Memories
FIRST SCHOOL REUNION -
THE PIONEERS
Friday 27th September at the Red Lion - Four Lane Ends A6
We had a cracking night and look forward to another soon !
REUNION FEB 2004
FRANK BELCH - (see memories below)
SCHOOL MEMORIES
JACK CUNLIFFE - PUPIL
Mr. Pennington was the PE teacher for a while - he loved cricket, but
trying toget us to play it on coconut matting on the concrete flags on the
playground, or on the cinders and ashes on the Rugby League ground's car park
were not conducive to the creation of test class batsmen or bowlers. I remember
the arches with great pride.
I have just remembered that we won the Ruben Cup (competed for by schools
in Leigh) at Rugby in 1964 - the first time that we had had such success,
we beat St.Mary's, who, along with Manchester Road, were always the favourites.
I recall the school being very proud of us. Alan Wall played in that side
along with David Eckersley, can't immediately bring other to mind. It's amazing
what you can dig up, however, with a moments reflection.
DAVE (HAYZEE) HAYES - PUPIL
I remember the school having a Christmas Fayre in the school hall and
a handful of us volunteered to sleep over at the school the night before to
"guard" all the stuff that people had contributed - though exactly
what use a gang of spotty 4th years could do against hardened criminals is
beyond me !
We had a great time playing footie in the top hall and staying up all night
just messing around and having a laugh. Tell you what though, that school
had some funny creaks and bangs in the middle of the night - scared us witless.
Also, does anyone remember the school field trip to Hathersall Lodge near Preston for a week (or was it a fortnight - I really can't remember). We spent most of the time playing football in an old, dry disused swimming pool. There were LOADS of us - come on, give us a yell if you were there. I remember the boys making itching powder out of sticky-bob seeds and sprinkling it in the girls beds.
JOHN WILLIAMS - PUPIL
We went on a continental trip from school.
The coach broke down on the Continent whilst we were over there and rather
than pay out the broken coach was towed by our coach all the way to Dover.
The result was that our coach had to have extensive repairs for a twisted
chassis.
Anyone remember Phil Smith who was a probationary teacher in 1959-60. Later
went into primary school and became Headteacher of St Oswald's R C Primary
in Ashton -in - Makerfield. I became head of the neighbouring school and shared
many a lunch with him.
Remember Mr Wilson - Gardening. Hours and hours weeding round the playground
and a small allotment.
If you didn't have your sports kit Bob Unsworth made you write lines - 'Procrastination
was the thief of time'
It was years before I knew what it meant.
GORDON JOHNSON - PUPIL
I was a pupil from 1939 till 1942. During the war years everybody
was concerned with the war. We made posters to raise war savings - I think
we had an exhibition
in the Library - anyway they were exciting times for 12 and 13 year olds.
Even when we played hookey to see the land mine damage that was caused( in
Astley
I think near the hospital).
I would be pleased to hear from anybody that went
to the council school at that particular time period or anbody who
remembered the great teachers we had at that trying time
GRAHAM (KNOXY) KNIGHT - PUPIL
I was a pupil from 1966 to 1969 and made some very good friends.
I remember playing table tennis under "The Arches", and when we were in 5
Alpha our room was "Room 9".
I was deputy head boy and Barry Hodkinson was head boy - fond memories.
CLIFFORD DACK - PUPIL
In the 1930's the School was still called Windermere Road Council School.
All the boys were up the stone stairs and the entrance to the playground
was in Coniston Street. The girls were downstairs and their entrance was
on the other side of the building where there were allotments and the railway
line which ran to Bolton. The only contact between the two schools was a
doorway in one of the 'sheds' which, when it was opened gave glimpses of
girls playing in their asphalt playground.
When we 'came up' from the Infants Department; (Headmistress - Miss Naylor),
we found a Hall with a wood-blocked floor which was kept polished by the
caretaker, Mr Dainty.
The Headmaster was Mr Sandiford. I still have in my possession a letter he
wrote to my father at the time I was leaving. Mr Sandiford had a desk in
that hall, raised about 10 inches from the floor. The classrooms all opened
off from this hall. On the left was Standard 4 (Mr Parr); on the right the
first two classrooms were occupied by the two Miss Caldwell (Standards 2
and 3), Standard 6 was behind the H.M's desk, at the end of the Hall and
was taught by Mr Latham, who also dealt with all the music. In those days
we always had 30 minutes a day of singing. The final two rooms on the right
were Standards 5 and 7, and the teachers were Mr Ranicar and Mr Jefferson.
Mr Jefferson had been a pilot in the First World War. He had been shot down,
and had landed in the middle of a gas attack. He had lost one lung, but managed
to play cricket for Leigh First, on their ground at the Beech Walk.
MORE FROM CLIFFORD DACK
Before I left Windermere Road Council School in 1930, there had been some
rumours that the school would become a "Central School". We didn't
know what this meant at the time, but soon there was an inflow of library
books. We had not had a library before. We had some sports equipment, such
as footballs, and cricket gear, but we had nowhere to use them, except the
waste area, over the station steps, next to the Destructor Works. To our
surprise, in 1928 and 1929 our class was taken for school trips. 1928 was
to Freshfield, on the coast near Southport, where we spent half a day playing
on the sandhills. The 1929 outing was well prepared. I remember it yet. We
had lessons on the Romans in Britain, and were then conveyed to Chester,
where a teacher took the class round the city walls, and then to other historical
sites. We had a short visit to the Cathedral, where I remember seeing a painting
on a cobweb, in a glass case. We had a walk along the river bank before returning
to Leigh.
When I was 11 some of my class-mates left, to go to the Grammar School. Some
of them were my friends, and I remember some names. There was Ernest Sinar,
Dick Langhorn and Eric Wilcock. I was surprised to meet Eric Wilcock once
more. This was in 1942 when, as a Signals Serjeant I was posted to Africa,
and there was Eric as my Section Captain!.
Arnold Helsby came to the School as a Pupil Teacher in 1927, and when he
had qualified he returned as a full time teacher. He was a brilliant pianist,
and a great performer in the "Mauvies" who put on an annual show.at
Leigh Theatre. They used the Max Stothert Orchestra from Atherton. (Do you
remember Stotherts' Pills?) He was the only person I knew who could play
the Rhaposody in Blue by Gershwin. Sadly, Arnold died just after the war
FRANK BELCH - PUPIL
Does anyone remember going to Hammerbank in the Lake District? Knoxy left his
mark there in an ancient oak window frame as I recall :-) - I vividly remember
Mr. Pennington the gymn teacher. He once boxed with me and unknowns to me he
dipped one of his gloves in red paint. When he punched (tapped) me on the nose
I thought I was covered in blood!!
SPORTS
Are you on here ?
This was taken somewhere around 1968 I think
Teacher Mr Rowlands
Most faces I remember - some I don't sadly.
SCHOOL PHOTOS
First Year Class 1965
Back Row: Frank Belch, Howard
Green, Brian Anders, Billy Eckersley, Barry Hodkinson, Mal Dootson,
Harold
Pendlebury, Robert Green
Middle Row: Unknown, Stewart McDonald, Linda
Collier, Doreen Gregson, Ann Johnson, June Kirkpatrick,
Frank Radcliffe, Stuart
Macnaughton.
Front Row: Janet Gregson, Val Smith, Heather Redford, Kay Southern, Carole
Watson, Janet Ellis, Angela Horsfall, Dot Lewis.
Teacher: Miss Falconer (Music)
Picture supplied by Graham Knight / Charlie Ralph
SCHOOL DISCOS
School Disco 1968 style. Were
you one of these cool groovers.......yeah man !
Back Row: Graham Knight, Janet Fleet, Susan
Ackers , Doreen Gregson, Janet Goodwin, Charlie Ralph
Front Row: Frank Belch, Keith Graham
LEIGH COUNCIL SCHOOL IN 1923
With thanks to Charlie Ralph for tracking down this photo - note some of
the bonnets the girls are
wearing. This was due to having to have their heads shaved because of
a ringworm outbreak apparently (and we think we had it hard !)
- can there be anyone on here who recognises themselves? - they would have to
be in their 90's or so by now.
LEIGH COUNCIL SCHOOL 1965
With thanks to David Eckersley for sending in
this picture (he is the curly haired lad sitting at the front on the mat)
- He isn't the David Eckersley who played for Leigh, though he was on the
school rugby team. Do you know all the others on here?
LEIGH COUNCIL SCHOOL IN 1928
With thanks to Trish Silcock
for sending in this photo. Her father, Leslie Owens, was born in August
1917 and died in July 1984.
He is on the second row, second on the right.
SCHOOL HOUSES
What school house were you in?
Ullswater
Windermere
Coniston
Grasmere ( I think)
I think these were the houses - I was in Ullswater so I know that one is right. Why not tell us your house and if you bought one of the T Shirts that were screen printed in the Art Room.
House memories by John Williams
Houses In my day - they were Glebe, Manor and two others
I was there 55 -60
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
House memories by Ralph Macdonald
I was in Ullswater and if i remember rightly the colours where a red shirt and black emblem
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