LENNON and McCartney and guitar legend Brian May count him among their major influences and Lonnie Donegan was the first British artist to have his first five records in the top five of the UK singles chart.

But this most respected of pop stars has a strong Altrincham connection. Lonnie, or Anthony as he was born, was evacuated to the town in 1939 as an eight year old, to escape the London Blitz.

He and his mum lived with his uncle and auntie, Tom and Grace Baxter, in Hillcroft Road, Oldfield Brow and Lonnie carried on his education at St Ambrose College. Lonnie attended Ambrose, at its original Dunham Road site, until 1946.

Tom and Grace Baxter would go on to serve as Mayor and Mayoress of Altrincham in the 1950s. Their nephew would go on to be a pop star with 17 top 10 UK chart hits to his name but as a schoolboy he demonstrated another flair - for writing.

He won a prize for an article he wrote for the collrge magazine, The Ambrosian, in Easter 1945. Anthony Donegan, as he was then, also demonstrated a wisdom far beyond his teenage years.

One particularly eye catching paragraph reads: “In January a number of lessons were missed owing to the bad weather, but I don’t think any voices were raised in protest. We are constantly told that when we grow up we shall regret the time lost in class. Perhaps some day we shall regret the time lost in class. Perhaps some day we shall understand this truth fully, and before it is too late.”

The King of Skiffle, as he later became, was officially recognised for his contribution to music in 2000 when he was summoned to Buckingham Palace to receive the MBE. It was also the year he was invited to play the world famous Glastonbury Festival. It was also a memorable year for Ambrose old boy Peter Mulhern, who met Lonnie while was touring the UK.

Writing for the school website, Peter said: “I was able to have a brief word with him, passing on, of course, the good wishes of his old school. No groupies, no orgy, just a regular guy.” Two years later, Lonnie Donegan was dead, suffering a heart attack while on tour. He was 71. We can only speculate as to what he would have made of the smart, new state of the art St Ambrose building.

* Did you study with Lonnie Donegan at St Ambrose College? Please send your memories to Rick Bowen, Messenger, 7 Crossford Court, Dane Road, Sale, M33 7BZ or e-mail rbowen@messengergrp.co.uk

Credit - material for this article was obtained from the St Ambrose College website.