King Henry VIII Grammar School

I was in Mrs Gates's Transition class in 1960. That was the year Mr Gains died suddenly and was replaced by Peter Foster. Mrs Cramp was temporary head until they appointed him. I went into the Senior School in 1964 and remember Dr Kolisch very well. He was quite a figure of fun with his Oxo tin and ancient briefcase. He drove an old red Skoda. He was also in charge of school milk and was known as the 'Milk Czech'. The chemistry teacher with the specs may have been called Wylie. He ran the school stamp club, and my main memory of him is that he always found an excuse to go to the chemistry prep room for a fag in the middle of every lesson. The chap who taught art and English and drove a bubble car was T.C. (Tic) Watson. He had part of some fingers missing, allegedly a wartime injury. There was another Watson there at the same time, J.W. (Jasper) Watson, who famously was allergic to rhubarb, even the mention of it made him retch.

I remember Mrs. Cramp, Upper Prep B. The second classroom on the right after the exit onto the old junior school playground, now a carpark. That year & just one other were the only two years of my entire schooling where I was not hospitalised for lengthy periods of time. I thought that she was a very good teacher. I do go on about my time in paybody's but it was such a big chunk of my schooling. I remember Mrs. Gates & Mr. Gaines leading the hymn practise on Thursday mornings. I used to detest hymn practise. Funny, as I have accompanied choirs & congregations for most of my adult life, & married a member of a church choir. What a pip!

Good memories there, D-Di - although six years older than you, the names are all familiar Sad when Gus died because he was a likeable chap - unlike Ella Cramp (knew her out of school through Hearsall GC) Never sure about Dr Kolisch, whose nickname in those days was "w*g" - politically incorrect today but used then because (apart from Max Gordon) he was probably the only foreigner in the school. Dr K tried to amuse his classes with his childish phrases like "watch the board while I go through it" and "line up singly in twos" - he also like to make jokes using boys' names "Ayling, you are ailing again" I understand his marriage broke up (his wife Emily was a most over-powering woman) and he died almost in squalor - sad, really Had forgotten about Mr Wylie and the stamp club till you mentioned it, but well remember the two Watsons Quite what the old school (if you'll pardon the pun!) like Francis John Liddiard would make of today's schools I can't begin to imagine - or what they would make of him! Jeff Vent and Laurie Wrench, masters like them, would probably have no problems in the 21st century because they treated pupils like people.

As an Old Wheatleyan of the 1970s/80s vintage I can honestly say that we thought that Debee Ashby was the best thing to come out of Henries! As a Prefect at the time we confiscated so many copies of Men Only or whatever the mag was called that we could have wallpapered our room! Happy memories John

I remember Kolisch's demise well. He was living in a flat in Allesley Park and had a system that he would put a sign in his window if he had a problem. One of the younger teachers, Barry Kench, was alerted but by the time he arrived Kolisch was dead. It was in the 1970 summer holidays, as I found out from one of my classmates at the speedway that night. Kolisch had been due to teach me in the 2nd year A-Level, so he had to be replaced. Surprisingly, he was only 60 when he died, but looked much older. Barry Kench now runs a B&B in Tunbridge Wells - an old friend who was also at KHVIII happened to stay there recently and recalled the story. I remember Max Gordon very well. He was strict but fair, and a very decent man. He took us to Switzerland on a skiing trip in 1965ish, and everybody held him (and his wife) in the highest regard. I was never taught by Vent or Wrench, and only briefly by (Moaner) Liddiard. He was an odd bloke, for sure. I was more into science so had the ongoing pleasure of Messrs Cork, Chapman, Hughes and Crocker to contend with. I understand there is another open morning on 8th October for old pupils. It's certainly an eye-opener to see just how the old place has developed. And not a 'clout round the head' in sight!

How many memories this thread has brought back to me! I was in both the junior and senior school, so was at KH from 1950-62, and remember well being taught by various teachers: Miss Gates, Miss Jones, Miss Robinson, (later Mrs Cramp), there were others, but I can't recall their names now. In the senior school, Mr Swann; (French) "Bert" Wrench (maths); "Pop" Cork (Physics); Hughes (biology); J B "Pip" Young-Evans (Latin); Morgan ("moggy") Latin; Brotherwood (English), "Moaner" Liddiard (French)with his strong Gloucestershire accent; Dr Kolisch (maths); "Bunny" Burrows (English), Max Gordon, Jeff Vent. Re: Dr Kolisch's nickname, "Wog": one day a boy in my class wrote it on the board in large letters before he arrived for the lesson. When he saw it, he was LIVID!!! I have rarely seen anyone so angry. He certainly was truly an awful teacher, not least because of his accent. I remember "Pop" Cork having a crash in his Wolseley 6-80. Despite his very severe image, he drank somewhat, and was late one night coming back from a boozing session along the A45 from the B'ham direction. There was a traffic island at Broad Lane then, and he didn't see it, drove straight over it, lost control, and went through the fence of the house on the far left hand corner of Broad Lane. We all thought it hilarious! It would have been about 1958 or 9. "Pop" was a poor teacher, too; he wrote on the blackboard without breaks between words, incredibly quickly, and what he wrote often disappeared over the top of the roller-type board before we could catch up. He rarely explained anything, just wrote, and wrote, and wrote.... I also remember one teacher, whose name I've forgotten, who gave me a lift to school one day, in his 1928 Alvis. He was very proud of the fact that it had been in the 1928 Motor Show. Also, I well remember "Piggy" Shore's 1957 Hillman Minx, and "Herbert" Walker telling us all that he was such a modest man, that he wouldn't buy anything better, even though he could afford it! (Probably had more to do with being a tight Yorkshireman...) The teacher who one participant in the forum who couldn't control his Latin class was "Pip" Young-Evans. He often nodded off in class, and boys would wander around his classroom, even close to his desk, going "Pip, pip.." but he never appeared to wake up. I'll try to remember some more later. Keith Edited by Midland Red, 19th Aug 2019 9:39 pm (Factually incorrect information removed as a respect to the teacher)

My dad was at Henrys on a scholarship - would have been late 40's. Laurie 'Jack' Yardley for anyone who may recall? I know he was there with Donald Trelford (ex Observer editor) and Anthony Prichard who started the dental practice with his brother in Baginton Road. Sadly both Anthony and my great dad are no longer with us.

Hello Keith. In your years, do you remember, Peter Wiles, Rodger Ball, David Cook & Keith James? These were all pupils that were a bit older than me. It was a Keith in your year in the prep school who taught me to play chess. Was that you? Mrs. Cramp taught upper-prep B. Her room was used as the wet-day lunch time games & comic room. Mr. Brotherwood taught me for lengthy periods of time when I was confined to 'Paybody Hospital'. He died after spending the last years of his life on a dialysis machine. His classroom at school always stunk of extra strong peppermints. I do hope that you are ok. Best wishes. Philip.

Hi Philip I remember a pupil named Ball, but didn't know his first name. I was in the woodwork room one day (I was an individual doing tech drawing alongside my A levels) and he came in and sat on one of the old stools. The legs shot apart on the polished wood floor, the seat split in two, and there he was on the floor surrounded by bits of stool!! Same one, perhaps? I also knew a James in Junior school, but he was Monty. I don't think it was me taught anyone chess - sorry - but I didn't learn until rather later. Sad about Mr Brotherwood, but we all suffer as we age, I suppose, one way or another. However, I've remembered some more teachers' names! The last year in prep, I was taught by a Mr Mottershead. Incidentally, Mrs Cramp taught me, and I was in the A stream. In senior school: "Digger" Dawson (geography); "Inky" Wells (English) - more on him below; Wyatt (chemistry); Nicholson (careers master); Stanger (wood and metalwork); Irwin (german); I remember the music master, was he Morris? Mason? something like that. There was a Lynch, PE I think. For the last year of Latin, we had a young guy who took Latin and PE. We christened him "Hitler", because of (a) his 'tache and (b) his manner and temperament. Not necessarily in that order!! I think his name was Williams, but not sure now. He was a Mk1 martinet! There was also another art master, whose name was something like Tattersall?? He had a serious temper problem, would go the colour of a beetroot before exploding. Always wore a yellow waistcoat, as I remember. I think the ex-captain in Intelligence was Phillips. Could be wrong. "Inky" Wells was heavily into the school play. One Christmas, 1959, I think, they did a comic production, and it had about 6 'pirates' in a boat; "Inky" was the last man. Someone kept shouting out "Who said that?", to which "Inky" replied "Not me..." There was a commotion in his class a day or two after, and he yelled at the class "Who was that?" This voice at the back of the room piped up "Not me.." and the class and "Inky" fell about laughing. His authority was somewhat reduced after that! I'm not too bad for an old 'un, thank you. And I hope you're well, too. All the best Keith

Hi, Keith. Roger Ball went on to work as a tech-engineer for the BBC. He now lives 'downunder'. I know that I do go on about my history at 'Paybody' orthopaedic hospital, but it punctuated my schooldays to such a degree. I missed so much time, months & months on end so often. I was something of a 'guinea-pig' for the developement of transplanted muscle guides, that required a lot of monitoring & re-setting. After the age of fifteen, I was discharged & have been able to enjoy a free walking life-style. Many born at that time with my severity of club-feet were never able to walk freely. I have a lot to be thankful for. So good to re-meet you. Happy days Philip

Music teacher when Philip and I were there was "Bebop" Barnes Mention was made of Tony "Bunny" Burrows whom I always found to be one of the more normal humans amongst the staff We had Hayter (good name!) for Latin, and Morris for Physics (who did his level best to help me try and understand it) We also had, for one term, a fresh-(red)-faced orange-haired young teacher called Tom Jupp - I always thought he must have quickly got out of teaching after the terrible treatment he got from us, but I see he ended up as principal of a large college in London and was awarded the OBE for services to teaching - perhaps we gave him just the grounding he needed! There were two Watsons, TiC and JWW, and our form teacher one year was "Sooty" Blackwell

Hi Midland Red Of course, Barnes - my memory is good, but it's a long time back now - and the old wooden music room! There was a plywood cased electric gramophone in there, sort of light oak finish; but for other lessons, we had to put up with a wind up one! I well remember the excruciating rendition of 'Frere Jacques' on the wind up gramophone. We had to have it - French, and my form room, was in the old Nissen huts, no electricity other than lighting. Five years later, Irwin still used it in German class, too... Now you mention it, I remember the name Hayter. But he was an older guy, wasn't he - not the young one with the Hitler moustache and martinet manner? (The latter used to give us two tests a week on Latin homework, and if you didn't get better than 80%, you got detention until you did! I walked to work for a while in the 70s, along Maudslay Road and Whoberley Avenue, and I well remember him with a couple of older pupils all in cross-country gear, running along Whoberley ave. They were flagging a bit. "Come on, come on there! Keep up!" and I thought to myself "poor b-----s!!" ) Morris did Physics, did he? I have a vague memory of a Morris. I think he might have taught me science in first year. Only ever had Cork for Physics. I had a another guy whose face I can see, but whose name I've forgotten for second year chemistry. He was OK, a decent teacher. I dropped science at 13-14, however. I had Tic for one year. It was widely believed among us that he was suffering from what we all knew as 'shell shock'; he wouldn't say Boo to a sparrow, let alone a goose. I had JWW for A-level history, and found him a very good teacher. He got us to have some good political debates, and one lad asked what his politics was. He said, "You'll never know my politics." And it was true, we never could figure out what he believed in, nor would he tell us. There was previously another history teacher, looked a bit like Bamber Gascoigne, but I can't recall his name either. I don't remember Blackwell at all. Nor Tom Jupp. But we had a guy for English in 1960/1 who came from a school in Canterbury. He was seriously violent - knocked one lad's glasses across the room, one day. Another time we were in the music room for an English lesson - remember the desks had about four seats each side? Well, he literally picked up one lad by his hair, and pulled him out of his middle seat, causing the one on the outside to land on the floor. Several parents complained, and he was sacked at the end of that year. Once you get the old little grey cells going, funny what comes out, isn't it? ATB

I'm surprised that the "Hitler" character's name has been forgotten. That was Ted Norrish. We first called him Hitler, on account of his moustache and - shall we say - his "style of oratory". And he was extremely impatient with slow learners. But he established the school's cross-country team as one of the best in the country. His nickname became Droob, possibly an abbreviation of "droopydrawers", from his often-soggy running shorts, and running became droobing. I was a proud "droober", and discovered that he could actually be quite a nice chap - anywhere but in the classroom! Towards the end of my KHVIII time, he discovered the then-new sport of orienteering, and - to cut a long story short - the "Octavian Droobers" were born - now one of Britains's top orienteering clubs. I believe that poor Ted now has Alzheimers. The English teacher who was sacked was "Killer" Coles. Unless my memory is playing tricks (or perhaps it wasn't a one-off occasion!), I was there when he picked up the boy - I think it was (Paul?) Hipkiss - who had been driving him mad. He actually had a sense of humour and wrote in my Report one year "Still Going Strong!". My parents had to explain to me that it was the Johnnie Walker slogan (it used to be on the neck of the bottles, but they don't have it any more). When he left, he moved on to become the headmaster of a girls school!

I'm surprised that the "Hitler" character's name has been forgotten - it's old age, Johnnie, putting names to faces!! And, stir the little grey cells as I might, I couldn't recall Coles' name.... But I seem to be stirring some others' memories, methinks! The Good Old Days....some say.... Going back to "Hitler/Droob": I can remember more Latin than any other foreign language. Must be a moral in that, somewhere! Shame that he has Alzheimers; I guess he must be pretty old by now, though. Coles went to a girls' school, eh? I have a vague recollection that he came from one, too, but I can't be at all sure now. Didn't take much to drive him mad, though, eh? He certainly had a very short fuse! Maybe he was better as a headmaster, he wouldn't have had much teaching to do. Seriously, though, teachers are supposed to be above losing their rag and hitting pupils in the way that he did. Some threw the board rubber at inattentive pupils - a very common practice - and a German friend of mine told me that one of his teachers in Germany did that and laid a lad's head open. All too easy to go too far.

Nobody's mentioned Alan Edwards - head of the Maths department in the early 1960s. His son (name??) was a talented musician. I don't even think he had a nickname, unless I've forgotten it, so we collectively must have seen him as a bit boring at the time. He used to race around at a hundred miles an hour, with piles of homework and books on top of a battered old suitcase. It was never wise to meet him in the corridors, and accidents DID happen! He would charge into the room, dump his suitcase, grab the nearest piece of chalk and start scribbling algebra - or whatever the day's lesson was. If you weren't paying attention, you would be lost before the lesson had really started. So, one day, we removed all but one of the bits of chalk, and drilled a hole lengthwise up one end, into which we inserted a match-head. Of course, he flew in, grabbed the only piece of chalk available, and started scribbling as usual, with every one of us watching even more attentively than usual! When the match-head finally burst into flame, his response was brilliant - he simply blew it out and carried on! Never said a word! Some blame him for wrecking the school's maths curriculum, as he was going to evening classes to learn about the "new maths" - set theory, matrix algebra and all that - and then teaching it to us the next day or so. While it's certainly not everyone's idea of maths, it actually became the basis for my working life, so I have always been very grateful to him. He had some good colleagues - Fred Dunn, Jack Wrench come to mind - I (almost!!) always looked forward to maths!!