St Probus School

There is a problem for people who want to post on this Page. Unfortunately, when I originally set it up, I just made it a Page on my main site, which means people can only post if they are an Admin. Therefore, If anyone wants to post something just send it to me via Messenger or by email [email protected]. Thanks for the heads up Gordon Fonstad 😉

Gordon Fonstad asked me to post on his behalf:

I stumbled upon this Facebook site for St. Probus, read through all of the available postings and recognized a raft of names.

I am a Canadian who attended St. Probus from January 1966 to December 1968. I was at St. Probus for only three years because my father was an Officer in the R.C.A.F. who did a three-year “exchange posting” at R.A.F. Station Boscombe Down. We lived in the Village of Porton, just to the south of Boscombe Down.

There were three other Canadians at St. Probus at the time … the two Sutherland brothers (Robert and Stephen), whose father was also an R.C.A.F. Officer on an “exchange posting”; and Larry (Davis or Taylor … he’s mentioned as both in the postings I read).

There were also the three American “Byrne” brothers (John, ???? and ????) whose father was an American Army Officer on an “exchange posting”.

Those three years in England were probably the best three of anywhere we lived while my father was posted “hither and yon” (I attended 7 schools, in 3 countries, between the ages of 5 and 18) … not only the School, and the friends made there, but the friends I made in and around Porton. Also, the “History” in the area … Salisbury itself (with the Cathedral, et al.), “Old Sarum” (where the Cathedral originally was), Roman roads, Iron-Age hill-forts (Figsbury Rings), “Stonehenge” … and the list goes on.

About 12 to 15 years ago I wrote a letter to a Salisbury newspaper trying to find out what had become of St. Probus. The school had gone through the fiasco of merging with (bought by?) Cholderton College, and student numbers at the school were rapidly declining when I left. A classmate … Peter Cox … replied to the newspaper and it put Peter and I in contact. Peter brought me up to speed on what had become of the school, and sent me a School Photograph from (I think) 1966. The only person in the photo that I recognized was Mr. F.E. Wright (“Fishy”) … I couldn’t even find myself in it. Peter told me that Mr. Wright was the last Headmaster at St. Probus after the school moved from Manor Road to someplace close to the Salisbury Bus Depot.

A humorous anecdote about Mr. Wright. In Canada, we didn’t give nick-names to our teachers, as was done at St. Probus (and elsewhere in England?), so in my first week at St. Probus (in the Form “Remove” … whatever that was) I had a question, so raised my hand and when acknowledged, I said “Excuse me Mr. Fish, but … “. That caused some giggling and guffaws from my classmates, probably some discomfort to Mr. Wright … but definitely some embarrassment to me!

I still have my “Prefect’s” lapel shield and tie, but not my regular “School Tie”. I also have the school photograph that Peter Cox sent to me. I’ve attached them.

https://www.facebook.com/gordon.fonstad.5

I have attached a photo of the Schools Under 14 Rugby team 1962-63 for posting on the page. I have all the names with the exception of one.
Back Row: Mr. Hawke (Bird), Simper, Brocklebank, Ross, Hubbold, Royall, Colquhon
Middle Row: Bichard, Sutherland, Rowe, Martin, Ginn
Front Row: ????, Me

Matt Hemmingsen

Matt Hemmingsen
Looking to connect with David Sutherland a fellow Canadian who was at St Probus during the 1961 - 1963 timeframe

From Ellen Haywood's father Clem Reed who was Geography master. List of the teachers names in the Photos:

1960 St Probus School Photograph – Names of staff, left to right, across photos 2 to 4:

Miss Vera Cowell
Miss Mary Collin (Assistant matron)
Miss Julia Howlett (Matron)
Mrs Poole
Clem Reed (Geography)
“Dick” Bradley
Mr Lausdale
Mr Nixon
Mrs French
Mr D. O (“Doffy”) French
Robert Buchanan (French)
“Birdy” Hawkes
“Robbie” Robinson
Michael (“Lulu”) Lewis (Music)
Mrs Braddock
2 “Pre Prep” lady teachers, names unknown
Mrs Nonie Christian

Photos from Ellen Haywood's father Clem Reed who was Geography master

Email from Ellen Haywood:

Ellen Haywood
To:[email protected]
Mon, Jan 24, 2022 at 3:20 AM
Hello,

I thought I would get in touch after spending a lovely couple of hours looking at the St Probus page with my parents and listening to them reminiscing. They both joined the staff of St Probus in 1959; my Dad, Clem Reed, was the Geography master (and taught a little history to the younger boys) until he left in 1964. My Mum, Mary Collin, was 16 years old when she joined as Assistant Matron in 1959 and left the school about 1961. They later married in 1965.

They both have many fond memories of the school. They helped to run a cub scout group for the younger boys, and at the weekends would often take some of the boarders out for country walks or trips to the shops. Mum still looks back on her brief time there as one of the most fun times in her life. They remembered many of the pupils mentioned in the posts as well as a lot of the staff, and remained in touch with Michael Lewis, the music master, for many years.

Thank you for hosting the webpage and facilitating such a happy trip for them down memory lane! I know they have a whole school photo from around 1960, so if they find it I will send a picture in case you'd like to share it on the page.

Best wishes,

Ellen Haywood