[Brighton] Trend setters in 1972 Brighton

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

This is such a good thread, if only to remind me that Worthing in 1972 was totally shite by comparison.

 

[Jack Straw]

Top row, 2nd from the left is NSC's very own "GOM".

 

[Wardy's twin]

I was at Newman as well. Hasha Adams was as in that photo. She projected a self-assurance and coolness way beyond most of her peers. Definitely way beyond me. I remember her being a really nice girl.

And Julie had that skinhead/suedehead look.

Hasha was ,as you described, a lovely girl in a league of her own , looks, brain and just thoroughly decent.

Julie once threatened to punch me, the days.

So were you in the same year? Did you live in Rottingdean?

 

[Jack Straw]

My claim to fame Ovett wise was sharing the same Additional Maths class (God, that was hard) and finishing fourth in a cross country that he won (obviously). He toddled off and I was nearly vomiting from my efforts to keep up. Funny how some memories stick.

Do you remember each Monday in assembly in that huge hall, the headmaster (Mollison or Ashcroft), would read out any outstanding sports achievements from the weekend? Every week, it was Steve Ovett finished first in such and such cross-country in such and such elite sports race somewhere in Sussex. Being in the same sports class as him, when we did "cross-country", which was running around the entire perimeter of the Varndean playing fields a few times, he was usually finishing as the rest of us were half-way round.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Hasha was ,as you described, a lovely girl in a league of her own , looks, brain and just thoroughly decent.

Julie once threatened to punch me, the days.

So were you in the same year? Did you live in Rottingdean?

Yes. Julie and I shared a surname but were not related. I think I was in the same year as Hasha - maybe the year above.

I can believe that about Julie. I don't think badly of her - it's just how it was.

 

[Gwylan]

Do you remember each Monday in assembly in that huge hall, the headmaster (Mollison or Ashcroft), would read out any outstanding sports achievements from the weekend? Every week, it was Steve Ovett finished first in such and such cross-country in such and such elite sports race somewhere in Sussex. Being in the same sports class as him, when we did "cross-country", which was running around the entire perimeter of the Varndean playing fields a few times, he was usually finishing as the rest of us were half-way round.

Steve Ovett was a prodigy. I was in the athletics team throughout my time at Varndean and Steve was only briefly in it as he was soon whisked away for more elite meetings.

He was the year above me so I never raced against him - which meant that I won the annual whole year cross country event pretty regularly

 

[origigull]

Steve Ovett was a prodigy. I was in the athletics team throughout my time at Varndean and Steve was only briefly in it as he was soon whisked away for more elite meetings.

He was the year above me so I never raced against him - which meant that I won the annual whole year cross country event pretty regularly

I recall Steve Overt being slapped around in changing rooms at withdrawn after a race in early 70s at annual Brighton Sports Day..

 

[Gwylan]

I recall Steve Overt being slapped around in changing rooms at withdrawn after a race in early 70s at annual Brighton Sports Day..

Are you sure it was Steve? I don't recall him racing much with Varndean BUT I think that another lad, Paul Perry, was slapped around a bit after he won his sprint race

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Steve Ovett was a prodigy. I was in the athletics team throughout my time at Varndean and Steve was only briefly in it as he was soon whisked away for more elite meetings.

He was the year above me so I never raced against him - which meant that I won the annual whole year cross country event pretty regularly

I beat Steve in a race once. It was from the gates of Balfour Primary down Balfour Road to Preston Drove. Mind you, he was 8 and I was 10.

 

[timbha]

I recall Steve Overt being slapped around in changing rooms at withdrawn after a race in early 70s at annual Brighton Sports Day..

Some great auto corrects there. I recall the story was that a group of Fawcett lads were going to make sure SO didn’t win at Withdean so some of Varndean’s finest (some in the OP picture maybe) popped down there to look after him. He won.

Bit like Eton Rifles (not much chance against a tie and a crest)

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Do you remember each Monday in assembly in that huge hall, the headmaster (Mollison or Ashcroft), would read out any outstanding sports achievements from the weekend? Every week, it was Steve Ovett finished first in such and such cross-country in such and such elite sports race somewhere in Sussex. Being in the same sports class as him, when we did "cross-country", which was running around the entire perimeter of the Varndean playing fields a few times, he was usually finishing as the rest of us were half-way round.

I do now you have reminded me! I now seem to recall that it was one of those Monday reviews that prompted me to try and catch him in one of the aforementioned 'cross-country' round the perimeter runs. Obviously having no talent nor physique for running, I just ran and ran way beyond my capability or physical attributes and clearly recall going in to the gym changing room and, for a few moments, not being able to suck enough breath for a human being to live. I did not try that again and stuck with football and tennis from then onwards, deciding I should leave defeating the mighty Ovett to the likes of Seb Coe etc in a future life.

 

[origigull]

Are you sure it was Steve? I don't recall him racing much with Varndean BUT I think that another lad, Paul Perry, was slapped around a bit after he won his sprint race

I remember a guy absolutely slaughtering the opposition in a long distance race by at least 100 yards or more and asking someone who's is that. The reply was 'its someone called Steve Ovett'. My brother was in the changing room at the time. I had just left the changing room so didn't see the fracas.

 

[jlockest]

Someone casting nasturtions on my being at Varndean - and this not being my real name?
I was one of those kids with no sporting prowess at all - the last one picked to be in any team - although.....I did play once (for the school) at Ardingly College (Ardingly had a third eleven and we only had two, so Varndean had to cobble together a third squad) - ONCE - if people remember what happened on that day, they may understand why I never played again. The coach going back was stony silent. I think Smith was in charge that day - he was not amused.

The oddity with that photo though is who's not in it. No Williams, no Acton, no Heath (all in the footie photo)...there was a bunch who were joined at the hip outside of school around that time. I only loosely associated with them to get some Kudos for being seen in their exalted presence.....didn't work...I remained a dork

Stevie Ovett - a good bloke eh? Trev Anderson, Steve Wood, Dick Camelio, Pete Spragg, Mich Harris