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Sean:Thats a great subject to be studying..and hopefully you will get many replies. I was at the School 1951 to 1958.There are separate websites for the three Old Boys Clubs:Old Meadonians Football Club (amateur Champions of London) and they have a history page.Chiswick Rugby ClubChiswick and Latymer Cricket Club.There used to be School Magazines in the 1950's ..certainly for the Boy's School. filled with info.of all kinds.....try the Chiswick Library perhapsThe Boys School opened in 1925?1926..the girls School was already there.The Boys School was hit by a German Bomb during WWII ..there are pictures around..there air raids shelters on the School field. The School was ..in part..evacuated to High Wycombe.The School was strong on the stage drama front..with powerful plays every year. John Neville..who ran the Nottingham Playhouse is ex Chiswick. So too was Don Taylor who sadly recently died. Don wrote and directed plays..and his work often appeared on TV. (he was a star at Strand on the Green School too).Brian Tesler,(LWT?)..Phil Collins I believe,...Michael Solomons the Toastmaster with the record breaking length whiskers!!..was a Chiswick man too.  Andrew Ronay and Robert Frith were record breaking sprint athletes in the 50's 60'sand Dewar Neal in the 50's represented Wales in the Empire Games..in the pole vault event..holding the Welsh record!! Another chap was a national school boys boxing champion.The School colours were the same as West Ham's...maroon and light blue....and there was a 100% conformity.  Oh yes..Chiswick had a good rowing club too..and a master called Geoffery Page was a key figure in the sport.The School hit the National Press in the 1950's when every pupil..the lot of us.. was kept after school for detentionbecause someone had played around with a school poster on the Main Notice Board about "Blazers"..(Didn't someone amend it to "Braziers"? Mr Cook ..the Headmaster was obviously not amused."Headmasters"..that reminds me of the hairdressing chain...that is owned and run by old boys of the School.A Mr Finch I recall was a master for 40+ years..and other Masters that come to mind include..Mr Cook, Mr Dutton, Kitchener, H Jones, the great BP Jones, Ryba (Economics), Ike Rees(Chemistry), Raymond waite(French), Hank Williams and Geoff Last (Geog), Charles Garlick (English)...the famous Jim Biddle (sports)(He went on to Borough Road and trained future Olympic Champions),John Troake..etc etcMy favourite memory about the School..after post-war rationing.....was my first sight ever of a School Tuck Shop.Dear Mrs Woodrow..the Caretaker's husband..sold piles of fresh to us delighted souls..We'd never had it so good.By the every year we all assembled in the playground for the  Annual School Photo..and these vast photos are now probably collectors items. Sports team photos lined one of the long corridors..I wonder what happened to them?I was surprised to find that so my pupils travelled so far to get to the School each day. The old 55 bus was packed..and many travelled on the Southern Railway.trains from Hounslow...even in those days.Thats enough from me today!!..and good luck with the studies.

Jim Lawes ● 7784d

Doris: That was an interesting posting..and about H Jones too. I can just picture him in my mind. He was much respected.You mentioned the "house" names..Fauconberg, Devonshire, Hogarth..now they are familiar..but off the cuff I cannot recall a Chiswick connection with Thackeray.The Boys School had four houses too...so everyone had a colour band to wear at sporting events. Burlington,Heathfield, Hogarth and ......Fox. Charles James Fox was a great Wig politician..and the School Magazine of 1953 says Fox had many strange friends ..including Sam House a Soho publican. What The Chiswick connection is..I've no idea.The Boys' School motto was SEMPER SURSUM.. and we used to sing this occasionally. I'll try and find the Chiswick related lyrics.  Surprisingly, the Cumbrian town of Barrow in  Furness displays a welcome sign.."welcome to B in F Semper Sursum" !!  Of the cuff again..I cannot remember what it means.The 1952 Edition of the School Magazine refers to the bombing of the School hall "by Hitler in the Summer of 1944."  "Looking back it seems incredible that, although the  Christmas Term of 1944 began amid rubble and debris..a School Play was still duly produced at the end of term  ..4 months later..on a specially constructed stage in the smallish gymnasium."  With back stage and side of stage restrictions ..some some nine annual productions were performed in that restricted space...the final one being "Henry V" in 1952 with Frank Rienzo in the lead role.Frank has since had a career in the Italian Restaurant trade..and is currently in Sloane Street,Kensington.The prizes at Speech Day in 1952 were presented by Sir Miles thomas, Chairman of BOAC...The British Overseas Airways Corporation (head office on Great West Road....now empty and called Wallis House)This weeks local newspaper..includes a photo about the recent achievements of the Friends of Dukes Meadows. Paul Allen, long long time Forum member is seen at the front. Hiding behind is a bispecticled Roy Killick from Chiswick.Roy is hailed in the Boys School magazine as a zippy rugby player. The 1952 issue says "His speed off the mark was amazing to us as well to our opponents.Showed no fear of heavier opposite numbers"  The 1953 Magazine states "Roy Killick ,on of the fastest wing three-quarters in School rugby"..anywhere.So next time anyone sees Roy struggling with a fork and spade..helping out at Dukes Meadows tidy-up...just give him respect!!I left the word "doughnuts" out in my earlier message!"Dear Mrs Woodrow..the Caretaker's husband..sold piles of fresh DOUGHNUTS to us delighted souls..We'd never had it so good."!!!  No wonder I'm diabetic!!

Jim Lawes ● 7778d

Margo: That was wonderful..I read it and the tune flowed into my mind and almost brought tears to my eyes.Did your husband just recite that off the cuff. Wonderful are memories..and this Forum too!Semper Sursum: Oh, so far away from those hooded yobbos on the High Street.. life on the pavements WAS SAFER in the old days..and the Police should not tell us otherwise..they are wrong!    Good.  That little rant over!Your husband may remember some of the the great names from the 1930...who were still there in the 1940'and 1950'Mr Ernest Finch (rowing expert)...Mr Dutton..I have his Obituary somewhere her, Mr David Kitchen (History and Drama)..Dr Alf Tucker..famous for his orange harris tweed suits, pop pop motor scooter and religious devotion. Known and loved by all. A E "Robbo" Robinson..gym teacher till 1953 ish..before Jim Biddle. I'm looking at his 1952 goodbye article in the Magazine.I recall them all..Almongst the students..and footballers..Joe Asher..still going strong.. and the Football Old Boys are still in touch with him..over 80 again.Dick Silver? Frank Taffs,George Woods Russell the talented sprinter..killed in the War, Sir Denis Follows (FA Secrerary)(Chairman British Olympic Committee Moscow/ Mrs Thatcher's time).Bill Hewitt..still going strong over 80..rose from Manager Nat West Bank Barnes..to become a General Manager at the Bank at Head Office), Lives in OsterleyCecil Pocock a very distinguished pupil. A scholarship to Cambridge....13 years a local Councillor, The youngest ever Mayor of the old Borough at the time, Headmaster of Emmanuel School.  Mr Pocock quietly used to live at the top of Harvard Hill, and up till recently ..was a prolific book reading local Magistrate.I write a bit more soonest..must get on with my admin :0(Please ask any questions .I am more that happy to help.PS: The Old Meadonian's Football Club was formed in 1929..just 4 years after the Boys School opened. The OMFC, currently Amateur Champions of London, have been celebrating their 75th anniversary. A huge collection of photos, match reports and accessories have been collected up...and much about live in the OMFC in the 30's amd 40's!SEMPER SURSUM..  wonderful.

Jim Lawes ● 7777d

The School Magazine was called The Lamp. It had a light blue cover ..blank on the front save for a printed maroon coloured badge.  I've just realised....of course they were the School Colours!!I'm trying to work out how I can get the image from the cover to appear.( One day maybe) The badge image is shield shaped. it has lamp across the top..with the wick alight with flame!Underneath ..and to the left is..  the image of a bishop with staff..his emblem of authority. To the right is the Middlesex badge..three parallel swords..with a crown above.The end of each Summer Term..the end of a School year..was a time of celebration..and  sadness. Sadness perhaps for the pupils if they were about to leave the School for ever...but very much sadness when a long serving teacher was retiring.1959 was one such year. Mr Alan Cooke (Headmaster) was retiring. He had been at Chiswick Grammar School since 1926..a year after its opening..when  he was appointed senior mathematics master.The magazine describes in some details the strains of life in the 30's and 40's culminating in his promotion to Headmastership at the end of 1944. Mr Cooke wrote a very interesting and emotive report on his retiement which is worthy of publication sometime.The first Headmaster was Mr Walter Carren. he was responsible for getting the School into being and nursing it through its early years of establishment and growth.He would have overseen the evacuation of the School on 3rd September 1939 on the outbreak of war. I'll post another thread..about the evacuation and march down Sutton Court Road!!Mr Lister, followed Mr Cooke as Headmaster.from Setember 1959.

Jim Lawes ● 7777d