Author Archives: rossjamesparker

Dating the Sixth Form Block

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Emeritus Professor Geoffrey J Giles of the University of Florida’s Department of History writes:

Visiting from my home in Florida in the summer, I bought a copy of the excellent history of our town by Vincent May & Jan Marsh (Eds.), Bournemouth 1810-2010: From Smugglers to Surfers (Stanbridge/Wimborne: Dovecote Press, 2010). The photographs in the book are fresher and more remarkable than any other published history of the town. However, I did a double take at the photo of “Bournemouth School on East Way 1950s” on page 162. I’m sure this is wrong, and I’m hoping other Old Boys will confirm this. My recollection from my time at the school (1959-1965) is that there was nothing to the left of the caretaker’s house except a wrought-iron railing (I think!) leading directly to the Copse. But in this photo there are rather large new buildings. Am I right in thinking that this aerial photo in fact dates from much later?

Wikipedia dates the Sixth Form Block to 1966. Perhaps some Members can verify this?

“Schools of War” article

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Many of you have been in touch to ask after the article “Schools of War” that was published in the Bournemouth Echo on 10th September. The piece tells how Bournemouth welcomed pupils from Taunton School, who were evacuated from Southampton due to the German bombing campaign. The article was mentioned at the year’s annual dinner. Neil Bichard was kind enough to scan the piece to this PDF file.

Lecture Theatre Appeal

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September 2014 marks the 75th Anniversary of Bournemouth School occupying the East Way site. In the intervening years much has changed, but the pressure on the school’s accommodation and funding has remained. The school is now launching a 75th Anniversary Appeal with the intention of raising £75,000 by next September to refurbish the Lecture Theatre. Any donations would be gratefully received (cheques should please be made payable to ‘Bournemouth School Fund’) and sent to the school address.

Pre-dinner Golf Event, 19th September 2014

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Are you ready for it? Please contact me soon if you are going to enter. Besides our regular “hackers” and semi-pro players, we would like to see some new Old Bournemouthians, especially some younger faces. So come along to join us and maybe lift the annual OB Golf title and trophy. All OB’s can play even if you are not necessarily going to the Dinner.

Depending on numbers entering and start times available from the course then we will either play Queens Park, which can take 4 or more hours or the Highcliffe Castle course (near Christchurch) which can take up to 3 hours. We try to have the first tee off time around 12.30pm and at at seven minutes intervals thereafter.

The entry cost is around £25, which is the green fee and prize money
for winner and runner up.

If you would like to play, then please send your email address, phone number, and postal address, along with details of your handicap (if you have one) and the years that you were at the school, to Alan Carver by email.

Documentary seeking participants

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We have been contacted by Wall to Wall, a television production company. They are planning to make a new documentary series for the BBC about people who want to track down people from their past who had a profound effect on them. Given the number of requests we receive for people seeking to re-establish contact with others, some members may be interested in participating. Please click below to see the flyer.

Continue reading →

Sea Scout Update: The Home Counties Gig

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On the 15th June 2013 a dozen Sea Scouts & Leaders travelled to Richmond Bridge on the Thames for the launch ceremony of the first of the new batch of Home Counties Gigs. Despite occasional heavy showers of rain the Scouts took the opportunity to try the new Gig on the Thames before what seemed like several hours adjusting the road trailer for the journey home, which passed without incident.

Bournemouth School Scouts traditionally use the prefix Sea when naming their larger boats and the new gig was named “Sea Wolf”.

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Sea Wolf is 20ft long and has three 14ft oars and one 12ft oar but the Scouts have found Sea Wolf is an easy boat in which to learn to row.

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Two instalments have already been paid towards the purchase of a second Home Counties Gig which will be named “Sea Cat”. We hope that Sea Cat and sailing rigs for both new gigs will be delivered in time for the start of the Scout Boating Season in 2014.

Anyone wishing to make a donation toward the final instalment can send a cheque payable to Bournemouth School Scouts at the School or make an online payment to the Scouts Gig Account with Lloyds Bank – Sort Code 309108 Account 27172168.

Global visitors

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MapFor 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.