+- Leyland Forum (https://leylandtown.co.uk)
+-- Forum: Leyland Forum (https://leylandtown.co.uk/forum-5.html)
+--- Forum: School Talk (https://leylandtown.co.uk/forum-51.html)
+--- Thread: Balshaw's Grammar School (/thread-52.html)
- rocketmanjohn - 19-Feb-2003
I did'nt wish to hammer Balshaws too hard. I must have learned more than enough maths from Wilkie, when I went to Harris Tec I was a long way ahead of the rest of my year. Consequently I was given the dimmo's of my year to bring up to scratch, which I enjoyed a lot. It was different from school, everyone wanted to learn instead of just dreaming through lessons. We had an excellent lecturer from Leyland called Meadows, and an eccentric one called Jock Hulse, who was a lot like Magnus Pike. He was so good that lots of students would stay after class to listen to him, I never knew maths could be so interesting.
Engineering training is no better here in the 'States. We get graduates straight from university with umpteen high flying degrees, who can't do anything. It's many years before anything productive comes out of them. It's not surprising that the technical base is vanishing fast, and I don't know where it will end. We can't all survive on service industries, there won't be anything left to service. Should I say anything produced in the West.
John
- noel - 19-Feb-2003
I can't praise Wilkie enough. He rescued my failing maths when I got booted our of maths A stream into C stream year before O levels. Never looked back after that and ended up passing A level Pure Maths with flying colours.
Mind you he did like his little girls around him as David said . I somehow don't think it would be allowed now .
- Guest 01 - 20-Feb-2003
Have to say that on reflection I have been softening my stance quite a lot re the old school.Maybe I have been too harsh.
I came out of there with a love of music, literature, the stage,classics,tennis and I hope with a reasonably liberal attitude and life skills.
I have also got to backtrack on characters like Wilkie on, though he didn't teach me any Maths and could be dogmatic,he did try to convey his musical knowledge and he was an interesting person.He was a true cynic I realise now and showed a lot of honesty with it.
You wouldn't find many teachers now with the same memorable qualities.
Anyway Balshaws is moving ahead from the rigid stance on the broader curriculum which those of us in the pre and immediately post war years remember.
I,m told that in March they are applying for Maths -Engineering College status.
LG
- David Briers - 20-Feb-2003
Another story about Wilkie. At one of the school parties (I think the prefects' party, either 1960 or 1961), Mr Downer decided to set him up and roped in Derrick Robinson and me as accomplices. The idea was that as one of the acts in the "entertainment" he (Mr Downer) would draw a name out of a hat, followed by a topic that the unfortunate victim had to speak on for two minutes. Of course it was all a setup - both Derrick and I knew that we would be the first two names out of the hat and we were told what our subjects would be so that we could prepare - mine was "The private life of the prawn" and Derrick's was "The sale of bicycle pumps - does it lead to inflation?" The third name was Wilkie - and he had not been warned! And the subject? - "The advantages of co-education." At the time I thought it was just a harmless bit of fun, but now that I am older (and more cynical) I wonder if it was actually a serious message from the rest of the staff to Wilkie about his relationship with young girls? I guess we'll never know.
David Briers, Pembrokeshire
- jackal - 21-Feb-2003
You youngsters should not be too hard on balshaws. I was there from 1933 to 1937 when VUO was in his prime... and I seemed to be his prime target for sarcasm! Ioften look back and wonder if holding up a child to ridicule before his peers was the best way to encourage him to do better.But what do I know. Any way the education at Balshaws was the only education I got, but was sufficient to come to Canada,get a job raise a family and eventually retire with a reasonable income. I trust Balshaws still does as much for the kids of today! My highlight in recollection was the school trip to Spain,Italy and Gibraltar This took place in 1934 or 1935. The chaperons were C. S. Hilditch and M.A. Rahill. I soon found out that the crew had chips and sausage and eggs for breakfast ,compared to porridge etc to the passengers and I was adopted y the Stokers and given a little boiler ,a small shovel, a sweat rag and some coal to keep the fire going. M A R was somewhat bemused to discover me thus employed when she was conducting an official tour of the vessel. (The Doric Star) Spain was OK too
- Karen - 21-Feb-2003
Hello John .... fellow refugee from the old Leyland site!!!
My best cyberpal ... watch out folks ... this guy is HOT!!
But remember ... I'M your best cybergal!!
Welcome .... Luv ya.
Karen.
x x x
- Karen - 21-Feb-2003
Oops sorry ... that's Hello Jackal ...etc .....
- brian - 22-Feb-2003
I have been following the recent postings about the quality of teaching at Balshaw's before 1960. I suspect that many ex pupils succeeded despite the teaching rather than because of it. It is a tribute to yourselves that you have achieved so much.
Brian.
- Caroline - 24-Feb-2003
Got to add my tuppenceworth - you potential engineers weren't the only ones to be dissaproved of . When I told Fred Bleasedale I wanted to go to Art School, he laughed openly . I got the impression that the opinion was- Oxbridge, excellent. Any other university, very good. Training college, acceptable. Art College, a joke .
I too remember Wilkie's 'favourites'- trips to Blackpool, photos, sweeties, what a creep!
Neither was I helped in my attempts to get Maths O level by his calling me a 'toad' or by his ' I could get a budgie and it'd be able to repeat back to me what I've been telling you, Johnson !!' I was sent out to the corridor for weeping........
Of course, none of this has affected me affected me affected me.........and I can report that I followed my chosen path and am now a pennyless artist sitting in a freezing room warming my hands on a computer screen.
- Thornley - 01-Mar-2003
Hi all, my sister (a few years older than me, she will love me for that:>
) tells me that she is going to a reunion in September. It is to be held at Balshaws and there will be a guided tour! I think this is only for her ex peers, I think they left in 1973. Perhaps we could gate crash!!!!!Vanessa