Netherhall School Memories

Edition 1, Introduced on 27th November 2001

Here are some photos and memories from Netherhall Secondary School in Cambridge

I arrived from Sierra Leone (where I did 3 years of Primary School and two terms of secondary) in the third term of the first year, was put in form 1X, and then the following year I was moved into form 2S. I'm afraid that some of my memories were less than pleasant, but largely due to the culture shock of moving from West Africa, resulting in an ignorance of television, pop music, fashion and language (slang) of early 70's Britain. Added to that was that (having listened to myself on a reel to reel tape made around the time) I spoke like someone off "The Railway Children", and it doesn't take much imagination to realise that I fitted in like a spare ..  well, maybe it doesn't need explaining...

I do of course have quite a few pleasant memories.....

Unfortunately some of the photos are a bit blurred, because the source photos are from a 110 instamatic. Unfortunately my memory of some of the names of my class mates are equally blurry - so apologies in advance if I get any names or spellings slightly wrong (contact me and let me know!)

This first photo has some people who were central to my experience of form 2S. Left to right are Stephen Kukolich(?), X, Jill Atkin, X (Head?), Robert Crook, Nicky X, Sarah Hogg. This was taken on a field trip to a zoo, I think... Isn't it terrible forgetting names. The second and fourth from the left were good friends. Somewhere I have a letter from Jill with some of those missing names, and I should have an autograph book somewhere with some entries. I will try to dig these out.

From the left Helen(?) X, Gillian Wing, Jill Atkin, Robert Crook, X, Nicky X, Sarah Hogg, and two others whose names escape me (Andrea? springs to mind.... I remember their faces, but can't put a name to them). Let me know if you know....

This is my good friend Timothy Clarke... I seem to remember I let him down unintentionally. I remember him telling me off, saying we were going to stick together through thick and thin. He was a very nice guy, wish I knew what became of him. I did go back to his house off Mill Road some years later looking for him, but I seem to remember that his house had been turned into a shop....

Now here was a teacher who I remember as a good teacher (it is me stood on the left) - Chris Ilsley (Art). I did stay in touch with him for a while after leaving Netherhall for Nigeria and then ending up becoming a boarder at the Perse because the schools in Nigeria had converted to the West African Examination Board, which didn't have the weight of recognition of the Oxford and Cambridge Board, which they had formerly used. He lived opposite the entrance to the Perse (or a relative lived there?), so I popped in to visit him there at least once.

Here's a photo taken by Chris Ilsley in the Art Room. Its Robert Crook(e), Tim Clark(e) and me.

Here's a view of the playground. This may have been taken when I was in Form 1X, when I first arrived from Sierra Leone. My form Master is walking across the picture. I do have all my school reports, so I should be able to refresh my memory on that one.

My form master in the background, and year tutor (Mr Nichol? that name comes to mind) in the foreground

Now this photo must surely have been in form 2S? Its some of the band in which I played trumpet, along with David. From the left its Tim Clarke on clarinet, David Klug(g) on trumpet, Mr X on piano, I think?, John Searby (a good friend  from Class 10 in Queen Edith's Primary School), and on the right a friend whose name escapes me although I do recognise his face very well. Now who was it on the drums?

and finally a photo of Mr Scarisbrooke (?), the headmaster of the school, or at least the Junior part....