Bilborough Grammar School

[BilboroughShirley 1,119]

It is good to read the post about failing English Literature. I am in good company on this site! I failed Literature. Thankfully Miss Thompson said there was no point in me retaking it as I was doing all three sciences at A level! I would have refused anyway. I have always loved reading but the literature at BGS was dire! Hated it. Having to read deadly books just to answer exam questions was a pointless exercise for me. Last year we visited the St John's Museum in London. An amazing place and on the guided tour we were shown the room where Shakespeare an writers of his time had to go and have their works vetted before they were performed. It made my day when we learned that Shakespeare had a play banned! All about Thomas Beckett and on the manuscript was written "perform at your peril!! This is in the British Library and you can view it on their website. The best bit of Shakespeare! I prefer reading Margaret Attwood.

[Oztalgian 2,859]

At my school it was more Albert and the Lion

 

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Sorry not to have posted for a while but have been very busy. I'm retired now but having moved backed to Bilborough into the house on Wigman Road which I grew up in, I have plenty to do bringing it up to my wife's exacting standards. I was at BGS from 1962 until 1967. It was not a very happy ride. A long spell of pneumonia in my first term set me back so much that I never really caught up. I remember being in 1c with Miss Louden in charge. Enough to put anyone off school. Most of the teachers were fine and given that I was a rebel and could never keep that hole under my nose zipped up, it's a wonder that I was never expelled.

                Mr Kirton, the metalwork teacher used to give us work to do and then clear off and chat up the female domestic science teachers. When this happened, I used to accompany my friend making half crowns. I didn't smoke at the time but my friend (The late Pete Truman - member name Firbeck) used to have the ciggies we used the home made half crowns to obtain from the machine at the top of Aspley Lane. Since the 18 Senior Service had a two shilling piece sellataped to it, that was my half of the booty. Aren't teenage lads little s..ts? Happy days. Fortunately my English teacher, Mr Jacobs instilled into me a love of the English Language and I now belong to a writing group at St. Martin of Tours Church in Bilborough Village. 

              Despite my waywardness, I did belong to the Junior Scripture Union and later, The Senior Christian Fellowship, both run by Keith (Polly) Flinders, who also ran the Railway Society. Anyone know what happened to him?

[FLY2 10,106]

It's good to have you back Bilbraborn. Many of us have missed your railway related posts, and your and Petes associated antics. 

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Really miss Peters posts. He was a good mate and as teenagers we got into some right scrapes. Still don't know how he died. 

[32cherry 1]

Hi,

 

This is my first and probably last post which I can't explain why.

 

Not sure if anyone is interested but I took some photos on the open day in 2005 and hopefully they will give some of you good (or not so good memories) of this strange and unique building which I have very mixed feelings about. As in taking ages to get from one lesson to the next (Chemistry to 3.3 anyone!).

h!tps://www.flickr.com/photos/yrrek/albums/72157648684182332

 

I went the school from 1972 to 1979 and the sixth form 1979-81 and we were the last Grammar intake before its eventual change to a sixth form college.

 

I have seen many names teacher names mentioned here but few I can't recall being mentioned:

 

Mr Mahoney (my first form teacher ("marny" not "ma ho nee" boy!)

Ms Archer (I was in her first drama 'O' level course and failed!)

Mr Bhambra (a teacher I really respected)

Mr McNaughton

Mr Southgate (who I have no fond memories of whatsoever)

Mr Bland (known as "Digger" I seem to recall)

Mr Knowles

Mr Kendrick? (really good french teacher but his skill was wasted on me).

Mr Littlewood (who went into the church as I recall and didn't seem interested in teaching Physics before he did so)

 

and I wish for the life of me I could remember the name of the the lovely lady librarian!

 

Also hated that horrible church organ that got installed in the main hall that benefited no one at the time and made no sense!

 

Cheers,

 

Kerry (not going to hide my name as Flick will show my full name!). 

 

Ps Not born in Bilborough but lived on Hoylake Crescent for about seven years or so and went to Portland Junior (which I found out recently is sadly no more).

[Happily retired 34]

Hi Kerry,

Thanks for the photos. They seem to be very rare. No one seems to have captured the school from a historical perspective which is very sad.

We are organising a school reunion scheduled for next month. The uptake from the class of 67-74 has been astonishing and attendees are now closing on 80!

 

We are in contact with many of our teachers from that time. They include:

Mike Robinson 

Mike Higginbottom

John Kendrick and his wife Ruth

Mr Mahoney

Andy Burnham

Toby Jackson

Maggie Gotheridge

Hugh Nicklin

Cyril Jacobs

Bill Mcnaughton

Gilly Archer

 

My husband and I also went to Portland Junior School.

 

Kathy 

 

[AlanB 13]

Great photos Kerry, they bring back a lot of memories. Thanks.

[Stavertongirl 1,681]

Having been at the grammar school in the 60’s I have had a look at the pictures with interest. Couldn’t remember what the buildings looked like but can remember the “new block” building. I can remembered the gym (I once put my hand through one of the windows when running) and the lab with the pipes for the Bunsen burners, also going up and down the staircase inbetween lessons. The smelly girls changing rooms and those awful showers where you were given 5 minutes to have a lukewarm shower and then get dressed with Miss Rattaray shouting at you to hurry up and going to the next lesson still damp! 

 

Cant say I enjoyed my time there, but have happy memories of friends, things we got away with and a few teachers that weren’t boring or disinterested. All in all I was glad to leave and get on with life!

[32cherry 1]

Thanks for the feedback on the photos, I wish I had taken more but at the time I was limited by the expensive and relatively small memory cards.

 

I realised I got my dates mixed up! I was in the last Grammar intake in 1972 to 1977, then the Sixth form 1978-79.

 

As the last intake we were always the "sprogs" through out our time there! This to me was not a good thing and affected our overall behaviour which I think didn't allow us to grow up

as we didn't have any younger intake to base our behaviour on.

 

I was trying to think of other teachers I had not seen posted here and could only come up with Toby Goodchild who I think was the music teacher. Oh and Pete Ford (Economics) plus Pete ? (Economics and mountaineer who fell off one and left us without a teacher for a long while). I also wish I could remember name of the RE teacher who was a really lovely guy (despite my religious beliefs).

My form teacher for the sixth form was Mr Kirton in 1.6! I loved doing technical drawing with him (however remember being scared to drop a pencil (let alone the wooden pencil holders) and get lines but was always fascinated as to what he was sipping in that silver flask! I just realised that he gave me many happy memories as in making catapults in metalwork.

 

Oh another name popped in to my head Ms Bowen (Biology - a geordie who pronounced my as Curry much to the delight of my friends) and I met her much later when she worked for HR at Boots (I didn't get the job).

 

Random names I was at school/college with::

 

Mark Oakden

Simon Gledhill (year above me)

Richard Macrow (year above me).

Lee Cammack

Rodney Dykeman

Martin Dennis

Mick Walker

Clive Henson

Dave Ward

William (Billy) Woodcock

Gary Frost

Richard Scorer

Ian Foster

Chris Marshall

Dave Brierley

Martin Couzens (returned to William Sharp after first year)

 

 

Only males I am afraid but I am struggling to remember anybody if I am frank (my memory is poor at the best of times).

 

There are a few theatrical productions that spring to mind firstly The Caucasian Chalk Circle (the use of dual projectors fascinated me so I went to all the performances), The Pirates of Penzance (the aforementioned Mr Southgate was very good performing Major-General's song (as long as he could see the red light at the rear of the building)) and listening to Psycho Killer by the Talking Heads during rehearsal at full blast courtesy of Simon Gledhill without the teachers knowledge led to a life long love of that band) and finally West Side Story (towards the end of the old buildings life an ambitious and well performed show). During my time there I developed an interest for stage lighting and lit many many shows (including a performance by Gaffa (Including Wayne and his frog bass) which led to a brief spell as a follow spot operator at the (then newly opened) Theatre Royal (thank to an alumni called Simon Courtney-Taylor who was at the time time the sound tech).

 

Similarly to Slavertongirl I can't say I enjoyed my time at this establishment but there were some really good teachers who by their nature helped making some of the subjects for the time that they taught me really enjoyable. There were also others like Mr Jacobs who also gave so much more like the Chess Club and Stamp Club he ran which were all out of hours and most enjoyable.

 

Oh and for anyone that was there at the time whilst I was a t college - I was the fat one by the teletype (connected to Trent Poly) from opening time (8:30) until we got chucked out by the caretaker (17:00) except for lessons (mostly)! 

 

Kerry

 

PS It was really really weird going into the staff room after all those years having been so afraid to knock on the door (and smell the smoke) not knowing who was going to answer.

 

[AlanB 13]

So, we had our reunion last night and a great time was had by all. About 80 people turned up, most were former pupils from the class of 1967 - 1974, plus a few people brought partners and there were also some teachers:

 

Mr Nicklin (didn't get a chance to speak to him but I don't think he ever taught me)

Mr Robinson - a lovely gentleman, I didn't think he taught me either but he thinks he might have done in the early years.

Mr Mahoney - he was only at the school for 2 years and he was amazed that he was remembered - but as I and others told him, you always remember your most inspirational teachers

Mrs Gotheridge - just the same as I remember her only older

And finally Mr (Dr) Jacob, amazing for his age, looking well and mentally he is still all there. Really good to see him again.

 

One sad thing I learnt from Mrs Gotheridge is that Mrs Brailsford died recently. I will always remember her as a young vibrant woman, but then I last saw her 45 years ago. She was probably late 60s at least when she died.

 

Anyway it was amazing to catch up with so many classmates and hear what people had done with their lives. We were given lanyards with our names on (maiden names for the girls of course) which was very useful as there were only a handful of people I would have recognised without.

[annswabey 599]

Thanks for your write-up of the reunion.  The only teacher you mention who I don't remember much about was Mr Mahoney.  Was he a Maths teacher?  Mr Nicklin, Mr Jacob and Mr Robinson all taught me - Mr Robinson and Mr Jacob being amongst my favourites, and it's good to hear that they are still around. 

[AlanB 13]

Hi Ann, yes Mr Mahoney taught Maths. I had him for the lower 6th but then he moved to another school. He was an excellent teacher and I was sad to see him go.

[philipsoar@btinternet.com 0]

we do have a 5 metre wide blow up of the whole school photo taken in 1961- the only one which was taken in the school's first 10 years. If anyone has any ideas of what to do with it, I would be happy to hear. We also have massive blow ups of the first 6 School magazine covers (with the colours of each house). Philip Soar

[jonab 1,643]

Internet safety message 

To philipsoar

 

Completely off topic but:

 

It would be wise NOT to publish your email address on the forum.

 

All sorts of nasty bots and things constantly trawl the Internet looking for things like that to propagate their nefarious deeds.

[Ian P 8]

On 8/29/2013 at 8:25 AM, Bilbraborn said:

 

Mike (Mr Chemistry) Robinson wrote a kind of book about the history of BGS and Bilborough College. I don't know how to obtain a copy.

 

Don't bother - it's online somewhere on a tripod site.  The old fool thinks he's Mr Chips.  In truth he was a vertically-challenged bully with chips on both shoulders.  

 

I can't imagine there was a worse grammar school, with so many dull, boring, colourless, clock-watching teachers.

[FLY2 10,106]

You should have been at FFGS Ian. Equally horrific ! 

[Stavertongirl 1,681]

22 minutes ago, Ian P said:

 

I can't imagine there was a worse grammar school, with so many dull, boring, colourless, clock-watching teachers.

 

Totally agree. From being told I was stupid (Dr Peake) to I was dirty because I had long hair (Miss Trail who went on to be a missionary in Africa) I hated every minute I was there. My brother who went on to be an Astro physicist was told he was stupid as well (he obviously wasn’t). 

The best thing about that place was shaking the dust off my feet as I finally left.

[FLY2 10,106]

Dr Peake was at FFGS prior to BGS. He was a totally humourless sod, with the personality of a used paintbrush !

[Jill Sparrow 9,575]

5 hours ago, Ian P said:

can't imagine there was a worse grammar school, with so many dull, boring, colourless, clock-watching teachers.

There was...it was called Manning!

[benjamin1945 15,496]

I hear on here so many sad tales about members not enjoying their school life,,i feel privileged to say i loved mine at Henry Whipple and Padstow,, we had corporal punishment and some off the wall teachers,,but mainly even those that dished out the punishment were ok,,with a good sense of humour,,

      Mind you,conversely,, think it was right to abolish it,,

Remember getting strapped on stage infront of whole school with about five others,,but didnt cry or scream,,well not until i got to the toilets,,then i wanted me Mam,, lol,, can't recall what I'd done,,probably walked on the grass,,

[annswabey 599]

Must say I don't recognise your descriptions of Bilborough Grammar.  A mix of good and bad teachers, but overall I loved my time there.  For a council estate girl at that time (started there in 1968), it was a great opportunity  to get a decent education

[Bigs 0]

Wow. Just found and joined. Amazing to read it all.  I was BGS from 62 to 69. I am pleasantly surprised how well everyone remembers our teachers. I moved to Canada and then the USA  in 79 and spent time in many countries. Retired now.....well kind of.....great times back then. Just saw the Rolling Stones here in Phoenix last Monday. Still got it!!

[FLY2 10,106]

Welcome Bigs. Some great topics on here, and no doubt many memories will be recalled. Happy browsing.

[katyjay 4,988]

Welcome Bigs, from a fellow (well, female) Arizonan. Where are you in Phoenix  (roughly, you don't have to put your address!)