Old boys! TV pair reunite to recall Shrewsbury school days
[gallery] Two of the region's best-known broadcasters were making the news themselves when they were reunited at the Shrewsbury prep school they attended 60 years ago.
The BBC's Nick Owen and ITV's Bob Warman returned – this time both in long trousers – to the classroom at Kingsland Grange prep school in Shrewsbury, which is today known as Shrewsbury High Prep School.
The pair met here for the first time as eight-year-olds in September 1955 – and despite growing up to be rival broadcasters they remain good friends.
Yesterday the newsreaders reunited to film a segment for their TV programmes.
It was a chance to see what had changed at their old school as well as comparing notes on the past 60 years.
Nick said: "Bob has been in television 42 years, I have done 37, and other than my family I think I've known Bob longer than anyone. He's actually my oldest friend, would you believe.
"It's good but strange to be back here with Bob, actually. Physically, the layout is pretty much the same. The headmaster's study is pretty much the same, then there's the old football pitch where I remember scoring a few goals."
The pair were talking from inside the headmaster's office, and Bob said he, too, remembered the layout – as he should, having been given the cane in here on a number of occasions.
"Strangely, there were three headmasters back then and I had the cane from two of them," he said.
"And when you were given the cane you knew about it – sometimes you'd draw blood.
"I was mainly given the cane for talking in my dorm or smoking on school grounds. This was the place where I learnt to smoke. I would have been around nine or 10 at the time."
At the age of 13, the pair went their separate ways to different schools.
Nick remained in Shrewsbury, attending Shrewsbury School, while Bob attended Wrekin College in Wellington.
But in a twist of fate, the pair met again 20 years later in the newsroom of the Birmingham Post and Mail.
After cutting their teeth in print journalism, the pair both went in to radio before starting their television careers.
Nick said his love of journalism actually began while boarding at Kingsland Grange.
He would hand write his own newspaper and take it to a copier to print.
Bob, on the other hand, started out as a civil engineer, but switched to journalism after being inspired by his older brother, who worked on a newspaper.
Bob said: "I was a civil engineer which made my father happy, so of course he was appalled when I went into journalism. But, hey, I'm still in work doing it today and it's been fantastic."
The news duo's return to their former school saw them tour the buildings and take part in a maths lesson.
The visit also gave them a chance to reminisce and share their memories of their time at the Shrewsbury school.
Bob said: "I did spend a lot of time outside the headmaster's study so I remember vividly the inscription on the fireplace outside it. It was 'East or west, home is best' – that's stayed with me for years.
"Another thing I remember about life here was the boredom. There were no PlayStations or games consoles back then, we had to make our own fun. So I joined the Scouts, which was a relief.
"It was a form of escapism, we'd make dens and make up fires. It was good for us."
Bob and Nick also pored over old school photographs and memorabilia to show the film crew, including a prayer book Bob was given and a cricket ball he had won for throwing the ball the furthest.
Kate Millichamp, current headteacher of Shrewsbury High Prep School, said the school was "thrilled" to welcome the broadcasters back.
She said: "It's been great to open up the school to them and interesting to hear their stories from their time here. It sounded like a different world.
"I think education today is about educating the whole child; back then schooling was much different, as we heard from the punishments."
Watch Nick and Bob go back to school on Monday, September 28 on ITV Central News from 6pm and BBC Midlands Today from 6.30pm.
