Photos and articles about Brighton and Hove in the time of coronavirus. See our collection and add your own!

Masters group photograph c1950s

‘The Building School’

Hanover Terrace School became the Brighton Secondary Technical School, and was known locally as ‘The Building School’. I don’t have a definitive date for this Masters group but think it to be circa 1950.

Can you help with names?

Unfortunately I can’t provide names for any of those Masters standing. Seated left to right – Messrs Weedall (Sports -Sussex scrum half), Parfit? (Plumbing), Hargreaves (Brickwork), Downing (Headmaster), McKinley (Art), Taylor (Woodwork), Not known.

If you can help identify any of the Masters not named, please leave a comment below.

Brighton Secondary Technical School Masters group
From the private collection of John Wallace

Comments about this page

  • Seated far right is Mr Ernie Bullock “Boffin”, Science. Standing, left is Mr Ben Chappel, Deputy Head, Technical Drawing and far right is Mr Joe Huddart, Geography. He was ex RN and studied to become a barrister, He stood for Labour in the 1951 election but lost. The other three – I remember the faces but not the names, but they must have taught English, Maths and History.  Perhaps that’s why I can’t remember them!

    By David Pierce (10/07/2010)
  • I was at this school about 1951 to 57. The only masters that I seem to recognise on the back row are Ben Chappel teaching technical drawing and engineering technology, ?, Boffin the chemistry master, ?, Holy Joe Huddart JP teaching geography – the only teacher who would not hit a boy wearing glasses; he waited until they took them off

    By Ron Burtenshaw (10/07/2010)
  • Second from left in the back row I believe is Mr Fry the Maths teacher c.1956-58.

    By Frederic M. Avery (01/11/2010)
  • Second right next Joe Huddart I think was a Mr Hobden a maths teacher. Some years after leaving school I met Joe Huddart walking down the platform of Enfield Station. As regards to pupils of my era 1949 to 1954 in recent years I have seen Mick Poole and Jim Corrigan. I also believe that Brian Roe, Ken Gates and and a chap called Neal have past away. Bob Carden May 2011.

    By Councillor Bob Carden (16/05/2011)
  • I left prematurely aged 15, to the annoyance of the teachers, to become a jockey. I rode, trained and was head lad at a yard where a Grand National winner was trained. I believe the second from the left back row to be Mr Pope (history), middle Mr Freddie Freyne (maths), next to him I think is Mr Hobden (English?).

    By Colin (Horsey) Hemsley 1952-56 (13/06/2011)
  • Front, left to right – Ron Weedall (PE), Parfitt (metalwork), Luke Hargreaves (building and ran Brighton Boys Football team), Edward Downing (Headmaster), McKiley (Art), and Taylor (Carpentry), Bullock (Physics).

    By Roger Bateman (15/06/2011)
  • Back row left to right Chappel Tech Drawing, Fry History, Wilkins Maths, Reigate English, Huddart Geog. Front row Weedal PE, Parfitt Plumbing, Hargreaves Brickwork, Downiing Head, McKinley Art, Taylor Carpentry, Bullock Science.

    By Patrick Matless (14/02/2012)
  • I was in forms 3x, 4x and then 5X - all the lowest of the low and difficult to progress from if you were a 13+ entrant like me! Mr Bateman above should have put the N in McKinly. A great art teacher and who, apart from his stained glass window prowess, designed the £1,000,000 pound notes an advertising gimic for the show “Zip Goes A Million” with George Formby. I recall getting hit hard on the hand by Mr Hargreaves using brickies gauge stick; it hurt. Mr Huddart used to always walk like a sailor with his hands clasped behind his back. I think Mr Weedal had also come from the Navy as he used to insist on playing games like British Bulldog in bare feet. The changing room, in a sort of basement, used to stink of sweaty feet; there were NO showers! It was an awful building, built in 1888 and should have been pulled down in the thirties!

    By John Snelling (04/11/2012)
  • I forgot in my note above to ask whether anyone remembers a French teacher: a M. Behar? He used to take classes to see real French films at the Continental Cinema which I think, was in or near Paston Place. It showed mainly French stuff such as “M. Hulot’s Holiday”; “The Green Mare’s Nest” and “Clochmerle”. He used to live above a shop in Carden Avenue in Patcham.

    By John Snelling (20/12/2012)
  • The Continental cinema was in Sudeley Place just along from Paston Place as John says. I went to this cinema many times to see some really daft horror films as well as other more interesting films that were supposed to be a bit risque. One of the horror films was called Macabre if I remember rightly. It was about a floating skull that went around killing people. There was a load of “get insurance” hype about this film at the time as it was so horrific. I just laughed at it but the girls screamed their heads off. Also as John says there were films by Jacques Tati playing Mr. Hulot’s Holiday which to this day I have in my collection as well as other films by the great French artiste. Tati was so funny to me and still is bless him.

    By Mick Peirson (20/12/2012)
  • I can confirm Patrick Matless’s identification of the Building School teachers whilst I was there, he has got them ‘bang on’. [John, apologies but I have edited some of your comment. Comments Ed]

    By John Starley (26/07/2013)
  • I was at the BSBE from about 52-56 and left when I was 15. Mr Parfitt and Mr Downing along with my father in the headmasters office tried to persuade me to stay on an extra year to take the G.C.E exam in plumbing. I was determined to leave and did not want to be a plumber and the meeting collapsed when I said that if they would not agree to let me leave that they would end up probably throwing me out. Hence I left and Mr Parfitts parting words were “you will regret this for the rest of your life”. I applied and got a job at H A Waller & Sons Ltd in Cheapside, Btn. After 14 years on the tools I slowly climbed the ranks to estimator, works manager, director and finally Managing Director. During this time I had the pleasure of serving Mr Parfitt with sections of metal for his metal work classes. I was also a director and shareholder of Whitecross Holdings and Whitecross Refrigeration Ltd. After 31 years I severed my ties with the group and bought a factory in Portslade producing miscellaneous metal work for the building trade. I liquidated the business after 7 years due to an economic recession. Graham Ladd who is a year younger than me but a ex BSBE pupil approached me to set up a metal fabrication factory to compliment his shopfitting business in Worthing. I ran that operation for about 7 years and then prior to retiring my son and his business partner bought a factory in Devon manufacturing security trucks and lorries for transporting cash. I moved to Devon and took over the reigns of this business until my retirement at age 62, I am now 72 and enjoying life in a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom converted 200 year old stables travelling several times a year back to Brighton to stay with my eldest son and to Spain to be with my younger son and family. Mr Parfitt was a brilliant metalwork master but not a very good fortune teller! No, I do not have any regrets other than the school should never have closed and was one of the building trades greatest assets.

    By Colin Wares (29/01/2014)
  • I can’t believe that some of those were still teaching in the ’70s as well. Parfitt, Spud Taylor, Ben Chappel, Ernie Downing (I seemed to be on well-know terms with the then Head and Deputy for some reason!). I seem to remember an art teach Eric Kinley – is that the same guy – claimed to have invented a sort of spyrograph tool for making patterns using a plastic template and a rubber stopper in a hole that would pivot the template.

    By Barry (27/08/2014)
  • Really good to see my dad, Eric Kinley. He dropped the Mc but was called Mac during his war service with the Royal Engineers and it hung around during the 1950s. I was born in 1953 and dad did indeed invent a rival drawing game, ‘Space-O-Graph’ which competed against Spirograph but failed. It was only sold through educational suppliers so didn’t stand a chance. He was also very interested in stained glass windows and with the boys at school produced a fabulous cellophane image for the Festival of Britain in 1951 which was displayed in the Tech College, I believe after being on show. I have many photos from the time and many of the masters were family friends. I still keep in touch with the sons of Sandy Hargreaves and Norman Hobden who joined the staff later. My dad became quite poorly during my childhood with a chronic chest problem. He died in 1973. 

    By Sorrell Kinley (03/08/2017)
  • Hi Sorrell, you are quite correct about your dad, our Mr Kinley, and that some of the boys produced a cellophane image of the “Festival of Britain” in 1951. I went to the “Building” school, which we used to call it, in 1949 when I was 11, but did see the cellophane image in 1951 after it was completed by the older boys, it was in the Art classroom for a while. There are a few other pages on this website about the “Building School”/BJTSBE/BTSBE, in one of them there are posts about the cellophane image, with a picture of it as well I think. You will find it if you hunt around for it.   

    By Vic Bath (10/08/2017)
  • Hi John W, as you know we were in the same class; regarding your photo of the Masters, those standing on the back row, on the far end on the right, is Mr Huddart, for religious knowledge and geography; on the far left it is Mr Chappell for technical drawing. I expect since you started this page in 2010 that you now know some of those standing, but I thought I would jump in for a little update for others to see.

    By Vic Bath (10/08/2017)
  • Hello Sorell. It was great to see your name. I was in your father’s class when you were born, were you the first child? I still remember how proud he was in telling us. I joined the school in September 1951 and “Mac” was my form teacher in 3X, we were a completely new intake class aged 13. You father was also my House Master of “Wren House” There were four houses Wren, Adam, Lutyens and Nash. I was quite good at Art and won 1st prize in 1952 . Viscount Gage  presented me with a book on Thomas Bewick the famous 18th century wood engraver at the annual  prize giving in the music room at the Royal Pavilion.  Your Dad loved leaded and painted glass and I made a picture of a bishop holding his staff in coloured cellophane. Your Dad paid to have it mounted in between two pieces of glass for display. I remember he took us all to Canterbury to see the glass windows in the Cathedral.  I considered studying art and becoming a teacher but thankfully your father talked me out of it in a most diplomatic way. I was also good at woodwork, brickwork and technical drawing so I became apprenticed to a large local building company called T J Braybon and Son Ltd and I part time studied and became a Chartered Quantity Surveyor. After National Service I returned to Braybons and eventually ended up as Managing Director. When I retired  I went to Chichester University and gained a BA Hons degree in History and Geography. So your Dad was right and did me a great favour. Sadly I no longer have the window or the original book or any photos but I have very very happy memories of your Dad and of my time at the school.

    By David Pierce (08/10/2018)
  • To Dave Pierce,
    I was in 3x, 4x & 5X with you in the early 50s. I recall that you and Dave Short were above average height for your years. Do you recall to pals of mine Ray Royston and Albert Paynter?
    Do you recall playing “British Bulldog” in PT under Weedal and in bare feet?
    We used to go to Patcham School or East Brighton Park for games which i used to regularly skive off to go loco-spotting at Brighton Station. I think they gave up on me in the end.
    Hoping you are well.
    John Snelling

    By John Snelling (25/02/2020)
  • Hello there. Does anyone know what year Monsieur Behar left the school? Also, did he had olive skin? Weird questions, I realise, however on doing some family research his name has come up!

    By Emily (20/06/2020)
  • Hi Emily, Yes, I remember Mr Behar well, very good French teacher. He lived near me in Patcham in a flat in Wilmington Parade, which I think was a flat above a shop. He used to take French classes to the “Continentale” in Sudely Place to see French films. To get to school, like me, he would have travelled on a No 46 trolleybus and then changed at Preston Circus to catch another to the bottom of Elm Grove. I have no idea when he left “the buildings”. Did you live near him in Patcham?

    By John Snelling (02/04/2021)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.