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Sorry TBI. I really don’t understand why the system was junked - unless it was to bring “ equality”, meaning mediocrity, to every kid. We are NOT equally academically gifted, and thank God. I went to

I think the difference between Grammar and secondary education was vast,,, Qualifications GCEs etc were hardly in our vocabulary at Padstow............i soon realised after a visit from the ''Youth Em

I for one loved school.  Grew up on a Council Estate, passed the 11+ and went to Grammar School.  Not a perfect school but always grateful for a good education.  Both my Mum and Dad passed to go to Gr

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 1/12/2021 at 7:08 PM, philmayfield said:

I went to the closing ceremony. Met a few old friends. I was sorry to see the demolition of a fine building. It went down the pan when it became a sports college and went into special measures. An absolute disgrace.

 

i wonder if there is anyone around from my years??? 

 

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Those who let the place deteriorate from what it was should hang their heads in shame and at the same time receive one almighty kick up the backside. If that is the way they think things should be run we are in a downwards spiral.

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It was all to do with the abolishment of grammar schools by the local authority. It became a co-ed comprehensive and I believe it changed its catchment area to its own locality. It then went even further downhill when it became a ‘sports college’. It was ultimately put into ‘special measures’. The headmaster I spoke to at the closing down ceremony was a PT guy who had been there for some years and I believe had replaced Fred Sutherland. The old headmaster, George Houston, MA Oxon. would have been turning in his grave. An institution of academic excellence becoming a failing sports’ college. It was sad to walk round and see what it had become. The ultimate indignity was to see such a fine building razed to the ground.

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Just come across the program for the South Notts, Seven-A-Side competition (1971) under 14 age group.

Henry Mellish; (from) Akers, Cullen, Gilbert, Fulford, Chambers, Wilson, King & Reed. 

Other teams were, High Pavement, Cottesmore, Fairham, W Bridgford H.S., Arnold H.S., Rushcliffe Comp & Keyworth.

 

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I was there between 1964 and 1969 after attending the British School in Arnold

First form master was R C Bottoms - deadly throwing the board rubber

"Teachers" ? I remember were  Jed Strutt, Mr Marshall,Piggy Hutchinson, Bonsall, Jim Spolton,Vic Gladwin and Bertie Done

Most were borderline pscychos but sure new how to control a class of 30, 15 year old lads and some of what they taught must have rubbed off.

Classmates I can remember are

Paul Worrall,Paul Fletcher,Stuart Schofield,Rog Hart, Chris Weedon, Alan Litchfield,Steve Smith, Paul Greenaway

 

 

 

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Have been reviewing some of the topics on the Mellish site and comments from Stan The Jockey have me confused. On June 10 2020 he says he was quick on his toes and never got hit, whilst on November 11 2016 he says he was on the School Playing Fields and was hit on the chest every 15 seconds over a period of 10 minutes! Clarification please Stan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yes, Geoffrey. Well spotted. I was hit that day on the Playing Field. I’d forgotten about that little runt.

Otherwise I managed to avoid problems every day for seven years in the classrooms, corridors, yards, buses, trolley buses, Nottingham City Centre, Highbury Vale, toilets, canteen, City Ground, Trent Bridge, Beeston Square, local recs, cross country route, barbers, gym, vestibule and hall.

At least problem avoidance gave me an interest to focus on. It was a full time hobby!

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Anyone remember me, Mr Sharpe? I taught Music at the Mellish from 1970 to 1973. My greatest memory is having the privilege to conduct  the School Choir, comprising 90 boys in ‘How Lovely are the Dwellings’ from Brahms Requiem. David Wilson who I replaced as Master in charge of Music, played the organ. It was David who had built up the choir to an amazing standard, as he was a organist and choir master at St. Andrews church on Mansfield Road. We performed at the local C of E church in Bulwell.

  The following year we did ‘Zadok the Priest’ which has a very high top F# for the trebles to start singing. Again, the choir was brilliant.

Good times. I enjoyed teaching at the school. I never came across any ‘difficult’ boys!

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Welcome, Sharpee!

 

Your post reminded me of singing Zadok at The Manning School speech day in the Albert Hall.

 

Our music teacher was Mr Roy Abbey, also an organist (FRCO) and choir master.  I studied GCE music with him in the early 70s. Music was not regarded as an academic subject by the Manning hierarchy and funding was virtually nonexistent in that department.  Poor Mr Abbey had a pretty thin time of it when it came to resources.

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Welcome to Nottstalgia Sharpee.

 

You may not get any immediate reply from people who remember you at Mellish, but it's something which can turn up after several weeks or months. When anyone does a general internet search for 'Henry Mellish" this forum will turn up in the results and will eventually lead to your post, so in six months time one of your former pupils might be replying.

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David Wilson was my form tutor for about 3 years up to 1965 at Gedling Sec Mod. He taught us music and maths . 

Definitely the same one as my brother , who was a Mellish pupil ,  in the mid 50s remembers him playing piano in assembly whilst still a pupil.

He was a nice chap !

Terrible photo but he's far left in this pic taken on the school playing field.9724521364_2b939511c7.jpg

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

My brothers, Mike and Jim McDonald from Tollerton were there in the 60’s if anyone remembers them.

 

Mrs B

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  • 3 months later...
On 2/17/2016 at 12:46 PM, Just Me said:

I had the great displeasure of attending Henry Mellish Grammar School ( Smelly Henry ) from 1952 until 1957. I wasn't one for school at all and was glad when I left. Can anyone remember Mr Houston, the headmaster. Tess the deputy head. Froggy and Chalkie White , the French Teachers, and not forgetting the infamous GEG ( George Edward Goodall) He was the Latin master. My favourite teacher was Mr. Boddy the woodworking teacher. I remember the wood store room at the end of the class room when two or three of us would get a broom handle and insert it through a hole in a tea chest and use it as a double bass. Old Boddy didn't really appreciate that. then there was Hutch, the geography teacher. I think he was a wrestler. One day we were having a geography lesson on the upper floor and someone poured ink over his car from out of the window. He got hold of the culprit and half hung him out of the window, threatening to drop him. Then there was a Mr. Lovibond. Through him, I got six strokes of the cane for being late with my homework, And Mr Adams ( English Literature ) caught a load of us coming out of the snooker hall on Picadilly. We weren't allowed to leave the premises until home time, so there was trouble over that. My favourite day was Rugby day. I hated that game, so I would sneak off and creep under the fence and straight onto the waiting trolley bus to go home. Can anyone remember Mr Sutherland? He was the PE teacher. He used to drive a little Messeschmit bubble car. I'm 74 years old now but those days still seem fresh in my mind

 

 

Oh Yes I remember almost all your memories      I was a 1958 to 1963 inmate and also hated school.  I went back once only - as it was being demolished!  Big Respect for George Houston.  I thought Bill Boddy (Joinery) was a nutcase so opted for metalwork, with Harry (the breath) cannot recall sirname but still remember NEVER to leave your Vice Jaws under compression!      Remember Luke Whareham    Now luke here.  Chinny Curtiss?   Our Form Master was Charlie (Bill) Evans.  A really good guy.  You must have been in the A stream to have done Latin??  I was 1A then 2,3,4 and 5C.     Guess what I am recalling the Register . . . . Ball, Barker, Beams (me) Beedham, Bellamy, Blount, Bollands.   Oh dear is this memory of things long ago (but not one one had for breakfast) signs of dimensia ?!!!!!!!!!     My mate was Stuart Tommo Thompson.     

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I was at HMGS between 1967 and 1974. Barber House!

Having spent 90mins on this website, I felt I had to post something? Having been cursed with an episodic memory, there is quite a bit I can remember going back? 


During the time I was there, I think Mr Wilson became Music teacher? Think it was him? His classroom was at the end of the corridor, past the Headmasters and Secretaries offices - as you exit to the Dining Hall? I don’t remember much about the lessons side of things, but he acquired/inherited/won quite a bit of moolah at one time and bought a racy, bright orange sports car. It was a kit car and it attracted a helluva lot of attention! I had renewed respect for him after that…! He made sure his car was parked opposite the Dining Hall, down form the Tuck Shop so he could keep an eye on it?

 

Vic Gladwin and I got on well…call me crazy if you like, but I enjoyed Latin and still use it to make sense of some of the medical diagnoses I come across as part of my job, even today. One afternoon, he offered a “prize” which was a tip for the Derby winner that weekend, if you could correctly name five animals from their Latin names. I was the only one to answer the question, which proper threw me as I thought there would be others with their hand up. I got 4/5 right and he gave me a slip of paper with the horse’s name on it? Brilliant! I was about 13 at the time and was counting my winnings! There was one problem though…how the heck was I going to place a bet at the bookies? I was only about 4’ tall and 13?  Thankfully Dad put it on for me, the horse finished 2nd (each way) and I was pestered by Dad for a few weeks after that to get more betting info off Miniman? 


Another favourite was Mr Dutton, a brilliant English teacher and it was he who inspired me to understand English and all its grammatical components and broadened my English understanding. He maintained the Library on the 2nd Floor and he would often pass me in the corridor and hand me a book to go through; a Thomas Hardy novel, Anthony Burgess (A Clockwork Orange) or George Orwell - and would just simply say “Let me know what you think?” I felt privileged to be taught by him and still hold his legacy dear. 


Mr Hadwen, Biology in the newer labs overlooking the cricket field. Another inspiring teacher. One year we built a wormery, which was pretty underwhelming? And don’t get me started on the dissection of frogs? Enough legs and bits left over to satisfy a posh lunch at an exquisite French restaurant?

 

As others have said, I gave Messrs Hutchinson, Clark(e), Spolton, Bonsall and one or two others a wide berth and thankfully I was taught by only a few of them.

 

I’m surprised no-one has mentioned Gary Sober’s wedding in 1968 (I think) at the Reigistrar’s Office across the road? It seemed that half the school was perched on the stone walls to get a view?

I remember one year, during a fog, that the cricket roller found its way from the side of the cricket pavilion, down the concrete steps (Kirkstall Lane end) and I think there was a dog-leg to the steps, and it ended up in the courtyard below? Amazing! How did it do that?

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8 hours ago, Nicksmeister said:

Mr Hadwen, Biology

At Manning, we had a biology teacher named Mrs Hadwen. They must be connected, although the last adjective I'd apply to her is 'inspiring'.

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9 hours ago, Nicksmeister said:

Having spent 90mins on this website, I felt I had to post something? Having been cursed with an episodic memory, there is quite a bit I can remember going back? 

 

Well done Nicksmeister, we need people like you !

 

An impressive first post. Hopefully there's more to come.

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Harry Hadwen was the junior biology master during my time at Mellish (left ‘62). Jim Key was the senior master. Both good blokes. Hadwen also ran the Navy section of the CCF. The biology library was where we hung out during our spare time in the 6th. form. This was during the reign of Bob McCandles (physics) and ‘Pablo’ Atkins (Chemistry). We blew up the advanced chemistry lab when we were in the lower 6th. and that had to be transferred to the lecture room for about 6 months whilst repairs were effected.

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