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I attended HP. for these two years to do 'A' & 'S' levels, finding it very different from ClaremontSec.Bilateral.

There were some wonderful teachers like Mr. Dobson and Stanley Middleton, who brought English Lit. to life for me, Charlie Mardling, who increased my love of Foreign Languages and real characters like Fred Millage and Bill Grey, with whom we used to visit the Grosvenor Pub at the junction of Hucknall Rd. and Mansfield Rd.

Unfortunately, I lost my love for Geography through being taught by Eric Shepherd, who spent most lessons telling us how he won WW2 and making ex. Claremont and Ellis boys feel inferior.

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I've only just joined, so very late joining this discussion.   Taff Davies was still there when I attended. I saw quite a bit of him as, being somewhat lazy, there were quite a few occasions

The references to ‘posh’ Grammar Schools and High Pavement in particular I have found very interesting. @Beekay mentions that lots of the boys were from council estates Strelley, Bilborough etc. and B

An old classmate from High Pavement sent me this link to a YouTube video of scenes from HP in the 1960s. I think they are after 1965 when I left. They mostly show boys and staff around school on

Frank, I was there from 1967-1972 and can only remember Mr Middleton from your post. Were Mr E W N Smith, Mr Wass, or the Head Mr Brown there then?

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  • 8 months later...

Late response here.   I was there 1960 - 65.  Albert's leg (from the calf downwards I believe) was generally described as being 'pot', when he took over from the, much lamented Harry 'Taff' Davies.

 

Stanley Middleton taught me both English Lit and Language for some years.  Was also taught by E.W.N Smith, Bert Dodd, ? Steele (Science) Stevenson (Geog) 'Puff' Graham (History) Some other quite old History teacher who insisted on reading great tracts from accounts of ancient battles in the Graeco- Roman period etc.  Was taught by Bill Gray too, but never by Messrs. Mardling or Millidge. John Preston (Chem/Physics) will have been there as he was still there for the '88 Bicentenary celebrations. The only Wass I recall was a Lab Asst./Tech when I was there and also noted as a bit of a local Archaeologist.  He married a girl from our street (Southglade.. on Bestwood Est...) who went to Manning.  It's possible he was qualified, or became qualified, to teach.  Eric Shepherd was a self inflated pompous pillock.

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I'm a bit late responding but I also remember Eric Shepherd. He was a bit hopeless as a teacher. He told us that he was not here to teach geography, but to teach working class boys public school values. I was amazed even then. But I felt the whole tone of the school was a bit like that. And even Shepherd had something about him, he wasn't a bastard or anything. Maybe the war fogged him in some way. You never know. And there were some genuine hard working types, Preston amongst them, and Sam Thrasher, Doug Slater and Swill Hill, to name a few. All long gone. Bloody hell, we're next in the queue now.

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  • 11 months later...

I've only just joined, so very late joining this discussion.

 

Taff Davies was still there when I attended. I saw quite a bit of him as, being somewhat lazy, there were quite a few occasions when I was "on report". 

 

Mr Graham (History)  was my Basford Housemaster. The long-winded history teacher was probably the Aberdonian 'Jake' Murray. Because of his teaching style I deliberately failed my end-of-year History exam so that I could take French the following year.

 

Stan Middleton was a great teacher. I was also taught English by Mr Moorcroft, who was reputed to be emphatically socialist and, therefore, a strange fit in a Grammar School.

 

Mr (Tom??) Ormonroyd taught me French. He often made me stand in front of the class to demonstrate my ignorance of French but I got my own back after my parents took me on holiday to France, where I had to do all the talking and translation for them. My dad did know a bit of French but it was the 1914-18 war Tommy variety such as "Voulez vous coucher avec moi se soir?". On my return from that holiday I was able to answer Mr Ormonroid's test with flying colours and he never picked on me again.

 

E W N Smith was known to us as RK Smith. There was another Smith, known either as 'Fat' or 'Art' who was a brilliant art teacher.

 

Doug Slater took Zoology, Swill Hill took Botany and Mr Carlisle took Chemistry. There was another Chemistry teacher we called 'Crock'. He was Mr Crossland (or was it Crossman?) who was known for loudly smiting the chemistry lab benches with his walking stick if he thought we were not paying sufficient attention. He had a limp from a wartime experience and had served, I think, in the Middle East. Anybody know the name of a Physics teacher who also taught Calculus?

 

Mr Blackburn taught Metalwork. Great fun using the forge.

 

Can't remember the name of the PE teachers but two of them he made a great impression on me, for different reasons. The first used to take delight in walloping pupils with a slipper as he set them off for a punishment run down the length of the gym. The second joined in a game of basketball and we both leapt up for a ball. Unfortunately, he was still going up as I came down on his knee. An experience I am able to recall clearly after over 60 years.

 

 

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Brilliant stuff Mr King! 

Yes.. it was 'Jake' Murray.. The veritable personification of a dour, thin faced caricature of Scottish.. er ..Scottishness.  Thanks for reminding me. 

 

EWN Smith.  A decent sort.  I had the pleasure of conversing online with his son a couple of years ago. I think I responded to his death notice or something.

 

'Fat' or 'Art' Smith.  Pretty harmless I think though art was never my thing.  In first or second year during our art lesson.. he handed me a small note and asked me to deliver it to a female teacher in Henry Whipple Primary nearby.  Clearly something was 'going on'.  I felt like I imagine Leo in L.P.Hartley's 'The Go Between' must have felt, but fortunately I was spared the lifelong disastrous consequences. :)

 

10 hours ago, MrKing said:

Stan Middleton was a great teacher. I was also taught English by Mr Moorcroft, who was reputed to be emphatically socialist and, therefore, a strange fit in a Grammar School.

 

Yes. Stan was a 'one off'.  I also recall Mr Moorcroft.  I'm pretty sure that there were more than a few socialist minded teachers at H.P.

Grammar schools could be seen as elitist, or as a way of giving kids from working class backgrounds a 'leg up'. You don't get much more basic than the original Bestwood Estate on which HP was built in 1955.. and I was contemporary with at least a dozen or so lads from Bestwood who made it to HP.

Recall 'Swill Hill' taking us for Biology up to Third Year.. maybe beyond... The hilarious time he tried to broach human sexuality and the alleged nocturnal activities of adolescent boys....  :rolleyes:  I'm sure that he.. like Baden Powell.. meant well.

 

Blackburn.  Metalwork.  I liked him.  He was helpful and not too rigid. I owe my probably now redundant knowledge of how to harden and temper tool steel..entirely to him.

 

 

 

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On 4/2/2021 at 1:22 PM, MrKing said:

Can't remember the name of the PE teachers but two of them he made a great impression on me, for different reasons.

 

One has just come back.  Mr 'Ray' Caulton.  He was the sort of elder statesman of the P.E. team. As I recall we used to sing 'We'll make Ray Caulton do a circuit every day..when the Red Revolution comes.'

Also, a Welsh bloke.. much younger.  Generally a short tempered, belligerent and unpleasant character. 'Bonser'? I could be way off there.

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An old classmate from High Pavement sent me this link to a YouTube video of scenes from HP in the 1960s.

I think they are after 1965 when I left. They mostly show boys and staff around school on the Bestwood Estate site.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49olhvRnEZs

 

 

 

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I have no connection with High Pavement but that is a fascinating film, purely on historical grounds. I recognise many of the roads and surrounding area, and the pupils and staff look like people I could've known at Fairham.

 

And plane-spotting anoraks.........what is the aircraft flying across at 8.16 ?  

 

My suggestion is an F4 Phantom.

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  • Cliff Ton changed the title to High Pavement school, Bestwood,

Four or five boys from my year at Berridge went to High Pavement in 1969. This would be slightly before their arrival. Interesting to see the place. Much more modern than its female equivalent, Manning, and a larger site. I see there are some wooden buildings of the type we had at Berridge.

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Great bit of film that brings back so many memories.........i didnt go to HP but the whole site was special to me....

My first school was there the wooden huts....started there in 1950 and a couple of the Huts i believe outlasted HP......

The site was huge stretching from the top of Gainsford crescent down to Arnold road and known to us local kids as the ''Back Wall''.........it was our p\laying fields our Wembley...Meadow lane...City ground...Trent Bridge and Lords..........very happy days...feel so sad when i drive past nowadays and see it filled with Houses all crammed in together..........

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School-picture.jpg

TAKEN on what was to become the High Pavement site.......near the entrance top of Gainsford crescent........................1951 ish

Left to right ......? Marian Perry...Roy Burton..... Edith Nix...yours truly...Ann Shelton...Michael Lawrence...Beryl Hughes...Roy Wyers....Valerie Biddulph........

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In my youthful ignorance, I had no idea where HP was, but I heard of it. But then again, I left school in 1958. We miscreants at boulevard school thought it were all posh kids and looking at the smart uniforms the lads were wearing, we weren't far wrong. I see some of the boys were riding scooters and motor cycles. At what age did the leave? Wonder if anyone on NS recognises any faces shown.  B.

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I sent the link on to a boy in my year at Berridge who became an HP pupil. He picked out several of his former teachers who were still there in 1969 and enjoyed seeing the old place again. He'll forward it to others.

 

Just a thought. If anyone has a clip of HP 's sister school..... don't post it on here....PLEASE!

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Glad the vid interested so many.

 

On a proper look via the PC, I see it was film from 1966 on.. Sadly, the year after I left. I'd also missed the fact that it included audio.  Most of it seems to be a 'narrative tale' of Robin Hood. The vocal sounds very much like Elton Hayes, who some may remember for his version of 'The Owl and the Pussycat'. (Edit: Further inspectionconfirmsthis.) Later, it is the High Pavement School Song 'Carmen Paviorum', which has, in my view, a fine and inspirational melody, but whose well intentioned sentiments might raise a few eyebrows now.  Still it had me 'welling up' when it kicked in.  The thing about HP is that it wasn't just a great school..but was also well within my 'stomping ground' as a callow youth.., so seeing this stuff is kind of a double whammy..

 

Ben..How do you remember so many names from so long ago?

The green huts which were I think the first site for Henry Whipple Primary, certainly lasted. When I was at HP they were used as sports changing huts and for a Tuck Shop. For a while, the Tuck Shop; was supplied every morning break by a Baker's in Boowul.  There was always a fight for hot sausage rolls and for Peppermint Viscount Biscuits.

 

@philmayfield, Harold Shipman lived on Edwards Lane Estate, which is the opposite side of Arnold Road from High Pavement and Bestwood Estate. I think he was born there. Shipman was Head Boy while I was there.  I think he was 2-3 years ahead of me.  We are both on the May 1961 'Lower School' (i.e. years1-5) photo. I'm on the front row as I was 1st year.  He's at the opposite end on the top, or next to top row.  One of those really long pics.

 

@Beekay Not really posh.  When I went, I think around 7 out of 10 lads on my street (40 houses) went there. Another dozen or so from Bestwood Est., and many more from Basford, Bulwell etc.  A few had parents with businesses, shops etc... but although it was selective, it was at least selective on some measure of merit, not just on money. The school was originally housed in, I think, a couple of buildings in High Pavement, before the move to Forest Fields and eventually out to Bestwood Estate.

 

I think back then you could get a motorbike license at 16, which would explain why some used scooters and motorbikes. But even if it was 17..we had a 6th form. One lad came in a bubble car.  A few teachers had cars.  I recall a 'Standard 8'.  My first form teacher, 'Bert' Dodd,(@1.43) rode a blue BSA Bantam.

He sometimes gave a lift home to a pupil in my year, who was somewhat precocious. It raised a few eyebrows, but I suspect it was innocent. The lad just lived close to Bert.

 

Other teachers I recognised were Eric Shepherd  (@  4:13), Stan Middleton (@ 7:46), who was also a Booker Prize winning novelist and former pupil, Bill Grey (@ 7;54)..a very popular teacher and a couple of others I recognise but can't put names to. There were no female teachers when I was there, but I believe the attractive laydees in the film were teachers.  I missed that..:(

 

They were wonderful days and we really were very priveleged..  But I think it is fair to say most of us realised it.

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P.S. I should add that on my PC at least..the HP jackets look black.

In fact, they were a dark chocolate brown.

The tie was brown, with blue and gold stripes, but it varied according to year, and whether the wearer was a school 'blue' etc.

 

Also, whilst we often affected 'Public School' tendencies and were justly proud of our school.. much of our snobbery was ironic.

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Phil, I strongly suspect that Wiki needs correcting in that regard. Whilst I can't say for sure exactly where he was born..Shipman was raised on Edward's Lane Estate, which is most definitely not part of Bestwood Estate, since it is south of Arnold Road and firmly positioned in the Sherwood Ward. That is where he lived during his tenure at High Pavement. I think the strongest info has him raised at 163 Long Mead Drive, Edward's Lane Estate, and in fact that address is mentioned in previous comments on 'Stalgia. and was shown in a TV Documentary. There is some debate as to whether it was actually Longmead, or a nearby street , but in either case it would not be Bestwood Estate. Further comments previously on here point very strongly to him having attended Whitemoor Primary School. He was born in 1946, so would have started Primary around 1950 and would almost certainly have attended the embryonic Henry Whipple school in the previously mentioned green huts, and been a school mate of our Benjamin. Of course he could have been born on Bestwood Estate and then moved to Edward's Lane Est., but that seems a bit far fetched.

 

In fact, although some bits of housing to the south of Arnold Road are included in the Bestwood ward, they were never regarded as part of the original Bestwood Est. and certainly not back when Shipman was a lad. The original Bestwood Estate was (still is) a council development, bounded by Hucknall Rd to the west, Southglade Rd, (Where I was raised)to the north, then Padstow, etc. in the east, down to Arnold Rd at its junction with Gainsford Crs. It was laid out in the 1930s, but construction was interrupted by WW2 and most was completed after. The big development to the east of original Bestwood was properly called Bestwood Park Est. and was commenced in the 1950s. Of course confusion reigns, because the original Bestwood Hunting Estate, dating back to the Doomsday Book covered a much larger area. Also Bestwood Village which saw its major initial expansion in the 1870s, after Bestwood Colliery was sunk, is still largely isolated from the rest. Finally, the casual, or ill informed observer might be forgiven for missing the subtleties and categorising that whole area as 'Bestwood Estate.', but they would be wrong.

 

Nottingham-draft-recs-map.jpg

 

https://nottstalgia.com/forums/topic/12073-bestwood-estate/

 

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