I found the KBGS website by accident. Found it amusing and, at times, a memory of a horrific past. Kenny Preston still gives me nightmares 50 years on. Oh, the memories of the weekend essay which we knew we hadn't to make too long, otherwise the corrections list would be out of all proportion. You no doubt remember the blizzard of red crayon down the margin, G for Grammar, SP for spelling, etc. Also his way of making us appreciate literature: "Read 'Silas Marner' pp.35-250 tonight and know it for a test tomorrow. Anyone with less than 5/10 gets a detention". 3 detentions in a term, I seem to remember, brought a caning from the head. So one Saturday evening I was unable to sort out my corrections and pedalled on my pushbike from Riddlesden to Utley, where Preston lived. I tentatively knocked on his door. A very kindly elderly man in a button-up cardi came to the door (ys, it was he) and greeted me: "Rhodes, what are you doing here?". We sat on the low wall outside his house sorting out the problem and his parting statement was "There's no need to have gone to all that trouble, Rhodes". I knew darned well that wouldn't have been the case if I hadn't got it right by Monday - it would have been another detention and a caning. Oh, the shame, never mind the pain! Isn't it odd - I detest Shakespeare and Dickens.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-63

Current location (optional) Keighley

He must have mellowed. Your call at his home, David, must have brought home to him the evils of his system.In 4a, I spent a whole week of detentions in his room (52?)getting my corrections done on a one and a half page essay! Each time I presented my book (probably 3 times per detention), he checked through every page (which included the odd line of spelling corrections at the foot of a ruled off section)and wrote deliberately "Corrections Incomplete" and threw the book back at me. Thank the Lord I didn't live at Queensbury! I would have been sleeping at school. Eventually I confronted him and asked to be shown which corrections were missing. Without need to check, he instantly turned back 10 pages to a spelling correction I had missed from a previous essay, verbally abused me and within 10 minutes, I was "ticked up" and on my way home. Thereafter it was short sentences (one main clause) and brief essays.Having mastered that peculiarity, the next challenge was the tests on the set books. Each Friday for homework there were 2 chapters of Guy Mannering to be read with a detailed test on Monday morning (what is meant by "the redding straik"?) - usually out of 47 or 39. Less than half marks (eg 23 or 19) meant a detention and another test with different questions. You got wise to his procedures and found ways to confound them.English became a battle with Prut. I know some old boys were inspired to read English but, knowing he would teach the "A" Level course, that put me off despite success in the GCE.

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