Barry Hines

Out of interest where did Longcar kids do outdoor sports (no s******ing)? When I was at Longcar Primary after Agnes Road shut we used the pitch on Shaw Street whichlater got a new school built on it. I've always assumed Longcar Central kids used Holgate's pitches as there's nothing else round there and the ground round Longcar Central looks too small to have had pitches.

 

I was at Holgate and we inherited Longcar's pitches when it shut. They were above where Holgate's pitches were if memory serves me correctly.

 

Ahhh, makes me all nostalgic talking about school pitches and the like. I was at Doncaster Road and then went up to Broadway. Played in goal for the school at both of them, right up to Under 15s. Ken Brown was supposed to be in that side but he was often away playing for Barnsley Boys. Then he became a BFC star (cough!). Played against Alan Hopkinson a couple of times - forget which school he was at. Shot like a cannon - didn't half sting the palms. Another good Boys player who never really fulfilled his potential in the professional game.

Wish I had kept a record of all the matches I played, and on which pitches. Certainly did a good tour of Barnsley and District, and parts of Sheffield and all ports in between

 

They bequeathed us Siberia? I can see where Brian Glover got his sadism from.

 

Don't know about Longcar, but Hines certainly taught my elder siblings at Kirk Balk.

 

Barry wrote the foreword to Mark's book and in it tells the tale of visiting the Cooper Art Gallery when they had an exhibition of football memorabilia on display. There was a TV showing footage of Barnsley games and he watched three young lads glued intently to the screen, punching the air every time the Reds scored. At the end they launched in to a rendition of "It's Just Watching Brazil'. He speaks of the pride that BFC had brought back to the area after the devastation of the coal industry.

 

R.I.P :frown:
Condolences to family & friends.

 

He was also my teacher at Raley. Completely different from the other teachers there.
RIP

 

when Barry Hines wrote Blinder and Kes

he was working at Kirk Balk School Hoyland and lived at Hoyland Common just over the road from the Police Station. My Mother worked at Kirk Balk too as one the secretaries to Mr Robey and Miss Dunnett ( the two heads) My Mother helped Barry by typing his scripts for both the Blinder and Kes for the publishers. He may well have also worked at Longcar but I can assure you he most certainly was at Kirk Balk and lived at Hoyland common too. The chip shop used in the Film Kes was called Savages back in the day, The field where you see Billy flying kes is the newer Kirk balk playing fields just below the Old Grave Yard of St Peters on Low hill.. the house used as the Caspers home was on Parkside Hoyland common... and of course the Old building he climbed was next to the Bellwood near Tankersley Golf Course. I know the school was in Barnsley where the now Famous match between Man Utd and Spurs took place and that the Newsagent was also in Barnsley too, but I do not know where it was. I am not sure where the working mans club was but they used the 'Top Clib' in Hoyland for the club in the 'Price of Coal' and the pit was the now long gone Skiers view pit. Due to my Mum doin a helluva lot of his typing meant that Barry came round our house on more than one occasion which is where I met him and became a friend... A top top man, had very outspoken political views and would often wind his fellow teacher Mr Ronnie Hallam up no end , Ronnie was a staunch tory... he also coached at Barnsley FC too by the way

 

Oh and also this may interest you too..

the scene in Kes where the lads are lined up at the heads office, where he searches them for fags..... that was based on a true life occurance at Kirk Balk School ...but with a little difference... There was a Teacher called Mr Marsh...'Boggy Marsh' the kids called him... Boggy had a star pupil and he sent him along to Ben Robey with his work , 'Boggy' thought the lad would given some kinda merit mark on his record for such outstanding work... The lad arrived in the office when asked told my Mum he had been sent to Mr Robey and the reason too... Mum let Mr Robey know that Mr Marsh had sent this pupil to his study... he was told to be sent straight in.. upon entry Robey 'Leathered him with six of the best... my Mum ran in after hearing the kid yowling and told him the real reasons.... Robey replied "oh well it will do the lad no harm...character building you see"
Barry Hines heard of this and made it into the now famous " a Regular little Cigarette factory" kid scene.

Shame schools did not have discipline like that these days

 

Re: Oh and also this may interest you too..

Priceless !!

 

Re: when Barry Hines wrote Blinder and Kes

http://www.kes-billycasper.co.uk/locations.html

 

off at a slant kinda... but still in a similar vein

the writers of 'Dad's Army' also used many people they had come across in their lives to make the Characters... especially Capt Mainwairing, Sgt Wilson and Cpl Jones.

 

Re: when Barry Hines wrote Blinder and Kes

Interesting but pointless fact for you DT, ronnie and boggy lived within 5 doors of each other on parkside road and the scene where colin welland drives down parkside rd to go see Billy, actually goes past both their houses. I know cos I was a nipper sat on the kerb watching them film it.

 

Re: Oh and also this may interest you too..

Lot of love on here for Barry Hines. Life well lived, mate, and you gave us something for us to be proud of. Thankyou..


and just another small note on schools in Kes... The scene where there was a kids fight near a load of coke to be gotten in for the school furnace. That was near Athersley or Carlton. Was it St Micks? anyway me mate Sheila was one of the extras in that scene along with other school kids there.... Sheila works for the Post Office and her younger brother is big Keith the Turning Image photographer who sits on the track at the matches.

 

Re: Oh and also this may interest you too..

St Helens - which was smack bang next door to St Micks.

 

this Artistic Life by barry Hines.

I have a book by Barry Hines titled This Atrtistic Life.
Published in 2009.
If anyone wants this book they can have it free on the understanding when they have read it that they will also pass it on free to someone who they think would enjoy reading it.
I can leave this book in a cafe in town.

 

Re: Oh and also this may interest you too..

Thanks for sharing that! My dad as a newly qualified teacher was offered a job at Kirk Balk in 1983 but turned it down, on the grounds that "it hasn't changed since Billy Casper was there." Sounds about right!