RGS scarf

Contents

RGS High Wycombe School Crest

Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe

Old School Photos and Memorabilia

Collection of the School Magazine, The Wycombiensian

The following table contains links to PDF files of The Wycombiensian, the school magazine, from 1906 to the 1990s (it is far from being a complete run, though 1949-1972 is complete). If anybody can loan copies of Wycombiensians not shown here, I would be extremely grateful to receive them in order to feature them here. Contact me.


Artwork from a 1975 Wycombiensian

Technical Note: these PDFs may take time to load if you have a slow internet connection. I strongly recommend clicking on the link in the 'Viewer' column to see them displayed optimally; however, if this doesn't work on your browser, try the link in the 'PDF' column. You may find it easiest to save them to your hard disk and use a free Acrobat PDF Reader to read them offline.

Last Edited/Updated: Wednesday 23 February, 2022 3:37 PM

Viewer (recommended) PDF Notes
1906, July PDF Memorial to late headmaster Peachell; memoirs of Boer War action by an old boy
1909, July PDF Photo of school play "Vice Versa", including Frederick Youens (future V.C.)
1911, extract PDF Building of the new school. Speech Day, Debating Society discuss pre-1914 strikes.
1913, April PDF Photo of Football team; visit to a coal mine; objectives of Old Wycombiensians' Club
1922, April PDF 11 March 1922: first inter-school rugby match played - RGS 9-3 Thame Grammar School
1924, April PDF New design of school tie (dark blue, maroon, with green stripe) and maroon cap.
1927, April PDF Presentation of chemical apparatus used by Nobel prize winner Sir William Ramsay
1931, January PDF Annual Old Boys' Dinner - 25 years celebration of Arnison as head; visit to Belgium
1935, January PDF Report of the 1934 Hobby Club camp in Guernsey
1936, October PDF Photo, obit, Coningsby Disraeli; ERT's lead role in High Wycombe opera; CM Haworth & R Pattinson start at RGS.
1937, January PDF Letter from old boy ES Paice, witnessing the rise of Nazism in Germany at first hand.
1939, May PDF Old Boys' News contains a pen picture of composer, conductor Lawrance Collingwood
1939, September PDF R Pattinson marriage; Speech Day
1945, June PDF Quote: "this edition is a special effort to bridge the gap between 1942 and 1945"
1945, September PDF New Education Act comes into force; arrival of LT Hollingworth
1946, June PDF Return of masters from WW2 service; presentation to Lt. Ian E Fraser, VC
1947, Spring PDF AD Leggett & SA Male start at RGS; HG Brand retires; Rebecca West gives a talk
1948, Spring PDF LJ Ashford, Emlyn Jones, GG Browning start at RGS; JA McQueen retires
1948, Summer PDF Start of Uplyme boarding house under MM Davies; dancing lessons for boarders
1949, February PDF AS Hett returns; Tylers Wood opens; local MP John Haire visits
1949, September PDF AC Hills starts at RGS; Peter Fry on the 'house' system; visit to Parliament
1950, April PDF Exchange visits to France and Sweden; mock election
1950, September PDF Cinema installed at Uplyme; separate junior school planned
1951, April PDF Photo of new Dining Hall; building of junior school at Uplyme
1951, September PDF Photos of library, now returned to its original function
1952, March PDF Photo of England rugby international Ted Woodward; Capt. JB Warren killed in Korea
1952, September PDF New honours boards unveiled; visit to Denmark, then Finland for the Olympic Games
1953, April PDF Obits FW George, GWG Keen (aged 17), A North (aged 22), FW George
1953, September PDF Plans announced for a new junior school, pavilion, with a view to marking the 400th anniversary in 1962 (still nine years in the future); photo of war memorial
1954, April PDF LJ Ashford's note on the foundation of the school (25 March 1551, by Sir Edmund Peckham); Fl. Lt. Andrew Lang killed in Meteor jet fighter collision
1954, September PDF Lord Carrington gives Speech Day address (photos)
1955, April PDF Obituary for Alan Coventry, aged 39, new sports pavillion, Ruddigore
1955, September PDF Edited by G Warner; obits JA Barnicott, AJ Dexter, NW Johns, WE Willis
1956, April PDF Edited by Andrew MacTavish; new cricket pavilion; Iolanthe production
1956, September PDF Edited by DM Jago; Busman's Honeymoon" production
1957, May PDF GAR Muschamp (bursar) obit; archaeology in Wales; walking in Switzerland
1957, September PDF LW Piner obit and photo
1958, April PDF Terry Trayhorn obit and photo; Ron Syrett capped for England
1958, September PDF Alan King obit and photo; GA Grant photo
1959, May PDF Tribute to Alan King; HMS Pinafore review; obits WT Brindley, BM Hall
1959, October PDF Cricket 1st XI's ten-day tour of Holland.
1960, April PDF DM North's trip to India, meeting nehru, etc; obits AW Foxall, JS Miles.
1960, September PDF Mick Eaton's drawing of the projected new buildings
1961, May PDF The school's only girl pupil, Helena Anne Ellis, recalls her time at the school
1961, September PDF Richard Hickox makes his musical debut; obit of GW Woodley
1962, May PDF The visit of the Queen, with extra photos.
1962, September PDF More on the Queen's visit; death of Mrs Tucker (n.b. 2 photo pages missing)
1963, May PDF School history published; Yeomen of the Guard
1963, September PDF Photos of the (then) new school buildings.
1964, May PDF Photos of chapel stained glass windows; obit of Percy Charles Raffety
1964, September PDF Death of ER Tucker; retirement of PL Jones
1965, May PDF Further tributes to ERT; obits CH Farmer, masters JA McQueen, S Austin
1965, September PDF Obituary of GW Arnison; School Questionnaire
1966, May PDF Nimrod Ping poetry; Obituaries of Roland Beresford Smith, Dick Richards, Jack Theed
1966, September PDF MP Smith elected to the Headmasters' Conference; obit Mr J C R Davies.
1967, May PDF Reviews of 'Patience' and 'Jericho'; obits EC Millington, Messrs Morris, Platt, Ray
1967, September PDF Symposium on India; Photography; obits Geoffrey N Abbnett & Geoffrey W Boireau
1968, May PDF Obits AS Hett, WJ Bartle, Rev. AM Berry, JE John, CRAG Iliffe, TR Barratt, AE Clarke
1968, September PDF Tucker Mem'l Room; Rhodesia Poll; obits HR Guest, RI Guest, BH Hart; NR Hawes
1969, May PDF The Mikado; 'Century'; artwork by Tony Blundell; obituaries of Paul Rogers, Cyril Morris
1969, September PDF Obits of Major FH Robinson, CW Lance; more artwork by Tony Blundell
1970, May PDF Festival '70; Adam Hardy verse; obits LS Baker, EL Burrough; JK Goodearl; CG Miles etc
1970, September PDF Mock Election; Adam Hardy, Chris Rollason, John Burrows verse; obits Britnell, Wooster
1971, May PDF Obituaries of PL Jones, flautist Laurie Kennedy, Norman Theed, etc.
1971, September PDF Obituaries of Emlyn 'Chunk' Jones, LT 'Holly' Hollingworth
1972, May PDF Comprehensive Education; Preface to Poetry Section; obits WL Avery, AW Tilling
1972, September PDF University Places, 1964-1971; obit MT Harris; new member of staff, Mr RM Page, B.Sc.
1973, May PDF House system abandoned; obit R Matthews, ex-second master to Arnison
1973, Winter   Can anyone lend me this issue? See left-hand side bar for contact link
1974, May PDF Mock Election won by Liberals; new format magazine, glossy paper
1975, January(?) PDF (no month given - assume January?) Retirement of George 'Doc' Browning
1975, June PDF New headmaster Rowland Brown; obit CE Sladden (master 1951-58)
1975, December PDF Malcolm Smith retirement; obituary CM 'Kit' Haworth (1911-75), head of classics
1976, July PDF Organ installed in Queen's Hall; AD Leggett retires; KA Hillier leaves.
1976, December PDF Trial By Jury G&S production; obits of CK Hillard & OWs JD Bavin, RM Eley, PEM Slatter
1977, June PDF W Clark, AC Hills and JA Tucker retire (photo); DR Lishman (1963-69) obit
1977, December PDF R Pattinson obit; impact of 1976 Education Act on RGS
1978, June PDF Ian Clark becomes deputy head; place of classics in curriculum; 'Staff and Nonsense'
1979, January PDF Pattinson Award Appeal; CJ Everitt (1959-61) killed in RAF plane crash
1979, July PDF Obits of ex-governors RP Clarke, GH Baker; photo of Ian Clark being pilloried!
1980, June PDF MM Davies retirement; return of G&S; obits GF Bailey, RW Bartlett, Roger Watts
1981, July PDF JF Samways, RC Dorrance staff leavers; † CJ (John) Cooper (OW 1974-80)
1982 PDF A4 format, one issue p.a.; retirements of Doris Wilson, AJ Skipp, H 'Doggy' Scott
1983 PDF Obits AG Duckering (1940-47), Chris Gaunt (1974-80), Maxwell Taylor (1964-71)
1984 PDF Obits, masters TH Price (1935-46), CEC Eastman (1930-42), OWs Duckering, Clews, etc
1985 PDF Jock Learmonth, matron Mrs Cocksedge retire; obits E Mewse, Pier Leoni, Guy Ward
1986 PDF D Smith & EJ Perfect retire; obits HW 'Hosh' Johnson, NH 'Blanco' White
1987   Can anyone lend me this issue? See left-hand side bar for contact link
1988 PDF M Eaton, EJ Perfect, A Chuter leave; obits AJ Skipp, P Smaje, SA Goulborn, DR Witney
1989 PDF GW Heath & bursar F Wheeler leave; obits Dennis Smith, N Rolfe (1979-85)
1990 PDF D Stubbs, S Goldthorpe, T Durbin leave; Feminine Presence (JD McGuinness); obit W Clark, A Dodgson, A McCubbin, P Pugh, etc.
1991 PDF Staff leavers included DG Jones, A Sollars, M Grout; obits Sam Morgan, Derek Stubbs
1992 PDF Princess of Wales visit (1991); R Knight, J McGuinness leave; obit JS 'Jack' Dawes
1993 PDF Headmaster change: D Levin replaces RP Brown; R File retires; obit WN Bicknell
1994 PDF S Grundy, M Smedley amongst staff leavers; 5Sc 1947/48 class reunion
1995 PDF D Flinders, M Cook, D Chamberlain retire; obit AC 'Min' Hills; more on 5Sc reunion
Later Issues...   see the Old Wycombiensians Newsletter Page for further info on later magazines

Contributors of the above: Tony Barr (1911, 1936, 1939, Apr 1950), D Wiltshire (1945, 1947, Spring 1948, Sept 1950, Apr 1951, March 1952), B Peaty (Sept 1945, June 1946, Summer 1948, Sept 1949, Feb 1949), Tony Hare (Sept 1951, Sept 1952-1955), John Saunders (1957-72): Alan Crease (1906, 1909, Summer 1948, 1953); John D Taylor (September 1955, April 1956, September 1956); Paul Rundell (December 1976); Alasdair Horner (May 1973, May 1974, January(?) 1975, June 1975, December 1975; July 1976; June 1977; December 1977; June 1978; January 1979; July 1979; June 1980; July 1981; and the annual issues for 1982 to 1995 inclusive, apart from Dec 1976 & 1987 - I assume the Wycombiensian had become one issue per annum by the 1980s - if anyone knows this to be a wrong assumption, please let me know) - Martin King and Mervyn Darville also lent me various issues of the magazine. Many thanks to everyone mentioned here.

Does anyone have any more Wycombiensians which they can lend me for scanning? If so, please contact me (see left-hand side bar for email link).


SCANDAL: ALTERNATIVE RGS MAGAZINE

Also to be found here is what you might call the 'alternative' RGS school magazine from the late 1950s, early 1960s: SCANDAL Magazine. Here is a PDF with issues 7 to 18 of SCANDAL all rolled into one. My thanks to Peter Rodbourn (RGS 1958-63) for sending it to me. Its pages contain clues to the origin of the '149' craze at the school in the 1960s. Some Wycombe High School girls also contributed.