Holgate Old Boys' Dinner

No boys club was on Westgate

 

I was there 65 to 69 good friends with Bri alias Benny if it’s the same one. Then worked with his brother for 40 years.

 

I was in Sadler from 60-67, so we must have attended house meetings together and may even have played in the same house team. I don't know about you, but I can remember the house of nearly every boy in my form. I can picture them wearing the house tie in each case.

 

1965, late start!

Transferred in the 6th Form from QEGS Wakefield.

 

So, did you take A-levels in 1967, like me? I took German, French and History.

 

I took French, Geography, General Studies in 1966.

Teachers of note were "Bull" Merrin, Stan? Ellerby, Harry Mirfin and Isaac Hunt, who are four I can remember.

 

It's like the Bullingdon in here, but a better version.

 

And hopefully without the pig *******

 

I was taught by three of the teachers you mention. Harry Mirfin, who taught me French in the 1st form and in the 6th form, was a very nice chap. He was also a decent cricketer, a left-arm spinner. I remember studying "Quinze Contes" by Maupassant with him for A-level. "Bull" Merrin, Head of Modern Languages, taught me French from the 4th form upwards and German in the 6th form. We read Anouilh's "Becket", Beaumarchais' "Le Barbier de Séville" and La Fontaine's fables with him for A-level. He never demeaned himself by teaching any other classes but 4A, 5A and 6th form A-level groups. I was taught Geography, a subject which I dropped when I was able to, by Spike Ellerby, a teacher whom I did not like, partly because he had a habit of punching boys on the arm when he asked them questions. I remember a couple of boys who took A-level at the same time as you, Alan Duffin and John Westwood, who, like me, both played chess for the school team.

 

'Isaac' Hunt (assume his first name was actually different lol) must be the same fella who taught Geography in my time there between 75-80.
He was a small guy with a beard, fairly easy going and always good for a laugh or two.
He had a few sayings he used all the time. One I remember was;- "it's brown, if you live on Huddersfield Road" or "brarn if you live at Cudeth".

 

First name was Ken. His son was in the year below me in the late 60's. He once told my mum and dad that I was a genius at a parents evening. How wrong could he be!!

 

My form tutor and latin teacher- Mr Morgan had taught there 45 years or thereabouts when he retired in @ 1978. I think he had been a Holgate pupil as well before Uni. Putting him in a portakabin that year probably hastened his retirement.
In registration he sat with his brogues on the desk, reading the Telegraph.
We put together and bought him a gold parker pen when he retired.

 

One of his sons was in my year 71

 

I remember that when we were filtered into A,B,C for the 2nd year, we sat in alphabetical order for some reason and remember the form teacher taking the register: Cant remember them all but Adams, Avery, Bailey, Birch, Cooper, Doyle Drury, Eyles, Guest, Killner, Knowles, Morton, Neill, Newsome Pierrepont, Priestley, Thornton, Turner, Valence,Ward spring to mind I think there were about 28 in a class so I'm missing a few including the two smallest boys in class whose names escape me.Our form teacher in year 1 was Jack Livesey OBE who was a giant.of a man with rugged film star looks. Norman Goddard in Yr 2 was hilarious. After that we had a chap called Mr Bacon . Amazing thing memory, I can't even remember what I did 3 days ago yet I remember all those boys who I haven't seen for 57 years.

 

There were 5 forms in each year, ranging from A to E. In fact, there was a 4F even, I recall. Jimmy Greenhoff was in 4F when I was a first former. Presumably, the number of pupils decreased somewhat, or the forms contained more pupils, as I don't think there were any F forms after that. Imagine finding out that there were 6 grades of pupil and you were in the lowest of the six! That must have had a really uplifting effect on morale! The fact that these lads had passed the 11-plus and thus demonstrated themselves to be in the top 20% academically in their cohort must have had a big shadow cast over it. I was in 1X in the first year. I'm not sure that there had ever been a 1X before. About 24 of us progressed to 2A, then 3A etc. after that. 1X comprised boys from all 8 houses. Not long after I left, I believe that C and D forms became C1 and C2 and E may well have disappeared altogether. The Avery in your class was Spot's son, wasn't he? Tom Adey's son also attended Holgate. Was the Morton Richard Morton? If so, he was the younger brother of Laurence, who was in my year and lived on Sackville Street. Jack Livesey was my form master and Maths teacher in 1X. He was as you describe. I never had the pleasure of being taught by Norman Goddard, but I do know he was a bit of a character. I remember Bacon. He didn't teach me. I think he taught English. As you say, old memories linger.

 

Jack Livesey taught us for Maths in our first year (1975-76) but I think he retired not long after. Norman Goddard was our form master in my last two years and was a top bloke. He was still living in the Penistone area a couple of years ago I heard but not sure about now.

 

Norman Goddard was a regular attender at Old Boys' Dinners at least until recently, I believe.

 

Isaac Hunt, are you sure you haven't got him from the 'a few more names I've heard rumours about thread' ?

 

Yes, the Avery was Spot's son, which didn't really do him any favours and it was Richard Morton. First year forms were 1X, 1 Locke, 1 Horne, 1 Lancaster and 1 Butler. The house names alternated yearly so the year after it would be 1 Sadler etc. Second year was A to E but then they changed it 3rd year to 3A, 3B, 3C1 3C2.

 

He still is, and Horace Jarvis. Both still amazing.