Woodlands School

Hi Ron, I was in 3W and in Cresswell but started a year later than you. I think we always had 'Sooty' for Maths, can't remember taking lessons with George Tickle who was our HouseMaster. You might recognise me from my first post (page 4, 28th June, 1:30) In the photo of Don Thomson at morning assembly I'm the sulky looking one in the corner staring at the camera when told not to!

Yes, I do recognise you in that photo - faces is the one thing I don't normally forget. It's the names that are now starting to cause me an issue ! Are you sure it was taken at one of the 'School Assemblies' (once weekly if memory serves me right - the other 4 per week being House assemblies. I'm pretty sure School Assemblies were scrapped at the end of my second year)? I first came across that photo a number of years ago when researching a project with the Coventry Evening Telegraph - I'm sure it was actually taken at one of the School Prize Givings, to which the CET used to normally send a photographer. Behind you on the second row in the middle is Steve Gaston, also of Perrens. Alec Parsons (Brook if I remember right) is also on there. Alec and I went to Whoberley Hall, from where I moved on to spend Juniors at St Christophers after my dad won the Pools! Unfortunately it was the Australian Rules Football summer pools - had it been the winter pools he would have won a fortune!! However, it was still sufficient for us to move away from a prefab in Whoberley (not that there was anything wrong about living in one of those) into a house nearby off the Allesley Old Road, the area that I have moved back to. Steve Gaston was my closest mate throughout my time at Woodlands, so much so approval was given for me to go to Steve's home sometimes for my dinner, as against taking a school dinner, something at that time that was definitely against the regulations - if it wasn't your own home, you couldn't go there !! Don Thompson was one controversial Headmaster at times, one about whom there were always rumours. One such rumour concerned his constant ability to introduce school rule after school rule concerning pupils appearance, the type of bag that can or rather cannot be used to carry your bags to school, the kind of overcoat that could be worn etc. Remember the one banning coloured underpants? The rumour was he was constantly trying to control over 1,400 boys at Woodlands because he couldn't control the one boy that he had at home. Mind you, it must be said that sticking to all the rules didn't exactly kill us, irrespective of their reality or nature. My first job on leaving Woodlands was with a firm of accountants in the City Centre (a career which I fairly quickly discovered wasn't really for me, not long term anyway). The very first person to speak to me was a chap possibly 10 years older than myself. He asked the school I had attended. On answering 'Woodlands', he responded that his dad was Don Thompson, that he (Don) was a pain at home and always had been throughout the time he was growing up. Consequently everything that his dad had ever said to him had been ignored! The majority of things said about Don Thompson were no doubt untrue. The one about his own son being wayward clearly wasn't!!

Hi Ron, You maybe right re the prize giving. I guessed it was an assembly as I was in the school choir for a while which necessitated facing those assembled. I do not remember the assemblies being scrapped, as in one 'main' assembly (weekly) the newly released 'Hey Jude' was played which would have been Sept '68. I don't recognise the names you mention, but wait for it - I can still recite our form's surnames alphabetically from the register (how sad's that)! Your memory is far greater than mine and I've been trying to recall some of the other Masters names. Do you remember Mr. Rollason (RE)? Mr. Ashley (Music)? Mr. Pilbin (PT)? The rule about the underpants I hadn't heard of but I was pulled up about wearing flared trousers! Do you recall a guy called Tony Pratt who left 68 or 69 and visited the School later wearing braces & Doc Martens?

Strewth - 'Hey Jude' being played at a school assembly! It must have been someone's birthday! I certainly don't remember that which is surprising considering the part that music has played in my life. No you are not the only sad one - I can remember our form register also, even after all these years. When I do, I can't help but wonder what's happened to us all over the intervening years, and how happy we have been with what we have achieved during our lives. I'm not really bothered about whether we might be considered to have been successful or not. That subject is relative and therefore I consider to be irrelevant. I do seem to have a memory for remembering names, lists, rules, regulations, something that has come in very useful during my working life. Now, what DID I do this Tuesday evening?????? Mr Rollason - took us for RE/RI in both the first and second years. Mr Pilbin I had for PE in years 4 and 5. Mr Ashley I remember but never had as a teacher. I can remember everyone of those teachers unfortunate enough to have taught me during my 5 years at Woodlands. Pupil Tony Pratt though I do not remember. Although Mr Harris, Perrens Housemaster, had his critics, there is no doubt that he along with his no.2, the great Mr Roy England, had the interests of their lads close to their hearts. I owe so much to Mr England who was our form tutor in years 1 and 2; taught me English in the first year (yes, he also taught English although I think that our intake 1A was about the only one for him to do so); and inevitably woodwork throughout. Without doubt, he was the one teacher that left his mark with me and had my total respect. I and many others felt he really deserved his promotion to Housemaster of Sparkes. Perrens was a well maintained house thanks to Mr England's woodworking skills and so I feel looking back was somewhere pleasant to be 'based' for your secondary education. It was also unique in that it also acquired a house hifi (as they were called in those days) and had a pair of stonking great speakers dangling from the ceiling. Its introduction to the 'world' came one afternoon house assembly when a rock guitar instrumental 7" single, the name of which escapes me for the moment, brought in by Richard Pedrick, was played at such a high volume it disturbed the house assembly taking place next door in Malins. I understand that Lofty Lee had words with Les Harris after that one. That hifi brightened up the after school sessions, with games of snooker, table tennis and chess being played whilst listening to plenty of Jethro Tull and the Beatles, along with my fledgling interest in all things Tamla Motown, something that has stayed with me throughout the intervening years, so much so it has also been a sideline to my actual working career. Mention has been made of Mr Lentall (Cresswell) playing Joe Cocker's 'Marjorine' during a French lesson. 'Marjorine' was Joe Cocker's first single under that name and as a solo singer. That was during my second year, when our form was taught by Mr Miles, Stringer's Housemaster. I found him to be a great bear of a man, well he was when compared to me, but then again I was somewhat proud to be the second shortest in our form. There was fat chance of Mr Miles playing any records during a lesson. I was taught by Mr Lentall for French when in 3W, but there were no records, although to be fair, I think it reasonable to say that Joe Cocker was by now getting established in the big time. I was never actually sure what the TRUE relationship was between Mr (Jim????) Lenthall and Joe Cocker. Some said they were related in some way, but I was never sure. Joe Cocker is from Sheffield and Mr Lentall made great play as being from Chesterfield, being a great follower of Chesterfield FC and going to their home games. I mentioned that my working career was in civil aviation. I played a key role in the establishment of the Royal Mail Parcelforce International hub at Coventry Airport, the largest ever inward investment into the City of Coventry up to that time, being some

Hello Wearethemods, I remember Tony Pratt, he was in 5O with me in 69. He lived in Mount Nod and we hung around for a while. I remember him arriving late for maths one morning and sobbing with pain after being caned by Morgan who took great delight in inflicting maximum pain by striking his victim just at the top of the legs. What a bully. You mentioned Pilbin, another bully, took his plimsoll to you as look at you. As posted before, I was a rather shy unassuming lad, rarely drawing attention to myself. Few if any of our illustrious 'Masters' took time out to teach me, show me help me. It wasn't until my fifth year that Bowden started to notice I was developing into a half decent footballer and offered to coach me. Too little too late. I didn't 'get' Woodlands, I left unprepared for life after school.

No Ron - it wasn't during a French lesson (I only ever had the monstrous HG Jones for French); it was in the Cresswell houseroom when Mr Lenthall was our Form Tutor. He insisted that he was Joe's cousin, but perhaps we'll never know! Terry Hall was a good mate when we were in the same form (which was actually for five years, as we stayed together through 1, 2 and 3W, and then 4 and 5S - we used to joke that we'd been promoted from the bottom stream W to the giddy heights of 'S' Terry and I, and another lad - Geoff Bright - from Tudor (Road/Avenue/not sure) where Terry lived embarked on a summer cycle tour to the SW and did 610 miles in two weeks during the summer of 1969. Gad, I must have been fitter then! **** So, anyway, we must have crossed paths during 67/8. Do you want to hint at your surname? **** The only Ron I can think of was Ron Martin, but he was a Cresswell boy like me, so that rules him out. Did you know Chris Allen by any chance? Some of the names bring back a few memories. I remember Sooty very well. How about Tim Hall? Sports guy, Bristol City boy, with a broad west country burr. Decent bloke. And yes, I remember Jack Pilbin only too well. The Mark of the Beast (the plimsoll across the backside) being his speciality. Gawd that hurt! I read that he committed suicide some years ago. Sad. Mr Rollason was also a Cresswell man, and was almost painfully pious. I remember once during a RI lesson, after a particularly long period of some weeks when we hadn't seen the sun, when it actually decided to show its face. He pointed to the windows behind us and said 'look boys, God is smiling on us'. Bit cringeworthy that - and it didn't impress many of us! Still - happy days for the most part - on reflection... **** Mods note : You have the opportunity for private messaging via the "contact" button!

I remember the roundabout being there 60 to 64, but could not say when the lights were installed.

Dutchman will be along soon - I'm sure its been discussed here before and he had a map of the junction with the island but cannot find it at the moment....

After four years (60 to 64) at the "marvellous" Woodlands, I must admit it stood me in good stead for my 22 years career in the Army. Some of which were with special forces. I would have loved to have met some of these "masters" on the street. Not for violent purposes, but for public humiliation reasons - like what they did to us as children.

The traffic lights were in place when I started at Woodlands in September 1965 but I do remember that they hadn't been completed too long. Being a couple of hundred yards short of the required 3 miles to qualify for a bus pass I, along with others that all lived in the locality, went daily by bike. In those days you could access Dunchurch Highway (A45) from Brookside Avenue, which you can no longer do. To turn right into Broad Lane we then used the newly constructed filter lane, which of course is still in use today. One morning - in my 1st year - myself and Richard Pedrick were cycing to school together. I moved off just as the lights changed to green and cycled across the junction, only for a Sunbeam Rapier coming from the Canley direction to race through the red lights at great speed and continue towards Birmingham. It missed me literally by inches, causing me to lose my balance for a few seconds. This was witnessed by one of the older boys also in Perrens - 'Ena' Sharples (I'm so sorry, I just cannot remember your first name) - who was being driven to school by his dad. His dad reported it to the Police along with a number of other independent witnesses. They all reported the same thing - that the car passed me so closely they were amazed that I wasn't killed. As it happened, the driver pleaded guilty so I didn't have the hassle of going to court. The staggering thing is this was the second major brush I had had with a car - and I wasn't even 12 ! When I was 7, I was hit by a car crossing the Allesley Old Road, and went over the bonnet as a result. I do remember getting up and starting to walk away. The driver ran after me and wanted to drive me home after making sure that I was okay. I refused - I shouldn't accept lifts from strangers. I walked home to find one worried driver waiting for me along with one VERY worried mother.

The fencing to stop people entering on to the A45 from Brookside Avenue went up around 1980/81. It followed a fellow Woodlands lad who I knew (but whose name escapes me) being killed whilst trying to cross there. I used the route on occasion on my bike with the lad rather than use the subway for some reason - probably as another mate of mine lived in Whoberley. It was a hazardous route. Another Woodlands lad was killed near the A45 later in the 80's and I saw at least one lad get knocked off on Broad Lane in my time. There was always traffic chaos especially late afternoon when we were joined by the Masseys workers in a mass exodus!

Anyone know what Don Thompson's claim to fame was before he arrived at Woodlands?

1960 I got off the bus opposite the Phoenix pub and was run over by some twonk on his racing bike. I remember coming to in the pub for about 10 seconds (never been knocked out in a pub since), then coming round after four days in Coventry & Warwick. The only time the "Wag Man" came to my house to see if I was bluffing. I was 11 years old.

John Keith Corbett's favourite saying was "Come yer boy" and I had to go many times. Am I the only one who liked the guy?

It would seem so