[Saturday Morning Pictures]

On 4/24/2018 at 8:00 AM, jonab said:

Seeing Flash Gorden mentioned above reminded me of an event when I lived in Nottm. A schoolteacher friend hired a film for the newly formed school cinema club. I was invited to the inaugural meeting of the club. To ensure there would be a reasonably large attendance, the films were selected to be of mass schoolkid appeal. I don't remember the first film but the second was meant to be Flash Gorden. I don't know whether it was the fault of the film hire company or of my teacher friend but the film that was sent was, in fact, Flesh Gorden - the XXX-rated version of the original.

 

This was in the '70's - a time of much less liberal views than now and the showing of such filth caused much consternation amongst the school governors but great appreciation amongst the pupils. My teacher friend managed to keep his job and became an icon amongst the pupils at the school.

 

I remember in an English lesson in (I think) 1961 Mr Knowles the teacher introducing a discussion on crime fiction, asked if anyone had seen the classic noir-film Rififi.   I stuck up a hand and voluntered did he mean Rififi and the women, and I'd seen that (at the Scala that showed such films).His shoulders shook a bit as he tried to keep a straight face, rest of class collapsed, took at least 3-4 minutes out the lesson. Another one...nil win for disruption.  Scala also showed those health and efficiency films, a magnet for  the grubby mac and tissue brigade, as well as those of us who could blag our way into A  and X-rated films

[Nuts and Whippy]

On 1/27/2017 at 5:31 PM, BilboroughShirley said:

#8 The Woolworth's site is excellent. Thanks TBI Lots of memories of shopping at the counters with the glass edges around the front and the wooden floors. Good photos of the cafe. My mum did not like Woolworth's cafe. She said they poured the tea by just going along the line of cups with the tea pot!

Mrs C22s jumped when I read this one to her as she remembers it well.   Her mum used to promise her a plate of chips if she'd go shopping with her in Woolworths. Meadows girl, Mrs C22s. 

 

Thinking on, the women in Gedling canteen poured tea the same way.  When we were on afternoons, wed go to the pit to get our pay packets, taking any young pre school  children for a cream cake.  Our Michael was mesmerised by the tea pouring, and wanted to do it at home.

 

TBI above  says the little boggers  would be on the nick.  Yes, that's true, some of the poorest were, and those sloping shelves helped you to download stuff into your pockets. Airfix model kits had a liberated price tag of sixpence. We didn't know at time we were entrepreneurs!  Just making a living so we could get a bottle of dandelion and burdoch.

[Carlton Le Willows]

This older site is a well researched and presented document, and deserves to stand as both a valuable information source, as well as a tribute to Roger Pikett and the others who have contributed to its development.

 

Rob.L having taken a longer second look, I have to agree my memory too is better than I thought, and I'm older than you.

 

MargieH, the answer is I might do, but will monitor this and other threads for while.  I'm in Nottingham on 18th December to do some advice and organisational work for the UNISON region university branches.  Still doing a little real work now and again!

[Carlton Le Willows]

23 hours ago, MargieH said:

I think he probably left when my friend left in 1961...

Rob.L and MargieH

 

I found the old CLeWS site here http://www.carltonlewillowsgs.org.uk/Publishing Area/Home Frame.html and it is still live - I have it online in another window just now.  The full pupil/class lists still exist.

 

Might be worth trying a download of the whole site, as it didn't come up on a Google search the past few days -  found the link by searching my download history.  It's also available via the Wayback machine if you put the above address in

 

I've added this post on the Plains Road Primary thread too.

[Plains Road Primary]

LizzieM

 

I found it here http://www.carltonlewillowsgs.org.uk/Publishing Area/Home Frame.html and it is still live - I have it online in another window just now.  The class lists still exists.

 

Might be worth trying a download of the whole site, as it didn't come up on a Google search the past couple of days -  found the link by searching my download history.

 

I'll add this post on the other thread too.

[Plains Road Primary]

LizzieM,

 

I don't remember anyone named Tavner,  but then there were 2000 employed there when I started, and you only really knew people you worked with directly.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the new website.  I'll check on the old site and try the Wayback machine

[Carlton Le Willows]

Rob.L and MargieH

 

You are right, and Harry Makins was one of the staff who were involved with the old CleWsGS society and was given honorary life membership.  The other history teacher was Tom Bird, who was killed in car crash on the continent in (I think) the summer break in1960. He is on the panoramic photo taken in May 1960. I remember he drove a Mini, they were still quite new at that time and attracted the interest of car enthusiastic boys.

 

Sid Wood is also in that photograph. If you have that, he is 9th of the male teachers counting from Draycott. Makins is next to him in 8th. Bird is 16th.

[Carlton Le Willows]

Rob.L

 

I remember reading an Education Guardian article (perhaps 25 ) years ago when CleWs school magazine won a prize. It mentioned Ann Wood as the longest serving teacher.  Perhaps she had taken against you, I'm sure plenty of them had taken against me.

 

Fred Pennell taught Biology.  Pointed specifically to me in the class where we did reproduction. Tony Hancock taught chemistry and drove a T type MG. Mrs Badger taught French.  Fred Lee taught geography, and his son was a pupil. I,ll think of others

[Carlton Le Willows]

Dear MargieH, 

 

Im also on the list.  The document in the link looks very much like some of the material on the old CleWGS site and there is a ref in there to Roger.  I've just been told that Roger died, and there is new group being set up clwsalix so will have a look at that.

 

Im not involved with Facebook as I'm not a great fan of social media. At work for the past 18 years one of my colleagues took overall responsibility for that as she was both skilled and keen on it

 

I'm finding it quite pleasant not working any longer as I've done 56 years, and that should be enough.  So I will keep an eye on this forum. We left Nottm in April 1972, but no longer visit as we have no family left there now.

[Plains Road Primary]

LizzieM,

 

Yes he was.

 

I found the CleWGS site earlier this year set up and maintained by Roger Pikett,  but it looked like nothing had been posted for quite while.  Do you have any links about the reunion you mentioned?  Is CleWGS still active?  I've just Googled it and it hasn't come up

[Carlton Le Willows]

Hi MargieH,

 

I never really got on with CleWs - never wanted to go there in the first place - my preference was for Bramcote Hills, but as a mere 10 year old my preference counted for nothing, especially when an absent father assumed he had an exclusive right make the decision. I was at Plains Road primary after going to live with my grandma when my father left us in 1955, (there is a Plains Road primary  thread on the forum) and quite a number of us passed the 11+ and went there together.  I was quite able intellectually but typically for a kid from a broken home, didn't have the support or family resources available to most of my peers, so floundered rather than flourished.  I was a naughty boy besides, and was saved from expulsion on one occasion by my  probation officer! 

 

Ann Wood, PE and maths teacher, quite liked me, I think - perhaps she saw the possibility of better things for me. (If she did, she was right) She taught me to sail at Gunthorpe and encouraged me to play rugby with more enthusiasm - I made the second 15.  Ever the optimist, (my mother had no money for such things) I put my name down for the 1960 trip to the Olympics at Rome, to be told that "Boys like you don't deserve to go on such visits, and you won't be considered"  I always thought very carefully after that before deciding to do anything - good practice for politics.

 

Draycott caned me a few times, but not Bates.  Mr Knowles, English and form master respected my ability to write, and said so and encouraged me, but I still failed GCE English.

 

My forum name is a reflection of  my time at Gedling Colliery, working on a very productive coalface that made us enough money to buy a bungalow as a 21st birthday present to ourselves, and getting active in the NUM, that in turn, led to what I always think of as my real education via the miners day release course at Nottingham University, Ruskin College and an Oxford degree.

 

I assume you know this https://www.docdroid.net/Xk06K5c/carlton-le-willows-grammar-school-pdf.pdf#page=38 and the other sites - since I retired earlier this year I have looked at a few of them, but seemingly no longer active.

[Carlton Le Willows]

When I was there 57 to 62 he was generally known as Basher Bates because of his alleged enthusiasm for laying the cane on hard.  I seem to remember it was only boys who got the stick.  This was probably an undeserved reputation.

[Plains Road Primary]

Apologies. It was Socram above.  He/she must remember when Miss Brooks fell off the box that her desk and chair were placed on. Head teacher Smith went on to Cavendish Sec Mod.  Along with the photo of Jim Hardy were two reports, both indicating I needed to work harder, which I later did for 10 years at Gedling Colliery.

[Plains Road Primary]

I went to live with my grandma on Westdale Lane in 1955, two doors away from the Williamsons, after my parents split up.  Nora Williamson taught the next to top class, and Steven S reports her son John being in that class too. So we must know each other.

 

Quite a few of us went on to Carlton le Willows. One was Robert Hardy, known universally as Jim, after the chief character in popular TV western series, Jim Hardy.  I found a photo of him recently going through some old stuff of my mum's.  

 

Someone else mentions John Wood in 1948. He had a brother Andy, also in our class. Both passed the 11 plus and went to CleWs.

 

Plains Road enriched our intellectual life and capabilities. Since demolition it has physically enriched the Mccarthy and Stone construction company, a poor swap in most senses

[Flint's newsagents Alfreton Road Radford]

I did the  Bilbrough and Strelly runs too in 1960 - 61. Minver Crescent in the snow was no joke. There were two of us did the deliveries,  the other lad had been there a while and showed me the ropes.  I got one and threepence an hour!

 

I remember a lady who lived in Norton Street just round from the shop.  She would unwrap all the parcels and then, if she wasn't  happy tell me to take it back and tell Buxton what was wrong and what he should send back.

 

She always gave me a tanner tip, I  think she  was sorry for sending me back to face him.  That  job gave me my first taste of what employers are really like.

 

He used to bring his son into the shop - fat as a butchers dog! , and he used to try to boss us about.  He,d be about 70 now if hes avoided the physical degeneration of obesity.