Watford Grammar Thread

I'm surprised no-one has created this thread given there's a fair few of us old Fullerians on here. Let's continue the reminiscing about WBGS (and WGGS for any ladies on here) on this thread.

One question for all you lot there- how long was the old gym there for? It's now the Sixth Form centre (I still call it the new Sixth Form centre as I was one of the first lot to use it). I've fond memories in that old gym, including one where the PE teacher I had didn't lock the doors from the outside to the changing rooms leading to everyone having their valuables nicked (except mines because my phone had no resale value).

 

The grammar at Hoddesdon Tennis `Club is dreadful,I know that.
If I started a St Albans Girls' School thread I doubt there'd be many replies?

 

By the old gym, I assume you mean the one on the left whilst looking at the school field, opposite the slope leading down to the original main playground? Was definitely there in '67 when I started.

 

I'll join in, but I'll make stuff up

Yep that's the one. Looked very grotty by the end of its time

 

Phones? We were only just being introduced to slide rules!

 

My first long term girl friend went to WGG her name was Jean Copley.

 

Sorry I'm only prepared to talk about WBGS on football-related threads.
On this thread, anyone think we could play 4-3-3 with Sema at left back ? And how much weight has Troy lost ?

 

So did my first 2 girlfriends, Susan Timberlake and Claire Randall.

 

Yes in the mid 1970s there was a big divide between those who preferred the slide rule or log books. My dad was a qualified draughtsman and I had to use his very complex slide rule. The compensation was Mr Mayes in metal work took it as a sign of proletarian connections, and i was allowed to make things on the lathe rather than make enamelled copper pendants. Which was good as I enjoyed metalwork, far more than art or music.

 

We took Maths O Level in year 4, so by 1971 I didn’t really have to bother about either. Luckily (for me) we could give up wood- & metalwork after year 2 as I was useless at them and unsurprisingly hated them.

 

Oh for Frankie Bower....although I was in my gap year by then.

 

It looked grotty in 1994.

This is different from the Sports Hall (I believe they renamed it after my class mate who died of meningitis).

 

Nerdz.

 

For those who remember him, Mr Evans, once head of Biology passed away last week. He was my form master when I was a 6th former, when my son started in 2017 I was surprised he was still there, he was still working as a member of support staff, the below letter says he was helping with learning support.

 

That's a shame. Awful teacher but a great guy. Locked my mate in a cupbaord for one Biology lesson for a laugh, just because he could.

 

Ahh this thread brings back the memories. I used to love nicking the lunch money off all you geeks.

Thanks nerds!

 

Ah yes I remember the issue of dinner ladies stealing pupils lunch money.

 

I remember him holding me up by my neck against a wall after farting loudly..

 

Blimey only talking about him the other day, and said I was surprised he was still working.

 

Plenty of controversial moments with Mr Evans. Struck one kid in a class and allowed another "a free hit" against another pupil which he gratefully took up, smacking the kid in the face who then spent the rest of the lesson quietly crying. Lots of good stories and plenty of bad ones....

 

Exactly, could flip either way, wasn't he called psycho?

 

Which years were you there - I remember the free hit incident. Although there is likely to have been more than one.

 

About 80 ? If 1968 was the year you were born I must have been about 5 years earlier ?

 

I used to go out with Mr Hart’s daughter, Polly, and spent more time in the Girls sixth form room than most of them did.

Also used to Hang about in some of the class rooms in the morning with my sister and her friend Sandra, who later married Kenney Jacket and did a little, er, modelling. She gave me my first cigaret, outside the White Lion in St Albans Road. She got some bad press, but was a really lovely person in my experience (funny thing is, Kenney met his second wife, Sam, when I took her to the Cup final party at John Reid’s house).

I was at Parmiters, but lived near the boys school, so a lot of my mates went there.

One thing I have always wondered: was the Andrum Chowdrey who was at the boy’s school in the early eighties the same one that gets in the news for being an Islamist extremist? I met him a couple of times, and he was always a bit intense, but I couldn’t say for sure. The famouse Mr Chowdrey is from Hertfordshire, and they would be pretty much the same age, but no mention of Watford.

Does anyone know?

 

Quite a lot of people went out with Polly .

 

Anyone here who went on the history trip to the Somme?

Seeing Hart, Alchorn and Miller even more pissed than we were was interesting .

 

She was a lovely girl. I don't blame them. Her mum didn't like me much. Came round my house once to speak with my mum about me being a bad influence.

 

Sounds plausible. We’re you banned ?

 

Brings back memories of 'after play rehearsal reviews' in the Golden Lion & Estcourt with the English teachers....only just made the last train out of Watford Met more than once.

 

This news (which I’d forgotten about) has livened up this thread. Purely for historical research, please do recall Sandra’s maiden (modelling) name? Lol.

I knew Kenny’s second wife owned the dancewear shop that used to be in Vicarage Road. I’d forgotten about his first wife.