Steyning Grammarians return to meet the students of today and talk about life at the school 70 years ago

It was a very different place for the Grammarians, in the days before the school became a mixed comprehensive in 1968. Some were day boys but most were boarders.

The old boys were shown plans for the future at Steyning, with the SGS New Build about to start, before lunch in the boarding house, in School Lane.

Year-nine boys and girls from the Student Council then joined them for a chat about school life, then and now.

Headteacher Aidan Timmons said: “It is a lovely opportunity to capture this moment, as these students will be here for another five years. The Grammarians have stories about their time at the school to share and it is interesting for the current students to hear what people have gone on to achieve.

“In 70 years of education, things have changed but I think the exciting thing to hear is that these gentleman have done great things in life, and we're really proud they still come back here.”

Similarities were discovered, like the 'slogs', the thick slices of bread the old boys had for breakfast that are still served at the end of the school day.

In the Grammarians' day, the timetable was affected by the steam trains bringing the day boys to school, and these days, it is the bus times that are taken into consideration.

The old boys came from as near as Upper Beeding and Shoreham, and as far as Sheffield and Canada, for the reunion on Wednesday, October 21.

Four of them were on the original Honours Boards, which the school still treasures and the old boys would like to see restored.

In 1958 Graham Russell won an open natural science scholarship to study at Clare College, Cambridge, and Alan Filby won a state scholarship to study at Northampton College in London, later renamed City University, then in 1964, James Russell won a college scholarship in natural science to study at Clare College, Cambridge, and Terry Feest won a college exhibition in medicine to study at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

Aidan said: “These Roll of Honours were about the students who went to university. Back then, it was actually quite rare to go to university and now it's much more common but, interestingly, the world has turned to the point where now it's probably a bit rarer, because there are lots of pathways out.”

The Grammarians told the students that apprenticeships may seem a new thing but it was common in their day. Nigel Divers, for example, was employed by Hove Council when he was 16.

He said: “I went to South East London Technical College and I was employed by the council. I learned on the job. That existed as a model and it's coming back as a really popular model these days, too.”

The students asked about uniform and Alan, who now lives in Camberley, said they had to wear short trousers for the first two years. The uniform used to be royal blue, a similar colour to the chairs in the boarding house today.

The old boys were asked about punishment and said they had the cane. Alan said teachers were also known to throw the board rubber but added 'it didn't do us any harm'.

Graham put to the students the question 'how do you stop getting old'. He told them quality of life was important and said mixing with young people made you feel younger.

John Carter, who played for the England Under-19 cricket team on a tour of India, asked about the sports provision today and was reassured by Aidan that there is 'even more than there has ever been'.

Aidan added: “We still have all the fields and the beauty of our new build is actually we keep the fields. We have got all the track and field, the cricket wickets still exist, the rugby pitches, the football pitches, but we've actually increased it. We've got a brand-new Astro pitch for competitive sports, as well as the tennis courts and the netball courts.”

Chris Carter, 83, was an Olympic runner, competing in the 800 metres at Tokyo in 1964 and Mexico in 1968. He said he was also a full-time policeman and his running prowess was picked up at an athletics school in Brighton.

The students asked the old boys if they would still go to Steyning Grammar School, if they could have their time again, and they said they would.