I must say an excellent and very amusing post from the great man himself. He also seems to have to have a superlative wine cabinet. Though noticeably most of the bottles have already been cracked open! Anyway, I think I will have a glass a claret down here in Bournemouth and toast the good health and lasting humour of Joe Watthey -- even though he seems to have forgotten that he did love to dish out the canings. I though him and Professor Jimmy Edwards (Whacko!) had a very similar style when chastising the miscreants.

It's good to see and hear from you A.E.W. (or may I say "Joe"?), apparently still going strong both physicaly and mentally after all these years. Also, you're very gracious to accept some of our less flattering reminiscences in such good spirit!
Obviously you're unlikely to remember many individuals from that relatively short and distant era - but there must be one or two characters (either pupils or staff). Who were they and for what reasons do they stick in your mind? I'm sure we can share a laugh or two!

That was jolly decent of you , sir!
I would just like to add my concurrence to the comments by my contemporary Brian Craven , and Neville Lumbers. I am sure, that looking back on our schooldays,most of us were grateful for the education KBGS gave us under your 'management'. I wish you good health and happiness for a long time yet.

Great to see Joe Watthey is such fine fettle and still enjoying a glass of the amber nectar! And I too wonder if he has any humorous memories of staff and pupils he might care to relate to us when he gets a spare moment. Does he still have that fine baritone voice which was given such full rein on his marvellous rendition of 'Oh Jonah he lived in a whale'. I am sure Jimmy Edwards could never have matched that.

Was it a large whisky or a small lager?

Good on yer 'AE' and long may you flourish! Ok, you might have come in for some banter in the annals of the forum and occasionally harsh criticism, but your shoulders are broad and your achievements in life are such that you can handle this. In any case, which adolescent worth his salt isn't anti-authoritarian? And after all isn't the level of a pupil's subsequent success in life, however it's measured, of more importance than the observations of those who, like me, could see no more than 'through a glass darkly' during their KBGS years? Being Head of a Grammar School of the size and complexity of ours was no mean undertaking. So what if you were tetchy at times and apt to fulminate occasionally? You were entilted to do so, and so, no doubt would most of us faced with a similar workload and pressures. I hope we've proved to be worth the effort you put into making KBGS what it was. I for one have reason to be grateful.

Keep that drinking arm in good working order!
Cheers,

Geoff (PG) Walker/ 1959-1967

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) gwalker@diocant.org

No mention of the controversial Miss Riley, however. I could not help but wonder if the Rev'd A. E. Watthey is still in close touch with her in Eastbourne. I am sure Jimmy Edwards would have been.

Now, I'm surprised and disappointed (to quote AEW from my first school report..) that Canon Walker did not pull rank on Rev Watthey and chastise him for the extent of his wine cellar! It is, however, good to see the elder cleric in good spirits, good health and fine fettle. As I once posted elsewhere on this forum, my thanks to him for intervening with reluctant seats of higher education and ensuring that I was eventually offered a place at university . If it had gone differently, I couldn't have spent the next thirteen years, on and off, as an eternal student! Thanks!!

I needed a couple of days to think about my message here!
No Sir, speaking entirely from my own experiences I do not exaggerate, my memories are as vivid as the black/purple wheals across my backside that must have been very close to breaking the skin. To inflict physical violence on those that are unable to defend themselves is the resort of the coward and the bully. I disagree with the sentiments of Geoff. Walker who allows for lapses in good judgement, it isn't OK now and it wasn't OK then.
For many years I harbored great anger against those that put the cane, pump and rubber hose against my body, the slaps around the head from Crouch, the fist in the kidneys from Riley and the pulling out of the chair by the hair by Vincent-Firman and Stockdale. If I can make any positives out of this it is that it helped forge my attitude to corporal punishment and I determined never to lay a finger on my own son, or anyone else for that matter, who was unable to hit back, and I never have.
It is with great relief that I know this will be read by the person who inflicted most of the pain and indeed I have felt quite emotional as I have thought about this reply - I think there's a bit of exorcism at work here.
Sir, I don't forget and I don't forgive, but I bear no more anger towards you. What would be a real thrill would be to shake your hand, share a glass or two of Grange Hermitage with you and wish you and your family continued health and happiness.

Trevor Pickles

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) tpdesign@primus.com.au

Current location (optional) studiofour.com.au

I just wondered, can Mr Watthey settle two unanswered questions, ie what was Miss Reilly's first name, and was it Longden House or Longsden ? I still think the former!

The 'few and far' between canings were a little more frequent that the Rev's A.E. Watthey actually recalls. Having entered his study on several occasions to be on the receiving end of his punishment regime. I can recall the modus operandi. Another master or the ever dutiful Miss Riley were also present. The other boys due to receive the punishment waited outside in various stages of anxiety -- or preparation, in the form of placing an A4 excercise book down the trousers to deflect the pain. The cane itself was straight as opposed to curved. The pain increased with each stroke until the last one, which was excruciating. The strokes were duly recorded in his punishment book. The bruises could be there for two weeks. I was not aware that Joe's successor 'Plod' Clarke was a great user of the cane before the practice was offically outlawed. I really do think Joe enjoyed dishing it out. Purely for the benefit and disciplining of the boys -- of course.

I agree with Trevor Pickles!
I'm sorry Mr. Wathey but you dicsiplined the wrong ones!
If life would allow me to meet these 'teachers' again man to man,(for the sake of my comments we will assume all of us to be the same age!), not one of them would dare to confront me and stand his ground.
I'm not a child anymore you see so it's not as easy !!!
Steve Hughes.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) thesteve2@blueyonder.co.uk

Current location (optional) You do not want to know!?

I cannot help but feel that Joe's discipline techniques could only apply to an all boys school during that particular historical period. It clearly would not have worked with girls and I wonder if he used the cane when he went to his community college in Leicestershire. As regards the large number of thugs -- particularly Cronshaw and Crowther -- he employed, he seems to be totally oblivious to them and their misdemeanours.

Anybody recognise this , you should because the following chemical equation was etched, (beat), into your brain by a certain Mr. Riley.
3cu+2no= 3cuno3twice+2no+4h2o.
On the other hand, memory fading with age, I may have got it wrong!!!!!!!
Cheers,
Steve

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) thesteve2@blueyonder.co.uk

Current location (optional) You do not want to know!?

Sorry Steve, you got that wrong

First bit should be 3Cu + 8HNO3

Its the reaction of copper with 50% nitric acid.
Copper reacts with nitric in three different ways, depending on the strength of the nitric. I wont go into the other options here. There were drilled into us by Stoker Stockdale.

Now I remember why I did physics!

Could anybody explain how Joe came by his 'Reverend' title. Was it due to his activities as a lay preacher or attendance at divinity college. If I remember correctly the maths teacher 'Creep' was also a lay preacher. Creep also had a son at KBGS called 'Jimmy Creep'.

Whilst I was at school (I left Dec 1964, after the Oakbank move in April) Joe was not ordained, but I think it was fairly soon after that became Rev.
He was certainly a lay preacher, and I believe anglican, though I know hae also preached occasionally at Methodist churches. He came once to Lund Park Methodist in Malsis Rd, where I was organist from 1963 to 1965. You are right Rev C Moore was ordained and taught mainly maths, and the famous G.('Snakey') Emery was also ordained, either whilst at school, or shortly after he left. I believe he passed away not too long after that.

Having pursuaded Joe Watthey to respond to the undoubted success of the KGBS website it would be great if such sixties luminaries as Vincent Firman, Plod Clarke or even Frank Wellock were to express an opinion on the 'good old days'.

As someone who suffered the horror and humiliation of your classes in French and years of abuse meted out by some of the many thugs and charlatans in your employ, and as one to whom you even refused a reference on our last meeting in your office in 1969, I have to say that I have absolutely nothing to thank you for. My BA and PhD were gained largely despite KBGS / Oakbank School.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) Datoslangs@t-online.de