1958-59
FRANCIS WILLIAMS (Bill) PEN PICTURE 1959 - 63
Years at the Tech - September 1959 at Weymouth House School, Bath. 1963 Left at Brougham Hayes as soon as my 15th birthday had arrived.
Bill hayman and I mutually agreed I could take in no more than I had from my Form Masters.
Favourite Lessons. Metal work, Woodwork, Technical Drawing, Lathe wrok (not enouggh of this), Biology, Art (helped Peter Coard a bit with the Kiln), German, (a lot has stuck in the box), Least liked lessons, R.I., English, Geography, P.E., Rugby, Cricket.
Favourite Teachers. Ray Jones, Harry Mower, Peter Coard, Mrs. Willams (obvious really) ... Ray Cosnett, Dicky Harbour.
Major(ish) achievements... Becoming a Grandfather, Husband, REcording Studio owner, Licensed Radio Amatuer (M0FEW), Mechanical, Radio & TV Ebgineer, IT Company Director. Spent 20 years creating an Internet presscence for my Old School, in 2009 created the Wikipedia article and various Websites, contacted countless Old Pupils and collated Historical material aided by Tony Eccles. An all round busy body !!!.
Favourite Memory. Someone at Brougham Hayes dropped a concrete block onto the Railway line near the Gym, We all then had to suffer a telling off while grouped outside the Gym, right next to the Bee Hives.
LIFE AFTER THE TECH
1963 Worked at Co-op Westgate Buildings as a Carpet Salesman, Learnt how to roll lino in brown paper, how to glue Carpets (80% wool -20% nylon were the best). Moved to Ryland Huntley Old Bond Street as a Van Boy / Improver. (Name invented by workshop manager), 1964 Moved to Wessex Electrical Wholesale St. James Parade, BATH. 1964 my Father died, then worked at Ernest Ireland construction, Bath aged 17 in 1965 as a labourer on Water & Gas with my brother in law.
1965 a Motorbike accident, disabled me with leg injuries until1968. When I started walking again I became a self-employed TV engineer at Bath TV Walcot street, where I met Malcolm james and we became involved in Property development in Bath. I Bought M.James TV shop in Timsbury with my accident compensation I received fully in 1969 aged 21 years.
Made up for lost teenage years, recorded local groups and musicians with some semi pro kit, and then I Married Carole Helps in 1971. Have one son Andrew and 3 Grandaughters Chloe, Caitlyn and Bethany. Oldest is 20.
1969 Became Proprietor and owner / builder/ electronics constructor of Timsbury Recording Studio until 1974. When I closed the Studio due to lack of customers who would actually pay me for my services during the period of Miners Strikes. I then passed an interview exam with Granada TV Rental and was employed for 6 years as a TV/ Prestel / VHS video engineer, VHS trouble shooter / trainer until 1980. The world beckoned me to become self employed again. I had multiple electronics disciplines under my belt, some bits of paper detailing my technical prowess, so , don't stop me now !
1980 For Kirby Lester Elcectronics, in Oldham, I became their South West regional technician in Prestel, E.C.G. and tablet counters. ( More skills added ), at this time I started a business in the Design and manufacturer of VHF communication aerials, (among other thngs) until 1983.
1985 I bacame a partner in Avon Video Services Bristol. We sold Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba products, Had a Video Library. So, an opportunityto put my Basic Programming skills to good use. i wrote a Video library Database design program for stock / member control. Coupled with VAT and Accounts Software. So staff trainer/ manager and BBC basic computer programmer until 1988. Time came to move on as life was pretty hectic in the 1980s.
I became a Self employed electronics and computer engineer, with some property devlopment in Timsbury from 1993 - 97.. A very busy time !.
1998 saw me involved with Security systems design and installation and computer engineer / trouble shooter, computer builds and sales. Formed Munro IT Support ltd. in 2001, so an I.T support technician until 2006. I.T. Support Company technical director and business support technician until 2006 when i offically retired. ( Or so I thought !.
2008 I became responsible for design and build of a 3 phase network for Carshop Mendip. Several miles of cable and distribution wiring for a Showroom, spray shop, 3 lifts, car park, offices etc. electricity supplies.
2014 Recovering from a stroke since 24th July 2013. Still active in Electronics etc. Moved to Park near Dorchester, Dorset. Rebuilding and extending Chalet and grounds 2014-21.
2021 I am still supporting and promoting the Internet presence of Bath Tech with Tony Eccles and a few chosen helpers. (Despite my limitations with sight and mobility. ) It is all too easy to give up! .. Stick with it !.
Hobbies and interests include:- Camping (motorhome), solar and wind generation, licenced amateur radio station, Piaggio MP3 scooter, music, cycling, engineering (Millimg machine and Lathe), low voltage lighting systems (desingn and build), shooting, Coin & bullion collecting etc...etc..too many to list.
Favourite Quotes
You're a long time dead .. use it or lose it .. you're never too old to learn...Be independant !!!!
Intelligence is not to be confused with Education , I'd rather have space in my brain for new stuff .... Studied with Microsoft and the Open Uni for a bit though, nearly forgot about that . Ha Ha ...
LIFE BEFORE & AFTER THE TECH - READ MY STORY
CHRIS STYLES PEN PICTURE 1958 - 65
Years at the Tech 1958 - 65
Favourite Teacher(s) Easier to put the ones I didn’t get on with – Seale and Cannon.
Favourite Subject(s) English, Maths, Physics and Geology – good teachers made them interesting!
A school memory 6 of the best from Bill Hayman – what a deterrent, once and once only!
Occupation(s) Civil Servant - MOD
Places lived Bath, Portsmouth, Germany (2 x four year tours with MOD), and finally Chippenham
Hobbies & Interests Sport! I played cricket and rugby and still love watching it. Now the best I can manage is a game of cribbage in the Box league!!
Notable Achievement(s) Getting Ian Botham out – he stood on his wickets whilst trying to hit me even farther over the boundary!!
LIFESTORY
SCHOOL MEMORIES
After last week’s trip around Brougham Hayes (BH), more than I thought. Fond memories of some really good teachers but a funny one with Jimmy Edwards. I was chasing Ian Tiley round and round the General Science block at BH when Jimmy came in. We were ordered out to the front, Ian first. He was “dapped” once then I was “dapped” twice – “Sir, that’s not fair, he got one and I got two”. The reply, “you are twice as big as him, now go and sit down”!!
A good friend of mine was Dave Ruddick, Midsomer Norton’s finest! He loved brazing in metalwork and could always be found in there. However, he had the habit of turning round to talk to you with the blowtorch pointing straight at you!
LIFE AFTER THE TECH
An abortive year at Sheffield University where I did much too much Rag Committee things than work. So what else do you do but join the Civil Service starting at Portsmouth in 1967 and finishing at Swindon in 2006, most of the time being spent in IT in some form or other. In between I spent time in Bath, Scotland and Munchengladbach. Things were fairly relaxed in the early days but latterly not so!
I married Gail in 1980 who unfortunately succumbed to pancreatic cancer 5 years ago; 3 kids, Jo, Mike and Sarah and a Westie called Jake!
Sport was always my thing. I played cricket for Bath and got very involved with the administration of the club; a couple of years ago I was made a life member.
Between cricket seasons I played rugby (not very well) but loved my time with Walcot RFC getting to be President a few years back. I still get up to watch them
MIKE DUNNING PEN PICTURE 1958-1963
Years at the Tech 1958-1963
Favourite Teacher(s) Bill Hayman and Bevors Lloyd
Favourite Subject(s) Physics and Engineering Drawing
A school memory London school trip including Leslie Phillips “Boeing Boeing” farce
Occupation(s) Mechanical and Electrical Engineer.
Apprenticeship with J S Fry & Son, Keynsham & Bourneville
Draughtsman at J S Fry & Son
Design Draughtsman at John Heathcote Textile Machinery Ltd
Draughtsman, Leading Draughtsman, Assistant Mechanical Engineer, Constructor(M) with MoD(N)
Head of Engineering posts at AWE Plc
Places lived Freshford, Bristol, Tiverton, Frome, Sittingbourne, Cornwall, Andover
Hobbies & Interests Tower bell ringing, church activities, community-focussed social care, family
Notable Achievement(s) Securing a CoBTS placement via 13+ route
Engineering degree with 1st class hons. University of Bath 1973
Managed first submarine nuclear reactor open-heart surgery afloat.
Managed 1200 afloat tradesmen and then a further 1300 workshop tradesmen at Devonport Royal Dockyard.
Preserved the first-class AWE Plc engineering apprentice scheme despite privatisation pressure to close:-
300 apprenticeships saved
JEREMY HURN TECH SCHOOL PEN PICTURE 1959 - 1965
Years at the Tech 1959 - 1965
Favourite Teacher(s) Peter Coard
Favourite Subject(s) Art, Woodwork,
A school memory Mr Minnikin filling the revolving chalkboard for History & Geography, we tried to keep up writing it all down. Not sure he actually taught as such.
Occupation(s) Unloading kegs in a brewery, clerk at county hall, architectural technician, Lab Technician, barman, project manager, furniture designer/builder.
Places lived Hilperton (Trowbridge), Bristol, Birmingham, Portsmouth, London, Vancouver BC, Bowen Island BC.
Hobbies & Interests Travel, trekking & hiking, running, motorbiking, painting, writing.
Notable Achievement(s) None??
LIFE STORY
SCHOOL MEMORIES
My academic performance at school declined during the time I was there, starting at a reasonable B+ and ending in the 6th Form with a C. I was hopeless at sport so for the most part it was not a happy time. I was not too successful at rebelling either, perhaps the only time was in fifth form Maths with Mr P Moor who objected to my Beatle fringe and told me I would never be a prefect if I kept it. I replied that I wouldn’t be a prefect then. I think I was the only one in the upper sixth who was not made a prefect!
I enjoyed the early days at Weymouth House when we wandered the streets between classes, such freedom. Coming from Trowbridge I got to ride the train each day and in later years got to hang out with those wayward kids from the Art School.
Art with Peter Coard was always a pleasant relief although even with that my grades declined as the years passed by. Ray Jones was very encouraging with my woodwork even though my designs exceeded my woodworking skills. Probably still the case even though I have my own woodworking shop.
For some reason I always enjoyed R.I. even though the church and I parted ways as soon as I was able to make my own choice.
Somehow, I managed to win prizes for “O” and “A” level results and looking back I do feel the school gave me a good education as painful as it was at the time.
LIFE AFTER THE TECH
My academic performance post school was no better than at school, I pursued the social life with more enthusiasm than perhaps I should! School of Architecture (Bath University but physically in Bristol), Applied Physics (Portsmouth Poly.) Difficult even now to understand that choice other than they were 2 of my A level subjects. Finally, an HNC from Hammersmith School of Art and Building.
There was an incentive to achieve the latter because I married Sue in 1971 and a need to be somewhat responsible. Chris Wiltshire was my best man and we continue to acknowledge each other’s postings on Facebook. I worked in London working in architecture. A successful time workwise and socially with travel in Europe.
In 1975 we came to Canada. I worked at several firms of architect and latterly at one of the oldest established firms working mainly on large institutional projects such as hospitals and laboratories.
We had two daughters and for the most part a wonderful family life with much travel in North and Central America and Europe. Unfortunately, we lost our eldest daughter in a traffic accident as she cycled to work at Vancouver Technical School where she was the Head of the Science Department. Our younger daughter is a Professional Accountant.
I reduced my commitment to architecture and started my one-man woodworking shop designing and making wood furniture for commissions and for sale in local galleries. This allowed some flexibility and Sue and I were able to travel more and further. Independent trekking several times in Nepal, India and South America, trips to Australia to visit friends and so on.
We now live on Bowen Island which is a 20-minute ferry ride and 30 minute drive from Vancouver. I still do the occasional woodworking commission and, until Covid intervened, I have volunteered at a woodworking shop for the disabled. Travel plans have also been curtailed but we’re still able to hike more locally.
