To contact the site email Dave davmckenz@aol.com or Sheila sheilan@bethere.co.uk . Material has been received from Harry Parker (HGS 1936-40). Photos have been received from Mr. Parkinson (HGS Staff member 1960-67). These include an unknown Third Form 1960-61. Could you please let us know the name of the Form? Letters written by Major Jenkinson to pupils and staff of the first school at which he was Headmaster are now on the site's School History Section. If you have a Prefects photo for 1955-56 or 1959-60 could you please let the site have a copy? Thank you.

Choirs 1940s

1946-47

Photo from Joyce and Michael Dixon. Thank you. Fifth Row L-R: 1, Rita Doughty, Celia Asher, Marie Allen, Barbara Nurney, 6 Fourth Row L-R: Sheila Smith, Ruth Heathcote, 3, Ruth Hudson, Connie Spence, Marilyn Marples, Jean Sheppard, 9, 10 Third Row L-R: Pat Thomas, Honor Day, 3, 4, 5, Alice Williams, 7, Phyllis Cooper, 9, 10, 11, June Nash Second Row L-R: 1, 2, 3, 4, Miss Carter, June Nash, Margaret Medforth, Rita Taylor, 9 Front Row L-R: Lillian O'Neill, Joyce Dixon, Marie Johnson, Ada Pollard, 5, 6

1948-49

Photo from Joyce and Michael Dixon. Thank you. School Choir Back Row L-R: Cyril Fozzard, Jim Foster, Donald Clarke Seventh Row L-R: George Walton, 2, 3, 4 Sixth Row L-R: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Philip Moore Fifth Row L-R: 1, 2, Joyce Dixon, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Fourth Row L-R: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Third Row L-R: Barbara Collette, 2, 3, Ruth Hudson, 5, Miss. J.E. Carter, 7, 8, Rita Doughty, 10, Celia Asher, 12 Second Row L-R: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Front Row L-R: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 On November 10th 1948 the School Choir, conducted by Miss Carter and accompanied by Joyce Dixon, sang the following songs at Speech Day:- "O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion" from the Messiah "Surely he hath borne our griefs" by Handel North Country Folk Tune "Bobby Shaftoe" arr. by W.G. Whittaker. An explanatory note in the Programme about the last song... The Shaftoes were a well-known family in the North and the song is the outcome of a tale about the love of a lady for one of the family who went to sea to escape her attentions. The tune and verse are perhaps the best known of all North Country songs, with the single exception of "The Keel Row." Under the title of "Brave Wully Foster" the air appears in a manuscript book dated 1694, now in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle on Tyne.

Boys' Choir 1948-49

Photo and names from Terry McCroakam. Thank you, Terry. Back Row L-R: Billy Kitson, A. Vaughan-Birch, 3, J. Jones, D. Maltby, W. Baxendale, L. Whitehouse, Peter Wall Middle Row L-R: T. McCroakam, 2, Tibble, A. Callery, C. Megson, B. Poole, Barry Dixon, A. Storr, 9 Back Row L-R: A. Buckroyd, J. Goodison, Ken Pinnock, Mr. Morgan-Davies, Joyce Dixon, 6, Chris Gascoigne, B. Greasley Some names have been provided by Peter Wall. Thank you, Peter.

1949-50

Photo from Joyce and Michael Dixon. Thank you. School Choir Fifth Row L-R: 1, Cyril Fozzard, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Fourth Row L-R: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Third Row L-R: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Joyce Dixon, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Second Row L-R: 1, 2, Rita Doughty, Mary Bingley, Celia Asher, 6, Miss. J.E. Carter, 8, 9, 10, 11, Mabel Horbury, 13 Front Row L-R: 1, 2, Christopher Gascoigne?, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 On 16th November 1949, the School Choir gave a rendition of three Folk Songs during the Speech Day proceedings of Hemsworth Grammar School. They were:- Early One Morning arr. Dunhill Loch Lomond arr. Dunhill O, No John arr. Thiman. The Boy's Choir sang two songs:- Full Fathom Five ~ arr. Dunhill Old King Cole ~ arr. Dunhill The accompanist was Joyce Dixon, and the conductor, Miss J.E. Carter. Also on the Programme were three songs sung by Christopher Gascoigne, a second-former with exceptional musical ability. He sang:- Like to a Linden Tree ~ Dvorak Hark, Hark the Lark ~ Schubert The Trout ~ Schubert To enrich the afternoon, some members of Staff displayed their musical talents. Mr. C.H. Owen and Mr. G.R. Burnett performed two Pianoforte duets, 'Dance from the Suite for Pianoforte Duet Op. 52' ~ York Bowen, and 'Country Dance' ~ Elsie Horner and Mr J.Renhard gave two violin solos, 'Air on the G String' ~Bach, and 'Praeludium and Allegro' ~Pugnani Kreisler This was the year that the Guests of Honour were Admiral Sir Ralph Leatham KCB and Lady Leatham, whose family home had been Hemsworth High Hall (the Grammar School) until it was sold in 1919. Sir Ralph had been Deputy Governor of Malta six years earlier, during the turbulent wartime period. He gave reminiscences of his childhood in the old Hall to the assembled pupils and guests, and Lady Leatham presented the prizes and Certificates. I suppose that having a former resident of the School when it was a private house as Guest of Honour made this Speech Day very special. Sheila Kelsall

Mixed Choirs 1949-50

Photo from Joyce and Michael Dixon. Some names have been provided by Peter Wall. Thank you. Fifth Row L-R: Mr. Owen, Mr. Combs, D. Ramsden, 4, Angela Lockwood, 6, 7, 8, 9, Eileen Tate, Robinson J., Geoff Manning, Cyril Fozzard Fourth Row L-R: Colin Megson, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Barbara Whitaker, Valerie Manning, Margaret Connolly, 11, Margaret Roberts, 13, 14, 15 Third Row L-R: Wendy Toone, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Joyce Dixon, 9, Juliette Parker, Joyce Fox, Hazel Hall, Margaret Smith, Jean Edgley Second Row L-R: 1, Bill Littleboy, 3, 4, Marie Allen, Joyce Dixon, Celia Asher, Mr. Burnett, 9, 10, Gladys Alderman, 12, 13, Donald Clarke Front Row L-R: Don Richardson, Poole, 3, 4, Peter Wall, Don Law The members of these choirs are the ones who gave the memorable performances at the Speech Day when Admiral Sir Ralph Leatham was Guest of Honour. That would be the Boys' Choir, and the School Choir. Also represented here would be the Four Part Choir which gave a performance of Bach's "Peasant Cantata" at the Music Concert, and the Madrigal Group which came a close Second at the Pontefract Music Festival, singing Pearsall's "Shoot False Love".

Madrigal Group 1949-50

Photo from Miss. Ward. Thank you, Miss. Ward. Back Row L-R: Mr. Burnett, 2, Cyril Fozzard, Bill Littleboy, Mr. Combs Middle Row L-R: Joyce Dixon, Celia Asher Front Row L-R: Valerie Manning, V. Wardle, 3, Angela Lockwood, 5 These identifications were made by Angela Lockwood, and she remembers the girl at no 2 in the front row during a Science lesson when the subject of peristalsis was being discussed. As a practical demonstration of this phenomenon, the young Miss Wardle drank a glass of water while standing on her head! A Madrigal Group has been formed recently and it gave its first performance at the Pontefract Festival, where it sang Pearsall's "Shoot False Love" and managed to come a very close second to the Thorne's House Grammar School. Miss Carter works very hard in throwing herself about the platform while conducting. (We are still waiting for her to drop off the platform a la Holst). But this is not the only time she works hard as, it is hoped, will be proved by the Concert which is to be given at the start of the Summer Term. Joyce Dixon U6A Talbot.