Old boys return to New College for Huddersfield reunion

IT was more than 50 years since they last attended a lesson there.

But last week Huddersfield New College welcomed back ‘old boys’ who had attended the school in Salendine Nook between 1952 and 1960.

Former pupils came from far and wide and among those who attended the event were John Walsham and his wife Sandra.

John is currently the owner of Walsham and Co, a firm based in California, USA, which distributes engineering materials worldwide.

Huddersfield New College events co-ordinator Emily Zubak said: “The College was delighted to welcome back the old boys and provided afternoon tea and an opportunity for them to reminisce in their old school environment, much changed since 1960.”

Reunion organiser, Stuart Longbottom, attended the then single sex college in 1958-9.

He went on to work in a host of power stations ending his career as station chemist at Elland Power Station.

Also attending was Ian Cooper (1952-59) who studied at Liverpool (MSc) and Keele (PhD) and was Head of Undergraduate Admissions at Sheffield Hallam University before he retired. Tom Parker left New College to study Maths at Downing College, Cambridge, and spent most of his working life working for computer systems company ICL.

Rubin Duncan Nicholas Birtley left the college in 1960 to study Chemistry at Liverpool University and went on to achieve a doctorate in Pharmacology and became a member of the Royal College of Pathologists.

He currently runs his own consultancy business, advising in the regulatory framework for agricultural pesticides.

Also in attendance was John Peace, who left the college in 1959 to read Music at Durham.

After a varied career, lecturing in Music, John continues to perform widely as a pianist.

Ivor Gratton Gunners left the college in 1959 to study Maths at Wadham College, Oxford.

Ivor is now the Emeritus Professor of the History of Mathematics and Logic at Middlesex University and a visiting Research Associate at the London School of Economics.

The old boys were among some of the first students of Huddersfield New College which was formed at Salendine Nook in 1958 from a merger of Huddersfield College, which was at New North Road in Huddersfield, with Hillhouse Technical School.