Gowertonian Society Guestbook

Please help me to trace those Gowertonians who attended the Intermediate School before January 1940.......and who are still alive. Please enquire of your family. neighbours, old pupils, Email contacts, friends, aquaintances.

I left Gowerton Girls Grammar in 1963 after sitting my O level exams. It was a wonderful experience going to the Grammar School, I remember Miss Bassett very well and Mr Williams, great teachers all of them. I am now living in Perth Western Australia, left Wales in 1980. After school I worked for the National Eisteddfod of Wales and Swansea University before going to Libya to live and work. I have only the best memories of the school and speaking Welsh enjoyed all the Eisteddfod competitions. I still have an embroidered cushion cover which I struggled with in Domestic Science – I think it was Nance Jones who taught us poor lady could never get me to finish things, however I now enjoy embroidery work. I still have our school photo I think it was done in 1962.

Margaret Wynne (Morgan)

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I am writing to you from Sydney Australia, using my daughters email account.

My name is Lynda Elizabeth Coady (formerly Lynda Elizabeth Williams). I went to Penclawdd Secondary School in approximately 1959 - 1961. My father was in the Navy and I went to many schools, however, Penclawdd was my favourite and where I met many friends, I still remember!

I am trying to get in touch with people in my class, however with all the girlfriends I made, their names may have changed by now due to marriage.

I would love an ex-student contact list, or to be put on such a contact list. I would love the opportunity to attend events that the school may have in order to be put back in contact with some of the people in my class.

I was born in Swansea, however have lived in Australia for 45 years! Swansea holds many special memories for me, and I so want to hold onto them.

Lynda Coady (nee Williams)

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Driven by some mysterious instinct I have just come across your site, and I am extremely grateful to you to keep the memory of the "old school" alive.

During the school-year 1957-1958 I was the French assistant at both the Boys' School and the Girls' School. And here I am now, a retired English teacher, who finished his teaching career at Lycée International in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines) in the area where I am now living.

My two remaining contacts with the school have been Archibald WILLIAMS, the Art Teacher, who met his death while holidaying in Italy some years ago, and whom we had met earlier on in Versailles where he and his wife were camping (caravanning to be more precise) on their way back to Wales after a holiday in the sun; and John HARRIS, the Physics Teacher, whom I am still in contact with, he and his wife, still in Dunvant, being deeply attached to France and keen on French holidays.

A sadder memory is that of our visit to Swansea quite a few years back, when we met Dr T.J. JAMES at his home near Mumbles. Dr JAMES was to depart a few years later. In spite of his very poor health he was deeply moved to see me again. And personally I was, and still am, most grateful to him to have entertained me a couple of week-ends in his home in the Gower during my year at Gowerton. A kind gesture which made me forget the poor teaching conditions that were my lot at that time: I had to give my conversation classes on the landing just outside the Head's office !!!

Looking at the pictures of the past Head Teachers on your site I can of course recognize Dr T.J. JAMES (who was fond of France and the sea), and if my memory does not fail me, Miss BASSETT who I think was at the Head of the Girls' School at that time; Mr MORSE I can recognize quite well, and more vaguely Mr DANIELS, probably because of his name...

I am delighted to feel that part of me still belongs to your community ,and that somewhere across the sea, not far from the superb Gower coastline which witnessed some of the emotions of my youth, the memory of Gowerton School is still kept alive. May this go on for a long time, as the past always feeds the present.

Daniel ARMAND

16 avenue du Château

F 78150 LE CHESNAY

France

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I remember getting on, what we called the Bont Boys bus, in Grovesend. It was in the mid 40's. I remember Bryan Morris, Rod Morgan and someone who would play the guitar on the way to school. It was great fun.

I have lived in the States, California and Mass. for 40 years but we visit Wales every year.

PS Russ Jones was also at school in the 40's. He was a great piano player and played at my wedding reception in 1955.

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What an enjoyable read down memory lane, I had a great time at Gowerton School, my Grandmother's house backed on to it, Mrs Eleanor Bevan, Cecil Road, made going to school very easy.

I've passed on your web address to my mother Margret Knight who is a local Minister in Kent.

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I attended the 60th anniversary of the intake of 1946, thanks to contemporaries of mine unearthing me in deepest Hampshire. It was a great evening in Swansea particularly as so many of the intake, male and femal, turned up. Comparisons between H. Bassett and T.J.James as the respective heads of the two schools were inevitable. On balance, T.J was thought to be the more humane!!

I was the only pupil who did not have an excuse for being late, my father was the school caretaker, we lived just inside the front gate, 20 yards from the entry to the junior cloakrooms.

I left in '55 to go to St Andrews University to study medicine, didn't qualify, but had a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, working in Europe and the USA. I'm now in touch with Hugh Davies of Gowerton and Wynne Thomas of Grovesend. Both currently living in Cardiff and contemporaries of mine. Hugh did a huge amount of work in putting the 60th anniversary event on.

If there is anyone of the vintage 1946-1955 currently living in the South of England, I'd like to hear from them.

Doug Phillips
PS I remember Rob Evans as a young lad. His father kept the Commercial Hotel in Gowerton, it was there I learned to play darts among other things!

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Bryan Morris, from Pontardulais, left Gowerton 1947. Still very proud of my time at Gowerton with lots of great memories. I have several photographs from those days and will e-mail them at a later date.

Joined the Metropolitan Police force after leaving the army, retired from the Essex Police and then joined the NHS as a security adviser. Now live just outside Colchester in Essex, but visit home at the slightest excuse.

Would be great to hear from anyone who remembers me. Best wishes to the society for creating the link.

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I wonder if anyone has any information on Milton Firth who appears in the front of the school photograph, form 1A 1928? It is an unusual name and I have been trying to trace a relative with this name for a very long time without success. Please email your reply to khyland@tiscali.co.uk

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I am looking for an old Gowertonian friend that I last saw in 1981 when my father died.

His name was Mark Davies and was with me in Gowerton from 1964-1970. He originally lived close to me in Bishopston then moved to Kittle, after which I heard nothing. I would love to hear from anyone that might know anything about him.

Clive Jones
Tel. 01792 233995

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Great effort by all in creating the web page.
My mother, or should I say Mam, told me about this the other day after reading something in the Evening Post about the site.
I was in Gowerton for just the lower & upper sixth form having come across from Bishopston Comp. This must have been Sept ’81 thru to July ’83.
Now living on the other side in Chippenham, Wiltshire.

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My name is Andrew Jones. I have just discovered this website - great effort by all involved. I could only be described as an average student at G.B.G.S but still have fond memories of my time spent there. I attended school from 1968 to 1975 and would love to hear from old classmates wherever you are. I emigrated to Canada in 1985 and I currently head up the agricultural production and research division of Rogers Sugar Ltd in Western Canada. Great to see some of the old photos and I look forward to visiting the website more often.

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I had a good friend at Gowerton Grammar called Joyce Pinder. My maiden name was Prowse. Would love to hear from her or any other contemporaries. We were in Gowerton in the 40's so are old -timers.

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What a great Event the reunion was on Saturday 25 September 2004. Congratulations must go to Bob Evans and his loyal team for surpassing themselves. I look forward to next year BY THE WAY I DON'T LIKE THE NEW HERALDIC SHIELD. WE ARE NOW KNOWN BY THE LAST ONE UNITING THE TWO SCHOOLS AND IT SHOULD STAY

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Thoroughly enjoyed the Centenary Dinner last night. It’s definitely going to be an early night for me tonight! Sincere thanks to Robert Evans for all his hard work organising a successful and memorable event.

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What a disappointment! None of my schoolmates are on the site. C'mon chaps and lasses.

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Left Gowerton Girls in '70 but thanks to the persistence and Sherlock Holmes talents of some of my old friends, made the reunion when we all hit 40 !!! An interesting site that I hope will develop. Normally use Friends Reunited, but this site offers more and the history was great to see. Hope to hear about any future reunions here.

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I left GBGS in 1973, lived in various parts of the UK, NZ, Australia and now live in Washington DC. I agree with the requests for more pictures and possibly information on the teachers who were around at that time. I also recommend the Friends Reunited site.

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Could have more photographs of students past and present. Note from Webmaster - we would be pleased to place any old school photos you may have on this web site. Why not contact me using the link provided.

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Left the school in 1976 after A levels. Graduated in 1980 and have worked in IT ever since. Currently working for a major defence contractor in the West Country. Married with 2 grown up kids - one studying medicine in Aberdeen, one studying law in Durham. Good to see ROE still going strong. Some great memories of 1st team rugby - Mata Mata & Christchurch touring teams from New Zealand in 1974. Good to see posting from Dorian Marden who I was in class with! Keep up the good work.

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A very impressive Web-site. It is always pleasing to read about Old Gowertonians; perhaps more will be encouraged to participate via this facility. I retired in 1992 after over 40 years in the field of Education: Primary; Secondary; Further and Higher. Unfortunately regular visits to Loughor are few, but I am still a loyal supporter of the Welsh Team--through thick and thin. Kind regards........Harley ( ex "Cross Keys Hotel", Loughor

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Since leaving Gowerton (I think it was 1966) I went on to Swansea University where I obtained both B.Sc and PhD degrees. Afterwards I worked for a few years at the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Culham Labs Abingdon near Oxford. I moved to UCLA, Los Angeles in 1976 to work as a research scientist in the Electrical Engineering Dept. I remain there and now head up a research group working on understanding hot fusion plasmas - the "energy of the stars here on earth" I met my wife Ann at UCLA and have two children Carol (24) and Jonathan (15) Carol recently graduated from Princeton and is now studying to obtain here MD and PhD degrees at the University of San Francisco. I have an older brother (Ken who is also an old Gowertonian!) who lives in Dunvant.

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Nice to see Gowerton is still on the map. I have many happy memories associated to my school days. It would be nice to link in with old school friends. I will look in again. Good Luck. Helen Iman

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Great to see Gowerton school is still going strong. The web sight looks great, more photographs would be great, and possible links to old friends. Nice to see that R.O.E has still got his finger on the pulse. I had a great time at Gowerton and was hugely influenced by Rob Evans to the degree that I became a teacher, and am now living in Crawley West Sussex. Good luck with the web site, its good to keep in touch

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Good luck on the web site. Very interesting. It would be good if we could have old school photographs on here as well.

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Well, perhaps I wasn't the best pupil Gowerton Boys Grammar ever had, but I am interested in the schools history, and its progress(?) since becoming a Comp. I have found the contents very interesting and wish the committee and web designers every success in its work to further develop and maintain the site. I am sure that it will prove of interest to ex-pupils and also to many others who perhaps weren't so fortunate.

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An excellent start. Would it be possible, like friends reunited to set up a page where ex students and teachers could link to. They could say what they are doing now etc.

Note from Webmaster - Please click on Join our Forum for details of how to join the Gowerton Society Forum. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Really nice site - best of luck for he future. My Dad is an ex Gowertonian - Bill Lewis - left in 1957. If anybody wants to contact him ask me. Dad is playing golf and looking after grandchildren!! Thanks Dad.