King Henry VIII Grammar School

Martin Beresford Fisher Very sad. He taught me Latin for two years in the thirds and fourths. I always remember him as one of the young teachers. He was one of the teachers for whom I had the greatest respect. His enthusiasm for the subject, coupled with a wry sense of humour, rubbed off, just like Bob Weddle in music (choir practice, to be more precise). Sadly, the following year, we had the head of classics, and that is when I completely lost interest. I suspect my interest in something far more exciting - motor bikes - might not have helped studying Latin. The Romans might have had wheels, but not motor bikes. Requiescat in pace.

Hi, I responded to your post before in #1420 where I said that your photo was similar to mine posted much earlier. I don't know why I said that because it is in fact identical to mine. The person second from the left in the middle row is Terry Dewis who died quite a few year ago. He was a big mate of mine and I was best man at his wedding to Isobel, who has sadly also died. I am third from the right on the middle row. There was no-one called Shaw in that photo which is of class 2A of the 1955 intake. So I'm not sure why your father would have that photo. If you are interested, I do have a full list of the names. We had a small reunion (5 only) in September last year in Cov (we are well spread now). You mentioned Pete Owen who I met and chatted to only last week at the senior's afternoon tea.

Gosh, stretching my grey matter. Transition was Mrs Gaits. 2B three staff exchanged in my time. Called lower prep B 2A, was that Mr. Motershead??? Lower prep A. Come on school! I am talking prep school, the little angels in short trousers. A bit of clarification needed, as 2A & 2B, were the first years in the senior school. I can't remember short trousers in the senior school.

Short trousers were optional in the senior school, if I remember right. Most of us preferred longs, so we looked more adult!

Quite. We were allowed to wear suits in the sixth form. I cannot remember anyone in the sixth wearing the old school blazer! We couldn't wait to grow up and look older. Also, we all wore the sixth form tie. Dark blue with only a small (as in need a magnifying glass to see it) school logo. They were all the same, whatever your house. In other words, your clothes did not have any association with your house.

Hi Slim I'm, sadly, not quite as slim as I used to be in my (1959-65) KHVIII days but could be much worse! I don't remember "sixth form ties" - they must have come after my time. Most of us opted for the grey suits and house ties. I do think I had a small role in improving KHVIII couture as, when I was school Vice-Captain, I refused to impose detention for not wearing the school cap (which I detested). The prefects and I agreed to approach any miscreant and quietly ask them to put their caps on until they were out of sight of any prefects or staff - then they could shove them in their pockets or "wherever". The responses were quite pleasing and, I think, improved relations between prefects and plebs! I believe that shortly after I left school caps became more or less optional.

"I believe that shortly after I left school caps became more or less optional." Not while I was there. I think I was the school generation immediately after you. Caps were de rigeur for the lower years. A prefect would report you for not wearing a cap, even after 1600 hours and outside the school premises. It happened to me once, at the bus stop. I had to report to Piggy Shore. Someone had nicked my cap and stuffed it behind a radiator in Foghorn's room (103?) as a prank. I explained that my cap had been stolen, and Piggy was quite understanding, despite his fearsome reputation. I found my cap the following week. I seem to remember caps were optional in the 5th and 6th. So nobody wore them!

Do you remember Myles Courtier (my wifes cousin) he would have been there around 59 . He told us the story about having to wear a cap within a certain radius of the school

Hello, I was threatened with the wollup, for wearing my undersized prep school cap! Yes, I remember it well.

A certain Mr Skermer was on the Rocket side of Warwick Rd and saw a few of us on the other side without caps. He bellowed something at us, but couldn't cross the road due to traffic. We flicked him the 'V' and ran off behind (I think) Parkside garage. The next morning, Skermer stood watching as we all filed past into morning assembly, something he'd not been seen doing before. He couldn't identify any of us, but we did laugh when he became our form master the next year. IIRC, in the early 70s caps were to be worn until you were 14. But at over 5.5 feet tall, many of us looked ridiculous. The punishment for not wearing one was usually detention, the length being determined whether you were caught by a prefect (half-hour Monday night?) or a master (full-hour Tuesday night?). I ended up burning my cap as soon as it was no longer 'required'.