We hope to gather some interesting news items to include in this page, but we depend on you to supply them. So, if you have something you would like to share with us, please e-mail Jill, and we'll make sure it's included in the next page update.


 

March 2008       new

John Bailey is hoping to organise a reunion on the day of the Goodbye Tour for 1960 Year ::

It is the 50th anniversary this year for my student year, 1960, to arrive at Shoreditch.  I would like to make every effort to find as many as possible to attend the visit on April 19th.  At the moment about half a dozen look possible.

email:   John Bailey    jhelides7b@onetel.com

 

---

 

September 2007  updated

(an extract from an email recently sent to John from Neville Webb)

Dear John

Many thanks John for your email ... attached is a short article describing the Radio Telescope Project undertaken at Shoreditch College, Egham Hill campus between 1961 and 1963.
     <.......>
As a project that began as an idea of the Lecturer in the Rural Studies Department, the Radio Telescope project was maybe a little ahead of its time.  However, with the changes in focus of the College and in the school in terms of Technology and design based curricula perhaps the project was looking ahead in some ways.
     <.......>
Best regards,
Neville Webb  (1961-64)
Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada
email:  neville webb <nevwebb@hotmail.com>

 Radio Telescope Project    ( open in PDF format )

 Radio Telescope Project    ( open in MS Word .doc format )

 

The Shoreditch College Archives are currently being catalogued as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded 'Heritage Builds Bridges Project'. The archival and museum catalogues of Brunel University, the British & Foreign School Society, and the London Borough of Hillingdon will be available and searchable online at www.heritagebuildsbridges.org.uk from September 2007, and a promotional website will be launched on 17th October to advertise this. The Shoreditch Collection is housed in Brunel University's Archive & Records Centre, which has been opened for visits by appointment at the Runnymede Campus in the former Library building (now named the Haywood Building). Cataloguing is progressing and we would like to recruit volunteers to assist with the photographic collection. Many of the photographs lack dates and individuals are often unidentified. Other volunteering opportunities exist with the BFSS and Maria Grey College collections. Volunteers' travel expenses will be paid. We can be contacted in the following ways: Email: brunelarchives@brunel.ac.uk Telephone: 01784 436111 Address:  Archive & Records Centre, Haywood Building, Brunel University, Runnymede Campus, Cooper's Hill Lane, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0JZ In the process of cataloguing, some questions have arisen. If anybody knows the answers, please get in touch! Who was Bradley, after whom one of the halls of residence was named? Why are there records of a 1960s boat house on the Isle of Wight in the collection? For whom were the mulberry trees adjacent to the Haywood Building planted? Any donations to the collection would be gratefully received and would be catalogued for inclusion in the Heritage Builds Bridges Project. Cataloguing Archivist (Shoreditch Collection): Kate Lewis   kate.lewis@brunel.ac.uk 22/09/2006

 

 

---

July 2006

Dear Jill,

I have managed to find a photo taken at the College Christmas Dinner in December 1978, featuring Joe Clements, who was Principal Lecturer for Education during the 1970s at Shoreditch. Many students are sure to remember some of the formal dinner occasions when, after several glasses of wine, Joe would be asked to lead the assembled gathering in some community singing, to his renowned rendition of the French folk song "Alouetta".

This particular song is often used in primary schools to help children learn the names of certain body parts in French. Joe's version was a little more colourful and helped students learn the French for other body parts, which teachers in schools were too afraid to use!!!

Chris Salt - 1979 Year

February 2006

Dear John

As I am an ex student of Shoreditch (66 year) I wonder if you would like to include these two news items :


I have been given The Woodworker of the Year 2005 Award (Professional category) by The Woodworker magazine, winning £2,000 worth of power tools from RYOBI UK.

This is for an innovative digital home jukebox I have designed and made in wood using solid maple and touch screen computer technology. It is at the cutting edge of innovative British design.

Details of the design can be viewed (short video clip) on
www.woodesigner.com (news page)


Furniture Today DVDs (Part one & part two)

Two years' work in completing a 106 minute multi media presentation on two DVDs including over 800 topic reference, 400 + images, 14 video clips and 23 illustrations.

For full details visit www.furnituretoday.supanet.com

The DVDs can be purchased from Jez Broun directly at PO box 658 Bath BA1 6ED.
Please include cheque for £19.95 per DVD inc. P & P.

Jez Broun - 1966 year

email:    "Jez Broun" <jeremybroun@supanet.com>

November 2005

Dear John,

Its great to see the way this site has developed over recent years. Thank you to you and Jill for the time and effort you have gone to. I am hoping to track down some staff photos taken in the 60s and will send them when I've located them.

In the mean time I have two pictures you may be interested in ... the first one is in the College Chapel for the Valedictory in 1978, when Elton John stepped in at short notice when the main band had to cancel at the last minute. I also attach an article in the New Musical Express which featured the event in May 1978.

With best wishes

Chris Salt - 1979 Year

The article above appeared in the New Musical Express, May 1978

 

June 14, 2004

Hello Jill,
Just a note to say how much I enjoyed the reunion at Shoreditch on 13th June. I'm sorry that you were not in England to share in the occasion, but delighted that your brother John introduced himself to me and to others from the 1960 year.

I thought you might like the enclosed pictures which were taken on the day.

There are two pictures of the college grounds. The third picture is one of four 1960 year students together with their wives. Bottom left is Peter Hindle, then, clockwise, Patricia Hindle, Chris (Hope)-Scarratt, Juliet Hann, Brian Jenkins, Christine Jenkins, Maurice Hann, Judith Scarratt.

I think ex-'ditch students might be interested to log on to Peter Hindle's site at http://www.crafts32.fsnet.co.uk/courses_england.htm

On behalf of all who had such a good day, thanks to Sue Curley at Brunel!

Kind regards

Maurice Hann (1960)

...................................................................................................

There is a list of ex-Shoreditch students who were at the reunion on the  Reunion 2004 page

 

 

Following is an email received recently from Good Thinking ~

Hi —

I'm writing on behalf of the students organisiing the 2004 Brunel Design Show, entitled "Good Thinking", and being held from 13-15 June 2004 (Sunday 13 coinciding with the Reunion, as mentioned on your very interesting website). As it is likely to be the last show at Runnymede, with the most graduating students ever (135+), we're all determined to make it the best, most welcoming and highest profile Brunel show ever. We have Brunel's PR company working with us, so (hopefully) there will be significant levels of media interest and attention, for what is still a unique establishment in design education. At present we are concentrating on trying to raise money to put on the show and produce the directory, through sponsorship and advertising, together with students' contributions.

If you could mention Good Thinking as something to which all Shoreditch alumni are invited, and would be very welcome, on your site, and a link to our website http://www.goodthinking.org.uk, <.... snip> we'd be very grateful. Anyone who would like to pre-order a copy of the directory is very welcome to contact us GoodThinking@brunel.ac.uk and we will put you on the list.

Many current students here feel just as much an attachment to the campus as the Shoreditch students must have done; the feeling that this is a special place is extremely prevalent, although the move to Uxbridge will undoubtedly save Brunel a lot of overheads and allow for a more integrated Engineering/Design/Technology school.

Finally, I've attached a couple of photos taken just this week during the snow.

Thanks and best wishes

Dan Lockton
on behalf of the Good Thinking team

GoodThinking@brunel.ac.uk 07813 302813
Brunel University, Cooper's Hill, Englefield Green, Surrey TW20 0JZ

March 2004

Hi Jill

I contacted you last year and told you that I hoped to set up a re-union for students of the old Shoreditch College (1952-55). The original date was to be 2004 but this has proved impossible as I am, at the tender age of 73, still at University of Wales Swansea, trying to complete a Masters' Degree. I did think I would have finished last year but that did not happen.

However, I would like to try to arrange a meeting of some description for the year 2005. We live at an age of uncertainty and can only hope that our fellow students of bye-gone days are still with us and are able to attend such a function. I am still in contact with a number of people who are extremely active and are looking forward to meeting up with old friends once again.

Ron Morris

Dec. 2003      

Dear Jill
I was delighted to find the Ditch Website on Google this evening, I was advised about this by John Bailey 60 year.i was 59 year and have ever been grateful for the time I spent at Shoreditch.

My main reason for contacting you is to put a name to the maker of the College Shield which is depicted in the History section. It was made by Bob Hoskin who produced it as his final job in 1959. Sadly Bob who hailed from Swansea was killed in a car accident last year. He was 87, and was obviously a mature student during his stint at the Ditch. I am proud to say that I assisted Bob in producing the actual shield at a garage in Staines using the wheeling machine normally used for producing body parts for motor vehicles. (This link with the garage was arranged by Jack Maynard) Bob had been a panel beater and I had been a coach builder prior to our fabulous time at Cooper`s Hill.

David G.Davies,    59 year
email:    david.davies20@ntlworld.com


 

More about the College Shield .......

June 2004

Dear Jill,     

Leslie Saville was presented with a copy of the College Shield on his retirement as President of the Shoreditch College Club. It appears to be a painted repousse shield, with wooden infill, mounted on a larger Oak shield. On his death it was given to a friend.

Alf White {1940}


 

Verity Parker, currently at Brunel Runnymede Campus, is hoping to gather together a collection of photographs from around the campus.

 

She would like your input -- how many people would be interested in:

• The Tube Well - its engineering drawings and the sectioned view through the strata
• Pictures of the original chapel
• Views of the workshop block and interior
• Also - some "old" pictures of the site, perhaps 1960-70's

If anyone has any images that they feel everyone might be interested in, please contact Verity. She would like to make them a collection of cards as this would make distribution easier.

 

Verity Parker
Cleaner Electronics Research
Brunel University

email:   verity.parker@brunel.ac.uk

Nov.2003

 

copyright © photo courtesy Bryan Mawer

Sometime around 1964 Shoreditch students constructed a replacement capstan for the training vessel HMS Foudroyant. There is now a restoration programme being carried out on the ship and they would like to find out if anyone remembers the building of the new capstan and what might have happened to the old one. Can anyone offer any clues on this?

If the old capstan was brought to the College, maybe it would have offered too many temptations as a source of wood (oak?) for other jobs for it to be left intact, but it would be nice to know what did happen to it.

If anyone has any ideas please get in touch with me -jr.williams@ic.ac.uk - or jill - jill.sandwell@sympatico.ca - or Richard Morris at Brunel - richard.morris@brunel.ac.uk - who fielded the original enquiry.

Note: This ship was originally named HMS Trincomalee and is a Leda Class frigate built for the British Navy in 1817 in Bombay. It was renamed Foudroyant on being sold in 1897, but has recently been given back her original name and is in the process of being restored in Hartlepool. See the HMS Trincomalee Trust web site for more details.

More about the Capstan .......

I am sure I remember the Capstan for the Foudroyant being made in the boat shed in the garden during my time at the
Ditch, 68-71

Mick Walter.
e-mail: michael.walter@ntlworld.com

.....................................................................................................................

Hallo,

I was in Group 14, 68 year at Shoreditch and I remember a number of my group were involved with the Foudroyant Capstan Project whilst at Shoreditch.

I was not one of them, but I am fairly sure, Neil Windsor and Colin Yorke worked on it. Also Clive Westmacott and possibly Barrie Williams.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Barry Yeates, 68 Year
e-mail:  yeates@clara.co.uk

.....................................................................................................................

excerpt from an email on Lost Touch Page 6

I was privileged to spend 2 weeks on the Foudroyant;  a great experience.  I know nothing about the capstan.   My understanding is that Foudroyant was/is built of teak  -  NOT the traditional oak.  It was built in Trincomalee hartbour,  (Ceylon - now Sri Lanka),  hence the teak.  I forget what its first name was but it was captured by Napoleon and re-named Foudroyant,  which means 'Thundering'.  When Napoleon was defeated we got it back and left the name unchanged.  Your www suggests that it has been refurbished and is still afloat in, presumably,  Gosport Harbour.

Roger Dracup   '64 Year
rojun@alumni.ecu.edu.au

Re-visiting 'Foudroyant', - in 1800 Sir Ralph Abercrombie,  after the failure of a descent on Cadiz, Spain,  was ordered to Egypt to expel or destroy the army left there by Napoleon.  He landed there on 8.3.1801 and, whilst advancing towards Alexandria on 21.3.1801,  repelled a heavy French attack with heavy loss.  Abercrombie was mortally wounded and died on the flagship 'Foudroyant'.  He was buried at Malta.   Roger Dracup

September 2000

Congratulations on the Shoreditch site!  All brings back very happy memories.

I found it by chance after using the search engine "Dogpile", having searched for a possible Shoreditch site a number of times
previously with no success.

The wonderful box with initials "ER" which you show on the site I remember well, but dashed if I can remember the student's name. I am sure he was a third year student, and eventually made a very big name for himself in the furniture world. Ah! The brain is getting into gear! Was it Alan Peters? I believe he also wrote a number of articles for The Woodworker. Do understand that I am prepared to be corrected about this info, but I am 99% sure that is the name you are after.  (see next message)

I managed to get early retirement at the age of 50, back in '89. In 1990 I moved from Hayes and now live in Poole, Dorset. Career
included teaching in Hayes, Ickenham, Singapore (1967-71), and then in Northolt for 19 years as senior teacher. It was good to have students from Shoreditch during some of those years at Northolt.

No doubt you are aware that the film The French Mistress (Ealing Studio) was filmed on Shoreditch site about 1959. I have seen it on TV a couple of times. James Robertson Justice was the star.

My best claim to fame was to start the .22 Rifle Club in 1958/9 at the 'ditch!

Bless you for this wonderful nostalgic site!


Maurice Hann (1960 year)
e-mail:   mauricehann@btinternet.com

John,

Further to my e-mail last night:-

I looked up Alan Peters on Internet and found him at www.devon-cc.gov.uk/econeuro/craftmap/apeters.html

I telephoned him this morning to confirm it is the same man. Yes! He was at Shoreditch in '59, and did make that jewellery box
which was presented to ERII.

He taught in London for a short while, then in Egham for two years. After that he "did his own thing", and made a name for himself!

He was given O.B.E in 1990 for Furniture Design.

His words:- "I am now 67, but still working hard!"

No doubt you will find the website, but here is his address for those who might like to visit his workplace.

Aller Studios
Kentisbeare
Cullompton
EX15 2BU


Regards
Maurice Hann (1960)


 

Hi Jill

Keep up the good work on the Shoreditch site.

I attach a picture of a bike made by a `78 year student for his/her final job. I don't know who it was - I was `79 year.

The notable feature of the bike was an elliptical front sprocket - apparently the theory was that the downstroke on each pedal required a different curve to the upstroke in order to achieve maximum efficiency ... make of that what you will - my physics isn't up to the task of dis/proving the theory!

Barry Thomas     barry@quartet.co.uk

Jeremy Broun  (Distinction, 1966 Year)
July 2000

Happy days indeed. Being a student in London in the 60`s, surrounded by all those women`s colleges (they called me William Hickey), receiving a Government grant to do what I enjoyed - making things, and tearing around college campus on my motorbikes and Morgan 3-wheelers! Life couldn`t be better! Well, I never really grew up and after a short teaching career (culminating at Millfield School) I made a "career" of designing and making things in wood and still tear about the Wiltshire countryside in a vintage 3-wheeler! Some will know me as the author of The Incredible Router, Electric Woodwork, Woodwork Now and The Encyclopedia of Woodworking Techniques and I have also produced a range of videos on woodworking and design for schools and colleges under the label of Thinking Hand Video which can be found on The Jeremy Broun Woodsite at http://www.woodomain.com/.  Please do visit it.

January 2008 - update
Perhaps I could add a bit to my profile as in 2005 I was voted Professional Woodworker of the Year by The Woodworker magazine, demonstrating I have absolutely no intention of ever retiring!  I have only just started and it is more a matter of replacing 'braun with brain' (eg selling knowledge).

I feel priviliged to have been to "ditch". I can`t imagine any other college quite like it - with so many characters which come to mind - Sawdy, Chic Fowles, Stroppy Maynard, SAM and others. There is a saying that `great characters make great institutions`. And someone ought to write a book on all those ditch pranks (I nearly got suspended because of one!). Remember the time the college chapel was turfed up (including the lecturn) and the principal (Ted Marshall?) didn`t bat an eye lid and the Austen Seven that mysteriously appeared on the top of A block! My, those were the days.

Best wishes
Jeremy Broun
email:  jeremybroun@supanet.com   

JB in JZR 3-wheeler, 1999
JB's 1937 Morgan 3-wheeler at 'ditch, 1966

Re:  Derek Kersley   (1946-1948(51))

A little background information on the story below .......

While going through some of our father's (Bob Williams) papers, John found a copy of a very interesting letter addressed to "The Principal, Shoreditch Teachers College" from Derek Kersley (1946-1948(51)). The letter originated from Nova Scotia Teachers College, Canada, dated 1971 and was sent after Dad had retired, but the college secretary, Mrs Oldknow, whom some of you may remember, thought Dad might like to see a copy. John followed this up, hoping to contact Derek Kersley. It turned out that the Nova Scotia Teachers College itself had recently been closed but its web site was still operating   ( http://home.iSTAR.ca/~cye/info.html ) and someone obligingly forwarded an email to a former colleague, Neil Fisher, who passed it on to Ruth Saeman, Derek Kersley's second wife. Her kind response is written here. They also forwarded JPEGs of two of his beautiful paintings, which we show here.

Please click on the thumbnails below to view a larger version.

May 19, 1999
As Derek Kersley's second wife, I am responding to your internet communication. Derek died of cancer in November 1985.

After teaching in England, Derek and his first wife and two sons immigrated to Ontario, Canada. He taught art at a high school there before moving to Truro, Nova Scotia, to teach art methods at the Teachers College for 7 years. During this time he developed an artist's awareness of the Nova Scotian landscape and painted it with skill and pleasure. His awareness and perceptiveness extended to his students, his colleagues, his rugby team, and other friends as well.

Derek and Pat returned to England in 1976 where he taught at a comprehensive school. Pat unfortunately died of cancer within a year of their return. Derek returned to Canada shortly after her death.

I remember Derek as a wonderful man - intelligent, sensitive, creative, thoughtful, supportive of students, spiritual, appreciative, a superb story-teller, perceptive, and, on a lighter side, a man with a fine sense of humour. I appreciate your mention of his thank you letter; it verifies my description of him and adds to my own memories of him.

Gratefully,
Ruth Saeman (Kersley)

Barry Thomas   (1979)
21 May 1999

Hi John

Just stumbled across your `Ditch site. Very interesting. I'm from `79 year at Coopers Hill so have no overlap with your father, thought we did have lectures in Williams Hall in the first year.

I spent most of my time making jewellery (tho the course was officially more silversmithing oriented - http://www.quartet.co.uk/hermit.jpg  and went on to Sir John Cass School of Art at Aldgate to do more jewellery (strangely just around the corner from the real Shoreditch).

I taught craft for only three years all told, hated teaching but loved the workshop. Ideal training for a 15 year spell in computers! Most recently doing drug databases for the pharmaceutical society (see http://www.quartet.co.uk/ebnf) and will be at a medical intranet conference at John Radcliffe next week.

Meanwhile, I've had enough of computers, so I'm going back to silver - http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/bthomas - this very much first draft site is not yet released, I'm getting some proper photographs taken next week. The workshop is semi set up and in addition to the stuff on the web site I have a teapot, chalice and several spoon/ladle things. It is great to be back at the bench.

The guy who taught me woodwork at A level (in Rugby) was Andrew Varah, the finest craftsman I have had the pleasure to work for and with. He now makes one off pieces - see http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/varah . Andy was about 66 or 67 year - I'll ask him.

I had a fantastic time at Shoreditch. The opportunity to spend all day in the workshop, mixing with 400 like minded people, and all in a fantastic setting. And cheap beer. Bliss. I spent most of my third year buying silver and tools to the value of my entire grant, making jewellery, selling to students and staff, buying more silver... happy days.

If you are trying to build a general directory of people and where they are now, I'm happy to add a few names from 78 and 79 year.

Thank you for the site and keep up the good work.

Regards
Baz

_____[ Barry Thomas, Quartet Software Ltd ]_______________
email: barry@quartet.co.uk               voice: +44 1335 370 655
web: http://www.quartet.co.uk          fax: +44 1335 370 668