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 :)

 

News article from 1967

Just thought I'd share this little snippet that I found in some old papers I am sorting through.

  Are any of you culprits out there ? :)

Memories from Hallbottom Street

 By David Hamilton

I've attached some photos of my early years in Hallbottom Street.

We lived at number 37, long before the houses were built on the other side of the road. In fact our front window overlooked Dad's allotment where he kept poultry, and there was a small part of the reservoir fenced off for his ducks.
Also from our house we could see Newton Mill, and I always knew when it was getting near Christmas when the tree went up on the office roof with lights on it.
 
There were several other youngsters in the street, all around the same age, always someone to play out with !
We used to play on the allotment, and also on the tip, (can you imagine that now !) At the bottom of the street, I think that it hassince been grassed over and turned into a recreational area.

I went to St. Mary's Sunday School on Garden Street, and just behind that, number 45 Clarence Street was Marshall's shop. I was always going there on an errand for somebody or other.

Happy days !





At  front door with Grandma

 
Back Yard 

 
 Back Garden - Whitsun !

 
Backyard Sherriff and Deputy

 
Feeding dad's poultry 

 
Picnic at no.33 

 
There wasn't much traffic then. 



37, Hallbottom St


45 Clarence St - formerly Marshall's shop

Great photos and happy memories, David !
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.

It's a Beautiful Day !

Here are a few photos I took today when I had a walk over Werneth Low.

We are so lucky to have this beautiful spot on our doorstep !

It's a long walk up there .....
...But all worth it for the best seat in the house !


The views are stunning... 
Looking over to Hattersley and Mottram !

  
It's much easier walking down!

Re: David Hamilton's "Bennett Street Memories

Thanks to Tony Downend for the following account...

Since my Mother's now turned 90 she doesn't travel much anymore but on her last visit in  2010 (she living in Poulton-le-Fylde for  25 years or more) she stayed, as usual, at my place for the week.  On one of the days I took her down yet another 'memory lane'  to Newton this time, to a house she'd not seen the inside of since 1950.  It was number 137 Bennett Street [across the way from David's 138].

I'd fortuitously stopped the car outside 137 some months prior as to take some photographs when a kindly lady had come out of the front door. I told her the tale and so was invited in. She allowed me to take some pics whilst in there my concentrating on the things I though would not have changed much. All the pics going onto a laptop for viewing by Mother on my next trip to Poulton. The marble fireplace and well fashioned staircase caused her some thinking my purposely not showing her the outside views or anything like until the very end. 

Months on, and now on her visit we drove past 137 and again the same lady had come out of the front door. It was an opportunity not to be missed. Mother was invited in. I deciding to take a walk around and about with thoughts of my own. She now saw the marble fireplace and well fashioned staircase and the cup of tea is still treasured and remembered. I thanking again the kindly owner and her welcoming Mother in to see all those years apart. 

One Three Seven is the first house I ever lived in, the one my grandparents had bought in the late 30's, the family, aunt and uncle, all having moved, as Mother tells, from the spooky candle lit, hidden passageway and yes haunted and now demolished Dukinfield Old Hall, Globe Lane.

Being in a pram at the time I cannot  remember the inside 137 although I would have still passed it on many occasions a little later, a little older as our move from grandparents was not so far away, to what was then known as the ' modern prefabs'...halcyon days with big gardens with privet 'kid gaps' hedges and an exiting tip with drum paint and  tin-lid shields and slim round bars for swords...a number of 50's pics  of these times, all which  my father took, have kindly already been posted on the Blog.

My distant memory has now again been recently jolted  by David's own well documented  memories of 138, my reading things in their I'd 'well forgotten'.  Like "Eleanor's Shop" close to the red bridge, a tiny mixed business and I can now just see her, "Eleanor" herself again quizzing me over "mother's" poorly (as I write now) hand written note asking for permission for a box of matches!  The hardware shop on other side (red bridge) in my day sold, I think, wallpaper and the likes; my father having rented a garage round the back of it.  A  Morris 8 van, one repainted green which he converted with new side-rear windows and a bus seat in the back of it, a 'shooting brake' they called it'; going to Devon with five in it was like going to the Moon.

Thanks very much, Tony :)

Oakfield Primary School 1963

The following photo and information was sent to us 
by David Hamilton.

"This photo was taken at Oakfield Primary School,  
Christmas 1963.
The children were performing fairy tales for the parents. The one that I was in was Sleeping Beauty, and the other was Hansel and Gretel, as you can tell by some of the costumes.
I am standing at the back, far right, and on the front row 3rd from the left is Graeme Green.
 
I wonder how many others can be named ?"

 
Very cute indeed !

Many thanks, David :)

Greenfield Secondary School 1953

 The following was sent to us by Colin Ridgway.



As the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II  approaches I thought it most appropriate to look up a school photograph taken in the Spring of 1953 of Form 4R at Greenfield Street Secondary Modern School.
As I recall, all the Hyde schools had class photographs taken to commemorate the Coronation.
The country was still recovering from World War II and the Coronation was to be a big event, to be held as a great morale booster for all. So, perhaps the enclosed photo may serve as a reminder of this momentous event.
I have appended a list name of the pupils on the photo; however, after 60 years I cannot recall everyones name !
Hopefully many thereon are "still around" and can remember this happy time in our lives.




Back Row
Jack Fitton, ?, Clarence Hulme, Peter Ridgway (no relation!) Keith Brookes

Middle Row
John Shaw, ?,  Michael Lees, Me (Colin Ridgway) , John Saville, Melvin Jones, ?, Tony Hunt, Teacher ?

Front Row
John Bateman, George Swindells, Keith Rider, Ian Stone, Jimmy Foden, Joe Wilde, ?

Seated
Neville Hulme, George Robinson.

Many thanks for your time and trouble, Colin.
Much appreciated :)

Temperance Seven and the White Hart

Here are some more photos taken by Tony Downend's Father.

Over to Tony....

"This time it's one of Newton's own, I discovering this local fact much later.
A young Cephos Howard of Temperance Seven fame and son of the landlord of the once White Hart Pub on Old Road.  
Also, there are a few pics, indeed a study,  a good insight into just how much things and we have changed is gained by simply looking at the faces of the early 1950's, our grandparents, our heritage and how we once were.  

God Bless them All".

 Cephos Howard



 Cephos Howard Jnr



The Howard Family

Harry Smith and his Wife

 The following are unknown locals of the White Hart on Old Road




 
 Off to powder his nose :)

Mr and Mrs John Travis




Many thanks again,Tony.
Wonderful photos. very evocative of the age. :)

Thank You :)

Yesterday saw the views of the Blog go past the 500,000 Mark !!

Many thanks to our readers for making this possible and here's to the next 500,000!

 

The Irish Rising of 1841

 The following article can be found in the 

Annals of Hyde and District 

by Thomas Middleton

 

Captain Hyde John Clarke RN JP

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. :)

Memories of Greenfield Street School

Hello ex-Greeny-ites,

I have put together a list of teachers and pupils in my class in 1959.  
A big part of a lifetime ago...
Bill Lancashire, who previously made some comments, helped with some of the names.

 

The teachers over our 4 year period were as follows....

---BIRCH---BRODERICK--HARTLEY---HALLSWORTH---HORROCKS---JONES---FENTON---HOUSE---MELLOR---WAINWRIGHT---WHITTAKER---AND A LADY WE CANT REMEMBER WHO WE HAD FOR RELIGIOUS INDOCTRINATION. I had the feeling Brodders was keen on her !!

Classmates were as follows....

 ----ATKINSON---BALL---BUCKLEY---BELL---BOWKER---(MYSELF) MAX COLLINS---CROMPTON---COOPER---DEELEY ---DEWSNAP---DUFFY---EDWARDS---ELISS---FARRELL---FARQHUAR---FRY---HADLEY---BILL LANCASHIRE---LEWIS---MORRIS---NASH---NEEDHAM---ROBOTTOM---SCHOFIELD---SMITH---STONE---THOROGOOD---TINKER---TOON--- WILSON. ---PROCTOR---GARSIDE.

Those who no longer with us include RUSSELL COOPER---BRIAN LEWIS-- -BILLY MORRIS --- PAUL FARQHUAR.

Russell was crazy about Chemistry.. He had a fantastic lab at home. He was always mucking about creating explosives and nearly blew his mother up !!.
Billy Morris I remember having a bad time after getting a dart in his eye.
Paul I remember as being a bit withdrawn.
I can't remember Brian Lewis Unfortunately.


Several remarks have been made about the amount of floggings by some of the teachers . All I know is I am sure I was flogged more than anyone else in the class. Some memories are still very vivid .
I got the pump off Birchy one day and as I went back to my desk he farted.. This was probably due to getting over excited whilst flogging . He tried to cover it up by saying that Max Collins had done a trump when he had the pump too Which I replied "No Sir, it was you" Which got me six more but this time he didn't fart.. :)

I took a heap of Love Heart sweets into Beaky Mellors class once. Most of them got crunched up all over the lab floor. The next lesson was Tech Drawing and there was a rapid appearance by Beaky in the classroom. ..He wanted whoever had made the mess or he would flog the whole class . So, John Nash and me stood up and got six of the best.  It was the hardest I have ever been caned and couldn't hold a pencil afterwards.
I never had any swastikas on my arse from Houseys pump though..   It was christened James size 11 !!

Another memory was with Peter Toon and myself  being stopped from bringing in conkers to school and selling them  They made too much mess in the playground apparently..
If anyone knows the whereabouts of Peter Toon, please contact the blog as I would like to know.

Whatever we got in corporal punishment I think was balanced by the fact that without any doubt the majority were very good teachers.

Some of you must have some recollections of Greeny. get them posted before we become no more than history - Time is getting short !!

 

I bumped into Baz Wainwright about seven years after leaving school and apparently he was of the opinion that we were an outstanding class.. My thanks to you, Brodders if you are still with us for what I was given by you regarding English.. Bill seems to have the same feelings for this too..

So, I'm hoping that a few others might post remarks - Who knows, maybe sometime in the future a few of us might have a pint together - The one with the most wrinkles pays ;)  !!
It'll probably be me. .

Bye for now.

Regards,
Max Collins

(Corrections to any of this invited).

Many thanks, Max, for taking the time and trouble to send these great memories in to us. :)