Bootle Times News

Hi Sandra,I know you!!! Been to your house with my mate Tommy(didn't you live round Marsh Lane area?)
before we both joined the navy.He went in the Merch.and ended up on BP oil tankers as navigating officer
and I joined the RN and ended up in submarines.He married another Grammar girl
Catrin Roberts .
Sorry but I have to tell you Tommy passed away from lung cancer just before his 50th birthday
in 1992.I went to UK from Canada to see him the week before ,held him in my arms because the cancer had spread
all over his body and he could not walk or talk,told him I loved him like the brother I never had, got the plane home and he passed away while I was in the air
I am in touch with Tommy's sister Margaret(another Grammar girl) and in fact when my mother came to Canada in 1964 I lived with Toms
mum and dad when I came home on leave to Bootle
A great friend.
Sandra I am sorry this is in the form of a "normal" post but at the moment my PM is having a bit of a temper
tantrum and just will not accept any personal messages
Matt

Hi again Matt,I was so sorry to hear that news so young and a sad death.These cancers are awful just recently lost two friends to it and one at the moment not very well.Please tell Margaret I do remember her at Bootle Grammar at one time we were at the same dinner table for school lunches.Thank you for your reply.Sandy

I attended Bootle Grammar from 1968 to 1972 and don't have any fond memories of the place at all. I came across this site while looking for photographs of old Bootle and it's brought back many unpleasant memories. It's heartening to read the similar experiences of other contributors, so I know I'm not alone.
Walking into 1 alpha and encountering Kenny Wilde as your new form teacher would be the stuff of nightmares for any young child. He, along with many other so called teachers in that unpleasant environment made my life a misery. Wildy didn't need a reason to beat you. He had carte blanche to physically abuse children and he took full advantage of it. One of his methods was to pinch his thumb and finger on one of your sideburns and lift you off your feet. When he had you stretched to your tip toes and in excruciating pain, he would clench his other fist and strike the top of your head with his knuckles, knocking you to the floor.
Jonah Maths was Kenny's sidekick and they shared the same sadistic approach towards children in their care.
Piggy Porter (yes of course I stood next to his desk and had my bum felt on numerous occasions) appeared on almost every school photograph on display in that long corridor leading to the 'music room', so he must have felt thousands of backsides in his time. Although compared to the other thugs, he was relatively harmless.
Re. the 'music room', I seem to recall having a handful of lessons before the music teacher disappeared, never to be replaced. I also recall numerous chemistry lessons where the teacher never turned up.
Physical Education coaching was hands off. Mr Pope the PE teacher would ask "Who's playing football?", then chuck them a ball. "Who's playing tennis? - The rackets are over there". "Who's doing cross-country? - Run around Bootle Golf Course and make sure you're back by 3:30". I remember the excitement when the gym took delivery of a trampoline. At last we were going to do something that was fun! Unfortunately, all we were allowed to do with the trampoline was to look at it. We didn't get a single bounce on it - ever. Occasionally Wildy would join in playing football with the kids and clearly relished going in for hard tackles on 11 year olds, and I speak from painful experience.
There were a few half decent teachers, but unfortunately they were overshadowed by the brutish and sadistic ones.
Happy days? Just the one - the day I walked out of the place for the last time.

I was at Warwick Bolam from 1973-75; I remember Mr Wilde, he was my form master in 3 alpha. If you were late; he would lift your blazer up and wallop you with the flat of his large hand in the middle of your back. Getting lifted by your side burns was a normal teacher thing. At the time is was seen as fair play, but my mate reckons his back was damaged by Mr Wilde's ad hoc punishment. Mr Duda used to throw woodworking tools at you, if you provoked him. Mr Williams the maths teacher would write humorous ditties on a slipper then hit you on the backside if you were late for his class. It would then transpose on the back of your black trousers. What it taught me was there were consequences to your actions.

I have info on this school and others at facebook page MERSEYSIDE SCHOOL DAYS....