I would be delighted to buy a full set of Harry Milton's Clarendon French Course

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1951 - 1956

Current location (optional) East Morton

Can't help you, I'm afraid, but your request has stirred memories. I wouldn't mind browsing through a copy myself.
Wasn't the course published in five volumes (one for each year) each in a different coloured hard cover? I recall it being dumped with seemingly indecent haste the minute Harry retired, presumably making place for something more contemporary (the books I mean, not Harry, although that may have felt appropriate too!) It just seems to reflect the manner that secondary education in general has been replaced by something altogether more trendy of late. Are you planning the revolutionary step of re-introducing Harry's course along with some teaching?
In a less contentious vein, I remember the books and their layout quite well (who was "Fox" by the way?), and some of the characters therein, "Charles Marcel", "Fifi" the dog, etc. According to the great man himself, the course was named "Clarendon" for the Oxford University press heavy type used throughout (or something like that - rest assured someone will quickly put me right - I should've listened better at the time - Harry rarely tired of telling us of the kudos involved!)

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

La plume de ma tante est sur la pupitre.

It's amazing how often I need to use that phrase when having a chat with the locals over a glass of anis.

Ici le tableau noir!.

Mon Dieu!

Although I suffered Harry's Clarendon texts - always vandalised by some previous devotee to read "Milton the Fox" - from 1st year to 5th, I was taught by Fred (Catley) and never subjected to "la methode didactique miltonesque" (heureusement)until the 6th (malheureusement)when I was exposed to such skills of self-aggrandisement I dreamt I basked in the rays of le roi soleil. I have yet to meet another with such brimming self-confidence who could substitute "la gloire de soi-meme" for teaching - though in fairness we were "studying" Corneille. First time round the "A" results were pure tragedie.

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

On a lighter note, when under the tutelage of Fred in the 1st year (1952-53), we were looking at a sketch in "Clarendon Book One" - green I think) of a man with pipe and reading a newspaper - ("le Parisien") which looked for all the world like "Carlsen" - the name of an heroic sea captain - Kurt Carlsen, captain of the "Flying Enterprise" - and the last man to leave his ship which sank in La Manche in the '50s. Some wag (not me) expressed admiration that Harry's book should be so up to date with current news.

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

A small red herring, but some of you may not know that our contemporary Jim Hall later wrote a series of graded French text books for school use. They were certainly being used by some schools here on the Wirral a few years ago, though I dont know if they are used now. Jim retired from Clitheroe G.S. a couple of years ago as Head of Modern Languages, having spent all his working life there. He lives in Sedbergh now with his wife Kathryn (nee Binns)

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

Current location (optional) Wirral

I have written elsewhere of his marvellous meandering lessons. Nevertheless I still remember many lines of French poetry which he liked and introduced me too.
'Toujours pousses vers de nouveaux rivages/Sur le lac eternel emporte sans retour/ Quoi pouvons-nous jamais sur l'ocean des ages/jeter la'ancre un seul jour', Sorry I haven't had patience to put accents in! He was agreat teacher in his own style.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) '40-'48

Current location (optional) Epsom

Lamartine? I remember Fred Catley teaching us the words and tune!! of La Normandie - "Quand tout renait a L'esperance, et que l'hiver fuit loin de nous" etc Also he was up on contemporary French songs - I remember he gave us a version of "Paname" which strangely was one of the choices of Michael Rosen (whose father Harold taught me Early English)on this week's Desert Island Discs.

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

'Ma Normandie' was taught to us by Mr Fletcher and I note that it was also used by Jersey as their National Anthem. A beautiful tune! We also learned quite a few verses of 'Chevaliers de la table ronde' (goutons voir si le vin est bon), a rollicking drinking song as I recall. Together with the French National Anthem, The Marseillaise, it was more than a useful and entertaining way of learning the French language, I found.

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

Current location (optional) Keighley

Terry-yes it is Lamartine, a poem called 'Le Lac'. Also I remember other things, mostly poetry but also bits of drama either Moliere or Racine. I did French A level, as they call it now--Higher School Cert. in our day--but didn't feel confident to speak the language until I began to visit France in the 1960s and so many times since. We now go on holiday to France more frequently than anywhere else. I can speak and understand in most places except Paris where they talk so quickly and with such varying accents that I sometimes have difficulty. Much better in Provence and the Dordogne.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) '40-'48

Current location (optional) Epsom

.. and then there was the memorable joke about the Englishman who asked the way to the station but was directed towards the war (presumably WWI)...ou est la guerre etc etc...cracked me up! I think it was the boy with the pipe, referred to above?

I've just listened to the second Radio 4 Choice programme on "Memory" - and I'm not sure now that I should believe any of the stuff posted on this site - especially my stuff! I recall as a student listening to an hour's lecture on "A quintessence even from nothingness", a line from Donne's "A nocturnal Upon St Lucy's Day" - but quintessentially I remember nothing - which is not surprising, given this longest lecture on the shortest day. It really did seem much ado about nothing. Further I remember a whole double period with Harry (when reading Corneille's "Horace")on the line "Qu'il mourut." - I remember Harry's countless subsequent references back to this line to illustrate the quintessential morality of Corneille. Or do I? It seems that I remember so much about so little that the quintessence of what I should remember has fundamentally exited.

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

Although I was never taught by Harry - Fred Catley was my French master, then Malcolm Slater; I've somehow come across a copy of 'Part IV' of 'The Clarendon French Course'.

I never progressed further than 'Part II' - with the red cover and then used the soft-backed 'Easy Steps into French Composition' - amended to 'Greasy Steps into Froggy Compost.

Anyway, as a reminder of those halcyon days, I've scanned the front cover and 'Preface' of my copy of 'Part IV'- should be on the site soon.

It's interesting to see that 'The Clarendon French Course' was 'Based on Word-Frequency', but I wonder how often (in the 53eme Quinzaine) one would say:

'With eyes filled with tears he showed me the only prize he had ever won'

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

Current location (optional) Embsay

If, Dave, you had been taught by Harry ("le clignoteur")you would perhaps have begun to construe that your quoted "extrait" from le 53eme quinzaine is proof indeed (if needed) that the Clarendon French Course was Harry's autobiography.

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