THE BENTLEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL REUNION

 19^th July 2003 at the John Bentley School and The Talbot

 We assembled in a room in a block that didn’t exist when we were at the school, the bursar arranged for the whole of the main block to be unlocked so that we could wander. 

 The old 6^th form common room is now a classroom and has been enlarged, but we could still see the alcove where our coffee was made and where we hid the cider in the loudspeakers.

 With the exception of the removal of the coat hooks, the loos had not changed at all.  Great fun was had here and lots of wicked stories told.

 The dining room has been extended but is still in the same place.  The tuck shop has been replaced with vending machines - what, no Wagon Wheels or Jammie Dodgers!

 The bike sheds have gone and lots of new buildings have been erected.  There are 1200 pupils nowadays and they benefit from an entire block dedicated to languages, an arts block, a new assembly room and much more.  

 Our old assembly room has been carved up and now houses the admin offices.

 The Fynamore School is now a housing estate and the only access by car to the school is via the new road built when the sports centre opened.  The drive way allows pedestrian access only.

 Here’s a little history of the school.  John Bentley of Richmond, Surrey gave land to endow a free school for English to be taught and the trustees decided upon Calne.  A house was bought on The Green and a free school for 30 boys was opened c.1664.  In 1842 the original house was demolished to create a larger building on the same site.   In 1858 there were 50-60 pupils.   By 1891 the school was providing technical rather than traditional education and in 1901 it merged with the Calne Technical School to become a science school for boys aged 9 - 17 and was renamed Calne County School.  Girls were admitted from 1903 but were in a separate building until 1909 on The Green (a former silk mill on the northern side of the Green).  In 1907 it was renamed Calne County Secondary School.   Wiltshire County Council took the school over in the 1950s when it was renamed the Bentley Grammar School run by the LEA.   In 1957 the school moved to the site that we know, merged in 1974 with Fynamore using both sites until 1998.

 Dave “Poj” Weston has a brilliant web site on the school and a photo of us all in 1967, most faces have been named (hover your mouse over the face to see who’s who).  If you can name any of the few not identified, he will be pleased to hear from you.  www.CalneBGS.co.uk 

 Our reunion was a happy occasion; all had a brilliant time.  We met from 2pm and many carried on until The Talbot called time.  Any fears or trepidation melted as soon as we got together and with the help of many staff members who attended, a lot of memories and stories were shared.

 Here’s what was written in the visitors book:-

 Allan Baker

Retired from the John Bentley School in 1994 after teaching in the BGS from 1965-1974, then at JBS from 1974-1994.  Loved teaching in the community of Calne, a good town and people.  Married with 2 children, Rowena (at JBS 1984-91) and James (at JBS 1986-93).  It has been a pleasure meeting you all and hearing of all the interesting things you have done with your lives.  Well done!

 John Breddy

Attended but wrote nothing in the book.

 Sally Bovenizer

Living in Batheaston.
Married to Forbes Robertson for 14+ years , 2 children, Fiona (13) and Adam (10).  Work in a local primary school as Special Educational Needs Assistant.  Member of Vintage Motorcycle Club.

 Len Bradley

Kneesall, Notts
Married to Denise for 18 years, 3 children  Jenna (17) Megan (12)  Oliver (10)
Work for Nottingham City Council since 1980 as a Project Manager/Quantity Surveyor in the building department.

 Jon Buckeridge

Islington.  Works in training for London Borough of Lewisham

 Christine Buckland (Now Chris Bogie)

Cheddleton, Staffs
Married to Brian for 23 years, 3 sons Andrew (19), Jonathan (17), Patrick (12)

 Eleanor Carter (Ross)

Lives in Calne. Married Mike Ross on 15.8.81 with one son Elliott (20)
Worked at Barclays Bank for 5 years, then 20 years in the horse industry and now a Dame at Marlborough College.

 Leigh Cooper – now known as Leigh Thompson

Purton
I married Andrew Thompson (BGS) and we have two children – Amy 23 & Alistair 21. We are no longer married (to each other!) but still good friends. I am now married to Antony Lucas, but changing your name is such a drag….
I went to university after having my children and qualified as a teacher, then went back again to gain a research degree and publish a paper or two. I narrowly escaped life as a full-time academic. I am lucky enough to have enough work to choose from and, since Antony managed to escape from full-time teaching, we are very careful about what we undertake – we have decided to work as much as we need to and no more than we have to, in order to do more of those things we enjoy. They are: skiing (we spent the winter of 2001/02 working in the French Alps for a ski company), coast path walking, music (we sing in a chamber choir), travelling (look out for the purple camper van!), cycling, playing tennis, being outdoors generally, eating and drinking with friends etc. We will probably spend more of our time abroad in the winter and may move nearer the sea when the kids have finally moved all their stuff out of here(?!). 
When I do work it is as a lecturer in adult education – teaching teachers about teaching or managers about managing, an IT training consultant (rarely nowadays), or an editor (most recently of the “Where to Ski and Snowboard Guide 2004”).

 Mrs Norma Cooper (Dom Sci teacher)

Lives in Calne,
Retired from JBS in 1983.  Interests are cross stitched pictures and patchwork quilts, knitting and crochet.  I live on my own but spend quite a lot of time with my family of 6 children who have produced 15 grandchildren and two great grandchildren at last count.  I enjoy my garden especially observing the birds and squirrels as well as the flowers.  I still enjoy cooking and enjoy the challenge of limited facilities when my children take me on one of their economical holidays!  I am not interested in modern technology, e.g. TV, computers etc.

 Sue Davis (Mentz)

Married to David for 27 years, 3 children Gemma (20), Oliver (19) Toby (17)
Live in Exeter, chartered accountant.  Play fiddle for a dance band.

 Wendy Edwards

Oxford
Dropped out of college, worked at York Minster and was a nun for 10 years!  Worked in community development in Hackney, looked after a lady who’d had a stroke and earned lots of money.  Worked as a senior house mistress in Oxford.  Involved in Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.  Now do a little bit of training for the Oxfordshire Mental Health Care Trust and do some consultancy work (freelance) and campaigning.  Trying to keep fit with badminton, tennis and swimming.  Hand writing not improved!  I didn’t become a dandelion!

 Steve Franklin

Newbury
Married to Annie, no children.
Run own management consultancy, getting bored.
Starting business as portrait photographer.
Planning to become a gardener when I turn 60
Still got my hair.

Carol Goff

Married for 26 years, now Carol Sterland.  Spent 18 years in the civil service mainly training and particularly YTS.  Now I work part time as a Learning Support Assistant at our local comprehensive school in Market Deeping, South Lincolnshire.  I have 2 daughters aged 15 and 9 and still visit my parents regularly in Calne.

 Ray Glover (Lab Technician)

Left no notes

 Caroline Hitchens (Darlington)

Enfield
Married to Stuart since 1988 and one son aged 13.
Work in the travel business.  We have a take-us-as-you-find-us house and always welcome drop in guests!  

 Ken Lewis (Curly)

Nice to see all the older and younger faces.  Thanks for setting the day up.  I enjoyed the afternoon very much.  I trust the younger ones continued to chat about old times over a few drinks.  Did you all go off to The Talbot?  At one stage in my time at BGS I seem to remember doing a Deputy Head’s job of checking out the Talbot on the last day of term before the final assembly!  Anyway, those days are now gone!  But I did enjoy Saturday.

 Eva Linnegar (Geography) 

Littlehampton, W Sussex,
Brought her lovely rescue dog, Brandy, who entertained us all in the pub garden.  Makes lace.

 Dave Munden (teacher)

Weston, Stafford, Retired from full time in 1999.  Part time at Thomas Alleyne’s High School, Uttoxeter and Weston Rd Comprehensive in Stafford.  Senior examiner with OCR and Edexcel.  Part time tutor of undergraduate students.

 Laronda Nickless (Kirk)

Chippenham
Living with an Australian chef for the last 4 years.  Am an operations manager for a communications company, will move to Australia one day.

 Martin Peck

Teach horticulture at Bridgwater College.  Sound engineer in spare time, build big PA’s.  Married 26 years, 2 daughters.

 Jane Ridgwell

Calne 
Currently managing Marden Court Residential Home.  I’ve worked in residential care for older people since graduating (in librarianship)!  Always pleased to see visitors to Calne - especially if you want to visit and don’t have a local base.

 Kate Rickell (Hemmings)

Calne
Married to Mike for 29 years, 2 daughters Laura (22) Elizabeth (19)
Worked for Somerfield for 7 years in a variety of roles and stores.  Currently Deputy Manager at Dorothy Perkins in Chippenham.

 Christopher Rose

Left no notes, came all the way from a tiny village in Holland near to the border with Germany.  Makes lampshades.

 Mandy Ross (Herman)

Malmesbury, Wilts
Married 25 years to Gerard, one daughter aged 19
Work as a Nurse Practitioner and tutor.

 Shirley Rymer

Retired from BGS in 1989 after 10 years at BGS and 15 and JBS.  Still bell ringing (was Diocesan Guild of Ringers Education Officer for some years - not as grand as it sounds!)  Much involved now in One World Week and beginning to work on the history of BGS.  Please ring me if you have not received a questionnaire.

 Bob Stagg

Wrote no notes, still teaching at the JBS.

 Louise Thomas (Greenwood)

Alton, Hants
After a varied career in market research, personnel and librarianship and now working as a project librarian in Winchester, designing and refurbishing county libraries.  No children, but step children and grandmum!  Still visit Calne regularly as my mother lives in the town.

 Chris Tovey (at BGS 1968-71)

Currently in the process of moving home to Dereham, Norfolk
Ex military, married to Trish who is still serving in GARANC.  No children.  Avid traveller and photographer and part time author in military history - and general loafer!

 Adela Tomaszewski (Costello)

Live in Ramsey Cambridgshire, near Huntingdon/Peterborough.  Married to Keith for 27 years.  4 boys James (would be 23), Stuart (21), and twins Richard and Graham (19). Have done lots of things over the years but now own my own, private nursery school providing education for under 5s.  I am a town councilor and intend to become a district councilor next to start a career in politics.  Please email me, great to see everyone.

 Ruth Tucker (Davis)

Tuffley, Gloucestershire
Teaching in a family centre - under 5’s and their carers.  I love it!
I first taught in Somerset - Evercreech.  Then worked with special needs children at Tewkesbury.  Married John in 1980, we have 3 children aged 20, 19 and 14.  We worked in Zaire (Congo) for 10 years as missionaries (2 children born there).  Had a lovely time today - so good to catch up with everyone.  Hope we keep in touch.  Ruth’s husband John drives a Harley Davison, added fun was the motor bike rally in Calne at the same time!

 Shauna Vincent (Bodman)

Cherhill, Wilts
Was in the RAF, solicitor, housewife, mother, councilor, pain in the arse (no change!)

 Martin Wiffen

Lives in Worcester, left no notes

 Pat Wilkins

Chippenham
Great to be here, thanks for setting the day up.  Would love to hear from anybody in the future, there is always a bottle of wine and/or beer in the fridge for visitors!

 And those who did not attend said the following:-

 Catharine Tickner (Greig)

Norwich
Since leaving BGS in 1973..
66   spent 3 years at York University and ended up with a degree in linguistics
67   spent 2 more years in York (as it was a nice place), working as a bookseller (you could do that sort of thing then)
68   did a TEFL course (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
69   went to Milan for a year to teach English (very enjoyable, visited loads of Italian cities, learnt to ski)
70   returned to Cambridge where I re-encountered Jane Liverton who had married one of the people who had been on the same course as me at York.  Taught two more years of EFL.
71   Went back to Italy for a year to study and also worked as a teacher and bar maid
72   Came back to Cambridge, worked for a year at Heffers booksellers then did an MA in Library and Information studies at Loughborough
73   In about 1986 moved to Norwich, where I’ve been ever since and worked firstly at the university for 2 years (bought my first terraced house), then at Lotus Engineering (cars) where I met Daryl (husband-to-be) then at Motor Industry Research Unit
74   Married (finally!) in 1991, James was born in 1992 and Lucy in 1995
75   Once Lily was 2 I started doing some part time editing work from home and here I am in 2003 doing the same thing, happily ensconced in Victorian semi with rather sloping garden.  Like all middle aged people I now love gardening, but am also playing a lot of tennis when I can, getting  involved in a lot of school stuff with the children and enjoying life greatly.  Hope you have a great day on Saturday - greetings to all.

 Tony Cooper (maths)

Calne
I am afraid I cannot commit myself to attending as Ailsa is not too well these days due to MS.  However, I enclose £20 towards a round of drinks in the pub.  I hope you have a very pleasant day.
Tony - indeed we did and thanks for the drinks, we drank to your health.

 Helen Jackson

I am sorry that I will not be able to come to the reunion due to other long standing commitments.  I promise I will be there in spirit!!  I do hope that it is a success and that everyone enjoys themselves - if so it would be great to do it again in 2005 - yes I know most of us will be around the big 50 then - where did all those years go????

Thank you all for your contribution, we raised £24 which I am sending on to her in Swindon for her charitable good works for women suffering with gynaecological cancer.

 Heather Wheeler (history)

Cullompton
I am sorry not to be able to be there and hope you have a splendid do!  Please give my good wishes to any who might remember me.

 Judi Sargent (Fairbairn)

Reading
I wish everyone a happy day and send my best wishes.  I have recently taken up art in the form of stitched textiles and have 2 exhibitions later this year.  I have a daughter who graduates next month and a son in his first year at university.

 Maurice Liverton

Minehead
I hope your reunion goes well.  From what I hear about these things, you should be in for some pleasant surprises and some nasty shocks.  I’m far too decrepit (a bit of an exaggeration!) to attend, but to show my goodwill I enclose something towards the expenses.  And if you should issue some sort of bulletin afterwards, I’d like to have a copy.  I always like to know how you all have fared.

 Well, Maurice, here it is and thank you from all of us for the contribution to the bar bill, we drank your health and we missed you.

 Des Byron is in Saudi Arabia

 Janet Hall is in Australia

 Sally Jollans (Butler)

Went to Exeter University and read history, then Leicester University where trained as a museum curator and worked at Bethnal Green Museum for a few years.  Then met a Kiwi and got married, now sadly separated, but two delightful children, Terry nearly 18 and a computer whiz and runs his own web programming business and Laura aged 14 who’s into dancing and writing - not to mention socialising.  I now work as an office administrator in a private hospital and do the accounts for a hobby ceramics company and in my "spare" time I am a Brownie leader.  Would love to have an email from my old friends and hear what they have been up to - and hope you all have a great time at the reunion.

 Jennifer McKendrick

Lives in Yelland near Barnstaple
Greetings to everyone.  I hope all have a good time and share lots of happy memories, or even sad ones made acceptable by the passage of time.

 David Price (Music)

Lives in Market Lavington and works at Dauntsey School
My years at the BGS were very happy ones - there was so much fun!  Very, very best wishes for a fantastic evening.  The BGS was a super school at a marvellous time - and I felt very privileged to be part of it.

 David White (Music)

I must say I would find it very hard indeed to remember people that far back!  I've got so long in the tooth now, I can hardly remember students from a couple of years back.  I remain in teaching and am now at a little boarding school in the Cotswolds called Rendcomb College - a far cry from the BGS.  I am still a Director of Music but am also a housemaster for one of the boarding houses.  I actually retire next year.  That just goes to show how time has marched on.  All the best for your venture and if there is going to be a public remembrance session, please give my best wishes to all who might just possibly have remembered me - the music guy who came after David Price.  I bet David will be with you.

 Pip Bishop

Lives in Newton Abbott, Devon

 John Manley

Chippenham

 Tim Sankey

Intended to come but had to go abroad.  Please pass my regards to all.

 Mary Gibbard (Hansen)

Lives in Doveridge, Derbyshire

 Teresa Honey (Gregory)

Lives in Dilton Marsh near Westbury, married to Roy, one son Matthew (13)

 Alison Hughes

Lives in Burgess Hill, W Sussex
Married to Chris, 2 daughters Katharine and Harriet

 John and Ann Williams

Thank you very much for your kind invitation to the reunion but we have already got tickets to the British Open at Sandwich on that day.  Hope the reunion goes well – best wishes to everyone.

Tom "Arty" Harris

ascottharX@aol.com

 Brenda Jones (Palethorpe)

Lives in Hordle, near Lymington Hants

 Mike Russell (Biology)

Lives in Lockeridge near Marlborough.

 Mary Travell 

Lives in Wotton-under-Edge

 Susan Whittick

Still in Calne

 I have contact addresses for all those mentioned above but as they have not indicated their interest, I have not published them.  If you want to contact any of them, please let me know.  

Caroline Hitchens

Last updated
18th July 2004