The following is an extract from the story of Shoreham Grammar School, an independent boys school in West Sussex as remembered by P J Stannard.

From the late 1950's to the early 1960's Shoreham Grammar School went through a number of changes. There were changes to the buildings, with the addition of a library and new science block, as well as changes to the running of the school.

Change also occurred on the sports field as well. To encourage every boy to give of his best in athletics a system of standards and super-standards was introduced, this enabled everyone to win some points for his house before Sports Day and it certainly was an encouragement to the less able sportsmen (like me) in the school.

There was one change that took place in my time of which the truth had never before, to the best of my knowledge, been revealed and since I was one of the participants I have decided to set the record straight.

Most Old Boys will remember the tortuous senior cross-country run that took place through farmyards and over the Downs. When I was in the fifth (or lower sixth) a group of us were out running with Mr. A. E. Bacon, during our games period and owing to the icy conditions that had prevailed together with the snow we decided that a run through the farmyard was not to our liking.

So we ran down a section of the Downs and on to the Steyning road. It was then decided by our leader that we should attempt to get back on to the Downs. So we ran across this waterlogged field and encountered the first of some seven streams we were to cross, which we attempted to do.

Quite a lot of us failed and ended up in it, except Mr. Bacon who neatly jumped over it. We soon found that this was not the way back to the Downs and we ended up crossing (or falling) into more rivers.

By this time mutiny was rife. Mr. Bacon was completely dry, so it was decided that he had to go in. Alan Hough put his arms around Mr. Bacon's legs and Peter Brand gently leant on him and in he went.

To this day I shall never forget the sight of him sitting in the stream blowing out the water from his mouth and saying, 'you bloody fool Alan'. The result of this was a very quick run back to school and a shower for everybody.

It was later decided to change the school cross-country course to include these rivers. Luckily when we ran the course it was a fine day, so the soaking was not so bad.

I believe that a photograph was taken of a boy in mid-flight across one of the rivers (possibly David Knight). Personally I did not appreciate Mr. Bebbington's remark telling me to think about Handel's 'Water Music'!

In 1964 I left Shoreham to go to University. To try to summarise the ten years of my life that I spent at Shoreham is very difficult but in absolute truth they were the happiest, and certainly the most carefree days of my life.