Boys of ‘58 reunited 63 years on
BACK in May, The Way We Were published an article about my happy days at Longton High School in the 1950s.
It featured a photograph of eight 17-year-old lads taken in 1958.
Since then I have been keeping in touch with six of them as we all became octogenarians.
We are now spread out around the country - Endon, Rugeley, Blurton, Leicester, Bristol and Blackpool.
I have included photos of them as they are today – myself, Peter Brian, John Beardmore, Eric Beech, David Skelhorne and John Oldham.
Sadly, I have been unable to find
John Smith and Roy Mold. Maybe a reader can tell me about them.
Here’s what I know about what happened to the other six.
Me (Barrie Bowman): Field sales manager and troubleshooter in the materials handling industry.
Peter Brian: Schoolboy international rugby player for England. Primary school headteacher and lecturer throughout the county. Played rugby for Moseley and Staffordshire. A special thank you to Pete. While my mobility has not been good he has visited to take me out to lunch.
John Beardmore: Started as a draughtsman, progressed to works manager and then director in the concrete products industry. Moved on to sole agency and quantity surveyor in the same industry.
Eric Beech: Commissioning engineer, working on projects from Scandinavia to the Middle East. We always enjoy a lot of laughs on the phone.
David Skelhorne: Schoolteacher, moving on to skilled cabinet maker. Involved in the restoration of Victorian buildings, for which he was awarded the British Empire Medal.
John Oldham: Skilled machine engineer. There is one story I wish to share about John Oldham, or ‘Jocker’ as we called him.
When we left Longton High School in 1958, I wanted to be a policeman but was the wrong age – too old for cadets and too young for the regulars. My second option was draughtsman but this was difficult also.
However, one morning while walking through Longton I bumped into ‘Jocker’ who told me he was working for an engineering firm in Trentham.
I noted the company name and met the general manager on the Monday morning.
I produced my final school report which was fortunately quite good.
He then asked me one or two questions and said: “Right, when do you want to start?” I was surprised to say the least.
“Wednesday?” I replied. “OK, see you Wednesday morning, 8 o’clock.”
I walked out of the door in a dream. I had a job.
Thanks to my old friends for the memories – and particularly Jock for the chance meeting which set me on the road to an enjoyable career.
BARRIE BOWMAN Endon
Do you know Roy or John? Or do you have school memories to share? Email waywewere@thesentinel. co.uk