Memorabilia

Items of uniform are on the Uniform & Appearance page

Contents List The Gallery Memorabilia

Coronation Spoon

"Presented by the Norfolk Education Committee in 1953. Some were bent and chucked down the street but, being from a family of men who find it hard to throw anything away, this one is still going strong 49+ years later as a sugar spoon."

John Chapman

Pin Bowl

"A product of Mr Seeley's metalwork class c1961 (4th Form). The bowl was roughly shaped by beating an annealed disc of copper with a hide hammer (on a sand bag?). It was then finished with a domed planishing hammer and vice-mounted steel blank. Note the appalling silver solder joint (used borax as flux). I failed 'O' level metalwork with a grade 7, but came top at fitting and turning in a later Naval apprenticeship!"

Herb Atkins

Fruit Bowl
Made by David Spinks. "Thanks Wymondham, I enjoyed every minute spent with Bob Mullenger, Andrew Seeley & Norman Canty making such bits as illustrated here. I am sure the other contributors to this gallery enjoyed the opportunity to express themselves in such a satisfying and useful way."

Shoulder Plane
Made by Brian Turner.

Bookshelf
Made by Dave Turner.

Garden String Line Set
Made in the forge shop by Dave Turner.

Lathe Projects
All made in the 5 or 6th level (1956-58) by Dave Turner.

T Square
Brass T square from the 1956 time frame, made by Dave Turner.

Brass Work
A pin bowl, ashtray and a larger guilding metal bowl with brass feet, all made by Dave Turner 1956-58. [Guilding metal, like brass and bronze, is an alloy of Copper and Zinc, but in a 95%/5% blend. This makes the metal softer and redder than the other two. - Ed.]

Etching Project
Made by Dave Turner in 1958. "We had to cut and polish a piece of guilding metal, cover it with a wax layer, scribe a piece of artwork, then put it in some acid. I must have really been into the WC badge to do this one. And hasn't it cleaned up pretty good after all these years?"

Geological Hammer
"Metalwork was my favourite subject. In addition to the pin bowl I made a small brass vase and a geological hammer (see attached photos). This later item was forged and even the hole for the handle was punched out whilst white hot, no drilling away the metal and thereby weakening it. I have always had a love of metalwork and woodwork (unfortunately you had to choose one or the other at WC otherwise I would have done both), and still spend a considerable amount of time repairing and making things. I will send a photo of my copper vase when I find it, but came across the hammer in the garage today so decided to photograph it while I remembered."
Graham Haw (1960-65)

Bottle Opener
"This bottle opener still works the same as the day it was made in 1969. It just works on beer bottles now rather than coke bottles. This was one of the first projects in metalwork as it required only cutting, drilling and filing. Made out of 1/8" sheet steel with a plastic cover riveted onto each side of the handle."

Steve Grant (1968-75)

Vase
"It was made from sheet copper cut out and bent around somehow, (I don't remember how). There were four joints to silver-solder, and, if I remember correctly, three of them had different melting point solders. The base ring and the vase body, being done with the highest melting point, followed by the base of the vase, followed by the base ring. The hardest part was making the joint on the vase body, filing the two sides until they were as near parallel as possible so that the finished joint was almost invisible. I have to confess I wouldn't like to have to make it again! The vase has my name scratched on the base and the year 1962, I also still have my pin bowl which was made in 1961."

Graham Haw (1960-65)

Tool-maker's Clamp
Made by Robin Farrow (1951-54). He really enjoyed the hours spent with Olly Seeley and Bob Mullenger and was able to build on the acquired skills.

Adjustable Spanner 1
Made by Robin Farrow (1951-54).

Adjustable Spanner 2
Made by Tony Seymour (1960-64). A slightly different design.
"Noted that there are a few metal work items on the site. I found these the other day at the bottom of my toolbox. I know I used them a bit, but not for a long time now! There is still a very clean and shiny section of the spanner where it has been protected by the outer case."

Stool
"I enclose a picture of a stool made in the early 80’s. It wasn’t particularly well put together but those joints must have had a power all of their own as nearly twenty five years later it’s still standing. I never really worked out what the stool was for as it was too small for any table. My daughter plays with it occasionally but it usually sits in the corner topped with a dead plant."

Charles Stokes

Mystery Object
Photo submitted by Steve Grant. What is it? What was its specific purpose? What was the other colour? From the 1970s time-frame, we believe ....

I think I know what the mystery object is. When Muz was replaced as Warden by Mr. Wolsey in, I think, 1971 or 1972, quite a few changes were made over the following months, including the reintroduction of soccer, and civilised "afternoon tea" in the houses, served from an urn immediately after lessons and before the evening meal. This was accompanied by a snack, one of which I remember was "dripping sandwiches", made of waste grill-pan fat spread on white bread, which despite my ravenous state I could not bring myself to eat. Even back then we called it "suicide food".

We were each issued with a plastic handle-less beaker to drink the tea from, and I think that is what the mystery object is. If you were to look on the underside, you would probably see the owner's name scratched into the plastic with a pin, as that was what we were instructed to do (if you lost your beaker, you lost your tea rights forever). The other colour was blue, which I think was issued to the boys and the white ones to the girls, or maybe it was based on the houses.

I had my blue beaker for many years after leaving, but sadly it has since disappeared into the black hole of time.

David Cook

I believe the mystery object is known as a "beaker." I've just found mine - it's white and has been used as a knick knack holder for the last 20 odd years. I was fortunate (?) enough to have disparaging remarks written over it. They were also available in blue and were used most often for drinking College 4 pm tea, but there were a number of other uses.

Gary Johnson

G-clamp
Made by Tony Seymour (1960-64).

Top

Wymondham College Remembered

	Coronation Spoon "Presented by the Norfolk Education Committee in 1953. Some were bent and chucked down the street but, being from a family of men who find it hard to throw anything away, this one is still going strong 49+ years later as a sugar spoon." *John Chapman*
	Pin Bowl "A product of Mr Seeley's metalwork class c1961 (4th Form). The bowl was roughly shaped by beating an annealed disc of copper with a hide hammer (on a sand bag?). It was then finished with a domed planishing hammer and vice-mounted steel blank. Note the appalling silver solder joint (used borax as flux). I failed 'O' level metalwork with a grade 7, but came top at fitting and turning in a later Naval apprenticeship!" Herb Atkins
	Fruit Bowl Made by David Spinks. "Thanks Wymondham, I enjoyed every minute spent with Bob Mullenger, Andrew Seeley & Norman Canty making such bits as illustrated here. I am sure the other contributors to this gallery enjoyed the opportunity to express themselves in such a satisfying and useful way."
	Shoulder Plane Made by Brian Turner.
	Bookshelf Made by Dave Turner.
	Garden String Line Set Made in the forge shop by Dave Turner.
	Lathe Projects All made in the 5 or 6th level (1956-58) by Dave Turner.
	T Square Brass T square from the 1956 time frame, made by Dave Turner.
	Brass Work A pin bowl, ashtray and a larger guilding metal bowl with brass feet, all made by Dave Turner 1956-58. [Guilding metal, like brass and bronze, is an alloy of Copper and Zinc, but in a 95%/5% blend. This makes the metal softer and redder than the other two. - Ed.]
	Etching Project Made by Dave Turner in 1958. "We had to cut and polish a piece of guilding metal, cover it with a wax layer, scribe a piece of artwork, then put it in some acid. I must have really been into the WC badge to do this one. And hasn't it cleaned up pretty good after all these years?"
	Geological Hammer "Metalwork was my favourite subject. In addition to the pin bowl I made a small brass vase and a geological hammer (see attached photos). This later item was forged and even the hole for the handle was punched out whilst white hot, no drilling away the metal and thereby weakening it. I have always had a love of metalwork and woodwork (unfortunately you had to choose one or the other at WC otherwise I would have done both), and still spend a considerable amount of time repairing and making things. I will send a photo of my copper vase when I find it, but came across the hammer in the garage today so decided to photograph it while I remembered." Graham Haw (1960-65)
	Bottle Opener "This bottle opener still works the same as the day it was made in 1969. It just works on beer bottles now rather than coke bottles. This was one of the first projects in metalwork as it required only cutting, drilling and filing. Made out of 1/8" sheet steel with a plastic cover riveted onto each side of the handle." *Steve Grant* (1968-75)
	Vase "It was made from sheet copper cut out and bent around somehow, (I don't remember how). There were four joints to silver-solder, and, if I remember correctly, three of them had different melting point solders. The base ring and the vase body, being done with the highest melting point, followed by the base of the vase, followed by the base ring. The hardest part was making the joint on the vase body, filing the two sides until they were as near parallel as possible so that the finished joint was almost invisible. I have to confess I wouldn't like to have to make it again! The vase has my name scratched on the base and the year 1962, I also still have my pin bowl which was made in 1961." Graham Haw (1960-65)
	Tool-maker's Clamp Made by Robin Farrow (1951-54). He really enjoyed the hours spent with Olly Seeley and Bob Mullenger and was able to build on the acquired skills.
	Adjustable Spanner 1 Made by Robin Farrow (1951-54).
	Adjustable Spanner 2 Made by Tony Seymour (1960-64). A slightly different design. "Noted that there are a few metal work items on the site. I found these the other day at the bottom of my toolbox. I know I used them a bit, but not for a long time now! There is still a very clean and shiny section of the spanner where it has been protected by the outer case."
	Stool "I enclose a picture of a stool made in the early 80’s. It wasn’t particularly well put together but those joints must have had a power all of their own as nearly twenty five years later it’s still standing. I never really worked out what the stool was for as it was too small for any table. My daughter plays with it occasionally but it usually sits in the corner topped with a dead plant." *Charles Stokes*
	Mystery Object Photo submitted by Steve Grant. What is it? What was its specific purpose? What was the other colour? From the 1970s time-frame, we believe .... I think I know what the mystery object is. When Muz was replaced as Warden by Mr. Wolsey in, I think, 1971 or 1972, quite a few changes were made over the following months, including the reintroduction of soccer, and civilised "afternoon tea" in the houses, served from an urn immediately after lessons and before the evening meal. This was accompanied by a snack, one of which I remember was "dripping sandwiches", made of waste grill-pan fat spread on white bread, which despite my ravenous state I could not bring myself to eat. Even back then we called it "suicide food". We were each issued with a plastic handle-less beaker to drink the tea from, and I think that is what the mystery object is. If you were to look on the underside, you would probably see the owner's name scratched into the plastic with a pin, as that was what we were instructed to do (if you lost your beaker, you lost your tea rights forever). The other colour was blue, which I think was issued to the boys and the white ones to the girls, or maybe it was based on the houses. I had my blue beaker for many years after leaving, but sadly it has since disappeared into the black hole of time. David Cook I believe the mystery object is known as a "beaker." I've just found mine - it's white and has been used as a knick knack holder for the last 20 odd years. I was fortunate (?) enough to have disparaging remarks written over it. They were also available in blue and were used most often for drinking College 4 pm tea, but there were a number of other uses. *Gary Johnson*
	G-clamp Made by Tony Seymour (1960-64).