Dave Jesinger - pupil from 1954 to 1961 (Deputy Head Boy 1960/61)

Forms: 1F, 2G

I had a great seven years at Firth Park but the thought of a 3^rd year in the sixth form and the probability of being Head Boy drove me to finding an honourable escape. Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) came to the rescue so I spent a year as an Outward Bound Instructor on Mount Kilimanjaro on the border between Kenya and what was then Tanganyika. Returning after a fascinating and rewarding year there to begin the Electrical Engineering degree course at Leeds University was somewhat of a rude awakening.

Armed with a shiny degree in electronics and pausing only to marry Diana (a relationship that began when she was at Grange Grammar in Sheffield), I began what was to become a 34 year career in research. Firstly with EMI Electronics at Feltham in Middlesex, west of London but principally for over 30 years with Roke Manor Research in Romsey near Southampton. This was originally owned by the Plessey Company but was bought by Siemens in the late 80’s. My major contribution was to initiate and develop the work on radar sensors for which Roke Manor now has a worldwide reputation. I was heavily involved in many civil and defence projects, an example being the sensor on Beagle II used to deploy the airbag for impact on the Martian surface which was based on my original concepts. Sadly but I guess inevitably, I spent the last ten or so years before retiring in a senior management role but thankfully keeping in close contact with the rapidly evolving technologies.

Since retiring, Di and I have been roaming the oceans of the globe on a circumnavigation that we expect to take over ten years. We have being going for nearly five years and are ‘stuck’ in the South Pacific voyaging between New Zealand and the tropical islands of Fiji, Tonga, etc as the cyclone seasons come and go. If anyone is interested in finding out more about Amoenitas our boat, the voyage or just looking at pictures of what we get up to, then check out our Web page.

By the way, you can also contact us by e-mail:

Email address 1  (landline only when we are ashore in civilised areas)

Email address 2  (over HF-SSB radio when aboard but keep it short)

Some memories of those happy years at Firth Park Grammar include:

Expedition to Vesuvius – In the summer of 1961, science masters Chas Holmes, Jim Wheeler and Pod Harrison bravely took around 16 of us on a trip through Europe down to the volcano Vesuvius in Southern Italy in an old army lorry. We bought our WW II vintage Bedford van from an army store for about £200 and fitted it out with awnings, storage, radio, etc in the school yard beside the Woodwork/Metalwork Dept. The trip took around a month and generated an incredible fund of experiences and stories (more>>)

Jim Wheeler’s Organ – Jim was our charismatic Organic Chemistry teacher who inhabited a lab at the far end of the 1^st floor of the old house. Seeing an organ about to be destroyed along with the old Methodist Church that housed it, he took pity and gave it a home in the store room adjoining the lab. When his bête noire classes, such as 3C, played up he would escape to the back room, venting his frustrations in toccatas and fugues. The base notes in particular penetrated right along the floors to the Headmaster’s Office at the other end of the building. The Head, HJS Wilson was about the only person who wasn’t in on the secret of Jim’s organ and often questioned his secretary, Miss Howard about these strange noises. She played dumb until eventually he talked of seeing a doctor about his hearing abnormality!

Mr Bullivant’s Shocking Experience – This distinguished looking teacher of Religious Instruction had a habit of placing his hands on either side of the desk, arching his tall frame over the occupant to emphasize the point he was making. Recognising this trait, an aspiring electronic engineer who shall remain anonymous, took up residence in a front desk where he connected a transformer secondary to the hinges. Application of a battery to the primary winding produced an impulse of enough volts to propel said teacher skywards.

Jim Wheeler’s Jerries – Jim displayed good Yorkshire traits when it came to spending the school’s funds on equipment. He so preferred enameled jerries to the much more expensive proprietary product that when in the lower sixth, we bought him a couple for Christmas. He also knew a good pint when he saw one, so what was could be more fitting than to present said jerry with a quaff or two of fine ale. So set up, he was captured on film for all time whilst at the same time uttering his favourite invective... bugger!

Related information:

• FPGS pupils