Society of Old Priceans

Michael - Kevin's thoughts sparked off some of my own. Although the 1969 photo was taken some four years after I had left Price's, I knew or was taught by a number of the masters in it, although there are also a number of younger ones I never knew.

Tom Hilton

There can't be many Old Priceans who weren't taught by Tom! I had him for just the two years leading up to O-level Chemistry and my main recollection is that, having explained the laboratory method for doing whatever the experiment the day was, he then told us how it was done by industry in the real world. This we encouraged, as it delayed actually doing any work. My main recollection of his sterner side was when one of the buglers in the CCF band took his bugle mouthpiece, minus the instrument, into the cloakrooms, inserted it into one of the long metal tubes running along the coat-racks and sounded Reveille! The acoustics made it echo round the building. Tom came rushing in, furious, but was most perplexed at not finding any culprit with a bugle! (If you're reading this e-mail, Tom, now you know!)

Ron Garton

Another chemist, know by our generation not as 'Dome' but 'Gunge', which I understand was an abbreviation of 'Gunga Din' although no-one knew why. (Does anyone out there?) As younger boys, we were all a bit scared of him and his mantra of "It's your job to know these things!", said in a voice that always reminded me of Mr Growser in the 'Larry the Lamb' children's serial. (Good grief, how these things come back when you start reminiscing like this!). He always seemed to start lessons by telling us what we had done last time and were about to do next time, so there was never very much time actually to do the lesson in hand. He went up markedly in our estimation when we were told he had once played professional football for Arsenal. Whether this was true or not I am not sure (I suspect it might have been for the Reserves) - but we were very impressionable at that age.

Cyril Briscoe

Woodwork and technical drawing master extraordinaire, and a real nice guy as one grew older and got to know him better. He was i/c the RAF section of the CCF which, as he was actually an Army section captain, always struck me as as slightly perverse of him! My abiding memory is the appalling smell of his fish glue boiling away in little iron pots in the old green hut which served as the woodwork shop!

Bruce Vail

Another character who terrified the younger boys (me included at the time). He was always nicknamed 'Twitch' as I recall - his nervous tic together with his rather cold manner made me feel later on that he was actually extremely shy underneath. I had him for Latin for most of my time at Price's, including A and S level. He was very assiduous and put himself out to help you if he thought you were trying - but, as Kevin says, he always seemed rather aloof and remained so even with VIth formers. He told us he had previously worked for the Coal Board, which I always thought an odd thing to do with a First in Classics, but there you are. The one bit of humour I recall from him is his theory that schooling happens the wrong way round -children should go down mines and up chimneys when they are young and love getting dirty, but should then start their education in their twenties, which is when they usually start saying they wished they had paid attention at school. I think this was said as a joke, but ....

Bob Gilbert

Unlike Kevin, I never thought Bob looked like Neil Sedaka - but then I knew him since we were both seven years old. He and I both attended Funtley Primary School, along with Nigel Davies (and when am I going to get that e-mail, Nigel?). Bob's father was headmaster there, and we all went on to Price's together. He and I played quite a bit of music together at the time - Bob on piano, me on flute. I also would like to know where he has got to - he's somewhere in the Far East, I have been told.

That will have to do for now. But when are we going to hear more of the old time 'greats' (Bert Shaw, Royds Jones et al) - not to mention more about Tom! Let' s hear from more of you out there!

Dr Smith recalled by George Heyd-Smith

Reference Dr. Smith, I seem to remember him arriving circa 1964 - he taught us sixth formers organic chemistry - we sometimes referred to him as "sniffer" due to his habit of encouraging us to inhale the aromas of organic compounds we had made - his particular favourite was ethyl acetate or "pear drops" - - I hope he didn't start a trend for inhaling other substances - I still love the smell of those compounds - give me a highlighter pen and I'm anybodies!!

I also remember that he became a father around 1965 time - it might have been his first one as seemed so a) overjoyed and b) knackered - obviously due to lack of sleep

Tom Hilton taught us physical chemistry in the 6th - and thankfully no more of "Gunge" - and yes I do remember his - "You should know these things!" cry of anguish. I do remember we sometimes referred to him as "Dome" and I certainly remember being marched to the Head's study for calling him "Ginger" from the 2nd floor window of the Chemistry block as we espied him one lunchtime looking for wild flower specimens on the waste ground near the CCF hut. Cunning s*d effected not to have heard but must have sauntered into the Physics lab and then sprinted through it and up the stairs to catch me almost red-handed just closing the window - I and another who I can't remember got 5 of the best off of Bert - I guess he might have felt some kindred spirit and hence held off the 6th stroke which I was expecting.

George Heyd-Smith.

A welcome update from Max Perrin........

Quite by chance a very good friend of mine ( himself an old Pricean of very short tenure) mentioned the the SOP web-site. Scrolling through it I found myself referred to as one of the 'one-time' young members of staff of whereabouts unknown.

As it happens I have never been far away (as is true of many ex-Prices staff!) I taught chemistry between 1964 and 1969, and must have missed the 1969 photograph by a few months. I moved to (then) Havant Grammar School and stayed as it too converted to a Sixth Form College. The College and I have gradually aged and mellowed together.

I still teach a little chemistry although much of my time is now devoted to administration and such mundane matters as quality assurance.Incidentally, my Programme Area Manager for Biological Sciences is one Hugh Smith who I taught! I have seen Andy Jay (German and goal-keeping) on and off throughout this time. He ended up as a Senior Lecturer at South Downs College and has only recently taken early retirement and intends moving to France.

Oddly enough, I met Mike Parfitt (Biology - known I believe as 'Rastus') two or three years ago having had no contact with him since he left Prices . His daughter was a prospective student. He was Head of Midhurst Grammar at the time. Some correspondent referred to a chemist, 'Dome' .That would have been Dr. Phil Smith who left to go to Tauntons in Southampton, to be replaced by Dave Stephens. I guess you know Dave,(perhaps still playing dominos with Tom Hilton?) but I don't know about Phil, who retired quite a few years ago.

Ted Light and "Smudge" Smith

P.S.Chapman

M. A. Jay