Nottingham Technical School for Textile Trades


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Hi my name is David Harrison (nickname-'Harry') and I was at the Textile School from 1955 to 1957. I left with 6 Olevels and went to work at Boots Architect Department as a Junior Architectural Assistant. I became a Building Surveyor at Boots obtained ONC and HNC Building and later in life graduated as a Master of Science, a Chartered Builder, a Chartered Health and Safety Practitioner and a Fire Engineer.

I am now retired.

I loved the Textile School and am forever grateful for the opportunities it afforded me, thanks particularly to Jack Stamper

I remember 'Peanuts', along with Guy Gisbourne, Joan Clark, Jean Plowright who sadly died at such a young age. 

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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

Following on from my previous posting on the Textile School, I remembered that of all the Teachers the two who were the most difficult to please were Miss Wenn..who seemed to hate all students of the male gender and Mr Rippon who once told me that I would be lucky to get a job as a dustbinman.  On the final day before leaving Mr Rippon instructed us to rub down the rust spots on his old car and make good the paintwork using paint that was in his boot. Being good pupils we did as we were told except that when we opened the boot we found a can of black paint and a can of white paint (the car was black). We used the white paint....revenge was sweet! We went home before he left so never saw his face.  Miss Wenn had a 3-wheel 'bubble car'. On that last day the boys lifted it manually and deposited it in the 'bottom playground'' and then left for home. I often wonder how she retrieved it.

I hope that the above is covered by the Statute of Limitations and that I won't now get arrested for these misdemeanours.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Dear Blondie,

My name is Lynn David Rowlands and I was also a student at the Nottingham Technical School for the Textile Trades.

Although you attended the school after my time was over, I do remember Some of the members of staff you mentioned, who were at the school during my time .

Although I did not do particularly well scholastically at school, I seemed to have shown some promise in the field of ladies wear design and Miss Winfield arranged for me to join a special class for fashion design and, Although upon leaving school,  I did not use it, after my National Service, I attended The Ottingham College of Art and subsequently became a designer of ladies wear, working all over the world. I think we were taught weaving by Miss Winfield and I remember making a scarf in a McLeod tartan.

I remember Mr. bamber and the knitting machines and I remember having to go through the fruit and vegetable market for metal work.

In the wooden structure you mentioned, we were taught technical drawing by Mr. Llewelyn and other teachers of my time (1952 to 1955 were:

Miss Norris (Head Mistress)

Mr. Preston, Vice principal.

Mr. rippon (Maths) He also supervised swimming after school hours.

Miss Smith (music)

Mr. Sails (sport)

In my form, I remember:

Ann Holt, Pamela Johnston, Marion Fowler, Frazier Heselton, George Scott, David Beaumont. Trevor Poyser.

I remember that we used to take a bus up to Broxtowe for cross country running and to the 'Meadows' near the river Trent for football. I hated the latter, although I am a fan of the game now.

I would love to hear from any of my contemporaries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Interesting post LDR.  I  had never heard of this school before I joined the forum but it seems to have given you some grounding in your design interests.  I hope you will continue to tell us more memories of your early life in Nottingham (not necessarily just about the school) and also that you'll enjoy reading other posts on the forum on many different subjects...

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Another memory of the Textile School.....well almost......Sometime in the 1990s I had a project at an Elderly Persons Home off Woodborough Road. As part of that project I had to give a presentation the the Management Committee on the scope of the work. I had been warned that one member of the Committee was an extremely 'picky' elderly resident and to treat her with care if I wanted a quiet life. As I entered the Committee Room I saw the lady in question who pointed a bony finger at me and said 'I remember you young Harrison'.....it was Miss Norris herself, still a very formidable lady. The job went well and I was saddened to learn of her death soon afterwards. She must have been in her 90s but what a memory!

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Dear MargieH,

Nottingham was my playground int the 'Fifties' I was brought up in Beeston and spent much of my youth at the youth centre there. With my pals, make and female, I often went to the Paiais de Dance and The Astoria (Later the Sherwood Rooms). We would jive and Cha Cha to Gene Mayo and his band and, when not there, we  would all go to the local fun fares and compete for small monetary prizes by jiving our hearts out on the dodgem car stand.

i am proud to say that, whilst we were always giggling and having fun, we never found ourselves in trouble.

recently, I heard from one of the girls and her husband, who were part of our group. They now live in Australia but have kept in communication, over the years, with lots of our old friends, with whom they have now put me in touch.

it is such fun to reminisce. I wonder if we have any mutual friends?

best wishes,

LDR.

 

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LDR, I lived in Woodthorpe when I was young so our paths probably never crossed, but who knows.... You say you used to go to the Palais.... my friends and I also went there occasionally but were more often at the Vic/Locarno!   I don't ever remember going to Beeston as all my friends were in the Woodthorpe, Arnold, Mapperley and Sherwood area.  Looking at your post again I see you were only at the Textile school for 3 years.  Where were you for the rest of your schooling - junior and secondary?

Do you ever visit Nottingham (or Beeston) now - has it changed from the way you remember it?  I've asked enough questions I think!   Hope you are navigating your way round the forum OK and finding plenty of things to interest you.   

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 7 months later...

 

On 27/12/2014 at 1:29 PM, Rollo said:

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.

What was your name Rollo as I must have know you ? - I was there from 1958-61, my name was Lynn Housley from Hucknall, - You must have been in the same class as Jennifer Nathan, Ian Severn and the Lowry twins, they were on my school bus.......Most of what you say is about right, there was a lot of freedom and a long lunch hour, but my life was made unbearable by a few bullying spiteful pupils and 2 teachers.....I hated the place, thought I was going to do well there and would be taking French and interesting subjects - no cookery classes either......I achieved nothing there and would have been better off staying at my old Secondary School which I begged my parent's to take me back too and they wouldn't.....I think it must have been the worst 3 years of my life......My school reports were terrible - I did well at my Junior School and the Secondary School beforehand.......It was a dump on Bath Street, a few scruffy classrooms belonging to the Victoria School just up the road from Sneinton Market.......It was made worse by the fact that my family had no money - I never had money for the tuck shop or the out of school nice clothes and outings.....the thought of the place, the teachers and the bullying pupils gives me the shivers..........

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On ‎11‎/‎03‎/‎2017 at 11:26 AM, davidh2308 said:

Another memory of the Textile School.....well almost......Sometime in the 1990s I had a project at an Elderly Persons Home off Woodborough Road. As part of that project I had to give a presentation the the Management Committee on the scope of the work. I had been warned that one member of the Committee was an extremely 'picky' elderly resident and to treat her with care if I wanted a quiet life. As I entered the Committee Room I saw the lady in question who pointed a bony finger at me and said 'I remember you young Harrison'.....it was Miss Norris herself, still a very formidable lady. The job went well and I was saddened to learn of her death soon afterwards. She must have been in her 90s but what a memory!

I remember a Harrison in my class, 1958-61, I was Lynn Housley - I remember Miss Norris very well, a small, thin lady with bad feet - she was also a Magistrate.....

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On ‎24‎/‎03‎/‎2010 at 9:42 AM, Owdtite said:

Hi, My Brother went to this school in Bath St.around 1954-58.

Would you like me to ask him if he could help you?

Owdtite.

What was your brother's name as I was there 1958-61........I was Lynn Housley from Hucknall....... Oh, .I hated that school.......

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On ‎18‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 0:04 PM, davidh2308 said:

Following on from my previous posting on the Textile School, I remembered that of all the Teachers the two who were the most difficult to please were Miss Wenn..who seemed to hate all students of the male gender and Mr Rippon who once told me that I would be lucky to get a job as a dustbinman.  On the final day before leaving Mr Rippon instructed us to rub down the rust spots on his old car and make good the paintwork using paint that was in his boot. Being good pupils we did as we were told except that when we opened the boot we found a can of black paint and a can of white paint (the car was black). We used the white paint....revenge was sweet! We went home before he left so never saw his face.  Miss Wenn had a 3-wheel 'bubble car'. On that last day the boys lifted it manually and deposited it in the 'bottom playground'' and then left for home. I often wonder how she retrieved it.

I hope that the above is covered by the Statute of Limitations and that I won't now get arrested for these misdemeanours.

I think I can remember these incidents when I was there - so you must have been in the same year as me 1958-61.......... I thought that Mr Rippon was a psychopath an ex army bloke who seemed to love beating people, he was also having an affair with a teacher there, although he was married.......Miss Wenn hated men because she was an unmarried mother, living alone with her child in a flat somewhere in town, I remember her bubble car, but I did like her, it was Miss Maud who I hated - my dad worked at the pit, she hated colliers and she referred to him as a 'filthy collier' and humiliated me continually in front of the class, no matter how hard I worked, I got low marks - a waste of 3 years of my school life.........................was your name David Harrison ? - it seems to ring a bell............

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On 16/02/2017 at 11:20 PM, davidh2308 said:

I loved the Textile School and am forever grateful for the opportunities it afforded me, thanks particularly to Jack Stamper

I remember 'Peanuts', along with Guy Gisbourne, Joan Clark, Jean Plowright who sadly died at such a young age. 

I remember Jean Plowright very well, Kit Poxon, also David Wimbush, Valerie Braddock, Ian Severn who married the head girl Jennifer Moore........they must have been in your year - I came from Hucknall was there 1958-61..

 

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Re: Lynn Rowlands....

 

You must have been there long before me as the older pupils all seemed to do better than we did, I cannot remember any of those pupils names.....I was there 1958-61, Lynn Housley from Hucknall......

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  • 11 months later...

First of all let me thank and congratulate all the contributors so far.

I was at the school in the same class and year as Ian and Jenny along with Peter Walker, Ian Hayward, Bob Powell, Pete Barton,

John Fleming John Moss etc 

Cant remember many girls names except Barbara Burton and her mate Christine  ( must admit I was I luv with Barbara - even if it only lasted a weekend) 

My favourite teacher was our form master Mr G A Stamper ( Jack ).      Hope this helps to jog memories.

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The assembly room was about half way up the corridor from Ma Norris’s office and there was  another meeting place at The Mission Hall.

Can anyone remember the motorised bike that (Roy) Rogers rode, Mr Ripon had an old Rover AND. Motor Bike. Whoops nearly typed in Miss Bostock as well.  Mr Kerry had a smart Sunbeam Talbot and I seem to remember him colliding with a lady pedestrian near the school gates. Miss Bostock had a Ford Prefect type thing. The 

When we first joined we were bundled into classes. Mrs Turner was our first form teacher, Mr Pike for Maths and science 

Later after the grading was done (Fritz) Walther did the maths  What was the name of our English teacher?

Remember the school dinners and setting the tables up Lucky to escaped with all your fingers intact after those trestle tables.

Lyn after reading  your posts we must have been in the same classes 1 1 2 1 and 3 1. My email is pauldilley@btopenworld.com 

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On 11/5/2017 at 9:17 PM, Blondie said:

I think I can remember these incidents when I was there - so you must have been in the same year as me 1958-61.......... I thought that Mr Rippon was a psychopath an ex army bloke who seemed to love beating people, he was also having an affair with a teacher there, although he was married.......Miss Wenn hated men because she was an unmarried mother, living alone with her child in a flat somewhere in town, I remember her bubble car, but I did like her, it was Miss Maud who I hated - my dad worked at the pit, she hated colliers and she referred to him as a 'filthy collier' and humiliated me continually in front of the class, no matter how hard I worked, I got low marks - a waste of 3 years of my school life.........................was your name David Harrison ? - it seems to ring a bell............

I was there from 1955 to 1959. I was a skinny 4 eyed geek and yes my name is David Harrison

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Hi All,

Not sure how I got here but could not believe what I was reading so have signed up but not sure how to get back here again.

I was at the school also 1957-60 I think. It closed the following year and everyone was transferred to the new comprehensive school at Clifton.

Yes, I was nicknamed Polly, yes, I went to the Shangrila café on Heathcote street for dinner and my parents received a letter from Miss Norris because the cellar below was for prostitutes but we were not allowed down there, we were only interested in looking at the lovely ladies that frequented the place. Yes, I rode the trolley bus to Trent bridge and yes, I jumped from it while in motion to save having to wait until it stopped at the terminus on the wrong side of the road. Parachutists leaving an aircraft during the war could not do a better job. One great line of kids running down the middle of the road as one after another jumped from the platform. What a sight.

We were the first on the Escalator in Griffin and Spaldings. Were kicked out for going down the up. Used to love getting lost in that store. Nearly got caught dropping stink bombs in Little Woolworths. Crabby, Tich and Stewpot are you still around?

 

Hated the place a first but I was a country boy and had never stayed in a town. On leaving the school, never went into textiles after a few factory visits and the noise so went into agriculture and took me until 50 to own my own farm. 

That I think is a starting point.

 

If I don't come back again, it's only because I do not know how. Cheers for now

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Hi LizzieM,

Thanks for replying. I am somewhat overwhelmed that the site exists and looking at the first entry, it would appear to go back many  years. I have always had the memories but they were mine alone until finding this. Have had to ask my brother if there was a train station at Hathern as I lived a few miles further East and caught the 7.45 at Costock to travel the A60 into Huntingdon street bus station. The 4.45 took me home again unless kept in by detention or at one point the St. Ann's Well riots. Catch a later bus in the morning and you were late for school as it always became stuck on Trent Bridge. The bus was also used by workers to Nottingham and one morning it was late. Someone complained to the conductor who passed it on to the driver who happened to be her husband. It sped to Nottingham passing all other people waiting on route and I saw my mates all left at the various stops as the bus went by. The driver finally stopped in West Bridgeford and was back on time but had passed the point of picking up more passengers. He came into the bus for the row with the adults then drove on to town.

That's a small beginning to my story and was going to attach my credentials from the school but there is insufficient upload space 51.2 kb is of no use. Seems I failed History and Maths yet later in life became good at accounting.

 

In our little gang were Alan Roper (Titch) because he was. David Crampton (Crabby) an excellent ballroom dancer who the lady teachers headed for at the Christmas parties and Stewpot but cannot remember if Stewart was surname or christian name. Polly came from my surname and even stuck into adult life. 

 

I have one problem left here. To whom am I writing this as I usually do not enter forums?

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To every member John, and a warm welcome to you.

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Welcome from me, too.  I'm reading your posts, although I didn't go to your school!  It's good for you to share your memories and good for us to read them.  Keep going...

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John (Polly), you’ll soon get the hang of it.  Yes, every member of Nottstalgia can read your posts, but if you wish to send a message to one particular member then you must use the Private Message facility, which is the little envelope symbol at the top of the page.  Then click on ‘Compose New’ and type in the name of the person you would like to message.  It’s easy when you know how! 

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