A few weeks ago Christine Hesslegrave sent me an email following up some recent TRM topics, and mentioned our old Grammar school chum Graham Clarke's weather charts.

Here's Graham's response.

"Jeff, you and Christine were right as usual. Stan (Jones) and I did take the weather readings. I think we were chosen because we lived closest. I think we only did it for the one year, 1960, as I have the readings in an old school book. I cannot remember if the information was passed on, but the weather station was too close to the building for official classification.

Unfortunately the maximum thermometer was not working until August and there were only two days that topped 70. April seems to have been a dry month with no rain at all in the second half, whilst October only had one day without rain. There were six days with over one inch of rain, and there was a total of 50.62 inches of rain in the year with 128 dry days. Only 15 days recorded a minimum temperature of below freezing in January and February, the lowest temperature being 26.5 on 13th Jan. If anyone wants further information I am happy to provide it."

Cheers Graham, may the sun always shine on your Newgale holidays. And here's yet another Grammar school follow up, this one comes from Mike Quigley.

"Dear Jeff, I recently received copies of your articles of March 3 and March 10 from my sister. Your March 3 article was particularly interesting to me because I saw myself in the photograph of the Milford Grammar School athletics team of 1956. Brian Hearne and Robert Nisbet, in your March 10 article, I am Michael Quigley and I was a middle-distance runner (880 yards and mile). Unfortunately, 65 years later I am not quite so fast (arthritis can be very painful) and the hair is now white! My sister, Janet Quigley in those days, was much better at naming the other athletes.

Your article was very interesting and brought back very fond memories of my time at Milford Grammar and Milford Haven. I have not lived in Milford for many years but it is still my real home. I do keep in fairly close contact with my cousin Frank Newing and his wife Dylis.

I remember Ty-Coed well. My first form class was in Ty-Coed and I think I was form prefect. I do remember the mess I used to get into cleaning the blackboards!

Here are some of my memories of Milford and the Grammar School. Some of the staff :

Wally Walters (Music): Music lessons largely involved playing the recorder. Without exception, as far as I can recall, Wally always asked the pupil(s) who had forgotten to bring their recorder to play a particular section of music. We never fathomed out how he managed this. When we entered the music room, Wally was always sitting at the piano with his back to us.

R.G. (Bob) Roberts (French): He frequently entered the classroom, gown flowing, with his hands positioned as guns. He would say "Does anyone feel lucky?" No one dared. He would then put the imaginary guns on the desk, sit down, then put his feet on the desk. He was quite fond of giving detention. He threatened me with 'one million lines' if, when requested to read some French, I said et (Latin) instead of the French pronunciation. When I eventually passed my French he saw me with friends outside Woolworths one Saturday and said to me.."Quigley! You passed your French! God, what is this world coming to?"

The detention book in those days hung on a hook outside the head's office. We were convinced that it was wired to the head's desk because he opened his door if the book was lifted!

Walter Tidswell (a great Headmaster): He knew that I was a keen middle-distance runner, and it was not uncommon for him to visit the sports field to see me train. I feel sure he did this for many pupils.

Tidswell and sixth form drinkers : A number of the prefects in my day, including me, played tennis in the courts off Pill Lane. On one particular Friday, after playing tennis, we visited the Sir Charles Whetham pub for a drink. We were all 18 or over. We walked into the bar and saw two members of staff in the bar. We walked out. Stupidly, we did the same the following Friday. The same two members of staff were there. At assembly on the Monday, Tidswell said he would like to see the following prefects in his office after assembly. He threatened expulsion if we were ever caught drinking in pubs in Milford again. Some weeks later we went out for a drink in the Horse & Jockey in Steynton. One of my friends noticed the same two members of staff walking from the car park to the pub. We managed to escape via the loo!

A ferry trip from Swansea to Ilfracombe was organised for upper-sixth formers, and Walter Tidswell was on the trip. Before docking at Ilfracombe, he got all the boys together and said, "I know you haven't come to Ilfracombe to see the sights. Neither have I. Keep one behind me."

David Roberts (Biology): My idol. Professionally, I became a biologist and lectured in aquatic ecology for many years. That was largely due to David Roberts. I was fortunate enough during my career to have a number of identification guides to invertebrate animals and plants published. I dedicated the first book to David Roberts. At the time I visited Orielton Field Centre near Pembroke with students. David Roberts requested to see me.

I visited him in Tenby. I knocked on his door and he answered. "Hello, sir," I said. "Michael, you know my name is David, please call me David." Even after many years it was difficult. He was "sir" to me. If you ever want an identification guide to animals (snails, crabs, barnacles, etc) and seaweeds on rocky shores, let me know.

Friday night 'hops' in the gym at school. The member of staff who supervised the evening was Billy Rees. We never fathomed why, because he was pretty miserable and would never allow rock n' roll to be played. One Friday some of us set a pile of rock n' roll records on the player, set it on, and left the hall. He was not well pleased and cancelled the evening.

I'll close now Jeff before I get carried away, I'm beginning to ramble. Please don't think we were delinquents in my day!"

Thanks Mike, terrific stuff.

And here, from 1960, are snaps of Milford Grammar's football and cricket teams.

Here's this week's teaser: As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with 7 wives. Each wife had 7 sacks, each sack had 7 cats, each cat had 7 kittens. Kittens, cats, sacks and wives, how many were going to St Ives?

As usual, deadline is noon on Friday.

My final thought... you know you're getting on a bit when you remember the time when service stations actually gave you service!

I'm off, take care, stay safe.