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Drove up Bar Lane today...Blimey! the old schools gone,replaced with a big modern lump...When did that happen?

And the old Commodores a Sainsbury's...You daren't blink nowadays,everythings disappearing.

Paul.

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No replies about Ellis before it merged with Guilford?...I'm surprised,anyone there in the fifties? Headmasters Hadrill and Green.Some of the teachers...Barks,Kinder(Rubberneck) Kendal,Bowler,Woodward,Hall, and 'Black Dan'... can't remember his proper name....Anybody else out there remember??

Paul.

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No replies about Ellis before it merged with Guilford?...I'm surprised,anyone there in the fifties? Headmasters Hadrill and Green.Some of the teachers...Barks,Kinder(Rubberneck) Kendal,Bowler,Woodward,Hall, and 'Black Dan'... can't remember his proper name....Anybody else out there remember??

Paul.

Hi Paul,

I went to the Ellis and left in 1958.

I was "transferred" from the High Pavement in about 1956.

I remember Alf Kinder and I think Mr Hadrill was head at the time, Black Dan, yes, but like you can't remember his name.

Used to go to the fair at, Billy Bacon's?

My Mum used to work at Saxby's, I think that was on Bar Lane as well.

Happy!!! days, when were you there?

Regards, Martyn.

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I left Xmas '59 had to stay on after my mates left in summer 'cause my birthday was November.....I hated that.

Just remembered 'Black Dan' was Appleton...history teacher..so called anyway.

Saxby's all houses now.

Hadrill was a good head,he instilled discipline...just had to stand and stare at you and you behaved yourself.Unlike Green who was strap happy and didn't get half the respect.

One of Hadrills rules was that bikes could be ridden up Bar Lane but not down.You had to wheel them down...I think because a lad once died flying down Bar Lane into traffic on Nuthall Rd. Another rule...girls could walk through Ellis to get to Guilford but we couldn't walk through there....they didn't trust lads in them days ;)

At the end of assembly under Hadrill he always ended with the same words "If it's not yours,leave it alone." Pity they don't instill that in kids now.

Dunno about happy days...I never liked school or rated the teachers much,couldn't wait to get a job.But had some good mates and some laughs.

Paul.

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I left Xmas '59 had to stay on after my mates left in summer 'cause my birthday was November.....I hated that.

Just remembered 'Black Dan' was Appleton...history teacher..so called anyway.

Saxby's all houses now.

Hadrill was a good head,he instilled discipline...just had to stand and stare at you and you behaved yourself.Unlike Green who was strap happy and didn't get half the respect.

One of Hadrills rules was that bikes could be ridden up Bar Lane but not down.You had to wheel them down...I think because a lad once died flying down Bar Lane into traffic on Nuthall Rd. Another rule...girls could walk through Ellis to get to Guilford but we couldn't walk through there....they didn't trust lads in them days ;)

At the end of assembly under Hadrill he always ended with the same words "If it's not yours,leave it alone." Pity they don't instill that in kids now.

Dunno about happy days...I never liked school or rated the teachers much,couldn't wait to get a job.But had some good mates and some laughs.

Paul.

We must be of similar age Paul? I was born in 1943.

Trying to think of some of my school friends names!

I remember Alan Glenn, Malc Cotis aka Bellamy, Kenny Brant, ended up in the nick I think, Nopper Dickens, Mick Cope, Peter Orme and one of my best mates, Keith "flash" Daws, we joined the army around the same time, but never heard anything about him for at least 46 years.

Martyn

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  • 1 year later...

I just knew I would find something about my old school on the Forum, this is just brilliant, I left Ellis in 1962, I well remember Mr.Green and Hadrill, I got plenty of strap and cane off both of them, some other names not mentioned, Johnnie (one eye)Hall...RE I think. Fred Barks, I think he was geography but also taught us the facts of life, undercover of course. Ben Lyons, metalwork teacher. Mr Bowley from Sherwood and of course my good friend Mr.Bottoms..and yes, they have all hurt my Bottom in their time. But I was lucky, if I hadnt passed my 11 plus I would have ended up at Highbury "Bulldogs" school on Albert St. A fate worse than death. Talking of the Commodore, the last person I saw there was the great Tommy Cooper, he had me in stitches.

Oh happy days.....Owdtite.

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All gone now...shame.

In our day there was discipline and next to no litter not like the crap everywhere today.

large classes over 40 kids...and they could all read and write...some badly maybe but they could still manage it.

So what's going off today? are the teachers crap or what?

When it comes to discipline I never ever saw any kid walk on that grass in the quadrangle...it was a no no

and kids didn't dare walk on it.

NTGM005483.jpg

NTGM005482.jpg

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  • 10 months later...

Does anyone remember the names of the four "houses". The wife asked me what they were and I couldn't remember all four. I was a member of Watts and I seem to remember Tennyson. Can anyone help please?

I was there 1955 to 1960.

Geoff G.

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Does anyone remember the names of the four "houses". The wife asked me what they were and I couldn't remember all four. I was a member of Watts and I seem to remember Tennyson. Can anyone help please?

I was there 1955 to 1960.

Geoff G.

Hi Geoff,

I was there 56 to 58, but can't even remember my own name these days! So no help, sorry.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was 15 when I left Ellis in May 1956 to move to Coventry with family.

I believe I was in Faraday House but I can’t remember the forth. Hopefully I will be able to contribute a lot more to this topic with names, photo’s etc. Once I become familiar with the workings of this website.

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I've been in the attic and found these Ellis School teacher autographs from May 1956. I collected these on leaving mid-term to move to Coventry. Didn't dare go and ask Hadrill for his.

scan0001.jpg

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I can only remember Alf Kinder, the others don't ring a bell.

Albert Appleton was always known as 'Black Dan' even when my older brothers were there. I understood that he had a Black Belt in Judo. I remember him always being covered in chalk dust and he was a good shot with the blackboard rubber.

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Another photo from 1956. Ellis School cricket team at Melbourne Park.

Names I have on the back:

Tom Preston

?? ??

?? Riley

Norman Taylor

Anthony Woolacott

John Dingley

Keith Hart (Myself)(Shorty in the middle)

?? ??

Mick Godfrey

Malcolm Little

?? Hicks

John Laffar

scan0003.jpg

Other school mates I can recall include:

Trevor Williamson

Peter Jones

Michael Snowden

Terry Guildford

Barry Poultney

Michael Hemsley

Kenny Meakin

Pat Johnson

David Ackroyd

Dave Wiley

John Hutchby

Kenny Radford

Aubrey Bryan

Geoffrey Slaney

Alan Speight

John Burrows

Jake Elston

Mike Barnett

Pete Sissons

Neil Telling

Dave Mason

Brian Hudson

Harry Strong

More photo's and recollections to come.

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Albert Appleton was always known as 'Black Dan' even when my older brothers were there. I understood that he had a Black Belt in Judo. I remember him always being covered in chalk dust and he was a good shot with the blackboard rubber.

Oh yes, I remember Black Dan.

Also Kenny Meakin, if he was the brother to June who lived near me along Valley Road, and Mick Godfrey rings a bell. Did he have a stutter? and live in the Heathfield area?

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Oh yes, I remember Black Dan.

Also Kenny Meakin, if he was the brother to June who lived near me along Valley Road, and Mick Godfrey rings a bell. Did he have a stutter? and live in the Heathfield area?

Is the name in the bottom left, Fred Barkes? that rings a bell.

Now seem to recall names, Pete Sissons, Aubrey Bryan, Mike Barnett, but is it my now mind playing tricks?

I was born in 1943, so would we have come across each other?

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Is the name in the bottom left, Fred Barkes? that rings a bell.

Now seem to recall names, Pete Sissons, Aubrey Bryan, Mike Barnett, but is it my now mind playing tricks?

I was born in 1943, so would we have come across each other?

Hi MartynE,

Thanks for contact. Yes you’ve got it right. Kenny was not very tall at that age & I didn’t know his sister. They lived at 280 Valley Road. Mick lived on Petworth Drive but didn’t have a stutter (or a sister). He’s on the cricket photo with bat and cap. All round good guy at sport, studies etc. His elder brother was Gus. They moved to a big house on Valley Road, north side about opposite Scotland Place.

Again you’re right, Fred Barks was a short dapper fellow but I can’t remember his nickname. I do remember him having a bit of a fight with one of the bigger lads in class though.

There is a Pete Sissons on TV but I think a bit younger. Mick Barnett was heir to Barnett’s Sweet Factory in Nottm., but I doubt if it’s still going.

We could have come across each other. I lived in Chard St, up Nottingham Road but spent a lot of time in Vernon Park, fishing, cricket, chasing girls etc.

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I lived at 258 Valley Road, between Ventnor Rise and the High School playing fields.

I had a friend who I think lived in Petworth or just off, Pete 'Knopper' Dickens.

Another good pal was Keith Dawes who I joined the Army Apprentices with. He lived up Nottingham Road somewhere.

Did you go to Scotland Place school?

Good old days??

Regards, Martyn.

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I didn't know any of these guys you have mentioned. Although I probably knew Keith by sight, him living up Nottingham Road way. I believe he contributes to the forums regarding New Basford, I'll see what I can find about him. No, I didn't go to Scotland Place, couldn't get in for some reason. I went to Egypt Road School near Shippo's and then went to Ellis. My paternal Grandma lived at the bottom of Nottingham Road, next door to Oscrofts Yard. Billy Bacons was a brilliant playground for kids with the river and of course the Wakes, after Goose Fair. There were also some rides set up on the 'Shoulder of Mutton' frontage.

We used to have voluntary cricket coaching on Vernon Park; Tuesday evenings I think. This old boy would turn up with all the gear and he was very helpful in his guidance. I still don't know his name but I came to realise later that he was always in charge of the gate in the fence from the pavilion at Trent Bridge. I wouldn't be suprised if he was a past player for the County. Great guy. As a kid I went to see 1948 Test against the Ausies; Bradman & Co. Also saw Tommy Lawton at Meadow Lane.

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Does anyone remember the names of the four "houses". The wife asked me what they were and I couldn't remember all four. I was a member of Watts and I seem to remember Tennyson. Can anyone help please?

I was there 1955 to 1960.

Geoff G.

Hi Geoff,

I seem to recall the forth house was 'Gordon' of Khartoum

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Ellis teachers...some names ring bells but I can't remember what they did..

Some taught me...

Hall....grey haired and clocking on...taught me Art...Got a rousing cheer from the class when we heard his younger missus was in the club.

Woodward...Technical Drawing...very strict.Taught us about steam engines and how petrol engines worked.

Kendall...Science...Big headed individual.Met him years later...Said "Bet you wish you were back at school" Told him one reason I left at fifteen was because of prats like him.

Parker...Grey hair slicked back...Deputy head.Only taught me when a teacher was sick...nice bloke.

Frederick Rex Barks...(Fred) Various subjects and his little brown book explaining that balls should be called testacles.Taught piano at nights at his home.

Appleton...(Black Dan) History...scruffy sod.

Baker...Film Studies,ran the school cinema shows.If you got less than 6 out of 10 in his lesson you got the strap.

Vine...Various subjects including science.

Kinder...(Rubberneck) Maths..Strict disciplinarian...used a three pronged strap.Straight desks,clean inkwells,no fountain pens allowed.Handed out pencils some an inch long..God help class if one went missing.No p1$$ visits with him,you had to grin and bear it.

Bowler...PE...heard he got prosecuted in later years for being a perv...(Figures)

Bottoms...Various subjects...total pillock with many nicknames.

Hadrill headmaster till I was 13...good teacher and well respected by the lads...If lads were running and shouting in the quad,he would come out of his office and just stand there.That was enough and silence prevailed.

Green took his place...a morose individual who handed out the strap and cane daily...the lads hated him and gave him no respect...not a patch on Hadrill.

Barnetts still going after a fashion...a lot of their stuff is made elsewhere.

Mick Barnett took his skills and set up on his own 20 odd years ago Still working 12 hours a day aged 70... total workaholic...makes a lot of Barnetts stuff for them because their staff are useless.

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That's brill. Poohbear, One guy's memory can jog another guy's.

I really liked Woodward' he took us on trips etc. We had him for 'Power Supplies', I've still got my exercise book. Drawings of windmills, Sailing ships, train engines and gears & yes 4 stroke petrol engines (Induction, compression, power & exhaust). I remember him taking us to English Electric at Rugby. Many years later I found myself there working for a construction company.

Yes, Baker; Film Studies. It's still imprinted in my mind. 'Great Expectations'. Opening scene in the windy church yard and the convict jumps out on Pip. "Keep still or I'll have your guts out". (pass the toilet paper). David Lean – fab. Director.

I didn't know Green/Bottom.

Who took us for metalwork? Still got my tea caddy spoon somewhere.

I've got to find a press photo somewhere in the boxes. You might not know the guys on it but I'll post it up later. We're all playing mouth organs with Pearson.

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  • Cliff Ton changed the title to Ellis School, Bar Lane

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