St Winifride's Boys school Merton Road

[maureen howell]

Hi Folks
My brother went to St Winifride's boys school.At first he went to a big old school in (I think) Pembroke Road.Then the new modern school was built.He came quite a way to school from Sidney Road.Children in Sidney road went to St Francis De Salle and to St Monicas.The headmaster at that time was Mr Toolan.When he was 14 my brother moved to Captains Lane but,unlike me,would not move to St Monicas School.He went to school on his bike and knew all areas of Bootle well.He was the head boy in St Winifride' s and the only boy allowed to go to school on a bike.....so the bike stand only had one black mark were he stood his bike.He went all over Bootle on messages for Mr Toolan.When we lives in Sidney Road his teacher lived next door but the man was in the T.A at the weekend he was a pilot and he was killed in a crash.My brother loved St Winifride's boys school.Have you a tale to tell?
Take Care
Maureen
N.B.I hated St Winifride's girls school!!!!!!

[henry]

i went to all the winnies schools ranging from the infants to the juniors and then merton road and left in 1960 and through all my days at school they were great especially the seniors and the houses were .Oriel.Merton.Pembroke and Trinity were we played against each house in all sports and the football and outside sports were played in Stuart Road and then we had grown up lessons like Woodwork and Metalwork and Art .Then the galas at the baths in Balliol road were we raced against each others house and won our certificates .Mr, Fearon was the headmaster when i left and he was a swine with the stick and always caught the edges of your fingers were it really hurt and then i would blow on my hand then stick my hands up my armpit for some reason and someone would get you break the cane for when you got caned again but it never ever worked and Mr Hughes throwing the duster at you if you were talking in class but i never seen a bike in the bike shed as sometimes we used that as a goal.

[maureen howell]

Hi Henry
I remember Mr Fearon he was also there in my brother Richie's time.So good was the sport that Richie went on to swim for the Army and to represent the north west in swimming.Most of the lads in Richies class got apprenticeships when they left(they lasted 6 years then)The wages for apprentices were soooo low.I think Richie only got £2 per week and he had a mate on the timber who got £9 per week sooooo my Dad said to my mother "Don't take any keep off him,let him keep all his wages" I was working in Vernons and got more wages than him.
Take Care
Maureen

[henry]

When I left school my 1st job was working in Victor value supermarket on Stanley road and the wages was 3pounds 13shillings a week then worked on the timber as you state for 9pounds which was 3times more than shop work in the supermarket but the work was a lot harder and colder working on the timber which was Owens peck in Cyprus road

[john j connell]

Like Henry i also attended St Winefrides throughout the whole of my schooldays (use the word attended loosely) the infants Church View, the juniors Pembroke Rd and the seniors on Merton Rd. My recollections vary just a tad to those of Henry, in as much as i recall Tommy (Bucko) Fearon being the headmaster in the juniors,i always remember him using a leather strap rather than the cane, his office was located in the old house used by Dickie Moss (music teacher)4a and Mr Jones (english)4b, Mossy had a large bone protruding from his wrist that he used to devastating effect on erring pupils skulls. The headmaster up until i left the seniors in 62 was Harry Nevin and he was succeeded many years after by Harry Rogan (science)3a. Like Henry i can not recall any one ever using a bike to come to school, i am pretty certain that any one doing so would have been fishing it out of the cut on the first day he did so. Maureen, you do not say what years your brother attended St Winefrides, several ex St Winefrides pupils are members of this site, (i sat next to one who is a regular contributor). JJC. .

[maureen howell]

Hi John
My brother was older than you he left in 1954.He was out of school more than you cycling all over Bootle ,but mostly to the education offices in Fernhill Road on messages for the school.The health and safety would not allow it now.
Take Care
Maureen

[Mack]

Hi folks,

I've moved this topic over to our "Talk about the History of Bootle" section which was originally posted in "Chat About Anything".
I'll leave the shadow of the topic in "Chat About Anything" for the time being, so any replies that are posted there will be forwarded to our "Talk about the History of Bootle" section.

Mack

[Sonoma]

Mr Fearon's name was Jim and he was headmaster of the Jr Boys on Pembroke Rd. He did use a strap not a cane
He died shortly after I left
I remember Dickie Moss. He played the piano standing up so he could watch us carrying on. All of the kids would look at the bone sticking out of their wrists and say "i am getting a Dickie bone"
I remember Mr Jones in 4B too. Nice men also Tom McCLear
I was there up to 1958 when I went off to St Mary's in Crosby. Some SMC teachers were very prejudiced against lads from Bootle, calling us "the great unwashed"