Tags: Nice Things, Video, killay
Hendrefoilan School Sports Day
August 14th, 2006, by Rich.
This cine was taken at the Hendrefoilan School Sports Day, sometime between June 1978 and June 1980… ish.
I’m guessing it’s between these dates because (a) I look quite young (b) I think I can see Kath Williams before she went to Australia [confirmed, thanks Kath!] and (c) there was a distinct turnover in teachers around the time I went into J1 (September 1980 If my memory serves me well) and I can see several of the old-guard who I remember being teachers but who never taught me. If you can help nail down the year then any clues or categorical claims will be most gratefully received.
Organisation
The school was (originally) divided into four groups (Red, Yellow, Blue and Green) each with around fifty members of various equally distributed ages. When I was very little, I seem to recall Blue being dominant, but those of us in Green never gave up and I think I recall that either we won “the cup” (or the smart money was on us winning the cup) when, due to dwindling school attendance green house was disbanded and it’s members were redistributed, so I joined Blue house. Either way I remember taking whole lap of honour running around the big field, miles away from our parents, passing the cup around and holding it aloft.
The Cast (Help please!)
As I recognize people, or as others identify them, I’ll add names here. If you spot people who are not on the list please leave a comment below containing their name, the time when they are visible (there’s a little clock in the video player), and what they are doing/wearing that will help others distinguish them.
Teachers
Mr. Lewis (officiating the turn-around point at 1:01)
Mr. Smith (at the start line, facing away from the camera at 1:10)
Mrs.Davies (at the start line, facing the camera in the background at 1:10)
Children
Richard Boakes (in many shots due to grandparent camera holding)
Paul Brooks
Christopher Cone (right hand line, infront of Nathalie at 1:21)
Darren Chetty (looking surprisingly tall in red shorts)
Anthony Evans
Alex Ferguson
Tom O’Kane
Jarrod Rees (with handy name-bearing T-Shirt and winning the eggand spoon race at 2:00)
Steven Sole (right hand line, behind of Nathalie at 1:21) - unsure of name spelling.
Mark Withy (very brief appearance bottom left at 1:46 - maybe?)
Nathalie Carter (blue stripey top)
Lisa Barrett (tall, tanned, dark pigtails)
Kathryn Gray
Fiona Thompson (bright blonde hair in bunches with red tracksuit top at 1:23 - maybe?)
Kathryn Williams (Bouncing irrepressably)
Parents / Grandparents / Guardians
Lesley Gowen (my mum)
Sarah O’Kane
Maureen Horsman
Elaine Williams (KathW to confirm)
Edna Breeze
Dai Vaughan (maybe? He’s sits down at 0:06 looking away from the camera; it seems likely because I don’t remember there being a big dark haired teacher, but I do recall that “Vauhan Sound Systems” did the tannoys for sports day every year).
August 16th, 2006 at 5:57 am
That’s definately me, the one jumping up and down. I think it’s Kathryn Gray in the red t-shirt to the left.
It could also be my mother Elaine Williams with the floral skirt and white puffy sleeves top running toward the cine. I’ll have to check with her and get back to you.
Thanks Rich.
August 16th, 2006 at 8:39 am
Your memory may serve you well (and mine). I recall Helen Morgan returning from USA just before or just after Mt St Helens erruption on May 18th 1980. So more than likely this film was taken in Sept 1980.
August 17th, 2006 at 4:53 am
Sports Days are usually held in June or July.
Yes I am sure that is Dai Vaughan joining the officials at the table. I had forgotten that Vaughan Sound Systems always held everything together at school sports days and fetes etc.
August 18th, 2006 at 2:02 am
Hi Rich. It is definately my Mum. On Looking at the clip again I think that it may be Lisa Barrett not Helen Morgan as my Mum recalls Helen having shortish curly hair. Lisa was always tall and lanky looking with pigtails. This means that it could be pre-1980 ??
August 23rd, 2006 at 9:51 am
Shockingly, that is me in the red t-shirt. I have slimmed down a bit since then! Ha! It is also Lisa, of that I am pretty certain. Helen had short hair. Hope all is well with you!
September 11th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
surprisingly tall you say? I’ll have you know I’m now 7 foot 2. This is great footage Mr Boakes - you are just as i recall you, tearing around everywhere full of enthusiasm!
February 26th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Darren that’s positively gargantuan. I have enough trouble with ducking through doors at 6′4; your head must be littered with dents. BTW you might be able to help improve this .
March 3rd, 2007 at 9:52 am
Ha Ha how did you know about ‘The Gents’?! I’ve just helped my Dad put together a CD - he’s getting nostalgic especially after a comeback gig in Northern Ireland last year.
oh and in reality I’m 6′1 in my New Balances.
March 3rd, 2007 at 10:35 am
Circa 78/79 in your kitchen, I remember you telling me about your dad being “in a band” and playing “puppet on a string”, and although I cannot remember the music, I also distinctly remember you having a mini record player that played real records, which probably included your dads.
This was about the time you had a Boris the Spider (which incidentally, scared me witless). It was also around then that you showed me how “knuckles” works for working out month lengths, which I still use to this day.
March 10th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Really?! I can’t remember when I learnt the knuckle technique but that’s funny because I’m still showing children that now!
Boris is long gone but I still have my subbuteo from that time (and gain far too much satisfaction from beating my pupils). Not sure whether you ever played that on our living room floor? One of the downsides of moving around as a kid is that you don’t get people reminding you what you were like as a kid. But then I guess that one of the benefits of moving around as a kid is that you don’t get people reminding you what you were like as a kid…