Visitors 6

1. Kevin Fox 1959-64
	►Regarding the re-emergence of the Esperanto Society. I joined the class with Mr Lock but the club faultered due to lack of support, within a couple of months I think! I cannot remember much except some very basics eg: Le knabo estas sur le planko. This translates to - The boy is sitting on the floor. How basic is that? Kevin (March 2003)
►Dear Kevin, Thank you for getting in touch with the site and for your Esperanto! Perhaps others will now follow your lead. I do hope you enjoy your visits to the site and that you will make many more. The site is nearing its first birthday. Any other text memories of photos would have an interested audience I am sure. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie


2. Eric Jones 1942-49
	►1942-1949. 7 happy years. Having recently got a p/c I have been fascinated by the HGS site particularly the panoramic photos - many faces I recognised but not as many names remembered. To my regret I can only think of perhaps 6-7 people I have come into contact with in the past 54 years but it may alter in the future. Eric (March 2003)
►Dear Eric, Thank you for getting in touch with the site and I hope that you have enjoyed your visits. The panoramic photos have created a lot of interest. Hopefully everyone will be named as the site progresses. The site will be one year old on the 20th. March. We have all gone our separate ways in life and in many cases our fellow pupils have rarely been seen. At least the Willowhem... site gives us a meeting point in cyber space. If you do have any memories in text or photo form please send them in. To complete the record, which House were you in? Lovely to hear from you, Dave McKenzie ►Dear Eric, A memory triggered by one of your emails is that Ralph O'Donnell came to Harewood Lane Junior School, Upton in about 1954-55 to give a soccer demonstration to the kids there - of which I was one. He was a Sheffield Wednesday player I believe. To us as 9, 10 and 11 year olds he looked very big and powerful. He could kick the ball miles - even uphill on the school field. He certainly looked like the HGS pupil on the photos. Several of us then decided to have a go at Soccer and we eventually played for the school team. I remember to this day pulling on the Harewood Lane Soccer Team shirt - my first ever team! The shirt's colours were the same as the West Ham shirt that Bobby Moore's era used to wear. To see other pupils in the same shirt certainly sparked off something in me which lasted on the sports field until my mid-thirties - team spirit. At HGS I must have played for just about every team possible, even above school level. I loved it. All started by Ralph O'Donnell. Thanks for the memory. Best wishes, Dave


3. Dave Nicoll 1956-62
	►Hello Mac, What a great find; a superb site. It's the best scrapbook any of us could wish for. Thanks for all the hard work. I have just finished thirty nine and a bit years working as an NHS "grey suit" in and around Barnsley so finding this site is a lovely help in easing myself into a different lifestyle. One of my early colleagues, Les Depledge, was at Hemsworth in the thirties and once we discovered our mutual school, via Les sporting his school cap at a hospital party, we quickly formed a continuing friendship. I still have my cap and scarf not to mention too many Cashs woven name tapes.
The mention of hospital parties reminds me that my last significant memory of John Connolly is of him, dressed in a white coat, pushing one or more of my female colleagues around the hospital on a trolley. Great to see contributions from a number of friends from the 1956 intake, a reunion would be very welcome. The article on the school holiday to Switzerland and Italy in 1960 nudged the old memory into remembering a later visit to Rimini in the late 1980's where I discovered the accommodation where we stayed, Pensione Eleanora, was still there, apparently unchanged after nearly thirty years. Apologies for the ramblings; a mixture of advancing years and finding the site. Will send more ramblings later. Dave Nicoll 1A through L6A Holgate house (March 2003) ►Dear Dave, Lovely to hear from you after such a long time. Happy retirement! Yours truly is hoping to get there next year. I am so glad that you have found the site to be interesting and enjoyable. It seemed such a shame that HGS was not represented on the Internet. Thousands of people were served by it over 46 years. So many good memories were being lost. Since the site was started one year ago, there has been a very encouraging and positive response to it. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie


4. Steven Wassell 1963-68
	►Fab site. I was taken right back to 1963 when I saw my class photo. Front row No.2 by the way is Georgina Cooper; I remember her from infants school. I am now a music teacher, performer and conductor in Canterbury, so it must have done me some good! Three cheers to Peter Webster for getting me to join Friends Reunited. Good bloke! Steven (March 2003)
►Dear Steven, Thank you for getting in touch with the site and for the information. We are now just into our second year as a web site. The positive interest shown by Hilmians has been very encouraging. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie


5. Ann Crompton (Hale) 1963-68
	►I was at HGS 1963-68. The photographs brought back lots of happy memories. Hello there to: Ann Basher, Gail Rutherford, Sue Radford, Elizabeth (sorry I can't remember your second name), Valerie, Jane, Gail Perry (who got A's in absolutely everything), and of course all the lads in the year. Ann (March 2003)
►Dear Ann, Thank you for getting in touch with the site. Happy memories are always valuable! Hopefully more will emerge as time goes on and the site develops. Perhaps you have some school memories of your own which others would enjoy. If you could let me know which House you were in, that would help to make your entry more complete. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie


6. Christopher Haigh 1960-68
	►Had an Email from Sheila Kelsall who put me in touch. I've had a fascinating hour just going through and seeing old faces in the photographs that ex pupils and staff have supplied. I'll certainly start looking through some of my stuff. My Mum and my sister still live in Hemsworth. I'm over a few times a year so I can drop it off at the school (Willowgarth). One of the photographs, I think, shows the girls entrance at the back of the school. I think it was Room 1 and the end was the girls' toilets but I'm surprised at seeing pupils on what I saw as the staff car park! I may be completely wrong. Another photo is of a room which was just down from the Music room and opposite the Needlework room (one of my registration rooms at HGS). I thought it was just an 'overflow room' from Needlework. This was around 1963-64. I saw Mr. Hamilton and his wife most weekends. We were not great friends it's just that I used to deliver his groceries! Keep up the great work and thanks. Chris Haigh (March 2003)
►Dear Chris, Thank you for getting in touch with the site. Your visit seems to have been an interesting one. I hope you have many more. You mention resources which may be of interest to our audience. Either email scans of them or simply post them to the site. I will then scan them and get them back to you as quickly as possible. To complete your record: what were your years in school and which House were you in? Best wishes, Dave McKenzie ►Dear Dave, I forgot to mention that I was in Celts, 2C, 3C, 4T, 5T, L6R, L6S, U6S and also in Price House. Memories of Mr. Pacy taking our meetings are still with me. If you can pass a message to Terry McCroakam that if he sees Maurice Shelton give him my sincere thanks for all he did for me at HGS. I took early retirement from teaching but have since returned while my wife is also working. Chris


7. Joyce Fox 1948-54
	►Dear Dave, It was good to meet you on Thursday. I am very impressed with the panoramic photograph of 1949 on site. It comes out much clearer than the original photo. I took along the photo to school after collecting it from Willowgarth and they seemed very pleased to accept it. There wasn't time to have a tour of the school, perhaps next time I am in Hemsworth!! It has been a very nostalgic couple of days and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for all your efforts and time in giving us all such an excellent site. I see more on the site every visit. It also gives us all so much pleasure. Very best wishes and many thanks. Joyce (March 2003)
►Dear Joyce, Thank you for your positive thoughts about the site. It was lovely to meet you and your husband. The 1949 School photo scan has indeed come out well. It is a superb addition to the site. I am sure that lots of people will find their way to that set of pages. Best wishes, Dave


8. Jean Snookes (now Lythcott) 1950-57
	►Dear Dave, This is just fabulous to find this site ... for seven years I loved going to that place, HGS ... and as I've been exploring the site, I am amazed at how much comes flooding in, generalities and very detailed memories. Let's see, at the moment I recall and would love to be in touch with: Eileen Hurst, Edith Horbury, Enid Horton, Wendy Jennings, Margaret Duprey, Kathleen Corcoran, Diana Glew, Gloria Farnsworth, Tony Pickering, John Abbott, Alan Ardon, Clive Goodwin, Ray Noble, Alec Wall, Geoff Marston (Marsden) and Jeff Hudson.
I went to Manchester University from school, in 1957; taught sciences for two years in Yorkshire then left for Ghana. I was there teaching for four years and met an American physician there. We married in 1966 (he died 1995), went onto Nigeria for three years (eradicating smallpox!!), arrived in the U.S. of A in 1969 and have lived here ever since. I currently work part time taking care of two grandchildren and part time as Consulting Associate Professor of Science Education at Stanford University (www.stanford.edu/ ). I would like both to contribute to the site (see my email suggesting I send copies of lots of old photos) and to connect with old friends. All good wishes Jean ... aka Jeannie (March 2003) ►Dear Jean, Lovely to hear from you. HGS still lives on in the hearts and minds of so many people. Please feel free to let the site have whatever you wish. We do have a long way to go before the record is complete. Perhaps the simplest way to get material to the site is to email large, clear scans of photographs. Some of your year have already got in touch with the site. Go to the Visitors page and then look for the Contacts A-Z page. There you will find email addresses of the Contacts so far. Perhaps some of the familiar names there will be able to put you into contact with others from your year. When you can find the time, it would be great if you could send in some personal memories of HGS. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie ►Dear Dave, What a blast ... that you were in 2A when I was Head Girl. It brings a memory to mind immediately. Remember that Prefects, before being officially appointed had to recite a pledge, from the stage, in front of the whole school? We said: "I promise, God helping me, to be a faithful servant of the school, without fear and without reproach. I pledge myself to put the school first in everything, to uphold its best traditions, actively to oppose what is wrong, to protect the weak, and to be humble in my office. I will do my utmost to leave the school, better than I found it." I can't tell you how often that oath has come back to me. I have been in education, as teacher, researcher and professor in England, Ghana, Nigeria, New York, Virginia, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and California. It has seemed to me that the Prefects' Pledge tells of a place called school that is so particularly and peculiarly, so quintessentially, British. Looking forward to being in touch with HGS for a long time. Cheers, Jeannie (April 2003)


9. Malcolm Thomas 1944-49
	►What a turn up. My wife, writing to her friend, just asked if I knew whether her spelling of HILMIAN in the address was correct. Of course I tried "Google" for HGS to show her the connection. I have looked at a little so far, and written to one "entrant" [David Chappell], I don't know him but he must be connected with one of my HGS Buddies, Kenneth Chappell:- The Cottage at the bottom of the School road opposite the old Tech buildings.
I have a couple of "class", and either one or two "school" rather than class photos, which I will scan as soon as I have a moment. I am mystified that the Esperanto Club has no mention of that wonderful teacher Doctor Sass (Science/Esperanto) circa 1944-49. I will NEVER forget him, or his wonderful friendly manner. Anyone who remembers ALL the words, join in NOW!. Sons of Yorkshire lift your voices ........ let your work bring joy not sorrow? Labor Ipse WALLOP SASS, sorry Voluptas!. What a pity the School was riddled with Class Distinction MARK ONE. Why are your trousers patched boy? 100 lines for a honest answer! Old RWH captained South Kirkby Cricket Club. I was excused writing with a triple-time broken finger, but could "somehow" manage to fill in the score book, whilst my dad rolled the score board numbers. When I unfortunately had to present the book for the Captain(s) signatures. You guessed it, my excused days were OVER! Can anyone can still feel Mr. Leonard's slipper; or Mr. Johnson, who marched around the classroom, hands behind under his gown, teaching us how to RRRRRRROLL the RRRs in French. Garrrrrrrrcon!. Good initiative, Thomas, but make it 1000 lines in CARBON or another 100 in INK, and bring them to ME BEFORE - "Caps are to be worn on the head not in the pocket" - Jack Robinson!. What about Mary Griffiths and Derek Wilkinson Victor and Victrix Ludora. How many times? Or my late "cuz" Derek Brockhurst who had to wait till big Dek had gone? Best regards to all. Malc (April 2003) ►Dear Malcolm, Thank you for getting in touch with the site. Thank you also for your text contributions. I do hope you will continue to enjoy your visits. The Willowhem... site is now in its second year. It is always amazing at how many memories are stirred when photos and memorabilia are shown after a long period of time. There must be many more memories waiting to be put into cyber-space. Lovely to hear from you, Dave McKenzie


10. Bryan Thomas 1960-65
	►Hiya Dave, I can put a few names to the photo of 5R 1965. I should really remember 'em all. I spent 5 good years of my life with 'em, but the grey matter is getting on a bit. Great site, Dave, only just found it thanks to my brother Malcolm Thomas. One thing I haven't seen yet, though there are many more hours to peruse, is a list of the famous SCHOOL RULES. Oh how I remember that first one, I wrote it so so many times......... Any offence against common sense is an offence against school rules. Strangely it has actually stood me in good stead throughout my life and it often comes back into my thoughts.
For the life of me I cannot remember any of the others, but I do remember copying them down many times during my more unruly periods. As far as I recall they were located at the bottom of the Main Stairs alongside the famous Stars and Stripes board. Thanks again, Bryan Thomas (Holgate house) (April 2003) ►Dear Bryan, Thank you for getting in touch with the site and thank you for the information and anecdotes. All are now on the site. We were at HGS together for two years, 1960-62 and obviously have memories in common. Your Cross Country story brought back memories as did Tarzan Tag in the Gym. I do hope you will be able to send in more memories for us all to enjoy. Best wishes, Dave Mckenzie ►Hiya again Dave, Just been lookin at 1960 panoramic in Gallery, sent in by Bob Taylor (Cheer up boys). Spotted yours truly, sandwiched between the 3rd and 5th row of older lads. I am the rather tired looking young lad first from the left of this group in the 4th row. Don't know why he stuck us in there. My friend Bert James who I speak to tells me that when he attended HGS during one of the panoramic shots he stood at one end and then ran around and was captured again at the other end when the camera panned around. I bet he wasn't the only one to do that eh!. It would be great to find the photo. I've been looking but I haven't found it yet. Keep up the great work, Dave, but can you slow down a bit, I never get anything else done for lookin on here! LOL Cheers, Bryan Thomas (April 2003)


11. Brian Hardaker 1967-71
	►Keep up the good work, it really is an exceptional site. I attended Hemsworth in its last year before the changeover. It wasn't until later that I realised just what had been lost. Now living in Germany for the last 25 years. I really would appreciate any contact with my old friends. Send a mail! Brian Hardaker (Normans 1 - 5 1967 till 1971) (April 2003)
►Dear Brian, Thanks for getting in touch with the HGS site and for your positive comments about it. I will add your name to the email list. Hopefully other Hilmians will get in touch with you. Just for the record, which House were you in during your first year? Best wishes, Dave McKenzie ►Thanks for the reply David, and so very fast. In my first year at HGS I was in Normans, my old memory has suffered a few loose connections over the years but if I remember rightly the house was "Holgate". Regards, Brian ►Congratulations to you all. You're doing a great job back there in good old Yorkshire. Keep it up. Great site getting better and better. Happy for any contact. Best regards Brian Hardaker (April 2004) ►Dear Brian, Thank you for the new contact. It's good to know that you enjoy visiting the site. Sheila and I have enjoyed putting it together. The number of Hilmian contacts made with the site is very pleasing - after all the School closed a long time ago. Its great to know that HGS affected so many people positively. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie


12. Linda Collingwood 1962-69
	►More memories, but I haven't managed to find any photos yet. School Uniform: I went to HGS in Sept. 1962 and I believe this was the first year that blazers and school hats were no longer compulsory for girls. Winter uniform was still box-pleated gym slips, white shirt blouses, navy cardigan and 70 denier lisle stockings (only obtainable from the school outfitters in Hemsworth). From the Fourth year we could wear pleated skirts instead. Summer uniform was gingham dresses (only one size check allowed - quarter inch I think - again only from the school outfitters). Luckily my mum could make my dress, the winter uniform was expensive enough.
We were the children of the miniskirt generation, so the rule was that skirts must touch the floor when kneeling up on the floor!! Of course, pleated skirts could always be rolled up at the waist after the check, and pulled down again if Miss. Smith was spotted in the distance. Sports I wasn't a sporty person and, despite rumours to the contrary, it was still possible to be happy at HGS. The nearest I ever got to sport was making refreshments for the rugby teams on Saturday mornings. This was probably in the 5th and 6th forms. I also remember going to support the teams at both Ilkley (several times) and at Bridlington for the 7's competitions. I assume this was was also mainly in the 5th and 6th forms , when we were supporting the boys in our class. I recall on many occasions during 6th form PE, going for a cross country 'run' to the park, and then a gentle stroll until we judged it was time to go back. At the end of every term we played Pirates in the Gym, as described elsewhere on the site. It was always the last lesson of term, and the only time I enjoyed working in the Gym. Keep up the good work, the site is really developing well. I can easily spend an hour or two every week. Hope these memories help. Linda Collingwood (as was, now Bona) 1962-69 Holgate - Romans, 2a 3a 4a 5a L6A U6A (April 2003) ►Dear Linda, Thank you very much for some more of your memories. I will add them to the site. Thank you also for your positive comments about the site. I know that a lot of people do enjoy visiting the site. To many of us HGS was a very important establishment. I hope the site reflects this. Please keep in contact. Best wishes, Dave ►Dear Dave, How wonderful. Where on earth did you find the article which I (apparently) wrote about the trip to Beddgelert in 1968? Was it in one of the magazines? I had forgotten writing the article but vividly remember the incident of the Prefect sliding down the mountain in waterproofs. I've been trying to remember the Prefect's name. I think it was Tony?? We were allowed to call the boys by their first names when we were away. I think we called them by their first names after we went comprehensive. Linda Collingwood (as was, now Bona) (January 2004)


13. Alan Savage 1962-67
	►Guest House. A fantastic website, so many memories: the fearsome Miss. Smith for French; George Pacy comparing a graph to a rugby drop kick; Arnold Davies bringing in his antique gramophone and recordings to a French lesson; Mr. Burnell preparing me for Art College; Jess Owen having that 'accidental' collision with the young ex-model French Assistant on the stairs. Her badminton games attracted a record school turnout. Great days, great school. Alan (April 2003)
►Dear Alan, Thanks for getting in touch with the site. I hope you will enjoy many more visits. If you would like to expand on any of those memories, please do. If you have retained any photographs from your five years at HGS, our audience would love to see them. Just scan them and send them in. Please keep in touch. Best wishes, Dave McKenzie