Re: Riland Bedford High School for Girls
Bill Roberts went on to be Head at John Willmott mixed grammar where he proved just as inept with the female of the species according to my wife and our friends. however he did have two sons so I guess he knew something about females. Bert Hicken, couldn't stop a pig in an entry, I've never seen a man with such bowed legs or such a violent temper. Punch Brown, he even taught my Uncles, nice old duffer but his RE lessons reminded one that at that time the Church of England was the Tory Party at prayer. Jesus was white, probably English and certainly voted for Empire and the Conservative Party, comparative religion was admitting there were things called Catholics. The staff generally thought " Suffer little children to come unto me" meant they had to give the children a good beating first.
To be very fair to Bill, funny old goat that he was, he did introduce A levels etc. and the school became very well equipped.
Barlow, Davies, Eastwood, Thomas, Elliot, do those names ring any bells? Teaching was an absolute doddle in those days. Pupil Welfare was restricted to ensuring nobody actually died of wounds on the premises, pupils either learned or they didn't and the thought of actually being interested in your charges would have brought them out in hives.
Yes I went to Riland Bedford 1954/57 The Headmaster when I was there was Bill Roberts ex-navel and a strict disciplinarian and his deputy Bert Hicken another disciplinarian never a day went by in that school that some poor boy was being thrashed for some minor indiscretion. The Schools were a mirror image but never the twain would meet. One day a Kid in our class(Punch Brown,s) was spotted talking to a damsel as Bill referred to them, He came flying into our classroom with deputy Bert And demanded to know was they had been discussing "We were talking about what we were having for tea Sir she's my sister" Bill looked at Bert quizzically and said "They have sisters what are we to do" to which we all burst out laughing. Wrong move we all got detention.
I can still here him now shouting across the quadrange "Get me my Kipling boy!!" a book about poetry.
Bill Roberts went on to be Head at John Willmott mixed grammar where he proved just as inept with the female of the species according to my wife and our friends. however he did have two sons so I guess he knew something about females. Bert Hicken, couldn't stop a pig in an entry, I've never seen a man with such bowed legs or such a violent temper. Punch Brown, he even taught my Uncles, nice old duffer but his RE lessons reminded one that at that time the Church of England was the Tory Party at prayer. Jesus was white, probably English and certainly voted for Empire and the Conservative Party, comparative religion was admitting there were things called Catholics. The staff generally thought " Suffer little children to come unto me" meant they had to give the children a good beating first.
To be very fair to Bill, funny old goat that he was, he did introduce A levels etc. and the school became very well equipped.
Barlow, Davies, Eastwood, Thomas, Elliot, do those names ring any bells? Teaching was an absolute doddle in those days. Pupil Welfare was restricted to ensuring nobody actually died of wounds on the premises, pupils either learned or they didn't and the thought of actually being interested in your charges would have brought them out in hives.