OPUS • Issue 9 • Winter 2013
The Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
The unofficial Lower School staff car park in c. 1957. John’s £590 Morris Minor Convertible is the third vehicle in line.
time, we students did not fully appreciate those attributes; it is only now that we recall .... he took us on our first holiday trip away from home; first lessons in French; himself a player with Hampshire 2nd XI and Havant, he coached us in cricket both at Hilsea and more informally with Jack Keenan in the school playground. John was boyish while having all the authority to do his job outstandingly well.
John Curtis remains an excellent example of the impact one teacher can have I was on John’s South Devon youth hostelling tour of 1956 - 40 boys and two adults! No mobiles, no sat nav, no sunscreen and probably no soap - paradise after the shingle and tar of Southsea beach. Only two years ago John circulated photos of the trip which had never been seen before by the participants; and, of course, no boy had a camera at the time. These photos evoked much praise and fond memories from members of the tour group.
John Curtis with the McIlwaine brothers, Richard (left) and John (right)
John was born in Essex, National Service with the RAF (fortuitously based for one year at St John’s Wood, 300 yards from Lords Cricket Ground!), geography degree at King’s College, London and then to PGS. After staying in Southsea digs with the three Davids (Lenton, Ive and Dyer) he moved to Stamford School for three years; from there to St Peter’s College in Adelaide. After 30 years of teaching English and geography and running the 1st XI cricket for 16 years, he drew stumps. One day at St Peter’s, my brother Richard who was on a one year teaching exchange from England, introduced himself to John and my name was immediately recognised from 25 years before! This event reunited me with John as I was also living in Adelaide. Regularly I visit John and his wife Rosie and am able to tell friends that I have just been to see a fellow who taught me when I was nine.
to driving the Owens mother and sons to a cricket venue with the Morris Minor top down, trying a little to impress his passengers. So, here we are at the other side of the world, enjoying a friendship conceived 57 years ago. Another proof that networking of old school acquaintances does not just stop at fellow students. PGS does seem to have generated more of these life-long links than those of most other schools? We have almost now turned full circle - I am soon to teach my former teacher how to sell some of his treasured cricket memorabilia on eBay!
Here we are at the other side of the world enjoying a friendship conceived 57 years ago John had retained links with former Lower School stalwarts Tony and Ruth Stokes, Doreen Waterworth and Hugh and Bridget Woodcock. When we have UK visitors who were taught by him, we can visit and bore Rosie mad over our reminiscences. He recalls when he was asked to join the MCC. “That would take years”, he said. “No, the Masters’ Cricket Club”! He also admits
John McIlwaine 1963
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