Boston Grammar School in 1969

(Photograph by Buchanan, Portslade, Sussex - provided by Nigel Dear - Click on the image to zoom in on an area)

Nigel Dear's account of the taking of this photograph

I can't remember exactly when this was taken, 1969 is obvious and it was a bright, hot summers day. I do remember being trooped out to the playground to where the chairs were laid out as the partial circumference of the circle at whose locus the panoramic camera was positioned. I vaguely recall not much hoo-hah about the proceedings, probably as it had been done a few times before so someone knew where everyone should go. Loosely the arrangement is that the 1st Formers are at the front (smallest) and then successive years progressively further back with the 6th on chairs. I say loosely as a number of awkward ones were (inconsiderately) taller than the average, like me, and had to be sprinkled up the extreme sides and in a few columns, to the muttered disapproval of some of the 2nd and 3rd who had to be, perforce, placed next to a lower grade of creature.

As I recall, the most position jockeying was by the ms who indeed had a considerable task at hand deciding on the appropriate hierarchy, the summit of which, of course, was the Head in the middle, flanked by progressively lower ranks the lowest and most unfortunate having to sit next to a boy. Larry Veale, Deputy Head, correctly at his Master's right hand is an easy one - but after that was it age, assumed position, length of service which decided the issue?

The names from 1969

We are starting the mammoth job of naming the people in this photograph. Can you help with any of the names?

To see the names, click on an area of the photograph to zoom in, then hover your mouse cursor over a face to see the name. If you want to provide a new name, please send it to the email address below, together with the reference number of the person in the photograph.