Photos of the 70's from Michael Breslin

Alan Thorne - Michael Breslin tells us -

" We went to visit him at his new home a few years before his passing. (I want to say that it was somewhere South of Clows Top but as I wasn't driving, cannot say exactly where.)

He really was in good form and ironically, we had a smoke with him (after him spending all his time at school trying to catch us)
Simon Hull arranged to visit him with his 2 1/2 yr old son, Patrick (On his lap)
Alan was so happy to hold a baby /child even though he was totally blind at this stage of his demise.
I seem to remember he needed a wheelchair also to get around by Summer 1995/96
Simon was one of 4 brothers who attended COCS
Martin, Simon, Buzz, Peter."

Michael Breslin tells us -
"The above was taken in Jersey on the scouts Summer camp at Peter Germain's property.
The scout troup was called "1st City of Coventry School". George Parker (Scout Master) was really quite respected in the scout organization as we found out at the annual jamboree. I am unsure if the respect came from him being a headmaster or for his efforts within the scout organization. I seem to remember him having a lot of stripes and badges for different events/achievements. He was excellent at teaching knots and cloud formations as I recall...

Mr Germain and eventually Mr McCarthy were Assistant Scout Masters. Pete Germain was quartermaster which was a critical role. After each camp, he would organise the equipment back into the store to the left of the stage in the assembly hall. Basically, this equipment was also available to the rest of the school pupils. (camping was permitted at weekends if booked a week in advance) Friday nights, Scouts would meet in the hall and also Army Cadets would meet o the yard.

Back to the photo, sadly only one individual was in full uniform at the time because he had gone out to get supplies with Mr Germain. (The other two showing their belts and crests on the shirts have removed their neckerchief and woggle.)

St Malo

The rest of us were chilling in the marquee. I only remember a few names. George Huguez (left in bare feet)
Dave Meacham sitting down front middle having a cuppa, I am standing behind Dave with a silly pork pie hat on. Dave also had an older brother who attended COCS, Eddie Meacham. (I know that Eddie became a policeman like his dad in Coventry.) Behind me to the left is Duncan Milne. Duncan also had two brothers who attended COCS, one older and one younger. (He may have had two older???) I think this is 1976. We went on a day trip to France on a brand new Hoverfoil landing at St Malo. We bought some French Wine of course....which is a whole other story.

Back on the island, we ate Jersey potatoes so fresh....45 mins from ground to the plate... We visited the underground hospital which fascinated us because we were told that as prisoners of war were building it, if they became ill during construction, they were often thrown into the concrete in the walls, before they even died.....

I cannot glean much more from this photo but I remember that it rained an awful lot.
Oh, back to loaning the scout equipment to the rest of the pupils. Camping was allowed during the late spring early summer. It was a limited number, I think there were 10 2xman tents so 20 kids could either hike to Clows Top, Clee Hill, Ditton Priors, Cleeton St Mary to designated camping spots. (I also recall going to a youth hostel in the Long Mynnd one weekend, but that may have been a scout event.).After School on Fridays, camping food supplies were collected from the kitchen in a box and then taken to the assembly hall. The rucksack, tent, stove and pans were checked out of the quartermaster store (I can fell a little campfire song coming on now) in "ship shape and Bristol fashion"....and the campers would head off on their jaunt and return Sunday afternoon at some point."

"One For the Pot" School play 1977
Back row Left to right :
Robert Paton, Tony Powell, Michael Breslin, Tim Vince, Alex Mihijlovic
Front Row, Paul Fisher, Gary Marks, Mike O'Donoghue, John McKay, Darren Mulcahy

By the Pool '73

L to R Michael Breslin, Tony Dean, Steven Hill

TD room behind the fence