David Humber
Registered: March 2007
Location: Staines, Middlesex
Posts: 191
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I was in form 5a2 at the time this picture was taken, and knew many of those present when we were all in the sixth form. (Hugh sinclair,Graham Morris). Mr. Perrin was House master of Dower (my house) and I agree he was a gentleman. Francis Furneaux did indeed produce plays. One was "A Ghost Of A Chance" in an inter-house competetion. I last saw in Lincoln in 1968, when he was still in the Theatre business.
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MIDDX.NET
Registered: March 2004
Posts: 5760
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mheawood
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 497
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Hi David! It is really good that someone else from Mellow Lane has made contact. Hope you are well. I was also in the sixth form for a while. Best Wishes to you from Marian.
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MIDDX.NET
Registered: March 2004
Posts: 5760
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... front row, 3rd in from the left!
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mheawood
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 497
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I always get a sense of well-being looking at that photo. Sitting there smiling, knowing I was amongst good friends and in the company of a very nice form-teacher too.
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David Humber
Registered: March 2007
Location: Staines, Middlesex
Posts: 191
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Marian, I do remember you, in particular practising a contralto aria from Messiah (I believe). You had a fine voice. Those Christmas Concert in the Queens Hall were memorable experiences. Mr. Perrin was Secretary of the Hillingdon Teachers Association (local NUT) and went on to become a full time Union official. Brian Trant not only had the Hayes Girls Choir but the church choir at St.Andrews Uxbridge in which I sang.
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mheawood
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 497
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Thankyou for the compliment. Yes, I sang Then Shall the Eyes ... and He Shall Feed His Flock. I agree that those concerts were absolutely wonderful experiences. The togetherness, I think, just proves how music certainly brings people together, all ages. One of the big events for your choir at St Andrews was being on Top of the Pops. Were you in the choir there then?
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David Humber
Registered: March 2007
Location: Staines, Middlesex
Posts: 191
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I'm afraid I was not in the choir then,nor did I hear of this moment of glory. The only time i remember St. Andrew's choir making the news was when the Vicar disbanded it! As for the togetherness, I seem to remember that the reason so many of the lads in that 6th form were keen on singing was that so many of them were dating the girls.
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philip
Registered: August 2007
Posts: 3
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Sat August 25, 2007 23:16
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Hello I am the son of Stephanie Harrod, I am trying to find out if there is a recording of the choir singing Jerusalem to play at my wedding in August 2008, my mother passed away some years ago and it would be the greatest thing to hear her voice ( and the choirs ) on the day if there is a recording of the choir singing this or any other hymn I would be overjoyed to hear from you.
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mheawood
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 497
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Mon August 27, 2007 11:27
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Hello Philip .. I'm Marian. I am so very sorry and sad to hear about your mother. Stephanie and I were good friends when we lived near each other in Hayes, and also in the same class at Mellow Lane. We went to piano lessons together on Saturday mornings and often played tennis on Pinkwell tennis courts after school. Unfortunately I don't have a recording of the choir singing Jerusalem, only a happy song we sang when we were in the Dusseldorf Festival and some more serious excerpts from Messiah recorded in th Hayes Queens Hall. Your mother would be on those, probably standing next to me. We had good times playing the piano at her house, including duets. By chance, I met Stephanie again, some years later, at Harlington church. Her baby was being christened on the same day as my nephew. I hope that you don't mind me sharing these good memories on here. I wish you all the best for your wedding next year. From Marian. (P.S. Let me know if you are interested in the recordings).
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mheawood
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 497
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Tue August 28, 2007 00:29
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Just to add that the last date of meeting would have been rather a long time ago, about 1967. I also met Stephanie's husband who I remembered from primary and junior school. Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to talk for long as one christening was directly after the other and there were quite a few people there for both occasions. (I have found some entries in my old piano lesson book which our music-teacher made for Stephanie showing her progress. This was when she forgot to take her own!) We used to sit in on each other's lesson so we heard each other play from week to week. I wonder if she ever talked about these times later on, and if she carried on playing the piano. I hope so as she played very well.
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philip
Registered: August 2007
Posts: 3
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Tue August 28, 2007 19:04
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Marian. Thansk you for replying The christening ws probally my older sisters in 1968. Yes my mum did continue to play piano or rather an electric organ ( footpedals as well, not just a keyboard ). I normally came home from school to hear her trying to play "that Dracula music", I have no idea what it is called but I am sure everyone would recognise it, apprently a hard piece to play. My mum died Febuary 14th 1987 so we were all quite young still and so I only mainly remeber being told off ( well not all the time ). Yes I would be most interested in the recordings my e-mail is philip508@btinternet.com
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mheawood
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 497
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Tue August 28, 2007 20:46
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Thankyou for telling me that, Philip. I'm sorry to have revived sad memories. It is nice to know your Mum did carry on with her music. I have yet to find out about the Dracula music. The sister of a Mellow Lane pupil we knew starred in some of the Dracula films. I have clear memories of your Mum bravely tackling the Beethoven 'Moonlight Sonata'. Hearing the John Williams Dracula music, I can hear a similarity, but not sure if that is the piece you heard her trying to play. It was her choice to learn the Beethoven Sonata, and she worked on it with great determination even though it was a very challenging piece. Thankyou for providing your email details and I have replied regarding the recordings. I think that it is a lovely idea and hope that I can be of help to realise your dream. With Best wishes from Marian.
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Pam
Registered: April 2004
Posts: 154
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Wed August 29, 2007 12:49
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So sorry to hear about your mum Philip. I was also in her class at school & also remember her from William Byrds youth club.
It's so very sad that she died at the age of 44.
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philip
Registered: August 2007
Posts: 3
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Mon September 3, 2007 18:25
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Pam
Thank you for your kind comments
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mheawood
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 497
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Thu February 14, 2008 12:58
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Philip .. It is so good to have met you and I hope that the recording you now have will be something to play on your big day to bring your Mum closer. It isn't exactly the piece of music you wished for but it is a joyful piece, nonetheless, and the special thing is that she is singing on it. I am looking forward to meeting you again and if you would like, I'll bring some copies of a few photos I have of your Mum when we went to Germany for the Music Festival, and when the recording was made. Hope to hear from you soon to confirm the day to meet. Marian.
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mheawood
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 497
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Tue February 19, 2008 14:27
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Hi Philip .. what a lovely surprise for you to bring your sister, her partner and your fiancee along when we met last weekend. I thought you look so much like Stephanie and your sister certainly does as well. Thankyou for making it possible for me to have a great recording on CD of the Mellow Lane Choir
with both your Mum and I on, not to mention all our choir friends and Brian Trant. I can type the lyrics out of the song as they are not always clear, that is if you would like me to. Meeting you all was something I had never dreamt would happen and so I am very pleased you found the Photos website, even though you had sad news about Stephanie. I have many happy memories of her, and I hope you like the photos I gave you. Thankyou, again, and it has given me a lot of pleasure meeting you and I'm so glad I had the records of the Choir.
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howard64
Registered: June 2007
Posts: 112
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Thu February 21, 2008 23:09
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Hello, sorry to make an off-topic comment here, but I've quite a few "new" old postcards of Hayes that I'd like to share on this forum. Will the upload facility be restored? My apologies if I've asked this question in the wrong discussion.
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MIDDX.NET
Registered: March 2004
Posts: 5760
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