Nottingham Technical School for Textile Trades


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I am very interested in researching the history of the above school. Are there any students who went there who could supply me with any relevant details, either from the Shakespeare Street era or Bath Street. However small in detail all would be welcomed.

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Hi Everyone, The problem at my age is that there is too much to do and now with a couple of great grandchildren added, the time to sit and write is limited. My introduction to the school was

I attended that Textile School on Bath Street in Nottingham from1958-61 when it closed down.........Miss Noris was the headmistress and there was Mr Kerry, Mr Deardan, Mr Rogers, Mr Rippon, Mr Bamber.

Looking for something else, and stumbled on this forum. Not thought about the place for many, many years. I was pupil at the school from 1957 -61, and left with 3 'O' levels (not the most auspicious

Hi Greenlane, have you tried Mr Google? I just did it and one website said there are 49 members on Friends Reunited who went to this school. Perhaps you could get in touch with them.

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Not quite sure about it`s history but I believe I may have been one of the first students 1943 or 45 We had a smart Uniform and The Blazer Badge was 3 or 4 Bearded Needles ( As used in Knitting Machines ),Headmasters name was Mr Hadrill. , The only thing I remember regarding Textiles is reclaiming some Old Knitting Machines in " Blacks Factory " up North Sherwood Street, we washed all the parts in Paraffin and we got the Machines up and running, I remember doing an exhibition at the Y.M.C.A . I endeed up starting my working life as a trainee Sewing Machine Mechanic at William Gibsons on Thurland Street. in 1947

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Yes i went to this school,1947/51, 4weeks of r/r and one week of weaving or knitting at the special old building

near sneinton market. Good School, i stayed in the textile trade, working for Martin Emrex ,before i started

my own textile business. Much better than grammar school, they taught you a trade. I still have my school

badge,now stitched onto my casual jacket top sleeve. peter gribby

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Having been born in Normanton on Soar and failing my 11+ exam, i progressed to Sutton Bonington School where i took my 13+ exam and had the choice of Textile, Art or Building School - I chose Textile.

So in September 1955 I started at the Secondary Technical School for the Textile Trades in Victoria Street (main school building) and Bath Street where the knitting and weaving machines were. I did my 3 year course and then stayed on or a fourth year to d my GCE's leaving there in 1959 I left and went to work in a weaving Mill at Quornd, in Leicestershire and on to Licester College where i got my City and Guilds in "Silk and Man Made Fibres, section 2 - Smallwares Weaving" and progressing to designer in the Mill. My knickname at school was "PEANUTS"

Would love to make contact with some old school friends

Chris in Hastigs.

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Thanks Giga

Although now 72 years of age, I still have my school cap complete with badge (3 bearded needles used in Hosiery) and my school blazer again complete with school badge. Living on the outskirts of the county, i had to catch the 8.13 steam train from Hathern Station, then a quick dash across the city from the Midland Station to the school. Train home left Midland Station at 5.08pm. If you could mange to get into the first sitting for dinner at 12.midday, It then gave you time to either walk round Nottingham or spend time in Castle Grounds (which I did) before we were due back at school for 2pm. A 2hr dinner break - unheard of today.,

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The cap and blazer must be prized possessions after all this time, Chris. By the way, my name is Michael. The GIGA Nottstalgian bit is because of my 7,335 posts wheras you are a Newbie because you only have 2 posts. There are many varied topics to read on Nottstalgia so just click onto them and get reading. The Members are very friendly and will try to help with any query, on any subject, that you may have. I hope you enjoy Nottstalgia and find the time to send in your posts. Just one more thing, when you log into Nottstalgia, you can click onto 'View New Content' which you'll find near the top right of any page. This shows any posts that have been added since you last logged out of Nottstalgia and also posts that have been added while you've been logged in.

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Hi Commo

Thanks for the welcome - Ay up me duck - something I had to drop when I moved down South some 35 years ago after being told "I AM NOT YOUR DUCK AND NEVER WILL BE" when i politely greeted and asked for a cup of tea in the works canteen. Now when I go back up Nottinghamshire to see family and visit ancestors graves I get accused of talking posh

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I was a Sewing Machine Mechanic back in the sixties and seventies and thinking back we all did a two year course at a place on Shakespere st, this was not a recognised trade back then and the training was done by other older mechanics and I seem to remember being told that it used to be a school, just wondered if it was the same place. If you wanted to do City & Guilds you moved on to the poly to do engineering 1. In later years it did become a trade and block release was available for all budding mechanics as it happens all a complete waste of time as the clothing and textile trades have all gone to other countries now.

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I attended that Textile School on Bath Street in Nottingham from1958-61 when it closed down.........Miss Noris was the headmistress and there was Mr Kerry, Mr Deardan, Mr Rogers, Mr Rippon, Mr Bamber.........Miss Bostock, Miss Wenn, Miss Maud (yuk), Mrs Tillinghurst, Miss Winfield, Mrs Turner and the music teacher Mrs Jackson............I hated every minute of that place, it was a waste of three years of my life.......What a con........I was clever at the Junior School, but failed my 11 plus, nobody could understand why - I attended the Seniors for a year then took an exam to be sent to a Technical School, this was where I was sent, what a dump............ I felt that I had been cheated, I gained nothing and wanted to be sent back to my old school, but was not allowed........That old bag Miss Maud made my life a misery as I was miner's daughter and she hated as she called them 'filthy colliers'- No matter how hard I worked I was always given low marks, although we had all the latest encyclopeadia's at home...........Fortunately, I attended Night School afterwards and pulled myself up and became a top Legal Secretary........The mere thought of that place gives me the shivers................So if anyone wants to know what that place was like.......this in my opinion is it............

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The place sounded really awful Blondie, I have to admit that I never knew it existed until I saw the thread on here. Sounds like you achieved despite the obstacles put in your way at the school. Well done!

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Looking for something else, and stumbled on this forum. Not thought about the place for many, many years.

I was pupil at the school from 1957 -61, and left with 3 'O' levels (not the most auspicious beginning!), but I remember the years there as being ok. The school at that time was based in the back part of the big old brick school, and I think there were younger kids in the front part. School dinners were taken in the front as well- cant remember much about the room but I do remember the food that was bought in in containers. There must have been an assembly room somewhere also. School milk, long gome I suspect, kept in a shed or something in the yard (can't drink warm milk to this day) and a brick-built toilet block.

There was a wooden building in the back yard-the home of 'Jack' Stamper who taught technical drawing and ran the metal work shop upstairs at a church hall down the road. Phys ed, or whatever it was called in those days, took place either in the paved yard at the back of the school, or we were given plastic tokens and took the trolley bus down to Trent Bridge. Football on one side of the river and cricket just past the Forest grounds. The smell from the glue factory was only made bearable by the trains that went past the grounds. After the 'games' we went to a hole in the wall 'caf' at the back of the cimema and had sausage on a bun. I cant imagine kids today being given the same freedom...

The textile classes were held at the old 'ragged school' with 'Crash' Bamber in charge. It was the beginning of the Beatles era and we had great fun making our version of the thin knitted ties the boys wore, using the circular knitting machines.

Just down from the school was what I think was called Bath St. Surplas Store, an Aladdins cave full of ex-WD WW2 tools, machines and perhaps clothing. Quite the attraction for young men with a mechanical mind and no money.

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Welcome Rollo - You must have been at that school at the same time as I was, maybe we were in the same class, Mr Deardon was the form teacher (that's where I got my nickname Blondie from).........I can remember all the buildings you mentioned and the front part was the Junior part of the Victoria School, there was an assembly hall and a large dining hall for dinners, which, as I remember the food was quite good........... as far as I was concerned, the whole place was a dump............I forgot about Mr Stamper and the wooden building in the yard, but remember going to Brook Street, just off Sneinton Market, for Weaving and Knitting Machines with Mr Bamber and the sewing classes with Miss Winfield and Mrs Turner.........You sound like you are a bloke though and seemed to have enjoyed it more than I did, (the Beatles era came later in 1963).........Trent Pool was where we played Hockey and as you mentioned, there was a lot of freedom on that day - 'Wednesdays' - we were given bus tokens and caught the 45 trolley bus to get there......I remember that cafe with sausage cobs.........The tuck shop on Sneinton Market.........The whole 3 years 1958/61 was a nightmare for me, I hated the place so much, my confidence was shattered, mainly because of that horrible Miss Maud....... I achieved nothing and left school with a terrible report and started work in a lowly paid office job .......I attended Night School regularly and had too pull myself up again, and I did.......You sound as though you have done well in Nova Scotia........

I do remember a girl called Kit Poxon who later worked for Radio Nottingham with Dennis McCarthy, she was older than I was.........

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I went there 1958/61.....awful place

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MelissajKelly and Braddy

Nice to be back among friends, thanks for that.

Now, where are all the x-pupils of the Textile Trades School

I went there, but am younger than you, I am 69 yrs - was there 1958/61 and hated every minute.........

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Being a bit of an Arty type, I wanted to go there rather than FFGS.

However, dad thought it as just a training school for layabouts and beatniks.

I got my own back later when I didn't have a proper haircut for twelve years. Never been a layabout though !!!!!!

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I attended Textile School, Bath Street Nottingham from 1958/61 - worst years of my life - what a waste of time it was.....Just a few scruffy classrooms attached to the Victoria School , Brook Street with the weaving and Knitting machines - had lousy teachers who taught me nothing.........I remember the headmistress, Miss Norris - Mr Kerry, Mr Bamber, Mr Rippon, Mr Rogers, Mr Dearden........Miss Bostock, Miss Maud, Miss Wenn, Miss Winfield, Mrs Tillinghurst, Mrs Turner, (Mrs Jackson who left because of her pregnancy).........I went because I was clever at the Junior school, but did not pass my 11+, never knew why................No cookery classes, no French classes, just boring lessons about nothing important - how I longed to leave and go back to my old senior school in Hucknall, but couldn't, uniform was bought, had to stick it out.............

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