The Teachers at English Martyrs (c1970)

The next contribution re School Day memories provided via our website www.memoriesofleadgate.com

It’s early 70’s and I’m at the ‘big school’ it’s a big shock to see and remember how many teachers names and classrooms you have to remember.

My first form tutor was Miss Hurson who also took the girls from various years for PE next to her classroom was Mr Fawcett our geography teacher,he had hands the size of shovels and dished out a mean clout as I can testify too if you missed behaved.

Above these two classrooms on the next level was the labs, Miss Kathy James a wonderful biology teacher and who also learnt us to Ceilidh dance and in later years in school would take us to the ‘Mayfair’ in Newcastle to Ceilidh dances, if there was prizes for best kipper tie Neil Sullivan would have won every time

(sorry Neil,just I always remember the white silk kipper tie you wore)

Next to the biology lab was the chemistry lab with Dickie Darwin been the teacher, in later life he became famous for faking his death for the insurance which just early this year became a TV series(canoe man).

Back down all the stairs too ground level and Mr Sutton the French teachers room,I studied French all through seniors and I must say it’s came in handy over the years on holidays,across from his room was Ma Bakers classroom and dispite what people might say we as students picked her to be our form tutor for the last 2 years of seniors.

Up the passage and afew steps we come to our metalwork room,for the first two years we had Mr Malins as our teacher,a man not to be messed with then for the latter years we had Mr Swallwell (Sculley) a true legend….. opposite his room was the woodwork room where Mr Lenihen was our teacher a short guy with grey hair and a tiny grey pencil moustache.

Back down to the main block and along the corridor too Miss Griffin’s music room and across from that was a classroom where her sister was a teacher but I can’t remember what she taught,up that flight of stairs was another two classrooms where in one of them Mr Dixon taught us maths(another no nonsense teacher)up another flight of stairs was another lab where we did physics but can’t remember the teachers name but what i can remember is once me, John b and big Charlie dropping a plant pot out of the open window (3 floors up) to see what would happen and by pure chance it just missed the ‘weather man’ people of a certain age will know who he is ,before we knew it Mr Cody the deputy head was at the lab door and if I remember rightly we spent about 3hrs stood to attention outside his office then got 2 canes on each hand for our troubles.

Back down the stairs and now in the main hall who remembers school assembly belting out some real belting hymns then Mr Hugh’s headmaster waffling on about nowt,up a staircase into the dinner hall,now when we were first years there was about 8 of us to a table with one fifth year student at the head of table,they were responsible for sharing out the food amongst your table(maybe extra maths wouldn’t have came in wrong for them ,as there dividing skills per portion left alot to the imagination)the only dinner nanny that I can remember was Mrs Molly Coates ,she was from Leadgate

Out if the dinner hall and through the door to the changing rooms for PE, this was Mr Mac’s domain,be seen and not heard if you step out of line for whatever reason you were warned once,sandshoed the second warning,having said that he was a great teacher and encouraged you if you excelled in a certain sport not that I did.

Who remembers the cross country track ?? Out the school gates down the black path towards and through Crookhall farm(before the bypass was built) around by Popeye hill passed Swan’s along that narrow lane then around again then back up towards the school, if Mr Mac was not running with us we’d sit the second bit out have a sly smoke then join back in as they came around a second time, talking of smoking the end of the new block next to the steps to the sports field was the place to go if you smoked, someone on lookout

I think I only got caught twice in 5years….

I’m now heading towards the be new block passed the staff room and Ma Smith’s office down to the art room Mrs Blakey was our teacher and across from her was the tech drawing room Mr Lowe’s was the teacher.

I’ve mentioned a few teachers others were Mrs Cheesemond, a Mr Mathews and his wife, Mrs Younger to Mr Donnelly(back o the shaft fame)there is a few more I can’t remember by name but all in all they were happy days

What are your memories of the teachers and lessons? please comment or get in touch