History

School Opening   Trees around Field   

Introduction to War letters and Photos   In  Memoriam Book   In Memoriam Photos    

Speech Day 1948   Nora's overview 

The Missing Fourth  Form     School Statistics         Harold's Radio Broadcast  

Pupil Views:      1933-39  A 1938 Pupils view    An Evacuee at WGS   1943-47   Recollections 1946-1951    Memories of a 1951er

Comment on the change for staff with respect to the new Wrenn School

There were 240 pupils in my first year, 1941, and seemingly the same in 1940.  Numbers were ideal for the excellent buildings.  With evacuees the numbers shot up to 320 and the prefabs were erected.  Kids rarely wore shorts and all wore uniforms with caps in my time under Woolley as in 1940.  Alan Bonham (1941-1945)

Spike Jackson and Miss Bates

1946 Panorama11949 Panorama    WGS Magazines - a number from the 40's are here

We had a bomb in Swanspool at one time but I cannot recall damage to the school - we suffered a broken small window - and received a pea sized piece of shrapnel, from the bomb.

West Ham school was evacuated to Wellingborough and for several months, I and my classmates could attend only morning ( or afternoon ) because West Ham had the school for the other half of the day.

Wellingborough was pursued by an ex German exchange student - by all reports at the time - who made several raids on the town and caused considerable damage. One day when the public school was hosting a public fete the bomber came in daylight and was shot down by a spitfire - again, I was at the event but the shooting down was further away and was by report to me. In any event, we had no more trouble after that.

We were surrounded by American airbases and many a tale could be told about that. Sufficient for now to state that just about every boy had live ammunition and many a round was pulled apart with attempts to burn the cordite. It burned poorly by the way.

We saw women teachers introduced for the first time and a few romances followed on from that.

In the season, classes were released one by one for a week of potato picking and some of us had sidelines that produced rabbits for meat and eggs from chickens.              Don Franklin.

Masters at the School 1943-1947:

Mrs Allan and Mrs Castle were sisters.   The Lady members of staff were called ‘Sir’

Miss Bates eventually became Mrs Jackson.

Lady members of staff had the front of their desks ‘filled in’ with the exception of Miss Gregory, whose desk remained ‘open’ to the delight of the boys.

Temporary Masters

Mr Findlay - An ‘old boy of the school down from Oxford.

The Vicar of Bozeat - he taught Divinity during the Term when there was no Head Master.  Mr Nicholas being Temporary Head.

The Staff During the War  Summer 1943:   

Picture below  Names from:  Colin McCall, Geoff Coles, John Cook, Jim Tompkins, Don Franklin

I've been looking at my reports (which I've kept) of my time at WGS (1942-1949), which have helped with names for the wartime photo. I reckon that in the top row, from left to right, no 4 is Joe TW Findlay (an OG himself, now deceased), no 5 is BR Burrell, no 6 SB Harris (PT), no 7 is Ron SV Ward, no 8 is GE Richmond (maths). In the front row is, from the left, no 2 Wintersgill (music). You have identified, of course, Nicholas, Woolley and Jackson. I feel I should know some of the others, but they escape me.  Don Stratton's History of the School should help with names of staff who were at the School (I reckon the photo is in fact 1942-3) and I bet Derek Pearce would be able to identify most of those on the photo.  Best wishes, Geoff. Coles

I believe I remember them all well, except for one of the men.

I would suggest that it was taken at the end of the 1942-3 term and the following is the best I can do:

Back row from the  left:

Pat Gregory ( later Mrs Wintersgill), Norah Bavin, Alf Kent ( art), Mr. Finley, Can't remember, Sam Harris- one of the best, R.S.V. Ward, Albert Richmond, Mrs. Allen then her sister Mrs. Coulsen (or Coulsden)

Front row was:-

Miss Richardson ( or Richards who taught biology after a rather bad operation which left her very gaunt), H Wintersgill (married Pat above and taught music, Mr Nicholas (Latin), Mr Hole ( or Cole- taught Esperanto and was deputy head), A.Russell Woolly, Mr. Laurie?, ( taught geometry and kept pigs), " stinks" ( taught chemistry and may have been called Adams) Dr Jackson.

 There are one or two missing here if my date guess is about right but I certainly knew them all except the one mentioned.

I can remember the number of beatings I had from each but my calculator will not reach the numbers involved!

Best wishes to you all,   Don Franklin

Mr. Findley left to take post at Oxted Grammar School, Surrey, in last year was Head of Geography, In charge of Cricket since he joined school in 1942.  The first Old Boy who has taken a post at the school.

WELLINGBOROUGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL LIST, 1942.

A.R. WOOLLEY, M.A., Wadham College, Oxford, and Trinity College, Cambridge Headmaster.

E.L. Hole, B.A., Emmanuel College. Cambridge, Second Master.

A B. ADAMS0N, B.Sc, M.A. D.Phil., A.I.C., Keble College, Oxford

A. Jackson,  M.A., Ph.D., University College, London.

C.W. F. Laurie, BA, St. Johns College, Oxford.

I. J. Nicholas MA., Jesus College, Oxford.

H. H. Wintersgill, MA., B.Mus., Queen’s College Cambridge

R V. S. WARD, B.Sc. London), University College, Nottingham

R. W. Sykes B.A. Pembroke College, Oxford.

A.F. Kent, Slade School, University College, London.

Miss J. M. Harrison, B.Sc. Kings College, London.

Mrs. I. M. E. FERGUSON, B.Sc., University College London.

Miss P. GREGORY, B.A, University of Sheffield

Mrs. K. G. Allen, B.A, Goldsmith's College, University of London.

Miss E. P.Colsell, Goldsmith's College, London.

Miss. M. K. Greening, BA, Trinity College, Dublin.

WELLINGBOROUGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL LIST, 1943. 

A.R. Woolley, M.A., Wadham College, Oxford, and Trinity College, Cambridge. Headmaster.

E.L. Hole, B.A., Emmanuel College. Cambridge, Second Master.

C.W. F. Laurie, B.A., St. John’s College, Oxford.

*J.G. Dunning, M.A., F.R.G.S., Peterhouse, Cambridge.

I.J. Nicholas, M.A., Jesus College, Oxford. Second Master.

A B. Adamson, B.Sc, M.A. D.Phil., A.I.C., Keble College, Oxford

*H. C. Phillips, A.R.C.A.

*J. H. Butler, B.A., St. Catherine’s Society, Oxford.

*C. A. Pine, Goldsmiths’ College, London, and Carnegie College, Leeds.

A.Jackson, M.A., Ph.D., University College, London.

H.H. Wintersgill, M.A., Mus.B., Queens? College, Cambridge.

**R. V. S. Ward, B.Sc. (Econ.), Lond., University College, Nottingham.

**A. F. Kent, Slade School of Art, University of London.

B.R. Burrell, M.A., Keble College, Oxford.

J.T. W. Findley, B.A., Lond., University College, Nottingham.

G.E. Richmond, M.A., the Queen’s College, Oxford.

S.B. Harris, B.Sc. (Econ.), University of London.

**Miss J. M. Harrison, B.Sc. Kings College, London.

**Miss P. Gregory, B.A., Sheffield University.

**Mrs. K. G. Allan, B.A., Goldsmiths’ College, London.

**Mrs. E. P. Colsell, Goldsmiths’ College, London.

*  On Service with H.M. Forces.

**Temporary appointment. §Lent Term only.

WELLINGBOROUGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL LIST, 1944.  STAFF.

A.R. Woolley, M.A., Wadham College, Oxford, and Trinity College, Cambridge. Headmaster.

I.J. Nicholas, M.A., Jesus College, Oxford. Second Master.

C.W. F. Laurie, B.A., St. John’s College, Oxford.

J.G. Dunning, M.A., F.R.G.S., Peterhouse, Cambridge.

*H. C. Phillips, A.R.C.A.

*J. H. Butler, B.A., St. Catherine’s Society, Oxford.

*C. A. Pine, Goldsmiths’ College, London, and Carnegie College, Leeds.

A.Jackson, M.A., Ph.D., University College, London.

H.H. Wintersgill, M.A., Mus.B., Queens? College, Cambridge.

**R. V. S. Ward, B.Sc. (Econ.), Lond., University College, Nottingham.

**A. F. Kent, Slade School of Art, University of London.

J.T. W. Findley, B.A., Lond., University College, Nottingham.

G.E. Richmond, M.A., the Queen’s College, Oxford.

S.B. Harris, B.Sc. (Econ.), University of London.

B.R. Burrell, M.A., Keble College, Oxford.

L.E. Bratt, B.A., Lincoln College, Oxford.

T.G. Cook, B.A., St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge.

D.H. T. Sterry, B.Sc. (Wales), University College, Cardiff.

W.Holmes, M.Sc., Victoria University of Manchester.

G.E. Sharp, B.Sc., King’s College, University of Durham.

§J. C. Robinson, M.A., Pembroke College, Cambridge.

**Miss P. Gregory, B.A., Sheffield University.

**Mrs. K. G. Allan, B.A., Goldsmiths’ College, London.

**Mrs. E. P. Colsell, Goldsmiths’ College, London.

*On Service with H.M. Forces.

**        Temporary appointment. §Lent Term only.