Knoll School

Hi Mike and all ex ATC Squadron 2278 members. I recognise your name, Mike, from your blog on the Knoll School Quiz Team 1959 website (Jan 2010) and also the very new Morning Assembly website. I was a member of the ATC from 1958 to 1959, which was held in a shed in the back of our school either on a Wednesday or Thursday after school and was controlled by a (I forget his rank) Le Duc. Although I am not in either of your photos, I may be able to put some names to faces.
Photo 1, first row: Person 1 Le Duc, Person 3 Eric J Dellar (Head Master), Person 5 Richard Skipper, Person 7 Paul Hammond, Person 9 Maurice Lloyd, Person 10 ? Shoesmith, Person 11 David (Sid) Ellis, Person 12 ? Watts, Person 13 Barry Gooders (Form Master).
Photo 1, second row: Person in front of David (Sid) Ellis is Kenneth Feek.
Photo 2, first row: Person 3 Paul Hammond.
Photo 2, second row: Person 1 ? Morgan, Person 2 ? Le Duc, Person 4 Barry Gooders (Form Master), Person 5 Eric J Dellar (Head Master), Person 9 David (Sid ) Ellis. ( ? Indicates I do not know the Christian name.)
So which one is you in either ATC photos? Are you in the school photo of 30th April 1959? Regards to all.

Hi Mike Hookham. Picture #1: I am in the second row in front of Mr B. Gooders. The cadet on my right I think is Michael Clark. Front row sitting second on my right is Frank Furlong who emigrated to Australia. Front row sitting L-R #3 is Howard Barker and #4 is cadet ? Gibbs.
Picture #2 - From L to R standing #10 Malcolm Rainbow?, sitting #8 Mr Harvey (Form Master) #10 Mike Pusey (Corporal) #11 ? Buckley (corporal) Kneeling #4 ? Gibbs (Corporal) #7 ? Curram #12 Howard Barker.
Mr Le Duc's first name was Frank and he was a Flight Sergeant when I joined and became a warrant officer when I left. I am in the 1959 school picture but have not found myself yet. E-Mail: mpusey@sympatico.ca

Just able to come up with some more names. Barry Cook first photo far right standing and second photo sitting seventh from left. Keith Powell, in 3G with me, first photo fifth from left and second photo kneeling third from left. Dell,can't remember first name, also in 3G, second from left kneeling and second photo far right standing. I have some photos of Keith Powell,???? Dell and myself fishing at Barcombe Mills in late 1950s; where are you now lads?

2nd photo, bottom row, 3rd from right: my brother, Chris Robinson.

Hi Lads, our next Knollites Group Social Meeting is on Monday 12th November 2012 (1400 - 1600) at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove. £3 provides you with tea/coffee, biscuits and a talk from our popular guest speaker Ian Gledhill on the 'History of the Seaside'. Bring your ATC photos and memories and remember to park your planes in the playground. See you there.

I have just come across this site and confirm I am in photo , first person in the second row. My brother Ray is the second person in the back row. I was at the school in the 1960s and was senior prefect for one year. I also remember taking part in the play "Experiment in fear". Frank Le Duc now lives in Spain. I still have a number of school magazines.

Hi Mike Morgan. Great to hear your news regarding the photo and I think you are sitting in front of Paul Hammond. I remember you from 3G and 4G and, of course, you are in the school photo taken in 1959 and in the photo on the morning assembly site. I have met up with Chris Cole( who was also in the play "Experiment in fear"), a number of times now together with Dennis Talbot and we all wondered what the play was about. Have you any memories and maybe a programme? Glad to hear Frank Le Duc is still going strong. If you and your brother Ray still live locally it would be great if you could come to our next Knollites Group Social Meeting (also our AGM) at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove on Monday 25th February 2013 (1400-1600) as my guests. Please bring along those school magazines as well and keep in touch at mrhookham@yahoo.co.uk

Hi Mike Morgan. Our next Knollites Group Social Meeting is on Monday 25th March 2013 (1400-1600) at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP. It would be great if you could make it.

Picture 1: Person 10 on the back row is indeed someone called Shoesmith; it's Robin Shoesmith. He's my uncle, living in the Midlands these days. He had an elder brother at the Knoll (David) and a younger sister Catherine (my mum).

Hi Stuart. Thank you for giving your uncle's christian name. On Robin's right, in picture 1, is "Sid" Ellis and on his left is Maurice Lloyd. Can he help by naming anybody else I have missed out? I think it is John Holmes in Picture 1; Person 6, a great athlete. Also, please let Robin know that Mike Morgan has recently posted a message above(16/02/2013) and give him details of this website to post his answers.

The next Knollites Group social meeting is on Monday 20th May 2013 at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Entry is still £3 and provides you with refreshments. Our guest speaker is Clive Hamblin who will talk through "100 Years an Hour" from 1900 to 2000 using newspaper items, poems and songs.

I am in both ATC photos. I remember Mike Hookham as a classmate. I would like to attend a Knollites meeting. Mike, get in touch please.

Paul, I recognize you and a few others in the photo. I was wondering if our neighbour Peter Geal was ever in the ATC?

Hi Paul and Ian, the next Knollites Group social meeting is this coming Monday 23rd September at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Be my guests. See you there (mrhookham@yahoo.co.uk).

The next Knollites Group social meeting is on Monday 25th November 2013. Same place, same time and same price. (See above) Our Guest Speaker is Ian Gledhill who will talk about the seasonal subject of "The Magic of Pantomime". See you there. Details of the Reunion and Christmas Party, on Monday 9th December 2013, will follow later.

The Knoll Boys and Girls School Reunion and Christmas Party is on Monday 9th December 2013 at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. Wives, husbands or partners are most welcome too. At £3.00 per person this includes a class of wine and a mince pie on arrival and a Buffet with either tea or coffee. We have semi-professional singers to entertain us including a medley of songs from famous shows, carols of course and John Beever to round it all off. See you there.

Monday February 24th 2014 is a date for your diary as we are not only having our Knollites Group Social Meeting but also our 5th AGM. You are most welcome. The time is from 2.00pm to 4.00pm, the same place and still the same price (see above for details of the venue and of the price). Bob Cairns is our speaker on Local History. See you there.

Our next Knollites Group Social Meeting is on Monday 24th March. Come along and meet us at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Bring photos, lots of memorabilia including any copies of The Weathervane magazines you may have, plus £3.50, and this will also not only provide you with refreshments but a talk from our Guest Speaker, Ian Gledhill, about the History of Brighton Trams. See you there.

Hi Mike Morgan, Paul Hammond has loaned me issues 1 and 3 of the Weathervane Magazine. Both make fantastic reading so I wondered if you may have issue 2 and are able to loan it to me to copy for the Knoll School for Boys Archive which we hope to start up soon. I do not know if there were further issues that you may have to loan. If anyone else is reading this and can help too please contact me. Regards.

mrhookham@yahoo.co.uk

See you at the next Knollites Group Social Meeting on Monday 19th May. Same time, same place and the same price of £3.50 (for more details - see the comment above the comment above - got it!). Our guest speaker is Mike Barker from the Air Ambulance Service and hear about their life-saving work.

Our next Knollites Group Social Meeting is on Monday 28th July. Come along to St Richards Community Centre from 2.00pm to 4.00pm and meet up with old friends and make new ones. £3.50 entry also provides you with refreshments and Peter Hill is our Guest Speaker who will enlighten us about our Sussex Windmills. See you there.

See you at the next Knollites Group Social Meeting on Monday 22nd September. Meet with up to thirty ex- Knoll School Boys and Girls and exchange memories and photos (I am in the School Photo of 1959 - are you?). Same time, same place and the same price of £3.50 (for more details - see above). Our Guest Speaker is Ian Gledhill. The subject is "Halfway to the Stars".

Our next get together of the Knollites Group is on Monday November 24th at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2pm until 4pm. £3.50 entry provides you with refreshments and a talk from our Guest Speaker Fran Evans about Trading Standards and she will then follow this up with a quiz. See you there.

The Old Knoll Boys and Girls School Christmas Party and Reunion is on Monday 8th December 2014 at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2pm until 6pm. Wives, Husbands and Partners are most welcome too. £5 entry per person provides you with a glass of wine, food and entertainment provided by semi-professional singers with John Beever to round things off. See you there.

I want to tell you about a great guy named Paul Hammond. Paul and I were in the same form 4G at the Knoll School for Boys and also in the School Photo of 1959. We lost touch when I left in that summer and then he also left later to join the RAF, marry Sylvia and spend two years in Singapore and start a family. We met up again through these pages, Sep 2013, as you can scroll up to his message to me about coming to a Knollites meeting. He is also above in both photographs. First photo - standing, seventh from the left. Second photo - standing third from the left. Paul and Sylvia came to our Knollites AGM this year and he wanted to join our committee, but ill heath postponed this. I visited Paul while he was in respite care at the Martlets Hospice, Hove to still catch up on remembering school mates and teachers at the Knoll School. He had a special respect for Mr Davis and Mr Gooders. Sadly, Paul passed away on Friday 21st November 2014 at the Martlets Hospice, Hove and I thank Sylvia, Gaynor, Neil and all the family for letting me share the time that they had with Paul.

Our next Knollites Group Social Meeting and 6th AGM is on Monday 23rd February at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2pm to 4pm. £3.50 entry also provides refreshments. The meeting will be followed with a talk on "Local History" by Bob Cairns. See you there.

See you at our next Knollites Group Social Meeting on Monday 23rd March. Same place, same time and still the same price of £3.50 (for more details - see my entries above). Our Guest Speaker is Christine Simpson from AGE UK followed by my quiz.

Our Guest Speaker, at the next Knollites Group Social Meeting on Monday 18th May, is David Porter who will talk about his life above a Railway Tunnel (Clayton). See you at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2pm to 4pm. £3.50 entry also provides refreshments.

I remember the Air Cadets visits to Honington RAF station in 1959.  At that time I was an Air Wireless Fitter corporal servicing the wireless systems on the Valiant V-Bomber aircraft.  I also worked in the Electronics Centre. The ATC Cadets visited the Electronics Centre to observe the maintenance and testing being undertaken by the air wireless staff.  One of their officers took a keen interest in my work testing a radio transmitter.  As he lent over my bench to get a better look there was an awful smell of burning.  I looked down and realised he was leaning on my heated soldering iron which was burning a hole in his trousers.  The poor chap was quite (understandably) upset as his uniform was brand new.

Our first social meeting as Old Knollonians (ex-The Knollites Group) is on Monday 27th July at St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP, from 2pm until 4pm. £3.50 is still the entry fee. Our guest speaker is Ian Gledhill who will explore the age of Edwardian musical comedy. See you there.

See you at our next Old Knollonians Social Meeting on Monday 21st September, same place, time and price (see above). Our Guest Speaker is Peter Hill who will take us from "Peggy's Cove to Niagara Falls". Don't get wet.

The next Old Knollonians Social Meeting is on Monday 23rd November, same place, time and price. Our Guest Speaker is Alexandra Loske who will tell us about George IV and his Giraffe. See you there.

Old Knollonians invite all Knoll School for Boys and Girls and their wives, husbands or partners to our Christmas Party and Reunion to be held on Monday December 7th at St Richard's Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2pm until 6pm. £5 entry per person will provide you with food, a glass of wine or a soft drink and entertainment. Come along and meet old friends or make new ones. See you there.

I was a member of 2278 in the early 50's.  I don't remember too much though we went for a flight in an Anson from Shoreham. I am very keen on aircraft recognition and I do remember that there was an epidiascope where a wingtip or tail fin was briefly flashed and we had to identify the aircraft. I also remember  the uncomfortable uniform that did not fit too well. Not too keen on parades either, but it didn't stop me from signing on for 10 years in the RAF. Anybody know the squadron number for the Moulsecombe ATC? 

See you at our next Old Knollonians Social Meeting to be held on Monday February 8th at St Richard's Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2pm until 4pm. £3.50 entry provides refreshments and a talk from our Guest Speaker Bob Cairns who asks "Did you know your Grandparents?".

Our next Old Knollonians Social Meeting and AGM is on Monday 14th March at St Richard's Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2pm until 4pm. £3.50 entry also provides refreshment. The meeting will be followed by a talk from a member of the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. See you there.

We look forward to seeing you at our next Old Knollonians Social Meeting on Monday 23rd May. Same place, time and price (See previous entries). At our last Social Meeting our Committee of now ten welcomed three new members. Very popular Ian Gledhill is returning to tell us "The Gilbert and Sullivan Story". Come along and I hope to see you there.

See you at our next Old Knollonians Social Meeting on Monday 14th November at St Richard's Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP. Same time and price. Alison Edwards is our Guest Speaker to talk about "Money Matters" which is just in time before our big Christmas "spending spree". Hope to see you there.

I have just found this page which brings back memories. I was SWO of this squadron during 1956 after I was demobbed from the RAF in December 1955. I served alongside Barrie Cooke, Len Attew, Frank Le Duc and Dave Northam, who are all in the RAF Honnington picture. Frank later took over as C.O., but now lives in Spain, Barrie Cooke remarried after his wife died and moved to Wales and Dave Northam died some years ago.
I was a pupil at the "Knoll Academy for backward boys and forward girls" from 1947 to 1950. The Head was Mr. Sparkes a massive chap who was a whizz with a cane. The other teachers I remember were Chapel, Bristow, Clapp, Waymark and Smith, the Metalworks master. I have a load of pictures taken around that time of pupils and staff, mainly sports teams. Let me know if you are interested.

Hi Mike Sandon, I am very interested in seeing the photos that you have as I have some too. Perhaps you would like to contact me on - mrhookham@yahoo.co.uk - so we could arrange a meeting. If you scroll to the top of this page you will see that I am no stranger to this blog. Keep in touch. Regards.

Our next Old Knollonians Social Meeting and AGM is on Monday 13th February. Still the same place, time and price of £3.50 (see the entries above). Bob Cairns is returning to talk to us about Family History Stories. Perhaps, Mike Sandon, this would be an opportunity to meet up and for us to see the pictures you have.  

I would like to welcome you to our next Old Knollonians Social Meeting to be held on Monday 27th March. Same time and place but the price has changed, only by 50p, to £4.00. Share your memories with a cuppa and a cake, and afterwards Chris Horlock who will talk us through the "Lost theatres of Brighton". Be there or be square. 

www.mrhookham@yahoo.co.uk

Another Old Knollonians Social Meeting is lined up for Monday 22nd May at St Richard's Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2pm until 4pm. £4 entry includes refreshments and Ian Gledhill is returning to talk to us about "Golden Vienna". See you there. 

Come along to our next Old Knollonians Social Meeting to be held this coming Monday 24th July and it is still at the same place, time and price. Our Guest Speaker is Paul Green who is returning but this time to talk to us about "Sussex Murders". I hope it is not mine.

The next Old Knollonians Social Meeting, which is also our AGM, is to be held on Monday 12th February at St. Richard's Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP from 2pm until 4pm. £4 entry includes refreshments and Bob Cairns is returning as our guest speaker with more of his family history stories. See you there.

Just recently met up again with David "Sid" Ellis enjoying memories of the Knoll School and especially the ATC. David is in both the above photos. The first photo, back row and fourth from the right. The second photo, middle row, third from the right. We both send our best wishes to all you guys out there and please keep in touch.