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.

Visitors 12

1. Roy Walker 1961-66
	►Dave, I and my two friends, Alan Rayner and Alan Turton, attended the reunion organised by Arthur Gilbert on the 6th Nov at Burntwood Hall. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and have sent thanks to Arthur Gilbert for his time and effort in the organisation of the event. Many thanks to you and Sheila for the maintenance of such a nostalgic and wonderful website, there couldn't be a better memorial to the name of Hemsworth Grammar School. Roy (November 2004)



2. Tony Firth 1950-54
	►Hello Sheila, I have just spent the past hour reading some of the pages and looking at the photos. Many of them bring back memories. Especially the Hilmians rugby photos. I was playing for the team from about 1962 to 1967 but because I spent a lot of time working away from home I did not play every week. I remember most of the faces, especially Sid Kenningham because we were always in the same form. I was in Talbot and I think Sid could have been. We are the same age and I have just retired so I assume that most of the pupils who started at HGS in Sept 1950 will also now be oap's. (What a title!) I still have much reading to do. Thank you for contacting me. Regards, Tony Firth (November 2004)
►When I started at HGS in 1950 rooms 21 to 24 were known as the New Block and I think we were the second year to use it. I was in Form 1D in my first year. Form Master was Mr. Dud Taylor and form room was 24. Second year I was in 2D, Form Mistress was Miss Carter (Music Teacher) and form room was room 2. Looking at the Panoramic of 1952, sheet 5 brings back many memories for me. There is Sid Kenningham with his immaculate hair parting which I remember as a trade mark in those days. I am on the second row next to Mick Cook and 6 along to my right is Eddie Sanderson from South Kirkby who I next met after leaving school at Catterick Camp when we both did our basic and trade training together. He had a small motor bike that we use to travel home on at weekends. We then kept bumping into one another at various jobs we worked on and still worked together until 1986. We both played rugby for the Hilmians in the mid 1960's. As a matter of interest, had you noticed that people wearing blazers are wearing the original school badge? A white rose with HGS underneath. I think the new school badge came in the next year. Tony


3. Keith Smith 1950-56
	►Dear Sheila, Thank you for your email. I have had a quick look at your web site and as you suggest I shall need to give it an hour or two. I attended the school between 1950 and 1956 and I am still in contact with a couple of school friends, one of which is now living in New Zealand. In the near future I will tell you about how we made contact after 47 years. Regards, Keith Smith. (December 2004)



4. David Baines 1962-67
	►Hello Dave, Just found site and can give you some info. on missing names for the following class photos: Year 1965/66 Class 4T (Names supplied) Year 1966/67 Class 5T (Names supplied) Hope this is useful to you. I have several black & white team and class photos that are not on your site from this period. What is the best method to get these photos on your site? I was there fom 1962-67.
I have really enjoyed this site. I hope I can help you in keeping up this excellent website. Many thanks, David Baines (January 2005) ►Dear David, Thank you for getting in touch with the site and for your positive comments. I note that you came to HGS in the year that I left. We must have memories in common. Most contributors to the site have simply scanned material at a resolution of about 300 dpi and sent them in to the site. This tends to give a large, clear image. I then do any necessary adjustments. Those who are not able to scan post them to the site's address. Lovely to hear from you. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie, HGS 1955-62


5. Peta Adams 1956-64
	►Dear Dave, The following is likely to be of a more complex nature than I am ready for but will try anyway! The accompanying photo is 1E, a First Year class in 1956/57. (Pupil names supplied.) The 17 original members of this form were joined at Christmas by 'transfers' who had taken the late entrance exam at 13 years of age and came from other secondary schools in the area. I enjoy trawling through the web site, it's amazing how many names come flooding back after all these years. Peta Adams (January 2005)
►Dear Peta, Thank you very much for the photo and the information. I will add them to the site as soon as possible. The years have certainly flown by. It only seems like yesterday that we we getting on the school bus in Upton. If any more names or memories come to mind please send them in. Lovely to hear from you. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie


6. David Culshaw 1963-68
	►Dear Dave, Hi. Here is a photo of the School Rugby Team 1964/65. Hope this is useful! Dave Culshaw (January 2005)
►Dear Dave, Thank you very much for the photo. If you could scan it in "grey scale" rather than black and white, it would be OK for the HGS site. Normally the resolution of the scan should be about 300 dpi. Please send through the result and I will complete the processing. Lovely to hear from you. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie, HGS 1955-62


7. Michael Furness 1967-72
	►Dave, I came across the HGS website the other day and by co-incidence had recently spotted some old items in a box in the loft. These are not very old as I was in the very last batch of grammar school kids in 1967. I appreciate this is "recent" history but let me know if you would like to know more about these items or see them. Regards, Mick Furness (January 2005)
►Dear Mick, Thank you for getting in touch and for the offer of material. The Speech Day Programme 8/11/67 and Sports Day Programme 10/7/68 would be new to the site. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie, HGS 1955-62


8. Margaret Blackshaw 1966-72
	►Dear Sheila, Both my husband and I had a wonderful time visiting our old school days and revisiting many happy memories. We were both past pupils of HGS. Myself in Holgate and Craig [Miller 1964-1971] Talbot. I also did some supply teaching there and it was weird to be in the staff room with teachers who taught you, I can say! There are a few additions we can add to the site. There were a few people on the old photos we remember that had no names too. We just need to sit down and go over the old photos again. Congratulations to both you and Dave for the effort of creating the site, it is really appreciated. Will keep in contact. Kind regards, Margaret Blackshaw (February 2005)
►Dear Margaret You have hit on one of our main difficulties - the identification of those Hilmians who were not of our 'era'. Any help in this respect would be most appreciated, as we have no other way of putting the names against their owners! If you wouldn't mind checking to see if the photos you have are already on the site, then could we ask that you send us any we don't have? You can tell from the site that we thrive on the memories of pupils and staff, and so any anecdotes you can send would be appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you again soon. Sincerely, Sheila


9. Eric Tomlinson 1949-54
	►Hello Sheila, This is my third attempt to reply to your message which I received via 'Friends Reunited'. On the first two attempts, after logging on to the site to find your address, I found myself sidetracked by the information and lost memories. Looking through the Class Photographs I found two of them in which I recognised myself and can therefore add another name. The first one is 1949 class 1D. I am on the front row left and currently incorrectly identified as Albert Day. The second is 1950 class 2B. I am, again, front row second from left next to Frank Wootton. After looking through these photo's, even with my poor memory, I can still put a few names to faces that I haven't seen or even thought about for 50 years. I can now tie up the phone line for another half hour. BT broadband has not yet reached my village. Keep up the good work. Eric Tomlinson 1949-1954 Talbot (February 2005)
►Dear Eric, We're delighted to hear from you, especially as you come from that era of HGS with which we are not quite so familiar. As you can see from the names beneath the class, choir and panoramic photos, there are many gaps which can only be filled by those Hilmians who were there at the time. Any assistance in this painstaking job would be most welcome! The boys in particular used only their surnames, and so the Christian names are beyond us without your help. Thank you for the 1D and 2B identifications you sent, (which leaves us wondering - where is Albert Day?) Never mind, we always welcome corrections of any sort, and as you work your way through the memories on the site, if you have any stories to pass along, we'd love to hear them. We will enter you in Talbot's list, and also, could you please tell us what was the rest of your pathway through to the 5th Form? Did you have any favourite teachers/ favourite Sports/ favourite subjects/ favourite School Dinners? Were there any of your relatives at HGS either before or after your time? Anything you remember from those days will help to build a truer picture for everyone's enjoyment. I hope to hear from you again soon, Sincerely, Sheila ►Dear Sheila, I have spent another couple of hours browsing through the pages on your site and still have more to go. It is interesting the lost memories that resurface as these pages are read. My favourite lesson was Metalwork. I believe that our class was the first class to take Metalwork as a GCE subject. The teacher for this subject was Mr. Collins. He was a newcomer to the school. One of the things that I remember about Mr. Collins was his briefcase. It was made of wood and he had obviously made it himself since he frequently made reference to 'This particularly well made box'. The facilities were rather primitive compared to the machine shops to be found in most secondary schools but they were adequate. I remember making such 'useful' items as a Trowel, Drawer pull, Plumb bob and Toasting fork. We had open coal fires in those days. I remember that I was awarded the Metalwork Prize in my final year. The main reason that comes to mind is that the Metalwork Prize was a book entitled 'The Junior Woodworker'. I wonder if the winner of the Woodwork Prize received a book about metalwork? If I remember anything of interest I will be in touch again. Sincerely, Eric.


10. Jacqueline Leonard 1954-62
	►Hi Dave! Cynthia Hodge passed on the web address to me just before Christmas, and I have been hooked ever since. It is a fantastic site and has brought back so many memories. I was delighted to hear that Kath Ward is well. Please pass on my good wishes when you see her. I have been searching around for any photos and I have managed to find a number which do not appear on the web site, dating back to 1945. I am wondering if you would like them for the site? If so, what is the best way of getting them to you? There are also some items of memorabilia, some anecdotes and some of the missing names on the site etc.
Congratulations to both you and Sheila on such a brilliant web site which I am sure must have taken you many, many hours of hard work. All best wishes, Jacqueline Leonard, HGS 1954-62 Holgate House (March 2005) ►Dear Jacqueline, How lovely to hear from you. I am glad that you have enjoyed visiting the HGS site. It has been a pleasure constructing it with Sheila. Thank you very much for the offer of material. Please send whatever you have to me at the site's address. I will scan everything and then return it to you. Just email any text memories and names to me. I am sure that your material will be much appreciated by the Hilmians who visit the site. As ever, Dave


11. Don Weaver 1948-55
	►Dear Sheila, Many thanks for your e-mail, drawing my attention to your splendid Hemsworth Grammar School website which I found quite rivetting. I'd quite forgotten about the article entitled "Depression". My wife assures me that I'm out-growing my teenage angst, largely as a consequence of years of marital therapy. Best wishes with your efforts to record memories of HGS, before they are lost forever, and the effect on the lives of those attending the school. With that in mind, I attach a photograph taken 1954/55 of the HGS 1st Eleven Cricket Team, showing a young Geoffrey Boycott. Good luck with further development of the website. Don Weaver. (March 2005)
►Dear Don, Many thanks for your message, kind words and cricket photo. You seem to appreciate that it is a race against time to record all the good things which were offered to us at HGS. When you browse the site, if anything stirs a memory, please let us know. If you see any missing names and recognise who the pupils or Staff are, we will gratefully receive the identifications, and if there are form photos in your attic or cellar which we don't display, please would you share them? We look forward to hearing from you again soon, Sincerely, Sheila


12. Doug Wilson 1939-44
	►Hi there, Thought you may be interested in the attached photos: Form 4b 1943; Form 5b 1944 and Cricket Team 1944. My father was at Hemsworth Grammar School in the 40's. He is called Doug Wilson. He did his best to name everyone, but there are a few missing. Hope they are useful. Regards, Phil Wilson (March 2005)
►Dear Phil, Thank you very much for the HGS photographs and information. I will add them to the site as soon as possible. Many ex-pupils will enjoy seeing them and the history of the school will become more complete. Please pass on my thanks to your father. I wonder if he could help us with the identification of a Form Group photograph from 1940/41 on which he appears. The name of the Form, the names of some the pupils and the name of the teacher are as yet unknown. Thank you very much indeed. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie HGS 1955-62 ►Hi Dave, Had another chat with dad, (Doug Wilson) and come up with more names as follows :- Scorer far right on 1944 cricket team was possibly Sammy Dyas. Unknown Form in 1940 was 1A, and the teacher was Miss D. L. Prince. The girl listed as Phyliss Alderton, is actually Alderman. No 10, 3rd row Clifford Hale, No 7, 3rd row Alan Rafton, No 5, 3rd row Tilley, No 1 front row Derek Fox, No 7, front row, is Tony Harrison. Other names, form 5b, No 8, 2nd row Jean Goodall, No 1 3rd row Dorothy Marks, No 3, 3rd row Mary Griffiths, Teacher Mr P Almond, No 4 front row Norma Mullally. My father still has all his old reports. He was supposed to start HGS in Sept 1939, but the outbreak of 2nd world war intervened. The new pupils only attended once a week until Jan 1940, collecting homework, whilst the air raid shelters were being constructed. He was in Price house, and left in July 1944. I have an uncle and aunt who also went to HGS although later on. If they have any pics or information, I will let you have it. Does Agnes Bulmer feature in any photos or Record books? I think she held the girls javelin record around 1950. Hope this all helps, its a shame that all this information should be lost, keep up the good work. Kind regards, Phil Wilson.


13. Jeff Woodcock 1943-48
	►Dear Dave, I attended HGS from Sept. 43 to June 48. After much travelling I returned to Yorkshire on my retirement. I have re-visited HGS and was saddened to see that the gardens in front were now covered with unsympathetic buildings but then it is progress. I always remembered in Spring when we entered the bottom gate and girls went left and boys right. In the Spring it was a mass of daffodils. If there are any reunions from that time I would love to attend. Jeff (March 2005)



14. Paul Creighton 1957-62
	►Dear Dave, I am pleased to be able to contribute to your excellent HGS site and attach the photograph for Form 1B from 1957/58 together with the names of the pupils. How quickly we all grew up from those days of short trousers! HGS was something special, not least due to the dedicated teaching staff whose patience I for one often tried. Best regards, Paul Creighton, Talbot House 1957-1962 (March 2005)



15. George Smith 1943-48
	►Hello Dave, I have two class photos from 43/44 and 44/45. Please tell me in what form you would prefer me to transmit them eg. jpeg, bmp, zipped? Good look with your site. George Smith (March 2005)
►Dear George, Thank you very much for the offer of the two class photographs. Please scan them at 300 dots per inch or greater and save them as jpeg files. I will do any necessary size adjustments here. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie


16. Anne Norrick 1949-55
	►I was a pupil at HGS from 1949 to 1955. What memories this site has brought back: the Green Gate, the spring flowers, the wonderful grounds and so many excellent teachers. I remember so well performing in Toad of Toad Hall in the "Dell" in about 1950-51 and I shall have a look for that photograph that I know I have somewhere!! Anne (April 2005)
►Dear Anne, Thank you for getting in touch with the site. I am so glad that you have enjoyed your visit. Memories are very precious and through the HGS site we are trying to capture as many as possible of that special place. If any particular memories come to mind please send them in. If you could identify yourself on the photographs which are on the site (eg. Panoramics, Prefects) I will add a small picture of you to personalise your entry on the site. Also, which House were you in? Lovely to hear from you. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie, HGS 1955-62


17. Robert Wincer 1964-69
	►I started in 2S in the Dog Ole - form teacher Mr. Connolly. I was in Holgate House. I was then in 4S, 4 Romans followed by 5 Romans and left in the early part of the Lower 6th to pursue a football career at Sheffield Wednesday. Eventually I went on to play pro cricket for Derbyshire, Natal (South Africa) and then South Australia. I currently reside in Adelaide but I am over here in the UK for 12 months sabbatical to see if I can survive a winter (first one for 27 years). An old friend of mine put me on to the site (Bob Taylor - there in 1960 I think). I am very grateful. I have enjoyed looking at a few pictures.
Also my close friend Steven Barraclough, who resides in Perth, Western Australia is on one of the other photographs. He was in Holgate like me and I believe he was in Celts. Many thanks and well done for such a comprehensive site. I will look some more once I find the time. Regards, Rob. (April 2005)


18. Kathleen Rowney 1954-60
	►Sheila, I was very surprised and pleased to receive your e-mail. Unfortunately I live so far away that I have no contact with anyone from HGS. I have been living in the U.S.A. since 1964. I was very pleased to find HGS on the internet. I have so many happy memories of my school. Schools in this country are so different. My friends and co-workers always enjoyed hearing about my school. I was in Guest House and tried to do my share in Stars and usually more than my share in Stripes. After I had left school, to become a nurse, I would think about it often, and wished that I could go back and start all over again. I remember the Annual Country Dance Festival. It was always so much fun and, of course, it gave us a chance to show off our beautiful grounds.
When I visited England earlier this year I went to the school. I was sad to see that so much had changed, but I enjoyed walking down the halls again and was happy that some of the old part of the school looked the same. I have good memories of several teachers there: Miss Elliot, Miss Ward, Miss Metcalfe, Mr. Burnett, Mr. Bulley, Mr. Losasso, Mr. Hassall and Mr. Leonard. I do have a couple of photos and I will send them to you. Kathleen Rowney (April 2005)


19. Barbara Booth 1953-57
	►Dear Sheila, I will be visiting the area in October to March and will be staying in Pontefract. It would be great to meet with old school friends. If there are any reunions during the time of my visit I would like to go. Thanks for contacting me. Barbara Batty, nee Booth May 2005



20. Peter Whitehead 1953-58
	►Dear Shiela, We do have a number of photographs which you are not featuring on your site from my wife's (Val Chapman) days at school. Val does appear on one of the 4S photographs but you are not recording her name, she is the pupil over Ken Sale's left shoulder with her head on one side. Val still practices as a radiographer which is a job she went into after leaving HGS. Myself I left full time employment when I left the Co-op in 1997 and now practice as a toastmaster.
We would be happy to loan you the photographs which include 2C, 3A and 5S from Val's days and the Colts' and 9s' team from my era. Good to hear from you, Regards, Pete Whitehead (Gink) May 2005


21. Ronald Stanton 1957-62
	►I attended the school from 1957-1962, my House was Guest. I was pleased to see a picture of 5S in 1961-62 and the faces brought back many memories. I will study the picture and try to fill in the gaps. Best wishes on a splendid site. Ronald (Nov 2004)