For worse, rather
than better, I sat the Manchester
Grammar School 11+ three
months before my 10th birthday – and failed! But then
that was why we had two years for these exams and I did get a scholarship to
William Hulme’s G.S in Moss Side Manchester
the following year. I still wonder how I won this award because on the
day of the first examinations the 7.50 bus to Manchester was full and
didn’t stop at Glen Wood, nor did the 8.05 and I was some twenty minutes
late arriving at one of the exams.
In case anyone
might think I am highly intelligent, I had another crack at Manchester Grammar just before I was 11 and
for Hyde Grammar as well – and I failed those!!!.
Leigh Street had
educated me well, even in drama when I played Jan in “Jan of Windmill
Land” and somewhere in our attic there is a postcard of the
“cast” to prove it but I have no real memory of it. This gave
me confidence for school plays and concerts at the new school – and later
– in the pulpit!!.
Nowadays, junior
schools have big trips over huge distances. We had only one – a
bouncy ride in an SHMD Thornycroft single decker with the seats arranged around
the sides of the vehicle (for cramming standing passengers in during the war)
– and then a journey via Mottram to Melandra, a Roman Fort between
Woolley Bridge and Glossop. This was part of our history studies on Roman
civilisation and there we learnt our first Latin words!!
Memories of Leigh
Street School continue to come back – ink monitor duties on a Monday
moring, milk monitor duties at other times, boring assemblies and the singing
of “Strawberry Fair” and something called “Tarah’s
Halls” – the sight of Mrs Gaunt’s red Biro, something very
new in 1948! School reports, Moray House exam papers, the smell of school
dinners and mad playground games.
All this ceased
when I started school days with the daily 7.35 SHMD bus to Manchester and then another one out to Moss
Side. The new school co-incided with a new bike. This was NOT given
because I had “passed the Scholarship” but because at 11 years of
age I was deemed sensible enough to be careful in the heavy
traffic.
Well! that
was like letting a cat out of the house for the first time.
I set off up Mottram Road,
through Hollingworth and Tintwistle to Woodhead Tunnel and then over the top to
Dunford Bridge and Holmfirth. Little heed
had I taken of the terrain home via Holme Moss TV transmitter and a late
arrival home and a good telling off for being out so long! Then,
other long days in the Cheshire
countryside and by the time I was 14 I was cycling the 13 mile round trip to
school in the summer term. With no gears, the hills around Hyde were hard
work but then I was young and strong and used to exercise. I knew every
blade of grass on Green Lane, past Dove House Farm, Glendarach, Godley Green to
Mottram Old Road and up the Hackingknife to Idle Hill, Apple Street, Bothams
Hall Wood, Broadbottom and then a train ride back to Godley. I
loved the view across the Etherow valley to Charlesworth, Combs Rocks, Monks Road and
Kinder. Other walks come to mind - up to Sulby Glen, Thompsons
Wood, Matley, Harrap Edge and over the top of Hobsons Moor and then home
by the SHMD 4 Service from Carrbrook to the Hippodrome in Hyde!
During the summer
holidays I cycled everywhere with a best friend from Hulme Grammar who lived in
Denton.
We got as far as Oxford when we were 12, Whitby the following year
and sundry other Youth Hostelling holidays in the Peak District.
Nowadays, even lads together would not be allowed this freedom and certainly
not on solo walks. But we always felt safe and there was always somebody
you could ask for help. I well remember a 40 mile ride from Hyde, through
Ashton, Oldham, Rochdale, Bacup and Burnley
and Colne to Skipton to stay with another friend. Within sight of Skipton
I stopped at a pub and asked the landlord if he could give me some
water. I was really tired and needed sustenance. “Come
t’ut back dooer”, he bawled out and then regaled me with tea and
cheese sandwiches in his kitchen. “Yuv come from wheah?
Hyde? Oh aye, that’s where all’t flies from Denton go to in’twinter in’t
it. The good man would not charge me a penny.
Need I say more.
Great memories, once again, Roger !
Also, thanks to Carl's Cam for the photo of Hyde Grammar!
Many thanks :)
3 comments:
What a wonderful memory you have Roger. I wish mine was half as good. I do remember lots of things but not in such great detail.
As far as Oxford when you were twelve! Boys of that age would not be allowed to do it nowadays.
How life has changed!
Thank you Roger, this really was a good read... Looking forward to hearing more..
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