The story of a successful town and gown project
Bryan Beames (1945-50) of Fielding, New Zealand 5600, writes:
“Thanks for the update on the web. I had hoped to see a reference to Mr. McCready at some stage and also to the student teachers about whom I wrote some time ago.
Continue reading “Mr McCready”More about Mr A R ALLEN From the Oxford School Phoenix Magazine No 7.
Mr REG ALLEN (Ed: At last we know his Christian name!) was appointed in 1928 to look after the school laboratories. Even when a new Biology lab was added, he took on the extra load willingly and also found time to support the Science staff and the School.
Continue reading “Reg Allen”P JOHN WINTERTON joined the staff in 1963.
As a young member of the Mathematics staff, he taught Statistics throughout the Sixth Form, before leaving Oxford School “for the healthier air of Weston-Super-Mare.”
Ralph Baer (1941-45) remembers in particular TICH WRIGHT: “with his slow, slightly stately walk and way of speaking, very enthusiastically about the languages he taught.”
MICHAEL BURCHNALL died in May 2007 at the age of 85. Michael went to Durham School, before going up to Merton on a postmastership.
He left, however, in 1942 to serve with the Royal Devon Yeomanry. He saw service in Sicily and Italy.
In 1945 he returned to his college. After a short spell teaching Classics at the City of Oxford School he joined the staff at Winchester College in 1949, where he taught , mainly English, with much distinction until his retirement in 1983.
There was a fullsome tribute to him in the Daily Telegraph of 12th May 2007.
CHARLES W BUSBY was music master at the School from 1958 to 1966, and retired when the School amalgamated with Southfield.
He had taught under Freddie Lay when the latter was Headmaster at Doncaster Grammar School. He was also organist and choirmaster at St. Giles’ Church in Oxford for several years.
Mr Busby retired to Devon, where he was organist and choirmaster at Churston Ferrers, Brixham. He died in 1982.
During the war he had served as a Flying Officer with the Royal Air Force in Italy and Austria.
COHS in Wartime 40-45 Brian Gumm writes: “It is strange the things that stick in one’s memory after sixty years. Not so much to do with the school curricula but the extra topics such as George Wright’s lectures on poison gases. How many of you remember the effects of phosgene or chlorine? Obviously for me, this topic made quite an impact as I remember it still today.
Continue reading “George ‘George’ Wright”KEN CAMPBELL (1942-47) writes from Portsmouth: “The pictures of headmaster Badham shown at the pre-AGM slide show brought back painful memories to schoolboy Kenneth Blackwell.
Continue reading “J E Badham Esq MA”Brian Beames (1945-50) writes:
“On one occasion Freddie Lay, having borrowed his wife’s Francis Barnett (I think it was his wife’s, but am not certain why I think that) sat astride it, successfully started same and put it into gear, whereupon the manual gear lever came adrift !
I don’t know what happened after that because I made myself scarce, being a bit concerned that, being the only boy in sight it must have been my fault — and it wasn’t. I was guilty however of laughing my head off. Happy days of long ago.”
From the school magazine, April 1963
Past President of the Old Oxford Citizens’ Society
Frederick Charles Lay (1908-15) was the first Old Boy of the School to be its Headmaster.
Continue reading “F C (Freddy) Lay”