Author Topic: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys  (Read 133639 times)

Bob Bowling

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #210 on: 19:24:10, 29/09/20 »
The dreaded recorder society - the poor unfortunates who joined found it impossible to leave.

Chazz

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #211 on: 19:51:16, 29/09/20 »
Recorders - yeah, known to have been played in Shakespeare's time and so oddly appropriate 400 hundred years later for a bunch of us schoolboys with knobbly knees to embarrassingly dress up in tights (no, I'm not showing that picture...) to commemorate the fact... :-[ I still wake up in the middle of the night...

Chazz

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #212 on: 19:51:36, 30/09/20 »
This is a pic which relates to Tony's inverted one a few pages back, because some of those boys are in this pic too, a few years later (1963/4?)L to R top - Fawcett, Huntington, Hadfield, Waskiw, Riley, McIntyre, King, Wood, Fox...Middle row - Lee, Goldstraw, Hopkin, Shepherd, Murphy, Broadhurst, Henshall, Fowler, Rafter, Swain.....Bottom row - Firth, Edwards, Knott, Poynton, Bill Lawes, Johnson, Wooler, Jacobi, Campbell....On ground - Pickering, Garratt, Talbot.
Chas (Charlie) Broadhurst

Alan J

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #213 on: 14:55:21, 04/10/20 »
Hello Chazz, and a very warm welcome to the site.
I believe, from your comments, that School has left you with some great memories of your time there.  Not all of the contributors to the site were so fortunate but those who I knew well would say that, if you worked hard and kept your nose clean if that expression is still in use, then the 5 or 7 years should have passed without fuss.


One of the less happy, and a boy we have spent some years contacting, has appeared in your recent photo of your Class in the Third Year.  Celeste, our Moderator, has suggested that I send you something called a Personal Message (P.M.) and this I shall do this in a few days.
By the way, are you still resident in the Manchester area?


Alan J.

Chazz

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #214 on: 21:30:02, 04/10/20 »
Hi Alan, and thanks for the welcome! I’m afraid I presently live in the Middle East and I’m told the Metrolink doesn’t reach this far yet, so I’m going to have to pass on any meet-up.What I did do, though, was pass on the link to this page to my brother, Bob, who also attended MCGS. He was 4 years in front of me so we moved in different circles. He was impressed with the page, and wrote me this anecdote, referring to an episode from his 3rd (4th? he’s not sure any more -) year. If any one has more info on it (MEN archives?), he’d be very grateful …………He writes -
Yo,
I've read most of it. OK I skimmed the last few pages which seemed to deal with the post Broadhurst school. I recognise most of the teachers' names but none of the pupils. Except for C. Broadhurst and R. Broadhurst. Don't panic. They are on form lists half way through.
I was hoping for some ref to the infamous school outing to Newcastle. The one when the train's communication cord was pulled a dozen times on the way home. Transport police boarded the train in York. It was pulled twice more! It steamed into Victoria (Piccadilly?) station with all the Northern Press reporters / camera men waiting. Flash bulbs. Railway porters trying to hold people back. Fred Wyeth pictured waving his cloth cap and shouting "The children do not want to be photographed!"  Followed by a surge of parents clipping ears.
As far as I know nobody claimed ownership. And I didn't get my picture on the front page. Fred Wyeth did. And every maths lesson for the next few weeks began with him lamenting that if you went into the "Express" archives in 100 years’ time you would find only one ref to MCGS. .Not correct but...

Bob
…………..
You’ve got me intrigued with the P.M. – by all means send me…
Chazz
« Last Edit: 21:33:47, 04/10/20 by Chazz »

celeste

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #215 on: 21:50:35, 04/10/20 »
Excuse my interjecting but the entire forum is a 'time capsule' and I believe pupils in Greater Manchester may be reading our posts in years to come.....
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

Chazz

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #216 on: 07:29:32, 07/10/20 »
That's strange - in my profile I ticked the box allowing users to email me - but if it's anything like the cars/bicycles/airplanes I have to identify just to get on the site, then I understand your problem, so I'll mail you....
Chazz

celeste

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #217 on: 12:06:10, 07/10/20 »
Hi Chazz
I've tried to send you a message and I was informed you can't receive personal messages, it could be that a box on your control panel has been ticked wrongly.

If not try to send a message, Chris/Admin can help you.

Celeste
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

charlieg

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #218 on: 20:04:09, 18/10/20 »
Just seen Chazz's photo. That's me in the middle of the bottom row. Well done in remembering all those names - can hardly remember my own some days.

Alan J

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #219 on: 20:37:19, 18/10/20 »
Hello Charlie g,


Welcome to the Site,
Chazz will be very pleased another of Curly Bill's Star Pupils have joined the merry band!  We are looking forward to posts from you both humorous and serious about your time at the School.  On a personal note one of my neighbours and friends was John Wooler: did you get to know him well?
Keep safe and well,
Alan J.

charlieg

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #220 on: 20:54:49, 18/10/20 »
Hi Alan
I have, largely, fond memories of the school though there was gratuitous violence from teachers and boys from time to time. The photo of the recorder society made me smile. I was one, like everyone else in Mr Hales form, dragooned to playing the recorder. I was hopeless but did get a trip to Blackpool. Whilst the competition went on in the Winter Gardens I and a couple of the other rubbish ones sat on the beach.
I live in Shropshire, so unlikely to get to any of the get-togethers.

Alan J

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #221 on: 18:22:11, 02/11/20 »
Hello Charlie,
I quite like Shropshire: I now live in New Mills.  However, I never liked the tonality of recorders compared with their reed cousins.  I notice the bassoon in the photo doing the bass duties and recall Paul Manning playing his cello in the same role.
Stay healthy!


Alan.

Bristol

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #222 on: 16:01:37, 23/11/20 »
Hi, the name’s Joe Hillary. I was at Central from 1956 to 1961.I’ve felt quite mortal recently having found out that two classmates have died(one aged just 61) and me still here at 75. I would love to make contact with anyone who remembers me.I’ve had a good run with four children and six grandchildren. Here’s hoping🤞

Alan J

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #223 on: 19:05:35, 24/11/20 »
Hello Joe,
I, too, was at Central G.S. from 1956 but stayed on into the Sixth Form until 1963.  I have contacted many friends who were around at the same time and have a copy of the School Roll when we were in the Fifth Year.  Can you tell us what Form you were in then and any more of your classmates?  Also can you say whether you remained in the Manchester area or are you in Bristol.
Best and keep healthy,


Alan J.

Bristol

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Re: Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys
« Reply #224 on: 22:49:18, 24/11/20 »
Hi Alan,I have now lived in Bristol for the past 40 odd years.Sad to say but I can’t recall my fifth form number but it could have been 5m?
The friend who died aged 61 was Don Macphee who became head photographer on The Guardian. The other friend was Julian Weldrick and we ended up being each other’s best man.
Other names I recall are Dave Purvis,George Clifford,Norman Bailey.
Sad to say that others faces are clear but the name’s have faded.
All rather vague I’m afraid,Joe Hillary