My family also has a very long association with The Brunts (Grammar) School in Mansfield. Over a number of generations, we attended the school between us from 1936 to 2018! In total 12 of us are past pupils!
We are all descended from the Watkinson family- my grandma, her sister and brother , our surnames At the school include Watkinson, Willingham, Carlisle Zillwood and Saxton.
As a family we always got together at Christmas through out the 70s and 80s and one of the highlights was a multigenerational rendition of the Brunt’s school song. Joan Watkinson was the school Secretary for decades.
I noticed you have a mention of receiving the words but not the tune.
So as we who remain (sadly two of our number have passed
away, and one has Alzheimers) are in Lockdown due to Covid-19, we thought it might be fun to try to recreate.
We are spread world wide, indeed the compilation was completed by a family member in Paris, and singing recorded across the Uk, including Mansfield, Oxford and in USA San Francisco! The eldest singer is now 84 and started at the school around 1947.
As you have asked former pupils about the tune, I am sending this versions to you! As you will hear we are not professional and indeed we do have version two which probably better recreates how it would have sounded in school-complete with stomping, which Im happy to send if you wish.
Enjoy
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Excellent effort
I attended Brunt’s from 1983 -1988 and my mum taught there for many years – Mrs Price. This has cheered me up no end. Thank you
Sally Dutton (né Price)
Somewhere, I have a copy of the music for the Brunts School song if anyone wants a PDF.
I well remember the school song – how could anyone forget it! I often sing it to my grandchildren (who think I’m crazy!) and I recall every word, even though I am now 82 and live in Australia. An old school friend who now lives in Africa asked if I recalled the song and was astonished that I remembered every word! The school songs these days are so dull!!
As the great Eric Morecambe almost said: “we were singing the same notes but not necessarily in the right order.”
I so enjoyed your rendition of our old school song. I remember Miss Watkinson very vividly. She was Mr Priestley’s right hand woman. I was at Brunts from 1958 to 1964 and have very mixed memories of my time there. Since that very long ago time, I’ve been married for almost 54 years, lived in South Africa for over 40 years and now reside In Florida US. I have two grown up children and five grandchildren. I’ve sadly lost touch with all my school friends but hope that if someone remembers me, you will leave a comment.
Thanks for sharpening my blunt memory of 1951-58. I can also recall the vulgar parodies sung by the yobos of the 5th form. Even in those days, we needed an explanation of “a pinch of choice rapee” and “a dredger of sand”.
I can just remember Mr Rosen, though he was retired in 1951. And yes, I was apprenticed to a useful trade, thanks to some great teachers.
That song brought back memories!
I was there 1955-1959. My father, uncle and aunt had been pupils too.
The absolutely brilliant Brunts School Song which took me right back to my time at Brunts between 1967 and 1974. Many happy memories!
I went to Brunt’s in its early days as a comprehensive so only got to take part in the legend of ‘The School Song’ a handful of times, but your rendition has brought back so many memories, especially the ‘whispered’! Want to hear the foot stamping version with the upper school lagging behind now. Feel so lucky to have at least caught the tail end of all those brilliant grammar school teachers.
Memories of attending Brunt’s in the 1980s. This was the end of term song. Loved ‘good old Samuel Brunts’. ad stamp your feet.
I was delighted to hear your performance of the school song which, so far, is the one and only confirmation of the accuracy of the annotated version in my contribution under the heading Brunts Grammar School, Mansfield – some memorabilia of the 1950’s.
Evidently the age when ‘time all memory blunts’ has not yet come! I guess that some of your family connections may well have been my contemporaries. Many thanks.
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