After publishing several successful books on educational themes, I began work about two years ago on a history of Chippenham Secondary School.

This was the school that operated in what is now Cocklebury Road (and in its very earliest years in The Causeway) from April 1896 to August 1939 under E N Tuck (1896-1929), H S Rosen (1929-1932), B A Fletcher (1932-1935) and H W Heckstall-Smith.

In September 1939 it moved into new premises in Hardenhuish Park with Sydney Farrar as head.

That history is factually complete. What I am now very keen to achieve is contact with inhabitants of the area who may remember, or who had anything at all to do with, that school between its founding and its move in 1939.

You may have memories of your time there, or you may remember one or more of the teachers at the school.

You may recall your parents (or grandparents?) talking about it, or it could be that you have a photograph or some other documentary memento of the school during those years.

If this is the case, could I ask you to ring me (01225) 862928 so that we can, very briefly in the first instance, discuss your involvement with the school.

Experience shows that many people think "Ah, I was there then, but I really can't remember anything that could be of any interest at all." Almost always, they are wrong. So please ring anyway.

Again, it may be that you know someone who no longer lives in this area who attended Chippenham Secondary School whom it would be useful for me to contact. I should also like to hear about them.

I believe that when this project is finished it will be of interest locally, particularly so if local people, in however small a way, have been involved in its compilation, so please contact me however much or however little you feel you have to offer.

K D BERRY

Meadowfield

Bradford on Avon