Web Page 1126

3^rd March 2013

Top Picture: A Wimshurst Machine

Bottom Picture: The School Hall today

Heavens I was 67 this week I am getting old!!!!!

Never to be used Again.

Now do you remember all those interesting and unpredictable General Science classes with Bert Ray (Thunder and lightening boy being his favourite phrase). The one thing I do remember about my last days at school is going into his lab at the top of the building for some reason and explaining to him how we knew if he was in a good mood or not. Do you remember? Bert was a very unique science teacher with his own individual, very distinctive style. We always thought that we could tell his mood by his hair, if it was all disheveled and wild he was in a good mood, but woe betide you if it was slicked down, there was trouble brewing. When on our last day we told him this he was amazed to find out that he did it and that we had actually noticed

and I have often wondered if, by telling him, we ruined the classes for the pupils who followed us!

But never to be used again applied to much of the apparatus and equipment we used in Bert’s classes. Now when was the last time you used a Bunsen Burner out of the school context, or a retort stand, flask, glass tubing, Litmus Paper or concentrated Sulphuric Acid, I would hazard a guess at years ago if ever; and when was the last time you wrote QED at the end of a paragraph? No it did not mean Quite Enough Done it is Latin   quod erat demonstrandum, which translates as "which was to be demonstrated".

Most of us enjoyed Bert’s classes, which is more than could be said for the Science classes we had at Court Lane before we moved. Our teacher there was Miss Fields a lady we were all frightened of and who made us learn chemical initials and atomic weights. She was a character and used to arrive at school on an old BSA Bantam motorcycle and she was always dressed for the occasion in long coat, helmet, goggles and gauntlets. I think it was when I was in the second year she graduated to a three wheeled car. I wonder what happened to her, I really do not remember her once we moved to Manor Court.

The other science teacher of course was Nelson Trowbridge who taught Biology but as I never took Biology I have no memory of his teaching methods, in fact I cannot remember every being in his class for any subject.

But those of us who were in Bert’s class will never forget one particular experiment that he did with every class he had and had a sadistic pleasure in conducting and this was using the Wimshurst Machine. For those who have forgotten or do not know the Wimshurst machine had the two insulated discs and their metal sectors rotated in opposite directions passing a crossed metal neutralizer bars and their brushes. An imbalance of charges is induced, amplified, and collected by two pairs of metal combs with points placed near the surfaces of each disk. These collectors are mounted on insulating supports and connected to the output terminals. The positive feedback increases the accumulating charges an electric spark jumps across the gap. That was the principle but Bert used it to ‘entertain’ as he called it. The whole class had to stand up and hold hands, the last person in the line then had to grab hold of a gas tap. Bert would be at the machine and would get the first child to hold the outlet wire. He would then proceed to wind the handle of the machine faster and faster until the static electricity built up, then all of a sudden it would discharge and run to earth through the innocent pupils holding hands to the gas tap, when there was sharp crack and we all felt an electrical shock in our biceps. I am not sure what this proved but Bert certainly enjoyed it.

Also somewhere in the back of my mind is the name of Fred Vince. He was the elderly lab assistant that worked in both labs on the top floor. Fred must be dead now but he lived in station Road and was an interesting character. He was also an organist and I remember visiting him once and he showing me a small necklace, which came from Tutankhamun’s tomb, Lord Caernarfon gave it to him when they opened the tomb. Fred was one of the clerical staff who helped catalogue the finds.

What has happened to these teachers of 50+ years ago?

Unfortunately Bert is no longer with us however June Blitz stayed friends with Bert and his wife until he died .

Miss Fields: She caused me much heartache in trying to remember chemical symbols Zn zinc and Ag silver (I think) and atomic weights. I have no idea of her Christian name or of what happened to her.

Nelson Trowbridge was popular with a lot of his pupils. I do remember the black bushy beard and his three-wheeled Trojan car with the kick-start under the bonnet. In fact I had an email from someone recently asking if I knew of his whereabouts, but unfortunately I could not help.

Looking at the above I do have a list of thirty-three teachers some entries with photographs although many are poor, along with any details I have of them. If you would like a copy of the list email me and I will send it as an attachment to you.

Now I really must say QED

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

You Write:

Griff writes:

You did not mention the school orchestra. I was trying to remember who the female teacher piano player was but I can't remember !  I played the trumpet and we had lessons one afternoon a week at the far end of  the hall which I believe was later a study room near the showers?  I cannot remember who the music teacher was either that came in for that one afternoon a week. 

I know I use to play with some others during assembly time in the morning hymns etc.etc. and  Mr. Davies use to put me off as he would lean on the lectern and stare down at us over his glasses but of course he was only listening to us playing rather than staring us out. There were NO recorder's, thank goodness.

News and Views:

My book 'The Time of Our Lives' is now available to read as an on line book.

On this day 3^rd March 1960-1965

On 03/03/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was USSR wins Winter Olympics

On 03/03/1961 the number one single was Sailor - Petula Clark and the number one album was Tottenham Hotspur. The top rated TV show was The Army Game (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £not very interesting and 13.25 were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story was the start of the comedy programme Bootsie & Snudge (Granada).

On 03/03/1962 the number one single was Rock-a-Hula Baby/Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was John Glenn was 1st US astronaut to orbit earth.

On 03/03/1963 the number one single was The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 03/03/1964 the number one single was Diane - Bachelors and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 03/03/1965 the number one single was I'll Never Find Another You - Seekers and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was Goldie the Eagle escapes London Zoo.

Web Page 1124

24^th February 2013

Top Picture: Pattie Combs

Bottom Picture: Peggy Mount

Pat Coombs

They were the also rans, those actors and actresses who appeared night after night on our TV screens but never actually made it to top billing. One of these wonderful support stars was Pat Coombs who for over 50 years appeared on radio and television often playing spinsters, eccentrics and the lady dither. She was often the stooge to some of the funniest men on radio television such as Bob Monkhouse, Archie Andrews, Reg Varney, Arthur Askey and Dick Emery and she co-starred in numerous sitcoms. Probably the most unforgettable was the one set in a retirement home and called ‘You're Only Young Twice’, here she starred alongside another of those well known names Peggy Mount, the archetypical ‘battleaxe’.

Pat was born on August 27th 1926 in Camberwell and was always known as Pattie to her friends. She was educated in Beckenham, before leaving school only to return as a nursery teacher. Keen on acting, she took drama lessons during the Second World War. At the age of 19, she won a scholarship to train as an actress at LAMDA, where one of her contemporaries was Diana Dors. After acting in repertory theatre in Scunthorpe, she worked all over Britain, before breaking into radio and making her name in Hello Playmates (1954-55), starring Arthur Askey and David Nixon written by Bob Monkhouse and Denis Goodwin. In this she played the dim-witted and unmarriageable  Nola, the daughter of Irene Handl with whom she became good friends. She continued working on radio with stars such asTed Ray and Charlie Chester, but it wasn't long before television beckoned.

An early TV appearance came alongside Tony Hancock in "The Great Detective" episode of Hancock's Half Hour (1957. She followed it with regular appearances in The Cyril Fletcher Show (1959), written by Johnny Speight. Other early TV appearances were with Bill Maynard, Terry Scott, Jimmy Edwards and Dick Emery who was a great admirer of her work. She became a regular on The Dick Emery Show in 1963 and this led to her first sitcom role, as Miss Hobbitt in ‘Barney Is My Darling’ (1965-66), written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman. In 1966 she appeared in a Comedy Playhouse episode entitled ‘Beggar My Neighbour’. In this Pattie played Lana Butt, married to Harry (Reg Varney) who were constantly at war with their neighbours - Lana's sister Rose Garvey (June Whitfield) and brother-in-law Gerald (Peter Jones, later Desmond Walter-Ellis) - who were always broke, in contrast to the opulent Butts. The one-off production was quickly turned into a series that ran for three series between 1967 and 1968.

In 1971 Pattie appeared in the sitcom ‘Lollipop Loves Mr Mole’ in which she and Rex Garner played Violet and Bruce Robinson, who return from Africa and go to live with Bruce's ever-obliging brother, Reg (Hugh Lloyd), and his domineering wife, Maggie (Peggy Mount), in their cottage in Fulham and this was the start of an enduring partnership with Peggy Mount. She then played Dorothy, the eccentric spinster sister of Cyril Blake (Stephen Lewis in the role of the retired Inspector Blake from On the Buses), in ‘Don't Drink the Water’ (1974-75). ‘You're Only Young Twice’ (1977-81) as mentioned above, saw Pattie in a retirement home for elderly women, Paradise Lodge. In it she played the meek and dithering Cissie Lupin while Peggy Mount was the less-than-retiring Flora Petty. It was a series in which Peggy Mount was expected to be the lead but she was perfectly upstaged by Pattie.

Patricia Hayes joined Pattie to play Old Pat and Lanky Pat respectively in the Channel 4 sitcom ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ (1984) written by Johnny Speight, before she teamed up with Hugh Lloyd once more. Together they played Mr and Mrs Carey in ‘In Sickness and in Health’ (1985-92), the sequel to Speight's landmark sitcom ‘Till Death Us Do Part’. She joined Stanley Baxter to play Miss Flavia Jelly in the first two series of ‘Mr Majeika’ (1988-89). Although most of her professional life was spent in comedy she also played character roles in drama and was in the BBC's 1985 version of ‘Bleak House’. She was also much in demand for voiceovers for television commercials and in the children's series ‘Ragdolly Anna’. She joined Noel Edmonds on his House Party where she appeared as Prudence Prendergast for three series and was often a guest on the Bob Monkhouse hosted quiz ‘Celebrity Squares’.

Pattie appeared in a number of well-known British films, two Carry Ons, Spike Milligan's ‘Adolf Hitler - My Part in His Downfall’,’ Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’, ‘Dad's Army’ and’ Ooh...You Are Awful’!

In 1989 she appeared in her favourite TV show EastEnders as Marge Green, Brown Owl of the Walford Brownies. Her axing from the show caused viewer outrage and fans started a campaign to get her reinstated; but this was not successful.

A heavy smoker all her life, Pattie was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 1995. She quickly became involved with the National Osteoporosis Society becoming its patron three years later and, through her Christmas appeal letter, helped to raise more than £100,000 for it. In 2001 she appeared as a bed-ridden patient in ‘Doctors’ and as a regular in the BBC radio series ‘Like They've Never Been Gone’, alongside Roy Hudd and June Whitfield. She had recorded the last episode just two weeks before she died. Pattie's last TV appearance was as herself in a tribute show to Dick Emery. She lived the last 3 years of her life at the actor's rest home in Denville Hall, Middlesex - Pattie had never married and lived with her parents until she was in her forties. For many years she had a sister who lived on Hayling Island and she would often stay with her sister and she was a familiar face around the Island.

Patricia Doreen Coombs passed away on 25th May 2002. Roy Hudd told The Stage newspaper "Pattie really was totally unique. She was a wonderful character actress and marvellous to work with."

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

You Write:

Linda writes: 

Re chimney sweeps: My daughter had a chimney sweep at their wedding. Friends of mine who turned up to see them coming out of the church saw the chimney sweep sitting on a gravestone and thought he was a tramp and asked him to move on before we came out of the church. He saw the funny side of it and wasn't offended.

Where are they Now?

I have someone trying to get in touch with David Wheeler, Raymond Ellis and Elizabeth Dolly. Can you help?

News and Views:

Rick Huxley, bassist with the Dave Clark Five, died on February 11th at his home , he was 72. Though he had suffered from emphysema, he was described as being in good health with no cause of death. Formed in Tottingham in 1957, Rick joined the group (originally as a guitarist) the following year and played on 27 charted records, including "Over And Over", "Because", "Bits And Pieces" and "Catch Us If You Can” and appeared in their own movie, "Catch Us If You Can"  in 1965. They disbanded in 1970. Rick worked in real estate in later years. The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. Said Dave, "He always made me smile and I'll miss that immensely. He was never arrogant and flashy. He was a gentleman and very low key. He was a very, very talented musician and a great friend." Rick's death leaves Dave and guitarist Lenny Davidson as the last remaining members.

A look in the Archives and by request:-

Dancing Lessons at School

There must be many among our numbers who still go cold when they hear the strains of 'Wheels Cha Cha'. Me for one! What is even sadder is that I remember it was performed by the Max Harris Group and recorded on the Fontana label. In those far off days if you really wanted to put in extra dancing practice the record could be bought from RA Fraser Ltd on the Havant Road in Drayton for 3/4d. How do I know? I worked in the store part time after school, in the holidays and on Saturdays and I actually sold the record to some of our number who sheepishly came in to buy a copy. But what was the purpose of those dancing lessons? And who went? Was it an attempt to give us some form of social grace? Who were the instructors and where did they come from? They were not the normal school staff and was there ever a School Dance when we could show off our newfound skills? Here my memory fails me. I think we changed partners for each different dance, I remember tackling the Quickstep with Jenny but other dances I think I was partnered by someone else. How quickly one forgets events, but the steps that I learnt then are still emblazoned in the back of the mind.

 I can still dance when required, although I was never very happy with the Foxtrot and I would still rather not tackle that particular dance unless I was pushed. All this was before days of the School Proms that are held now!

On this day 24^th  February 1960-1965

On 24/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was that the last coarse-groove 78 rpm record was issued.

On 24/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 2402/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was unknown Sean Connery cast as 007 in Dr No.

On 24/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was Liz Taylor films Cleopatra.

On 24/02/1964 the number one single was Diane - Bachelors and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the week was Malcolm X visits Cassius Clay's training camp.

On 24/02/1965 the number one single was Tired of Waiting For You - The Kinks and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 1122

17^th February 2013

Top Picture: A typical 1950’s duffle coat

Bottom Picture: The school satchel

School Uniform

Do you remember the hassle when it came to changing schools and we had to go out with our parents to buy our new school uniforms? As far as I remember the only place that stocked our particular school uniform was Beaumonts in Cosham High Street. The schools department was on the first floor and I remember going in there for the first time to be kitted out in the correct attire. Not like today when you can rush off to the local supermarket and buy all that is needed for a bargain price. For us the school uniform had to last because it was expensive.

Firstly there was the black blazer, those for the girls had gold piping round the edges, and this was going to have to last at least three or possibly four terms so it was essential to have room for growth. The cuffs of the blazer for most first years came almost to the knuckles and the bottom of it reached half way down the thighs! ‘The lad will grow into it sir, we were told and sure enough I did. Hen I started at Court Lane in 1957 all the boys had to wear black caps and so the process of finding my head size (you may think large!) and fitting the cap began.  Do not remember if the girls wore a hat at all maybe someone can help me out there but I am pretty sure that when things changed and we moved to Manor Court there was no hat as part of the uniform. Having got the blazer and cap it was then time to purchase the badges, one large for the blazer and one smaller one for the cap.

These were the two big items and were hastily followed by grey flannel trousers with turn-ups or short trousers for the boys and grey skirts for the girls. To go with these items were grey short socks for us boys or long socks with garters and grey long socks for the girls, (of course later on as the girls got older these were replace with stockings etc.).  

Right we are almost ready to go except for buying the white shirt or blouse and the obligatory school tie (I often wonder what happened to mine, during my last days at school I got all sorts of people, pupils and staff to sign it but unfortunately it is long gone and so have the memories although Geraldine sent me a copy of her Autograph Book which certainly brought back many memories.).

Right we are almost ready to go all we need now is something to carry our books in. A satchel was the most common this was followed by a bag of some sort but for some unknown reason my father had a wooden brief case made for me with my initials on the lid. I think I was the only person in the school to have one, it was large, cumbersome and very embarrassing and as I remember it only lasted a term or two when I managed to persuade my folks that it was totally impractical and what happened to it I don’t remember neither do I remember what I replaced it with.

Just the sports kit now, black plimsoll’s, black shorts and white tee shirts were the order of the day for both boys and girls. Then of course one had to have the shoe bag to put it all in and as I remember Mum made this and embroidered my name on it.

The last item to buy was probably the most expensive and that was the top coat and again these were bought with the intention of lasting a long time. A navy blue or black gabardine mackintosh was the official uniform coat but thankfully when I came to go to senior school the duffle coat had become an accepted part of the uniform providing it was navy blue or black

With the uniform and kit list came a recommended list of stationary items that I was expected to have. So after leaving Beaumonts we marched off down the High Street to Mills the stationers here to buy a fountain pen (Osmiroid or Parker), a bottle of Quink Blue Black ink (no ball point pens for school work in the late 1950’s), pencils, pencil sharpener, a geometry set, rubbers both pencil and ink, a ruler and a Collins Pocket Dictionary. The only thing that remained was to buy a pencil case big enough to take the all the pencils and pens that we had just bought.

The expedition was over and so it was a dash across the High Street for a milk shake in Mary’s Milk Bar, which was later to become the Palm Court Café. Then home and put all the new things away and forget about them until after the holidays.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

You Write:

My, My that article on schools certainly stirred up a few memories. This week we start with Anida's input and then Biffs (Christopher Richards) 

Anida writes:-

Re: Walkers College

 There is a Facebook page I believe.

 Walkers Training College

1881 Established Schools

1915 6-7 New Buildings, Elm Grove, James Walker 1

1918 6-7 New Buildings, Elm Grove, W Walker 1

1923-1928 55 Elm Grove, J Walker 1

1934-1940 115a Elm Grove, Walkers New College, J Walker 1

1946-1948 115a Elm Grove, Walkers New College, W Walker 1

1951-1964 7 Woodpath, Walkers College, W Walker 1

1966 7 Woodpath, Walkers College, N Milton 1

1967 18 Woodpath, Walkers College, N Milton 1

1971-1973 18 Woodpath, Walkers College 1

Looks like its been demolished, a mix of just a few Victorian houses and new buildings now in Woodpath.

Biff Writes:

I started Boundary Oak prep School in 1952 aged 5 as a day boy, my brother was a predecessor, and as such I was known as Richards minor a common term for younger brothers in those days. School for me was a horrible place from the age of 5 till 7 I was in the junior section starting in junior D and working to junior A you were then sent to the senior school to an intermediate class called remove. Where you stayed until you moved up to senior D to A at which time you took the common entrance to go to public school.

Three Years later I was still in remove having never passed my term exams to proceed. In those days there was no such thing as dyslexia but generally you wear either lazy or thick. The School thought I was both. From the age of 7 I received the cane every Monday morning for poor work. Each lesson you were graded S for satisfactory FS for fairly satisfactory and NS for not satisfactory. On Monday morning you presented your weekly report to the Head master (Dody Miller) if you had 2 x NS and a FS you received 3 of the best and if you got 3 x NS you received 6 of the best. This action on Monday morning meant standing outside his study till all the boys had reported and then I was summoned into his office told to select a cane from an old cannon shell by the window; you dropped your shorts and stretched across his desk to receive your punishment. There were always 2 of us. After the first few times I learned not to cry which gave me some street-cred with the other boys. As well as the Monday punishment you received other punishment for talking or poor behaviour. Mr. Thorn (known as Prickles) who took math's and Latin would pull up the edge of your shorts and using the edge of two rulers to whack you so that you had a double wield in you upper leg which would rub on your shorts for days, but was not visible.

Mr. Partridge (Feathered Friend) took French and would belt you on the back of the head without warning. He once hit one boy so hard he was unconscious for minuets and had a large blue mark over his ear.

Occasionally you received public punishment, on Schoolhouse veranda, this was done when lining for school lunch in front of the whole school, I received six on one occasion for having a fight with one of the borders this was as an example to the rest of the school. In those days you never told your parents as this would mean an extra punishment at home.

I was finally removed from school at ten with a comment on my report which said We believe you child is un-teachable and recommend his removal. I was sent to a small prep School (Sea Court) in Southsea for a year. It specialized in problem children like me and at last I started to learn, being in an upper class for math's and making all the school sports teams. At eleven years old having failed my eleven plus I went to Court Lane (1958)

 News and Views:

The U.S. Postal Service have announced that they will issue a stamp honoring Johnny Cash later this year. No release date was announced, no
r were the other two honorees in the “Music Icons” series.

On this day 17^th  February 1960-1965

On 17/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was that Prince Andrew born on the 19^th February.

On 17/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 17/02/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 17/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Liz Taylor starts to film Cleopatra.

On 17/02/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 17/02/1965 the number one single was Tired of Waiting For You - The Kinks and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 1120

10^th February 2013

Top Picture: A descant Recorder

Bottom Picture: School Prize giving 1960-61. Bottom Row L to R: Melv Bridger, Lorraine Durrow, Pat Eustace, ? Back Row L to R: Me Peter Keat, ? ? Colin Blake

Music always seemed to be important to some members of staff when we were at school, either making it or understanding it and there was always at least one member of staff that could play the piano. This went for Infant and Junior Schools as well as Senior Schools.

During the infant years I suppose that I must have shaken a tambourine, rattled some maracas or banged a drum just like everyone else but I do not remember. So it was whilst I was at Solent Road Junior School that I first came across music as a real lesson. I somehow got involved, as many did, with the Recorder Group and this was a disaster! Despite having one of the smart Pearwood descant recorders (the others were brown plastic) and both the green and blue music books and after spending many agonising hours practicing, I was still no good at it. Whenever I blew the instrument it sounded rather like a strangled cat trying to escape. Recorder classes became a nightmare for me, I was forever being told off because of my bad playing, but an astute mind was to the rescue. Even at the age of eight or nine I managed to fathom out a strategy so that I would not get into trouble or at least reduce the number of admonishments I received. The answer was very simple, finger the instrument but don’t blow into it, just make it look as though I was blowing and playing and then no screeching noise would come out. Sit at the back and hide away as far away from the teacher as possible. Joy, this plan worked, at least until the end of term, and when we went back for the new term I was allowed to give up the recorder or rather I think it gave up me!  

Moving onto Senior School, Court Lane in 1957, music still played an important part, although I must admit that I cannot remember what sort of lessons we had from Mr Stephens the very enthusiastic and efficient music master. Soon it was time for school productions and I know that many of you were involved as I was in the Gilbert and Sullivan productions that were staged in the school hall in Court Lane Infants School. The first musical production I remember being involved with was ‘ Trial by Jury’ where I played a juror and Alan Cox the Judge, Catherine Bone the Plaintiff and Rodney Veal the Defendant. I know many of you have happy memories of this production although I am not so surethat Alan Cox would agree as he had to kiss Catherine Bone every evening and he was embarrassed.

Trial by Jury is very short, only approximately 40 minutes in length and so a full length operetta, The Pirates of Penzance was set for the following years production. Once again the Junior School Hall was the venue and once again I was in the chorus, this time as a pirate complete with whiskers, beard and stripy trousers but unfortunately I cannot remember any of the principals, maybe someone out there can fill in the gaps!

Soon it was time to move into the new school, Manor Court in Central Road, and here John Stephens really excelled himself as the school choir and guests presented, for three nights on the trot, extracts from the oratorio, Handels’ Messiah. I know I have talked about this before but it really was a fantastic performance and I am still wondering what happened to that reel to reel recording of the event, it has never ever come to light. The genius of John Stephens was to involve other people as well as the pupils in the production. I sang bass as did my father and my godmother sang alto. A semi professional orchestra was engaged and for the first time many of us saw that Ray Dopson played the violin (several years later his son Paul spent many hours making and maturing a violin for his father). Mr Stephens also engaged professional soloists and I really do wish that I could remember who they were. The performances were a great success but this was not to be followed by bigger and bigger successes as come the end of the term John Stephens took up another position in Somerset and moved away and that was the end of outstanding music at Manor Court for a while, in fact over the next couple of years while I progressed through the fifth and sixth year, (the Messiah was staged in my fourth year) I cannot remember any other musical productions. 

I suspect that music classes continued but by this time I was not involved, homework, pop music and jazz became important to me and of course all the teenage involvements with girl friends took over

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

You Write:

Mary writes:-  I was interested to see your weekly bulletin on private schooling. My mother worked at Boundary Oak at the end of the war. Mr Miller or Major Miller as she knew him was very strict but fair. My mother left the school when she was expecting me. She was very happy at the school but my father had come home after 4yrs away in the army and they wanted to spend time together. She remained in contact with some of the staff and I remember one teacher coming to visit us at Farlington. My mother was very upset when the school matron, of whom she was very fond, committed suicide. Mother even phoned up the school and spoke to Major Miller saying how sorry she was and why did it happen. Some time later Major Miller was found dead in his study apparently cleaning a gun, which had gone off. Once again, mother was heartbroken. Major Miller `s wife, we heard, wouldn’t agree to a divorce, and he hoped to marry the matron. My mother was shocked and could hardly believe saying that she had no inkling of it. Even at the end of her life she always spoke of them very fondly and remembered them with great affection. At least 2 boys at Court Lane had been at Boundary Oak and one of them was Donald Childs. So there we are, quite a tale! 

News and Views:

Sad to hear of the death of Reg Presley on the 3rd February, coning from Andover Reg was always regarded as a local band leader. We had a very tenuous link with him as he went to school with my wife's late cousin. 

On this day 10^th  February 1960-1965

On 10/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Margaret Thatcher had given her first Commons Speech.

On 10/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 10/02/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was US bans imports from Cuba.

On 10/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was Liz Taylor films Cleopatra

On 10/02/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 10/02/1965 the number one single was You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers and the number one album was Beatles For Sale - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.