King Henry VIII Grammar School

Most ex-pupils will know that the Droob was a fanatical runner. On one occasion I was taking part in a compulsory cross country running session and as usual, was turning it into an afternoon stroll. He came up behind me and demanded that I run alongside him. My recorded time for the afternoon was so good that he tried to force me to run for the school in their next competitive event. It took an awful lot of wangling to get out of it.

I did cross country with him for 2 years (instead of thuggery rugger), and remember he was very keen. He reckoned 75% was in the mind. I disagree - some are built to run, some aren't. I was about mid-table, so kept out of trouble. It seemed to me that much of his anger melted away on droobing afternoons; I guess he was in his element.

From the age of 13 or 14, I used to wake up at 0600, and did 3 paper rounds for our local newsagents; I was back home by 0700 for breakfast. I also used to do 5 rounds on a Sunday (a killer). In addition, I was building up a business (by word of mouth) repairing radios, electrical items, then televisions. (My parents had a hardware/electrical shop, and this helped.) I too kept quiet at KHVIII for obvious reasons (envy, plus it was none of their business). The lure of earning money gripped me; I was one of the the few who used a motorcycle to school for my last 2 years, all paid for out of my earnings/savings. I felt I was using my time gainfully, instead of wasting it on games. It was also immensely satisfying knowing that it was all cash/tax free, and that I was not paying legalised theft to the tax man.

Between 1963-64 we were taught French by a young teacher called Littlewood (nickname 'Twig '). I'm sure he knew this subject well but he was not very strong emotionally and we caused havoc with him. We were all delighted when one day he eventually sat down and burst into tears. He left school and went to teach disabled children. When I look back I cringe at what we did to him. The following year we had another young teacher called Harris. He had probably been warned about us. In his first class he picked on one particular boy by by the name of 'Overton' who was certainly not responsible for Littlewood's demise but just so happened to be the first person that stepped out of line with the new teacher. Harris made mincemeat of poor Overton and made it clear that if anybody else wanted to try it on he was perfectly prepared to deal with them. We became a model form from then on. Mr Littlewood - if you are still out there somewhere - I tender my apologies. Mr Harris - I salute you

I attended from 1965 to 1970 and was in the D stream - left wi' nowt - so probably the thickest on here (although went on to obtain further educational success in later life). My memories are of a maths and games teacher called Bob Griffiths. I think he was also an England rugby international and who left for NZ around 1968/69. A nice bloke! Also remember a games teacher who may also have taught geography, by the name of Geoff Courtois. I had a paper round in Earlsdon and remember delivering to his home in Canley Gardens where he lived with his parents. I think he may have been an old boy of the school and returned for his first teaching job. Another teacher was my first form teacher, a Mr Jenkins I think, who may have been head of the English dept as well as housemaster of Kings house, of which I was assigned to. He was a gentle soul who took the time to listen. Another geography teacher was a Mr Dawson, a man of small stature, and who could show a mean streak at times. His geography room was up on the first floor next to Piggy's office. One teacher with whom the bullying culture seemed to have rubbed off on pulled my hair to the point of drawing blood, but for the life of me, I cannot recall his name. I know my parents complained and he was gone at the end of the term. Some of the teachers already discussed have brought back some memories. Dr Kolisch who would give a "schmack" would only do so after performing the "leep" which, as I recall, many people tried to get him wound up enough to perform. The "leep" for those who may not know was where Dr K would draw in air to the extent of drawing in the cheeks thus making the lips draw in from the horizontal to the vertical. Very funny for the onlooker, but not the boy who caused it as this would be followed by the "schmack". I once managed to achieve a double "leep" and couldn't help laughing out loud thus receiving several "schmacks". Sorry to hear of his sad demise. Francis Liddiard was a teacher that I really liked. I used to belong to a marching band and we practised at Cheylesmore school. Francis would complain that we woke him up on a Sunday morning. It was his French teaching that gave me some phrases that I still use when visiting France. I also remember a song that he used in class called "Un elephante ca trompe" on the lines of 10 green bottles - used to learn numbering. I guess he must have passed away by now. If I remember anything else then I will post again - or respond if any one else jogs my memory.

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the post Good to read of a fellow member of Kings house, which for some reason no longer exists - there are now only four Geoff Courtois was indeed an old boy, he was at school when I was there - he was several years older than me - and his brother Peter also attended KHVIII They always used the 'French' pronunciation of their surname and not 'Kertoyz' which one often hears elsewhere I can just see 'Wog' doing his 'leep' now!

Dickie Dawson! - Taught me that you could hide chewing-gum behind your ear and it would never stick! - Not bad from a Geography teacher. Shame he never got through to me the difference between East and West. Fred Harris taught Maths and went on to be a kiddies TV presenter. Jenkins was a good English teacher who I found had a very good sense of humour. We also drove a teacher close to a nervous breakdown; his name was (iirc) Dr Rasmussen and he taught Maths. By God he knew his stuff, but couldn't handle lively kids. We were taught Maths above Herbie's office and were so out of hand that Herbie walked in on more than one occasion because his ceiling was shaking. One time a flying banana-skin landed on Herbies head, he was not amused.

G P C Courtois was a very useful cricketer who turned out regularly for Coventry & North Warwickshire. He was primarily a batsman but he could also bowl a bit too. Regarding the demise of Kings House, (my old house), it seems that the decision was made to reduce the number of houses from five to four. I believe it was decided that whichever house finished last in the annual school games would be eliminated. After being successful for many years previously, Kings duly ripped up the form-book and trailed in at the rear! Result? No more Kings House.

Geoff was born in 1941, Peter (J P C Courtois) in 1939

Just been thinking back over a couple of Jeff Vent (JBV) I read looked up OB's - well, not me. I have never had an invitation to an OB reunion or an Old Coventrian get together. I've no idea why this may be. I knew the chair of governors, Gilbert Richards, in a personal capacity but still no contact from the old school. Someone tried to contact me on friends reunited once - a boy I had a fight with on the school field behind the science labs near to the tuck shop - Neville Robertson-Browne. I didn't see it until some months after he posted it; I replied but I don't know if he received it. Looking over previous postings and the views of others about the bullying regime that was in place during the sixties has given me an understanding of why my brother, 10 years junior to me, was sent to Blue Coats rather than KHVIII. My experiences must have given my parents some fruit for thought. Wow - no Kings House! Is this because there are fewer pupils now?

Peter Courtois died in 1993 age 54

There's some interesting photos on this Friends United section I think the 1st XV 1956/7 photo has Pete Courtois labelled as Geoff - anyone able to confirm

Wow - these recent posts have reminded me of a few names. Bob Griffiths (REG) - a great bloke, fair, no nonsense, straight to the point; he taught us more maths in one term than Jack Wrench had failed miserably with during the previous two years. A rugby man, but not a bully. Geoff Courtois never taught me, but his parents were good friends of our next door neighbour. Jenkins - a nice bloke, good teacher... I seem to recall his nickname being Bart...? Dickie Dawson (JEVD) - another sound bloke, had him for a whole year; just a pity he taught geography, one of the subjects I had no interest in and considered a complete waste of time. Frank Liddiard never taught me, he was head of modern languages, and for some reason was called Moaner. He always looked and dressed old; in fact, he was the oldest looking teacher there; turnups on his trousers, and a watch on a chain... he passed away in quite recent years. On a different note, I notice that the automatic spell-checker on this forum is using US English (bit of an oxymoron, isn't it?)>

In the junior school, Peter Foster, the head, taught us beginners' French, and a song that went something like "En passant par la Lorraine avec mes sabots".

We had a bloke called Harding for maths in the fuzzers. Older lads called him Cow Face. A big bloke with glasses, he had an odd posh accent, and had worked in South Africa. One day he hurled a wooden board rubber at a boy who had turned round to talk to his mate, at the very same time he yelled out the boy's surname, which cause the boy to turn back round in response - the result was that the board rubber caught his ear, causing it to bleed profusely. He was sent to the caretaker to get first aid. The bloke would be in court nowadays. But back then, fear ruled, and nothing more happened. The following year, Harding left for another job. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the board rubber incident. Contrast that with Moggy Owen (MGO), our English teacher in the fourth year. Knew his stuff, taught it well, but did not tolerate messing about, and had a violently explosive temper, with which he put the class clown in his place on one occasion. I'm told that during the year after I left, in front of dozens of kids one lunchtime, he lost his temper with a sixth former who was playing tennis, stormed over, shouting his name, laid into the lad with fists, and continued putting the boot in whilst his victim was on the ground, vainly trying to protect himself. Word has it he did not teach there for much longer; he was not sacked, but "asked to leave".