St. John Fisher School in the 1960's

[echo beach 586]

Hi Echo after you let Bassano where did you go to Trento then Verona I'm taking about 5 years ago when you showed Patricia Swisserland. If you tell me where you passed to get to Edolo i can tell you if you passed near me. All the best for now.

Aruro

 

Good morning Arturo,

 

Our journey from Bassano took us along the SS47 to Trento, then north on the SS12 to San Michelle where we turned west on the SS43 passed the Lago di Santa Giustina and through Bozzana, Caldes, Male and Dimaro(where you turn off for Madonna di Campiglio). We then reached Edolo and subsequently Sondrio and the top of Lake Como. From there our travels took us north into Switzerland, over the Julier Pass to Chur. west to Andermatt, north through Wassen and finally over the Susten Pass to Interlaken.

I think we weren't far from the beautiful place where you live.

 

Echo

[Arturo Dorna 10]

Hi yes you passed about 45KM from me Dimaro is the closes. First you did the val di non then the val di sole you passed Pejo going to Edolo that is in Lombardia is the region like saying county in England. My region is called Trentino Altoadige untill 1918 it was Austria. lol I'm teaching you our history.

Ok keep in touch always great to chat. Btw are you in Englan or in Holland?

Arturo

[echo beach 586]

Hi yes you passed about 45KM from me Dimaro is the closes. First you did the val di non then the val di sole you passed Pejo going to Edolo that is in Lombardia is the region like saying county in England. My region is called Trentino Altoadige untill 1918 it was Austria. lol I'm teaching you our history.

Ok keep in touch always great to chat. Btw are you in Englan or in Holland?

Arturo

 

Hi Arturo,

I live in England; Yorkshire to be precise. We call it God's country because of our pride at being Yorkshire people. Apparently if we were a separate country from GB in this Olympics we'd be 11th in the medal table! Such has been the success of our sportsmen and women. However, enough of the boasting!

From what you've said and looking at a map, I guess you live in one of the villages between Carisolo and Tione di Trento. What do they call the river which runs down the valley?

I know a little bit about the history of your region. In June I was at the summit of Monte Grappa where there is a memorial to all the soldiers who gave their lives for Italy during World War I defending it against those of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Two years ago I was also there but that time it was April so I couldn't reach the top due to the snow! I also visited Feltre in Belluno earlier this year and noticed a square in the centre which had been called Karl Platz and was now Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Evidence of a change in ownership?

My brother in law is moving to Lincolnshire in England where the land is very flat. It couldn't be more different from your area near Trento. He will miss the mountains, I'm sure.

[Arturo Dorna 10]

Hi Echo I would like to say that I'm from yorkshire as I live all my youth in beighton south sheffield, I lived almost 13 years at beighton, all my schooling there to. You have found where i live Tione di Trento is my village. It's the main village in the aria we have an hospital 8 banks all the offices all the lower and higher schools from Tione you go yo univercity. As for the river it's called Sarca starts at Madonna di Capiglio bit alot of other valleis feeds it. It ends up in Lake Garda at the top Still called Sarca when it comes out at the bottom of the lake it's called Mincio. BTW Sarca great for fishing trout. Up on a mountain called Adamello the First world war was fought so many died And at Bondo not far from Tione there's a memorial cemertry all made out of grannit same stone as Adamello. ok for now great chatting.

Artruo

[Arturo Dorna 10]

Hi Echo have you been to Bassano you said you was coming the 16th?

Arturo

[echo beach 586]

Hi Echo have you been to Bassano you said you was coming the 16th?

Arturo

 

Hi Arturo,

Yes, we did make it to Bassano (Crespano del Grappa) to be precise last Thursday, but not without incident. On the way south on the Fern pass in Austria our vehicle, driven by my brother in law, and another lorry came into contact with each other resulting in three smashed mirrors on our cab. Unfortunately for me I was sat on the affected side with the window down (no aircon!) and the largest mirror flew in through the window and hit me on the head. Blood and broken glass were everywhere. The noise was like a bomb exploding and I thought my time had come! Luckily the mirror missed my eyes and the resultant scar is on my forehead. (My guardian angel worked overtime!).The moral of the story is not to get too close to other vehicles on Alpine passes and certainly do not wind down the windows, even if the weather is brilliant. Due the the damage we avoided the autostrada over the Brenner and followed old road getting some spectacular views of the mountains and the motorway in the process. You Italians certainly know how to build them in difficult terrain!

The return journey was uneventful by comparison but I have gained a lot of respect for HGV drivers having had the experience of driving over 2000 miles in a large vehicle that has a limited top speed of 55 mph.

The lorry's now safely back here and repaired,as are we.

My brother in law returns later this week to collect his car, which we left in Bassano and he'll drive it back to England from there.

I would hate to think that this is the last time I'll be seeing your beautiful 'neck of the woods' and hope to return sometime in the not too distant future.

 

Ciao for now,

 

Echo

[Arturo Dorna 10]

Hi Arturo,

Yes, we did make it to Bassano (Crespano del Grappa) to be precise last Thursday, but not without incident. On the way south on the Fern pass in Austria our vehicle, driven by my brother in law, and another lorry came into contact with each other resulting in three smashed mirrors on our cab. Unfortunately for me I was sat on the affected side with the window down (no aircon!) and the largest mirror flew in through the window and hit me on the head. Blood and broken glass were everywhere. The noise was like a bomb exploding and I thought my time had come! Luckily the mirror missed my eyes and the resultant scar is on my forehead. (My guardian angel worked overtime!).The moral of the story is not to get too close to other vehicles on Alpine passes and certainly do not wind down the windows, even if the weather is brilliant. Due the the damage we avoided the autostrada over the Brenner and followed old road getting some spectacular views of the mountains and the motorway in the process. You Italians certainly know how to build them in difficult terrain!

The return journey was uneventful by comparison but I have gained a lot of respect for HGV drivers having had the experience of driving over 2000 miles in a large vehicle that has a limited top speed of 55 mph.

The lorry's now safely back here and repaired,as are we.

My brother in law returns later this week to collect his car, which we left in Bassano and he'll drive it back to England from there.

I would hate to think that this is the last time I'll be seeing your beautiful 'neck of the woods' and hope to return sometime in the not too distant future.

 

Ciao for now,

 

Echo

 

Hi Echo I'm sorry for the incedent but you'ar and safe at home now, thats what counts, sat at home on the settee these things don't happen. So to go to Bassano you do the Val Sulgana? I think it's the shortis way?

As for the autostrada it took them a few years to make it petty they didn't do the 3 lanes would have been better. I think now you know the way to Italy Echo you'll be back maybe to visit Lake Garda, that not far from me to. Ok all the best Take care.

Ciao Arturo

[Johnsworld 10]

Hi Folks

Just picked up this thread as i've just started out on the forum.

Left St John Fisher in 1968 aged 15. I think I remember most of the teachers mentioned so far along with most of the pupils. Played golf a few times recently with Joe Lyons - ex geography teacher. He is still teaching part time. A teacher friend of mine works with him and so set him up to play golf with me. It was great winding him up before he realised I was one of his ex pupils, and he even remembered me. He also mentioned a lot of other pupils that were there when I was.

Would love to catch up with anybody from my era.

John Wilkinson

[Dfor 10]

Hi All - happy memories of SJF came flooding back when reading the posts - Mr Lyons was my form teacher and yes he taught geography I remember 'the black doctor' very well.

[PAT THE CHEF 11]

Hi,

I attended St John Fishers from( I think ) 1967 to 1972.Can remember quite a few teachers.Mr Lyons , Mr Walsh ,Mr Mallon ,Mr Adams, Mr Pearson , Mr Latham ,Mr Campbell,Mr O Hara, Mr Robinson, Miss Walker ,Mrs John, Mrs Higham, Miss O Brien .

Some of the kids in my year ,Ron Birley (who I see occiasionally when I'm back in Sheffield , Farrel Gallagher,Chris Spillane ,Paul Stafford,Martin Wainwright ,Gordon Wellwood ,Gary Wilkinson,David Daikin , Martin Jarvis,Terrance Crossland , Catherine O Donnel,Linda Ouldred ,Andrea Doeherty ,Joan Broderick,Irma Beaumont,Beverly Ramsden ,

.Enjoyed my time at S.J.F and overall only have pleasant memories.

Also had two sisters who went there .

[beautiful ze 10]

I went to St John Fisher's Comp in the seventies.

It sounds like I am the only one who hated it. Being bullied by David Mabson, the little runt and his mates, the one with the stupid short black fringe like the guy in Slade,Keith somebody (nobody) and Dopey Thorpe, the Missing Link and a list of other spiteful articles as long as your arm.

Hardly Catholic let alone Christian.

The head teachers was Mr Campbell. He was useless. He had a carpet fitted in our classroom because he didn't like the noise of our feet when he was "working".

I was in Sister Brendan's class, 3M and the room was above his office. He was a drink of water that man. Brendan went mad one day because Paul Chambers had carved his name in the desk. She made him go to Mr Pearson the wood work teacher and get a plane and plane it out during lunchtime.He did. When she came back there were unsurprisingly shavings all over Campbell's precious carpet. Brendan went berserk blaming the kid. We, her form, were all lined up outside the classroom waiting to go in for the register, but we wouldn't go in because she was being so unfair to Chambers. She went white with rage. I can't remember what happened next but we got a new form teacher, Brendan was clearly not capable of governing teenagers.

Our new teacher was Mrs Lawton. She taught English and looked like Joanna Lumley. She used to tell us to always wear well cut trousers. I had really scruffy blonde hair and she used to call me out to the front of the class and comb it for me. None of that stuff would be allowed now of course more's the pity.

Joe Lyons was an Ok teacher from the learning point of view but a sadist. He loved using his taws on the lads, letting loose his brittle Irish temper . Mr Adams the PE teacher was useless . Only interested in football no controll of kids. Lots of other teachers like Lyons and Mallam, a fat science teacher with really bad teeth, used to "take" PE so they could spend their time playing foot ball instead of preparing lessons. The Tech drawing teacher Mick someone , a jordy , was another one and the cockney Dave Mc Clusky, he taught maths.

The one I remember most though was a history teacher called Mike Hartley. He had long hair and a beard and wore really tight trousers. He used to parade around in the boys changing room in just his underpants showing off and eyeing up the lads.

There was maths teacher Mr Paul, I think he was Indonesian. He had an eye for the boys too.

The other maths teachers were Mr Latham,( when he died his wife had his ashes put on the compost heap. Enough said.) Mr "Ding Dong " Bell, a bit like the spare Goody,Bill Oddey's brother. And another one who's form was 1R . Can't remember his name. A bit of a posh strawberry blonde with scars on his face from knives.Must have loved working there.

Mr " Monkey' Mallam was the head of English. He dropped dead at school on the last day of term one year. He was 39. I went to his funeral. And Barbara Cable was another English teacher, she died of cancer at 25 or so. Elsie Glossop and Mrs McGill were also english teachers and Bosseyed McEligott was the french teacher. He loved himself and lived a fantasy he was french, had a little goatee and drove a 2CV. The music teacher was Miss Sheerman, she couldn't control a class. Mr Walsh was the science teacher and was like a left over from the war. Like Douglas Barder's brother. His twins were in my class. His face used to go bright red, fit to burst when he was angry. His nephew Mr Woodhouse was the metalwork teacher. He loved himself. Used to pat his hair into place all the time.

Mr Robinson taught art. He was a blonde who loved himself too, and all the girls loved him, and miss Walker was head of art. She was great.She died of bone marrow cancer. When Robinson left he was replaced by " Flossie" McGrath, who wore a flared denim suit and got married to one of the young english teachers. The same year the young Spanish teacher married one of the games teachers,some curly blonde bimbo but McElligot didn't marry the one we all thought he was knocking off.

Miss Adams took the remedial class. Little fat woman who wore ponchos she had knitted.

The school was so overcrowded that Miss Adams had to have the remedial class in the music gallery above the kitchens. The music gallery had been built there so that the noise wouldn't disturb anyone. The remedial class obviously made more noise that people singing and making music because the music room had been moved to room 8 and then room 6. There were nutters like Louis Smith in the remedial class and Anita Bacon and Paul Smith.

I will never forget an incident involving the remedial class and Neville Francis.By then Miss Adams had left, due to stress ( My Mum worked at the school so I found loads out once I grew up) and Fatty O'Hara was taking the remedial class. I hate that man but more later. My class was having a history lesson with the afore mentioned Mike Hartley showing off in his very tight striped trousers in the dining hall under the music gallery. The school was so over crowed by the seventies, having had to take kids from St Catherine's and other schools like from Wybourne, instead of just from St Theresa's and St Joseph's as originally planned and paid for by their parishioners, that lessons were being given anywhere. In first year my form room was the metalwork room, and we had lessons in the library, needlework room, the flat (remember that? That school could have been so good if it could have been used as planned) and the hall, gym etc.

It couldn't have been easy for the teachers and it was far from ideal for the pupils because you couldn't hear or be heard properly in the dining hall because of the echo. Any way, this day we were trying to hear what show off Hartley was saying about the first world war, when suddenly Fatty O'hara went rage in the music gallery above, bawling and shouting at Neville Francis. What a great example that man was. He lost his temper so much so that he spat out his false teeth. They flew over the gallery down into the dining hall and bounced on the tables we were sitting around listening to Big Pants Hartley, droning on about the Somme. O'Hara then sent Francis down to collect the teeth for him. Really!

Another day, we were having 'sports' ready for sports day (ha ha). It was the summer, so we were let off the endless round of football. I liked javelin, so did Jimmy Hickey. He ran out of the sports cupboard with a javelin, ran over to the edge of the bank to the field and hurled it. It landed in the thigh of Andrew Gainor, who was tying his boot laces sitting on the grass at the bottom of the bank. He was taken to hospital, and I had to go and give evidence that Jimmy Hickey had not meant to do it deliberately. I couldn't say for sure, it was that sort of a school after all and Hickey was a bit of a nutter.

 

And why do I hate O'hara? I was bullied a lot as I said. One of the bullies was a girl called Beverly Burzins. She lived in a kids home or something. Anyway , after months and months of being tormented by her , one day I retaliated and called her a tramp, which was one of the things she called me. She went straight to O'hara. I got hauled up in front of him. He kept asking me what a tramp was, and I said a poor person, which is all I knew aged 12. He kept on and on until he reduced me to tears, then he told me I well knew that a tramp was a prostitute and I had called Beverly Burzins a prostitute. I didn't know what a prostitute was at 12. Anyway during all of this, my mum walked in with some papers for him. He wasn't interested in why I had lost my temper and called Burzins a tramp, he unerringly took the side of girls, without any head to what they had done. Not very just nor fair. My enduring impression of St John Fishers School.

I'm glad so many of you had a better time than me. I hope you learned more too. I doubt it.

[gerryuk 10]

I attended St John Fishers in the mid 70s and left the year before it was closed down. I think the fact that it was closed down says a lot about the place.

I learnt more in the six months of leaving that hell hole than I did in the entire time I was there.

The school seemed to attract all its pupils from Sheffield’s roughest council estates, Manor, Wybourn and Pitsmoor, nuff said.