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gumeracha

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About gumeracha

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  • Location
    Adelaide, South Australia
  • Interests
    golf, fishing rugby(league & union
  • Occupation
    Retired
  1. have just seen this tread for the first time. I attended Pipworth Rd School, started in late 1942 and left at the end of 1952. In the first post severals names were mentioned but unfortunately I couldn't place one of them. I too remember Miss Drinkwater and strangely enough I can't any other teachers from the infant school. Teachers in the juniors are also hard to remember except for Miss Warren the head teacher who in my opinion was a bit of a battleaxe. The seniors I do remember Mr Smith the science teacher, a truly great person, got me interested in the subject, and I'm still learning. Mr Pickering was another good teacher. Mr Moorcock, who when was mad his bald head turned a distinctive shade of red, but if you showed an interest in gardening, you were friends for life. Miss Needle taught maths, Mr Palfyman did sports, Mr Hughes was originally the woodwork teacher, but after a confrontation with taller than average students, he was move to the arts class. The music teacher was a little fat bloke but I couldn't give a name, but he was alright. There was a teacher who used to do the girls sports, she always wore very short shorts which found interesting, but we had no idea why. I sure some of the male teachers had a furtive glance at Miss Deacon's shapely pins. The kids in our year included Tony Smith, Alan Marshall, Lawrence Brian MottMck
  2. Mum's B & C number was 26945 and my RAF no. 4182112, neither will ever be forgotten, why?, I've no idea.
  3. Just read this thread for the first time. I agree with all the favourable comments of JF. Also the many comments about the Wednesday/Spurs game in 1960. I was then stationed at Bomber Command HQ in High Wycombe. Down there I was surrounded by southerners who were all crowing about the invincible Spurs, with comments like we will kill 'em etc. I was certain that for a long period, Wednesday had repeatedly beaten the Spurs at Hillsborough. Based on this knowledge I was certain Wednesday would win, and started taking a few too many bets, even getting some favourable odds. The game was all ticket, I did send off 4 ticket applications, but each one was unsuccessful. So I waited down in High Wycombe, having serious doubts about my wisdom in an outlay off several pounds on a football team. I think at that time my weekly pay was less than 4 pounds. The following week at work was one of the happiest I'd experienced in the RAF, you couldn't knock the smile off my clock. And yes, that was the greatest Wednesday team of all time, lead by the greatest captain, Don Megson.
  4. I started as a paper boy in 1950 along with about 9 or 10 other lads who worked for Hurst's on the Manor estate. I had one of the smaller rounds. Called at about 40 houses with the morning papers comics and magazines, and about 50 odd Stars in the evening. Sundays were the worst, the majority of houses having more than one paper., the bag used to weigh you down. From memory we were paid 9 shillings a week, plus tram fares to get to and from Hurst's. If you didn't miss a delivery in a month, you were rewarded with a bonus of 9/-. The biggest pay day of the year was Christmas Eve when you delivered every newspaper in person to the householder to wish them seasons greetings.
  5. Reading some of the earlier threads of someone falling from the train whilst travelling through Totley tunnel, I remember one occurrence in the early 1950's. A group of lads used to catch the "hikers special" at Heeley and over time we got to know them, mainly through abseiling down the bluff of rock just passed the Speedwell cave on Winnats Pass. I think one of their leaders may have been called "Kirby" The first we knew about the tunnel incident was stopping at Grindleford station and railway people running around like scalded cats. Eventually people came out of the tunnel helping this poor individual who had obviously fallen out of the train. He was covered in soot and looked a proper sight, but still seemed well enough to wave to his mates and anybody else who showed interest. In the Monday night's edition of the Star it was reported that the victim had been standing with his back to the door while watching his mates play cards. The door had suddenly flown open and the unfortunate had fallen out. A few weeks later we heard that the real story was that so-and-so had being trying an outside traverse of the train from their compartment to another one three or four doors down the carriage, and unfortunately did what all climbers do from time to time, he fell off and landed in a great pile of soot beside the line. My mate and I had several years enjoyment between 1952 and 1956 catching the 9.00 or 10.00 train from Sheffield Midland visiting most parts of Peak District from Stannage to Kinder Scout, and had heaps of fun along the way. We loved camping at Stony Middleton, Stannage, just outside Hathersage and Bamford. Other places visited included the Yorkshire dales, and Lakes, Scotland (mainly around Ben Nevis). Our hiking and camping days came to an end thanks to National Service. At least the RAF did finance our transportation costs to northern Scotland when we were both stationed in southern England.
  6. I think it was July or August 1948 Yorkshire played the mighty "Invinsibles". On the Saturday about ten minutes after the start, Aspinall sent one down to Barnes I think, out for a duck. It must have been the loudest cheer ever heard at Bramall Lane. I also attended on the Monday and Tuesday(I had a fractured elbow and Dad had broken his foot so we were both free to attend) This should have been the greatest game of the Aussie tour, but Bradman chickened out and played for a draw. It would have been the only game in the tour that the Aussies were booed off the pitch. I now live in Adelaide and whenever they start bragging about their Invinsibles, I throw in my twopennith about the Bramall Lane game. Other threads also commented on Boycott refusing to sign autograghs. I came across him in Adelaide along with Chris Olds, and both were happy to autogragh a book I had just purchased for my wife's birthday. Being Australian she was not impressed.
  7. Prince Edward school dental and medical clinics. The dental section centred on seeing how much pain could a little kid stand. I made at least 4 visits to the "dentist", each time for fillings, with each visit being more painful than the previous one. That woman did not have one ounce of care or feeling for her young patients. After my experience I would not go near a dentist until I was in my 20's. Like many kids in war years and the late 40's. I developed a skin complaint during summer. I used to get whitish blisters forming on the edges of my ears. These used to itch something cruel, so I was sent to the medical centre. Treatment was a yellow liquid applied around the outside of the ear. My problem was stated to be frostbite. The middle of b------ summer, and the bright spark insisted it was frostbite. Like the so called dentist, I ask what sort of qualifications did those people have?
  8. My first ride on a train was in August 1945 travelling from Sheffield Vic to Cleethorpes for our first sighting of the sea. Whilst we were there the war finally finished with the defeat of Japan. Our next trip from Sheffield Vic was in 1947 to London Marylebone for fortnights holiday with relations. I do remember travelling around London by tram, and compared to Sheffield trams they were truly ancient. Then for the next 5/6 years the annual holidays were always at Brid, and to get there we always left from Victoria station. Later all travelling from the city centre seemed to be from the Midland station, although thanks to Dad's membership at the Darnall Libs WMC, with had our annual trips to Cleethorpes leaving from Darnall station. My next time I used Victoria station was in 1960 when the RAF posted me back to the UK from Australia and my new wife and I travelled from Southampton to Sheffield. We returned to Sheffield last year for our first visit in 42 years, and one the many changes we noticed was the closing of Sheffield Vic. To me it didn't appear to be one brightest moves made.
  9. I remember a kid called Haigh, lived on Stonecliff Rd half way down between Motehall and Beaumont Rds. but I can't remember his christian name. He went to Pipworth Rd school in the 1940's and finished about 1952/3. Some other ex-students who attended that fountain of knowledge around that time included, Frank Straw, Colin Hood, Walt Launders, Bryan Oldroyd, Alan Marshall, Tony Smith, Alf Medley and many others
  10. I worked at the English Steel Corp (later became British Steel and then Forgemasters) between 1953 and 1956, left to do national service. The works trains which I remember to be green, crossed Brightside Lane from the old south machine shop side to the Siemans furnaces side.
  11. I attended Pipworth Rd school from 1942 to 1953 and both the school and the lower Manor were very good as far as I was concerned. One of my first memories of school was during a practice air raid, all us kids trooping along in file to go to the air raid shelters. In those days there were wooden benches along the walls, and the entire system had electric lighting. It wasn't a frightening experience, although you did sometimes try to scare some of the girls, but risked being told off by one of the teachers, their names I can no longer recall, except for Miss Drinkwater. After the war, the shelters were used for all manner of things, of which I know nothing. School continued with it's ups and downs. Incurring the wrath of Miss Warren, a person I never grew to like, and I am certain she had the same regard for me. One conversation I recall, went something like this,. "To get your name in the punishment book is very bad, a second entry is nothing to be proud, but a third time is record no one can be proud of, I will write your name in pencil, and with good behaviour at the end of the year I will erase it". I never did find out whether I was good enough or not. So that was the junior school successfully negotiated. First day in the senior school my best friend was involved in a playground fight, he was not doing too well, so idiot here had to join in to help him. First day and I'm waiting outside of Mr Barrett' office for a friendly interview. The teachers in the senior school were generally fair and understanding. Mr Smith the science teacher was a great bloke, and Mr Pickering was OK, I remember being called to his desk, it was straight after morning or afternoon playtime, he just said in a quiet and cool way, "If you must smoke during school times, please don't breathe all over me". No report or anything else, what a great bloke. Away from school life in the 1940's and 50's the Manor was the greatest place in the world to live. If anyone asked where you came from, you answered with pride "THE MANOR".
  12. Vespa Scooter 125cc in Australia. Ford Anglia 105E in U.K. Ford Anglia 1200 model, purchased in Holland. Serving in RAF in Germany. Holden FB saloon, purchased in Australia Holden Kingswood " " " Holden Commodore " " " Mazda 626 " " " (purchased new in 1997 and still going strong).
  13. Like Kay1 I first saw the sea at Cleethorpes in 1945. Like you the first impressions we not the best, overcast weather and the dirty brown colour of the sea, certainly didn't help. No one was allowed near the sands, except for one area which had been cleared of "land mines" I never really believed that one, and barbed wire. This area was used later in the week for a massive bon-fire they had to celebrate V.J. day, and that night my sister and I were allowed to attend the festivities. I still have a soft spot for Cleeforps as I always called it, but following holidays were at Scarborough(turned out too hilly for Dad, he was still waiting to have a major operation). The following years were at Bridlington which was much flatter, and that became our favourite venue for many years.
  14. First time I've had a look at this site, brought back some very happy memories of a kid fishing at Shireoakes in the late 40's /early 50's. Sunday mornings catch the train at Darnall to Shireoakes or even Worksop. Any roach or perch greater than 6 inches was quite a fish. Now in Australia currently experiencing a really cold period for this time of year, maximum forecast for tomorrow is 24 centigrade. Fishing here is O,K., but most fisherman laugh at me for fishing for carp, which must be the most hated fish in the world. You wouldn't want to eat it so why catch them, well that's the Aussie theory. I fish the River Murray about 30 miles from Adelaide every Wednesday and usually land on average 40 fish ranging up to 14 pounds, unfortunately the law states all carp must be killed, so into the nearest bin they go. Last Wednesday I broke my record for the swim, called it a day when I got to 70. I fish the same spot every week, I've killed hundreds of fish but the river is still full of them. All introduced fish must be killed, this includes perch(known as Redfin here) and also tench. Nothing is ever said about trout or salmon, strange that. Tight lines to you all.
  15. First pop star I saw was Guy Mitchell at the City Hall in the early 1950's. Also met Lonnie Donnegan,(about 1954) when he was the banjo player in Chris Barbers band, He introduced himself as Tony Donnegan.(Before Rock Island Line was even recorded). Later saw many great jazz musos, including Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, George Lewis and of course Humph. Littleton.
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