This year the Old Bournemouthians cricket team are playing on Saturdays in the Hampshire League, rather than on Sundays in the Dorset League. If anyone is interested in playing for the club please leave a reply here, contact Malick Kudmany, the OBA’s Cricket Secretary.
This year’s dinner is one week earlier than usual, on 11th September 2015, at the Highcliffe Hotel. Dinner invitation letters and emails will be sent out to OBA members in June.
George Eldridge, a pupil at the school from 1952-1957, recently discovered this site. This led him to reconnect with his school friend Jim Tarrant. George now lives in Australia, and would be very keen to speak to other Bournemouth School alumni of the same era who have also migrated to the antipodes. He has sent use the following update of his life since leaving the school.
I joined Bournemouth School in 1952 and left (very early) in 1957 to join the Metropolitan Police Cadets in London.
I was at the school in the days of the Headship of Mr. Parry and how could one not mention the man himself – Mr. Jasper J Dodds! I sat through many a history lesson from Mr. Dodds, wondering who in my form would be the most likely to be on the receiving end of a solid wooden backed blackboard duster! There was also a fair degree of personal trepidation involved in this as JJ’s aim was not always what he would have liked and the person struck was not always the intended recipient! Ah, how times have changed! If you had been struck by the duster you suffered in silence and certainly would not have reported the event to your parents thus fearing another session from either Mum or Dad – or even both!
After joining the Metropolitan Police I transferred back to the (then) Bournemouth Force that which in 1967 was amalgamated with the Dorset Force. After that, as anticipated by the locals, things changed and not necessesariy for the better. I saw the writing on the wall and rather reluctantly resigned and entered into Teacher Training as a mature aged student.
I studied PE at a now defunct college in Kent where I met my wife and we married in 1971. Four years later we obtained 2 year teaching contracts in Melbourne, Victoria at the conclusion of which we returned to the UK in very late 1977, as we both then had family members living. This was a mistake as we had enjoyed our time and the lifestyle in Australia and we found it somewhat difficult to re-settle. The Victorian Education Department had kept our teaching positions open for us and in March 1980 we returned to Melbourne and have lived in Victoria ever since.
Although my wife returned to teaching, I realised I was not cut out for it (despite the hours and holidays!!). I applied for a position with the Australian Federal Government and remained so employed until I retired in December 2004.
I turn 74 in April of this year and I am proud to say that despite residing in Australia for the larger part of my life I will always be an Englishman. That can never be taken away from me. However, let me tell you Australia is an awfully tricky place to live if you are a `Pom’ when the all blooming conquering Aussies are handing out their usual treatment during an Ashes series!!!!!!!!! More recently the One Day World Cup international defeat by Bangladesh was also the trigger for much merriment from Australian friends!!
I think often of the School and what may have happened to those I knew. I am very willing to provide my email address to anyone who may like to contact me.
We have removed George’s email from this update. However, if you would like to get in touch with George, please leave a comment here and we will forward your details on to him.
We are very sorry to announce that John Hawkins died on Monday evening at Bournemouth Hospital.
Mr Hawkins’ career at Bournemouth School spanned more than 40 years, as Chemistry teacher, Deputy Head and latterly examinations officer. During his time at the school, he always supported the Association, serving many years on the committee and as President of the Old Boys’ Cricket Club. However for most of us, we shall remember him for his happy demeanour, livening up lessons or calming pre-exam nerves, to justly earn his nickname of “Happy Harry”.
David Spencer and Paul Beardshaw wish to thank everybody who has written or sent cards and e-mails.
Television production company Electric Ray is developing a series for BBC4 about what it’s like to be growing older in Britain in 2014. It is looking for people over 65 years old who may want to feature. They are interested in people who are active, have strong opinions and live in the Bournemouth area, so have asked the OBA to carry this notice in case it is of interest to Members. If you are interested, please call Ainsley on 07725 638 374 for a chat. Alternatively you can email him.
Hugh Walker recently got in touch with the OBA. He had discovered a number of photographs and documents left by his father, Bernard Walker, who designed sets for a wide range of school productions from the 1930s until his retirement in the 1960s.
Mr Walker writes: “They’re a bit jumbled – difficult to identify dates, but at least some of the participants might recognize themselves and have positive reminiscences. I’ve included the stagehands too. I recollect that the programmes were all printed in the art room and particular boys had a hand in this.”
You will find the photographs below. Let us know in the comments if you recognise anybody – or yourself!
Following a request from an Old Member, I have just enabled the option to follow or ‘subscribe to’ this blog by email. This will send you anything posted here as an email, and could be useful if events come up when you haven’t checked the site for a while. You will find this new option at the bottom of the sidebar to the right of this page.
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?
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.
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.