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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2011 19:59:34 GMT
This year's annual reunion of the Torquay Old Grammarians Society will be held at the Riviera International Conference Centre. Not my scene, old boy. |
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chelstongull
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Post by chelstongull on Jun 28, 2011 21:36:11 GMT
As the Gold Club has taken away our Forum carvery - perhaps we could make one of the games post match beer and curry night?
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jun 28, 2011 22:15:12 GMT
This year's annual reunion of the Torquay Old Grammarians Society will be held at the Riviera International Conference Centre. All past grammarians are welcome to the dinner on Friday July 1 "Haw, haw" Are you going, Chelston? |
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Post by thefarmersfriend on Jun 29, 2011 10:29:10 GMT
........Mr Wade (Phil) (ex-Languages teacher of TBGS and aka Splasher aka Pince) spotted waiting outside Torbay Hospital last Fri and Sat night for a taxi - my parents' first floor flat overlooks the Cadewell Lane entrance which the ambulances and the buses use to get up to the Hospital - first time I have seen him for many, many years, he used to walk by our old house in Reddenhill Road frequently back in the day - lives Ellacombe way I think........... .....re: Pince, I think I have this right and partly gleaned off the Friends Reunited TBGS area for old memories, back in the olden days he was referred to as an ahem "Poncey Pig" due to his slightly porcine-esque appearance etc, it was the trend back in those halcyon Monty Python-inspired schoolboy humour days to turn expressions around so it became erm "Pincey Pog" and therefore Pince, todays' TBGS Memoirs lesson over, do carry on!........ ........for me anyway, he was a great Languages teacher, but was around in an age where boys could be rather robust in their teasing, nothing more - this showed I think in his lessons!........ Good to know Mr Wade is still alive. I have to confess that I participated in a bit of 'robust teasing' when he taught our class of first-years in 1982, but thereafter looked on with a bit of silent horror as during the course of my time at TBGS he endured increasingly serious abuse, culminating in the development of a visible nervous tick and a few long spells off sick before retirement. It was quite sad, in that TBGS obviously meant a lot to him and he had good knowledge of his subject, but you just got the feeling that he wasn't cut out for teaching in the modern era. No doubt many of the people who made his and other teachers' life hell are now sitting on their fat middle-aged arses complaining about the lack of respect shown by kids today... |
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Mr_W
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Post by Mr_W on Aug 3, 2011 0:08:33 GMT
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puds
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Post by puds on Sept 16, 2011 16:42:29 GMT
Just been reading this thread - some of you have amazing memory but great to read ! I'm still in touch with Steve Shepard and Rog French ( meeting him for a beer next Tues).I've got a photo of the TBGS Football team of around '73/'74 which I'll try and find.
Mike Pullen
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Mr_W
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Post by Mr_W on Sept 28, 2011 4:07:16 GMT
.....I was just wondering if any of our illustrious TFF ex-TBGS members on here could help me out on a class-room numbering issue from back in those halycon Barton days of circa 1972-1977 that is bugging me?......... .......I think we all in our minds-eye have the lower corridor being made up of one long stretch and a shorter one at each end - like-wise upstairs to a degree as well, so............ .....now in at one end at the bottom (bike shed end) we had on the right on an end corridor, rooms 1 (1A Sep 1972 - where Mr Lowe (their form master) went wibble wibble later on and was taken away) and 2 (1B Sep 1972 - who WAS their form master in 1972 btw??), then the tuck-shop (!!! - Curly Wurlys anyone?) on the other side and 3, and opposite it, the Secretarys' Office (Mrs Golder - wife of Dave was one of those in there in 1972) - with some steps up from outside - I only ever used those steps twice, once on the first day in Sep 1972 and when I went back prior to joining the RN, to collect my old reports!! - "it were right strict in them days laddie"......... .....now, turn left and we had rooms 4 (5B - Sep 1976 - Mr Berry) and 5 then the big swinging doors and the Hall, then rooms 6 (1C - Sep 1972 - Mr Bunce) and 7 (Mr Head-Rapsons' hang-out - aka the History Room)........ ......at the other end there was the Beaks' Office (Mr G C Smith RIP - in post in Sep 1972) with his own steps up from outside the front (machine gunning offence to be even CAUGHT near these bad boys), then rooms 8 and 9, it was then I think the Biology Lab (Tommy Hoods' RIP place - memories of a myriad of WWII tales from he and precious little Biology bobbins - apart from some amoeba-based anecdotes - there was a giant fish in a glass case I think - was this room technically room 10 then?) - then upstairs....... ...up to the Library (Mr Kay) and at the end there was 13 (2A1 Sep 1973 - Mr Harvey), then I think the Medical Room (aka the Sports Teachers hidey-hole), Deputy Heads' office (Messrs Locker/Joslin both RIP), the Staff Room (smoking in the Boys Room!!!), the Art Room - over the Hall - I think - and room 12 (3A1 - Mr Coon - Sep 1974) and the Lecture Room (4H - Sep 1975 - Mr Granger) along with a Physics Lab - or two? (as opposed to the one in the block outside) - at the other end - now the BIG QUESTION is room 11, was it actually the Lecture Room? - anyone remember? - or was there another rogue class-room up there I can't recall?............ ..........any help appreciated - I think I may have to look to my learned friends Jon, Nick (aka Barty) and my old mate Chris P (crispygull) here!!......... ..........btw does anyone else remember some rule about one way only on the corridors (certainly for the Junior years anyway) to get from room to room, going up and over and down as appropriate - to avoid endless traffic jams at period-end times?........... ......Lest We Forget - who of us old boys, doesn't get a lump in the throat seeing the auld place like this - Aude Sapere..........  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2011 12:31:43 GMT
Rooms at the old grammar school? This is one of the most disturbing posts I’ve ever read on this site. How can anybody – other than an wretched insomniac – put their mind to recalling such things? Mind you it certainly unlocked memories of mine from, er, at least thirty-seven years ago.
Wasn’t there a prefects’ room next to the library?
Ah yes, the PE teachers hidey-hole. I remember popping in there once and being asked by Dave Golder if I wanted to see Tony’s willy. Tony – being Tony Stayte – was sat there peeling an orange in such a way as to leave a willy-type shape. Ho, ho, ho…..it’s that grammar school humour again.
Not sure about room 11. Nor am I wholly sure about whether there were one or two physics labs. Surely there was more than one physics teacher hence requiring more than one lab? Chris Thorpe – who gave me a lift to school on account of me knowing his lad from primary school – certainly had a large enough lab. But I’m not sure if was long enough to take up the entire upstairs Barton Road side of the school.
All I know is that I was shite at physics - grade nine O level – and got drawn into something of a cheating culture at one stage. This bumped up my mark on several reports and kept my dad off my back for a while. Sadly he didn’t live long enough to “share” in my O level success.
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Mr_W
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Post by Mr_W on Sept 28, 2011 15:18:30 GMT
Rooms at the old grammar school? This is one of the most disturbing posts I’ve ever read on this site. How can anybody – other than an wretched insomniac – put their mind to recalling such things? Mind you it certainly unlocked memories of mine from, er, at least thirty-seven years ago. Wasn’t there a prefects’ room next to the library? Ah yes, the PE teachers hidey-hole. I remember popping in there once and being asked by Dave Golder if I wanted to see Tony’s willy. Tony – being Tony Stayte – was sat there peeling an orange in such a way as to leave a willy-type shape. Ho, ho, ho…..it’s that grammar school humour again. Not sure about room 11. Nor am I wholly sure about whether there were one or two physics labs. Surely there was more than one physics teacher hence requiring more than one lab? Chris Thorpe – who gave me a lift to school on account of me knowing his lad from primary school – certainly had a large enough lab. But I’m not sure if was long enough to take up the entire upstairs Barton Road side of the school. All I know is that I was shite at physics - grade nine O level – and got drawn into something of a cheating culture at one stage. This bumped up my mark on several reports and kept my dad off my back for a while. Sadly he didn’t live long enough to “share” in my O level success. ’ .........most excellent Nick - thanks so much - regarding the size of the Physics Labs at the Barton Road end upstairs, on the basis that the Library up the other end of the corridor to my mind was a PRETTY large room whch occupied the whole end, I imagine that the area we are considering COULD have been split into TWO Labs - I certainly seem to recall that it was VERY dim, dark and of "an older nature" (dark wood??) up that area in the end passage - there would possibly have been Lab Prep Rooms for Mr Batten to stow his infernal Physics props gubbins, as any fule kno it was he who was the Physics Lab tech, Mr Styles was his counterpart in Chemistry with his bloody potassium, magnesium, Bunsen Burners, Tripods and other such cack in the newer separate block outside up by the base of the Tech College, near the Gym........... ..........thanks so much for the kind words regarding this subject being one of the most disturbing posts on here, Nick - I shall of course do my utmost to keep up the good work - I seem to remember there was possibly a sort of kitchen/utility room outside the Library - this could have been a Prefects hangout methinks possibly - you know - the old Aga and fridge, along with a stove for sausage butties when aforementioned Prefects' fags had been into town to fetch their victuals on threat of beating and so on and so forth................. ..........btw, I can recall the late Mr Taffy Cannings up in the Chemistry Lab in the separate building setting fire to his own flesh on more than one occasion as he passed his hand into some sparking inferno/concoction of chemicals bubbling away in a jar on a Bunsen Burner to prove his "theory" of how small sparks of great heat, temperature-wise when in contact with the human skin for miniscule amounts of time would cause no damage - erm they did............ ........Mr Taffy Cannings RIP - a fine, fine footy coach - and as for the Shot Putt - "Clean fingers, dirty palm" - have I got that right?.........  - there ain't nothing in Room 11, but you ain't got no business going in there anyway so stay out........... |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2011 14:11:10 GMT
No mention of the “outbuildings” in Mr_W’s TBGS reminiscences. Something of a jumbled mess if I recall correctly.
Starting over in the Far East – the chemistry block. Must have been “state of the art” in the early 1960s. Certainly it appeared “established” when I arrived in 1967. Did it make it to the end of the old place? Christ I was worse at chemistry than I was physics….
The gym impressed me as an eleven-year-old and, again, I’d date in as early-to-mid 1960s. Probably past its’ “sell-by date” by the 1970s. Main memory is of green mats and an odd activity known as “basketball” (which must have been a rubbish sport because Churston GS were better at it than we were).
Some sort of brown, wooden military hut – ATC or something? And the bike sheds, in front, which rang to the chant of “PANATHINAIKOS” (a very chantable word) when I arrived at school the morning after Everton’s European Cup exit.
The play ground “huts” – temporary classrooms from God knows when. Standard issue for the time – danger of death by frostbite or fumes during the winter. I’m sure I spent most of my first year in the left-hand one sat next to a lad who was enjoyed self-exploration of his anatomy during RE lessons. A Sherwell Valley boy, I think, which may account for a lot…
The sixth form block – the “jewel in the crown”. Built during my time at the school and ready for our desecration by 1972.
Hest Bank – the house over Barton Road which was first used (I think) as a fifth-year block in 1971/72. Much vandalised causing something of a scandal at the time. Too much responsibility that we didn’t handle well - a blot on the CVs of those of us on the 5th form committee.
Siberia beyond Oak Hill Road – two temporary blocks each of two classrooms. Another late 1960s/early 1970s “solution”. We may have been the first occupants as fourth years in 1970.
The woodwork block – a hell-like place for those of us who were totally incompetent in the practical arts. One year of this only for me under the tutelage of Mr Thirsk.
Dining room – in the car park between the school and the technical college. From the same pre-packaged kit as Cell Block 37. I didn’t do school dinners so kept a wide berth.
Were there other huts at the technical college end of the car park? Or were they part of the college but in the same uniform-style as our own?
The technical college – occasional trips (dreaded by me) to the “language lab”. Pure bastard torture.....and that big tower block dominated school life as it was being constructed during 1969/70. Not only was there the drone of Latin to endure (before I failed to make the “Classical Cut” after the third year ) but also the noise of a building site.
So, quite a few dubious “improvements” to the old place in my time, but mainly at the bargain basement end. I guess other schools were getting swisher new buildings with the school leaving age going up from the end of the 4th year to the 5th year (a development which didn’t really impinge on us at Swot Central).
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Mr_W
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Post by Mr_W on Sept 29, 2011 15:26:39 GMT
.......Ah, most excellent again my dear Nick (Barty), thanks so much for getting into the spirit again - yes indeed - you know I had completely forgotten about the temporary (ish!!) play ground "huts" you refer to - I think you had left before they got rid of them - I think they were up on bricks - certainly in my later time there, they had been "upgraded" to proper (I think two floored) classroom buildings, still prefab, but in a slightly more modern (for the time - poss around 1975/6?) style - this is in fact where the esteemed Mr Roy Pike (a la gringo/Willie Brown-ish moustache at the time) would come out with his "I'm NOT in the Flat Earth Society, boys" speel and where he also fabulously stated to us lot, a bunch of 14/15 year old lads in a BS & E History lesson circa 1975/6 that.......
........"One day boys I will be Headmaster of this great school".............
.......Oh, how we sniggered as we went back to discussion of the Purps, Sabbs and Camel with him rather than the Tolpuddle bleddy Martyrs, Newcomens' Steam Engine, Brunel and his extraordinarily sleep-inducing bridge-building exploits or whoever the topic of discussion Brit Hist-wise was supposed to be at the time - Tim Dodge, Andy Loosemore, and I think Chris Pascoe can confirm that Mr Pike actually said those famous words about becoming Headmaster - I have told this story many times since to great amazement and a sense of awe when people have heard it - respect to Mr Pike - a true visionary beyond his years as a young teacher - I for one am chuffed for him he achieved his lifes' ambition to lead one of the greatest state schools we have ever had in this "Sceptred Isle" of ours - cripes I can hear dear old Hoppy opening up with the ghostly strains of "Jerusalem" again from over in his Music Room at his beloved piano, over in Siberia beyond Oak Hill Road...........
.........I believe it was indeed the ATC hut up at the top end of the play ground, by the Gym - there was another ATC hut up at Shiphay Manor I seem to recall...........
.......Yes, they always were a faster-developing bunch at Sherwell Valley I seem to recall hearing - lets' hope it wasn't John Stokes who was taking the class that the dirty little self-manipulator was assigned to - other RE teachers I can recall were Messrs Thirsk (Woodwork was his first), Bunce (Maths), Haskins (Languages), Rose (Hist) and Rue (English/Art) - I even think old Hoppy did RE as well - mind you I hear he did just about everything in his time there subject-wise - don't think I ever remember Hoppy in the main school much apart from on piano at Assembly - he seemed to conduct all his operations from Siberia in those days - Mr Dow hung out over there as well I think......
..........btw, didn't Mr Stayte leave under a cloud - what WAS the reason, anyone know?...........
.........Of course, Hest Bank, we all did our Oral part of the French O' Level over there in the summer of '77 - Mr Laird (no sniggering at the back - fnarr fnarr) - seem to recall it was a bit like the building they entered at the end of "The Blair Witch Project" - well spooky and vandalised........
.......There was deffo a Tech College building or buildings on the walk up through the car park (Catering I think?) before reaching Mr Thirsks' Woodwork Shop - quite large as well I think - viewable from the road by the main entrance.......
........Yes, those days of waiting by the the Richwood Hotel for the 12 bus to get up to Games up at Shiphay Manor and of those "happy" times at the bus-stop after Games up the Manor when all the "hard cases" from Audley would walk up Shiphay Lane after school and generally "dead-leg", "beast" and "bun" (a shocking habit of pushing the palm of ones' hand into a poor 1st Years snout and nicking their cap) all of us feeble be-capped sprog TBGS'er 1st Years queuing nervously out by the bus-stop - these guys were feckin' fearsome I tell ya, Oxford bags (maybe slightly tartaned up - remember Shang-a-Lang) and clip-on braces, 18-hole Doctor Marten or Major Domo cherry-red boots, bomber jackets, and sideys, taches and long hair - it took us years to clear the mental scarring issues we had of this crew - they were often seen up at Plainmoor on a Saturday in the Mini-Stand kicking up hell as well.................
.......bloody great days!...........
PS:
.......the "Audley Crew" did however receive a tremendous shoe-ing on that never-to-be-forgotten lunchtime when they infiltrated our playground down at Barton to be met by the massed ranks of our 1st XI footy, 1st XV rugger squads and Messrs Stayte and Golder - Yep, it was "Murder On The Dance Floor" - even made the local HE at the time I think..........
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2011 11:16:27 GMT
I had completely forgotten about the temporary (ish!!) play ground "huts" you refer to - I think you had left before they got rid of them - I think they were up on bricks - certainly in my later time there, they had been "upgraded" to proper (I think two floored) classroom buildings, still prefab, but in a slightly more modern (for the time - poss around 1975/6?) style Ah, come to think of it...a blue-coloured two-storey block perhaps? |
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Post by thefarmersfriend on Oct 3, 2011 12:02:41 GMT
Starting over in the Far East – the chemistry block. Must have been “state of the art” in the early 1960s. Certainly it appeared “established” when I arrived in 1967. Did it make it to the end of the old place? I was in the year that started at Barton Road and decamped to Shiphay at the end of it and I'm pretty sure the same chemistry block was still standing at the end. My daughter has just started primary school, sparking lots of schooldays reminiscing between my wife (a Cuthbert Mayne girl and TGGS sixth-former) and myself. My main recollection of the Barton Road site is just how terrifying it looked on the pre-starting visit in the last year at primary. Being an Oldway boy, I was lucky in that we were in some ways prepared for the size of the place (Oldway being 2nd biggest primary in Devon at the time) and there were a number of us (around 15-20?) going to the Grammar, plus my brother was already there, but that didn't prepare me for the maze of dark corners and corridors, masses of obscene, arcane or just plain threatening graffiti, and unfeasibly tall and stubbly sixth formers in leather jackets with Southern Death Cult or CRASS painted on their backs. Being musically hip enough to have heard of CRASS as an 11-year-old didn't help – I'd seen their LP covers in Sounds and it just looked impenetrably scary. As it happens, by the end of that first year I was really sorry to leave the place. I particularly liked the art room, which conformed to all my preconceptions of what an art room at 'big school' should look like. You could see the McKay building of the Tech from there too, which made it feel excitingly metropolitan. Didn't used to like the corridor that ran parallel to Barton Road itself – the wall and trees shut out the light and rumours abounded amongst us first-years regarding nefarious activities taking place in the narrow space between the wall and the school. On moving up to Shiphay it seemed the whole ethos of TBGS changed, with a raising of the 11+ pass threshold and all manner of Public School style pretensions introduced. On the plus side, at least we got to mix with the girls. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2011 22:26:21 GMT
My main recollection of the Barton Road site is just how terrifying it looked on the pre-starting visit in the last year at primary. I don’t think we had anything as kindly as a pre-starting visit. That sort of thing would have been seen as “soft” in the 1960s. Thrown straight to the lions.... On moving up to Shiphay it seemed the whole ethos of TBGS changed, with a raising of the 11+ pass threshold and all manner of Public School style pretensions introduced. That’s an interesting observation because I know little about TBGS post-Barton Road. “Public school-style pretensions” doesn’t surprise me and – to be ruthlessly honest amidst my bouts of nostalgia – I would have turned the place into a community comprehensive long ago (too late now, sadly). CRASS? I’m impressed. |
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Mr_W
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Post by Mr_W on Oct 5, 2011 2:12:58 GMT
I had completely forgotten about the temporary (ish!!) play ground "huts" you refer to - I think you had left before they got rid of them - I think they were up on bricks - certainly in my later time there, they had been "upgraded" to proper (I think two floored) classroom buildings, still prefab, but in a slightly more modern (for the time - poss around 1975/6?) style Ah, come to think of it...a blue-coloured two-storey block perhaps? ............By the very beard of Gandalf, Barty - I do believe you are correct - I remember now, and have just checked my copy of the TBGS Centenary History Book (printed in 2004) and it has some (I had forgotten about these btw) most excellent piccies in - one aerial view of the WHOLE school area (including Gym etc), one of the corridor looking along from Room 4, one of the Hall, one of the Library, another of one of the Science Labs in the separate block, I think - and one of the Lecture Theatre upstairs, where Tim Dodge, Jim Bailey and I spent most of the Summer of '76 at the back compiling lists of favourite Punk Groups, admiring album covers from the likes of Yes, ELP and the Sabbs along with analysing Tims' motor-bike newspapers and rating whoever was currently hot from up at the TGGS - Mr Granger had relegated us trio of duffers to Conference-level aspiring Physicists by this time as our Science skills (truly wretched) were at a par with yours Barty, what with Ohm and his Law of Resistance and other such bobbins! - this book also contains some footy, cricket and rugger line-ups over the years - not sure if you have the book already or not?........... ......if not, I shall bring aforementioned tome along to our planned "Curry Night - The Reprise" shortly and either you and/or Jon may possibly care to borrow it and scan in a few piccies on this site - I alas have neither the gear or techno knowledge to do such gubbins (only cleared for music downloads, me!!) - I reckon it could be fab to get a few piccies on here of the actual inside of the school - I wonder if the school has any more copies left btw......... ..........regarding the possibility of pre-joining visits for future pupils, well even back in the Summer of 1972 prior to the Autumn entry, as far as I recall there was nothing like that - I just recall that (addressed to me I think, and still at the tender age of 10!!! - possibly Chris P will remember this as well?) I received a load of joining literature from the school in the Summer of 1972 signed by Mr Smith the Beak, with vast lists of school rules, teachers, subjects, kit and uniform needed and also sample timetables, all of which struck the very fear of feckin' God into our young hearts I s'pose at the time and prompted visits to Pickards "Scholarly Costumiers" - who were situated down by Bradshaws Toy Shop in Union Street I think - opposite where Woolies was, perhaps?................. .......in all seriousness, there were rumours abounding of all sorts of horrors that awaited us 1st Years in The Pit, just down below the main play ground on our first break-time on the first day - I am pleased to say, for and I think that is EVERY one of us, absolutely nothing happened at all - it was all something that was invented, so we were told just to spook us scaredy-cats! - and likewise for the rest of my time in the school, I never saw any heavy teasing or taunting of 1st Years at all - to everyones' eternal credit......... ........I think some of the boys saved up the rather robust joshing and feckin' about which was indulged in at the time for some of the members of staff tbh, main sufferers were Messrs Wade and Lowe, I think - also Mr Bell for a while - he was a Supply Teacher - the boys knew just who to push and who to leave well alone - the likes of Messrs Joslin, Titchener, Locker, Haskins, and most of all for me Mr Laird (a fine, fine teacher who I have only the highest respect STILL for, hard, demanding, driving, exacting but scrupulously fair) ruled their classes with a rod of steel (figuratively speaking) and would tolerate NO arss-ing and pishing around from miscreants whatsoever................... ...........there were also details in the afore-mentioned communication from the school of an evening (JUST for parents) which my Mum and Dad attended at the school sometime prior to terms' start to meet a few teachers, collect blazer badge, scarf and tie (I was like Barty and Chris P, in Spragge - never won much but at least our House Assemblies were in the Library, a most civil place) - this meeting was not for us newbies though, just parents - thats' a deffo................. ........aaah, memories, like the corners of my mind.......... ........now, lets' pack up my Adidas blue and white holdall with all those text books, its double European History in room 7 with the Rapper - bring on the Franco-Prussian War (again)........... ......btw, seeing that piccy of the play ground prompted memories of one of my early champagne moments one break time in the Autumn of '72 when one of the all-year round cricket matches was going on, using a wicket chalked on the side of the Gym wall - now the rules of this version of cricket are somewhat lost in time for me these days, but suffice to say that anyone in the play ground was allowed to catch the ball if they could manage it, whether they were in fact, technically playing the game or not - with the errant batsman having to walk.......... ..........think you can guess the rest, gang - the ball came whizzing down from above, after a skier right towards me as I walked by, to loud cries of "Catch it, sprog", "Go on, young 'un", "Leave that, you little fecker", "Get under it, sir" and such like - anyway, I only went and caught it, just like it was up at Cary Park still - and grinned modestly - a load of unfeasibly tall, yelling individuals came charging over, most seemed very happy, then one giant with a bat (I suspect it MAY have been Steve Craig or Rob Gilpin possibly), "Oi, you, what did you feckin' catch that for, mate?", only to be shouted down by the fielders, "Come on, you know the rules" - the bat was flung away in temper as the unfortunate batsman relinquished his position - and for a while I was "Hero/Villain" depending how one looked at it!................ .........anyone else recall the game "Volley", played against the walls of the lower yards either end, or possibly one of the Gym walls, with a tennis ball? - there were extraordinarily complex rules depending which court was used - 2/3 ups, 2/3 downs, etc - anyone remember? - even a kicking version around the ATC Hut area?.......... |
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