Central Technical School

[Stuart G 10]

Thanks for the information, Stuart.

 

I'll give the Secetary a call, maybe plan my trip to take in the Annual Dinner in October.

Fred Marshall was my real good friend back in the day,and it would be a lot of fun to see him and many others again.

Thanks once more

 

Thanks Sean, I would have put money on you knowing Fred Marshall, he usually attends functions and likes a good laugh. I believe Ian Fieldsend, who is in the music business, was also a good friend of Fred's at the Tech.

[Stuart G 10]

For Sean again. Fred Marshall sends his very best wishes and says it would be great to see you again. The OBA secretary will be able to give you his details.

[Stuart G 10]

Pop Gregory was certainly into shotguns, and used to find occasions in chemistry lessons to explain to us how to set one up for a nice symmetrical distribution of pellets. On one occasion he recruited us to act as beaters for one of his rabbit and pheasant shoots. He never did it again, since we felt sorry for the rabbits and found ways to let almost all of them escape between us.

 

Some of my friends at CTS were beaters for Pop in the late 50's (rather than the mre usual other way round!), in Grenoside woods as I recall, where I think he lived. He also owned several cinemas, including the Tivoli in Rotherham - hence the Tivoli End at Rotherham United's Millmoor. Pop may have inherited the cinemas, but if not, it would have been an eccentric business decision to have invested in them in the 1950's.

 

I recall Pop's ink, which he made himself, as orange/ pale brown in colour. He found particularly glee in using it when placing "the sign of the smitten rear" on the homework of myself and other fellow layabouts. The sign was a large cross containing a dot in each of the four sectors and, after distributing homework, Pop always waited an age before giving the usual belting with a bunsen burner tube.

 

Pop's sign with an explanation of it's meaning is one of many items embossed on the benches commemorating CTS in Leopold Square.

[Phil F 10]

 

There is much of CTS on display throughout the hotel (5 floors) - photo's etc which the OBA provided. Also, in Leopold Square (more or less City Grammar girls' yard) there are two large bronze benches containing around 50 old boys' inscriptions, some serious, some amusing.

 

The quotes on the two large bronze benches bring back memories of bygone days - never to be repeated. To me they were good days which I consider myself fortunate to have taken part in.

[JOGI 10]

I'm looking for Pete Whitham. He is about 65 now. HE worked at Batchelos Foods (.I.T) with me in the 70's. He's in close proximity, working in finance nr. Meadowhall somewhere. He put some details of himself on FRIENDSREUNITED etc. recently but I cant seem to make contact. Just want to say Hello to him. Is there anybody capable of doing this please?. Thanks.

[Phil F 10]

I'm looking for Pete Whitham. He is about 65 now. HE worked at Batchelos Foods (.I.T) with me in the 70's. He's in close proximity, working in finance nr. Meadowhall somewhere. He put some details of himself on FRIENDSREUNITED etc. recently but I cant seem to make contact. Just want to say Hello to him. Is there anybody capable of doing this please?. Thanks.

 

John,

 

The person who might be able to help you is Stuart G. He is the secretary of the C.T.S. Old Boys' Association. He has contacts with a substantial number of old boys. You can contact him through the Forum.

[JOGI 10]

Thanks Phil. for your very prompt reply.

Edited March 8, 2009 by JOGI

[Phil F 10]

Hello, I am a "new boy on the block" to this site (Stuart G told me about this site last weekend).

 

If there is anyone out there who remembers me it would be great to hear from you. I am Phil Fletcher and was at the C.T.S. (City Tram Sheds) from 1957 to 1960, starting in 3C (Albert Bunn), 5A (Fred Frow) and 6A (Monsewer LeRoi - aka Mr King). I left in 1960 armed with a first class diploma and took up an apprenticeship at the Yorkshire Engine Co - Winkerbank? along with Allan Casson. After 6 months I left to go to Easterbrook Allcard (Presto Tools) where I continued as an apprentice. Whilst the rest of the mob continued with A levels (A1X, A2X) I did an O.N.C Mech. Eng at Granville and then Pond Street, and then an H.N.D. in Production Engineering at Pond Street. The H.O.D. was a Mr. Hodson who was made in the same mold as Mr. Wadge. No nonesence, stand to attention, shot at dawn - Master of the Universe.

 

In 1967 I went to Loughborough University of Technology to take a degree in Production Engineering and Management and graduated in 1970. I had every intention of going back to Presto Tools on graduation. I wanted to be an engineer, since I considered myself to be a hammer and spanner man (a grease monkey) not at all academically minded! Fate sometimes pushes you in directions you thought you would never travel. I stayed on at Loughborough University to do research and have been there for the last 42 years! I still teach Newton's Three Laws according to Alfie Simpson's interpretation.

 

I consider my time at the C.T.S. to be some of the best years of my life and think back on the old school and masters with great affection (even Herbert and Pop Gregory).

 

If you read this you must be on the Sheffield Forum web site.

Please reply.

[sfothers 10]

Hello,

 

I am also a 'new boy' and I have just had my by blood run cold reading the pages and pages of posts on the CTS.

 

It is surprising that the majority seem to look back with fondness at their years at what I thought was just an out and out bad school. I passed the 11 plus to go to Owler Lane School, which was 'almost' a grammar school and was integrated with Hinde House to form one of the first, if not the first, comprehensive schools in Sheffield. I therefore found myself traveling from one side of the city to the other to attend, what was to me, just a glorified secondary modern. Despite being happy there, and doing really well I persuaded my parents to let me take the exam to go to the 'tech' so that I could receive the higher level of education that I should have had.

 

I passed and entered the 'engineers' in 1965, which I think was the year after the move from Leopold Street. It was okay at first, though I recall being rather disconcerted by some teachers wearing gowns in lessons. Unfortunately, this 'honeymoon' period ended when I went off the rails a bit after the unexpected death of my beloved grandfather. Some of the teachers, bless them, couldn't comprehend that a growing man of thirteen could be upset by something trivial like this, and refused to make allowance for my subsequent lack of concentration. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, as surely they must be by now, but teachers who seem to be revered within this blog behaved pretty much the same as WW1 officers did with shell shocked troops, send them straight back over the top!

 

I was caned for the first time in this period by one physics teacher, which affected me so badly that I went AWOL (truant) for five solid weeks. I eventually, inevitably, got caught and had to face the music. I didn't get caned, instead was put under the Head's (Mr Dixon) personal observation for a month, having to report to him everyday to have my work scrutinized. Only two or three teachers treated me with any understanding. Mr (Sally) Hughes was great, as was a history teacher who's name I can't recall but who was nicknamed Spike, and Mr Woolhouse was also fine. The rest were just bad, and I struggled for the next two years until I found that I could request to leave early at fifteen if I had a job. When I put in the request to the head just before Christmas 1966 I was at the bottom of my form. Mr. Dixon said that if I worked hard and got into the top half by easter that he would agree to me leaving. Well that was all I needed to hear. I got stuck in and worked my rear end off, and did just what he asked. And that was it. He kept his side of the bargain and I left in August 1967 to join Brightside Engineering as an apprentice heating engineer. Only one teacher, Spike, suggested that I might consider staying on seeing as how I had proved I could do it if I wanted, and on my last day he told me I could return at any time within the next year if I changed my mind. One of my mates, Dave Hudson, who had also decided to leave actually did return after six months, but there was no way I would have gone back there.

 

I made some good mates at CTS, and as I said, some of the teachers were fine, but most of the long serving staff were from a bygone era and were useless. I'm sorry for going on so long, but writing this has been cathartic. I hope to hear from anyone that knows me.

 

Steve

Edited February 24, 2009 by sfothers

[JOGI 10]

SFOTHERS. Great post. Your story strikes many chords with me. Sorry about your lonely childhood. Pleased that you survived the system. I was useless at school, couldn't concentrate for fear of caning. But all that changed when a teacher gave me my first words of ENCOURAGEMENT. I gradually developed into being top of my class for my last 4 years., and have done OK, ever since. I have only this particular teacher to thank for kindness and UNDERSTANDING being the keyword. All the best. JOHN.

[sandie 11]

Hello,

 

I am also a 'new boy' and I have just had my by blood run cold reading the pages and pages of posts on the CTS.

 

It is surprising that the majority seem to look back with fondness at their years at what I thought was just an out and out bad school. I passed the 11 plus to go to Owler Lane School, which was 'almost' a grammar school and was integrated with Hinde House to form one of the first, if not the first, comprehensive schools in Sheffield. I therefore found myself traveling from one side of the city to the other to attend, what was to me, just a glorified secondary modern. Despite being happy there, and doing really well I persuaded my parents to let me take the exam to go to the 'tech' so that I could receive the higher level of education that I should have had.

 

I passed and entered the 'engineers' in 1965, which I think was the year after the move from Leopold Street. It was okay at first, though I recall being rather disconcerted by some teachers wearing gowns in lessons. Unfortunately, this 'honeymoon' period ended when I went off the rails a bit after the unexpected death of my beloved grandfather. Some of the teachers, bless them, couldn't comprehend that a growing man of thirteen could be upset by something trivial like this, and refused to make allowance for my subsequent lack of concentration. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, as surely they must be by now, but teachers who seem to be revered within this blog behaved pretty much the same as WW1 officers did with shell shocked troops, send them straight back over the top!

 

I was caned for the first time in this period by one physics teacher, which affected me so badly that I went AWOL (truant) for five solid weeks. I eventually, inevitably, got caught and had to face the music. I didn't get caned, instead was put under the Head's (Mr Dixon) personal observation for a month, having to report to him everyday to have my work scrutinized. Only two or three teachers treated me with any understanding. Mr (Sally) Hughes was great, as was a history teacher who's name I can't recall but who was nicknamed Spike, and Mr Woolhouse was also fine. The rest were just bad, and I struggled for the next two years until I found that I could request to leave early at fifteen if I had a job. When I put in the request to the head just before Christmas 1966 I was at the bottom of my form. Mr. Dixon said that if I worked hard and got into the top half by easter that he would agree to me leaving. Well that was all I needed to hear. I got stuck in and worked my rear end off, and did just what he asked. And that was it. He kept his side of the bargain and I left in August 1967 to join Brightside Engineering as an apprentice heating engineer. Only one teacher, Spike, suggested that I might consider staying on seeing as how I had proved I could do it if I wanted, and on my last day he told me I could return at any time within the next year if I changed my mind. One of my mates, Dave Hudson, who had also decided to leave actually did return after six months, but there was no way I would have gone back there.

 

I made some good mates at CTS, and as I said, some of the teachers were fine, but most of the long serving staff were from a bygone era and were useless. I'm sorry for going on so long, but writing this has been cathartic. I hope to hear from anyone that knows me.

 

Steve

 

I am sorry to here your stay at CTS was difficult and you were not happy.

Yes it was not a walk in the park and at times difficult, but you seam to have thrown in the towel. I have respect for the teachers in the 60's and for you to complain about the cane, well you are not the product of the finest school Sheffield ever had.

Besimmer, Faraday, Stephenson and Telford do you think they complained about the cane no they went on to be Engineers and those 4 was the reason for CTS.

[sfothers 10]

To John and Sandie,

 

I'm astounded at the speed of reply to my post. Thank you so much for your thoughts.

 

To be perfectly honest, though I hated almost every minute at CTS, attending the school really did me a favour in instilling me with the determination not to let the XXXXXXXX grind me down.

 

In response in particular to Sandie, despite throwing in the towel at CTS, I did eventually become an engineer too, and have been lucky enough to work at a senior level on very large and interesting projects all over the world. Though I achieved this despite CTS rather than because of it. I often wonder what my personal outcome would have been had the teaching staff been sympathetic and supportive, and had encouraged students to achieve their true potential rather than trying to beat it into them!

 

All through the many pages of posts the same comments appear about sadistic teachers using violence and fear to get what they wanted out of students. Very sad really when you think about it.

 

Steve