Holgate School

Of all the posts on here about former teachers I'm surprised there is no mention of Webb Swift. What a character. If you read Michael Parkinson's first book there is a whole chapter devoted to Webb. Took me for maths in the third form. His favorite expression when you got something wrong was "Go boil your head lad". He once got so frustrated with us he put the waste paper basket on his head and proceeded to bang it on the blackboard saying "I'm just wasting my time with you lot", another time he opened a window on the top floor and sat on the ledge just shaking his head. On Friday mornings the second period he would send one of us down to the Co-op in Dodworth road to but a 'Chronicle' and 20 A1 cigs (they were the Co-ops own brand) for the mid morning break. I think he was on the board of the Co-op. In his time he was a good sportsman playing cricket in the Lancashire league and football as a semi-pro for Macclesfield.

 

Webb, or should it be "Web", as it was short for Webster, taught me Maths too, when I was in the 2nd form. I also remember his sending boys out for cigarettes. He once said to us, "I'm not brainy. Most of you boys are far brainier than I am", but he was bright enough to manage to hold down his job, without actually doing a great deal of teaching. He frequently read a newspaper, whilst the class just got on with whatever exercise he had set us. Towards the end of the lesson, he would read out the answers to questions on Arithmetic and Algebra problems, and we would swap books with a classmate and mark them. As for our Geometry books (we had an exercise book for each of the three different branches of Maths which we were learning), I am not sure that they were ever properly marked, as it was not as straightforward, in the case of that particular discipline, as just ticking a correct answer. I also remember Web(b)'s saying to us (when there was a question on the cost of a certain quantity of tea), "Do you know, boys, that Ty-Phoo is the only company that doesn't give Barnsley British credit?" in the Summer Term, Web(b) sometimes took us for cricket in Games lessons. He used to like to demonstrate his bowling skills on such occasions. I particularly recall that a lad in my form who later went on to open the batting for Yorkshire Boys smashed Web(b)'s off-spinner to the boundary, whereupon Web (b) remarked, "That's not the way, laddie! That was a blind swipe!" A couple of deliveries later the boy in question edged a ball to slip, which produced this appreciative comment from the bowler. "That's better, laddie. You did well to hit it at all".

 

Hi All,
What a joy to see the photos and read so many memories of Holgate and those that set so many of us on the road. I left in 1953 and would love to hear from any who attended around that time.

 

Remember it like it was yesterday joss blakey,daisy,boyly,lodgy,manny,baz crowther,roy,jack,woody,pete,scotty,wonder where melv higgingbottom and dave ansell are.Remember goin to germany us and sixth form team playing a couple of games,think it was 1967.

 

Baz Crowther goes to the school reunion each January, with me.

 

Remember going to hillsbro with barry and his dad once not seen him for years.

 

He's into his golf now. Just getting over his second knee replacement, the result of all that football!

 

My brother Barrie also left in 1953 and sadly died 6 months later--do you remember him? I was only 5 years old when he died so I would very much appreciate any memories you might have of him.

 

Hi there,
I would be pleased to if I knew him. Could you give a little more information?

 

Memory failure - I was in Horne not Locke. Found this form photo, apologies for the poor quality but mi scanner won't scan. Date on the back says 1959/60

Appearing were: Ronald Cowgill (emigrated to Australia iirc); Ivor Bagshaw; Alan Walker; John Eyre; Colin Selwood; John Beaumont; Terry Heath; Kevin Barrass. Struggling to remember any more.

 

The teacher is Mr Eustace taught French and gave me the slipper over one of the form desks for being a little shi t.

 

Just came across this from a few weeks before demolition:

 

Well so did I - but I don't recall anyone called Simon de Montforte....

 

2009 seems like a lifetime

 

Very mixed feelings about Holgate

 

I went to Broadway we had Twiggy Wray for maths. Any memories of him from Holgate?

 

Did you play with 5 goalies back then?

 

It's a name you'd remember...I reckon the guys an imposter.

 

With the defence we had (marshalled by @55&counting) we hardly needed one goalkeeper, let alone five. As keeper I used to lean against one of the posts, scrolling my phone to check the latest BBS posts, during most games.

 

Don't know if it's the same lad, but we had a colleague called Barry Crowther at the
Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation in Wakefield. I first met him in 1985 and I think he once
told me that he'd played his football in Barnsley and was originally from Worsborough.

When he found out that I supported the Reds, around 1987, it was he who told me to get used to the
fact that we were known as a selling Club.

Given the fact that all previous Directors of YPO had top managements backgrounds in the Civil Service,
National Coal Board and the Private sector etc, it was no mean feat that for the last four years of his service
Barry worked his way to the top when he was appointed as Director of the Organisation.

Always treated everyone fairly and truly appreciated everyone's support and effort in making the YPO the
success it became. A truly top bloke who has never forgotten his roots and is a credit to Barnsley.
Last time I saw him, he was living with his wife Helen in Wrenthorpe near Wakefield.