A wonderful man Thank you for taking the time to write this piece. Maurice was an adopted Uncle to me. He is greatly missed. He shares a birthday with my youngest son. I will always remember him fondly.
A few whacks I was there until 1964. During my time I was whacked with a dog lead for pillow fighting, a slipper for being on the top field after dark and a cricket stump for talking at breakfast before grace. One master, who was generally a nice guy, had a walking stick he had cut from a branch. He would, when we had wound him up, walk between the rows of desks, swinging his stick, randomly hitting some of the pupils. If it caught you, it hurt. Other weapons I was aware of were: a knotted piece of rope, a piece of dowling, a cane, and a piece of rubber tubing from a Bunsen burner. Many of the senior boys lived in fear of 'Spud' Bartlett although I didn't know anyone who had been whacked by him. I remember the old punishment book displayed in a glass case in the library. It recorded punishments dealt out in earlier times. One of the offences was running away from the school. The punishment was usually, "birched in the presence of the whole school." I think I got away lightly.
A whack or two I was slippered (two strokes) by Doc Holliday for talking after lights out in Founders. We always talked for a bit after lights out, but this time it was really late for 3rd formers, pushing midnight. I though it was reasonable at the time. I also took two strokes off Mr Tustin. However, we had a sport: In the lessons of a particular teacher, who I think it would be better to remain nameless, we would often bate the poor teacher until at some point he gave someone the slipper. On two or three occasions i was the one to get the slipper. There was some kudos for being the one to push him to breaking point. How cruel we were.
As for Noote, by the time I was in Heath in the Vi lower perhaps he had given up his bat, as I don't think anyone was whacked. He did occasionally still give out alcoholic drinks in his study. I fondly remember the diversions where we would side track him in a lesson and debate some subject, sometimes until the bell for the end of the lesson, at which point he would profess annoyance that he had been side tracked. I now believe he very well knew where the time was going. In any event, it was much more useful to have lessons in reasoning than having an RE lesson.
If anyone is wondering, Noote was called Noote from the character in All Gas And Gaiters. Probably because he taught RE and perhaps there was a very slight resemblance. However having seen the picture of Adolf, it is very easy to see how he acquired his name.
Supper biscuits, and Spud's leaving speach. I sympathise with your supper duties. In the VI lower, I was on a rota to supervise supper. It was hot drinks then, hot chocolate, coffee or soup. The VI upper would come in and demand (with menaces) the biscuits, meaning that they would run out. To counter this my friend and I would hide packets of biscuits around the kitchen, and retrieve them later during supper so that we did not run out. It still meant we could only give the first form one biscuit each though. i guess in later years they switched to masters supervising supper to impose more control.
Spud retired at the end of my first year at Old Swinford Hospital. He gave a speech, splitting it into four topics. I can't exactly remember which topics, but let's say: Service, Perseverance, Understanding, and Devotion. At the end he repeated what the four topics were and told us to remember them. It was only after I had left the great hall that someone told me to think about the initial letters of them, Things change the next year. There was no Sunday evening prayer service and we did not walk to church on Sundays in crocodiles.
Putting names to the faces Left to Right:
Back Row: ??? / Noot (the legendary Peter Davis) / Mr Tustin (he taught Digging) / Doc Holiday / Pixie Price / Lettuce / ??? / Ying Tong (Mr Longstaff) / ???
Middle Row: Randy Roulette / Matron / Rango Rutter / Denis Haggett / ??? He taught art / BO Kennedy / Sid or Nutty Naylor / Staff / Staff
Bottom Row: Kenny Issacs / Kruik / Harry / Is this Ray Milner? (other name withheld) / Spud (to be replaced by Adolf the following year) / The Grinner / Occus / Staff / Cud / Dosey Wood / ??? I think he taught maths.
1967-1972 I attended OSH school for 5 years, and that 1971 school photo you kindly posted, is the only photo that I have of my time there. I did manage to find myself on the photo as the quality wasn't great, but what surprised me was I was unable to recognise a single fellow pupil. Very strange. I have great memories of OSH and consider myself very fortunate to have attended such a great school as a day boy, even allowing for having to wear short trousers for the first 2 years, and having to go to school on Saturday mornings. Great times.
I lived in London Street Hi - I lived at 44 London Street from 1947 to 1953. Not sure when my parents lived there. Dad, Reg, worked for the owners of the property Kinghams the wholesale grocers.
Since then, I have kept the same photo in one of my albums. When I saw your blog entry, I took it out and I discovered that I had written the names of all the teachers of the 1971 staff on a piece of paper stuck on the page behind the photo. It's still a pleasure for me, because you can see me standing in the back row : I'm the first on the left. I'm not "unknown" any longer. The ninth person's Christian name is / was "Ken". As for the second row, the ninth person's name was "PARSON", and in the front row, the lady between Jim Prince and Griff Bradley is/ was Jessica WATSON"
Your comment ... Thanks or the info! I've added your name and that of Jessica Watson. Do you know the surname of Ken? And the christian name of Parson?
Your other blogs Kevin, Thank you for responding and yes, I'd like to see your other blogs. I just read one in which you said at the beginning that you hadn't got the place out of your system. That goes for all of us! You might remember me because I was quite sporty and captained the first XV in 75/76. I was always in trouble too and got moved from the lax Richardson regime of Prospect (where it was easy to sneak in and out of school) in January 76 to Founders to be a dorm leader there. Milner was the block master. I had been trying to remember Betty Walsh's name who I liked, so thanks for that, Our Covid class of '76 WhatsApp group have really enjoyed your blogs. Having been trying to visit Vietnam for a while now (other trips seem to have taken precedence) I will hopefully be there soon to travel from HCMC to Hanoi or vice versa by train. Best, Dean
Thank you I really enjoyed reading your piece on OSH where I was a boarder (69-76). I agree with pretty much all of what you said about people.Lance Naylor was inspirational and I went on to do a history degree at Birmingham Uni and through that had a successful career. It was Interesting to read your negative comments and I'm pleased Ray Milner was highlighted. He was certainly a blot on my seven years that were largely happy ones. That's mainly due to the friends I made and still have. Right now our year group has turned into a big Whatsapp chat room that led me to your blog. Thank you
I think I remember you, Dean. The name has a familiar ring. You were there in my first year, 1975-76. Thanks for the compliment. I have written several blogs about OSH. If u want me to send u links, I will. Stay safe from corona. Here in Vietnam we have had zero corona deaths, and life has gone back to normal.
All the best, mate ...
Redlands area I came across your blog while looking for information about Reading's old cinemas, and was delighted to read that you grew up in Hatherley Road, as I went to Redlands Primary from 1948 --1951, and walked up Hatherley Road every day on my way to school. I'm older than you, having been born in 1940, but so much of what you write about old Reading is familiar to me. Like you, I have fond memories of the neatly tended front gardens, and I was distressed to see, when visiting Reading last year, that the current inhabitants don't seem to care for gardening.
When I was at Redlands Primary, Miss Miles was the head, and Mrs. Taylor the top class teacher. Were they still there in your day?
Also--do you recall a sweet shop at the corner of Lydford Road and Blenheim Gardens? The proprietor used to make his own ice-mollies, which cost a penny each in 1949.
I now live in the United States, but often look back nostalgically to those Redlands days!
Thanks for message! Dear Alison, I have written several blogs about old Reading. Yes, Miss Miles was the Headmistress of Redlands when I was there. I do not remember that particular sweet shop, but in those days homemade lollies on sale in shops were fairly common.
Here are links to the other Reading blogs I have written:
Redlands Primary School, Reading, UK (1956 – 1963) | Travel Blog
Redlands Primary School, Reading, UK (1956 – 1963) | Travel Blog
We moved into 36 Hatherley Road, Reading, in 1955, when I was three years old. Redlands Primary was a few minute...
https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-1038346.html
Shops of Old Reading | Travel Blog
Shops of Old Reading | Travel Blog
I grew up in Reading during the 1950’s and 60’s and have written essays about the family house (36 Hatherley Roa...
https://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Berkshire/Reading/blog-966040.html
Requiem for William Smith’s | Travel Blog
Requiem for William Smith’s | Travel Blog
My friend, Dave Cooke, whom I grew up with in Reading in the 1960’s, has written an evocative poem about the old...
Life in Reading, UK, circa 1961 | Travel Blog
Life in Reading, UK, circa 1961 | Travel Blog
May 2010 I was born in 1951. I lived in Hatherley Road, Reading, from 1955 (when my father bought our terraced h...
https://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/blog-965442.html
https://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Berkshire/Reading/blog-965179.html
Your photo reminds of the paintings The Fish Scaler by Mathias J. Alten and Johannes Vermeer's The Milkmaid. They depicted people doing their often deemed ordinary and lowly jobs, much like yours. Yet, there is so much beauty in all of them. For me, what makes these seemingly prosaic moments appealing is the way those people enjoyed and concentrated on their work. Of equal importance are the harmonious composition and colours of the painting/photo. Nice work, Kevin.
I’ve listened to a few episodes from Desert Island Discs. Although I don’t know most of the guests, I listen to DID as a way to get to know people from all walks of life, and occasionally discover new music. One episode I enjoyed recently was with the philosopher John Gray.
Death makes life come full circle. My beloved teacher used to say: “I’m not afraid of death, what I dread most is to live and be forgotten by people around me”. Another brilliant essay, Kevin!
I've been teaching English for over 40 years - in England, Egypt, Tanzania, Argentina, Venezuela, Ghana and now Vietnam. At 69, I'm still going strong and have no wish to retire. I enjoy my job, which gives me plenty of time to relax and travel. In toto, I've visited 68 countries. I'm married to a Vietnamese woman and have been living in Ho Chi Minh City since 2001.
Outside of work I am a chess fanatic (Tanzanian National Champion in 1991), devotee of blues and jazz music, imbiber of fine malt whiskies (especially from Islay), bibliophile (Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, Brian Moore, Philip Larki... full info
Emma Keenan (nee Leonard)
non-member comment
A wonderful man
Thank you for taking the time to write this piece. Maurice was an adopted Uncle to me. He is greatly missed. He shares a birthday with my youngest son. I will always remember him fondly.