1970-71 Photo Memories
Paul Dawkins has sent a rogues gallery of photos from his final year at the School - 1970/71, including for the record, a shot of that year's prefects.
Paul Dawkins has sent a rogues gallery of photos from his final year at the School - 1970/71, including for the record, a shot of that year's prefects.
Brigadier Ernest Goode, CBE who attended BGS in the early 1920s had a long military career. He was commissioned into the Royal Army Service Corps and soon after seconded for duty with the Sudan Defence Force, 1935-43. Following this wartime service he was appointed aide-de-camp to The Queen, 1959-62.
If you want to hear more about his time in the Sudan, a recording of his experiences in the Sudan is available on the Imperial War Museum's website:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80004261
We have belatedly learnt of the election of Old Bordenian Peter Butler to be a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Peter is Professor of Physics at the University of Liverpool. His election was for his work as an experimental nuclear physicist. For those who may understand it, he studies the phenomenon of reflection asymmetry in atomic nuclei and the structure of the heaviest elements.
We have learnt that Old Bordenian Trevor Dadson, 72, died in January 2020.
We have been contacted by the son of Lewis William Leonard Chelton to inform us of the sad news of his death on 11 February 2020. Lewis attended Borden Grammar School from around 1946 to 1950.
Simon (his son) tells us that on a holiday last year to Montrichard in the Loire valley, Lewis talked fondly of a school trip there likely in 1947 or 1948.
After leaving the School, Lewis joined the Royal Navy as a 16 year old entry in January 1951.
If any Old Bordenians have further recollections of Lewis, please send to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Given the UK government's recent advice on social gatherings and to protect the welfare of our members, we have postponed this years OBA Dinner which was due to take place on Saturday 21st March. We have already informed those who had paid for places.
Although we cannot foresee how long the current advice will prevail, but we hope to still rearrange this for some time in 2020.
Alan May (1955-62) has been in touch to share some memories and photographs of his time at the School.
Jonathan Hopkins has left his role as Headmaster at the School at the end of 2019. He moves onto a school closer to his home in Canterbury.
We have received the sad news that the Rev. Stanley Evans passed away in December 2019. Rev. Evans was a stalwart of the OBA and known by many Old Boys through his work with the School and Association.
Richard Charles Harris (who attended the school 1955-1961) died on December 30th at his home in Essex. His funeral will be held on 10th February at 1.30pm at the South Chapel, Chelmsford Crematorium. His family, who informed us of this sad news, noted that Richard often spoke fondly of his memories of the School and enjoyed attending the Old Boys Reunions.
It has been reported that the School's old site in Sittingbourne is close to being sold off. Following BGS moving to its current site in 1929, the old school buildings have been used for a variety of uses, latterly an Adult Education College.
Martin Ralph has sent us a photo of the School U13 football team of 1966. In Martin’s own words “If memory serves me we played something like 23 games in two seasons and only lost once”.
For many years the OBA held an additional annual gathering for those OBs who came from Sheppey during their time at the School. We are looking into holding these dinners once more. If you hail from Sheppey or used to live there during your School days and are interested in meeting up, drop Neil Hancock a line on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
As those who studied history at the School will know, the First World War formally ended in 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. As we prepare to mark that final WWI centenary, there have been two noteworthy events to report on. There is also an important date for your diary.