"Here are some photos of the school which you might be interested in.
No doubt they will evoke a nostalgic tear or two or maybe a rousing cheer for those who hated their school days..."
Old Greenfield St. School Art building in Water St. taken from Greenfield St.
Greenfield St school.
Greenfield St school later in Spring
Next are 3 photos from the start of the demolition of the school.
Going...
..Going...
.
Gone.
Many Thanks, Eric - Much appreciated ! :)
Greenfield may you rot and burn in hell, may your walls fall and may I live to tell.... this is how I felt 30 years ago, funny how 3 decade's mellow's you and makes you look back with a different perspective.
ReplyDeleteI spent some happy hours in that old building... but my other memories are of being cane far to often in the Technical Drawing Room... my crime... being left-handed and smudging my work.
ReplyDeleteGreat set of pictures Eric... as always.
I did the full stretch at this excuse for a school,12 bloody years,infants,juniors and seniors!!
ReplyDeleteSet me up well for 4 years on the dole afterwards.
I served as a Paratrooper later in life and I found that easy compared, maybe it set me up well for it,it tought me to keeep my gob shut when it needed to be!!!!!
The happiest day was my last.
S***HOLE
Miss Ralph was the head when I started a Greenfield Street, even then the school was very old fashioned. The childrens outside toilet was filthy but the classrooms in the summer were always warm. At the back of the hall was a massive picture of St.George killing the dragon. Mr. Birch, Miss Marlor, Miss Bennett, Mr. Lees and Miss Gotheridge were all teaching then. Until a couple of years ago I was still in touch with Miss Marlor, she lived in Paulton near Bristol. She moved a few years ago when she married very late in life. I still have a letter Miss Ralph sent to my mother when the brother I never knew was knocked down and killed by a bus outside the Reform Club in Market Place. The boys senior school was a different kettle of fish, it was more like a borstal than a school. Big fat Walkden was the governor, the warders were Hartley, Brodwick, Jones, Redfern, Walker, Mellor, and Fenton. Each day was really just one big cane, pump, or slapping session. The place was a sh**thole from 9am to 4pm, you entered because you hadn't passed your eleven plus and you were the future industrial fodder.
ReplyDeleteLike Anonymous I went to 'Greeny' from the age of 3 up to leaving the secondary and have to say that on the whole I enjoyed it and like to think that I came away with a well-rounded education that has served me greatly in later life. I remember Miss Bennett, who ran the nursery class as well as all the other lovely teachers in the primary school. Mr Ingham took over from Miss Ralph as head teacher and I can clearly remember him coming into our class in 1952 to tell us that the king had died.
ReplyDeleteMost of the senior school teachers were OK, especially Mr Broderick, who took us for English, 'Jammy' Hartley, 'Beaky' Mellor, George Browning and of course the legend who was (and still is I believe) 'Howsey'.
There were some brutal sadists though and Anonymous has missed out the two worst examples: 'Jake' Hallsworth (woodwork & tech drawing) who just loved to cane boys at any excuse and 'Baldy' Horrocks who was as nasty as anyone could be. I understand he got his eventual comeupance though because he fell onto the fire and died.
ReplyDeleteHallsworth was a bastard and so was Mr.Wild. Mr.Horrock's I didn't think was all that bad. He lived in Hollingworth and when he failed to appear after a day or two a couple of boys were dispatched to his home and they found him dead. I was with Miss Marlor in the hall preparing for a dance lesson. It was supposed to start at eleven but a news announcer came on instead to announce the King had died. I can remember to this day that event. Howsey I believe lives in Romiley
My father Brian Oldham, who is now 75 is still in contact with Ken House.He has class photos from Greenfield that were painstakingly and expertly painted into colour from black and white by my grandfather.
ReplyDeleteLEFT GREENFIELD ST 4T IN 1958.TEACHERS THAT I CAN REMEMBER--BRODERICK BIRCH HALLSWORTH HORROCKS JONES MELLOR HARTLEY WAINWRIGHT WALKDEN.LEYLAND FOR SOME ODD LESSONS.DONT REMEMBER THE WOMAN TEACHER FOR RELIGIOUS LESSONS.AND CANT REMEMBER BROWNING.I CAN REMEMBER OVER 20 OF MY FELLOW CLASSMATES.RUSSELL COOPER,BILL LANCASHIRE,BILLY MORRISS,PETER TOON BEING JUS A FEW OF THE NAMES I HAVE ON PAPER. WILL DO ANOTHER COMMENT SOMETIME SHORTLY WITH A FULL LIST.MY SENTIMENTS FOR MY TIME AT GREENY ARE MUCH THE SAME AS BILL LANCASHIRE. I DONT KNOW IF ANYONE WILL REMEMBER ME MAX COLLINS THE MOST CANED, PUMPED PERSON IN CLASS. HOUSEY CALLED HIS PUMP JAMES.DONT REMEMBER THERE BEING SWASTIKAS ON IT.IF ANYONE KNOWS THE WHEREABOUTS OF PETER TOON WOULD LOVE TO KNOW. ALSO ANY INFO ON JOHN NASH WHO WENT TO LIVE IN AUSSIE AND BECAME QUITE A GOOD BOXER. MORE LATER BYE MAX COLLINS
ReplyDeleteHi there, bit of a long shot but was wondering if anyone knew my dad (stephen leah or steve leah? He passed away in 2008 age 56 and came across this site and just intrigued to see if anyone knew him? He was born in 52 and had 2 brothers (geoff and ken) and a sister (mary). He also went to st Georges.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks,
Rob Leah