250 years plus
Peter Lusted writes about a tradition that embodies the OBA spirit:
For the past few years a small group of Old Boys have had occasional meetings during the year culminating in a Christmas meal.
News Compendium
OBA Constitution Adopted at EGM 30 November 2023
For a formatted printable copy of the Constitution, please click on this link:
/images/OBA-Constitution-Revision-Adopted-30-Nov-2023.pdf
THE CONSTITUTION of the OLD BORDENIAN ASSOCIATION
(Revision Adopted by Member Vote at EGM 30 November 2023)
Do you remember Peter Jordan?
We are aware of an OB, Peter Jordan, who died in service of the North Rhodesia Police in 1964. North Rhodesia became independent of Britain as Zambia in 1964. OBA Archivist Marc Stewart is researching Peter and would welcome contact with any OBs who were at School with Peter or contact with him after School days. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In Remembrance: Michael Simpson
As we draw near to Remembrance Day we remember the last Old Bordenian known to have fallen in service of his country. Michael Simpson (who left the School in 1972) served with the Royal Engineers before being commissioned in the Staffordshire Regiment. He was shot whilst on patrol in Northern Ireland by IRA gunmen on 3 October 1974 and died three weeks later, aged twenty-one.
Borden Grammar School Extension Update - July 2023
The New Building is taking shape above ground, where a white skeleton has arisen to rival anything the Natural History Museum can display !
John Frederick Hearn (Teacher)
Following notification from his son, we note the death on 4th July 2023 of John Frederick Hearn, teacher at the School during the 1960s.
Mark Sayer (OBA Committee) offers this personal tribute to his old teacher:
Ronald Swan
We are sad to report the death of Ronald Swan who was at the School from 1936-41. His grandaughter Catherine contacted us to pass on the news. Ron passed away on 27th April 2023 aged 97.
Jonny Webb - OB 1990-1995
We regret to report the passing of Jonathon (Jonny) Webb who attended the School between 1990 and 1995. His friend and fellow OB John Gardiner has provided this fulsome tribute to a life well-lived but sadly ended by cancer at the early age of 45 on 2nd April.
Jonny attended Borden Grammar between 1990 and 1995. I knew Jonny from later in his life, but we overlapped at Borden for a while and we used to joke that I might once have given him a detention. ‘Did you become a prefect?’, I much later asked Jonny. ‘No!’, he replied, with a vigorous shake of the head and one of those amused grimaces which always signalled, for him, awareness of perhaps a little more fun enjoyed than sticklers might have condoned. Jonny once described his time at Borden to me as lively. (‘Lively’ was a very Jonny adjective.)
Borden Grammar School Extension Update - April 2023
The extension project has become a reality, with visible groundworks – it looks like a proper building site should.
'Tis the Season to be Jolly (Good)
Construction begins on new School extension - February 2023
We have reported previously on the plans to expand the School through the building of a new extension.
Ted Hobday, Ken George and John Godfrey
With great regret we announce the deaths of three Old Bordenians in recent weeks.
Reflections on International Holocaust Day
Old Bordenian Mark Sayer lived in Germany during the 1990s. As part of his travels through the newly opened Eastern Europe, he visited Auschwitz. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, he provides a thought-provoking piece on that experience and his reflections: