Ex Holgate / Grammar School Pupils

I remember it well, the voices echoing eerily around the corridors as the names were read out one by one. I always wondered what happened to it when the school was demolished. Great that you're involved in giving it a new home.

 

I'm ex-Holgate. Remember it well. Also remember Spot Avery's rant when the oak panelling was painted grey. Was in Keresforth Lancaster house...

 

He wasn't wrong in retrospect.

No one at Holgate could work out if the nickname related to his bald head, with bad comb over, or the scabs on his pate itself. Sadly he died of a heart attack months after I left in 1981. He was a real character & probably a great teacher at the times I paid attention. He taught Michael Parkinson, amongst other well known names from Tarn.

 

I’m ex Holgate, there from 1975 to 80. Great to hear there’s a new home for the memorial board.
Spot Avery taught me for History for one year I believe. If you weren’t paying attention he’d whack you round the head with his text book as he walked up and down the class isles. Also had a habit of referring to everyone as Henry rather than their name. Proper old grammar school teacher. Used to refer to us as ‘you bloody comprehensive lot’, seemed to really resent the abolition of the grammar school system.

 

He was the art teacher, remember him passing too. Hard school back then. I started in 76.

 

For some reason Bolsover always caused a some muted hilarity when read out . I understand,M Livesey, was teacher Jack Liveseys brother .

 

Spot Averys son was in same year as me 65-69.Kearsley was our house master Locke.It’s a shame the likes of them and jack livesey and Vic Prooth are not about now in schools.

 

Yes, I remember that Fiona. It was quite intimidating in the first year, as we didn’t know what to expect and the voices came from outside the hall. But a lot about the first year at Holgate was intimidating, not least some of the teachers! I had two uncles there in the 50s and another uncle in the 60s and there were still several teachers there that had taught them. I remember that when I got a very high maths result in the first year exams, Mr Jarvis sought me out and tried to work out which of them was my father, but I had to disappoint him by saying there was a fourth brother who didn’t pass his 11+!

 

Had Jack Livesey for Maths in first year there. Great teacher, strong but fair. Vic Prooth tought English, proper old eccentric. Horace Jarvis was another old Maths legend who as far as I know is still living but must be in his 90s now. Also had Norman Goddard as form teacher for two years. Lovely bloke but not if you got on his wrong side.

 

The Remembrance Ceremony was one of the most touching and emotional things ever.

Upper School assembly, always with the hymn “Who would true valour see” ( AKA To be a pilgrim), followed by silence at 11. All boys in their classroom standing up at this point.

Then the reading out of the names of the fallen. The school was built round a quadrangle and there was a prefect stationed at each corner. Every name was read out by each prefect in turn, cutting the perfect silence.

I can’t tell you how powerful that was.

 

1968 - 1973 for me. I remember it well, be good to see it in Shaw Lane.

 

Horace still goes to Oakwell. Every home game.

 

I wonder what happened to the Honours Boards which were full of names of boys who achieved things in Sport. Two names I remember on there were Dave Rollitt who captained the England Rugby Union team and Jimmy Greenhoff who won the FA Cup with Man United.

 

Remember it well. Was there 63 to 70.
They say you don’t appreciate your school days until you’ve left, and I find that is the case. Some of the names of teachers on this thread really bring back memories, good and not so good.

Happy days!

 

Mr Kearsley was my art teacher, at the time I was there he dressed like Sherlock Holmes and was always the first teacher out of the building.. zooming away in his Triumph Spitfire. He drank a sort of powdered lemon tea called 'Lift'.. one of the kids used to add a spoonful of yellow powder paint to it if he left it out.

 

Oakwell, Bristol rovers game I think. Known Horace and his family all my life. Lovely man.