Last updated 24. Jan. 2012
 


Farnworth Grammar School

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DATE DETAILS
24 Jan 2012
!!! IMPORTANT NOTICE !!!
REUNION POSTPONED
DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES
THE REUNION SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 23rd
HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL THE AUTUMN OF THIS YEAR
— date to be announced later —
27 Jan. 2012 Alan Burrows has sent photographs of two ex-FGS girls whom he and Vera met during a recent trip to Melbourne.
Click here.
22 Jan. 2012 Derek Brooks has written with the sad news that Robert Berry died a few days ago, after being in poor health for a while. A talented First XI right winger in his day, Robert is pictured in Group 5 of the 1950 panorama (second from the right on the fourth row from the back).
Click here.
19 Jan 2012 Alec Murphy's random recollections of life at and around FGS in the 1940s added.
Click here.
11 Jan 2012 Profile of Alec Murphy (FGS 1941-1946) added.
Click here.
22 Nov. 2011 Margaret Forman has written with the sad news that her husband Derek (FGS 1941-1946) died on October 14th 2011.
Derek was among the enthusiasts who gave a great deal of support to this website in its early days (his Profile dates from December 5th, 2001). I owe him much for the wealth of information he was able to supply, and wish to offer my sincere sympathy to Margaret and Derek's family on behalf of all our regular Wrinklies.
18 Nov. 2011 Geoff Thomas, a long-standing friend of this website who left FGS in 1954, has written to enquire whether anyone can enlighten him about the eventual fate of the Old Farnworthians' Association after the School was declared 'surplus to requirements' in 1982 or thereabouts.
According to Geoff:
"..it was in existence, and fairly strong I believe, in the late fifties, but having moved from the area I lost complete touch (me too, LD). We had our own tie and as well as the usual annual activities we also ran a soccer team in, I think, the Lancashire League.
Possibly one of your many scribes may have some knowledge of what happened; it probably died a natural death."

If anyone can offer any clues I'll be delighted to publish them on this website.
TIA .
Les.
14 Sept. 2011 Keith Seddon has once again completed his careful count of the named pupils in the three panoramas that cover his time at FGS.
1946 panorama
1950 panorama
1953 panorama
07 Sept. 2011 A lady named Tracey O'Donohue, whose late father and I were near-contemporaries at FGS in 1946, has kindly written to the website about an interesting book that's currently for sale on eBay. It's called "Lancashire Ways" by J. Cuming Walters and it's described as "...beautifully illustrated from original drawings by Frank Greenwood. Illustrations protected by tissue which is now discoloured, rough cut pages, some slightly foxed, hardcover with faded spine, back cover creased. "

The potential interest from an FGS viewpoint is a bookplate inside the front cover which shows that the book was an FGS School Certificate prize awarded in 1938 to a girl named Joan Fielding, who is indeed listed among the prizewinners on page 6 of the 1938 Speech Day programme.


Should anyone — perhaps a descendant or friend of Joan Fielding — be interested in acquiring this book, its eBay item number is 160646904821 and it will remain on sale until 10th Sept at 11am.
05 Sept. 2011 Ann Abercrombie (now Mrs. A. Pollitt) has named many of the hitherto anonymous girls — and some of the boys — in the 1953 panorama.
1953 panorama
31 Aug. 2011 Local knowledge and good memory? No problem!
Joan's problem (see next item) was quickly solved by both Harry Jack and Keith Seddon. A short excerpt from Harry's e-mail provides convincing evidence that not all Wrinklies suffer from memory loss:

"It's looking south from Higher Market Street, with the "Black Horse" behind the viewer's left shoulder. Bolton Road is going off to Kearsley and Manchester on the left, and Longcauseway is off (out of sight behind that cyclist) to the right. The street partly visible on the right is Old Hall Street - but maybe there's been a bit of artistic licence there? Anyway, the "Bird i' th' Hand" was between Bolton Rd and Old Hall St, facing north."
30 Aug. 2011 Local knowledge and good memory needed!
Joan Coope (Joan Bottomley at FGS) has written to ask for our help in identifying a Farnworth street scene. It seems the "Bird i'th Hand" pub in the background of that nice Ashley Best print (Click here) sent in by Ron Hodson some years ago was Joan's dad's local when the family lived just off Longcauseway. Joan's problem is that she can't remember exactly where the pub stood.* Can anyone help? My e-mail address is fgs@dnet.co.uk but I'm afraid you'll have to type it in or copy and paste it.

* Neither can I. Are the tram and trolleybus turning into Longcauseway from Market St. and Bolton Rd./Manchester Rd. respectively?
24 Aug. 2011 Mrs. Barbara Gaskell (who was Barbara Porritt at FGS) has supplied all the names that were missing from the 1955 UVB photograph.

1955 Form UVB.
22 Aug. 2011 An Old Farnworthian, who left FGS circa 1951 and has lived in Australia for the past forty years, would like to make contact with old friends.

Click here and scroll to 22 Aug. 2011 for details.
18 Aug. 2011 An e-mail from Alan Burrows in Oz brings the sad news that David Jolly (FGS 1955-60 — or '61?) died recently in Spain, where he had lived for some years. Together with future World Cup star Alan Ball, David was a member of the school's 1958-'59 Under-15s football team and is pictured in the front row of the team photograph.

1958-'59 Under-15s XI.
06 Aug. 2011 Earlier this evening, while searching for the links to two web pages to send to Peter Castle in Oz, I made an embarrassing discovery. The pages comprised two sets of photographs, one showing the area around Gladstone Road Farnworth and the other showing parts of the town centre that would have been familiar to us all. They were taken by Elsie Entwistle (now Elsie Hodgkiss) in 2008; they've been on the website since August of that year — and I had completely forgotten to add them to the Gallery Index
(Feeble excuse: I had mentioned them in "What's New..." at the time but the item soon slipped out of sight at the bottom of the screen as new ones were added at the top; consequently few people can have known that Elsie's photos were on the website).
I can only look sheepish, report that the pages are properly indexed now, and offer my sincere apologies to Elsie. (If you're reading this, Elsie, would you please e-mail me? My attempt to e-mail you was bounced back to me by my service provider.)

Gladstone Road and locality, 2008.
Farnworth town centre, 2008.
05 Aug. 2011 Denis Lloyd and Geoffrey Tabbron first became friends at FGS in the mid-1940s — and remained friends for 66 years. Sadly, Denis died last month and Geoffrey has kindly written an obituary note to mark his passing.
Click here.
05 July. 2011 Profile of Clyde Watson (FGS 1950-1955) added.
Click here.
29 Jun. 2011 Clyde Watson has named several of the hitherto anonymous people in the following photographs:
1951 Form IIIB
1953 Form UIVB
29 Jun. 2011 A long-standing friend of this website, namely Shirley Ingham (who was Shirley Ivers at FGS) spotted what seems to be an oddity during a recent visit to the New Bolton Lives gallery in the Bolton Museum. It's a school cap, said to be from Farnworth Grammar School — but is it actually from our FGS or from the other Farnworth Grammar which was in Widnes? Can anyone shed any light?
Click here and scroll down to see the alleged FGS cap — from which FGS?
13 Mar. 2011 An e-mail from Derek Forman this morning brings sad news of the sudden death of Professor Frank Shaw (FGS 1939-1946).

The son of a policeman, Frank Shaw rose to become a distinguished academic at the Universities of Bonn and Bristol, thereby providing yet another striking example of the opportunities for 'social mobility' once afforded by the allegedly elitist grammar schools and now much sought after by today's bewildered politicians.

On behalf of all who remember Frank at FGS, this website offers sincere condolences to his surviving family and friends.
Professor Frank Shaw: Profile.
09 Mar. 2011 The second FGS Wrinklies' Reunion was a great success, enjoyed by all present. Twenty-five photographs are now on the website, courtesy of Derek Heywood and Joan Bottomley. More pictures are always welcome, so if you took any photos at Clifton and would like to have them added to the website, please e-mail them to me and I'll do the rest.

My e-mail address is fgs@dnet.co.uk but I'm afraid you can't click on it here as it's been doctored in an attempt to foil the spam peddlers. Please type it in and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
2011 Wrinklies' Reunion: photo album.
23 Feb. 2011 Profile of Derek Brooks (FGS 1947-'52) added.
Click here
02 Feb. 2011PROMISES, PROMISES...
When I started this website almost ten years ago, I promised that it would be a strictly non-commercial thing which wouldn't try to sell you anything. Up to now I've managed to keep my promise.

I say "up to now" because I'm just about to break my promise — for entirely justifiable reasons, as I hope you'll agree if you read on...

A regular friend of this website, Vera Berry Burrows (better known to her FGS contemporaries as Vera Berry) now lives in Australia with husband Alan, who is also ex-FGS. Recently — and despite the fact that I have never actually met either of them — they were exceptionally kind to my granddaughter Sarah who was backpacking in Australia at the time. They're a literary couple, Alan being a journalist and Vera a writer, and it's in that context that an e-mail from them today has given me this welcome opportunity to repay their extreme generosity, if only in a very small way — and even though it means breaking my promise.

Vera's novel "Tomorrow Never Comes" has just been published in the United States and negotiations are currently under way to have it marketed also in Britain. The story is set in Bolton, Liverpool and Australia, and the US publisher is Wings Press Inc; it's available both as an e-book and a paperback, and full details are on the publisher's website at www.wings-press.com/.

... and that's probably the last sales pitch you'll ever see on this website!
29 Dec. 2010 Dennis Bleakley's photograph of Form UVb 1955 vintage, now has names for all the boys and three of the girls. Can you name any of the remainder?
1955, Form UVb.
27 Dec. 2010 A correspondent has asked for our help with a family history problem. She is trying to find information about two of her forebears who may have taught at FGS in the 1930s.
Click here for details and scroll to entry dated 27 Dec 2010.
12 Dec. 2010 Dennis Bleakley has sent a photograph of Form UVb, 1955 vintage. It has seventeen signatures on the back, but more than half a century later Dennis is unable to match names to faces. Can you help?
1955, Form UVb.
09 Dec. 2010 Ian Tattersall has e-mailed from Cyprus with the sad news that his brother Robert died yesterday following a long struggle with cancer. Robert was at FGS throughout World War II and is pictured in the 1940 Form IIIA photograph. On behalf of all who knew Robert, this website offers sincere condolences to his family and friends.
1940, Form IIIA.
31 Oct. 2010 Fred Hamer has e-mailed from Queensland, Australia to add two names to Group 1 of the 1957 panorama. Fred's wife, who was Margaret Moore at FGS, and her friend Pat Phillips are both in the second row from the front.
1957 panorama, Group 1.
01 Oct. 2010 A lady named Janice Scott is seeking information about her mum, who may have been at FGS in the mid-1920s. Can we help?
Click here for details.
04 Aug. 2010 Following on the huge success of the 60-year reunion held at Clifton Cricket Club in March, Derek Heywood and Erica Hamman are planning a repeat performance.
Click here for details.
14 July 2010 Final touches added to Mr. E.F. Rigby's Condolences booklet.
Click here and scroll down to the end of the file.
20 June 2010 Profile of Ian Tattersall (FGS 1946-'51) added.
Click here
19 June 2010 Profile of Lynne Schofield (FGS 1951-'58, now Mrs. L Asker) added.
Click here
18 June 2010 A 'virtual' copy of Mr. E.F. Rigby's Condolences booklet, suitably adapted in order to improve the legibility of the text pages when displayed on a computer screen, is now on the website. The printed booklet will be handed over to Mrs. Rigby later this month by Derek Heywood when he returns from his travels. Sincere thanks to all those who participated.
Click here
18 June 2010 Ian Tattersall has provided surnames for six more boys in the 1946-47 Form III alpha photograph.
Click here
15 June 2010 Lynne Schofield has added five photographs to the existing page about the school's 1957 production of Shaw's "Major Barbara."
Click here
10 June 2010 Mr. Rigby's book: Progress Report.
    With regret I must now call a halt to the supply of reminiscences and tributes to the late E.F."Trigger" Rigby. I now have just enough material to make up as a 16-page A5 booklet, and any increase would be beyond the limited capacity of my home facilities.
    I intend to produce just one copy of this booklet, which Derek Heywood has kindly offered to hand over to Mrs. Rigby later this month. Also I'm currently working on the necessary preparations prior to putting the whole thing on this website. I'll post here when it's ready for inspection.
    My sincere thanks to all who took part, and my apologies to anyone who meant to, but didn't manage it in time.
26 May 2010 Profile of Alan Burrows (FGS 1955-1961) added, complete with recent photo.
Click here
24 May 2010 Profile of Revd. Bernard Fray (FGS 1955-1962) added.
Click here
23 May 2010 Profile of Dennis Bleakley (FGS 1950-1955) added.
Click here
18 May. 2010 Bernard Tennant has contributed a photograph of the 1947 Form Upper Vb, complete with all names.
Click here
14 May. 2010 Derek Heywood phoned this morning with the sad news that "Trigger" Rigby has died.
Evelyn Rigby was an exceptional man, even among the remarkable number of teachers who gave such long and dedicated service to the school. Joining FGS as a Third Former in the late 1930s, he left the school only to serve in the RAF during WW2 and to obtain his degree, returned to Farnworth immediately thereafter to teach French — and, I believe, was still on the staff when the school closed its doors forever some 34 years later. He appears in several places on this website, including most of the panoramas from 1950 onwards and the photograph of the 1950-51 Soccer 2nd XI, which he managed. Click here.

I know that Old Farnworthians everywhere will join me in offering our sincere condolences to Mrs. Rigby (who, as Lilian Worthington, also taught at FGS) and to Trigger's family and many friends.
Proposed e-book of condolences — an appeal
14 May. 2010 Photo No. 20 added to the 2010 Reunion page
Click here

15 Apr. 2010 Profile of Betty Grundy (FGS 1942-1949, now Mrs. E. Thomas) added.
Click here.
24 Mar. 2010 Added: More photos from the 60-year reunion. These are from Harry Jack.
60-year reunion photos (scroll down to foot of page).
23 Mar. 2010 Photos of the 60-year reunion held at Clifton Cricket Club on March 12th are now on the website. There must be more out there. All are welcome (see next entry).
60-year reunion photos.
19 Mar. 2010 The 60-year reunion held at Clifton Cricket Club was a spectacular success. Anyone with photos is welcome to share them via this website.
Click here for details.
05 Mar. 2010 Belinda West (who was Belinda Platt at FGS) has named no fewer than seventeen 2nd-year girls in the 1972 panorama. They're all in Groups 1 and 2, in the fourth row from the front. Belinda says there'll be more names to come, so watch this space...
1972 panorama
20 Feb 2010 Personal Profile of Jean Boothby (FGS 1949-'54) added.
Click here
18 Jan 2010 An e-mail from Alan Burrows in Australia brings sad news of the death of his old friend Jack Eckersley (FGS 1953-1958). Jack died on January 7th after a short illness and is to be cremated at Overdale West Chapel at 11 a.m. on Friday Jan 22nd. This website offers sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Jack is pictured in Group 1 of the 1957 panorama, in the back row.
14 Jan 2010 Profile of yet another distinguished Old Farnworthian added.
Profile: Bernard Tennant.
31 Dec 2009 Michael Haynes has contributed a photograph of the 1957 (or possibly 1958) Cricket Second XI. All the players are named, thanks to Michael himself and to Frank Thornley.
1957 ('58?) Cricket 2nd XI.
Nancy Marsh (now Mrs. G. Wilde) who left FGS in 1954, has suggested more names for the 1952 Form UV beta photograph.
1952 Form Upper V beta.
10 Dec 2009 Seven more photographs taken during the demolition of the school building; these are by Peter Morris (FGS 1968-1973).
Peter Morris's set of demolition photographs.
04 Nov 2009 Two more Old Farnworthians from the post-war years would like to contact mislaid classmates.
Click here for more information.
21 Oct 2009 An Old Farnworthian from the 1940s would like to contact a classmate.
Click here to see more.
13 Oct 2009 Harry Jack has compiled a list of the 121 FGS pupils who, to the best of his knowledge, wrote their School Certificate exams in 1950. If your name is on the list and you fancy attending the 60th anniversary reunion next March (see above) please let me know.
Click here to see Harry's list.

1951 Form Upper V beta.
25 Sep 2009 For the past two or three years the 1951 section of the Gallery has included a page entitled "Unknown form/group." I must now confess that the mystery was solved more than a year ago by Norman Lomas but I omitted to tidy it up.
1951 Form Upper V beta.

Norman has also written to say that he was very interested in Peter Castle's article about prostate cancer (PCa) [click here]. Norman, whose PCa was diagnosed in 2001, too late to be operable, writes: "If anyone wants to talk to me about PCa I am always willing, having had various Hormone therapies, Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy. Also there are very active support goups in the north west, including Bolton."

If you'd like to contact Norman, please e-mail me and I'll put you in touch. My email address is fgs@dnet.co.uk but I'm afraid you can't click on it here as it's been doctored in an attempt to foil the spam peddlers. Please type it in and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
16 Sep 2009 Three more of Derek Heywood's 1950s photographs added:
1949-50 Form UV alpha
1950-51 Form Lower VI
1954 Form Upper Vb
14 Sep 2009 Profile of Derek Heywood (FGS 1945-52) added, complete with recent photograph.
Profile: Derek Heywood
08 Sep 2009 Dorothy Yorke (FGS 1936-41), who is now Mrs. D. Gregory and must be a Very Senior Wrinkly indeed, has supplied the five missing names from the 1939-40 Form Lower VA photograph.
1939-40: Form Lower VA
05 Sep 2009 A one-time Head Girl of the school has lost touch with a friend from primary school and FGS days. Can we help?
Where Are You?
04 Sep 2009 Some new photographs, vintage late 1940s/early 1950s, plus additional names on some existing photos of the same vintage, from Derek Heywood:
1950: Henry V
1951-52: Soccer 1st XI
19xx: Sports Day
19xx: School Dance
1950-51: Soccer 2nd XI
1950: Third Form girls
1947: Form Lower IV alpha
1949: Form Lower Vb, Lakes holiday
1950: Norfolk Broads holiday
28 Aug 2009 The advance notice regarding next year's planned 60-year reunion for 1949 School Cert candidates now includes a list of all who joined FGS in the Third Form in 1945.
60-year reunion.
27 Aug 2009 Peter Castle has contributed a copy of a splendid article he wrote for a magazine in Australia where he lives. Although it's not specifically relevant to FGS, I feel that all male Wrinklies (FGS or otherwise) could benefit from reading it — as could all males approaching Wrinkliehood.
"What's a PSA?"
25 Aug 2009 Derek Heywood (FGS 1945-'52) and Ron Jones (ditto) are planning a sedate celebration next year to mark the 60th anniversary of their School Certificate exams. Derek tells me that all FGS Wrinklies of roughly the same vintage will be warmly welcome.
Click here for more information.
08 Aug 2009 Marion Keating in New Zealand has asked me to repeat her appeal for news of the whereabouts of her old school friend Valerie Holmes. It appears that Valerie may have remarried and may be better known under her new surname.
Where Are You?
01 Aug 2009 Profile of Peter Brabbing (FGS 1951-1956) added, complete with recent photo.
Profile: Peter Brabbing.
22 Jun 2009 Profile of Ray Smith (FGS 1945-1950) added, complete with recent photo.
Profile: Ray Smith.
04 Jun 2009 Ray Smith (FGS 1945-1950) writes from his home in New Zealand with additional names, corrections and new information relating to several photographs from his time at FGS.
1949-50 UV beta
1952-53 UV alpha
1946 Group 5
1950 Group 2
1950 Group 4
1945-50 Teaching Staff
02 Jun 2009 Les Rothwell has sent a piece about Senior Citizens, culled from the internet and likely to start a few heads nodding in agreement, I think.
Senior Citizens.
12 May 2009 An e-mail from David Brankley (FGS 1956-'73) brings sad news.
"...I went into the school during its demolition. I managed to salvage a small part of the hall's parquet floor, and I'm afraid that I have some very bad news for you. The organ was still in place, and very badly damaged. I think that we can assume that the organ was not rescued and perished along with the building."
That's all the information I have. Quite apart from the considerable value of the organ as an instrument, I find it astonishing that anyone could even think of destroying part of the school's WW2 war memorial.
05 May 2009 Elsie Entwistle has sent two photographs of herself with some of her old friends from FGS days.
Elsie and friends.
Elsie has also asked me to repeat her appeal for news of the whereabouts of Vera Spencer. I'm aware of at least seven or eight people who would love to get in touch with Vera, so please contact me if you can help.
Where Are You?
14 April 2009 Keith Seddon has once again completed his careful annual count of named bodies on three of the whole-school panoramic photographs. The website had a quiet year in 2008 and the increases in names have been quite modest.
1946 panorama.
1950 panorama.
1953 panorama.
27 March 2009 Julie Thomas (FGS 1977-1982, now Mrs. Julie Treacy) has identified herself in Group 1 of the 1979 panorama, together with two other girls in that group and four in Group 2.
1979 panorama, Group 1
1979 panorama, Group 2
18 March 2009 Derek Chadwick has identified himself in Group 4 of the 1957 panorama, and Mrs. Chadwick (who was Eileen Cooper at FGS) has kindly offered to contact her cousin Beryl Cooper. Beryl has been the subject of an appeal on my Where Are You? page since January 2008, and I was pleased to be able to tell Vera Burrows in Oz (who was doing the looking) that she has been found.
1957 panorama, Group 4
Where Are You?
26 February 2009 An appeal made last December for information on the present whereabouts of an FGS teacher from the 1950s has borne fruit, thanks to Derek Chadwick (FGS 1951-1958).
Where Are You?
02 February 2009 Terence Luby has added fifteen names to the 1946 panorama; they're in Groups 1, 2, 4 & 7:
1946 panorama.
14 January 2009 More from the same source as yesterday's revisions. This time, Don has added some names of sixth-formers in Groups 1, 4 and 5 of the 1957 panorama.
1957 panorama, Group 1.
1957 panorama, Group 4
1957 panorama, Group 5
13 January 2009 Following a visit from his cousin Barbara Rowland (née Taylor) and her husband Ken, Don Catterall has written from Oz to make some additions and corrections to two of the gallery's photos from the 1950s.
1955 Cricket First XI.
1956 Lower VIth Form.
02 January 2009 Michael Haynes has kindly sent a photograph of the school's 1960 athletics team, complete with all names, courtesy of his friend Frank Thornley. Michael has also sent a press cutting listing the school's 1958 Sports Day results.
1960(?) athletics team
1958 Sports Day results
24 December 2008 Alan Burrows in Australia would like to make contact with the man who taught him English at FGS fifty and more years ago, and whose efforts shaped the course of Alan's career.
Where Are You?
16 December 2008 An e-mail from Ron Hodson brings the sad news that his cousin, Jim Pedley, passed away on Thursday December 11th 2008 at the age of 83. Jim was a prominent sportsman during his time at the school; his profile is on the website and he also appears in several team photographs of the time. Jim's funeral will take place on Thursday (December 18th) at Euxton Parish Church. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Profile: Jim Pedley.
25 November 2008 Les Rothwell has written with sad news of the death of Edna Holgate, who was a very senior Wrinkly indeed (she was 86 and would have started at FGS in the early to mid-1930s). Edna married Percy Holgate's son Max, and regularly attended Les's FGS get-togethers at the Stocks Hotel in Walkden. This website offers sincere condolences to all who knew her. Unfortunately we don't have a photograph.
10 November 2008 Norman Lomas has supplied the forenames of three of the boys in the 1946 Form IIIb photograph:
1946 Form IIIb.
28 October 2008 Jean Brown (FGS 1956-1959, now Jean Beale) writes from California to ask whether we can put her in touch with several of her old school friends:
Where Are You?
Another new profile, namely that of Hilda Jones (FGS 1946-1951, now Hilda Wallace) is now on the website, complete with recent photograph.
Hilda Jones: profile.
FGS Personal Profiles must be like buses — nothing happens for ages and then two or three come along in close order. This one is from Deirdre (Dee) Seddon, who left FGS in 1966.
Deirdre would love to hear from anyone who remembers her at FGS; please contact me and I'll put you in touch.
Deirdre (Dee) Seddon: profile.
24 October 2008 Brian Wilson's profile, complete with recent photograph, is now on the website. Thanks, Brian...
...while Keith Seddon and Harry Jack have suggested more names for the 1951 Spartan girls' gym team photo.
Profile: Brian Wilson.
1951 Spartan girls' gym 8.
23 October 2008 Hilda Jones (now Wallace) has sent me a photograph of the 1951 Spartans girls' gymnastics team. Only three of the girls are named. Please e-mail me if you can name the teacher or any of the anonymous girls.
1951 Spartan girls' gym 8.
22 October 2008 Brian Wilson has sent a photograph of the 1946/47 Form IIIb, complete with the full names of all the girls. Most of the boys, however, are remembered only by their surnames (which is how boys were addressed at the time). Please e-mail me if you can supply any of the missing names.
1946/47 Form IIIb.
19 October 2008 A South African gentleman named Charl Heydenrich owns a book which was awarded as an FGS prize 83 years ago. It was awarded to an FGS pupil named K. Hall, and Mr. Heydenrich has kindly offered to pass it along to anyone who may be sufficiently interested to pay the cost of postage. Are there any descendants of K. Hall out there perhaps?
1925 prize: cover and bookplate.
14 October 2008 Alan Chapman has recognised himself in the 1953 whole-school panorama; he's in the front row of Group 5. Alan also tells me that the boy on his right was Trevor Parkinson.
1953 panorama, Group 5.
13 October 2008 Don Catterall in Oz has sent a photograph of himself and 1950s classmate Keith Seddon, taken during Don's recent trip to U.K.
1950s friends
07 October 2008 Freda Bentley is trying to re-establish contact with three of her friends from the early 1950s. We've already succeeded in finding one of them. Can you help to find the others?
Where Are You?
29 September 2008 Keith Seddon and Don Catterall have, between them, identified a lad named Didsbury who appears in Group 5 of the 1950 panorama and in both photographs of that year's performance of Henry V. Anyone know Didsbury's forename?
1950 panorama, Group 5.
1950, "Henry V"
05 September 2008 Norm Pickering recently got together with two friends from his FGS days 52 years ago. Their photograph is on the website.
Reunion, 52 years on.
21 August 2008 Elsie Hodgkiss has been out and about with her camera again, this time to photograph some once-familiar places around the centre of Farnworth as they are today. The pictures are not directly relevant to FGS but the locations would have been familiar to all pupils of the school, and what has happened to the town centre over the years will no doubt be of interest to fellow-exiles.
Farnworth town centre today.
06 August 2008 Elsie Entwistle (now Elsie Hodgkiss), who was the school's last Secretary, has sent nine recent photographs all taken in the vicinity of the school — or, more accurately, where the school once stood. Unsurprisingly, the area has changed hugely since I left in 1946, and I hope Elsie's photographs will prove as interesting to other FGS long-term exiles as they are to me.
All gone! — Where FGS once stood.
04 August 2008 Geoff Thomas has sent a more recent photograph for his Profile, and a splendid photo it is too — complete with Armed Forces Veterans' lapel badge unless I'm much mistaken.
Geoff Thomas: Profile
28 June 2008 Another name added to Group 3 of the 1972 panorama. Martin Critchley (FGS 1966-72) has written to say that the unnamed teacher sitting next to Mrs. Lumb is Mrs. Sharples.
1972 panorama, Group 3.
26 June 2008 Gail Challinor (now Mrs. G. Thornbury) has e-mailed from Australia to add her name to Group 3 of the 1972 panorama. Gail was also able to identify the previously unnamed teacher sitting next to Mr. Petty as relief Biology teacher Mr. Corfe.
1972 panorama, Group 3.
24 June 2008 Roy Eglon has added the names of Jean Haynes and Joyce Francis to the 1950 panorama (Groups 2 and 3 respectively). He has also identified one of the anonymous girls in the 1952 Form Upper V beta photograph as Joyce Cook(e).
1950 panorama, Group 2.
1950 panorama, Group 3.
1952 Form UV beta.
03 June 2008 W.A. (Bill) Clarke (FGS 1948-1955) married Barbara Schumacher at a civil ceremony in France on May 31st. I'm sure that all who knew Bill at FGS would wish to join me in offering our sincere best wishes to them both.
Bill Clarke's wedding.
29 May 2008 Ex-FGS secretary Elsie Entwistle (now Mrs. E. Hodgkiss) has sent me three pages from a notebook kept by her mother, who was the school's cook in the 1930s. I found it fascinating to read that, in 1935, pupils and staff enjoyed a two-course lunch for which they paid the equivalent of 3½p in today's money. I wonder whether people back then complained about the cost of living — I was only six years old in 1935 and not too interested in the price of groceries...)
1935 School Dinners.
15 May 2008 Roy Eglon (FGS 1947-52) has written to say that the boy on his left in Group 6 of the 1950 panorama is not Edwin Halliday but Kenneth Gosling.
1950 panorama, Group 6.
07 May 2008 Elsie Entwistle (now Hodgkiss) has sent four nostalgic photographs showing what has become of the pavilion and tennis/netball court at the sports field.
Also... Elsie is one of a group of Old Farnworthians from the 1940s who would dearly love to get in touch with one of their classmates.
Remembrance of Things Past.
Where Are You?
24 April 2008 Les Sumner has died in a Berkshire hospice following an illness. Les was a keen and able sportsman who played in FGS school teams in the late 1950s/early 1960s alongside future World Cup winner Alan Ball (click on the button below to see a photograph). The sad news was sent to me by Alan Burrows in Australia (thanks, Alan) and our sincere sympathy goes to Les's family and friends.
1960 Under-15s Soccer XI.
15 April 2008 Norman Lomas has added more names to the 1950-51 UV Beta photograph, which is now complete apart from a few forenames.
1950-51 Upper V Beta.
11 April 2008 Norman Lomas has identified the 1951 'mystery' form as Upper V Beta, and has also explained why at least two of the boys in that form also appear in the 1952 Upper V Beta photograph.
1950-51 Upper V Beta.
1951-52 Upper V Beta.
27 March 2008 Bill Warburton and his wife Betty (who was Betty Challinor at FGS) have sent no fewer than twelve photographs of forms and teams from the late 1930s and early 1940s. Some of the people in these photos are not yet identified. Please contact me if you can help.
1937 Form J III G
1938/39 Form Lower IV B
1938/39 Form Upper IV A
1939/40 Form Upper IV B
1939/40 Form Lower V A
1939/40 Form Upper V A 		1940/41 Form Lower V B
1941/42 Form Upper V A
1941/42 Soccer 1st XI
1942 Cricket 1st XI
1942 'Netball Beauties'
19..? Corinthians House
22 February 2008 Keith Seddon has once again updated his careful head-count of the 1946, 1950 and 1953 panoramas. He also says that there must indeed have been two Betty Joneses*, namely the girl named in the 1952 UV Beta photo and in Group 2 of the 1950 panorama, and the girl who became Mrs. Wotton, who is shown among the sixth formers in 1950 Group 2.
* see entry dated 10 January 2008 below.
 Keith also spotted the fact that Nina Turnbull's name appears twice in the 1953 panorama (in Groups 1 and 3). According to Keith the girl in Group 3 is Nina, so I've removed her name from Group 1.
1946 panorama.
1950 panorama.
1953 panorama.
04 February 2008 Via his son David, who left FGS in 1972, Joseph Eric Boardman (FGS 1929-1934 — and hence a very senior Wrinkly), has added the name of maths teacher Mr. Weston to the 1931/32 staff photograph.
1931/32 Staff.
02 February 2008 Pat Dunn (now Mrs. Pat Kershaw), who was at FGS between 1953 and 1959, has written to add her name to the 1957 and 1959 panoramas. She is in Group 1 of each photograph.
1957 panorama, Group 1.
1959 panorama, Group 1.
19 January 2008 I've just had the sad new that Harry Hesketh (one of our very senior Wrinklies who left FGS in 1939) died on January 5th 2006. Harry's short essay on his memories of pre-war FGS is in the Wrinklies' Gallery.
MEMORIES by Harry Hesketh.
10 January 2008 Oh dear! The 1950 Group 2 photograph now seems to have two Betty Joneses... I guess it's unlikely that both identifications are correct (on the other hand they could both be wrong). There's also a Betty Jones on the front row of the 1952 UV beta photograph. Could anyone from the early 1950s settle this?
1950 panorama, Group 2.
1952 Form UV beta.
10 January 2008 One more name for Group 2 of the 1950 panorama, sent in by Joan Bottomley (now Coope) who has written to say that the girl seventh from the left in the third row down is Betty Jones*. If I've counted correctly there are now only 20 girls still unidentified in this group — not bad for a 58-year-old photograph!
* But please see the note immediately above this one...
1950 panorama, Group 2.
06 January 2008 Alan Burrows reports that his appeal for news of Les Drury, posted last September, has had a successful outcome.
Where Are You?
05 January 2008 Can we help Freda Jolley in Australia to get in touch with the girl who was her best friend at FGS in the mid- to late-1950s?
Where Are You?
02 January 2008 Between them, Alan Laking (FGS 1947-51) and his sister Joan (also ex-FGS) have identified no fewer than 26 people in the 1953 panorama, mostly in Groups 2, 3 and 6.
1953 panorama.


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