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I was in your Horsham school photo from 1932
I WAS interested to see the 1932 Collyer's School photograph in your edition of June 12.
I appear in the back row, second from right. I recognise most of the Masters, in particular of course, Mr P A Tharp, the Headmaster. I also picked out my old school chum, Bob Seed. If you are still out there Bob, do get in touch.
I am now approaching my 90th birthday and although I cannot claim to have reached great heights, I have had a varied and interesting life.
I joined the Army in February 1940, leaving it in the spring of 1946 after an eventful six and a quarter years.
I served in the Western Desert, the siege of Tobruk, where I was slightly wounded and sent back to Alexandria to recover.
I eventually embarked from Bone in Tunisia for Salerno in Italy, went right through Italy, came back to Naples and then back to England for a few months. After VE Day in May 1945 I was posted to various places on the Continent eventually spending six months in Paris.
During my war service, my enduring interest in Big Band music, including jazz, was awakened and I played the saxophone for the Company dance band – The Brigadiers – which included a stint for Cairo Radio.
After I was demobbed I came back and took up my original career with the Electricity Department of the Horsham Urban District Council which became SeeBoard after nationalisation.
In my spare time I played saxophone in various local bands until I was able to form my own dance band, The Progressionaires.
I am sure a lot of people from both Horsham and all the surrounding areas who attended dances both in the Drill Hall and local village halls in the late forties, fifties and sixties will remember with pleasure those days when the Progressionaires was probably the most popular band in the area.
I am now an old man, not in good health, but this photograph evoked very nostalgic and mostly pleasant memories of the old days.
JIM PETTS
Hills Place, Guildford Road, Horsham
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Weather for Horsham
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North east
