Memories of Haydn Road School 1948 - 1954


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A friend alerted me to an article about 'Haydn Road School 1953' featured in the Bygones supplement to the Evening Post. Memories flooded back along with the smell of disinfected floors, carbolic soap in the toilets, the pile of coke for the underground boiler and the brick and concrete air raid shelters in the playgrounds. Mr Lisle was still Headmaster when aged 7 I moved across the road from the infants school to 'The Huts', a long building of wood construction housing three classrooms. Heated by a single coke boiler, these army-billet-like affairs were supposedly temporary, built during the late 1930's. They were still in use in 1968. Are they still there I wonder?

At age 8 we all moved in to the main brick building. For me that was September 1951. The same year dear Mr Lyle retired to his home at Cresta Gardens. 1951 was also the year Mr K B Martin was appointed as 'The Head'. He came like a tornado from Sneinton Boulevard School. His authority was unquestionable but he had his favourites. He enjoyed dressing down the boys. Frequently resorted to regular clips around their ears as a precursor to the cane or the leather tawse (strap). He immediately changed the name of the school by insisting that the word ROAD be dropped from the school's title. He aspired to produce a school full of music lovers and for 'KB' Haydn meant the classical composer and he even tried to get us to pronounce it Hi-den!

A brilliant music teacher was appointed - Primrose Woodward; and together with 'KB' they formed and coached a school choir winning competitions and performing at various events in the City.

His staff were skilled, competent - and middle aged if my photo of the staff is anything to go by. These are the teachers I remember. Have I missed any from the 1948 - 1954 period?


  • Mrs Cooke, Mr Beauchamp (left to become a headmaster in Bournemouth), Mr Beresford, Miss Armstrong, Mr Jackson, Miss Woodward, Mr Gosden, Miss Rollinson.

September 1953 began my final year at the school and I was sorry to leave. I became a friend to Mr Jackson in his retirement years. He remembered dozens of his ex-pupils with affection. His son was tragically killed testing an RAF jet aircraft around 1953-4.

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Original School (the victorian stone buldings) still there, as is the the later one across the road, though the wooden sheds have gone, my memories of those stem from i959/1960 when one at least was used by the army cadets, went for a few months before going AWOL and dishonourably discharged! lol, remember one night in particular when pedalling my way there and looking to see if any of the "lads" were in "Cath's" (AC Sports) where Morton's car spares later were, a shop come "chatroom" lol, I reckon had she converted it to a cafe would have made lots more. Next thing I know theres an almighty bang and I'm on the floor, I'd ridden, at speed, into back of a parked car, hurt legs and head but more shook up than anything, Mr Woodward the officer at the ACF took me home in his car, no idea what happened to bike, know I still had it later but whether came back in car or and later a total blank.

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Miss Rollinson was still there when I left in '66. The school, which has always had a strong link with its community has recently had a few problems with Ofsted but has now restored it's reputation as a quality school.

The funny thing is my wife went to Haydn at the same time as me but I don't remember her - I think football was more important! Plus both my kids went there so I've been a frequent visitor to the old place.

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  • 2 years later...

If anyone wants to know, I can tell you anything you want to know about Haydn now, except that you probably only need to know right now that pupils today learn about their school and what happened, which is great. Mrs Archer (anyone?) still helps part-time. Mrs Mason is head of School! People still remember that school.

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  • 7 months later...

When i was at Henry whipple Junior school in the mid 50s we had some ding dong battles at football against Haydn rd school,and they had 2 players who really stood out,namley Alan BIRCHENAL who went on to play for Chelsea,Sheffield United and england under 23s,the other was micky SUMMERS,who Brian Clough sighned for Hartlepool,i think his career ended early due to injuries, anyway we still mostly beat em :happy:

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Mick Summers is alive and well, and living in Mapperley (opposite my dad's old house), and is an active member of Mapperley Golf Club. After his football career ended, he moved into plastering and did quite well for himself.

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yes Ashley forgot Birch was at leicester,he still lives that way,Mountsorrell i think,and he still works on the promotional side for them,i think micky played for a few clubs before injuries forced him to retire.Saw em both along with David Pleat ex Mundella school then forest,at a reunion at notts co meadow club a few years back

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Both those 2 were later at Claremont, Mick Summers in same class as me Alan Birchenall was a year older, thought Summers signed for York City? Birchenall had year or so at Notts County after he left Leicester

when Birchenall was playing for Notts at the backend of his career,he told me he could hear someone in the crowd shouting,GET HIM OFF HES RUBBISH,turned out to be his DAD, :)

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yes ash the original sheds have gone but some newer prefabricated buildings there now used by the mums and todler groups and before/after school clubs.i worked there for a term on a work placement.

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I dropped a clanger earlier, mixed up the hartlepool player Mick Somer/Summer who I'd heard of with someone called Newton who was in my class and a good player, think it was he who played for York? surprised he didn't go further, a class above the rest of us!

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I dropped a clanger earlier, mixed up the hartlepool player Mick Somer/Summer who I'd heard of with someone called Newton who was in my class and a good player, think it was he who played for York? surprised he didn't go further, a class above the rest of us!

yes Henry Newton,year older than me,played with him at city boys trials,he was exceptional a wing half,he went on to play for FOREST AND EVERTON,AND I THINK ENGLAND UNDER 23S

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I dropped a clanger earlier, mixed up the hartlepool player Mick Somer/Summer who I'd heard of with someone called Newton who was in my class and a good player, think it was he who played for York? surprised he didn't go further, a class above the rest of us!

Could it have been John Newton? Date of birth: 19.1.40. Actually born in Edinburgh, but he was with Notts County from October 1957 until 1961, making just 5 league appearances. He then transferred to York in August 1961 but didn't play in the league for them.

But from this page it seems unlikely he went to Haydn Road school:

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Meadow-Lane-job-Hucknall-Pit/story-17826654-detail/story.html

I can't find a record of any other player called Newton of that period having played for York.

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