Author Topic: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys  (Read 133682 times)

Dave Lee

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #180 on: 23:35:20, 07/05/20 »
Hello gents, first off I didn't attend Manchester Central, but I've really enjoyed reading all your contributions.

I've found your page and your school, because of one of your old teachers. I attended North Manchester High School for Boys in the early eighties and came across a fantastic teacher called Joe Potterton. Several of you have spoken highly of Joe, and I was blessed to be taught by him. I remember being one of the school's more difficult inmates, and it was a pretty difficult school. I spent a lot of lessons reading his copy of the Guardian, and listening to radio 4. Joe found all sorts of novel ways to keep me from disrupting his class too much, and it's a shame my memory of those lessons is so poor. I do remember the red circles others have mentioned, and the marking systems he used. Massive thanks to Nimble, who posted a couple of weeks ago. I had forgotten all about the bike and the panniers. I can almost see him now, rolling up at the front of school on that bike.

In the end, I was expelled from school and left with nothing, but eventually got a Masters Degree in English. Joe played a big part in that, even though I never saw him again after school.

Like many of you, my experience of going to school in Manchester was pretty uninspiring, but what seems a common theme is that many of us were lucky if we found just one or two teachers that stood out from a pretty poor crowd. Hopefully, youngsters nowadays will leave with better memories.

I would be interested to know if anyone knows what finally became of Joe. I've no real memory of how old he was when he taught me. They all seemed old to me!

Cheers everyone.

Alan J

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #181 on: 15:20:49, 15/05/20 »
Hello Dave,
Fascinating story about North Manchester G.S. and Joe Potterton.  Joe taught at Central long after I left but we all find one or two teachers who we related to because they treat students like human beings and not names on a register.
Alan Jackson

Alan J

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #182 on: 15:33:28, 15/05/20 »
Hello G. Holme from Page 10,


I read with curiosity your post which included Tubby Hargreaves, my uncle, who served as Head Boy in the Upper Sixth.  I contacted him last week and asked if he recalled the names that you listed but, at 86, he felt the his memory has failed him.  His real name is Alan and I was named after him.


In the Third Year I had an unpleasant History teacher whose name I choose not to mention.  I found the way History was taught back then and did not do well.  In one lesson the teacher gave me a dressing down in front of the class to the effect that "I was not fit to Clean my uncle's boots".


I dropped History at the end of the year!


Alan J

Bob Bowling

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #183 on: 13:32:26, 17/05/20 »
Teach and History


Not two words I would have used in association with any of the people I came across there.

Maddy Churchhouse

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #184 on: 17:15:21, 05/06/20 »
Hello all! I'm just talking to my great uncle Alfred who went to this school just before the war, he must have been there about 1935-1940 (he's 95 now and he signed up to the infantry himself in about 1944 soon as he could get away with).


He remembers the headmaster Mr Chaney, and says Bowcott was the his deputy head too! He says when the war came the younger teachers got signed up to the forces and the boys were left with 'a gang of old cronies' to teach them, and started introducing women teachers. He says the ladies  hadn't had formal teacher training but they knew their subjects. Then he says the whole school then got evacuated to Blackpool for a few years!! He says no-one enjoyed that because their mates and families were all back home and it wasn't as easy to 'play wag' as Blackpool beach was closed in case of U-boat invasion.


He says one of the teachers had a daughter who went to the girl's school where they all to wear hats. Alf says whenever they had spare change they would go back down to Manchester on the tram much to the chagrin of the teachers. They would get a tram to South shore terminus, then to Preston, and at the stop before the terminus they would get an all day ticket and go off wherever they liked. The teacher I just mentioned used to ask how they'd make it off home but Alf didn't tell them. As long as they got a sixpence they could escape on a tram.

Alan J

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #185 on: 12:18:49, 08/06/20 »
Hello Maddie, 
Thanks for your story about your Uncle Alf which told a tale about the School during the War Years. We have not heard about those days previously.  Nice to read the mention of `Charles Boycott who was still Deputy Head well into the 1960s during my time  Anice man and a fine Scientist but did not teach Science - more's the pity!
Please feel free to write again and we wish you and Uncle Alf the best of health


Alan J

daftharry

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #186 on: 02:16:44, 10/06/20 »
Hello AlanI was at M.C.G.S. form 1951 to 1958. I Just found this link and memories flowed  I  have attached  Class photo from 1952 Chuzz Haig was The Master I am sitting to his right as I am now 80 I wonder if any of the  class are still around. After a career in broadcasting I am now resident in Greater Vancouver, Canada.Cheers
Dave Cahill

Alan J

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #187 on: 11:52:47, 10/06/20 »
Hello Dave,
Thank you for your message and photo.  Do we take it that this was taken when you were in the Third or Fourth Year?  What people do when they post photos is to try to name as many as the boys as possible as this tends to jog memories.  I joined the school in 1956 an so there was some overlap but we saw little of the Sixth Form in which you were at the time.  Did you know John Knowles or Alan Munday?  I got to know them in later life.  I did not know your Form Teacher.  Incidentally, I note the non-uniformity of the uniform worn by the boys in the picture: do you have more Form photos.


It would be great to have more stories from you: my colleagues were in Whitworth Street for only one rear before moving to Belle Due and knew little of the Old School but you can visit and look around.


Best,


Alan J

daftharry

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #188 on: 01:44:52, 11/06/20 »
Sorry AlanMy Goof, The namelist is:-?:Bobker:Feingold:Hailwood:?:?:?:Turton
?:?:?:Wilkinson:Waterfield:?:McKnight:?
?:?:Cahill:Mr.Haig:?:Powell:?
?:?:?:?:
Stay Safe
Dave Cahill

G holme

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #189 on: 04:03:28, 25/06/20 »
Hello Alan J
Your post from mid May is really interesting. I had all but given up hearing from anyone who was at MCGS when I was there from 1945-1952.
I am pleased to hear that Tubby Hargreaves, as we knew him, is still around. I knew his name is really Alan.
We were in several classes together, I think from the first year thru to the Upper 6th. Alan was a great soccer player, he captained the school soccer team and I think he played for England under 18s. I seem to recall that he intended to go to Loughborough university to train as a Phys Ed teacher. I played on the school team with Alan when we were in the 6th form. The goal keeper on the school team was Brian Greaves and another player from the 6th form was Gilbert Hunt. Please ask him if he remembers them. I would be interested to know where Alan lives now, does he have access to E-mail.
Like him, I am also 86 and can remember quite a lot from my days at MCGS. I live in Canada now and have been retired for over 20 years. Occasionally, I visit the U.K. and get up to Manchester for visits.
I would be interested in hearing more about Alan, specially if he remembers the days when we played soccer together. Please give him my best regards. i hope to hear from him.
Thanks for your message,
Regards, George Holme   

daftharry

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #190 on: 04:33:13, 25/06/20 »
Hello GeorgeYou would have been in the sixth form when I was in form  1 I would like to connect I am in Surrey BC. If our moderators are able to make a connection I would enjoy an exchange no matter that we could be several thousand klicks apart in our vast country.
Dave Cahill

G holme

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #191 on: 13:48:06, 25/06/20 »
Hi Harry,
Nice to hear from you. I live in Hudson, a small town just outside Montreal on the road to Ottawa. Would be good to correspond if there is some way we could exchange E-mail addresses privately. Do you know how it can be done?
Regards, George

celeste

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #192 on: 14:46:27, 25/06/20 »
Hi,  go to each other's profile and click on send a personal message
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

G holme

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #193 on: 16:26:38, 25/06/20 »
Thanks Celeste.

daftharry

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #194 on: 21:45:09, 25/06/20 »
Thanks Celeste