“A Hard Day’s Night”

On the 24th August 1964 Anthony J Sargeant went to see this film at an afternoon showing at the Streatham Odeon with his then girlfriend, Jo Gamgee, who went to Mary Datchelor’s Girls School in London (there were a lot of boy-girl friendships between the girls who went to Datchelor’s and the boys who went to Haberdashers’ Aske’s which school Tony had attended).

Jo lived in one of those large early 19th Century houses in Lancaster Avenue, Tulse Hill in South London. When he arrived that afternoon her older sister Janice was helping her finish making a flared cotton skirt – remembered as being of a small floral print material (a bit Laura Ashley’ish) worn with white cotton knee socks as was the fashion at that time in the 1960s.

Tony remember both sisters with great affection. He was subsequently dumped by Jo – in retrospect probably quite rightly (but nonetheless greatly regretted by Tony) for being inebriated at a Saturday night party at the Bellingham Road home of one of his friends, Bert Baker.

Tony hopes both sisters had an interesting life – choosing that word with care – it is probably the best for which we can hope.

A time long ago – The Cairngorm Mountains in 1959

During our climbing trip to the Cairngorms in 1959 Mark Baxter who had long curly hair decided it needed cutting and so various members of the party duly obliged. Recorded in this photograph taken by Tony Sargeant. Here Mr Arthur Grant wields the scissors watched by Martin Symms (extreme right) and Stephen Lee (2nd from right). Hidden from view on the left is Bob Tweddle, and centre Colin (Bert) Baker.

School Ski-ing Trip to Engleberg 1959

When Anthony Sargeant was at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School he went on a skiing trip organised Mr Arthur Grant and Mr Jock Gordon. This photograph shows part of the group that went. It is a low resolution picture from the internet put up by the brother of Neil Ferguson who went on the trip and unfortunately broke his leg on the last day of the trip. I remember that he was carried down from the slopes on the shoulders of the Swiss Ski instructor (skiing). I understand from the internet upload that Neil is on the extreme right. Of the others Steve Lee is on the extreme left and the Swiss ski instructor is next to him. In the centre is Mr Grant, and second from right is John Dobinson. Obviously the broken leg was severe enough that Neil Ferguson stayed in a Swiss hospital, possibly in traction, for some weeks.

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham Boys’ School – School Captains

Honours Board in the School hall listing School Captains since 1930. Anthony Sargeant, Tony, remembers the sign-writer coming once a year to update this and the other honours board. Done in situ he would climb a step ladder and paint the name in with a yellow sticky paint before applying the gold leaf. In 1960 Tony took the school photographs including the school prefects with Mr Goddard the Headmaster. In that year there were joint school captains as can be seen on the board, Paul Clements and Adrian Moss.

Life in an English Grammar School in the 1950s by Anthony J Sargeant

Morning Assembly at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham Boys’ School 1955-62 In reading this note it is important to understand that the day to day running of the school was organised and controlled by the Prefects. The masters taught their subjects but did not have to concern themselves with mundane matters such as the wearing of correct uniform, behaviour in the school playground during breaks, supervising queues for school dinners at lunchtime, or reporting boys who arrived late after the bell had been sounded for the school to line up in the playground ready for morning assembly.

via Morning Assembly in an English Grammar School in the 1950s — Tony Anthony J Sargeant

Andy Pandy and the BBC

This Christmas annual was published in 1960 linked to the successful toddlers television programme Andy Pandy. Anthony Sargeant found it among some boxes of books that he bought at auction to donate to the Oxfam bookshop. In fact only a small number of Andy Pandy episodes were ever made but because as each generation of toddlers went off to school there was a new generation coming along the BBC could just keep showing the same episodes. Tony has some slight personal connection insofar as Gladys Whitred who was a professional singer of some note and contributed to ‘Watch with Mother’ including Andy Pandy (and ‘Listen with Mother’ on the wireless) was the wife of  Wilf Hawkins, Tony’s Housemaster, Art teacher, and Ist XV Rugby team coach when Tony was a pupil at Haberdashers’ Aske’s in South London.

Mark Baxter at Bracklesham Bay in 1963

Anthony Sargeant took this photograph of his friend Mark Baxter on the beach at Bracklesham Bay in Sussex on the English South coast in 1963. Tony who was working at Bellingham Open Air swimming Pool in South London made a day trip to visit his friends bringing Barbara (Bats) Attridge a librarian friend of the boys (Mark Baxter, Bob Tweddle, and Steve Lee) and driving down in his 1936 Ford 10. The Three boys had taken vacation jobs working at the Bracklesham Bay Hotel. All of the boys and Tony went to Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in South London.

Mr (Jock) Gordon one of the schoolmasters who took us to the Cairngorms in 1959

Photographed on the mist covered slopes of Ben Macdhui in the Cairngorms by Anthony Sargeant. Mr Gordon and Mr Grant were schoolmasters of the old school who dedicated their lives to the enriching of the experiences of their young charges. We were very lucky to have such men in our school.Two weeks in the middle of the Cairngorms with the nearest road 10 miles away was a life enhancing experience for many of us.

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Explorers’ Club in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland in the summer of 1959

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Explorers’ Club in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland in the summer of 1959

Stopped for something to eat on the summit of Cairngorm. Bob Tweddle is seen standing and seated on the right wearing a bobble hat is Alan Vincent.Others difficult to identify. Photographed by Tony Sargeant.

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Explorers’ Club in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland in the summer of 1959

The summit of Angel’s Peak which we climbed at night to watch the sunrise over the mountains. A sensational sight never forgotten by Anthony Sargeant. Taken a little after the first break of dawn some of the morning mist which at first light carpeted the valleys like a sea below us is still clinging to the shade of the hillsides. Steve Lee turns to face camera.