A Personal View 9
Status: 15 articles 12.01.2021
Status: 15 articles 12.01.2021
Mr Murray
The boys' Hockey coach
The boys' Hockey coach
Photo: Batey
Table of Contents
1. What we had at HGS
2. Miss Ward 3. The School Office 1937-39 4. Finger, Thumb or Dum. 5. A Perfect Head of Hair |
6. Website Graphs and Lists
7. Reflections on Life at HGS 8. The Honours Boards 9. Letter from a former student 10. Maureen Ardron remembers |
11. Sid Kenningham HGS 1950-59
12. Mr. Hamilton’s 1948 Address 13. 1957-58 brings 3A and hard work 14. 1958-59 and 4S arrives for Dave 15. Thoughts about 5S |
1. What we had at HGS
Some of us were very busy at HGS.
I came across this little gem in a green Report Book with a linen spine. The entries at the back list height and weight twice a year as taken by the PE teacher, which in my case was Miss Parkin 1955 and 1956. She married and became Mrs Blatherwick for 1957. By the end of 1957 Olive Walker had taken over until 1959. Miss Musgrave then made the rest of the entries until I left in 1962. There was also a House record on the back page, filled in for the whole of my HGS school life by the Holgate Teacher, Miss Kath Ward. It listed involvement in Music Competitions, House Dramatics, Swimming, Netball, Hockey, Tennis, Athletics, House Relay Team, and added to these, in the 6th year House Vice-Captain, 7th year House Captain. How did we ever have time for lessons!
These activities, which we took so much for granted, are now paraded as something special in today's educational scene. Such diversity of opportunity was the norm for us, and included after-school clubs, Geography Trips, Holidays Abroad, Trips to Stratford, Ilkley Sevens, Yorkshire Athletics Championships, School Plays, Music Competitions, Film Society, Esperanto, Chess, a Bridge Club, the Student Christian Movement, and an annual London visit by a small group of pupils for the Conference of the Council for World Citizenship. We were entertained by the Staff Play and the Music Concert. We were stretched by the team games of Hockey, Tennis, Rugby, Netball, Rounders, and Cricket, where progress was rewarded with team colours. We could shine as individuals on the athletic field, in a debate in the Lecture Theatre or musically on the stage in the Main Hall. Form prizes were Awarded annually during Speech Day at the Hippodrome to those who shone academically. Some wrote poetry, others produced articles in the School Magazine. In 1961 a French Exhibition was staged in the library by the 4th form, and there was a Drama Club of Lower 6th students which toured a production around the area in aid of various charities.
I have probably missed something, other than the Fives court, but even from this ad hoc remembrance, one can see that the HGS philosophy was to equip its pupils to get the most out of life when they left, and to give them a taste of things other than those at which they were naturally gifted. Those people we all met at HGS came into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Any way you look at it, attending HGS was a memorable time for everyone, and this site celebrates it.
Sheila Kelsall HGS 1955-62
I came across this little gem in a green Report Book with a linen spine. The entries at the back list height and weight twice a year as taken by the PE teacher, which in my case was Miss Parkin 1955 and 1956. She married and became Mrs Blatherwick for 1957. By the end of 1957 Olive Walker had taken over until 1959. Miss Musgrave then made the rest of the entries until I left in 1962. There was also a House record on the back page, filled in for the whole of my HGS school life by the Holgate Teacher, Miss Kath Ward. It listed involvement in Music Competitions, House Dramatics, Swimming, Netball, Hockey, Tennis, Athletics, House Relay Team, and added to these, in the 6th year House Vice-Captain, 7th year House Captain. How did we ever have time for lessons!
These activities, which we took so much for granted, are now paraded as something special in today's educational scene. Such diversity of opportunity was the norm for us, and included after-school clubs, Geography Trips, Holidays Abroad, Trips to Stratford, Ilkley Sevens, Yorkshire Athletics Championships, School Plays, Music Competitions, Film Society, Esperanto, Chess, a Bridge Club, the Student Christian Movement, and an annual London visit by a small group of pupils for the Conference of the Council for World Citizenship. We were entertained by the Staff Play and the Music Concert. We were stretched by the team games of Hockey, Tennis, Rugby, Netball, Rounders, and Cricket, where progress was rewarded with team colours. We could shine as individuals on the athletic field, in a debate in the Lecture Theatre or musically on the stage in the Main Hall. Form prizes were Awarded annually during Speech Day at the Hippodrome to those who shone academically. Some wrote poetry, others produced articles in the School Magazine. In 1961 a French Exhibition was staged in the library by the 4th form, and there was a Drama Club of Lower 6th students which toured a production around the area in aid of various charities.
I have probably missed something, other than the Fives court, but even from this ad hoc remembrance, one can see that the HGS philosophy was to equip its pupils to get the most out of life when they left, and to give them a taste of things other than those at which they were naturally gifted. Those people we all met at HGS came into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Any way you look at it, attending HGS was a memorable time for everyone, and this site celebrates it.
Sheila Kelsall HGS 1955-62
2. Miss Ward
I first met Miss Ward in 1956 when I was in 2A. She was our History Teacher. I sat at the front of the class and could not get away with anything. Not even popping in the odd sweet! I remember that Albert Parkin, a future teacher at HGS, was sat to my right. Our classroom was directly opposite Mr Hamilton's office so the class never messed about at all. 35 little angels.
I was usually no good at History, and strangely enough that is why Miss Ward and I became friends. My homework on the Romans that day was very poor. We had a smile about it and I promised to improve. Ice broken! With Miss Ward I progressed OK in History (25th to 15th to 2nd - for the three terms of that school year). Amazing. She was probably the one teacher who put me on the right path at HGS. I felt very comfortable with her as a teacher and I "put my head down" for the first time ever. I think I did not want to let her down.
By chance we became colleagues in the same department for 15 years at the school she went to in 1968. We stayed friends and met just about every year until she sadly passed away in 2014.
Dave McKenzie
I was usually no good at History, and strangely enough that is why Miss Ward and I became friends. My homework on the Romans that day was very poor. We had a smile about it and I promised to improve. Ice broken! With Miss Ward I progressed OK in History (25th to 15th to 2nd - for the three terms of that school year). Amazing. She was probably the one teacher who put me on the right path at HGS. I felt very comfortable with her as a teacher and I "put my head down" for the first time ever. I think I did not want to let her down.
By chance we became colleagues in the same department for 15 years at the school she went to in 1968. We stayed friends and met just about every year until she sadly passed away in 2014.
Dave McKenzie
At the end of this term we shall reluctantly say goodbye to Miss. Ward, who is leaving to take up the post of Senior Mistress at Willowgarth School. Miss. Ward was appointed to the staff of Hemsworth Grammar School in 1948 as Assistant Mistress to teach Geography. She has, during her stay with us, given most generously of her time and skill, and there are few school activities with which she has not been associated. The teaching of Geography has occupied first place in her work, but she has also taken a prominent part in the organisation of field courses, visits abroad, Stratford Theatre parties, and School and Staff plays. Folk Dancing has been her special responsibility for many years, and it is perhaps significant that her departure coincides with the disappearance of the H.G.S. Folk Dancing Festival. Miss. Ward has also been a member of the P.T.A. Committee almost from the start, and is well-known to parents of past and present pupils. As Liaison Officer between the School and the Old Hilmians, she has kept many old students in touch with school affairs, and has also kept the school up to date with news of its former pupils. She has been a vital link between past and present, and there are many former students who think with gratitude and affection of H.G.S., and of Miss Ward. We shall miss her; her friendliness, her never-failing readiness to help and her dependability. These qualities have endeared her to us all. We wish her well in her new appointment, and hope she will always have kindly memories of Hemsworth Grammar School.
Miss Smith
Miss Smith
2A 1956-57
Back Row L-R: Gordon Bond, Robert Taylor, David Hartley, Peter Kaye, Brian Stead, David McKenzie, John Turner
Third Row L-R: Neville Mozley, Edward Pickles, Neil Whalley, Michael Harrison, Frank Picken, Godfrey Wass, Leonard Linsey, Brian Lees, Louis Taylor
Second Row L-R: Christine Whittaker, Margaret Smith, Sheila Baker, Janet Marston, Brenda Nettleton, Patricia Miles, Patricia Cockburn, Jean Hardcastle, Geraldine Walker, Patricia Whitehall.
Front Row L-R: Joan Foster, Barbara Wilby, Margaret Birkin, Doreen Tyrrell, Mr. Wall, Keith Gainey, Albert Parkin, Wray Vamplew, Ray Griffiths
Form Prize was awarded to Wray Vamplew.
Third Row L-R: Neville Mozley, Edward Pickles, Neil Whalley, Michael Harrison, Frank Picken, Godfrey Wass, Leonard Linsey, Brian Lees, Louis Taylor
Second Row L-R: Christine Whittaker, Margaret Smith, Sheila Baker, Janet Marston, Brenda Nettleton, Patricia Miles, Patricia Cockburn, Jean Hardcastle, Geraldine Walker, Patricia Whitehall.
Front Row L-R: Joan Foster, Barbara Wilby, Margaret Birkin, Doreen Tyrrell, Mr. Wall, Keith Gainey, Albert Parkin, Wray Vamplew, Ray Griffiths
Form Prize was awarded to Wray Vamplew.
3. The School Office 1937-39
In those now distant days, when the Grammar School had a teaching staff of 22 and a pupil population of about 420, the salary scales ranged from the Head's £640 to the Assistant Secretary's £20 per annum. The School Office had a staff of two. The Secretary's salary was £50 p.a.The two secretaries were responsible for the typing of all correspondence, the greater part of which was from the shorthand notes they made from the Headmaster's dictation. The Assistant Secretary was responsible for the maintenance of all class registers. "Presence" was not recorded at all. Absence was entered in red ink using the list of absentees written by a class monitor and verified by the teacher taking the first class each morning and afternoon.The Secretaries maintained the milk registers - "free" and "paid for", the latter at the rate of one half-penny per bottle. Orders for milk were likewise the responsibility of the office staff. Notwithstanding the fact that the Secretary was only 17, 18 or 19 years of age he (or she) was required to produce the school time-table (16 or 17 classes, 35 periods per week) once the Headmaster had determined (normally in each May ) which teachers would take which classes and the number of periods per week per subject per class. Ignoring split classes (e.g. boys P.E. whilst the girls took R.E.) between 500 and 600 rectangles had to be 'filled in', checked to ensure that members of staff were not expected to be in two places at once and finally rooms allocated. Fortunately it was rare for more than two staff changes to take place in a school year so it was possible for the Secretary to extract individual teachers' timetables and post them to homes or holiday locations in mid-August and to have class timetables ready for form teachers on the first day of the school year. As office appointments were restricted to a one year tour of duty as Assistant Secretary followed by another year as Secretary, the producer of the timetable had only one year's experience to go on before he undertook the task himself. It was easy inadvertently to allocate Class 1b 4 perlods of French in the afternoon and only one in the mornIng when a ratio a.m./p.m of at least 3:2 was desired and at the worst 2:3 would be most reluctantly acceptable! Schools of 2,000 pupils, 80 classes, 120 staff and 3,000 rectangle computer-designed timetables were not even distant clouds on the horizon!
In the second half of each term the two secretaries typed, proof-read, duplicated, collated, bound and helped with the selling of the School Magazine priced at sixpence a copy. The duplication alone required twenty-two thousand revolutions of the hand-operated Gestetner (500 copies of 44 pages) with every page 'interwoven' to prevent printer's ink from marking the back of every sheet. From the total receipts of £10 to £20, depending on the number of advertisements and complimentary copies, the Secretary was awarded five shillings and his Assistant half-a-crown plus several excellent evening teas produced by the wonderful school cook, Mrs Cliff, the caretaker's wife, whenever overtime on the magazine was necessary. Collation, for example, could be done only when the Technical Drawing Office (in the old coach-house) was vacant. 500 copies meant 500 journeys round that room picking up one copy of every sheet.
During the second half of the weeks allocated to magazine work, the Office Staff were busy typing and duplicating examination papers and keeping an eye on the steady circulation of the pupils' report books to make sure that every book was ready for the Headmaster's perusal, written final comments and signature. In the third term other duties were the checking, packing and despatch, to all parts of Britain, of the external examination scripts in accordance with the lists of markers' names and addresses supplied by the Northern Universities' Joint Matriculation Board. Every knot on every envelope had to be wax-sealed otherwise the local postmaster would refuse to accept it for registration. Another hefty task given to the Secretary early each October was the completion and despatch to London of the very detailed forms required by the Board of Education. The Board Forms set out the weekly work-load of every class below the Sixth Form expressed in periods per week per subject and for the Sixth Form by individual pupil depending on his or her selection of subjects at Lower and/or Higher School Certificate level. As my successor has no recollection of these documents I can but assume that they were abolished very soon after the declaration of war.
The ability of 16 or 17 year olds to undertake the fairly onerous responsibilities in the school office was the outcome of a very good general education augmented in the Fourth and Fifth Forms by three periods a week in each of Shorthand and Book-keeping, both taught by Mr Collette and one half-hour per week after school teaching oneself touch-typing on one of the two 1924 Remingtons in the small room on the right of the half-landing of the main staircase. The office itself was the small room facing the massive oak doors in the centre of the front of Hemsworth Hall, ie separating the boy and girl prefects' rooms.
W.G. Branford (former Head's Secretary)
In the second half of each term the two secretaries typed, proof-read, duplicated, collated, bound and helped with the selling of the School Magazine priced at sixpence a copy. The duplication alone required twenty-two thousand revolutions of the hand-operated Gestetner (500 copies of 44 pages) with every page 'interwoven' to prevent printer's ink from marking the back of every sheet. From the total receipts of £10 to £20, depending on the number of advertisements and complimentary copies, the Secretary was awarded five shillings and his Assistant half-a-crown plus several excellent evening teas produced by the wonderful school cook, Mrs Cliff, the caretaker's wife, whenever overtime on the magazine was necessary. Collation, for example, could be done only when the Technical Drawing Office (in the old coach-house) was vacant. 500 copies meant 500 journeys round that room picking up one copy of every sheet.
During the second half of the weeks allocated to magazine work, the Office Staff were busy typing and duplicating examination papers and keeping an eye on the steady circulation of the pupils' report books to make sure that every book was ready for the Headmaster's perusal, written final comments and signature. In the third term other duties were the checking, packing and despatch, to all parts of Britain, of the external examination scripts in accordance with the lists of markers' names and addresses supplied by the Northern Universities' Joint Matriculation Board. Every knot on every envelope had to be wax-sealed otherwise the local postmaster would refuse to accept it for registration. Another hefty task given to the Secretary early each October was the completion and despatch to London of the very detailed forms required by the Board of Education. The Board Forms set out the weekly work-load of every class below the Sixth Form expressed in periods per week per subject and for the Sixth Form by individual pupil depending on his or her selection of subjects at Lower and/or Higher School Certificate level. As my successor has no recollection of these documents I can but assume that they were abolished very soon after the declaration of war.
The ability of 16 or 17 year olds to undertake the fairly onerous responsibilities in the school office was the outcome of a very good general education augmented in the Fourth and Fifth Forms by three periods a week in each of Shorthand and Book-keeping, both taught by Mr Collette and one half-hour per week after school teaching oneself touch-typing on one of the two 1924 Remingtons in the small room on the right of the half-landing of the main staircase. The office itself was the small room facing the massive oak doors in the centre of the front of Hemsworth Hall, ie separating the boy and girl prefects' rooms.
W.G. Branford (former Head's Secretary)
4. Finger, Thumb or Dum.
David Worgan writes:
Congratulations on an excellent web site. Having read Sheila Kelsall’s account of the pig sties, I was vividly reminded of the amazingly anarchic game ‘Finger, Thumb or Dum’ which took place in the vicinity of the pig sties. Basically the game consisted of two teams of 8 or more slightly deranged boys. The team who were the ‘backs’ placed one boy in contact with and facing the wall with the remainder placing their heads between the previous boys legs making a row of backs. The team who were ‘on’ then had to get every member of their team on to this row of backs using a leap frogging action. Once every member of the team were on the backs (numbers were critical at this point believe you me) the captain of the ‘on’ team then held up either a finger, a thumb, or a dum (fist). The captain of the backs unbelievably then had to guess which of these three options the other captain was displaying. If the guess was correct then the teams changed postions (backs becoming ons), if incorrect then the teams stayed in position and the process was repeated. Remember this was the West Riding in the 1950’s long before Equal Opportunities (singing treble was a definite advantage) and the HSE! Can anyone enlighten me on the finer points of the game (technicalities, language, unofficial records etc.) and am I right in thinking that a version of this game appears in Breugel’s “Childrens' Games”?
Cheers,
Worg (June 2002)
Congratulations on an excellent web site. Having read Sheila Kelsall’s account of the pig sties, I was vividly reminded of the amazingly anarchic game ‘Finger, Thumb or Dum’ which took place in the vicinity of the pig sties. Basically the game consisted of two teams of 8 or more slightly deranged boys. The team who were the ‘backs’ placed one boy in contact with and facing the wall with the remainder placing their heads between the previous boys legs making a row of backs. The team who were ‘on’ then had to get every member of their team on to this row of backs using a leap frogging action. Once every member of the team were on the backs (numbers were critical at this point believe you me) the captain of the ‘on’ team then held up either a finger, a thumb, or a dum (fist). The captain of the backs unbelievably then had to guess which of these three options the other captain was displaying. If the guess was correct then the teams changed postions (backs becoming ons), if incorrect then the teams stayed in position and the process was repeated. Remember this was the West Riding in the 1950’s long before Equal Opportunities (singing treble was a definite advantage) and the HSE! Can anyone enlighten me on the finer points of the game (technicalities, language, unofficial records etc.) and am I right in thinking that a version of this game appears in Breugel’s “Childrens' Games”?
Cheers,
Worg (June 2002)
Christine Nicholson..(Nikki)
Not always boys played this game ..as a gymnast ..sporty girl I was often asked to be a member of a team along with Pam Hawkes who could leapfrog better than the lads!! Our prowess was only marred by our gym slips which we regularly tore to shreds and had to wear 'mended' until told by Miss Smith to smarten up and maybe get a new one !!!
Peter Cooper
I remember this well. Being light I was usually the first to go because I could get right to the front of the backs. When we were the backs I was usually the pillar. You got many a smack in the face in this position. It rarely got to the finger thumb or dum stage because the backs usually collapsed before then. HSE would have it banned in no time today. It didn’t stop us playing it!
5. A Perfect Head of Hair
by Robert Taylor, HGS 1955-60, Holgate
My dark brown hair was plentiful at that time, but it was fine and soft, and so it needed quite a lot of attention in order to achieve the right effect. There was a washroom at the corner which was created by two of the corridors in the main part of the school. Most of my time in front of the mirrors in the washroom was spent trying to tease my 'floater' into the appropriate shape, so that it dangled serenely over my forehead, but it was extremely difficult to achieve the desired effect because of the soft nature of my hair. I had found a 'morning solution' to my problem, which was to wash my hair with shampoo, brush my mother's green setting-lotion into my hair, and then brush it out once my hair had set - before I set off for school. My peaked cap, which had alternating red and navy blue segmented triangles with their apexes fastened with a blue button at the top, would then be placed precariously on the crown of my head, so that it didn't affect the main theme of my creation. The cap had been deliberately kicked about and shrunk so that the disturbance to my hair was minimised, and when I arrived at the school, my first port of call was the washroom - in order restore my hair to its former grandeur.
It was fortunate that the wearing of the caps wasn't mandatory in the external school recreation areas, but I also had to contend with wind and rain - the slightest breeze would reduce my hair into a tangled mess because of its softness. And even if there was no breeze at all, I would find that my hair in general, and my 'floater' in particular, would gradually sag throughout the day.
One of the other minor irritations which I had to endure was that there was a Georgian-framed glass window that overlooked one of the main corridors, from the perspective of the wash-room itself. My attention to my grooming was sometimes distracted because of my gradual awareness that there has been an interruption to the general flow of students passing along the corridor behind me. I would often find that the reflection of my own image would include that of a female teacher, or a pair of immature female students, staring with bemusement at my attempts to create a perfect head of hair. I merely scowled inwardly, in such a manner that my contempt was revealed only through my eyes, and then I would return to the main focus of my attentions. Giggling, immature female students, and bemused female teachers did not bother me at all!
Quite honestly, I don't think any of the other students ever noticed the difference to my hair when I eventually reached the classroom; but the important thing to me was that - I did!
My dark brown hair was plentiful at that time, but it was fine and soft, and so it needed quite a lot of attention in order to achieve the right effect. There was a washroom at the corner which was created by two of the corridors in the main part of the school. Most of my time in front of the mirrors in the washroom was spent trying to tease my 'floater' into the appropriate shape, so that it dangled serenely over my forehead, but it was extremely difficult to achieve the desired effect because of the soft nature of my hair. I had found a 'morning solution' to my problem, which was to wash my hair with shampoo, brush my mother's green setting-lotion into my hair, and then brush it out once my hair had set - before I set off for school. My peaked cap, which had alternating red and navy blue segmented triangles with their apexes fastened with a blue button at the top, would then be placed precariously on the crown of my head, so that it didn't affect the main theme of my creation. The cap had been deliberately kicked about and shrunk so that the disturbance to my hair was minimised, and when I arrived at the school, my first port of call was the washroom - in order restore my hair to its former grandeur.
It was fortunate that the wearing of the caps wasn't mandatory in the external school recreation areas, but I also had to contend with wind and rain - the slightest breeze would reduce my hair into a tangled mess because of its softness. And even if there was no breeze at all, I would find that my hair in general, and my 'floater' in particular, would gradually sag throughout the day.
One of the other minor irritations which I had to endure was that there was a Georgian-framed glass window that overlooked one of the main corridors, from the perspective of the wash-room itself. My attention to my grooming was sometimes distracted because of my gradual awareness that there has been an interruption to the general flow of students passing along the corridor behind me. I would often find that the reflection of my own image would include that of a female teacher, or a pair of immature female students, staring with bemusement at my attempts to create a perfect head of hair. I merely scowled inwardly, in such a manner that my contempt was revealed only through my eyes, and then I would return to the main focus of my attentions. Giggling, immature female students, and bemused female teachers did not bother me at all!
Quite honestly, I don't think any of the other students ever noticed the difference to my hair when I eventually reached the classroom; but the important thing to me was that - I did!
Daphne Hart
How lovely to read this, Bob. I hope you are well. Strange how so many of the lads from school who had lovely curly hair lost it years ago. Mine is well sprinkled with white, but it is properly curly now thanks to nature. It wasn’t till I married that I found out how vain young men were about their hair, so I found your post really amusing. Next big birthday for our year at HGS will be eighty! Where have all the years gone?
How lovely to read this, Bob. I hope you are well. Strange how so many of the lads from school who had lovely curly hair lost it years ago. Mine is well sprinkled with white, but it is properly curly now thanks to nature. It wasn’t till I married that I found out how vain young men were about their hair, so I found your post really amusing. Next big birthday for our year at HGS will be eighty! Where have all the years gone?
6. Website Graphs and Lists
Explanations of the Terms used
Explanations of the Terms used
Page Views:
The number of pages that visitors viewed on a given day. A single visitor may view one or more pages.
Unique Visitors:
The number of individual visitors who came to the site in a specified time-period. Note that the "unique visitors" number should be smaller than the "page views" number since one person may visit multiple pages and generate multiple page views.
Top Active Pages:
The pages on the website with the most visits. The Home page (/) is likely to generate the most visits. The index page controls access to the pages within the index. Whether the pages are "attractive" or "interesting" is subjective and dependent upon the website visitor.
Referring Sites:
If a visitor clicked a link on another website to reach our site then they have been "referred" to our website by this other site. The more inbound links we have pointing to our site, the better our internet search rank will likely end up being.
When looking back over our personal histories, we all have differing information requirements. A topic such as a school "taken out of History" must try to cover all aspects concerned with the origin, growth/development and eventual demise of the institution. This means that this website could become very large and perhaps unwieldy. However, the factual limitations are many and depend on the information which has been recorded over the 46 years of the school's life. Many school websites today understandably reside only in the present. For those schools the development of a future, related nostalgia site will be very difficult due to the paucity of recorded material.
In 2021 some of the further development of this site will come from the anecdotes which you provide. I hope you will continue to do this as it creates a great deal of interest in the site when visitors can relate to what you have recalled. Obviously all of the pages within the website are subordinate to, and must be related to, the theme of the website which is HGS. The degree of specificity in this website is very high and has only brief references to the educational establishment which followed in 1968. I am aware of the fact that many of the site's visitors did continue their education into HHS, so, where relevant, their views on the differences or transition between HGS and HHS have been incorporated into some of the articles. Thank you for your contributions.
When all is said and done, the website statistics are very important as they may decide in the future whether the website lives or dies. It has died twice before but both times this was because the website provider was taken over and closed down. The present website provider is Weebly which is owned by Square. These are both companies in the USA.
Dave
The number of pages that visitors viewed on a given day. A single visitor may view one or more pages.
Unique Visitors:
The number of individual visitors who came to the site in a specified time-period. Note that the "unique visitors" number should be smaller than the "page views" number since one person may visit multiple pages and generate multiple page views.
Top Active Pages:
The pages on the website with the most visits. The Home page (/) is likely to generate the most visits. The index page controls access to the pages within the index. Whether the pages are "attractive" or "interesting" is subjective and dependent upon the website visitor.
Referring Sites:
If a visitor clicked a link on another website to reach our site then they have been "referred" to our website by this other site. The more inbound links we have pointing to our site, the better our internet search rank will likely end up being.
When looking back over our personal histories, we all have differing information requirements. A topic such as a school "taken out of History" must try to cover all aspects concerned with the origin, growth/development and eventual demise of the institution. This means that this website could become very large and perhaps unwieldy. However, the factual limitations are many and depend on the information which has been recorded over the 46 years of the school's life. Many school websites today understandably reside only in the present. For those schools the development of a future, related nostalgia site will be very difficult due to the paucity of recorded material.
In 2021 some of the further development of this site will come from the anecdotes which you provide. I hope you will continue to do this as it creates a great deal of interest in the site when visitors can relate to what you have recalled. Obviously all of the pages within the website are subordinate to, and must be related to, the theme of the website which is HGS. The degree of specificity in this website is very high and has only brief references to the educational establishment which followed in 1968. I am aware of the fact that many of the site's visitors did continue their education into HHS, so, where relevant, their views on the differences or transition between HGS and HHS have been incorporated into some of the articles. Thank you for your contributions.
When all is said and done, the website statistics are very important as they may decide in the future whether the website lives or dies. It has died twice before but both times this was because the website provider was taken over and closed down. The present website provider is Weebly which is owned by Square. These are both companies in the USA.
Dave
7. Reflections on Life at Hemsworth Grammar School
I always think that my Grammar School life actually began on the morning that our Junior School Headmaster read out the names of those of us who had passed the Scholarship. I literally wept for joy and then, having been given permission because of the occasion, sped home to announce the good news. For the next few weeks I walked on air. There might never before have been a gymslip bought, a School bag polished, a ‘bus pass issued.
The great day arrived and I came down to earth with a most awful bump. I felt very small and insignificant standing there in the School Hall. The prefects looked so tall and reserved; the Staff so remote and stern in their gowns; the gilt lettering round the panelling so formidable and so completely strange. I thought that I would never get used to this School. How I longed for the little School from which I had come. The first day was one mad frightening rush – attempting to find classrooms; learning names; getting dinner tickets (this was always a nightmare to me, as I was always afraid of being left without dinner). Time went on, and of course I did get used to it eventually. School life became quite a routine, with all the odd incidents standing out in my memory.
Funny isn’t it, how all the seemingly unimportant things are remembered best. The first winter was a very severe one – lots of snow and frost and fog. Near our ‘bus stop was a pond where we all used to congregate for a session of sliding before the ‘bus arrived to take us to our hive of industry. One morning, after a severe frost, excitement having quite gone to my head, I ventured on to some thin ice and before I knew what happened I fell in, new gymslip and all. I trailed miserably home to change and for weeks afterwards was tormented with a lot of sarcastic remarks. Talking of frost reminds me of another mild form of torture which I went through that winter. We were learning French phonetics and the effort of saying “a”, “e”, “i” etc. with chapped lips stretched to cracking point was something which has to be experienced before it can be believed.
The Osiris players came to School that winter – it was the first time I had seen anything so wonderful. I sat through the show open-mouthed and developed a great admiration for those women which has not abated in the least. I think that those shows, together with the School plays, were the brightest spots in my School life. My dearest ambition after seeing “She Stoops to Conquer” was to act in a School play and wear a crinoline and a curly wig (I had short, straight hair). This I never managed and so I still nurse in my bosom a burning desire to sweep majestically around in a gorgeous hooped gown.
In the 2nd Form I attended my first film show in the Art room with my first boy friend. We sat on one of the sinks at the back of the room eating toffees and holding sticky, ink-stained hands. I though it all quite wonderful, and so it was until Mr Hamilton came along to us and started a discussion on costumes through the ages. I never forgave him for that!
My first contribution to the School Magazine was made whilst I was in the 2nd Form. It was a short, despairing protest (I had been encouraged in this by my Form master) against the commandeering of the cloakroom mirrors by the senior girls. It brought down on my head a torrent of abuse and I vowed that I would never again write anything for the magazine.
In my 3rd year I joined the Choir and was sure that because of that we won the 1st place in the Pontefract Musical Festival. I can remember nothing about that day – music, adjudication, songs or anything, except the fact that Miss Townsend bought a great bag of toffees and handed them round in the ‘bus. (Stomach again.)
The work we did at School, the examinations, the homework we did or did not do, are all quite hazy now, but the little, silly things are still fresh in my mind such as: forgetting my magazine money after a final warning and being reduced to a dithering idiot by the cutting remarks of the English teacher; sliding down the corridor and falling right at Miss Shortridge’s feet as she came round the corner; seeing Miss Kenward faint in the Staff Play and wondering how she did it without hurting herself; hating the doctor’s periodic visits; acting behind the footlights for the first time, and hundreds of others which, if I were to write them all down here would probably fill the magazine.
They were grand days and though not exactly the happiest days of my life, they rank a close second. I only wish that all the children now at the old School and those who are yet to come will have in their later years as happy memories of their School days as I have.
’Persome’
The great day arrived and I came down to earth with a most awful bump. I felt very small and insignificant standing there in the School Hall. The prefects looked so tall and reserved; the Staff so remote and stern in their gowns; the gilt lettering round the panelling so formidable and so completely strange. I thought that I would never get used to this School. How I longed for the little School from which I had come. The first day was one mad frightening rush – attempting to find classrooms; learning names; getting dinner tickets (this was always a nightmare to me, as I was always afraid of being left without dinner). Time went on, and of course I did get used to it eventually. School life became quite a routine, with all the odd incidents standing out in my memory.
Funny isn’t it, how all the seemingly unimportant things are remembered best. The first winter was a very severe one – lots of snow and frost and fog. Near our ‘bus stop was a pond where we all used to congregate for a session of sliding before the ‘bus arrived to take us to our hive of industry. One morning, after a severe frost, excitement having quite gone to my head, I ventured on to some thin ice and before I knew what happened I fell in, new gymslip and all. I trailed miserably home to change and for weeks afterwards was tormented with a lot of sarcastic remarks. Talking of frost reminds me of another mild form of torture which I went through that winter. We were learning French phonetics and the effort of saying “a”, “e”, “i” etc. with chapped lips stretched to cracking point was something which has to be experienced before it can be believed.
The Osiris players came to School that winter – it was the first time I had seen anything so wonderful. I sat through the show open-mouthed and developed a great admiration for those women which has not abated in the least. I think that those shows, together with the School plays, were the brightest spots in my School life. My dearest ambition after seeing “She Stoops to Conquer” was to act in a School play and wear a crinoline and a curly wig (I had short, straight hair). This I never managed and so I still nurse in my bosom a burning desire to sweep majestically around in a gorgeous hooped gown.
In the 2nd Form I attended my first film show in the Art room with my first boy friend. We sat on one of the sinks at the back of the room eating toffees and holding sticky, ink-stained hands. I though it all quite wonderful, and so it was until Mr Hamilton came along to us and started a discussion on costumes through the ages. I never forgave him for that!
My first contribution to the School Magazine was made whilst I was in the 2nd Form. It was a short, despairing protest (I had been encouraged in this by my Form master) against the commandeering of the cloakroom mirrors by the senior girls. It brought down on my head a torrent of abuse and I vowed that I would never again write anything for the magazine.
In my 3rd year I joined the Choir and was sure that because of that we won the 1st place in the Pontefract Musical Festival. I can remember nothing about that day – music, adjudication, songs or anything, except the fact that Miss Townsend bought a great bag of toffees and handed them round in the ‘bus. (Stomach again.)
The work we did at School, the examinations, the homework we did or did not do, are all quite hazy now, but the little, silly things are still fresh in my mind such as: forgetting my magazine money after a final warning and being reduced to a dithering idiot by the cutting remarks of the English teacher; sliding down the corridor and falling right at Miss Shortridge’s feet as she came round the corner; seeing Miss Kenward faint in the Staff Play and wondering how she did it without hurting herself; hating the doctor’s periodic visits; acting behind the footlights for the first time, and hundreds of others which, if I were to write them all down here would probably fill the magazine.
They were grand days and though not exactly the happiest days of my life, they rank a close second. I only wish that all the children now at the old School and those who are yet to come will have in their later years as happy memories of their School days as I have.
’Persome’
8. The Honours Boards
The Scholarships and Exhibitions Board
In late 1931 an idea had been discussed by the Governors that Honours Boards in School would be a good method of displaying the academic successes of the pupils. A request had been made to the West Riding Education Authority for the requisite funds to supply and fix these Boards, and in February 1932 the reply of County Hall was received. The provision of Honours Boards was refused, "owing to the present need for economy". The Clerk to the Governors, Mr. Charles Crossley, reported that the Authorities had recommended a book in which to place the Honours Lists. The price of the Honours Boards would be about £15 / 0s / 0d, and the Book would cost a little over £2 / 0s / 0d. Capt. Hallam (one of the Governors) had an extreme reaction to this. He said that the Governors should press for the Boards to be installed, adding "the County Hall's suggestions are absolute tripe".
The economic circumstances in the country at that time (the Hungry Thirties) and especially in the North of England, meant that many of the 7 million people depending on the dole lived in the North, and riots provoked by hunger marchers were taking place in many cities. The refusal of the body which held the purse strings to supply such non-essential items can have come as no surprise to anyone other than the Governors!
Sheila Kelsall
The economic circumstances in the country at that time (the Hungry Thirties) and especially in the North of England, meant that many of the 7 million people depending on the dole lived in the North, and riots provoked by hunger marchers were taking place in many cities. The refusal of the body which held the purse strings to supply such non-essential items can have come as no surprise to anyone other than the Governors!
Sheila Kelsall
An extract from the Honours Boards
Comments
David Nuttall
My mother's brother, Rev Arthur Mart's name appeared on the Honours Board after he attained a first class Honours Degree in Divinity and the Classics of Latin and Greek at Edinburgh University . He previously attended Hemsworth Grammar School ...not sure of the dates . It would be a great loss if the boards have not been retained and stored.
My mother's brother, Rev Arthur Mart's name appeared on the Honours Board after he attained a first class Honours Degree in Divinity and the Classics of Latin and Greek at Edinburgh University . He previously attended Hemsworth Grammar School ...not sure of the dates . It would be a great loss if the boards have not been retained and stored.
Tony Horsfall
I remember looking longingly at the boards on the hall and hoping that one day my name would be there. It was an inspiration to me. Sadly, at the end of my school life, they were removed all together.
I remember looking longingly at the boards on the hall and hoping that one day my name would be there. It was an inspiration to me. Sadly, at the end of my school life, they were removed all together.
Terry McCroakam
As a former Head Boy and now teaching there, it was heart breaking being aware of the Honours Boards burning. I felt sorry for Mr Hamilton who retired at Christmas 1967. I saw him for the last time standing at the top of the stairs near the big window near room 10. I often wonder what he was thinking after 30 years at HGS.
Further HGS-HHS
HGS was destroyed both in the structural/material sense and its academic/traditional sense. Anything to do with the grammar school had to go. The House system was dismantled, the cups and shields went (although some mysteriously reappeared years later), honours boards were taken down and many were destroyed. School assemblies went. They were replaced by year assemblies. The uniform went. Sports Day as we/you knew it went. Competition was frowned upon at that time. The school became a place without tradition.
As a former Head Boy and now teaching there, it was heart breaking being aware of the Honours Boards burning. I felt sorry for Mr Hamilton who retired at Christmas 1967. I saw him for the last time standing at the top of the stairs near the big window near room 10. I often wonder what he was thinking after 30 years at HGS.
Further HGS-HHS
HGS was destroyed both in the structural/material sense and its academic/traditional sense. Anything to do with the grammar school had to go. The House system was dismantled, the cups and shields went (although some mysteriously reappeared years later), honours boards were taken down and many were destroyed. School assemblies went. They were replaced by year assemblies. The uniform went. Sports Day as we/you knew it went. Competition was frowned upon at that time. The school became a place without tradition.
David Nuttall
I can probably surmise that the removal of the honours boards was likely to be at the instigation of the new Headteacher of the newly named Hemsworth High School . I find this surprising because decent educational provision should be about measured judgements, respect for others, tolerance and empathy and a sense of history. The removal and destruction of these boards, far from being symptomatic of a new regime, demonstrated a lack of understanding and, perhaps, a measure of insecurity on the part of those deciding policy for the new school. Surely some kind of happy compromise could have been found without this vandalism.
I can probably surmise that the removal of the honours boards was likely to be at the instigation of the new Headteacher of the newly named Hemsworth High School . I find this surprising because decent educational provision should be about measured judgements, respect for others, tolerance and empathy and a sense of history. The removal and destruction of these boards, far from being symptomatic of a new regime, demonstrated a lack of understanding and, perhaps, a measure of insecurity on the part of those deciding policy for the new school. Surely some kind of happy compromise could have been found without this vandalism.
9. A letter from a former student 6th March, 1952. From the School Magazine 1952.
Mr Collette
It was a very pleasant surprise to hear from Mr. Collette, recently, inviting me to write an article on some of my nursing experiences at Belsen Concentration Camp. Memories came rushing back, as I read the letter, of the old school of which I was so proud, pleasant memories which linger on through the years. Somehow, unpleasant ones, few though they be, disappear.
After four years training at Leeds General Infirmary, I became a State Registered Nurse, and then volunteered to serve, with the Army. We were stationed at a Base Hospital in Belgium for a while, then flown from Brussels to Celle in Germany, and then on to Belsen by road. The original Camp, which was known as the Horror Camp, had been liberated about three weeks when we arrived, and a great deal had already been done by the British, but there was still a terrific amount to do. Stories of what had happened there before the liberation were too awful to believe, unless you could see the horror in the eyes of the people as they spoke, and the unspoken evidence in their wasted and diseased bodies. Mere words could not explain the state in which we found these horror-stricken victims. A thousand persons had been placed in huts built for fifty; they were all starved or semi-starved. Five hundred and more died or were killed each day. Typhus, tuberculosis and other diseases were raging.
When the British first came, there were ten thousand dead lying about the Camp. Those who were still alive were using the dead bodies for pillows. S.S. Guards were made to give the dead a decent burial - I believe quite a number of guards also found their way into the graves! But perhaps that was only wishful thinking. The huts had been burnt to the ground and now only dreadfully pathetic immense mounds marked "4,000 buried here" "2,000 buried here," etc., and the poor emaciated bodies we had to nurse were left as evidence of the dreadful thing that had happened there.
We had about thirteen thousand people on our hands, all starved or semi-starved and many diseased. Those who required medical attention were placed in the S.S. Barracks, which was used as a Hospital. The language difficulty was terrific. I had one hundred and fifty patients to look after with only one V.A.D. nurse to help me. Then we had Polish and Russian nurses, who were themselves internees, and Hungarian soldiers to do the cleaning, - the latter thought I was quite mad when I explained, through an interpreter, that I wanted the floors washing with disinfectant every morning. The patients themselves were mostly of Jewish origin, but were of many different nationalities, Czech, Russian, Polish, German, Belgian, French, Hungarian and Italian.
There was one medical officer to six hundred patients, also a few Belgian medical students; but only a few of these spoke English, so you can imagine the difficulties we encountered. Before the patients could be treated medically we had to teach them to eat again, giving small portions of soup at short intervals, and gradually increasing the amounts and lengthening the intervals. We also had to watch those who were able to walk, to stop them from scavenging the dustbins or stealing the food from the weaker ones. Then, as the medical officers began their stupendous task or diagnosing and advising treatment we tried our best to carry it out. Another big task was to segregate the patients, T.B. together, Typhus together, etc. The majority of them had sisters or cousins or mothers-in-law, or great-aunts or somebody they wanted to stay with, and it was with great difficulty we managed to get some away. Some of them still stayed together; I tried to point out the danger, and told them they were only going across the corridor, but it was of no avail. Eventually we managed to get some semblance of order and those who were lucky enough to, recover were repatriated.
Perhaps, looking back on all this, you (especially the younger ones, to whom it is just hearsay) might wonder why we should have to bring up past history. But I think it is most important that it is not forgotten, and in our complacency we must remember these things and strive for a better understanding between men, so that these things shall not be again in our world.
K. Flavell
After four years training at Leeds General Infirmary, I became a State Registered Nurse, and then volunteered to serve, with the Army. We were stationed at a Base Hospital in Belgium for a while, then flown from Brussels to Celle in Germany, and then on to Belsen by road. The original Camp, which was known as the Horror Camp, had been liberated about three weeks when we arrived, and a great deal had already been done by the British, but there was still a terrific amount to do. Stories of what had happened there before the liberation were too awful to believe, unless you could see the horror in the eyes of the people as they spoke, and the unspoken evidence in their wasted and diseased bodies. Mere words could not explain the state in which we found these horror-stricken victims. A thousand persons had been placed in huts built for fifty; they were all starved or semi-starved. Five hundred and more died or were killed each day. Typhus, tuberculosis and other diseases were raging.
When the British first came, there were ten thousand dead lying about the Camp. Those who were still alive were using the dead bodies for pillows. S.S. Guards were made to give the dead a decent burial - I believe quite a number of guards also found their way into the graves! But perhaps that was only wishful thinking. The huts had been burnt to the ground and now only dreadfully pathetic immense mounds marked "4,000 buried here" "2,000 buried here," etc., and the poor emaciated bodies we had to nurse were left as evidence of the dreadful thing that had happened there.
We had about thirteen thousand people on our hands, all starved or semi-starved and many diseased. Those who required medical attention were placed in the S.S. Barracks, which was used as a Hospital. The language difficulty was terrific. I had one hundred and fifty patients to look after with only one V.A.D. nurse to help me. Then we had Polish and Russian nurses, who were themselves internees, and Hungarian soldiers to do the cleaning, - the latter thought I was quite mad when I explained, through an interpreter, that I wanted the floors washing with disinfectant every morning. The patients themselves were mostly of Jewish origin, but were of many different nationalities, Czech, Russian, Polish, German, Belgian, French, Hungarian and Italian.
There was one medical officer to six hundred patients, also a few Belgian medical students; but only a few of these spoke English, so you can imagine the difficulties we encountered. Before the patients could be treated medically we had to teach them to eat again, giving small portions of soup at short intervals, and gradually increasing the amounts and lengthening the intervals. We also had to watch those who were able to walk, to stop them from scavenging the dustbins or stealing the food from the weaker ones. Then, as the medical officers began their stupendous task or diagnosing and advising treatment we tried our best to carry it out. Another big task was to segregate the patients, T.B. together, Typhus together, etc. The majority of them had sisters or cousins or mothers-in-law, or great-aunts or somebody they wanted to stay with, and it was with great difficulty we managed to get some away. Some of them still stayed together; I tried to point out the danger, and told them they were only going across the corridor, but it was of no avail. Eventually we managed to get some semblance of order and those who were lucky enough to, recover were repatriated.
Perhaps, looking back on all this, you (especially the younger ones, to whom it is just hearsay) might wonder why we should have to bring up past history. But I think it is most important that it is not forgotten, and in our complacency we must remember these things and strive for a better understanding between men, so that these things shall not be again in our world.
K. Flavell
Peter Cooper
Interested to read this. I’ve been to Belsen and after all these years it’s chilling to be there. It’s in a forest area and what struck me was the silence. The birds were singing in the forest but once you walked through the gate there was silence as if even the birds knew what had happened there. Very moving and this letter captures it all.
Interested to read this. I’ve been to Belsen and after all these years it’s chilling to be there. It’s in a forest area and what struck me was the silence. The birds were singing in the forest but once you walked through the gate there was silence as if even the birds knew what had happened there. Very moving and this letter captures it all.
Ruth Alderson
Very interesting to read this moving first hand account. These awful events should be recorded, remembered and learned from so that later generations are aware and do not permit such things to happen again.
Very interesting to read this moving first hand account. These awful events should be recorded, remembered and learned from so that later generations are aware and do not permit such things to happen again.
10. Maureen Ardron’s auntie and uncle were Mr. and Mrs. Cliffe, the caretaker and cook at the school from 1938 to 1953. We have received her memories of their time at Hemsworth Grammar School.
The Caretaker's Cottage in 1939
My auntie and uncle lived in the caretaker’s cottage, named “Drinsey Nook”. The cottage had a back gate which opened onto Mr. Street’s field and orchard, and the name was on a plaque on the gate. For a time, Miss Eva Shortridge lodged with the Cliffe’s, until 1946. As a child I so revered her, almost to being frightened of her, and I always felt as though I needed to curtsey to her! I remember she bought me a little book every week. I used to have all the school grounds to play in, but I was not allowed to go near the front of the school. Did you know about a tree in the centre plot of land as you come through the Green Gate? Carved all the way around the trunk about 5ft from the ground was - William Henry Leatham - but I can’t remember the date. I was so sorry when it was chopped down to alter the School. It should have been preserved!!
The Dining Room in 1939
The kitchens were across from the caretaker’s house, which I used to visit often as a child. There were about 4 steps up to the kitchen. In the entrance hall were 2 doors to the right, and these were pantries. On the left was a toilet, wash hand basin and a telephone - of the type that looked like a horn to speak into, and a handset you held (a bit like an ice-cream cone) to your ear. There was a brass handle on the right hand side of the telephone which you turned clockwise and this would ring a bell in the telephone exchange at the bottom of Mount Avenue, on Westfield Road. I should know as I was always in trouble for going and messing about with it. The operator (I think they called her Miss Pearce) was always ringing up my auntie and telling her I had been ringing the exchange!
Mrs. Cliffe had 4 maids in the kitchens, Bessie Turner (senior maid), Ada Newton, Annie Wincer and Gladys Morris. The Kitchen Inspector from W. R. C. C. was Miss McClusky. The kitchen was a square room. If you stood with your back to the entrance there were ovens on either side On the left was a huge food mixer then the hatch to the dining room and entrance doors. On the back wall was a table and in the right hand corner a huge fish frier. Down the left hand side were sinks with plate drainers above – the really old fashioned type where you slotted the plates into dowelling partitions and in the bottom right hand corner was a door leading to, on the left. a cellar - and straight forward overlooked the Fives court.
I had to go to HGS every Saturday morning when there was either a rugby or a cricket match, to set the tables, and put the food out. I don’t know if I was needed to do the work, or it was to keep me out of mischief. I used to go and help my Auntie to get the Governors’ tea ready for after their meetings.
Maureen Ardron
Mrs. Cliffe had 4 maids in the kitchens, Bessie Turner (senior maid), Ada Newton, Annie Wincer and Gladys Morris. The Kitchen Inspector from W. R. C. C. was Miss McClusky. The kitchen was a square room. If you stood with your back to the entrance there were ovens on either side On the left was a huge food mixer then the hatch to the dining room and entrance doors. On the back wall was a table and in the right hand corner a huge fish frier. Down the left hand side were sinks with plate drainers above – the really old fashioned type where you slotted the plates into dowelling partitions and in the bottom right hand corner was a door leading to, on the left. a cellar - and straight forward overlooked the Fives court.
I had to go to HGS every Saturday morning when there was either a rugby or a cricket match, to set the tables, and put the food out. I don’t know if I was needed to do the work, or it was to keep me out of mischief. I used to go and help my Auntie to get the Governors’ tea ready for after their meetings.
Maureen Ardron
11. Sid Kenningham HGS 1950-59
Headmaster of Kings School, Pontefract 1985-2000
Headmaster of Kings School, Pontefract 1985-2000
Dear Dave,
Absolutely brilliant!....... I was told about your terrific website a fortnight ago, by Les Thomas, just before going off to France. I had 2 wonderful afternoons of blissful nostalgia and was determined that, when I returned home, I would contact you as a matter of urgency! The photographs and the reminiscences from former schoolmates and acquaintances, certainly rekindle memories and voices from the past, leaving warm feelings and appreciation of all that was best at H.G.S. Happy days!
I had the great fortune to be a pupil at the school throughout the 50’s, commencing in Sept 1950 and finishing in July 1959 .... as the oldest student in the school - sharing, I understand, the dubious honour of being the longest serving ‘schoolboy’ in the school’s history, along with, I believe, Brian Ardron, who was slightly before my time! - or so the legend goes! Moreover, I was also one of that ‘selected band’, along with people like Les Tate, George Pacy, Dick Whittaker, Peter Wall, Derek Wilkinson, Terry McCroakam, Eileen Tate, Eric Twigg, Wendy Jennings, Frank Morley and Albert Parkin, who were both pupils and teachers at the school. In my case, in the last year of the ‘grammar school era’, in the academic year 1967/68.
I joined Talbot House because my cousin, John Hardy, preceded me. My other cousins, who followed me, Peter Hardy, Tony Kelly, Christine Kelly, John Kelly, David Freeman and Janet Freeman were similarly placed in Talbot. I was one of those ‘grey faces’, who tend to ‘float’ through all schools, until I found myself doing a second year in the ‘fifth’, and met up with the likes of ‘Bob’ Moore, Dave Toulson, ‘Cheb’ Vest and Rowland Hawcroft, who showed me how to ‘enjoy’ school, which meant getting ‘involved’ in the communal life of the school and partaking of all that it offered. Sport, drama, choirs, history and literary & debating societies, were all there to be had, ‘if you’d a mind’ to get involved.
H.G.S. may not have been the best ‘academic institution’, but it turned out some great ‘characters’, who subsequently made their respective ways in the world. Many of us had a great deal for which to thank the staff of H.G.S. who helped to shape our values and develop our personalities - and none more so than the revered R.W. Hamilton, who did his utmost to bring ‘pride’ and ‘standing’ to the school. Indeed, the verses of the ‘School Song’ encapsulated both his personal and educational philosophies; that you get out of life, what you are prepared to put into it.
Clearly, your venture is already a ‘roaring success’, judging from the responses of so many former pupils, and is going to grow and grow as more people become aware of its existence. You can be sure that I will do my best to broadcast it among the ‘old pupils’ that I come across - and I trust that others will do the same. I will start to gather together appropriate photos for submission. Never fear, I will be back in touch!
All my good wishes for the project.
Kind Regards,
Sid (May 2003)
Absolutely brilliant!....... I was told about your terrific website a fortnight ago, by Les Thomas, just before going off to France. I had 2 wonderful afternoons of blissful nostalgia and was determined that, when I returned home, I would contact you as a matter of urgency! The photographs and the reminiscences from former schoolmates and acquaintances, certainly rekindle memories and voices from the past, leaving warm feelings and appreciation of all that was best at H.G.S. Happy days!
I had the great fortune to be a pupil at the school throughout the 50’s, commencing in Sept 1950 and finishing in July 1959 .... as the oldest student in the school - sharing, I understand, the dubious honour of being the longest serving ‘schoolboy’ in the school’s history, along with, I believe, Brian Ardron, who was slightly before my time! - or so the legend goes! Moreover, I was also one of that ‘selected band’, along with people like Les Tate, George Pacy, Dick Whittaker, Peter Wall, Derek Wilkinson, Terry McCroakam, Eileen Tate, Eric Twigg, Wendy Jennings, Frank Morley and Albert Parkin, who were both pupils and teachers at the school. In my case, in the last year of the ‘grammar school era’, in the academic year 1967/68.
I joined Talbot House because my cousin, John Hardy, preceded me. My other cousins, who followed me, Peter Hardy, Tony Kelly, Christine Kelly, John Kelly, David Freeman and Janet Freeman were similarly placed in Talbot. I was one of those ‘grey faces’, who tend to ‘float’ through all schools, until I found myself doing a second year in the ‘fifth’, and met up with the likes of ‘Bob’ Moore, Dave Toulson, ‘Cheb’ Vest and Rowland Hawcroft, who showed me how to ‘enjoy’ school, which meant getting ‘involved’ in the communal life of the school and partaking of all that it offered. Sport, drama, choirs, history and literary & debating societies, were all there to be had, ‘if you’d a mind’ to get involved.
H.G.S. may not have been the best ‘academic institution’, but it turned out some great ‘characters’, who subsequently made their respective ways in the world. Many of us had a great deal for which to thank the staff of H.G.S. who helped to shape our values and develop our personalities - and none more so than the revered R.W. Hamilton, who did his utmost to bring ‘pride’ and ‘standing’ to the school. Indeed, the verses of the ‘School Song’ encapsulated both his personal and educational philosophies; that you get out of life, what you are prepared to put into it.
Clearly, your venture is already a ‘roaring success’, judging from the responses of so many former pupils, and is going to grow and grow as more people become aware of its existence. You can be sure that I will do my best to broadcast it among the ‘old pupils’ that I come across - and I trust that others will do the same. I will start to gather together appropriate photos for submission. Never fear, I will be back in touch!
All my good wishes for the project.
Kind Regards,
Sid (May 2003)
12. Mr. Hamilton’s Presidential Address to the Old Hilmians December 1948 2
The outbreak of war in 1939 put an end to many things; among them was the Old Hilmians Magazine. A very fine beginning had been made, and then for nearly ten years came a complete gap. In that time two generations of Students have passed through the School. The stalwarts of the Old Hilmians of 1939 have become scattered more than ever and we have to look to the newer generations to supply the enthusiasm and energy to get things done. It has been almost like beginning from scratch. But not quite. The few Old Hilmians who were left behind in the district during the war years never lost contact with the School nor with one another. The difficulty now is that the continuity of the various activities so bravely built up during the years before the war has been broken. The spirit of interest in the School still exists in the hearts of nearly all old pupils. It would be strange if it were not so, but the idea of loyalty to the Old Hilmians’ Clubs such as the Hockey and the Rugger Clubs has suffered a blow through the interruption to these activities by the war. The faithful few are continuing their efforts and I feel that in the end they will win through. Year by year pupils are leaving School and every year one or two will be found who have the same enthusiasm and the same “esprit de corps” as those older Old Hilmians who built the Association in the very beginning. I am sure that it is only a matter of perseverance and time.
The School has changed much since the year 1939. The main building is still as it was: the grounds are still as they were. But we now teach in the Technical School, and in the Dining Room. Four new classrooms to take the place of the Technical School rooms and the Dining Room are practically finished and by the time this appears in print we expect to be using the four new classrooms (The New Block). The mainspring of the School - the Staff - has changed very much indeed. There is not a single Mistress who was here in 1939. This was perhaps to be expected. Of the Masters who were here in 1939 there still remain Mr Crossland, Mr Storer, Mr Collette and Mr Manning. Twenty-five years of service at the School were completed by Mr Crossland last year – as most of the Old Hilmians know – and this year Mr Storer completes his 25 years.
My predecessor and your old Head, Mr Jenkinson, is still going strong in his retirement at Oxford. He came up for the Memorial Service and has promised to come back again for Parents’ Day next summer. He keeps remarkably fit and gives me great hopes for the day when it comes to my turn to retire.
It is a great pleasure to welcome once again the appearance of the Old Hilmians’ Magazine. Much energy and thought were expended over the idea prior to the first issue round about 1939, and it is a very encouraging sign indeed to find that there are other Old Hilmians ready to take up the work of their predecessors as soon as circumstances permit. Ten years is a long time and so much has happened during these particular ten years that there must be pages and pages of news which we are all longing to read. I want to pay tribute to those who kept the Old Hilmians alive during the war years, and to those who have rallied round since the war finished. To both groups I would express my deepest thanks, and for the future, “Good luck and God Speed”.
RWH
The School has changed much since the year 1939. The main building is still as it was: the grounds are still as they were. But we now teach in the Technical School, and in the Dining Room. Four new classrooms to take the place of the Technical School rooms and the Dining Room are practically finished and by the time this appears in print we expect to be using the four new classrooms (The New Block). The mainspring of the School - the Staff - has changed very much indeed. There is not a single Mistress who was here in 1939. This was perhaps to be expected. Of the Masters who were here in 1939 there still remain Mr Crossland, Mr Storer, Mr Collette and Mr Manning. Twenty-five years of service at the School were completed by Mr Crossland last year – as most of the Old Hilmians know – and this year Mr Storer completes his 25 years.
My predecessor and your old Head, Mr Jenkinson, is still going strong in his retirement at Oxford. He came up for the Memorial Service and has promised to come back again for Parents’ Day next summer. He keeps remarkably fit and gives me great hopes for the day when it comes to my turn to retire.
It is a great pleasure to welcome once again the appearance of the Old Hilmians’ Magazine. Much energy and thought were expended over the idea prior to the first issue round about 1939, and it is a very encouraging sign indeed to find that there are other Old Hilmians ready to take up the work of their predecessors as soon as circumstances permit. Ten years is a long time and so much has happened during these particular ten years that there must be pages and pages of news which we are all longing to read. I want to pay tribute to those who kept the Old Hilmians alive during the war years, and to those who have rallied round since the war finished. To both groups I would express my deepest thanks, and for the future, “Good luck and God Speed”.
RWH
13. Dave goes into 3A and finds hard work and a lot of homework
Back Row L-R: Godfrey Wass, David McKenzie, David Hartley, Peter Kaye, Tony Hince, Michael Harrison, John Turner
Fourth Row L-R: Eddie Pickles, Frank Picken, Gordon Bond, Robert Taylor, Len Linsey, Albert Parkin, John Colley
Third Row L-R: Christine Whittaker, Valerie Warwick, Pat Cockburn, Pat Snow, Audrey Lynch, Sandra Strutt, Jean Tallett
Second Row L-R: Ronnie Holland, Helena Gascoigne, Sheila Kelsall, Pat Whitehall, Margaret Birkin, Pat Lockett, David Thorpe
Front Row L-R: Keith Gainey, Neville Mozley, Wray Vamplew, Mr. Hodson, Susan Marsh, Doreen Tyrrell, Joan Foster
The Form Prize was awarded to Godfrey Wass.
Fourth Row L-R: Eddie Pickles, Frank Picken, Gordon Bond, Robert Taylor, Len Linsey, Albert Parkin, John Colley
Third Row L-R: Christine Whittaker, Valerie Warwick, Pat Cockburn, Pat Snow, Audrey Lynch, Sandra Strutt, Jean Tallett
Second Row L-R: Ronnie Holland, Helena Gascoigne, Sheila Kelsall, Pat Whitehall, Margaret Birkin, Pat Lockett, David Thorpe
Front Row L-R: Keith Gainey, Neville Mozley, Wray Vamplew, Mr. Hodson, Susan Marsh, Doreen Tyrrell, Joan Foster
The Form Prize was awarded to Godfrey Wass.
All the school filters on academic progression had been applied and this group was the result. It was very good. One year later it would be split into an approximate two, 4A and 4S with the addition of some late developers. I was put into this 3A but immediately hit the buffers. My absence record did not help my cause. I was a victim of throat infections. Dr Armitage (Upton) said that my tonsils might have to come out if things did not improve. I missed some tests and went backwards. Some teachers urged me to "try harder" or "work harder". These were the usual comments which we all know, but down the Form's position list I went. Mr Colley, our Form teacher and History teacher, must have thought I would never make progress. However, reading my report comments concerning my work in general, they were completely the opposite to those based on statistics from the tests, for many of which I was absent. I did not give up.
Mr Colley
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Miss Hampshire
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Term 2 arrived and I was expecting the same. However, as the days lengthened my health improved and on my term report the 10 subjects which gave cause for concern had been reduced to 4. Still too many. Mr Colley left and Mr Hodson took over 3A.
Term 3 arrived. I got into the School Athletics team, just about left the infections behind (only absent 10 times) and at Report time, the 4 naughty subjects had been reduced to 1. This was French with Miss Hampshire. My subject positions were not brilliant but in this swotty group they were OK. Winning the Shields at Huddersfield (WRCC and the Intermediate) after a good rugby season helped me to feel more confident in general. In Chemistry and Biology, Mr Taylor and Mr Sale both thought I could have done much better! More positives. My overall percentage on the report was in the 60s so I was much happier after almost being down and out.
Term 3 arrived. I got into the School Athletics team, just about left the infections behind (only absent 10 times) and at Report time, the 4 naughty subjects had been reduced to 1. This was French with Miss Hampshire. My subject positions were not brilliant but in this swotty group they were OK. Winning the Shields at Huddersfield (WRCC and the Intermediate) after a good rugby season helped me to feel more confident in general. In Chemistry and Biology, Mr Taylor and Mr Sale both thought I could have done much better! More positives. My overall percentage on the report was in the 60s so I was much happier after almost being down and out.
14. 1958-59 and 4S arrives for Dave
Having survived the problems of 3A, I followed many of the high flyers into 4S. This meant that at least I knew who to keep an eye on in class. The group standard was again high. The group atmosphere was really quite pleasant and I enjoyed being in the group. I was absent 16 times during the year because of infections and I remained very much a middle of the road performer in general. Mr Pacy taught Maths to 4S. He must have despaired with me. My excuse to myself was - it was 5S when good performance really mattered. So I enjoyed my sport and my weight training and tried to relax. That did not work.
4S 1958-59
Back Row L-R: Ian Townsend, John Turner, David Hartley, Peter Kaye, Tony Hince, Dave McKenzie, Michael Harrison
Third Row L-R: Brian Lees, Michael Willson, Len Linsey, Bob Taylor, Albert Parkin, Michael Dixon, Godfrey Wass
Second Row L-R: Nev Mozley, Wray Vamplew, John Colley, Eddie Pickles, Ronnie Holland, Neil Whalley, Don Brett
Front Row L-R: Audrey Lynch, Jean Hardcastle, Jean Tallett, Mr. Woodcock, Brian May, Alan Barker, Keith Gainey
Third Row L-R: Brian Lees, Michael Willson, Len Linsey, Bob Taylor, Albert Parkin, Michael Dixon, Godfrey Wass
Second Row L-R: Nev Mozley, Wray Vamplew, John Colley, Eddie Pickles, Ronnie Holland, Neil Whalley, Don Brett
Front Row L-R: Audrey Lynch, Jean Hardcastle, Jean Tallett, Mr. Woodcock, Brian May, Alan Barker, Keith Gainey
Mr Knox
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Mr Pacy
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Mr Fuller
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Mr Knox had arrived and took us for Biology and with him I slowly began to see the light. I note that Mr Pacy's approach was also gradually beginning to take effect. He was our Colts Rugby coach and a local who spoke my language. Several of us in the Colts were selected to play for South Yorkshire against other County sides such as Leicestershire. That was another confidence booster. Over the three terms Mr Pacy's Maths report comments were: "weak", "rather weak" and finally "Some improvement during the term". That was great praise indeed. Sure enough I began to feel more confident. Looking at other positives, my Athletics was going well and I set two School Records in the Intermediate Shot and High Jump. They again helped me to feel more buoyant.
Mr Knox and Mr Pacy spoke to me in a language that helped me to understand their subjects more easily. "That is so because ......." Previously I had tried to learn "the facts" in isolation, separate from principles. Rather like trying to memorise a book. It was so much easier when I understood what was going on and why it was going on. My confidence spread to other subjects and even in French Mr Fuller gave me a "Fairly Good". Wow!
I was slowly starting to apply a simple version of Bloom's Taxonomy without realising it. Clarity within my perceived academic ability was starting to arrive. I began to enjoy being in my subject classes but I still had a long way to go. Hopefully the next academic year would bring more progress and finally success. Rather like the main graphic on the Home page of this website, the second hurdle had arrived and it was time to jump up.
Mr Knox and Mr Pacy spoke to me in a language that helped me to understand their subjects more easily. "That is so because ......." Previously I had tried to learn "the facts" in isolation, separate from principles. Rather like trying to memorise a book. It was so much easier when I understood what was going on and why it was going on. My confidence spread to other subjects and even in French Mr Fuller gave me a "Fairly Good". Wow!
I was slowly starting to apply a simple version of Bloom's Taxonomy without realising it. Clarity within my perceived academic ability was starting to arrive. I began to enjoy being in my subject classes but I still had a long way to go. Hopefully the next academic year would bring more progress and finally success. Rather like the main graphic on the Home page of this website, the second hurdle had arrived and it was time to jump up.
Staff 1958-59
Back Row L-R: Mr. Cookson, Mr. Willey, Mr. Owen, Mr. Farrar, Mr. Tate, Mr. Pacy, Mr. Twigg
Fourth Row L-R: Mr. Bulley, Mr. Williams, Mr. Burnell, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Sale, Mr. Hodson, Mr. Catley
Third Row L-R: Mr. Crompton, Mr. Reasbeck, Mr. Davies, Mr. Reed, Mr. Powell, Mr. Gray, Mr. Losasso, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Knox, Mr. Hassall, Mr. Woodcock
Second Row L-R: Miss. Close, Mr. Swinbank, Miss. McGlade, Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Lumb, Mrs. Gibson, Miss. Walker, Mr. Wharton, Miss. Blake
Front Row L-R: Mrs. D. Whittaker, Miss. Ward, Miss. Metcalfe, Miss. Smith, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Collette, Mr. Leonard, Mr. Atack, Mr. Lock
Fourth Row L-R: Mr. Bulley, Mr. Williams, Mr. Burnell, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Sale, Mr. Hodson, Mr. Catley
Third Row L-R: Mr. Crompton, Mr. Reasbeck, Mr. Davies, Mr. Reed, Mr. Powell, Mr. Gray, Mr. Losasso, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Knox, Mr. Hassall, Mr. Woodcock
Second Row L-R: Miss. Close, Mr. Swinbank, Miss. McGlade, Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Lumb, Mrs. Gibson, Miss. Walker, Mr. Wharton, Miss. Blake
Front Row L-R: Mrs. D. Whittaker, Miss. Ward, Miss. Metcalfe, Miss. Smith, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Collette, Mr. Leonard, Mr. Atack, Mr. Lock
Thoughts about 5S 1959-60
Back Row L-R: David Hartley, Dave McKenzie, Peter Kaye, Tony Hince, John Colley, Mick Harrison, Mr. B.K. Booth.
Middle Row L-R: Donald Brett, Nev Mozley, Godfrey Wass, David Thorpe, Mick Willson, Wray Vamplew, Alan Barker.
Front Row L-R: Brian May, Albert Parkin, Len Linsey, Brian Lees, Eddie Pickles, Ian Townsend, Keith Gainey. Missing: Michael Dixon, Ronnie Holland, A. Robert Taylor, John E. Turner
Form Prize awarded to Godfrey Wass.
Middle Row L-R: Donald Brett, Nev Mozley, Godfrey Wass, David Thorpe, Mick Willson, Wray Vamplew, Alan Barker.
Front Row L-R: Brian May, Albert Parkin, Len Linsey, Brian Lees, Eddie Pickles, Ian Townsend, Keith Gainey. Missing: Michael Dixon, Ronnie Holland, A. Robert Taylor, John E. Turner
Form Prize awarded to Godfrey Wass.
The 1955-60 transition.
From happy and carefree to under HGS pressure
From happy and carefree to under HGS pressure
Then suddenly all sporting activities had to be stopped as I badly injured my lower back when I helped someone who was in a dangerous weight-training situation. Thankfully he was perfectly OK. I have always regarded this "happening" in a positive way. On the negative side, I could not take part in any sports whatsoever, even Marbles and Tiddlywinks were impossible. On my report Mr Tate wrote "Excused" for the Autumn Term. On the positive side, I had to stay in bed for 2 or 3 weeks supported on a board but I had a lot of books and I could still read. This was obviously a change from my normal daily life. In the photo above my new focus can be seen, I think. Whatever I did, I concentrated intensely. I was never going to catch up to the really clever ones, but I could improve at my own level, as always. That is what I set out to do. A simple target was to get into the top 10 for as many subjects as I could. Another positive was that Mr Booth became our Form Master. He was a rugby player and a pleasant person too. His subject was Physics which was a subject that I always found difficult. All those Laws. It was a bonus that he was my Subject Teacher. I was visiting Miss Ward and Michael Harrison's mother one year when they told me that he had passed away. I was very saddened by the news.
Mr Booth (Physics)
HGS Staff 1959-60
Back Row L-R: Mr. Davies, Mr. Pacy, Mr. Reed, Mr. Losasso, Mr. Williams, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Gray, Mr. Sale, Mr. Crompton
Fourth Row L-R: Mr. Gregory, Mr. Cookson, Mr. Burnell, Mr. Owen, Mr. Knox, Mr. Catley
Third Row L-R: Mr. Jakes, Mr. Reasbeck, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Hodson, Mr. Hassall, Mr. Parkinson, Mr. Tate, Mr. Booth
Second Row L-R: Miss. Kay, Miss. Musgrave, Miss. Child, Miss. Tate, Mrs. Williams, Miss. Evans, Miss. Couperthwaite, Miss. Fish, Mr. Hodgson, Mr. Wharton
Front Row L-R: Mrs. D. Whittaker, Miss. Ward, Miss. Metcalfe, Miss. Smith, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Collette, Mr. Atack, Mr. Lock, Mr. Swinbank
Fourth Row L-R: Mr. Gregory, Mr. Cookson, Mr. Burnell, Mr. Owen, Mr. Knox, Mr. Catley
Third Row L-R: Mr. Jakes, Mr. Reasbeck, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Hodson, Mr. Hassall, Mr. Parkinson, Mr. Tate, Mr. Booth
Second Row L-R: Miss. Kay, Miss. Musgrave, Miss. Child, Miss. Tate, Mrs. Williams, Miss. Evans, Miss. Couperthwaite, Miss. Fish, Mr. Hodgson, Mr. Wharton
Front Row L-R: Mrs. D. Whittaker, Miss. Ward, Miss. Metcalfe, Miss. Smith, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Collette, Mr. Atack, Mr. Lock, Mr. Swinbank
Here I was in 5S. A problem with my "simple target" was that everyone else was going to try and do the same as me. So rather like in an athletics event I had to "up my game" and either jump higher or put(t) the shot further. Did I succeed over the three terms? To say you are going to do something is very easy. To actually do it in the face of strong opposition is not very easy at all.
Maths with Mr Pacy was my indicator subject as it was probably my weakest. His comment at Christmas report time was "There has been a vast improvement this term." However that was starting from a low base point in this group. I did improve to 19th out of 31 in Maths. Hardly a top 10 position. So a sort of fail there. Overall (all subjects) I was 11th out 28 in the group. 11 is quite near 10. So by Christmas, in which 8 examination subjects did I achieve my target? The statistical answer is 5 out of 8. Behind those simple figures was a mass of information concerning how I had performed in classwork and homework. Even back then I was a realist and knew what I had to do. It was neatly summed up by Mr. Pacy: "He must continue to work hard." Spot on accurate and of course applicable to all subjects.
I think that one of the reasons for my improvement was that many of the potential distractions had been removed when I hurt my back. After school I would simply join the Upton queue to go home instead of going to this or that practice and I never had to think about the Saturday match. At home there was no weight-training at the Youth Club. It was just Radio Luxembourg and homework. The radio station used to fade in and out so you had to listen carefully. Mr Booth's final comment in the General Report section was: "He can do better than this". Push, push, push. No let up, even though I had come 5th in his subject. To me that was an amazing improvement but I knew what he was saying.
Somewhat confused I encountered Term 2. Then, however, the distractions returned and by April 1960 my top 10 count had fallen to 3 out of 8. It was a so-so term and I took flak from the teachers where I had lost ground. What would that mean by August? I was back to a lower level involvement with sport, but it all took time. Overall I was 14th in the group. Decisions had to be made as I entered Term 3.
To cut a long story short, I had a good term. Looking at the group I was in, I had a very good term. It was a Captain's Innings. I was back to 5 out of 8 top tens and in the three remaining weaker subjects I progressed in two of them and maintained my position in Physics. In Maths I came 13th out of 27. Well done, Mr Pacy. Proud. However, it was the O level exams which would count. Nothing else.
August arrived and the results came on time. As usual people were either happy, sad or indifferent. I did OK but made a complete mess of my banker subject. Mr Collette had expected me to pass but I had a big off-day. Just like in Athletics. I remember walking to the Main Hall along the Top Corridor with the other candidates. I do not think my attitude was right. I was not over-confident but I was not quite with it. The result was as expected. So English was a "do again in November" subject. The rest were OK.
I remember meeting Mr Booth on the playground after the results were known. He was pleased that Physics was a pass, but I let him know that it was not a Sixth Form subject for me. Surprisingly after all the bother I had had with Chemistry and Maths I did OK. Biology and Geography were fine too. However, everything was on hold until I had passed English Language. I had a very purposeful attitude in November and delivered. That completed the eight subjects. I could then concentrate on the next "hurdle", number three - Advanced Level, as seen on the main website graphic.
Maths with Mr Pacy was my indicator subject as it was probably my weakest. His comment at Christmas report time was "There has been a vast improvement this term." However that was starting from a low base point in this group. I did improve to 19th out of 31 in Maths. Hardly a top 10 position. So a sort of fail there. Overall (all subjects) I was 11th out 28 in the group. 11 is quite near 10. So by Christmas, in which 8 examination subjects did I achieve my target? The statistical answer is 5 out of 8. Behind those simple figures was a mass of information concerning how I had performed in classwork and homework. Even back then I was a realist and knew what I had to do. It was neatly summed up by Mr. Pacy: "He must continue to work hard." Spot on accurate and of course applicable to all subjects.
I think that one of the reasons for my improvement was that many of the potential distractions had been removed when I hurt my back. After school I would simply join the Upton queue to go home instead of going to this or that practice and I never had to think about the Saturday match. At home there was no weight-training at the Youth Club. It was just Radio Luxembourg and homework. The radio station used to fade in and out so you had to listen carefully. Mr Booth's final comment in the General Report section was: "He can do better than this". Push, push, push. No let up, even though I had come 5th in his subject. To me that was an amazing improvement but I knew what he was saying.
Somewhat confused I encountered Term 2. Then, however, the distractions returned and by April 1960 my top 10 count had fallen to 3 out of 8. It was a so-so term and I took flak from the teachers where I had lost ground. What would that mean by August? I was back to a lower level involvement with sport, but it all took time. Overall I was 14th in the group. Decisions had to be made as I entered Term 3.
To cut a long story short, I had a good term. Looking at the group I was in, I had a very good term. It was a Captain's Innings. I was back to 5 out of 8 top tens and in the three remaining weaker subjects I progressed in two of them and maintained my position in Physics. In Maths I came 13th out of 27. Well done, Mr Pacy. Proud. However, it was the O level exams which would count. Nothing else.
August arrived and the results came on time. As usual people were either happy, sad or indifferent. I did OK but made a complete mess of my banker subject. Mr Collette had expected me to pass but I had a big off-day. Just like in Athletics. I remember walking to the Main Hall along the Top Corridor with the other candidates. I do not think my attitude was right. I was not over-confident but I was not quite with it. The result was as expected. So English was a "do again in November" subject. The rest were OK.
I remember meeting Mr Booth on the playground after the results were known. He was pleased that Physics was a pass, but I let him know that it was not a Sixth Form subject for me. Surprisingly after all the bother I had had with Chemistry and Maths I did OK. Biology and Geography were fine too. However, everything was on hold until I had passed English Language. I had a very purposeful attitude in November and delivered. That completed the eight subjects. I could then concentrate on the next "hurdle", number three - Advanced Level, as seen on the main website graphic.
Into the Sixth Form
I had reasonable passes with Chemistry, Biology and Geography so I duly signed on with the teachers. To jump ahead two years, looking at my report, I only had minor problems. Extra reading removed those and the exams were all passed. I think I enjoyed having fewer subjects to deal with. To deliver a more rounded curriculum, the school insisted that we did some extra subjects: Use of English with Mr. Kennedy, German with Mr Jakes, Religious Knowledge in the Lower Sixth with Mr Reasbeck and Music with Mr Coar. Physical Education with Mr Tate was of course compulsory.
I had reasonable passes with Chemistry, Biology and Geography so I duly signed on with the teachers. To jump ahead two years, looking at my report, I only had minor problems. Extra reading removed those and the exams were all passed. I think I enjoyed having fewer subjects to deal with. To deliver a more rounded curriculum, the school insisted that we did some extra subjects: Use of English with Mr. Kennedy, German with Mr Jakes, Religious Knowledge in the Lower Sixth with Mr Reasbeck and Music with Mr Coar. Physical Education with Mr Tate was of course compulsory.
Sixth Form Non-examination subject teachers
L-R: Mr Kennedy, Mr Jakes, Mr Reasbeck, Mr Coar and Mr Tate
L-R: Mr Kennedy, Mr Jakes, Mr Reasbeck, Mr Coar and Mr Tate
Mr Walsh at a sporting event in 1966/67
Photo: Batey