st monicas school photo

Post your photo's and video memories about Bootle here...
redmoffat
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2019 9:55 pm

Meggymoo wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:56 pm Hi I went to St. Monica's from 1953-1964.We moved to St. Augustine's a few months before I left school.
Some of the teachers I remember were,Miss Fennerty Miss Williams (Science),Miss Seagrave,Miss Fearon,(music teacher) Miss Mcavoy (Art),Mrs Redmond (History),Mr Long (Maths)Miss Carling,& Mr O'Donnell was Headmaster.Would love to see some old class photos from the infants & junior years if anyone has any.

Megs (Marie)
Mrs McAvoy was really nice and helped me to enjoy Art.
Sue
redmoffat
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2019 9:55 pm

I went to St Monicas Secondary Modern in 1959 and it was indeed an awful dilapidated place. One of the classrooms had in fact been a morgue where we were taught by Miss Lanaghan. I was also taught by Miss Fearon. I dont remember being unhappy while I was there. I can remember Ann McNamara and Anne Olsen, Joan Foster, Josie Halligan, Barbara Goss, Rosie Jones, Margarent Mooney.
Anyone else remember these girls.
Susan Bell
COLLY
Posts: 189
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 4:49 pm
Location: bootle

st monicas school football team 1965 /66 a few well known faces here
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Ilikecoffey47
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2019 3:23 pm

The nightmares have returned thanks to corresponding to a couple of mates who's schooling in other parts of the country, we exchanged stories like the Monty Python sketch "You were Lucky", or in this case "we had it tough". I decide in my innocence to see if by chance if the was any reference to the Fever Hospital on Fernhill Road and so my story begins:

From Bellanimes I went to the monnies in 59 and our firstly assembly in the so-called science lab., with the wreck of a car in the corner. As all feeder schools "factory fodder" looked on the science teacher Doyle scanned the sorry looking faces and immediately roll-called the the sibling of passed students/inmates with a warning of retribution if they chose the path of their forebears. He then introduced with great fanfare Mr and Mrs Stinger two canes, one very flexible and the other more rigid as he attempted to flex them saying "I'm sure you'll all be aquatinted while you at this school".

A new science teacher, not sure of his credentials but he spoke in what I would say now as academic English which made no sense what so ever. I recall he tried to interest us in how we learn and how dedication could overcome difficulties, he went on to describe how he was taking up knitting to prove to provers point. We only had him on a couple of lessons on one occasion he lectured us on liquids, gases and solid and began explaining Homogeneous mixtures, the class cracked up Homo! Homo! "what's a homo sir" and I recall him abandoning the class, he didn't last long I recall. Maybe we were part of his experiment in conquering learning.

Wasn't the only time a class went berserk, One morning our teacher didn't arrive and a mere morning conversation got louder and louder until mayhem had occurred. Shagga was keeping dixie at the door when he shouted BARRY! The class went silent as Barry fisted his way through as the door swung violently open and sandwiched Shagga against the wall. Barry was a Ex wrestler from Lancashire and had a good heart but build like the proverbial brick toilet. On this occasion he was angry, He then lined us all up including the two posh kids from Netherton guilty or innocent he canes all 31 of us two of the stick with out breaking a sweat while Shagga lay slumped behind the door.

During recess you could buy Cheesettes four for a penny from the store room between the Joinery and Science classrooms and ciggies if you were desperate.

We walked/run to school from Galsworthy Avenue and onto St Monicas for mass, we had to go to communion to show our devotion, half starved we must have looked a sorry sight being marched back to school particularly during the winter secretly nibbling cold toast, reminiscence of Napoleons retreat from Russia

We had one math teacher a war victim as I think most of the teachers were damaged, He chain smoked and his demob suit hung from his spindly frame like a wet flag. You'd often see him struggling against the wind with his suit trailing behind like a frantically waving flag. As far as I can recall we never completed a math lesson as someone would alway ask, What did you do in the war Sir.

, what a sadistic person she was, we all knew her offspring went to St. Mary's, she told us so, I vaguely recall she presented them to us during one punishing lesson.I still today think of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Her favourite pastime was to frantically write on the blackboard and wait while the smarter kids stopped writing then flip the board over and continues ignoring the pleas from the those who couldn't read the scribble.

We had an influx of new out of the box teachers all dressed the same tweed jackets with leather elbow patches Grew was one who I personally detested and I paid for it. He was good at throwing chalk but had a lousy aim, like a right handed throwing with their left hand. One of the new batch would wonder around the class reading what we were doing, He was and olive skinned bloke and stunk of stale tobacco, his breath you could cut with a knife, I'd be near balking as he offered advice. Another who lived near the school seemed a timid bloke but not timid enough to wack you with the can. Jimmy a naturally loud lad offended this teacher and was about to be given two of the stick, the teacher was hesitant as jimmy protested his innocence
the teacher lost it and wacked him with the cane Jimmy was the only lad in the class with a watch and as the cane came down the watch went ballistic, Some teachers wore the watches on the inside of the wrist to place at the time with giving indication and jimmy wore his while the cane made its mark. Jimmy ran home I recall to tell his mam.

There was a gate leading into St. Georges play ground and I recall our school marching through there school to watch a Scout Jamboree in the theatre. Wasn't like the Carton bug house, I'd see similar on tele the London Palladium. I was totally gobsmacked as we walked pass a Gymnasium, Workshops, Laboratory these I'd never seem before, it influenced me that much I attended night school soon after leaving school just to experience total learning.

Four years I spent at that school and we were children of that time, Of course it influenced me I don't know if I'd done better with decent learning opportunities not that I had that option. I'm glad were I am today and wouldn't change a thing. I went from the Monnies to the Metal Box as a trolley lad with St. Georges night school results I negotiated a spot in day release in Bootle Tech and with the help also of READS can works I achieved City & Guilds. Not serving an apprenticeship, limited education and limited job opportunities while working at the Vactite I found by 1970 I wasn't getting anywhere so I emigrated to Australia and the world was my oyster. I am an opportunist not a planner and it worked for me thanks to the Bellies and Monnies I didn't like either but it helped shaped me who I am.
lindylou
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:25 pm
Location: Adelaide Australia

What a great piece you have written likecoffey. I went to St Monica's from Bellarmines in 1960. So you were a year before. I could relate to a lot of what you said. Like you I did better after I left school. First to John Moore's in Crosby and then went into Nurse training at Bootle Hospital. Then em o grated with husband and toddler in 1975. Best thing we could do. Happily living in Adelaide for many years now. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Linda (Shields).
Lived in Captains Lane,emigrated to NZ then Oz
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Dan
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Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:24 pm

COLLY wrote: Sun Feb 16, 2020 3:41 pm
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st monicas school football team 1965 /66 a few well known faces here
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