Sporting Champions
The other day I received my old school magazine - Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School - and there was a tiny photo of 'Sporting Champions.'
It had a familiar look - I remember that gym tunic - so I reached for a magnifying glass and found my sister - long jumping champion. Slowly the names came back to identify the faces but not all. I'm still in touch with a chap in my sister's year - not on the photo, although he was brilliant at sports and together - over the phone we almost completed the naming. It must have been about 1942 so I was a mere upper thirder and most of these were lordly fifth and sixth formers.
On the second row, third boy from the left is - we - believe Ernest Tomlinson who was very big nationally in music. The boy right at the end of the second row was his brother, nicknamed Hawk Eye and fantastic at sport. The boy on his left, Peter Barcroft was a friend and tragically died whilst still a young man. The boy at the right end of the back row - even more tragically died in his teens.
My sister Margaret Geraldine Stephenson Barnes is on the front row - third from the left with white pumps - was good at sport, clever and good enough at art to be accepted by the Slade. And she played the piano. So unfair!
13 comments:
I like that they're all holding the exact same, staunch, pose. Don't know why that tickles me so much but it does.
They could not pose like that today because their body language would define them as defensive. lol What a neat picture.
Someone posed them all so carefully. Thanks for the stories behind the pictures. You make me remember too.
I have looked at old school photos and it hurts my head to try and remember all the names.
Mr Banish is right, they all look very disciplined!
Sx
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School?
Sounds like something out of a J. K. Rowling novel.
Nostalgia! Tempus Fugit and all.
Lancashire are we?
I reckon you sound like 'Bubble'(Jane Horrocks), from the television show Absolutely Fabulous.
"A family from Lancashire go on holiday to Benidorm and order some food. The father thinking his pie is lacking in gravy calls the waiter over saying, 'ast tha Bisto fort pah?' and the waiter says in a southern English accent, "I'm sorry, mate, I don't speak Spanish."
Exile: we had to be staunch - it was wartime but there were quite a few free spirits there.
Granny Annie: I must say I thoroughly approve of young girls - and old for that matter - keeping their knees together. And when in danger cross your legs:)
Mage: I was lucky that the local camera shop managed to blow up the tiny cutting albeit blurry.
Scarlet: you can bet your bottom dollar we were disciplined although I think the cane was kept for the juniors.
Aquarians: Jane was born and bred 2 miles from my home but I never had her very pronounced Lancashire accent and only have a trace now if I get angry. Even as a child folk would say I talked funny.
Love the joke:)
What a wonderful photo and story behind the faces.
Wow your family is so talented.
cheers, parsnip
I'm so old that when I was at school in nineteen hundred and frozen stiff they didn't have those new fangled camera things. A local artist came in and painted us in oils!
wow you can remember their names, I meet people who remember me from school and I don't have the foggiest who they are. But then I have trouble remembering what I did last week. :D
Parnip: Margaret was the talented one.
Keith: funny I thought I was older than you:)
Giveitanothergo: I had a little help from my old friend John.
Love the photo. What memories.Your sister was very talented but you are too!
I just love that Photograph....! Nothing like old pictures to bring back memories of that time...How great that you have this treasure.
Joey and Naomi: thank you:)
Post a Comment