KBGS Old Boys' Forum

A place to discuss Keighley Boys' Grammar School. 


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KBGS Old Boys' Forum
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Old Boy on the Box

The 10-00 Beeb news last night included an interview with Kevin Hawkins representing the British Retail Consortium.Am I right in thinking that he's a KBGS old lad from Silsden?

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Yes, that's him alright!
He was in the same forms as myself, all the way from 1C right up to O-levels (4X).

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

Re: Old Boys on the Box

Yes, Kevin has been frequently on the TV. He is currently Director of the quango 'The Retail Consortium', previously he was Director of Communications for Safeways, prior to the acquisition by Morrisons. He often spoke on TV about things like Genetic Modification of food. He gave papers on this subject at two conferences I attended 4 and 6 years ago, and I was able to have a chat with him. Before Safeway he was a Director of W H Smith.
Must have earned a few bob!
I believe Richard Battarbee has been on a few times but I've never caught him. I understand he may be in Academia as a specialist on Environmental matters. Anyone know more?

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

Current location (optional) Wirral

Re: Old Boy on the Box

He's a right bundle of laughs, our Kevin. Allus was.

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Has it been established which school Blair's former spin doctor Alaistair Campbell went to? And is Lord Asa Briggs still alive?

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Rick Battarbee was mentioned this week on a Radio 4 news item. Prof B of UCL is a world expert on acid rain. His work is mentioned in many items on global warming etc etc. BTW - somebody was mentioning 'then and now' pictures. If you do a Google image search for both Kevin and Rick, you get lotsa pics that are in the public domain....

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Lord Briggs is certainly alive still.

Re: Old Boy on the Box

A "Professor Rick Battarbee" (London) was quoted in the press a few months ago with reference to well-publicised problems with the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.(He expressed professional certainty that the problems were biological in origin).
At the time I was unsure whether this was our KBGS contemporary, but it did seem highly probable.
Incidentally, didn't "Batts" succeed Kevin Hawkins as Head Boy, following the departure of the latter? (and was that to Cambridge?)

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

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Did not Professor Batterbee used to take the penalties for the Gilbert Swift first fifteen rugger team? But nobody seems to clarify so far whether spin doctor Alaister Campbell went Oakbank GS.

Re: Old Boy on the Box

On ething I do remember was a mock parliamentary election in either the 2nd or third year sixth ('64 or'65). Prof B was up for Labour. The Tory candidate? - You guessed...K Hawkins.

Re: Old Boy on the Box

I am delighted to report that the odious Alastair Campbell, having attended Utley Primary School, moved to Leicester at the age of 11 and therefore has no connection with KBGS. In any case, having been born in 1957, had he remained in Keighley he would have been a comprehensive oik and not like us creme de la creme.

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Kevin certainly went to Cambridge, then spent some years at Hull as a lecturer before going into Industry and becoming the Midland Area Director of the Confederation of British Industry. Then WH Smith and Safeway.
I dont thick Rick Battarbee went to Cambridge.
Who (from our year) were the others who went to Oxbridge? Jim Hall studied languages at Oxford for sure.

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

Current location (optional) Wirral

Re: Old Boy on the Box

I've no idea ... but I do know that Tony Pickles went to Bradford and, so it is said, was involved in throwing Enoch Powell into a fountain. So he. at least, made something of himself.
Talking of the telly - unbelievably, I was on the box once in 2003. "Question Time" from Leeds. Had a real go at Ian McCartney over that year's catastrophic underfunding of schools. Enjoyed it immensely.

What really puzzles me about ex-KBGS students is that, though a sprinkling have made something of a name in professional sport, and KH has made a name for combatting insomnia, no-one seems to have made any impact in the arts. Where are the actors, artists, playwrites, novelists etc??

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

Current location (optional) Leeds

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Peter Snow, a Lalkholme Laner , who was in my year( academically we had nothing else in common) went to Oxford. A few years ago the Keighley News carried a piece about him writing a book which was to include some reminscences about KBGS.Does anyone know if it was published and if so the title?

Re: Old Boy on the Box

We see Paul Hudson an old boy of KBGS every night on Look North. He is of course the weatherman. Paul learnt to play cricket with us at Ingrow St Johns. From a very young age all he ever wanted to do in life was to be a weatherman.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1959-1964

Current location (optional) Keighley

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Thanks for sorting out the origins of the odious 'New Labour' spin doctor the arrogant Aleister Campbell. Actually, Lord Asa Briggs, of national fame, may well live quite close to me. Surely the time has come to ask him personally to give us some insight into the qualities of a KBGS education which propelled him to fame and fortune.

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Re Lord Briggs. I had a reply from him in Nov 2000 after seeing an article in the Dalesman about him. I questioned him about the time he was a student teacher at Highfield School in the 1940's. In his reply he mentions his KBGS connection, and I quote---" Way back in the year before the war and the two years before I went into the army i had spells of vocation teaching both at Highfield ,where I took the place of a delightful man called Walmsley who went into the Airforce, and at the Grammar School where Neville Hind drew me in. I was at Highfield on several occasions , but at the Grammar School for a continuous period of more than six months. I learnt a great deal from this experience"
He was at Bletchley working on the Enigma project during the war.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 43-46

Current location (optional) Tasmania

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Was in Lewes, Sussex, today. The home of our foremost old boy Professor Lord Asa Briggs. It is a good place to commence a walk on the picturesque South Downs.

Whilst sitting on the Lewes Rail station platform I was amused to see that irritating broadcaster Fred Dinage of 'How' fame filming a piece for the local TV station. I resisted the temptation to raise my hand and grunt 'How' as he went past.

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Asa Briggs was on Radio 4 this morning and will be on again tonight at 9-30 pm. Thursday 31 Aug

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 41/46

Current location (optional) IOM

Re: Old Boy on the Box

Apropos my posting of Sept. 2005 - I saw KH again on the box about 3 weeks ago. This time he was talking about shoplifting (the effect on shopkeepers rather than how to do it). He was clear, concise and quite animated. Perhaps I moved too quickly to judgement on previous sightings.

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

Current location (optional) Leeds

Re: Old Boy on the Box

He probably had a frozen chicken stuffed up his jumper.