Tom Oxley recalls: "the saga started when Bob Fearnley and I discovered that we could get into the school roof via an access point above the cloisters. We enjoyed wandering around inside despite the accumulated filth; and we stored some old clothes up there to change into. I also went in with Hedgy Barber, who had found out how to get in. On one occasion we left lit candles on the tinder dry rafters to mark our route. We were delayed either above the staff room or the headmaster’s house and when we could eventually make our way back the wicks on several candles were floating on liquid wax… A few more minutes and the whole roof could have caught fire… It could easily have meant a premature end to the Retford Grammar School…
On our visits to the roof we’d noticed a trapdoor on the ceiling above the steep staircase to the belfry; and I used a rope to abseil down leaving messy footprints on the wall… That was more than stupid because Gover regularly went up to the belfry to teach…and no-one could fail to notice the footprints when walking down the stairs…
We’d discussed where to erect it and having climbed on the roof to check access, we’d decided to put it on the most prominent position: the clock tower. We’d located a ladder, and then all I had to do was plan the timing and execution of the task. It was like a military operation, and I think nearly a dozen friends were involved, a lot acting as lookouts at strategic points. I don’t know why I saved the attached very rough sketch but I did, finding it over fifty years later…"
[webmaster 2024-06-24 04:45:42]
Bob Fearnley has emailed me saying that
"The banner prank is quite fresh in my memory and I am very proud at being part of it from the start." [Tom Oxley 2024-07-15 11:50:28]
Bob Fearnley ended his email with the words "I do not think that my children have school memories like ours. All the best, Bob" [Tom Oxley 2024-07-15 12:14:42]