Upper Sixth 1971/2 - When we all had hair....

Grahame Pigney with help from Alan Hill supplies names for most...

Hi Michael,

Alan Hill has filled in almost all of the names for the people in this photo of the Class of ’72.

I was able to name half-a-dozen or so, but Alan Hill was able to fill in almost all of the group, including those that had stayed on from the previous year to re-take A-levels and the dozen of our year who were not present for the photo.

The names are as follows:

Row 4 (Back Row)
Clifford Grier*, Roger Hackman, Ronald Smith, Neil Skilton, Michael Page, Gary Meadows, David Salvidge, John Wise, Martin Lillywhite

Row 3
Richard Mortimer, Ian Attfield, Thomas Bayliss, Grahame Pigney, David Gamblin, Robert Gledhill, ???, Ian Parker, Peter Lee, Graham Cook, Martin Rutland, ???, Michael Sparkes, Kenelm England, Peter Gilbert, William Mahy, Brian Draper

Row 2
David Couchman, Roger Ford, Christopher Williams, Alan Smith, John Fairbairn, Robert Lamey, Philip Hannam*, John Scott, Graham Harvey, John Russell, Kenneth Askew*, Howard Noyce, Alan Hill, Andrew Ewing, Geoffrey Sheridan?

Row 1 (Front Row)
Barry Blundell, Nigel Hammond, Kevin Chase, Paul Hayward, Ian Forder, David Andrews, Richard Long, Martin Seeley, Timothy Hancock, David Hicks, Michael Lawes, David Baker, Colin Francis, Stephen Cawte, Simon Turner

There are also some members of the Sixth Form who Alan couldn't place or who are not present in the photo:

Mark Cox, Nigel French, Derek Fry, Michael Harvey, Leonard Hobbs, Mark Lawson, Nicholas Manley, Robert Matthews, Robert Seath, Terrill Sibley, Christopher Tucker*

The names with an asterisk are from the year before who stayed on to re-take A-levels.

Best, Grahame.

I have attached a picture of the 1971/72 (Upper) 6th, I am on the second row down fourth from the left.  I have lost touch with everybody over the years, having moved away from Fareham, first to Sussex/Surrey, then to Manchester and finally to France. I still work in London for my own company, currently as an interim manager for the IT department of a large reassurance company and commute weekly.

My brother (Gerry) works with me (both in my company and on my current assignment). He was at Price's from 1969 to 1975. We lived in Titchfield at the time.

I can put names (in some cases only surnames or nicknames) to some of the faces in the picture but sadly much has faded from memory over the years. I'll write down as many as I can and send on the details. I also have two of the panoramic school photos from about 1967 and 1970 (I think) I'll dig them out and try and work out the best way to scan them and send them in.

Thank you for what you have done to encourage the society and I hope that more from my year at the school are able to make contact through it.

Regards,

Grahame




Hello Michael,

I can provide a few scraps of information - although unfortunately not very much as it was slightly after my time - about the names of the hairies on the 1971/72 Upper 6th photo. But perhaps someone with a better memory will be inspired to continue!

Front row: Second from the left is Chris Bard (or he could be the fourth character from the left in the second row - they're almost doubles). 8th and 9th from the left are Mike (I think that was his Christian name) Seeley and Tim Hancock (they were Head Boy and Deputy Head Boy respectively in 1971-72). Third from the right is Alan Hill. One or two others I recognise, but after so many years their names completely escape me.

- Robin Ward



Digby James writes: Chris Bard is definitely *not* in the picture, though there are two lookalikes. Bard was my year and got his A-levels first time round (unlike me) and so was not at the school in 71/72. Several faces look familiar but I can't name any. did Eric Poyner *really* allow such hair at school? I remember having to have mine cut and my moustache shaved off before I could return in Septemeber 1970 to repeat my A-levels.

Robin Ward followed with:
To add to the confusion regarding the Chris Bard/non-Chris Bard debate:
 
Like Kev and Digby I had always believed that Chris left in 1970. Indeed, this is confirmed by the "Lion" of December 1970, which shows that he left with two A levels.

However, further research reveals the following:
 
The 1972 photo, taken in the summer term, appears in the "Lion" of December 1972 in conjunction with the O and A level results for that year. Included in the list is a certain C.F.J. Bard, who passed a further two A levels.
 
This gives weight to my contention that the fellow second from the left in the front row of the photo is indeed Chris.
 
So two possible conclusions suggest themselves (there may be others):

1) Despite "leaving" in 1970, Chris somehow secretly managed to spend three years in the Upper Sixth, i.e. from 1969 to 1972
2) He didn't really "leave" in 1970, but did a further two sabbatical years to continue editing the Black Lion and work at home on the two above-mentioned A levels, also being summoned for some reason to turn up for the photo and subsequently being allowed to sit the exams on Price's turf. 
 
Perhaps someone ought to attempt to get to the bottom of this by rooting out the man himself. He's said to be living in Ventnor .......   
 
- Robin