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Thanks but I won't be able to report as I won't be there;rarely out after dark.

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i was there at thattime with BIRKS BOURNE BRAMMALL DUTY FINNEY NEWSAM MORRIS G MORRIS J GOODALL SMITH J SMITH A WOOD LUMLEY SLINN LEAPER

I was at the CTS 1960-63 in classes 3B,5B (I think) and definately 6C in 1963 and suffered many canings from Herbert Wadge and Pop Gregory amongst others.Contact me on stuartb47 at yahoo.com.

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Cheers: Members of the Central Technical School Old Boys’ Association drink a toast at the Leopold Street project. Front, from left, Sir Irvine Patnick, president Phil Fletcher and Harold Brunt, one of the oldest former pupils Picture: Roger NadalOld Boys drink toast to school site project

WHEN £20 million redevelopment plans were drawn up for Sheffield's former education offices, among the most prominent protesters were former pupils of a school once housed at the site.

But Sheffield Central Technical School Old Boys' Association – which was concerned over the demolition of Firth Hall – has now been won over after seeing the efforts to conserve the remaining buildings.

They were shown how the old ceilings, wood panelling, staircases and fireplaces inside their former school on Leopold Street are being retained as it is transformed into a four-star hotel.

Original architecture has also been kept in neighbouring parts of the complex which will become the city centre's newest restaurants when the development is finished early next year.

Work has included a complicated operation to lift an entire three-storey building which used to be Central Grammar School onto a new steel frame below ground level.

And an archway onto Leopold Street has been taken down stone-by-stone, to be reconstructed once the rest of the project is finished.

More than 30 members of the old boys' organisation, including prominent city businessmen and ex-Hallam MP Sir Irvine Patnick, gave their backing to the development following a guided tour of the site.

Old Boys' Association secretary Stuart Green, who used to run a steel company in Sheffield – the Stuart Green Steel Supply Company – said: "We were initially very concerned about this scheme because of Firth Hall. It was the most important single room in the history of education in the city.

"It was built by steel magnate Mark Firth in 1879 and was initially Firth College, then University College, later being used by King Edward's School and Sheffield High School for Girls.

"We were very disappointed it had to be demolished but the new development is sympathetic with the site's history and we have been won over."

Sir Irvine, who left Central Technical School in 1946 to work in the building trade before becoming a local councillor then representing the Hallam constituency as Conservative MP from 1987 to 1997, said: "The whole of the site had become run down before the council vacated a couple of years ago. It was an absolute tragedy.

"It contained some very fine pieces of building work, with some lovely ceilings, including a double-vaulted one on a corridor.

"What the developers have done is a sympathetic conversion, trying to keep as many of the original features as they can."

Members of the group showed their appreciation of the work by raising a toast with representatives from Ask Property Development, responsible for the scheme.

Ask's director Adam Higgins said: "When we bought the site two years ago from Sheffield Council we decided it was fundamental that we kept a lot of the original features.

"Unfortunately Firth Hall was not retained as it had been allowed to deteriorate over the years and was incredibly water-damaged. It also had a lot of dry rot.

"We are absolutely delighted the Old Boys are now behind the development, which will keep 90 per cent of the old buildings for the future."

Following their tour of the Leopold Street site, members of the association gathered for its annual President's Dinner at the Davy Sports Club, Darnall.

During the event, the former headmaster's coat hangers – where the dreaded cane was kept – and a bench, which had both been recovered from Leopold Street, were raffled to raise money for the organisation's running costs.

17 October 2006

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Cheers: Members of the Central Technical School Old Boys’ Association drink a toast at the Leopold Street project. Front, from left, Sir Irvine Patnick, president Phil Fletcher and Harold Brunt, one of the oldest former pupils Picture: Roger NadalOld Boys drink toast to school site project

WHEN £20 million redevelopment plans were drawn up for Sheffield's former education offices, among the most prominent protesters were former pupils of a school once housed at the site.

But Sheffield Central Technical School Old Boys' Association – which was concerned over the demolition of Firth Hall – has now been won over after seeing the efforts to conserve the remaining buildings.

They were shown how the old ceilings, wood panelling, staircases and fireplaces inside their former school on Leopold Street are being retained as it is transformed into a four-star hotel.

Original architecture has also been kept in neighbouring parts of the complex which will become the city centre's newest restaurants when the development is finished early next year.

Work has included a complicated operation to lift an entire three-storey building which used to be Central Grammar School onto a new steel frame below ground level.

And an archway onto Leopold Street has been taken down stone-by-stone, to be reconstructed once the rest of the project is finished.

More than 30 members of the old boys' organisation, including prominent city businessmen and ex-Hallam MP Sir Irvine Patnick, gave their backing to the development following a guided tour of the site.

Old Boys' Association secretary Stuart Green, who used to run a steel company in Sheffield – the Stuart Green Steel Supply Company – said: "We were initially very concerned about this scheme because of Firth Hall. It was the most important single room in the history of education in the city.

"It was built by steel magnate Mark Firth in 1879 and was initially Firth College, then University College, later being used by King Edward's School and Sheffield High School for Girls.

"We were very disappointed it had to be demolished but the new development is sympathetic with the site's history and we have been won over."

Sir Irvine, who left Central Technical School in 1946 to work in the building trade before becoming a local councillor then representing the Hallam constituency as Conservative MP from 1987 to 1997, said: "The whole of the site had become run down before the council vacated a couple of years ago. It was an absolute tragedy.

"It contained some very fine pieces of building work, with some lovely ceilings, including a double-vaulted one on a corridor.

"What the developers have done is a sympathetic conversion, trying to keep as many of the original features as they can."

Members of the group showed their appreciation of the work by raising a toast with representatives from Ask Property Development, responsible for the scheme.

Ask's director Adam Higgins said: "When we bought the site two years ago from Sheffield Council we decided it was fundamental that we kept a lot of the original features.

"Unfortunately Firth Hall was not retained as it had been allowed to deteriorate over the years and was incredibly water-damaged. It also had a lot of dry rot.

"We are absolutely delighted the Old Boys are now behind the development, which will keep 90 per cent of the old buildings for the future."

Following their tour of the Leopold Street site, members of the association gathered for its annual President's Dinner at the Davy Sports Club, Darnall.

During the event, the former headmaster's coat hangers – where the dreaded cane was kept – and a bench, which had both been recovered from Leopold Street, were raffled to raise money for the organisation's running costs.

17 October 2006

That building as stood for well over 100 years,I was only there for 1 year, before moving to the state of the art modern building at Gleadless which lasted less than 40 years.

The latter building probably sums up our nation decadentv

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Cheers: Members of the Central Technical School Old Boys’ Association drink a toast at the Leopold Street project. Front, from left, Sir Irvine Patnick, president Phil Fletcher and Harold Brunt, one of the oldest former pupils Picture: Roger NadalOld Boys drink toast to school site project

WHEN £20 million redevelopment plans were drawn up for Sheffield's former education offices, among the most prominent protesters were former pupils of a school once housed at the site.

But Sheffield Central Technical School Old Boys' Association – which was concerned over the demolition of Firth Hall – has now been won over after seeing the efforts to conserve the remaining buildings.

They were shown how the old ceilings, wood panelling, staircases and fireplaces inside their former school on Leopold Street are being retained as it is transformed into a four-star hotel.

Original architecture has also been kept in neighbouring parts of the complex which will become the city centre's newest restaurants when the development is finished early next year.

Work has included a complicated operation to lift an entire three-storey building which used to be Central Grammar School onto a new steel frame below ground level.

And an archway onto Leopold Street has been taken down stone-by-stone, to be reconstructed once the rest of the project is finished.

More than 30 members of the old boys' organisation, including prominent city businessmen and ex-Hallam MP Sir Irvine Patnick, gave their backing to the development following a guided tour of the site.

Old Boys' Association secretary Stuart Green, who used to run a steel company in Sheffield – the Stuart Green Steel Supply Company – said: "We were initially very concerned about this scheme because of Firth Hall. It was the most important single room in the history of education in the city.

"It was built by steel magnate Mark Firth in 1879 and was initially Firth College, then University College, later being used by King Edward's School and Sheffield High School for Girls.

"We were very disappointed it had to be demolished but the new development is sympathetic with the site's history and we have been won over."

Sir Irvine, who left Central Technical School in 1946 to work in the building trade before becoming a local councillor then representing the Hallam constituency as Conservative MP from 1987 to 1997, said: "The whole of the site had become run down before the council vacated a couple of years ago. It was an absolute tragedy.

"It contained some very fine pieces of building work, with some lovely ceilings, including a double-vaulted one on a corridor.

"What the developers have done is a sympathetic conversion, trying to keep as many of the original features as they can."

Members of the group showed their appreciation of the work by raising a toast with representatives from Ask Property Development, responsible for the scheme.

Ask's director Adam Higgins said: "When we bought the site two years ago from Sheffield Council we decided it was fundamental that we kept a lot of the original features.

"Unfortunately Firth Hall was not retained as it had been allowed to deteriorate over the years and was incredibly water-damaged. It also had a lot of dry rot.

"We are absolutely delighted the Old Boys are now behind the development, which will keep 90 per cent of the old buildings for the future."

Following their tour of the Leopold Street site, members of the association gathered for its annual President's Dinner at the Davy Sports Club, Darnall.

During the event, the former headmaster's coat hangers – where the dreaded cane was kept – and a bench, which had both been recovered from Leopold Street, were raffled to raise money for the organisation's running costs.

17 October 2006

The central technical school old boys tried very hard to save the old buildings,especially Stuart Green.The building was left to disintegrate with leaking roofs.I went on the tour about 3 years ago and it was the same hall that I last saw in 1963.Even the class numbers were still pinned under the balcony so the classes knew where to sit on the floor to get more splinters.It was as if time had stood still while I got old.Although you couldnt go onto the balcony ,you could still see the goal posts carved into the benches where we played shove halfpenny while eating our sandwiches.It was a shame it couldnt have been restored.Sheffield has very few old buildings.

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Obviously legendary, the shove halfpenny games. Some used combs - which were the 'in-thing' at that time but others had that rectangular piece of metal, rounded and filed at each end (under the watchful eye of Alf Simpson) that had been made as a drill gauge in EWP or 'fitting'.

Not sure if the raffle involving Wadge's coathangers was raffled as reported? My understanding was that it was the coathanger rail on which hung all of his canes. Pleased to say my only visit to his room was to get a holiday form signed.

It would be about 1963 when he whacked half a dozen pupils who had gone on a shoplifting spree to pinch yo-yo's. All hell was to play and we certainly heard about it in assembly.

Does anyone remember his lectures on 'avarice'? He always called food, 'fud'.

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Obviously legendary, the shove halfpenny games. Some used combs - which were the 'in-thing' at that time but others had that rectangular piece of metal, rounded and filed at each end (under the watchful eye of Alf Simpson) that had been made as a drill gauge in EWP or 'fitting'.

Not sure if the raffle involving Wadge's coathangers was raffled as reported? My understanding was that it was the coathanger rail on which hung all of his canes. Pleased to say my only visit to his room was to get a holiday form signed.

It would be about 1963 when he whacked half a dozen pupils who had gone on a shoplifting spree to pinch yo-yo's. All hell was to play and we certainly heard about it in assembly.

Does anyone remember his lectures on 'avarice'? He always called food, 'fud'.

I dont really know why,but Herbert caned me a few times.Usually it was because of my end of term report as he read every one and if there was something he didnt like you had to wait up the stairs outside his room to see him.This could be days as there was quite a few of us.I wasnt a bad lad, just totally unmotivated.I did learn a lot at the school but I didnt realise it at the time.I regret not trying harder as most of my reports demanded.It was a cane happy school ! Pop Gregory ,who was only small,sometimes caned an entire class of 32 six foot tall pupils because the guilty one wouldnt own up .He wasnt gentle with the cane either.Although Herberts command of the English language wasnt perfect (his fud ) he was quick to punish others.While the entire school waited for him to make his grand entrance from his room to the hall for morning assembly,I foolishly with a pal,fetched our coats from the nearby lab near his room as we had our first lesson down on Bank Street.On our way back Herbert came out of his room and saw us.He glared at us and I stupidly opened my mouth.We,ve been to get us coats I blurted .(I was raised on the Arbourthorne!).That was it.With a voice like a foghorn he bawled at me.US coats,US coats!!!!!! Our coats.He ranted and raved at me for ages just outside the hall.The hushed assembly must have thought a murder was being committed.He eventually stormed into the hall (everybody stood to attention of course) and continued with along lecture on the English language.Everybody knew it was aimed at me as I slunk into the balcony.Its strange now when I work in schools and see the way pupils talk to teachers.

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I dont really know why,but Herbert caned me a few times.Usually it was because of my end of term report as he read every one and if there was something he didnt like you had to wait up the stairs outside his room to see him.This could be days as there was quite a few of us.I wasnt a bad lad, just totally unmotivated.I did learn a lot at the school but I didnt realise it at the time.I regret not trying harder as most of my reports demanded.It was a cane happy school ! Pop Gregory ,who was only small,sometimes caned an entire class of 32 six foot tall pupils because the guilty one wouldnt own up .He wasnt gentle with the cane either.Although Herberts command of the English language wasnt perfect (his fud ) he was quick to punish others.While the entire school waited for him to make his grand entrance from his room to the hall for morning assembly,I foolishly with a pal,fetched our coats from the nearby lab near his room as we had our first lesson down on Bank Street.On our way back Herbert came out of his room and saw us.He glared at us and I stupidly opened my mouth.We,ve been to get us coats I blurted .(I was raised on the Arbourthorne!).That was it.With a voice like a foghorn he bawled at me.US coats,US coats!!!!!! Our coats.He ranted and raved at me for ages just outside the hall.The hushed assembly must have thought a murder was being committed.He eventually stormed into the hall (everybody stood to attention of course) and continued with along lecture on the English language.Everybody knew it was aimed at me as I slunk into the balcony.Its strange now when I work in schools and see the way pupils talk to teachers.

Iwas only caned once,not my fault but it did not scar me for life.

Do you prefer the modern way?

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Iwas only caned once,not my fault but it did not scar me for life.

Do you prefer the modern way?

40 years ago people had respect for most things including authority.I dont even remember how many times that I was caned.It seemed quite often.If you accumilated a certain number of demerits (for very minor things)there was a weekly or monthly house meeting where you got caned for that.It has not affected me although I remember certain ones for the injustice.I was sent to be caned once to a master by a first year teacher (last years prefect) called Upton even though I was totally innocent of whatever crime had been committed.Strange why that has stuck in my memory as have many chemistry tables that were beaten into us by Pop Gregory.It was pointless complaining to parents as they supported the teachers unlike nowadays when pupils are always supported by parents whether innocent or guilty.

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Hi Biker,

 

As an ex CTS student I as many of us were the victums of the cane Pop Gregory Baines and Wadge not forgeting Woolhouse the House Master for Besimer (Green)

Did it do us any harm, no it did not we knew where the line was and cross it and it was pain, stay within or up to it no pain.

I think we all as students at CTS came out to be Gentlemen with the respect for other people ( Always at the back of your mind even today "If you do something wrong even after school you will suffer the consiquences" )

I cannot remember which one of the Teachers said it, but he was right.

Over the last 10 years I have been involved as a consultancy visiting schools throught Yorkshire and Lincolnshire to upgrade their building services and security. As you say the schools delt with students and dished out their own disapline, and woe betide you going home to complain, because Father would give you the same saying "If you got the cane you must have deserved it" No way on this earth would your parents go to school to complain.

To go back to my last 10 years with schools they are spending thousands of pounds installing door entry control systems and CCTV to protect the staff against the children's parents ( most of which are under the influence of either drugs or alcholl)

 

Maybee the bad old days of the cane were not all that bad almost all who left CTS did so as young Gentlemen even though with a few scars

 

Dave Theaker

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Hi Biker,

 

As an ex CTS student I as many of us were the victums of the cane Pop Gregory Baines and Wadge not forgeting Woolhouse the House Master for Besimer (Green)

Did it do us any harm, no it did not we knew where the line was and cross it and it was pain, stay within or up to it no pain.

I think we all as students at CTS came out to be Gentlemen with the respect for other people ( Always at the back of your mind even today "If you do something wrong even after school you will suffer the consiquences" )

I cannot remember which one of the Teachers said it, but he was right.

Over the last 10 years I have been involved as a consultancy visiting schools throught Yorkshire and Lincolnshire to upgrade their building services and security. As you say the schools delt with students and dished out their own disapline, and woe betide you going home to complain, because Father would give you the same saying "If you got the cane you must have deserved it" No way on this earth would your parents go to school to complain.

To go back to my last 10 years with schools they are spending thousands of pounds installing door entry control systems and CCTV to protect the staff against the children's parents ( most of which are under the influence of either drugs or alcholl)

 

Maybee the bad old days of the cane were not all that bad almost all who left CTS did so as young Gentlemen even though with a few scars

 

Dave Theaker

I am always amazed that most 10 year olds know more about their rights than I do at nearly 60.I think that there should always be boundaries of behaviour that you shouldnt cross.If you did then you paid the penalty.Kids push to find the limits.If they dont find them they keep pushing.It doesnt benefit them if there are no limits until they commit a major crime.Its then their life thats wasted.

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I think that somewhere along the line, there is a middle way. CTS wasn't unique in being a 'cane-happy' school. Clapton at King Edward's and Mack at High Storrs were others who didn't hesitate to cane.

I never like to hear of injustice and some of those caned could well claim to be harshly done by. As I am now an age-challenged person, I tend to be of 'zero-tolerance' mind in everyday life, but that feisty little man, Gregory, must be wrong to cane pupils who had not learnt their valencies or 'super-saturated solution' definitions! Rather like a GP, he should only advise, the rest is down to the individual. The GP doesn't cane a patient who refuses to stop smoking! The attributes I sought were for pupils to be honest, polite and to do their best. If people aren't intelligent, beating them is no solution.

The Yo-Yo saga (and I never knew the ins and outs) is surely a police matter, not a thrashing incident? Maybe 'loco parentis' applied during the lunch-hour and had some 'clout' then? When I was caned by Hughes for '**** taking', recorded as 'insubordinate behaviour' it was justified. With examination-entrance and private schooling, you could always show someone the door. When comprehensives came into being, the question arose as to where one sent the miscreants or what one did with them?

I taught for almost 20 years and in that time had the pleasure of teaching many high-flyers, some of whom went to Oxbridge. Meanwhile, I also had a number on my register who finished behind bars. Some educationalists would point out that these people woudn't improve choose how many times they were caned. Those in detention had 'season-tickets'! It was my experience that there was rarely any bother with pupils whose parents attended parents' evenings.

I think many of our proverbs have stood the test of time; birds of a feather, empty vessels, leopards etc.

In my first teaching job, early 70's, there was one pupil in the first year (aged 12) of a SW Sheffield comprehensive who in the space of a fortnight, had told a teacher to 'F-off', had a girl's knickers off, and broken another girl's nose because she asked for her poppy back, which he'd stolen! Response? Very little! This offender, now in his 40's, still appears at intervals in the Star's "Court Report".

At the same school, a teacher had been to the village bank at lunchtime as she had a long train trip to her native home, that Friday evening. During the afternoon school, that £30 was taken from her bag during a lesson. Everyone had strong reason to point to the suspect but the head wouldn't support a 'search' action. I am not sure of any legal stances here, but it was a far cry from the days of Wadge and after seven terms at that school, I resigned in protest at what I thought was pathetic leadership. To this day, nobody has come up with any satisfactory answers to dealing with the anti-social pupils and the problem carries on into the big, wide world.

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