Photo Description and Hyperlink ('click' on the underlined, coloured text)

Contributor

file size
(jpg unless specified)

‘Long' School Photographs

*1954 - Upper School
"I originally posted the 1954 Group photos on Friends Reunited a couple of years ago.  They were then displayed full size in the website.  Since then FR have altered their format and I agree that the pictures are now so small that they are almost useless.

My scanner will only accept A4 size so the original photo was scanned in three parts into Adobe Photoshop 7.  I then copied each A4 section into a different and full size (74cm x 21cm) document and rejoined them.  The result in Adobe 'psd' is very clear."

John Kirby ('51-56')

1.1MB

1962 - Lower School April.  Numbered subjects - matching the equivalent ‘Table of names’ (accessible under ‘Documents’).

Greg Heath ('59-'65)

900KB

*1962 - Lower School high resolution, un-numbered version of the above.

Greg Heath ('59-'65)

3.67MB

1962 - Upper School April, medium resolution.  Numbered subjects - matching the equivalent ‘Table of names’ (accessible under ‘Documents').

Jeff Lewis ('55-'61)

441KB

*1969 - Lower School - a 'merge' of 3 high-resolution scans of the long photo.

Cheryl Daniels (Steve Drinkwater) - ('68-'73)

1.6MB

1969 - Lower School - Names Diagram
Girls half (rhs)
Boys half (lhs)
If you are able to correct - or to contribute more - names, please contact us.

various
(Master copy created and maintained by CP)

650KB (gif)
720KB (gif)

*1969 - Upper School medium resolution (the 'Table of names' for this photo is accessible under 'Documents').

Lennie Bradshaw ('64-'71)

733KB

* 1973 - Upper School
This photo-merge comprises 5 individual, high-ish resolution scans.  The 'merge' was digitally lightened with 'Photoshop' for best facial rendition - but dark detail remains un-recoverable.  It was then sharpened by 60% (over 2 pixels).

Sandy Stodell (now Adams)
(Scan: Bob Ford)

2.4MB

1973 - Upper School - Names Diagram (v16, 2012)
If you are able to correct - or to contribute more - names, please contact us.

various
(Master copy created and maintained by CP)

680KB (gif)

Team Photos

'51/'52 Blackwell/Downer Soccer Team
Back row: Michael Sparkes, Rodney Crowe, ?, Gerald Houlahan (sic. - probably Gerard Olohan), Ronald Green, Peter Hammond, James Room*, Robert Eaton, Mr Woolrich. Front row: David Horler*, ? Hammicks, Dennis Bloxham, David Davies, ? Brookes, Alan Wilkinson.
* - Downer Grammar School pupils who shared the Blackwell school site during 1951 while their school was being built.

not known

caption via Coral Norton/Reilly

* Rugby First XV 1965-67
Demonstrating fore-thought, Chris helpfully recorded all his team mates’ names on the back of his 8" by 5" print.  From the rear left: Bob Gledhill, (‘Fred’) John Dwelly, Simon Hobbs, Phil Mead, Mick (‘Dave’) Holmes, (‘Gary’) Graham Marshall, ‘Sandy’ x; Chris Dunn, Dave Hull, Leigh Morris, Pete Loomes (Capt.), Pete Constantinou, Chris Thrift, John Davey; Alan Gamble and Bob Wynn.  Talut Abassi (not present) was team ‘reserve’.

Chris Thrift ('60-'67)

450KB

(‘de-speckled', 50% sharpened, saved as low quality ‘jpg’)

Sports Day 1961

All photos taken from 'DGSEUK'

Mel Williams, P Gould, Reeve, Tayler 

Andrew Forester

Davis, Barker, Knight and Gorsuch 

Jeff Lewis

Reeve and Davies

Andrew Forester

Spectators  Can you spot them? L-R from Paul Blakeley (standing), Roger Mead, Ken Robertson, Mick Bralsford, Bill Ford, Mick Patterson, Ralph Moore, Dave Dale, Stuart Lewis, Carol Holmes, Frances Studley (hidden), Jackie Ross (being shy), Chris Barr on the wall (R), laughing as the Jackie tries to hide from the camera, with Victor in foreground with white shorts.

Peter Hoyles

Peter Shepherd behind unidentified girls 

Andrew Forester?

Spectators

Peter Hoyles

* School Buildings

Copyright - if you wish to reproduce any of these images for other than personal-use then, as a courtesy, please ‘Contact us'.

A former pupil ('The Oracle' - who wishes to remain anonymous) has generously made available a number of high-quality, 35mm colour images of the exterior of the school - taken in late-June 1966 at about 16:30.
Take my arm, let's step-back over forty-five years and revisit some of our favourite old haunts together:

… starting, naturally, at the main gate and the Physics block.

'The Oracle'

311KB

The plaque by the Main Door reminds us that the school was "Founded 1950" - honest.

Oracle

265KB

… if we briefly time-travel to '74 - hold tight - we can scrutinise the plaque.  Hmmm, "H. J."?

Keith Halsey (originally posted on 'DGSEUK')

51KB

Cyclists, bound for the bike racks (and car drivers heading for the lower parking area), would have passed the lower entrance.

Oracle

240KB

From the left, the single-storey rooms are: Music Room, Library and Geography Room - taken from a Drawing Office window.

Oracle

245KB

While we are here let's nip up to the Prefects' Room to see if anyone is sneaking-in late … Gosh! - who stole all the cars?  In the distance: the 'Mount’.

Oracle

207KB

Library, walk-way, Geography Room and the weather-vane (fabricated by 'Team Biggar' and erected in about '61) - taken from the Craft Room.

Oracle

336KB

Spot the join?  A panorama of the school complex - from the bottom of the playing field.

Oracle

265KB

Rather fatigued by all the activity, we now need to rest and day-dream a while: ‘Harrow-on-the-Hill’ featuring a guest-appearance by the ever-popular ‘Queensbury Parade', Honeypot Lane.  The red brick tower at the foot of the hill was home to 'Harrow Tech'.  This early-morning photo was taken out of a Drawing Office window.

Oracle

298KB

Finally, during a round of golf up the ‘Mount’ at Stanmore, through a clearing, we catch a glimpse of Downer's twin towers (to the right of the tower-block towards the left) … and the memories come flooding back …

Oracle

93KB

Memorabilia

6th form badge

Oracle

22KB

Camrose Avenue probably taken in the early 60s, showing the Turner Road right turn.  Bridgewater Gardens was first left off Turner Road.  "This is the entrance to the school that I always used.  Many a time we trooped across this picture to get to the Carreras sports ground for games (which was the subject I loathed most at school)."

John Brown

Mr Woosley's car, an Austin A70 snapped by John in Harrow, probably in 1959.

John Brown

2010, John Brown and his wife, Meryl, at Lake Tekapo at the top of Mt John (New Zealand - where they now live) where an observatory is situated.

John Brown

Ex-pupil John Baldry - circa '56'

'Outside the Music Room' - a photograph from Long John Baldry - In the Shadow of the Blues, broadcast on Friday evening, 23 March 2007 (part of BBC4’s R & B night).  During the programme, John paid tribute to music teacher, Mr Evans, for his influence on John's music.

A few interesting facts that emerged about John during the programme were: he was a choirboy at St Lawrence Church, he founded a Jazz and Blues Appreciation Society at the school in about '54, his father was a policeman and the name of his partner was Felix.  Also in the programme, portly purveyor of popular prose, Reg Dwight, claimed, for his stage name, to have combined 'Elton' from the name of his hero, English jazz saxophonist Elton Dean, with LJB's christian name.

In a departure from his traditional material (Blues), the 6ft 7inch Baldry topped the UK charts for two weeks in November '67 with 'Let the Heartaches Begin'

* School Trips

August 1966 trip to Greece (mainly by rail) via Milan, Ancona, Brindisi and the Corinth Canal and returning via Rome.  Led by The Barkers and Miss Bewley

Girls
5th form: Jackie Avadis, Linda Brace, Diane Brignell, Audrey Blair (from Chandos - now married to Leon Parker and living in NZ), Sheila Jennings, Jennifer West, Marilyn Miller, Janice Smyth, Monica Raddan (deceased c.1999), Sue Rogers, Robina Watson (widowed), w, x, y, and z;

lower 6th: three girls … but, to my eternal shame, I am unable to name any of them;

upper 6th: Christine Mee, Lesley Morgan, Claire Barker and Christine ..., the Barkers' niece.

Boys
5th form: Reg Thomas (now in USA), Neil Keidan (now at Nottingam), Robert Arnott (Birmingham);

lower 6th: Paul James, Laurie Moore, Albert Cliss, x, y;

upper 6th: Martin 'Waste-meister' Straus, Colin Poyton.

Day three - preparing to board the overnight ferry, Atreus, at Brindisi.  Miss Bewley and friends are seduced into making a (chilled?) quayside purchase.  Mr Barker lurks between Paul and Laurie.  A shock of Mrs Barker's black hair is just visible behind Linda Brace.  A straw-hatted, Neil Keidan, Downer's persistent CND activist, patrols the perimeter.

C.P.

540KB

Lesley Morgan, facing away from us, preparing to snap the Barkers' niece, the guide and 'x' in front of the massive, central column of this temple.

C.P.

338KB

Our guide takes a tentative step across the ruins.

C.P.

414KB

Unfortunately this photo comprises mainly the backs of our group queuing to enter an historic site.  But obligingly, Jackie Avadis turns as she is distracted by a nagging spider bite (which eventually required six months treatment by a skin specialist) … Albert Cliss and ace pal, Linda Brace, trot to the rescue.

C.P.

245KB

Festering remains … of an historic site.  Something seems to have attracted the attention of the party.  Mrs Barker, followed by Jackie, scampers off leaving Dora Bewley struggling with her camera.  Linda Brace, followed by Robina, explores the outskirts as Albert Cliss, Monica and Sue provide close-in support to Tina, our guide.

C.P.

650KB

1966 - Viewing a restoration.  I am afraid this is another, mostly 'backs', group photo … but, from the left, I spy: Martin Straus, Reg Thomas, (tiny) Lesley Morgan, Sheila Jennings … Marilyn Miller, Jackie Avadis in her 'hooped' dress … 'Dave' Cliss, Linda Brace, the Barkers' niece, the guide, Mrs Barker, Monica Raddan, ?, Sue Rogers.

C.P.

240KB

1966 - Our tour-guide demonstrates to the ever-attentive Misses Jennings, Brace, Bewley, Smyth (eyes-only) and Miller how to prepare a ham sandwich - Robert Arnott is otherwise occupied.

C.P.

157KB

Scaling the Acropolis

C.P.

108KB

Late afternoon in Athens.  More ‘backs'.  ‘Up the Acropolis' - from the left: ?, Diane, Christine, Miss Bewley, Jackie, Linda, ?, ?, Claire Barker, Mrs B, Mr Barker is occluded by the guide, Albert, Jennifer, Laurie (scalp), Lesley, x, Monica, Sue, Janice, Marilyn, Martin.  Those several, big, brightly coloured, 'blanket' bags were a popular local acquisition; and mmm - short shorts … five years before the debut of ‘hot pants'.

C.P.

463KB

(A less-compressed copy of the photo on FriendsReunited.)  In awe of the temple, from the left: ?, Mr Barker, Paul, Reg, Albert (squatting), Lesley, ?, Linda, ?, ?, ?, Jennifer, Sue, ?, Janice (hair-only), Sheila, Audrey, Diane, a relative of the Barkers, Martin, ?, Christine Mee (cuff), ?

C.P.

470KB

1966 - sat in a temple - Laurie Moore (smoking), (female '?'), male behind her ?, Paul James' back, female ?, female ?, Lesley Morgan stares impassively, 'Dave' Cliss partly hides a diminutive Reg Thomas.

C.P.

174KB

Except for the waiter, everyone in this terrace bar was on the school trip.  The choice of headware, given that it was the '60s, was commendably protective.

C.P.

292KB

* Recent Reunions

Westminster College Garden Concert - August 2008

Col, Sheila, Anna, John, Patricia, Di, Cristina, Jenny, Chris

292KB

Westminster College Garden Concert - August 2007

Hell's Grandpas.  Bob Beasley ('62-'69) and John Clayton wisely opted to travel to the August '07 re-union in Westminster College Garden on these gleaming mounts.  Not only could they stay cool, but they also avoided London's Congestion charges and parking charges too …
… oh yes: a baby Harley-Davidson and a '70s vintage BMW.

'Bikemen'

Colin, John;
Alison ('68), Alan ('69) and Bob

Alison and Alan reviewing family photos

C.P.

c. 350KB

Westminster College Garden Concert - August 2006

Diane Brignell, Sheila Jennings and Alan Purveur.

C.P.

125KB

Diane, Sheila, Alan and Colin scorching in Westminster.

C.P.

233KB

January 2006

ex-Greece '66 - trippers … 40 years on.
Outside the Royal Academy.  Three roses: Jackie Avadis, Diane Brignell and Sheila Jennings, between Colin Poyton and Robert Arnott.

C.P.

43KB

‘… in whom we entrust the education of our progeny’   Refusing to grow old gracefully: the colourful … the irrepressible … the thoroughly outrageous (fortunately) … Diane Crocker (Brignell) entertaining Bob Arnott - both aged 15 years … and-a-bit!

C.P.

62KB

December 2004

3 at Thrifty's.  From the left: Colin Poyton, Colin Tigg, and Chris Thrift struggling to recall missing names from the ‘62 Lower School long photo.

C.P.

84KB

* You can enlarge some images (depending on your browser) by hovering the cursor over them (with MS IE you then need to wait about 3s and click on the ‘expand' icon when it appears).