As well as the many Aston Old Edwardians (well, a few actually) who have signed this web site's guestbook, others have sent messages. Here are some of the latter, edited as lightly as possible, and roughly in order of arrival:

"Loved the pictures of the teachers on your site they brought back shall we just say 'memories'. I was there between 1963 & 1969. You omitted the fact that Brandon was an actual Lord, (Lord George Brandon), that Hobson was known as 'Dickie' due to his bow ties and that 'Taffy' Thomas was famous for scoring a try against England with a broken collar bone! I've passed on your site address to all the lads from 1963." (Steve Mugleston)

"I too went to KEGS, but a few years after your good self it would seem, i.e. 1973 - 1979. So that puts me in the same era as Martin Studholme, a guy that you appear to have mentioned a couple of times. Although we were in different 'houses', we did have the privilege of both being at Longdon for its last term, i.e. class 3A 1975, in fact we were both in Garden Dorm together .... Well whilst I served my time at KEGS and for a few years prior to that, my parents used to run the club at AOE. I'm guessing now, but the years would probably be round about 1968-1970 and then again 1972 - 1974 ish. Obviously being so young at the time I didn't really take much notice of the patrons of AOE, but one name sticks in my mind, that of a guy called Alan Haynes, he might have been of your era. But I'm sure if you care to ask any of the 'older generation', you might find somebody who remembers them, they were Colin and Jose Stephens (Colin, my Dad, sadly passed away some 10 years ago now)." (Matthew J Stephens)

"I went to KEGS Aston between 1975 and 1982. I remember Freddie Froggy Fenton and Mr Tyson. The latter was scary. I went to Newcastle Poly and settled in County Durham. I have worked for County Durham Health Authority and now for an agency that trains qualified social workers. I have suffered ill health over the years. I have endured severe periods of what Winston Churchill referred to as black dog, have been struck down by rheumatoid arthritis and have had a brain haemorrhage. I am proud to have fought all these disabilities, to have written my autobiography, and to have brought and nurtured two children into the world. Is there some sort of formal old boys network kicking about?"(Jules Clare)

"Your recollections of G&S productions at King Edwards Aston ring very true to me. I was a first former in 1957 when The Gondoliers was to be staged. Suddenly it was necessary to recruit two non speaking heralds and I was "volunteered" by Messrs Cooke & Doble. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it led to a lifelong love of G&S and involvement in amateur theatre, also ending up with my working in Television." (Jack Rooke)

"I discovered your web site when I put 'King Edward VI Aston school song' into Google, couldn't remember it and your website came up second, just after the main school site which doesn't seem to have it. In your day was the third verse, about the old boys who have died, sung quietly? We sang this verse and following chorus quietly and it was common for the whole school to clear our throats before singing as loud as we could for the final verse." (Richard Bedwell 1995 - 2002)

"I stumbled on your site when idly looking for references to Harry Tyson. It brought back so many wonderful memories. Harry was a great friend to me and I spent many happy hours with him running garden parties at the Birmingham Children's Hospital in aid of our adopted ward. I thought he was a wonderful teacher and will never forget his cry of "twenty enunciations and no abbreviations" with his lovely northern accent. But whatever did he mean?

I was sorry your site did not mention Pearson the art master or the sadist Sampson of geography. I had totally forgotten Billy Lumb and had a long laugh when you reminded me. Or Gordon Doble who taught me French and who used to exhort us when Rose Hill girls visited to stand in line "take out your things and wait for the girls". What a wonderful place it was. These days I occasionally advise the DfES on matters educational and I often think longingly of the wonderful education I had in the most unprepossessing buildings, with 35 kids to a class. I live near the Sibillini mountains just north of Rome. It's worth a visit."(Malcolm Walton 1949-57)

Geoff Reed

"I found your guest book by Googling for KEGS Aston. I joined KEGS Aston Sept.'39 leaving summer of '43, transferred then to Saltley Grammar, since I did not want to be 'evacuated' again to Ashby. I spent my first three years in Ashby as an evacuee. Teachers names you gave were very familiar, Brandon, Chivers, Tye, Pedley, Calvert, Dawson. I remember Entwistle showing us his red swastika flag gained in Berlin at the 1936 Olympics where he competed. Bentley, Winton, Henry Reed, poet, no relative, Malcolm Smith, Sharp, Arthur Smith, wonderful teacher. During the war female teachers began to arrive. Then the year in Aston with Lumb, Painter & Co. Fred Fenton was a year older than me, he also continued to Saltley before Univ. B'ham, with others from Aston. Now living in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. How we got here is another story." (Geoff Reed)

"I was at Longdon in the Summer Term of 1961. I remember Mrs Brandon (Ma B as she was known to us), Matron and a cook, a teenage girl called Barbara, who we only saw on the bus to Lichfield on a Friday afternoon. Godfrey of course. The resident teachers were Mr King (was he Australian or did he just support their cricket team?) and Mr Crawford on the farm side. Our visiting teachers were the same as yours, Mr Milner appearing on a motor scooter for field studies, which involved pairs of pupils walking miles out into the countryside to map what was in the fields." (John Stafford, Temperley 1958-65) ("Actually I defected to Manton in the sixth form when I lost my house tie, and could only find a Manton one in Lost Property")

"As a current student of King Edward VI Aston School, I am interested in learning more of the school's history. I have spent some time looking at your web page, which I found fascinating, but if you are able to suggest any further reading material I would be very grateful. I have often heard the phrase "Big School" and wondered what it means - perhaps you could enlighten me? Many thanks in advance!" (Gareth Leyshon 2005)

"I am currently the Payroll Manager for the ink manufacturing arm of a multinational company. I moved to West Sussex after having enough of working in London for 11 years. I left KEGS at 16 which I now bitterly regret. I was top of the school in French and German and I remember Mr Entwistle almost begging me to stay on and do my A levels. I did get a second chance though and went to Warwick University and got a 2:1 in French. I have been past the old place a few times and still get a lump in my throat. It was like being suspended in time. The 60s only happened outside the gates. I was in Floyd as well. Do they still go to Longdon Hall? Great place to go for kids; but oh the food - heart and brains!!"(Geoff Hines 1969)

"Since finding your website I have been basking in reminiscences of my days at King Edward's, and the great group of teachers who battled to bring out the best in all of us. Speaking of ‘basking’, it is now 9:30 am on Christmas Eve, and the outside temperature has already passed 35 degrees C., heading for the mid-40's by lunch time. Not much chance of snow this Christmas!! Don't you wish you were here?" (Roy Bethell 1946 Sydney, Australia)

"Your memories of the masters brought back so much. I found Freddie Fenton a great teacher giving the most comprehensive notes; but it was Billy Chivers who made Physics live. Derek Hobson was a great Chemistry teacher and I owe my career to him (Chemistry and Biochemistry). But I think Colin Tyson was THE TEACHER. Lovely man. I used to drive past the School when I was in Brum visiting my folks, but not now. It was looking a bit besieged." (Derek Fisher, Manton 1952-60)

"In my first few weeks at Aston I was in a class taken by Jerry Dawson. Unfortunately I happened to sneeze and he stopped dead in his tracks, pierced me with a steely eye and said "And what is your illustrious title?" I plaintively replied "Smith A.T., Sir" (initials were important as there were three Smiths in that year) He then announced "The detention room will be honoured by your presence next Thursday afternoon"

At the time I felt very aggrieved but a charitable explanation was that he was probably suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as I believe he had a bad war. Still, discipline was fairly strict in those days and the Master who took us for Maths., Billy Higgs, had his own system. For every misdemeanour he had a special register in which he recorded one nail in your coffin; when you had three nails you had to go to the front of the class, bend over while he applied a slipper to the protrusion of you anatomy.

Another master used a strap with similar effect. Also Chas Hudson (God rest his soul) kept order between classes by clobbering the erring student in a friendly way. Happy Days." (Tom Smith, Sutton Coldfield)

And so it could go on. Others have written at greater length. (For their contributions click here)

I think the thing that has pleased me most has been that so many of the visitors ‘stumbled’ on my web site - and were both surprised and delighted by what they found.

We have search engines to thank for that.