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Welcome Graham
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Graham Thomas Priest (1956 to 1963). Just spotted this site. Getting old
& nostalgic!!
Hi Graham and welcome, I hope you enjoy the site and read some of the old posts, you
can look at old photos and notes by clicking on skydrive on the left hand menu,
by the way feel free to add any old photos that you may have to any of the
folders there, you also have your own online storage space again called skydrive
but this is accessed from the top menu bar under the dropdown menu "MORE" in
there you can create and store up to 25 gigs of files, these can be private or
public or both depending on how you set your preferences, anyway enjoy the site
and I hope you contact someone you knew at the Tech.
May 21, 2010
(Edited June 13, 2010)
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Hello Graham,
Nostalgia .. not a bad thing .. it proves we were all once more
alive than we are now ... there are those among us who have handled
retirement with grace, those of us that work still and pass on our
experiences to another generation .. all will leave their mark.
Now is the time to expend a final youthful burst of "freedom" to do
what we all wanted to be able to do, but couldn`t neccesarily
afford to do when we were "spotty youths". Long may it
continue .. oh, and the weather? .. a real roaster in Timsbury .. eat
your heart out you guys in Europe .. we have both the green and the sun
now. (Until October at least). Ha Ha .. Regards to all.
May 21, 2010
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Thanks for the welcome Francis. Weather is great here in
Wiltshire too! Retired for 13 years now and am grateful to the old
school for setting me along the path to do so. Will have to try to
navigate this site. I can see myself on the 1957 & 1962 photographs
but do not know yet how to tag them. The names on a few more old faces
came back to me! Cripes the world was so simple then!! Graham
May 21, 2010
(Edited May 23, 2010)
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Thanks Anthony. I cannot believe that it is nearly 47
years since I left the portals of Brougham Hayes to begin the journey of
life! Still pass the building when visiting one daughter and suspect
that they have yet to change the hideous 1960s curtains in the hall!
Even more surprising to walk through the alley at the back of Marks
& Sparks and just peek the old playground wall (lower course of the
old city wall still there) of Weymouth House through the service
entrance to the yard. The school gate hinge was still there in Abbey
Green when I last looked. Hope to meet up with some old codgers later!
Graham
May 21, 2010
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Welcome to you, Graham. You'll find you're in a
different world here. Have a ferrett around and if you have any memories
of the Tech then please post them here. We love stories and the funnier
the better !!
Rich
May 21, 2010
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Hello Rich,
Are you related to the Lanhams on
Claremont Drive who we rented the basement of 'The Yews' from? David
Upton from Larkhall who escorted me to the Tech on my first day in
September 1956 was an early contact. He met me at the bus stop for the
No.11 in Larkhall was as right as ninepence until Hans Dairy and then
took off his cap and did a runner into the school gate of Weymouth
House! He did not want to be associated with a 1st Year, especially
with a shiny gold ring on his black cap! Within a week I had
thrown my cap over the wall into the bomb-site next door and paid 3d for
a 'distressed' one (no cardboard in the peak) from the caretaker in the
boiler house. You live and learn! Graham
May 21, 2010
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Hi Graham, welcome to the asylum, I would make more
comment but having dispatched a couple of bottles of Merlot at this
juncture of the evening I'm not in a fit state, thank God for spellcheck
eh !! will add more reasonable comment when properly sober ( if ever
properly sober).
Stu
May 21, 2010
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Hi Graham.
I think that the rest of the guys have already said it all really!
Welcome to the site, the general rule is if the subject is meant to be taken seriously, then don't.
However anything concerning railways, tractors, canals, alcohol, parrots and split screen VWs should be taken very seriously.
There is a good deal of nostalgia here if you look at some of the earlier postings.
Have fun.
Sticky.
May 21, 2010
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Hi Graham
Welcome indeed to the asylum. I am partial to a Merlot Stu but I
would not want your hangover this morning. It is great to have a
new member that contributes to the site.
Graham, Don't be misled by Sticky about tractors and mechanical
things. Try and keep threads to the opposite sex, alcohol, rock n' roll
and Tec' Memories and you will get on fine with most members!!! Sorry
Sticky.
Don't forget the sunblock lads and make sure the chicken and
sausages are cooked properly on the BBQ!! There. did that sound like
your mother?
Is anybody else having a problem that the site does not show recent threads?
Don't throw petrol on the BBQ.
Cheers
Steve
May 22, 2010
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Thanks chaps. I had downed a bottle of Chardonnay myself
last evening, and the BBQ at one daughters in Bath will be blazing this
evening. At least no hangover with the white!! Did have a red Beetle
1300 from 1970 until 1977, live in a village so see tractors outside the
window, getting too comfortable with a Missus for over 42 years to
chase the females (anyway my twin daughters say no one else would have
me!!) so will have to confine myself to tall tales of the Tech! Did
anyone ever see the biology lab garden near the railway at Brougham
Hayes? About 7 of us laid the paving slabs as a detention for Stan
Stennet in the Lower Sixth. We cut the lesson after the swimming gala in
the Beau Street Baths and went to the Salamander instead. Unfortunately
Sam Cook went back for the lesson and dropped us all in the
do-do! Graham
May 22, 2010
(Edited May 23, 2010)
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Hi
Just about to fire up the BBQ! Was that the famous Sam Cook(e),
great friend of Cassius Clay and soul singer? My vote also goes to the
Modeller's being black. Are we sure that the paper shop remembered was
not opposite the Bath Tec College, other side of the road
from the Talbot pub on the corner?
Cheers
Steve
May 22, 2010
(Edited May 22, 2010)
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Welcome to the site, Graham. The intro says you
were at Bath Tech from 1954 to 1963. Old Bill Hayman tried to get me to
count on the fingers of two hands so I reckon that means you were there
for nine years. What went wrong? Pity you joined just to late for the
reunion. It was a good evening all round.
May 23, 2010
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By cripes David you are right! It should be 1956! Now as
a retired headmaster I would say it was my deliberate mistake just to
see if the rest of you were awake! However as Bill also taught me
honesty I will not lie and write it out a hundred times!!! If I recall
the small shop opposite the Modellers Den was called something like 'The
Tuckbox' and was out-of bounds between lessons. Richard Brown
must have bought his 'Health & Efficiency' there. He put a brown
paper text book cover on it and rented it out during lessons! 1p a read
if I recall.
The sequel came when he
was changing lessons up the main squared-spiral staircase, reached the
fire door on the third floor and his army bag fell open. The bundle of H
& Es cascaded down the flight to the feet of Bill Hayman.
Confiscation & detention!! On the Friday Richard decided to ask for
the mags back. Banged on the staffroom door (ground floor to right of
Abbey Green entrance) and was given a flea in his ear as the masters
were all sat there reading them!!
There was another sweet shop in Kingsmead Square near the entrance to
the church hall used as a canteen & exam room if I remember
correctly! Will need a computer guru to amend the date as the 'edit' tab
has gone AWOL!
Graham
May 23, 2010
(Edited May 23, 2010)
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There you go Graham, all changed, you can only edit your own posts and as it was mine , no problem. I
did think at the time that it was a long spell at the Tech but thought
you know best and even now its still the best part of seven years, three
more than I managed and most of the lads on here, but then who knows
what that extra three years would have given me, probably nothing!!. The
weather here is blazing hot at the moment and I am not sure that I
would want this every day of the year, I think that if you live in
England you look foward to the changes in the weather and it gives
eveyone something to talk about, I,m sure that it will change in the
next week, don,t forget the sun cream on the tops of your feet, probably
the easiest place to burn and the most uncomfortable as I have found to
my cost in the past. PS Thought I might as well repost this link
if any of you lads hav,nt visited this site before for a short history
of the the school (compiled by Bill with a bit of help from me)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_Technical_School
May 23, 2010
(Edited May 23, 2010)
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Have just returned inside after a day of
carboot/gardening. Planted the bedding plants bought at Lansdown CB this
am. Quite warm here. Shade temperature on my garden thermometer says 28
degrees C. Great to fix a sundowner in. Too late for cream but I did
wear a hat.
My seven years gave me enough A
Levels to train as a teacher, and then an extra year a degree at
Bristol Uni. Worked entirely in Wiltshire village/town primary schools.
Deputy of one & head of two. Jacked it in 1997 when politics was
getting more my role than teaching. Never regretted a thing. Those
teachers gave me a good all round education, everything from fixing a
chair to adding up (sometimes!). Some of the teachers I worked
with/employed needed our start in life I can tell you!
Well the alcohol calls...
Graham
May 23, 2010
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Proper job Graham, just having a quick swallow
myself, having spent the weekend working, if you can call ogling women
in wetsuits and bikinis working, window shopping as my wife calls it, a
bit like looking at the jars of sweeties as a small child and not being
allowed any.
I think most of us would agree with you about our teachers as well,
whatever our path in life has been the grounding we recieved at Bath
Tec has stood us all in good stead, I thought on leaving school that my
ability at subjects such as maths and english were rather poor until I
entered an apprentice related course at the Tec College and went back to
long multiplication rather than use log tables, the lecturer's remark
being on asking me what I was doing "But I haven't taught you yet"! has
always stuck with me.
Tony, worse place for sunburn, back of the legs definitely, at
least with the top of the feet you don't have to wear shoes which
alleviates it a bit, but the back of the legs at the knee joint is
pure hell when you walk, did it years ago, one good reason for giving up
sunbathing. Been lovely here all weekend, even went in the sea
yesterday.
Sun's well over the yardarm, so TTFN.
PS Steve, the hangover Saturday morning was not as bad as expected, thankfully, close thing though!
May 23, 2010
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Hi all you computer experts
When I have the page "Whats new with your groups" I do not
get the up to date threads. I have to click on "More updates" to access
the new threads. Am I the only one experiencing this annoying
gliche?
Cheers
Steve
May 23, 2010
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Hi all,
No Steve, you're not the only one with site problems. When I log on
all the members photos say no name under them and unless you scroll to
the list under the recent posts you get page unavailable.
Graham, I think the Lanhams' you mentioned are related,
although I don't know which part of the family they were. Most of the
Lanhams' are connected in some way but have never actually met each
other. I've done my family tree back to Widcombe in 1798 and we all come
from there as far as I know. Lanham's Tyre Services and Lanham's
Motoring School are all 4th cousins or there abouts.
Early start tomorrow, I'm on the Corwall route so I do hopw there's
not too many middle lane numpties about or I shall really turn into
white van man !!!
Cheers All,
Rich
May 23, 2010
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Hi Guys.
Weather here in sunny Gloucestershire scorching also, don't have to
worry about sun burned feet though 'cos I always wear socks. Think I
learned my lesson as a teenager!
All this talk about Health and Efficiency and Bill Hayman was a
real nostalgia hit, also the square spiral stairs at WH. All good fun!
I think I shall always remember the little woman that served in the
sweet shop opposite the Modeller's Den, always appeared to wear far too
much lipstick for a woman of her age. Truth were known she was probably
not that old but she seemed ancient to lads in their early teens.
I noticed that just next door to the place where the entrance to
the dinner hall used to be is now a branch of Maplins. There is a God!
Couldn't agree more with your reflections upon the educatiuon we
all received at the Tech I think it served us all in good stead although
we probably didn't appreciate it at the time.
Must go now, have to get on as spending a week at Stoke on Trent, well someone has to!
Be in touch again next week end.
Have fun.
Sticky.
PS Nice to hear from you again David......
May 23, 2010
(Edited May 23, 2010)
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Steve, Will check an ancient picture to see if it is Sam
Cook or with extra 'e'. Poor Sam was a workaholic. He got better grades
in Biology then all of us, went to Uni. and committed suicide after a
year! The problem was showing when he went AWOL at a Field Course at
Preston Montford in Shropshire. He disappeared on the Wreckin and I
gather slept under the hedge outside the centre for a night.
Search & rescue out but no luck. He ambled in for breakfast! Stan
gave him hell! Graham
May 23, 2010
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