The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Champions of Britain reunited after 50 years
Pupils from Kirkton High School in Dundee won BBC TV quiz show Top of the Form 50 years ago. Michael Alexander helped to reunite the surviving team members and their former coaches
I recall great excitement about it but absolute terror as well that you might get a question wrong
On December 28 1967 an estimated 16 million people sat down in front of their black and white TV sets to watch four Dundee children become the top quiz kids of Britain.
The two-boy, two-girl team from Kirkton High School defeated a team from Burnt Hill School, Harlow, Essex, in the final of the BBC TV series Top of the Form.
The final was actually filmed in the Kirkton High School hall three weeks earlier. But the Kirkton pupils and staff – including the 300 children who watched the recording live in the hall – had to maintain a diplomatic silence until December 28 when the programme was screened – and the rest of Dundee, and the country, found out the winner.
The team comprised 16-year-old captain Gordon Cobban of Mclean Street, 15-year-old Morag Smith of Baldovan, 14-year-old Michael O’rourke of St Kilda Road and 12-yearold Fiona Anderson of Ailsa Place.
Four reserves were also on stand-by. However, their services were not required as all four members of the Kirkton team made it fit and well right through to the final round, which they won by 60 points to 50.
Kirkton High’s victory made them the fourth Scottish team to win the title since the series started in 1962.
Best described as a junior version of University Challenge, they defeated Hermitage School, Edinburgh, Tavistock School, Devon, Regis School, Wolverhampton, and finally Burnt Hill.
However, it would be January 29 1968 before the captain would receive the prize – a brass owl – from Peter Dimmock, General Manager of BBC Outside Broadcasts.
For people of a certain age in and around Dundee, the victory of December 1967 is still recalled with pride. Not only did it bring glory to Dundee schools just seven years after the official opening of Kirkton High School – which merged with Rockwell in 1997 to become Baldragon Academy – it was also significant as Kirkton was the first comprehensive school, first mixed-gender team and the youngest team to win the title.
The win was featured in an exhibition put together recently by former Kirkton High pupil and former depute rector Sandra Common to commemorate the history of the school, ahead of the new £28.7 million replacement Baldragon Academy opening in the new year.
However, surviving team members and the teachers who coached them had not been together for 50 years – until reunited by The Courier to mark this special anniversary. Fiona Campbell (nee Anderson), now a 62-year-old grandmother who has been employed in social work for 37 years, said: “I remember just being told: ‘right, you are doing this’!
“I don’t remember having a choice or anything. I think I was chosen because I was the youngest in my year and there were certain age categories we had to fit into.
“We didn’t really know each other at school – it was such a huge place with 1,400 pupils at that time. We were treated like heroes when we won!”
Morag Reid (nee Smith), now a 65-year-old grandmother who went on to become an English and guidance teacher at Dundee’s Menzieshill High School, said: “I recall great excitement about it but absolute terror as well that you might get a question wrong.
“People recognised us for years – you’d be down the town buying shoes and people would say: ‘you’re that wee girl from Top of the Form!’
“Everywhere I went people sang me the programme’s theme tune.”
Michael O’rourke, 64, who retired from Dundee criminal justice after 37 years, said: “Indirectly, the reason we won was down to the then-prime Minister Harold Wilson because at that time Wilson was pushing the comprehensive school agenda, and up to that time Top of the Form had only involved grammar schools. The groundwork the teachers put in was great. I remember feeling really optimistic and confident that we weren’t going to let each other down as a team.”
Captain Gordon Cobban, the oldest member of the team who went on to become a prominent London architect, died in Dundee two years ago, aged 64.
However, Albert A’hara, now aged 81, who was principal teacher of classics at Kirkton High in 1967 and one of the team coaches, has fond memories of his “calm, individualistic talent”.
“My main worry was would the team all appear on the day?” said Albert, who encouraged pupils to keep on top of current affairs ahead of the final. Would there be any hysterics? Would the reserves turn up? To everyone’s credit, we never had any problems, although the rounds were very close!”
Former Kirkton class teacher and team coach Bill Kippen, now 78, who went on to become depute head teacher at Rockwell High School, said: “I was so excited teaching at Kirkton in those days; I wanted the summer holidays to be cut short so that I could get back. I loved it! Kirkton had this buzz.
“We helped the children look at life in the round. With due respect to the team, I can think of a good many children who could have taken part, and I feel very proud of that.”