Guestbook

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From: Diane Ince (Tue 21st Feb 2012 at 14:52)
I was at brownrigg during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Infact there is a photo of me on the wall which I never know existed. My sister Deborah Ince also attended the school for a while however not aslong as I did. I have fond memories of the school and the years I spent there. The pupils although we did have our rough times as I am sure everyone will remember the most of the time was fantastic. Some of my fondest memories from my childhood all relate to BRS including sledging on black bags down the fell. The dinning room going on fire. The magic dust we would pop into our mouths once we were put to bed and the talking books – we all loved watership down. I remember “spook” our glourious teacher who ruled us girls with a wet sandshoe............. listening to the top 40 on radio one if we had been good on a Sunday night. The school disco’s daning to Crazy little thing called love and Video killed the radio star, blondie and rainbow ......... and the plays – “Oliver” was particular interesting along with “the lion, the witch and the coatrack”. Running over to the ablushions to get washed in the rows of sinks in the freezing cold pulling each other’s towels.................... or is this all in my imagination. Let me know.
From: michael hardy (Mon 13th Feb 2012 at 12:15)
Hi I'm Michael Hardy and i attended brownrigg in 1966. Anybody remember me?
From: Patsy Harries (Wed 7th Dec 2011 at 04:31)
Hi folks,
My name is Patricia Ann Parry (nee Harries). I was at Brownrigg late 1954 - to Easter 1956. My dormitory was Pennine. My dear friends Yalerie Main and Jean Clough came from Ashington to attend the school. I'm still in touch with Valerie who lives in Bedlington. Jean died quite a few years ago. I've attended four of the reunions and loved each one - not bad since I have lived the last 44 years of my life in the Northern Territory of Australia! When I was at the school I was something of a champion swimmer. I loved the dances and walks and the wonderful freedom and lifestyle of living in the gorgeous part of Northumberland.
From: john lowe (Tue 8th Nov 2011 at 20:34)
Anne Riddle if you from Chatton :- I think I might know you I was at Brown Rigg in the 1950s?
From: Gladys Jones was Mitcheson (Tue 18th Oct 2011 at 00:00)
Looking for people at Brownrigg 1965/66 & who do i find but my ex boyfriend whom i haven't seen since he delivered coal hiya Toby.
From: Jim Diggle (Wed 12th Oct 2011 at 07:43)
Hi there all. Long time no chat. I really do intend to be there for the next one in 2012. I do look forward to seeing a lot of people from the past and Syd, happy to help out with a reading if required.
From: Peter cleary (Wed 31st Aug 2011 at 16:07)
Peter cleary attended 1961/62
Hi,like Jim Murdoch I have great memories
of my time at Brown Rigg and left on the insistance of parents disappointed at my academic progress.In hindsight probably the correct decision however sad it made me at the time.That year in Tweed was definitely my happiest at school.I am not sure my old man valued the confidence and independance gained during that memorable time.
I started life as an apprentice Marine Engineer and joined the Merchant Navy at 20 years of age.Not a career I saw as long term and eventually spent over 30 years in the drinks industry either in Engineering or Production mangement retired at 60 as an operations manager of a soft drinks company.
Spend my time now on a golf course and looking after 3 lovely grandaughters with my wife Avril,we have been married for 39 years.
Eric Sewell and I are still close friends and we do see others on odd occaisions,
Jim nice to see your posting and I can't say I was surprised by your career path.
Hope all of 62 in tweed are well
Peter Cleary
From: alan middlemass (Mon 29th Aug 2011 at 16:49)
Hi, Iwas at brownrigg 1957/1959 and remember most of you guys whom have contributed to this site. "YEA" they were heady days. Maybe i might make it to the next reunion in 2012.Where is it held?
Alan Middlemass
From: Robert Elder (Chip) (Mon 8th Aug 2011 at 23:21)
It is nice to read letters from from former pupils and friends from my time at Brown Rigg 1958/60. I have attended most of the reunions apart from the last two when unfortunately I have been on holiday. I noticed that Sheila Vickers was trying to find an old school friend called Bridget but did not know her second name. I think the the person that you trying to contact is Bridget Emerson who I am told now lives in Fife in Scotland. If you get in touch with Eddie Graham I'm sure he will give you some contact details. I've just read August copy of the Happy Hiker and really enjoyed the article by Allison Croton.This brought back happy memories of the some of the best times of my younger days at Brown Rigg. Unfortunately Brown Rigg as we remember could never happen again what with health and safety and children and human rights.When we were at school if you were injured playing it was just one of those things that happens and we would never think of suing the Authorities.Can you imagine children at Brown Rigg now without their mobile phones and computers etc. Never mind we were the lucky ones who enjoyed Brown Rigg and are proud to say so!!I look forward to next years reunion and seeing old friends again.
From: syd graham (Mon 8th Aug 2011 at 10:30)
Date: 2011-08-02 21:31:03
sydney@graham3065.freeserve.co.uk
I shall be organising the "Brownrigg Songs of Praise at the 2012 Reunion. This
traditioal service will take place in St Cuthberts Church on the Sunday morning.
I require some friends to do the readings and would love to hear from anyone
willing to help. Contact me by e-mail please.
From: Suzanne Stewart (Mon 8th Aug 2011 at 10:10)
Email: suzannek642@btinternet.com
Website:
Hi I was at Brownrigg in the 70s. I didnt even know this site was here. would
love to here about any reunions.
From: gillian williams (Sun 7th Aug 2011 at 03:16)
gillianwilliamsne@hotmail.co.uk
Hello everyone,

I was at Brownrigg for a year when I was aged 11. This was 1973/74. Anyone else use this site that was there then?

I'd love to here from you,

Gill(Williams)
From: IVY CRAIGEN NEE WILSON (Thu 28th Jul 2011 at 14:48)
ivycraigen@tiscali.co.uk
HI I WAS AT BROWNRIGG FOR MY SINS FROM SEPTEMBER 1966 TO 1968. I NEVER KNEW THIS SITE EXISTED UNTIL TODAY SO I THROUGHLY ENJOYED GOING THRO THE ARCHIVES. IF ANYONE REMEMBERS ME LET ME KNOW HOW YOUR DOING AND WHATS BEEN HAPPENDING TO YOU SINCE YESTERYEAR.

IVY CRAIGEN
From: Derick Stewart (Mon 30th May 2011 at 10:08)
Date: 2011-04-01 10:22:55
From: Derick Stewart
Subject: Website Feedback Form Message
Sender: Derick Stewart
Email: dektoby@yahoo.co.uk
Sender IP: 92.27.244.198
--------------------------------------------------

Hi i was aformer pupil from Brownrigg from I think it was 1964-66 when I was
taken out of school by parents to start work as a mining apprentice at Ashington
Colliery. i left the Pit in 1968 and joinedthe R.A.F for 12 years, demobed in
1980 went back to Ashington Coliery as a driver in the transport department.
Made redundant in 1986, no located in Braemar in Aberdeenshire. I am now a First
line Manager at the Prison in Aberdeen, I atended a reunion in 2002 but lost all
contact after that. Would love to attended the next reunion if at al posible in
2012. I was known as Toby when @ Brownrigg nick name given to me by my fellow
school mates.
From: sheila vickers (Mon 14th Mar 2011 at 15:18)
Hi I attended Brownrigg 1957 until 1959 where I stayed in Hadrian Dorm, looked after by Mrs Wilson. I played in the girls netball team, which I have a photo off, as well as one where we all climbed onto the bonfire. (not alight though). I had a friend called Bridget, can't remeber last name, she was in Pennine Dorm. I really enjoyed myself while attending Brownrigg. Its also a small world, as my brother in laws wife was also a pupil at the same time as I was there. Her name was Brenda Clark, she provided copies of the photos.
From: Brenda Docherty (Fri 11th Mar 2011 at 06:33)
Hi Dora, Jim and Eddie,
I hope I can call you all my friends. I have had a wonderful time at the reunions with you all. I had not been in touch with anyone for over forty years. After I retired in 2002 I found the school on the web site a friend had told me about. What luck to meet up with so many people from ones youth. I hope to be there next year in 2012.
Your doing a great job
From: robert turnbull (Sun 16th Jan 2011 at 08:37)
hello
anybody remember me
Robert Turnbull
would love to ear from anybody
I now live in the states,atlanta,georgia.
best wishes all.
robertturnbull1952@yahoo.com
From: Alan Barker (Wed 5th Jan 2011 at 16:59)
My father (Arthur Alan Barker, but always known as Alan Barker) was here, as a teacher/instructor(?). He was Royal Navy prior, during and after WWII & I would place him at Brownrigg between 1947 - 1957 (at the latest). I would be very interested to hear from anyone who remembers him during this time.

Well done on this website, thank heavens you have the drive to create it, so we can all enjoy it. Thank you.

Kindest regards

Alan Barker

aab104@hotmail.co.uk
From: Bill (John Kidd) (Tue 28th Dec 2010 at 19:22)
binge@horizon.co.fk
I was at Brown Rigg in 1953/54. I then went to Hull and trained for the Merchant Navy. Left that at 18 and joined the Royal Marines. Served for 22 years. I now live in the Falkland Islands. Brownrigg Certainly prepared me for life after school.
From: Jim Richardson (Sat 30th Oct 2010 at 23:45)
Hello everyone,

To those of you that know me your journey ends here.

To those of you that don't know me please let me introduce myself. My name is Jim Richardson and I was born, went to school, and lived in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne until I was fifteen years old.
On leaving school I travelled around a bit during a spell in both the merchant navy and the army. They were, I suppose, my Brownrigg, for it was while I was in their service that I eventually came of age. It was where I learned to stand on my own two feet and fend for myself in the big bad world we were all cocooned from while at school. I learned many valuable lessons while in service that would stand me in good stead for the years that lay ahead. They have stayed with me to this day, their value undiminished by the passage of time.
Dora and I now live in Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed, and no, I do not where purple, but Dora most certainly does.

I have, for my sins, offered to try and assist Eddie (spuggy) Yarrow in updating and maintaining the Brownrigg School website after seeing his appeal on the website for helpers. I will in time mumble, fumble and stumble my way up the steep learning curve of Eddies creative genius and do what I can to assist, under his guidance and expertise, to help to create something worthwhile if I may.

This may seem a little unusual to those of you that know me, for as you well know, I never attended Brownrigg as a pupil.
I did however have the good fortune to meet and marry my wife, Letitia Dorathea Richardson (nee Morrison) or Dora as she is more affectionately known to family and friends. Dora did attend Brownrigg as a pupil from 1956/58ish I think, but I am not one hundred percent sure of these dates, so don't quote me.
Dora's sister, Monica Howey (nee Morrison) also attended Brownrigg as a pupil and pre-dated her time there by some two years. Monica has not been able to attend the reunions these last few years due to failing health. Monica does however remember her time, and her friends at Brownrigg, with great affection.

I had known of Brownrigg since my school days as pupils did, from time to time, disappear from my school and go to Brownrigg for a term or two. I never personally had the opportunity to attend Brownrigg and it is a regret that goes with me and grows with every reunion I attend. I now know there was, and still is, a tremendous gap in my education and upbringing that cannot be filled retrospectively.

I have had the honour, and indeed the pleasure, of meeting so many wonderful people at the reunions that were initially Dora's friends and teachers who have gone out of their way to make me feel at home, and feel so welcome that I am now thrilled to be able to count those same people as friends in my own right.

I shall endeavour to assist Eddie in every, and in anyway I can in making the Brownrigg School community want to visit their website at every opportunity to meet, greet, and put their memories and photographs, old and new, on record for posterity.

A history of the people, by the people, for the people.

Make it happen - get in touch - and put your footprints on a Northumbrian fell of the future for others to follow.

With sincerest regards,

Jim (and Dora too of course)) Richardson.
From: Keith Wills (Tue 12th Oct 2010 at 18:29)
keithcwills@mac.com
Just what we need. Lets hope that there is a lot of use made of it.
Woodbine 1960 - 1962
From: James Ian Murdoch (Fri 24th Sep 2010 at 20:07)
I attended Brownrigg School 1961-63.

Contemporaries were, to name a few, Alex Hobson, Gerald (Yogi) Beare, Eric Sewell, Peter Cleary, David (Titus) Oatts, Barry Cowell. Not to mention Janice Graham, Kathleen Foster, Yvonne Bellamy, Lindy Massingham, Christine Street each of whom captured my adolescent heart.
Mr Raine was head, Ted Gray had a profound and positive influence on me, as he had, I'm sure, on many others. The gentle and beautiful Miss Cowan taught art, 'Drac' through his geography class, instilled in me a thirst for travel. Mr Parker, a wonderful person, a disdain for gardening! And 'Young' Mr Wilson, through his evening stories, an enduring love of literature. Oh! and Mrs Mansbridge, who set me on the road to being unabashedly accomplished in the kitchen - which served me well in my batchelor years (and certainly impressed the babes! - or were they just being kind?).
It was a wonderful place to spend a portion of my teenage, idyllic surroundings, fresh air, good food, courtesy of the incomparable Mrs Wash (my children attended expensive private boarding schools where the catering paled into insignificance compared to Brownrigg's!).

I played on the football team (with more enthusiasm than skill I fear) and ran cross country for the school. My one regret was the school didn't turn out a rugby team.

In later life I was a British Army officer and a prison Governor in the USA - which is where I live now, though retired, in rural Connecticut, with three dogs on several acres - and STILL don't like gardening!

I'd love to hear from Brownriggers of my era, I still remember you all vividly!

chatdhubh@sbcglobal.net
.

This site is for the use of ex pupils, staff and people connected with Brownrigg School, Bellingham. By visiting and adding content here, you will be recording for posterity, the life of a school  that moulded the lives of some of the citizens of this country.  

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