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PARROTS UNITED
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Hi Steve, your right that we were never offered the
chance of brickwork and masonery and I can,t remember having any lessons
at all in the old hutments, I knew that the tech college had used them
in the past for these trades and John has mentioned that they did
painting and decorating as well, seems like the Tech was trying in some
ways to get away from the "manual" trades which were the orignal purpose
of the technical schools.
I do remember rummaging around when we
first arrived and finding empty bullet casing lying around and I also
noted Steve that you are in one of the photos with Ray Jones that must
have been taken down by the hutments.
Weather has been very mild in Frome today for this time of year, I expect we shall end up paying for it later.
Nov. 18, 2009
(Edited Nov. 19, 2009)
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Hi Anth.
Yes, at various times we had Brickwork and Masonry, Painting and Decorating, Metalwork and even Physics in the old hutments.
The metalwork shop was a lot more modern than all the others, more
of a terrapin building, as I recall. The remainder were all military
style wooden structures.
Regards.
Sticky.
Nov. 18, 2009
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Hi Tony
I am sure I can remember having woodwork lessons in the
hutments with Ray. Metal work was also taught there. But, as you say,
there was nver any offer of brickwork etc.
I think the photo was taken just before a lesson with Ray.
Cheers
Steve
Nov. 19, 2009
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Hi Steve, I am sure you are right that we had some
lessons in the hutments but try as I might I cannot recall them, seems
like a blank space in my memory when it comes to the first year at
Brougham Hayes, I,m sure if I think of it long enough something will
click, its like the toilets at Weymouth House, it was,nt untill John was
describing the incident with the 303 bullet that I remembered that they
were outside and bloody cold as well.
Nov. 19, 2009
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Hi all,
I remember in our last year (1966) having metalwork in the huts
with Jack Cosnett, but it wasn't for long and why we weren't in our
usual place I can't recall.
Rich
Nov. 20, 2009
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Dos anyone remember getting a detention off of Ray
Jones, I can,t recall even losing his temper with anyone only a very
mild scolding.
Nov. 20, 2009
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Hi Anth and all.
You are right about Ray Jones, I can never recall him giving anyone detention, either.
From my memories he was a placid man, but managed to maintain discipline somehow (Most of the time).
Just to put the record straight for you young 'uns. Back in the old
Weymouth House days the hutments were used broadly as I outlined
earlier, but woodwork and metalwork (Blacksmithing) both took place at
the old gaol at Twerton.
Have to go now, dinner ready!
Regards to all.
Sticky.
PS All done now. Beef Satay and fried rice delivered from the local take away. Very nice too!
Compliments of 'She who must be obeyed'.
Nov. 20, 2009
(Edited Nov. 20, 2009)
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Dear Alle
certainly I remember walking over to Twerton from Brougham hayes
for metal work and woodwork. But I didnt realise it was the old
gaol. We didn't have Ray Jones but another bloke who was much less
congenial...although he didn't invite us "up to the wood store" !
I still use the book case I made and took home on the bus to
keynsham...seemed enormous at the time. also making garden lines in
metalwork. Who was the metalwork master who used to threaten us with the
straight edge of a steel rule if we rested our hands on the big shiney
bench we had to cluster round to listen to him.? Very grumpy
man. We got our own back by turning up the fan
on the forge and spraying white hot coals about!
God!! It was another world. Where was health and safety!
Remember all those experiments with Sammy Seale where poison gases
pervaded theplace and boiling acid, fizzing sodium or potassium and free
mercury were normal. Do you think we can sue!?
Bit off the parrot subject....but I did have a budgie called Joey in those days....an excellent training for the real thing.
Glad to see Darracott aboard...I would never have got A level physics without cribbing all his work.
Blessynngges rayne douwne upponne ye alle
Nov. 20, 2009
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Hi Chris ,it all there in the artical (link below), did
you also realise that Brougham Hayes was also a reform school before its
use in the "proper" education system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Bath_Technical_School
Nov. 20, 2009
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Good morning all
I cannot remember Ray giving a detention but if he took a dislike
to you then he would make life difficult and I am sure there were boys
who did not have side burns or a pair of winklepickers who wish they had
not chosen woodwork over metalwork. That said, if you were one of
'Ray's boys' then woodwork lessons were light relief from the likes of
Spike Minniken and Dickie Harber!! My bookcase is still in my father's
house with books still on it's shelfs!!!!
My memory tells me that we had metalwork and woodwork in the old
goal for our first year ('59) and when we moved to Brougham Hayes the
lessons were moved to the huts. Who was the short grey haired guy in a
brown coat that used to help Ray in woodwork , getting the wood out etc.
To my knowledge he did not move with us to the hutments.
I can remember the old forges and the great fun making
'volcanoes'!!! Also can recall playing with mercury and Sammy's 'brown
fumes'!! With all that mercury it is no wonder we are all as mad as a
hatter.
I remember in the third we had to make a choice, either history and
metalwork or geography and woodwork. Sod's law dictated that I wanted
to do history and woodwork!!!! But the draw of being one of 'Ray's boys'
meant I did geography and not histotry which I proved to have talent
for.
Cheers
Steve
Nov. 21, 2009
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Hello Steve et al, al - e - main and al - e -
minor. Cannons to the left, cannons to the right of us. How`s the
weather across the Channel then?
O.K, keyboard madness over, back to (relative) normailty now:
Do you know for the life of me I cannot recall any woodwork in the
huts, only at the old Gaol. Was it possible that we could do both things
metal work & wood work for some years? I seem to recall that more
than once the "projects" seemed to overlap or relate in some way.
Handles (no, not 4 candles) come to mind.
Like I said in a recent post, all I can remember in the Huts was
Harry Mowers` lathes. All the rest of "forge / bashing" processes were
with Mr, Cosnett. It may haunt me for the rest of my life now .. where
the missing hutment days have gone, that is. tech Drawing .. justa
thought who used to take Tech drawing? ... I can remember getting
poor marks for this subject (didn`t use to wear my glasses for vanity
reason in latter years .. wonder why?
Regards. (oh, Say hello to Parroty for me Chris.)
Nov. 21, 2009
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Heellooo! says Parrotty to francis and to alle,
when I arrived in 1960 to form 3P we had technical drawing in the
huts, but I can't remember who took us. The next year ? we were in the
main school and Harry Mower was doing it. I was good at tech drawing and
harry took some of my drawings for some reason. When I asked for them
back he told me they had been put in the bottom of the babies pram and
peed on....so he said!!
Nov. 21, 2009
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Hi all,
We had Harry Mower for Tech Drawing too in 1961. I remember him
clouting Pete Chidley on the back of the head for having lines like
train tracks. This caused his head to meet the drawing board with quite a
bit of force. Harry then hit him again for getting blood on his
paperwork !! True story !! The kids of today etc..........
Rich
Nov. 21, 2009
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Good Moaning All
I can remember having to make the choice too Steve, and I
remember that there was a third option also, Biology and Art, in my case
it was the lesser of three evils. I can remember opting for Geography
and Metalwork, was useless with such dangerous items as chisels, (still
am), so woodwork was out, trainspotting wasn't on the curriculum and
Geography was my best subject, had to keep at least one where I looked
at least average. Oddly enough History never did anything for me at
school at all, but I recent years I have become fascinated by it, maybe
because of traveling and correlating world history and english history,
as well as having specific interests.
Harry Mower took us for tech drawing, at least for the third
year, wasn't any good at that either, mine looked like someone had
dipped a spider in ink and thrown it at the paper before playing
football with it, strange that when I returned to college as an adult
student I got distinction for my drawing, and helped others in the class
with theirs. Same with art, couldn't tell one end of a paintbrush from
the other at school, yet having taking up painter in recent years have
sold nine to date, I think if I could have started school at about 40 I
might have been more of a success, obviously a late developer, (very
late developer).
Stu
PS Just seen your entry Rich, Harry never clouted me, I think despair
and recognition of a lost cause probably prevented him, as you say kids
today, don't know they're born eh?
Nov. 21, 2009
(Edited Nov. 21, 2009)
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Hello Stu,
Westward ho! still suffering gales like us in Somersetshire? ..
This "corry wats it" with world history, ithat`s a big word
for a "late developer" isn`t it? It is raisng the tone of the thread
somewhat. You`ll have us all talking in real Angleterra
Spiel soon .. Ha Ha.
I do love hearing all the episodes that I was not party to (or if I
was, have faded from memory). I am going to treat myself to a somewhat
bigger computer monitor, it will assist in improving
the comprehension of the typing, and might also increase the
current laughter factor in some of the stories posted on here.
The weekend and all its` chores is here, weather preventing any
outdoor adventures or excursions, ( hey that`s a big word for a change..
wonder how that slipped out). Have a good weekend all, and for those in
sunnier climes .. post a hot "piccie" or two please.
Regards.
Nov. 21, 2009
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Spell checkers were definately a great invention
Bill, it's raining cats and wotsits here, still saved me from a fate
worse than death, "CHRISTMAS SHOPPING", Shirls threatening to take me to
Bristol next Saturday, based purely on the principle that there's more
shops in Bristol. I may have to feign illness and get a sicknote. Not
too many signed up for the reunion yet is there, I've applied for
membership on the PubPals site, 'spose it'll take forever to be
approved, and please don't encourage those in warmer climes to send pics
of sunshine SAD doesn't usually kick in until after Christmas, I don't
want to be all miserable and depressed until Easter.
Stu
Nov. 21, 2009
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Didn,t we also have to make a choice between German and
French at the beginning, I only remember German and for the life
of me could not recall any of it untill a few years ago and it all
started bubbling to the surface, I think you are right Stu some of us
would have been better suited to starting school at forty but what would
we have done untill then.
By the way the weather was great yesterday and today has gone back to blustery wind and rain in Frome.
Nov. 21, 2009
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Choices!
yes, but it meant that as I chose geography and history I
couldn't do German or French....GREAT at the time thought I, but a
bit of a handicap when I came to apply to uni. Almost every Med School
wanted an O level language! And as Tony says it would have been useful
now, at least to hang a language course on. Maybe kiddies an't the best
judge of what's good for them. Sometimes it's better to be taken out of
our comfort zones......at least until Mrs W tries to get ME out of all
of mine!!!!
Nov. 21, 2009
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Guten Tag alles,
Mein herren, Ich habe sehr gut von mein schule tagen bekommen. Etwas ein kleine dame habst macht mein brain !
Don`t know if that made any sense, some of it seems familiar as
being the correct words, not neccessarily in the right order mind you,
and not all ze correct inflection or gender eizer. But the best I could
do "off the cuff" without a translator (oder
spiel-checken-sie-wats-it!)
I chose "Ya" fur Deutsch, and "Non" au Francaise (sp?) ..
always thought most anglophiles are descended from east european and
scandinavian origins. So, and with a penchant for swedish girls, I opted
for the German as being appropriate for a british male person aged 11
& 3/4.
Lots of "gobbildy gook" pop up into view when I`m on this laptop on
these wet afternoons. As for attending school from 40 onward, I thought
that`s what we are still doing, (serving our time in the school of life
that is). I have learnt more this year about myself and people than I
ever had previously. I have come of age ( Don`t worry Stu, it`s only
when I type), I think.
Regards. (another of those P.S.s, have rejoined "Friends Reunited" .. you have been warned! ..ha ha.)
Nov. 21, 2009
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Hi all and Parrotty.
You guys had it hard! We were not given any choices so didn't have to deliberate about that.
By the way Bill, it's Ja not Ya and when you say kleine dame do you
mean madchen. I have to admit my Deutsch was lower than a snakes belly,
but that is what I finished up with. During my working life have
visited Germany several times and wished I had paid more attention. Like
you guys, couldn't work up any enthusiasm for history either. Again see
it differently now! You are dead right we should have started
school at forty, or even fifty.
Chris is spot on, it was Harry Mower for tech drawing besides metalwork and metalwork technology, yes, we did all those subjects
also physics, chemistry and biology and both history and geography.
Had to stay behind after school if we wanted to do art. I can't
understand anyone being daunted by Dickie Harbor, I agree he ran a
fairly tight ship and didn't tolerate any mucking about, but if you got
him talking about his younger days and the motor bikes he had owned you
were in for a real treat. Always had a lot of respect for the man,
which is probably why I've spent the rest of my life involved in
electrical engineering.
The weather here has been as bad as reported by the Frome contingent, absolutely hissing down. So decided to do paperwork.
Inland revenue, Dept of pensions etc etc. really exciting stuff.
Thought I'd have a look at what you guys were up to to break the tedium,
ah well, back to it.
Regards to all and Parrotty.
Sticky.
Nov. 21, 2009
(Edited Nov. 21, 2009)
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