King Henry VIII Grammar School

Agreed, Bags, when you say "I know a lot of people didn't have a lot of time for Keith McGawley but he was always sound with me. I only really knew him in my final two years and he always spoke to and treated me as a young adult as opposed to a kid." The more so, considering I was useless at and hated games and PE. He realised we're not all cast in the same mould. Whereas with some of the roughie-toughies who were good at games and PE, and you'd thus assume be favoured, he had no qualms about whacking them over the palms with a cricket stump after school, after they'd mucked about in one of his PE lessons.

I was worse than hopeless at PE, which I know irked LKMcG, but he restrained from taking it out on me as he knew I was a lost cause.

After reading the comments of Slim and Bags maybe I remember Bob Griffiths from games rather than PE. After all it is over 40 years ago! On the subject of Keith McGawley, I always found him to be OK as long as you tried your best. What he couldn't abide was a student not realising his full potential. An example of this situation occurred in my year in around the Fourth form. We had a lad who was a brilliant rugby winger. He had reached the level of an England trialist. The lad decided however, that he was more interested in girls than rugby. He refused the chance of an England trial. K McG was apoplectic! I'll never forget him bawling at this lad before games in front of about 60 boys. His final punishment was to place the lad amongst the 'rabbits' for games, namely the boys who didn't know the difference between a rugby ball and a cricket ball. A bit like having Bobby Moore in your Sunday football team. Luckily my interest in the fairer sex was not frowned upon as I was shocking at rugby!

At a certain age, I had another distraction - motor bikes. One of my motor-bike-mad mates was a sixth former in the year above, a bit of a yob, or so he like to make out (the term greaser had by now taken over from rocker). I think he summed up the school's position on games on a Wednesday afternoon very well: "I wanted to do motor bike scrambling, but they wouldn't let me!".

Good point Slim. I was also motorbike mad when at Henry's. I had a BSA C15 250cc which I came to school on during my final 18 months at school. The only other morbikes I remember are a Triumph Bonneville that a 6th former a couple of years older than me used to ride to school regularly. ( can't remember his name.) The other one was a big old bike (Matchless, AJS or maybe even Vincent!!) that was ridden to work by 'Clem' Middleton, a relatively new, bearded biology master. He was a decent bloke too, a more modern thinking teacher as opposed to the general stuffy types who were much in evidence during that era.

Returning to ponderings concerning the gymnasium photograph. I was wondering whether it was accorded much prominence in the edition of the Coventry Evening Telegraph in which it was originally published. Personally, I think there would be something seriously wrong if it wasn't on page three. I have long been of the opinion that the school, by its modus operandi, was preparing us for military service. The contents of this photograph would seem to support that view. It is apparent to me that this particular group are being provided with Commando training, what with descent by rope, climbing, vaulting and all the rest. It seems to be working - because the two lads climbing the ropes, in the left of the picture, are definitely going commando. As regards the two pupils hanging upside down on the bars, it is not unreasonable to speculate that they have been captured by the Commando Group, probably when loafing around by the tuck shop, and are enduring a 'softening up' punishment prior to interrogation. The mind boggles as to what the fellow in the middle of them is up to. Perhaps he has already cracked, coughed up more than his Name, Form and House and is hanging his head in shame. Yes, let's say that. Behind these three, the county cricket player is conducting an armpit hair examination. This was fairly commonplace in 1950s grammar schools. Douglas Jardine, England captain during the infamous Bodyline series of 1932/33, had a theory that Donald Bradman's extraordinary batting feats were as a result of hirsute underams and he became obsessed by this notion. Supporters of his theory took themselves off around the country in search of an Englishman who might subsequently match the achievements of the Don. Unfortunately for Jardine, it was later dismissed as being yet another of his hair-brained ideas. You can easily spot the smartest of the bunch. He is the one on the middle level of the climbing frame - with his back to the camera.

I've had a moment of clarity. A sudden awakening from slumber, so to speak. Here is what was going on. "Health and vitality is the order of the day as fortunate pupils test out the marvellous equipment at the new gymnasium that was recently opened at Henry VIII School. The boys gleefully exhibited their physical prowess on ropes, frames and vault, leaping and climbing with commendable strength and agility. The teacher watched carefully and provided valuable instruction as the pupils completed a circuit that tested all their muscles, flexibility and stamina. Ropes were ascended with ease and structures of all types proved to be of no obstacle to these lads, who moved around at a fast speed, whilst at all times considerate of each other and the necessity for safety. The vaulting box proved to be the most popular item of use. Various techniques were used to clear the obstacle with room to spare and the moves were completed with aplomb and grace. It is clear to see that both this current crop and future generations will combine the health of body, mind and spirit at King Henry VIII School, under the vigilant and helpful tutelage of their teachers." That's more like it!

Correction: Some of the boys, or most of the boys. I was not one of the group referred to!

Coventry Standard - Saturday 7 September 1940 LIGHTING OFFENCES. For having displayed lights during the black-out the following Coventry defendants were fined . . . . . . The headmaster of King Henry VIII School, Coventry, Alfred Albert Charles Burton, was summoned on Wednesday for having displayed a light at the school on August 16. P.c.Southam said it was an exceptionally bright light. The cleaners were in, and the defendant said that it was overlooked and "it was not put for fun." Mr. F.C. Kenderdine, for the defendant, said the headmaster failed to notice the light had been left on. Fine of £3 was imposed.

That`s priceless MR. It`s that remark "it was not put up for fun" I guess when he was told off about it, he came "all headmasterly" rather resenting an upstart lowly PC bothering the great man with a trifling matter and it sounds as though he attempted to treat it "casually" - reminds me of Norman Stanley Fletcher in Porridge and his casual attitude to prison sentencing. Our family doctors were Tom and Richard Kenderdine - from Earlsdon, I wonder if they were related to Mr. F.C. Kenderdine. I`ll bet the £3 fine and defence fees came out of school funds. [Mods note: Discussion regarding the Kenderdines moved to "Doctors and Surgeons" thread]

My KHVIII Memories I was there from 69 to 75 I entered with joy and full of aspirations, later I left ...... The one positive thing that place taught me is that respect is earned and not automatically received because of your position. I mainly kept my head down but did rebel. With another I rode my motorbike into the 6th form centre, sorry I can't remember your name but you had a Honda 250 and I think you were in Sherwins. My saddest memory was when my closest friend died. The first I heard of it was in assembly, I looked to my right to the seat on the balcony that he would no longer sit in and after assembly carried on with my lessons. I was too numb to ask about the funeral. Another friend of his had to. I suspect I left without leaving a ripple, although some time later I was invited to attend a reunion. I didn't go, my children would have been at the age I was when I entered that establishment and I suspected it was a recruitment drive. However, perhaps the real reason was that if I had seen certain teachers there I would have descended to their level or maybe even lower. I have to admit that there were some bright enlightened lights of teachers there, even some of the older ones, but they were vastly overshadowed by the overpowering darkness of that establishment. I could go on at great length but it would just come across as moaning so I'll finish by saying that the Lanch threw me a lifeline and taught me what education should be. In spite of that schools best efforts I came out of it stronger and have had a happy life. RIP John Rowe

Hi 3TA, and welcome. Although I was about a whole school generation before you, we had much in common: The one positive thing that place taught me is that respect is earned and not automatically received because of your position. Spot on. I often tell people that the queen, pope and Obama are merely 3 out of the 7bn or so humans on the planet, and have no more right to exist than you or I. I mainly kept my head down but did rebel. With another I rode my motorbike into the 6th form centre. I blasted out of school on a motorbike on my last day (a sports day), and when an idiot prefect tried to stop me by jumping into my path (suicide wish?), I gunned the throttle! Allegedly, I was posthumously given my first Saturday morning by Piggy, but I don't know how true that is. Needless to say, I didn't attend. I suspect I left without leaving a ripple, although some time later I was invited to attend a reunion. I didn't go, my children would have been at the age I was when I entered that establishment and I suspected it was a recruitment drive. However, perhaps the real reason was that if I had seen certain teachers there I would have descended to their level or maybe even lower. I was invited, but my best mate was offended because his name had been omitted as if he had never been there. We discussed it and decided there was no benefit in attending. I have to admit that there were some bright enlightened lights of teachers there, even some of the older ones, but they were vastly overshadowed by the overpowering darkness of that establishment. Agreed. Academically, the school have a first class grounding; whereas one's real education starts when one steps out into the big wide world.

Thank you for your words. It's interesting that out all of the forums it is this one that has the most posts. Having ploughed through most of them I feel the overwhelming feeling of that place was one of negativity. It is almost as if former pupils had something to get off their chests. I wish I had come across this earlier when it was more active but anyway - to continue. I have to confess that the way I was treated was very clever, I came away feeling I was in the wrong and everyone else loved it. (I never confessed my feelings and I suspect I wasn't alone). Soooooo some other things I did: Early on I realised that if I became a librarian I could stay out of the weather during breaks and lunch. Later I found out that the shelves in the library were held in place by four clips. If you removed one of the front ones then anyone leaning against the shelf would bring it and the books crashing down, for some reason this annoyed Fred. I enjoyed my time in the library. Aged 13 I rented out gentlemen's magazines, can't remember for how much but there was also a deposit that had to be paid in case of theft or maybe a depo -- let's not go there. Very lucrative. Remember the blackboards? There were the ones a bit like sash windows where one slid behind the other. Well, certain un-embarrassed naked ladies seemed to get taped to the board which was hidden behind the front one. There were also the roller ones, well certain (etc.) got taped and rolled around to the back to be revealed later in the lesson. Also, some classrooms had roller blinds (e.g. room 6). Well certain (etc.) got taped to the blinds and then rolled back up. The secret was to never do it in my lesson. I always did it in the class next door, that way our class was never threatened with a class detention - not that I ever revealed what I did. I rode my motorbike over the cricket pitch. I continually turned up late for Joe Soap's swimming lesson, he tried to punish me by making me swim after the lessons but I loved swimming more than he loved staying on after lessons so he gave up on me. Even after I had left I was told by a friend "Where's (me)? Late again" and would mark me late - yes by that time I was at the Lanch.

Definitely Mr Taylor. Left at end of 73 and Mr Hollins replaced him. The two ladies which Malvern couldn't recall were Mrs Johnson (UPAlpha) and Miss Berrill (UPA). I was on the 2nd photo, front row, 2nd from left between the two blonde boys.