Bill Walsh suggested that the Art Master who took a group of lads to Malham might have been Hildreth Harpin. Perhaps it was a typo-graphical error, but Harry Harpin's first name was Hildred. He took the name Francis at his confirmation when he was 21 yrs old. He was appointed to the staff of the Art School and Art master of the boy's Grammar School in September 1936. I know that he formed a School Sketch Club which took members on out of school visits to places of interest. Did he get to Malham? That I don't know. Harry was a deeply religious man and he painted a fresco behind the altar of the Church of Our Lady of Victories in Keighley. I wonder if they [the church and the fresco] still exist?
I've been trying to lay my hands on one of his watercolour landscapes for several years but they seem very difficult to locate. Any ideas where I might find one?

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

Current location (optional) Norfolk UK

Hi Dennis. A couple of things I remember about Harry Harpin. He lived at Swartha,nr Silsden. He was behind the creation of a small magazine called " ZEST". I'm not sure how long that survived.He liked speedway and I saw him several times at Odsal.You mentioned him being deeply religious--- I recall him being very enthusiatic in telling us about his visit(s?)to the Holy Land. He was a very popular chap in my day.Cheers.

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

Current location (optional) Auckland-- NZ

I seem to remeber the Art Master and his magazine "Zest" I think it was actaully Zest for you Leisure. I can recall his first edition had an article about house painting.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) '44 to '48

Current location (optional) now living in Pembrokeshire

Further thoughts about the art master. Was'nt he called "Harpic" at some time, or was that my name ? Can't remember !

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) '44 to '48

Current location (optional) now living in Pembrokeshire

I can remember Harry( as I knew him) Harpin painting a tryptych in the Attic/ Art Room at the old school. It was the crucifixion set in the moors above Swartha. I recall the purple heather and the two robbers on the outer panels. Perhaps this is the painting referred to.
Below is an excerpt from a March 2006 catalogue for an auction sale at Bonham's in Leeds.
162. Hildred Harpin A.R.C.A. (b. 1907) 'Chantry Bridge over the Calder, Wakefield' 13.5 x 20cm
I also recall Harry introducing himself to us by drawing, in paint, a harp with letters 'in'following it, so we would remember his name. I also thought he was the one teacher at KBGS that did not frighten me. A lovley gentle man.
Arthur Seeley.

I didn't have any response to my query about the mural painted by Harry Harpin at the Church of Our Lady of Victories so I looked elsewhere. I got a reply from Tim Garthwaite who sent me the following comment.
'I used to be the archivist at St Anne's Church - the mother church of the district - and have anecdotal information about the mural. I was told - that the mural was completed and heartily disliked as the faces were throughly evil. I have no memory of being told how or when the mural was removed or painted over. I think that there is a postcard-sized picture of the mural in the archive at St Anne's

Tim Garthwaite'

In his autobiography, Harry wrote that,'Engineers [from the local factories near church] begged the Bishop to save the painting [mural] when a new Parish Priest wished to destroy it.' Apparently the Bishop did not intervene!

Now that you've jogged my memory Arthur, I can recall the mural in the Attic Art Room and thanks for the tip re Bonhams. I shall check out their next sale.

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

Current location (optional) Norfolk

At the recent 2007 Reunion at Utley I was shown a 'Silsden Newsletter' of 1996 in which there was a brief 'Life and Times' of 'Harry' Harpin. I borrowed the booklet and 'scanned' the relevent pages for inclusion on the KBGS Website and for anyone interested it can be viewed on the 'Faculty'section. When I viewed the section myself I was pleasantly surprised to view a photograph of 'Harry',in Italy, a short time before his death at the ripe old age of 83. I'm grateful to Geo. Lambert of Ilkley for the loan of the Newsletter.

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

Current location (optional) Keighley

After I had posted the above reply relating to 'Harry' Harpin I received an Email from Terry Marsden remarking on a coincidental receipt of a photograph of Harry, by Email, of a similar shot in Italy. This photo had been passed on to Terry by John Waddington-Feather. In addition there was a copy of a newspaper clipping covering the sudden death of our former Headmaster Mr Neville Hind, giving a brief outline of his life and achievements. Also, there was a photograph of Ms Berrington. All three items were passed on to our Webmaster who has placed them in the School/Faculty section. Later the same day I was reading through the Neville Hind clipping and noted with surprise, that he had served in the infantry during the Great War(1914-18)and had been wounded. Not only that but he had been awarded the Military Medal!!! All those times at School, whenever you saw his name in print, it was nearly always 'Mr.N.Hind M.A.(cantab)', but never an 'M.M.'after his name. Amazing! I wonder what that says about the man?

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

Current location (optional) Keighley

Thanks, David, for that elucidation. Although "the Old Man" was never seen as an heroic character, he did show a strong interest in school athletic performance - especially school rugby.(I don't think he rated cricket!)He showed little sympathy for injured rugby players - "Well, if you will play these rough games....etc!" Knowledge of his army career and decoration would have enhanced his status with West Riding lads at kbgs and possibly would have given many of us heightened ambition. Perhaps many of our contemporaries would have appreciated that the school was not led by donkeys after all! We all needed the qualities of good role models.Unfortunately "Old Nick" would appear to have hid his light under a bushel - not unknown for Yorkshire types - despite the national image. Good'on you, Nev!

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

Current location (optional) Lincoln

Terry. You say that you thought 'the Old Man' never rated cricket and yet I can recall him turning out on more than one occasion for the Old Boys, usually with a beaming smile on his face(a rarity). The other thing I do remember is that he never wore a belt around his waist, preferring instead, to wear his old school tie!! A bit like when the Barbarians play rugby, they all wear a Barbarian shirt but the stockings worn are from their indivdual clubs, to show 'where they're coming from'. So in a way, Neville was saying 'I learned my cricket at Newcastle Royal'- and was proud of it.

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

Current location (optional) Keighley

Good thread! I remember "old Nick" wearing his tie for a belt.When I first saw this I was in the first form,and I thought that maybe this is the norm when you "grow up". Interesting to hear about the Military Medal- that is a very high award.My brother received the MM for bravery in Vietnam,serving with the Australian Army.Thanks for jogging me about the faculty page David. The piece on Harry Harpin was most interesting.As has been stated on here,he was a popular teacher. Cheers.

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

Current location (optional) Auckland,NZ

I was looking again at the posting I made regarding the death of Neville Hind and the revelation that he had been wounded and decorated in WW1. One aspect of the item that nattered me a little and that was the dating of the newsclipping, which in turn would have given us his D.o.b., knowing already that he was 74 when he died. I now find out that the year of the clipping was 1972 which means he was born in 1898. The clipping also states that he joined the infantry in 1917, making him only 19 years old at the time. Therefore he must have won the Military Medal when he was some 19/20 years old!!! Amazing!! And we never knew!

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

Current location (optional) Keighley

Neville Hind was a complicated man, sparing with his praise and furious in his (mostly simulated) anger. I knew about his MM though I can't ever remember him referring to it. This was typical because he was always a modest man so far as his own achievements went and .looking back on it, a wise and sympathetic character. I would have nothing at all bad to say of him. He was rightly proud of his own success as well as mine when I got my Open Scholarship to Christ's Cambridge and I even got a literal pat on the back from him.

Hildred Harpin - equally complicated and because I was terrible at drawing he might have thought I didn't like it which couldn't have been further from the truth. Thus we were never very close but I remember the stories of his travels very well as well as his own great painting.I remember Zest For Your Leisure also and I am sure I had an old copy but. like a lot of old papers, goodness knows where it is now.When I myself became a Catholic I would like to have told him but I had no idea what happened to him after he became a priest so thanks very much for the posting and the interesting clip.

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

Current location (optional) Epsom

Going through the Website Guestbook recently I read a piece by a certain 'Tom Bell' asking for information about 'Harry' Harpin. I contacted Tom by Email and directed him to the Faculty Section on our Website and in particular the Silsden Newsletter regarding 'Harry'. He replied saying that he and his sister, between them, had four watercolours by 'H.Harpin' all of Swartha, which they had inherited. At the same time he mentioned that he(Tom)had a small photo album belonging to Harry, with pictures taken from the mid 30's to the mid 40's, which he has kindly sent on to me. Six of the photos have been 'posted' by our Webmaster, on the 'Faculty' page along with others of Harry already there. Tom tells me that his uncle, John Stanley Bell, is on one of the photos as is Tom's father, Tom Bell Snr, on more than one. It's just possible that some of the older Old Boys may 'find' themselves on the photos newly posted. Tom has also exchanged Emails with Denis Pickles regarding the paintings mentioned, and hopes to meet up with Denis sometime in February with the paintings, after which we hope to have some 'shots' of them to put on the website. It also transpires that Denis used to play in the second row with John Stanley Bell back in the 50's with the Keighlians!! Small world!! Finally, Tom tells me that he has bound copies of 'The Keighlian' magazine dated 1935-41!!

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

Current location (optional) Keighley

Where are they now?
Well two of them are on my desk even as I write! I refer to my long lost copies of Harry Harpin's Magazine 'Zest for your Leisure Illustrated' which have not had a page turned for many a long year! I stumbled across them [volumes 2 & 4] when I embarked on what I know, is a bound to fail, decluttering exercise. And in the last two hours I've re-read every word, scanned every picture and enjoyed a thoroughly nostalgic dip into my schooldays. There's an article by Canon Eric Treacy MBE on Photographing Trains, one entitled 'Fishing in Winter' by Allan Laycock, one on making jig-saw puzzles by Ernest Waterhouse who was in my form for a while, a couple by 'Frizzy' Berrington and others by Norman Yardley, Wilfred Pickles and Phyllis Bentley. The majority of them are written by Harry himself and there's the odd colour reproduction of his watercolours, which pleases me no end because I still haven't been able to lay my hands on an original. Harry certainly put himself about to get support for his magazine from such a varied and distinguished bunch of contributors. Regretably only four issues were produced. The review in the Somerset County Gazette states 'I am sure that the excellent standard of the reproduction in this magazine can put little profit in the editor/artist's pocket. many of the individual illustrations are well worth more than the shilling one pays for the book'. I expect that was the reason for it's demise. Anyway, I will continue with my 'declutter' in the hope that the other two missing copies reappear!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945 - 50

Current location (optional) Norfolk

Don't know how I did it, but the message I've just posted about Harry Harpin's 'Zest' Magazines has appeared out of chronological order. If you are interested, scroll back to my entry dated 30th August 2008.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945 - 50

Current location (optional) Norfolk

Whatever happened to Malcolm Whittlestone, ex KBGS. He was known as the 'hardest man in Haworth'. He had many a fight outide 'The Rodney Pub' on the cobbles of a Saturday night. A brute of man who could be a handful on a weekly rugby match at Greenhead or even up at Oakbank.

I notice in the Guestbook that there is an entry from Dave Pawson. Does anyone know if he was from Ingrow and did he have a brother called Mike?

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

Current location (optional) leeds

Dear Friends of Francis--

I am now quite chagrined not to have searched on the internet, until now, for news of my beloved mentor Fr. Hildred Francis Harpin. His mentorship was the single most pivotal educational and spiritual relationship in my life.

When I was a college student, in the early 1980s, I was introduced to Father Harpin on a pilgrimage I had made to Assisi and which was followed by a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for Holy Week 1981. When I met him, we was living in an apartment probably of Medieval vintage, with a garden overlooking the valley below Assisi. He had a pomegranate tree (of which I have a watercolor by his hand) and a cobblestone patio near the lower-level apartment where he would serve tea to young people who from every walk of life but ones he called his "little brothers" and "little sisters"--people who were not "clubbable", as he put it. These were dialogues interwoven with stories which kept our rapt attention. He likened us, affectionately,to the bread our Lord gathered up into baskets, after feeding the crowd. I learned, not from Francis, that he was offered what I consider to be the greatest artistic commission one could be offered in Christendom: reworking & restoring the mosaics in the Holy Sepulchre. When I was able to 'work it out of him' that this was true, I asked him why he didn't take the commission. He answered simply--and I paraphrase: "...because then I could not have been with you and the other little brothers and sisters."

For those of you who knew and maybe loved him, I can assure you that these latter days of his were glorious. In the end, he said "all I live for is the Eucharist." I own two of his paintings--one of the pomegranate tree and one which he painted at the Sea of Galilee. I also own a painting by his father of an estuary in England. It was the light upon this estuary which his father strove so brilliantly to capture and which he told Francis he saw on his death bed in his last moments.

I would be interested in anyone who might be willing to participate in the creation of some sort of "Legacy" website in honor of Francis. This would have a place for memories to be shared from the wider reaches of his life and ministry--inclusive of those you have been sharing from his teaching days--as well as photos of him and his work. Any recordings of him speaking would be also welcome. My email address is: michaeladamovich@att.net.

I'm already conscious that Francis would chide me good-naturedly about this posting, because it's a long and winding road. He told me, laughing, that "the shaggy dog story" must have been invented in my native Minnesota where he visited me twice. However, he never tried to make me into an Englishman but affirmed the "naturalness" of my American manners and way.

Thank you for remembering him with me. He was a Saint, from all I know of him.

Blessings,

Mike

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) Mentored by Hildred Francis Harpin-- not a KBGS student

Current location (optional) USA

I think so Shaun.

I emailed him a few years back and it was the Dave Pawson who, in the last (?) 1964 'Panorama' (on the tennis courts) that he had a cheroot behind his left ear and purposely ensured that his head was 'in the line of fire' so that it would be recorded for posterity. And it was! You can see it if you have a 'Panorama' and might be able to see it on the website.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1959 - 1966

Current location (optional) Shoreham-by-Sea

I remember Harry very well and reading this thread has brought back a strange memory. I used to sit next to the door of the art room and every art lesson he would say to me " Go and check the time, please". This involved going down the steps to the window opposite the Large, well huge , clock face of the Town Clock. Simple enough but you see I could not tell the time, not because I was stupid but because I had never been taught how to. One day I told my mother about this. She was shocked and immediately took me up to the Town Hall square, the Old Man's park and sat me down and in about one hour taught me, using the same clock. As I say, I was not stupid and learned in one hour. So in a very indirect way I have something to be grateful to Harry for.

I was idly fiddling on my computer & put in my uncle's name to see what came up! My uncle Hildred Harpin did indeed live at Swartha which I visited many times as a child. Later in life he became a Catholic priest & lived for many years in Assisi, Italy where he died.
Yours sincerely
Theresa Gatward

An interesting posting, Theresa. In the hope that that you might visit this thread again, you might look at the Photo section on the Home page and select 'Browse all photos'. Click on the 'Masters' site and scroll down to 1946 and you may see an early photo of your uncle with his sister, which may, or may not, be your mother, depending on how many sisters Uncle Hildred had. Could be a photo of your mother you have never seen!!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

Theresa, I should have also mentioned to you that on the same photo section I referred to in my previous reply, there are several photos of your uncle at Swartha, dated 1945, as well as later shots of him in Assisi shortly before he died. Later interested visitors to Assisi have posted photos of his grave . David

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

It was my fond wish when I first started to contribute to this site, that I might be able to obtain information regarding some of the lads who were in the same form as I all those years ago. I left school almost 65 years ago and with the odd exception, I lost touch with all but a handful of the boys I had shared the previous five years. That didn\'t worry me at the time. I was busy with other important things such as mapping out a career for myself, devoting two years to serving Queen and country, getting married and raising a family, making new friends in the different places I chose to work, etc.. However now, it seems important that I should try and fill what gaps there are in my knowledge. Perhaps there are still one or two old boys who can help but where are they? David Seeley is the only chap who has been able to unearth snippets of information and I do believe that there may be a few old timers who attend a retired men\'s group In Keighley who may know \'summat\' .
So, if there is anyone out there from the 45 - 50 era who might be able to fill some of the voids, please let me know. I don\'t want to borrow any brass, just to know how life has treated them.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945 - 50

Current location (optional) Norfolk

Denis

Was Jack Martin one of your 'lost' classmates, by any chance? I have his contact details if he was. He and David were in the same year, and close friends, but maybe you were earlier than them?

Doug

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1951-58

Current location (optional) Keswick, Cumbria

I have a painting of Bolton Abbey which was painted by Hildred Harpin and given to my father Geoffrey (Geoff) Hill, on the back Hildred had written 'to my brother Geoffrey'. Unfortunately my father passed away in 2011 so I am not able to ask him for any more information. My father attended school in Silsden but I have a photograph of him that looks to have been taken in an art class.

Current location (optional) Manchester