School Report Time !

The following were sent to us by Peter Fallon.
They show his class photos and accompanying report cards.

I used to be so anxious when it was school report time - Mine always said I spent too much time talking and not enough time working !

Leigh Street Junior School 1949

Headmaster Mr Renwick. Teacher Mrs Andrews.

1st Row ? ? Alan Mills

2nd Row ???????????

3rd Row Myself, Barbara Bridgehouse, Mary Barber, Irene Buckley, Kathleen Stainrod, Alwyn Ashbrook, June Harding, Hazel Wadsworth, James Smith.

4th Row James Taylor, Peter Bardsley, Albert Armstrong, Alan Brimble, Donald Hampton, Alan Bonsall, Peter Marsland, Keith Hallas, Ralph Harris.

5th Row David Hirst, Roger Hirst, Geoffrey Warner, Peter Jepson, Peter Harrison, Tony Barton, Brian Crompton, John Brown, Glynn Wright.

 




Greenfield Street Secondary School 1952

February 1952 

Teacher Mr Cookson

Average age 12 yrs 4 months

Front row John Brown, Peter Warburton, ??? Myself, 

Second Row John Wilson, John Barton, ???????

Third Row ????? Kenneth Dane, ???

Fourth Row Alan Thomson, ???? Keith Alexander, J Whitehead.

Many thanks, Peter. :)
I wonder if anyone else is brave enough to send theirs in ?

GROWING UP IN HYDE 1950 – 1957 Part 8

By Roger Chadwick

For worse, rather than better, I sat the Manchester Grammar School 11+ three months before my 10^th 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!!!. 

Hyde Grammar School, now Clarendon College.

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.

School Milk !

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!

ABC / Green Lane

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 :)

 

MEMORIES OF GROWING UP IN HYDE Part 7

 1939 – 1962

By Roger Chadwick

In September 1944, aged 5, with my mother, on the first day only , I walked down Mottram Road, up Grange Road, along Tinkers Ginnel and through the playground of LEIGH STREET SCHOOL to Miss Beaumont’s class in The Infants Building.    Clutching a small bag of cocoa and sugar, my first experience of education was making fudge sweeties!    The noise of other children was a bit frightening at first but the room, festooned with pictures and charts, was a fascinating experience.  Miss Beaumont was a tall lady with violent red lipstick and wore Lisle stockings with small tufts of red wool dotted about all over.  I could not take my eyes off this “fashion statement” and when I got home, my mother told me they were “clocks” – an ornamental design either woven in or embroidered on the side of a stocking.   Miss French was another tall teacher and noted for smacking unruly infants so I kept out of her way!   Miss Moore, a smiling, motherly and wonderful person, was the Head Teacher, who I came to know better in later years at church.  

 

 Leigh Street School.


The war was on, everything in short supply. Even in the Junior Department we were told to write on the inside covers of exercise books and across the margins.  Any sheet of paper with a clean side had to be used.  Sugar bag paper was used for art work.  Those waxy cardboard milk bottle tops had to be brought to school for further use: raffia was worked around any available container to make “spell” boxes, those things we used at home with “spells” of wood to light the fire!  Nothing was wasted.   Old blotting paper lined precious jam jars for the beans and peas to grow on the window sills.  Tops of carrots were brought on saucers to grow foliage.  Woe betide any child who wasted anything!  The one third pint of milk had to be drunk even if it was frozen.  No child could leave anything on the plate of a school dinner.  “Get that down yer and stop messing about; the convoys brought that across the Atlantic”, warned my grandmother! 

I still do not leave a plate with any food on it!

My first teacher in the Juniors was Miss Taverner but she could not keep order and the classes were rowdy.   Believed to be quite bright I was “expressed” through Miss Halton/Haughton’s class and into Miss Emsley’s third year.  Miss Emsley became Mrs Andrew and was just lovely!  I well remember her as a younger teacher with a quick stride and a handbag.  Likewise Miss Lees,  who was always smiling but reputed to be a strict disciplinarian.  Mr Drewett, a quiet and lovely man and Mrs Gaunt were responsible for Year 4 pupils (present day year 6’s).  Then there was Mrs Shaw who cared for the youngest class of entrants, seeming to be always asleep on canvas beds in the afternoons!

I found myself under the tutelage of Mrs Gaunt for two years and she was certainly the moulding of my education.  Being “expressed” meant two years in what was then called “the scholarship” class.   In those days it was the one great aim to get as many children as possible into grammar schools via the 11+ and at our school to make sure that we always beat St George’s CE School, our nearest rival educational establishment.  From 9.00.a.m. to 4.00.p.m we were kept at the grindstone.  “First Aid” English text books were studied and relevant parts memorised.  “A verb is a doing word”, we had to chant - “An adverb modifies the verb”  “An adjective is a descriptive word” – chanted in class, these phrases were never forgotten.   Grammar training and correct sentence formation both on paper and in speech was repeated over and over again and again until we knew how to write, how to speak and how to communicate. 

Then of course, there were the tables – up to “twelve times” of course and for those who were expected to manage it – up to 13 and 14 times tables.  Highest / Lowest Common Denominators, Fractions, Percentages, Interest and Compound Interest, Mental Arithmetic both written and verbal had to be mastered. Imperial Measures, Rods, Bushels, Pecks, Acres, Pints, Jills, Quarts, Pounds, Stones, Quarters,  Hundredweights, Tons, 1760 yards to the mile 5280 feet to the mile, 4840 sq yds to the acres…… Yards, Feet, Inches, Eight Furlongs to the mile…  All these details were printed out on the backs of some exercise books and they had to be learnt. Most days we had cash sum to multiply like - £14.19s 4pence three farthings multiplied by 29.  Thence, in neat columns sums transferring farthings (960 to the £), halfpennies (480 to the £) pennies (240 to the £) sixpences “tanners” (40 to the £), threepenny bits(80 to the £), shillings “bobs”(20 to the £) half crowns(8 to the £) florins/2 shillings(10 to the £).   These sums had to be got right, especially when the Headmaster, Mr Walter Hugh Renwick entered the class at 3.40.p.m to set the homework for the “scholarship” children.  Children did not get much praise.  “You can do better….not good enough…poor work…untidy… write out the correct spelling 10 times.”. Et cetera!

Does this bring back memories to those born just before, during and just after the war?

I cannot say whether this kind of education was right or wrong.  Suffice it to say that even though I am no mathematician, mental arithmetic has stood me in good stead throughout life as has the grounding in grammar.  Class 8 at Leigh Street School in 1949-50 had 53 pupils presided over by a teacher who knew what she had to do, brooked no nonsense or interference, gave favours to none and criticism to all and made sure that everyone in that class could read and write before they went into secondary or technical education.  She wasn’t there to be liked or loved: she had a job to do and did it magnificently!

It did me no harm at all and I owe everything to that school and its staff. 

 

 

Leigh Street 1949

 

Many thanks to Roger for sharing his memories and to the "Hyde Schoolday Memories" book that was sent to me by Joyce and Graham Sharp.

A procession of May Queens

The following photos were sent to us via 

Graham and Joyce Sharpe.

Hyde Chapel May Queen circa 1935
Margaret Baddeley is 2nd from the left.


Miss Seddon's Dancing Class circa 1945
Joyce Baddeley Back row,third from right.


Hyde Chapel May Queen circa 1941-42
Hesba Craig
Joyce Baddeley First on left, centre row


Leigh Street School May Queen
Barbara Merrick circa 1942-43
Barbara was the daughter of Mr Merrick who had the bakers shop on Stockport Road in Gee Cross.
Margaret Baddeley, far left.

Many thanks Graham and Joyce. :)

Unknown Pantomime

Here is a great photo sent in by Graham Sharp.

It shows an unknown Leigh Street School Pantomime or Play in 1948 or 1949.

I think it could possibly be Dick Turpin looking at the Highwayman.
Maybe one of our readers is on the photo that can remember what it was and let us know?



Thanks Graham !
Much appreciated. :)

Class 6 Leigh Street School

The following was sent to us via Graham Sharp. 

It shows Class 6 at Leigh Street School in 1952

Headteacher: W.H. Renwick  Teacher: B.H. Lees

Back Row: F. Crompton, S. Fletcher, H. Turner , S. Slater, I. Berry, I. Rhodes, R. Bennett, P. Bramwell, M. Ashworth, G. Parry, A. Etchells, B. Warhurst, C. Howarth, A. Ralphs

3rd Row:  A.Crompton, D. Herod, B. Parkin, C. Wrigley, B. Austin, J. Smith, D. Knowles, M. Mansfield, A. Barlow, A. Hayward, A. Handforth, J. Butterworth, H. Bellis, G. McConnor, B. Charlesworth.

2nd Row: P. Harris, D. Mather, H. Walker, B. Williams, N. Wilkinson, S. West, M. Wilson, B. Mullin,       J. Leigh, A. Lacey, C. Bromley.

Front Row: M. Smith, R. Birtles, B. Hill, J. Barlow, B. Gregory, B. Preston, A. Chadwick, B. Burgoine,    D. Mellor, R. Andrew.


I've tried to make it a bit larger and clearer below.





I love these old school photos !
Many thanks, Graham ! :)

Leigh Street Classmates.

The following text and Photo was sent to us by Trish.
I think it's a great shot!

Over to Trish...


"I have just come across this old photo I took of some of my classmates in Leigh Street school playground. I am guessing it is about the  Summer of 1959. 
Some of the girls names I can remember, but my memory isn't as good as it once was. 
Anyway here goes, and apologies to the girls I can't just recall at the moment, if they see this photo."





From left standing= Jackie Nelson, Winifred Griffith, Andrea, Valerie
Harrison, Norma Barlow, (other side of tree) Pauline Caldwell, Susan
Williams, Beverley, Eileen, and half of Sally Crompton (sorry Sally, thats
my picture taking for you!) Sitting at the front from left is Isobel
Brooks, ??(sorry), Sandra Bardsley, ??(sorry) and Hilary Parker

Many Thanks for sending in the photo,Trish !! :) 
Is it taken at the front entrance ie the Leigh Street gates?

Leigh Street School

Leigh Street Council School was opened on 7th November 1908.
According to Thomas Middletons "History of Hyde" the cost of the building and site and furnishing was £18,230 12s. 7d



At the top of the photo is the small Infant School building and at the bottom is the larger Junior and Senior School building. At the very top of the photo is Ewen Fields.


Looking at this photo reminds me just how close Hyde Uniteds Ewen Fields was in proximity to the school.  When we played rounders, in the school yard, the better players used to "slog" or hit the ball very hard over into the football ground so they could waste time climbing over to retrieve it.
Ah... happy days :)

Leigh Street Junior School

The Girls class of 1931. Seated outside the school entrance.
The teachers are Miss Babbage and Miss Beard.

Leigh Street Juniors

 Here is a photo sent to us by Barbara Tomlinson.
It shows a Leigh Street Juniors class photo from approximately 1954.
Note the old stand of Hyde United in the background and the tree that stands on Tinkers Passage.



The photo is of my class and classmates.

Top row: 
Arthur Nash, Harold ? David Walker Christine Mitchell, Kenneth Morehouse, Esme Thomas, Pauline Memory, Kevin Bell, Pauline Shawcross, Geoffrey Haywood, John Williams, Brian Lewis, 
Second Row: 
David Carr, Gerald Taylor, Maureen Whitehurst, Edgar Ellis, Brenda Lewis, Me, Alan Tomlinson, Nona Gregory, Harry Hall, Joan Longdon, Bill Morris, Russell Cooper, 
Third Row: 
? Kathleen Harrison, ? Rosalind Warner, Bernice Bennett, Delia Gaunt, Edith Etchells, Ann Magraw, Sylvia Barber, Hillary Tyson, Christine Feukes, Fourth Row. John Bradley, Neville Leigh, Peter Daniels, Melvin Gregory, Christopher Mallard, Fred Durham, Harold Rushworth, Teachers  

Mr Amail, left. Headmaster Mr Renwick.  

Many Thanks, Barbara.
P.S. I notice that my Brother in law, Bill, was in your class !  :)

Leigh Street revisited.

Here are three school photos from Leigh Street School.
I think that they were taken in the early 1960s.
They were sent in by Martin Leigh.

I loved the old school buildings - made of Accrington Brick. It's such a shame they were demolished. 
I liked the partition in the junior school that seperated classes 3 & 5 and the open fire in the first class in the infants. Does anyone remember the railings and the gate between the infant and junior school? The infant kids looked through in awe at the "big" kids.  
Great memories.






Mr Pakeman and Mr Renwick with the infant building behind..



Mr Renwick and Miss Degroote


If anyone recognises themselves, or indeed anyone else, please let us know so we can put your names on the post..

Many thanks, Martin. :)
(Thanks to Mike Brierley for help with the teachers names).

Leigh Street Infants.

A couple more photographs from Joyce Pattison here.
Leigh Street Infants circa 1965/1966.

I recognise a few old friends on these including Christine Worthington, Martin Pattison (r.i.p.) , Christine Lanigan, Susan Aris, Sandra Lee and John Hampson.

I will endeavour to list them all when I have some time (and help) !




Mrs Shaws classroom in the background.

I loved her class. She gave you sweets for reading the cards without any mistakes (probably why I learnt to read so early and easily) and there was always a little fire burning in the grate. I even remember my coat peg symbol which was an umbrella !! Aww...happy days !

Many thanks, Joyce . Great to see them again. :)

Leigh Street School photos

The following Four photos were lent to us by Joyce Pattison.
They show various classes in Leigh Street Primary School circa 1950



Front Row:
Brian Hill, Alan Chadwick, Billy Burgoine, Barry Charlesworth, Roger Andrews, David Mellor, Michael Smith, Tony Crompton, Michael Horsefield, Brian Preston.
Middle Row:
Anne Lacey, Joan Leigh, Joan Mullins, Hilary Walker, Hilda Turner, Marjorie Wilson, Cynthia Wrigley, Norma Wilkinson, Dorothy Mather, Sylvia West, Irene Taylor, Pamela Harris, Celia Bromley.
Middle Row:
Frank Crompton, Roy Bennett , Marjorie Ashworth, Amy Barlow, Davina Knowles, Valerie Holland, Maureen Mansfield, Margaret Andrew, Joyce Smith, Jay ?, Ann Hayward, Pat Bramwell, David Hood.
Back Row:
Alan Ralphs, Susan Slater, Irene Rhodes, Gillian Parry, Audrey Etchells, Brenda Warhurst, Gordon McConnell, Joan Butterworth, Barbara Austin, Ann Handforth, Hilary Bellis, Irene Berry, Colin Howarth.

Mr Renwick is the Headmaster & Miss Lee's, the Teacher. Circa 1952


Hyde United's football stand can be seen in the background.




Mr Drewitt (?) is the Teacher and Mr Renwick is the HeadMaster.

Thanks very much, Joyce :)

School days revisited.

This week we received this from Lee Brown via email.
Over to you, Lee....

"Hello Team, I thought these photos from my wife's days at Leigh Street School in the 50's, might be of interest to readers of the blog. In those days she was Judith Anne Allen, nowadays Judi Brown. She is still in touch with Judith Hazel Allen, who now lives in Ashton.

 Names that she can recall are as follows" :-

1959 - Back row L to R :  ?   ?   Denzil Grimshaw   ?  Paul Carr, David Trelford.

            Next row  ..   ..   :  ?   Trevor Armstrong, Stephen Hampson, Judith Hazel Allen, Patricia...  Dorothy Hampson,  ?  ?  ?

            Middle row   ..   :  Linda Buckley, Anne Carles, Rebecca Curran, Carol...,  Lesley Walker, ?  Pauline Hitchen,

                                          Stella Gerrard, Pamela Robinson,  ?

            Next row  ..   ..   :  Christine Hamer, Wendy Mellor,  ?   ?   Gillian...,  Judith Anne Allen, ?    ?  Susan Pedley.

            Front row ..   ..   :   ?   ?   ?  Donald Hague.

1957 - Back row  L to R :  ?   ?   ?   John Smith  ?   ?

           Next row   ..    ..  :  ?   ?   ?   Pauline Hitchen, David Trelford,  ?   Stephen Hampson,  ?   ?

           Middle row  ..  .. :   Judith Hazel Allen, Lynne Carles, Stella Goddard, Pamela Robinson, Lesley Walker, ?   ? 

                                           Rebecca  Curran,  ?   ?   ? 

           Next Row,    ..  .. :   Wendy Mellor,  ?    ? Christine Hamer,  ?   Gillian ....,  Judith Anne Allen,  ?  Helen...

           Front row    ..   ..  :    ?    ?   Donald Hague,  ?

1956 - Back row left to right: John ?  ?  ?  John Harrop,  ?  Ian Taylor, David Trelford.

           Next row   ..    ..    ..   :     ?  David Pearson, Judith Allen, ?  Lynne Chandler, Jean Alexander, ?  ?

           Middle row     ..    ..   :  Christine Hammond, ?   ?  Elaine Gordon, ?  ?   Agnes Daniels,   ?   ?

           Next row    ..   ..    ..   :     ?  Beryl New,  ?   ?   ?  Dorothy Slater,  Christine Hamer, Dorothy Hampson.

           Front row   ..   ..    ..   :     ?   ?  Nicholas Langridge, Geoffrey Andrew,  ?  

As usual, if anyone out there can help fill in the blank names please don't hesitate to get in touch with us so we can update the post !

Thanks Lee and Judi for the great photos. :)

Walter H Renwick

One of our recent emails contained this picture of Walter H. Renwick who was, for many years, a very well respected headmaster of Leigh Street School. The picture was sent to us by his grandson Robin Morgan, who was only17 when his grandfather died. 

Unfortunately, a great deal of Mr Renwicks papers and pictures from school were destroyed. He has quite a bit on other aspects of his grandfather life, but if you have pictures or other documents, or just memories of Mr Renwick, he would love to see them.  Robin says he thinks his grandfather would love the idea of being included in the Leigh Street part of our blog, as Leigh Street was very much the happiest time of his grandfathers life.

Updated with staff photo 0505/12 by Mrs Hodkinson

Mr. Renwick. Ken Sloane. Stan Drewitt. Harry Renshaw. Nev Pakeman
Front row: Sheila Hodkinson.  Pat Pakeman. Edna Sloan. Freda Degroote.

Leigh Street School 1931

Class 5
Leigh Street School 1931.




The teachers are Mrs Babbage on the left and Mrs Beard on the right.
Alice Morris is front row 2nd right (seated).

More Leigh Street School Photos...

Leigh Street Junior School - Mr Armistead is the teacher.
Looks like a sports team of some sort. Not a pair of trainers between them just "white" pumps! Happy to see more United shirts than City shirts even then :)


Leigh Street Infant school
Mrs Adams is the teacher and Mrs Woodley the headmistress on this photo.

Here is another picture from Leigh Street the year is 1976,



Back Row:-Paul Bakison, Andrew Ninnies, Richard Croft, Theo Chapman, Mark Lomax, Michael Hill.

Third Row:-Nicholas Miles, Mark Cox, Michael Griffiths, Simon Gill, James Deldulychade, Antony Spencer, Tony Mitchell.

Second Row:-Catherine Stoll, Pamela Heathcote, Ann Loyd, Susan Peploe, Tracy Walker, Heather Wilkie(RIP) Brian Hargreaves.

Front Row:-Joanne Parsons, Stacey Noden, Liza O'rielly, Jane ?, Joanne Quigley, Jane Taylor, Jennifer Dodds.

The teacher is Mrs Adams and the head is Mrs Woodley.

Thanks to Jean for the last photo :)
Please contact us if you can recognise yourself (or anyone else) as we are always happy to put a name to a face !