Mayfield Schoolboys Move Into Space Age
From the Ilford Recorder – Thursday June 4th, 1964

Art Master Mr. H. L. Braham explains some of the technicalities to boys of the space age generation

Harry Braham, Alan Thompson, Leonard Marder and Philip Wyatt

Space travel has been occupying the minds of Mayfield Secondary Boys so much that, throughout this week, they are holding a space exhibition at the school. During Space Week they are hoping to encourage an interest in space travel and arouse curiosity about the universe. The exhibition includes a tape recording of an astronaut and ground control transmissions, and models of Blue Streak and the Ariel Satellite. Also on display are a fascinating assortment of rocket motor parts which have been loaned by EMI Electronics Ltd, McMichael Ltd and Hawker Siddeley. The boys  have also contributed to the exhibition and have provided an interesting collection of paintings on space subjects, as well as a number of essays and models.

Of particular interest was a model of the British Blue Streak contribution to a three-stage booster rocket which eventually will put a 1-ton satellite into a 300-mile orbit, giving facilities for scientific observations in space. Other models on display were the Telstar satellite and the Russian Vostok space vehicle. Fifteen panels showed the U.S. manned space programme, detailing the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects, and a tape recording of astronaut John Glenn talking to ground control from Friendship 7 Capsule.

Preparing for the space age

The attention of these space-minded youngsters is fixed on a model of the Ariel satellite which was one of many interesting items on display at the Space Exhibition.

Barry Moakes, Malcolm Relf, Harry Mundy, Jan Holtz, Laurence Hocking

I remember, when setting up the exhibition, I made an appointment with Hawker Siddeley to arrange the loan of some space models. But I put the wrong date in my diary and arrived a week late for the meeting. Apparently, there was a panic when I failed to appear. The work done there was top secret and they had security staff searching for me. I had to grovel when I arrived a week late.
– Harry Braham