Pupils
Several pupils who joined 1B in 1949 left again for various reasons before the 1952 photograph was taken. Charles Boyer was unhappy or unsuited to the school and went off to a Secondary Modern to be replaced - I think - by Albert Clark. Alexander Canning was the son of a veterinary surgeon and left within the first two years to follow the progress of his father’s career. Anthony ‘Tubby’ Lee came from Earls Barton. I don’t remember him leaving the school prematurely, but he isn’t on the print. (Until I met Tubby I had never realised that ‘Barton was the centre of the Universe!).
Uniform
I read on the site a query about the uniform. In 1949 most pupils wore a green blazer in summer with the badge as shown on your home page. However older pupils were wearing a navy blue (or black) style with gold (or yellow) details, but I think, the same badge. I judge this to mean that the uniform had been changed within the previous three years. The current wisdom was that the badge was designed by E. G. ‘Bimbo’ Bennett. He was a genial Devonian who was my Form Master twice. I have pondered over fifty-five years how he managed to include an explanation of the pronunciation of the word ‘rowlocks’ to a class of incredulous first form boys during a French lesson.
Fleas
The playing fields used by the school were separated from those used by the Girls Grammar by a high hedge with a steep bank below it. On this bank grew shrubby ground cover which probably had not been tended since before the war – if ever. In about 1951-2 this cover was severely pruned revealing the bank to be a haven for hedgehogs. This quickly attracted the attention of pet lovers and entrepreneurs who stored a number of them for the afternoon in pockets, satchels or lockers, ready to be taken home later. These hedgehogs were typical in that they carried plenty of fleas and over the next few hours much scratching took place either in class or later at home, depending on the method of storage. No doubt a number of parents took exception to this new school facility and said so: an official pronouncement the next day warned boys to leave the creatures in peace.
Caning
In about 1951-2 the Cobblers played Arsenal in an FA Cup tie at Highbury, drew there, and replayed at the County Ground the following Thursday afternoon. Five or so senior boys could not resist the temptation of this game and played truant to be there.
The next morning after Assembly in Room B16, justice caught up with them in the form of Buzzer and his cane. In front of all the boys in the school he applied ‘six of the best’ to each with unbelievable gusto. Personally, as a boy who viewed even the prospect of a detention with horror, I found it quite distressing. Others though were affected differently; no doubt every community has its share of sadists. Those in this group obtained for themselves seats in the centre of the front row for maximum enjoyment. Foremost among them was Alan ‘Baldy’ Brooks, a cheery character who afterwards recounted how each time Buzzer executed a backlift, they were forced to rock backwards to avoid being struck.
Sex Education
Taffy Newell gave us our sex education one memorable day in about 1953. He had duplicated foolscap sheets using the hand operated machine in the staff room. This produced vile smelling copies in bright blue ink –a combination which usually gave me a headache. Taffy seemed rather nervous about distributing these sheets—presumably they were considered to be sensitive material then. Personally I couldn’t even understand which way up to view them. However to compound Taffy’s discomfort, just as he was about to start enlightening us there was a tap on the door and a first year boy came in with a message from another teacher. “Quickly boys, turn the sheets over”. He was most anxious that these indecipherable sheets might corrupt this small boy from a distance of at least three metres!
Taffy’s instruction didn’t tell me very much. Fifty years on I have had no offspring despite owning several gooseberry bushes over the years.