Russell Profitt
​​I arrived in the UK in 1961 and was signed up to Barnsbury Boys by my mum on a friends recommendation…..

I joined the 3rd Year…(3AG as I remember??) I had a tough time making friends as I was new, and black, and because you guys were in friendship groups and school teams going back possibly to Primary Schools, and most certainly from the First Year…

Lessons were rowdy or quiet depending on Teachers in charge….Griffiths….Bayliss and Maths Teachers hard….Mr Walton, Arts master hobbled about and was kind…I liked his lessons and the way the Art Room was messy but welcoming….

Later …..I was awarded a Prize in 1965….helped me to prepare for Debates….I was in the Debating Society… …and I went on the school trip to Lloret De Mar….I picked up some French and Spanish along the way…and the desire for many things including the love of travelling around  Europe. The lady who took us for Spanish that year was OK, but not that well trained to deal with us rowdy pupils…. I said rowdy!!

I left in 1966 - before the merger - and got into Goldsmiths College……Thanks to Bonky's  advice…..I was in a 'Careers advisory discussion'…. with Mr Smith (??) careers master, when Bonky came in and Smith explained that I was more arts than science. "Well," he said…."lots of 'your people' are coming 'over here' these days…. we can do with some of your people in the profession…..you should go into teacher training…" then swept out gown hanging off his shoulder as he hitched up his trousers with both his arms as he used to do sweeping through the rooms and the corridors on the ground floor..

Anyway, I recently found an old Barnsbury prize-giving programme for 1964 …lots and lots of Brass Band playing stuff….

However, we all featured that year …. along with the wonderfully gifted Wong boys and others.