Author Topic: Varna Street School  (Read 2795 times)

Justin Case

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Varna Street School
« on: 12:36:11, 31/08/18 »
Does anyone remember Varna Street School in the sixties

Corrupt council

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Re: Varna Street School
« Reply #1 on: 17:09:19, 31/08/18 »
Gorton on the corner next to the canal?
ROY.

Butch43

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Re: Varna Street School
« Reply #2 on: 13:34:42, 10/08/19 »
I went to Varna Street from 1962 to 1969. We started in the infants' block, the single storey building at the front, in the nursery room which was at the railway end of the hall. There was a line of coat hooks and each child had a picture next to their hook.  Mine was a dust pan and I don't think I've used one to this day.  We had to have a sleep in the afternoon and one of the teachers would wander round the beds making sure your eyes were closed.


From there you moved up the classrooms which were just off the hall. Mrs Beebe (who is ninety-odd years old and still going - I met her at St Clement's Church three Christmases ago) was one teacher.  There was Miss Hopley (who married Mr Arnold, the Headmaster), Mrs Shelmerdine and Mrs Montague, the wife of Mr Montague who taught in the juniors.


Moving into the juniors was great - up into the massive building at the rear of the school.  The seniors were still there on the top floor and they all moved to Wright Robinson in 1967, leaving the whole building to us...not that we went to the top floor, other than for the library or woodwork lessons with balsa wood.


Teachers I remember were Miss Hall, Mr Kinch, Mrs Howcroft, Mr Montague and Mr Booker.  We had him in third and fourth year.


Games took place on Peter Pan Park, swimming at Whitworth Baths, now demolished. Sports Day was in Debdale Park followed by the presentation back in school where the array of prizes seemed to completely fill the stage.


We had something like 44 kids in our class which would be unheard of today.


I have lots of memories and, if this topic grows, I will be encouraged to write some more of them down.

Ernieb9

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Re: Varna Street School
« Reply #3 on: 11:59:00, 10/12/20 »
I went to varna street school when Davy Jones was just starting in coronation street it was a brill school. Mr Finland was games teacher miss Clark was maths Mr democracy I left in 1966 and watched England win World Cup,  ah great times.

Practical1

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Re: Varna Street School
« Reply #4 on: 02:00:56, 27/12/20 »
I remember Varna Street School very well...it is embedded in my soul.  The nursery and infants was probably the best part of my schooling.  Mrs Beebe was very gentle and kind as was Mrs Hopley and Mr Arnold was an excellent headmaster.  I also had later on Mr Montague as a teacher and occasionally he would play his trombone.  I recall the top floor had science labs and the old style bunson burners and desks with ink wells.  There were also long corridors with various staff rooms.  When it rained the dinner ladies would let us into the basement classrooms although they were used for storage.  Talking of dinner ladies they were very tight with the toilet paper which they they would hand out.  The toilet block was at the bottom of the yard and would freeze in winter and back in the 60's we had proper winters that stayed in.  If I hated school it was for the relentless bullying of the bitches in my class and unfortunately they followed me when I transfered to Wright Robinson.  Why was I was treated like a leaper...all because I had a foreign name.

If I thought Varna Street was a problem then Wright Robinson was worse.  Not only the bullying girls but some of the teachers were equally as bad.  There was one in particular Mrs McGarva who decided to have the girls changing  rooom shower curtains removed and then wouldn't allow the girls to take their towels to the showers after swimming or gym we had to run out naked in to the changing area.  The womens staff room was facing the showers and a male teacher walked straight in...so out of order that I complained.  The response was "he has children of his own and do my parents have to wrap me in cotton wool".

It became so unbearable that I had to leave at the age of 15 even though one of the teachers begged me to stay on and do the exams but I couldn't take it any longer.  The result...I never took any qualifications and my self esteem was crushed to nothing.

I'm afraid to say unlike some who may have loved their school days I can't say I did and at 64 years old it still cuts.

celeste

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Re: Varna Street School
« Reply #5 on: 12:24:17, 27/12/20 »
Thank goodness things have improved and bullying is seen as what it is - cowardice - there are people, I don't if it's their upbringing or sheep behaviour,  who use others as crutches in a 'belonging' sense.

Good on you,  and a thanks to all the people out there who have helped put a stop to it.

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