Herbert Barrs (Cl 42-48)

I was at KSW from 1942 (I think!) until 1947 - the days of "make do and mend". We had to take turns to sweep the classrooms after school each day. The headmaster F R Kittermaster took classes along with the teachers as did his wife. I recall both of them as being good at what they did.

FRK took the war effort seriously.Saving paper was part of that.He used to take part-usedwork by other pupils,cut off the unused bits and distribute them for the class to use during tests. The most memorable master was H A Natan who thought and acted beyond the classroom. He persuaded my father to let me go on the first school holiday to Europe after the war.hat gave me a lifelong love of travel for which I have always been grateful. In Paris he took us to the Follies Bergere which gave me one of my claims to have had a liberal education. The other was that, despite its associations with the cathedral, there was no attempt to force religion upon us. My essays, and those of classmates, expressing doubtswere returned without rebuke.Mentions in recent papers of other masters stir some memories, One is of the deputy headmaster called Thomas -"The Bird". he was also the science master and incredibly easy to sidetrack onto unrelated matters such as motoring with the result that as exams came we were only part-way through the requisite reading matter. Perhaps that was where my ambition to become an astronomer died! But I remember his classes with pleasure. He also ran the school shop and, as part of the war effort, sold National Savings Certificates.One other memory if of the classics master "Aristotle" Franklin who looked very much the part for his job. I disliked Latin which was then a compulsory subject up to 5th Form level. It was boring and based very much on a translation such as "The Romans were fighting the barbarians with bows and arrows" and reading Caesar's account of the Gallic wars. So one day when he was giving us a tests of writing down the Latin for words he read out the whole class was taken aback when he said "Don't fence me in" which was a popular song of the day. None of us could believe that Latin could be used in everyday English and the concept of Aristotle listening to popular music was difficult to believe. But I still remember "Noli me circumcludere" and despite my dislike of Latin at the time - and the fact that it was the only subject where I did not get better than a pass in my School Certificate -I have come to value what I learnt of it. I would not advocate it being brought back as a compulsory subject but feel the part in developing our own language is something worth knowing and understanding.

I progressed to the 6th Form. Somehow it was taken for granted that I wouldtry for a scholarship to University - in those days that was very much the exception. In the summer holidays of 1947 I suddenly decided that I wanted to start work and my parents were content with my decision. I started as a clerical officer in the Air Ministry at Worcester until called up for my National Service in the RAF the following year.

After initial training we were allowedto state a choice of which Command we wished to join. My love of travel caused me to specify all the overseas ones starting with Far East. Preferences were ignored and I was sent to Nottingham. If my wish had been granted I would probably have become involved in the Korean war which developed later and caused national service to be extended from 18 months to 2 years.

I do not think that my service did anything for the defence of the realm. Many of my fellow conscripts had "demob chats" and ticked off the days remaining days before freedom. My own recollection is of time passing quite pleasantly but uselessly. I ended up on a liaison party at a USAF-RAF base in Suffolk. My demob date coincided with American Thanksgiving Day. I was free to leave as early as I pleasedbut stayed on to a great meal of Maryland turkey and all the trimmings with a band playing. So my departure from the RAF was on good terms.

I had thought of wandering around Europe for a while before resuming work but the time of year and other factors caused me to abandon the idea.While in the RAF I had passed the examination to join Customs & Excise and was persuaded to join it the day after my demob leave finished. Years later I blessed that decision as my public service service counted from the day I had joined the Air Ministry, included time in the RAF and meant that I had

the maximum 40 years service towards a full pension and able to take advantage of early retirement.

But many, varied and enjoyable years passed before then. Initial trainingtook me to London, Worcester, Bristol and Edinburghwhere I met the girl who would later become my wife. Then I became one of the mobile staff deployed to meet needs such as sickness, seasonal pressures etc. Thattook me at first to London where I have memories of the incredibly inefficient docks in the pre-containerisation era. I was glad to escape to the region based on Northampton and spent a lot of time in Luton including visits to the Vauxhall factory and paying the quarterly visit to the quiet airfield which later became Luton Airport. In those days four visits per year by the local Excise officer to look at air traffc records was the extent of Customs control.

1959: My first fixed post in Birmingham dealing with Purchase Tax which was superseded by VATyears later.

Later that year I married the girl I had met in Edinburgh in 1952. We had remained in touch, mainly by birthday and Christmas cards. No romance until the year before we were married. I still marvel at my luck that she waited for me. I was surprised that, born in Co Down and having lived in Edinburgh for over 10 years, she liked Birmingham and the newly-built house we chose while waiting for the engagement ring to be adjusted for size.She never wanted to move and I still live in it. Unfortunately she died in 1993.

In 1967 I was promoted to Surveyor: the departmental description for District manager This meant a few years as mobile staff mainly relievingSurveyors as they took 3-week spells of leave. This took me to many interesting places in England and Wales. The troubles were starting in Northen Irelandand there was no local man available so I had no competition in enjoying regular trips to Belfast, Newry, Armagh and Enniskillen. My wife accompanied me and stayed with her relations.

In 1970 I got my own District in Sutton Coldfield then Birmingham Airport followed by Solihull before being promoted again to a Divisional manager post at first in one of the 3 Birmingham VAT offices then to take charge of Birmingham Excise Division which had District Offices in Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, Stoke on Trent, Wolverhampton and Dudley

So my experience and contact with a wide range of trades and industries continued. It was life I greatly enjoyed but when I had done my 40 years and early retirement was on offer in 1998 the financial maths coupled with a feeling that Iwas ready to enjoyretirement caused me to accept. I worked till 11pm the night before retirement trying to give a pet project a final boost but left the following day and never regretted the decision.

We settled down to enjoy retirement with frequent visits to Spain.Ireland and Scotland but that changed when my wife was diagnosed with cancer.

Having known for some time that her death was inevitable probably helped me to accept my changed circumstances and after a pause to adjust I resumed my visits to Spain, Ireland and Scotland and tackle my changed circumstances. I added the USA to my destinations. My wife had never fancied the long haul flight but I have enjoyed them and hiring a car and driving around wherever the mood took me especially in the western states.I had enough flying lessons to enjoy being in control of a plane and the sceneryfrom lower altitudes than commercial yets and to convince myself that I was unlikely to become a competent pilot.Now as I near my 80th birthday I have decided that there is something to be said for "been there; done it" and am content at home."

(2011)