110 replies to this topic

[DJGAZZA]

Does anyone know if he still lives in hard lane next to the school

Gazza

[familyman]

jms, on 21 May 2009 - 10:57 AM, said:

The French teacher referred to by Familyman could have been one of the French students who used to appear from time to time.

Definately not a french student as he had a cap and gown which, like most of the teachers in those days, he wore to class.

[jms]

The original thread was about recollections of Cowley horror stories and for me it was a monthly occurrence when "Fred" Wright stood on stage during assembly and read out the effort letters for that month. The best I always hoped for was that my name wasn't mentioned at all, which meant I'd done enough to warrant a "M" which kept me out of trouble for another month.

I always liked to do just enough to keep trouble at bay.

[stevec200]

jms, on 18 May 2009 - 02:07 PM, said:

Some of the names I remember from the 60's who haven't had a mention yet.

Apart from the most famous, "Walter" Wright and "Flash" Clifton who have been mentioned there was, "Harry Fag" who taught French, real name Mr Siggers, whose famous mantra at the time was, " Homework must be done in homework books"

A guy by the name of Naish, Ned to his pupils who, like Flash, taught Latin.
Mr Wilcox who took woodwork and every year he made the same running joke with the Thirds about eating his hat if no one had been injured by a chisel during the first year. He predictably produced a cake at the end of the year with the words "my hat" iced onto it. The old jokes are always the best aren't they?
Ray French was there at the time, for some reason, could have been to do with his size, he was usually referred to just as Mr French.
"Don" Laing- English. A guy called Mr Tavlin who took maths and another teacher, whose name escapes me, who took History and always started his sentences in a normal voice but seemed to shout the last few words.

well I was there when Ray French took english Lit and was our rugby coach (after which we hd him at Moss Lane - SHRFU due to his size we always called him SIR!!!! I remember Clifton and Wilcox at woodwork, great days really!
Happy days huh?

[warringtonsaint]

I think Paul Simm still lives in Hard Lane.

Some other teachers I recall who haven't (I don't think!) been mentioned yet (from my era: '71 to '76)

"Winker" Watson - PE
Mike Holland - History
Brian Hargreaves - Geog
"Plant" Pearson - Biology
Bill Dixon - Maths
Dave Teague - French
?? Dobbs - French
"Smiler" Rowden - Physics
Bernie Cragg - Geog
Tom Cheers - Geog

Anybody know what became of them? I heard that both Mike Holland and Brian Hargreaves have passed away.

[Alan]

That Dobbs is probably Ray Dobbs who is an old Cowley lad himself. He was in the same year as me and left in 1960

[DJGAZZA]

Yes it was Ray. Did he have arms that long when you knew him?

[Alan]

I remember him as being quite studious and musically inclined. He certainly wasn't one of the lads. I think he went to Sheffield Uni at the same time as several others of us but he didn't mix very well because the only time we ever saw him was on the train to Manchester at the end of term

[DJGAZZA]

Yes, he used to play the piano in assembly. I don't know whether it was his jacket but he seemed to have very long arms

[Alan]

jms, on 18 May 2009 - 02:07 PM, said:

"Harry Fag" who taught French, real name Mr Siggers, whose famous mantra at the time was, " Homework must be done in homework books"

Quite a wag was Mr Siggers. I remember that the expression si heureux, French for "so happy", came up. Siggers said "that's what comes from wearing nylon dresses"

[dingie]

I went to Cowley from 1954-1959. I remember Morly very well. He had a huge selection of punishment tools depending on the severity of the "crime". He did lead us on trips to Abergele in Wales. I also remember french teacher Groarke. He was a former student at Cowley and I think he thought I was the stupidest person he ever met.

[trejan]

Has anybody mentioned "Eb" Frodsham ( physics ) yet ? Reminded me of a miniature Wilfred Hyde White.

Frank Rimmer (geog) taught with great enthusiasm.
"Jonah" Naylor (latin) Always had a joke to make latin more fun.
"Norm" Crewe ( art & rugby ) When he tackled you, you stayed tackled !
"Toughie" Tough ( English Language ) Walked round the quad. with one arm stuck out behind him and the other stuck out in front of him as if he wanted to shake everybodys hand.
"Alistair" Boyd ( gym ) Walked round the changing room while we were toweling down.

I was there '61 to '65

[familyman]

I attended Cowley from '62 t0 '69 and other teachers that spring to mind are Jack Landlass Geography, "Chiselchops" Wilcox Joinery and Mike Holland History and towards the end of my stay Ray French started teaching English.Would probably remember some more if I could find my old school reports.

Edited by familyman, 15 February 2011 - 07:53 PM.

[Alan]

I seem to remember that Alistair Boyd married the School Secretary in the fifties.

He also refereed the last ever boxing match in the gym; between me and Ernie Sidebotham (2 three-minute rounds with gloves) - standard practice in 1953 - after we'd been caught fighting in the playground. After that new Head Walter Wright outlawed the practice

Edited by Alan, 15 February 2011 - 07:54 PM.

[edward]

familyman, on 05 November 2007 - 05:26 PM, said:

4414

That was the number given to me when I started at Cowley. You were supposed to mark everything with the number and if it got lost and handed in it could be traced back to the owner.

My number was 4445.

familyman, on 20 May 2009 - 05:19 PM, said:

Does anyone remember a French teacher from the sixties ( he may have been a temporary teacher) who had a Poirot type curly moustache? I know we used to call him La Tache as a nickname but for the life of me I cant remember his name.

I think it was Allison.