Images of Portsmouth Grammar School

Part Two: CCF, Drama & Music

The CCF

Membership of the CCF was

compulsory, until the Profumo cut

backs of 1963. Corps activities

were generally resented at the time,

but regarded fondly in retrospect.

This Evening News feature

concerned the Naval Section’s

Field Day on Monday 18 March

1963, when cadets were tested on

the Royal Marine Assault Course at

Eastney. Mike Westbrook is the

fellow tangled in the barbed wire.

1963 was the Centenary Year of the

PGS CCF, and was celebrated in

fine style on Friday 31 May with a

Parade and General Inspection by

Field Marshall The Viscount

Montgomery of Alamein (alias

‘Monty’). This is the programme

cover from that event.

This rather non-descript

photograph by Vernon Runnacles

(Tim Runnacles’ father) shows

Monty (looking away), the

admiring parents, and the massed

ranks of the Corps at Hilsea on

Friday 31 May 1963.

This is another masterpiece (?) by

Vernon Runnacles, showing a naval

platoon shambling along during the

Centenary Parade. The infamous

glider rests on one wing-tip in the

background.

Here are the massed ranks of the

CCF during the Centenary Parade.

Monty is there, somewhere!

(Photograph by V.L. Runnacles).

This rare colour view shows Monty

carrying out his Inspection: Peter

Barclay is in the centre background

and the Provost, the Rev. Porter-

Gough, is in the right distance

(wearing the clerical collar).

(Photograph by Jan Drozd Senior).

In this view the CCF glider is being

prepared for a possible take-off.

(Photograph by Jan Drozd Senior).

In this view, the Naval Section’s

whaler is being prepared to set sail

across the grass of Hilsea Playing

Field! (Photograph by Jan Drozd

Senior).

David Hall and Jan Drozd pose

outside Jan’s house in Craneswater

Avenue prior to the Centenary

Parade in 1963. Both cadets seem

rather overawed by the prospect of

being inspected by the hero of

Alamein, but look at those creases

and that blanco! (Photo by Jan

Drozd Senior).

Rather self-indulgently, here is

Runnacles dressed in full Naval

Section finery on 31 May 1963.

The photograph was taken by his

father in the back garden of his

Widley home, immediately prior to

going on parade before Monty.

(Photograph by V.L. Runnacles).

Inspection of the Naval Platoon at

the 1964 Annual Inspection. Alan

Wright is in charge, with John

Grant and Jan Drozd being

‘inspected’. In the background is

the Headmaster, Dennis Hibbert (in

bowler hat), plus Peter Barclay and

John Hopkinson in typical poses.

(Photograph by Jan Drozd Senior).

The PGS Artillery Section and its

25-pounder – stripped down to

every last nut and bolt…. again.

Amongst the participants in this

April 1963 scene are Mike Walker,

Peter Betteridge, John Thorp, Brian

Curle and Dave [?] Hodge.

(Photographer not recorded: picture

supplied by Brian Curle).

School Drama

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

1957

In 1957 the Lower School staged

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer

Night’s Dream in the (Old) School

Hall. Here is an enactment of

Pyramus and Thisbe, the ‘play

within a play’. Cast members seem

to be drawn mainly from Upper

One. The push-along dog and the

portable wall are noteworthy!

(Wright & Logan photo).

Here is some dramatic action

during A Midsummer Night’s

Dream. Mike Winstock, as Bottom

the ‘rude mechanical’, is hidden

beneath the donkey’s head, created

with great expertise from papier

mâché. (Wright & Logan photo).

Runnacles obviously bought this

photo of A Midsummer Night’s

Dream to recall his virtuoso

performance as The Wall,

separating the lovers Thisbe (Bill

Henderson) and Pyramus (Mike

Winstock). This scene was re-

enacted (sans brickwork) at the

Reunion on 8 May 2004 (see Part

Seven). (Wright & Logan photo).

Toad of Toad Hall Academic Year

1957-58

This picture shows the cast of Toad of Toad Hall. The claim was

made by the contributor of this picture that this was the ‘Lower

School play of 1957’. However, as we know that the play of

1957 was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this production dates

either from the Autumn Term of 1957 or the first half of 1958.

The cast comprises:

Back row (left to right): Andy Anderson, Andy Park, Jago, Mike

Dore, David Hall, Mik Moore, Mike Price, Christopher Fletcher-

Campbell, Philip Barrett, Julian Birch, Graham Wingate and John

Lunt.

Front row (left to right): Graham Abraham, David Verdon,

Graham Talbot, Clive Sibson, —?—, David Childs, —?—, Mike

Ellery, Rowntree, and John Shepherd.

Macbeth 1959

In 1959 the Middle School staged a

performance of Shakespeare’s

‘Scottish Play’ under the direction

of Trevor Conway. Here is the

complete cast and helpers on stage

during the dress rehearsal. (Wright

& Logan photo).

Macbeth (Alan Berman) looks on dubiously as the three witches and

Hecate develop their vile potion. Alan Berman gave a strong

performance in the play, but despite suggestions that he might one

day tread the boards professionally, he chose the safer path of

becoming a solicitor and – less conventionally – Honorary Danish

Consul in Portsmouth. His appearance was marred by a splodge that

was painted on his chin to represent a beard – it was such a pity that

the next best thing to a real beard was not obtained from The Stage

Door in Marmion Road. The three witches (left to right) are Paul

Brown, M.I.V. Dore and Tim Runnacles. I.M.G. Hedges played

Hecate, Queen of the Witches. (Wright & Logan photo).

The Winter’s Tale 1964

The School Play of 1964 was Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.

Here is the set for Act II of the play, painted in record time by

Runnacles, and depicting the coast of Bohemia (since when was

Bohemia on any coast?). In the foreground, Tom Burnham (right

way up) and Peter Stemp (inverted) engage in some horseplay.

The photograph was taken by Runnacles after the last performance

of the play on Friday 20 March. On the afternoon of that same day

Runnacles had bought a Kodak Retinette 1A 35mm camera, and

(other than a few experiments with older non-35mm equipment),

this was his first ever colour picture. The Kodachrome slide from

which this image was made still proudly bears the reference ‘001’.

Also taken on Friday 20 March

1964 was this picture of the

backstage crew of The Winter’s

Tale. Many familiar faces are

recognisable here, including (left to

right) Peter Hartman, Mike Smith,

Gerry Anderson, Julian Birch, Peter

Stemp, Martin Waldron, Steven

‘Ox’ Limburn, Mike Price, David

Fawkner-Corbett and Martin

‘Vardi’ Lippiett; John Shepherd is

sitting on the floor. (Runnacles’

photo).

An inn was incidental to the story

of the play, and with strong

attention to Bohemian detail, we

elected to call it The Puking Vole.

The sign has somehow survived all

these years, but the vole was

manifestly not throwing up the

contents of its tiny stomach.

(Runnacles’ photo).

The Happiest Days of Your Life

1964

John Dighton’s The Happiest Days of Your Life was staged by the

Sixth Form as its play of summer 1964. The performance set a

new precedent when PGS joined forces with Portsmouth High

School for Girls, so that for the first time female parts could be

played by the real thing, rather than boys in drag. The theme,

about boys and girls schools being merged, was an appropriate

farce for the first joint production. This official view from the

show by John Grant (Senior) depicts Tom Burnham sharing a

tender moment with Susan Mitchell during the dress rehearsal on

Monday 20 July 1964.

Rosemary Errington, playing a

school mistress, displays portraits

of her school’s staff to Chris Clark.

The school ‘mistresses’ depicted

here were actually (left to right)

Eric Sutton, Jasper Nowell, Dennis

Hibbert and H.W. Ogden; all had

been craftily disguised by G.F.

(‘Gray’) Abraham. (Photograph by

John Grant {Senior}, Monday 20

July 1964).

Here is the complete cast of Happiest Days, showing (left to

right): J. E. (‘Jon’) Webb, Sarah Jarvis (PHS), T.A. (Tom)

Burnham, Susan Mitchell (PHS), P.C. (Paul) Brown, M.W.B.

(Mik) Moore, Linda Parsons (PHS), C. R. (Chris) Clark,

Rosemary Errington (PHS), G.R. (Geoff ‘Gnome’) Thompson,

Carol Brockman-More (PHS), A. J. (Alan) Wright and Julia

Ratsey (PHS). Note the incomplete backdrop: Runnacles was

supposed to be painting this, but had not completed the task in

time for the dress rehearsal line up, as photographed here on

Monday 20 July 1964. (Photo by John Grant Sr.).

During the lead up to the play we thought that it would be a

good idea to show the cast ‘begging’ people come and see the

production. This action took place in the school yard on the

evening of Monday 13 July 1964 – although this colour view

was not used in the publicity and has probably not been seen

before now, even by those depicted. The dramatis personae are:

(standing, left to right) Rosemary Errington, Susan Mitchell and

Anna Lendrum (all PHS), and (kneeling) Linda Parsons, Paul

Brown, Carol Brockman-More, Mik Moore, Chris Clark, Geoff

Thompson and Tom Burnham. (Runnacles’ photo).

This is the black and white version

of the ‘begging’ photo of Monday

13 July. This picture was used with

a suitable caption, and was

displayed on the school notice

board under the entrance arch.

(Runnacles’ photo).

This picture was also taken on

Monday 13 July and shows Carol

Brockman-More, Chris Clark and

Tom Burnham, all united by a

single scarf. (Runnacles’ photo).

This was the piece of scenery

missing from the cast photograph.

Runnacles completed this section at

4 p.m. on Tuesday 21 July 1964,

three and a half hours before the

curtain went up. It was

photographed in December of the

same year, just prior to being

painted-over for the School

Dance’s Wild West theme (see Part

One). (Runnacles’ photo).

This is a ticket for the Happiest

Days, printed by David Fawkner-

Corbett.

Likewise printed by David

Fawkner-Corbett was the

programme for The Happiest Days

of Your Life.

Apart from the begging

photograph, Runnacles was also

responsible for the poster

advertising the play. The High

School temptress was fictitious,

and was in fact based on a portrait

of French chanteuse Françoise

Hardy that graced her extended

play record C’est Fab.

A Man for All Seasons

1964

The School Play of December 1964 was Robert Bolt’s A Man

for All Seasons. Here is the complete cast and backstage crew,

lined up for Wright & Logan photograph on Monday 14

December 1964. The role call is as follows:

Back row (left to right): T. Kidd, Keith Ferguson, Jan Drozd,

S.C. Holmes, Ian Murray, C.W.P. Grundy, Mik Moore, R.J.

Clark, James Loader, John Morrison, G.R. Thompson, G.D.

Webber and John Grant.

Middle row (left to right): A.P. Mighell, I.A. Baillie, Gerry

Anderson, John Shepherd, Graham Abraham, David Owens, —

?—, Melvin Tomlins and Geoff Marks.

Front row (left to right): Martin Waldron, John Ford, Bill

Aldridge, Ray Allen, Colin Goble, Peter Hartman, Mike Price,

Tim Runnacles, Tony Allen, Ian Ventham and Chris Evans.

A scene from A Man for All

Seasons, staged in December 1964.

The minimalist set was noteworthy.

(Photo by Wright & Logan, 14

December 1964).

Two of the backstage crew for A

Man for All Seasons, photographed

in the ante-room to the New Hall,

comprising G.F. (‘Gray’) Abraham

(left) and A.R. (Tony) Allen on the

right. (Photograph by Tim

Runnacles, Monday 14 December

1964).

A ticket for A Man for All Seasons.

You Never Can Tell

1965

This photo is believed to have been taken by John Grant

(Senior). It was taken on Sunday 18 July 1965 and shows

the complete cast and crew of You Never Can Tell at the

dress rehearsal. The identities are as follows:

Back row (left to right): Sheila Wallace (PHS), Geoff

Thompson, Susan Cooper (PHS), Mary Silk (PHS), Peter

Hartman, Bob Clarke, Judy Sawyer (PHS), James Loader,

Patricia Miller (PHS), Robin Fawkner-Corbett, John

Shepherd and Geoff Webber.

Middle row (left to right): Dave Brown, Jim Richards, Geoff

Foley, Alan Hill, Julian Birch, David Owens, Graham Harman,

Colin Goble and Jan Drozd.

Front row (left to right): Elizabeth Barnard (PHS), Brian

Curle, George Carter, Peter West, Ron Sprake, Graham

Abraham and the Flunge, Annette Cooper (PHS), Tony Allen,

Bill Aldridge, Tim Runnacles, Christine Rolfe (PHS) and Mike

Curran.

This colour photograph by Tim

Runnacles is a bit blurred, but it

may be the only colour picture

taken of the cast of You Never Can

Tell. It was taken on 18 July 1965

and shows (left to right): Sheila

Wallace, Geoff Thompson, Susan

Cooper, Mary Silk, Peter Hartman,

James Loader, Patricia Miller,

Robin Fawkner-Corbett, John

Shepherd and Geoff Webber.

This is an official view of the

action in You Never Can Tell,

probably taken by John Grant

(Senior). It shows Susan Cooper

and Mary Silk on the set of the play

on 18 July 1965.

This photograph by Tim Runnacles

shows Peter Hartman in his role as

James Valentine, the dentist, in You

Never Can Tell. (18 July 1965).

Geoff (alias ‘The Gnome’)

Thompson poses for this

underexposed photograph in the

ante-room to the New Hall on 18

July 1965, prior to going on stage

in You Never Can Tell.

(Photograph by T.V. Runnacles).

Mary Silk played Gloria Clandon

in You Never Can Tell. Mary was

Head Girl at PHS in 1964-65; here

she poses very prettily in the ante-

room at the New School Hall (now

known as the David Russell

Theatre) on 18 July 1965.

(Photograph by T.V. Runnacles).

This picture shows Elizabeth

Barnard, who was wardrobe

mistress to You Never Can Tell,

holding aloft the Flunge, which had

been devised by Graham Abraham

and served as publicity mascot for

the play. The picture was taken on

Sunday 18 July 1965. (Photograph

by T.V. Runnacles).

Cooper and Cooper: this picture

shows Annette Cooper attempting

to add years to Susan Cooper for

her role in You Never Can Tell. The

picture was taken during the dress

rehearsal on 18 July 1965.

(Photograph by T.V. Runnacles).

Sheila Wallace appears to have

encountered the effects of nitrous

oxide as she larks around during a

free moment in the dress rehearsal

of You Never Can Tell on the

afternoon of Sunday 18 July 1965.

The dentist’s chair, a prop for the

play, was parked outside the New

Hall on this occasion. (Photograph

by T.V. Runnacles).

Here is a view of Patricia Miller,

being readied for her role as Dolly

Clandon. Her sleeve receives an

adjustment from Christine Rolfe,

almost out of the picture on the

right. (Photograph by T.V.

Runnacles).

Patricia Miller, dressed for her part

as Dolly Clandon, before the dress

rehearsal of You Never Can Tell on

Sunday 18 July 1965. (Photograph

by T.V. Runnacles).

Graham Abraham’s whimsical

Flunge appeared on the tickets,

resulting in a round ticket that must

have been a major chore for

somebody to cut to shape, hundreds

of times over.

Graham Abraham also designed the

programme cover for You Never

Can Tell, but he evidently resisted

the temptation to utilise the Flunge,

preferring a more Shavian image

instead.

Musical mementoes

Those who attended PGS in the late

1950s will never forget Maestro

John Davidson’s Choral Society,

membership of which was virtually

compulsory. As a memento of

those times, here are the tattered

librettos of the 1957 and 1958

productions (respectively) of

Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem

and Handel’s Messiah.

Morning Assembly was one of the under-rated aspects of PGS

life, but who now can forget: the chance to hear the piano

preludes (played by John Davidson or Eric Sutton) that

presaged the arrival of the Headmaster and his staff; the earnest

biblical lessons read by a prefect; Canon Heritage’s

imprecations that “God Bless Africa”; and, of course, the

hymn? We used Songs of Praise, and here is one of the best of

them all, No. 202 For all the Saints, set to a fine unison tune

by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and invariably sung on 1st

November (All Saints Day).

Continued in Part Three