Shoreditch College --- Lost Touch? Page 3

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Lost Touch? Shoreditch Technical Institute, Coopers Hill Emergency Training College

Have you lost touch with an old friend or colleague?

If you would like to try to contact a former member of staff or student of Shoreditch, please e-mail the following information to jill.sandwell@rogers.com I will include the request in the next revision of this page.

the name of the person you are trying to find
the approximate years he/she was at Shoreditch
his/her last known address
your name
your mailing address (optional)
your e-mail address
your phone number (optional)
  please put "Lost Touch" in the subject header so that I know to put your request on these pages,
             not into the Directory (and so that my spam filters don't delete it!)

  Don't forget to look at the News and Views Page ~ you will find letters on various subjects there.

Is someone trying to find you? Please take a moment to check below

July 2002

Hi

My name is Ian Carr, number 34 year 69.

I now live on Prince Edward Island Canada and have made contact with some long lost friends from "The Ditch" through "Friends
Reunited". I would love to be able to contact more from my home year if they are listed with you. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Ian Carr, 69 year
e-mail: ian.carr@pei.sympatico.ca

July 2002

Attached is a photograph of most of the 1940 Final Year Group, taken by the portico of the old building in Pitfield Street. Within a few weeks we were scattered all over the World in the various Services. I would be delighted to hear from any of them still alive. I am in touch with 'Pip' Shrives, Norman Hutton and John Archer.

Alf White, Shoreditch 1936-1940
e-mail: whitagem@freenet.co.uk

link to photograph

July 2002

I have just found your site via Friends Reunited. How exciting! I was a 'First Year' student at Englefield Green when they moved
there, and one of the first group to do a 'Third Year' at this site, finishing in '54. This was well before the gender barriers were broken down - not that one would have noticed at weekends!

Having married an Egham girl and moved back to Essex I taught metalwork at a Chelmsford school. The travel bug caught up with us and we migrated to the Bahamas in 1960 where we remain to this day. At retirement I was serving as a District Education Officer (Inspector).

Any news on those who enjoyed the moving in days would be appreciated - as would a cool pint from the Barley Mow. I would
especially appreciate word on the whereabouts of John Lewis (' 55 ), last known to have been in Australia.

Hugh Cottis
e-mail: hjacottis@hotmail.com (new address)

June 2002

HI,
My name is Sabahat Watson (Saleem) and was in 1977 (74-77) year. Unfortunately, I have lost contact with everyone I went to college with. Would love to hear from anyone who remembers me or with news of a reunion?

Sabahat Watson (Saleem) (74-77)
e-mail: windsofchange@mailcity.com

Here is a request relating to the "other" Shoreditch, the clothing industry side, back in the days of the Shoreditch Technical Institute. For more information on this check out the following link http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/jidi/col_fashion.html

June 2002

Dear Jill,

I attended 'ditch 1948. My name is Mildred Leigh nee FARBY. My son found your site for me. What a wonderful idea. Hope to link up with some of the 'girls" I went to school with sooo long ago.

Mildred Leigh, nee FARBY, 1948
e-mail: mildred.leigh@sympatico.ca

Dear Jill
Enjoyed seeing Shoreditch website. I was there in 1958-60. Chris Hope-Scarrett rang to tell me about you putting together all the info on the Ditch. Would like to find out about:-

1. Gerry Fox. left 1961 after supplementary course in 63 went to Nigeria to teach
2. Jack Hart. left 1960 to teach in Leeds
3. George Ilsley. left 1959. Was secretary of CU. Last heard he was a lecturer at Neene College Northants
4. Hubert Tebb. left 1960. Taught in a special school in the Wirral
5. George Coburn?(not sure of his surname) President of the Christian Union 1958-59.
First teaching post in a country school in Surrey
6. David O. Jones. left 1959 to teach English at Neath Grammar School. South Wales
7. Ged Friday. left 1961. Taught in Kent then went to Timber Development Research in Princes Risborough 1967.

I taught for 35 years in Wensleydale and Hagley W. Midlands. Now running my own business. See our website
www.ashemcrafts.com

Thanks for your help
Peter Hindle, 1958-60
e-mail: ashemcrafts@onetel.net.uk

May 2002

Thanks for the WEB page Jill, I have lost touch with John Freer 66-69. I was his son Martin's God Father, we were in College Block together.

Danny Phillips
e-mail: Danny@dphillips15.freeserve.co.uk

April 2002

I was Cathy Morgan in 77yr, doing PE and geography, anyone remember me? I now live in Nelson, New Zealand and haven't been a teacher for 20 years! I'd be interested to hear from anyone I know.

Cathy Morgan
e-mail: cbohughes@clear.net.nz

Attended Ditch` between 78/82. Was in 81 year but didn't want to leave so stayed on for the extra holiday year!!!

I am in contact with Allan Cormack but have lost touch with everyone else. Dave Capes, Gary Pemberton, Steve tribe, Goody, Ian Morris, Norman Salmon, Gordon Silva and many others.

Would love to hear from anyone who was there at that time. Have also heard of a possible re-union for students of 80/81/82 years. Any info?

Have lots of photos of rag processions and college fun....... If you are interested.

Dave Urquhart
e-mail: dave.urquhart@totalise.co.uk

March 2002

Hi
I'm Steve Taylor, 1972 year. I have been many places and seen many things, oh and taught many, many kids.

I would like to hear from any from my year, especially Blue.

Steve Taylor, 1972
e-mail: STEVEHTAYLOR@aol.com

March 2002

Hi Jill
Congratulations on an excellent web site, I found the history of Ditch most interesting. I attended College from 1970-1973 and have attempted to organise a reunion every five years, some of the photographs can be found at, http://www.hostler2000.freeserve.co.uk including 72 & 73 year groups.

The next big reunion is planned for June/July 2003. I am now in contact with about 75 past students and friendsreunited has proved very useful.

If any old ditch are interested in meeting up please contact me

Many thanks for your effort
Regards
John Hostler 73yr Bradley 200
e-mail: jhostler@hotmail.com

Just found this web site (1973-76). I have a valedictory photo of that year (76). What's the best format to send it to you.

I also have many, many photos of that period. My history with Shoreditch was as a member of the Film Society, residing in Marshall - top floor.

Taught at Battersea County for 11 years, seconded to London University, working on Graded Assessment (GCSE). Left teach altogether, about 15 years ago. Now work as a self employed IT consultant, mainly dealing with education, software, database and Web design.

Let me know what you need.

It's funny how you start looking back after all these years.

Steve Knight (Brighton, UK)
www.exileimages.co.uk
www.ifawct.org
www.commonwork.org

e-mail: "Steve Knight" <steveknight@trellis-est.co.uk> (new email address)

January 2002

Dear Jill
My name is Francis John Henrich 51/2960. By chance I typed Shoreditch on the Google search, and up came your fascinating website. I was first associated with Shoreditch Technical Institute in 1946 at Hamond Square and spent three years learning cabinet making with C. Meades and later T.Page as Principals, I still have my school reports. From there I was accepted into the Prep Dept. of Shoreditch Training college under the auspices of 'Scriv'.!! There we studied for the old General Schools Certificate and City and Guilds exams. Then we were whipped off for National Service.

I resumed studies for teacher training in 1951 and we were the first to move to Coopers Hill. Great times and many memories, Chick Fowles, Jack Maynard, Williams, Canon (a great silversmith), Nannery ( his car was once carried to the top of the steps of the Pitfield Street building and not a soul to be found to carry it down again), Thomas with a bowler hat and often late. I remember when we took our first exam with the Deputy Principal Mr. Charles who produced a paper so complicated that we were head scratching for an hour before a student stood up and proclaimed that the date was April the 1st. Uproar followed. We got our own back when he had a secret fire alarm practice (leaked information). You can guess the ensuing chaos of knotted sheets, fire hoses going full pelt, smoke bombs.etc.etc.

I looked at the photo of the badge. I wonder if you know that with the 1st edition of that badge, the lamp was out, the book was closed and the hand holding the hammer was the left one. There were some hurried changes made. I qualified in 1953 taught in Essex, London, Ethiopia, back to London Goldsmiths College for a supplementary year and then on to teach Engineering to girls.Then I had a complete change to teach (having re-qualified) jewellery making in New Zealand where I now reside. I set up and ran a jewellery school for manufacturing jewellers and gemmology students at a Polytechnic. I received free life membership of The Gemmological Association of GB.

Unfortunately a dose of cancer in 1991 knocked me out of the workforce after some 42 years of teaching. So nowadays I cut gemstones and make my beloved furniture, grow exotic orchids and lazing in glorious sunshine in this tiny corner of the South Pacific.

Your website contacts don''t seem go back to my era ( 70 ) next birthday. Is anyone of 1951/1953 still alive out there? Would love to hear from you.

Thanks for the great website. If I can offer any thing to your history page I would be pleased to contribute

I wonder if you still sing the old college war chant 'Hey nicka deemi------ Who who who are we? We are the STC ---------- Oh well

Regards from
F John Henrich. FGA . 1951/1953

July 2005 update: Francis has changed his email address again, to the following: fros@woosh.co.nz

February 2002

Hi Jill

I recently found your web site with items from the old college and its history. I was at the college between 1966/69 jubilee year,
and thought it would be interesting to see if any other students of that time had been in contact.

When I left, I returned to Penarth, South Wales and never returned to the college until the spring of 1993, when I brought my eldest daughter to an open day at Royal Holloway. During the intervening years I have lost contact with many of the friends I made during my three years at College only running into some of the Welsh lads who also returned Home and some of the rugby players who ventured down to the Arms Park on international day.

Now that I've retired due to illhealth, I now have more time to surf the net to see if there was any references or sites for the old
college, and hence this message. I recently came across the 1969 college pass list which I'm attaching. I thought you may like to add it to your existing lists.

Reading your web site has brought back many great memories of my days at Shoreditch and the people I met there. If you get any replies from anyone who was at college at this time and did second main science, played rugby or were part of the Christian Union, it would be great to hear from them.

Thanks for doing a thankless job running the website.

John Thomas
e-mail: "john.thomas17" <john.thomas17@ntlworld.com>

[actually I'm happy to say it isn't at all thankless, it's very rewarding when friends find each other through our web site and quite a few people have written to let us know about their success! ..... Jill]

February 2002

Jill
I had an e-mail from a David Wilson asking if I knew about a Ronald Gladstone Mitton allegedly a lecturer at the "British Scientist Park", Egham. I told him I had never heard of it, try Egham Museum. But they referred him back to me at Brunel.

So my query to ex-Shoreditch folk is; do they recall a British Scientist Park at Coopers Hill or was Mr Mitton in fact a lecturer at Shoreditch College pre 1966?

The enquirer is on e-mail davidjwilson@waitrose.com

Richard Morris
Design Dept
Brunel University
Coopers Hill
Egham

February 2002

Dear Jill,
Have just spent a some time searching through the site, love the photo's especially the ones of 76 year. Would love to hear from anyone from 73 - 76 year who can remember me. I was on the Valedictory Committee of 75 and wondered if any other members are still in touch.

Phil (sniffer) Clarke and I are still good buddies, and I hear from Mike (Sooty) Sutton from time to time.

Good site, well done!

Yours sincerely,
Steve Pitt, Reed 302.

e-mail: StephenThepitts@aol.com