curlie

I was at the EITB from the day it first opened in 1967 (I think) What an exciting time! Crickey where do I start? Well we were all segregated into various classes depending on our final engineering classification and on which firm were sending us there, eg electrical companies, heavy steel works, welding firms, toolmakers etc. We then trained in the various sections for about 6 months I think, then we specialised on the section that our various firms had sent us there to train on. The electrical section was run by a Mr King, (who was later put in charge of the EITB) There were about 4 or 5 of our class including me, who wired up all the benches power supplies and other panels in the electrical section for future use by trainees. Talk about cheap labour! I was also asked to make and present a pair of stainless steel shackle openers(no, I don't know what they were used for either) to HRH Prince Phillip when he came to officially open the EITB. That was the first and hopefully the last time I've had my photo in the Star. I made lifelong friends and got a good engineering education at the same time, something that is sadly lacking in the engineering industry today. Anyway, I hope that I have jogged a few memories with my ramblings.

I used to save all my pocket money, well nearly all, and go to the basement in redgates to buy different bits for my meccanno set. It was like an alladins cave then. I remember that they also sold a model garden, with trees and lawnmowers and things that you could put into the garden, but I can't remember its name. Also they had all the bits and pieces for the Bayco house building sets. Anyone remember them?

Hi Michael, what a memory you've got. The three names of 1c you posted are also the three lads who took the entrance exam for the central technical school at hinde house. I'm ronnie by the way. I'm a bit ashamed that I havn't kept in touch with anyone from my former schools, but with the astonishing internet, maybe I can. Cheers mate.

I went to owler lane in 1963. I then moved up to Hinde House comprehensive in 1963. Our form room was actually the stage in the hall! I also seem to recall a couple of teachers getting married, but I can't remember their names. I do remember during the big freeze that we were asked by the headmaster if we had an art period on one thursday afternoon. A classmate gave him a copy of our timetable, which indicated that we were there all that afternoon. The head said that as the heating had broken down in the arts class, (it was a sort of prefabricated building in the school yard) we were to be sent home for that afternoon! Most of us went snowballing in the park! But the best thing was that the headmaster had been given the wrong timetable by mistake, but no one let on. I sometimes drive past the old school and it's amazing how small it seems now compared to when we were kids. Was there a teacher called Mr Tizard? the name seems to have stuck for some reason, although he may have been at another school.

I am new to this forum, but I would like to say that I attended CTS from 1963 to 1966 after taking the entrance exam at Hinde House comprehensive. I was in the building side if the school, learning bricklaying from Mr Crisp, woodwork, and all the other diciplines you needed to be a builder. It stood me in good stead, because after leaving there, I have been a mechanical engineer for the last 40 odd years! Still, the building skills have come in usefull over the years. I remember one friday afternoon in the brickwork workshop, in the new school on Gleadless road, when Mr Crisp was called out of class for something or other, and we had a fine old time throwing mortar about the workshop. When he came back, (he had obviously been watching) the six of us who had been throwing the lime mortar were made to clean away not only our own bits of brickwork but everyone elses as well. The following monday we were then summoned to the brickwork workshop again and dutifully caned six times! Needless to say, since that time I have never thrown any mortar around! I also remember an english teacher who seemed to be a giant of a man called Mr Edwards. It's nice to know that there are old boys out there who remenber these years so fondly, like going into Thornetons on Leopold street and buying rum and butter toffees for the afternoon, then playing shove-ha'penny upstairs on the benches in the assembly hall.