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Many thanks to John Wells and Mike Moore for his photos. Every picture revives special memories of fellow pupils, teachers and other staff.

Pictures 6 and 19 in the 'Closure and demolition' series, and the one of Bob Bates on the Tower stairway, carry a powerful memory for me. Three of us, late for assembly, scaled the ten (?) foot gates (photo 6) at the Horninglow Rd entrance, in an effort to avoid detention; this was probably in June, 1949. John Grandage, a fifth year, sitting his School Cert exams, went over first. Birch and I, third year students, followed. Approving our courage and daring we sneaked into the toilets close to the back entrance (photo 19), intending to show we had been attending nature's call before Assembly. As we reached the entrance, there was 'Big Walt' Padfield - tall, heavy, gowned in black, hands joined behind him - standing to welcome us. There was no discussion. "Grandage, come to see me straight after Assembly before your Physics exam; Birch and Sedgwick see me at break". I still recall every instant of that Assembly; Big Walt gave us a prayer on honesty and love, we all sang the School Song and then he intoned his favourite quotation on life and the search for success: 'the divine discontent of the artist'. We climbed the stairs (picture of Bob Bates) at the appointed times, each receiving six strokes on the backside following a brief lecture about 'not using this school as a concentration camp'. This was an unforgettable experience in more ways than one; the visible ways were the impressive colours of our bruises, demonstrated in the showers, and changing week for week much to our pride and the amusement of Jock McKay and our fellows.

PS. Sadly, only about three years later when he was in RAF, John Grandage was killed in a flying accident at the age of 18 or 19.

By the way, the man standing between Dr Eker and Jock McKay was my Dad, Bill Sedgwick, a maths teacher at 'the Brushes' who died at the age of 36 after a Home Guard accident. Your father, Reginald Hartley, was a much-loved man and an excellent teacher. I was one of his pupils during the late 1940's, having been a student there from 1945 to 1952. He was one of the many many teachers at Firth Park who gave us such an excellent start in life.

Tony Sedgwick - 15 October 2004