King Henry VIII Grammar School

Many thanks for the information

Many thanks, you are spot on! Mr Horseman taught me a great deal in my latter days in KHVIII, I eventually became captain of the chess team and when playing a friendly game with Stoke Park Grammar School had the luck to play as top board a very pretty girl called Ann Wall - she beat me quite easily (I subsequently found out she was a past runner up for the Coventry Chess Barnacle Trophy, the first girl to do so, so she was good!). Fortunately I was gracious in defeat (something I rarely was), I asked where did she live and was amazed to find she lived in Prince of Wales Rd off the Allesley Old Rd where I lived. To cut a long story short; 2 years later when I was at Leeds University (Special Chemistry with Prof Dainton) I saw her walking through the Union with another girl (Nicky Mancini). She was wearing a hat so was obviously attending Leeds for a pre-place interview! That gave me something to think about! The next year, 1954, she appeared in the Union as a first year Geography student. I quickly introduced myself and asked her for a date. Again to cut a long story short I am today still married to her (after 57 years) - we are both in our 80's and doing as well as we might expect. So I am indebted to Mr Horseman in a way far more than any other teacher (except maybe Alfie Crocker) - are either of them still alive (doubtful I am sorry to say). Many years later while at Limavady Grammar School in N.I., my son Andrew excelled at chess too and subsequently won an open scholarship to Cambridge when he was 15 to study Natural Sciences. He ended up however pursuing a career as a Professional Gambler (Texas Holdem) with some success (Las Vegas Bracelet) and now is retired! So Mr Horseman was very important for my family!

Post #1122 gives information about Derek Horseman. Alfie Crocker died in 1981 at the age of 67.

Hi Yes, Dr Kolisch When I was in 2D after being in 2A the previous year I suddenly found a species of teachers who I had not met before! Dr Kolisch who completely extinguished any talent for maths I had developed with Richard Beetham in 2A, Maxie Gordon (magic garden and hair pulling on back of the neck) both dreadful teachers IMO. W*g gave me detention just for looking at him (I was seated at the front and was looking to see what he was doing at his desk! Art master Joe Soap was the big man you mention, do you remember the clanking water hammer coming from the much used sink when the tap was turned on. I had no talent at all at art and he was always at me! It's just a thought but when all the pupils were segregated into forms in their first year in surname alphabetical order (2A A&B etc) were the best teachers also allocated to the A forms in order of conceived talent? It is my opinion that they were, as from then on it could be seen that the A stream forms seemed to always have more pupils in them with surnames high in alphabetical order! Incidentally the reason I was demoted was that I entered school 6 weeks later than everybody else for various reasons and thus was woefully behind in my studies when taking the end of year exams. I did catch up later, but not in languages. Talking about languages the small man who could not control his class was Mr Young Evans (Pip), later when I was well on my way in the 6th form and looking to get a university place - in those days one could not do this unless one had an "O" level in a language, I had none having consistently failed the only one I took (Latin) several times - Pip was responsible for giving me extra coaching and finally getting me through the exam when I was in 6ScI, so enabling me to get a place at Leeds University to study Chemistry. Good for you Mr Young Evans! I had other problems when in 2A: I was a W among all the A's and B's, I was a raw Yorkshire lad with a strong accent, I could not write very well as I had a bent right elbow from a bad break when I was six, my work was therefore often untidy and difficult to read. In addition for the first week or so I did not have a school uniform! Can you imagine what I went through as a fuzzer in my first few weeks! Fortunately I quickly made friends with a fellow Hollands lad who was called Brian Bailey who was a very good boxer - nobody messed with Brian! After that as I was tall and good at games and General Science I survived.

Yes Dr Phil, We had a wonderful time in Mr Young-Evans', Pip's, Latin classes, inventing a new occupation as often as we could. I particularly recall the game of disappearing below our desks so that only half the class was in view when he turned back from the board and the other half of the class the next time he turned around. Another particularly challenging game was to attempt to sit at every desk in the room during a standard period. I must admit to achieving this at least once. Suffice it to say that most of us did not learn a tremendous amount of Latin although something must have sunk in over the years.

Pip YE was before my time by about one school generation, but it seems he would have been joint favourite in a contest of being the master with least class control. We had Jeff Vent - would stand a certain amount of messing about; Tic Watson - very little control, but was the only teacher to swear at a boy when he lost it once with the class clown; and the young Fag Barker (physics) - zero control, the whole double period consisting of a one-way interaction between Fag and the blackboard, his back turned to the class the whole time, completely unaware that there were 34 other human beings in P3 apart from himself. Fag was t'other joint favourite, and I can thank him for destroying completely my interest in physics. Most of the Latin teachers I knew were strict, but with a sense of humour: Bert Parkinson, Kitty Fisher, Droob (although Droob never taught me). Last was Krum. He just seemed bored and miserable all the time, not interacting with any of the class, no sense of humour. I suspect he was another one who couldn't wait to draw his pension.

Ye Gods, Krum Morgan! The nose picker IIRC?

Dr Phil, Are you referring to our disappearing games? I was at KHVIII seniors 1963 to 1970 and we were lucky having a class of fairly mischievous lads but not really bad characters. If I remember correctly it was Ron Hough who distributed stickers with the motto "Always ask WHY", which was intended to produce enquiring minds. I believe that it worked admirably for some of us. I must admit to encouraging classmates to try various experiments which usually caused some disruption and the occasional detention, which I avoided (evaded?) by appearing to be the innocent bystander. Luckily the perpetrators had forgotten who had instigated the plans. An example; the Biology labs had long benches with work boards that covered several sinks along the bench. These taps were from a common water feed with a cut-off valve under one end of the bench. I prepared the plan, before class started, by closing the cut-off valve and the turning on all the taps over the sinks, making sure that they were all drained down before replacing the work boards. Some time into the class I reached under the bench to open and close the cut-off valve allowing a flood of water to pour from every tap on the bench and soak everybody's class-notes. This caused a satisfactory level of alarm as my classmates scrabbled to save their notes. Needless to say I also had some sacrificial notes under the tap next to me in order not to arouse unnecessary suspicion. I never got 'sussed' and feel I must I end this account with an apology to all my classmates who suffered wet notes.

Well blimey, I have only just found this forum and your post almost the most recent. Here's a class photo - actually form 2a - with me, Blakemore and Mick Wall all together on right of second row. Mick was a mate until he moved up north after a couple of years. You might remember Alf Crocker our form master. I lived at 229 Allesley Old Road. I drove past 2 weeks ago when in Cov for an aunt's funeral.

Thanks for posting Really interesting Note: the typed list quotes it as 3a, not 2a I see Pete Owen on the second row - he's still involved with the Old Coventrians Association And on the front row, Thomas Kolisch, a forum member, son of Ernst Kolisch, maths master

Looking for any news/info about Neil Porter who lived in Hillfields and went to King Henry VIII from 1955 to 61/62. Got married in South Wales in early 70's I think but lost all contact afterwards. A group of us are trying to arrange a small reunion.

Thanks for your comment. I'm pretty sure 3a was a typo. It was the first year class. I was in contact with Pete Owen about 5 years ago and intend to be again soon. I'd be grateful for any info about anyone in my photo who is recognised by any member on here, I am in contact with only one other. I am also in contact with a couple of lads from the year below and we are trying to arrange a small reunion. BTW, both the Kolisches were nicknamed "wog" - not at all PC nowadays!

I thought it possibly was a typo, as I couldn't imagine so many boys still in short trousers in the second year (form 3a) in the Main School Pete Owen married Pam Groves, who I worked with at Wickmans in the 1960s It appears that Thomas Kolisch last visited the forum in 2016 (see post #1031 on this thread)