Vanbrugh Castle School

Top row : L.Pascoe, R.Carlinge, R.Guthrie, D.Rose
Middle row : W.Johnstone, J.Kerr, D.Sampson, L.Rose
Bottom row : G.Williams, S.Willis, K.Hammond

Staff and pupils with Louis Bleriot - 1934

Bleriot, a great friend of Alexander Duckham, is in the third row from the back(holding hat & stick) sitting next to Madame Bleriot. On his right is Alexander Duckham, with his wife, who gave the castle to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
Captain Slimming (the Controller of the school) is sitting next to Mrs Duckham the 3rd row.

Top row : P.Foreman, J.Garner, E.Maddocks, ??, D.Sampson, ??, ??, K.Morfett, J.Morris, L.Pascoe
2nd row : F.Guthrie, F.Orchard, C.Longman, E.Hollier, E.Cotton, R.Cook, ??, E.Orchard, R.Garlidge, D.Rose, P.Stevens, D.Hollier, C.Hammond
3rd row : P.Anderson, Mrs B.Slimming (Matron), Visitor, Visitor, Capt. G.A.Slimming (controller), Mrs Duckham, Mr Alexander Duckham, M.Louis Bleriot, Madame Bleriot, Visitor, Visitor, A.Johnstone, H.Collins, C.Webster
Front row : L.Rose, J.Kerr, W.Johnstone, P.Conlon, J.Slimming, ??, A.East, ??, ??, S.Willis, ??

Three old boys, Dennis Sampson, Geoffrey Williams and Peter Foreman (see the top photograph), re-visit the school after 25 years.
Undated photograph, but they appear to be standing on the stump of the oak tree at the castle entrance, so it was about 1955.
Dennis served in the RAF 2758 Squadron as a gunner /signaller.
At the time of this visit Dennis was working on the River Thames, Geoff was employed in the shoe manufacturing industry and Peter had a position with de-Havilland, in the field of engineering.
Dennis was still fit and well, aged about 95yrs in 2017.