Were you at Berridge?


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I've learned something new. This is the late 1920s, with the pre-Player's buildings in the background. It shows houses on the 'other' side of Prospect Road which are long gone, and there are some interesting buildings fronting on to Churchfield Lane.

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Through this door...and it's the original, although painted black in my day...I walked with my mum one cold morning early in 1962. I was just 4 years old. The door led to Miss Smith's office and my mu

How many Berridge children have secreted themselves inside this niche situated in the playground which fronts the old infant building, hoping to be left behind when the bell rang at playtime's close?

Sitting on this exact spot, facing the stationery cupboard in Mr Parr's classroom, in spring 1969, I sat my 11+ exam.

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Very interesting photo, CT. Mosley Terrace could have been those houses on the right hand side of Prospect Street. The cottages I remember can be seen opposite, set back and adjacent to a small chapel which I had forgotten about but which was still there when I was very young. It certainly looks very different now!

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Not feeling happy with the information I found on J W Baugh and his voyage to Canada, I ferreted around further and eventually found the passenger list for RMS Regina. This showed, thankfully, that his parents were also aboard, together with another couple. They all lived at 40 Healey Street, off Kirkewhite Street. Both Mr Baugh's father and the other man were carpenters/ joiners and, presumably, they were looking for a better life in Canada. It seems that John William was back in the UK by 1939, although his parents were not. They both died in the UK so they must have returned after the war.

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I lived very close to the area shown in the photo. I walked up Churchfield Lane past the end of Prospect Street practically every day in the late 1950’s to go to the Croft nursery on St Peters Street. Players factory was then built right up to Prospect Street corner. I don’t recall the cottages or chapel at all. In fact I don’t recall what was on the other corner where the multi storey car park came later. The other end of Prospect Street there are still a row of old cottages wet back a little. 
Good research Jill. Thanks for the interesting info. Great photo Cliff Ton. I didn’t realise how much that little corner of the area had changed so much.

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The cottages at Radford Boulevard end of Prospect Street are where the infamous Mrs Platts resided. She taught at Berridge Infants and was regarded as pretty scary!  Letsavagoo will no doubt remember her and may even have been taught by her. I never was but I recall her as having the classroom in the corner, next to Miss Smith.

 

At the time, I didn't realise she was married but many years later, my mother worked with her daughter in law who said what a lovely person she was. To us, as children, she seemed quite frightening.

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4 hours ago, Jill Sparrow said:

The cottages at Radford Boulevard end of Prospect Street are where the infamous Mrs Platts resided. She taught at Berridge Infants and was regarded as pretty scary!  Letsavagoo will no doubt remember her and may even have been taught by her.

I don’t think I had Mrs Platts Jill. The name doesn’t ring a bell. I’ll check my school photos as the teachers name is written on them. It was a long time ago. My start at Berridge infants was a bit confusing. When I’d not been there long someone came in the class room, spoke to the teacher and I was moved to another class. Whether there was only one class per age group I’m not sure so maybe I skipped a year and should have started earlier than I did I don’t know. I did very well academically at Berridge so it didn’t do me any harm. It just went down hill at Forest Fields. Loved Berridge, but never settled at FFGS.

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In my day, there were two classes per year group and I think Mrs Platts may have had the parallel class to Miss Smith for what was then known as Top Infants but is now Year 2.

 

Mrs Platts would probably have been in her 40s, although she seemed ancient! She had very dark, curly hair, a face that never smiled and a military bearing.  On playground duty, she wore lace up brogues and a dark woollen coat with a shawl collar. Heaven help those who didn't stand stock still when she rang the bell in that playground accessed by the iron gate...the same one we went through on our visit in March. I thought of her as we walked across there, half expecting to be yelled at!

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Found this recently in the online local press.

 

This chap went right through Berridge with me. Martyn Jewers. Apart from the facial hair and gig lamps, he hasn't changed very much.  I believe he still lives locally. He was a lovely lad. Always cheerful. Still looks happy!

 

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2 hours ago, Jill Sparrow said:

This chap went right through Berridge with me. Martyn Jewers. Apart from the facial hair and gig lamps, he hasn't changed very much.  

 

Gig lamps ?

 

Never come across that expression before. I assume it's what the rest of us call glasses/spectacles ?

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I remember Martin very well. The family lived on Wordsworth Road quite close to me. He had a sister Jane who was younger. For some reason I remember his dad drove a big bakers lorry which was sometimes parked outside his house. Martin was a rather delicate nature and didn’t knock around with us ‘rough uns’. I have it in mind he worked or volunteered at St Mary’s in town.  Why was he in the news Jill.

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He was a customer in the new branch of Bird's the cake shop which opened in Lister Gate in October. They also do coffee.

 

I understand that Martyn still lives in the same house. Don't remember his dad but his mum was quite friendly with my mum.  Yes, I'm told by a friend who sings in the choir that Martyn is a churchwarden at St Mary's in The Lace Market.

 

As we were thinking of another visit to Berridge next year, I thought about inviting Martyn. After all, he's virtually on the doorstep.

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A return visit has been suggested, PP.  In answer to your question, yes I am in touch with Trevor but I don't think he is the same chap you knew. Trevor Davys was born in 1945 which would put him several years behind you at Berridge, although he did attend there.  I am going to ask him if he would be interested, along with a couple of other people.

 

Letsavagoo is on board, as is Jane who came with me last time.

 

As we were so well behaved and polite, weren't given any lines and no one was caned or slippered, an open invitation was extended to visit again.

 

After the Christmas break, I will contact Simon and sort out some potential dates in the spring. If anyone would like to join us, put your hands up!

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I would look forward to another visit Jill. The Trevor Davis I knew was, like me, of a 1938 pre war vintage (good year that ;) ).  I've just checked out my old school reports and it appears that there were three headmasters during my time at Berridge. Mr Smith, Mr S D Bowler and Mr S W P Henton. 

 

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According to my Berridge Centenary book, their dates were:  S W P HENTON 1952-57;  S D BOWLER 1948-1950;  with a Mr.R W SKILBECK 1950-52 in the Berridge Senior Boys.  The only Smith is Miss Evelyn Ada Smith 1950-1958 headmistress of the infants, who I referred to in an earlier post. Perhaps your Smith was a deputy head?

 

Yes, PP, I will organise another visit for Spring 2020. Looking forward to it.

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I remember Mr Smith because he was the 'supposed' head who my mother and I saw prior to me starting there. I was 'drafted' to Berridge from the Windley School but did not want to go there. I wanted to go to Cottesmore, where my best friend had been placed.  Mr Smith, a small dark haired man convinced mum and I that Berridge was a good school. So that was it. He must have been a deputy head or a teacher? I started there in Sept 1949.

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Odd? Just checked the date when I started at 'big school' Berridge. It was Sept 6th 1949 but I was still 10 years of age! I cannot remember taking the 11  plus and always assumed that it was when I was ill - I was a sickly child. Must have been a clerical error somewhere?

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 3/19/2017 at 6:33 PM, Col said:

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Thanks to some memory searching by letsavagoo and his good lady, we can now add a few more names to this photo from Spring Term 1963

 

Back row. Gary Martin. *  Colin Richardson, Ian Munro *  Michael Brennan. *  *  *  Stephen Wheat

 

Middle Row.  Hubert Oliver, Stephen Eccles, *  *  *  *  Nikolas Harchuk, *  Trevor Wigglesworth,  Rennival Carruthers *

 

Front Row.  Anne Hutchinson, Jacqueline Clark, Christine Lamb,  Jane Handfield, *  *  Jennifer Dench,  Margareta Melnichenko, Susan McDermott, Bernice Bond, Jennifer Bagguley, Kim Machin, Kim Herod

 

* denotes unidentified

 

Maybe, in the future, someone will be able to close the remaining gaps.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Whilst searching through some old books and papers, I rediscovered my autograph book from 1964. It was a Christmas present that year from some friends.

 

Looking through it, I see that it was signed by every teacher by whom I was taught at Berridge and by some who escaped that dubious pleasure!

 

One lady whom I've long been interested in finding out about was Miss Smith who taught the final infant year. She taught me and my sister before me, along with countless others. A tough lady, Miss Smith.  I've already researched Miss Smith, the infants' head teacher but didn't know where to start with the other Miss Smith. Smith is a name that makes the heart sink, especially when you don't have any supporting information.

 

Fortunately, she signed her initials in my book and that has enabled me to find her.

 

She was Hilda N Smith, born in Arnold on 26 July 1916 to Isaac Smith, a draper's assistant and Louie Hickman. She was an only child.

 

The 1939 Register shows her as a 23 year old school teacher, living with her parents at 133 Breck Hill Road, Arnold.

 

She seemed ancient to me as a very wary 7 year old but was only, in fact, 48.  If she continued teaching until she was 60, she would have retired in 1976.

 

I cannot find an entry of death, so presume it might be fairly recent, unless she's still alive, at almost 104!

 

If you knew what was good for you, you didn't annoy Miss Smith!

 

Also found Gertrude May Stockill, born in 1937 in Scarborough. She married a Mr Tennyson in 1973 after I left Berridge. Although she never taught me, she had a Scottish country dancing group of which I was part. Lovely lady.  May still be with us.

 

In 14 years' time, Berridge will be celebrating its 150th anniversary.  I've decided I'm going to research as many of the 1960s staff as I can and, together with some memories of pupils from that time, offer it to the school for inclusion in their archives. Our generation's reminiscences were completely unrepresented at the centenary celebrations in 1984. I think that omission should be addressed!

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