Marlcliffe School

[dazza6069 10]

Who can remember the head Mr Ellingham and the fearful Mr Thraves withhis ginger throw over hair. Also the four houses, Sitwell, Chantry, Bessemer and Ruskin.

 

Great days

[Bertielil 10]

After my time. I was there when they started the Houses & was Bessemer Vice Captain.

My 2 HeadMistresses were Mrs Briggs & Mrs Fitton. Spent my time there mostly at Marlcliffe Road & then at the Annexe next to Wadsley Church.

Have very fond memories.

[Banker 10]

I remember Nellie Nuttall as headteacher and the three houses were Rivelin, Loxley and Ewden. I must be getting old....

[Plym 0]

I was at Marlcliffe between 1959-1964  (Rivelin) & remember the headmistress Miss Nuttall,  Mr Barnby - English Literature , Miss Jackson - Drama & Miss Coates -History.  I can't remember the name of the very kind French teacher or the Maths teacher who used to make us laugh because, in the middle of talking, he'd wander over to the window & slap down a fly with the flat of his hand without pausing in his sentence. Miss Jackson used to choose one or two of us to come to the front & act out part of a scene from, say, Midsummer Night's Dream & Mr Barnby would hurl a blackboard rubber to a whispering boy at the back, again, without pausing for breath. Our school anthem was something like "We are the Marcliffians" but can't remember our motto.

[hillsbro 33]

Hi Plym - welcome to the Forum!  The school motto was OBNIXI NON CEDERE - Latin for "determined not to yield". I didn't actually go to Marlcliffe; my brother did but he never did Latin - I did, at King Ted's 🙂.

[alanfergus 10]

We sing the school song each year at the old Marlcliffians Society reunion. We are hoping to hold the reunion in the autumn, covid permitting. 

It would be good to hear from anyone who attended especially those from years 60 until 64. 

[Canuk 13]

I attended Marlcliffe from 1954 to 1958.  I remember Nellie Nuttall the Headmistress also teachers: Miss Underdown who married and became Mrs. Knott, Miss Saunders, Mr. Outram who also used to lob blackboard erasers, also hurled a slipper I believe.

My best friend at the school was Mary Briddon, she and I used to take the Tuck Shop money, usually on Friday's, to the bank which was near Hillsborough Park, we used to stop for fish and chips and eat them in the park.

Remember one year a couple of students tried to set fire to the school,  on  their last day. the attempt failed.

Soon gave up on school dinners and brought sandwiches instead.  There was a boys playground and a girls and we used to go on a bus to play field hockey and tennis.  I cannot remember exactly where the grounds were but I think they were near Loxley.

My team house was Ewden, rounders and netball were always a thrill.

I lived near the centre of Sheffield so used to take two buses to school.  There was always homework, usually about three hours.  Happy Days, sort of..!!

[alanfergus 10]

On 17/05/2021 at 12:29, Plym said:

I was at Marlcliffe between 1959-1964  (Rivelin) & remember the headmistress Miss Nuttall,  Mr Barnby - English Literature , Miss Jackson - Drama & Miss Coates -History.  I can't remember the name of the very kind French teacher or the Maths teacher who used to make us laugh because, in the middle of talking, he'd wander over to the window & slap down a fly with the flat of his hand without pausing in his sentence. Miss Jackson used to choose one or two of us to come to the front & act out part of a scene from, say, Midsummer Night's Dream & Mr Barnby would hurl a blackboard rubber to a whispering boy at the back, again, without pausing for breath. Our school anthem was something like "We are the Marcliffians" but can't remember our motto.

Unite we now Marlcliffians.

Obnixi non cedere let this inspire us still,nere yielding in the struggle stern that good may conquer ill......

We sing the school song each year at the reunion, all the verses! I'll post when the next reunion is announced. It would be good if you could join us and any other Marlcliffians you are in contact with. I'm the baby of the school I attended in 1962 there are some from around your year my friend Stephen Marples attended from 1960.

Best wishes Alan Fergus

[Lincslad 0]

I attended Marlcliffe 1955-1960 (Rivelin). I remember Mr Littlewood who taught Maths (Geometry) as we had a different teacher for Algebra. Mr Anderson who taught Geography in the three storey extension who was a good but not likeable teacher. Mrs Scowcroft who was disabled drummed History into our heads. Captain Outram took us for Physical Training (PT) which was mainly circuit training and very arduous. Mrs Whitby taught  English Literature and put me off Shakespeare for life. Sam Outram whom I think was the Captain’s  brother taught  Scripture and used the Bible as a text book. Mr Parkin taught us Physics and music but I didn’t learn much from him except that light flowed  through the ether!! Mr Ellington? taught me Chemistry and was excellent so I can still remember the experiments we used to carry out even now. Miss Saunders who became Mrs Coates for History encouraged my love of the subject. I can’t remember my woodwork teacher or what Mrs Knott taught ( maybe French ) but I thank most of them as they have won me  numerous pub quizzes after 63 years.🧑‍🎓

[Michael Proctor 1]

I went to Marlcliffe from 1959 to 1964 ( Ewden)

I lived on the Manor Estate so it was quite a journey.  I remember Miss Nuttall, Mr Parkin and Miss Jackson who ran the rambling/walking club. In my year was Stuart Marples, David Brackenbury, Peter Frost , Christine Dixon , Sandra Witherley. Our sports ground became Myers Grove School so we had to travel to Firth Park.

 

[phil.mortimer@t 0]

I was at Marlcliffe from 1959 until 1963 when I transferred to High Storrs for A and S levels.

 

 My first form teacher was Mrs Thompson who I believe headed up the new Chaucer school in the mid 1960s . Mr Crookes taught us maths in a very small class room in the main building. English Literature was Mr Barnaby's fiefdom. it killed my interest in English literature and Shakespeare for decades. He was deadly with a flying board rubber or piece of chalk tipped with red ink.  Art was undertaken in the bunker next to the main hall and dining room with Mrs Bramhill. The all pervading reek of boiled cabbage was ever present. Mr  Williams took geography  and sparked my interest resulting in a life of international travel and work . 

 

PE was originally endured in the main hall with amazing descending beams and other life threatening kit. Captain Outram was the PE master. All of that changed with the building of a new gym on what had been the girl's playground. I think Captain Outram also did some RE. Woodwork and technical drawing were all undertaken at a separate location. I cannot recall the name of the teacher sadly Ditto the nice lady PE teacher who took us for essay writing.

 

Other teachers included the redoubtable Miss Coatsworth (history), Mr Anderson (Geography) and Mr Outram who taught French. He was a very good imitator of the strong local Sheffield accent and could write out the phrases on his black board. This I'm sure stimulated my interest in accents ever since. Fez Parker took maths up to the fourth year and he was also involved in music appreciation. I thank him eternally for that. Mr Littlewood frightened me to death and I'm sure he killed off my interest in maths until a lot later in life. Physics was Mr Parkin's domain. He was very soft spoken but tangled us all up in obscure formulae. I think he acted as Head once Miss Nuttall retired. Mr Walton took chemistry in the evil smelling lab under the school.  Pop Reynolds took general science.  

 

The daily milk break in the mornings was  a routine ritual. Classes were assigned to position the crates on a weekly basis. We all got nailed by Miss Nuttall for tramping up the stair well in sync following one of these jobs.

 

The annual prize giving event was to be missed. Mr Parkin lashed a choir into some sort of shape every year. Ditto being forced into singing the school song at the sports day on the site of Myers Grove School. 

 

Three of us transferred to High Storrs and after that it was off to University.