Totley in the 50s and 60s

[Meltman 314]

We lived at 89 Aldam Road in a prefab having moved from a prefab on the Arberthorn. I was about 15 ish when I came to live in Totley so had not grown up with the local kids and as such I didn't know them. I remember getting a lift to work (Firth Brown's laboratories) by the then company MD Mr Donald Hardwick who lived in the Main Avenue area. I had met his son at the bus stop on Baslow Road when he was going to school and I was going to work. I had to sit in the back of the company limousine, an Austin 3 litre in black. He dropped me off near work but not too near so I wouldn't get any comments from others in the labs.

One side of our garden at the prefab was a large hedge separating ours from the 'posh' houses on Main Avenue. I came home late one night, probably on the last bus,and as I walked up the garden there was a loud rustling noise coming from the hedge. I had to go and have a look, it was a large badger out hunting I guess, I was inside the house rather quickly. 

That's all for now folks. 

[Rupert’s Mum 0]

Hello everyone - I’ve come very late to this topic but I went to Totley County School from 1956 to 1963 ish.
 I remember the dreaded “mat” - considered a punishment by Miss Clareborough  who told my mother she was a “stupid little girl” at some parents evening.  I also recall Mrs Gascoigne (who wielded more authority than anyone else as Head Dinner Lady), Miss Willoughby a lovely little elderly teacher with glasses whose name I can’t recall.  Oh yes, and Mr Clements who taught J4. He used to prowl round the classroom with a stick which he called his “little friend”. If you weren’t paying attention, he would poke you with it.  There was also a lady teacher (name evades me) whose thighs rubbed together when she walked making an awful nylon noise!  The one good thing was the “twist sessions” for J4 on Fridays after morning assembly. 
I was in charge of the weather monitoring station in the school grounds for quite a while which consisted of recording the wind speed, rainfall, etc in a notebook every Saturday morning.

My mother and grandparents originally lived near Shoreham Street but were bombed out during WW2, so went to live in Main Avenue. My father’s family were better off and lived in a bungalow in The Grove.  When they married we lived in Rowan Tree Dell.

I went on to High Storrs at age 11 after my parents divorced and later my mother met someone whose family lived at Firvale, thus we moved there (God knows why - Totley was so much nicer!!)

People I remember: Michael Ward, Nigel Spall, John Glentworth (Rowan Tree Dell) and from TCS; Diane Peace, Anne Hazlehurst, Jennifer Wildgoose, Barbara Prince, Nicholas Mines, Anthony Smart, Richard Brightman, Mair Jones, Gillian Mangles, Bill Moss

I live in Wiltshire now and only visit Sheffield occasionally to go to football (I still support my childhood team).  Last time I drove round Totley it seemed very small ☹️

 

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

44 minutes ago, Rupert’s Mum said:

Hello everyone - I’ve come very late to this topic but I went to Totley County School from 1956 to 1963 ish.
 I remember the dreaded “mat” - considered a punishment by Miss Clareborough  who told my mother she was a “stupid little girl” at some parents evening.  I also recall Mrs Gascoigne (who wielded more authority than anyone else as Head Dinner Lady), Miss Willoughby a lovely little elderly teacher with glasses whose name I can’t recall.  Oh yes, and Mr Clements who taught J4. He used to prowl round the classroom with a stick which he called his “little friend”. If you weren’t paying attention, he would poke you with it.  There was also a lady teacher (name evades me) whose thighs rubbed together when she walked making an awful nylon noise!  The one good thing was the “twist sessions” for J4 on Fridays after morning assembly.

 

Yes, I too went to TCPS 1959-1966.

Where was that dreaded 'Mat'? In the dreaded Crushall (Crush Hall?) '.

 

 I recall also Mr Simpkins (J3),  a Miss Campbell (J1?), a Miss Redmayne, a Miss Thorpe, and a Mrs White.

Noteworthy:

Mr Simpkins taught us a bit of Spanish.

Mr Clements taught us what, subsequently, was most of the Maths syllabus of year 1 of secondary school- a great start.

Classical Music prefacing most Assemblies.

[Dreb48 35]

Hi Jeffrey and Ruperts Mum

Thank you for posting 

My school intake was 53 to 59 to im a bit ahead of you both .

Some of the teachers you both mention were there during my time , names I remember are : Misses Grandage , Richards, White , Willoughby ( later Poyser) Redmayne.  Mr Roberts ( Pop ) was our J4 teacher. I can’t really place Mr Clements but I’m sure he was there.

 

The infamous naughty mat was in the foyer ot the assembly hall twixt classrooms and Miss Clarebrughs office. 
How we all enjoyed the yearly spelling tests she put us through in her room !!

 

Ruperts Mum , there’s a lot of names you mentioned that I’m familiar with .

John Glentworths sister Vivien was one of my besties of the time and I remember Gill Mangles well.

 

if you haven’t already , I can recommend you log on to Totley History Group and go into photos to see the class pics from that period under Totley County 

All the names you mention are on there.

 

Im currently in close contact with 2 shiny faced young school chums  that I met in reception class 1953.

Unfortuately all 3 of us are not so shiny faced anymore but are still in possession of our marbles 

[Dreb48 35]

10 hours ago, Rupert’s Mum said:

Hello everyone - I’ve come very late to this topic but I went to Totley County School from 1956 to 1963 ish.
 I remember the dreaded “mat” - considered a punishment by Miss Clareborough  who told my mother she was a “stupid little girl” at some parents evening.  I also recall Mrs Gascoigne (who wielded more authority than anyone else as Head Dinner Lady), Miss Willoughby a lovely little elderly teacher with glasses whose name I can’t recall.  Oh yes, and Mr Clements who taught J4. He used to prowl round the classroom with a stick which he called his “little friend”. If you weren’t paying attention, he would poke you with it.  There was also a lady teacher (name evades me) whose thighs rubbed together when she walked making an awful nylon noise!  The one good thing was the “twist sessions” for J4 on Fridays after morning assembly. 
I was in charge of the weather monitoring station in the school grounds for quite a while which consisted of recording the wind speed, rainfall, etc in a notebook every Saturday morning.

My mother and grandparents originally lived near Shoreham Street but were bombed out during WW2, so went to live in Main Avenue. My father’s family were better off and lived in a bungalow in The Grove.  When they married we lived in Rowan Tree Dell.

I went on to High Storrs at age 11 after my parents divorced and later my mother met someone whose family lived at Firvale, thus we moved there (God knows why - Totley was so much nicer!!)

People I remember: Michael Ward, Nigel Spall, John Glentworth (Rowan Tree Dell) and from TCS; Diane Peace, Anne Hazlehurst, Jennifer Wildgoose, Barbara Prince, Nicholas Mines, Anthony Smart, Richard Brightman, Mair Jones, Gillian Mangles, Bill Moss

I live in Wiltshire now and only visit Sheffield occasionally to go to football (I still support my childhood team).  Last time I drove round Totley it seemed very small ☹️

 

Couldn’t let the mention of Mrs Gascoigne go without a word  ( sorry I forgot to include it in my other post )

I seem to remember there were 2 dinner supervisors. One was the dreaded Mrs G and the other was Mrs Vickers who was exactly the opposite . She was kindly and sympathetic.

You have to remember that post war those school meals may have been nutritious but they were basic, boring and often quite unpleasant.

Obviously there were the exceptions in the dessert  dept that we all remember dearly but the staple lumpy mash, carrot and swede and grissly meat stew still haunts me to this day 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Dreb48
Spelling

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

23 hours ago, Jeffrey Shaw said:

Yes, I too went to TCPS 1959-1966.

Where was that dreaded 'Mat'? In the dreaded Crushall (Crush Hall?) '.

 

 I recall also Mr Simpkins (J3),  a Miss Campbell (J1?), a Miss Redmayne, a Miss Thorpe, and a Mrs White.

Noteworthy:

Mr Simpkins taught us a bit of Spanish.

Mr Clements taught us what, subsequently, was most of the Maths syllabus of year 1 of secondary school- a great start.

Classical Music prefacing most Assemblies.

Also remembered:  a Miss Rappitt, perhaps the lovely little elderly teacher with glasses whose name I [Ruperts mum] can’t recall.

[Rupert’s Mum 0]

Miss Rappatty - that’s the one. She was lovely.

[Dreb48 35]

On 20/07/2022 at 11:28, Rupert’s Mum said:

Miss Rappatty - that’s the one. She was lovely.

Myself and my fellow Totley County sleuths  would love to know who you are Ruperts Mum 

One of them lived on Rowan Tree Dell at the same time as you .

Can you give us any more clues ( without revealing your identity, obviously)  as we’ve been through all the class photos of your year and just can’t nail it down ?

[RollingJ 2,058]

On 20/07/2022 at 11:28, Rupert’s Mum said:

Miss Rappatty - that’s the one. She was lovely.

It was Mrs. Rappit(t) - can't remember if it was one or two 'T's

Edited July 21, 2022 by RollingJ

[Dreb48 35]

25 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

It was Mrs. Rappit(t) - can't remember if it was one or two 'T's

According to whoever posted the class photos she’s involved in on Totley History Group 

It’s Miss Rappitt 

She wasn’t at the school during my time there 

[RollingJ 2,058]

1 minute ago, Dreb48 said:

According to whoever posted the class photos she’s involved in on Totley History Group 

It’s Miss Rappitt 

She wasn’t at the school during my time there 

OK - I was at TCS 1960-66, and the lady lived across from my grandparents on Queen Victoria Road and she and her other half ( guessing husband in those day) had a  caravanette (Bedford CA-based, IIRC), a caravan, and at varying times 'big' Ford saloons for towing said caravan

[Dreb48 35]

7 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

OK - I was at TCS 1960-66, and the lady lived across from my grandparents on Queen Victoria Road and she and her other half ( guessing husband in those day) had a  caravanette (Bedford CA-based, IIRC), a caravan, and at varying times 'big' Ford saloons for towing said caravan

Hi RollingJ

I was 18 and leaving my much love Green Oak prefab the year you finished at TCS 

Did you live very locally or in walking distance?