Teachers
Roger Osborn 1956/61
The story of John Titmarsh goes like this :-
At the end of a PT lesson as the box was being pushed back into the corner JT jumped on the moving box. Rozzer saw this and his faced turned to thunder. He pulled JT off the box grabbed him by his blond hair and to our amazement swung him off the ground by his hair. Then as JT was crying his eyes out made him remove his slipper from his foot then continued by beating him on his backside.
It was so savage I have never forgot it - it was 1956 or 1957.
At the end of the day Mr Madley came into our class (in his usual attire of red track suit) and apologised to us all for what we had witnessed - which for those times must be unique!
Now I am sure we all know when the stick or slipper was a fair punishment for what we got up to but this was so wrong.
Other teachers.
Messrs Bone, Sharr, Parry, Lea, Petherick, Old Bill Matthews (did you know he was a Steward at the old Arsenal Stadium) Rice and of course The Bonk, Davies.
A couple of bastards in this bunch, namely Rice and Petherick.
Petherick once slapped me so hard round the face he nearly knocked me out!
Rice had this bit of Lino he used to threaten you with. The best I did in his algebra class was that he did not see my class work or homework books for the whole year. I managed to get 0% in the end of year exam so he was no good for me .
Thank goodness for Harry Sharr (who loved Haringay Dog Track). I managed 45% with him.
Mr Lea taught drama and sport he was very helpful and interested in the pupils.
Mr Freeman taught commerce( what ever that was). He shuffled along and looked like he had been blown up in the war!
MacHugh was the music teacher of brass band fame. His favourite trick was to set up his tape recorder (usually bloody Ravel’s Bolero ) and retreat to the bog outside his classroom for a cigarette. He used to join in football games at Sterling Corner and insist the boys passed to him so he could score. He must have been a role model for the film ‘Kes'! What a Wally!
There was a science teacher called Amphlett known to us as Robin Starch due to his stiff back.
Mr (Georgie) Bean, the metal work teacher was a big man who had a good sense of humour. I remember one day he said to pupil Dayton, "pass me the bastard file.” Pupil Dayton replied, “Yer, if you pass me the f#####g hammer. Laughs all round.
Mr Bean’s son was in a pop group called Georgie Bean and the Runners who I believe had a hit record. (Ed - anyone confirm this?)
Froggy Meyer, the French teacher was handy with the slipper on the backside but in his defence we got what we deserved.
Old Stinker Wilson taught woodwork at the top of an old school away from Eden Grove. His favourite saying was, ‘boys stand by your benches and rub steadily for ten minutes!!’
In closing, a tale from the building class in the technical wing of the 'new school’. The pupils were unusually building a brick wall across the class from corner to corner much to the masters pleasure until later it was discovered that an additive had been mixed with the mortar so that the bricks actually stuck fast!
I was glad to go to Barnsbury (cos me mates went there) but I was glad to get out.
Best thing about school is the lasting lifelong friendships I have had with Roy Tweed, Jimmy Jenkins and David Field which are stronger than ever today!
Peter Laws
Yes, Richards was a sadistic sod; while in the Gym one lad named Titmarsh rode on the box while it was being wheeled away so he got him by the “sideburns” lifted him up and swung him into the bars. The following day his dad came up the school – don’t know what the outcome was. He was a wicked git though.
I cannot believe what we got up to - McHugh never showed up for a music lesson so the whole class pushed his piano down a flight of stairs (stupid thing to do). The French teacher Mayer came in the class while my mate Harbud was standing on the desk reciting a very rude ode, but as he had his back to the teacher we could not warn him. So he got a wack and he used to bend you over and slap the back of your knee with his hand.
The story of John Titmarsh goes like this :-
At the end of a PT lesson as the box was being pushed back into the corner JT jumped on the moving box. Rozzer saw this and his faced turned to thunder. He pulled JT off the box grabbed him by his blond hair and to our amazement swung him off the ground by his hair. Then as JT was crying his eyes out made him remove his slipper from his foot then continued by beating him on his backside.
It was so savage I have never forgot it - it was 1956 or 1957.
At the end of the day Mr Madley came into our class (in his usual attire of red track suit) and apologised to us all for what we had witnessed - which for those times must be unique!
Now I am sure we all know when the stick or slipper was a fair punishment for what we got up to but this was so wrong.
Other teachers.
Messrs Bone, Sharr, Parry, Lea, Petherick, Old Bill Matthews (did you know he was a Steward at the old Arsenal Stadium) Rice and of course The Bonk, Davies.
A couple of bastards in this bunch, namely Rice and Petherick.
Petherick once slapped me so hard round the face he nearly knocked me out!
Rice had this bit of Lino he used to threaten you with. The best I did in his algebra class was that he did not see my class work or homework books for the whole year. I managed to get 0% in the end of year exam so he was no good for me .
Thank goodness for Harry Sharr (who loved Haringay Dog Track). I managed 45% with him.
Mr Lea taught drama and sport he was very helpful and interested in the pupils.
Mr Freeman taught commerce( what ever that was). He shuffled along and looked like he had been blown up in the war!
MacHugh was the music teacher of brass band fame. His favourite trick was to set up his tape recorder (usually bloody Ravel’s Bolero ) and retreat to the bog outside his classroom for a cigarette. He used to join in football games at Sterling Corner and insist the boys passed to him so he could score. He must have been a role model for the film ‘Kes'! What a Wally!
There was a science teacher called Amphlett known to us as Robin Starch due to his stiff back.
Mr (Georgie) Bean, the metal work teacher was a big man who had a good sense of humour. I remember one day he said to pupil Dayton, "pass me the bastard file.” Pupil Dayton replied, “Yer, if you pass me the f#####g hammer. Laughs all round.
Mr Bean’s son was in a pop group called Georgie Bean and the Runners who I believe had a hit record. (Ed - anyone confirm this?)
Froggy Meyer, the French teacher was handy with the slipper on the backside but in his defence we got what we deserved.
Old Stinker Wilson taught woodwork at the top of an old school away from Eden Grove. His favourite saying was, ‘boys stand by your benches and rub steadily for ten minutes!!’
In closing, a tale from the building class in the technical wing of the 'new school’. The pupils were unusually building a brick wall across the class from corner to corner much to the masters pleasure until later it was discovered that an additive had been mixed with the mortar so that the bricks actually stuck fast!
I was glad to go to Barnsbury (cos me mates went there) but I was glad to get out.
Best thing about school is the lasting lifelong friendships I have had with Roy Tweed, Jimmy Jenkins and David Field which are stronger than ever today!
Peter Laws
Yes, Richards was a sadistic sod; while in the Gym one lad named Titmarsh rode on the box while it was being wheeled away so he got him by the “sideburns” lifted him up and swung him into the bars. The following day his dad came up the school – don’t know what the outcome was. He was a wicked git though.
I cannot believe what we got up to - McHugh never showed up for a music lesson so the whole class pushed his piano down a flight of stairs (stupid thing to do). The French teacher Mayer came in the class while my mate Harbud was standing on the desk reciting a very rude ode, but as he had his back to the teacher we could not warn him. So he got a wack and he used to bend you over and slap the back of your knee with his hand.
Roger Bartlett
Teachers. Along with all the class, I suffered the split slipper from Mr Rice, even managing to get a double helping for low scoring in a maths test, and in that test I was top scorer with 36. I did however, find him a good teacher who raised the standard in the class. (Fear)
Mr Richards (The bouncy-toed gym torturer) was OK as long as you excelled at sport. It was he who promoted me for the London Schools Swimming Championships, The London Schools Athletics Championships, as well as the Islington and North East London qualifying events. So I can't complain.
Mathews, Sharr and Rubens, all had their moments but tended to concentrate on the more gifted individuals in the class, much to the detriment of others.
The Bonk, well he was Ace. He was aware I was of Welsh extraction and took a personal interest teaching me on a one-to-one basis in my weakest subject, English. It wasn't that I did not comprehend the subject, more that my essay selection was so crap, and that amounted to 60% of the marks, that I initially failed English GCE. His attention encouraged me to an A pass. He even arranged a job interview with an Architects Practice in Central London at which I was accepted into; my eventual career being in Architecture, Interior Design and Project Management, during which I secured a dream job as a Pub Designer for Two Major Brewers.
I have to admit that I was one of those who made the most of school. What I could get from it, both sport-wise and educationally, I did and my only regret was spending too much time at my part-time job as a butcher during my A Levels. Although who could blame me, I was earning more than most who had already left school and were in full-time employment.
Teachers. Along with all the class, I suffered the split slipper from Mr Rice, even managing to get a double helping for low scoring in a maths test, and in that test I was top scorer with 36. I did however, find him a good teacher who raised the standard in the class. (Fear)
Mr Richards (The bouncy-toed gym torturer) was OK as long as you excelled at sport. It was he who promoted me for the London Schools Swimming Championships, The London Schools Athletics Championships, as well as the Islington and North East London qualifying events. So I can't complain.
Mathews, Sharr and Rubens, all had their moments but tended to concentrate on the more gifted individuals in the class, much to the detriment of others.
The Bonk, well he was Ace. He was aware I was of Welsh extraction and took a personal interest teaching me on a one-to-one basis in my weakest subject, English. It wasn't that I did not comprehend the subject, more that my essay selection was so crap, and that amounted to 60% of the marks, that I initially failed English GCE. His attention encouraged me to an A pass. He even arranged a job interview with an Architects Practice in Central London at which I was accepted into; my eventual career being in Architecture, Interior Design and Project Management, during which I secured a dream job as a Pub Designer for Two Major Brewers.
I have to admit that I was one of those who made the most of school. What I could get from it, both sport-wise and educationally, I did and my only regret was spending too much time at my part-time job as a butcher during my A Levels. Although who could blame me, I was earning more than most who had already left school and were in full-time employment.
Barry Page
Roger Osborn's anecdote of "Rozzer"grabbing the kid by his hair and swinging him around until he left the ground is absolutely true. My punishment from "Rozzer" was to have me hanging from the wallbars without any footrest support for most of the PE session. Almost a Mediæval torture method. This, because I was unable to climb the ropes (still can't). "Rozzer", though, was no match for Rice in terms of sadistic pleasure. That little prick, with glee, just relished doling out slaps around the face and canes across the arse.
Hand in glove with the elevated standards of study came harsher corporal punishment. Boys were maturing quickly and teenage influences started to distract them from normal learning practices. Pupils prone to truancy or dereliction of duty were meted out and dealt with – sometimes in front of the class, but more often than not in the Headmaster’s study.
We soon discovered which teacher was the biggest disciplinarian and who was the weakest to hand out punishment. For example, top of the list had to be Mr. George Rice and Mr. A. Cohen – affectionately known as “Killer” Cohen.
George Rice was singularly nasty; indeed, even sadistic. A short man with a permanent stoop, he would prowl along the corridors in a distinct lope and scowl at all and sundry through bespectacled froglike eyes. As our mathematics teacher, he took to task any boy who was inattentive and produced poor results. A case in point was his victimization of one lad in particular, whose name was Leslie Webb. During one lesson, this inoffensive boy was summoned to the front of the class and grilled by Mr. Rice over a trivial matter. Webb blubbered some comment, to which Mr. Rice accused him in a loud voice, “You’re a LIAR!” At which point he requested Webb to remove his eyeglasses and the boy complied. Next came a complete surprise to everyone as Mr. Rice swiped the back of his hand across Webb’s cheek, raising a red welt.
“Killer” Cohen, the history teacher, was equally uncompromising, but in a different way as his favourite weapon of punishment was the split ruler brought down heavily on the palm of any miscreant’s hand. This action was always preceded by the verbal order. “Hold out your paw, boy!!”
I was given serious reprimands on at least three occasions. Homework was considered an essential component of learning and, once when I forgot to submit a project on time to the teacher (who happened to be the Headmaster), “four of the best” on the open hand was administered.
An innocent game of ‘tag’, where touching a player with a plimsoll automatically made that person ‘he’, turned ugly when I threw the shoe to contact another boy, but instead it connected with and broke a window pane. This cost me another caning, this time by Mr. C. Madley. Finally, an accidental but audible yawn in class incited the drama teacher, Mr. Colin Lea, to deliver a blow to the open hand in front of the class. There was a choice – cane or slipper. As it turned out, choosing the slipper was the worst of two evils as the pain lingered far longer.
Roger Osborn's anecdote of "Rozzer"grabbing the kid by his hair and swinging him around until he left the ground is absolutely true. My punishment from "Rozzer" was to have me hanging from the wallbars without any footrest support for most of the PE session. Almost a Mediæval torture method. This, because I was unable to climb the ropes (still can't). "Rozzer", though, was no match for Rice in terms of sadistic pleasure. That little prick, with glee, just relished doling out slaps around the face and canes across the arse.
Hand in glove with the elevated standards of study came harsher corporal punishment. Boys were maturing quickly and teenage influences started to distract them from normal learning practices. Pupils prone to truancy or dereliction of duty were meted out and dealt with – sometimes in front of the class, but more often than not in the Headmaster’s study.
We soon discovered which teacher was the biggest disciplinarian and who was the weakest to hand out punishment. For example, top of the list had to be Mr. George Rice and Mr. A. Cohen – affectionately known as “Killer” Cohen.
George Rice was singularly nasty; indeed, even sadistic. A short man with a permanent stoop, he would prowl along the corridors in a distinct lope and scowl at all and sundry through bespectacled froglike eyes. As our mathematics teacher, he took to task any boy who was inattentive and produced poor results. A case in point was his victimization of one lad in particular, whose name was Leslie Webb. During one lesson, this inoffensive boy was summoned to the front of the class and grilled by Mr. Rice over a trivial matter. Webb blubbered some comment, to which Mr. Rice accused him in a loud voice, “You’re a LIAR!” At which point he requested Webb to remove his eyeglasses and the boy complied. Next came a complete surprise to everyone as Mr. Rice swiped the back of his hand across Webb’s cheek, raising a red welt.
“Killer” Cohen, the history teacher, was equally uncompromising, but in a different way as his favourite weapon of punishment was the split ruler brought down heavily on the palm of any miscreant’s hand. This action was always preceded by the verbal order. “Hold out your paw, boy!!”
I was given serious reprimands on at least three occasions. Homework was considered an essential component of learning and, once when I forgot to submit a project on time to the teacher (who happened to be the Headmaster), “four of the best” on the open hand was administered.
An innocent game of ‘tag’, where touching a player with a plimsoll automatically made that person ‘he’, turned ugly when I threw the shoe to contact another boy, but instead it connected with and broke a window pane. This cost me another caning, this time by Mr. C. Madley. Finally, an accidental but audible yawn in class incited the drama teacher, Mr. Colin Lea, to deliver a blow to the open hand in front of the class. There was a choice – cane or slipper. As it turned out, choosing the slipper was the worst of two evils as the pain lingered far longer.
Barry Page
Among my souvenirs is a photo of McHugh's class 1955. I've attached it and asking for names so we can add the picture to the BBS website. Can anyone help, please?
Ramondo
Hi Barry, is the lad 4th from the right Phillip Davies? The lad with the glasses standing next to him looks familiar, possibly his first or second name was Stewart.
Roger Osborn
Great photo. McHugh was my form master in 1alpha all those years ago (1956) the bastard never liked me, accused me of forging my mums signature on my report. My mum sorted him out via the Bonk and McHugh bottled taking on my mum .
I also remember him taking us for games at Sterling Corner (to me the far end of the world) he was like the teacher in the great film Kes always wanted to score the goals.
To sum him up; a northern shit of the first degree.
Also, during lessons he would frequently go to his little bog outside the form room to smoke something.
Tam Joseph
You're right Roger, I can remember the day he got me so upset that I flew into rage and faced him with my fists ready. The barsteward was always picking on me, I don't know whether it was because mine was the only Black face in the class at the time but it seems as though he was c***t
to all and sundry no matter how you looked.
James Sanderson
The photo is 1955. Check out the other school photos of ’55 and the setting is identical. Probably raining that day.
Among my souvenirs is a photo of McHugh's class 1955. I've attached it and asking for names so we can add the picture to the BBS website. Can anyone help, please?
Ramondo
Hi Barry, is the lad 4th from the right Phillip Davies? The lad with the glasses standing next to him looks familiar, possibly his first or second name was Stewart.
Roger Osborn
Great photo. McHugh was my form master in 1alpha all those years ago (1956) the bastard never liked me, accused me of forging my mums signature on my report. My mum sorted him out via the Bonk and McHugh bottled taking on my mum .
I also remember him taking us for games at Sterling Corner (to me the far end of the world) he was like the teacher in the great film Kes always wanted to score the goals.
To sum him up; a northern shit of the first degree.
Also, during lessons he would frequently go to his little bog outside the form room to smoke something.
Tam Joseph
You're right Roger, I can remember the day he got me so upset that I flew into rage and faced him with my fists ready. The barsteward was always picking on me, I don't know whether it was because mine was the only Black face in the class at the time but it seems as though he was c***t
to all and sundry no matter how you looked.
James Sanderson
The photo is 1955. Check out the other school photos of ’55 and the setting is identical. Probably raining that day.
Stanley Warren, a former Japanese prisoner of war, noted for painting the Changi Murals in the chapel of Changi Prison during captivity, was an art teacher in the 1950s and 1960s, and Deputy Head of Brunel House at Sir William Collins Secondary School, Chalton Street, Somers Town, Camden NW1 1RX (now Regent High School) from 1963–65.
There is evidence that Mr. Warren taught as an art and science/biology master at Barnsbury Secondary School for Boys, Eden Grove, Islington, from 1951 to 1955.
Anthony (Tony) Bernie
Mr. Warren, Stanley, was my science master when I joined our school, that was in September 1955. The same man who spent time in Changi.
Specifically, he walked as though he was carrying a pain. Not surprising considering what he went through. A slight man with a faint smile always, and never raised his voice. Hugely respected by our year.
As far as I am concerned, he was at Barnsbury at least in ‘54/55 at least, he taught my class 1A Science in that year and was class master of 1X, and I remember the day when it was reported in the Daily Mirror and how his reputation went through the roof. A very gentle man who also taught Art.
George Kent
That sounds like our Mr. Warren, the art teacher at Eden Grove. It was common knowledge that he had been a POW of the Japs. He was known to throw things across the art room if he got annoyed.
When I was in the first year some of my friends from where I lived were in the fourth year and they new him better than I did and it was from them that I remember that he had mood swings and that things would be thrown, I never saw anything myself.
Michael Stewart
I have a vague memory from eons ago that my brother told me about some teacher at BBS that painted stuff in a POW camp during the war. I have no idea of his name or even if this recollection is all that accurate. My brother was three years ahead of me. Sorry about the lack of detail.
John Golding
I have since learnt from two BBS class mates, that yes they believe that our Art and Biology teacher was in fact the Stanley Warren you are referring to. This is interesting because they also refer to his condition back in 1951 our first year at BBS as still showing signs of his treatment at the hands of the Japanese, although looking at his picture on the BBS website he looks OK. More interesting from my stand point is that Biology was my strongest subject at school and hence my landing a job right out of school as a lab Tech at the RVC in Camden Town. Although I remember the person who taught us Biology was excellent and treated me well, probably because I had great interest in the subject, I had no memory of his name and even looking at that photo cannot place him in my memory, old age setting in I guess.
There is evidence that Mr. Warren taught as an art and science/biology master at Barnsbury Secondary School for Boys, Eden Grove, Islington, from 1951 to 1955.
Anthony (Tony) Bernie
Mr. Warren, Stanley, was my science master when I joined our school, that was in September 1955. The same man who spent time in Changi.
Specifically, he walked as though he was carrying a pain. Not surprising considering what he went through. A slight man with a faint smile always, and never raised his voice. Hugely respected by our year.
As far as I am concerned, he was at Barnsbury at least in ‘54/55 at least, he taught my class 1A Science in that year and was class master of 1X, and I remember the day when it was reported in the Daily Mirror and how his reputation went through the roof. A very gentle man who also taught Art.
George Kent
That sounds like our Mr. Warren, the art teacher at Eden Grove. It was common knowledge that he had been a POW of the Japs. He was known to throw things across the art room if he got annoyed.
When I was in the first year some of my friends from where I lived were in the fourth year and they new him better than I did and it was from them that I remember that he had mood swings and that things would be thrown, I never saw anything myself.
Michael Stewart
I have a vague memory from eons ago that my brother told me about some teacher at BBS that painted stuff in a POW camp during the war. I have no idea of his name or even if this recollection is all that accurate. My brother was three years ahead of me. Sorry about the lack of detail.
John Golding
I have since learnt from two BBS class mates, that yes they believe that our Art and Biology teacher was in fact the Stanley Warren you are referring to. This is interesting because they also refer to his condition back in 1951 our first year at BBS as still showing signs of his treatment at the hands of the Japanese, although looking at his picture on the BBS website he looks OK. More interesting from my stand point is that Biology was my strongest subject at school and hence my landing a job right out of school as a lab Tech at the RVC in Camden Town. Although I remember the person who taught us Biology was excellent and treated me well, probably because I had great interest in the subject, I had no memory of his name and even looking at that photo cannot place him in my memory, old age setting in I guess.