My name is John Michael Woodman. I was one of the class of 1956 after passing my 11+ at Moorpark Junior School in Bispham.

I well remember coming to Raikes Parade and beginning my class 1B I recall in one of the classrooms fronting on the Church Street tramway. My class teacher may have been Mr Gibbs or Mr Rigby. In those days of course the teachers all wore black flowing robes and we sat at wooden classroom desks complete with inkwell. Carvings from previous generations adorned most of the woodwork and I added my own on many occasions.

Downstairs in the basement the woodwork class was presided over by a dour Scots teacher. Mr Wilson I believe. We had a classics teacher, Mr Murdoch who smoked incessantly and was fluid and fluent in Latin, Greek and presided over History. Mr Gibbs was a serious English Literature teacher while Mr Rigby was Geography. An excitable and formidable character was Mr Topping whom we all feared. He had flaming red hair and was not reluctant to use the ruler on pupils who met his ire! Boggy Marsh presided over religious instruction and was adept at tweaking ears and using the ruler. So much for Christian virtues.

I enjoyed the art class and its setting high up on the third floor with large atrium windows but I forget who was the art teacher at that time.

The Assembly each morning was in the large room used as the Gymnasium. At one end a stage held the teaching staff and a piano. We all joined in several verses of traditional hymn book standards - and listened to a lesson, notices and admonitions of one kind or another. The tall echoing corridors and wood and glass panel partitions between the classrooms did little to hide the noise or lessons from one class to another.

The bike sheds in the playground were a furtive hideaway for smokers as were the brick toilets. One principal feature was the large refrectory where school lunch was served with teachers sitting at a head table below a stained glass window while the rest of us adorned long trestle tables. I favored the tuck shop which managed to cram in lots of pupils on Mondays and Tuesday when School lunch money was utilised for all manner of sweets and toffees - causing many of us to subsequently spend painful hours at the school dentists.

My class was 1B then 2B then 3C then 4C and finally 5C. We were probably one of the more unruly classes in the school and my classmates excelled in reducing certain teachers to utter frustration - particularly when they were starting their careers at BGS. I did not find this constructive or rewarding at the time but a bunch of my class were notable in their aggressive behaviour for the time. I dont recall my class mates except by brief impressions - and the odd photo. Anyhow for those who may read this and were at BGS Raikes Parade from 1956 - here's thinking about you!

John Woodman
Oxford - April 2001
tel: 01865 331 611
My e-mail address is John Woodman

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