Old Boy Memories

Xaverian photo 1961 – Boy’s Names (More names will be added as they are identified) Second row from top, from left First: possibly Thomas Coyle Third: (lower part of face in shadow): possibly Christopher Noble    Seventh: (lower part of face in shadow): Jerzy Basiurski. Extreme right: possibly James Hardiman Third row from top, from left  … Read more

By Norbet ‘Nodge’ Carnegie Paris, August 1962. I wonder who took the photograph – a copy of which was kindly sent to me by Paul Morris (hero). This was the back room of a restaurant on the Champs Élysées. We had onion soup, chicken (legs: Paul’s wonderful technique: “It’s how the French eat them!”) and … Read more

Some Reflections on the Xaverian College Orchestra 1959 – Bob Postlethwaite My first experience of ‘Chuck’ Sellars’ ‘ambition’ for the orchestra was Speech Day 1958.  The programme included the chorus ‘The heavens are telling the glory of God’ from Haydn’s Creation.   This was well above my pay grade in more than one way and it … Read more

“Those of us who had migrated from the Prep School found the new intake of 11 plus boys to be a bit of a mixed bunch. Some were well mannered as we were, having attended other Prep Schools from other areas of Manchester. Others were from areas such as Wythenshaw and Glossop and didn’t have … Read more

St Anne’s Prep was the junior feeder school for Xaverian College Manchester. It was privately funded – I seem to remember the fees being £50 a term but this is only a distant memory. Although some of the boys were from well heeled backgrounds, many were from the children of working class families who somehow … Read more

Contributions from some of our readers…

Memories of some of the teaching staff are sometimes on point and sometimes blurred. Mr “Jack” Gleason was a good Geordie lad who managed to strike a very good rapport with a good many of my class mates. A bit of a laugh was normally always present about the weekend football clubs – of course … Read more

Chuck Sellars – David Challinger remembers… I remember Chuck SELLERS, and am grateful for the passion for music he instilled in me, although he did once call me a Philistine! I took part in all productions from Iolanthe (1961) up to The Happy Prince (1966). You mention The Magic Flute, which was favorably reviewed in … Read more