Farnborough Grammar School

Prospect Avenue, Farnborough, Hampshire

Telephone : Farnborough 539
Cove Junior School
Many of my friends at F.G.S. had, like me, graduated from Cove Junior, Fernhill Road where Mr. Grigg was the unloved tyrant of a headmaster. How we cheered when he fell headlong down the concrete stairs and broke his leg while chasing his intended victim who had run from Grigg’s office in an attempt to escape another caning! Thanks to Lindsey Pratt we have an eye witness report, see foot of this page. Despite Grigg’s widespread unpopularity (among parents too) he parked his Ford Consul in the school playground daily and no one ever vandalised it.

A feature I remember well from the first year of Cove Junior School is that we were equipped with an abacus, a small wooden edged slate and a stick of chalk. How did we learn anything without a white board fed from a central file server and a laptop each?

Miss Goodard's message
Memories : 1955 - 1960		 Mary Mullins provides some thoughts and recollections about Cove Junior in the late 1950s. Click on the card (left) to read them.
Cove Junior top infants class
Top Infants		 Cove Junior bottom junior class
Bottom Juniors		 The rain pattern on the ground indicates that the two group photographs which appear alongside were taken on the same day. I am not pictured in the same class as the majority of my F.G.S. friends. This is because my birthday is in late September and the school couldn’t make up its mind whether I should be oldest or youngest in the class. The latter was eventually chosen which is why I first entered F.G.S. when only ten years old. Not a good idea in my opinion.
Cove Junior year 3 football team
Year 3 Football Team : 1952-53		 Cove Junior year 4 football team
Year 4 Football Team : 1953-54		 These photographs come from Philip Fouracre of Cripley Road and Lindsey Pratt from the Pyestock Estate respectively.

Football was not my game of choice; British Bulldog, crazy tag games in the playground, marbles aimed at small drain holes and flicking milk bottle tops was about the pinnacle of my sporting aspirations. The compulsory Maypole dancing is perhaps best not mentioned!
Cove Junior year 4 football team
Year 4 Football Team : 1956-57		 Cove Junior year 4 football team
Year 4 Football Team : 1959-60		 The football photographs are from Barry Cooper and John Winterbourne respectively.
Cove Junior Nativity play
Nativity : 1953		 Cove Junior Nativity play
Nativity : 1953		 Two slightly mystifying Cove Junior photographs from Phil Fouracre, lovingly preserved by his mother for more than fifty years. Mystifying because the costumes successfully disguise the participants who cannot be named except that Phil is able to say his brother John is second from left (1st photo) and third from left (2nd photo). Does anyone recognise themselves? Click either photo to see both enlarged.
Cove Junior Coronation pageant
Coronation Pageant : 1953		 Cove Junior Dreams Drama
Bed Time Story : 1955		 The Coronation photograph comes from Philip Fouracre. The tableaux featured represents Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visiting the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851.

The second photograph is from Paul Lamont who is the Gollywog in striped trousers. To read his recollection of the event, click the image.
End of term reports
A couple of C.J.S School Reports from Paul Lamont who writes…

Reports average, above and below,
Our potential beginning to show.
It has to be realised, not wasted.
But all the best fruits of life tasted.
Will we ever know?
© Paul Alexander Lamont 2010

Lin Pratt was involved in the Grigg leg-breaking incident. His recollection is that along with Bullock and John Bozzoni he was found playing too close to the air-raid shelters for which sin Grigg judged a caning was appropriate. Bullock repeatedly pulled his hand away from the descending weapon while the red faced Grigg’s rage steadily increased. Eventually Bullock fled the scene and leapt the concrete flight of stairs just outside Grigg’s office and the aggressor got his just deserts. All three boys escaped their caning from what Lin calls “a horrible man”.

Click any image above to see a larger version.

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