News Compendium

If so, this year marks the 50th anniversary of that life-changing event!! Anthony Lock is organising a reunion of as many boys from the 1967 intake as possible at the OBA Annual Dinner, to be held on 25 March 2017 at the UK Paper Leaisure Club in Remembrance Avenue, opposite the school.  Full details of the dinner and how to book are available on this website - see OBA Annual Reunion Dinner. If you would like more details of this reunion, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will forward your message to Anthony.

Mark Costen has provided two photographs from the 1956/57 era which include his uncle Michael Austin, sadly no longer with us. 

This year's Annual Reunion Dinner will be held on Saturday 25th March at the UK Paper Leisure Club, opposite Borden Grammar School in Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne at a cost of £20.  The UK Paper Clubhouse bar will be open from 6.00 pm, with dinner at 7.00 pm. The guest speaker will be Phil Bromwich, a school governor for many years.  

To reserve a seat, please complete the details below and post to: Mike Pack, Tithe Barn Bungalow, Carriers Road, Cranbrook, TN17 3JU (tel: 01580 713236) with a cheque for £20 per person.  If you would like to pay by Bank Transfer, please contact Mike for details.  Please book by Saturday 11th March. Further information, including a prepared booking slip, is contained in this document:  Dinner Letter 2017.

Please reserve............. places @ £20.00 each for the following member(s) (main contact first). Please make cheques payable to: Old Bordenian Association:

Name(s):

Years attended school:

Email address(es):

Telephone no:

Special dietary requirements:

Richard Parkin has let me know that a group of old boys at the school between 1987-1992 are planning to attend this year, marking the 25th year of their leaving and hope others from the same period will join them.  If you wish to contact Richard regarding this, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will pass on your email. 

Details of the dinner have been emailed to all OBA members.  If you are a member and have not received an email, we either don't have your email address or we have an incorrect / old address for you.  If this is the case, could you send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  to ensure we keep you up to date with news and updates.

Denis Jarrett MBE       21 October 1922 – 13 January 2017

It is with regret that we announce the death of Denis Jarrett, MBE.  Denis left Borden Grammar School in 1941 and was an active member of the Old Bordenian Association for very many years.  Denis passed away on Friday 13 January 2017. His funeral was held at 10:00 on Monday 30th January at the Garden of England Crematorium, Bobbing, Kent and then at the Mess Deck, The Historic Dockyard Chatham. 

This article from the Kent Live site provides brief details of the life of Old Bordenian Lester Haines, who died earlier this year: Lester Haines - Kent Live.

Old Bordenian Cliff Cork (BGS 1965-1972) has discovered several photos from the archives of Sittingbourne Heritage Museum. A few sporting members of the committee have added some details, but if you can provide any missing names or dates, please send them to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 Sports day - senior mile

Date: unknown.

Runners: Stevens (right); Lewis (left)

Spectators: John Weekes - right, Ken Booth -left (Latin), Mr Bishton - to the right of Ken Booth

The 99 Old Bordenians who gave their lives in the two world wars and other conflicts were remembered in a service at Borden Grammar School on Saturday 12 November 2016 attended by more than 20 people including relations of the fallen and members of the OBA committee.

A number of Old Bordenians have hit the headlines in the past few months.  The following links will take you to their respective items.

Peter Millican:  How JK Rowling was unmasked and Peter Millican sceptical of the Matrix Theory 

Lloyd Amsdon, Stuart Hennell and Matt Bowling: Former BGS pupils - successful company

Professor Nicholas Sims-Williams: Denis Sinor Gold Medal 

If you are aware of any other notable successes of Old Boys that would be worth sharing, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Graham Barnes (BGS 1937-44), who died on 9 October 2016, aged ninety, was a stalwart supporter of both Borden Grammar School and Old Bordenian Association for more than 70 years.  The funeral was held on Wednesday 26 October at 12:40pm at Charing Crematorium and afterwards at the Mercure Maidstone Great Danes Hotel.

Born in Sheerness, Graham received his early education at the Broadway School, where he began his lifelong friendship with Ken Sears (d. 2014) and entered Borden Grammar School in 1937. His studies were interrupted two years later by the outbreak of the War, and he was one of those pupils evacuated to Pengam in South Wales with Messrs. Highton, Higson and Snelling.