Woodhouse Grammar School 1951-1958

[bobtaylormilne]

Hi, 

I went to Woodhouse Grammar from 1961 to 1964 which is on the tail end of the period discussed here.  My name then was Bob Clements. I recognise a lot of the teacher's names mentioned here, but seem to remember being caned by a male head - I held the dubious record for the  number of canings as my time there wasn't too enjoyable and involved a lot of schoolyard altercations! The school went comprehensive in 1964 I think, and changed it's name to Aston-Woodhouse High. I remember 'the pit' to the lefthand side of the entrance to the building where new pupils had to suffer when bullied by older pupils. Also remember Malcolm who was very tall and well built and towered over us. It was a very 'white' school with only one male black pupil in our class and a very good French teacher (who was actually French, perhaps on a temporary basis) who left after becoming pregnant, believed to be via the PE teacher as there was a spy hole halfway down to the stairs to the gym where some of us would hide. Every school day a coach would pick us up from Parson's Cross to travel across to the school - the last part of the route just before going up the hill to the school was where trains crossed the road on the raised bridge, a fair few of us using train spotting books to note which train it was. I remember the Flying Scotsman was one. A lot more memories of friends, but most such as detention and being shouted at for not wearing a cap when walking in and out of the school gates are not worth recounting! 

Sorry, I got the dates mixed up, this post doesn't relate to the correct period. Apologies.Bob

[classicfan]

Bob, do you remember Pete Pethick who also travelled from Parson Cross? He was a very good runner and we were in the same class. I was part of the contingent who came over from Swallownest Secondary for a couple of years before going back to Aston Comp. I think the Malcolm you refer to was Lips combe, not sure of the spelling,  and I vaguely remember the French teacher.

[bobtaylormilne]

Hiya, yes it was Malcolm Lipscombe!  A gentle giant. Something tickles the back of my mind re. a 'Pete' but it merges with another Pete I knew, so can't be sure. I remember a Philip Dalby who was a good all round athlete. Also, a lad who spend most of his time away from the school but came in on occasion and was not one to cross, a Jimmy Wylde (not sure about the spelling).  I do remember some lads from Swallownest, including the lead alpha lad who wanted to fight to demonstrate his ascendancy - in my case we both backed down! There were two other teachers I remember, the first was a teacher who we called 'Bonehead' who, if anyone was talking whilst he recited the history notes to be copied, would call the pupil to the front of the class and continue talking, then suddenly lunge and 'nut' the pupil on the head!!!  These days he would have been instantly arrested! And there was a quiet studious music teacher with a very dull sounding voice whose heart was in the right place - in the school orchestra we had first and second violins so, because I was so bad, he created a 'third violin!' And lastly I remember the back of the bike sheds used for smoking, lurking and the occasional fight.

[DeWasteney]

 

I am originally from an old Swallownest family but left for Driffield in late 1967

 

Just wondering if I know any of your family 

 

I knew a few who were still at Swallownest School and who moved on to the new school  just over the top of Diggers Hill, before the start of Aughton, a name which springs to mind being Ken Siddall, from the farm at Fence

 

Best Wishes, Victor, Malaysia

[Andrew Pickard]

https://youtu.be/SlP7ZppUDKo?si=mUcRBNWzqn8JYOty
 

This link is to a clip on YouTube of the superb athletes of Woodhouse Grammar training for a cross country run. Might ‘jog’ some memories. The cine film was taken sometime in the late 1950’s by my Dad - Arch Pickard from Anston. Arch died in 2019. Gone but certainly not forgotten.

[Graham Mottram]

I've just watched the YouTube video and have suffered a serious attack of the Gor Blimeys. Fabulous watching. The only person I recognise is the guy with crinkly blonde hair, aslo shown shot putting, and that is Mick "Tink" Taylor. I went to WGS in 1959 and finished at Aston Woodhouse in 1967. Mick Taylor came back to teach physics and I became quite friendly with him. He'd put on a lot of muscle by the time he came back and used to supervise weight training for one thing. A lovely man who was stricken by some dreadful lumbar virus about 25 years ago and confined to  a wheelchair ever since.

 

Looking at Mick at the age of about 18, I would say this film was shot about 1956. There is one teacher right at the beginning and I think that he was Mr Betteridge, but I'm prepared to be corrected.

[SDBell7306]

On 25/09/2023 at 03:36, DeWasteney said:

I am wondering if any of these former pupils are still "in the land of the living", almost all with be around 83/84 now, although I am aware that a few have passed away in the last few years -

 

Fred Whinfrey, Phillip Booth, Lewis Neath, Brian Elsey, Jeff Woodward, David Wainscoat, Derek Eyley, Tony Rippon, Trevor Lowe, Peter Taylor, David Alton, Danny Randall, Brian Higgins, David Caborn, Raymond Jarvis, John Saynor, Michael Cheadle, Michael Burgess, Tony Caville, or Cable, Jean Hitchen, Sandra Fenton, Norma Poudrill, Rosemary Green, Paul Mellows, Kenny Longden, Tony Steel, Lynne Wells, Sandra Dolman, Jaqueline ??, Roger Gathercole, Joan Horner, Hazel Lumb, Ann Ruthven, and many more who I can visualize, but not recollect their names 

 

Best Wishes - Victor Hutchinson - Living in Malaysia since the start of 2007  - www.cfhsaeqa.com.my

My father passed away 3 years ago. He was David Bell, originally from Aston/Swallownest. He attended Woodhouse Grammar School around the years you have said. He neighboured and went to school with a Ken Longden, and I see you have a Kenny Longden listed in your post.

 

The reason I googled WGS and ended up here is I have been looking through the many boxes of books he had and came across 3 year books. 1952, 52/53 and 53/54. I was wondering if you or anyone who replied to your post know if there is anywhere I could donate them to. Seems a shame to put them back in a box in the attic, just to be thrown away when my kids come across them.