Blighty and Friends Reunited

6/9/2009 7:13:25 AM

Good morning

Bill, I do not remember you having a pogo stick when you were 14!!!! You would be disappointed Stu if we all met up, I am still as handsome as I always was - a bronzed Adonis!!!

This is spooky, the name Roger Porch popped into my mind a couple of days ago and I was going to ask if anybody remembered him. My memory is not as good as you lot but I have a recollection of Roger. Seem to remember he was a decent enough bloke. Shame about his Tech memories and it suprises me. Couldn't think that anybody did not have a ball!! Beam me back Scotty! New members are a catalyst for new memories, hope he changes his mind.

Yes, I am to be reunited with dear old Blighty tomorrow for a few days. I shall be sharing my time with Bath and Wakefield. Will be visiting Sue's Mum my Dad and meeting friends and family in Bath. Then we go to Wakefield and stay with some friends for a few days.

Keep your eyes open, you never know who you might see!!!!

I wil try and get time to look at the Tech website .

Have fun

Steve

Comments

- 6/9/2009 7:37:53 AM

Morning Steve, makes me sick it does, can only describe myself as, 60+, fat, bald, glasses, although thanks to our great summer, (seemingly now over), I do have something of a tan, my boss has already told me that he doesn't see why he should pay me for getting a suntan.

I'll tell you now if you happen to pitch up anywhere near here during your visit it's no good rolling up to me and saying I recognise you, you're ------- ----- and I claim the tenner, I've had enough of that already, and that's just the locals, safe journey though buddy.

Regards school days, it wasn't all sweetness and light but that's life, I think if you dwell on the bad bits it sours your whole life, it's like the maggot in the apple, you don't want to eat it after you've found the little blighter, better to have swallowed it without noticing. I've had a great time in life and hope to continue to do so, but that's tomorrow, there's been some crap along the way, but you learn from it and move on, or sideways occasionally.

Oh well sun's coming out, birds are singing, noisy little bastards, I've had me Shredded Wheat 'spose I'd better do something.

Stu

- 6/9/2009 9:20:54 AM

Morning Steve, Stu et al

Pogo stick! ..red with white top .. black rubbery bit on bottom .. no .. you`re right Steve ..it was my sisters .. borrowed of course on several occasions. Still I never got over giving it back .. I still to this day have a little spring up in the air without warning (on the good leg that is ) .. most disconcerting for the wife .. and on one occasion I did it in a shop doorway .. met the door jamb on the way up .. and lost all use of both legs .. amazing how the brain protects itself isn`t it? ..I just knew I was never really in control of it !!

Stu as for the good memories .. those are all I can really remember .. a sort of defence mechanism I suppose ..as you say enough of the crap comes along anyway .. and if you focus on that life then grinds you down ..

- 6/9/2009 3:57:26 PM

You know looking at the photos, old and new, does make things pop into your head, either that or the after effects of my Mrs dropping a sugar bowl on it from a great height this morning, and Rog Porch not wanting to be reminded of the experience of school, some of the, at the time downers, have given me and others a laugh over the years, I did for a while have a regular appointment with Bill Hayman for my weekly dose of the cane, funny it think it just taken effect, I realised last week that I finally had dicipline in my life, (next week she's going to handcuff me as well). I remember turning up at his room once to be greeted by "Not you again Stickler, are there any more at home like you?", "No Sir I suppose I'm the black sheep of the family", I can still hear him laughing now as the cane fell, yet again, never hurt anyway, I suppose it was intended to humiliate, wasted on me.

And PE and Sports, ropes! I'm not going up that, not that I could anyway, I couldn't even get one foot off the floor, and the only good use for a vaulting horse is for concealing an escape tunnel, good job the Great Escape didn't come out until after we'd left, the only time I ever enjoyed Gym was the couple of weeks we were allowed to use weights, I still do a workout every day now for an hour but the rest of it, no way. Only took up Rugby for the beer afterwards.

- 6/9/2009 5:00:38 PM

Hi Bill/Stu

In odds and ends there is a photo of a newspaper cutting with a rugby and cricket team? Can I make it larger or can you tell me names of lads in teams?

Only people I remember being good in the gym were Roger Baynes, Terry Norris and Bev Dyke? Only thing I enjoyed was basketball, actually played it in my own time!!! Sheridan always won, probably because we had Roger and Terry!!! I seem to remember some games of British Bulldogs, not sure if they were 'legal'.

These memories keep drifting back, it's lovely!!

Cheers

Steve

- 6/9/2009 5:07:26 PM

British Bulldogs and, at the end of term occasionally Pirates, you remember all the gym kit laid out and you had to do a circuit without touching the floor?

- 6/9/2009 6:39:38 PM

Steve, I've tried enhancing and cleaning the photo of the cricket and rugby teams, to no avail. Bill probably has the original in his archives so should be able to give us a list of who's who.

You can enlarge images easily on screen, at the right hand bottom of the screen you'll see a 100% sign with a small arrow to the right of it, click on the arrow for a list of sizes to enlarge to, unfortunately you need a sharp image to begin with, photographs are generally OK, but newspaper cuttings don't make it.

Stu

- 6/9/2009 8:28:13 PM

Hi Steve,the photos you mention were originally sent to the Bath Chronical by Tony Madden who attended the Tech a few years before us, he organised a reunion at Claverton down and Dougie Gray and myself attended as you can see from some of the reunion photos, I still have an original copy of the newspaper clipping given to me by Tony on that night.

The photo of the rugby team is the 2nd xv 1958 and the names are ,back row from left -L. Perkins, P. Laver, R. Ashdown, D. Arkle. J. Walker, A.Maddon, J. Andrews, front, K, Weeks, White, D. Newman, B, Harford, Diment,(capt),G. Harris, D, Wittingham, Brown.

The photo of the cricket team19591st xI ,back row, -Brown, (scorer), Wakefield, J. Walker, M, Howe, Mr. Edwards, (sports master),Pegrum, ? Edwards, front row, A.Maddon, Lance Perkins,( captain),D. Clark, Paul Tozer, John King.

I have noticed that there are three player duplicates in the cricket and rugby photos and that Tony is one of them.

- 6/10/2009 9:10:04 AM

Hi Guys,

Well there is one other photo (with names) in the skydrive in Documents Rugby 5X .. another that was sent in via email ..sorry, I don`t have any original photos from school days or newspaper cuttings .. but I am glad Tony came up with the info .. I`ll paste it into the comments boxes on the appropriate photos ..

There is free software available on the Internet to manipulate photos with ... try this link http://www.irfanview.com/ this free software (small download .. no dodgy links, no spam etc) ... has been in use by me for many years .. works with most Windows software versions (including Vista Home and Business) .. and you can add "plugins" (bits of software that work with various new multimedia files) .. you can resize .. resample to improve detail .. adjust contrast colour etc ..

Stu, yes ..Gym .. Pirates .. I remember leaping about across benches, wall bars like trapped rats in a sinking ship while Baynes and Norris chased us with their ribbons on .. and Pappin .. he coould wield a mean dap couldn`t he? .. avoid the ropes .. avoid the ropes at all cost

Steve,, the photo from the chron .. I have blown it up and "tweaked it" and a copy is now in the "odds and sods" folder (rugcric) .. it`s 3 times larger than the original and a bit darker

- 6/10/2009 11:37:58 AM

Bill I have downloaded the scan, but the detail is not there - even though it is a 3MB file?? Regards Conroy

- 6/10/2009 4:18:00 PM

Conroy,

I didnt get much luck with averaging and applying the shapness tool to the Web Image uploaded by Tony but felt the contrast increase (original was washed out) and larger physical viewing image would help Steve a bit .. of course if you want to get the text content then it could be done with a quality ocr software if you have the time to spare (maybe a day or two) .. like you say only marginal "improvements" can be made to a very poor quality to start with.

- 6/11/2009 7:12:59 PM

Bill if you have got a scanner then I can drop the newspaper off to you and you can produce a clean copy, failing that I can post it to anyone that wants to do the same.

- 6/11/2009 7:39:51 PM

Did,nt have a scanner so I took a pic and posted that instead, sorry its a bit lop sided when I get more time I will have another go

- 6/11/2009 9:53:05 PM

That pic's a lot clearer Tony, I'll have a go at downloading it and cleaning it up, not that I'm going to recognise anyone on it.

You must let me have a list of campsites in France and Spain sometime, nice to know ones that come with a recommendation and which to avoid, I don't have many but will pass them on if you wish.

I suppose Rich is sinking the odd glass or two of ouzo in some taverna right now, and Senor Coffin treading the pavements of Bath checking out which pubs are still in existance, perhaps he'll be the one to stumble across Herbie.

Stu

- 6/12/2009 10:37:44 AM

Hi Tony,

Thanks for the new piccie ..I think that may be it`s clear enough not to warrant another copy .. I`ll delete the other versions from the Skydrive .. Scanners,..at this point in time I have two scanners .. one is an old SCSI , the other a parellel port type .. neither of which will work with the versions of Windows which I now use .. I do what you did, use the Digital Cameras .. less office desktop space required as a bonus..

Stu, I reckon the Steve is probably in Wakefield today, but you never know he might have tried Herbies last know addresses .. Herbie was never very happy "driving a computer" though .. good with swimming pools in France though ..oh, and German women .. Ha Ha

Hope you have a good weekend all .. I shall be away by the seaside next week as well ..

- 6/12/2009 11:22:59 AM

I take it from that Bill that Herbie's idea of paradise would be a German woman in a French swimming pool. I'm off for a cold shower.

I've got a busy weekend, Gig racing tomorrow morning and the LLAMA festival thereafter, hope the sun shines.

Stu

- 6/12/2009 12:03:52 PM

Meant to put this in the last one, mind's going, if I've got more than two things to remember I need a list, to the point, Where you off to this time Bill? and don't forget your bucket and spade, I should take the sou'wester and a good ground anchor as well.

Happy Trails Stu

- 6/12/2009 2:56:29 PM

Afternoon Stu, (and listeners)

I don`t know if you are aware that you can "edit" your own message(s) at any time .. eaven if you`ve posted it .. Just thought I`d pop that little snippet on here for you to ponder over .. LLama festival? ..as in real live animals? ..makes a change from the wife and outdoor music I suppose ..

I have just invested in a few 2ft long stsinless steel dog leash anchors .. (all right in grass or gravel) .. still working on the concrete and tarmac solution .. yes, the coast beckons again .. Dorset ..most beautiful and varied county in England .. we shall be joining a few like minded individuals on a few acres of flat coastal area next to the village of Burton Bradstock twixt Bridport and Weymouth .. we first joined the Caravan and Camping Club on this Temporary Holiday Site ..

Advantages :- Lots of space .. no loud music .. free firework disply at Bridport (can be seen from Site) .. coastal walks .. unspoilt surroundings .. no toilets, showers (apart from our own) .. all grass site ..complete with Bakery, yes Aunt Bessies home made cakes .. to die for ..hot anf freshly made ..the exact location is available for a small consideration for the charity of your choice .. oh, did I mention the local made bread? .. the home made produce and fresh free range eggs ..a stall on the pavement with an honesty box on the bend as you go through the village

Disadavantages :- .. none .. apart from the unpredictable british weather in June .. P.S. Still looking at cruises .. thinking of conversion of motor home to sea going vessel .. if succesfull, no ground anchors required ..anyone got a wandering dog?

- 6/12/2009 5:39:56 PM

Yes Bill, fully aware on the editing bit, just stupid, more than two things to remember see. I know Burton Bradstock, have over the years spent a fair bit if time around that area, from Lyme Regis to Abbotsbury, although I've got to disagree with you a tiny bit, I think Somerset is the most varied county, points of merit another day perhaps.

The LLAMA festival has very little to do with animals, with the exception of one or two of the audience, it's a very low key music and arts festival, in it's eight year now, all free, and artists have to be invited, no big names, all sorts of stuff, it's a nice weekend.

Note :- if you're going to launch your van you'll ned life jackets, flares and an AF radio, don't go to sea without the right equipment, and buy Carole some seasick pills.

Have a good time, sink a glass or two for me Stu

- 6/13/2009 2:59:26 PM

Stu, we mainly stick to the municipal town sites as they are much less comercialised and the French tend to use these more, saying that you need to avoid these in July and August as they will be packed due to the French national holidays falling in these months, other than that we use camperstops which are designed to be used by motorhomes and are normally free out of season, the advantage of both of these is that they are normally within walking distance of the town centre.

- 6/14/2009 7:38:02 PM

Yes Steve ,we can see from your photo you look fairly bronzed, in fact your guitar looks pretty bronzed as well, the guy standing next to you looks pale by comparison

- 6/14/2009 9:15:40 PM

Nice one that Tony, very witty, you been on the funny pills again? A Wop Bop A and all that.

You know I've been looking at that pic again. the one of the stile on the cross country route, you know I though I could remember the way around that one from the Glasshouse, into Southstoke across the back to Wellow lane, back past Cardinal Newmans etc. but I can't remember that damn stile. Interestingly I always thought the run at Norwood around Hampton Rocks and the Golf course was longer but they both measure out at just about three miles, Google Earth, very useful! Mind you I only ever did the Norwood one once, after the first time I turned left at the top of the track leading up to the Golf course instead of right, cut off best part of two miles, plenty of time for a quiet stroll and a fag behind the wall.

Went to the LLAMA festival in Lynmouth yesterday, not as good as last year, seemed to be a plethora of Hip Hop and Rap bands,

and :-

I don't like Hip Hop

I don't like Rap

As far as I'm concerned it's a load of crap

add your own beats - as you can see wasn't impressed went home early.

TTFN Stu

- 6/14/2009 10:04:14 PM

Hi Stu,could not resist that one, I think Steve may have set it up, can,t remember the Norwood one, but I do remember the field on the other side of the stile and how my daps picked up mud untill you had to stop and kick it off, I think we would have been better off wearing our football boots with the studs but then again they would have been murder on the tarmac.

Sorry to hear you had an early night on Saturday, one of the things that Jan and myself try to keep to when touring in the van is never go back to the same place twice if we can help it, its never the same second time around and there are to many places to visit.

Its a bit quite this weekend with Bill ,Rich and Steve on their hols, wonder where Conroy has got to and I see we have a new member

- 6/15/2009 6:27:26 AM

Morning Tony, seeing as Steve's away I'll do the breakfast spot, actually I have heard tha Elvis is a bit of a lightweight these days.

I didn't mind the early night too much on Saturday, I'd been up since 5.30 getting set up for the Gig regatta at Appledore, we went over to Lynmouth in the afternoon, primarily to meet up with some friends as well as take in the music festival so it wasn't an entirely wasted day, oddly enough our friends come from Timsbury so one weekend when we pay them a visit I'll have to sneak round and drop in on Bill.

Got your note about the campsites in France, we do the same as you mostly the municipal sites, mostly in villages or small towns, even in August we have found some with just a couple of other people there, I think the only time we used a private one it was overcrowded, dirty and expensive, but we were desperate. A couple of good ones are Richleau, just south of Chinon in the Loire valley, and Cadouin in the Dordogne small village, very quiet, except for the church clock which rings the hour twice, midnights like the start of armageddon.

Stu

- 6/15/2009 5:40:52 PM

Tony I am still here. Nothing to say/type at the moment, just nose against the grindstone at work to try to get some more business.

- 6/15/2009 6:02:50 PM

Hi Conroy, glad to hear it, sometimes I wonder if its just the six of us chatting away to each other and nobody else is reading the posts, one thing I ment to ask you is how you found the site, same question to you as well John, I have logged the site with google but these things take time , there is also a link on Friends Reunited and the old Multiply site was it any of these.

- 6/15/2009 6:08:38 PM

I see Jim has posted his picture, well done, its a shame we can,t persuade some of the other to do the same!!!

- 6/15/2009 6:20:16 PM

I noticed Jim's pic as well Tony, all we have to do now is get him to write something, anything Jim! even b*$>£" off,

how about it?

- 6/15/2009 6:28:55 PM

Heeeellllllooooo !! all ..and all , and all .

I haven`t quite gone on holiday yet, but I suspect Steve will be back on the Wednesday (cheaper rate?) flight to Spain .. as I drift off into the sunset on thursday night? I go along with the philosophy that you acn`t recreate or revisit the past .. without a degree of disapointment that is .. places never seem the same .. magic of the moment as Benny Hill would say ... same with Holiday resorts .. sometimes they just click .. weather included , frame of mind on the day is the most important of course .. ( that`s if you have a mind left that is !)

Stu, I do like Lynton, there is an antique shop not far from the venicular railway, I was in there with Carole looking at antique jewellery last year ( I usually buy her something everytime we go away) the guy that runs it used to have a business not far from me in Bedminster. (I was in partnership in North Street during the mid 80`s selling and serviceing brown goods.) Small world eh?

Oh, by the way, the summer house is now half finished .. or as my good lady Carole would say "half started" .. I prefer my version .. always feels like I`ve achieved something. I had to pack it in at 12 noon as it got too damn hot. We have been lucky with the weather today in Bath .. missed the local rain storm cell by about 15 miles I think .. did you get it in Frome today Tony?.

Conroy, I do applaud your staying power .. still drumming up business .. if you can generate new business in a recession then you are one of nature`s born survivors .. I think you said it was Software (bespoke) office or document software that you deal in .. how do you cope with competition from the likes of "Free Office" and the open source code software that seem to fulfill most (average) public need. I am just glad to be out of I.T. support now, I have been free from it for 4 years or so, I guess I am what could be considered "out of touch".

- 6/15/2009 7:05:19 PM

Evening boys, Summer House is it Bill? bottle of Chablis, deckchair on the patio outside the summer house, you'll be buying a Panama hat next.

I like the area around Lynton and Lynmouth, some beautiful scenery, we're lucky it's only a half hour or so drive for us, we'll take a drive over for lunch sometimes, the Cliff Top Cafe right next to the top of the funicular railway does some nice lunches and if your lucky get a window seat with a great view across the channel to Wales, there are some nice walks in the area as well, especially from Malmsmead where you can walk up Badgeworthy Water, the original Doone Valley.

Had an interesting morning, had a meeting in the Council Chambers in Bideford, me and 9 Traffic Wardens, talk about living with the enemy, the local councils introducing credit card parking with the possibility of boat launches being added to the scheme, hence my participation. Presentation took about half an hour, daft questions about three times as long, still I had a nice little doze and got paid for it.

I do hope your going away at the end of the week doesn't mean the weathers going to go t**s up again Bill, I'm having to take her indoors up to Westonbirt on Saturday, Paul Weller again, her little obsession, it's outside and I don't like getting wet, and I'm supposed to enjoy myself as I'll be asked questions afterwards. Worst of it is I could have gone sailing on a three masted schooner down to Padstow on Saturday, it's a bugger isn't it what we do for our women.

Yours Grumpily Stu

- 6/15/2009 7:20:18 PM

We did fairly well today Bill, rain came down for about four this afternoon just as I was off to cut the front hedge but did,nt last long.

- 6/15/2009 8:03:21 PM

My windows live calender has come up with a reminder that its Rich,s birthday tomorrow, happy ?? birthday Rich if you manage to read this on holiday.

- 6/16/2009 9:03:28 AM

Tony the link came from Friends Reunited, which (I think) sent me to the multipy site and then on to here. Conroy

- 6/16/2009 9:09:47 AM

Bill it is hard work drumming up business, the software is a Document Management solution that stores and indexes (mainly) scanned data. It can handle any electronic documents of any format as well. It is an area that I have been involved with since 1992 - off and on. The pricing now of these type of systems is a lot more affordable (for a business) but it is still hard work to get people to part with their cash - even though it will save them money in the long (or even medium) term.

Sorry sales pitch over.

Conroy

- 6/16/2009 10:08:33 AM

Conroy, don`t worry about the sales pitch .. but a snippet if it helps .. some while ago my daughter in laws father (who manages a transport company in Avon mouth needed a quick solution for storage of the mass of documentation that was being generated .. and the software you deal in may well have been something he chose (Princes Transprt name of the firm) .. might be an avenue to explore for you. End of teaching grandma to suck eggs .. Ha Ha

Stu, yes there will be much wine (and other things) consumed on the decking (on which the summer house is built) .. at the other end is the new potting/tool store shed ..(also not yet completed .. I am using large acrylic windows .. to give a bit of a view .. the project started out as a new fence for the one that blew down .. usual story .. conifer trees in front of fence.. panesl & post rot due to not drying out after rain .. (which we get a lot of) .. coupled with the altitude and unsheltered nature of the location .. result 39ft of fence and posts (and trees) removed and a double sided picket fence in it`s place (designed and buit by yours truly). I will invite all to a Barbeque when it`s finished ..( if we are all still alive that is !! ) I hope that your position of "harbour Master" will not be at risk from this new proposal from the local council .. no more wet suited blondes (or brunettes) .. no more "gentle" banter with the tourists .. no more respite hours from her indoors .. oh great sadness at your possible loss.. now. where did I put that bottle ? .....

The weather .. I have contacted "he who does" on the "private channel" .. and have ordered a goodly amount of "Hot Sun" and a suitable "Lack of Wind" for our collective enjoyment over the coming week .. enjoy ..

- 6/18/2009 1:29:34 AM

Hi Tony, Stu, Bill and all.

Be brief today, its getting a bit late!

Tony, sorry I did not reply to your question about how I found the site, Thought everyone knew. Came via Bill's link from Pubpals, which is an OK site but does not have the volume of activity.

The saga of the summerhouse continues? Didn't realise that it was a major construction project, but agree totally about not rushing in spite of the views of 'management'.

Our modest projects on hold this week end, fetching a new (second hand) Bridgeport mill. I'm assured by all the pundits that it only goes a ton and a quarter, but we shall see!

Have to go now.

Bi to all.

Bath Tec School