Author Topic: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar  (Read 1161 times)

PaulGriffin

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Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« on: 23:53:19, 16/04/20 »
I was part of the first tranche to go to SPG.  I enjoyed it there for the most part.  Got 6 'O' levels...I think John Tickle got 9, Peter (?) Whitfield got 8, Terry Morton (good soccer player) got 7, then a load of us got 6.  [/size]We ended up moving to Blackpool in 1970, so I had to travel from Blackpool for the 5th year, on a Monday morning (6am coach with my dad, who continued to work in Swinton).  The rest of the week, I stayed in Bury with my Auntie, whose son used to drop me off each morning at 8:15, outside the school.  For 3 months, I was always late on Monday morning, arriving at 9:15.  Mr. Walker always shouted, "Griffin, you're late.  Wait outside my office", where I'd get the strap.  All the other mornings, I was one of the first in the school.  After about 3 months, Walker said to me, "Griffinnnn, why are you always late on Monday?"  I said I travel from Blackpool, Sir.  I didn't even see any guilt in his face.  No apology.  Nothing  :-\   !Teachers I remember:  Levaggi (Chemistry)  Hopkins (History), Hopkins (the other brother) P.E.,  Roche (Physics, and used to just give us his notes & talk to us like we knew exactly what he was talking about),  Mulligan (Art: spoke to us like adults), Pounder (Maths, and a gr8 teacher & good bloke), Sandiford (French: quite liked the guy), Cummins (then Harrison) (Geography, only subject I came bottom in), Hester (English), Goggins (always reminded me of the living dead) & Ramsden (MWT: Metalwork, Woodwork, Technology (?)), Mallalieu (even though he'd played for Utd, didn't take a liking to him), Miss Walker (English), Mr. Hermolle (Headmaster, who I always liked).  Lads I remembered:  Paul Knight (one eye), Paul Connolly, Martin Harvey, Vincent Graffy (he & I won the school orienteering competition in 3/4th year? (decent footballer), Bernard Wareham & John Duffy (those 2 had a great scrap in year 3?), Michael Wall (I battered him in class, one day, for something that wasn't his fault, and felt guilty ever since - sorry Michael :-[ ), Christopher Coleman (used to have a mole on his face, till he had an operation), Chris Conway (sorry to read that he only lived till 21), Paul Devine (he died of a hole in his heart, while we still in school), John Bird who palled around with Matthew 'cuddles' Cody, Iain Derbyshire, Michael Anthistle, PeterAvery (who used to bear hug you if you crossed him), Michael (or Paul) Powlitska (powlicki), Mark Lozynski, Paul Lozynski (twinner), Barry Harrison ([censored] of the school, but a gr8 lad), Michael Pawson, Robert Ely (who also went to St. Boniface's Primary, like me, and who I had a fight with, but stopped because I got a cut lip..shoulda carried on  ;D ), Peter Adamson, Desmond Grogan, Steve Beaman, Johnny Fielder,  Joe Boylan, Steven Semenuik (who for some reason was good at chemistry - his dad knew Levaggi, I think), Michael Mason, Frank Quigg (who was a good footballer, but didn't half fancy himself [/size] ;D , Chris (?) Derrig, Burke, Dibley,[/size]  Gallimore, Michael Atkins (who came in the 2nd year), Terence Morton (another good footballer who wasn't in the team, for some reason), David Ensor, Jablonski (6 ft 4 & 15 stone at the age of 15) and loads of others.  [/size]

I took 'A' levels at St. Joseph's College, but had to leave before finishing them, as my father wanted me to get out to work.  The college was shut down a few years later, because one of the Christian brothers was doing 1-to-1 teaching, a little bit too close.   After this, I drifted for a while, but eventually became a bricklayer & loved doing that, until I fell and broke my hip, after having a row at the weekend, with my ex missus.  Kept fit, and loved working outdoors.  Eventually though, I went back to Salford Uni & got a degree in Biochemical Sciences, & tried to go, believe it or not, into teaching.  I got 3/4 of the way through an Open University PGCE & OFSTED failed the course.  The rest is history. 


I'm into property now,sourcing property deals for investors around the Fylde.

Looking back, I loved it really.   

FRoth

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #1 on: 21:37:58, 28/03/22 »
Were you there in autumn 1970? I was one of the girls bussed in from bury convent to play the female roles in the St Peter’s production of Hamlet. Great fun. I returned in 79 to do 6 weeks teaching practice as a student English teacher (I didn’t go into teaching in the end!).

PaulGriffin

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #2 on: 23:06:46, 28/03/22 »
Hi,


Thx for the reply.  No, I wasn't there.  I think I had already gone to St. Joseph's in Blackpool.  At the time, I wasn't really an 'arty' type.  I was more on the science side.  Sounds like it was fun.  I remember having to get the bus from Bury sometimes, and there were some girls who got on the bus, with a green uniform.  I remember. with fondness, one girl who got on with red hair, and legs that went on for ever.  I embarassed myself.

I believe the school became a mixed school, only a few years later, then was closed down, after what felt like a short time?  Maybe 15 years, or something?   

PaulGriffin

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #3 on: 23:07:53, 28/03/22 »
What did you end up doing?

FRoth

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #4 on: 23:15:53, 28/03/22 »
Green uniform? Don’t know which school that was. Our uniform at Bury convent was brown. Used to get the 35 or 37 bus from bury to whitefield and prestwich.
I moved to London late 70s and ended up in education ‘policy’ roles. Happy memories of St Peter’s. (It wasn’t that school that put me off teaching!)

bigmac

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #5 on: 23:40:27, 20/08/23 »
Well well well Freda Rothwell have I thought of you email me serene then farms @ yahoo then .com leave out the thens

bigmac

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #6 on: 23:44:06, 20/08/23 »
Hope you see this Freda I will look on face book for you so much water under the bridge

FRoth

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #7 on: 23:57:30, 20/08/23 »
Well well well Freda Rothwell have I thought of you email me serene then farms @ yahoo then .com leave out the thens


Is this Laertes? ??? ?
Am now “Andrews” and in Leatherhead. Am on FB.  :)

FRoth

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #8 on: 00:24:03, 21/08/23 »
 :)  Msg me

FRoth

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #9 on: 01:06:10, 21/08/23 »
Freda then dot then andrews @ icloud then dot then com - leave out the thens

bigmac

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #10 on: 01:14:24, 21/08/23 »
‘Tis I do not sleep but let me hear of you.    I don’t do Facebook use the email pleeeese leave out the thens one word all lower case       John

FRoth

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Re: Clear memories of St. Peter's Grammar
« Reply #11 on: 01:16:32, 21/08/23 »
Have done. Check yr emails