Thursday 15 April 2021

(Old) School

Whenever I take a selfie of me & dad we both go into 'wary' mode

Something I read on
Amy Rigby's intoxicating blog the other day really resonated with me. Long story short she said that even though blogging may well be seen by many as outdated, tired or not on trend "I'm just gonna keep chugging along like an old man's dinghy in a stream of slick, shiny yachts." In other words, and I've said this here many, many times - I'm writing this stuff for me, essentially. If others a. find it and b. heaven forbid, like it, that's nice but not why I do it.

...

I went to see Dad on Monday. Since restrictions began to ease I've gone over to Grantham a couple of times now for lunch. We generally walk to the park and have a coffee and a sandwich. And a side order of chips; food tastes better sitting on a park bench I tend to find.

Wyndham Park is a very well kempt park and also near to the grammar school I used to attend when I was not long out of short trousers. I asked dad if he wouldn't mind indulging me while I had a nosey through the railings. It's nearly 50 years since I started my first term at King's. A time when masters still wore gowns and mortar boards and thought nothing of a bit of light corporal punishment to while away the time. Luckily in 1972 there'd been a new intake of staff (teachers, not masters) who wore civvies and were actually decent human beings. Mr Roper, our Geography teacher and form teacher, being one of them. Along with a couple of other good eggs he was probably not long out of teacher training college when he came to the school and, looking back, was probably only ten years or so older than us.


Not a playground; it's a quad

My nosey through the railings turned into a bit more when realising the school was closed for Easter I asked the caretaker in the security hut if I could have a look round the old quad. Fill yer boots she said. So many memories came flooding back (mostly good, but not all) as I was transported to a time when Edward Heath was PM and every single one of my exercise books was covered in pictures of the Sweet. I took a few photos and even snuck in one of my old classrooms. Finding it quite emotional I went back outside where my dad seemed to be taking just as many photos as me. 


St. Wulfram's Church

On the way back we went through the neighbouring churchyard of St Wulfram's. Our old music teacher, Mr. Lank, was the choir master and organist there. I remember he let me and my mate Phil Noon talk about Slade for ten minutes in one of his classes; the things you remember. Walking back to dad's he told me that Mr Roper's 'not so good at the moment.' When dad says someone's not so good it's usually followed by an obituary in the local paper (Dad's seen a lot of friends and colleagues in there over the years.) Anyway, that's what I did on Monday.

I couldn't find my blue plaque anywhere


13 comments:

  1. What a lovely post, I really enjoy this kind of thing, more please any time - those memories that are so much a part of who we are/who we become. Brilliant that you were able to have a wander round.
    I'm wondering if Mr Lank was a secret Slade fan too.
    I can also see where you inherit your good head of hair from!

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    1. Thank you, C. It was weird, that much I can tell you. 40+ years just melted away in a heartbeat. I'm still deconstructing it in my head over a week later!
      Sadly, Mr. Lank probably went to his grave not knowing who Slade were. Ah, well.
      My dad was shorn the following day and sent me photographic evidence (yes, a selfie) to prove same. What can I say, grey is the way; if that even means anything.

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  2. What a lovely trip down memory lane, and blue skies too. Guessing your school days were quite acceptable, which is a lot better than some remember. Mine too and we had a lady form teacher who had also just left teacher training college the year we started so was very young. She wore all the best early 70s fashions, platform shoes, midi skirts, shirt/tank top combos and got a bubble perm. we girls were in awe.

    Yes, it does feel as if blogging is now in the dinghy class but it suits me too so even if no-one drops by I'll keep on going.

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    1. Thanks, Alyson. It was the sort of experience that should have been rounded off with a pint; that much I do know!
      As I sort of intimated in my response to C, it was weird although I'm glad I had the chance to do it. We'll no doubt talk about this (and a myriad of other things) when we meet up.

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  3. Enjoyed this and the photos. I remember Mr Roper and Mr Lank since both taught me. I also remember meeting your Mum and Dad a few years ago at my Mum's. I hope he is well. If you were still at Kings in 1977/78, I have a photo of the whole school that someone shared on Facebook recently.

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    1. Hi jd. Still in Japan?
      I started at King's in 1972 (the year after they'd taken a full school photo [in '71]). And I left in 1977. Yes, I know they took another photo the year after I left in '78. So it's as if I never existed!

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  4. Yes, still in Japan. Not been to Grantham for 18 months for obvious reasons but hope to in the not too distant future. If you are on FB, the Grantham Memories group has some interesting photos from the past.

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  5. Sounds like a good day out, and I'm with you and Amy on the blogging... coincidentally, I'm reading Amy's memoir Girl To City at the moment and I'd recommend it if you've not seen it.

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    1. I've read Eric's memoirs, I must to Amy next.

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  6. Touching piece, John. I'll bring up the rear and say I adore Amy Rigby too... and her fella.

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    1. As you can see from the side bar, Brian, Eric is no stranger around here.

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  7. The schools I attended at around the same period that you were at King's have both long since been raised to the ground. All that remains are fading, unreliable memories of narrow corridors, echoing classrooms, congregated bullies waiting at the gates and cigarette smoke creeping from the half-opened staffroom door at break time.

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    1. You've just encapsulated the 70s in two sentences, TS. Kudos.

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