[Henry Mellish]

Interesting to read your recollections, especially yours, Gary.  Yes, I am still living in North London (East Barnet) and yes, my Dad used to be the Baptist minister in Hucknall.  He died a couple of years ago aged 99.5!

I did drive past the Mellish when it was in the latter stages of demolition, and it was really sad to see.

I love the recollections, as I find they trigger other memories for me, though my memory for names has never been very good.  I have a sort of home office, and the two school pictures from 1961 and 1964 are on the wall behind me as I write this.

Anyway, keep up with the posting........ I may recall more things to add.

Cliff

[Henry Mellish]

I have a couple of those stretched photos of the whole school on my wall (1961 and 1964). With the restriction of 50KB per file, this picture of them won't be great, but it might give you an idea of some of the faces, and prompt some other memories.

I often look at them, and recall people, wondering how they're doing now.

CliffW

[Henry Mellish]

Just read RobJ's piece. We must have been there at the same time....I was there from 1959 - 64 (I left after the fifth form to move to London). My brother (Pete Wragg was two years ahead of me, and hung around a lot with Finbar Green.

I remember Arthur (Arfa) Boddy well....apart from his role call of tools (2 chisels etc) his main phrase, which I have used freqently to train my own kids was "Both hands behind the blade!"

One memory that I can add is the school Christmas carol concert in the Church down the road.....There was a Mr Burton who taught French, but had a great tenor voice, and I recall him singing the solo part of The Three Kings carol.

I also remember the glider, which was always fun to watch the poor 'volunteers' pulling the rubber cable to drag it across the field.

It always seems easier to remember the good times than it is the bad times. I'm sure there were some, but I don't recall them.

CliffW

[Henry Mellish]

Here is a picture, taken from Google Earth, before the school was demolished.

Cliff

[Henry Mellish]

I remember Stewart Drage, Roger Beharall! They were there in 'my time'. I left aftert the 5th form to move to London in 1964.

Cliff

[Henry Mellish]

I remember Roger Gaspar....I was in the same year. (I left in 1964, after the 5th form, to move to London.)

I recall many of the teachers mentioned, plus the French teacher Mr Burton, who had a superb voice and sang in the choir every Christmas. I have fond memories of Latin with 'Labby' Hurst, and I also remember the nutter who was inclined to throw board rubbers around, and used a slipper to threaten pupils (called Rota Rua,if I remember correctly). He would threaten '6 of the best' and write a 6 in chalk on the sole of the slipper before whacking the pupil concerned.

I used to play the handball game (and did OK most of the time). I lost count of how many times I went onto the roof, but I tended to be a bit cunning, and often asked 'Froggy' Marshall for permission, so I could then use the ladder in the quad and walk quite openly to get the ball back! (I did once climb the tall drainpipe to get a ball from the guttering, but I now shudder at the thought of that.....idiotic youth!) The best player of handball in my time was 'Taff' MacDonald.......where is he now?

I have a couple of the long school photos on my wall at home, from 1961 and 1964 (and can easily pick out some of the names mentioned). Great for nostalgia.

Glad I found this forum!

Cliff