Bilborough Grammar School

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Pete I remember old Harry Beadsworth effing it blind in the boiler room under the changing rooms. I once imitated his voice too loud and he heard me. Chased me across the playground.

[firbeck 859]

Yeah, to quote,  ' He f***** off quick' an expression we all used to use .

[read, R.E.A.D. 19]

On 07/09/2016 at 5:28 PM, annswabey said:

Read   You must have been in the same year as me.  I remember Mr Bland but dropped Biology as soon as poss, because I hated it.  The other DS teacher was Miss Donaldson, later Mrs Payne.  In such an academic school, she used to really annoy us by saying things like "You'll never get a man, girls, unless you can cook!" 

 

Phillip Stott was in my class for 1st and 2nd year, but no idea what happened to him.  Think he would be described as a geek, these days!

Mr Stone (Art) - anyone remember him, although I was rubbish at art I must have thought a lot of him as I gave a lot of my time up mixing cement for the pond.

 Yes Annswabey Miss Donaldson - should have been a looker, not sure why not but never liked her. I remember (Ms) Sandra Clarke (Geography) wore shorter skirts than most, she was a real dictator and always gave homework to write up neat from rough jotter! I think I was in the same  class as Philip Stott, but maybe from year 3 - owe him appologies, my dry sense of humour was a little cutting for someone like him - yes, he was a geek, but I bet he grew up to be a gentleman.

There are many names but Sue Ross, Gillian Bayes, Philip Cope, Rodney Constantine, Tony Dexter, Fiona Mahon, Jackie - can't remember her last name but she seemed older than most girls even at 12!

 

The German teacher (male) do you remember his name? Took German for one year only, we really didn't gel!

[BilboroughShirley 1,119]

Was the German teacher Mr Green?  I remember him as he also taught French.  Could not stand him.  Too friendly.

[annswabey 599]

The German teacher was Mr Nielson, whose death was mentioned in the Post a little while back .  Have thought about it and Phillip  Stott was in the same class as me 3rd year onwards.,  I was in the German class in the 3rd Year (3G) and did German O and A Level.  I actually remember some of the boys register from the 1st and 2nd Year, as it was read out twice a day and has stuck in my mind, for some reason!  Bark, Cash, Coleman, Dexter, Forbes, French, Jackson, Layer, Pratt, Sharpe, Smales, Smith, Wade!

 

I remember all the girls you mention.  Think you mean Jackie Cole

[firbeck 859]

I recall our German teacher was a Miss Scott, Mr Green taught Russian.

For those of us who were good at French in year1, we were given two options in year 2, either Russian or German. I chose the latter, the alphabet was the same as ours and I thought it would be helpfull to be able to watch the plethora of 1960's war films without having to resort to the subtitles.

It also proved interesting 10 or so years ago when I went on a business trip to Bavaria, the look on their faces in a bar when I started to reply in German was very amusing. Nice people the Germans, lovely country too especially Bavaria.

[FenwayRich 2]

On 03 October 2016 at 3:04 PM, annswabey said:

The German teacher was Mr Nielson, whose death was mentioned in the Post a little while back .  Have thought about it and Phillip  Stott was in the same class as me 3rd year onwards.,  I was in the German class in the 3rd Year (3G) and did German O and A Level.  I actually remember some of the boys register from the 1st and 2nd Year, as it was read out twice a day and has stuck in my mind, for some reason!  Bark, Cash, Coleman, Dexter, Forbes, French, Jackson, Layer, Pratt, Sharpe, Smales, Smith, Wade!

 

I remember all the girls you mention.  Think you mean Jackie Cole

 

Just joined the forum, having enjoyed reading memories of Bilborough. Nice to see that they are mainly fond, it was a good school with, in the main, fine teachers.

 

I was there from 1968-75, annaswabey, and we were clearly in the same class on that rather daunting first day. I'm amazed that you can remember the register so clearly. The form teacher was Miss Allsop, who would perhaps have been described as 'plump' back then. She was also an excellent French and form teacher, who finally got around to calling me Richard on my first day in the 6th form. I never quite plucked up the courage to call her Cynthia.

 

I recall that in our first year our form room was in one of the huts that had been erected rather than the main part of the school, and jolly cold they could be too on a winter's morning.

[Jill Sparrow 9,574]

Welcome to Nottstalgia, FenwayRich. Look forward to reading your posts.

[annswabey 599]

Richard Coleman, then, perhaps?!  Miss Allsopp's saying was "5 star choss"  (as in chaos).  I did French O and A Level so she taught me for a number of years and she was a lovely person and a good teacher

[BilboroughShirley 1,119]

There were some good teachers but some of the senior staff had an unreasonable obsession with school uniform.  I remember one speech day at the Nottingham Albert Hall.  The 6th form were allowed to wear suits and during the morning practice one lad got shouted at on the stage in front of the whole school because his grey suit had a red lining.  I have no idea who the lad was but I do remember feeling very uncomfortable that a senior pupil being treated like that in public and that it was very wrong.  I think it was Dr Peake or Mr Williams who did the shouting  and the year I think was 1962.  As we moved up the school some of us became a bit subversive about speech days.  They used to line us up on the steps in front of the organ according to height.  This was OK in the practice but in the evening we wore different shoes: those with heels changed to flat shoes and some of us changed to heels!  Once we were up there it was too late!  We thought nothing of catching the bus into the city for the morning and evening sessions of speech day.  Today if a whole school did this they would lay on coaches from school and some parents would refuse permission!  How times change.  We were independent then and confident.  I also remember having to go into the city each for the annual chest X-ray testing for TB.  It was great.   We got out of school and went to the cinema afterwards!

[FLY2 10,106]

Dr Peake, I think he was previously at FFGS. A humourless little prima donna with the personality of a paving slab !

[FenwayRich 2]

On 10/13/2016 at 10:45 PM, annswabey said:

Richard Coleman, then, perhaps?!  Miss Allsopp's saying was "5 star choss"  (as in chaos).  I did French O and A Level so she taught me for a number of years and she was a lovely person and a good teacher

 

You are correct annswabey. The only Ann I recall in our year is Ann Hurst, so I am hazarding a guess that was your maiden name. Apologies if I am wrong.

 

My history teachers were Mr Downing and Miss England, whose teaching methods could not have been more different but who were both excellent. I got to know Roy Downing quite well in 6th form, top man. I ended up at the same university that he attended 30 years previously. The annual magazine arrived the other day and in the Obituaries section I see that he died last year, aged 87. Which would mean he was in his early 40's when he taught us. Seemed much older, but that's always the way I suppose.

 

Students I remember most vividly are, amongst the boys; the clever ones Ian Colquhoun, Alan Briggs and Andy Layer; the sporty lads Keith Pitt, Ian Beeby and Pete Curzon; my friends who lived on Goodwood and Deepdale Nigel French (a bloody nuisance at school, now a successful lawyer), Geoff Sharpe (Head Boy and now a GP in Cumbria) and my best mate Mike Smales (train guard in Cornwall and apparently drinking even more now than we used to at Wollaton Park Golf Club).

 

Of the girls, Alison Ward and Patricia Meads (?) were really friendly, Barbara Mallard and Stella Meese were feisty (or at least I thought so when we shared 6th form classes, being a gentler soul than I am now), Yvette Bourne was multi talented, and Julie Dawson, who lived on Deepdale, was cleverer than all of us.

 

[annswabey 599]

Yes, you're right about me!  Ann was a common name in those days, but I can't think of another Ann in our year either.  Sorry to hear about Mr Downing.  I did History A Level so remember him well.  Very surprised about his age as well - I thought he was about 60 when he was teaching us!  I think i remember him saying that Elton was his Tutor at University -is that right?  I remember all of those boys you mention, apart from Pete Curzon.  I know the name but can't place him.  Knew Geoff Sharpe was a GP and know that Mike's Dad died not too long ago.  Oh, I liked Nigel (although he was one of the naughty ones at school, but very funny with it) and saw him and his girlfriend a few times after we left school.  Didn't know he was a lawyer though.  As for the girls, I remember all of them too.  Barbara was a great friend of mine for a number of years.  Yvette was the sporty one and Julie was the poshest person in our year!

[physicalperfection 5]

3rd September 1968 in 'Hut 2' was when it all started for me, I think. 1R - Mrs Robinson(?) who taught Maths, but I may be mistaken.

I've read several familiar names here, but how many were in my first class, I cannot recall.

 

I was always in the middle of the school photos, being the lankiest. Jacqui Cole was the tallest girl at first, though she had already stopped growing upward at 5' 2" or so!

 

I went to a reunion once, but hated it - most people seemed to be making out they were more successful than everyone else. I left them to get on with it.

 

Great days, which got even better in the sixth form.

 

I remember you Richard - a formidable bowler, as I recall?

Ann - I think you and I were both expected to well at French A level - I scraped a pass!

 

Who am I?

 

 

 

[annswabey 599]

Struggling to think who you are!  It's a long time ago.  Please put me out of my misery!

 

Whoever marked those French A Level papers made a big mistake.  Not just me, but all of us!

[physicalperfection 5]

Perfect! I always try to dodge the spotlight.

Well, the results helped shape my future and I have no regrets. As it turned out, BGS was a great preparation for life in the real world.

 

I remember some teachers more fondly than others - occasionally, it was possible to get my revenge on the rugby field.

 

We always did better in the 'Home' athletics events. This was due to the step in the track shortly after the 200metres start. We learned to hurdle it, but visiting athletes always stumbled over it. Presumably this was due to mining subsidence.

There were a few old bell pits in the woods behind the track too. Presumably these are in someone's back garden now.

 

Our rugby team was not so successful, with losses in one season of:-

112-0 against Nottm High School;

116-0 against Arnold High School i think and

124-0 against High Pavement.

 

This was, in part, due to 'Crutch' (Pete Hutchinson RIP) having first pick of the boys for his cross country team and when you only have approx 30 to start with, from which to pick 15, you will see the problem.

 

[annswabey 599]

Oh well, will just have to continue to rack my brains, but don't think I'll think of your name.  Can't remember any boys doing French A Level, even!

[physicalperfection 5]

I didn't do any better at German either, despite a holiday there with Moz the year before the exams.

[FenwayRich 2]

re: #116

 

I am an inveterate gambler, so my educated (and doubtless incorrect) guess is based on the sporting references. I was an inmate of Hut 1 and can't remember exactly who was freezing their nuts off next door. You clearly are not one of the three sporty lads I mentioned earlier as they left at 16, but among other Bilborough related things that had been in the loft for 30 years, I have found the 1976 Presentation of Prizes programme that my mother kept. So how about Chris Wood?

 

I actually opened both the batting and the bowling for the school team, which gives a clue that we weren't world beaters. My batting made Geoff Boycott look like Viv Richards (my only shots were the thick edge to Third Man and hoiking the short ball over square leg), but Mike Smales was captain and my best friend, he couldn't persuade anyone else to open so I stepped into the breach and stayed there for 7 years. Fortunately managed to avoid both the rugby and cross country in latter years, no idea how.

 

Ann, I can also remember Mr Downing's reference to his tutor (more likely a lecturer he had heard). It wouldn't have been Elton, perhaps Trevor-Roper? I liked Nigel French as well, we used to play football in his back garden when we were at Fernwood Junior (and Russell Infants before that). His dad was a great bloke, Headmaster of the Ewing School for the Deaf in the 1960's and 70's.

 

I also found the official photo of Form 1A. We must have been one of the ugliest bunch of children ever to stand in that Hall.

[annswabey 599]

Chris Wood!  Definitely "lanky" but don't remember him as being sporty, or doing French and German, as I did, but then I didn't know that you were in the cricket team!

 

Moz was a good friend of mine at the time, too

 

May well have been Trevor-Roper then - worth a boast, I suppose

 

Yes, I remembered that Nigel's Dad was the Headmaster at the Ewing School

 

Ugliest bunch of children?  Not all of us.....

[physicalperfection 5]

Glad I made an impression!

6 minutes ago, annswabey said:

Chris Wood!  Definitely "lanky" but don't remember him as being sporty, or doing French and German, as I did, but then I didn't know that you were in the cricket team!

 

Moz was a good friend of mine at the time, too

 

 

[annswabey 599]

Sorry - that sounds a bit mean! You WERE popular with the girls!

[physicalperfection 5]

If only I knew then what I know now!

You were highly regarded yourself and no doubt well preserved now. (So am I - like a walnut)

 

I see Mike Trigg is a high flyer these days. Last time I saw him, he was counting paper clips in the Civil Service.

 

 

 

[annswabey 599]

Thanks for those kind words!  I wouldn't say well preserved - the walnut is probably a good description

 

Haven't seen Mick for years but knew he's very successful.  Do you keep in touch with anyone, still?  I don't

[physicalperfection 5]

No, I know a bit about some of them from Google, Facebook etc, but don't keep in touch. (Keeping tabs on the ladies is more difficult due to name changes of course)

 

I was never the sociable type.

 

I used to see Cynthia quite often on a Saturday morning in Nottingham, but not for a few years now. Saw my old PE teacher Chris Owen in the gym once - built like a brick s***house.

He was about to be capped for the Welsh Rugby Union team many years ago, until he was injured and suffered permanent nerve damage to his leg.

 

Apart from that, I can't recall seeing any other teachers since I left school. I read that Miss Betts and Marion England died relatively recently.

 

I see you are a genealogist - I started to do our family tree years ago, but didn't get very far. Very interesting though.