Ex brincliffe grammar school?

[fatrajah 10]

The building is now known as Chestnut Court & consists of quite a few apartments. I had a look around about 20 years while the building was being converted under the pretext of being interested in buying one. The classroom where I spent year 2B had not been started so it was just a big empty room. Sadly my visit did not evoke any memories & I felt no connection with the place even though I recognised many parts of the building. They do say you should never go back. Don't get me wrong; I have mostly fond memories of the school & enjoy reminiscing on threads like these.

[DUFFEMS 56]

11 hours ago, fatrajah said:

Brincliffe Grammar was on Union Road, Nether Edge. Nether Edge Grammar occupied the building until 1958 when the pupils & most of the teaching staff moved to the newly-opened Abbeydale Boys Grammar on Hastings Road Millhouses.

I think Brincliffe was set up as an overspill school to cope with the number of post-war baby boomers. The school was only in existence for 7 years & closed in 1965.  The Education Department used the building for various purposes for many years thereafter.

On games days we used pass your old school on our way to the playing fields behind the Maud Maxfield School for the Deaf . That was at Bents Green.

The school building still exists but is much altered & extended having been converted into apartments about 20 years ago.

Absolutely spot on fatrajah. I agree it was to take up the number of post-war children. I went there as  13+ student from 1962 to the school closing in 1965. Who on earth thought that kids who'd failed the 11+ could catch up  2 years of education at Grammar School level and keep up with  the syllabus in order to be successful in GCE O'Levels ?

I remember being in my first ever French lesson  with all the other kids chanting verbs along with Miss. Bingham and being totally out of my depth. We came from Secondary Modern Schools where  French wasn't taught, the only language we were taught was English.

It was an excellent school but, I always felt that we were sort of the dregs of Grammar School students, the ones who "nearly made it".

Regards,

Duffems

 

[fatrajah 10]

On 15/06/2020 at 20:57, DUFFEMS said:

Absolutely spot on fatrajah. I agree it was to take up the number of post-war children. I went there as  13+ student from 1962 to the school closing in 1965. Who on earth thought that kids who'd failed the 11+ could catch up  2 years of education at Grammar School level and keep up with  the syllabus in order to be successful in GCE O'Levels ?

I remember being in my first ever French lesson  with all the other kids chanting verbs along with Miss. Bingham and being totally out of my depth. We came from Secondary Modern Schools where  French wasn't taught, the only language we were taught was English.

It was an excellent school but, I always felt that we were sort of the dregs of Grammar School students, the ones who "nearly made it".

Regards,

Duffems

 

Sometime between taking the 11+ & receiving the results, we received a list of grammar schools arranged in a sort of pecking order. Top was King Ted's & Girls High School, second was High Storrs, somewhere in the middle was City Grammar, near the bottom but not at the bottom was Brincliffe.

I don't know how you ere expected to make up 2 years of learning French. I enjoyed French & German lessons; I thought they weren't that important but they came as a bit  of light relief to offset the horrors of Mrs Potter's lessons (you know what I mean).

Regards

fatrajah

[Illustrator 0]

I'm a new boy on this forum and signed up only minutes ago so apologies if the system alludes me. I was part of Grannypat's class from 1959 - 1963, leaving for Sheffield Art College just as the Beatles got going. fatrajah seems to have tracked me but I've lost touch with everyone else. I recall David Newton was a fine chap and I hope he's still practicing as a vet - quite a change from the creative industries but arguably more useful. Is there anyone else from the JAD stream on here? It's been so many years.

[Illustrator 0]

Incidentally grannypat, you'll remember me as you've already said so in a previous post. I'm trying to remember a Patricia in what was eventually form 5R but we're talking too many years ago for a clear picture. It's my 73rd birthday today, what do you expect?!! I no longer live in Sheffield, having moved to away to Oxford and Lincoln many years ago but still have connections to the place. My ex-wife originally lived in Chelsea Road of all places so how strange that there seems to be a circle of life. If you download Google Earth you can drive past what was Brincliffe Grammar School on Street View.

[fatrajah 10]

On 25/06/2020 at 14:41, Illustrator said:

I'm a new boy on this forum and signed up only minutes ago so apologies if the system alludes me. I was part of Grannypat's class from 1959 - 1963, leaving for Sheffield Art College just as the Beatles got going. fatrajah seems to have tracked me but I've lost touch with everyone else. I recall David Newton was a fine chap and I hope he's still practicing as a vet - quite a change from the creative industries but arguably more useful. Is there anyone else from the JAD stream on here? It's been so many years.

If you who are who I think you are,  I only know about your post- Brincliffe career because my eldest son was attending an Art Foundation at Chesterfield College in 1993 & he happened to mention your name as being one of the teaching staff. I remembered your name because you & I were the only "Rogers" at Brincliffe . I hope you don't think I was "tracking" you! Sounds a bit weird put like that. 

Edited June 26, 2020 by fatrajah

[Illustrator 0]

Hi Roger, yes I'm Roger Mann. I did find it strange that you knew about my work at Chesterfield and my business in Lincoln and was working through all my teaching contacts at the time  to solve the dilemma. Not to worry, all is now revealed. I take it that you're Roger Wells. Having scant memories of anyone outside my own form, your name is familiar but unfortunately I can't put a face to the name. 

 

The Chesterfield College course you mention was, I think, at around 1991. As I have taught at five colleges and universities over numerous courses, student names must number many hundreds so I can't unfortunately remember your son. How is he doing now - did he succeed in his chosen career?

 

My memories of the staff at Brincliffe are largely positive apart from Spinks who modelled himself on Squeers of Do-the-Boys' Hall and Boule who was too unhinged to be a teacher. If he carried on like that now he'd be behind bars.

 

I hope life has treated you well and it was a delight to find this forum.

[Kerry13 0]

On 15/06/2020 at 15:40, fatrajah said:

The building is now known as Chestnut Court & consists of quite a few apartments. I had a look around about 20 years while the building was being converted under the pretext of being interested in buying one. The classroom where I spent year 2B had not been started so it was just a big empty room. Sadly my visit did not evoke any memories & I felt no connection with the place even though I recognised many parts of the building. They do say you should never go back. Don't get me wrong; I have mostly fond memories of the school & enjoy reminiscing on threads like these.

Hi all. I found my way into this forum as I’m a resident at Chestnut Court (old Brincliffe Grammar School). My flat has a high vaulted ceiling and I wondered if it could be an old school hall. A bit of googling later and I found myself reading through all your posts. So lovely to think of this building being so alive and full of noise and people! Currently I’m sat here with a coffee on my sofa looking up at the ceiling, thinking how different this spot must have been 50 or 60 years ago. 

[fatrajah 10]

4 hours ago, Kerry13 said:

Hi all. I found my way into this forum as I’m a resident at Chestnut Court (old Brincliffe Grammar School). My flat has a high vaulted ceiling and I wondered if it could be an old school hall. A bit of googling later and I found myself reading through all your posts. So lovely to think of this building being so alive and full of noise and people! Currently I’m sat here with a coffee on my sofa looking up at the ceiling, thinking how different this spot must have been 50 or 60 years ago. 

Hello Kerry 13. I think the school hall was added in the 1920s when the building was taken over by Nether Edge Grammar School. In any case, the hall was demolished when the original building was extended in the early 2000s. All the classrooms had high ceilings & a fireplace. My classroom was, of course, in the original building, on first floor on the right hand corner facing onto Union Road. 

 

On 26/06/2020 at 19:03, Illustrator said:

Hi Roger, yes I'm Roger Mann. I did find it strange that you knew about my work at Chesterfield and my business in Lincoln and was working through all my teaching contacts at the time  to solve the dilemma. Not to worry, all is now revealed. I take it that you're Roger Wells. Having scant memories of anyone outside my own form, your name is familiar but unfortunately I can't put a face to the name. 

 

The Chesterfield College course you mention was, I think, at around 1991. As I have taught at five colleges and universities over numerous courses, student names must number many hundreds so I can't unfortunately remember your son. How is he doing now - did he succeed in his chosen career?

 

My memories of the staff at Brincliffe are largely positive apart from Spinks who modelled himself on Squeers of Do-the-Boys' Hall and Boule who was too unhinged to be a teacher. If he carried on like that now he'd be behind bars.

 

I hope life has treated you well and it was a delight to find this forum.

Hello Roger Mann

Sorry about the extremely late reply. My son, Jonathan happened to mention your name  which rang a bell so I asked  him to ask you  if you used to go to Brincliffe.

Unfortunately Jonathan was involved in a serious road accident in early 1993 & had to re-take the course the following year. He later attended Lincoln Art College & graduated in 1996 with a degree in Design & Illustration. He subsequently worked in vaguely related fields & is currently Market Manager in a small local firm. He has retained his interest in art, however. 

 

Yes, Mr Spinks was pretty strict but he only took us for the first year at Brincliffe. I don't recall him dishing out any physical punishment though. Looking back, he seemed a bit weary of teaching & I believe he got out of classroom teaching shortly after Brincliffe closed & later became Principal of the newly built teacher training college at Totley (now demolished).

 

Mr Boul attended the 1990 reunion. He told us that he fully expected to get a teaching post at the newly opened Abbeydale Grammar School in 1958. I imagine he was pretty angry & disappointed about it. From what he said, I think he sometimes took it out on any pupils who annoyed him for whatever reason.

 

I attended Abbeydale Grammar from 1963 to 1965 to do Maths, Physics & Chemistry, but I didn't do well enough to go to university. I subsequently joined BT's predecessor organisation & took early retirement many years ago. Privatisation ruined the job for just about everyone who worked there.

 

 

[Pop 0]

I am a bit late on the scene of this thread but I was also at Brincliffe Grammar. I had a great education there, not entirely from the teaching staff and loved most of my five years which ran from 1960 to 1965 making us the last fifth form year. Two cousins also attended the school, Alan Moore who was head boy the year I arrived and Carole Glossop who was in the same year as me but in the art stream. To reply to an earlier query Jack Buttery was in my class and I know that he went on to become a teacher but unfortunately I have not seen him in many years. Charmaine Pipe lived about 200 yards from me on the Herdings Estate and we did knock around together for two or three years after the school closed but I have no idea where she is now. I remember pretty well all of the teachers mentioned here. I also recall Mr Kirk who taught German but moved on around 1963. I can't recall the teacher's name but we had a science teacher that we nicknamed Hiram because of his resemblance to the TV character Hiram Holliday, a small timid man by day with a superhero alter-ego. He didn't control the class too well and Mr Boule's laboratory was across the landing well within earshot. He piled into our class, picked out two boys (Head boy and vice head boy) and with a size ten plimsoll and a short run up smacked them both several times on the backside; a very, very painful exercise never forgotten. He was the teacher we all feared.

 

It would be good to see further comments on here. I live near Lincoln these days but am still in touch with a few people "Back home".

[sovrappeso 4]

On 30/03/2022 at 18:12, Pop said:

I am a bit late on the scene of this thread but I was also at Brincliffe Grammar. I had a great education there, not entirely from the teaching staff and loved most of my five years which ran from 1960 to 1965 making us the last fifth form year. Two cousins also attended the school, Alan Moore who was head boy the year I arrived and Carole Glossop who was in the same year as me but in the art stream. To reply to an earlier query Jack Buttery was in my class and I know that he went on to become a teacher but unfortunately I have not seen him in many years. Charmaine Pipe lived about 200 yards from me on the Herdings Estate and we did knock around together for two or three years after the school closed but I have no idea where she is now. I remember pretty well all of the teachers mentioned here. I also recall Mr Kirk who taught German but moved on around 1963. I can't recall the teacher's name but we had a science teacher that we nicknamed Hiram because of his resemblance to the TV character Hiram Holliday, a small timid man by day with a superhero alter-ego. He didn't control the class too well and Mr Boule's laboratory was across the landing well within earshot. He piled into our class, picked out two boys (Head boy and vice head boy) and with a size ten plimsoll and a short run up smacked them both several times on the backside; a very, very painful exercise never forgotten. He was the teacher we all feared.

 

It would be good to see further comments on here. I live near Lincoln these days but am still in touch with a few people "Back home".

As I remember it, Mr Whittaker alias Hiram Holliday had been working in South Africa & was an expert in explosives prior to his arrival at Brincliffe in September 1961. So I surmise that he had no teaching experience. I don't remember our class being  badly behaved during his lessons. The sad thing is he became very seriously ill shortly after starting at Brincliffe & combined with the lack of respect shown by some pupils must have made his life hard to bear. 

 

Mr Boul was, I think, a disappointed & bitter man after missing out on a post at Abbeydale Grammar. He seemed to be in a permanent bad temper & was very quick to vent his frustration on whoever annoyed him. I once made the mistake of failing to keep my notes up to date & suffered 2 very painful whacks with the slipper.

 

Mr Kirk was not a typical teacher in my opinion. He seemed more worldly & had a natural authority which made for interesting & well ordered lessons. He did come out with some strange things occasionally eg "Hands up all of you think that black magic is possible". 

 

I left Brincliffe in 1965 & moved to Abbeydale Grammar to do A-levels. It was a real culture shock after Brincliffe . What with the high work load & the absence of girls to lighten the mood, I hated the place.

 

By the way, what was your opinion of Mrs Potter?

Edited April 1, 2022 by sovrappeso

[sovrappeso 4]

Correction to previous post: I left Brincliffe in 1963 & Abbeydale in 1965.