|
| |||||
|
2004 reunion photos ->> 2004 reunion videos ->> photos then and now ->> links ->> SBGS memorabilia ->> guestbook ->> | ||||
 | |||||
|
Latest News - February 2008
Those of you interested in local Halifax music history and nostalgia will find that the following two books by local authors make fascinating reading.
The first, the incredibly detailed Small Town Saturday Night - Vol 1 (Pop music memories of Halifax in the Sixties) (ISBN 780954 896027 - colour printed softback 192 pages £15) is by Trevor Simpson. Trevor's a long-term Ripponden resident and a old SBGS pupil (coincidentally he's also John Howe's brother-in-law). The second is John S Wharton's wonderful Plebs - The Halifax Jazz Club 1961-1968 (ISBN 1870682 15 7 - mono printed softback 163 pages £15). Both books are the result of many years very detailed research and offer an enormous insight into the local music scene of the 1960's. Having read both from cover to cover I can highly recommend them and they'd make great birthday or Christmas presents. To sweeten the pill even further, all proceeds from Trevor's book are going to Calderdale Hospital Radio charity. Whether you remember jiving in the aisles of the Gaumont to 'Rock Around the Clock', Don Lang singing 'Six-Five Special', Craig Douglas at Bolton Brow WMC (yes that's right), the package tours at the Odeon, the sweat of the Jazz Club, or were even lucky enough to meet the Beatles at the Cavalier Country Club, these are two books not to miss. Both authors are now working on new related projects. Trevor on Volume 2 of what may turn out to be a series and John on a mighty tome about the Krumlin festival. Support their sterling efforts and get a great read into the bargain. Whilst we're on the subject of heritage, on 2nd January 2008 The Puzzle Hall Inn on Hollins Mill Lane closed its doors (Courier article) and will be sadly missed by many from Sowerby Bridge. Another casualty of our love of ever cheaper booze and the supermarkets' continual erosion of our national heritage! The April 1967 panoramic school photo now has many more names but the roll call still isn't complete so please add or correct any names by leaving a message in the guestbook. More old photos, scans of memorabilia, memories, or documents are always welcome. |
|||||
| |||||
|
Old News
November 2007
Names for the panoramic photo coming thick and fast now so a big thanks to all who've contributed so far. Excellent stuff!
I just must add a word of 'thanks!' here to those kind souls at Friends Reunited. I attempted to add a message to their noticeboard for the school to inform old pupils about this site. The FR moderators not only removed the link but also trashed the message completely, rendering it meaningless. So, next time they're asking you for money maybe you'd like to consider just how helpful they really are before shelling out your hard earned cash.
August 2007
Thanks to Chris Wright and Hilary Maskill for the
two new photos.
I've also added the
panoramic school photo
taken in April 1967 which might also jog a few memories.
I've added the names that I remember. If you can add or correct any names please leave a message in the
guestbook and I'll update the details as soon as possible.
July 2007
Oops!! Thanks to everyone trying to upload photos over the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately there was an error in the upload script that
stopped it working. This has now been fixed so please try again.
If you have any more old photos, scans of memorabilia, memories, or documents please keep them coming.
June 2007
Thanks again to Chris Wright for the latest archive photos, and also to the people
who left updates and name corrections on the guestbook.
The photo gallery is now split by year group to make it more relevant. If your year group isn't represented then why not upload some photos now? I've just dug out some old 1960s copies of Hill & Dale and will scan these as and when time permits. If there's a specific article or section you'd like to see, again please leave a message on the guestbook.
May 2007
Thanks for the latest anonymous uploaded contribution to the photo gallery.
If anyone has any more details about it please add them via the guestbook
and I'll update the page.
November 2006
Thanks to Chris Wright for the latest addition to the photo gallery
Class of 1967-74 photo. If you have any information or names for the roll call
please add the relevant details via the guestbook and I'll update the captions
as necessary.
September 2006
By kind courtesy of Keith Walsh, two new photos in the photo gallery from the sixties. Do you recognise yourself or any of your friends on
The Netball Team or The Hockey Team?
Keith attended SBGS in the 1960's and went back to teach there for a brief period prior to the demolition of the old building.
'When one of the senior members of staff found out that I was an "old pupil" of the school she showed me to a store-room in the old building which had some old photographs and pupils' records laying around in boxes. She told me I could take whatever I wanted since it was all going to be thrown out anyway due to the impending demolition of the building. I rescued a couple of dozen photographs going right back to the earliest days of the school - the legendary Mr Helliwell crops up everywhere!.' Good to see that history is still riding high on the curriculum then!
July 2006
Firstly, a vote of thanks to those fine upstanding people who did actually turn up to the scaled down reunion last August and especially to
Virginia and Margaret for their sterling efforts in trying to get people there.
After rather a loud start in the upstairs area of Bar 11 - nice idea but if I'm being brutally honest it's not really geared up to catering for a bunch of 50 year olds - we adjourned to the comforts of cardigans, pipes and slippers outside god's (take your pick, there are plenty to choose from) own ale house, the Puzzle Hall Inn in Sowerby Bridge. Much fine ale was drunk and banter flowed free. Julian and I swapped hernia and gallstone tales (too much football and fine dining respectively), and we all parted having sort of made plans to meet up again. Nice one. Anyone with photos, it'd be good to have some to stick on here. It's great to see that this year the guest book is attracting comments from a number of ex SBGS pupils. The more the merrier, so if you have something to add or say we'd love to hear from you - don't worry whether you fit the 1963-70 mould, all are welcome. From the comments I've had it's also good to see that others do check it fairly regularly for new contributions. The downside is that it has also attracted some moron from the snake-oil salesman community and he (or she) seems rather insistent on regaling us with tales of their latest scam. For you my friend I have a simple message. Two words and they involve sex and travel. The upside is that their efforts enable me to add the relevant anti-scamming filters to all my other sites so, ta very much! Apologies to anyone who has either been trying to upload photos or trying to view the floor plan of the old school. There was a bug in the upload script and the floorplan image locations were wrong so you had no chance. However, both have now been fixed so no more excuses.
July 2005
Due to lack of interest, and despite all the effort put in by Virginia, the reunion at Bar 11 has been cancelled. Thanks must go out especially
to those who asked for tickets but were somewhat reluctant to put their hand in their pocket when it came to actually paying for them,
and also to those who said they'd love to come along but could quite be arsed to get their act into gear to get a ticket. Much appreciated!!
The stunning stars of the show (and those who brought/sent sick notes typed at home and signed in green biro) - you know who you all are - will get details of the revised plans via email shortly. A special thanks must go out to Ms X who sent in her sick note scribbled on an old school diary actually stolen from the cupboard next to the secretary's office. I only used to manage to get pens and exercise books and so obviously missed a trick or three. Anyone who thinks they have a reasonable excuse can try putting it to a G Whiteley, who they may find somewhere in the region of The Railway in Hebden Bridge. While you're there ask him about a Mr Blunt who he may vaguely remember. PS The old school building (and the Ronjes/Faraways/whatever they were called) are now dead and gone and I'm sure you'll be seriously impressed to know that the new buildings on the campus now cover almost every square inch of green space we used to enjoy - that's both the top and bottom playing fields - and accommodate less than 300 additional pupils (or are they clients these days?). Now I wasn't that hot at maths (or PFI calculations) but am I missing something here?
March 2005
Tickets for the reunion - Bar 11, Harrison Road, Halifax - 20 August 2005 - are now ready. Partners are welcome and the room is booked
8.00 pm to midnight. Numbers are limited to 90 so if partners are coming then there's only room for 45 ex pupils/teachers.
Get your tickets now!
To order tickets (10 quid each including food) email:
November 2004
Virginia now has a time and a place for the big reunion next year. Bar 11, Harrison Road, Halifax - 20 August 2005. Tickets 10 quid each including buffet.
More info coming soon. | |||||
| |||||
|
History
In late May 2004 a few old Sowerby Bridge Grammar School friends from the 1960s decided a school reunion would be rather a fine idea.
Janet was over from Oz staying with Jackie and suggested the idea to Virginia who roped Margaret in and then emailed me via Friends Reunited. As I hadn't heard from any of them for over 30 years it seemed like a great idea; so between us we managed to round up some of the troops and met up at lunchtime on Thursday June 3rd in the old mill - now a rather nice little cafe/restaurant - in the centre of Hebden Bridge. The initial feeling all round was one of slight apprehension after a gap of some 30 odd years. Would we recognise each other? Should we be wearing name tags just in case? Would only the people who'd been super successful turn up and flaunt their success? None of it! - we might as well have last seen each other a few days ago. Where had 30 years gone? Almost everyone was instantly recognisable despite a few laughter lines well earned along the way. All the people there that I've spoken to since had an absolutely fab time and are looking forward to the next one. For those of you who couldn't make it there's a few photos and videos on the following pages. If you'd be interested in coming along to the next one (assuming we can get it together before another 30 years pass us by) email me at reunion@sbgs.co.uk. More contributions/additions/suggestions for this site would always be welcome. Regards David Paterson September 2004 |
|||||
| |||||
|
2004 reunion photos ->> 2004 reunion videos ->> photos then and now ->> links ->> SBGS memorabilia ->> guestbook ->> | ||||
