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This will probably be a very short thread as I think there's only two people on Nottstalgia who went to this school, unless  there are some 'guests' viewing the site who may have gone there - who knows...

Here's  a couple of school photos of me in the late 40s / early 50s

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What a handsome boy!  Who was the headmaster when you were there?  It was Mr Brace in my time.  Was Mrs Lockwood still there?  I have strong memories of her!

So that's 3 Nottstalgians who went to Arno Vale then .... any more?

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Mrs Lockwood was an evil old bat who should never have been in charge of infants. The others I remember were Miss Lee, Mrs Hatter, Mr. Tilley and Mr. Turner, who drove all the way each day from Cropwell Bishop. His favourite punishment was hitting you on your open palms with a ruler. In his favour he did give me a shilling on two occasions. One for knowing the Five Towns and another for knowing the Cinque Ports. On my final report he wrote ‘Philip has a good general knowledge and should do well’. 
 

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Headmaster's name was Mr Naylor I think.

Miss Lee, sister of Harold the local painter /decorator, got married while I was there. Lee Glass and Glazing (local co.) is same family.

Hatter, Tilley, Turner (bit scary if I remember) all there.

Mr Archer the caretaker lived in the house on site.

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Miss Lee was lovely - she was in the second class I went into after Mrs Lockwood's.  I remember her wearing a red jumper .... don't know why I should think of that!    I believe she later became the head, as in 1976, our children went to the school for about 6 weeks when we were 'between houses' and we spoke to her in the head's office.  

I also remember Mrs Hatter, Ms Smith and  Mr Turner, who was the teacher in the top class before we left to go to secondary school.  He was nice but he did use a ruler for smacking.  He once smacked me on my leg because I argued with him about an apostrophe!  

I remember the caretaker, Mr Archer, from when I was 14 - we used to call him Archie - as my friend liked his son, Keith and we used to hang around on the school field in the summer evenings.  We went to Keith's 15th birthday party which was held in the first infants' classroom!  I remember playing Postman's knock at that party!

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Miss Lee was OK after the horrors of Old Ma Lockwood. She lived in Calverton so she must have walked up from the bus stop on Mansfield Rd. to the school. Mr. Brace lived on Thackeray’s Lane and Mrs Hatter lived on Arno Vale Rd. directly opposite the school. I must have been a trusty as Mr Brace used to give me his letters to post at lunchtime. I remember the caretaker but thought he was called Mr.Varley.

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Yes, the caretaker while we were at the school was Mr Varley.

 Mr Archer was after him a few years after we left.  Mrs Lockwood lived on Patterdale Road I think and she sometimes sent her favourite girls (not me!) round to her house to collect something or other.

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.......so my memory has not faded. Old Ma Lockwood had two sons, Peter and Foster, both of whom went to the High School. She often used to rabbit on about them. A proud mother I suppose. Some in our fourth form went on to the High School but not, I think, on free scholarships. That was only for a very clever few. Both of ours went to the respective High Schools but they had to pass stringent exams to get in. In the fifth form we were summoned by the headmaster to a meeting where he told us he was worried how our son would manage in the sixth form as he was not very academic. We went away duly chastened. He did manage a PhD. subsequently so the head need not have worried! 

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My oldest went to the Boys High, we'd hoped for a free place but ended up paying.

Every time there was parents evening we were met with, "He's doing very well, considering"

We never bothered to ask if it was because he appeared to come from Bilsthorpe, a mining village we'd only lived in a few years, or neither of his parents were Solicitors, Accountants or Consultants etc.

 

He must have done alright, "considering", as he lives in the U.S and works in an Executive role.

As Phil, the school and teachers need not have worried.

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Wasn't a pupil at Arno Vale but did play football against them a few times so driving past nowadays revives happy memories.  The main school building & sports pitch haven't changed.

 

Also seem to remember attending a Coronation party there in 1953 and being given a commemorative mug full of sweets.  Might still have the mug but not the sweets!

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I was still at the school in 1953!  We were each given a New Testament and a long thin tin containing chocolate, I think.  The tin had a picture of the queen on it.  I haven’t still got the tin but do have the New Testament.

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1 hour ago, Stuart.C said:

I wonder if that was / is their standard method then, downplaying all pupils, but, considering etc.

 

At parents’ evening the geography mistress pleaded with Ben not to fail as she’d never had a failure before! He did pass.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 3/16/2021 at 5:16 PM, Paradiddle said:

Wasn't a pupil at Arno Vale but did play football against them a few times so driving past nowadays revives happy memories.  The main school building & sports pitch haven't changed.

 

Also seem to remember attending a Coronation party there in 1953 and being given a commemorative mug full of sweets.  Might still have the mug but not the sweets!

I played football against Arno Vale for Arnold Kingswell - 1955? Also remember getting the Coronation mug and NT (still got the NT) Later, when I went to Bramcote Grammar we all got presented with a new bible. Don't think I've got that but got my Boys Brigade bible!

 

I didn't go to AVCPS but to Arnold Kingswell, just over the hill, and visited the school a few times, Later at Bramcote Grammar ('56 - '61) I befriended 2 lads from AVCPS - Tom Sharpe and Richard (Winnie) Winfield. Tom lived above the Thos. Robinson shop on Mansfield Road and Winnie lived on Barden Road, Mapperley.

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I don’t  recall those names but if they were your age (I’ve looked at your profile :rolleyes:) then they were a couple of years below me and the years didn’t really mix in those days...

Maybe @philmayfield will remember them.

I had a friend called Barbara Redpath who lived on Barden Road.  After Arno Vale she went to a school in Newark, travelling there on the train each day.

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  • 1 month later...

Just come across this, went to AVCPS 1953(?) left in July 1959.  Loved it there, moved on to Arnold County High when it opened and hated it!  Lots of memories of teachers names and other pupils, anyone interested?  BTW, Mr Naylor was the head throughout this time.  Remember Mrs Hatter (1st Class), also Dobbs, Keates, Ma Lockwood, Turner, Tilley.  More will come to mind I'm sure.  Ken Keates was an ex Liverpool reserves footballer and ran the school team, we took all before us particularly in the 58/59 season, still have photos.  Mr Archer (Archie) was the caretaker, he was the Arnold St. Mary's team trainer so also took an interest.  Nottingham Forest players brought the FA Cup to the school after winning it in 1959, held it for a few minutes!

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@JohnW I left the school in 1954 so our times at the school would have overlapped by one year. 
Thank you for posting - I remember some of the teachers you mentioned, including Archie, whom I got to know after I’d left the school.

Have you read all the previous posts

on this thread because  I think you may have been close in age to @Stuart.C who posted earlier?

 

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  • 3 months later...

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