Last Update 16th March 2003

In those days it was actually called Highfield Secondary Modern, but I always felt there was a slight stigma with the word "secondary", and the word "modern" could have been an issue with the Trading Standards.

I joined Highfield from Thames Road Primary School in 1961 and left Highfield in the summer of '67. England had won the World Cup the year before for the first time, and perhaps the last. Donovan had recorded Hurdy Gurdy Man, and the Americans had not yet landed on the moon. It's debatable if they ever did, but that's another story.

The final class I was in was called 5Y, the 5 being for my fifth year, and the Y was the initial of our form teacher. That was Mr. Yates, who I believe later became the head teacher for a time. The head teacher during my time was a Miss Bloomer. 

The last teacher I remember still to be there was Mr. Hinchcliffe. He was our science teacher at the time, and he was still there 20 years later. I suspect he may be long gone by now. Obviously there were many teachers, and I can remember our Mr. Watts (passed away some years ago), Mr. Shakespeare (who strangely enough took us for art, not English), and Mr. Warner and Mr. Sanderson (metalwork and woodwork respectively).

Here are some photographs of our class back in 1967, and a big thanks to Chris Mackay for loaning them to me for a while. The large group picture (lower right) is of the whole 5Y class from '67. If you click on this photo, you will see all the names as well. Same applies for the 5T picture (upper right).

Are you in any of these pictures, or do you know the whereabouts of someone who is? Get in touch and give me an update. I can add the details to the "Updates" section on this page. Also get in touch if you were a teacher at Highfield at this time, or maybe a student in another class and you remember myself or others pictured above. It would be great to hear from you, no matter which prison, institution or cemetery you are currently in.

At the time this web page was initially published (November 2001) all the above guys would be either 50 or 51 years old. I wonder if we still look the same.

In this section I will add updates from any e-mails I receive. Please contact me if you know any boys or girls from the 1961 to 1967 era, or you know the whereabouts of any guys in the above pictures or our friends. If you do not want your comments or e-mail address posted here, but would still like to contact me, then please do so, but specify that your information is not for publication. Otherwise, I will update this section with your comments.

Also, if you have a current or recent photograph of yourself that has been scanned into a PC, then e-mail me your picture (any PC image format you like). We can put up pictures of what we currently look like and also any pictures taken at the time you were at Highfield.. If you don't have access to a scanner, then you can e-mail me and arrange to send me a current photo, which I will scan and return to you. After all, I was brave enough to do mine.

Thanks.

10th Nov 2001 - "I was born in Blackpool in 1951 but I moved down to the Croydon area in Surrey in 1972, so I can say that I have spent more than half my life in the South. I am married with two sons currently aged 17 and 16 respectively. I started in IT before it was called IT back in 1974, working on large mainframe computer systems, and turned to the PC market in 1984. I guess I have always been involved in PC hardware since that time. If anyone would like to get in touch with me, then please email me. Who knows, we may have a reunion before we all die or maybe before England next win the World Cup, whichever is the sooner."

10th Nov 2001 - "My brother Paul lives in Cleveleys so I wander over to Blackpool every so often. I left the area in '66 and never went back. After living all over the place for more years than I care to remember, I finally settled in North Yorkshire.

Where are you? Do you know the whereabouts of any others of our generation? I know Roger Isherwood is still running the newsagent's shop on Highfield Road. I met him a few years back. I bumped into David Hannah in Germany in 1977 and have never heard of him since. Though I have tried finding him.

Philip Lloyd (who was more of my brothers pal than mine) died in a motorcycle accident around 70 ish. Raymond Gold was last heard of in London as the manager of the Grosvenor Road Hotel. I have not confirmed that and the info is at least 8 years old so is probably not valid any more."

11th Nov 2001 - "Mr Hinchliffe retired only 4 years ago but still does regular supply teaching at our school - I bet that's a shock to you!!

Next term we will be without a Science teacher in the room next to me and Harold Hinchliffe is likely to be teaching Science through 'till Easter.

Jim Shakespeare left about 10 years ago - He was then Head of Ribble House - which is now the job I do.

I still see Jim from time to time -he looks well and still does a little Art teaching in a community school in Fleetwood.

Mr Yates - he left the year I started - I only met him once but I believe he was a formidable gentleman.

Miss Bloomer is still alive - but quite frail now - she is a friend of my next door neighbour and I occasionally visit her."

6th January 2002 - " I was at Highfield at the same time and remember you and some of the guys in the photos especially Ian Lawson.

My name is Marlene Hinchliffe and I was quiet (in those days).... in my 5th Year I was Sports Captain of Lune and was pretty good at swimming except Carol Lewis kept on beating me. (see swimming picture above for a picture of me then).

It is amazing that Miss Bloomer is still alive !!! I am unable to give you any updates on past school mates as I have lived in Sydney Australia for the past 28 years so I have lost touch I am currently a Director of Nursing in one of Sydney's hospitals and all though I still miss the old place I would never go back to live . Do you remember Maureen Jefferson and she had a sister Anne Jefferson ?

I will scan a picture from past times and an update and yes it is scary that we are all in our 50's now !!

Have a great day ... at the moment I am keeping an eye on the bush fires that are not that far away !!!

Hope to hear from you and once again congratulations on your web page."

No picture yet Margaret. I shall put something suitable here instead J

6th January 2002 - "I found your web page through the Friends Reunited page...what a great site that is. Anyway I was in your year (I think) but as there are NO GIRLS on your photos I am going by the people I remember in yours. 

Then I was Margaret Martin, I am now Maggie (the short form I adopted upon entering college) Day-Myron and live in Toronto, Canada. I have a brother, Tony, who was a year below me, and a sister Helen a year ahead. 

My mum lives just down the road from Highfield so I see it when I visit and I notice the changes....I have a school photo from the last year 5 saying 'the Elite' on it but it is MIXED...yes, they let us mix with the men for the one I have!! 

I am going to try and get it scanned, if our scanner and my husband will co-operate, and send it to you. The girls I remember are Carole Briscoe, Marlene Hinchliffe (saw her message on the Highfield site, which is another great idea) Margaret Marsland, Pamela Tait, Rosemary Green, Helen Robinson,.....my brain hurts now so I have to stop but there are more that I will retrieve from my musty and addled memory banks eventually. I remember David Wolfenden as he lived across the road from me on Keston Grove, and Keith McGinn was at Blackpool Art College when I was there and we all moved to London but I don't know where he is now...didn't he have a twin, Colin? 

Gary Eastham used to be one of my 'best friends' wasn't there a David Coats too, a bit like Phillip Hodge in stature..and Stephen and Susan Waddington...they might have been in another year though. Well, thanks for the memory rush, I will keep an eye on your page and send the photo asap. (I have to find it first!!).

31st January 2002 - "It's Dianne Chapman (now Smith) here.  I've had a wonderful time down memory lane thanks to your excellent site.  I have been in touch with Marlene Hinchcliffe as she was asking the whereabouts of Carol Lewis.  I just wanted to let you know that on the 66-67 5T Elite Class Photo (Pic 2) that the 3rd girl from the left is actually Carol Lewis and not Carol Briscoe as named in the captions below.

I think that I was in 5H in 66-67 as I seem to remember Mrs Hamer being my form teacher.  Some of the names that spring to mind are Marysia Jaworoska, Susan Porter, Joyce ( I think her last name was Holmes), Sheila Lucas, Susan Potter, Linda Riding (did she marry Geoffrey Fogden?), Alison Simms (I seem to recollect that she married one of the Isherwood brothers) and Ann Hindley.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Highfield and remember most vividly Miss Bloomer's voice echoing around the quadrangle many a time and especially if she caught anyone walking "across" rather than round the quad. I can also remember those pupils who had been especially naughty having to stand at the centre of the quadrangle in all weathers!  Some of the teachers I can recall are Mrs Lockwood (English), Mr Hinchcliffe, Mr Shakespeare, Miss Tweedale (Human Biology and did she also teach Art?), Miss Croft (Domestic Science) Miss McClelland (History).

After leaving Highfield I went to Collegiate and had a go at Edge Hill (Ormskirk) Teacher's Training College but decided to opt out in my second year in order to earn some money!  I joined the Midland Bank, got married in 1972 to Derek Smith (celebrating 30th wedding anniversary this year) and since 1978 have been a Civil Servant for the Benefits Agency (boring!!!!!) working both in Liverpool and now in Blackpool.

Thanks once again for rolling back the years, must go now to dig out my leather satchel, beret and plastic washing line (aka a skipping rope) and see if I can still skip to Rule Britannia (that one will not mean anything to the boys out there but may bring back memories for some of the girls)."

22nd January 2003 - "When I left school in 1967 I had intended to get a job in some sort of technical or scientific area. So much for the dreams of youth. It didn't happen and I ended up as a Trainee Manager at Lewis's Ltd. Department Store in Blackpool. I can't really complain as I enjoyed the work, the people were very friendly and I did quite well considering retailing was not my first choice of career.

"This is weird, I have just joined "Friends reinterred" and was noodling on the website when your message came and I remembered that I had not sent you any copy for your web page, so here goes:

Managed to escape from Highfield in 1968 a year early after finishing  the fourth form with Mr Roberts the technical drawing master, who I think had previously been thrown out of the Waffen SS for cruelty (Ed : Oh it doesn't matter now, they are probably all dead).

Was unhappy there as a few of the teachers would spend more time harassing me about my appearance (mod haircut, big bloody deal} and generally make life as unpleasant for me as they could.

My way of retaliation was to  stop paying any attention to what they were teaching, I didn't bother with homework, used to stare out of the window or stare at them, telepathically trying to drive them insane, it seemed to work. Eventually they gave up but I was asked to leave.

My final act of defiance was to come top of the year in all but three of the exam subjects, making me numero uno pupil out of my year, that freaked them a bit. I still have my school report, "Top of the year, a very pleasing result but his appearance is against him" from Mr Hinchcliffe, who if you are reading this please go to this website immediately   http://digilander.libero.it/caricacell/

I have since lived a life of contrasts having worked in many and varied jobs. Have had my own businesses, studied, travelled and worked all over the place, for the last thirteen years however I have been a professional musician (guitar mainly). I also teach music, deal in vintage instruments and sound equipment, do promotions and run a live music venue in Blackpool,The Kite Club  www.thekiteclub.co.uk .

 I have been married to Janet for eighteen years and live in Wrea Green with our two cats Spook and Maisy.

How's that ? I will send a picture on when I can figure out how to reinstall software on my f**king scanner (Ed: I don't know that brand) that refuses to do f**k all and has never worked properly. Bastard tools of Satan."