Springhead School For Boys

I too went school there from 1974-1977: If remember remember correctly we I used to call him Noddy. He was always immaculately dressed and taught Maths.

Your memory is just as good as mine, yes he was always spotlessly turned out. Not a bit like John Oliver the physics teacher, rough old beard and always had pipe tobacco ash all over his clothes lol.

I arrived at Gravesend Technical high school for boys in September 1968, which then became Springhead School after my first year. Mr Bailey ex marine officer was headmaster and George Dockerell was maths teacher. Jon Oliver was, as you say, scruffy, and as corporal punishment was then legal, he would take unruly boys into a cupboard and use rubber piping to sting their hands. Conversely, he wrote and directed the school play, (I played the lead red indian in Pocohontas which involved being painted head to foot by Napper Grant, the art teacher, or a helper. Bailey was a disciplinarian and the whole school was afraid of him. Happy days. I've got many stories if you care to hear them.

sorry, that was 1963

I went to Springhead from 73-78, John Field was HM. I recall Jon Oliver and Charlie Pond headed the woodwork dept and forever had a mirror on laser dinghy in progress. Napper Grant was art master ably assisted by "Polly" Perkins the art mistress. Mr Dibb ran chemistry and Mr Deacon and Mrs Brogden covered Biology. Mr Garner and Mr Bullen taught PE and neither was slow to use the slipper! Jim Bumpus taught french and bohemian Mr Baker and Mr Godwin taught English. Baker was a great guy took us to see Jaws but Godwin got me and A in English. I fondly remember 2 great years in 6th form , punk music was just getting established and we had a record player and boys brought in the latest stuff to compete with the metalheads. Great times

I went to Springhead from Sept 70 to July 75. John Field (affectionately known as Gracie or Jaffa)was Headmaster and his deputy was Stan Rooum. I remember several of the teachers - Tony Barron, Jim Bumpus, Bill Grant, Dave Long, Jim Dent, Bryan Godwin to name a few . Fond memories of the French Exchanges.

Great times indeed. For me it was such a blessing to be able to attend a school with an unrivalled metal work department. Frank Tyrell and George Fredricks were just the best. Joining the boat club led to a love affair with boats that lasts to this day. Such a pity that the history of the school we knew seems to have been lost over time.

Thanks Jeff for the memories. You were always one of the good guys. I am still in contact with Phil King and we occasionally get together to watch Kent and England cricket matches and, of course, the mighty Fleet at Stonebridge Road. It seems incredible that time has flown by since our days at Springhead School to the stage that Phil has already retired from the police force and I will be hanging up my insurance broking boots in a couple of years time. All the best Jeff.

Thanks Jeff for the memories. You were always one of the good guys. I am still in contact with Phil King and we occasionally get together to watch Kent and England cricket matches and, of course, the mighty Fleet at Stonebridge Road. It seems incredible that time has flown by since our days at Springhead School to the stage that Phil has already retired from the police force and I will be hanging up my insurance broking boots in a couple of years time. All the best Jeff.

Thanks Jeff for the memories. You were always one of the good guys. I am still in contact with Phil King and we occasionally get together to watch Kent and England cricket matches and, of course, the mighty Fleet at Stonebridge Road. It seems incredible that time has flown by since our days at Springhead School to the stage that Phil has already retired from the police force and I will be hanging up my insurance broking boots in a couple of years time. All the best Jeff.

I was at the school from 1976 until 1981. Recall Mrs Stiddard the French and German teacher , Mr Bumpus & Mr Thomas, the History teacher. Struggled with bullying at times. My bag would be thrown out of windows on occasions and I always took a lot of stick for being the one who was head down & got on with work. I learnt just to switch off from it and not react, but my best friend, Christopher Woods, who was a member of a church choir and very angelic looking , couldnt do so and it destroyed him.

Some may remember the "Alan Wyatt fanclub" that someone started after I won a national crossword competition and got selected for the Kent Hockey squad. Posters were put up round the school.and I was getting asked for autographs. It was initially fun, but soon got tiresome and Mrs Stiddard put a stop to it after about a week.

Sadly, Mr Thomas committed suicide a year or two after I left. He was a lovely guy, but looked like an old fashioned pilot with his moustache which meant the kids often took the Mickey out of him. He couldn't deal with that and struggled to maintain control. I felt so sorry for him.

I seem to recall Mr Bumpus left the school in disgrace.

I remember Mr Garner as well. He was a good cricketer if I recall, but was quite a fearsome character and you certainly didn't want to get on the wrong side of him! I believe he also arranged a visit from Brian Luckhurst ( I think) , the Kent & England cricketer one year.

The French teacher before Mrs Stiddard (his name escapes me) got me into French football as he used it as a way to try and spark the boys interest. In those days we didn't have the Internet and it was a case of scrabbling around to find a newspaper or soccer magazine that carried overseas soccer results every week! I was given AS Nancy to follow and I still look for their results to this day ( they are now in the 3rd tier of French football, but in those days, they were a top team and their main player was Michelle Platinum).

Another memory was the school open evening one year. I grew up a Gravesend & Northfleet supporter ( now Ebbsfleet United) and went to games whenever I could. G & N had an FA Cup replay against Wimbledon that night and I had the radio on in my desk as often as I could to keep up with the match - which ultimately went to extra time and Fleet lost it thanks to a dubious refereeing decision very late on!

I also did a French exchange one year. Always felt sorry for the French kids though as Gravesend had its own dialect and the French kids probably struggled to understand it - & equally struggled to make themselves understood anywhere else afterwards as well!! My exchange lad, Christian, was totally disinterested in anything we did during his time in England and was hard work - even when we had some snow during his time here! When I went to France, I tried hard to engage with the family who equally tried hard to make me comfortable. They lived on a farm, however, and when I got there I saw rabbit hutches and naively thought how cute. You can imagine my horror when one day I found they had killed one to make rabbit stew. We were out on a trip that day so thought I might be saved from eating it, but they actually had it the next day and not wanting to appear rude, I felt obliged to eat at least some of it, but it was hard going. 😔

Anyhow better stop there as rambled on for far too long!

Hi
I went there 1969 to 1976 or so....my classmates were, Chris Hunt, Robert Biddlecombe, Mark, Neil, Suzanne, Bernard Manktelow (he loved running), John Lunn was head boy, Ian Thorne (I'm not sure who, but one of the guys passed away while we are in the 5th or 6th form and he used to be very good in chemistry. Teachers were Dent(physics), Dockerel (maths), Grant (arts), Dibbles & Oliver(chemistry), Godwin (music)...he was bloody disciplinarian but he ended inviting some of the lads around his lovely English cottage...Steve Long or Longton was one of the guys and yours truly, Fild (Gracie...headmaster), Bumpus (French), a right Hitler for German....short in stature but bloody good at teaching (just forget the name right now!!!!), Tyrrel(metalwork).....Iwas also the only Indian in the school....if you remember!!!!

Hi Alan
Mr Bumpus used to be a very outgoing and positive sort of guy.....what on earth could have have happenned for him to leave in disgrace!

Hi Navdeep
I do indeed remember you. As to what happened to Jim Bumpus I could'nt begin guess. Must say I did'nt get on with him too well, always found him to be a bit of a strange fellow. Got on a lot better with Roger Griswood who was the German teacher. I remember a bunch of us went on a European holiday with him, Charlie Pond and his wife, and Brian Godwin. There was John Deakin, Colin Plumb, Glyn Johnson, Paul Bolton and yours truly.

Hi, I spent 5 years at Springhead from September 1969 until June 1974. I nearly departed in September 1973 when Gracie decided to expel me for extending my Spanish holiday with the boys into the Autumn school term; but after a strong appeal from my dear old dad he changed my red card to a yellow card and suspended me for a week. I must say I was extremely grateful as I needed the rest after all that Sun and booze. Happy days. Nigel Jordan