Download 'Start!' Issue One - February 1982

I'm indebted to Lis McLean for sending me a copy of the very first issue of Start! which was published in February 1982. I actually remember buying this and I have a feeling there were a few more issues produced around the same time. (If anyone has any further issues lurking in their attic please drop me a line at eddiesphotos@icloud.com and I'll happily share them on the site.)

The editor, Mark Hale, goes out of his way to explain that this is not a school magazine. It was printed outside of school and those involved retained editorial control, although there was some input from staff, notably from Mr Sparks and Mr Statham.

It's a great read and a lovely piece of student history. As to the content I think Mark sells it best in his editorial. 'If I could briefly introduce what we have in this edition. Well, apart from the usual sex, sex, Maths homework, sex and sex, we have a great deal of variety to suit all tastes. Well, that's a lie actually, you have to have a really perverse sense of humour, like doing Maths homework, and like tying metal straps on various parts of your body.' 

What are you waiting for! You can download a copy of the magazine right here.

Lis also had an original, fully realised Gilberd School photo-story, 'The Harsh Lesson of Love', which I would imagine was intended for inclusion in a future issue of the magazine. Anyone who went to the North Hill site will immediately recognise most of the locations in the photos.

It's probably important to say at this point that, as far as I know, the characters and events portrayed in this photo-story are fictional and not based on any real people or events! You can download the photo-story here.

My thanks to Lis for preserving and sharing these little pieces of Gilberd history. Do please drop me a line if you have anything similar that you think other Gilberdians would enjoy seeing. 

Finally, Eddie and I would just like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our thanks to everyone who has visited the site, got in touch and/or sent us material since we launched in March. We have been overwhelmed by the response.