Were you at Berridge?


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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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Taken in the school library in 1969.

 

Fom L to R: standing- Stephen Binns, unknown, unknown, Christopher Holbrook, unknown, Mr Alan Parr and Christopher Fox

Seated: Neville Eccles, Alex Smulkowski, Geoffrey Hollington.

 

 

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Are they Junior 4 (Year 6 in today's money)? I knew a Christopher Holbrook (middle name Timothy) - we started our apprenticeships at at the same time.  He would have been about 11 in 1969.  Even though looking downwards, he looks similar to the Chris I knew.

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Christopher Holbrook was in my year at Berridge, Engineer. So yes, 11 in 1969ish. He had an older brother named Steven who was in the year above us.  Christopher went to Peveril after Berridge.  I think the Holbrook family had several members named Christopher and some were younger. If you look at some of the Berridge photos from my year, you'll find him on them.

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On 1/31/2021 at 4:19 PM, letsavagoo said:

Berridge class courtesy of Noel James, Facebook . Jill will fill in the details below.

9-D265-FD9-6-D42-44-C5-A6-A7-0049-F73964

Engineer, Christopher Holbrook is on the front row, 3rd from left. Again, he's looking down which seems to have been a natural body posture with him. He was a quiet lad and possibly a bit shy.

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Yep, that's him alright.  I knew him from Sept 1974 to mid 1977 then we parted ways.  He went to work for BT as a technician.  Not seen or heard from him since.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just been wandering through for the first time having just tripped over the forum about Berridge.   I was at the school 1956 to 1960.  I saw the question about some called Greig from that time a good cricketer and footballer. That would be Gordon Greig who was in my class.  Our form teacher was Mr Leigh who held a masters degree and was strict but very good. The headmaster was W D Briggs a great guy who took a small group of us and coached so that we could take GCE.  One of my great friends was Michael Fletcher a superb violinist who went on to play with Saddlers Wells before he became ill. John Hall and John Simons were also violinists.  Chris Early was the drummer who left school early as he and his family emigrated. Trevor Tarbox was another friend who became a prefect. Jimmy Garfoot had his own claim to fame. His cousin, Peter I think, was also a good footballer.  There are others who could ramble on about if you wish. 

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Geoffc, welcome to Nottstalgia!  Please do 'ramble on' to your heart's content.

 

This will be of particular interest to those who attended Berridge Senior Boys, especially PeverilPeril.

It is an area of the school we don't hear much about.  I'm particularly interested in the staff who taught at Berridge, so it's useful to hear about them, too.

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Welcome Geoff,,i remember the lad called Greig,,he was indeed a good footballer and cricketer,, i played against him for Padstow school in both games,,he must have been good for me to remember him after all these years,,also played with him for Nottingham boys in 58/59,,photo on here somewhere,,,

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You ask about teachers at that time, well here goes. Derek Kirk was the music teacher. He was quite young and very committed. He created a school orchestra based around the 3 violinists I mentioned earlier. I was taught cello by Mr Kirk and had a ball visiting other schools and Bridgewater Hall in the Meadows.  Mr Kirk fell out with me for a while as I broke Michael Fletcher's arm whilst horsing around in the school playground. Mr. Merrick taught history. A basically quiet man who kept control of a potentially unruly class by being interesting. Mr. Baldwin taught Maths and was a strap happy lunatic. I suppose I should thank as it was his behaviour that triggered Mr Briggs putting his GCE group together. Mr. Matthews taught technical drawing. I saw him in a photograph earlier in the forum. It did not do him justice as he had bright ginger hair. Mr Smeeton also taught technical drawing. I am reasonably convinced that these 2 had a competition as to who could throw chalk or a board rubber most accurately and they were both very good. Two of their main targets were Jimmy Troop and Spud Taylor. 

There was a stage at the senior school. This hopefully will put to bed the conjecture about this from earlier in the forum. I played Ben Gunn in the school play Treasure Island. I was informed that I was playing the part not that I had any choice. I am reasonably convinced that the reason was that I was tall and skinny and with a little makeup my ribs could be made prominent. 

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Jack Challans, or something like that, looked after PE. His principle weapon of torture was a well worn plimsoll. Mr. Green took us for cricket and was notorious for having favourites. Alan Weatherall, Brian Storey and particularly Roger something were his key cricketers. I was excluded as he considered me dangerous. It was great fun when I played against him a few years later. I really had him ducking and weaving. 

Writing these notes has really triggered some memories and stories from those times. Let me know if you would like me to continue. 

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Welcome Geoffc. You mention in one of your above posts a stage at Berridge. I was at Berridge 59 onwards and as I entered the junior school the senior boys were being phased out so I recall the older boys being there but dwindling to nothing. I remember there was a stage in the top hall and was in the nativity one year but Jill Sparrow doesn’t recall it at all. You are the first person to mention a stage at Berridge. I was beginning to doubt my recollection so glad you have mentioned it. Jill can generally remember what she wore on any given day since birth.

I went onto Forest Field where there was a Mr Kirk who I think was the music teacher. A rather thin fellow, reminded me a bit of Charles Hawtree. Wonder if he’s the same Mr Kirk you knew. 

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Just don't ask Jill what she did yesterday!  You know you're getting old when your memory of 60 years ago is sharper than the present!

 

In mitigation of my not remembering the stage, major alterations took place on that floor during the period after the senior boys departed. We were even moved into the wooden huts in the playground while these were in progress. The stage was probably removed during a period when I didn't go into the upper hall but letsavagoo is correct, I don't remember it.

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HeyHo Geoffc - good to meet the virtual you :biggrin:

I was there a few years before your time. 1949/53. Mr Leigh was my form master for two years - no nonsense but fair. He only gave me the strap once. Mr Smeeton was  also there and perfected his accuracy with the blackboard rubber using me for target practice. Jack Challans was the PE master and he used the plimsol on backsides then too. The GCE courses were only introduced during my fourth year and only two boys stayed on after becoming 15 that year. They worked the projector showing the hymns for morning assembly. The screen was to the right of the stage. Think I mentioned the stage some years ago. Was Mr Kenrick still the woodwork master? ..and Buffalo Cheeseman the science teacher? The woodwork shop was the left hand half of the wooden classrooms. Science lab on the right.

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Mr. White was the woodwork teacher when I was there still in the hut by the road though.   I still have a bookcase that I made whilst there it being over 60 years old now.   I say I made it but Mr. White "assisted" me somewhat.

Mr. Cheeseman's nickname had been shortened to just Buff when we had him and he had difficulty managing some of the classes.   There were some real nutters at the school in my time.   Whilst not one of the nutters Ian Woodward was the class hard man even though of diminutive stature.  He was also a fabulous artist particularly drawing.

Letsavagoo posted a picture of senior boys saying it was 1952.  It isn't 1952 as Rodney Fogg and Trevor Tarbox are on the back row left of centre.   I think it is the prefects of 1956 as those two were in the same year as me.

With regard to Mr. Kirk he was a Yorkshireman and very proud of it.   He too was a keen cricketer and footballer though I never got to play against him.   I know he stayed local as I visited him with John Hall around 25 years after I left.   So he could well have moved up to Forest Fields.   He married a local lady and had a boy and a girl.

Jimmy Read taught RE and was renowned for having a confiscated pea shooter with a rod down the middle that he used to rap the knuckles of miscreants.

There is more if you want it.

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What happened to Rodney Fogg? 

Anyone know what happened to Trevor Tarbox? 

They were two of the good guys. 

The Nutthal Road annex was where we had sports, football, cricket, athletics etc.  We used to have to skoff school dinner at a great rate of knots in order to get there in time. 

Another friend of mine has popped into my mind. Robert Millot (I think that's how you spell his name) he lived on Berridge Road the other side of Radford Road. His father used to breed bulldogs. They had an extremely smelly back yard. 

Another guy who was a couple of years behind me was Charlie Gale who went to Berridge from Windley Junior School.  There was a whole crop of them from the Bentink Road end of Alfreton Road. Fair old hike for them to school. I remember Charlie for a couple of reason.  First he used to get high on petrol fumes on the way to school.  He was totally addicted. He was also a useful cricketer, I played with and against him. He became painter and decorator. He died in his 40's of a heart attack. I wonder if that was the petrol fumes as he was a non smoker and did not drink that much. 

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You knew some characters, Geoff. As to Rodney Fogg, he married a girl named Pam and had 2 children. Lived somewhere in Basford. Nice chap but after circa 1984 I've no idea what became of him.

 

Do you remember a Trevor Davys? Grundy Street? Berridge boy who went on to qualify as a teacher. I'm still in touch with him. I knew the whole family. His sister was a Manning girl, before my time. Very nice people. Trevor also sang tenor in the choir.

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Grundy Street I know. Trevor Davys is not a name I recall. 

Let's try something different. I met an American girl around 1965. She came up to me and told me she was going to marry me. She was 15 at the time. Liz Gentry was her name she was the eldest of three sisters the others were Theresa (Terry) and Janice.  They all lived above the funeral shop at the Bentink Road end of Radford Road. I wonder if you know any of them. 

Oh by the way, I married Liz in 1970.

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Geoff, I love these stories of childhood sweethearts.  Are you reading this @carni ?  
I like to read about when the teenage crush develops and matures into true love!

However, in hindsight, I think  it’s  a good job that I didn’t go on to marry some of the lads I went out with when I was in my mid teens :Shock:
(But I still enjoy reading about young love)

 

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