by Dave Palmer
September 9, 2010 in Down Memory Lane, Guest Posts
Free Beer.
Did you join the school as a first year in 1968, the year that it became necessary to have three classes for the new intake because we were, collectively, brighter than all those who had joined the school before?
by Dave Palmer
September 2, 2010 in Down Memory Lane, Guest Posts
This continues Barry Gilbert’s story of life in the Police Force. For the first part, see http://www.oldbordenians.co.uk/down-memory-lane/a-police-odyssey-january-1957-august-1992/.
My next period of service began with a move in April 1965 to the newly formed Traffic Division Garage in Bow Road in the East End of London, within the sound of Bow Bells.
The area has a very colourful history and a drive along Bow Road and Mile End Road through Stepney and Whitechapel towards the City of London was a history lesson in itself.
by Dave Palmer
August 7, 2010 in Down Memory Lane, School Memorabilia
While rummaging through the Archives recently, Denis Jarrett came across a letter written by an Old Boy, who was at the School from 1933 to 1939, in which there was a mysterious reference to a School Song. Among the many innovations introduced by the redoubtable W.A.C. Claydon (‘Wacker’ in initials and ‘Wacker’ by habit!) when he was appointed Headmaster was the adoption of the Harrow School Song, “Forty Years on”.
by Dave Palmer
June 6, 2010 in Down Memory Lane, Guest Posts
This continues Barry Gilbert’s story of life in the Police Force. For the first part, see http://www.oldbordenians.co.uk/down-memory-lane/a-police-odyssey-january-1957-august-1992/.
While I was stationed at Kennington I decided that I needed some form of transport and purchased the cheapest form available – an NSU scooter. It set me free from public transport and I was able to trundle back to Sittingbourne along the A2 when I had a weekend leave. The M2 had not been constructed then and so it was a long slog through the Medway Towns. In the summer I was playing cricket for Murston and in the winter continued to play hockey for the Old Boys.
by Dave Palmer
May 14, 2010 in Down Memory Lane, Guest Posts
In establishing a Remembrance section of the website, the Association pays tribute to those pupils of Borden Grammar School who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the many freedoms we enjoy today, not least the freedom from tyranny. All of us will have glanced up at the names listed on the school’s war memorial boards but how much do we know about the men themselves? When, for example, did they attend the school and what were the circumstances of their deaths?
by Ryan Jarrett
April 20, 2010 in Down Memory Lane
Old Bordenian Dennis Fowle, now of East Farleigh (Maidstone), tells the story of his life in journalism and newspapers in a book published last September. He recalls his years at Borden (1945-51) and how headmaster George Hardy helped and encouraged him so much in the sixth form before he was offered a chance as a junior reporter in Sittingbourne office of the Kent Messenger in Crown Quay Lane.
Dennis became manager of the Gillingham office at 21 and when he was 26 was appointed news editor of the county-wide Kent Messenger, based at Maidstone. He was there for about 10 years before he left and started a publishing company in London with two journalist friends, producing books, magazines, posters and specialist newsletters.
When he retired from London in his early 60s he started, in 1997, the Downs Mail local newspaper in Maidstone. It began as an eight-pager reaching 12,000 houses around Bearsted. Now it has grown to cover more than 88,000 houses in and around the County Town in four geographical editions and most issues have 56 or more pages. Dennis retired as Editor in Chief at Christmas and there is now a team of 15 working on the newspaper with his daughter Claire in the chair.
His 132-page A4-size book is titled ‘So I Started a Newspaper’ and tells the story of how he developed a unique newspaper which has successfully run major campaigns – including preservation of core services in Maidstone Hospital and the pedestrian bridge over the A249 at Detling (Jade’s Crossing) after an eight-year-old girl and her gran were killed crossing this busy road.
The book includes 24 pages of colour photos showing how the Downs Mail reflects the news and beauty of Maidstone. It is on sale in Maidstone area and available from Dennis at Dalbury, Lower Road, East Farleigh, Maidstone, ME15 OEX at £15 (p/p £2 extra), or email him at dfowle2011@aol.com.
by Dave Palmer
March 20, 2010 in Down Memory Lane, Guest Posts
Barry Gilbert, a member of the OBA Committee, attended the school from 1949 to 1956. This is the beginning of his story of life in the Police Force.
In January 1957 I journeyed to London and enrolled at the age of 18 on a Senior Cadet course at the Metropolitan Police Training Centre at Hendon.
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