Gordon Beastall Drama and Music in 1971 - 74

I was 25 years old when I started at Bretton Hall, but prior to this I lived in Matlock and worked as a Tax Officer for HMRC, as Manager of a Delicatessen and then as a representative for Tetley Tea, selling teabags from the back of a van. During my late teens I belonged to two Amateur Drama groups and an Operatic Society. On joining the Drama course, under John Hodgson, I realised that I was the oldest person and most of the others were straight from school at 18 years of age. I loved my three years there and experienced the company of a generous bunch. I was married in my second year to Rachel, who was in her third year of a Music course at Bretton Hall. We rented a house in West Bretton for 2 years, eventually moving to Withernsea, (a coastal town in East Yorkshire about 20 miles east of Hull) where I got my first teaching post at the High School. I remained there for 30 years and eventually became Head of the Arts Faculty.

In 1985 I was seconded to ‘The Arts in Schools project for a year, working alongside Ken Robinson, another ex-Bretton student. I left Withernsea High in 2005 and started my own company providing drama and music workshops in local Primary Schools as ’barnstormersdrama’ I also worked with a company called ‘Young Enterprise’ which provided workshops in schools and in large venues where I facilitated day-long events for up to 200 pupils. I am currently working for York St John University, mentoring students on Primary teaching courses as they go on teaching practice. I love this work. l am still singing folksongs with my wife for various local organisation, playing in a folk-band called ‘Morning Dew’ and singing with three other 70+ lads as ‘Quarto’.

Final year (1974) production of 'Three Sisters' at Bretton Hall. What do these photos bring to mind? I seemed to play a lot of older characters in my time at BH..e.g. a Professor in Year 1 and Ferapont in Year 3. I was 25 when I joined the drama course and the rest of the group were much younger than me with the majority being just 18!

Martin Snow

1968 to 1971 Music

OK this is a Cliff Notes version, google that if it's US talk. Travelling in Israel, doing kibbutz, more travelling through Afghanistan etc took me through to 1975. Back to England and London, TAUGHT for 6 months just enough to make it quite clear it was not for me. Took a train  down to Cornwall to  visit a friend running a youth hostel in Tintagel, started running various hostels all in Cornwall most especially Treyarnon Bay,  met my American wife, Mia who was backpacking and in 1980 moved to the states...for everything since then check out  www.martinsnowpianos.com I have three daughters,  Corrina  27, Rosie 22, and Zoe 18.

John Tudor studied Arts Management ( formerly  Performance Management)

2002 to 2005

 John came to the intimate community of Bretton and spent 3 happy years developing and experiencing the melting pot of creativity there. During his time there he organised and worked on many collaborative productions with actors and dancers as well as having the privilege of musically directing and directing the freshers’ weekmusicals two years running with teams of very talented people.
On Graduating John set up JohnTudorPhotography and works as a freelance photographer.
His Landscape Images of ‘Bretton through the Seasons’ are available topurchase directly from his website
www.johntudorphotography.co.uk

Jim GordonI was a student from 1971 until 1974 and was at the reunion in May where I met Liam Arthurs amongst others.
I was involved in the Holyground Concert( Fringe festival)  which is just now being released on CD and DVD...most likely you already know about that?? Liam was involved also. I was half of the duo Blue Epitaph whose Album "ODE" was recorded in 1972 whilst we were students and was mainly sold to students....was financed by a loan ( paid in full ) from the students Union. Today a mint copy worthy something like 500 pounds.
For more details contact Mike Levon at Holyground records at   (Mike Levon died in 2011, but the company remains)
http://www.holyground.co.uk/

The cd and Dvd are beiong released sometime this month and as you probaly know Holyground records had its origins at Bretton Hall in the mid sixites when Mike was a student.

I now live in Bergen in Norway and am a psychodramatist as well as being a singer/songwriter.
my music web site is
www.Jim-Gordon.comFrom Limavady in Northern Ireland, Jim moved to England in 1971 and joined "“Blue Epitaph”, producing ”Ode by Blue Epitaph” on Holyground Records .
In 1978 ”Magus” was formed with Pete Howells. “Magus” toured extensively, appearing on BBC radio and television, at Covent Garden and was in concert with Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and Julie Felix. Pete and Jim also founded “Household Names” in London in 1980.
He moved to Norway in 1982.
Jim’s s first solo CD “Dreaming Again”, produced by Doug Morter, was released in 2000. After this he toured extensively with Doug as a duo.
Jan 2004 "The Jim Gordon Band" was formed with Ole Amund Gjersvik , Helge Nyheim and Arild Seim from Bergen in Norway.
The new cd "Scenic Tours In The Darkness" was released on Acoustic Records

Link to Facebook page

Hilary Roper-Newman (nee Roper) 1968 to 1971

Art and Drama.

Hilary Roper is an artist, teacher, writer, and author and illustrator of children’s books. She lives in West Yorkshire. Her famous book Macfaddion’s Finest Hour was published in 1990. It was chosen by the Lancashire Children’s Librarian Association as their entry for the Children’s Book of the Year Award, 1991. The illustrations were valued by Sotherby’s at over ten thousand for the set, a few years ago. The illustrations display over sixty species of natural wildlife. They are of a composite contemporary nature displaying magnificent detail of subjects such as children’s toys, antiquities, and the cultural inheritance and folklore of the English countryside. They are painted in jewel-like colours and textural detail. Hilary said that, she wanted every child to be able to turn each page and feel that each creature came alive, the detail would be so microscopic and animated. Hilary is now writing novels and painting large contemporary oil paintings of sweeping landscapes and she travels and uses photography to do her research.

Aureol Moore nee van Someren

66 to 68  Drama/dance person

John Hodgson is one of the faculty that I remember, and David Farnsworth, English.

I got married, have 5 kids and am living in Kentucky.  Long story and lots of interesting events have coloured my odd life.  Card-carrying hippy for 5 years and then a similarly intense and passionately committed Christian, ever since ’73.  Travelled in many countries and lived in 4 or more, depending on how long you have to be there to qualify as “lived.”

Would love to interact with some of the other  students from that era.  Some names that come to mind are Jenny Hall, Maggie ?Smith?. Michael Wilson, Piers Johnson, Malcolm somebody – now an actor I believe, I mean a REAL actor!!  Who makes money!

I include a photo of me with some flowers that I grow/grew.

Facebook link

(but took 1986 off because I lost my eyesight due to diabetes)

I lived in Grasshopper block in 1983/4 and returned in 1987/8 to complete my B.Ed. degree.  If you google my name, you’ll find numerous articles about me.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/9420758.blind-navigator-andrew-going-strong-rallying/

I’ve attached a photo of myself at work, with my rather attractive secretary (so I’m told)…!

I think my fondest memory is playing hide and seek in the mansion during Xmas 1983.. they never found me behind all the art canvases!    I could go on, but did you know Enid Blyton’s niece Kath Blyton studied English there between 1983 and 1986.  She was really beautiful I recall.

I was primarily an art student at Bretton--studying dance, drama and inter-arts as my other subjects.

This is one of my exhibits. Did printmaking with Andy Anderson head of art dept. But did some ceramics too.

The other photo is a fairly recent headshot. I was born in 1958, so this year was a landmark for me personally. Currently I live in Solana Beach, California. I've been married 20 years and have four children. I am a professional writer contributing to local newspapers, arts magazines, etc and. I have two books published and a third is in the works.

Cheers!

~Diane
www.dianewelch.com
Retelling people's stories, past and present

A selection of Sporting images from this period