Balshaw's Grammar School

[Bill]

(16-Oct-2017 07:42 PM)jwhi Wrote:  

(16-Oct-2017 03:41 PM)anacortesdamp Wrote:  Yes, there was a Wilcox. I don't remember his subjects and I think he joined the staff when I was in 4th year. Wilkie should have been fired because of his attitude to the students. He was all over the girls and couldn't be bothered with the boys. It was particularly bad when we got into the smaller class sizes in 6th form.

He was a spiteful bastard, too. He wrote on my first end of term evaluation that I "hadn't a clue about maths and should pursue a career that didn't need the qualification". Interestingly, in my first maths exam at Blackpool Tech, I scored 100%. I think it was because the curriculum content was specific to the use of maths in the engineering workplace.


Frank

'Johnny' Willcox taught me French for a couple of years. I was spared Wilkinson who was alleged to have a violent reputation, having gone over the top with one or two of the lads I heard.
Mr Brown could dish it out a bit ....... but it was probably deserved (in my case at least). I recall him asking my name after some misdemenour, when I said John........"not long enough - Marmeduke" and then clipping me over the head for every letter! It was all good fun..........

John

I think it was Wilcock, not Wilcox but I could be wrong. As for Wilkinson, an odd character and I once witnessed at very close quarters his 'going over the top' with one lad. He wasn't keen on the lads but the girls thought he was wonderful, a sentiment that was clearly mutual as he was very keen on photographing them. How times have changed!

As for Brown, you shouldn't speak ill of the dead I suppose and I'm sure he was a nice bloke really but I can't help thinking he had a sadistic streak. I once witnessed him knock one lad to the floor by repeatedly smacking him around the head for some minor misdemeanour, like not having his name in his shorts. He wouldn't get away with it today-and rightly so.