Mark Elsey (RGS 1974-1978)

Looking back, the Prefects’ photo from 1978 always makes me smile, full of responsibility and convinced we were running the place. Just a year before, I’d been part of the L6 1st XV (1976–1977). We were smaller in those earlier years, but we made up for it with grit and determination. Rugby 7s that same year was faster, sharper — relentless, but great fun. 

1978 was also a landmark year for the school, as the first girls joined the Sixth Form. It brought a new energy and a sense that the school was evolving before our eyes — something that felt both significant and exciting to be part of. 

School life wasn’t only about sport. I still remember David Jones in French — patient, dry-witted, and impossible to fool if you hadn’t done your prep. The drama department was thriving too; The Physicists was a particular highlight, and the Prefects’ Review gave us the chance to let our hair down. Our rendition of “Three Little Maids” raised more than a few eyebrows — and plenty of laughs. 

We didn’t quite realise it at the time, but we were living through moments that would become lasting memories. 

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