Woodlands School

On 17th Sep 2024 4:33am, BarryW said: Hi everyone. I now live 12,000 miles away in New Zealand but Coventry and Woodlands School hold a special place in my heart. I was there from 1960 til 1965. I was in Brook House and well remember Bill Cleaver the housemaster and yes I was one of his Morris Dancing Team. Many boys thought we were mad but there was method, and many benefits, in our madness. I also remember "Sooty" Corbett and Mr Barker, both attached to Brook House. I had Sooty for Maths and Mr Barker for Latin and still have nightmares about them both. I have only just found this forum and still have a little reading to do. I'm not very good with names, unless you are a dog and then I have no trouble, so I'm looking forward to hopefully refreshing my memory. Many thanks for accepting me into your community.

On 13th Sep 2024 7:54pm, Chris H said: Firstly, thank you to the administrators for allowing me access to this site. I am honoured and delighted to be here. There are many names that I recognise. Hello Mick. This is a very old posting and I hope I am not too late to the party. I recall Mr. Boland vividly as he was one of my teachers during my two years at the school. I had been attending City of Coventry Boarding School (CCBS) prior to Woodlands and Mr. Boland's son was a pupil there (at CCBS) for a very short period; perhaps one term or so. I also know there are a couple of other people on this site who will remember his son very well.

On 17th Sep 2024 5:21pm, Mick Strong said: Hi Barry and good to hear from another Woodlandite. Going by your dates, you were there a year before me, so I guess our paths would not have crossed very much? Do you recall a maths master called Bates (cannot remember his first name) from Brook?

On 17th Sep 2024 5:50pm, Chris H said: Hello Barry, In RE: Post 313. I attended Woodlands from 1963 to 1965 and was also in Brook House. Were you there when an incident occurred between Sooty Corbett and Johnny Blackstock's younger brother Mike? It was toward the end of the school year and during a moment of temporary insanity, Mike (I believe that was his name) squared-up to Sooty and refused to obey him. Quite an argument ensued and as the two moved in closer, Mick suddenly raised his fists and that was it, Sooty grabbed Mick around the neck and spun him around dragging him down the isle yelling "he raised his fists". What on earth possessed Mike to go after Sooty, of all people, I do not know. It was quite the talk of the school afterwards.

On 18th Sep 2024 4:28am, BarryW said: Hi Mick, I'm afraid not. I do remember Barker being the form master for the 2nd form (I think) and Sooty was form master for the 5th form. There was another much younger teacher. I'm sure he taught brickwork, metalwork or some such craftand it was in the in the bottom of the science block but I can't remember his name. After reading through these pages it's strange how some of the names bring vivid memories flooding back and others just leave me wondering. It would be hard to forget Sooty or Barker, for very obvious reasons, but I remember Mr Bolland and his troubled son. These days he would probably be diagnosed with ADHD or Autism but unfortunately 60 years ago he was just naughty. I also remember my first meeting with Mr Trollope. I made the mistake of stepping on the grass, he made me apologise to the grass. Luckily, for me he was not a mind reader.

On 21st Sep 2024 3:41pm, Ken Dickson said: Barry (Bungy), Enjoyed your post. It was me that posted the photo in Royal Navy Connections. As stated the photo was taken by the Coventry Evening Telegraph who were checking any Coventry connections with those serving at the Clyde Submarine Base at Faslane. From the top, Bob Sherriff, myself, Sam Louch, you and Vic Love. Bob went to Foxford School the rest of us were at Woodlands. I was in Mclachlan House. Sam and myself were at the Coventry Technical School for our first year of secondary education in 1953, we went to Woodlands when it opened in 1954. As you served with Sam at the Base, hoping not to bore you, here is some history on Sam and myself. Sam and myself went to Stoke Heath Primary School, nursery, infants and juniors between 1945 and 1953, passing our 11+ and then going to the Tech. Woodlands followed. I joined the Royal Navy ( HMS Collingwood ) in July 1958 two weeks after leaving school, Sam joined a few months later. After leaving Collingwood the next time I saw Sam was in Singapore in August 1962 the night before I was flying home, he was waiting to join the survey ship HMS Cook. It was not until March 1976 when I joined HMS Resolution ( Port ), in refit at Rosyth, as Navchief that I met up with Sam again, he was the Chief forward ' greenie. ' We served on Reso together for the next 3 years. I have not seen Sam since I left Reso, but I have remained in contact with him since, it has been a long friendship which began at Stoke Heath Primary School nursery. I also keep in touch with Bob Sherriff via a submarine group on Facebook. I left the Royal Navy in November 1982 as a Fleet Chief. A few years ago my wife and myself enjoyed a 2 week bus tour around New Zealand both North and South Islands. I wonder how close we came to where you live ? Best wishes.

On 22nd Sep 2024 4:02am, BarryW said: Hi Ken, Good to hear you are still in touch with Sam, we worked closely together in the Sonar Dept. of NTD between 1973 and 1976. We got on really well together, please pass on my best wishes. Like you, I'm still in touch with Bob Sheriff via emails. He is organising a 60 year reunion for tiffs who joined up at Fisgard in Sept 1965. Unfortunately the wife and I were visiting relatives in the UK just a few months ago in May and there is no way I could face another long haul flight (mentally, physically or financially) again next year. I suppose Vic and I drifted apart the longer we served, he, like the rest of you, served on Bombers, I spent my time on the Valiant and Churchill class. Still I suppose that is life in a blue suit. It would be nice to know how life is treating him, we had been together since we were 11 when we started at Woodlands. So, what did you think of New Zealand? From our arrival in 1993 we lived in Auckland but after I retired we moved to Papamoa in 2014, about 50 miles north of Rotorua. Unfortunately over the following couple of years a lot more people seemed to follow so in 2020 we moved 50 miles south of Rotorua to a small town in the middle of the north island, Taupo. I say small town, we get very busy during the summer months with tourists. I suppose your bus tour would have taken you to either Rotorua or Taupo.