Remember When - Peter Higgins

PETER HIGGINS

On my first day at the school, I vividly recall the audible gasp from virtually all new boys as Mr Mills swept into assembly, his cloak billowing behind him, deep black hair across his forehead and with that fearsome set expression on his face. Here was a man not to be messed with.......
The memory of a certain languages master's bubble car being removed to the top of the CCF hut by 6th form leaver
John Jenner's escape from "Bertie" Blake's detention after he was locked in room B5 at the top of the Baffins building one lunchtime. John had shinned down a drainpipe at great peril to his future health
Derek Schulman telling Mr Rogers, careers master, that he planned to become a pop star and being told not to be so stupid! [NB There is an entry in the Summer 1968 Secundrian magazine under the heading of "Visiting Scholars" which records "Derek Sculman works under the group name 'Simon Dupree and the big sound' six months after leaving school"]. ( Ed: Those of us of a certain age will recall that the group were successful, especially with the hit tune "Kites". His group also had the distinction of hiring the then unknown Elton John (at that time known simply as Reginald Dwight) as a keyboard player to fill in for an ill member of the group - and subsequently turned down opportunities to recruit him permanently and to record any of his compositions!!! Wow!!). Derek later became Senior Vice-President of PolyGram Records.

Art Master, "Buller" Jeffries' extraordinary (to say the least!) stories of his supposed many and varied careers (especially as part of each of the Services in the War!!)
In a physics lesson (a subject that I could never grasp for some reason) doubting that electricity was travelling the length of a piece of wire ("How do I know that it is travelling along the wire" I asked) and being invited to hold both ends (which I did!!).
On cross country runs (when the sports pitches were unplayable) boys who thought it would be a good idea to go for a swim in the freezing sea and others who caught the bus on the way back!
A sudden interest from both boys and staff in having to go to the secretary's office when a particularly attractive lady was appointed!
As a 15 year-old, donning my school cap some 200 yards before arriving at the school gate (and hence avoiding a detention for not wearing it).