which he had written a book. But on one occasion the book came to my rescue. I had to go to Leeds for a Mechanics Examination for the London Matriculation and just before it started I was

HARRY MAFFIN, a long-time member of the Old Almondburians’ Society, was the much-loved Almondbury doctor who became one of the best-known figures in the village though his work in many social spheres.

He excelled in his schooldays, winning a Dartmouth Medal in his final year. In sport, hecreated a school record in 1896 by winning four cups in one afternoon.

For eight years he was president of the Almondbury branch of the British Legion. He had also been a Parochial Church Council member, sidesman and Vicar’s warden.

In 1958, people of mthe village subscribed for a gift as a token of ‘appreciation of his services to Almondbury in many spheres’.

He died at his home in Benomley Cresent in February 1966 at the age of 84.

asked what book I had in my pocket. It was an uncomfortable moment – but it turned out to be Herr Grabner’s book on irregular verbs!

The fourth master was Mr Adamsonwe used to call him ‘Penky Jim’* because he could see out of the back of his head. He saw far too much – but he was one of those chaps who could teach anything.

We also had a sergeant-major from Fartown Athletic Club who gave us drill once or twice a week . We had no gym, though we had dumbells and barbells and we did various exercises.

*Local dialect, possibly derived from the Dutch ‘Pinken’ (to leer or squint).

The School in 1894

There was also a reporter from the Huddersfield Chronicle newspaper who used to come on Saturday mornings to try to teach us shorthand. It was useless because he had a stammer and of course the boys used to make the most of that.

There was only a small amount of Science in those days. There was a small lab behind the schoolhouse [the ‘Cloisters’] next to what we used to call the ‘Sheds’, but very few boys took Chemistry.

We had no hot water in the School, and no heating apparatus. There were fires in two of the rooms where we were taught, and two fires in the ‘Big’. However, the fires weren’t much good to the lads as the masters’ desks were in front

Back Row: W Roberts, W R Jessop, E Tinker, J W Turner, F Milnes, G H Bower, J W Goldthorpe, F Smith, A Jessop, H Holdsworth

3rd Row: Mr Adamson, A Thorpe, H Whittell, T E Pearson, J Binns, G H Pratt, R Binns, J E Walker, A L B Shaw, T Ridpath, J L Brierley, H Maffin (ringed), S Harris, Mr House, W E Evans

2nd Row: R Greenwood, F W Cawood, E Withers, G H Williams, E Dickenson, E H Dawson, A Boothroyd, C Taylor, G Tinker, H Dickenson (above), Herr Grabner

lst. Row : B S Dutton, J N Tinker, H Wadsworth, F E Kendal, A E A Buller, P R Popplewell, J Jagger

and the masters sat between their desk and the fire. But all the time I was there, I can’t remember any boy being away seriously ill. There were 60-70 boys at the School in my time.

The room now known as the ODH was the Boarders’ Dining Room. You could be what was known as a ‘Daily boarder’ or you could be a ‘Weekly boarder’ who went home at weekends. I remember visiting a house down Somerset Road and I said to the Missus, “What’s your boy doing boarding at Aimbry Grammar School as a Weekly Boarderwhen you live so near?” She said “Well,

his father went to boarding school and always said he’d send his son to boarding school too.”

There were also ‘Parlour Boarders’ who used to live with Marshall and his wife. They had usually joined the school for a special purpose, perhaps for training for the militia or to take some particular entrance examination. A fellow pupil called Tom Priest was a Parlour Boarder – he won the Dartmouth Medal in 1894 and went up to Cambridge.

Marshall drew a lot of boarders from Yorkshire and also a lot from the West Bromwich area where he came from.

Rev F Marshall’s school of 1894

The AGS School Prospectus shows the cost of education 125 years ago and the versatility Marshall expected of his assistant masters. A Full Boarder taking the ‘Classical side’ with Music would expect to pay £52 per annum; the average annual working man’s wage in the UK at that time was around £65.

TUITION FEES

Classical Side: £13 per annum; Modern Side: £10 per annum Fees covers all subjects apart from Practical Chemistry (an extra £3 pa in cluding chemicals and the use of apparatus) and Music (£4 pa)

BOARDING FEES

Full boarders: £35 pa; Weekly Boarders: £30 pa; Daily Borders: £10 10s 0d pa

CLASSICAL SIDE

Under the supervision of Mr House, boys are prepared for the Univer sities, the Professions, Competitive and Army Examinations, and for general pursuits. Pupils are also prepared for entrance into Public Schools. '

The Course of Instruction includes Religious Knowledge, Latin, Greek, French, German, Mathematics, in addition to the usual English subjects. Pupils in this department can, if desired, receive instruction in Chem istry, Shorthand, Drawing and Physical Science.

MODERN SIDE

In the Modern Department, under the supervision of Mr Adamson, boys are prepared for mercantile, manufacturing and general business pursuits.

The Course of Instruction inciudes Religious Knowledge, Latin, French, Mathematics, Drawing, Chemistry, Shorthand, Book-keeping and Physical Science.

The Head Boy when I was at school was called Tinker. He became a Board of Trade doctor. He threw the cricket ball over 100 yards two years in succession, and was a demon fast bowler though he was very erratic. I also remember J W Goldthorpe, who was a year older than I – he went to Oxford and joined the Colonial Civil Service. He was a district magistrate in Kuala Lumpur and died at the age of 39.

There was also T E Pearson who became a Doctor of Music at Oxford and a fellow of the Royal Col lege of Organists.

The school had two ‘sides’: the Classical side and the Modern side. The school day was from 9.00 am to 12.00 noon and 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm. We had Wednesday afternoons off but we had to go in on Saturday mornings. We had a month off at Christmas, a month off at Easter and six or seven weeks holiday in the summer.There was no school uniform, apart from a school cap. But we had to dress properly for games – rugby football of course.

Marshall had very original ideas on the teaching of Religious Knowledge. He had a class of around 15 and you had to learn a chapter from one of the Gospels by heart.You took it in turns to recite one verse each, word-perfect.

Marshall would take morning and evening prayers in the ‘Big’. I remember he used to bawl out:

Lighten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord, and by thy great mercy defend us from all the great perils and dangers of the night. But we boys weren’t worried about the perils and dangers of the night – it was the perils and dangers of the day that worried us more.

Old Marshall had some funny ideas about punishment, and he would always fall back on the stick of course. We used to wear top hats and Eton jackets for church on Sundays. I remember on one occasion the boys started playing football with their top hats as they returned from church. This was discovered the following Monday and Old Marshall made them all walk in single file all the way to Swallows, the hatters at the top of King Street, with their battered top hats on their heads.

Another incident involved a classmate B S Dutton. Dutton hadn’t been taking his baths as regularly as he should and Marshall decreed that at 4.15 pm each day he would be bathed by the cook! The bathroom was a room above that door with the Latin inscription [in the Fenay Quad] and Dutton and the cook used to appear there each day with us boys down below cheering.

Old Marshall was a very prominent man in Rugby Union and wrote the first book published on the subject. He was a famous referee and also president of the Yorkshire Rugby Union.

However, he was mad on amateurism in Rugby. I remember that the Huddersfield team at Fartown used to be amateur but they signed up two men from Cumberland and Marshall accused them of paying them. There’s no doubt in my mind that this controversy led to the decline in Marshall’s popularity in Hudderfield and this affected the school.

The present cricket field is much different from what it was in my day – there has been a vast improvement since Mr Taylor became headmaster. The cricket pitch was always good: we used to have special forks for weeding it. The cricket pavilion when I first came here was a wooden structure. Then we collected money for a new brick pavilion situated where the old pavilion is now. I remember coming down here about 30 years ago to open a Sale of Work to raise funds to improve that pavilion by adding a verandah and move the door. So with the new one that’s just been opened, I’ve known four cricket

pavilions here. We used to play football on a very sloping pitch behind the school –the present football pitch below the cricket field only came along in the time of Griffiths and Crump. There was also a practice cricket pitch there that was laid in my time here.

I was there for just a few months in Griffiths’ time. He came from Oxford with a very good degree. He had an assistant called Baker. Griffiths was a big, ponderous man who weighed about 16 stones. He was a very able man who played top board at Huddersfield Chess Club, but he was slack set up as a headmaster.

The Dartmouth family took a keen interest in the school. I remember on one occasion bumping into Lady Georgina and her sister coming down St Helen’s and she asked me the price of a cricket bat. “Two guineas,” I guessed and she gave me two guineas as a reward.

She never knew that I was able to buy two bats with the money! n

A career in decline: this chart shows new admissions to the School during Marshall’s time as headmaster. By the time he was asked to leave in 1896 new admissions had dropped to 2.

Marshall memorial plaque

THE 125th anniversary of the setting up of the Rugby League falls happily in the same year in which the Old Almondburians’ Society celebrates its 100th birthday.To mark both anniversaries, the OAS is exploring the possibility of mounting a ‘blue plaque’ similar to the one shown here, ideally on a wall of the Schoolhouse, the home of Rev Francis Marshall while he was headmaster of King James’s Grammar School from 1878-1896. Initial discussions with Huddersfield Civic Society are encouraging and we will report back in the next issue of The Almondburian.

New future for George Hotel

THERE are major developments at the George Hotel in St George’s Square, the birthplace of Rugby League on 29th August 1895. The building, closed and neglected for many years, has now been purchased by Kirklees Council as part of a major 10-year ‘Blueprint’ programme to redevelop the town centre at a cost of £250m. It had previously been purchased by dentist/entrepreneur Altaf Hussain who had tabled unfulfilled plans to convert it into a 30 room boutique hotel with a rooftop bar.

In what has been dubbed ‘the ultimate pub conversion’ the hotel will now be undergoing a four-year restoration programme to transform it, in association with the organisation Rugby League Cares, into the first-ever National Rugby League Museum.

Tim Adams, Chairman of Rugby League Cares, said: “I am sure everyone in the sport will welcome this decision to establish the National RL Museum at the George Hotel. We are looking forward to working with the members and officers of Kirklees Council to develop a museum that will be the envy of sports around the world in a location that means so much to so many people.”

But I’m NOT a centre-forward!

DAVE CALVERLEY (1963 - 1970)

Dave reflects on the good (and not so good) times at and after King James’s School in conversation with his one-time dinner table supervisor Richard Teale.

Idon’t know how it happened. Well, I do actually, but it was not the way I intended it! I was searching the internet for information on my former physics teacher at King James’s School, Pete Heywood (not to be confused with French teacher Peter Heywood). Pete arrived as Cecil Gill’s replacement in 1968 and my experience of Physics teaching went from one extreme to the other. Not only did he enthuse us, he got us to like him! Can you imagine it, not only liking him, but providing free labour on his house renovation at Ryecroft in the wilds above Holmfirth!

In my search for Pete, I came across a couple of recent online copies of The Almondburian . One thing led to another and I started reading. Simon Russell was organising a table at the An -

nual Dinner for former First XI footballers and that got me thinking about my early stirrings as a bloody-minded soul.

I had always played football as a half-back, and had worked my way into the School junior teams to play in midfield alongside the likes of Ted Turjan. In the 5th form I was asked to play at centre forward for Dartmouth in house matches, which I did and enjoyed it. However, I still classed myself as a centre half. PE teacher Ken Ireland noticed I had played as a forward in house matches and decided to pick me at centre forward for the School Second XI. For the first time in my life I actually stood up to a teacher and told him I was a centre half, not a centre forward! I didn’t play – and never played football at the School again,

going swimming on Wednesday afternoons in games lessons instead.

However, upon returning to Huddersfield after university, I joined the Old Almondburians’ Football Club and became a playing and committee member. Boy, did it take some adjusting to calling Mr Bush ‘Dave’ instead of ‘Sir’! I have to own up to my only sendingoff (for verbal abuse of the referee) when I was captain of the 3rd team. I played for a couple of seasons but I became more and more fed up driving with a car full of non-drivers all over West Yorkshire just to play football. After two seasons I left and joined Old Holmevalians (later to become Honley).

I look back on my time at King James’s School with fond memories, even though I was the only person in my year to get 10 GCE ‘O’ Levels not to be appointed a prefect. That hurt. Most of my best friends were housed in

10 ‘O’ levels and still not a Prefect: Dave Calverley around 1969. “Should try harder,” he was advised.

the Prefects’ Study for 6th form life and I had to slum it with the others in N4.

After school, I joined the Old Almondburians’ Society and remained a member for many years, but I allowed my membership to lapse when one day I found my old 6th form report. My form teacher [no names!] had written that I must both work and try harder. That absolutely devastated me. I had tried my damnedest at the School. It was then that I realised that perhaps I should not have gone to KJS (my bloody-mindedness coming to the fore again). I knew at this later stage in my life that there are many learning styles. KJS only taught one – you had to learn and remember what you were told. Me, I learn when I need to know something and then, in effect, teach myself.

After school, I studied maths and computing at Reading University. On my return to Huddersfield I renewed my acquaintance with Pete Heywood. He was head of Science at Moor End School and sent a message home with my 11 years old sister saying there was a vacancy for a Maths teacher with knowledge of computing. I saw the headteacher at Moor End but he knew I already had an interview arranged at Salendine Nook School. However, my intuition told me Moor End was right for me and I accepted the position there. It was 1974 and my teaching career was about to begin!

After Moor End, I became a lec -

The formidable ‘Crusaders’: Dave’s family - wife Diane, children Helen and Ben, and Dave himself – are all dedicated supporters of Huddersfield

turer at Huddersfield Technical College. I then looked for a change of career and started my own outdoor equipment shop (Peak and Pennine) which failed due to financial problems brought about largely by a deceptive member of staff. I re-entered the Maths teaching profession mainly on short term appointments, one being at, you’ve guessed it, King James’s School.

This was something of a shock to the system. I liked to be on top of both teaching and discipline at both Moor End and the Technical College and was not prepared for the attitude and behaviour of some students at, of all places, a much-changed King James’s. I spent quite a few sessions in Dave Bush’s office listening to his and Jack Taylor’s advice, but it wasn’t to work out and I lasted a mere 12 months. I had other short-term teaching contracts until the early 2000s but was getting more and more disillusioned and stressed out with it.

Subsequently, I have developed my photography and presentation business www.photolens.co.uk and had some early success in the high-end wedding

photo business. After my lifelong association with the 9th Huddersfield [Crosland Hill] Scout Group came to an end in 2009, I also satisfied my lifelong interest in rugby league by forming the Huddersfield Giants Supporters’ Association and becoming a founder member of the Huddersfield Rugby League Heritage Group. It may surprise my English teachers that I write a weekly article for the Huddersfield Examiner on all things to do with Giants’ Supporters. Don’t get me wrong, I have a great respect for King James’s School. While a student there I found my voice and started to think for myself. I also started my lifelong enjoyment of badminton, and return to the school twice a week to play with and for the Kirkburton Club. Our daughter, Helen, became a junior England badminton player but injury curtailed her Olympic dream. I must also mention our son, Ben, he studied maths at Oxford University and was captain of their rugby league team.

I also have the school to thank for several long-term friendships. One is with boat-owners Andrew Taylor and his wife Penny; this arose because with my wife Diane I have a part share in a canal narrowboat in the Midlands and have met up there on quite a few occasions.

I used to regularly watch rugby league (Fartown/ Giants) with Steve Howard and still see him on occasions,

and I worked with John Pearson for a short term at Salendine Nook and now see him regularly in Beaumont Park. I also occasionally see Pete Blackburn, a member of my Scout Group and a contemporary of mine in the Old Almondburian football team.

When at Moor End School, I played in the teachers’ five-a-side football team and regularly came across a King James’s star player (with a full head of hair) – Walter Raleigh!

There are many others I would have liked to have kept in touch with but I suspect it was my early lack of self-esteem which prevented it.

My interest in outdoor activities has manifested itself in cycling and camping but, with age, the lack of comfort aspects of the latter is diminishing its appeal. So now, our campervan is made full use of along with the comfort of a narrowboat cruising the canals

In closing I would just like to say that my happy memories of King James’s School far outweigh the whinges I’ve mentioned here. And I do hope that the Reverend Francis Marshall, past headmaster and critic of professional rugby league, is turning in his grave! n

Writing for The Almondburian

We are always pleased to receive articles for possible publication in the magazine. As a guide, a typical article is around 1,500 to 2,000 words and suitable illustrations are also welcome. Articles should be in .doc, .docx or .pdf format.

The editorial email address is: almondburian@oas.org.uk.

Pause for breath: Dave at Holme Moss after the steep ascent from Holmbridge

The curious demise of ‘Big Tree’

ROGER DOWLING

‘Big Tree’ was the School’s ancient sycamore, possibly dating back to the early 1800s.We look at the strange circumstances surrounding its felling in 1997.

THE date was Thursday, 24th November 1859 and the present ODH was packed for a celebration to mark the foundation of King James’s Grammar School 250 years earlier. Or so the guests thought – though we now know, of course, that the event was a year late as the true date was actually 1608, not 1609.

Alfred Easther had been headmaster for 11 years and the School was doing well. His wife Louisa, assisted by the maids, laid on a dinner which was long remembered. Amongst the guests was Charles Mumford, 20, who had left the School four years earlier. Inspired by the great George Jarmain, he was now starting to forge a successful

career as a chemist in Norfolk. In the round of toasts, Mumford, who had undertaken a two-day journey to attend, was called upon to respond on behalf of ‘late and present pupils’. He recalled many aspects of School life in the 1850s, including the chemical ‘witchcraft’ of Jarmain and the good humour of Easther. But above all he remembered “this room, this house, the green fields, and the view from Big Tree.”

This is the first recorded reference to the ancient sycamore, later surrounded by a slatted hexagonal seat,, which meant so much to Old Almondburians over many decades.

In the years that followed, the tree – ever growing in both age and girth –provided a welcome shaded spot from which pupils could admire the beautiful Farnley valley below. It was a reassuring presence in a constantly changing world.

But by 1995, there were arboreal storm clouds on the horizon. In his new book No beating about the Bush , Dave Bush reports on 21st November 1995 that:

The Bursar informed me with acute em -

barrassment this morning that according to a tree surgeon Big Tree is to come down. This is followed, on 29th January 1996, by a further revelation: Bursar has news that Big Tree is to come down at half term unless a second opinion can be obtained to the contrary via a qualified forester. Rang Gerald Dobson in Scotland whose son is the Balmoral Estate forester.

In due course, the news percolated through to the OAS Executive Committee. The minutes of 5th February 1996 record the shock news: Jack Taylor revealed that the Big Tree has been found to be diseased and is under

Artist’s impression: Big Tree drawn by Peter Meal (1934-39)

Big Tree photographed in 1937

threat of demolition (sic). However, it has a stay of execution, at least until Easter, pending an independent report.

This was confirmed in Dave Bush’s diary note of 8th February 1996:

Big Tree has dominated today in many ways. Last night I was given the name of an arboriculturist in Bradford by Allan

Dobson. I rang this gentleman this morning and after a little persuasion (initially £100 fee for coming out and report) he agreed to come on Saturday morning for a preliminary view; any discussion of fee would follow. By 12.00 noon he had rung to say he was coming this afternoon. On the phone he sounded a delightfully cheerful fellow.

He turned up as promised, as Dave Bush reported:

The tree man arrived at 4.00 pm. I carefully avoided our Bursar in the corridor who must be aware that attempts are being made to undermine her ‘chop it down’ philosophy. The arboriculturist, Mr Skeratt, was as pleasant as expected. It was clear he was amazed that a decision had been made to cut it down. To his expert eye there was no reason so to do; some judicious lopping here and there should see it standing for many more years. He will contact the Huddersfield Borough forester and agree a plan to save it. Full leaf in June should make it clearer what has to be done.

It was great news, and the committee cheerfully awaited the return of the independent expert the following June. This took place as promised, and on

(Top): Aerial view of the School in the 1950s. Big Tree is ringed (Bottom): Similar view in 2008 showing location of Big Tree where new biology laboratories are now located

8th June 1996 Dave Bush reported that Mr Skerratt had made his promised return visit, the invoice of £223 having been passed on the the OAS for payment. Dave Bush recorded in his Diary: He [Mr Skerratt] declared Big Tree in general to be in good health and in need only of a little lopping. He’ll send a full report but this was a great relief.

Strangely, the OAS had not at that time seen a copy of the report and it was noted on 7th October 1996 that:

K Crawshaw had contacted the bursar regarding the Big Tree. She had told him that there was no problem regaring the OAS having a copy of the report and she would send it to the meeting. However, it had not appeared!

By 12th November 1996, Keith Crawshaw reported that he had received a copy of the report which made ‘fascinating reading’. His recollection is that it made it clear that though Big Tree could not last for ever it suggested that its life could be extended for a limited period through judicious pruning. He added that:

The Bursar had told him that the Kirklees

forrester is to carry out the programme of work [on the tree] detailed in the report.

Happy in the knowledge that Big Tree was to survive, at least for the present, the OAS Committee were able to concentrate on more pressing issues for several months. All the more surprising, therefore, on 3rd March 1997 the OAS minutes record that it had now been decided (by someone unknown) to remove the tree. However, the then headmaster Clive Watkins said that he ‘would like to see a tree in the yard for future generations, probably a beech or oak’.

The sad news of the demise of Big Tree was conveyed to the meeting on 12th May 1997:

Jack Taylor said that he’d found it to have been felled on his return after Easter. He had drawn the short straw in having to communicate the fact to D A Bush. K Crawshaw commented that we’d asked to be kept informed, but hadn’t been. F J Sheard remarked that we’d probably get the bill soon!

It was a fait accompli that made a sad and unnecessary conclusion to a

The end of the story: the stump of Big Tree was located until recently at the top of the Bunk

lengthy saga. Clearly there was nothing more the OAS could do at this stage, though the trunk of the tree was retained and remained nearby until recent times as a reminder of the pleasure it had given so many over the years.

If Big Tree were still there today, it is entirely possible that, in the 100th year of the OAS, ‘Big Tree’ would have been celebrating its 200th. n

Goodbye, Big Tree Hello, Little Tree

As part of its 100th birthday celebrations, the OAS – in discussion with the School –is preparing plans to plant a new tree, with seating, for the enjoyment of pupils in years to come. On the advice of OAS member and former forester John Dobson, a traditional English Oak is proposed, and King James’s Premises Manager Keith Ramsden is currently advising on its best location.

Westgate project nears completion

In July 2015 we reported on a major Foundation project to develop the neglected site next to Wormall Hall to provide new homes.The end is at last in sight.

AFTER many delays due, amongst other things, to badgers and Covid-19, the King James’s School Foundation’s development on Westgate is finally nearing completion.

The existing buildings have been nicely refurbished into five properties, including the barn, which has been turned into a very impressive three-bedroom property with an ensuite master bedroom and excellent views across the valley.

In addition, two pairs of new semi-detached houses are being built.The rear pair, which are currently being plastered, enjoy fine views towards Emley Moor, whilst the front pair lie next to Wormall Hall and are ready for their roof trusses to be installed.

The latest delay is due to the lack of a water supply. Because of Covid-19, Yorkshire Water have so far been unable to give a date for the installation of the water supply, which will obviously require a trench to be dug across the site and is therefore preventing the road surfacing going ahead. The five refurbished properties, along with the four new semi-detached houses and the existing house behind Wormall Hall, will together constitute a prestigious development of ten properties in total. When complete, the development will certainly be a desirable place to live and should therefore yield a good rental income for the Foundation - and therefore for King James’s School. n

Two houses in what was the joiner’s shop, which has been extended, and two houses next door that have been rbbenovated

The fine view from the new semis

The pair of new semis overlooking the Valley

The renovated barn, now a three-bedroom property with en-suite master bedroom

The back pair of new semis

The pair of new semis on the roadside beside Wormall Hall

Photos: Andrew Haigh

Back to the drawing board

Roger Sykes (1946-1953) revisits some of his favourite

drawings

AS is often said: “When it’s gone, it’s gone!’’ But has it? And where to?

I have a clear memory of the Gateway shown here that I sketched for the In & About column of the Huddersfield Examiner. It was just over 70 years ago too. Homeward bound on the No 30 trolley bus I noted an interesting gate, not far beyond the Tramway Shelter that I had sketched earlier.

So next day I alighted and walked to have a close look. This gateway was impressive and I just stared at it for a long time, considering every stone. It was special, made with a lovely Tudor arch and a carved shield above. The stonework was worn with age but had the interesting detail that I loved –every stone had been trimmed to fit with care.

The steps led up through a rockery to what looked like a large Victorian property. So I carefully and tactfully withdrew.

Yorkshire stonework is so attractive as it ages, whether terraced houses or walls or mills or old halls and particularly farms. It has a character that makes it easy to sketch. So this gateway was fixed in my memory – but it has gone! But where? It is a mystery – I know it did exist once – I spent time sketching it and appreciating its character.

l Having failed to locate the ‘Old Gate’ we enlisted the help of the excellent Facebook group Huddersfield Bygone Memories. In a lively response, it was confirmed that the once-elegant stonework – now sadly in a poor state of repair and partly hidden under a canopy of overhanging trees – lies at the junction of Halifax Road and Cleveland Road. It is an entrance to the grade II listed Willow Bank House, one of the many elegant substantial properties in this district of Huddersfield.

Old Gate, Edgerton

An illustrated guide to CHARLIE STARKEY (1968 - 1975)

Armed with his school Napier Prize for Art followed by a Foundation Year studying ‘art, design and heavy drinking’ at Huddersfield Polytechnic, Charlie decides it’s time to seek fame and fortune in the smoky city

KEEN to leave Huddersfield for pastures new, in 1976 I defected in a southerly direction to Kingston-upon-Thames School of Art for three more governmentsubsidised years. Perhaps in cluding this self-portrait as a Monty Python ‘Gumby’ with my college application swayed the selection board. Although initially homesick for York shire, my pals, and my cat Maxie, as a student I de veloped lasting friendships at Kingston that I treasure to this day.

Throughout my college years I rented a loft atop a house in suburban Tedding ton, a short distance from Swinging London. The capital’s ‘fab’ era had definitely waned, however, replaced by the grim financial and social realities of the Seventies, and youthful un rest manifested itself in the noisy and exciting musical explosion of Punk. New bands formed almost overnight and played shows in small venues across the city, yet it was back in Huddersfield of

all places where I finally caught The Sex Pistols ‘live’, at their legendary Christmas Day ’77 Ivanhoe’s gig. I still have an original flyer torn from the club's wall as proof, and I can report there were other former King James’s lads in attendance that night.

Being based in Greater London definitely had its advantages. A number of professional illustrators served on the staff at Kingston and they generously opened doors to several of the city’s major advertising agencies, publishers, and production houses. Consequently, through those connections I was able to tentatively begin freelancing in my second year.

Also at that time, I dashed off a quick doodle which has since taken on a life of its own: the Cats Protection charity logo. My film tutor Wendy Coates-Smith was involved with the feline rescue organisation and she invited me, an avowed cat fan, to volunteer my services pro bono. The sketch

was originally intended for a one-off promotional flyer, yet on a recent return visit to the UK

I was stunned to see it splashed on vehicles, storefronts, shopping bags, and of course on the charity’s website. It's gratifying to think a cartoon cat I drew more than forty years ago might yet outlive me.

Despite the constant distractions of London’s bustling nightlife I buckled down, stayed the course, and graduated with a BA in Graphic Design. I was represented for a while by an artists’ agent but frankly found more work on

the marginally sunnier climes of rural Worplesdon in Surrey to take a position as a live-in housekeeper, I was able to set up a studio in the attic of the cottage provided by her employer. It was helpful that the village had a direct rail link to London.

I started out illustrating children’s books for Carousel/Transworld Publishers . Their first project required me to create a group of friends for Homepride’s Fred the Flour Grader character (remember him?) and fly them all ‘Round The World’ in a flour bag balloon to collect easy recipes for kids.

a series of joke books compiled by popular writer and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth. Gyles was quite a character even back then.

London was also where I met my first wife, Penny, an American exchange student, both of us en route to a Liverpool Beatles convention. After she returned home we corresponded for several years until I pulled up stakes and moved to New Jersey, where we got married in 1981. I’ve lived in central NJ ever since, located halfway between New York City and Philadelphia.

By coincidence, not long afterwards my KJGS pal Colin Warwick also relocated to New Jersey. He worked for AT&T’s Lucent Technologies research company where he met his wife to be, before eventually moving to Boston, Massachusetts. When Colin invited me there to help celebrate his 60th I presented him with a small memento, a view on the left familiar to everyone reading this magazine.

Without business contacts in the United States I had to start again from scratch, pursuing clients by cold-calling local advertising agencies listed in the telephone directory. The first few years were spent illustrating absolutely any -

thing and everything: children’s books, restaurant menus, industrial garage doors, kitchen appliances, forklift trucks, product catalogues, TAMA drumkits and Ibanez guitars, and designing sets for commercial trade shows.

I also worked shifts at the nearby Princeton Packet newspaper office as a paste-up artist, writing occasional articles on music and pop culture, and be-

coming the de-facto illustrator for many of their daily and weekly publications. The Packet kept me busy churning out artwork, garnering several New Jersey Press Association and Suburban Newspapers of America (SNA) awards in the process.

It wasn’t all work and no play, however. My wife and I frequented the nearby city of Philadelphia’s thriving alternative music scene and, along with some club friends, we were inspired to form a trashy rockabilly garage band which we tastefully named The Skidmarks . We were spotted by a shady Philly entrepreneur-manager who engineered our career path to obscurity by frequently booking us as the support act to ‘real’ bands. Sounding like a cross between The Supremes and The Cramps , The Skidmarks were a pretty ragged bunch with more enthusiasm than skill, yet somehow managed to attract a small following. We promptly split after three years when it wasn’t fun anymore, but I’m reliably informed we were pretty entertaining.

One of my most enjoyable free -

This artwork for Time Off magazine won a Newspapers of America award

lance opportunities renewed my ties to both England and my childhood. In the early 1990s repeat showings of Gerry Anderson’s original Thunderbirds series generated an unexpected merchandising bonanza that included, naturally, comic books. When I heard that Alan Fennell – the very same TV21 editor who had printed my youthful scribbles back in 1968 – was planning to publish the new tie-in comics, I sent some spaceship paintings with a letter begging him to hire me. Happily, Alan agreed

and I joined several other artists in illustrating covers for his Thunderbirds , Stingray , and Captain Scarlet magazines. A dream come true!

The tricky part was getting the artwork to London safely and on time. Once each painting was completed on illustration board, the topmost paper layer needed to be carefully separated and peeled away from the backing, then rolled up and placed in a reinforced mailing tube for its journey overseas.

To be continued

.

New towns are created – right on our doorstep

IT may come as a surprise to readers to learn that King James’s School’s adherence to the correct use of its apostrophe has been noted by no less an authority than the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Its lengthy discourse on the Apostrophe refers to the ‘entrenched’ use of the apostophe by King James’s School, Almondbury (and indeed by King James’s School, Knaresborough).

APOSTROPHE CORNER’

The extreme length of the Wikipedia entry on the Apostrophe serves as a reminder of the many vital functions of this admirable punctuation mark. One such is to indicate omission, as our local highways authority is no doubt well aware when trying to cope with lengthy place names like ‘Huddersfield’ amd ‘Almondbury’.

So how have they coped? Sadly, with mixed success. Almondbury is reduced to A’bry in the road marking on Wakefield Road near the Somerset Road junction; though perhaps one has to sympathise with the contractor in view of the narrowness of the road at this point (1).

Also questionable are a couple of more modern signs that have appeared in recent years and which at a first glance suggest that new towns have been created on Huddersfield’s doorstep. At Ainley Top, motorists are gravely directed to the nonexistent town of Hudds’fld when they surely intended to refer to Hudd’sf’ld (2).

And on the M62, we have the strange town of Hudd’s (3). Has a new town of Hudders been created without our knowledge or consultation?

Farnley Lines

Iremember that my last contribution was dominated by two subjects: coronavirus and The Book. Little has changed in some ways since then. The virus continues to dominate everyday life and prevent planned excursions taking place. For example, at the present moment I should really be in a far-flung exotic location birdwatching. We did manage to get away for a short spell in the Cotswolds at the end of August but generally we have been confined to South Wales.

An international bestseller

My book No beating about the Bush has made excellent progress since the last magazine. Proof-reading is now complete.The list of subscribers has grown to the point where we should break even and I’m sure there will be many more sales in the months ahead. Any profits which are made I intend to share with the School. This then might be an added incentive not to leave it too late to buy your copy!

Mention of proof-reading reminds me of the time when the School produced a glossy brochure advertising itself. Clive Watkins and I, both so assiduous, were confident that it con -

DAVE BUSH

tained no mistakes. Imagine our horror when we finally received the finished product which had the word ‘intellectually’ incorrectly spelt and it was our fault not the printer’s. What an embarrassment.

I tell my family that my diary is going to be an international bestseller and that I am still negotiating the film rights. Dream on! There is some claim for the former if I look at the list of subscribers for if we include England, Wales and Scotland and add on the Netherlands, France, Spain, Australia, USA, Switzerland and Norway then that’s double figures and fully justifies the claim. I wanted to add Jersey but my wife Margaret would not allow it. All the concentration on events nearly a quarter of a century ago now, I blame for the recurrence of one of my regular nightmares. I wonder if any other teacher shares similar feelings so long after leaving the classroom. Mine is often being unable to find my way to the correct room and class. Even worse, I cannot find my timetable and a secretary who has a master copy. No such problems today. I heard recently that all pupils will have their individual

t imetable on their phone before term begins. What a contrast to shouting out the details in the dining room. “Monday Period 3. If you have chosen Latin in Option 1, Mr O’Brien in Room 24.” How time-consuming and tiring. They will, of course, accept this as the norm. I have often asked my grandchildren how they picture the world of communication and technology in 50 years’ time. Who can say that “Beam me up, Scotty ‘’ will not be a reality?

The Plodder of Porthcawl

It may be of some interest to my readers - or do I delude myself yet again?that I have taken up jogging again after a long layoff. A more accurate description would be ‘plodding’. Certain people will with justification question my wisdom and sanity but I have been encouraged and inspired by both our grandchildren who are accomplished runners. Secondly, I have always wanted to complete a Park Run along Porthcawl seafront but not when there is a strong south-westerly blowing up the Bristol Channel. This is just one of the many places in the UK and further afield where a 5 km run takes place on Saturday mornings .However, coronavirus has meant that this has been suspended for many months.

I did one some years ago when Andrew Haigh shamed or persuaded me to take part in Huddersfield’s run round, appropriately, Greenhead Park. When

we returned to his house in Arkenley Lane he looked up the results of the morning’s run on his laptop. His pronouncement remains vivid. “The good news, Dave, is that you were the first in the over 75s class. The bad news is that you were the only participant. The even worse news is that there was one person in the over80s sector and he completed the run six minutes faster than you.”

I just wonder how I will fare in the Porthcawl run in the over 80s category. I’ll let you know if and when it happens.

The Annual Dinner

It was very disappointing to learn that because of the pandemic the decision had to be taken to cancel this year’s Annual Dinner. But whenever it next takes place, I shall make every effort to attend. This will be the first time for several years. In the recent past I have explained my absence by pointing out the distance between Porthcawl and Almondbury –which is not really a very good excuse. More relevant is my problem with hearing. I first noticed this in my final years of teaching when it became increasingly difficult to pick up, for example, a light voice from the back of the classroom. I wonder if any of my former pupils remember how I used to combat this problem by lightheartedly asking a pupil in the middle of the room to pass on the answer, comment or ques-

tion? Without hearing aids, and they are really sophisticated nowadays, my world would be very quiet. Even with them, a conversation in a crowded room can be difficult for me and embarrassing for my would-be listeners. The next Dinner will be a challenge.

Can I at this point add a plea on behalf of all those who are ‘hard of hearing’ – ie ‘deaf’? Please do not shout as this only distorts further. Speaking more slowly and articulating more clearly is much more helpful.

I should mention that subtitles on the television are really helpful but often hilarious when they are trying to pick up live programmes. Often they are hilariously incorrect, such as in Parliament when ‘the ayes have it’ appears as ‘the eyes have it’. There are no prizes for guessing how the ‘noes’ appear.

Apologies for that piece of self-indulgence but my message is on behalf of a wider audience – a word derived from the Latin audire (to hear). Stop! Enough! Change the subject…

Dastardly deeds at Huddersfield Town

How dare Huddersfield Town Football Club sack the Cowley brothers? They tempted them away from my beloved Lincoln City and they managed to keep Town in the Championship with limited

resources. Their reward ? The Grand Order of the Football Boot. Any lingering sympathy for or interest in Huddersfield Town has drifted away. All Yorkshire interest has now been firmly lodged in Leeds, the birthplace of Margaret and our son Alan.

Leeds! Dangerous territory here so back to Almondbury.

Onwards and upwards for King James’s

Let’s try as always to finish on a positive note. The School, to which we are all devoted, goes from strength to strength. Imminent expansion (see page 12) means that its future is assured, and under an outstanding management team it will continue to go from strength to strength.

Knowing that this is happening, we can exclaim even more loudly Floreat schola Almondburiensis! n

Sacked: Huddersfield Town manager Danny Cowley (right) was controversially ‘let go’ despite ensuring Championship safety for the club. His brother, assistant manager Nicky Cowley, also lost his job.

The Almondburian Poets

AIRRACES have captured the public imagination since the first one was held in France in 1909. The first UK air race took place from 15th-26th October 1909 at Doncaster Race Course, much to the irritation of the UK Aero Club who had already sanctioned a similar meeting in Blackpool a few days later. Unfortunately the weather was dreadful and the event was largely an occasion of mishaps, though this apparently did not dampen the spirits of the 50,000 spectators.

The most celebrated air race, for sea-planes and flying boats, was the international Schneider Trophy, contested in its original form between 1913 and 1931. It was revived as a popular UK event in 1981.

The New Zealand Air Race, often called ‘The Last Great Air Race’, took place in October 1953 over the 12,300 miles from London Heathrow to Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand. As correctly reported by The Almondburian’s poetic reporter Robert Kerr, the speed section was won by the Royal Air Force in an English Electric Canberra PR.3 (right) flown by Flight Lieutenant Roland (Monty) Burton and navigated by Flight Lieutenant Don Gannon. The plane touched down at Christchurch Airport at 5.36 am local time during a heavy storm, 41 minutes ahead of its closest rival. It had spent 23 hr 51min in the air, a record that has not been broken since. The winning team was awarded the Harewood Gold Cup.

THE NEW ZEALAND AIR RACE

All is ready, the planes are in line

To fly to New Zealand in the fastest time.

The tractors roar, the jet engines shriek, The paraffin oil has a fiendish reek;

The first plane is moving, is now off the ground

And with its departure a terrible sound

Which seems to echo and echo around Comes out of the blue, then fades slowly away As the plane rises on the first lap of the day.

They climb high over mountains, skim low over seas

So fast they have no time to watch waves or trees.

ROBERT

KERR, from Birchcliffe, attended Almondbury Grammar School from 1950-55. His poem appeared in The Almondburian at Christmas 1953.

The Canberras are favourites, but one fails to climb, Is forced down on an airfield and so loses time.

The mechanics work hard, but all is in vain, For despite their endeavours to service the plane

The engine refuses to start up again.

But after the flight, with thrills all the way

The Royal Air Force has again won the day.

R Kerr (4B)

Tennis

ANDREW HAIGH andrew.haigh@oas.org.uk

THE lifting of government restrictions finally gave the green light for the Old Almondburians’ tennis season to start onThursday, 11th June. Of course, having endured two and a half months of lockdown in beautiful weather, the day dawned wet and proceeded to get wetter as it progressed!

Never mind; another beautiful week ensued and everyone planned to take beer for an alfresco, socially-distanced après. Come 18th June, the forecast was for a 100% chance of rain in the morning, reducing to an 83% chance of rain by 7 pm. It didn’t reduce even by that much; tennis was called off and everyone drank their beer at home!

Week three, 25th June, came along and with it some dry weather. Just four stalwarts turned up, but at least it was dry and at least we played tennis.We bettered that on 2nd July, when the morning rain had reduced to spitting by the evening and five of us played. Our usual watering hole after sport, Almondbury Conservative Club, remained closed, so af-

terwards we enjoyed a socially-distanced beer outside the clubhouse.

By 9th July, the rain had returned, but since then the only interference from the elements came on 27th August. Other than that, we have played almost every week.

Our holiday took us to my wife’s family croft on the Isle of Lewis. Despite being in a remote location, since I was on holiday with another Old Almondburian, as well as two current Almondburians I was inspired to stage Old Almondburians’ tennis at an ‘away’ venue. We therefore made arrangements to play on the nearest tennis court, a little over an hour’s drive away at Bunabhainneader on the Isle of Harris –regarded as the world’s most remote! There, we thoroughly enjoyed a couple of hours of tennis in a setting even more beautiful than Longley.

Since the prospects of Old Almondburians’ badminton returning at school any time soon look remote to say the least, we are continuing to play tennis under the floodlights at Longley, so long as the weather permits. n

The winners: Charlotte Haigh (Year 9) and Robin Merchant celebrate their floodlit victory over David Parry (left) and Andrew Haigh

Left to right: David Parry, Robin Merchant, Andrew Haigh, Neil Gledhill and Lydia Morton enjoying socially-distanced refreshments

Golf: Gothard Cup 2020

ROBIN MERCHANT robin.merchant@oas.org.uk

WELL, the Covid-19 pandemic could not prevent us from eventually playing this year’s Gothard Cup, held on Sunday 6th September at its time-honoured home of Woodsome Hall Golf Club. Nine Old Almondburians were joined by Michael Blakey, who should be considered as an honorary OA on account of having played cricket for the Almondburians for many years.

The Old Almondburian players were Robin Sharman, Paul Grant, David Parry, Simon Russell, John Chacksfield, Roy Addyman, Jonny Heyes, Doug Norris and myself.

We were particularly pleased to welcome two new competitors, John Chacksfield and Roy Addyman who had travelled down from

North Yorkshire and County Durham, respectively. It was also very pleasing to see Doug Norris, who has not been able to join us for several years.

The results were: Winner

Simon Russell with 40 points 2nd place

Jonny Heyes with 32 points, after a 4-way countback

Closest to the pin in 2

Jonny Heyes at the 18th Nearest the pin

John Chacksfield at the 10th

Simon was a deserved winner, scoring a magnificent 40 points. I think his handicap should be reviewed for next year. It should be

The winner: Robin Merchant presents the Gothard Cup 2020 to Simon Russell

Photos: Andrew Haigh

noted that Simon last won the Gothard almost 50 years ago, way back in 1973! It is also very deserved as it is due to Simon that the Gothard was brought back in 2002, having not been contended since the early 90s.

Second place was a remarkably close finish with 4 players on 32 points. They were Roy Addyman, Robin Sharman, Doug Norris and Jonny Heyes who had a great back 9 to take the prize.

The ‘nearest the pin’ was a much easier contest, with only John Chacksfield managing to put his tee shot on the green!

The ‘closest to the pin” was difficult for me to accept, particularly as Jonny Heyes was under a low-hanging bough of a tree following his drive but managed to skid his

second shot along the ground to finish just passed the pin and go inside my ball!

Following the golf, we enjoyed a great meal and many thanks must go toWoodsome for providing a great venue for our competition. I should also like to thank Robin Sharman who made all the arrangements with the club.

Many thanks to all those who attended as we again collected £30, including fines for those not wearing the OAS tie, for a School Prize which will be presented to the pupil ‘achieving the best sporting achievement outside School’.

The Gothard Cup is planned to be contested in mid-June 2021 and if you think you might enjoy some good company mixed in with some golf do try and join us. n

 Simon Russell and Doug Norris watch Michael Blakey tee off  Jonny Heyes marks his card as Robin Sharman and Robin Merchant study the next hole  Roy Addyman tees off  John Chacksfield plays an excellent shot out of a bunker  Robin Sharman tees off; behind him is Jonny Heyes David Parry and Paul Grant find their golf balls close together on the fairway

‘Merrie England’ was formerly a basketware business

From: Norman Burluraux (1949-1954)

THE address now housing the Merrie England Coffee Shop (The Confessions of a Serial Skiver, March 2020) was the business and living accommodation of my great-grandfather Sebastian Burluraux, a French national, who arrived in England as a sixteen year old on 13th March 1845 accompanied by his older brother, Jean Nicolas.

Their destination was 28 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London where the Burluraux Basketware business was situated. Here Sebastian served an apprenticeship before travelling to Newcastle, where he managed the shop of an uncle who, for health reasons, had returned to his home and family in France.

Sebastian arrived in Huddersfield in 1851, aged 22 years  and conducted a business at No. 8 Kirkgate, specialising in French, Dutch and English basketware furniture, which was in great demand

and very popular in those days. He remained at those premises until his death in 1884.

Norman

Celle, Germany

Burluraux,

Sebastian Burluraux in his later years. The photographer was Henry Krüger, who had studios in Northumberland Street and Queen Street from 1880. He emigrated to America on the outbreak of war in 1914.

The man who just loved Beetles

From: Barry Livesey (1953-1961)

Iread this with great interest. Dr Gilmour’s surgery was on the corner of Pickford Street and Morley Lane, Milnsbridge. The house faced the street and the Surgery entrance was taken off the lane. I know this because for 15 years my family lived in Francis Avenue about 50 yds from the surgery!

Dr Gilmour was very well regarded. Close to the surgery was a strange structure that looked like a small unfinished factory or one that was heading for demolition. One evening my friend Willy Mullineaux (who contributed the photo of Crowthers world record suit making) and I –both aged about 10 years –decided to have a look inside.

I think there was an unsecure door, so in we went and then up some steps to the first floor where we were amazed to see lots of what I am now sure were specimen boxes spread about. We didn’t take anything and got out and forgot about this until now. The boxes must have been Elphie’s, left at his parents’ house.

The rotunda building in Scarborough (photograph) was designed by William Smith, the ‘Father of English Geology’. Originally it displayed all the major geological periods, at the side of a wind -

ing and descending path; and on the shelves were the appropriate fossils. Over the years the original concept seems to have been abandoned and many less fossils displayed and many gone missing! The full story of William Smith in The Map That Changed The World by Simon Winchester.

Shefford, Bedfordshire

Top: Elphinstone Gilmour’s father’s surgery in Milnsbridge

Bottom: Scarborough Rotunda

Sign of the times

From: John Bradley (1950-1957)

Ihave been silent for a while.There is a reason: read on. Readers may recall that in the November 2019 issue The Almondburian kindly published my poem explaining why I had capitulated to ‘Melbourne’s murderous motorists’ and given up cycling.

Sunday September 6th was Father’s Day here in Australia. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was sorely tempted to remove at least some of the Covid lockdown cobwebs by going for a spin.

In retrospect I should have listened to my own poetic advice. On the return trip in the cycle lane a car cut in on me. I swerved away straight into a small road sign.

Result a broken right hip and badly gashed right elbow. The surgeon’s verdict: only one possible treatment, a complete hip replacement.

Many a slip…

From: James Clayton (1947-1951)

Even the Radio Times slips up occasionally.

The operation was the following day. All went successfully. I’ve been at home in rehab since Friday 11th September. Progress has been rapid.

Frankston, Australia

l Readers will join the Editor in wishing John Bradley a speedy recovery.

France in 2013 with my two sons to fol low some of the stages of the 100th Tour de France by bike and campervan.

I finally gave up in 2014. Growing antagonism between motorists and cyclists for road space was making it too dangerous for an old man.

My wife was an English teacher, always interested in poetry. When she retired she turned to poetry as a serious second career.

ShillkihiA

Old Catton, Norwich

Obituaries

David Matthews (KJGS 1950-1958)

Music-lover who had a successful career in chemistry that took him around the UK

David Matthews was born to parents Joseph and Kathleen in Huddersfield into a staunch Methodist family. He had an older brother, Melvyn who died last year.

He attended his local Methodist church and was a keen member of the youth club. A music-lover, he competed at many piano Competitions.

David came to King James’ Grammar School in September, 1950. He left with good ‘A’ levels in Maths, Physics and Chemistry in 1958 and chose Chemistry and Chemical Engineering as a career.

His first job was with ICI Dyestuffs Division, Huddersfield, where he met Carole on the trolley bus travelling to work. They married in 1963 at St Augustine’s Church, Scissett.

The couple moved to Addlestone, Surrey where David became Works Chemist at Amalgamated Dental Company. He also became organist at Addlestone Methodist Church.

David then moved to British Gas at Greenwich and Croydon, and David and Carole moved to Sussex where children Richard and Jane were born.

In 1976 the family moved to Wetherby following David’s move to British Gas in Leeds. He became chief server and Sacristan at St. James’ Church, Wetherby.

A further move with British Gas took the family to Welwyn in 1983. Whilst there he became the conductor of Welwyn Garden City Male Voice Choir and was a

school governor at Stanborough School. David and Carole were both members of Hatfield Lions where David in due course became President several times and Zone Chairman.

In 1998 David and Carole retired to Aldwick. David spent some time as church warden and was chairman of governors at Chichester High School for Boys.

In September, 2011 their grandson Oliver, the apple of David’s eye, was born in Welwyn Garden City. David and Oliver played football together and watered the garden – particularly the sunflowers.

David Matthews, born 2nd June 1939, died 29th March 2019

Richard Morley Brook (KJGS 1942-1945)

Man of many parts who founded a successful international automation business

Richard Brook died peacefully in his sleep at Southfield Court Nursing Home, Almondbury on the morning of Sunday, 10th May 2020. He is survived by Heather, his loving supportive wife of 62 years, three children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Richard joined King James's Grammar School on 8th September 1942. After three years he then went on to Bromsgrove School in the West Midlands and Downing College, Cambridge. There he graduated with an MA (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering.

Along with many of his generation at that time, he endured a torrid National Service in the Middle East.

Richard spent 10 years or so in the family firm of sheet engineers (Morley Bros) and then, after a few years working in a larger firm splitting time between their facilities in Manchester and Slaithwaite, he founded AutoSystems Ltd in December 1969. He grew this into a successful, internationally renowned automation business, the legacy of which, in terms of people and commercial activities thrives to this day.

Richard was a proud Old Almondburian with varied interests ranging from climbing, playing the flute, singing with the Huddersfield Choral Society and being a staunch life long supporter (and candidate for) the Liberal Party. Also, and probably the most important of all to him, he became a significant member of the Huddersfield Hockey Club from his late teens until he finally hung up his boots at the age of 69. He led a full & fulfilling life.

Richard M Brook, born 10th December 1931, died 10th May, 2020

Four great OAS publications

A History of King James’s Grammar School is the official history of the School covering the period 15471963. The author of this 284 page hardback full of reminiscences and anecdotes was historian and former KJGS pupil Gerald Hinchliffe.

£10 plus P & P

Morning Assembly gives a fascinating and often humorous account of former Headmaster 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.

£10 plus P & P

An Illustrated History of King James’s School in Almondbury was originally published to mark the 400th anniversary of the Charter in 2008. A full colour hardback recording 400 years of history, packed with illustrations throughout.

£10 plus P & P

No beating about the Bush is the final year diary of former deputy head Dave Bush, who retired in 1996. A detailed day-today account of life at King James’s School with detailed and often amusing accounts of school life 25 years ago.

£15 plus P & P

If you prefer to pay by cheque, please make it payable to the Old Almondburians’ Society and post it to Andrew Haigh, R D Haigh & Co, Oakhill Road, Brighouse, West Yorkshire HD6 1SN.

Chairman

WALTER RALEIGH

15 Thorpe Lane, Almondbury HD5 8TA Tel: 01484 308452

Email: walter.raleigh@oas.org.uk

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

Orchard House, Oughtrington Lane, Lymm, Cheshire WA13 0RD Tel: 01925 756390/07815 601447

Email: almondburian@oas.org.uk

Assistant Media Editor

RICHARD TEALE

The Sycamores, 239 Huddersfield Road, Thongsbridge, Holmfirth HD9 3TT Tel: 07810 313315.

Email: richard.teale@oas.org.uk

KJS Representative

ABBIGAIL TERRY

King James’s School, St Helen’s Gate, Almondbury HD4 6SG Tel: 01484 412990

Email: abbi.terry@oas.org.uk

Website: www.oas.org.uk