Dame Shirley Bassey's percussionist. . .and Andy Kershaw.

Will Self and John Williams (the classical guitarist). Neither there at the same time as me.

Someone I know was in the same class as Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. He wore a brown suit to school.

Their singer. No, really.

Robert Dougall, Martin Jarvis and Steve Punt (he was in the year below me and used to write very pretentious poems for the school mag).

Jimmy Carr
Ulrika Johnsson
David Connolly (Republic of Ireland football international)
Becky Rule (lad's mag favourite and darts presenter)

All at the same time as me apart from Ulrika ka ka ka.

John Bonham
John Sessions
Toby Litt
Monty Panesar

ye Gods.

I went to the same school as the drummer out of Imagination's younger brother, and some bloke who joined a late version of The Tygers of Pan Tang. BEAT THAT.

The Kemp Brothers from Spandau
Zammo from Grange Hill
um...Danny from Hearsay....um
A couple of Blue Rondo A La Turk went to my sixth form. Or at least they hung around the art class.
Trevor Nelson the DJ
and Lee Hurst the comedian.

My favourite ex pupil from my old school though is:

Ronnie Scott.

How cool is that?

From which I note that I went to the same school as a member of Maximo Park and one of Groove Armada, though not at the same time of course. I'm a bit more excited to learn that I was preceded by the legendary Noel Gay.

Prodigy's Firestarter, though at the time (bless him) he was a little chubbier, had less tattoos and slightly more conservative hair-do's.

Read somewhere recently that Neil Diamond went to the same Brooklyn school, in the same year, as Neil Sedaka, Barbara Streisand and the chess player Bobbie Fischer. It would be quite interesting to know of any other famous people, who you wouldn’t think of as being “linked” (or even contemporaries) who went to the same school at roughly the same time. The only example I can think of is the newsreader Peter Sissons who went to the same primary school as John Lennon, then onto the same secondary school as Paul and George.

the author of "Firefox" and other such thrillers, was our English teacher at Shire Oak Grammar School for the first few years I was there. A decent enough teacher, though I can't say I'm a fan of his books.

I win on Diversity : Radio 4 women's hour Jenni Murray , the drummer from Saxon's daughter and The Arctic Monkey's.

That has really impressed me Fraser - he's a legend. I would have thought he was an English teacher such is his appreciation of Shakespear.

both went to Clissold Park School (but not at the same time)

...who did very well for himself in Dire Straits.

My very best pal in my first year at Elgin Academy, in the north-east of Scotland, was Kevin McKidd, who went on the play Tommy in 'Trainspotting' (the one who died horribly of toxoplasmosis) and star in Mike Leigh's 'Topsy Turvy'. I recently spotted him in that big, bright HBO 'Rome' thing on the BBC.

Back then he was just a tubby wee ginger kid with a very fine sense of humour and a definite love of the limelight. We kept in contact for a few years after I moved south aged 13, but lost touch after a while. I think he lives in LA nowadays and is doing very well.

The school made national press when it banned football at breaktimes and lunchtimes after a teacher was hit in the face with a ball.The two-week ban was criticised as being "nanny state nonsense", but the school maintains that the ban was intended to get pupils to play more responsibly in future.

The names of our houses have also changed from Protestant Martyrs to the far more politically correct:

Angelou, Curie, Redgrave, Tenzing

...was in the same year at school as me. Memorably, Ed, me and a guy called Richard Small (who shied away from being called Dick, for some reason) were all in the same class for one subject in the lower 6th. How the teacher enjoyed referring to us collectively as Small, Balls and Ellcock...!

Isn't there an educational connection between them?

Trevor Horn before me, and er, Rick Parfitt Jr after me

Never heard of him. Folk musician apparently.

Also Paul Mayhew-Archer co-writer of Vicar of Dibley. He taught me english lit briefly. Probably doesn't count.

Not terribly interesting. Edit - John Mason comprehensive school Abingdon BTW.

Colleges are different, not least because people move to go to them.

...but my school produced some notable alumni :

Harold Wilson - PM, obv.
Paul Usher - 'Barry' from Brookside
Kenneth Halliwell - partner of Joe Orton.
Alex Cox - director of Repo Man and others
Steve Jones - 'celebrity' genetics professor

you would think that after covering politics, science, the arts and 'Brooky' we'd have a musician of some sort, but unfortunately not!

Rich

Went to the same school as me and I used to deliver the weekly free paper to her parents' house...

as regards my old grammar school.
It mentions Paul O'Grady, but I've been told this is a mistake and no-one remembers him.
It omits Dave Balfe (Teardrop Explodes keyboard player and sometime Blur manager), John Gorman (Scaffold / Liverpool Scene, Grimms and Tiswas), Steve Coppell (Reading manager) and the late Arthur Dooley (sculptor famous in the 60's).

Poor showing for my old Comp. Colin Jones (welterweight boxer)is the only notable ex-pupil. Melinda Messenger's ex-husband Wayne Roberts was a couple of years behind me, fame by association though in his case.

has produced Michael Fish/weather, Michael Praed (nee Prince)/Dynasty, Eddie Izzard/comedy and McFly/also comedy.
And me.
Imperialist southern lackeys, one and all.

But Both Admiral Lord Nelson and Stephen Fry attended my sixth form college, as far as I am aware they were at separate times.

Should have read all the way down before I included this...

Dave Clague, who I believe was a bass player in the Bonzos, was my Chemistry and form teacher at High School...although they may have just shared a name. However, the rumour was he was the real one. I can't imagine too many 12 year olds starting that rumour.

I was at Leeds College of Art and Design the same time as Ricky Wilson from Kaiser Chiefs.. but my dad trumped me really as he went to school and lived 2 doors down from Alan Bennett In Armley, Leeds... typical competitive dad!!

Oh and I used to babysit Jez Varley out of techno bleepsters LFO when he was a wee bairn!

Someone mentioned him already, but I think they might have been talking college since I'm not aware of any Parfitts in the north-east...Anyhoo, Mr Horn is the only famous person ever to have been to my school. Pretty much.

was a source of some pride, back when I was a student with a load of toff mates

but it's no fun when your school's wikipedia entry has not one mention of a famous old boy/girl, and nor does the school's own website, which first has to define alumni to the reader and then goes on to list nobody at all

the best I can offer is journeyman footballer Imre Varadi's younger brother - predictably the PE teacher was in thrall to the name, and so Varadi jr always got to play centre forward. Bah. A long and inauspicious career as a right back can be traced to this favouritism...

, ex of The Mekons & The Three Johns, subject of Cynthia Plastercaster & now Alt-country Renaissance man, used to make everyone terribly jealous when he was a year above me at Bettws High in Newport. He was effortlessly cool, had the best looking girlfriend & was the first to have a car. On top of that he was a very nice chap, and no doubt still is. Previous alumni were Leslie ('Virgin Soldiers') Thomas & Percy Edwards, who, younger readers will be fascinated to know, trod the variety theatre boards as a birdsong imitator.

Ray Mears, David Walliams and Norman Cook.

Unfortunately, I can't light a fire from sticks, act comedically, nor create genre-straddling dance music, but never mind, eh?

"the best I can offer is journeyman footballer Imre Varadi's younger brother"

I've just dropped a coffee on my desk and almost fallen off my chair so hard am I laughing!

I used to go to school in Southampton on a ferry and then a bus. I travelled with a rather stroppy and cool American who was a few years above me, called Mark Eitzel. I distinctly remember him reproving my poor teenage taste in SF and suggesting Alfred Bester and J G Ballard ...

... so I was rather surprised a few years ago to see a CD by one Mark Eitzel in Virgin. His excellent solo live one, it features a track called "Take Courage" about an ad he used to see on the #14 bus. I have, as you can imagine, followed his subsequent career with interest, as they say.

John Motson and Paula Pryke (flower lady) went to my school. Not at the same time as each other or me. I'm looking forward to Motty's rock'n'roll memoirs of sheepskin orgies in the school gym...

Most of the members of 80's punk legends DISCHARGE went to my school.

Yes, I was at junior school in Bushey Heath with him out of Wham!

His parents still lived in the area until a few years ago, leading to a rather surreal encounter. I was home for the weekend visiting my mum, and we went to a local fete, where we bumped into Mrs Ridgeley (who Mum knew from various local committees). The conversation went something like this:

Mum: "This is my son Tim. He was at school with your Andrew" [ie nearly 30 years ago]
Mrs R: "Oh really? And what do you do now?"
Me: [Embarrassed mumbling to the effect that I was a journalist]
Mrs R: "That's nice"
Me: "And, um, what's Andrew up to these days?" [ie now that's he abandoned his failed solo pop/motor racing/restaurant-owning careers]
Mrs R: "He and Keren [that'll be her out of Bananarama, then] live in Cornwall now. He spends most of his time surfing, etc etc"

Anyone else had an embarrassing encounter with a pop star's parent?

The Bluetones went to my school. Indeed one of the feckers still has mine and Ed's fuzz pedal we lent them.

you should ask them to (Slight) return it.

...Fitzalan High School was a bit low on celebrity! I think there was a photo of a boy band outside the headmaster's office and a letter from one of their members who used to be in our school but I can't remember who they were. They weren't well known, I know that much!

However, an old English teacher of mine when I was in the sixth form (very nice bloke) is an author-http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/4604231.stm

One Doctor Who episode from 2006 called 'School Reunion' was also largely filmed there.

A bit off-topic, but a friend goes to university and knowing my long-time love of Genesis told me he knows someone who is apparently the son of an early member of Genesis; I've no idea who that member is but the son also went to Charterhouse.

Crowlees Catholic boys school Mirfield - sadly no longer in existence - the unlikely alma mater of Captain Jean Luc Picard himself aka Patrick Stewart - and me!

...Muse were in my year at Exeter College.

Not old school rock stars, but they rocked my old school.

my mate rob went to altrincham grammar and now works in the music industry

a few years back he was working at the V festival. one of his clients said - hey robert, do you want to come backstage and meet ian brown. rob thought, yeah why not, stone roses fan 'n all.

they wander over and find ian relaxing before his scheduled headline appearance. before he could even be introduced ian calls out 'rob, how's it going?'.

turns out both ian and jon squire were in the year below at the same school, and ian distinctly remembered him. as for rob - he never even knew the stone roses were at his school

Paul Tunkin (Of Blow Up fame) went to my school although I didn't know him then.

And I went to college with Planet Mondo main man Dave C. (Now ther's famous).

Primary school, we had Ian Moore (Nottingham Forest, Tranmere and Burnley centre-forward) and Dwayne West (rugby player of some description, his dad played for Wigan, I think Dwayne ended up at St Helens at one point?), and although they were years apart I was there at the same time as both of them.

High school, a lad called Bruce Alexander who was, I believe the first ever goalkeeper to come on as a sub in a Scottish league game.

According to Wikipedia, the keyboard player from Snow Patrol was there as well. Can't remember him though.

Oh, and Sonia sat next to my cousin in History. Like I said...not very musical...

The bass player apparently.

I much prefer having Sir Ian McKellen as an old boy.

And Nigel Short.

i get to claim the super furry animals, and aled jones (no relation)

went to the same school as gordon brown - kirkcaldy high, but quite a bit after him. I did once date his ex-girlfriend's ( sheena mcdonald) little sister, but she was technically insane. hello alison if youre watching.

Ralf Little, Mark Radcliff and Ian McKellan here. I was at school at the same time as one of them.

or indeed to the school I now work at. However, I do work with the Trombone player of 'Snuff'. He's a science teacher.

I went to school with Steve Morris of New Order / Joy Division - keen prog rock fan and nice middle class boy. How we laughed when he said in interviews that he'd bought his first drum kit with money made by chopping up his parents' furniture for firewood when we all knew perfectly well it had arrived gift wrapped "with love from Mum and Dad".

...Truro School, Truro, Cornwall. BEnjamin Luxon went there too.

Some years before me, of course. Apparently RT went out with my former sister-in-law's sister for a bit.

Oh yes, and I went to the same University as KT Tunstall (Royal Holloway College, University of London) but some years after me, of course. Susan Bullock and Dame Felicity Lott went there too.

Also, I don't know whether it counts but, when I was living in Egham all four members of B*Witched worked in our local Tescos while recordign their first album and singles.

Marcus Trescothick (ex-England cricketer) went to the same primary and secondary schools as me. Ian Holloway (crackers football manager) also went to the secondary.

Then went to sixth form college, but the only one I can think of from there was some bloke who was in Hollyoaks and Holby City!

Finally Merton College, Oxford - lots to choose from, including:

Mark Thompson (DG, BBC)
Mark Haddon (Curious Incident...)
Andy Cato (Groove Armada)
Adam Hart Davis (TV annoyance)
T.S. Eliot
Kris Kristoffersen
Jeremy Isaacs (World at War)
Frank Bough
Roger Bannister (4 minute mile)
J.R.R. Tolkein

...both briefly went to my school and was even more briefly taught by my great-grandfather, who was a teacher at same establishment: Southend High, sometime in the early 1950s. According to family legend, gramps wasn't impressed with the young Vic/Viv, apparently describing him as "that awful boy". Viv was later expelled for fighting.

is whiner supreme Stephen Fretwell and, erm research ahoy, the bass player out of Little Angels, whom I once helped encourage to leave the stage via a shower of plastic glasses. (Sorry, chum, if you're reading)

Bernard William Jewry just predated me at school (Southwell Minster Grammar), after which he morphed into Shane Fenton, only later to morph once more into Alvin Stardust.

Not much of a claim to fame, but might as well try and double my points I guess....

Try this lot:

Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)
John Lill (classical pianist)
Derek Jacobi (actor, never ever mentioned by head in list of famous Old Boys!)
Frank Muir (comedy genius)
Michael McStay (actor in 'No Hiding Place' TV show)

How could I forget:

Bobby Crush ('Opportunity Knocks' winning piano player and as I recall a HUGE Cilla Black fan)

Was in the year below me at secondary school in North London for a short time, circa 1970-72.
Rather disputatious fellow, I recall.

Graham Greene and Simon Reynolds went to my school, a long time and a short while before me respectively.

Plus Anthony Hopkins (not that one).

...was in the year above Mrs B, at the achingly trendy Holland Park Comp. That's the year above. A subject of great annual hilarity when Ms Huston appears in the birthdays section of the paper and seems, year after year, to be cheating both the march of time and the laws of nature.

Robert Howard (for it is he) was a few years above (i.e. older than) me at King Edward VII Grammar School, King's Lynn, though only for a few years when his family emigrated back from Australia. His nickname was Bubs (don't know why), and he was famous for playing T Rex all the time on the 6th form common room stereo. After The Fame Years he moved back to Norfolk (even naming his label Fen Tiger) so must have liked the area...

Famous for educating Kenneth Wolstenholme, Alan Ball and the actor David Bamber. Oh and me!

Accipe lumen atque imperti

At Hamilton Grammar (Scotland, near Glasgow) in the 1970s I found out that Ron Geesin had attended school there in the 50s (I think).
And the young detective from the original Taggert ('Nobody move!There's binna murrrdderr!' was at the same school in late 70s/early 80s.
And, er, that's it, I'm afraid.
Dougie Wells
(now Sydney)

Those who suffered at the hands of the playfully sadistic priests at this august institution include Sting, Neil Tennant, Declan Donnelly (of Ant and ... fame) and Lawrie McNenemy. Don't let this give you the impression that St Cuthbert's is some sort of Geordie luvvie stage school.

Sandi Thom apparently although that's a bit of cheat since when i was there it was boys only ... much happier to mention Martin Buchan (Aberdeen, Man Utd and Scotland), then there was LibDem MSP Nicol Stephen and journalist/Tory MP Michael Gove ... musically speaking, Radio Scotland heedrum hodrum music show host Robbie Shepherd and sometimes DJ and Scottish TV presenter Robin Galloway

Technically I probably overlapped with Stephen (who's older) and Gove (younger) but didn't know them ... miles older than Thom, miles younger than Buchan/Shepherd ... shared the same spacetime as Galloway however

Quite a few notable pupils from my old school. These were some way before my time, though -
Sir Rex Harrison, Sir Simon Rattle, Richard Stilgoe, Deryck Guyler, cricketer Kenneth Cranston, and TV sports presenter Elton Welsby.

Before my time (but I still feel strangely proud) : Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz. In the year below me : the odious Nick Griffin (BNP), about whom I feel rather less proprietorial. Suffice it to say he doesn't appear to have become any nicer...

Peter Frampton although he was older but not bald then. Also a childhood pal was Nicky Headon who later was a drummer with a popular combo known as The Clash by which time we had lost touch and one of my old schools had Ted Hughes as a pupil for a while but long before me. Anyone else out there from Mexbrough Grammar?