Bath Tec School

Another New Boy !

7/23/2009 8:21:03 PM
A warm welcome to Mike, yet another new conscript to the team, that's four in a matter of days guys, we must be doing something right, I'll have to do the lottery on Saturday it could be an omen or something, although perhaps it's our sparkling wit that's attracted them, whatever it's good to hear from you guys, now you will join in won't you.

Stu

Comments

- 7/23/2009 11:52:39 PM
I think we shall be getting an overtime bill from Bill soon for all this extra work on Friend Reunited and Pub Pals!!!
- 7/24/2009 11:41:07 AM
Many thanks for your welcome. 

I was at Bath for 4 years arriving in Sept 1960 (in 3P) and then leaving in July 1964.

I spent some time surfing the web for teachers' names expecting to find some affectionate memories lodged by old boys.   However the only one I encountered was a reference to the late lamented Peter Cord (he of the Art Dept and a strong smelling pipe) and his published sketch book on Georgian Architecture....until I Googled "Bill Hayman".  Now I don't wish to cause any one's blushes but someone has detailed a blow by blow and extremely detailed account of a whacking they received from the Deputy Head - the web site I have to say is not what ones granny would approve of!!!!

I had crush on Mike William's wife (didn't we all), her tight skirts, high heels and a somewhat breathless delivery of geographical knowldege...I'm sure it was she who inspired me to read geog at Bristol.

Sorry I digress....

Best of luck with this project and hope that it develops and gives the opportunity for many to exchange experiences and renew friendships.

Mike

PS does anyone remember Sammy Seal in chemistry or is he a figment of my imagination?
- 7/24/2009 1:48:28 PM
Welcome Mike,
If you look in the "skydrive" under a folder called "1962-64 Teachers" you will find 40 listed .. not all the names or their roles will be correct .. many teachers at our school "multi-tasked", as did every boys fantasy woman, Mrs. Williams .. I can remember her giving us (I`m sorry I`ll re-phrase that) teaching us English in 2P I`m sure that is not all she gave us .. but I won`t enlarge (i`m soory I`ll re-phrase that) , elaborate any further .. gosh ..this is an awfully difficult subject to deal with. I`ll just leave you to use your own skills to fathom out the rest .. there are plenty of pictorial memories in the "skydrive" folders to keep you busy.
 
Tony, yes many hours have been spent trawling "Friends Reunited" and "Another Place" for info, 60 plus ex pupils so far, only 440 more to go ... how much an hour did you suggest? .. please make all cheques out to "Friends reunited", because like our old masters at Bath Tech without their hard work none of us would be here now.
- 7/24/2009 5:13:10 PM
Hi Mike
 
Just to say Sammy Seale was not a figment of your imagination! I remember him well, a likeable 'mad professor' kind of guy. I remember one class when he was bombarded with water bombs as he wrote on the blackboard ( I know it's not PC but that is what it was!!!). Another lesson I recall was when he was explaining the Kitts(?) apparatus, you will recall a large piece piece  of glass equipment which was made in two pieces. Dear old Sammy lifted it off the bench by the top half and the bottom half came off and smashed on the floor!!
 
When I recall these memories I just hope somebody else can remember as well so I know it was not a dream!!!!!
 
Cheers
 
Steve
- 7/24/2009 8:08:01 PM
Excellent - so I  have placed him correctly within a context.

My impression of Mr. (or was he Dr.?) Seal's lessons were occasionally ones of controlled chaos.  He once "accidently" dropped a highly reactive lump of potassium into a glass trough of water with the consequential blinding flash of firey light and some large and doubtless terminal cracks in an expensive piece of experimental kit.   His only response on this occasion was a smile through his round specs and a warning that one should never do what he had done - followed by a chuckle which to me always sounded like "dup dup".

In schools these days chemical reactions of this sort are carried out "virtually" on computer OR worse still as a pieces of video footage.  I think we were in many ways privileged to study chemistry red in tooth and claw with teachers of character (no matter how totally potty).

Funny what one remembers.

Mike
 
- 7/24/2009 9:03:37 PM
Mike, if you look in the "Skydrive" there is a short story I wrote about a similar incident that occured .. "Sodium" is what it`s called, it`s in the School Lessons folder. 
- 7/25/2009 12:01:39 AM
Hi Mike.
         I'd like to echo the warm welcome extended by the rest of the guys! Unlike them I was several years earlier starting in 1957? so was at Weymouth House until the end of the fifth and then moved on to Brougham Hayes.
        Talking of masters that seem to have vanished, there does not seem to be any record of Bevvers Lloyd, he taught us Physics in parallel with Dickie Harbor, does anyone else remember him? He used a meter rule as a teaching aid!!!! 
       The Williams couple joined the teaching staff at Weymouth House when I was in the third form, Just at the wrong time for 3P as it coincided with the hormones kicking in at full strength, need I say more!
       Don't remember the chemistry master you spoke of as we were always taught by Dr (Noddy) Hamblin. I will admit that I was not much good at it, much preferred Physics.
        Ah well so much for the nostalgia, but it's getting late and beddy bies calls.
 
                                                   Bi to all
                                                       John.
- 7/25/2009 7:36:48 PM

Thanks John for your kind words.

 

The long dormant name Bevvers Lloyd rises from the murk that passes for my boyhood memories.  As I remember both he and Dickie Harbour put paid to any aspirations I might have had for following a career in science or engineering.  Their lessons were demonstrations, not practicals, the theory often as opaque as the contents of the two science texts we had; I think entitled Electricity & Magnetism and Mechanics.  Mr Lloyd was, as I recall, just one step short of being totally unstable; Dickie on the other hand seemed entirely impervious to any educational needs on my part.

For me woodwork was another closed shop.  I was as ham-fisted with a chisel as any boy who had passed through the care of a dapper man called (I think) Ray Jones.  He said he was an assistant organist at the Abbey. His dress, walk  and manner always caused great amusement amongst some of my more worldly-wise class mates - can't think why myself. 

Spider Webb produced consistently excellent English Lit lessons.

 

Peter Coard was certainly the most inspirational (if rather laid back) teacher I have ever encountered (and I have been teaching now for 31 years).  Alright, his disgusting pipe was not the best advertisement for a healthy lifestyle but his passion for architectural history and in particular the Georgian Bath vernacular was infectious. 

 

By the way does anyone know what happened to the fragrant Mrs Williams?

 

Furthermore who can remember the painful rugby practices at Combe Down held during the frozen winter of 1962/3 or the attempted debagging of Mike Williams by an enormous boy called Dines during a match played that same winter?

 

Mike

- 7/25/2009 10:23:05 PM
Mike,
I have to agree with your assessment of the late Peter Coards abilities as a teacher .. as most of my early grades were rather poor, a lot of time spent day dreaming (nothings changed !) .. he was the only teacher who took the trouble to involve pupils (myself included)  in the operation of the classroom equipment as an inducement to gain my attention. I have my school reports that show his comments about my improved performance in Art as a result of his encouragement.
 
The Physics teacherBevvers Lloyd, I can remember him "losing it" with one member of my class .. it wasn`t a good idea to disagree with him on anything. Communication skills and reasoning were not his better qualities.
 
I cannot recall the Rugby lessons at Bradford Road in the winter of 62/3, even though  I was there .. only remember freezing cold showers .. and cross county "slipping" .. well it should have been running I guess.
 
I`m not sure if Douggie Grey came up with this little snippet, but at one time Mr.& Mrs. Wiliams owned a "bay Window" type two V.W. camper, and were reputedly living in it near Swainswick Bath? in the 70`s. Mrs. Williams does not appear in the 1964 School photo, either she left in late 1963. perhaps on leave .. anyone else know anymore?
- 7/25/2009 11:40:54 PM
Ah, all these familiar but forgotten names.  Bevvers Lloyd was great, though permanently "out to lunch".  My main memory of Sammy Seal was the admirably straight-faced introduction to us of the famous Kundt's Dust Tube (safely pronounced, of course "Koooont's").  I reckon this was Steve's "Kitts" apparatus.  I am still in luuurve with Mrs Williams, and remember once (accidentally, you understand)  dropping my pencil on the floor as she walked past for the third time: "That's the THIRD time you've dropped your pencil, isn't it Rodney?".  Even my teeth blushed, and I kept a firm grip on it thereafter.  My pencil too.
 
I used to attend Pete Coard's Art Club, as I didn't take it as a subject - he got me a GCE 'O' level in Art; he certainly was very inspirational.
 
Bill Hayman should have got the headship when the opportunity arose (shall we say).  A great bloke (despite the three whackings I had from him), and a brilliant table tennis player!  He wandered into the after-hours t/tennis club one afternoon, hung about until someone condescended to lend him a bat, which he couldn't seem to hold properly (the "pen" grip as we later discovered), and then wiped the floor with all challengers.  Respect!
 
Joe Cannon - my main memory of him was his difficulty in controlling the more, errm, flatulent pupils, who he banished to the "Windy Corner" section of hisclass.
 
And finaly, Weymouth House.  Spent a year there, old school in more ways than one.  Anyone remember the "bogs" opposite the main building?  Long row of urinals, long row of cubicles, each with a plume of smoke rising from it.
 
Hope I haven't lowered the tone of this discussion too much - can't chuck me out yet Bill, I've only joined a few hours ago!
Rod Strong
- 7/26/2009 2:34:30 AM
Hi Guys.
         Great resume of the goings on and many memories invoked.
    I'm not going to say too much as it is getting late as usual, but it's been a busy day!
Just to add to your comments about Bevvers, which I agree with. I think most of you will recall that he had 'peferred phrases' which he used fairly frequently, the one I remember most is 'Is that quite clear', but there were several others.
   In our group was a lad from Colerne known as 'Bomber' (Trotman), bit of a bumpkin but quite bright and a smashing lad. He devised the idea of keeping a Bevograph. The idea was, for each physics lesson a running total was kept for each 'Preferred phrase' each total was given a line on the graph against time. This enabled the observer to establish a trend for each phrase and thus any alarming growth in usage of any one.
    I think without realising it 'Bomber' was establishing a rather clever piece of satire, recognising that bevvers was on the verge and applying the tools of physics to confirm or deny the fact. Kids can be cruel, but great fun.
     Totally agree with the comments about Bill Hayman, should have become head after the unfortunate demise of TJN, can't imagine why he was not.
     There has not been any mention of Pete Moore, I don't know about you guys but our year always ha a great deal of respect for the man, to the point that one year at Easter we all had a whip around a bought him an easter egg. It wasn't creepng either! It was a genuine mark of gratitude.
     Don't get the wrong impression we were just as difficult and rebellious as most of the rest of the school were at that age. Ah well!
 
                                                             Bi for now.
                                                                 John. 
- 7/26/2009 11:13:02 AM
I've not seen any of you chaps refer to Wally Hammond.  He more than anyone else on the staff showed that teachers were human and had a genuine respect for students.  He more than once gave us lifts in his Rover 90 from the shelter by the old S&P canteen to the Bus Station - he didn't have to but clearly couldn't ignore we Warminster boys soaked to the skin and burdened with bags of soggy and rank rugger kit and the bookage to support 3/4 homeworks.

Another master not mentioned so far as I am aware, was Mr. Jenkins.  This gentleman introduced a whole generation of young Bathonians to the perils of using excessive volumes of after-shave.  Many years later I saw him interviewed on Points West - looking much the same as he had done in the early sixties but now clearly relishing involvement in city politics.

This group is proving to be excellent therapy for this decrepit writer's failing memory - keep the stories coming - it's doing me a power of good!

Mike 
- 7/26/2009 7:09:55 PM
Mike, you must be referring to Sir Elgar Jenkins. He came to the Tech in around '63 or '64 and had a really "posh" accent. My surname of Lanham was always pronounce LEEANAM. Used to bloody annoy me, but then I was just an oik from Twerton what did I know about speech !!
 
Rich
- 7/26/2009 8:42:55 PM
Rich, tell me more.....

How does a classroom teacher reach a K without some serious degree-level political toadying?  Being entirely a victim of snap judgements I suspect he was a Conservative, knowing Bath's politics until very recent times.

Mike
- 7/26/2009 10:42:13 PM
Thanks for "Moore" memories jogged.  As Mike says, these messages are really unlocking stuff I though long forgotten.  I've even remembered the pupil's forename I was searching for earlier - Mark Drew from Portishead.  Anyone know of him?
 
Can't picture Wally Hammond, Mike, but he may be the teacher I CAN picture but not put a name to.  Small guy, taught maths I think, high-pitched voice, bit of a temper - he was rumoured to have spent time in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, hence the occasional raves.  Yes, I well remember Pete Moore too - like most of them, a really nice bloke unless upset!
 
"Killer" Keating - WAS he really an ex-all-in wrestler??
 
I seem to remember almost half the teachers were Welsh, which may have helped towards the school's success; the Welsh still have a better educational system than ours (I have a Welsh grandson).  Suppose that was why we played rugby.  Even though I played for the school a few times, I hated it, as I could never see the sense in passing the ball backwards.
 
G'night chaps,
Rod
- 7/26/2009 10:51:22 PM
Hi Guys
         Yes Bart, I well remember the bogs at Weymouth House!
There is a story there, it must have been just before the unfortunate demise of TJ Nicolas. One day a certain student turned up at school with a round of live 303 ammunition. Fooling around at break time, said bullet was wedged into the hole occupied by the latch of the door at one end of the bog. The next event is a bit predictable, someone hit the cap with a sharp object, just as an experiment of course, the projectile travelled the length of the building, passing through the door at the other end and as far as I know was never found. It's a miracle that no one was killed or at least maimed!
        None of our group was involved in the event, but we had been up to some other mischief at the same time, I can't remember what it was, but by sheer bad luck we were all up before the head at the same time. Old Nick, bless him, immediately tarred us all with the same brush and suspended all of us. It took almost a week to sort out the ensuing mayhem!
       Incidentally Mike, I agree with your comments re Wally Hammond, as a matter of interest I believe that the fore-runner of the Rover he owned was a rather nicely kept Jowett Javelin, would be worth a shilling or two these days if it were still around.
      I don't remember Mr Jenkins, but think he joined after I left. Does anyone remember the name of the elderly music master, he used to try to teach us the rudiments at St James' Hall, I seem to remember that his most distinctive feature was blue lips. Must have had a circulatory problem.
     It's perfectly true that Ray Jones was second organist at the Abbey, and as camp as they come, but completely harmless. Always seemed to have little projects of his own on the go, often for the benefit of the Abbey.
    Must go, it's getting late again, on hols for the next week or so, working at Kemble Show, see www.steamextravaganza.com so may not be in touch till its all over. 
 
                                                                Bi for now
                                                                    John
- 7/26/2009 11:19:17 PM
What little buggers we were!  My main memory of the WH toilets were standing at the urinals one day, with my mate Clive Taplin a little further down.  He spotted smoke coming from the trap behind him, shouted "Oi!  Who's smokin'!", at which the door opened, a hand shot out, grabbed him by the collar and yanked him, still peeing, into the cubicle.  The effect was as when loses control of a garden hose - wee flying everywhere.  Well, I did laugh,as I was well out of range.  Clive was ejected shortly after with a sore ear and damp trousers; another of life's lessons learnt.
 
G'night again ...
Rod Strong
- 7/27/2009 9:02:11 AM
Hi Rod,

As far as I remember, Wally taught maths (and I actually understood his way of delivering quadratic equations et al), could be a little irritable at times, was short of stature but I think he was essentially a good-hearted bloke.

I think that a number of the teaching staff had had difficult wars and it is hardly surprising that some of them could be a little flaky at times (particularly if they had done time in Japanese POW camps).

Yes the preponderance of Welsh staff has always puzzled me - we thought that after the war the school got a job-lot of unemployed ex-grammar boys from the valleys to paper over the cracks of a threadbare teaching establishment - no other reasonable explanation could be offered - certainly after a particularly unpleasant training session with Leyshon the racist comments re our Celtic brethren were rife.   It was from him that I first encountered out and out prejudice. I enjoyed Soccer at my old school and wondered why it was not  possible to run a team at B Tech - in a truly vitriolic outburst asked me why I wanted to "play a game for girl guides".



Mike


- 7/28/2009 8:58:26 AM
All this reminiscing moved  me to venture heavenward to the loft where my wife had bagged up a whole mass of "your rubbish" in the vain hope that one day I'd consign it to the waste paper collection.  Fear not - I opened said bag and discovered a single B Tech exercise book - Geography Year 4 (Jammie James).

The book brought back one noteable feature of his lessons - the exquisitely detailed chalked maps he prepared.  The really sad part about the whole exercise was the entirely futile nature of copying those maps - the "Midland Triangle" reinforced by the publishers of Dudley Stamp - the products no longer manufactured,  the coal no longer mined, the railways crushed under the feet of Beeching - all gone within ten years or so of leaving school.  

Hang on......this is the Internet version of crying in one's beer- must stop being maudlin' - let's have some more of those memories -I liked the one about the 303 bullet and the one about trainspotting from a classroom window.

Can anyone remember the time when the whole school was lined up in the playground whilst the Head ranted in order to get some poor soul to admit to extracting the spear shaped verticals from the railway fence and then using them for javellin practice?   I recall the ordeal as being fairly lengthy and rather unpleasant.

Mike
- 7/29/2009 1:21:10 AM
Hi Mike and all.
            Glad you liked the one about the 303 ammo. That was not the only time we were suspended, but it was the only time that it happened for no apparent reason except sheer coincidence.
           Too late to elaberate further now, but maybe some time later. Incidentally on odd occasions now I have mentioned Taff Griffiths teaching us English but it has not raised any response, does this mean that I am the only one that remembers him or is it just that he was uninteresting and no one has anything to say?
          Must go now. G'night.