The JAB was head when I was at F.G.S. and he was a bit odd but his No. 2, Brin Thomas
was a legend, he taught us Latin and we were not easy boys to teach. I started in 2b with 18 in the
class and moved into the ‘A’ stream the following year as a group of 16. Some classes like
Latin, were only eight strong which made things very easy.
I had passed the ‘scholarship’ at Park Junior School and caught one of five
school buses from outside ‘The Traco’ (Aldershot & District Traction Co.) building every
morning at 8:20. Of all my five years of travel the highlight of the journey was
a bra hanging from a tree outside Farnboro‘ Tec. Everyone who did that journey
knew about it and speculation about how it got there was rife in those image starved days.
I was more interested in football so Beefy Bullock, and sometimes
W.C. (Boggy) Bishop, were most likely to get my attention. Tom Pascoe was the
woodwork man -and also in charge of the MT Section of the cadet force, so
through him I got to ride a motor bike (a 125cc BSA Bantam) and drive a khaki
painted truck. Big stuff at the time. Tom was one of the good guys. Had a pronounced
limp. His son Ming was a 5th former then. People like Tommy Junior (PT and
Cadets) and Dicky Richards Senior (Geography) are remembered mainly for their bullying
ways - the latter claiming to be at university with, and far superior to, Richard Attenborough!
One of the scandals, but satisfying at the time, was when a 5th former punched Tommy Jnr.
Can’t be sure of his name but it may have been Sam Savory; someone is sure to remember.
One memorable guy - he didn’t last long, was Fletcher-Thomas (known
as Flash Thomas). He was the archetypal WW2 fighter pilot with a handlebar
moustache and 3-litre Bentley. He taught English.
Monsieur Duc was a visiting French master who took some of us anxious to escape
the harshness of Charlie Sweet. Monsieur Bonbon! Actually, Charlie was OK. He used
to go for a pint at the nearest pub - top of Prospect Avenue, turn left 100 yards
on the left, almost opposite Bradford’s Garage.
Fritz Barratt took German and music - I still know the words from Brahms Lullaby.
In German class he insisted we all chose German names and only addressed each other
by them. He would not allow me Adolf so I became Gotz. (mit umlaut). And poor
Dickie Richards Junior (RK) did not stand a chance against Form 4a - they know who they
are; Bob Sharp, Tony Rayner, Dave Stapleton, Mike Hastings, John Rowell. Probably all
doing time now! Nuncs was also called Uncle George so I was surprised to see
his real name. Lovely person.
Doc. Nash was another legend. Introduced me to Capt W.E. Johns and Biggles. Well after
all that, I’d like to think it made me a rounder person - I went from eight years
in the police to the real world and ended up managing an American computer company.
I’m now 74, married, two successful kids and looking back on what I’ve
just written, pretty damn smug! Delighted to see in Alfa
though, that I took 7 for 19 against Cove and top scored in that game. One for the grandchildren…
and kids, and wife, and boys in The White Horse on Sunday.
Geoff Theakston : April 2011