Blame Alfred Barker for the tedium...

http://www.kbgs.com/part3.jpg

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) cpfirth@singnet.com.sg

Current location (optional) www.kbgs.com

Come on, Shaun - Founders' Day was the best day of the year! Reason? The Boys' and Girls' Grammar Schools apparently had the same founders, so - for the one and only time of the year - you got to be in the same building as girls! True, we were segregated, with the girls on the left, the boys on the right, of the upstairs gallery of Temple Street Congregational (?) Church. But that made for enhanced ogling opportunities. No, you can't knock Founders' Day! It was the nearest thing KBGS got to sex education!

I think Shaun and Allan havent got it quite right re Speech Day/Founders Day.

Speech Day was always held at Temple Street Methodist Church.This was the annual School Prize Giving, held around October.Usually a distinguished 'Old Boy' was invitied as a guest speaker. I remember Don Mosey, the cricket writer/commentator on one occasion.

Founders Day service was usually held at Keighley St Andrews Parish Church, though its possible an odd one was held at Temple St Meths.
One of the advantages of being in the school Choir was that we got together with the girls and had two or three rehearsals, often at KGGS. There were two girls I fancied, Judith Sugden, an Ingrow girl, I never got a date with her , and Evelyn Whitaker with whom I managed one date only!
I think Judith married Richard Tillotson from our school ( a trombone player) and they lived for a time in Richmond , N Yorks.
I can still remember some of the choral music we learned for Founders Day, including the first two parts of Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli, and on another occasion Edmund Rubbrs's Missa Cantauriensis.

No Shaun I dont remember chatting to an old geezer in North Street.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) brianmoate@hotmail.com

You're probably right about Founders' Day being in the Parish Church, Brian. This dementia's a wonderful thing. You get to meet new people every day! However,I do remember at least one Founders' Day service there. I'd just got my first XV colours ( a bit of embroidered green stuff that went on the top of your stripey blazer pocket). In the vain and erroneous hope that to wear it would impress the girls (I hadn't yet sussed that, by and large, they don't like sweaty armpits and carbolic soap)I stuck it to my blazer with a bit of sellotape conned from Miss Reilly. The sellotape, like my hopes of ever getting off with Evelyn Whittaker, disintegrated rapidly. My EW hopes had stemmed from seeing her from afar, daily on the number 2 bus. Not having the courage to ask her out and be told 'no', I got an intermediary to do it...probably John Haygarth or Rik Battarbee as they'd already cracked the girlfriend code whereas I had not. The message came back that she'd said 'yes'- 7.30 under the bus station clock!! I wore my best beetle jacket (made out of some foam-backed material that increased my already substantial weight by a stone and a half every time it rained). At the appointed hour Evelyn turned up in full girl guide regalia, mumbling some excuse about needing to go to the guides. I'm really not bitter, and I hope she eventually found the scout of her dreams....

Who were the Founders in any case?
Were they Barrett, Brigg, Longsden (sorry Brian) and Smith?

Dave Harrison having left school earlier in the year, it fell to me to read the lesson at Founders' Day 1960 in the Parish Church. After the rehearsal, Watthey came up to me and said, "You read that well,boy - but it's not the "Sun" (sic) of God". I didn't understand what he meant coming from Bradford Street. I didn't follow this up very well - because opening the batting for the school against the Old Boys in the afternoon I was yorked first ball by Norman Wetherhed and the Keighley News photographer (Alan Hargreaves), the father of a friend of mine, was on the pitch and got a shot of it which was printed in the Kly News and circulated around the Kirky Camp and did little to enhance my chances with the Best girls.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) terrymarston@hotmail.com

>>Who were the Founders in any case?

This link might answer that:
History

Current location (optional) www.kbgs.com

Without first reading the history page as suggested by Chris, I recall among our founders were a Drake, a Tonson, and a fellow called Miles Gale. I believe the school was first called Drake & Tonson School. Later when Oakbank was being built there was a proposal to call it Miles Gale School.

Thanks Chris.
I found out about the Founders from your link but even with glasses on I had to give in part way through so I am sure the article may answer my other query "Who were Barrett, Brigg, Longsden and Smith?" and I'll find out given time.

re: reading glasses
don't forget to "maximise" the images as your browser is probably re-sizing them to fit the window, making them unreadable

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) cpfirth@singnet.com.sg

Current location (optional) www.kbgs.com

Thanks Chris. When viewed full size it makes a mcuh more interesting and comfortable read.
... And most of my questions were answered. Barrett, Brigg and Smith were all there, and it is clear why school houses were named after them. But I still don't know who Longsden was.
Incidentally, it is instructive to note that the early 'headteachers' had such wildly different incomes - Alexander McLean, at the Free Grammar School, got £100 p.a. whereas William Plummer, at the Preparatory School received £20 p.a.
Times have changed a little, and we don't have such enormous discrepancies in funding nowadays. However, the current funding levels for schools show that society still places lesser value on the needs of younger children - a sad commentary.

If I recall correctly,Speech day was held in the Municipal Hall,before it was destroyed in the terrible fire. One year we were honoured to have Sir Bracewell Smith to present the prizes.

Founders Day alternated between Temple Street Methodists,and St Andrew's Parish Church.

The Methodist minister was a jovial man aptly named Morley-Bright,and the Rector of Keighley was Canon Hamer.

Longsdon House was named I think after a Mayor of Keighley H.C.Longsdon,and his name can be seen on the plaque outside Keighley Library.

Just re-reading some of the "Re" postings - Allan's posting of 18.5.04 metions a foam Beatles jacket. I didn't know anyone else had one of these wierd garments. Somewhere I have a photo of myself wearing one I think. I hope you looked less ridiculous in yours Allan.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

Current location (optional) leeds

No - I looked totally ridiculous in mine!

Didn't Albert bash out the hymns at Temple Street?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 53-58

I certainly recall Braithwaite "bashing" a piano on occasions, but not the location or context.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

So is that why he was known as "Basher". I thought there was another explanation.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln

I recall him being known as Basher Braithwaite,the Morton Mauler. Just why I cannot imagine.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 55-60

Current location (optional) Harrogate

Yes I am sure Basher played the Temple Street Organ. It was a fine instrument, I had lessons there from the organist Roland Windle and took exams on it.
I would have liked to know what happenend to the organ when Temple Street closed.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

I know that Albert Braithwaite has his critics on here, but I usually found him ok and when he took me for Maths in the third form it was like a light being switched on or a curtain lifted, but he had the ability to get through to me( no mean feat), the concepts of Algebra and geometry like no other teacher did.
Not maths, but on one occasion he caught me a with a copy of "A Basinful of Fun", a small slightly risque mag, would be very mild these days but we used to swap and borrow them etc( big deal I know). Albert confiscated it and I got it back after a few days after he had read it.
I can also confirm that he was a dead eye with a piece of chalk. He once managed to throw a piece INTO a lads mouth when he caught him yawning.Cheers.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 47-51

Current location (optional) Auckland NZ

Bill, Another master I remember, being a 'dead eye' with a piece of chalk, was George Cadman, also a Maths teacher. His technique was that once a boy had been 'targetted', he would conceal a piece of chalk in his finger tips whilst continuing with his lesson, and be walking away from the errant pupil; then suddenly spin round, clapping the palms of his hands together, sending the piece of chalk flying across the classroom with great speed -and accuracy. He had a very high success rate!!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 45/50

Current location (optional) Keighley

Bill -you are spot on with Basher being an excellent Maths teacher .He also had a fantastic memory for your relatives ,brothers cousins etc ,who had been pupils in his classes.
I remember that he had a clothes brush with the name of the retailer on the back which he used on unruly types (I was one such )
He also enjoyed a drink and on returning from a session in the Master's Common room one Christmas he told several risque jokes to a receptive class of Fifth Formers
He was a super chap and sadly missed

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 59-66

Current location (optional) cumbria

At the Founders' Day service, a lesson was read from The Apocrypha.
Can anyone please direct me to it? Chapter and verse?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln

Terry
I think you are referring to Ecclesiasticus Chapter 44 verses 1-15.

Verse 1 starts:
"Let us now praise famous men and our fathers that begat us"
I have just run a copy off from the internet as I couldn't find a Bible with Ecclesiasticus in it, and will send it on to you if you wish.
I rang my daughter who is married to a C of E priest to ask whereabouts Ecclesiasticus is in the bible but unfortunately she couldn't locate a King James bible either. I suggested she should walk along the street to the cathedral (Canterbury) - I thought they might have one there - but she declined.
David

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1937-1944

Current location (optional) Huntingdon

Thanks, David, for the research and for the offer.
I have a copy of The Apocrypha, formerly belonging to my late wife. I was too idle to thumb through to find the passage. I just knew someone would have the information at their fingertips.
If I had scanned the Names and Order of the Books, I would have been drawn to Ecclesiasticus. However, on reading the passage there are only short sections of it that I recall ( I sat through 9 Founders' Days services!)
Incidentally the following book is Baruch. Now where have I heard that name before?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln