Cat Fish
New member
Anyone recall the big fight between Hove Park and Blatch Mill in the late 80's made the national press I seem to recall.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
Hardest School in Brighton
- Thread starter The Spanish
- Start date
BadFish
Huge Member
- Oct 19, 2003
- 18,201
Yeah this was during my time at Hove Park. Many of the people involved were mates in my year, I was away on a school trip at the time but I know a fair few who dined out on the stories for many years. The newspapers exaggerated it at the time but not not nearly as much as some of those involved have over the years (or possibly some of those on the periphery of what went on).
Queens Park CS back in the 1960's were untouchable in B&H Boxing Championships at The Dome. During the four years I was there they swept all before them, also I think they had a couple of national champions. It was a foregone conclusion every year. Wasn't a big school but they did have some very very hard individuals.
My only real experience of other schools and how tough they may or may not be was playing football for my school team.
Certainly Whitehawk, Fitzherbert. Moulescombe were powder puff sides. Mostly we had victories in excess of 5 goals.
The only team who bordered on being as tough physically as us was Patcham Fawcett.
Our school was King's Manor!
Alas no more.
Knock down and rebuilt as Shoreham Academy
Certainly Whitehawk, Fitzherbert. Moulescombe were powder puff sides. Mostly we had victories in excess of 5 goals.
The only team who bordered on being as tough physically as us was Patcham Fawcett.
Our school was King's Manor!
Alas no more.
Knock down and rebuilt as Shoreham Academy
Nitram
Well-known member
- Jul 16, 2013
- 2,265
My wife went there and told me all the lads had to box to toughen them up, mainly run by teachers who had seen service in WWII and had a hard view on discipline.
Gregory2Smith1
J'les aurai!
went to Tideway in the late 70's
punch ups with Longhill were often organized on Telscombe Tye,but they rarely showed up
Seaford were no bovver
remember playing rugby at Falmer school,loads of their lads watching,verbal throughout the game,came onto the pitch when the game finished threatening allsorts
school,child's play
now DC & Borstal,that's another animal
punch ups with Longhill were often organized on Telscombe Tye,but they rarely showed up
Seaford were no bovver
remember playing rugby at Falmer school,loads of their lads watching,verbal throughout the game,came onto the pitch when the game finished threatening allsorts
school,child's play
now DC & Borstal,that's another animal
Box of Frogs
Zamoras Left Boot
Fawcett 1979-83
I remember Miss Dockerill - quite the fantasy figure for us young teenagers!
Granville Wilcox and Chris Taylor were our PE teachers. We had Mr Tomkinson for English (he was also deputy Headmaster - I vaguely recall hearing that he sadly had problems with depression later in life), Mrs Brandwood for French (what a battleaxe!), Mr Ashdown for Science, Biology teacher was Pete Holland, and Bob Shultz was one of the Physics teachers In our first year we had Mr Cox teaching us Chemistry but he left to go to America, I later heard he had been killed in a car crash out there. Oh yes, and Mr Denyer for Physics - his speciality was to chuck a board rubber at any boy caught chatting, his aim was amazing.
Our music teacher was Andy Murray (not that one!) and I think he was in the band that had a hit with Tom Hark, the name of the band escapes me but I'm sure someone will remember.
As for the kids, there were definately some nutters around. One lad who thought he was particularly hard turned up one day with dyed hair and a baseball bat over his shoulder (presumably in case someone took exception to his hair). Anyway, we were all on the school field at break time and it started raining quite heavily. This lad was seen walking into class, soaked, with red/brown streaks down his face. He had apparently used food dye to colour his hair!
There was also a lad that was convicted of knifing a foreign student to death in Brighton, I think I remember his name but I'm not sure so I won't put it on here, just in case its not him!
Mr Hodder was headmaster - didn't have much to do with him but I do recall he had a bit of a twitch when he blinked
I remember Miss Dockerill - quite the fantasy figure for us young teenagers!
Granville Wilcox and Chris Taylor were our PE teachers. We had Mr Tomkinson for English (he was also deputy Headmaster - I vaguely recall hearing that he sadly had problems with depression later in life), Mrs Brandwood for French (what a battleaxe!), Mr Ashdown for Science, Biology teacher was Pete Holland, and Bob Shultz was one of the Physics teachers In our first year we had Mr Cox teaching us Chemistry but he left to go to America, I later heard he had been killed in a car crash out there. Oh yes, and Mr Denyer for Physics - his speciality was to chuck a board rubber at any boy caught chatting, his aim was amazing.
Our music teacher was Andy Murray (not that one!) and I think he was in the band that had a hit with Tom Hark, the name of the band escapes me but I'm sure someone will remember.
As for the kids, there were definately some nutters around. One lad who thought he was particularly hard turned up one day with dyed hair and a baseball bat over his shoulder (presumably in case someone took exception to his hair). Anyway, we were all on the school field at break time and it started raining quite heavily. This lad was seen walking into class, soaked, with red/brown streaks down his face. He had apparently used food dye to colour his hair!
There was also a lad that was convicted of knifing a foreign student to death in Brighton, I think I remember his name but I'm not sure so I won't put it on here, just in case its not him!
Mr Hodder was headmaster - didn't have much to do with him but I do recall he had a bit of a twitch when he blinked
Yes your wife is right, she might remember a certain Mr Metcalfe, I think he was an ex RSM in the army. I remember if you were caught doing anything wrong you were put in the ring (which was nearly always up in the hall) and pitted against one of the good boxers.
Nitram
Well-known member
- Jul 16, 2013
- 2,265
My wife Rosemary is involved in the annual QP reunion, we both know Met and his wife well.
Arnois2
New member
I went to Stanley Deason from 1984 to 1988 and I had quite a good 4 years there. Never really saw any outrageous trouble there. The only boys that I can remember who had a bit of a reputation for being a bit tasty was John Davies and Darren Baldy and they were both lovely lads.
Thats interesting. Does he still walk about with that cane?
I was at Hove Park at around the same time. In the year above there was a kid called Richard Green who lived on the Knoll Estate and had a fight in the lower school where he knocked his opponent out stone cold with his first punch. Meanwhile our year might well be the one referred to somewhere else in terms of the lads from Hangleton. One (Gary Gregory) is now doing life for killing a woman in West Hove in a burglary gone wrong, but the rest, coached by the lunatic but very funny French and Sociology teachers, were turned in to the best school rugby team in the district. I made substitute (replacement) most of the time but started when they were desperate until the day my mate broke two bones in my left arm by tackling me and then sitting on me in the ensuing breakdown.
The Piranhas
Fawcett 77-81
Bit older than you Box of Frogs but thanks for this post, Denyer(physics) was a legend, you are spot on about board rubber, we stuck it to the ceiling once ,he broke a few wooden 1mt rulers over my head as used to wind him up every lesson, i taped a lesson so i could play it to a mate from falmer. School had loads of lads not to messed with and a few faces went on to join the albion mob.(no names)!
Bit older than you Box of Frogs but thanks for this post, Denyer(physics) was a legend, you are spot on about board rubber, we stuck it to the ceiling once ,he broke a few wooden 1mt rulers over my head as used to wind him up every lesson, i taped a lesson so i could play it to a mate from falmer. School had loads of lads not to messed with and a few faces went on to join the albion mob.(no names)!
RIP John
Nitram
Well-known member
- Jul 16, 2013
- 2,265
no but gets a lot of respect from his old boys, went to a boxing do with him where he was a guest of honour he still keeps in touch with many of them.
Return of the Rev
Well-known member
St pauls Haywards Heath,we had Satan thrashed out of us on a daily basis by gods own soldiers,never did me any harm
NO TIME FOR FIGHTING HEATHENS
NO TIME FOR FIGHTING HEATHENS
Dave Woolgar was my best mate, we did everything together back in the day......anyone have any idea what ever became of him?? quite a few years ago I did start a thread on here asking if anyone knew of him or where he was etc, if anyone does please do let me know, that's assuming we are talking about the same Dave Woolgar? surely we must be
EDIT: I went to Fawcett and Whitehawk.
Could try this website... http://www.192.com/people/search/
So you ****ed them.
My Name Is Gully
Active member
Hey, same era as me!!! Although I left a bit earlier in the final year than my peers as I was a bit of a silly boy!!
Have some vague recollections of inter school fisticuffs but they never really came to much; as I suspect they were not in fact pre arranged and the other school never knew about it!
I remember all the names you mention - was Mr Gillard before or after Mr Hodder? And I do recollect the very sad foreign student incident which was shocking and also seemed to be most out of character.
As for the OP .... was Fawcett the hardest....... I expect not in reality.....and in truth is any school really hard or is it more that individuals think they are?
