Ex Chaucer School pupils

[Corny44]

Hi Canopy

I've just discovered this forum and read your thread about the boy being killed.

If we are talking about the same person he died on Halifax Rd and he was a friend of mine. We had only been friends for about 2 months and I was supposed to meet him outside the school but I was kept back for some reason. His name from memory was David Paul. He lived just off Parsons Cross Rd, just before Fox Hill and I lived nearby on Lyminster Rd.

 

I went to Chaucer when it opened in 1958 from Parsons Cross School. I left school in 1961 and in 1964 I emigrated to Australia with the "Big Brother Movement" if you have ever heard of it. I was 18 and left my parents behind in England.

 

The friends I remember at school were John Ward, Chris Blackwell, Danny Bell, Ann Wayne and Ann Taylor (just friends not girlfriends).

 

A funny story about Danny Bell. I returned to Sheffield for my Grandmothers 90th birthday in and whist there I looked up some old friends. I found one living on Fox Hill and parked the car outside his house. I had only been there for about 15 minutes when there was a knock on the door and a policeman was standing there.

 

He asked who owned the car and I said it was mine which I had rented. Because it was parked on a slight corner he thought it might be in a dangerous spot and asked me to move it which I did.

 

Returning back to the house after moving the car the Bobby said "I know you, you used to go to Chaucer and I was in your class. Your the one who went to Australia. I'm Danny Bell. I was gobsmacked, this was about 14-15 years since I left school and he still remembered me.

 

Cheers to all the old Chaucer pupils

 

I was a `first footer` at Chaucer and went straight into the second year. I remember a boy getting killed on Halifax Road and I think his name was Ian Paul. I also remember John Ward as he was my boyfriend for a while. I think he married someone called J/Gill who also went to Chaucer. I believe he died quite a few years ago too.

[Queenslander]

I was a `first footer` at Chaucer and went straight into the second year. I remember a boy getting killed on Halifax Road and I think his name was Ian Paul. I also remember John Ward as he was my boyfriend for a while. I think he married someone called J/Gill who also went to Chaucer. I believe he died quite a few years ago too.

 

Your right his name was Ian. He had a younger brother and maybe his name was David but I remembered the surname "Paul"

 

I'm sorry to hear about John. I remember he was a keen radio ham. I persuaded him to join the scouts and he did, for about 4 weeks. A wild guy but great fun.

 

---------- Post added 15-05-2015 at 14:38 ----------

 

A few months ago I went on Google Earth and decided to check out my old school, Chaucer, and you can imagine my complete surprise to find it gone, there was just a field there.

I always thought it was a solid building built of concrete, steel and bricks and should last for more than 50 years. Imagine if all buildings were demolished after 50 years. The Empire State Building would have gone 30 years ago and the Sydney Opera House would be just about ready for demolition.

 

Can anyone tell me when it was demolished and why and does anyone have photos of it before, during and after demolition.

[jlwood1953]

Hi

I remember Mr Fleming, he scared the **** out of me. I think I was there from 68. It's a part of my life I would like to forget. Did not like the school at all.

I'm dyslexic, and in the 60s they did not help you at all.

[Walkley0 Mum]

A few months ago I went on Google Earth and decided to check out my old school, Chaucer, and you can imagine my complete surprise to find it gone, there was just a field there.

I always thought it was a solid building built of concrete, steel and bricks and should last for more than 50 years. Imagine if all buildings were demolished after 50 years. The Empire State Building would have gone 30 years ago and the Sydney Opera House would be just about ready for demolition.

 

Can anyone tell me when it was demolished and why and does anyone have photos of it before, during and after demolition.

 

I guess you are talking about the Halifax Road site? I can't help you with photo's or dates but as I worked there for a short period of time on the early 2000's I can tell you that towards the end of it's life the building was in a very poor state of repair even though it had been partly refurbed in the 80's.

 

There was a service tunnel that ran the length of the building under the ground floor which was practically a motorway for rodents which would emerge after dark. The water tank on the roof was a resting place for many a dead pigeon so the water out of most of the taps was strictly not for drinking. The heating system had reached the end of its life and needed replacement and the building had no insulation. The steel window frames were corroded and let in wind and rain and the cupboards in the former science rooms had asbestos backs. The main building was a concrete frame, suffering from concrete cancer, with breeze block or brick infill which in some places had become unstable and was no longer securely fixed to the frame and could be pushed out of alignment by hand. These, and other problems led to its eventual demise.

 

Although I only visited the Wordsworth Avenue site a couple of times it was clearly in a much better state of repair and, much modified, is still standing.

[Queenslander]

Many thanks for your information Walkley0 Mum, I was very surprised at your description of it. I went there when it first opened in 1958 and so only saw it as a brand new building.

 

Another surprise you told me was about was the service tunnel underground. All the time I was a pupil there I never heard about that.

 

I left in 1961 to start work but always remembered Chaucer with affection.

[mitch66]

does anyone remember Angela Mitchell who went to chaucer she used to have a friend called

lisa Bilton. she was in the same class as the young twins

[Dave Br]

Hi I remember Angela who use to live next door to Chris Baldwin on Doe Royd Cresent did she work at meynell youth club?

[mitch66]

Angela Mitchell used to live at hillsborough,

she used to hang around with a girl called lisa bilton who at that time lived on the

kelvin flats.

 

 

there was a another girls called Angela her surname was boys

 

 

 

mitch

[Dave Br]

Sorry wrong girl I think her surname was cockrall

[Gordyflonks]

Does anybody remember Gorden Wallace and Gary chapman that went to chaucer in the 70s.

 

Eeeup Billo, i cant say i know you, but you seem to remember Gordon Wallace & Gary Chapman, Well it's me Gordon. was on the internet & stumbled on this site, i know you posted this a while ago & not sure if you still look on here, Gary now lives in Portsmouth.