Visitors 18
Year 2010-2011
1. Good luck with the new site.
Helen Taylor:
Jun 12, 2010
Thank you, Helen.
Dave
2. Will there be a search facility? Great work!
Ted:
Aug 09, 2010
Thanks for the compliment, Ted. There is no site search facility planned at the moment.
3. Work Itself a Pleasure. What would Alf Swinbank have said?
Margaret Croucher (nee Woodall) HGS 1963-70
Aug 13, 2010
Thanks for getting in touch, Margaret. I enjoyed Latin in 3A with Mr. Swinbank. He was a very patient gentleman.
4. I was looking on your Hemsworth Grammar School website as both my father and auntie went to the school. I found their pictures! I am Eleanor Mosley the daughter of David Mosley and the niece of Jean Mosley. My dad (David) was at the school around 1955/56 ish. My auntie Jean was there slightly earlier. My dad died in 2000 and my auntie Jean the same year. I don't know whether you are in touch with any of the people who went to school with them but it would be interesting to hear from them if so!
Kind regards,
Eleanor Mosley
Aug 25, 2010
5. Hi, Dave.
Came across the new site when my name came up from a search about something else. It looks great and there has obviously been a great deal of work put and still to be put into it. Regarding the lady asking about Jean Mosley, I was in her class 2B 1949/50. She was in 1A 1948/49 and 3B 1950/51. Photos are at present on the old site. I believe her to be no3 third row 3B 1950/51 on this site. Hope you can understand all that.
Regards to your self and Sheila.
Terry McCroakam
Aug 27, 2010
Thanks, Terry. Lovely to hear from you again. You certainly helped a great deal with the old site. There is a long way to go to catch up to the old site, but we keep chipping away at the content and adding further detail. The Headmasters' albums are a great resource. Hopefully it will not be too long before all that material is on this site. The old site will probably be taken down at the end of next month.
Dave
6. A quick reminder about the November reunion - 6 Nov 2010, Burntwood Bar, Burntwood Court Hotel, Brierley. I have lost contact with quite a few people so please let anyone you are in touch with know about it. I am looking forward to seeing the regulars and it would be good to see some new faces. Each reunion has thrown up some pleasant surprises.
Arthur Gilbert
7. Hi Dave/Sheila,
My name is Helen Carter, nee Wilkinson, pupil from 1953 to 1959, Holgate. My great friend was Ann Kilvington. I have lost contact with her and tried various things to find her again with no success. She lived in Ackworth and had sisters Pat and Jean, plus brother John who I think all attended HGS. Is there any way you can help me with contact details for any of this family which might help me get back in contact with Ann? I would really appreciate any lead you can offer.
I have started looking at the website, it's good so well done!!
Thanks,
Helen
Sept. 26, 2010
Hello Helen,
I do remember you as being two years ahead of us at School. It's lovely to hear from you! As our generations are adapting to the new technologies, we are lucky to be hearing from new Hilmians who discover us when they dip into their past Schooldays. I see you were in 5A with Mr. Lock and L6A with Mr. Bulley, and as Ann Kilvington was with you in both these Forms, to re-connect you would be wonderful. We have in the past already been in touch with several of your classmates (Shirley Challender, Janet Noble & others from your year).
Thank you for your compliment on the HGS site, which is currently a work in progress as we transfer our data from the previous server. It's a bit like doing a gigantic jigsaw - there's no end in sight, but the making of it is enough pleasure. Looking forward to hearing from you again.
Sincerely,
Sheila
8. Hello again, Sheila.
Not sure I'm sending this where I should but if not then please accept my apologies and correct me so I know for the future. You asked about my memories and two come to mind at the moment, both concerning Miss Smith. I remember there were two prefects on each doorway inspecting us as we left the assembly hall in the morning. I wasn't wearing the regulation 50 denier stockings one day and so was told to go and stand outside Miss Smith's office. After giving me a lecture she sent me home to change my stockings. This meant walking to Cross Hills, catching a bus to Shafton and crossing the road to catch another one to Grimethorpe. On arriving home I got another lecture from my mother. Once changed in to the correct stockings I again had to catch two buses back to Cross Hills. I can't think how long it must have taken me but I never wore the wrong stockings again.
Another morning I didn't feel well but my mother sent me to school anyway. I must have been genuine as I ended up in the Sick Room that morning. I remember feeling very lonely and very frightened of the Blue Lady who apparently haunted that area. Later in the morning Miss Smith entered the room and then I wasn't quite sure whether it was the Blue Lady or Miss Smith who frightened me most! But she asked if anyone would be at home and when I confirmed there would be she said she was taking me there. We went in her car to my home in Grimethorpe. I felt like I was sat in the front of that car with some sort of VIP, which in a way she was I suppose. I saw a different side to Miss Smith that day, a side I had not really looked for before because, up until then I had just seen her as a figure of the utmost authority. Anyhow, we duly arrived at my home. I remember walking in to our kitchen with Miss Smith and my house-proud mother's face was a joy to behold! She had washed her hair and was stood there in her rollers. My dad, who was a miner was on days and they had obviously just finished their dinner which was always on the table ready for him coming home, but also on the table was our biscuit tin (one of those big ones you get at Christmas) with the lid laid at the side of it. My dad was reading the paper in the front room so my mam and Miss Smith had a short conversation and Miss Smith then left. Ignoring my wellbeing my mam's first words were, "What a showing up. Miss Smith stood in our kitchen, me looking like this and the lid off the biscuit tin!".
Best Wishes,
Christine Sellars (Talbot)
Sept 30, 2010
Hi Christine,
Yes, you've sent your memories to exactly the right place. Either Dave or I will be pleased to hear any memories from any era. Miss Smith has been mentioned many times, as an indomitable yet kind influence on us all. Someone recently mentioned that she always wore a green gown in school, unlike the black ones the men wore. Do you remember this? I have to admit I don't! I think she was the only female member of Staff who wore a gown, though I could be wrong. I used to be impressed on Speech Days when all the Staff wore their 'best' finery - there was brightly coloured fur and satin on some of the cowls! Your story of being sent home to change stockings shows how different it was then. Children nowadays would not be allowed to do all that independent journeying alone, would they? How interesting that you saw Miss Smith as a person, and not as Deputy Head when she came to your home - and that our parents had the same respect as all the pupils for Messrs Hamilton, Collette and Miss Smith!. Your car journey with Miss Smith compares with my own experience with Mr. Hamilton, when he gave me a lift in his car as he was passing through Shafton and I was late for my Test Exams. It was quite a special morning when I rolled up into the Boys' playground and emerged from the car. I couldn't remember much of the conversation we had, I was so discumknockerated!
I don't recall ever going into the sick room, although like most pupils I knew it was next door to Room 10 - the classroom which was up a flight of wooden stairs. In fact, come to think of it, no-one has ever described the inside of the sick room to us. Perhaps we'll ask for memories of that. It never fails to happen that one set of recollections starts another thread of memories, and so thanks for taking the time to send your stories, and if any more come to mind, we are always here.
Sincerely,
Sheila.
9. Hello Sheila,
It's been a wet afternoon here in KL - not the usual torrential tropical downpours but steady, English-type rain - and I've spent a pleasant few hours browsing the new website - you and Dave are to be congratulated; it represents a lot of work. I thoroughly enjoy my trips "down memory lane" when I use it!
Best wishes
Ruth Horn
Malaysia
Oct 4, 2010
10. HGS Reunion 2010
Dear Everybody,
I hope that you have remembered this from the last reunion and made a note of it in your diaries. However, that may well not be the case, and so I'm sending a gentle reminder to you all and through you to all of your old school friends, for which I may not have the contact details for. The reunion is an informal get together for a drink and a chat and to see how many have retired since last we met. Arthur Gilbert is the organiser and I am just helping out. We always hope to see new faces as well as the regulars and hopefully to have a few more than last time. So we hope that you will be able to make it and although we know that many of you travelled a distance last time, the hotel does have many affordable rooms.
REUNION: SAT 6th NOVEMBER at the Burntwood Bar, Burntwood Hotel just out of Hemsworth over Brierley Common on the road to S. Kirkby.
Hope that you can make it, all the best ,
Alan Jones
Oct 15, 2010
11. Dave,
Congratulations on the new site. I was at Hemsworth from 1951 to 1956. I have 3 new photos for you. The first shows my 1B form in1951/52 when the form master was Mr Young. I am No.10 on the next to back row and Jeffrey Curran is at No. 9. Clearly Tony Pickering is at No. 3 on the back row. The second shows the Ilkley 7s team of 1955/56. I am No. 5 on the back row. The third is an alternative photo of the 1st XV of 1955/56. I am No. 9 on the back row. I have also made the following sitings:
a. Rugby 2nd XV 1954/55 middle row 1 = Colin Thomas, 3 = Michael Copley, front row 1 = Jeffrey Curran.
b. Rugby 1st XV 1955/56 middle row 2 = Michael Copley.
c. Panoramics: 1951/52 Photo 5/5 front row 5 = Michael Copley, 6 = Jeffrey Curran; 1954/55 Photo 5/7 back row 9 = Jeffrey Curran, 10 = Michael Copley.
d. Form Groups: 1953/54 3A back row 1 = Michael Copley; 1955/56 5S back row 1 = Michael Copley, front row 2 = Jeffrey Curran. 3 = A Ward (I think).
I hope this is OK.
Good luck,
Michael Copley
Oct 20, 2010
Dear Michael,
Thank you very much for getting in touch and for the new HGS information. It has now been added to the site. The new HGS site has not been around for very long. It will be quite some time before all the information has been transferred from the old site. There is also a lot of new information to be added from Mr. Jenkinson's and Mr. Hamilton's school photo albums. I am hoping that will be interesting for all to see.
Best wishes,
Dave
HGS 1955-62
12. A big thanks to those who came on 6 Nov. It was great to see more new faces. Apologies if I didn't get to chat very much. Again the evening went very quickly.
Thanks to Dave and the HGS site for some more photos - the long full school photo attracted a lot of attention with folk crawling on the floor trying to see who was who. Photos attached.
Regards
Arthur
Dec 02, 2010
Dear Arthur,
Thank you for the photos. If anyone else has photos from the evening, please send them in.
Dave
13. Dear Dave,
I have just been looking at the Hemsworth Grammar School website and it is fantastic. I'm very impressed by the quantity of information on it. My grandmother, Eileen Morley, started school at HGS in 1927. She's now 94 and I have just returned from visiting her in Tasmania. Whilst I was there we talked about her youth and she told me how much she loved HGS. She lived in Grimethorpe and she said the grounds at school were so beautiful; there were drifts of snowdrops, crocuses or daffodils. She was very happy there. I have been trawling through some of the historical pages on the website and I'm very chuffed to have found a few mentions of my grandmother and her sister Winnie. There's even a photo of Winnie! Thank you for making all the information available, it's amazingly detailed and very interesting.
Best wishes,
Kate Lloyd
Dec 27, 2010
14. Dear Dave,
I refer to the photo in Forum 3.4 of the building shown where you ask what the rooms marked A, B, and C were used for. As already indicated, A was the metal workshop. I believe the room marked B, was where the kiln for firing pottery was housed, hence the chimney. I cannot recall whether the pottery workshop was housed in room C or in a room up the stairs.
Herbert Bamforth, B.E.M.
H.G.S., 1941 to 1946
Jan 25, 2011
15. Hi, Dave.
Just to let you know that I have enjoyed looking back through old photos of the school. I was there between 1949 to 1953. I am now 74, still alive and kicking and living in Perth, Western Australia. I have been here since 1983 and it was good to be able look through the old form photos. One thing wrong on the photos is my name. It is David Parker and not Alan Parker. Photos that are wrong are form 3A 1950-51; 4A 1951-52; 5A 1952-53 and on the school photo of 1949. I am fifth from the right on the front row. I still keep in touch with friends from Ryhill and Havercroft.
Once again thanks for maintaining the site.
Best Wishes
Dave Parker
HGS, 1949-53
Mar 4, 2011
16. Dear Dave,
Having returned to look at the website after some months, I am impressed by all your new work. Nothing like it exists for my old school at Pontefract or my wife's school at Doncaster. Perhaps it comes out of the more civilised social atmosphere of a co-ed school with pleasanter memories of schooldays, and also perhaps from the limited time scale for the school in that name. Anyhow, the memories are as pleasant for me as a teacher as they seem to be for the pupils.
Best wishes
Gordon Parkinson
HGS Staff member 1960s
Mar 10, 2011
17. Dear Dave,
Just found the HGS website. Great stuff ! I haven't had chance to go in too deep yet, but I see that people have managed to get in touch with others. There aren't many photos of me knocking about, so to see myself in the 1954 2b crowd was a bit of a shock. Thanks for the memories, and I look forward to finding some more.
All the best.
Harry Palmer
Apr 14, 2011
18. Hello Dave,
Just found the new site. It looks better than ever. There seems to be a great deal more and this has added to its interest. The memories continue to tumble through my mind, especially during my time at HGS, but also finding relatives etc who attended the school prior to my commencing. I fully agree with all the comments made by your other contributors. Brilliant site offering lots of great memories.
Tony White
Apr 22, 2011
19. Hi, Sheila.
I have just been looking at the contributions from Peter Wall on the Web page. I remember very well all the choirs we had between 1948 and 1954 and especially what a great voice Peter had. I seem to remember that he won a Choral Scholarship to Music College or it may have been to go to Cambridge. Can anyone find the evidence for this? I really appreciated the work of Miss Carter and the wonderful music she introduced us to. Does anyone else remember how many times we pleaded with her to let us sing the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of the session and how we always failed to reach the climax without being in complete disarray?
Regards,
Juliet Parker
May 6, 2011
20. Hi, Dave.
Thank you for establishing such an amazing site. It was just by chance I decided to see if there might be any (very) old photographs of my father's time at HGS. I was uttererly astounded and delighted to find 5 photographs of him! He attended HGS between (about) 1938 - 1941. He was very proud to have attended HGS and still to-day talks about learning 'Esperanto'.He enjoyed his sport and played cricket and rugby. It is quite unbelievable that after 70 years the family can enjoy seeing photographs of my father taken during his school years.
Once again thank you for all your magnificent efforts, particularly for the person who has supplied these old, memorable photographs.
Best wishes
John Fox
June 8, 2011
21. Hi, Sheila.
Congratulations on the Hemsworth Grammar School site. Could I correct the 1953-54 (junior) class photograph of 1A. Third row L-R should be: John Cooper, Jeanette Hayton, Sandra Loring, Ann Brear, Pat Griffiths, Jean Savory, Hillary Highham, Philip Drury.
Sandra Loring (1953-58)
Dec 28, 2011
Hi Sandra,
Thank you so much for the list of names for 1A 1953-4. Your compliment about the site is most appreciated. It's good to know it is giving pleasure and adding interest to all. Our list of names was taken from Mr Hamilton's photo album for that year. By some good fortune and a lot of patient effort, a full set of them have come to us via his daughter Barbara. I would assume that the names were originally entered under each Form photo by the office staff, and so occasionally mistakes (as in this case) were made. You now have the knowledge that your corrections have been entered into the 53/4 album as well as on the website! Fame at last! Would you mind doing me the favour of looking over the other First Year Form photos for that year and sending the Christian names of anyone you may recall? It's so difficult to discover the boys' names especially, as they only used the surname, and in the albums there is often just an initial for the girls. Dave and I were mere 1st Formers in 1955, so we do remember a few names, but not all.
Sheila
Helen Taylor:
Jun 12, 2010
Thank you, Helen.
Dave
2. Will there be a search facility? Great work!
Ted:
Aug 09, 2010
Thanks for the compliment, Ted. There is no site search facility planned at the moment.
3. Work Itself a Pleasure. What would Alf Swinbank have said?
Margaret Croucher (nee Woodall) HGS 1963-70
Aug 13, 2010
Thanks for getting in touch, Margaret. I enjoyed Latin in 3A with Mr. Swinbank. He was a very patient gentleman.
4. I was looking on your Hemsworth Grammar School website as both my father and auntie went to the school. I found their pictures! I am Eleanor Mosley the daughter of David Mosley and the niece of Jean Mosley. My dad (David) was at the school around 1955/56 ish. My auntie Jean was there slightly earlier. My dad died in 2000 and my auntie Jean the same year. I don't know whether you are in touch with any of the people who went to school with them but it would be interesting to hear from them if so!
Kind regards,
Eleanor Mosley
Aug 25, 2010
5. Hi, Dave.
Came across the new site when my name came up from a search about something else. It looks great and there has obviously been a great deal of work put and still to be put into it. Regarding the lady asking about Jean Mosley, I was in her class 2B 1949/50. She was in 1A 1948/49 and 3B 1950/51. Photos are at present on the old site. I believe her to be no3 third row 3B 1950/51 on this site. Hope you can understand all that.
Regards to your self and Sheila.
Terry McCroakam
Aug 27, 2010
Thanks, Terry. Lovely to hear from you again. You certainly helped a great deal with the old site. There is a long way to go to catch up to the old site, but we keep chipping away at the content and adding further detail. The Headmasters' albums are a great resource. Hopefully it will not be too long before all that material is on this site. The old site will probably be taken down at the end of next month.
Dave
6. A quick reminder about the November reunion - 6 Nov 2010, Burntwood Bar, Burntwood Court Hotel, Brierley. I have lost contact with quite a few people so please let anyone you are in touch with know about it. I am looking forward to seeing the regulars and it would be good to see some new faces. Each reunion has thrown up some pleasant surprises.
Arthur Gilbert
7. Hi Dave/Sheila,
My name is Helen Carter, nee Wilkinson, pupil from 1953 to 1959, Holgate. My great friend was Ann Kilvington. I have lost contact with her and tried various things to find her again with no success. She lived in Ackworth and had sisters Pat and Jean, plus brother John who I think all attended HGS. Is there any way you can help me with contact details for any of this family which might help me get back in contact with Ann? I would really appreciate any lead you can offer.
I have started looking at the website, it's good so well done!!
Thanks,
Helen
Sept. 26, 2010
Hello Helen,
I do remember you as being two years ahead of us at School. It's lovely to hear from you! As our generations are adapting to the new technologies, we are lucky to be hearing from new Hilmians who discover us when they dip into their past Schooldays. I see you were in 5A with Mr. Lock and L6A with Mr. Bulley, and as Ann Kilvington was with you in both these Forms, to re-connect you would be wonderful. We have in the past already been in touch with several of your classmates (Shirley Challender, Janet Noble & others from your year).
Thank you for your compliment on the HGS site, which is currently a work in progress as we transfer our data from the previous server. It's a bit like doing a gigantic jigsaw - there's no end in sight, but the making of it is enough pleasure. Looking forward to hearing from you again.
Sincerely,
Sheila
8. Hello again, Sheila.
Not sure I'm sending this where I should but if not then please accept my apologies and correct me so I know for the future. You asked about my memories and two come to mind at the moment, both concerning Miss Smith. I remember there were two prefects on each doorway inspecting us as we left the assembly hall in the morning. I wasn't wearing the regulation 50 denier stockings one day and so was told to go and stand outside Miss Smith's office. After giving me a lecture she sent me home to change my stockings. This meant walking to Cross Hills, catching a bus to Shafton and crossing the road to catch another one to Grimethorpe. On arriving home I got another lecture from my mother. Once changed in to the correct stockings I again had to catch two buses back to Cross Hills. I can't think how long it must have taken me but I never wore the wrong stockings again.
Another morning I didn't feel well but my mother sent me to school anyway. I must have been genuine as I ended up in the Sick Room that morning. I remember feeling very lonely and very frightened of the Blue Lady who apparently haunted that area. Later in the morning Miss Smith entered the room and then I wasn't quite sure whether it was the Blue Lady or Miss Smith who frightened me most! But she asked if anyone would be at home and when I confirmed there would be she said she was taking me there. We went in her car to my home in Grimethorpe. I felt like I was sat in the front of that car with some sort of VIP, which in a way she was I suppose. I saw a different side to Miss Smith that day, a side I had not really looked for before because, up until then I had just seen her as a figure of the utmost authority. Anyhow, we duly arrived at my home. I remember walking in to our kitchen with Miss Smith and my house-proud mother's face was a joy to behold! She had washed her hair and was stood there in her rollers. My dad, who was a miner was on days and they had obviously just finished their dinner which was always on the table ready for him coming home, but also on the table was our biscuit tin (one of those big ones you get at Christmas) with the lid laid at the side of it. My dad was reading the paper in the front room so my mam and Miss Smith had a short conversation and Miss Smith then left. Ignoring my wellbeing my mam's first words were, "What a showing up. Miss Smith stood in our kitchen, me looking like this and the lid off the biscuit tin!".
Best Wishes,
Christine Sellars (Talbot)
Sept 30, 2010
Hi Christine,
Yes, you've sent your memories to exactly the right place. Either Dave or I will be pleased to hear any memories from any era. Miss Smith has been mentioned many times, as an indomitable yet kind influence on us all. Someone recently mentioned that she always wore a green gown in school, unlike the black ones the men wore. Do you remember this? I have to admit I don't! I think she was the only female member of Staff who wore a gown, though I could be wrong. I used to be impressed on Speech Days when all the Staff wore their 'best' finery - there was brightly coloured fur and satin on some of the cowls! Your story of being sent home to change stockings shows how different it was then. Children nowadays would not be allowed to do all that independent journeying alone, would they? How interesting that you saw Miss Smith as a person, and not as Deputy Head when she came to your home - and that our parents had the same respect as all the pupils for Messrs Hamilton, Collette and Miss Smith!. Your car journey with Miss Smith compares with my own experience with Mr. Hamilton, when he gave me a lift in his car as he was passing through Shafton and I was late for my Test Exams. It was quite a special morning when I rolled up into the Boys' playground and emerged from the car. I couldn't remember much of the conversation we had, I was so discumknockerated!
I don't recall ever going into the sick room, although like most pupils I knew it was next door to Room 10 - the classroom which was up a flight of wooden stairs. In fact, come to think of it, no-one has ever described the inside of the sick room to us. Perhaps we'll ask for memories of that. It never fails to happen that one set of recollections starts another thread of memories, and so thanks for taking the time to send your stories, and if any more come to mind, we are always here.
Sincerely,
Sheila.
9. Hello Sheila,
It's been a wet afternoon here in KL - not the usual torrential tropical downpours but steady, English-type rain - and I've spent a pleasant few hours browsing the new website - you and Dave are to be congratulated; it represents a lot of work. I thoroughly enjoy my trips "down memory lane" when I use it!
Best wishes
Ruth Horn
Malaysia
Oct 4, 2010
10. HGS Reunion 2010
Dear Everybody,
I hope that you have remembered this from the last reunion and made a note of it in your diaries. However, that may well not be the case, and so I'm sending a gentle reminder to you all and through you to all of your old school friends, for which I may not have the contact details for. The reunion is an informal get together for a drink and a chat and to see how many have retired since last we met. Arthur Gilbert is the organiser and I am just helping out. We always hope to see new faces as well as the regulars and hopefully to have a few more than last time. So we hope that you will be able to make it and although we know that many of you travelled a distance last time, the hotel does have many affordable rooms.
REUNION: SAT 6th NOVEMBER at the Burntwood Bar, Burntwood Hotel just out of Hemsworth over Brierley Common on the road to S. Kirkby.
Hope that you can make it, all the best ,
Alan Jones
Oct 15, 2010
11. Dave,
Congratulations on the new site. I was at Hemsworth from 1951 to 1956. I have 3 new photos for you. The first shows my 1B form in1951/52 when the form master was Mr Young. I am No.10 on the next to back row and Jeffrey Curran is at No. 9. Clearly Tony Pickering is at No. 3 on the back row. The second shows the Ilkley 7s team of 1955/56. I am No. 5 on the back row. The third is an alternative photo of the 1st XV of 1955/56. I am No. 9 on the back row. I have also made the following sitings:
a. Rugby 2nd XV 1954/55 middle row 1 = Colin Thomas, 3 = Michael Copley, front row 1 = Jeffrey Curran.
b. Rugby 1st XV 1955/56 middle row 2 = Michael Copley.
c. Panoramics: 1951/52 Photo 5/5 front row 5 = Michael Copley, 6 = Jeffrey Curran; 1954/55 Photo 5/7 back row 9 = Jeffrey Curran, 10 = Michael Copley.
d. Form Groups: 1953/54 3A back row 1 = Michael Copley; 1955/56 5S back row 1 = Michael Copley, front row 2 = Jeffrey Curran. 3 = A Ward (I think).
I hope this is OK.
Good luck,
Michael Copley
Oct 20, 2010
Dear Michael,
Thank you very much for getting in touch and for the new HGS information. It has now been added to the site. The new HGS site has not been around for very long. It will be quite some time before all the information has been transferred from the old site. There is also a lot of new information to be added from Mr. Jenkinson's and Mr. Hamilton's school photo albums. I am hoping that will be interesting for all to see.
Best wishes,
Dave
HGS 1955-62
12. A big thanks to those who came on 6 Nov. It was great to see more new faces. Apologies if I didn't get to chat very much. Again the evening went very quickly.
Thanks to Dave and the HGS site for some more photos - the long full school photo attracted a lot of attention with folk crawling on the floor trying to see who was who. Photos attached.
Regards
Arthur
Dec 02, 2010
Dear Arthur,
Thank you for the photos. If anyone else has photos from the evening, please send them in.
Dave
13. Dear Dave,
I have just been looking at the Hemsworth Grammar School website and it is fantastic. I'm very impressed by the quantity of information on it. My grandmother, Eileen Morley, started school at HGS in 1927. She's now 94 and I have just returned from visiting her in Tasmania. Whilst I was there we talked about her youth and she told me how much she loved HGS. She lived in Grimethorpe and she said the grounds at school were so beautiful; there were drifts of snowdrops, crocuses or daffodils. She was very happy there. I have been trawling through some of the historical pages on the website and I'm very chuffed to have found a few mentions of my grandmother and her sister Winnie. There's even a photo of Winnie! Thank you for making all the information available, it's amazingly detailed and very interesting.
Best wishes,
Kate Lloyd
Dec 27, 2010
14. Dear Dave,
I refer to the photo in Forum 3.4 of the building shown where you ask what the rooms marked A, B, and C were used for. As already indicated, A was the metal workshop. I believe the room marked B, was where the kiln for firing pottery was housed, hence the chimney. I cannot recall whether the pottery workshop was housed in room C or in a room up the stairs.
Herbert Bamforth, B.E.M.
H.G.S., 1941 to 1946
Jan 25, 2011
15. Hi, Dave.
Just to let you know that I have enjoyed looking back through old photos of the school. I was there between 1949 to 1953. I am now 74, still alive and kicking and living in Perth, Western Australia. I have been here since 1983 and it was good to be able look through the old form photos. One thing wrong on the photos is my name. It is David Parker and not Alan Parker. Photos that are wrong are form 3A 1950-51; 4A 1951-52; 5A 1952-53 and on the school photo of 1949. I am fifth from the right on the front row. I still keep in touch with friends from Ryhill and Havercroft.
Once again thanks for maintaining the site.
Best Wishes
Dave Parker
HGS, 1949-53
Mar 4, 2011
16. Dear Dave,
Having returned to look at the website after some months, I am impressed by all your new work. Nothing like it exists for my old school at Pontefract or my wife's school at Doncaster. Perhaps it comes out of the more civilised social atmosphere of a co-ed school with pleasanter memories of schooldays, and also perhaps from the limited time scale for the school in that name. Anyhow, the memories are as pleasant for me as a teacher as they seem to be for the pupils.
Best wishes
Gordon Parkinson
HGS Staff member 1960s
Mar 10, 2011
17. Dear Dave,
Just found the HGS website. Great stuff ! I haven't had chance to go in too deep yet, but I see that people have managed to get in touch with others. There aren't many photos of me knocking about, so to see myself in the 1954 2b crowd was a bit of a shock. Thanks for the memories, and I look forward to finding some more.
All the best.
Harry Palmer
Apr 14, 2011
18. Hello Dave,
Just found the new site. It looks better than ever. There seems to be a great deal more and this has added to its interest. The memories continue to tumble through my mind, especially during my time at HGS, but also finding relatives etc who attended the school prior to my commencing. I fully agree with all the comments made by your other contributors. Brilliant site offering lots of great memories.
Tony White
Apr 22, 2011
19. Hi, Sheila.
I have just been looking at the contributions from Peter Wall on the Web page. I remember very well all the choirs we had between 1948 and 1954 and especially what a great voice Peter had. I seem to remember that he won a Choral Scholarship to Music College or it may have been to go to Cambridge. Can anyone find the evidence for this? I really appreciated the work of Miss Carter and the wonderful music she introduced us to. Does anyone else remember how many times we pleaded with her to let us sing the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of the session and how we always failed to reach the climax without being in complete disarray?
Regards,
Juliet Parker
May 6, 2011
20. Hi, Dave.
Thank you for establishing such an amazing site. It was just by chance I decided to see if there might be any (very) old photographs of my father's time at HGS. I was uttererly astounded and delighted to find 5 photographs of him! He attended HGS between (about) 1938 - 1941. He was very proud to have attended HGS and still to-day talks about learning 'Esperanto'.He enjoyed his sport and played cricket and rugby. It is quite unbelievable that after 70 years the family can enjoy seeing photographs of my father taken during his school years.
Once again thank you for all your magnificent efforts, particularly for the person who has supplied these old, memorable photographs.
Best wishes
John Fox
June 8, 2011
21. Hi, Sheila.
Congratulations on the Hemsworth Grammar School site. Could I correct the 1953-54 (junior) class photograph of 1A. Third row L-R should be: John Cooper, Jeanette Hayton, Sandra Loring, Ann Brear, Pat Griffiths, Jean Savory, Hillary Highham, Philip Drury.
Sandra Loring (1953-58)
Dec 28, 2011
Hi Sandra,
Thank you so much for the list of names for 1A 1953-4. Your compliment about the site is most appreciated. It's good to know it is giving pleasure and adding interest to all. Our list of names was taken from Mr Hamilton's photo album for that year. By some good fortune and a lot of patient effort, a full set of them have come to us via his daughter Barbara. I would assume that the names were originally entered under each Form photo by the office staff, and so occasionally mistakes (as in this case) were made. You now have the knowledge that your corrections have been entered into the 53/4 album as well as on the website! Fame at last! Would you mind doing me the favour of looking over the other First Year Form photos for that year and sending the Christian names of anyone you may recall? It's so difficult to discover the boys' names especially, as they only used the surname, and in the albums there is often just an initial for the girls. Dave and I were mere 1st Formers in 1955, so we do remember a few names, but not all.
Sheila
