Wigan Album

Scroll down and I have named all the team. Well my mate has!! I've put this picture on,on his behalf.

What a fantastic photograph and it is hard to believe it is 40 years ago.I remember this was a very strong team for the whole of 5 years of secondary school.
Would love to know what everyone is doing now.

A wonderful photo which has brought back many, many happy memories. A great bunch of lads who worked really hard and did all I asked of them (on the football field anyway). Some of the happiest days of my life. I hope that each and every one of you is in good health and is happy.All the best to you.
Roy (you can call me that now)

What a great picture. I was never good enough to be in the team but I remember playing against these lads at dinnertime behind the tennis courts. Great to see the comment from Mr Millet. What a physics teacher!

Apologies in advance for gatecrashing this photo as this was a bit before my time but I do remember Eric Rostron who was a fifth or sixth former and God of cricket and football. He showed me how to hold a cricket bat proper and take a stance thus consigning me to about sixteen years of sheer joy and that exquisite mental torture that comes from trying to bat. He wouldn't remember but it matters not, it was a kind act to a second year.
There were no good teachers at this school - they were all great teachers.
Mr Rodgers had the absolute respect of everyone.
Miss Stabeler, who drove a variamatic Daf that was referred to as lacky band car, had an awesome presence in the classroom and algebra really is the key to the universe.
Miss Whillas is mentioned on another picture and was frighteningly ferocious - and desperately kind.
And, Miss Bolton's 'Art of English' which I did my best to ignore but which finally took hold and has now got roots going deeper than even Jules Verne could have envisaged. There's more and they were all fantastic teachers.
And then there's Mr Millet.
Like Jeeves, he stands alone.
If there's a finer teacher then he must be in a parallel universe. (But there can't be or he'd be in this universe - anthropic principle - discuss.)
If there's a finer teacher then he's not been born yet - maybe the Chinese are trying to bioengineer one using Mr Millet's genome as starting material - that they could improve - the fools.
Mr Millet's detention was once two pages on the inside of a ping pong ball!
To be wholly serious for a moment, in this relatively public arena and with relative anonymity, I'd like to pay my respects. All of these teachers left an impression but Mr Millet made a fundamental impact and instilled a deep and lasting interest in his subject that's just as alive today. I'm very grateful. My kids are using my Nelkon and Parker! (Unless I'm reading it)
Simply, thank you ..well, I'm sorry but it can't be Roy. It'll have to stay as Mr Millet.
Thank you Mr Millet. Sir.

I wonder if any of you remember me. I was in 3A in 1969 (Miss Whillas!) and left when my family emigrated to South Africa. I now live in New Zealand. Happy memories of HAGS and my good friends there. I used to have a copy of this photo and kept it for many years!

Maureen try the friends re-united web site - lots of ex HAGs pupils on there and free to join.

Actually, we (Rose Bridge) won this trophy by a mile but my mate Bill Green begged me to let him borrow it for the day to show his poorly Gran to make her feel better. What a scam!

This was a fine side. Lost only one game to Pemberton Sec Mod at home 4-1 when a lad called Dawber finished his hat trick with flyin' header. Beating them 3-0 away was sweet and singing Lilly The Pink on the Wigan Corpie bus back us was a great lark. We beat Wigan Grammr 6 -2 in a play off to win the championship and one of the goals went in off Eric Rostron's dad who was reffin'! ( Bit of a partial choice, Sir, eh? They may demand re-match if they ever find out. ) If I'm right Rigby, Woodward,Rudkin, Rostron( a year below the rest of us )Harrison and Derbyshire all made the Town Team. Roy Millet dropped me the season after and it still hurts 40 years later! ( the pain only subsided a tad beating Ian Postlthwaite in the High Jump on Sports Day! ) I think I know the general whereabouts of all in the picture except Kenny Rudkin, Stephen Martindale and Billy Gore, but wherever you all are I hope you're on top of the soil in fine fettle lads.
PS Do we know if Jack Lord still plays the piano in Lower Ince Labour Club?

I type this with a tear in my eye! I have a copy of this photo & once in a blue moon I look at it & remember with great fondness the lads in this team, their achievements & of course other mates / pupils & teachers at HAGS. To read the comments - particularly Alan (whom I was with at St Peters Juniors) Billy (whom I considered my "best mate" for some time) & Roy Millett (who dropped me from the team 2 years later when he discovered I was smoking) caused the tear. Roy tried real hard to get me into physics despite it being an obvious lost cause from the off. He was a great coach & mentor to us young lads - hence he is deservedly remembered so fondly by so many of us. Anyhow, I bumped into Tony Abram a few weeks ago & we talked about a reunion - so if any of you fancy a get together please let me know & we'll make it happen.

I remember most of the faces on here. James and Brian were in my form with Miss stabler! 1966

I remember most of the faces on here. James and Brian were in my form with Miss stabler! 1966