Down Memory Lane

Continuing the publishing of old GCE papers, this link will take you to the 1973 English Literature 'O' level paper - https://flic.kr/s/aHskBNB75V. As usual, click on the individual pages to expand.

Continuing the publishing of old GCE papers, this link will take you to the 1969 French 'A' level paper - https://flic.kr/s/aHskCzU2st. As usual, click on the individual pages to expand.

Continuing the publishing of old GCE papers, this link will take you to the 1959 Maths 'O' level paper - https://flic.kr/s/aHskyug7Er. As usual, click on the individual pages to expand.

As we approach the end of the traditional GCE examination season, I thought it would be appropriate to reproduce a number of examination papers from earlier years.  These were published on the original website a few years ago, but were lost when we moved to the new site in 2013.  I have added the papers to the OBA Flickr site as it is easier to expand the papers to a legible size.

This link will take you to the 1962 History 'O' Level paper (now GCSE) - https://flic.kr/s/aHskytcSE5. Click on the individual pages to expand.

Richard Evans recounts his memories of the 1962 production of "The Pirates of Penzance", along with associated documents of the occasion:

This year celebrates (!?) 40 years since the class of 1968 - 1975 left the school.  I have been sent a picture of the prefects of that final year; this is reproduced below.  I note that, to comply with the ruling at the time on the length of hair being above the collar, hairstyles grew high and wide!!

When I took on the task of launching a new website in 2008, one of the first series of articles that was published that year was an account of the move of the school from its original premises to its current location in 1929, produced by the late John Macrae, a stalwart of the school and the Association.  When we moved the website to be hosted alongside the School website, this article, one of the most popular in the first couple of years of the original website, became unavailable to visitors to the site.  I felt this needed to be rectified and have therefore reproduced the article below - I hope you enjoy it.

The son of Old Bordenian John Doran has provided us with a couple of photographs of Borden Grammar School evacuees that were sent to Lewis School, Pengam in the Rhymney Valley in South Wales in 1940.  Unlike most of the others, John's family decided to stay in S Wales when the rest returned.

Were you a Borden pupil 25 years ago?  When there were no First or Second Formers (or should that be Year 7 and Year 8 students in modern terms?) wandering the corridors.  If so, you may find the 1989 Borden School magazine, reproduced below, of interest.  Do any of the reports within the magazine jog memories?  Feel free to share your thoughts with other Old Boys by sending them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I'll publish on this website.

This photograph of the Borden Grammar School team who won the Kent Schools 220 yards Relay Championship in 1945 was sent in by Ken George (1937-1945) who was an outstanding sprinter at School.  At London University, he clocked 10.1 for the 100 yards, and 23.2 for the 220, which was some going in those days.  He once raced against the Usain Bolt of the post-War era, the Jamaican E. McDonald Bailey.  Unfortunately, he lost!

Back row, l to r : Geoff Holland, Frank Horlock (the Old Salt), Peter Kitcatt

Front row : John Allard, Ken George, Bill Allard