I too am a graduate of the Dennis Road academy for misfits. Bounders and budding tea leafs.
I also recognise some of the faces in the 62/63 fifth year. It was voluntary then, you could stay on from 15-16 for an extra year if you wished.
well guys I'm gobsmacked that you have all responded to my new thread. PMC1947 you must have been in the same class as me.
I agree with you about Mr Jones he was a good man. He stuck to the rules
Hi Bob,
I've been called many things in many languages but super star is about the best yet, you can come again!
Sorry I didn't like Taffy Jones he gave a zero for PE on my rapport with the comment "very weak"! I wonder if he ever found out that I won 25 championships in the toughest sport going? Bad judge that.
I went to the Isle of Man with the school c 1951, possibly the first of what was to become an annual outing.
Having caught the train at New Street we arrived at Liverpool with time to spare before catching the ferry so were treated to a ride on the overhead railway, now demolished.
All this and a week at the holiday camp for the sum of eight pounds, doesn't sound a lot now but I remember we had to take so much a week to school to pay for it.
On a separate note, was the Mr Jones referred to the same one that married a lady teacher from the junior school.
Bob,
I have to be honest I do not recogsise your name or your photo so its possible that you were in the year above or below me. As I said I recognise a couple of lads from the 62/63 original fifth year photo. The Stringer cousins and Alan Jevons, so if they were in your class, you knew me. I agree with you about Mr Jones he was a good man. He stuck to the rules and as far as I can remember was the only teacher who entered your name in the punishment book when he gave you the cane, I remember having to fetch the book from Mr Griffin the headmasters office many times.
Do you remember he evening films shows he used to run in the school hall, films like The Blob and Tarantula. I went to many of those the only trouble was you couldn't have a smoke and there wasn't much chance of meeting any girls.
Phil
Bob, he took us hill climbing and I was first to the top he struggled up some 20 mins behind me, he never uttered a word, like 'well done' just gave me the daggers. I guess he was just jealous of my physique.
Spelling at Dennis Road? The teachers didn't have a clue so how could they teach us spelling! Never learnt a thing there, I now can speak and write several languages, English still isn't my strongest!
Say hallo to Jonnie Powel for me.
Many did who attended Dennis Rd. Throughout the years you were given many chances by way of various entrance examinations to advance yourself to better seats of learning and many did.
the Jonnie Powel i know lived on Stoney Lane between Leamington rd and Colville rd and his house backed on to grahams house if that is the same Jonnie Powel he was a bit on the wild side we used to have some fun with him at home and at Stourport on Seven.
My impression of Dennis Rd was it was no different than any other state run school at the time. I also think that this modern Comprehensive system is not a patch on the old Secondary Modern system. In today’s system they tend to try to keep all the pupils to the same level of education, at least in the old three tiered system you had the chance to shine through.
Many did who attended Dennis Rd. Throughout the years you were given many chances by way of various entrance examinations to advance yourself to better seats of learning and many did.
I know of some ex pupils who did very well for themselves and have now retired from high powered executive positions. I know of others still working who have held a hum drum job all of their lives, but have been happy at it. I know others who have never held a job for any length of time and wasted their lives on Social Security. Then there are the ones who have spent their lives in and out of prison.
As I say just a typical school, I suppose we can all put it down as a bad school, but I don’t. It gave me the grounding of which I used as the foundation of the self education regime I started for myself when I realised I would get nowhere in business with only my basic education skills.
I will thank Dennis Rd for my knowledge of math, which I found invaluable over the years. There is only one thing I have never found a use for, and that is algebra. I have never used it since solving my last algebra problem at school.
Phil