The "Arthur Thompson" Letters

To: webmaster@liverpool-collegiate.org.uk
Subject: Memory sharing - 1939 to 1942
Date: 1st February 2013

Dear Webmaster,

I have just become a member of COBA and received two back issues of the fantastic 'Newsletter' thanks to an excellent exchange and very friendly e-mail contact with Treasurer Ron, to whom I am deeply indebted.

So taking my new found and very important IT connection [ I refuse to use the modern 'connexion' as I disliked throughout my long and sometimes bizaar ????? career], since I have spent many years since my retirement in 1989 trying to make contact with persons of my age group, born 1928.

Admittedly I was very fortunate to be in a position to keep abreast of modern technology, a throwback from very early 1930's sharing my father's hobby of Radio Building long before the general use of Domestic Electricity Supply, but I digress [as the aged tend to do]. So my delight in 'getting aboard' this good web-site could possibly help my quest.

Briefly, I won a Junior City Scholarship in 1939, after a very determined target setting Primary School education at St Georges C of E School for Boys in Kirkdale. My family lived in Anfield just near Liverpool F.C'.'s ground, I mention this location because I have read some odd snippets amongst your lovely letters with a few variations to my memories of that period. Thanks to a combination of Luftwaffe determination, certain incidents allied to Class Distinction [very prominant pre WW2] and some rather rebellious actions of my own which led to my being a Collegiate Pupil by Remote control and a final decision based on financial circumstances I ended my dreams of top education standards late 1942, I too have written a book describing my life in much deeper detail but because it is intended to be of interest to my Great-Grandaughter and will only be concluded when 'I Leave The Building' so to speak.

But should there be any interested parties that belong to that 39/45 period and would like to make contact I would be overjoyed at the prospect.

Regards and a very huge Thank-you, Arthur Thompson.

Hi Arthur,

Shame on you, Arthur, for leaving it so long before contacting us. :-) :-) :-)   If you live within easy distance of Liverpool, then attendance at our Rembrance Ceremony (in the school foyer) or our COBA Annual Dinner, might help your quest.  Another thought on this topic, might be to attend our Soccer Club Sportsman's Dinner :-

To obtain details of this, please click HERE

Thank you very much for your letter.  Surely your book that you mention must have some snippets of your Collegiate career.  If we printed out some of your memories your time at the school, who knows, what it might lead to?

If you don't write us another letter, you will have to attend a "Prefect's Meeting", and they will have a 'gymshoe' ready for you :-) :-) :-)

Cheers Webmaster

Dear Webmaster,

Thank you for an interesting reply, I'm afraid we all suffer from certain circumstances beyondour control with regards to the modern technology. Added to this of course is the unfortunate debility of advancing years where the spirit is willing but the body is weak.  So as tempting as the offer of having a personal chin-wag with some of my contempories, this event has as much chance as that of myself enjoying an annual visit to my favourite place in N.Wales.

I now rely on 'Google World' to travel and sight-see and do not expect to reach any higher ambitious safaris.  But I have been encouraged by your site and COBA that have revived my hopes of chatting to those of similar age and experiences to myself, something that understandably of no interest to many modern social sites which naturally class sixtyish as Silver Surfers, I realize that in this aspect I am no doubt belonging to a minority group whom are fortunate to be able to take advantage of modern technology...................once again thank-you and I will follow your site closely.

Regards Arthur.