Briggensians Autumn Golf Competition at Elsham

The Stableford golf competition for 2007
was combined with a match play game
against the school. Wet weather in July
caused a postponement of the school
game but many thanks to John Hastings
for arranging this combined event.


Photographs of players ‘old and new’ can
be seen on these pages enjoying this
pleasant occasion.


Briggensians winner: Matthew Holmes
(42 Points - playing off 7!)
Past vs. Present: Past won 3-0
AGM elections for 2007-8 were:
New Captain 2007-8: Andrew Longden
Vice Captain 2007-8: Roger Holmes

 


From Across the Years and the Oceans

Frank Gant writes from New Zealand about BGS pre World War II

Extracts from a letter of April 2007 to Mrs Kernon (Secretary) from Frank Gant, D.O.B. 21.10.1921, who now resides in New Zealand, and was at Brigg Grammar School from 1933 to 1939, with some comments about the February 2007 newsletter that was sent to him. 

“I started [Brigg Grammar School] late in the autumn term of 1933 in Class 3B.  Our classroom was a wooden ex-army W.W.1 hut on the very edge of the playing field.  Passed school certificate in the summer of 1938 and then passed a year in Lower Sixth attempting to follow Des Nixon into the Navy via the special entry cadet system - 17 places and about 150 applicants!  Failed of course so went to sea with Runciman Shipping Co. Ltd. in September 1939, as apprentice.  Suffered a wounding disaster, rose to be second mate and after ten years joined the Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand Ltd. and sailed on the N.Z coast about 10 years, becoming Senior First Mate, resigned and entered the catering business without success, so became teacher of Seamanship at the Wellington Nautical School for about 5 years, then went back to sea with N.Z. Railways, running their rail ferries across Cook Strait for 5 years. 

I now have my own little house, part of the Golden Pond Retirement Village-cum-Old Folks’ Home, where I am very cosy.

... ...

Being at sea I rapidly lost contact with my old school mates but about 3 years ago, by a quite extraordinary series of coincidences I discovered that George [Gurnell] was still alive and well in Sheffield, and we now correspond from time to time.  George, always known as Guzzy, put me in touch with cousin Neville Snowden Gurnell, always known as Sandy.  He followed me to sea as an apprentice and eventually became Navigator on S.S. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, migrated to Canada and became Inspector of Marine Accidents.  We also write to each other and decry the parlous state of British Merchant Shipping.  He now lives in Vancouver.

Looking back over the years and collating all the bits of information re my generation at BGS that has filtered through to me across distance and time I am amazed at the number of old boys who did very well for themselves over the post war years.  There was my special friend Bob North of Silverstream who became a Headmaster in the teaching profession; my brother John C.R. Gant who joined David Brown Tractors Ltd. as an agricultural machinery demonstrator and became World Service Manager; Des Nixon got into the Navy as Special Entry Cadet (Engineer Division) and retired with Admiral’s rank; Kenneth Jones, was a Senior Prefect during my last 2 years, entered the legal profession and became Justice Sir Kenneth Jones, eventually sentencing the infamous Kray brothers, London gangsters, to 99 years each in jail; my youngest brother P.G. Gant who followed me to N.Z. pretty well penniless and did very well in farming and property; L.E. Harrison (Lightning) started to train as a teacher, was conscripted into the Army and rose to Captain’s rank, later joined one of the big oil companies as a teacher and was sent out to the Middle East to train company staff. 

The thirties at BGS were wonderfully fruitful of good men well and broadly educated by a splendid team of strict masters under the leadership of old Duffy Daughton.  I myself have always been grateful to them. “ 

Read more of Frank Gant's letter here (this page will open in a new window).

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HIGH SCHOOL!

In 2007 we are celebrating 70 years since the opening of the new High School building on Wrawby Road.

See News Archive 11 for information about the event and the celebrations, also this special photos page.

This is News Archive Page 14. Archive 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |10 | 11 | 12 | 13

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