|
 |
|
|
Newsletter No 42, Sept. 2004 |
|
|
for former pupils of Wallasey School, Henry Meoles School, Oxley School and WGS |
|
|
|
Editor & Chairman: Tony Simpson Secretary: Vic Green email address <vic.green@oldwallaseyans.co.uk> Webmaster: Bob Bryans <robert.bryans@oldwallaseyans.co.uk> www.oldwallaseyans.co.uk
THE 73rd ANNUAL DINNER WILL BE HELD AT THE RAF CLUB 128 PICCADILLY LONDON W1V 0PY ON FRIDAY 15th October 2004
Details of booking arrangements can be seen on the "Events " page of the web site
Our guests at this year's dinner will include Mark McLean (OW 80-85) and Graham Boston, President of the Old Wallaseyans' Club, together with his wife Jan. The Dinner Chairman
will be Deputy Chairman and Webmaster Bob Bryans, to whom I am grateful for allowing me a respite after 12 years. Sydney Nicolson (OW 1916-20) was 100 on 20th
June 2004. Vic Green, myself and my wife visited him in July when we entertained him to lunch and presented him with a framed reproduction of Norman Colebourne's painting of W.G.S. which includes a cricket match - Masters v Boys – on the front pitch.
Monday, 26th
April 2004 saw the official opening of the Wirral Rowing Centre, home of the Liverpool Victoria Rowing Club. Sir Steven Redgrave CBE who also visited Mosslands, Wallasey and Weatherhead Schools performed the ceremony. The day's programme ended with a cavalcade of all boats on the water. The old boathouse was burnt down in August 9
th 1990. I am very pleased to include a further article from Andrew Beattie about his Far Eastern adventures.. Andrew is our youngest committee member formerly based in Tokyo. Despite this, he kept
in regular touch with us, and I thank him very much for his fascinating contributions. I notice that the Old Wallaseyans Club in Grove Road has entitled its magazine "The Middle Aged Wallaseyan" Middle Aged
Wallaseyans Worldwide would be a bit of a mouthful; we'll stick to Old Wallaseyans Worldwide! I congratulate Graham Boston upon election as President of the O.W. Club and look forward to entertaining him and Jan later this
year. It has beena pleasure to know Tony and Rita Fraser during the past two years and look forward to a similar liaison with Graham and Jan Boston. OWW longa, vita brevis.
Tony Simpson
Wallasey School News, Issue 38 Former Wallasey School Pupil Gareth Fretwell left Wallasey in 1995 to take up a career in the Royal Air Force, training to become an engineer at RAF Halton. He has since
served in Scotland, Cyprus and the Gulf, working on Harrier Jump Jets. Gareth was selected for officer training and graduated as a commissioned Officer attaining the rank of Flight Officer in February this year. Currently he
is studying for a degree in Engineering at RAF Cosford. Martin Pope, Headteacher at Wallasey School, retired in July 2004 due to ill health. The Headteacher of Woodside School covered the two schools during Mr
Pope's illness. Since responses to the advertisement for a new Headteacher have been unsatisfactory, the post will be re-advertised in September. Meanwhile, a temporary full-time Headteacher had been appointed. Wallasey
School, 1400 pupils, will open on 2nd September 2004. News of Members Andrew Beattie 85-92 I am currently in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. Never heard of the place?
So, you might be surprised then that it has over eleven million inhabitants. So, here is a recap of the last four weeks since I last wrote. It rates as probably my favourite part of the trip. China is varied and geographically
spectacular and I made a long return to mountainous areas, which is what has pleased me so much. Kunming I enjoyed a pleasing temperature reversal as my plane landed in Kunming, Yunnan province, China. The previous day when
my bus left the Thai beach town of Hua Hin, the temperature board had read a brutal 42 degrees. The captain announced that Kunming, at 1890m asl, had a much more pleasant 24 degrees. I was excited to be in China. Somehow it
felt so much more exotic to me than the Indochina countries and about on a par with Burma. Kunming is a very gentle introduction to China, with high sanitation standards, clean toilets, some people who speak some English
& western food. Things I did not expect in China & things that wouldn't last as I headed into more out of the way places.It felt quite homely to see all of the Chinese characters again after my time in Japan. It was
also nice that after countries like Burma, Laos, Thailand & Cambodia that I could at least partially understand many of the signs, even if I could barely pronounce a word.10 km outside of Kunming, I visited the Bamboo
temple, which seemed to contain no bamboo at all, but did have 1000 carved monks, each one unique. The temple was built in the same style as so many of the Buddhist temples I had visited in Japan and reminded me of such. In the
town itself, I visited the bird & flower market, which did contain birds and flowers. The birds were all kept caged up & were ready for sale, I assume for human consumption, I don't think that the Chinese see birds as
pets! Dali From Kunming, I took a night train to Dali, a small historic town with a beautiful cobbled streeted old town. It was a very relaxed place, where I spent three days, that was easy to wander around and make a
couple of trips out of the town to lakes & mountains. Even though the town has a lot of tourists, the vast majority of them were Chinese, so it somehow didn't feel so touristy, except for one or two streets. Lijiang
Lijiang was not completely dissimilar to Dali, in having an old town. It did attract far more (Chinese) tourists that pretty much took over the town. Nonetheless, Lijiang still had a nice feel to it & again I enjoyed just
strolling around its streets. Tiger Leaping Gorge From Lijiang, I made a three day trek through a spectacular (no other word for it) gorge. The first two days of walking was along a track that ran above the gorge on the
lower of the two sides, allowing me to view hundreds if not 1000 metres down into the gorge. The third day was the most impressive. I walked down into the gorge and along a track that ran just above the water.I got on the tiger
leaping rock, where the tiger which the gorge is named after allegedly leapt from. The rock was the size of a house and vibrated due to the force of the water that was pummelling into it, as the water was squeezed through a
relatively small channel. It gave me a big adrenaline rush to sit on this rock and feel the awesome power of the water crashing into it & splashing around it. As I sat on the rock I could look kilometres above me at the
5,500m mountains that sat to the side of the gorge, as the gorge side turned to mountain peak. From the base of the gorge, I had to go up series of ladders, one of which was 20m long, with a drop behind it of hundreds of
metres into the gorge, I couldn't look down, I just held on & climbed up steadily until I got to the top of the ladder and on to firm land that I was relieved to put my feet on. Shangri-La Hike From the TLG, I spent
many hours on buses stopping at Zhongdian & changing at Deqin to get to Feilai Si, the start of my next hike, a four day hike to & from an area that had 5 & 6,000m + mountains. The first day was a tough 8 hour walk,
descending 1000m in altitude from our starting point, then ascending 1500m upto a pass at 3700m and then back down to a village that was at the same altitude as where we started, just a lot closer to the mountains we had come
to see and offering unobstructed views. The hike to the village of Yubeng was tough. I could really feel the altitude as I nearer the pass & the path kept turning such that every time I though that I must have sone the
final bend, I found that there was another 50m to go and another and another...... We stayed at a mountain hut that had an amazing 270 degree view of the three mountain valleys that lay to each side of the village. On the
second day of the hike, we did a nice trek to a waterfall and visited a Tibetan monastery. On the third day, we went to stay at the base camp to an ice lake. There we were offered to buy a whole calf, where the guy who ran the
base camp would go down to his village, buy a calf, slaughter it, bring it back up & cook it over an open fire, all for 12 dollars - or the price of about 4 Starbucks lattes! We shared it between four of us for dinner &
the next day's breakfast & still have some left over to give to the guy who ran the basecamp, which was just a few mountain huts. The meat was still white & was the freshest meat I can ever remember eating. Quite a
difference from the scraps of squirrel meat I was eating on the trek in Laos!From the base camp we walked up to the ice lake. As I walked back to base camp alone, the sun lit the surrounding mountains peaking 1500-2000m above
me just perfectly. The early morning (6.30 am) sun also lit the mountains in an amazing manner on the fourth day. We spent a couple of hours feasting our eyes on the view before it was time to hike out of the area, renting a
bus back & past the start point of the hike to a town where we would catch a bus back for 7 hours to the town we were at 6 days before.Seven days of hiking in eight days. Not bad. Western Sichuan The area I had been
travelling through was mountainous & much more Tibetan that Chinese: In fact, almost completely Tibetan.The route to Chengdu was a tough one. I estimate that I have spent over 50 hours on buses and 9 hours on trains in my
time in China so far. About 90% of the time, the buses have been on mountain roads too bumpy to read a book on! I headed from Zhongdian to Xiangcheng to Litang. I had been on a long distance bus (between 4-10 hours) every day
for 4 consecutive days. As the roads are so bad they don't travel in the dark, so it was many hours of being awake on bumpy buses, thank Sony for the Walkman. I stopped in Litang for three days. This was an amazing wild west
Tibetan town residing at about 4000m asl, surrounded by green hills and mountains rising above these. The people - 94% of the population was Tibetan - wandered around in cowboy hats & boots, it is difficult to describe, but
it was just totally wild. The monks at the lamasery were super friendly & gave us a guided tour around their large building. Litang was just a place to wander around & observe the bizarre place.
I spent the next two days on the bus descending 3500m in altitude before visting the world's largest buddha at 71m in Leshan-Very impressive. Chengdu Then onto Chengdu, where I have been taking no buses for the past couple
of days before continuing my trip to northern Sichuan and on to Gansu province. I went to a giant panda breeding sanctuary yesterday, which was awesome. The pandas were within just a couple of metres of where the public could
go. Sichuan is *the* part of China where Pandas live. I have also been enjoying the simple things in Chengdu, sitting in a park and drinking great green tea. It has been much harder travelling in China than in the very easy
south east Asia, but not as hard as I had expected it to be. The Lonely Planet Mandarin phrasebook is certainly a Godsend. Food The food in China has been surprisingly good. It is easy to get a local type of flat
bread for breakfast & other than that there has been a healthily high vegetable & tofu content in the food. The Chinese are highly prone to cooking in a lot of fat, but other than that I have particularly enjoyed the
food.
So that's it. I have another month in China & then on to more mountains in northern Pakistan & Nepal.
For those of you wishing to keep abreast of Andrew's adventures, you can do so by logging on to www.travelpod.com/members/beats Foster Berry - <fosterberry 8@hotmail.com> Just got the latest OWW newsletter, only just coped with all the
nostalgia! The article (by Bob Bryans) on Shadowschule was interesting, and I read most of the other letters too – disappointing there are not any from our years. I will have to write something again sometime but there
would be a danger of it being too long and nostalgic. Someone mentioned Mr Taylor the woodwork master – I still have my wooden candlestick holder! I've seen Barry Brereton's name on Friends Reunited, but haven't contacted him
yet – his parents ran Killens Dancing School, which I went to, mainly because I sat next to Barry in my first class, 3C. The following summer, Smith told us the facts of life while we were watching the cricket match on the
front. I thought it was all a wonderful idea but didn't really believe him! And that was after nearly a year of dancing with girls! Oh how innocent! Excellent website. I still haven't ordered those prints. Nev Daniel Many many thanks for your very newsey newsletters, always so interesting. I am enclosing a 1932 School Mag, in which I am sure you will find
something of interest for you, and perhaps your readers. A violin solo by R G Sutea 1932 speech Day. Russel playing often with Lpool Phil when short of a violin player, he ws also leader of the Chester Phil, also Bluecoat in
Liverpool and on 'Zaba Meta' as conductor. Have School Photo of that year, i.e. 1932; would you like it? Mike Elder 51-58 <elder@elder.plus.com> I was at the school
from 1951-1958 and was a member of the Boat Club, as indeed was my brother (Geoff) who is actually 6 years younger than I. I am writing to thank you for your continual support of Wallasey School with regards to your truly appreciated
donation of the Allan & London Old Wallaseyans Prize for Head Boy. I hope you know that this prize is a great asset to whomever receives it, therefore I add my own, personal, thanks as you have helped me get where I am
today. Being Head Boy increased my participation in an already welcoming school community, therefore I thank you for your part in making this possible. John D Fraser 42-46
I think I've written enough for the time being! I enclose £ 4 towards future newsletters. Prof John D Frodsham 41-48 <bronoffa@msn.com> Just a brief note to let old friends know that I am
still around. I'm still lecturing at Murdoch University , where I have gained the dubious distinction of being, to the best of my knowledge, the oldest, full- time , tenured full Professor in Australia. (Corrections welcomed).
In fact, when the Australian Government awarded me a Centenary Medal a couple of years ago, I believed at first it was because our PM had thought I was a Centenarian! In any case, given my present workload, there are times
when I feel like one. I was amused by Fraser's recollections of the glamorous Miss Merriman. Though not witty herself, she was the cause of great wit in others during her UVA history classes. Most of these
brilliant bon mots (many emanating from the egregious Fred Bolton) do not bear repeating, so she very properly pretended to ignore them. Today, we should all have been charged with sexual harassment, I'm afraid. The
age has become at once licentious and prudish. Incidentally, I think I've been lucky settling in remote Perth. A UNESCO survey had twice named it one of the three most pleasant cities in the world to live in,
though its climate closely resembles that of North Africa. Nevertheless, I intend to revisit the UK, in spite of your weather, and shall try to make my long-promised , final trip coincide with the Annual Dinner, provided Roy
Swinbank promises to attend.
Edward Godfrey
59-66 <ejgodfrey@netcabo.pt> I have read with considerable interest the news/memories on the Old Wallaseyans web
site and am minded to contribute my various memories of life at school in these years. Unknown to all of my contemporaries, I kept a daily diary during these years. I think I still have these diaries here in Portugal at the
bottom of a tea chest and I certainly have my 1965 diary to hand. This was an interesting year as Mr Eggleshaw was acting headmaster for the "Spring" and "Summer" terms. Mr Bruce arrived in September to
take up the post of headmaster. To reply to David Hulme's contribution in the Editor's Postbag, Summer 2004, my first reaction is "that was no latin master, that was Mick Riddle". Mr Riddle was at WGS
from 1953 to 1967. I always found him a quietly stimulating English master, especially with regard to literature and poetry. Although I took Geography, History and French for A-level, during the school year 1964/5 we were
"privileged " to have one English period a week under the auspices of MR. He was an interesting gentleman and his reminiscences were eagerly looked forward to. He told us he had read Greek, Latin and Hebrew at Corpus
Christi, Oxford. He came to WGS to teach classics but later switched to English. A devout Roman Catholic, he was leader of the school's RC community and led these boys in their own assembly in the Library. Certainly David
Hulme's observation of MR walking the corridors" is extremely accurate, and I am sure MR himself would have appreciated David's powers of description. Hopefully I will find time to contribute my detailed observations of
life at WGS in 1965 in the near future.
Jack H Harwood 26-31
Main problem these days is osteoarthritis which limits my mobility, otherwise age fast approaching 90 I am not too bad. George Hocking 41-49 In October 03 we cruised the Eastern Med with visits to Istanbul (just 3 weeks before the British Consul was attacked).
Fascinating city, we visited the Blue Mosque, Tophapi Palace , and the Grand Bazaar. We even, after a great effort, got rid of the charming young Turk trying to get us to his carpet shop!! A tour of Athens enabled us to see
all the work needed to prepare for the Olympics! I can strongly recommend a visit to Dubrovnik. The old city is quite magnificent. I think OW's Worldwide is an excellent concept. It took a long time to be born.
David J Hulme
1965-70 DJH <disclessuk@hotmail.com> I was a member of Seacombe House and my first form was IIIC going on to IVC, LVC, MVC and UVC. I can recall a number of our masters. These were J B Lewis
– Latin; B W Lewis – Maths and PE; Mr Lawton – French and Mr Walker – Music (I was a member of the orchestra playing clarinet and bassoon.) Brian Gordon – I will come to him later. Upon finding your site my mind took me
back to a certain "elderly " Latin master whose name I cannot recall. This gentleman – and he was – had silver/white hair, spectacles, was very white faced and wore the traditional black gown as was required. IIIC's
form room was located on the top floor of the right wing of the Withens Lane site which I think was either room 27 or 28. Upon returning from the gym one day, my classmates and I were greeted by the sight of this gentleman
coming towards us along the interconnecting corridor between the right wing and the main building. We were absolutely dumbstruck. This gentleman had developed the technique of walking along in such a fashion that the gown
he was wearing NEVER moved!! He had the appearance of floating along the corridor like a ghost!! Needless to say we backed up to the wall of one side of the corridor whilst he passed on the other side. However he KNEW what
the effect was because he had a very tight-pursed smile on his face as he passed on by. I only spoke to this master once. I use the term master because that is exactly what the man was. He spoke with authority BUT did NOT
talk down to you. That was the person to be respected by virtue of how he conducted himself and not one who demanded respect. Unfortunately he was not one of my teachers – more is the pity. And can I remember his name?? No I
can't – someone enlighten me please!!! I mention Brian Gordon's name earlier. Brian, in addition to being a master, was the leader of the 2nd
Wallasey Sea Scouts before we moved to Birket Avenue. The hut was located off Belvedere Road in Wallasey opposite Belvedere Park – no doubt both places have been built on by now, such is progress. As a member of the group I went to Downpatrick in Northern Ireland on a camping trip in 1966 – the same week that England won the World Cup. Every time that I had watched England on the TV, England lost the match. So when the opportunity for all of us to watch the final, others and I bowed out!! We all know who won 4-2 – it's all over now!! During those two weeks we played football and tag, canoed, went across to O'Meath in Eire and dispensed with that thing called homesickness. It took me four days to get rid of that. There was another guy there suffering from the same thing as me by the name of John Kirby. John got over it quicker than I did by a day and we certainly enjoyed our stay thereafter. The Scout Group folded when we moved to Birket Avenue - it is nice to see that it is still remembered and apparently flourishing??
What have I done since leaving WGS? I left WGS with one O Level in Mathematics – well done Messrs B W Lewis and Lawton. I then went to the tech college next door to Withens Lane and secured another five O
Levels. From there I signed on with what is now BT, and from there joined the Liverpool and Bootle Constabulary on 12th
August 1973. I transferred to Essex Police in 1976 and have now retired after completing thirty years. Having passed my coach-driving test back in 1993, I now drive coaches part time both nationally and internationally – it all helps to top up the pension.
The future?? I live in Essex. All parts of Essex – as do all of the Home Counties – have become desirable places to live in as they are considered to be "Des Res" for those who wish to commute to London.
Unfortunately our local authority also recognises this fact and this is reflected in our council tax. That being so I have an eye on a property in the Dordogne area of France where the equivalent council tax is about half of
what it is here and that is what I set my sights on. So I will hopefully get a coach company to take me on - there is nothing like getting paid to go and see new places!!! The reunion?? I would like to be able
to attend however that will depend on how my own future develops. If I can be there I will. In the meantime to all of you OW's - take it easy and take care. My husband taught Chemistry at WGS for two years in 1958/9 and I would be interested to know if your Archives have any record of his time at the school? His name was Malcolm B James and
graduated from Liverpool University. Some time ago we visited Wallasey and could not find the school, but at that time we did not have a computer and the chance to follow up our search. He left the school and went on to teach
chemistry at Bedford Modern School in 1960 (a fee paying independent school), later becoming Head of Science. He retired in 1995, but sadly died in November 2003 at the age of 68. Having spent the last few days in the area of
Wallasey myself, playing bridge, my thoughts turn to his time there and wondered if you have any record of his name in your Archives. I would be grateful to know if any old boys remember him, in spite of the time lapse. He
was a Welshman from Llanelli in South Wales and a dedicated teacher and well loved in Bedford having served 35 years teaching in the same school.
Brian G Stan Jones 34-42 Pleased to see the adoption of our new name,
although with some sadness, after some 70 years of London OWs. Whilst we must rely on locals to keep our fellowship alive, it is good to read of the growing numbers of members from worldwide. We enjoyed a very interesting
tour of Bremen (so well restored after bomb damage), including a visit to the Focke-Wolf factory (shades of "Condors") where we entered space labs and saw an International space station being built. Security was
unusual: they scrutinised the Germans and Dutch members but just waved the 'Brits' through. February and March we spent in Spain with International Caravanning, on walking tours but I was very restricted by osteoporis.
Benecarlo provided good walking on and near the coast; Monfrague Natural Park, in Extremadura, was quite different, with wonderful bird and wild life. Well worth a visit if you enjoy that, in the Spring or Autumn. We are in
Normandy in May; then travel to Sweden, Finland and Norway for 8 weeks June/August. I am trying 2 new hobbies – cycling and painting - to overcome my frustration. Art was never
my strong point at WGS despite best efforts of Bowes, so I shall have to see how I get on. Looking forward to seeing you in October.
Alex Lloyd Deputy Head Boy
2003 I am writing in order to thank you for donating the London Old Wallaseyan Prize for Deputy Head Boy which I received a few weeks ago. I apologise for the delay in writing; however, I have been
extremely busy in revising for my exams, which I have only recently completed. The book tokens have been used to purchase essential reading for my degree programme at Salford University. I am studying
Contemporary Military and International History and a large amount of reading is required. Thank you again for your donation.
Don Malcolmson 58-65 <donmalc@bigpond.com>
Yet again I must tender my apologies for the Annual Dinner. And yet again, I plead the same defence – the tyranny of distance. I was sorry to learn of the untimely death of John Banks. He was Head Boy when I was but a
callow member of Form IIIA in September 1958. I remember running into him (literally) one morning near the Prefects Room when I was (uncharacteristically) late for school. After administering a rebuke for my having
'assaulted' him, he spared me the usual punishment of a 'Prefects Detention' and the writing of some inane phrase 200 times. From the perspective of an 11-year-old new boy, an 18 year old in an academic robe exercising the
authority of the Headmaster was someone to be respected, especially one who exercised the prerogative of mercy! As I approach my dotage, I find that I am busier than ever before. I'm told that the new buzz
phrase for having several part time vocations is to have a 'career portfolio'. Orwellian speak or not, in between running a legal practice for the poor and infamous and university commitments, I've been recalled to the RAAF as
a part time legal reservist; all of which certainly keeps me from loitering with intent around street corners Bill Abbott and I are still working on the notion of an Antipodean Reunion. Somewhat surprisingly, the
general level of interest has been more from Old Wallaseyans who live in New Zealand. It's likely that our function will probably take place in the Land of the Long White Cloud, at a location yet to be finalised. However, for
reasons of centrality and convenience of access, Wellington would have to be on the inside rail. Harry Milburn ? -1954 <harry@milburnh.fsnet.co.uk> I would like to receive info on the Old Walls. I left the school in
1954. I retired as professor of Chemistry and now live in East Lothian, Scotland. Don Mudd 41-51
Sorry can't make it yet again to the Annual Dinner but enclose £ 10 to help things along. WGS, MVC, Geography Lesson with Spud Widlake circa 1945. Six lights in classroom. All had thin cotton tied to them. I
was one of six delightful pupils who pulled the cotton so that when Spud entered the classroom all six lights were swinging in different directions. Spud came so close to my desk. I let go of the cotton, which then swung onto
Spud's face. "What's this then?" he said disentangling the thin cotton from his specs. I think it was John Pearson who brought the house down by stranding up and explaining "You see, sir, when you pull the
cotton the lights swing!" Sydney V Nicholson 16-20 Had a fall in the house. X-Ray revealed 2 broken bones on my right hand. Kept in hospital for three weeks. I'm much better but
for the thyroid; arthritis in the fingers and legs is getting worse. Still I can't grumble at nigh unto 100 – I could be much worse. Best wishes for a good time on the 15th October. Charles Peers 28-35
Nothing to report. Herewith cheque. The best value for money I know of! David Peers 1951-58 <david.peers@bbc.co.uk I am officially now retired but I am still working part-time at my old job
as a TV producer for the BBC's World Business Report (available in hotels around the world). I've got two grown up daughters, Ellie and Mandi, and a granddaughter Abbie, from my first marriage to Sandra. I'm
now married to Beryl, a TV/film drama director and writer, and we have a seven-year-old son. In recent years I've revived my interest in bird watching that I originally acquired as a member of the WGS Natural History Society
(ah, those freezing trudges across the sands to Hilbre Island).
Reginald A Radcliffe 28-36 Many thanks for sending me Newsletter No. 41, March 2004, OWs Worldwide. These letters always make interesting reading – but as I am of the class 1928-36 not many of my
contempories are featured! However, my main reason for writing is to advise you that I have returned to my roots as you will see from the above address. I am sure all OWs are grateful to you for all the time you must spend
in producing the interesting items. Graham R Smith 55-62 Please note that I shall move to a new address on Friday 21 May. (Address available from the secy)
Alan Stabler 35-42
Sorry once again – not able to travel. Cheque enclosed for £ 5 for 2 issues + expenses. Chris Swarbrick 53-60 <cswarbrick@btinternet.com> I was at WGS from 53 to 60 at Withens Lane
(the photos on the web page bring back memories) and would like to receive the Newsletter by email. I am now retired from my own management business and am living in rural Oxfordshire. I still get back to Cheshire (and
Wallasey WAS Cheshire in the old days) from time to time. Remembering teachers - FL Allan – Head, Mr Moscrop (Moses) – Wilf Dinham – Prust –Preece – Bill Wise – Maurice Eggleshaw et al. Evan Thomas 34-40 Many thanks for Newsletter. Reading
Stan Jones's account of the early war days has prompted me to write about my own experiences. Following Mr Bohs example, myself and a number of other boys joined the AFS as messengers. I was posted to No.2 Station, the Bus
Sheds in Seaview Road, along with Frank Storey, Rodney Rowlands, Alan Jones & Dave Bunny. One of the major fires I attended would be the Income Tax Office in Birkenhead – same night as the Argyle Theatre. We had the first
call out that evening on a 1913 Leyland fire engine – with solid tyres! You can imagine the vibration on the solid sets of Cleveland Street. We were signalled to stop at Duke Street Bridge by the LDV (Home Guard) the guard
commander demanding Identity Cards from the driver ' Gunner Marshall' WFB. (Captain Mannering to a T!) During this period we attended fires at Pauls Flour Mills etc – exciting nights! Later in the war I met Dave Bunny now
a Captain, during a skirmish on the North West Frontier! End of term 40's. Saw the saga of the tin sheds being vandalised, Tranter's smoking emporium escaped any damage. I recall a Dougie Igoe – any connection? Donation
to OWW enclosed. Alan S Watts
30-36 <alanswatts@yahoo.co.uk> I was greatly saddened by the death of my school pal, Ken Gidman who passed away on 21st
December 2003. He had endured the amputation of his leg some time before, but had managed to continue driving his car and meeting friends most weeks to play snooker. He was a grand chap. values for our lives.
Steve Williams 56-63 <sgwilli@minmdspring.com> Thanks as usual for a wonderful (website) job on the March OW Newsletter. Before the next one I will pen a few memory lines – as our 56-63 contingent seems
conspicuous by its absence. I am anticipating making it to the Dinner this year. To us in the Colonies (North Carolina having been one of the original 13 and part of the land grant given by Charles II to the Lord
Proprietors) the OW Newsletter makes us stop to remember our roots – or perhaps, for those of us who worked on the buses in the summers, our routes. Retrospectively, we were indeed lucky to have WGS, and Wallasey in general,
as formative influences in discovering a set of values for our lives. J. Rex Wood 22-24; 29-31 Thank you for the Newsletter. As I am decreasingly mobile, I will not be able to attend but hope it will
be as successful as usual. Thank you for keeping in touch. Robert C Woodall 23-29
Nothing much, unless you think that the fact that I shall be 93 in November will shake the world. ___________________________________________________________________________ Memories of 1942-46 by John D Fraser Part 5
I remember sitting in the 3rd
form seats at the rear of the hall, when (I don't know how to spell his name) Leairy Constantine came to school to give us a talk and present a signed bat to some lucky person. He also brought his West Indies team to play at the school. I cannot remember whether they came once or twice. I still consider it to have been a great honour to have been there at the time. I believe the association with the school was due to CD who befriended Constantine when he was young!
Talking of cricket, we watched the end of a match when the school needed 36 runs to win. "Clod" Hall was the last man in. He hit six sixes and was carried off shoulder high. As far as I remember two balls went
out of the grounds and were lost. I later met up with Hall at RAF Valley when I went to Station HQ to sign in. He asked me not to use the WGS nickname. He at least told me about the weekend bus to Pier Head. As you may
have gathered from my previous epistle I didn't get on with C Danson. It was the conker season and I'd got a winner. I had found it in a drawer at home and I was going great guns with it. In class I took my hanky out to blow
my nose and the conker dropped out having been caught up with the hanky. "Bring that out here" CD shouted. "I'll show you what to do with that thing." He then proceeded to bash it on his desk. Each time
he brought it down the class counted. It was still going strong at ten and CD was getting more and more annoyed. I think the conker eventually gave up at 17! It shattered into little bits, one of which went into CD's eye.
He had to go and have it seen to. The whole form got a detention, me for having a conker and the rest for chanting the score. It was worth it just to see the effect it had on CD. I was cleaning the blackboard one
dinnertime before going home when someone made a rude remark to me. I threw the duster at him and he ducked. CD was sitting in one of the desks giving an extra lesson to some boy. The duster wrapped itself right round CD's
head. When he pulled it off he was as white as a ghost. He went bananas and I got a week of detentions for my trouble! The only thing I ever admired him for was his party piece. He could draw – on the board - a perfect
circle. We used the compass to check it after he'd gone and it really was perfect. I seem to remember that one of the firewatchers had been into the organ loft which was directly over where the Head stood for morning
assembly. Whoever the person was he had balanced 3 (/) conkers on the grille so that when the organ played the vibration dislodged the missiles which duly came down as planned. Another firewatcher had mixed something up in
the chemistry lab one night. Whoever it was, (nitrogen triiodide? Ed.) it was a liquid which dried to form crystals - which exploded with a large bang .Just about the whole school went off with a bang the next morning. Door
knobs, balcony rail, floors, you name it, it went bang! It took the Porter all morning to clear it up. I knew a chap at the time who tried to get me to organise a date with my sister. He told me if I succeeded he'd show me
how to make the "bang" material – my sister wasn't interested. In my previous tome I mentioned Harold Lee commonly known as Greasy Joe. When he was leaving the area he, as I said before, gave me
several art folders. He gave me masts for a boat hull that I had had given to me. He cut out and made sails for it as well. It was a very long time before I actually rigged the boat. I rigged it for my son when he was about
5. We still have the vessel! Mr Lee also gave me a sheet of plastic material. He said that I could have some fun with it. He broke a small piece off the sheet and touched it with his fag end. Immediately the piece
smouldered and produced vast volumes of white smoke. I was in UVA at this time and Neil Griffiths sat in front of me. He was our "mad scientist". He asked me for a piece of the plastic so I gave him a bit
about 3" * 2". He put it on the floor between desks and got out a magnifying glass; proceeding to try to set the stuff alight. I told him not to but "He knew what he was doing" Ha Ha". Kate Silvey
entered just as he got it hot enough to start the smoke. If he had just put his foot on it, he'd have stopped the burning but instead he stamped on it – it broke into a lot of pieces and obviously all were alight as suddenly
the whole room filled with white smoke. We heard Kate yell, "I'm going to get the Headmaster" and slammed the door. We all worked frantically to open the windows and wafted the smoke away. By the time she returned
with the Head we had got rid of all the smoke and shut the windows again. The Head came in and looked around a class full of angels all sitting up straight ready for work. He commented to Kate that he could see no evidence of
smoke and maybe she had imagined it all. He left the room with a typically one-sided smile on this face. Kate's lesson droned on as boringly as ever. When Mr Lowe came in he wanted to know all about it as it was topic of
conversation in the staff room. So I explained to him the whole story. The sheet of plastic was only half the size of this page when H.Lee had given it to me. And now it was very much smaller due to Neil's mad ideas. I
showed Mr Lowe the stuff and demonstrated with a tiny piece and a magnifying glass. Poof, a large cloud of white smoke went up to the ceiling. "Hey", he said "that's great, can you give me some - I'll have a
joke on the staff". I broke off several small pieces. I had a detention with Neil. Next morning Lowe came in, grinned and said" The effect was wonderful". I have no idea what the plastic was and the very last
bit was used to stop a boring lesson at art school. I wish I had some now! There was a boy in UVA who, although very brainy could "be taken for a ride" easily. One day we all piled our books over the door as
everyone as in except Brindley. The boy nearest the door, which was slightly open, told us when B. was coming. Apparently when B was almost up to the door, he stopped, bowed gracefully and allowed someone else to enter before
him. In walked Allan, mortarboard and all. The books duly fell on his head, knocked the mortarboard squiffy and fell around him. We all expected an explosion but instead Allen looked at Brindley who was by now very
red-faced, straightened his mortarboard looked at us all with that strange half smile and walked out of the room. There was a deathly hush. The trouble was UVA was directly over the Head's room so he must have wondered what
was going on above and had come up to investigate. The whole class had a detention that day in the form room! Another time with the same players Brindley had had his jam butty pinched from his desk by his friend Don Crosby.
Crosby had put it on top of a tall bookcase (the jam butty was wrapped). Brindley came in and saw where it was and proceeded to climb the bookcase by opening its doors. As he climbed, in came the head with the teacher. Both
were rather amused especially as Brindley was not aware of them and was sort of singing "I've got my jam butty, I've got my jam butty, I've got…." "Come down at once" – poor lad he almost fell down. Again
the Head said little just that that quizzical smile and he left the room. I forgot who the teacher was but we were told that we'd all got detention! It was worth it just to see the faces! I really can't remember anything
else about WGS days so it looks as if you are going to be lucky enough not to read anymore of my scribble. I enclose some examples of photos of what I do now when the spirit moves me – I use them for my Christmas cards. ________________________________________________________________________ John Banks 51-58 (Head Boy 1958) died in December 2003 Dave Peers writes:
John and I were at school and university together: 1951-58/59 at Wallasey Grammar School, and then three years at Pembroke College, Oxford. WGS was a big influence. It's odd the way the school influences
persist. Those of you who suffered the Latin classes of CD Danson (bonus, bona, bonum..) will remember how he tried to Latinise everyone's name (when he wasn't rambling on about cricket). John became 'Ripa, Ripae, feminine 'a
bank'. One bit of Latin he could never forget. CD would have been pleased to see JB 40 years later piloting his top of the range Audi with 'RIPAE' number plates. Other school memories of John: Lead guitar (well, only guitar)
in Les Esquimeaux, the WGS skiffle group, which used to play in Geoff Worsp's cellar in Manor Road – otherwise known as the 'Six Feet Under' coffee bar – where we tried to be hip and sophisticated in our suede shoes and
duffle coats. As the unluckiest or luckiest visitor to the Liver Building, John managed to fall out of a fourth floor window when visiting his dad, but miraculously landed on a canopy. He was a spirited Malvolio in the
school version of 'Twelfth Night' (in yellow tights! - where on earth did he get them in 1957?). I remember this because I was the only 'actor' with a metal sword, and accidentally stabbed John in the hand during a
sword-fighting scene. I'm glad to say he was not seriously hurt, but Jimmy Riddle gave me a hard time over it. At Oxford, he read law; I did Politics, Philosophy and Economics. But we both got there through our love of
English Literature, and would have studied it at university if the course had been more relevant to the 20th Century (even the 19th
Century would have done). John took to Oxford, became an active president of the Pembroke Junior Common Room, where he helped build up the college's collection of paintings. When he was president, in addition to getting the college collection of paintings off the ground he also initiated the purchase of a washing machine for the college – a bit of a proletarian touch for the new generation of Oxford students not used to having servants take care of their smalls. Hazy memories abound of loads of boozy discussions in his college room. We thought these were very profound until one of us tape-recorded a session, and we discovered it was mostly repetitive ramblings. After graduating he went on to pursue a successful career in business. But deep down I think he always wanted to be a writer. He retained a love of literature and word games, and whenever possible found ways of exercising it in the business world. He joined IBM and married Margaret, having two daughters while working his way up the corporate ladder. There were shadows later in his life – the death of his disabled daughter in her teens – and I don't think John ever got over it. He moved on from IBM to head other companies, and was working to turn around a struggling Hampshire software firm when he died of a brain tumour at the end of last year. He was a delightful sensitive man, with a puckish sense of humour, and he will be badly missed by all of us who knew him.
Bruce McGowan
54-57 (Senior History Master) died on the 24th May 2004 Ron Williams writes Old Wallaseyans who attended the school in the mid-fifties will, I am sure, be saddened to hear that Bruce
McGowan, Senior History Master from 1954-1957 died on the 24th
May. He had been ill some time with Fibrosing Alveolitis. I saw him for the last time about four weeks ago at his home in Woodstock, Oxon, when we spoke with much affection about his time at the school. He subsequently became Headmaster of the De Aston School, Solihull School and Haberdashers Aske. He is survived by his wife Pat, and their five children and grandchildren.
Neil Thomas (43–52) died in May 2004 . |
|
|
| [Welcome] [Events] [Contacts] [Lost Ows] [Memories] [News] [OWs' Club] |