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I started at Mundella in 1959 and had one year's worth of music with this amazing bloke.

Apparantly he had been head hunted from Trent Bridge Boys in the 1920's and stayed at Mundella until his retirement in 1960.

Why did I rate him ? Well, as a Medders kid, from a very working class background, I felt a bit of an outsider in my first year there. How did Barton help me ? Quite simply the old snuff snorter once strode from the front of the music room and belted this smarmy middle class young git round the lug-hole for talking in his music class.

No other teachers did that sort of thing. It was usually this particular Meddersite who felt the wrath of the chalky caped crusaders.

Oh and bye the bye Barton was one hell of a musician.

Foxy

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Hello Foxy

I did not know this guy as I was from the other side of the road, Post 1920's! :P

I wondered how many Meadows People went to Mundella school?

What sort of areas did Mundellans originate from, West Bridgford??

As for Middle class, was there any snobbery there because you were a Meadows Lad?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello Mick

Barton Hart retired at the end of my first year at Mundella. Could there, by any chance, have been a connection ? Nah, he was ancient.

Was there any snobbery towards Medders kids at Mundella ?

No real snobbery that I was aware of, but my mates tended to be other Medders lads there plus some from Radford. Didn't really take much notice of kids outside my circle.

I do remember this however. Just after I started at the school (1959) the deputy head came into my class and asked what our father's did for a living. I thought this was a bit weird and listened to the "solicitor", "estate agent", "he runs his own business sir" type responses as well as a few "Works at Raleigh" etc. My dad (ex-miner) was working at the Co-op Bakery on Meadow Lane by then. Didn't really bother me giving the info. but it has always seemed a bit of an odd thing to do.

Several ex Trent Bridge kids in my year at Mundella. Tony Gleadell (1, Glapton Road), Gordon Green (lived above the electrical shop on Arky nearly opposite the Globe), Johnny Booth (his dad ran the newsagents on the corner of Bathley Street and Bunbury Street), Ray "Spike" Pyke (Bunbury Street and later above the hardware shop on the corner of Holgate Road and Wilford Crescent East), and John James (Holgate Road) all spring to mind. There were other meadows lads from the Arkwright Street, the Welbeck and the Bosworth Schools as well as many in years above and below me.

Can't remember many of the girls except Kathleen Backen (parents kept the toy shop half way down Arky), Susan Daunt (her nephew now cleans our windows in Sherwood), Susan Perfett (Wilford Crescent West).

The memory banks now ran down mate !!

Cheers for now

Foxy

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  • 2 years later...

Mundella kids came from all over. Medders, Aspley, Thorneywood, Lenton Abbey. I think sometimes it was an alternative to the all-girls or all-boys schools such as High Pav or Manning.

There was some snobbery. My parents could never get to parents evening because of work. The girl in my class whose mother always went dolled up won the term prize one year, even though she came second and I came first. But on the whole it was ok.

 

sorry, I meant the form prize, not the term prize. Not that it matters after all this time, I didn't get one anyway.

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I started even earlier(1951) and remember Barton well. Totally fair,treated everyone equally -praise and abuse distributed as required! For those of you that have not seen the Mundella web page it is at www.mundella org .uk, I also cribbed the following from there.

Barton Hart

(from Richard Brown)

Barton Hart was probably the most memorable of all the teachers from when I attended Mundella. He retired while I was there. He was almost Dickensian with his tweeds, bow-tie and bucolic complexion. He drove an elderly black Triumph Mayflower, with big chrome headlights, running board, leather seats, walnut fascia etc.

Barton Hart was the music teacher, but everything he did, he played to his own tune. He retired in 1960 or 1961, he never played in the new Hall, and I cannot picture him in such surroundings. He was meant to be at his grand piano in the Upper Hall amongst the trophy cabinets, the Victor/trix Ludorum plaques and all the other traditional paraphernalia. But, when he hit those chords on his grand, the school sang like nothing you ever heard! The School Song was written by him, and Barton Hart compiled the Mundella School Hymnal. Each pupil had his or her own personal copy of this little Maroon and Gold tome which was unceremoniously superceded by those "generic" blue books when the Assembly was moved to the new Main Hall.

Throughout my entire stay at Mundella, lateness was one of my consistent attributes. But arriving at a different time to most other people you see a lot of different stuff. The lusty hymn singing on a summer's morning could be heard most of the way down Turney Street. At the school end of Turney Street and on Colligate Road, many of the neighbourhood people would stand at their doorways to listen to the sound. It was an impressive and moving experience. Many of the pupils, I am sure, went on to greater things at the Trent End in the course of time! As a raw fag in my short pants, I remember being overawed and a little scared at the volume of noise from 850 heartily singing souls in that packed Upper Hall.

Why did we sing for Barton Hart? Well, I think we were really fond of him. He was a law unto himself. I cannot imagine R.R. Stevens (and certainly not N.D. Moody) telling Mr. Hart to do anything, I am sure they would ask very politely. That huge music room on the top floor was his domain. We all went there every week, and we knew when we entered that place, that it had a different atmosphere from the rest of the building. He only saw us once a week, and he seldom bothered to remember names, unless you were one of the prettier girls. You, laughing-boy, or face-ache were his usual forms of address. And he was one of the few teachers, apart from the Boss, who ever used the strap, but he did so without hesitation and without malice when he considered it necessary and it was accepted without rancour. Yes, we liked his style and his honesty, but the other reason we sang for him was because he knew what we liked to sing. He always picked the good tunes. His Mundella School Hymnal was full of them. He led with his thundering piano, and he expected every one of us to be a part of the chorus, not to just follow the choir.

We sometimes thought that Barton Hart had always been part of the school, like bricks and mortar. He had certainly been there since the twenties. As a young man he had taught at Trent Bridge Secondary, and quickly earned himself such a reputation that the Grammar School next door lured him away. I know this because my father was at Trent Bridge in those days and still owns a class photo with Barton Hart in it. Hard to imagine a young, slim, handsome and dark haired B.H.!

When Barton Hart retired, it was a very special moment, and he said goodbye in his own unique way. R.R.Stevens set the scene in his usual pompous way and Mr. Hart came up to the Head's dais to deliver the longest and funniest retirement speech that we ever heard. It was full of good stuff about following your talents and dreams etc. but hit so many true feelings and showed such understanding of young people growing up (some almost risqué) that the laughter was uproarious. This was much to the consternation of stuffy Stevens, which only made us laugh all the more. He finished to an ovation, which was all we could do to say "thank you". For all of us, Mundella would never be the same without him.

For pictures and other "staff

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No, I think he was Boys High School,-however two famous Mundellans were there in my time. Certainly ,in my opinion,the worlds greatest climber of his day(Doug Scott) and Lou Measham.

Doug Scott

Everest was the first of Scott's "Seven Summits", the high points of each continent, and he had climbed four of them "before realising the other three existed."

IT'S TEMPTING to suggest there have been only two great British mountaineers over the past twenty-five years, and that one of them, Doug Scott, is yin to Chris Bonington's yang. This, though, is wrong on at least two counts. There have been more ace ice climbers, it's just that most of them are now dead.

David Measham (RIP)

David Measham - Conductor

David’s conducting was encouraged by Leonard Bernstein, with whom he worked as assistant conductor on many occasions. He has worked extensively in the UK and has appeared with all the major Australian orchestras. He was Principal Conductor with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra for many years. He has recently completed a 13-part series for ABC Classic FM reminiscing about great conductors.

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  • 3 months later...

Since when did it become Mundella. We always referred to it as Monkeydella.

1G - Mr Warner

2G - Mrs Bates

3G - Mr Hart

4LA - Mr Hawkesworth

5LS - Mr Hawkesworth

As scribbled in my Gideons New Testament. Copies distributed to the class in December 1957.

Hugs Alison

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  • 2 years later...

Stan: Barton Hart was my music teacher from 53-57. In sixth form, he even listened to my Elvis, Jerry Lee and Gene Vincent records in the music room. When we were in Nottingham in 1985, we walked around the old school - the grand piano was still there. Also, the Honours Boards. I remember Carmen, La Traviata. What were the other operas we performed for Speech Night? I like to recall his cloak and fedora. He was a rare kind of teacher.

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Stan: Barton Hart was my music teacher from 53-57. He was a rare kind of teacher.

My brother was at Mundella 1955 to 1962 approx, can't confirm as he's in the States at the moment. I do recall lot's of mentions of Barton 'art when I was a kid, whether it was due to his name or his enthusiasm, I don't recall, but he certainly created an impression.

I was at Bilborough Grammar, no one else it seems on this forum went there, we had a similar musical nutcase called Mr Pither, he was and looked like Beethoven in his most possesed period. He tried to create a school orchestra that unfortunately performed at speech days, they were totally dreadful, but he always carried on with great enthusiasm, conducting like a man possesed, it was a joy to see. He was eventually replaced by someone who actually knew who the Rolling Stones were, was it a good thing, I never thought so, old Pither was a real old fashioned keen type and we loved him for that.

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  • 5 years later...

Barton Hart retired to Bleasby and is buried in the churchyard. He taught my late father at Trent Bridge school. He was the organist at our wedding in Bleasby Church 35 years ago. His playing was starting to sound a bit like Les Dawson's. Some of the congregation could see him swigging from a hip flask and eating a bar of chocolate during the ceremony! Used to see him regularly in the Waggon and Horses sitting on his stool in the corner of the bar passing round his snuff. He had a wife, Eva, whom he used to refer to as "the dragon".

Phil

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  • 6 months later...

I was at Mundella from 1966 to 1970, Mr Moody was headmaster but I think he died in the summer of 1970? But isn't Barton Hart a fabulous name, he sounds a real character with the name to go with it!!!

Was anyone else at Mundella during this time? I remember Henry Newton who was a Forest player coming to install a hot drinks machine outside the main hall, like most vending machines everything tasted the same....

The Upper Hall was converted to four classrooms while I was there, and Blackberry Way by the Move was in the charts, whenever I hear that song I am instrantly transported back to being a giggly teenager with my friends hanging around the hall to catch a glimpse of a young carpenter!!!

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  • 3 years later...

I started at Mundella in 1952.  Barton Hart used to control a huge choir which most people joined  including the staff, and we used to have rehearsals before school as I remember.  If you were late, he would mimic your footsteps on the piano.  The speech days I remember we sang- The Easter Hymn from Cavalleria Rusticana,  a selection of Scottish songs, and pieces from Il Trovatore, Prince Igor and Carmen.  I shall always be grateful to him for introducing me to opera.  He also had a small choir which I belonged to and we used to augment his choir at Loughborough Parish Church for the Messiah and Bach's St Matthew Passion, travelling down to Loughborough on the train. The rehearsals for these were at lunchtime.

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Barton Hart used to teach my father, pre war, at Trent Bridge school. Barton retired to Bleasby and propped up the bar at the Waggon every evening and drank with his chums for many years. He was a great taker of snuff which he used to pass round but most of it finished up on the front of his shirt! He was the organist in Bleasby Church for many years and played at our wedding where those of us who could see, witnessed him swigging from a hip flask and eating chocolate. His playing had deteriorated by then and had a hint of Les Dawson about it! He was, as they say, quite a character! He’s buried in Bleasby churchyard along with his wife Eva whom he referred to as ‘The Dragon’. Perhaps you remembered him as being ‘more respectable’ at Mundella.

I just realised I posted this info. in 2015 - sorry. :(

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  • 3 years later...

Barton Hart was a whirlwind of energy and inspiration who taught me music at West Bridgford High School in the late 60's. I also seem to remember he had a penchant for history. 

 

Most of the school's academic staff were either trainees, newly qualified or post retired teachers. And though Barton Hart was certainly in the latter category, his enthusiasm for his subject always illuminated the lesson. 

 

He was a likeable character from a bygone era, from his flamboyant tweeds to his snuff box and old banger of a car that we used to marvel at from the window above.

 

As a teacher  he used to try and engage us, rather than simply try and keep the class in order. The highlight of this approach was when he used to invite us to bring a favourite record to the music class once a month.

 

I chose Mason Williams 'Classical Gas'  I had to announce it to the class and he was obviously impressed by my choice, probably thinking that here was a chance to give us an authoritative exposition of Classic Jazz.

 

Some 20 minutes later (a long time when others wanted to play their choice), I meekly put my hand up to say that correct title was in fact 'Classical Gas' rather than the Classical Jazz genre..

 

He paused and looked at me quizzically, then stared at record and took a pinch of snuff before muttering; "I see."  Unperturbed, his pivoted on the spot and at the third attempt successfully dropped the needle into the groove.  

 

'Classical Gas' was an acoustic instrumental guitar piece which I think he found quite pleasant if undemanding. It was also accompanied by strings, which gave him the opportunity to wax lyric about the arrangement and the fact I had done well to spot that, though in truth I didn't know what an  arrangement was, but simply liked the song's energy.

 

The point is I left that class room feeling ten foot tall. Such moments were rare in my formative school days and wouldn't have happened without Barton Hart's open mind and his innovative approach which even in the autumn of his career made him both special and unique.

 

We only saw him once a week which makes me think he was probably temping, but I for one was glad to have been in his orbit:)

 

 

 

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I don't remember ever seeing this thread before, and given that it started in 2004, it must have been one of the very first things to appear on Nottstalgia.

 

They obviously broke the mould when they made Barton Hart; makes me wish I'd known him.

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Good to see old Barton Hart revived again. I’ve already gone on at some length about him previously. Many’s the beers we’ve enjoyed in the Waggon. He was always generous when proffering his snuff but that never appealed to me. When he died I took over his seat in the public bar. You can see his and his wife’s grave in Bleasby churchyard. Apparently he was at one time the organist at the Parish Church in Loughborough and that is mentioned on his tombstone. Coincidently he’s buried close to my father whom he once had taught at Trent Bridge School.

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  • 1 year later...

I remember Barton Hart for two reasons. First and foremost, his preparation of the choir for speech day at Mundella. In particular, I recall Prince Igor and  the Messiah as memorable contributions. The second recollection is when he called me a “ bot wot”, then asked “what are you?” To which I replied “a bot wot, sir” , at which point he slapped my ears from side to side saying yes, you are a bot wot”. I should point out that the slapping did not hurt, it was simply a lesson not to interrupt by talking to someone during his lesson. Yes. He was a character! And well liked.

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Welcome, Joe Payne, to Nottstalgia.  Which years were you at Mundella? It was one of my options in 1969 but rather too far away for my liking. Too much travelling. Several of my peers from primary school went there. All of them boys.  I remember going to Mundella to sit Royal Academy of Music theory exam papers in the early 70s.

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