19/08/2026
from our School Historian Dr David Bird:
Even in this digital age, the School Diary remains an important part of every student’s kit. These diaries have a long history, and although the date of the first issue is unclear, the Archives hold an “Associated Grammar Schools Note Book” from 1921 – pictured. This booklet was chiefly intended for each student to note his sporting commitments and to record his “Home Work”.
By the 1950s, the “AGS’ Year Book” had evolved to allow space for classroom entries, an “Historical Sketch” and a calendar of coming events. By this time the headmaster was the Reverend Thomas Timpson, an Old Boy and a meticulous manager of school affairs.
Headmaster Timpson also issued each boy with a separate, hardback “Handbook”. This, he stated, was designed “to help you find out quickly the kind of community which you have joined, the way it is organised and the various kinds of activities it enjoys”. The holder could find staff details, an expanded history of the School and its Houses, School Rules and Curriculum Notes, amongst other related items. This “Handbook” was the predecessor of our contemporary Diary and, along with the 1921 Note Book, is an important historical document for our 140th anniversary.
