Were you at Berridge?

[Jill Sparrow 8,622]

My sister is almost 8 years older than me so most of her Berridge friends passed me by apart from those who had younger siblings, like Denise Roper, who I remember from being in Mrs Price's class. Denise always wore her hair in plaits! 

[PeverilPeril 2,808]

Jill - were the Roper girls the daughters of Bruce Roper the owner of the off license on Peveril St? Be about the right age.

[Jill Sparrow 8,622]

#208

 

I don't know PP. Don't remember ever seeing their father although their mother kept a wool shop on the corner of Berridge Road and Hazelwood Road and the family lived above and behind the shop. This was in the 60s. I can make some enquiries.

[Jill Sparrow 8,622]

#208

 

Just had a look at Ancestry, the Roper girls were the daughters of George Roper and Hilda, nee Toone, so not Bruce Roper, although he could have been a relative.

[PeverilPeril 2,808]

While chucking a lot of old files out today I came across two of my old Berridge school reports. The first was term 1949 form T1. Form master Mr Leigh. Headmaster Mr Bowler (he took over from Mr smith). There were 38 in the class and I came 31st. The only reason I was not bottom was that I came 6th in Tech drawing and 5th in art. I was absent 16 days. Mr Leigh wrote "A very slow worker, must try to liven his ideas".

The other report is my final year aged 14. Form master Mr Clarke (he took over from Mr Pearce who went to be Headmaster at Pipewood) Headmaster Mr Henton. Number in class 35 and I came 1st.  Comments "Hard working reliable lad. Works well without supervision". Attendance VGood. 

So, why the turn around? Simple really and something that could not happen these days. I was VERY short sighted and slightly deaf. I was sat at the back of the classroom. I was also a sickly lad who seemed to catch anything going (between accidents). When I got a bit more confident I started to sit near the front of class where I could see the blackboard and hear the teacher. I got the strap several times for not paying attention when in reality I just had not heard what the teacher was saying. I enjoyed my last year at Berridge and didn't get the strap once.

[plantfit 6,661]

You done good in the end though mate,you hit the nail on the head in your last paragraph Confident, a lot of "low achievers" as they are called these days lack that confidence for whatever reason and it's upto the teacher to identify that and act accordingly,a good teacher would see that,I also think too much attention is put on the whole school, as a business achieving "the target" and not so much on helping the child achieve their target,I guess we were lucky when we were at school,then it was all about the child,today it's about points scoring to get the more wealthy parents to send their child to that particular school and boost their points rating

 

Rog

[Ian1885 0]

Not sure if I've jumped in at the right place. I was at Berridge 1965 to 1971 when I then went to High Pavement. I think this pic was about 1968? I'm back row, third from the left.

 

 

[catfan 14,523]

Just realised that a nephew & niece of mine were at Berridge possibly later, c. '80s ish, nephew went on to the Bluecoat School.

Kevin & Karen Spilsbury ???

[benjamin1945 14,082]

Nice to see a few Ties Jill.............even a Cravat and Dickie Bow.............c'mon which are you ?

[loppylugs 8,201]

That's right!  Lets be knowin'. 

[Jill Sparrow 8,622]

217/8

 

 

Sorry boys but I'm not on any of them! My photos are further back on the thread. All but the last of the most recent selection are of the year below me. My friend Jane's little brother, Ian, is wearing a dickie bow.

 

The final photo is the class I should have been in during 1966  but I was sent up one year due to high numbers in my own year.

[loppylugs 8,201]

C'mon!   You must have a photo somewhere.  We all do.  

[Jill Sparrow 8,622]

I'm on every one of #190, Loppy! 

[loppylugs 8,201]

Well you look happy enough there.  Must have been listening to a bit of Bach that day.  

[Jill Sparrow 8,622]

#222

 

The last 2 years of Berridge were enjoyable. It was the first 5 and the 6 that came after I left for the Manning that caused the problems! I started school at 4! By the time I turned 5, I'd had enough of it! 

[loppylugs 8,201]

I know what you mean.  Same here. 

[mercurydancer 1,088]

Steven Tunnicliffe is my cousin. I never knew he was at Berridge. 

[Jill Sparrow 8,622]

Yes, I remember Steven Tunnicliffe very well. Nice lad, quiet, serious and well behaved. Never remember him being in any kind of trouble. Not sure where he went after Berridge.

[catfan 14,523]

The name Steven Tunnicliffe  rings a bell, was he a stocky lad in his teens MD ?

 

[crankypig 451]

Tunnicliffe,my mothers maden name. She has a brother Fred , sisters ivy, olive Eva ,jean , but I never heard a Steven mentioned..maybe related, maybe not,but it's not a common surname.

[PeverilPeril 2,808]

Was Gordon Tunnicliffe from the same family? He was same year apprentice with me at the ROF. He will be 79 now. 

[Jill Sparrow 8,622]

#229 Steven would be 60 either this year or next, PP. The Gordon you mention may be related but the age gap is probably too wide for them to be siblings. An uncle, perhaps. Mercury Dancer may be able to shed some light on him.

[Beni 6]

On 4/2/2013 at 7:03 AM, Jill Sparrow said:

Pidge Pie...yes, Terry Hill. I've been trying to remember the name and it wouldn't surface. Poor Neville Eccles, that's horrible. He was a quiet lad, like Winsome. Yes, it makes you think when you see your peers shuffling off and realise that you're probably well over half way through your time here. It's not morbid...it's all part of life's rich tapestry and hopefully it won't put Stephen Ford off his lunch!

Terry Hill was a small lad- quite wiry- but not wiry enough to avoid the train.

I've been looking at the photo of Mrs Price's class and there is Charles Haskey on the back row. I didn't remember the name until I looked.

I went to the Berridge Centenary in 1984. The old place looked very much the same as it did when we were there. My Mum went as well because she was educated at Berridge Road Schools. I hoped to see Mr Baugh but was told he had passed away a few years earlier. Pity, I'd have liked to meet him again.

I did a bit of research re Mr Baugh and discovered that he'd been put on a ship to Canada (on his own) at the age of nine, to go and live with his grandmother. Presumably, he lost his mother when he was a child. I never really knew much about him but he probably didn't have a very easy life either. When you are children and you (probably) don't like your teachers very much, you don't stop to think that they are human too and have experienced their share of highs and lows. That realisation only comes with age and life itself teaches those lessons.

Well...that's enough philosophising for one day.

Keep the memories coming, Pidge Pie.

I stumbled in here.... found it LOL. I knew Terry Hill well... i always tried to talk to him and tell him to stay out of trouble. He tried, but i just think it was the friends he hung out with that kept him on the rough road. I saw the nice side of Terry and he always was very nice to me. I was SHOCKED when I heard he had that accident and died. Sorry to say, but Mr Baugh was a perv. Jean P and I were always called in to his office to sit on his knee then he rubbed our legs. I HATED going near him. 

[Beni 6]

There used to be old air raid shelters at Berridge. In the bottom playground, the smaller one, that was where they were. So i am assuming Berridge is still around? I will be in the UK December, I might go take a look. 

[Jill Sparrow 8,622]

Berridge is still in existence but there have been huge changes. There is an entirely new Berridge Building off Bobbers Mill Road but the old one still remains. I believe the air raid shelters, along with the outside toilets have gone. The old infant playground fronting Brushfield Street is now a car park and the wall with the gate has gone. The wooden huts in the junior playground disappeared decades ago. My last visit was for the centenary in 1983. Internally, the school was little altered but that was more than 30 years ago.