Teaching legends

[Tonyp]

Hi everyone

with the passing of the great Marty hall R.I.P I think it would be nice to hear stories from other great teachers who educated the people from bedlington with affection & fondness. I'll name a few Mrs Grey the Oval Mr Curruthers & Matty of coarse Whitley memorial,Westridge Mr Douglas & Mr Cook & the few years at Bedlington high the wonderful miss Ramshaw. Scatty but very nice..I'm sure lots of you have lots of stories to tell.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

As my aim throught my school life was to escape into the world where you could have adventures and all the teaching staff wanted me to absorb information that would enable me to fill in exam papers with ligitimte information I can only think of one that, at that time of my life, wasmy hero - Mr Holland, Dutchy, the games teacher at the grammar school. Dutchy let me run free in the real world. Cross country was majic even though John Ross (from Guidepost) always got past me and finished first. The run - turn left out of the school gates and down to the road under the black bridge and up to the Bank Top and left down the Furnace bank. Over the white bridge and turn left along the river on the Bebside side and back along to the black bridge - under the bridge and climb up the bank to join the blue bridge over the A189 back into Bedlington land. Turn left running between St Jons estate and the Palace estate up to the Wallaw cinema and left down Palace road back to school. No teacher following you on any part of the run, just running free with ones own thoughts ☺️.   I escaped the teaching staff on a numer of occasions to visit the outside world eg. 1963 (or was it 1964) to see Morpeth flooded - LIVE - not some past event documented by someone who wasn't there to see the event! Naturally the strap was delivered across rhe rear end on a number of occasions and normally if I had missed an adventure at school Dutchy would ask me, descretely - good day out yesterday?

 

[Tonyp]

alan I'm going to reply to your comments on this subject another day as I've had a few too many I started this topic in good faith BUT I can tell you are hammer school educated by your comments

[Tonyp]

Meant grammar lol

[Tonyp]

Don't need documents to enjoy history just memories to share

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Tony,it's too late at neet for me to start.....but aal be back....get ya coffee ready.....and a sleeping bag......!!!!!!

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

7 hours ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Tony,it's too late at neet for me to start.....but aal be back....get ya coffee ready.....and a sleeping bag......!!!!!!

 

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

REET! AAM BACK!Heh heh..it's funny hoo when we were little,we didn't like school...it was a waste of gud playing-doon-thi-woods...time!

Noo,as we near thi end of wor stay on this planet,[whey sum o' us...i.e.!],we tend ti luk bak wi fondness at wa skyuul-time!

Aa started thi  Village Infant's School,[noo a block of ugly flats!],opposite St Cuthbert's Church,in 1949,and can remember me forst days,playing wi coloured Plasticene,and bonny -coloured shiny cardboard round "Counters"...as they were caaled.Mrs Smith was my forst teacher,a luvly gentle woman,who eventually gave up on tryin' ti mek me learn ti write wi me right hand,cos a just adamantly refused,and kept puttin' thi pencil bak inti me left hand![..and aam still a cowie-hander..!]..then a remember thi Headmistress,Mrs Oliver,and she was also a lovely quiet woman who never needed to raise her voice.

Then came thi Whitley...!

For me and me 10-yeor-younger babby sister,we had the benefit of wor aader Brother and Sisters' experience and forwarnings aboot different teachers at the Whitley.

A vividly remember me aadest Sister,now deceased,R.I.P. Wor June..telling me aboot  Mrs Pallister,thi Dragon..!She terrified me wi tales of Mrs Pallister shouting at thi class....whey it came ti pass,that in the year of me gaaning inti "Standard ?..[1.2.3or4..?],on thi forst mornin',aal thi kids were taakin' excitedley,and lood..as kids dae...when thi door oppened..and this huge woman was standin' theor...arms folded...icy stare ...lukkin' aroond at ivrybody,cos some kids hadn't seen her cum in....

"SIT UP....AND SHUT UP...."! were her forst words..loud..and a mean...LOUD!

The whole class sat bolt upright..and yi cud hear ya aan heart beatin'.

"I'm Mrs Pallister"...[LAAANG space...!]..then....."Paddy whack thi drumstick to you lot"...she said in a quieter laughin' tone of voice..as she wagged her finger at the whole class......

Whey , thi whole class fell apart laughing,and she joined in the fun wi us aal....!

THAT!..was thi best,and most memorable teacher-introduction I ever experienced throughout my schyuul life!

She was a lovely teacher,built like Peggy Mount,for those who can remember the "LARKINS"..,and could,and did,occasionally raise her voice,but only to those kids who needed chastising.Overall,it's fair ti say thi class loved her..cos she was so funny wi us aal.

On ti Mrs Maize,again,luvly quiet pleasant teacher,who was gaan wi Mr Dodds,a very stern strict teacher who had us aal scared withoot saying owt!..but he was a gud teacher..strapped ya hands for taakin' in class..[shudn't hae taaked in class ...me Mother sed....!]

Mr Doddsy,and Mrs Maize used ti waak aroond thi playgrund haadin hands,and aal thi kids used ti gang up and follow them aroond singin'..."Maizy dotes on Quaker Oats,and Semolina Puddin'"...and aav got a vivid picture in me heed of Mrs Maize turnin' roond and lukkin' at us wi a luvly smile on her face!...she tuk it in fun,but Doddsy didn't,and a aalwis wondered why he didn't hae us aal up for strappin' after playtime was owa,lukkin' back,he probably didn't want ti show her he's bad side!!

He suffered aaful wi Malaria attacks,caught when he was in the middle or far east in the army during the war..we were told at thi time.

Mrs Molden...!...IVRYBODY knew Mrs Molden.."aad moldy cheese" the kids caaled her..my genuine apologies for any distress caused by these comments,but this is a true account of my schooldays at the Whitley!

I was aboot 8 yrs old,quietly singin' ti mesell',daeing me lesson wi me heed doon in me book...writing,when she howked me oot in front of 40-odd pupils in wor class.

"Hand out ,Allison.."[brandishing the strap..]..."What for Miss?....what have I done?"...."What have you done..?"..[shrieking!].."Talking in class,Boy.."

"But I wasn't talking Miss.." [I pleaded..]..."Then what WERE you doing..pray...?"..[sarcastically..].."Singing..Miss"..

"Oh!..singing?!"....[sarcastically...again!].."Come on then,sing us a solo.."..[noo aam shaking like a leaf wi fear,cos a didn't knaa wat a solo was..!]

Aam standing silent.."..and what were you singing,Boy..?"..."Will the Angels play their harps for me..Miss" [an aad 1920's? shellac record oot wor aad gramophone!]

"And do you think the Angels WILL play their harps for you?..."..[more sarcasm...taunting me in front of the whole class..psychologically disturbing..],.."No Miss".."Then sit down Boy,and no more singing..!"...[Phew..nae strap,at least,but het under thi collar!]

It was a real change ti hae Mr Davidson next,he was a real soft gentleman,went oot o' he's way ti show us aal sorts of crafts,growing cress,daffs,in bowls on the windaesill,mekking xmas santy's wi papier mache owa a milk bottle,tellin' stories endlessly,aboot he's wartime duty in Egypt,Moont Everest,climbing up thi Pyramids...endless!!

We were aal sad ti leave he's class!

"Please Sir,show us how to wiggle your ears"...middle of Maths..Mr Bebbington!!..chaak doon..Ear-wiggling lesson starts...just like that!...HE was great!

THEN came Mr Matty Hall..Gud lukking kid...luvly singer...strong as an ox..arms like Garth!Great teacher,but taak in class..and boy..he's blackboard ruler had a lood voice when it spoke!..a think the lang split in thi ruler med it worse..it's a wonder aal thi lads didn't grow up wi high sqeaky voices,cos the force of the ruler banged your front onti the desk yi were bent owa,and med yi pain atween ya legs for a lang time!

Keep your nose clean,and he was the best teacher yi could wish for!

We aal knaa aboot aad Nicky,the heedmaster,so aal gaa stryght up ti Westridge...it'd be unfair ti class one teacher against another,cos ti me,they were aal gud teachers,some stood oot for their characters more than others maybe,like Wor Danny Douglas,Mr Abrahart,Mr Freeman,but other quieter teachers like Mr Johnson.[who was my after-hours  electronics Mentor/Marra..till I left shool],Mr Epsley,Metalwork/tech.drawing,Miss Nicholson,luvly lass..music teacher,Miss Short..again,luvly P.E teacher,Miss Thew..luvly...but cross her by taaking in class...like aa did...WHACK..!..her flat hand hard as hell stryght onti me ear..wonder it didn't bust me eardrum!..

Mr Marley,English teacher....VERY strict,but equally sociable at times. Mr Hemming,best Headmaster aa ever had..taught us aal aboot thi weather patterns ,and hoo they are formed,it was he who spurred me on ti hae an interest in Meteorology..ti this day!

Aam having trouble noo...! a remember other teacher's faces,but canna put names or positions,to them!..a must be gettin' aad!

Tony,are you awake ,are you awake..sonna lamantero....heh heh!!

A telt ye ti fetch a sleeping bag...hope aav jogged a memory or two for somebody!

Cheers!

Edited February 12, 2019 by HIGH PIT WILMA
correction to spelling

[Canny lass]

10 hours ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

"Please Sir,show us how to wiggle your ears"...middle of Maths..Mr Bebbington!!..chaak doon..Ear-wiggling lesson starts...just like that!...HE was great!

Did mr. Bebbington teach maths as well? I only ever knew him as a Biologi teacher (at Westridge).

 

10 hours ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

aal gaa stryght up ti Westridge...it'd be unfair ti class one teacher against another,cos ti me,they were aal gud teachers,some stood oot for their characters more than others maybe,like Wor Danny Douglas,Mr Abrahart,Mr Freeman,but other quieter teachers like Mr Johnson.[who was my after-hours  electronics Mentor/Marra..till I left shool],Mr Epsley,Metalwork/tech.drawing,Miss Nicholson,luvly lass..music teacher,Miss Short..again,luvly P.E teacher,Miss Thew..luvly...but cross her by taaking in class...like aa did...WHACK..!..her flat hand hard as hell stryght onti me ear..wonder it didn't bust me eardrum!..

Talking in class seems to have been a particular sin during our time in school! Your lovely Mr. Johnson admonished me often for it. His strategy was to punish the offender by making the punishment fit the crime and I have, on more than one occasion, been told to write two pages on the subject of 'loquacity' or 'verbosity'. Now, it's not often I'm lost for words but that's not an easy task for a 12-13 year old. It may well have been the start of my love affair with dictionaries.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Heh heh!Canny Lass,a was aboot 12 yeors aad when Miss Thew clapped me ear from behind..and a nivvor saw her coming,so a got a gliff,for a start,and then a saw stars cos it wasn't just a "wee clip roond the ears"...it was a full on flat hand owa me ear..and it's a wonder she didn't burst me eardrum..it was a stupid thing ti dae,a wud rather have had a cane owa me hands,or Danny's sandshoe owa me bare hintend...whey not aal bare..but bare legs wi thin p.e. shorts on!

But it larned me nivvor ti taak in class ivvor again!

Noo if AA had ti write aboot ...Loquiracity...ner...loquakity....anywheh!...a wud still be theor yit!!!

Aye,Mr Bebbington took maths at the Whitley ..he was a great teacher!