Rocket Ronnie Hallam has died

Anyone who went to Kirk Balk school in the last 40 years will know him or have been taught by him.

The Barnsley Chronicle are reporting him as the inspiration behind the PE teacher in Kes. He certainly was an earnest chap and I can imagine Barry Hines picking up a few ideas there.

RIP Ronnie Hallam.

 

I thought he arrived after Barry hines had left kirk balk, but nevertheless you can see the similarities.
Used to see him at the well a lot.
Rip ronnie

 

I was there with Ronnie Hallam, nowt at all like the Kes character. Certainly not a cheat and a bully like Mr. Sugden. Never even heard that before, rubbish. And Barry would have been long gone and teaching himself by the time Ronnie came to Kirk Balk. He was tough, but really knew his stuff and saw the funny side too. He maybe favoured the kids who were good, but had time for the rest if they put the effort in.

 

Just read the Chronicle and his son says he was the inspiration, so I'm not to argue. Mr. Hallam though is responsible for bringing through Peter Shirtliffe, Martin Moxon, Mark Crossley and Nicky Eaden and probably more I'm not aware of, that's some legacy. And like the Chronicle says, he was a Hoyland man through and through.

 

I remember him bowling a bouncer at me in the cricket nets....and I couldn't even play. Just managed to get my hand up before it took my head off

Great bloke and always a pleasure to have sport with him around.

RIP Ronnie

 

He lived round the corner from us, he and his wife were good friends with my mum and dad and I was good mates with some of his children. I didn't go to Kirk balk, but I had plenty of footballing and cricketing lessons in the parkside playing fields from him. Some of my earliest memories of going to oakwell involve him taking on fellow supporters when he agreed with controversial refereeing decisions that went against us. I haven't seen any of his family for a long time, but if any of them read this, my thoughts are with you.
A fellow barnsley fan and a nice man. RIP mr Hallam

 

Nicky eaden

 

Pretty sure Moxon went to the Grammar school, because my games teacher always used him as an example of someone who had asthma but never missed games...every time I used it as an excuse when I knew we would be doing rugby rather than footy!

 

I always thought he was a Kirk Balker. I don't know much about cricket though. There was a famous one went there, played for England?

 

Yep, we had some great characters at Kirk Balk School, which made going to school there tolerable. Rocket Ron, Boggy Marsh, Steve Creek - all gone now. Came back to Hoyland earlier this year and found it worse than I remember, maybe because the pubs are closing and the flat cap wearing generation are dying out to be replaced by the baseball hat wearing generation.

 

The other games teacher was a creep though. Nixon, remember him?

 

Vaguely. Had a beard, didn't he? I think there were some less than pleasant rumours about him.

 

Watch yer backs lads

 

I think he died last Saturday.
He was my sports master, him and Mr Nixon.
He used to play football and referee at the same time, I remember him shouting next goal winner as he shoved me out of the way. I'm still picking the dirt out of my mouth 35 years later!
Big cricket man as well. Also took his school footy team to an England final. Played it Oakwell, somehow ended in a draw.
I think he was partly the inspiration for the sports master in Kes, Barry Hines has intimated as much on a few occasions. A great bloke and a true red. His only fault was he thought Spackman was a great manager. RIP Ronny. m.

The Barnsley Chronicle are reporting him as the inspiration behind the PE teacher in Kes. He certainly was an earnest chap and I can imagine Barry Hines picking up a few ideas there.

RIP Ronnie Hallam.[/QUOTE]

 

That's it, not sure how substantial. Made us play rugby in some rotten weather. I'd say he was more like the Kes teacher, dodgy shower policies.

 

Perhaps a hybrid of the two?

 

Moxon went to Holgate

 

I wouldn't have thought Nixon was at Kirk Balk at the time Kestrel for a Knave was written in 1968?

I do remember the comparison between Ronnie and Sugden being made now, but it doesn't really make sense, when you think what a cheat and a bully Sugden is. Ronnie was all about coaching and technique, though your lovely memory of "next goal winner" is spot on!!

I saw Eleanor Hines in Hoyland last month, Barry is in a very bad way now, sadly. I won't repeat what she told me, it wouldn't be right.

 

I believe Nixon started after 78 (when my missus left and we started- she can't recall him). I think he replaced Goodwin (who is a relative of my neighbours).

 

That rings a bell Gary. Mr. Goodwin, remember the name but not the fella. Nixon was a rugby man and I don't think him and Ronnie got on. He was a basterd to those lads who never had kit, just like in Kes. In fact I think we had those same shorts.