Outside toilets and exercise in the graveyard
Herod in the nativity play
I went to St Andrews School in George Street. The teachers I remember particularly were Mr Leany and Miss Bowyer, both of whom I remember with affection. Mr Whiting was a great headmaster although I was not as fond of his successor Mr Evans. I remember him taking great delight in afflicting country dancing on us all. I remember as we had no sports field we were taken to the graveyard next door to run amongst the tombstones. I remember appearing in a nativity play at the church; I was Herod.
Dangerous outdoor toilets
What I do remember with no affection whatsoever were the outside toilets. Great fun on a freezing snowy day and quite dangerous when the moisture on the floors froze. Other friends and fellow pupils I remember are Brenda Grubb, Brian Smeed, Anthony Bloom and Michael Coombes. I was saddened to hear that the school closed as I was a third generation pupil.
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Little has changed
I also recall a trip to London and St Paul’s. I remember the crypt and Nelson’s and Wellington’s tombs. I also recall a trip to Hastings and I was very fond after school, of visiting Hove Museum. I also remember a pupil whose name I can’t remember but whose father was a butcher having a terrible accident at their shop and losing fingers in the sausage machine. I lived at 37 Blatchington Road. Looking at it on Google Earth, I have now lived in Australia for many years, I am amazed how little it has changed.
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Keith Kent my old friend from George St. school. Through this page I regained contact with him, unfortunately as we age and memories linger, Keith has passed away over a year now in Devonport, Tasmania.
Does anyone remember going to Wish Road Park to play softball?
I remember playing soccer at Wish Road Park, going on the bus with Mr Evans packed three to a seat. But I have a question, did George Street School have lights in the classroom?
I was a pupil at George Street school in the early 1950s. Mr. Leaney was a lovely teacher but Mr. and Mrs. Evans (Mr. Evans being the headmaster) was quite a cruel man and seemed to enjoy inflicting the cane on certain male students. I remember too Mrs. Evans slapping the back of my leg for talking in class, think she followed in her husband’s footsteps. How times have changed. I also remember Mrs. Steele, she too was a lovely teacher and Mr. Gardener who was our music teacher, rather strict but a very decent person I recall. I remember quite a few of my classmates too and wonder if they would care to re-kindle our friendship – Susan Cassidy (nee Dale) and I lived originally at 38 Sackville Road, Hove and then 122 Portland Road, Hove
I remember St Andrews with great affection. Yes it had outside toilets and yes we played in the church yard, but compared to secondary school it was a blast.
I joined in 66-67 and went into the junior part of the school, but it was the juniors I remember best of all. Miss Golding would whack the blackboard with her yardstick and yell, “Wake up, England!” We had Mrs Mitchell for country dancing, but our final teacher was a star: Mr Edwards. His name was Edward Jones, but because G Holder Jones was the headmaster, to save confusion, he became Mr Edwards.
With small classes (only 120 children between infants and juniors) it made for a really good learning experience. I remember the sports day down at Wish Park, swimming passes for King Alfred swimming pool and trips to Hove Rec to play football.
For some reason, I remember going to church on Wednesdays mornings, but I’m sure I will be corrected if I have that wrong. Good times.
In the days when St Andrews was known as George St School, Mr Evans took over from Mr Whiting as headmaster in 1952. Everyone was sorry Mr Whiting was leaving as he was well liked and we contributed to buy him a nice white radio as a retiring gift. Mrs Whiting continued on teaching class 6. I’m prompted to write this comment by Susan Cassidy’s above. Mr Evans was certainly cruel and I would say sadistic. Every time he took us for a lesson in the hall, and quite frankly I’ve no recollection of what he taught as in reality nothing, every lesson he’d take the kids he felt had misbehaved, line them up on a bench for better reach, and go along the line smacking the back of their legs with his hand. Mr Evans had red hair and a moustache, and in retrospect looked like Heinrich Himmler, and today he’d be in jail. I went through every class at George St, from 1948 to 1954 from class 7 to class 1. Happy days.
How lovely to see images and comments of the school. I attended from approximately 1952 until I was 10.Mrs Evans was my teacher and contrary to other comments I only have good memories of her and Mr Evans who both encouraged me. I did get a rap on the hand occasionally with a ruler but probably deserved it. Two names in my class come to mind. Kenneth Wakeham and Ruth Olsen although I believe the name was changed to Farrell. Also a girl whose surname was Mandelbaum? I remember we had some European children following the journey to England following the war.
I loved my time at this school. I remember teachers Miss Young, and Mr Brooks, I think his first name was Kenneth. Having assembly in St Andrews church on Wednesday mornings. Doing rubbings of the graves with pencil and paper. Mr G Holder Jones was Headmaster, he let me out early to see the Queen mother when she visited. After school delicious ice cream fro De Marcos up the street. Happy days.
Wonderful memories of St Andrews School.I was there in the 60s. Mrs Newbury, Mrs Golding, Mrs Kitchen, Mr Edwards, Mrs Mitchell and the country dancing, Geoffrey Holder Jones et al.
Many classmates over the years , remember loads of names. Austin Georgeson, John Slade, William Gammon, Lynn Tarry, Wendy Dempster, Gillian Hyatt, Wendy Prince, Mark Chapman, Peter Laxton, Lawrence Marsh, Michael Moyes, Chris Burgener, Anthony Jupp, Martin Beal, Martin Lewry, John Filiol, Susan Mullis, Jane Biddle, The Crump brothers, William Gammon, Ray Pilkington, Andrew Stemp, Liz Haggar, Michael Huggett, Stephen Hanson and so many more!!
I remember doing a school concert in the upstairs hall. I did Ob La Di Ob La Da with Michael Huggett and Liz Haggar doing
Burlington Bertie. Someone did Monsieur Dupont as well!!!
Loved my time there and still think of everyone fondly.
Mr Gardner and Mr Leney were great teachers.
Pupils I remember with great affection were Linda Minsky, Marsha Barnet, the Mandelbaume twins, their grandfather used to collect them every day, Andreus Lambrusco was a friend, so was Roger Long, David Grey was a tough nut I can’t remember his brothers name,
There was an ice cream parlour opposite called Maroscos or something similar, their ice cream was fantastic,
Some more names will come to mind(hopefully).
I also remember the ice cream parlour opposite which I believe was called Dimarcos. The ice cream was wonderful but only got it as a special treat. I also remember all of us dressing up as Victorian children for what I think was the Centenary for the school, would love a picture as it must have been in the local paper. Another memory is open fires in the classroom.
I attended George Street school as I recall it during the 1950s -I remember red haired Mr Evans whacking the back of legs with wooden ruler – outside toilets with no roof – a teacher trapping a rat behind a door and then with us all cheering him, he killed it with a spade – open fires – playing a game with cigarette cards against wall in yard, buying sweets in tuck shop opposite school- chasing girls in the graveyard and the school uniform store I believe was on Davigdor Road.
Hi Pamela Wilson, You were in my class, as was Loretta Goodman ( who has remained a good friend for 70 years), Ruth Farrell who I am still in touch with, the Mandelbaum twins, Kenneth Wakeham , who I recall being very tall and very clever, Timothy Knott, Michael Wrigley who I think was a brilliant child pianist. Remember those open fires? Lesters , the toy shop opposite where I window shopped every day – but we were too poor to ever have a toy from there, and yes Ivan Evans was a wickedly cruel headmaster who hit us all the time. He once hit the back of my leg for putting my hand up to ask to go to the loo……his punishment was that I peed over his hand! Happy days…….
Oh! it was just wonderful reading about my old school, my teachers were wonderful from 1945 to 1950.I have happy memories.
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