Any memories of Crookesmoor School?

[Klondike Kid]

Do you remember that Breckan use to use a cane with wire round it wrapped with sellotape. Did anyone ever get that.

 

Hi desy,

I know its an old message but as I have just joined bear with me.

 

I happen to have personally inspected said cane infront of the whole class as Mr Brecken brought me out to to dispel the rumour or was it to give me a couple on the hand? That bit I can't remember.

I can honestly say that this is an urban myth.

The cane was wrapped with sellotape but what was thought to be wire was in fact just the glue from the sellotape which had got leached out dirty.

Its amazing but thinking back about it now I can almost hear him.

"Take a look at this cane,what do you see"

"Wire sir"

"Hold it,canyou feel the wire"

"No sir"

[Carp]

Only just got on to the net so, first stop my old school. Most of you contributing seem to be younger than me so maybe I can fill in a few details from my memories. The head when I started in 1950 was Mr. Catton though he retired the same year. Mr. Raymond F. Oakes followed and although all the kids were not from well off families he tried to lift Crookesmoor County Boys School to a higher level. He and his staff introduced the four school houses, Raleigh (red), Drake (blue), Grenville (green) and Hawkins (yellow) and designed or revived the school badge (red and white quartered shield with C.C.B.S. in the quarters.) Unfortunately it didn’t catch on because not many had blazers to sew them on to. The choir won the Swan shield and the speaking choir performed at the Victoria Hall with the nativity story. The teachers were Mrs. Cooper for the 1st years then Misters Liddle, Cohen, Gregory, Wardle, Bagshaw, Edwards, Waterhouse and the woodwork teacher Mr. Lovell. I was in Mr. Cohen’s class when the death of George VI was announced and we were all sent home. Mr. Wardle took us for poetry. He was a nice chap but never strict enough and of course he got taken advantage of. I used to dread composition in Mr. Bagshaw’s class. You all had a dictionary so spelling mistakes along with blots (pen and ink in those days) and bad writing got you the cane. His weakness was his experiences in the forces. If you could get him going he’d start off with “When I was in India...” and it was lesson over. I think it was him who wrote the school song. Mr. Edwards and Waterhouse probably taught me the most, both strict but approachable and definitely of the old school. I think I heard that Mr. Lovell died of a brain haemorrhage whist he was still relatively young. He got me a job interview when I left school.

The prefects for 53/54 were Kieth Rodis, John Wheelhouse, Barry Wilde, Terry Sheedy, Roy West, Graham Oates, Trevor Green and Don Cardwell. Trevor was the caretaker’s son at St. Stephens and Graham was a good artist. Other pupils were Fred Kennedy who lived in Watery Ln. who passed to go to City Technical School, Big Tony Moor who became a brickie, Tony Gilbert, Brian Kent Who worked on the buses, Terry Holt, Tony Gill and Alan worm. Of the girls who we only met at break times on the tip when you were in the annex classes, Pat Thomas who lived at the fire station on Division St., Ann Atherton from just above the school on Crookesmoor Rd. and a girl named Noreen whose home was at the Somme Barracks. I used to walk home with Jean Hinchcliffe as we both lived on Powell St., across the tip and up the “Hundred Steps”. Half way up the steps a part of the wall was re built so I wrote my name in the wet cement. It’s not there now nor is the house we lived in. In 1957 the chimney fell through the roof in a gale and we were moved.

[mightyatom]

Only just got on to the net so, first stop my old school. Most of you contributing seem to be younger than me so maybe I can fill in a few details from my memories. The head when I started in 1950 was Mr. Catton though he retired the same year. Mr. Raymond F. Oakes followed and although all the kids were not from well off families he tried to lift Crookesmoor County Boys School to a higher level. He and his staff introduced the four school houses, Raleigh (red), Drake (blue), Grenville (green) and Hawkins (yellow) and designed or revived the school badge (red and white quartered shield with C.C.B.S. in the quarters.) Unfortunately it didn’t catch on because not many had blazers to sew them on to. The choir won the Swan shield and the speaking choir performed at the Victoria Hall with the nativity story. The teachers were Mrs. Cooper for the 1st years then Misters Liddle, Cohen, Gregory, Wardle, Bagshaw, Edwards, Waterhouse and the woodwork teacher Mr. Lovell. I was in Mr. Cohen’s class when the death of George VI was announced and we were all sent home. Mr. Wardle took us for poetry. He was a nice chap but never strict enough and of course he got taken advantage of. I used to dread composition in Mr. Bagshaw’s class. You all had a dictionary so spelling mistakes along with blots (pen and ink in those days) and bad writing got you the cane. His weakness was his experiences in the forces. If you could get him going he’d start off with “When I was in India...” and it was lesson over. I think it was him who wrote the school song. Mr. Edwards and Waterhouse probably taught me the most, both strict but approachable and definitely of the old school. I think I heard that Mr. Lovell died of a brain haemorrhage whist he was still relatively young. He got me a job interview when I left school.

The prefects for 53/54 were Kieth Rodis, John Wheelhouse, Barry Wilde, Terry Sheedy, Roy West, Graham Oates, Trevor Green and Don Cardwell. Trevor was the caretaker’s son at St. Stephens and Graham was a good artist. Other pupils were Fred Kennedy who lived in Watery Ln. who passed to go to City Technical School, Big Tony Moor who became a brickie, Tony Gilbert, Brian Kent Who worked on the buses, Terry Holt, Tony Gill and Alan worm. Of the girls who we only met at break times on the tip when you were in the annex classes, Pat Thomas who lived at the fire station on Division St., Ann Atherton from just above the school on Crookesmoor Rd. and a girl named Noreen whose home was at the Somme Barracks. I used to walk home with Jean Hinchcliffe as we both lived on Powell St., across the tip and up the “Hundred Steps”. Half way up the steps a part of the wall was re built so I wrote my name in the wet cement. It’s not there now nor is the house we lived in. In 1957 the chimney fell through the roof in a gale and we were moved.

Hi Carp, Only just joined up myself, but here are a couple more names for you to ponder :- Henry Hinchcliffe, Roy Tandy, Jack Wright, Frank Foster, Arfur Fox, Terry Winfield, Peter Oxley, Raymond Bradwell(?)

[tom2011]

I have to say Crookesmoor sch was fantastic when i went back in 87'

[Carp]

Sorry Mighty' only Tandy, Fox and Winfield sound vaguely familiar but I can't put a face to any. I left in July 54, maybe they were in a year or two below me. At one time I used to have to take some of the younger kids down to Upperthorpe baths for swimming. Perhaps that's where i remember them from. Funny but another teacher's name has just come to mind. I'm sure ther was one called Wilde.

[milee]

Hi Carp, Only just joined up myself, but here are a couple more names for you to ponder :- Henry Hinchcliffe, Roy Tandy, Jack Wright, Frank Foster, Arfur Fox, Terry Winfield, Peter Oxley, Raymond Bradwell(?)

 

Ray Bradwell is my brother and he is still friends with Barry Wild and Ronnie Gill who went to Crookesmoor and my sister Jean Bradwell went there as well

[mightyatom]

Sorry Mighty' only Tandy, Fox and Winfield sound vaguely familiar but I can't put a face to any. I left in July 54, maybe they were in a year or two below me. At one time I used to have to take some of the younger kids down to Upperthorpe baths for swimming. Perhaps that's where i remember them from. Funny but another teacher's name has just come to mind. I'm sure ther was one called Wilde.

What kind of carp are you anyway? You're right, one teacher was called Wilde, and you and all those names I gave you must have been in the same year. Don't know what became of Tandy, Fox and Bradwell, but Foster went to Nether Edge GS, Winfield went to King Ted's, Hinchcliffe & Wright went to City Grammar, and I think Oxley went to High Storrs. We all left Crookesmoore in July 1950.

[Carp]

Hi Mighty'. That could be why the names don't ring a bell. I came from Arbourthorn Central Sch. and didn't start at Crookesmoor until Sept. '50. Did you all leave after your 11+ ? As regards the carp, it' just that the wife says I'm always carping on about the old days.

Milee. If it's the same Barry Wild, he wasn't a bad swimmer and think he had a mate called Ibbotson.

[CholCholMary]

Just found some old posts regarding Crooksmoor School. I went there from 1957 to 1959 Ilived on Addy Street. My friends were Mary Bird and Alen Fowler,we moved to Gleadless Valley and so I then went to Herdings Junior School.

[spada573]

Just found some old posts regarding Crooksmoor School. I went there from 1957 to 1959 Ilived on Addy Street. My friends were Mary Bird and Alen Fowler,we moved to Gleadless Valley and so I then went to Herdings Junior School.

 

Where abouts on Addy Street did you live and what year did you move to Gleadless?