Global visitors

Posted on Tuesday, 13th August, 2013 by rossjamesparker

For interest, I thought I would post this global heatmap, that shows from which countries this website has been accessed since its relaunch on 25th February 2012. As you would expect, the UK leads the pack, and the next largest concentrations are in the US, Canada and Australia. Poland is also surprisingly well represented. Of course, not all of these site visitors will be Old Bournemouthians, and some may well have arrived here by mistake. But I thought the chart was never the less interesting.

Seeking Andy Chamberlain

Posted on Sunday, 10th February, 2013 by rossjamesparker

Pascal Cousseau writes to us from France to ask if we can help to trace Andy Chamberlain. He says:

I have been involved, a long time ago, in the exchange between Bournemouth School for Boys and Cholet in the west of France. I also spent one year as a French assistant in your school, from September 1982 to July 1983. I had a very good English friend at this time, Andrew Chamberlain, but I lost personal contact with him several year ago. He was in your school roughly between 1974 to 1978. He was living in St Lukes’ Road by this time and went to Aberystwyth University to follow French Studies.

Unfortunately, Andy Chamberlain is not one of our members, although we know that he used to play for the Old Boys cricket club in the late 1970s while still at school and in university holidays. If you have any information about Andy, please let us know.

Hunting an artist

Posted on Tuesday, 15th January, 2013 by rossjamesparker

We have been contacted by a potential biographer of a Newlyn artist called Robin Arthur Davis (so named on his death certificate) who lived between 1925-1999. It appears that he attended Bournemouth Grammar School under his birth name of Arthur Charles Davis. If anyone has any information about Mr Davis, or knew him, please do get in touch and we will put you in contact with the writer.

Bournemouthians in Antartica

Posted on Sunday, 7th October, 2012 by rossjamesparker

Bournemouthians Jon Beswick and James Balfour have recently returned from a British Expedition to the South Pole for the 100 year anniversary of Captain Scott. The expedition was led by adventurer Neil Laughton. During the expedition Jon tested a prototype shelter which his architecture practice designed. When they reached the Pole, Jon and James celebrated by playing the first ever game of cricket, golf and rugby. They were also the first people wear black tie at the Pole. A video of their exploits is here.

Seeking Paul Field

Posted on Tuesday, 29th May, 2012 by rossjamesparker

Robin French writes, asking if we can put him in contact with Paul Field, who left Bournemouth School in 1958 to head for Southampton University. If you know Paul – or if you are Paul – please get in touch. Southampton University are organising a reunion and would like to invite him.

Under-14 footballers from 1944

Posted on Sunday, 22nd April, 2012 by rossjamesparker

Following up on his photo of 1944’s under-14 cricketers, Len James, who was at Bournemouth School between 1942 and 1947, has sent in this photograph of the under-14 footballers from the same year. Says Len:

[I] Have just unearthed another old photo which I am sure is the Under 13’s soccer team from 1944. Recalling the names of these is a bit more difficult. The three in the centre of the front row are Doug Sherwood, Peter Close and Jim Ridout. I am second from the left in the back row (Goalkeeper). I do hope some of these fellows are still on the right side of the fairway.

Do get in touch if you can fill in any of the gaps, or know the location of any of these Old Boys.

Under 14 cricketers from 1944

Posted on Tuesday, 20th March, 2012 by rossjamesparker

The picture above was sent in by Len James, who was at Bournemouth School between 1942 and 1947. Len moved to Australia in 1952. He emailed us, saying that he had recently discovered the Old Boys website and was fascinated with the memories of past teachers and fellow scholars.

Len played cricket in the Under 14’s in 1944 and has kept this photo ever since. While he says “the old memory is not so bright these days, and at 81 I am struggling to name all those in the photo” he has still made a sterling effort, below:

Front row (L-R)

Len James
Peter Close (?)
Dougie Sherwood
David Tomlinson
Gordon Bartlett

Back row (L-R)

?
?
?
Alan Melly
Jim Rideout
Stuart Chalk

Can anyone fill in the gaps?

Dr Michael Hirons

Posted on Wednesday, 22nd February, 2012 by rossjamesparker

Eric Sidwick writes that Dr Michael Hirons has passed away. Mike was a Head Prefect at the school during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Later he became a GP in Winton. We do not have funeral information.

Seeking Terry Burwell

Posted on Friday, 15th April, 2011 by rossjamesparker

John Kerr writes:

I am trying to contact Terry Burwell who would be about 60 years old. Until very recently he was working for the English Rugby Football Union. Terry was a team mate of mine in the 1971 rugby team at Loughborough Colleges. I am trying to organise a reunion of that team and I would very much like to include Terry. If anyone can help with an email address, telephone number or postal address I would be very grateful.

If you have any information, please contact us and I will pass it on.

Update: Now found, thanks!

English Literature teacher

Posted on Wednesday, 13th April, 2011 by rossjamesparker

Ms Betty Samuels writes:

I write on behalf of a friend of mine who was a pupil at your school 1939 to 1946. His name is John Douglas Jones who at the age of 80+ is still very active and living in Clifton, Bristol. Doug has only recently had to give up flying his sailplane at the Bristol & Gloucestershire Gliding Club. In the course of a conversation yesterday about schools we attended, Doug said he can remember the names of all his teachers during his time at your school except the name of the English Literature master.

Doug would be interested if anyone might be able to remember this teacher’s name.

The Old Bournemouthians' Association

The organisation for past pupils of Bournemouth School

Category Archives: Members