Burnley Grammar School/Habergham High School

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 1:39 pm

IIRC, Willy Wart (Mr Mitchell) passed away on holiday quite a few years ago (but it might have been Vic Stott). Others names to conjure with; Teapot (Pat Jennings) Dave Denson, Jack Smith, Jimmy Wheat, Sam Clack and Bernie Grime (or was he Ivy Bank?). There are a couple more who's names escape me; a young(ish) history teacher (Mr Caroll?) and a young teacher who created havoc for a year and then left for the oil rigs! I still have a tape we made in one of his lessons. Carnage!

I remember now, he was called Ricky Bennet. He once got stuck on a glacier and came into school suffering from sun stroke and frost nip! Only he could do that. Bless.

Chobulous · Post by **Chobulous** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 2:41 pm

Teachers I remember

Bernie Grime - Chemistry - saw him in Tesco a couple of years ago
"Belly" McRell - Maths and RE - also a vicar
"Taff" Hughes - French
Vic Stott - French - always sucking Polo mints
Jimmy Wheat - Geography - can't remember his real name
Renardson - chemistry - once made up some ammonia mix and made Graham taylor sniff it - put him off school for two weeks
Mel Saunders - Handy with the plimsoll if you got less than half marks in his friday tests. Called it Oscar
Sweaty Betty Jeffries - Geology
Whistling Jack Smith - Music
One guy called Chambers in my last year. Total tosser and a bully. Thought it was cool to swear in front of us because we were 6th formers. Tosser

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 2:56 pm

Jimmy Wheat was Jimmy Greaves. I think.

BigF · Post by **BigF** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 3:52 pm

It was Grieve I think.

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 10:29 pm

I did one year at the old school before moving to the new Grammar. I remember
Bill Grey, French
Jimmy Jackson, Religion. He was at old school, don't know if he moved.
Jimmy Wheat, geography. He was Mr Greaves and was called Jimmy after the footballer. His nickname wheat came from the way he pronounced 'wheat' when talking about the Canadian wheat belt.
Vic Stott, French,who was replaced by Ken 'Snez'. Brown.
There was a German teacher before Dave Denson, called Harker I think.
Tomlinson, art.
Keith Spencer, Geology.
Sam Hannah, woodwork.
TAG, maths.
A deaf English teacher called Joe something, can't remember.
Ron Parry, Saunders, Dobbin, Jones, etc.

GordonvaleClaret · Post by **GordonvaleClaret** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:03 pm

A deaf English teacher called Joe something, can't remember.

A Saturday morning detention to you for not remembering the one and only former "Victor Ludorum" Mr Joe Chaplow.

Chobulous · Post by **Chobulous** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:36 pm

Ron Parry was nicknamed the General. Used to stick his head out of a classroom door into the corridor and shout "Tongues still".
I got caned once for skiving Saturday morning detention. Nobby Stokes wielded the cane and Parnaby (deputy head and history teacher) was there as a witness. 3 massive bruises across the arse cheeks.

TVC15 · Post by **TVC15** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 1:21 pm

fondly remember them finishing runners up behind Teds at every sport for all the years I went to Teds.

They had decent players though - just not as good as us !!

basil6345789 · Post by **basil6345789** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 1:51 pm

Peardrop has to be the best nickname - a pearler!

Siddo · Post by **Siddo** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 2:00 pm

TVC15 wrote:fondly remember them finishing runners up behind Teds at every sport for all the years I went to Teds.

They had decent players though - just not as good as us !!

We played you twice per year so 10 games in all and we won every game. Also used to trounce you in the athletics tournaments!

You had one or two decent players but only Tommy Coyle stood out.

TVC15 · Post by **TVC15** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 2:15 pm

I'm taking that was a different era to me - I was there 78 to 85 and we never lost a game to any school from Burnley.

Infact we must have only lost less than a handful of games in the first 5 years before 6th form to any team we played in Lancashire.

I do remember the year below me not reaching the Keighley cup final though - we nearly got a visit from the Pope for that !! We had won the cup for many years in a row but to not even reach the final was akin to setting fire to the Vatican !

Ptangyangkipperbang · Post by **Ptangyangkipperbang** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 4:52 pm

I was there from 78 till 81 anyone remember Arthur the history teacher?

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 6:21 pm

lagerbilly wrote:76-79 for me. I hated Saunders!

63-70 for me and I had no time for the distasteful Saunders either

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:27 pm

Distasteful, that's a diplomatic way of putting it. Well done!

LeadBelly · Post by **LeadBelly** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:38 pm

On a previous thread last year there was a lot of negative stuff about Mel Saunders. I was there 61-68, didnt have any issues with him. He was OK when he took sport; he wasn't a great maths teacher (seemed to be learning as he went) but maths was my strong suit so never got into any aggro with him. Maybe he got more stroppy in later years, he was pretty newly qualified in my years I think.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:40 pm

BennyD wrote:Distasteful, that's a diplomatic way of putting it. Well done!

I'm known for my diplomacy

and in any case, the words I wanted to use are not permitted on this board.

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:52 pm

I know; stupid swear filter.

Chobulous · Post by **Chobulous** » Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:39 am

He was an outright bully, especially with the younger boys. Anyone who regularly dished out a whack on the arse with an old plimsoll just for failing a weekly maths test to me is a bully

Man of Kent · Post by **Man of Kent** » Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:18 pm

Violence from the teachers was a common feature at BGS. Most of the time, we fully deserved it because the school boasted some highly-educated and intelligent miscreants and insurgents who misbehaved just as much as those from the comprehensives. I think we merited the violence most of the time. Never did me any harm and we always respected those teachers who were quick to use the cane, strap, plimsoll or giant board ruler. Pacifist teachers were very quickly broken if they showed any weakness or reluctance to resort to physical retribution on the bad kids. A regular dealer of corporal punishment, sometimes with his fists, was a bloke called Clayton and you messed with him at your peril.

basil6345789 · Post by **basil6345789** » Thu Dec 01, 2016 12:47 pm

Trumpet - Bozman coming up for Coach & Horses Soul Neet, 3 Dec. Please tell any of the lads who 'd want a meet-up.

draxus · Post by **draxus** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:50 am

I was there '62 to '69, I remember most of the teachers in these postings. The one about Mel Saunders and his plimsoll called Oscar in particular, he used to write Oscar on the sole in chalk before he hit you with it so everybody knew when you'd been 'Oscared". Orrie Oldford? Spanish and French teacher was handy with a plimsoll too, he used to make you bend over with your head under the window bottom over hang then take a run at you so that when you jerked upwards from the hit you banged your head on it, a double whammy. He used to hand out lines in the form of the 'forwards' from the front of the french text book, there were 4 or 5 pages. My name's Dave Town, he would say "Town, take 5 forwards", that was a lot of writing for 1 night. I joined all the extra curricular joint clubs with the Girls High School just over the playing fields, Drama Society, Debating Society and Dance club. It meant me and a few mates gained access to the young ladies at lunch times and after school, amazing days.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:53 am

I don't remember Oldford at all. Never took Spanish though and French teacher I had was Vic Stott.

draxus · Post by **draxus** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 8:04 am

My French teacher was Ken Brown who was ok, then I got Orrie in my 3rd year, speaking of sadists, he was!!

draxus · Post by **draxus** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 8:06 am

btw, I was born directly across the road from the main entrance to Turf Moor. UTC

draxus · Post by **draxus** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 8:16 am

Frank Bartram or 'Mole" was in my class and year till I was demoted from the 'A' stream to 'B'

Caernarfon_Claret · Post by **Caernarfon_Claret** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 8:30 am

KeighleyClaret wrote:Wrong orifice Basil. I became a Gynaecologist.

Were you a consultant on the 2007 film "Teeth" ?

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:02 am

draxus wrote:Frank Bartram or 'Mole" was in my class and year till I was demoted from the 'A' stream to 'B'

Fortunately, I suffered the same fate. It did me no harm.

iluva64 · Post by **iluva64** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:11 am

Vic Stott and was it Jack Smith (music teacher) used to drink in the General Williams up Manchester Road. I saw them a lot as twice a week I served petrol at Rosehill Garage across the road. Later I worked with Vic Stott's wife at an old peoples home during breaks from Uni. She was a lovely lady, had a beautiful manor about her, a proper English rose. I bet she would have been a real stunner in her youth.

How the hell Vic managed to land her I'll never know. I wasn't very good at French and hated his course work. I think I managed all of 3% in one of his end of year tests.

Woodleyclaret · Post by **Woodleyclaret** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:14 am

I did some supply work at the end of Haberghams life in the dark days of BFS.
Some of the part time Burnley fans couldn't accept my belief that BFC was heading up to the Premier league
As we know Burnley is full of doom merchants .
It's a shame some fools decided amalgamation was a good idea
At that time Gawthorpe High had to shut early for Summer as some of the kids decided as it was closing that year and getting demolished they'd make an early start,making the school unsafe.

Lord Beamish · Post by **Lord Beamish** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:25 am

iluva64 wrote:"Later I worked with Vic Stott's wife at an old peoples home during breaks from Uni. She was a lovely lady, had a beautiful manor about her"

Nice house, was it?

CrispyClaret · Post by **CrispyClaret** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:38 am

The flying saucer house of the future was bought after it had appeared in Blue Peter. Crap design for a house and a lousy common room.
The only teachers I look back on fondly were Stan Clayton, Bernie Grime, Biol Bill and Ron Parry. The latter partly because I had a crush on his daughter.
Caroll I wouldn't have p!ssed on if was on fire. Remember serving him once, probably buying batteries or film. "Why have you not been at school recently?" "Probably because I am 20 and left 2 years ago" muppet.
Other happy memories, Phil Bird chasing after me for cropping his shins too many times during our lunchtime footy.
Can't believe it's been 37 years

iluva64 · Post by **iluva64** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:04 am

It was the best common room ever.......totally unique

Fav teacher - Mr Longsdale - art,
along with the flying saucer pointed me down the long road to architecture.

deanothedino · Post by **deanothedino** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:14 am

Woodleyclaret wrote:I did some supply work at the end of Haberghams life in the dark days of BFS.
Some of the part time Burnley fans couldn't accept my belief that BFC was heading up to the Premier league
As we know Burnley is full of doom merchants .
It's a shame some fools decided amalgamation was a good idea
At that time Gawthorpe High had to shut early for Summer as some of the kids decided as it was closing that year and getting demolished they'd make an early start,making the school unsafe.

What subject did you teach? I was at Habergham in its final years.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:19 am

The flying saucer was after my time. As for Ron Parry, found him very distasteful.

BigF · Post by **BigF** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:21 am

Wasn't the teacher "Olford" mentioned earlier really called Halford?

BGS were great days, even if you had to work/study hard.

BigF · Post by **BigF** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:22 am

Also there were two teachers names Saunders. Mel, who taught maths and Mick who taught English.

I never had any hassle with either of them.

BigF · Post by **BigF** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:22 am

Also there were two teachers names Saunders. Mel, who taught maths and Mick who taught English.

I never had any hassle with either of them.

Darthlaw · Post by **Darthlaw** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:35 am

I was at Habergham in the mid 90's and fell out with Mel, fine style. He threw a board rubber at me and didn't appreciate me catching it and throwing it back. The resulting argument was possibly my finest show of insubordination in my school career, where I had finally snapped from his months of bullying not only me but other members of the class.

My Dad was summoned to a meeting at which point he gave Saunders a taste of his own medicine by sitting on the desk, approximately a foot higher than Mel (who had asked him to sit in a child's seat), asking why he thought it appropriate to bully children and more seriously throw objects at them, particularly as corporal punishment had been outlawed a decade earlier. Mel didn't have an answer and we walked away from the meeting leaving him stumped, with a nice threat of police action if he did it again.

Needless to say I was never 'bothered' by him again, other than at the end of term where he made a quip about me playing for the school cricket team with my catching ability.

The recent film 'whiplash' with the bullying jazz instructor brought back memories of Mel. I've no doubt his 'style' of teaching would produce results and drive certain students on to better themselves. Regardless, he was a man bullying children and doing it for decades.

I just hope karma see's/saw the odious swine right.

In nicer memories, I thoroughly enjoyed being taught by David Clayton, Terry Neville and Steven Glover amongst others. Also enjoyed a few 'friendly' battles with Alison White, Dave Smith and an RE teacher, who's name escapes me over the years too.

LeadBelly · Post by **LeadBelly** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:38 am

I was there 61-68. I got a good education and subsequently decent degree & good jobs. I didnt greatly enjoy it until I got to the 6th form (where I did 3 years, having done the "alpha stream").
I didnt particularly like or dislike any of the teachers although some were much better than others re being good at imparting knowledge/being able to control the lads.
I always liked the sport- barring those days you had to do cross-country. Ive always enjoyed doing plenty of running around football/rugby/cricket pitches but just jogging about paths/canal banks/fields in the rain has nil appeal.

I've still got a couple of those annual photos where all the school's boys were arranged in a line/arc and a long photo produced that was scrolled up in a tube. I barely recognise myself on these, let alone anybody else.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:41 am

BigF wrote:Also there were two teachers names Saunders. Mel, who taught maths and Mick who taught English.

I never had any hassle with either of them.

Mick Saunders was fine

Brunlea · Post by **Brunlea** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:27 pm

There from 69-74. Best days and sometimes worst days of my life. Cannot believe no one has mentioned 'Hoss Cartwright' probably one of the nicest blokes but definitely the most terrorised teacher in the school!

BigF · Post by **BigF** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:52 pm

Some teachers I've not noticed mentioned so far from my days there, (1962-69) were Noel 'Nobby' Stokes - the head, Sid Carter - deputy, Mr Harrison 'lol', (his nickname not the silly present day thing), maths teacher, Mr Halsall - science, Ken Brown - French, David Clayton - History, Mr Dobson - English, Mr Turner - PE, Ken Spencer - Geography, Mr Bennett - Art, Mr Mitchell - English,
There were many more,including a very tall, slim Physics teacher, whose name I can't remember.

Down_Rover · Post by **Down_Rover** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:56 pm

I was there 68-74.

One of my Maths teachers, Brian Pomfrett, got married a few years after I left. For a honeymoon he and his wife took a round the world trip. They ran out of money in NZ and Brian took a job in a school in Matamata , population 8000.
Had he been there a year earlier he would have taught my future wife who was born and brought up in that town. He did teach a few of her cousins, and is still fondly remembered in Matamata

Small world eh?

Lord Beamish · Post by **Lord Beamish** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 2:42 pm

Darthlaw wrote:I was at Habergham in the mid 90's and fell out with Mel, fine style. He threw a board rubber at me and didn't appreciate me catching it and throwing it back. The resulting argument was possibly my finest show of insubordination in my school career, where I had finally snapped from his months of bullying not only me but other members of the class.

My Dad was summoned to a meeting at which point he gave Saunders a taste of his own medicine by sitting on the desk, approximately a foot higher than Mel (who had asked him to sit in a child's seat), asking why he thought it appropriate to bully children and more seriously throw objects at them, particularly as corporal punishment had been outlawed a decade earlier. Mel didn't have an answer and we walked away from the meeting leaving him stumped, with a nice threat of police action if he did it again.

Needless to say I was never 'bothered' by him again, other than at the end of term where he made a quip about me playing for the school cricket team with my catching ability.

The recent film 'whiplash' with the bullying jazz instructor brought back memories of Mel. I've no doubt his 'style' of teaching would produce results and drive certain students on to better themselves. Regardless, he was a man bullying children and doing it for decades.

I just hope karma see's/saw the odious swine right.

In nicer memories, I thoroughly enjoyed being taught by David Clayton, Terry Neville and Steven Glover amongst others. Also enjoyed a few 'friendly' battles with Alison White, Dave Smith and an RE teacher, who's name escapes me over the years too.

My elder brother had a similar run in with Mel Saunders in the mid-Eighties. Mel threw a board rubber at the person sat next to him; he missed and hit my brother, who swore quite profusely at him. He was sent to the headmaster's office for this and our parents were duly called.
Pa Beamish, upon hearing the story about the board rubber, steadfastly refused to coerce an apology from my brother unless one was forthcoming from Mr Saunders. A mumbled apology was proffered from both sides and my brother's attendance was restored.

Was the RE Teacher Peter Ellson?

Darthlaw · Post by **Darthlaw** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 2:44 pm

Twas a lady, Beamish. Mrs Mason springs to mind but I'm not sure.

One hell of a belting voice if you got on the wrong side of her though.

FCBurnley · Post by **FCBurnley** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 3:11 pm

BigF wrote:"Ball bow" ....was that a new name?? The only reason I appeared over the hoardings was because I stood on what is now the front wall of the CFS. You have a good memory Tony.

Were you a ball boy behind CFS during infamous 5-1 thrashing of Leeds ?

Down_Rover · Post by **Down_Rover** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 3:12 pm

Darthlaw wrote:Twas a lady, Beamish. Mrs Mason springs to mind but I'm not sure.

One hell of a belting voice if you got on the wrong side of her though.

Did she supervise the showers in Ron Parry fashion?

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 3:13 pm

BigF wrote:Some teachers I've not noticed mentioned so far from my days there, (1962-69) were Noel 'Nobby' Stokes - the head, Sid Carter - deputy, Mr Harrison 'lol', (his nickname not the silly present day thing), maths teacher, Mr Halsall - science, Ken Brown - French, David Clayton - History, Mr Dobson - English, Mr Turner - PE, Ken Spencer - Geography, Mr Bennett - Art, Mr Mitchell - English,
There were many more,including a very tall, slim Physics teacher, whose name I can't remember.

The physics teacher was Long John - real name Johnson - who used to linger on the letter s so was often referred to as Johnsssssson

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 3:15 pm

Lord Beamish wrote:My elder brother had a similar run in with Mel Saunders in the mid-Eighties. Mel threw a board rubber at the person sat next to him; he missed and hit my brother, who swore quite profusely at him. He was sent to the headmaster's office for this and our parents were duly called.
Pa Beamish, upon hearing the story about the board rubber, steadfastly refused to coerce an apology from my brother unless one was forthcoming from Mr Saunders. A mumbled apology was proffered from both sides and my brother's attendance was restored.

Was the RE Teacher Peter Ellson?

No surprise there on Saunders chucking things at pupils and hitting the wrong one.

The RE teacher was Phil Elson.

Lord Beamish · Post by **Lord Beamish** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 3:29 pm

ClaretTony wrote:No surprise there on Saunders chucking things at pupils and hitting the wrong one.

The RE teacher was Phil Elson.

Of course it was.