SCHOOL days are the best days of your life so the saying goes.

And that certainly seems to be the case for many former pupils of Boteler Grammar School.

Earlier this month in Yester Years, we printed a picture of a group of former staff members at the Latchford school.

The picture was from the early 1970s and had many readers write in with memories of the school and staff.

One such was Brian Fiddler, from Appleton, who says his time at Boteler in the 1960s were ‘by far the best years of my life’.

He added: “I attended BGS from 1960-67 before going on to higher education after A Levels.

“On the extreme left on the back row/standing is Don Stobbs, he was head of PE and had the nickname Killer – every past Boteler boy will confirm that it was a most appropriate nickname.

“Second from left and standing back row is Jim Ryan, a most wonderful young history teacher with the patience of a saint.

“Still on the back row/standing and third in from the right is John Thomason, also a PE teacher and who gave me great encouragement in my swimming career, he also did much valuable community work with St James Church on Wilderspool Causeway.

“On the front row /kneeling on extreme left is Geoff Dutton – a superb English teacher and who also took part in all of the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas as well as taking lead roles for Crosfields Operatic Society.

“On front row/kneeling second in from the right is Bill Oxley – a great physics teacher who eventually became deputy head of Great Sankey High School.

“It is now over half a century since I left Boteler, yet the memory of those vivid and wonderful years still remains strong.

“My teaching career enabled me to see and experience schools all over the UK and the world but I can categorically say that none ever came near to the standard attained by Boteler, we were all hugely privileged to have attended there.

“I taught in two Warrington schools – English Martyrs and Priestley College and the greatest honour was to be among the same staff that included Geoff Dutton and Jim Ryan.”

n Got memories of your school days?

The email us via newsdesk@guardiangrp.co.uk or write to Yester Years, Warrington Guardian, Unit 4, 240 Cygnet Court, Warrington, WA1 1PP.