Bath Tec School

Welcome Chris Cronin

11/8/2009 4:22:13 PM
Hello Chris, and welcome to you as well, (like buses today, must be the cold weather) .. to think at one time we were busy when we had 8 members .. I`m sure you`ll recognise a few names .. think you might have been in the "P" stream  .. perhaps I`m wrong .. you`ll have to let us all know . Anyway, feel free to browse around..I`m sure that there is enough to keep you busy for a while.
 
There is talk of a "Whole School" reunion (+ teachers) next March in 2010 .. Steve Wakefield from the other "athTech" eb Site called "Pub Pals" is organising it. Just look up the relevant discussion for more details. Have to leave you to it I`m afraid .. chores to do .. places to go .. people to see .. regards
 
I`ve included what you wrote on applying to join for all to share in .. "be  nice to speak to old pupils from my class since I left in 1962" .. I`m sure the feeling`s mutual Chris.

Comments

- 11/8/2009 4:29:45 PM
Hi Chris, and a warm welcome from me also, I'm sure I remember you but not as a "P", but I do seem to have some recollection of a small group of ne'er do wells, (self included, and one Keith Glossop), who hung around the changing rooms at the Glasshouse during the Autumn term of 59, excused from games being the reason for the hanging around, if I remember correctly you were also one of those excusees.
 
Stu
- 11/8/2009 4:39:09 PM
What's a "P"???
- 11/8/2009 5:00:30 PM
1P, 2P, 3P, 4P, 5P, as opposed to 1X, 1Y, etc. you get the drift Chris.
 
Stu
- 11/8/2009 5:13:16 PM
Sorry for being a bit thick Stu but as I recall,I left school in Dec '62 when in 4Y (sheridan).  I remember Keith Glossop & Robert Hooper because we all travelled together from Keynsham but I'm not sure I recognise you from your current photo.
Did I see reference to showing yourself from old school photos?
- 11/8/2009 5:34:03 PM
Hi Chris, don't consider yourself thick it's been 45+ years after all, and as for recognising me I had hair then, long since departed I'm afraid. As for photographs you can use any you wish for a profile pic, old or new. On the photo's page of the site you'll find a file titled "Faces identified from the 62 school photograph", or something like that, I'm on the 5th. row down second from right, and I believe you're 7th. row down second from left. If that is you you can always download that and use it for a profile pic. Thanks for reminding me of Bob Hoopers name I can remember his face now and will add it to the file.
 
Stu
- 11/8/2009 6:59:53 PM
Hi Chris and welcome!
 
as EX  Old Keynsham, your name as well as Glossop and Hooper bring back memories. I joined Bath tech in 1960 from Broadlands Sec Mod having been rescued by 13+, Along with Alan Hale, Jeff White & Robert Ashley.
 
I left after 6th form in 1965. Would be interesting to hear any memeories associated with Keynsham/Bath tec life.
 
All the best
 
Chris
- 11/8/2009 7:58:17 PM
Hi Chris,
 
Glad to have you on board. I can't say that I remember the name but if you could let us kow where you are on any photos you may stir up the old brain cells !! Have a good time here and please share with us any stories you have from the Hallowed Walls of the Tech........even the dodgy ones. Especially the dodgy ones.
 
Rich
- 11/8/2009 8:45:14 PM
Right on the button Stu row 7,  2nd in from right.  Don't remember photo being taken; brain must have been out to lunch that day.
 
Just been reading the dinner ticket scam - I seem to remember milking that one at the time!
 
Does anyone remember the railway railings incident that resulted in those guilty (who me?) having to come into school on the day the school was closed?
- 11/8/2009 8:49:19 PM
Hi Chris.
Welcome, it's nice to have yet another member. I can see you are entering into the spirit of things already.
Don't be afraid to wander off the point occasionally, we all do it. I think it may be age related. Have fun reading the rest of the comments on the site and I think you will get my drift.
Best Regards.
John.
PS Just read your last comment, what's this about railway railings, do tell!
- 11/8/2009 8:59:31 PM
Hi John
 
can't place you, were you in my class (4Y) in 1962?
 
Seem to recall be called into Bill Hayman's room frequently when some 'crime' had been commited - not to mention the fags he confiscated; funny how the mind wanders as you get old
 
 
- 11/8/2009 9:11:30 PM
Well, I found this loose railing in the fence that backed onto the main railway line.  I managed to detach it from the fence & threw it into the side of the shed that used to be to the left near the cemetary wall.
Before you knew it loads of railings were sticking in the shed wall & about 6 feet of fence railings were missing.
 
There had been some kind of ceremony held recently to this (opening of the new gym block??) & the school governors had given the school a day off.
 
The head (tinbum) had threatened to cancel the day off unless those guilty came forward - here we go again I thought.  I think about 7 or 8 of us 'criminals' owned up.  Good days!!
- 11/8/2009 9:31:46 PM
Hi Chris , welcome to the site, I was in the same year as you, started in 59 at Weymouth House for one year and then moved to Brougham Hayes, catch you later.
- 11/9/2009 12:05:10 AM
Hi Chris.
Thanks for enlightening us about the railings episode. Had to chalk up another smile.
You may not recognise me because I only had one year at Brougham Hayes, spent the rest of my time at Weymouth House, joined the school in 55 I think, although I could be a year adrift. I think you've probably got the picture anyhow.
Best Regards
John.
- 11/9/2009 12:32:34 AM
Hi John
 
were you one of those 6th form prefects that used to hand out detentions??
- 11/9/2009 1:14:34 AM
Hi again Chris, a funny thing happened today (Sunday), Mick Little is over in the UK from Malasia on his way to a holiday in Italy and Chris Handscombe, Mick and myself were out for Sunday lunch, I mentioned to Chris about this website as he has not yet joined and he asked who had joined, I ran through a few names and he then asked if Chris Cronin had joined, I said no and when I got back home and logged on who,s name should I see on the new members, spooky or what, catch you later today
- 11/9/2009 10:43:31 PM

Hi Anthony

Mick Little's name rings a bell but can't place the face; will have to trawl through '62 school photo & see if I can recall him.

How come he recalled my name? was I that infamous?? (don't answer that!)

- 11/9/2009 11:05:19 PM
No it was Chris Handscombe that enquired after you, when you pick out the faces it will probably come back, why is it that my brain can remember things from forty years ago but not what I did last week, do I need a defrag like windows, has my brain reached the limits of storage and needs more disc space or am I just quietly going senile and yes if something was wrong you were shall we say a prime suspect.
- 11/9/2009 11:47:50 PM
Hi all.
No, Chris I was not one of those sixth form prefects, not all sixth were prefects. I think they probably thought that I was too irresponsible. Although thinking about it I never had the whack once in my entire school career. I was expelled several times though! Probably less painful eh?
Regarding memory Anth, if you need a defrag I probably need a whole new hard drive! Funny how I can still remember all the happenings at school though. P'raps I need to free up some disc space!
Incidentally, anybody remember the old metalwork shop in the hutments down the bottom of the field at Brougham Hayes.
During a lesson one day Jim Nixon had to case harden some parts for an adjustable wrech he was making, so they had to go in the muffle furnace, heated by gas. He puts the parts in and turns on the gas but no matches. At this stage he goes all around the class trying to find someone who would admit to having some. Eventually he found some, returned to the furnace, lit a match and boom! Blew the asbestos flue outside clean off the wall. I think Harry Mower thought he had done it purposely until he saw the singed eyebrows and receding hair line. His parents still had to pay for a new flue though.
Ah well, happy days.
Bi for now.
John.
- 11/10/2009 12:07:58 AM
Hi John
 
you managed to avoid the wack your whole school career - impressive.
 
I recall if you got 3 detentions in a week Bill Hayman wacked you; as I recall, I had the cane every week but 1 whilst at Brougham Hayes - even Bill remarked on it!! (that's 2 years of the cane!  I'm sure my mother thought school finished at 4:45 because I was coming home at the same late time each day!)
 
I somehow managed to pick up detentions like confetti - not covering excercise book in brown paper, not having gym kit, not wearing school cap outside blah blah blah!! The school was too strict & I was too rebellious
 
I also recall 6th form prefects were allowed to give detentions ( but 3 did not lead to the cane) hence my curiosity about whether your were a prefect.  Glad to hear you weren't
 
ps I'm still rebellious
 
regards
- 11/10/2009 12:10:34 AM
Hi Anthony
 
looked through school photo but can't see Chris Hanscombe (probably my eyesight); name sounds familiar though
 
regards
- 11/10/2009 12:36:11 AM
Hi Chris
 
can't place you; were you in the same year as me?
Sorry, the old grey matter doesn't work as well as it used to
 
regards
- 11/10/2009 1:02:47 AM
Hi Chris.
Glad to hear that you are still flying the flag for the renegades.
John.
- 11/10/2009 2:00:48 AM
Hi Guys,
 
 Like you Chris I was a regular in detention, I had the only paper round in Bath where the customers we guaranteed the late edition of the Chronicle, got the whack so often I almost came to wonder what I'd done wrong if I missed a week, my detentions were usually for general stupidity, (still good at that, lifetimes practice), or lack of homework, if I couldn't do it in detention it just didn't get done, never did a lot at Tech College either, still passed the exams, which is more than I managed at school.
Funny innit at school my tech drawing looked like someone had dipped a spider in ink and thrown it at the paper, then rolled said paper up and used it as a football, I managed to achieve this without taking the paper off the drawing board and whilst staring into space. When I returned to college as a mature student I got distinctions for my drawing and even helped other students with theirs.
 
Stu
- 11/10/2009 10:24:09 AM
Hi Chris C , if you look on the left on the what,s new page and click on photos, then click on faces identified Chris Handscombe is third down and third in from the left hand side, can,t see Mick Little on that page but if you open the skydrive, again on the left hand menu and open the folder "pupils remembered" there is an alphabetical list of the pupils Bill Williams remembered and Mick is on that one.
- 11/10/2009 12:18:59 PM
Hello Anthony
 
after your photo instructions to Chris C I had another look at school 62 and at what I take to be 64.  I have identified a few people that could be added to the 62 list.......how do I go about getting the thumbnails please?
 
Regards
 
Chris w
- 11/10/2009 12:28:54 PM
Hi Chris W, I didn,t place any of those photos, they were scanned by Stu and Bill, no doubt they will both post a reply soon to enable you to identify and post any ex pupils you recognise
- 11/10/2009 12:45:32 PM
Hi again Chris W, I have just downloaded the 62 school photo and saved it to a folder, then opened it with Windows Live photo manager that comes free with windows live, click on edit ,then on crop and reduce the picture down to the individal headshot that you want, results are not great so maybe Stu can come up with a better solution, I think he may be scanning from his own copy of the school photo, I have an original copy in the loft, remember the rolled up version, and some day must take it up to Bills and get it scanned so that we can put a better quality photo on site
- 11/10/2009 1:18:36 PM
Thanks Anthony
 
I will have a look at me 62 photo and see about scanning it in to my 'puter and go from there. Membership's growing fast isn't it?
Pity people don't put more personal data on....it would help the floundering memory.
 
Ohh!........... I've just had a nasty memory or  27 of Mr Beverley "Bevvers" Lloyd.....PTSD flashbacks I suppose!!!!!!! That's the downside of this site!
 
 
Alle Regaardes
 
 
Chris
- 11/10/2009 6:43:20 PM
Evening All
 
By way of explanation Chris W, I scanned my own copy of the 62 photo and used an old Corel graphics programme, ( Corel 7 ), to cut and reproduce the individual thumbnails. If you look at the original closely there appears to be a small discrepency with scale in places.
I'm considering scanning every face on the pic and letting people add names to faces as and when they are identified, may take a while though as I'm still a lazy sod.
Tony, I've looked for Mick Little on the pic as well, likewise Chris Hart and can't find them, I'm sure Chris was still with us in 62, and can only think Mick had a day off when the pic was taken, unless someone else can identify him.
 
Stu
- 11/10/2009 7:13:11 PM
Thanks Stu
 
as you will see I have scanned the 62 photo into Photoshop and selected those I can identify and then cropped they persons. There are lots more I "recognise" but can't name. Fun innit!?  Sooooo many memories come. Wyffe doesn't understand all this thinks I am spending too much time on it.  Good!!
 
Alle blessynngges
 
Wylltte
 
PS DEar Chris C , Sorry to be using up your greeting site like this!