Recommended Posts

  • Replies 410
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

Hello,   I've only just discovered this site and have enjoyed reading the comments which bring back great memories from 60 years ago. I started at ACHS at the beginning,September 1959,a

Hello,   I'm glad more people are discovering this site. Dennis M above,was that Janet Britten?I seem to remember her from my time at ACHS from the first day in September 1959 to when I

Was on a bus trip in Sicily yesterday. Recognised a Midland accent behind us. He was bought up in Underwood and went to Arnold County High School. He started Sept 61. The small world gets smaller.

Posted Images

  • 3 months later...

Hi boys and girls. Whilst surfing the net during this lockdown period I just found this site for the first time. My name is Michael Bastable (Mick or Ginge or Ginger) and I was at ACHS in its first year, being bussed in from Mansfield. I started in Class 1BR, Mr Briers and was in Aylward House. I have fond memories of my time there for two years before moving on to Rushcliffe Boys Technical Grammar. My only claim to fame at ACHS is that I was the first pupil in the school to climb the ropes in the Gym and touch the ceiling . In the early days the Gym hadn't been completed nor had the sports fields, and the science labs were still being kitted out. Our PE lessons consisted of walking across the rugby pitch, bucket in hand and picking stones to make it safe to play on.(A reminder that Health and Safety existed before 1974). If any of you remember me it would be nice to hear from you. If you do remember me -you're old.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Good evening Michael - welcome to Nottstalgia.  Have you scrolled back to read all the previous posts on ACHS?   There may be people you know who have already posted on here. 

I went to Carlton le Willows but worked near Mansfield  (Harlow Wood hospital) from 1969.  I travelled there every day from Nottingham in 1960, so my bus and your school bus may have passed each other in the mornings... :Shock:

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 5/15/2020 at 5:32 AM, michael bastable(2) said:

Hi boys and girls. Whilst surfing the net during this lockdown period I just found this site for the first time. My name is Michael Bastable (Mick or Ginge or Ginger) and I was at ACHS in its first year, being bussed in from Mansfield. I started in Class 1BR, Mr Briers and was in Aylward House. I have fond memories of my time there for two years before moving on to Rushcliffe Boys Technical Grammar. My only claim to fame at ACHS is that I was the first pupil in the school to climb the ropes in the Gym and touch the ceiling . In the early days the Gym hadn't been completed nor had the sports fields, and the science labs were still being kitted out. Our PE lessons consisted of walking across the rugby pitch, bucket in hand and picking stones to make it safe to play on.(A reminder that Health and Safety existed before 1974). If any of you remember me it would be nice to hear from you. If you do remember me -you're old.

Hi Michael (Mick), like you I went to ACHS and and then Rushcliffe.

Regards,Will2017 (Andy Williams)

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...

It has gone rather quiet in here lately.  I would have thought that with lockdown, maybe a few more ex-pupils would have found the site.

 

Teachers today have it much tougher in many respects than back in 'our day', particularly in terms of reporting.  (My son is a teacher in Nottingham and has to do something like 400 reports each time...)

 

This is my Summer 1960 report from ACHS - which makes interesting reading as out of 13 subjects, only 3 teachers added a single word plus one sentence from our form teacher and one from JHH.

 

Subject                          Grade           % Exam           Position                    Remarks                                                 Teacher

English                             D                   36%                  10                                                                                             E.  Fenwick

History                             C                   27%                   20                      Very weak                                                    D.  Carter*

French                              D                  43%                      6                                                                                            W. T. N. Thompson**

Maths                               B                  46%                  44/117               Considerable improvement                       B. Smith***

Biology                             C                   55%                  79/114                                                                                     B. Jones****     

Chemistry                        D                   38%                  54/115               Some improvement                                   D. L. Hind

Physics                            D                    38%                 70/115                                                                                     R. G. Cawthorne 

Geography                       C                    26%                     8                                                                                            N. A. B(aynes)     

Art                                     C                    56%                     11                                                                                         M.J Ring*****

Metal work                      D                     20%                     11                                                                                         ? Tomlinson

Music                               C                     44%                     6                                                                                            B. Sargent

Religious Educ                C                     44%                    10                                                                                           N. A. B(aynes)

Phys Ed                            C+                                                                                                                                              E.Flint

 

* Dorothy Carter.  The only female teacher.  I hated history - but enjoyed looking the teacher! 

** W T N Thompson.  The rather scary deputy head, yet I felt he did care about the pupils.

*** B Smith - after Dr Austwick 9who took up a university post after Bramcote),  the best maths teacher we had.  He pushed hard and set high standards. Pity he didn't stay.

**** Good marks for the school by the looks of it at 55% and despite doing better than in Physics and Chemistry, I wasn't too pleased that biology was dropped for the following GCE years.

***** Best marks, just, and the only GCE I got at school.

 

What stands out is that despite miserably low marks, apart from history, biology and physics, this was an average or better than average class performance.

 

We also had no option to do music or metalwork/woodwork as well as biology for the two GCE years.  The decisions were made by the school without any discussion or input from the pupils. 

 

Compared to today's reporting, this was particularly thin which begs the questions - were we hopeless and are today's extensive reports merely a burden on teachers?  Were exams tougher or was the marking tougher?

Link to post
Share on other sites

At Manning, I once achieved 25% for maths which wasn't surprising, given the abysmal teaching from the mad Irishwoman!

 

No one ever dislodged me from first place in English but in the fourth year, when I achieved 92% and still, apparently, merited the comment, "Could make more effort," I thought S*d em and gave up!  What was the point?  

Link to post
Share on other sites

What staggers me is coming 6th (out of 20) with just 43 or 44%! That isn't a pass.  

 

At GCE time, we subsequently found out that the pass mark had been raised, nationally, so as to limit the number of pupils passing and then presumably wanting to stay on into the sixth form or go on to university.  Remember we were post-war boom babies and Uni places were very limited in those days so the same would have applied a year or so earlier and afterwards.

 

According to JHH, Brian Smith was indeed a good youngish maths teacher, but was miffed that when Dr Austwick opted to take up another post, that he wasn't offered the post of Head of Department, so he didn't stay.  Shame.  We had a total of 9 maths teachers in the five years and by far and away, the last was the worst, by a country mile. She was hopeless and none from the former top Bramcote group (both Eastwood and Bramcote houses were graded into 3 classes) passed the GCE 'O' level in 1962. Sad.

 

Even JHH apologised, when I was in touch, about 1989/90, claiming he always struggled to get maths teachers, good or otherwise.  Many ex-pupils were still very bitter about that when we had a reunion in 1988! 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I started 1st year in 1962.

I don't have any of my reports, I'm surprised my Mother hadn't keep them or the school panoramic photos.

 

My consistently best subject was Maths. Teacher was a Scottish Miss ??, but got married during my years.

French and English Lit were always low on the list, the rest I seem to remember always being middle of the class.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Socram, I see you had Eric Fenwick as your English teacher.  He was a neighbour of ours, his wife and my Mum were really good friends, We lived just round the corner from ACHS on a new estate and it was in the days when the back doors were always open, very neighbourly and mostly young families living up there. One day Eric’s wife was round having a cuppa with my Mum and somebody went in their house through an unlocked door and burgled them!   Jim Briars was a good friend of the Fenwicks and spent a lot of time with them.  When Eric left Arnold he went to a Yorkshire school, they’d originated from Keighley and I think they moved back to that area.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

Stuart.C, did you know Barbara McLean, in your year but not sure if she started at Arnold in the first year.  She was, and still is, a really good friend of mine.  We used to knock about town together in our teens until she went to university in Glasgow and she’s never lived in Nottingham since.  I saw her in March when I attended her mother’s funeral.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

The name's not immediately ringing a bell , but maybe the old grey matter will turn it up when I'm doing something completely different.

There was definitely at least 1 Barbara in my year.

I was the only Stuart in the year. (99.99% certain!)

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...
On 6/8/2020 at 1:52 PM, LizzieM said:

Socram, I see you had Eric Fenwick as your English teacher.  He was a neighbour of ours, his wife and my Mum were really good friends, We lived just round the corner from ACHS on a new estate and it was in the days when the back doors were always open, very neighbourly and mostly young families living up there. One day Eric’s wife was round having a cuppa with my Mum and somebody went in their house through an unlocked door and burgled them!   Jim Briars was a good friend of the Fenwicks and spent a lot of time with them.  When Eric left Arnold he went to a Yorkshire school, they’d originated from Keighley and I think they moved back to that area.  

Hello. My dad was Arthur Salmon and he started in 1959 the first year the school opened. I had piano lessons from Mr Seargents wife. We Mum and dad were friends with the Fenwicks and used to go regularly and have fish and chips. I'd be about 6. Years later I went to do my nurse training at Leeds general infirmary where Kath Fenwick had worked or trained, I'm not sure, but I would go and see them in Leeds where they moved to. Happy days. Dad died in 2001 but it's be brilliant seeing pictures and comments about him here. 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Margaret, I think I remember your surname, did you live near the Fenwicks (and me) and did you attend Arnold High? If so you’d probably remember my brother who was born in 1955.  Welcome to Nottstalgia ! 

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 11/21/2013 at 6:29 PM, tomlinson said:

As a matter of interest, was your Mr Salmom very tall and thin and a pipe smoker? We had a Mr Salmon at William Crane, the best teacher I ever knew, and I've always remembered him with great respect.

Hi. I know this post was 7 years ago but since lockdown I've done a lot of researching. Arthur Salmon was my dad. It's lovely seeing so many stories about him and how loved he was by his pupils. 

 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
12 hours ago, LizzieM said:

Hi Margaret, I think I remember your surname, did you live near the Fenwicks (and me) and did you attend Arnold High? If so you’d probably remember my brother who was born in 1955.  Welcome to Nottstalgia ! 

Hi. No I didn't go to Arnold High. I was born in 1953. My dad, Arthur Salmon taught English at the school. Sadly he died in 2001

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
5 hours ago, Margaret Lory Morgan said:

Hi. No I didn't go to Arnold High. I was born in 1953. My dad, Arthur Salmon taught English at the school. Sadly he died in 2001

 

Nor did I go to Arnold High, despite the school only being a few hundred yards away. I went to Carlton Le Willows GS but watched Arnold High being built.  A lot of the Arnold teachers lived very local to the school. 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

I remember Arthur Salmon well and yes, tall and a pipe smoker. I never had him as a teacher.

 

(Eric) Fenwick was Roosevelt housemaster (I was in Roosevelt). He must have had a free period on our games afternoons,  as he would often help out the other Eric - Flint, with rugby, certainly that first year. 

 

Like most of our year, having grown up in a soccer household; played soccer at junior school; supported Nottingham Forest (or Notts County in my case); the first games lesson at Bramcote grammar in 1957 was rugby  What?  Teacher's name I think was Hayman. Hated rugby from day 1, and still don't care for it, even though rugby in NZ is a religion.

 

At ACHS, we managed to convince Mr Flint that we preferred badminton to rugby and he allowed us to play. But Mr Fenwick wasn't at all happy and considered us skivers, even though he was happy enough that we played tennis in the summer. So, he insisted we did a cross country run before playing. Graham Norbury tells the story that on a run we either called into our house for a cuppa or Warsop's!  Probably true.

 

Howarth was even more scathing, so maybe he was the one who sent us on the run?  He terrified us in PE on day 1. Such a contrast to Flint.  Never really warmed to him. 

 

Those who played badminton included Dick Warsop (I effectively played mixed doubles with him at the front!), Graham Norbury, and believe or not girls! Margaret Reed,  Anne Dean  Linda (Smith)? I'm a bit rusty there.

 

We didn't really know any better than tip-tap until Eric Flint, returning from the rugby, taught us to hit the darn thing - hard!  Dick and I got hooked and played until about 7pm that first time and boy, did I ache the next day. Harder on the body than most people realise. 

 

We never had any coaching - more's the pity, as I think I could have been a decent player, though it didn't stop me making an Auckland North Harbour Masters rep team for several enjoyable years from the age of 45. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Socram, not that it’s important but Mr Flint’s Christian name was Tim.  As neighbours I knew him and his wife quite well and was slightly envious of the position of their bungalow, because at the end of their garden was the school field.   Mrs Flint (can’t for the life of me remember her name) gave me her bicycle as I didn’t have one and my parents wouldn’t, or maybe couldn’t , buy me one.  A lovely childless couple.   

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 5 weeks later...
On 7/7/2020 at 3:44 AM, Margaret Lory Morgan said:

Hello. My dad was Arthur Salmon and he started in 1959 the first year the school opened.

 

I have posted the Eastwood panoramic photograph earlier (March 14th 2018) and Arthur Salmon was on that.  I'll scan the teacher section and publish it again later and also the Bramcote teacher section with Eric Fenwick. 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 year later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
On 11/26/2018 at 11:35 PM, Arnold Mick said:

 

Hi Liz - I was with the 1st intake in January 1953 having been at High Street Infants. It would be the same Mr Ellis that taught us both at Kingswell but there is a bit of confusion with the Arnold High connection. I am on here as it has connections with the first intakes having been 'refugees' at Bramcote Hills Grammar (my school '56 - '61). So Mr Ellis never taught at Arnold High. He later went on to become Headmaster at a school in Kirkby in Ashfield.

You might have been at Kingswell at the same time as either one of my sisters - Shirley / Linda Fox

ArnoldMick, did you used to live on Nursery Road, as I lived there, Mick Fox was one of my friends, and had 2 sisters Shirley and Linda!

Dave Martin (from 27 Nursery Road, Arnold)

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 5/5/2012 at 2:12 AM, Trevor S said:

Anybody out there who went to Arnold County High School (as it was known at the start) from the day the school opened in 59?

Yes I did, after 2 years ar BHGS. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...