Bablake Schools

Think I might have spotted a few more. In the back row just right of centre, the tall guy may be Irons the biology teacher and at the left hand end of the back row, possibly L C Philpot, chemistry. The small guy at the right hand end of the middle row next to Gabby Hayes could be Brewer, a maths teacher.

Just to get you going with a few - Reggie Head on front row next to Van Hee; 4th from right on 2nd row Larry Lanham; and on his left Gusty Gale; 4th from left on front row Horace Curt; and next to Bud Bandy on back row Charlie Cook. And Finch (no nickname?) at left hand end of front row. Now try to find Pud Rice, Elsie Philpott and Flap Atkinson.

Thanks, Bentley. Got a few of those. Had Horace Curt for O level history however he wasn't an inspiring teacher. He'd "materialise" at the back of the room at the start of the period and keep dead quiet to observe the antics that were going on. Somebody would notice him and the murmur would go around "He's her, he's here ..." He didn't teach, just told us to read the history textbook while he sat on the desk at the front twiddling his thumbs (literally). "Shit shquare to your deshks boysh. If you have any queshtions, ashk." Len Finch I remember being called Leonard Da Finchi - not very original. Gale did art I think.

I did Economics with Horace in the 6th, but mainly remember sitting counting the number of times he said "You see", "What it amounts to" and one or two others as well as "Sit square to your desk boy". Also if you were very lucky, and started coughing, he'd share his liquorice Imps with you. He was possibly the prime mover in having the School evacuated to Lincoln during the war as this was his home town. Gusty was mainly History I think, and did Finch teach French?

Yes, I think "da Finchi" did French, though I was never taught by him.

A few not yet mentioned - third left , back row - Gus Garratt, Middle row , left hand end - Jock Falla, next in - Johnny Malin (my favourite teacher), fourth along - Gordon Pullin. Front row, second from left - Taffy Phillips, next after Seaborne - Flap Atkinson, third from the right - Duffy (Mr Duffield)

If you still have the old-style scarf, it is exactly the same as the Harry Potter Hogwarts' version. Incidentally, the uniform supplier was Arthur Hammon rather than Hammond.

The scarf is broad yellow/gold and maroon stripes. You tell me if it is the same as the Harry Potter one. From the photo, the fifth teacher from the left on the back row was Mr Murray, my, and the rest of Shell Z's, form teacher. Larry Lanham took me for Latin for a while before we had a disagreement about learning a dead language! I guess I won as I didn't learn Latin!! And who was the Maths guy who threw your exercise books at you, and the woodwork teacher who'd hit you with a lump of 2x2?

Gabby Hayes - one lesson with him was the full 40 minutes of him explaining that he had a "hapsburg" jaw! Always remember when he took assembly & finished the Lords Prayer 10 minutes after the rest of us

Always wondered what was wrong with Gabby's jaw. It did look quite strange. Gabby was often on "point-duty" at the corner in the corridor next to the school office. There was always a teacher (master I think they were called) on duty like a prison warder looking down the corridors at the changeover between periods. Going back to Hammons and school outfitters, I found these period adverts in a 1950 Coventrian, the school mag for King Henry's. Sometime I'll scan all the ads and post them here as there are numerous old Coventry businesses from days of yore, familiar to old timers. Here are three outfitters, Gibberds, Haywards and Hammons. Certainly plenty of choice in 1950.

I'm so glad someone mentioned Duffield as I thought I recalled him as a Holy Trinity chorister who was a Bablake master - there he is just about in the middle of the back row! As an OC I only knew two Bablake masters, the other one being Falla who lodged next door but one to us in the late 1950s/early 1960s

The scarf was nearer red and yellow in blocks across the width. I think that Jock Falla might have been the book launcher and perhaps Ray Fox the other but I wouldn't like to fall foul of libel laws.

In the same spirit and under the same libel laws, Mr Fox was my first form-master and I do believe you're right.

Just found this link for 'Pud Rice', Precinct 1955!