The following set of "Then and Now (Dec 2005)" pictures give some idea of the changes or otherwise that have occurred at LEGS. You may get the same feeling I had of where has everyone gone, where are the ghosts now? The pictures, with a couple of exceptions, cover 3 years between 1966 and 1968 when for myself, most of my friends and, I suspect, most people at school so much happened that we can't remember it all. LEGS, like anything else, gave you what you put into it and more. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes you had to work and Yes we had 2 and 3 hour exams but getting involved in sports , hobbies, running societies etc made life interesting. The teachers allowed us a great deal of leeway (although we probably did not recognise it then) and that is probably what made LEGS. Looking back at these pictures you realise what little we had in the way of "facilities" and if you look at other pictures on this site how tatty the place was but I don't think we noticed. It was all about whom your friends were and the teachers. The bricks and mortar gave it the familiar surroundings but it was all down to the people - the Ghosts. The building alas has come to its end as a school, finally being locked up on 17th February 2006. The "modern" buildings will all be demolished, only lasting 37yrs and who knows what will happen to the main 96yr old building. Certainly there will be no more photos such as the ones John Simpson has done such an excellent job of displaying on this web site. LEGS RIP.
But where are the people in the pictures? Luckily most are still around and it was a great pleasure to meet quite a few of them at the Last Detention Dinner in December 2005. The Ghosts are alive and well and long may they continue to do so (after all we are as young as we feel if not quiet as we look).
So browse the pictures with fond memories of a great place but remember it's you that made it so.
David Wardell
March 2006
Footnote from Phil Payne:
What none of us knew in March 2006 was that David had only a few months left to live. He would certainly have been surprised at just how many more pictures have turned up from many quarters and continue to turn up, providing continuous fuel for debate about this or that person or occasion. And every now and then, at one reunion or another, we see another new old face.