News Compendium

For the past few months, Colin Wiles and Bill Bailey have been organising a reunion to "celebrate" leaving Borden Grammar School 50 years ago.This took place on Friday 6 June 2014 and Bill has produced the following report of the event:

We have received information regarding the exploits of an Old Bordenian via a former teacher of the school (Les Olive, who was the guest speaker at the last OBA Reunion Dinner). Les's email is reproduced below.

It is tempting to file exactly the same end of season report as last year’s having experienced two remarkably similar back to back seasons in the Sittingbourne 5-a- side League.  However ....

Caught in the act: The OBA’s hon secretary Chris Laming snaffles some carbs at a lunch stop during the Demelza 101, a charity cycle ride from Sittingbourne to Paris in aid of the Sittingbourne based Demelza Hospice Care for Children charity. One hundred riders took part for the one cause and between them raised more than £200,000.

We have been contacted by James (Jim) Connelly, who now lives in Canada, asking for anyone who remembers him to get in touch.  He says "Greetings from Canada. I was briefly a pupil at BGS (Form 1 East) in 1953-54 before my family moved away.  Like many in the school in those days, I travelled each day by train from Sheerness, a journey which yielded immense scope for mischief of various sorts. If anyone from those days remembers me, I would be delighted to hear from them."  If you would like to get in touch with James, please email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Graham Barnes mentioned the journey from the Island to school at the 2011 Annual Dinner - see a transcript of his speech starting on page 15 of the 2011 Website Digest. If you would like to share your stories of the journey to and from the island, send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Sadly, Alan Jacobs – “Jake” to most of his friends and many of his pupils – died on 9^th March, aged 89. He was one of a now-diminishing band of Old Boys whose formative years at Borden were spent under the headship of W.A.C. Claydon.

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

We are sorry to announce the untimely death of Christian Smith, who was at Borden from 1991 to 1993, following an accident while he was taking part in a charitable cycle ride.  Our thoughts are with his family and friends.  

More than 60 Old Bordenians met on 22 March at UK Paper clubhouse in Sittingbourne for the 2014 annual reunion dinner of the Association.  

Additional photos from the occasion are included below - click on each of the "thumbnails" to expand to full screen.