Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
Old School Photos and Memorabilia
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22 October 2012: Edward 'Butch' Barrett (RGS 1954-60) wrote in to identify himself in the 1960 Senior School photo: EL Barrett 5UR (G40). He also identified JG (Jim) Barrett 5A at D34 in the 1958 Senior School photo. Many thanks, Edward.
9 October 2012: Vic Brooks (RGS 1955-59) wrote in with some names in the 1958 Senior School photo: D (Dave) Brand 5U Shell (G66), BL (Barry) Kew 5U Shell (G67), AA (Tony) Gosling 5U Shell. Dave, Barry and Tony came from Slough, Aylesbury and Downley respectively. Vic said that, sadly, Tony died in a motorcycle accident in the 1960s. Many thanks, Vic.
5 September 2012: David Turner (RGS 1963-67) wrote in to identify himself in the 1964 Middle School photo at F20 when he was in form 5SA. He also confirmed Vernon Power at G3 in the same photo. Thanks, David.
27 August 2012: Phil Richardson (RGS 1959-65) is a new contributor to the website. He's sent a large number of new names and also done a great job in matching faces from one photo to another and deducing who people are. Here's his list: 1960 Junior School photo - MB Freeman 2C (D02), KE Wills 3SB (E15), PF Simpson 2D (A18), K (Keith) Stenning 2D (D30), P (Peter) Fradley 2B (D38), RG Thomas 2B (D39), AJ (Alan) Muir 2C (A40), PA (Phil) Richardson 2C (A41), CJ (Chris) Smith 2B (E41), PJ (Pete) O'Shea 2A (D46), C (Charlie) Smith 2C (B49), PA (Philip) Parsons 2D (D49) - 1962 Senior School photo - NM Souter 4A (E04), PJ (Phil) Leslie 4A (A05), C (Charlie) Smith 4X (D37), PF Simpson 4X (D42), CJ (Chris) Smith 4X (B45), AJ (Anthony) Prickett 4R (A60), RG Thomas 4X (B68), PJ (Pete) O'Shea 4X (B73), DJ Browning 4X (B79), AJ (Alan) Muir 4X (B80), PA (Phil) Richardson 4X (B81) - 1964 Senior School photo - PF Simpson 6C1 (D04), AJ (Alan) Muir 6B1 (E12), RG Thomas 6C1 (E53), PA (Phil) Richardson 6C1 (D68). Many thanks to Phil for this sterling work.
27 August 2012: Mike Hennessey (RGS 1963-65), who lives in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, stopped by to identify himself in the 1964 Senior School photo at A62 (extreme right, front row). Many thanks, Mike, and glad you enjoy the website.
27 August 2012: John Laurie identified DRS (Denis) Fowler 2D at D54 in the 1960 Junior School photo, in the 1964 Middle School photo, Alan Hodgson 5SB at G48, and also in the 1964 Middle School photo, PH (Toni) Boord 5SB at F74. In addition, John tells an interesting anecdote which relates to the famous John Mayall / Eric Clapton concert given at the RGS in 1965, which I have posted here on the forum.
27 August 2012: Greg Griffiths identified DR (David) Trent of 6S2 at G77 in the 1967 Senior School photo. Many thanks, Greg.
27 August 2012: Robin Stibbon sent me this photo of some RGS boys at a CCF Camp at Chivenor, Devon, probably in 1967. Many thanks, Robin.
27 August 2012: Ken Hoing reckons he's 99% certain that Vaughan Ham (2B in the 1962 Junior School photo) is G23 and not G34 as previously identified. That percentage is good enough to convince me. Thanks, Ken.
18 July 2012: Stephen Bunce (RGS 1956-63) has identified two people. At C70 in the 1960 Senior School photo is AJ (Andrew) Oliver 5X. Also on the 1960 Senior School photo at F71 is KE (Keith, "Bing") Jones 6S1, and he appears again on the 1962 Senior School photo at H18 (when he was in 6S3). Stephen also passed on the sad news that Keith Jones died on 23 September 2009 not long after Stephen and he had got back in touch. Many thanks, Stephen.
18 July 2012: An anonymous correspondent has identified Simon Rose (SA Rose 6S2) at D49 on the 1964 Senior School photo. Thanks, Anonymous.
24 June 2012: Trevor Chenery (RGS 1956-58) confirmed his identification in the 1958 Senior School photo - TJ Chenery 6M1 (J10) - and also identified MJ (Michael) Abram 6M1 (J09). Thanks, Trevor.
18 June 2012: The Old Boys' Dinner and other 450th anniversary events have been scheduled for Saturday 8 September 2012 at the school. All the relevant information and contact details related to this can be found here. I attended the dinner in 2011 for the first time and am hoping to attend again this year. I look forward to seeing some of you then.
6 May 2012: I've only just noticed that there is an obituary for Sam Morgan on Tony Hare's website. An excellent read: I can add an extra few snippets of info. Sam was born Samuel Morgan (no middle name) on 25 September 1906 in Corstorphine, Edinburgh, Scotland (and there was me thinking he was Welsh like so many other RGS masters! Although his accent was standard English, of course). He died on 9 May 1991 in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, aged 84, having retired from the RGS in 1973 after 43 years' service (apart from an absence on war service as an officer in the ATC - does this stand for Air Training Corps? Anyone know?). His wife's maiden name was Maude Louise Bennett (born 1912) and I think she was normally known as Louise. They were married in High Wycombe in 1954.
28 April 2012: Ken Hoing (RGS 1961-66) wrote in to say he was Ken (and not Keith) at A2 on the 1962 Junior School photo. Thanks, Ken.
4 April 2012: Peter Chadwick (RGS 1958-65) happened upon our site and "spent a happy or so roaming over faces and identities". He confirmed his own identity at 6/E55 in the 1962 senior photo, and at 6/E45 in the 1964 Sixth Form photo, and added that he was at 2/F17 in the 1960 Junior School picture. He is also to found in a photo of the 1963 production of The Bacchae. Thanks, Peter.
4 April 2012: Nick Gooderham (RGS 1958-65) wrote a long letter of fulsome praise for the school to several people, and copied to me. I hope he won't mind that I have posted it on the forum here.
12 March 2012: Rhian Jones, sister of David J Clutton (RGS 1959-64), sent in two identifications in the 1960 Junior School photo: K (Kevin) Cummings 2C (A44) and DJ (David) Clutton 2C (A45). Rhian adds the following: "Kevin Cummings went to Australia on a £10 passage in the late 1960s. I can still remember Richard Hickox taking my mother's piano apart when he came to tea with my brother! Unfortunately David is no longer with us." Sad news. Many thanks to Rhian for the information.
28 February 2012: Bill Barksfield (RGS 1965-71+) sent in a photo of Form 2B in 1965/66. All bar one of the people in the photo he has already identified, having noted names on the back at the time. Thanks, Bill.
15 February 2012: Rob Hoole (RGS 1963-65) wrote in to identify himself in the 1964 Junior School photo (and thus refute my speculative notion that the boy in question - at A03 - might be the late Eddie Traynor). Rob left within a few weeks of starting his third year at the school in 1965 when his family emigrated to California. Rob returned to the UK in 1971 and joined the Royal Navy, completing almost 32 years as a Minewarfare & Clearance Diving Officer, including ship command. He tells me he remains the standing Vice Chairman and Webmaster of the Minewarfare & Clearance Diving Officer’s Association which he co-founded in 1991. He and his wife live in Waterlooville, Hampshire.
15 February 2012: Colin Jeffrey (RGS 1958-66) has sent me more identifications and corrections. First, in the 1962 Senior School photo: JE (John) Gillett 5SA (E09), MS (Mick) Brown 5SA (E16, not E15), IJ (Ian) Gray 5SA (E17, not E16), MP (Malcolm) Hyde 5SA (E30 confirmed), DJ (Dave) Hughes 5Y (B32), JC (John) Pettit 5Y (E41 confirmed). 1960 Junior School photo: AG Redding 3Y (F03), AV (Tony) King 3X (F13), ME Austin 3SB (E13 - correction), SC (Steve) Williams 3S (C14), AB (Andy) Collett 3Y (E23), KE Bailey 3SB (E31), JS (John) Bentley 3S (F32), RT Edmonds 3S (E56). Thanks, Colin.
15 February 2012: Peter O'Shea (RGS 1960-65) wrote in to make two identifications in the 1964 Senior School photo: RS (Bob) Pritchett 6B1 (E16), MA (Mike) O'Shea 6M1 (E23). Thanks, Peter.
7 February 2012: a photo of the 1970 Classical Sixth, for which I am indebted to Isabella Eastham who scanned it and sent it to me. It includes all the boys of 6C1 to 6C4, plus classics master and headmaster, in the Autumn term of 1970. I am particularly chuffed with this one - mainly because I'm in it! I didn't know of its existence until John Tiller and David Stevenson pointed it out to me at the last OW Dinner at the school, where it still hangs in the corridor leading into the Queen's Hall. A huge thank you to Isabella Eastham for going to the trouble of scanning it and sending it to me.
7 February 2012: I am grateful to William Pender (RGS 1953-58) for helping with some more identifications in the 1955 Tyler's Wood group photo.
19 January 2012: Colin Jeffrey (RGS 1958-66) wrote in with a long list of identifications in three photos. First, the 1964 Senior School photo: C (Colin, "Jeff") Jeffrey 6S1 (C43), PJ (Pete) Pescod 6S1 (C41), JC Pettit 6S1 (C39), P Jones 6S1 (C67), N (Nigel) Leek 6M1 (D63), PRG Wilson 6T1 (B67), AE (Adrian) Leek 6B2 (E25), JS (John) Bentley 6M1 (E26). In the 1962 Senior School photo: C (Colin, "Jeff") Jeffrey 5SA (E26), MS (Mick) Brown 5SA (E15), IJ (Ian) Gray 5SA (E16), K (Keith) Stenning 4X (B56). And in the 1960 Junior School photo: C (Colin, "Jeff") Jeffrey 3S (F41), IJ (Ian) Gray 3S (F44), IE Gray 3S (F49), MS (Mick) Brown 3S (F40), I (Ian) John 3S (F57), PF Ray 3S (F58). Many thanks, Colin.
15 January 2012: There has been an interesting discussion on the forum about the November 1963 school production of The Bacchae and its unfortunate clash with a momentous event on the other side of the Atlantic. Its first night opened only an hour or so after JFK was assassinated in Dallas. The Bacchae has a very similar storyline - it is about the murder of a young king. One of the producers, Andrew MacTavish, tells of the quandary in which it left him and his fellow co-producers. Should the show go on? For background, I have posted the programme of the 1963 production of The Bacchae, plus a review from the May 1964 Wycombiensian by Richard Snelling.
14 January 2012: the final offering from the voluminous envelope sent me by Mark Forrester - the 1961/62 rugby first XV, to which I have appended the Wycombiensian report and scores. Many thanks to Mark for going through his photographic archives and sharing these items with us. My scanner is hungry for more work - any more photos anyone would like to share?
14 January 2012: more photos from Mark Forrester, mainly of Tyler's Boys behaving badly in 1959/60. If some of these photos had fallen into the hands of Messrs Tucker and Morgan, there would have been trouble...
14 January 2012: The receipt of Mark Forrester's 1959 Tyler's Wood group photo inspired me to chase down the older one I had seen in the OW Newsletter some years ago (though it is more Tony Hare's 1950s territory than mine). Anyway, here is the 1955 Tyler's Wood group photo for your enjoyment. Lots of names still to identify.
13 January 2012: Mark Forrester (RGS 1958-63) kindly sent me a 1959 group photo of the Tyler's Wood boarding house. He has also sent me some other photos which I shall be putting online over the next few days. Many thanks, Mark. A reminder that there are some other Tyler's Wood photos from around the same time which Tony Wood sent me some time ago.
8 January 2012: Happy new year to everyone. Or, indeed, Everyman. Michael Yorke sent me a programme of an RGS Dramatic Society triple bill from March 1964 featuring 'Everyman', 'An Improvisation' and 'The Anniversary' by Chekhov. I have added the review by CJ Packman from the following Wycombiensian. Many thanks to Michael.