Exsheffield

if you go on to the Sheffield Social Services website look for "Freedom of Information" and make a request for what year Eastcliffe was shut down. They then have 20 working days to either, give you an answer or, to tell you why they will not provide one. If they do not provide one then get back to me. Maybe - can't promise, I can help.

If I remember rightly, it was the Swan that had striptease on Friday Lunchtimes. We are talking early seventies here. For a sixteen year old kid it was great.

I have just remembered that, when I was there, Mr North was the Head and Mr May was the deputy. In one term I notched up 51 strokes of the cane. A record. Most of them administered by Mr May but a lot came from the teacher of Technical Drawing (can't remember his name) for not doing homework.

I started off at Crosspool Infants, went to Fulwood Infants (fav. teacher Miss Jennet, the head) then went on to Nether Green juniors and was in the first year of the brand new Hallam Primary School after it opened. I can't remember any teachers, only that I was the first pupil to be caned. Wow.

I was at Tapton during the late 60's early 70's. In fact I was there at the same time (same year) as Seb Coe (name dropping). when we went running he was at the front and I was with the smokers at the back. If only I had known. Anyway, he was rather a prat then. Now he is a Lord. Oh, the irony. Tapton was never a posh school, just slightly upmarket compared to Crosspool.

I was at Shirecliffe in the late 60's early 70's. A couple of times. I remember Mr Oliver and another guy, Mr Hinds. Of the two of them Hinds was the worst and very free with slapping kids across the head. Oliver was a lanky chap but always looked as though he had a stoop. I was put in care when I was there the first time for shop-lifting? The lad who I had been with was given a £10 fine and sent home. The man and his wife who ran the place were sadists.

I am not sure if I remember it properly. Was there a skating rink a lot further down East Bank Road from Eastcliffe? Anyway, if it is the same place then I was there around '75/'76. It was two buildings. The bloke in charge, Brian Cadman, had a flat in one building and Liz, the next in charge, had a flat in the other. It was a mixed place and we each had our own bedroom. I remember some of the lads/lasses (but without surnames just in case....), there were two sisters, June & Julie, Dave, John. There was a member of staff who was quite young and intellectual who we called Bamber (after Bamber Gascoigne from the original University Challenge). Does anyone remember it like that or was I in a completely different place in Sheffield?