Starting Year 1945


A Christison

Thanks from 6ScII

Blank Verse by Charley Grice and Curley Geddes

My name is David Arnell and I attended GGS from 1945-50. Actually my whole family were pupils, my parents starting round about 1912 and 1916, my brother Peter (nicknamed Teepee) 1942 and my sister Greta in 1944. The 3 of us are all on the 1947 long photo.
I came across your website while suffering from a severe attack of nostalgia and thought you might be interested in the attached photos.
I have lived in Perth, Western Australia since 1964. My mother brought the above with her on one of her trips here in the early 70s. The 3 earlier photos were part of a series taken to send to the school of the American exchange teacher, Mr Smith, mentioned by Ken Norton. Incidentally, Mr Sedgwick was the teacher exchanged and one of his achievements in his year there was to aquire a very fine American accent!
I was a member of the cadets (the sergeant on the exteme right of the rear rank) and the following year was company sergeant-major.
We only became a rugby school in about 1947 when the school field was ploughed up. I think it was largely due to the efforts of Mr Cleasby that we started playing. I was the first player from the school to achieve County selection in the under-15s and also got a North of England trial but didn't get any further. I was captain of the under-16s in 1949-50 as well as a member of the first team.
With the cadets I represented the County in soccer, boxing and athletics, competing in the National Championships in London in 1950. The school company, B, had a very fine small bore rifle team which in 1947, I think, came second in the National Championships while my brother, Peter, won the Individual title.
He became a surveyor and emigrated to Canada in 1952. In 1968 he was tragically killed leaving 3 small children.
You'll notice in the Form 5T photo the Form master, Mr Mock, standing on the left. It was taken about a week before most of us were leaving so we were rather relaxed, to say the least. Brian Humphries usurped the gown!

On leaving school I went to sea and eventually settled here in Perth where I took up surveying. Alec Glasgow came to live here round about 1980. I had intended to contact him as I had known him reasonably well, but to my eternal regret, never did.
I hope I've got the names on the photos correct. It is rather a long time ago! Left click on the image to enlarge






Maureen Robson, later Maureen Hawkins

Joyce Macdonald, later Joyce Kanter

Joyce Anderson, later Joyce Miller

Jennifer Stokes, later Jennifer Young

Their memories cover 3+ pages in the excellent "Memories of Gateshead Grammar School", details of which are the Home page of this website