Is there anybody from class 61-66? This year seems to be devoid of message senders....

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Hi

We finally have managed to get a box up which allows me to reply.  Hope it lasts 'cos I am not too hot on this internet stuff.

Anyway, I am Verian Morris (now Duncan) and I was at Downer from Sept 1961 to about May 1967, when we moved to South Wales.  I also had a sister, Carol Morris who was 1954 - 60, I think, and a brother Adrian who was 63 - 67.  Aide has already posted.

Not only that but we were part of the Aylward contingent.  We lived just 3 dorrs up from the Dalkeith entrance.  (I even found a photo from the upstairs window but you'll have to wait for that one.)  We had a couple of lads leave their bikes in our back garden .... was one of them Phil Nissen?

I can remember some of the names from Downer: Sue Thompson, Janice Hawkins, Hilary Bates, Angela Elwin, Sandra Crawshaw, Jennifer Fewkes, Paul James, Laurie Moore, Graham Grant, Ed Fuller, Ian and Judith Hewlitt.  I have addresses for Hilary and Graham too.  I remember the name of Nick Locke too.

I live in the wilds of Aberdeenshire now, married with 3 children aged 13, 11 and 8.  David, my husband, is a retired heleicopter pilot.

Will see if this provokes any responses.

Hi Verian,

I remember you!

You may not remember me, Mick Wilson, though.

I have been in touch with various people from our year, Joe Lawford, Dick Milsom and others.

We had a 26yrs reunion in '91 and had quite a lot of support - Lesley Steer, Liz Jones, John Dwelly, Bill Harding, Dave Richer and lots more.

It's nice to hear that you are settled and I envy you the move away from the concrete jungle.

I have been married now for 25yrs and have 1 daughter of 16.  We live in Rickmansworth Herts.

If you remember me, do reply

Regards,

Mick Wilson

Hi Mick

I remember your name but confess that I can't put a face to it.  I wanted to make that reunion in '91 but I was 8 months pregnant at the time and it didn't seem too good an idea.  I did hear all about it though because my sister, Carol, was in touch with Mick and Judy Manktelow?

I just read about a D of E trip to North Wales.  I can't remember which year I went but there were just 5 girls who camped; the rest of the girls stayed in a Youth Hostel.  If my memory serves me right Liz Jones was one of the 5!  It was freezing too and even the raw eggs froze.  Did you make that trip?

I also remember a day trip to Boulogne, and a geography school trip to Holland.

I will have to search the photos for some snaps.

Where are the rest of our year now though?  It is strange trying to remember everybody ..... the haze of all those years!

As for escaping from the concrete jungle ... it has its good points I guess but there are times when it feels as though we live on another planet.  Ah well! 

Verian

Hi Verian,

As soon as I saw your first name your surname sprang into my mind.  I was in the year above you.  My best friend was Pam Alexander.  I also remember the name Michael Manktelow (Manky) but have no idea why.

Hi Helen

You probably remember Manky because he was Head Boy in 1961.

My apologies but again I can't put a face to the name.  It is a singular failing of mine and considering I used to be a police woman, a bad one!

Verian

Hi Verian,

Yes it's me, Graham Grant.  I got curious and boy is this site stirring memories!

Trouble is I can't remember Mick Wilson, Helen Hill or Carol Rogers - sorry guys, but I do remember the other names quoted.  What about Mo' Gatfield, Paul James, Dick Shepherd and Lynn Davies?  By the way, didn't Nick Locke go to Canada?

If I can find some old photos I'll put them on site.  They were mainly slides, I'll see what I can do.  For those who wish to know, I'm married with two children and I am living in Kent.  I have the dubious pleasure of working in London!  Oh yes, didn't Dave Richer win our year's dance competition one time and didn't Laurie Moore drive a bubble car?  The memories are getting stronger. 

Graham

Hi Graham

You won't know me because I was at Downer 1964 - 1967 (with Carol Rogers) although I do remember you for some reason.

I was very friendly with Suzanne James and I wondered if you were in touch with Paul James, her brother, as you mentioned him in your message, and I would like to get in touch with her again.

Thanks

Christine Compton (now Sanders)

Christine,

You may remember me from a time when I was visiting Paul and you were visiting Suzanne.  A few of us used to visit Paul and Verian because their houses were near ours and because they were nice people to see.  Home from home!

Unfortunately, I only kept in touch with very few people after I left school, mainly through playing rugby, but Paul was not one of them.

Were you in the same year as the Leslie sisters and Dawn Giles?  I think I was their class prefect for a time, in which case there is a connection. 

Graham

Hi Carol,

How did your reunion weekend go?

I haven't heard from you or Pat since I sent my Photo - I hope it didn't scare you That much!!

Mike

Graham

Yes I was in the same class as Dawn Giles, I seem to remember her being very good at sport.  Jane and Elizabeth Lesley were also in the same year, plus Stephanie Fox, Diane Ward who had a sister Bobby Ward, and many others.  My form teachers were I think Miss Hurst and then Mr Cotton.  I cannot remember if you were the form prefect or not, I seem to remember you having very dark hair, but I could be completely wrong.

Can you remember the name of the road that Suzanne and Paul lived in, I know it was Canons Park and I will eventually remember the road, but can't at this minute.  Carol Rogers has asked me, she seems to have a knack of tracing people. Suzanne got married to a chap called Tim Williams, and I think they moved to Luton, but not sure what happened after that.

Christine

Dawn was sporty but broke a leg or ankle on the ski trip to Kandersteg.  Diane Ward is still in North London somewhere and her sister Bobby is on her second marriage and living in the Watford area.

The James family lived in Cheyneys Avenue at Canons Park.

I think Cotton taught Geography or Economics.

My hair was fairly dark - it still is but I have a very short cut now.

Give me some time and I will sort out some photos for the site.  I took quite a lot at the time - I hope I can find them.

Graham

Graham,

You might not remember me, younger (by 2yrs) brother of Verian - remember you from your visits to our house in Dalkeith Grove, and from that altercation you had with Abassi that day behing the gym.  (That event incited by Pete Stolle if I remember rightly).

Do you remember anyone else that lived in Cheyneys Avenue, because I've been trying to work out who it was that I used to visit in that street. I knew Paul James (perhaps via Verian), but I don't think it was him?

And was there more than one ski trip to Kanderstag?  I was on one winter 66/67 and recall on the trip home the lot of us jeering from the train "We won the cup" at some German soldiers on the platform at Basel, causing quite some commotion.  I think this was the same trip that Dawn did her leg in, and that two people from another hotel there were seriously injured when they went tobogganning at midnight on New Year's Eve.

I was keen on Dawn Giles for a while, but don't think I ever got anywhere!  In the same year was Sue Green where I faired better - sadly she was killed in 67 - her face and the song 'Whiter Shade of Pale' are forever locked together in my (few remaining) memory cells.

I am not sure this site is ultimately good for one's sanity - it is both fascinating and frightening (when you can remember) and totally frustrating (when you can't)!

Adrian

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Yes I do remember you Adrian and Verian's other brother.  It was always fun when we visited Dalkeith Grove.  Tallett(spelling?) Abassi and Pete Stolle, both mentioned elsewhere on the site, I remember them well.  Altercations ike that one, over nothing, are best forgotten - besides Stolle was daft.  Some years later, after playing rugby together for a junior club away from school, Tall' and I laughed because we could not remember what it was all about. Can't help you with Cheyneys I'm afraid.

Kandersteg 66/67 was the one I referrred to - don't know of any others as I =left in Feb '67, I'd had enough of school then!  I'm sure I have a photo of you from that trip.  Was Sue Green involved in a car crash? I seem to recall something like that but not in '67 as I had left school.  Maybe I'm really confused over that one.  By the way your sister is having trouble replying to the message board at the moment, must have dropped some porridge in the computer!

Graham

Graham,

If you do have photos of Kanderstag 66/67 I would love to see them - people contacted through these sites have asked me for photos, and I have none in my archives of me between the ages of 10 and 22 (This may be a good thing).

Yes, Sue Green was killed in car accident, a few months after we left Aylward in 67 to move to Wales. You being a rugby man, I have to tell you that playing for the 1st XV rugby team in a Welsh school was the thing to do. The teachers were fanatical about the games, such that they took us to the pub at lunchtime - and we had no fear of detentions, as being member of the team gave indemnity to such things. [Quite different to Jones at Downer that you talk about elsewhere on the site - he would beat me around the head with my own football boots because I hadn't cleaned them from the previous week]

As to Verian's difficulties with the technology, it's necessary to understand that these gruel-eating Scots are seriously challenged in these areas.  In describing her problem to me on the phone the other night - all she could tell me was that "she had lost her cursor ! "

Do you still like the Beach Boys?  I recall you trying, unsuccessfully, to persuade me how brilliant "Good Vibrations" was, at a time when I was into blues (John Mayall/Clapton etc).

From: Graham Grant

Sent: 25/09/2001 09:32

Adrian,

Photos later - I've got to find them and I think they are mainly slides.

Beach Boys faded as far as I was concerned.  My taste changed to Clapton and then harder stuff. Ed Fuller had the best varied record collection I know that included Beach Boys, Four Seasons and even Jimmy Smith as well as all the groups and artists of the sixties. There's someone from the year above mine, elsewhere on this message board, who quotes all the groups, etc we used to see at the local venues.  My taste is more varied nowadays and I still go to rock concerts.  I'll contact you soon by e-mail.

Graham

Dear Graham,

My elder brother - Gerry (who was also at Downer, now living in Oz) recently persuaded me to look up this site. Glad I did, too. It's a bit of a gas reading about old bastards like Bigger, and twits such as "Crippen".

But whatever happened to Miss Meggitt (the petite Maths teacher)?

You may remember your next door neighbours in Queensbury - the Smiths.  Pauline married my younger brother Neil (pupil at another school in Kenton), and since divorced.

Neil also lives in the Melbourne area for many years, as do most of my family.

But Pauline - now Mrs Crotty (married to Chas) - can be contacted in Devon.  Give her a bell. I'm sure she'd be chuffed to hear from you.

Anyone else out there from 1961-1966? (a great era, but not a terrifically enthralling time at Downer. C'est la vie!)

Best regards,

Bari Gowan

So Adrian....Are you still around? I am very worried that you have either been washed away by Tsanami or else you have lost your marbles and no longer know how to use the e-mail

Lots of ......Pauline xxxxxxzzxx

Please confirm that you still exist Adrian, I am worried that you got washed away with the Tsunami last year

Pauline