Anyone remember Sullivan's chippy on Fife Street, Wincobank in the 60's and 70's? Their fish and chips were EXCELLENT - even better than those of Hoskyn's and The Paragon in nearby Firth Park. Their fishcakes were SUBLIME! How I wish I could taste them once more as I search Southport [where we have lived for seven years] in vain for a decent chippy!

I remember Sullivans chippy, and I remember chips and curry sauce.
We used to eat them on the way home to Newman Drive, I can stiff taste them, and my Dad used to stop in there on the way home from work at Arthur Lee's when he was afternoons, I live in New Zealand and not tasted Cod and Chips since 1974

Nsiebert, I am so glad that someone remembers them as well as myself. I was beginning to think that I'd imagined or dreamt them! They were terrific. Yes, the curry sauce was good, but the fishcakes were amazing. I can still taste them if I try hard enough. Sadly, we'll never really taste their like again as the old-fashioned Sheffield way of doing things seems to have been succeeded by inferior methods. Okay, there are some great fish and chip shops in Sheffield, but the taste is definately not the same. I am so sorry for you, having been denied Cod and chips since 1974. This is a case for Amnesty International ! All the best to you.

The fish cakes were good, do you mean the type with fish sandwiched between 2 slices of potato and battered, you cant get that sort over here, there are some English people that have opened a chippy over here, imports tins of Tizer and Dandelion and Burdock and serves mushy peas, those things are unheard of here,
I agree about Amnesty International, friends have just come back and brought me Thorntons toffee

Nadine, yes, I mean those kind of fishcakes. They are relatively unknown outside of Sheffield. However, they do them in Whitehaven [of all places...] in Cumbria where my wife is from , and call them "Patties". Glad to see that civilisation is gradually reaching you in your exile, with the Thorntons and the Dandelion and Burdock. How do you manage without Hendersons Relish, though? My God, you've chosen a tough life!

My mouth is watering at the thought of fish cakes. From school we used to get a bread roll from the bakery, take it to the chippy and get them to cut it in half and put the fishcake in the middle and walk back to school at lunch time,
It was not Sullivans chippy though it was one in Shiregreen, we used to walk down the walkway between some houses outside the main gate of Hinde House and there was a chippy not too far away, I cant remember the name of it though.
We get HP sauce here, and I do buy the Mr Kiplings cherry bakewells,

Back to Hinde House, I remember a social studies teacher, but I cannot remember his name, he was tall with a big beard and used to get the lads by the hair and bash there heads against the wall, it used to keep the class in order.
There were always fights at lunchtimes, and those banks that you mention, used to be a favourite spot for activities, but the neighbours at the houses below did not find it amusing, and we used to be told off in the assembly hall for the disgraceful behaviour, I think you may know what activities I am talking about.

Nadine, yes the tradition of filling the bread roll with chips continued with my year [74-78], and I think I know which Shiregreen chippy you refer to. I don't remember the big bearded teacher, although it MAY have been Ridgeway. He was a woodwork teacher, but he may have doubled as a teacher of another subject. He was generally fair, but known for wading into fights [or, "fayts" as we'd call them] between lads. The lads would be slapped around a lot. Yes, I have an idea of the activities you refer to that centred around the banks!

Timo
Ridgeway sounds familiar, so that was probably him, I never had a problem with him, it was mainly the rough lads, have they changed the school zoning now, all of Shiregreen, Brightside and Pye Bank, used to go to Hinde House and I remember going to Pye Bank flats, some girls in my class went there, it was rougher than Wincobank and people sometimes threw buckets of water on us from above, when we were making a racket.
Do you remember the Science teacher Mr Gittins I think his name was,

I used to live on the Wybourn when I was younger and when walking the bird home we would call at the chipy next the the Munk pub, then on my way back I would call in for seconds.
Depending on how many pints I'd had.
Sometimes I would end up having them for breakfast next day before going to work.

Nadine, the roughest kids in my experience were from Pitsmoor. No offence intended to anyone from there, but they were definately wilder and more aggressive than the Wincobank and Shiregreen types. Looking back, we were probably all fairly rough in terms of boisterous behaviour.
Yes, I do remember Gittins, but he never taught me. Years later, after I'd left, I used to chat to him on the Bolehills [parkland] at Crookes in the 80s. We would bump into each other walking our dogs. Others you may recall are Mason, Crownshaw, and Andrews. I suspect that you won't remember Ramzen, Firth, Terry [a beanpole-like Maths teacher, nicknamed "Peabody"], Miss Lawrence[ tall Science teacher], Tate, and Grigorian.

Timo
I was wracking my brains for Ramzen, was she a plumpish women, not that good looking, I used to go ice skating and she used to take her daughter, did she also teach French.
I remember Mason,
Some of those girls from Pyebank used to frighten me to death and one particular girl made my life a complete misery for about 12 months, I never let it show that I was scared, then one day she started on my friend and I stuck up for her, and then after that she was ok with me and had it in for my friend, as she thought it was not on that I stuck up for her, and my friend never stuck up for me, I think she was petrified also.
You must have been about 4 years behind me if I left at the end of 5th Form after the exams in 1974
Some of the boys I remember were, Lee Kirby, Michael Sheldon, Malcolm Briggs, my friend married Steven Green, but he was a bit older, my friend was Lorraine Hunt, also Diane Hardy (her mum was the cafeteria lady that organised the kids) very loud voice.
Janet Button, they were all probably older than you, I wonder if anyone else remembers them.

Originally posted by nsiebert
Timo
I was wracking my brains for Ramzen, was she a plumpish women, not that good looking, I used to go ice skating and she used to take her daughter, did she also teach French.
I remember Mason,
Some of those girls from Pyebank used to frighten me to death and one particular girl made my life a complete misery for about 12 months, I never let it show that I was scared, then one day she started on my friend and I stuck up for her, and then after that she was ok with me and had it in for my friend, as she thought it was not on that I stuck up for her, and my friend never stuck up for me, I think she was petrified also.
You must have been about 4 years behind me if I left at the end of 5th Form after the exams in 1974
Some of the boys I remember were, Lee Kirby, Michael Sheldon, Malcolm Briggs, my friend married Steven Green, but he was a bit older, my friend was Lorraine Hunt, also Diane Hardy (her mum was the cafeteria lady that organised the kids) very loud voice.
Janet Button, they were all probably older than you, I wonder if anyone else remembers them. Mick Sheldon was a Pitsmoor lad like me, bit of a big ed like his Dad who I also knew well.
Gittens, was he the science teacher with a freckly face and a mexican mustache.
I disagree with Timo about the Pitsmoor lads being the roughest, I thought the Shiregreen ( Flower Estate ) lads were the roughest, Tony Rose who for the first 2 years used to pick on me constantly until I stood up to him one day and he never did it again.
Grigorian was my form tutor who I had all the 5 years I was there.
Whitley the music teacher, Merryweather and Feriday.
Fell, Chambers and Andrews who's wife worked at Pye Bank and she was very strict, worse than him although someone recently told me they were Brother and Sister but i doubt that.
Ridgeway and Manley both woodwork, Manley left to work at Stanley Tools and Glover who was a bit of a mate out of school who went on to become a probation officer and now works at Sheff Uni.
I to used to buy the loaf of bread and rip the insides out and fill it with chips.
Those were the days, though at the time I guess that they were'nt my favourite times but I always look back on them with fondness.

Hi
I remember Miss Merryweather, Fell and Mr Glover, I had forgotten about them, I agree that the flower estate kids were tough, we heard that the people used to take off the internal doors and burn them for firewood in the winter, is the flower estate still like that.
We used to go sledging in Concord Park in the winter, down the hill on the golf course,

I had a bit of a crush on Mick Sheldon, once wrote him a sickly love letter, and posted it to him, and he never said if he got it or not, so I felt like a bit of a fool, I would have been about 14 then.
Mr Gittens gave our class lessons on the birds and the bees, and went into quite a lot of details, I think I remember him for that.
Where are you now, are you still in the same part of town

I live in Longley now where I married a local lass.
Mick Sheldon was a bit of a "bird puller" in his time and I saw him recently.
I left in 75 and was a pupil at Pye Bank before that.
So was Mick Sheldon.

Cycleracer
I left Hinde House in 1974, Mick Sheldon was in my year at school, I know what you mean about a bird puller.
Did he ever settle down,
I dont remember many boys names from over Pye Bank way that I was friendly with, I was fairly shy really, came to New Zealand in 1974 straight after leaving school and married a New Zealander .
I used to go to Longley pools in the summer, have they gone now.

Nsiebert [Nadine], and Cycleracer, some interesting stuff from you two. Re the Rose lad from the Flower Estate [where I was told never to go..], oddly enough he had a brother called Peter who was an extremely mild character with a gentle smile, not unlike Stan Laurel. I think that I am about 4 years behind you two. I started in 74, and Christine Siddall was about 3 years older than me at Middle School [she had the most gorgeous eyes], to put things in perspective, Nadine. I'm 43 now, but 18 in terms of good looks [I wish].
Re Ramzen, she was a rotund, hapless French teacher who spoke in a high -pitched whine. She had absolutely no control over the pupils. I remember on Fridays [chip day in the canteen] we would storm out of the class without taking down our homework the minute the lunch bell rang. The scene was a blur of bodies and the cacaphony of her desperate, pleading voice, our thundering feet and the crashing of desks and chairs.
Have you noticed how Sullivan's chippy, Hinde House and the Edwards threads are merging?!

Timo
You are correct, I am almost 47, oh my goodness school was a long time ago,
Mrs Ramzan used to get angry and spit over the first lot of pupils and we would wipe our faces and she would get really upset and shout.
She spent most of the lesson shouting as I remember,
Do you remember the language lab that was in the junior building with the headphones and tape recorders.

Mrs Ramzans dress sense was not too good as I remember either.
I think my husband thinks I am bonkers, he has never been to England and I think the schools here in his day were very mild and I dont think he can relate to my upbringing.
My dad was a solo dad, which in those days was unheard of, especially solo dad of a daughter, he couldnt cope with the teenage years at all,

Nadine, I recall Ramzen's terrible floral dresses which revealed far too much flesh for my liking. Looking back, she was a truly terrible, incompetant teacher. How she didn't collapse with a heart attack due to the constant shouting and permanent state of high emotion, I do not know. Yes, I remember the language lab too. Was it your good self or Cycleracer who mentioned Whitely the music teacher? He was not a very effective teacher due to his affected attitude, and refusal to acknowledge the existence of any other music outside of Classical European. However, he was actually quite a nice guy outside of the classroom. I got to know him when I was in the Sixth Form and he'd allow my mates and I to borrow the drums etc for our "experimental music" sessions [ahem...]. Sadly, Colin Whitley died around 1979/80 of a heart attack. I believe the school orchestra were due to perform at the City Hall in some youth event, and he died on the floor of the coach before it got there. I was very sad to hear that, as behind the cravat and Beethovian posturing, there was a very nice and kind man. Merryweather, I vaguely remember. Was she a music teacher too?

Timo
I dont think I remember Whitley, I remember Miss Smith I think, had her hair in a bun, was single, and had the strangest build, also Mr Dowling, also music teacher, and I remember going to the city, for the prizegiving night ( I cant think of anyone who got prizes) and the whole of our year had to sing "Non nobis Dominei" as a choir on the stage (excuse the spelling), he was conducting as if it was the symphony orchestra, in his element, and it was very amusing.
Miss Smith used to play the piano as if she was a concert pianist with hands and arms all over the place.
I dont remember what Miss Merryweather taught, did she have very thick legs and ankle.
I remember the toilets and the stink of smoke (apologies if you are a smoker), but I would hold on all day so I would not have to go in there, as often the rough girls would hang around in there also, and you took your life in your hands,
I remember the dinner tickets for school dinners, and the machines in the corrider to get the ticket,

Is Mr Deakens chip shop still up walkley, or could be stannington,they were the best, we get some very good english style fish and chips in the states now, but they would taste much better if i was eating them back in Sheffield.

Nsiebert says: I used to go to Longley pools in the summer, have they gone now.

Hi Nadine

Sadly, the pool is no longer there. It was closed down in the 1980's after suffering much vandalism. The final straw was when a stolen car was rolled from the top of the steep hill (remember it) into the pool.

Back in April of this year I took some photos of the park for a friend. If you click on the link below you will see where the pool once stood. The small football pitch in the centre of the photo marks the spot.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/wharncliffe/sunny_006.jpg

Hi Pietro
Thanks for the photo, that was very interesting, it looks lovely in the photo, I do not remember too much detail of the park,
Shame about the pool though, we had many good times there.
Yes I remember the hill, a member of my family lived in Longley for a while,

Nadine, yes weren't Miss Merryweather's legs appalling?! I remember them well, unfortunately. We didn't have many "lookers" as teachers except for the sultry Miss Pitts and possibly Miss Baxter.

Timo
You mentioned the school orchestra going to the city hall, there obviously were some people who studied at school and my friends brother went through and on to University, her other brother didnt go there, he got through on the old 11+, as he was older and went to the Grammar school, somewhere towards Longley, past Hatfield House Lane, I cant remember the name of the school.
He was a Professor by the 1980's, that was unheard of around where we lived, although there were tradesmen etc, not many University educated people.
I think it is much easier for people now, in New Zealand there is not a class type system as in England, although the schools have changed quite a bit since being here, there are 2100 pupils at the local school and 450 in 3rd form alone, my boy is 19 and I sent him to a Catholic school only 800 from form 1-7, that is after leaving primary to leaving school, so classes were smaller.

Nsiebert,, Mick worked in the building industry the last time I saw him and the looks had gone ( LOL ) which is good cause I've got prettier as the years have gone by, even if I do say so myself.
Bet he could'nt pull em now though. hehe.

Anyway about the baths, yes it was closed in the mid- late 70s and was derelict for some years until demolishing it Ooh must be 12 years ago.
Its now part of the park lanscape but the flat bit where we all bathed is still present.

Originally posted by timo
Nadine, yes weren't Miss Merryweather's legs appalling?! I remember them well, unfortunately. We didn't have many "lookers" as teachers except for the sultry Miss Pitts and possibly Miss Baxter. Ah now, Miss Baxter was the french teacher who after being hassled by the already mentioned Mr Rose I kick out at him and booted poor Miss Baxter at the back of her leg.
Ouch is all she said and I apolgised.
Mrs Merryweather was also the music teacher with the tree trunk legs as correctly mentioned, shame about Whitley though, I remember 74 on the last day before summer he let us bring our own records to play on the gramophone they had and the first record he played was Sparks this town aint good enough for the both of us.
He sharply changed his mind and had a tantrum and put Tubby the Tuba on and he was laughing through the music as we were all sitting glum faced, he found humour in the music no-one else could see.
Timo mentioned Christine Sidall who I was actually talking through someone I work with who mentioned my name and she remembered me with fondness, she lives just up the road from the school.

Cycleracer
I must have known Mr Whitley, but I just cannot remember him, obviously not someone who taught me.
Christine Siddall was a couple of years younger than me, and so I did not really hang around with her, but she was my neighbour for 10 years and I did visit the house more when I was younger, those kids had a lot of stuff in comparisson to me, anything that came out they got, and I was quite envious,
She must be married with kids, do you mean she lives near Hinde House school, she didnt live far from there (Newman Drive) when she was growing up
Lorraine Hunt was my best friend and also I knew Pauline Guite, I believe Pauline had a baby not long after leaving school and Lorraine married a Steve Green from Shiregreen, and they went to live in Dore, and I have lost contact with her, I would love to know what she was doing now, I often wondered if she was ok, as the letters just stopped.
Are all those houses around the school still there, there used to be a walkway from outside the school gates that ran between the houses to the left and you could walk to the shops at Shiregreen through there.

Nsiebert,, As far as I know the genel is still there which i to used daily, it was shorter that walking all the way down Shiregreen Lane to catch the 150 bus.
The number4 took us to Firth park and we got the bus there.
Christine still lives on Newman Road so i wonder if its the same house, and if you bear with me I will ask my colleague who works with me and lives nearby her on Monday.
Christine is the same age as me.
Talking of Whitley, I remember going to the City Hall for the book presentations in 1973 and Whitely was the conductor of the school orchestra and they played the Monty Python theme tune where at the end of the chorus we would all make a noise of blowing wind, which was in the Python theme tune.
He and all the City Hall would hear it and he would turn round with gritted teeth as to want to lynch us.
Oh that was a laugh I can tell you but it got us thrown out.
Remember Chalkie White the Benny Hill look-a-like, he went to Africa to work as a misionary.
Now a more serious point, we have to be carefull here, one teacher got 9 years for molesting a pupil about 72-73 can you remember that.

Cycleracer
What a laugh with the Monty Python tune, I miss the Northern sense of humour.
Christine Siddall used to live on Newman Drive, but that was next to Newman Road
I think her family split not long after we came to NZ, so I am not sure where they all went in the end, but sounds like she stayed local.
I remember Merton Lane, a very steep part of the road joining Newman Road, and a man had to pull me all the way home in the snow, because the bus got stuck, and my boots were too slippy to walk up the hill, how embaressed I felt.
On the more serious note, I was about 14-16years old then, who was that?

well timo going back to sullivan's chippy,
i was always at a chippy on a little tiny road that just backed off fife street. - in early 60s
i remember going in the back where they were making batter etc.
walls all painted pale yellow like a painted white wash stuff.
the fish cakes were stupendous.
is this the same one or was there another later actually on fife street.
this one was just above where the old co-op was.
not near wash house.

Originally posted by nsiebert
Cycleracer
What a laugh with the Monty Python tune, I miss the Northern sense of humour.
Christine Siddall used to live on Newman Drive, but that was next to Newman Road
I think her family split not long after we came to NZ, so I am not sure where they all went in the end, but sounds like she stayed local.
I remember Merton Lane, a very steep part of the road joining Newman Road, and a man had to pull me all the way home in the snow, because the bus got stuck, and my boots were too slippy to walk up the hill, how embaressed I felt.
On the more serious note, I was about 14-16years old then, who was that? Sorry Tara, we are going of topic a bit here as me Timo and Neisbert get carried away with nastolga.
Neisbert I will PM you the names.
Now back to the Chippy at Wincobank.

Tara, the chippy I refer to was further up Fife Street than the wash house you mention, and on the other side of the road [same side as old co-op], situated near the bend which leads on to Jedburgh Street. It actually didn't have a sign saying "Sullivans", just one advertising fish and chips, but that was the name of the family who owned it. Sheffield, and particularly Wincobank, is so often the landscape of my dreams. Frequently I find myself wandering through Woolley Woods, or down Fife Street to see my grandparents.
Nadine and Cycleracer, glad that you have much in common here- interesting postings. Cycleracer, you must be about three or four years older than me if you are the same age as Christine. As I said before, I used to fancy her like mad at Middle School. I hope she still has those beautiful eyes. She wouldn't remember me, being a bit younger than her at Concord Middle School, but I remember thinking to myself that she and Linda Maycock were so sophisticated, mature and sexy! My wife is laughing at this, by the way...

Originally posted by timo
Tara, the chippy I refer to was further up Fife Street than the wash house you mention, and on the other side of the road [same side as old co-op], situated near the bend which leads on to Jedburgh Street. It actually didn't have a sign saying "Sullivans", just one advertising fish and chips, but that was the name of the family who owned it. Sheffield, and particularly Wincobank, is so often the landscape of my dreams. Frequently I find myself wandering through Woolley Woods, or down Fife Street to see my grandparents.
Nadine and Cycleracer, glad that you have much in common here- interesting postings. Cycleracer, you must be about three or four years older than me if you are the same age as Christine. As I said before, I used to fancy her like mad at Middle School. I hope she still has those beautiful eyes. She wouldn't remember me, being a bit younger than her at Concord Middle School, but I remember thinking to myself that she and Linda Maycock were so sophisticated, mature and sexy! My wife is laughing at this, by the way... At first I thought you had a good taste in girls that is until you mentioned Linda Maycock.
She was in my class and I used to call her motor mouth.
She had a laugh like Barney Rubbles wife and was annoying.
Regarding looks, I would be interested in knowing what optician you use.
Do you know of her whereabouts.
Hope she never copps on to this thread.hehe.

Hi
I remember the chip cutter in the back of the chippy, they loaded the potatoes in the top and the chips came spitting out at bottom, I know that they only use frozen chips in NZ, what about over there now,
I sometimes buy tins of mushy peas that come from England, oh how delicious they are, the Nz'ers think they are "gross".
What sort of fish do you get now, is there still plenty of cod, or do you get some cheap fish in replacement now.

yes its the same chippy.-timo
oh -nadine most places still fresh cod etc.
not frozen chips as far as i know anyway.

dont know if any of you can also remember the chippy on newman road across from old back to backs, below wincobank hotel and above challenors coal merchants.
i think someone called liversedge owned it or i could be wrong.

Originally posted by Cycleracer
Mick Sheldon was a Pitsmoor lad like me, bit of a big ed like his Dad who I also knew well.
Gittens, was he the science teacher with a freckly face and a mexican mustache.
I disagree with Timo about the Pitsmoor lads being the roughest, I thought the Shiregreen ( Flower Estate ) lads were the roughest, Tony Rose who for the first 2 years used to pick on me constantly until I stood up to him one day and he never did it again.
Grigorian was my form tutor who I had all the 5 years I was there.
Whitley the music teacher, Merryweather and Feriday.
Fell, Chambers and Andrews who's wife worked at Pye Bank and she was very strict, worse than him although someone recently told me they were Brother and Sister but i doubt that.
Ridgeway and Manley both woodwork, Manley left to work at Stanley Tools and Glover who was a bit of a mate out of school who went on to become a probation officer and now works at Sheff Uni.
I to used to buy the loaf of bread and rip the insides out and fill it with chips.
Those were the days, though at the time I guess that they were'nt my favourite times but I always look back on them with fondness.
if you thought tony was rough you should have been around when is dad eric was nocking about

I did'nt know his father but he did have a brother, maybe a few but one came to mind who was worse than Tony.
In the end though me and Tony got on well and it was a shame about his premature death.

Tara
I dont remember that chippy, but I remember a Chinese takeaway opening just below the Methodist Church I think, down near where the post office used to be.
In those days Chinese Takeaways were new and you know the old stories of cat in the food etc.
I must say Chinese is one of my favourites now, we went to Singapore once, but the real stuff is much better even.
You are lucky not having frozen chips, they just dont taste the same.

Cycleracer, I gather you weren't a fan of Maycock then?! Sorry about the lapse in taste, but I was only a fledgling then. I'll stand my ground re Siddall though- very attractive then, and probably now.

Did tony rose have relatives on the old robin hood road- at side of wincobank school.
a relative named carol.

Nadine, you remember the Chinese Takeaway opening near the post office. I take it you mean the shop on Barrow Road, near to the post office at the bottom of Newman Road? I remember the shop. The owner's rather surly young daughter used to serve sometimes, and I always found her attitude quite amusing. She seemed to resent every minute spent there, and had a very gruff, broad Sheffield accent [which in those days you would not encounter in people of ultimately Hong Kong origin]. I recall once placing an order, and deliberately asking for an additional dish just to annoy the young daughter. Then, after it worked, I requested some bean shoots too. I overheard her say in the back to her sister, " Way, 'e wants f***ing bean shoots, an all nah!" Happy days...

Timo
Yes, that is the shop I meant, I could not remember the name of Barrow Road, oh memories,
Have you been to the website www.friendsreunited.co.uk
Just about all my class from Hinde House have registered the names, so you can email them and there is also a profile and you can see what they are doing, some of those people I mentioned early are listed, and one boy is in New Zealand,
Anyone looking on here, that is interested in Hinde House should look

Originally posted by tara
Did tony rose have relatives on the old robin hood road- at side of wincobank school.
a relative named carol. Could'nt answer that myself, he came from Daffodill Road.

Originally posted by nsiebert
Timo
Yes, that is the shop I meant, I could not remember the name of Barrow Road, oh memories,
Have you been to the website www.friendsreunited.co.uk
Just about all my class from Hinde House have registered the names, so you can email them and there is also a profile and you can see what they are doing, some of those people I mentioned early are listed, and one boy is in New Zealand,
Anyone looking on here, that is interested in Hinde House should look Hinde house according to a source has or is going to be demolished to make way for a big state of the school.
Anyone know about this ?.

Hinde House demolished?! Pity that it wasn't demolished before we all went! I think it was built in the late fifties, as a Secondary Modern [Second class, in other words] School. I often wonder if it was run on de facto Secondary Modern lines even when it became a Comprehensive. The motto seemed to say it all, "Integrity, Endeavour". In other words, be honest and try. How pathetic. They didn't expect much from us did they?No wonder we were always looking forward to lunchtime, when we could fill huge breadcakes with chips etc!

Yes I agree, someone on the friendsunited said it was a wonderful school with great teachers, and she went at about the same time as me, I managed to get through most of my schooling without doing any homework, bit different to my sons school and hours of it every week & projects to complete.
There are some fond memories of some things, but I remember lots of fighting at lunch time, even the girls

Nadine, I remember the Art teacher, Mr Ramsden holding up a picture I had painted, referring to it as "b*****ks". He later told me that , frankly, he didn't give a damn whether I got my O level in the subject or not. The Australian Geography teacher, Mrs Bailey insisted that I was not in any shape or form academic. Isn't it strange how I now earn my living, teaching in H.E.? The teachers, with few exceptions, had entrenched low expectations, and were watching the clock like hawks most of the time. To an extent though, I do sympathise with some of them. With the huge class sizes of often very mixed ability pupils, the teachers would not find it easy to establish control, and common ground. Perhaps we can blame it all on Mrs Shirley Williams in the sixties...

erm wheres the chippy gone ----- tee hee

Timo
I agree, they had a lot to deal with, half of the classes did not want to be there.
I think if I had have had the encouragement I would have enjoyed school, the parents often had low expectations too, so probably didnt get encouragement at home either.
I did like a few teachers, but I think most went to school for the social side of things, which primary school did you go to

Tara, yes, I see what you mean, perhaps we should open a new thread,
I have opened a new one for "memories of the early seventies"

I remember how the chippy always had food ready to go, stored in those hot cabinets, they do not do that here, they only cook to order, so they use frozen chips, and they half cook the fish in the batter, so when you place your order, they just put in the basket and finish it off, quite different, but the hamburgers are good, full of salad and beetroot etc, so it is a real feast.

Originally posted by timo
Nadine, I recall Ramzen's terrible floral dresses which revealed far too much flesh for my liking. Looking back, she was a truly terrible, incompetant teacher. How she didn't collapse with a heart attack due to the constant shouting and permanent state of high emotion, I do not know. Yes, I remember the language lab too. Was it your good self or Cycleracer who mentioned Whitely the music teacher? He was not a very effective teacher due to his affected attitude, and refusal to acknowledge the existence of any other music outside of Classical European. However, he was actually quite a nice guy outside of the classroom. I got to know him when I was in the Sixth Form and he'd allow my mates and I to borrow the drums etc for our "experimental music" sessions [ahem...]. Sadly, Colin Whitley died around 1979/80 of a heart attack. I believe the school orchestra were due to perform at the City Hall in some youth event, and he died on the floor of the coach before it got there. I was very sad to hear that, as behind the cravat and Beethovian posturing, there was a very nice and kind man. Merryweather, I vaguely remember. Was she a music teacher too?

I was also at Hinde House during the 70's, had Ramzen for French - remember having to wear the headphones, and constant repetition of things like "accent grave, left to right up the hill"...etc

Snooze city...


Remember Whitely with his round wire rimmed glasses, and passion for classical music - sorry to hear of his passing away.

Timo I think you mention Bailey the geography teacher in another post, I remember her but also Bill Sellars who also taught geography. Always seemed to have a cig in his mouth. I remember him teaching us plate tectonics which was a rather recent/modern (early seventies) theory back then, so the old guy did try to do a job. I liked him, I remember him fondly.

Unfortunately I also remember what nsiebert mentions in a separate post, about the constant fighting, and physical intimidation. You pretty much were called on to physically defend yourself at least once a month to keep the idiots at bay. Nsiebert was referring to girls, I'm referring to boys.

Didn't understand it then, don't understand it now.

Jeez - Get some help people, seriously.

Timo, didn't you refer to it as "Colditz" somewhere on the boards?

You're about right.

Gettingon
Glad it was not just me!!
I didnt get it either, there were a lot of kids at the school, that probably would have done well, if it was not for the others in the class pulling them back all the time.
That is also the down side of streaming classes too, as those kids are often affected by the no hopers.
There was also a big cross section of people going to that school in the 70's.
That's not to say kids from good schools dont bully though, I suppose they have the problems too, but our teachers didnt seem to have any control over the situation.

Originally posted by nsiebert
Gettingon
Glad it was not just me!!
I didnt get it either, there were a lot of kids at the school, that probably would have done well, if it was not for the others in the class pulling them back all the time.
That is also the down side of streaming classes too, as those kids are often affected by the no hopers.
There was also a big cross section of people going to that school in the 70's.
That's not to say kids from good schools dont bully though, I suppose they have the problems too, but our teachers didnt seem to have any control over the situation.

I actually knew some of the aggressive kids.

I was in A2 and mixed at times with the "no hopers" aswell as the so called brains of the school.

Some of them were actually fairly intelligent kids,(the no hopers), but I noticed you mention in another post/thread about parental involvement with their kids back then, and I think you're absolutely spot on.

I think most of these kids came to school and used school to "act out" on their home life.

I'm not sure what the teachers could do, unless they all turned into a Ridgeway, Napier or Edwards!

Whenever I hear the "The headmaster Ritual" by The Smiths, I think of Hinde House. Looking back it was brutal.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by timo
[B] I got to know him when I was in the Sixth Form and he'd allow my mates and I to borrow the drums etc for our "experimental music" sessions [ahem...].

Wasn't that the "sandy haired" music teacher in the lower school.

Not that you was ever any good on drums Timo... ;-)

Originally posted by Cycleracer
Nsiebert,, As far as I know the genel is still there which i to used daily, it was shorter that walking all the way down Shiregreen Lane to catch the 150 bus.

Ah the Gennell!

nsiebert, this is where the "no hopers" used to get ahead of us, and stop most of the way down the gennell,(so we were all trapped), and put their legs up against the gennel wall so as to stop the rest of us from walking home from school in a peaceful manner. Funny huh?

Boring more like...yawn, everytime I saw it coming. It's like oh my god, here we go again.

Back to the chippies, there was the "orange" one at the end of the gennell and to the right on Shiregreen Lane...and the "Green" one opposite the GT newsagent on Wincobank Avenue...with the triangular green space in front. Sure they had names, but I don't remember.

Gettingon
You are correct, you were often trapped in that gennell, the one behind the houses, and the one between the graveyard and school.
I used to go to the chip shop that was near the off licence/shop, to the right of the gennell, its probably the same one.
Glad to think since hearing from some others, that it was not just a figment of my imagination.
I used to wonder at the kids that went on to do sixth form, because although I think I could have really liked school, and have enjoyed study since, I had no motivation, and I wondered how those kids managed to escape and keep themselves seperate from the others.

Originally posted by nsiebert
have enjoyed study since, I had no motivation, and I wondered how those kids managed to escape and keep themselves seperate from the others.

We just used to win our "fights" on the playing fields every month, if you were just willing to fight back when it was your "turn" it kept them away for a few weeks, (or sometimes longer in my case). :-)

I remember one particular fight between 2 girls when it became apparent that one of them was wearing a wig!
It came flying off in the scuffle. Girl just picked it up after the fight, and put it back on. Hilarious really.

Seriously though, I remember well and can relate to the feelings of "Get me out of here" myself, you and others may have had.

Glad to hear you've taken to studying, (education) since.
Good for you.

Gettingon,
Sorry to take a while to come back to you. You sound like an interesting cove, I must say. Do you too suffer from Post-Edwards Syndrome?! Yes, I remember Bailey the dreadful Aussie geography teacher who regarded us all as genetic refuse, or seemed to. Bill Sellars was a better teacher, if you could see him for smoke. Whitely, I reiterate, was a thoughtful and kind guy behind the airs and graces, cravat and Beethovian gravitas; I was very sorry to hear of his death. Whenever I play Bruckner's Fourth Symphony [which he begged me to listen to], I think of him.
Now, on to business. What is this about me being "never any good on the drums"! I was Hinde House's answer to Bill Bruford, mate! Furthermore, I went on to make records and do two Peel Sessions with Workforce in the 1980s- playing percussion, saxophone and keys. So there! Any more from you and I'll duck your head down the bog! Only kidding. Nice to hear from a fellow ex- Colditz inmate. Keep posting.

Gettingon
I too remember the fights, and everyone would shout "fight, fight" and come running.
The wig thing was common with the girls, the West Indian girls would often wear those hair pieces, and would come off all the time.
What about the sports days, I was hopeless at running, and still am, but liked tennis and played hockey for the school for a while, I was too short to play netball.

We had a humanities teacher and I cant remember his name, but he was tall with dark hair and thick rimmed glasses, I used to love that class, I think it was in 3rd form, they probably call it social studies now, for 2 years in 4th and 5th form, I did an afternoon a week at a hospital, 1 year at Middlewood and 1 year at Northern General, I had wanted to be nurse then, some kids looked at it as a way of going to school, but I never missed a week, so there were some bits I enjoyed

Does anyone remember the all weather pitch, you boys used to enjoy playing football, and the West Indian boys were always the best at running, and no-one could beat them at sports days in the track events.

Hi Folks, who remembers Mc Gregors cafe opposite the Roxy dance hall at Page Hall and Roxy pics next to each other, plus Vic on Upwell Street, sweet shop which was next door still there I think!!! saw Rock around the clock, even tore up a seat or 2 heady days, E mail address mauricejag@aol.com. Now reside in Derbyshire.

Nsiebert [Nadine], even the teachers shouted "fight, fight" when arguments broke out in the staffroom at Hinde House! I remember a West Indian contingent when I was a pupil too; they were largely from Burngreave and Pitsmoor.

Timo
I can imagine the teachers shouting "fight fight" too.
Some were no better than the pupils, do you think the schools are any better these days

Nadine, I lecture/research in higher ed, which is great fun most of the time, and 99% of the students are nice, polite hardworking types who want to be there. I wouldn't be a schoolteacher in British schools for any amount of money. In so many schools, the teachers have to endure the most dreadful abuse and intimidation from maladjusted children [and sometimes their oafish parents] for a pittance. The level of bureaucracy and red tape they are faced with is appalling. Not only that, in the age of "compensation" and litigation, teachers have to watch their backs for fear of being accused of crimes against humanity when merely endeavouring to apply discipline in an age where the cane is [sadly] out of favour. Their lot is a difficult one indeed. Give me the Uni life every time...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by timo
Now, on to business. What is this about me being "never any good on the drums"! I was Hinde House's answer to Bill Bruford, mate! Furthermore, I went on to make records and do two Peel Sessions with Workforce in the 1980s- playing percussion, saxophone and keys. So there! Any more from you and I'll duck your head down the bog! Only kidding. Nice to hear from a fellow ex- Colditz inmate. Keep posting. /QUOTE]

Just joshing my friend. Very impressive with the Peel sessions.
I also played in a band in the early 80's, but the material became boring for me, whilst the other band members loved it. Time to move on.

Nsiebert look, look Timo is threatening me with physical violence!... ee's threatenin' to flush me 'ead downt bog... aaargh! the Hinde House curse lives on within us...

flashbacks...flashbacks!!! :-)

Must go out and beat somebody up... (j/k)

Timo
It is much the same over here, but I think not so bad or on such a large scale.
There is still some choice of where you can send your kids to school, and many choose to send the kids to schools in other area's, in fact there are school buses picking up kids and dropping them all over town, and private school is quite popular, the schools here are often large up to 2000 pupils from f3, which is year 9 upwards.

Gettingon
Old habits die hard, Timo you have been well trained, that school has set us up for life.
We will live with that place for ever.

I am surprised that no teachers have come on line and given us there opinion of the kids they taught.
So if any Hinde House teachers are around we want to hear from your perspective.
I do not envy teachers who teach Secondary age kids, they know the teachers cant do anything.

Originally posted by nsiebert
Gettingon
Does anyone remember the all weather pitch, you boys used to enjoy playing football, and the West Indian boys were always the best at running, and no-one could beat them at sports days in the track events.

Only all-weather pitch I remember was at Concord sports centre.

I remember the school fields being all grass. Things are fuzzy though...


erm... don't ever remember getting beat at running nsiebert... sorry! ;-)

I do remember participating in an olympic style PE event. Everybody had to attempt all the olympic track and field events throughout the term, and points were accumulated and tallied at the end of the term for gold, silver, and bronze awards.

Not a bad idea actually - only time I ever got to throw a discus, javelin, or do the high jump...etc.

Originally posted by timo
Nsiebert [Nadine], even the teachers shouted "fight, fight" when arguments broke out in the staffroom at Hinde House! I remember a West Indian contingent when I was a pupil too; they were largely from Burngreave and Pitsmoor.


I'm not arguing your post Timo about the teachers, (I didn't experience them all), but I happen to remember quite a few of my teachers actually trying. I think if you wanted to learn something, it was there for the taking.

The other pupils however are a different matter. I certainly understand nsieberts' distractions there.
But it was in the time of child rearing via "clips around the head" and that type of thing. Also, "parenting in absentia" via the pub lifestyle, which was worse in some families than others.
I referred to possible "home life" causality of their wretched behaviour in an earlier response to nsiebert.

If somebody clipped me around the head, or otherwise physically smacked/assaulted me, it would definitely **** ME OFF!

How about you? ;-)

Originally posted by nsiebert

Timo you have been well trained, that school has set us up for life.
We will live with that place for ever.

ee's just an 'ooligan that timo is. probably has his students scared to death! :-)

Gettingon
I think people like me that wanted to fit in, but also wanted to learn found it difficult, some teachers did try and as an adult I feel sorry for some of the stuff they had to put up with.
I used to love the cooking, sewing, sport, and social studies,
I liked the music classes also, but maths was my weakest subject, so I go pulled out of the A class after my first year and into the average class, and what a difference, no one really worked, so maybe if you were in an A class you were saved.
I remember in infants school, teachers smacking legs of children and boys being caned at Secondary level, heads also knocked against the wall, but those kids in general were the bad lot, that couldnt be controlled, you must be younger than Timo and me.
Parents never went to the school to see what the kids were up to, and many of the kids came from quite rough backgrounds, so I suppose the school was up against it, I hope it is better now.

Nadine,
I suspect that impish knave, Gettingon is actually slightly older than me, and [I shall put this with the delicasy of one handling fine porcelain], slightly younger than you, my dear. He is certainly testimony to the survival instinct of the human species; having emerged from South Yorkshire's equivalent of a Viet-Cong Reducation Camp with such a cheerful nature and good humour. I promise not to "duck" his head "darn t'bog", as we used to say on the playing fields of Hinde House. As for terrifying my students; only my attempts at dancing [like a sack of potatoes lewdly desporting itself] have ever produced such a reaction in my charges.

Timo
I get your meaning, you think I am old!!!
I am not grey yet, so that is a bonus I suppose.
Gettingon didnt remember the all weather pitch, that was the pitch down below the main playing fields, how could anyone not remember that, those banks down from those fields were very famous, I used to like playing hockey and we used to go down there.
Those people that backed onto the fields used to get quite an education, if you know what I mean.
Havent heard "bog" for ages, it made me smile.

Originally posted by nsiebert
Timo
Gettingon didnt remember the all weather pitch, that was the pitch down below the main playing fields, how could anyone not remember that, those banks down from those fields were very famous, I used to like playing hockey and we used to go down there.
Those people that backed onto the fields used to get quite an education, if you know what I mean.
Havent heard "bog" for ages, it made me smile.


I do recall the pitch down from the main playing fields, just not the fact it was all weather. I'm sure we played football on it during sports day or whatever, (the Brearley vs. Chantrey vs. Hunter vs. Sorby affair).

If it wasn't grass what kind (or colour) of all-weather surface was it?

I'm getting on, maybe it'll jog my memory.

Originally posted by nsiebert
GettingonI used to love the cooking, sewing, sport, and social studies,
I liked the music classes also, but maths was my weakest subject, so I go pulled out of the A class after my first year and into the average class, and what a difference, no one really worked, so maybe if you were in an A class you were saved.

Excellent point nsiebert. That probably has alot to do with our, ever so slightly, differing experience.
Do you remember who your maths teacher was?
I think I had a fellow called Palfreyman or some such. Interesting guy, but you did have to work to keep up with him.
I recall the homework always being on something that we hadn't covered yet. Didn't quite appreciate that at the time.

One motivating factor for me was, I recall, one of my mates leaving school (after CSE's) when he was only 15.
I saw him at knocking off time coming out of a factory, and it really hit home that he was still a kid! I was still a kid!

It depressed me - I started putting a little extra effort into my studies. Will never forget it.

Gettingon
The all weather pitch was grass, not the artificial stuff in those days, but I think because it was lower down, it may have been sheltered, not sure why they called it that though.
My maths teacher I think was Mr Andrews, a small old guy, he frightened me to death, he didnt have any sense of humour, and I was always scared to ask if I didnt understand, I was ok in all the other subjects and loved Geography and English, I liked to write and at work they call me the email Queen, because my emails are long like a book.
I remember in music class, our teacher had to leave the classroom for something and we made such a racket, Mr Andrews came in to see what was going on and we all had to sing Men of Harlech out of these music books in a loud voice, and he walked around the classroom to make sure everyone was singing in a loud voice, it was terrible, obviously we all did it, even the rough kids and I look back now and think that way was the only way to control the rough kids, but for the others it just frightened us, and we didnt acheive anything.

Originally posted by nsiebert
Gettingon
The all weather pitch was grass, not the artificial stuff in those days, but I think because it was lower down, it may have been sheltered, not sure why they called it that though.
My maths teacher I think was Mr Andrews, a small old guy, he frightened me to death, he didnt have any sense of humour, and I was always scared to ask if I didnt understand,

Okay, so it was grass. Then I remember it.
It used to turn into a "bog" when it rained because of the drainage down the hill. Used to get ankle deep in mud. I can't think why they'd call it "all-weather", anybody have any ideas?

Re Mr Andrews, the name sounds familiar, can't picture him though.

It'd be interesting if someone had a faculty picture to share with the forum.

the Gunstands on Wincobank hill?

I think there were 2 of them, one red brick, the other a whitish concrete one.
At least one of them you could crawl all the way underneath it, and come out the other side. It was a tight squeeze even as a kid.

Also close by was the "Greyhills", huge piles of gravel(?) where we created tracks to ride our bikes. Probably our own early version of BMX type tracks.

Gettingon
I dont know if you are a member of the friendsreunited website,
but there is actually a photo, you can look at the site without joining, but I joined as I saw people in my class I would like to email.
You may find it very interesting.
Let me know I will send you the address if not, otherwise put in friendsreunited into your search engine and you will easily find it.