William Torbitt School Website for Former Pupils and Staff

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228 memories, showing 166 to 176

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Memory No. 66
From:
Michael Wookey
(@WT 1951/1952)

Mr Cowan, the Headmaster, Mr Davis, good with the slipper, but a good teacher anyway! Miss Joyce, Harvest Festivals in the main hall, 11 plus exams, (failed)! Did me a big favour though, as I ended up at Downshall and had a good technical education instead of a Beal Grammar education!!
Playing Marbles along the gutter of the School entrance road. The obligatory School Photos where if you moved, you were shot at dawn!! Christmas Fancy Dress when I went with just an empty pillow case and told the audience that I was the boy that Santa Claus forgot!! I believe I got a prize, not for the costume, but the original thinking!! Cricket with Mr Davis, with my head being used as target practice for his Googly Bowling Technique !!

Memory No. 65
From:
Michael Harris
(@WT >1964)

Oh yes, now it is coming back to me, but real slow. I remember Barry Briggs or Biggs teaching me how to draw a bird. Mr. Davis was my nightmare, bless his flexy plimsole. I played Guitar in the school orchestra and was late for a morning school concert because they cut a 139 out and the whole school was waiting for me. I can't tell how embarrassed I was. The thing is, is that I still play guitar. What happened to Davis? Well if you are out there, I forgive you. Clifford where are you? You used to live down Alderbourgh road. You had polio or something. e-mial me if you can: mharish@netvision.net.il

Memory No. 64
From:
Joan Davison (Junior Teacher)
(@WT 1943>47)

I remember Mr.Torbitt very clearly...Mr.Torbitt was a gentleman in the best sense of the word...respected by everyone.

Memory No. 63
From:
Anne Pollington
(@WT 1951>1953)

I can remember: having to eat peas pudding as part of the menu at lunch time; Malcolm Bidgood grilling me on stage for ages until I realised the difference between really and reely (all due to a Birmingham accent) as part of my role as Maria De Toledo in our end of school play; winning alternative annual running races with Anne Pickles; Malcolm Bidgood bringing in his own record player so that we could all be introduced to classical music; being allowed to wipe the blackboard clean as a bonus of good behaviour or producing good work; but most of all, the impact that this school made which has outlasted memories from High School and College.

Memory No. 62
From:
Terence Wright
(@WT 1938>39)

Miss Honey once sent me to Mr. Train's office. I must have been misbehaving again. On more than one occasion she would make me sit among the girls for punishment. I always sat next to Heather Knott on whom I had a crush. I liked it when Miss Honey made me sit among the girls. To this day I don't know whether I should apologize or thank her. It's possible that Miss Honey is still living, since she was quite young and attractive . . . which is probably why I was showing off on occasion.
Mr. Alan had me called out from class one day. I thought I was in more trouble, not this time though, he wanted me to swim for the school, which I proudly did.

For wartime memories, see the Trivia Section.

Memory No. 61
From:
Frank Mooney
(@WT 1937>39)

I always seemed to be getting the cane for some reason or the other, I was caned for flicking blotting paper ink blobs onto the ceiling, for throwing girls hats up into trees, and that was out of school, and also in the subway, there used to be stainless steel mirrors at an angle across the corner at the bottom of the slope, we used climb up underneath and get inside them and when people walked past, we'd bang on the steel mirror from the inside to make people jump and frighten them, but that didn't go down very well, and got caned for that.

Frank's memories of being a child in wartime are in the Trivia Section.

Memory No. 60
From:
Ruth Davey
(@WT 1937>38)

In 1937 the William Torbitt School was opened and I was in the first intake. I lived in Meads Lane, Seven Kings which was apparently the boundary for attendance at the “new” school. I lived on the even numbered side of the road and was directed to attend there in September of that year. Those who lived on the odd numbered side continued to attend Downshall School. I have always believed that this opportunity changed the course of my education; the reasons will become apparent later.

The Headmaster in 1937 was Mr. Train – and guess what we called him – yes “Puffer” Train or Old Puffer Train. Things were somewhat disorganised at the commencement of term and I can remember being in Class 2 and not doing much school work but knitting a baby’s matinee jacket in Yellow Double-knit wool. The teacher, whose name I do not remember, allocated a separate pupil to knit the back of the jacket, another the right front, another the left front and a sleeve each to two more pupils. The result would have given a tailor a nightmare as we all knitted at differing tensions. I can remember the pattern to this day!

Then I recall a series of tests after which I was placed in Class One. This was round the corner in the East wing and on the first floor. The assembly hall was in the middle of the building; I imagine set out first floor hall above ground floor hall. I never recall going past the hall to the west wing or even being downstairs.

Class One was in the charge of Mr. Cummings and he has my eternal thanks. At Downshall School I had been a mediocre student, not attracting much attention.

Mr. Cummings wanted every pupil in his class to pass the 11+ exam. My father had no contemplation of the implications of this but Mr. Cummings personally interviewed every parent who would have denied their child this opportunity (can you imagine that?) and persuaded all but one to let their child sit the exam. The exception was let off because they were moving to another area.

I can remember being groomed and given paper after paper of the sort we would experience in the exam. and then going to sit the exam at the Ilford County High School for Girls to which Grammar school I qualified to attend. Not only did Mr. Cummings want every child to sit but he also wanted to get everyone through. I was told later that he was after a headship elsewhere which I believe he achieved.

Some children were bussed to the school from Goodmayes or Chadwell Heath, these had to leave slightly before the end bell to catch their transport. One of this group stands out in my memory – a lad named Butcher (boys didn’t have first names) and he remains in my memory because he seemed frequently to merit the cane. I myself got one detention for running in the corridor. Apparently we had been told not to do this. I had to stay in at break, I would have said lunchtime but school meals had not been heard of then. They came in with the war and mothers doing war work – at least that is my distant memory.

I do remember the subway. I am quite sure that when we commenced in September 1937 it had not been built because I can remember being escorted across each carriageway of the Eastern Avenue. It must have been completed during that first year because there was a very bad accident when a child went down it on his bike, lost control and I believe also lost his life. There would probably have been something in the Ilford Recorder at the time. Copies are kept at Ilford Library I believe. Wiggings and serious talks from Mr. Train were given in Assembly. I think I also remember wiggings about our behaviour with the crossing keeper. The subway had bunk beds in during the war and folk slept down there at night to shelter from the bombs as they did in tube tunnels also.

I didn’t like boys much in those days and hated it when they sat us boy and girl in each double desk. Boys tended to jog your arm when you were writing. Fortunately this changed to girls one side of the room and boys the other.

There were times when we were not allowed off the asphalt on to the grass playing field – it might have been too wet.

Memory No. 59
From:
Brenda Graisgour
(@WT 1955>1960)

Re Hilary Gold's memory 50, re Mr Young, I too remember being taught by him. Also have his autograph in my book. I cannot remember when, but know he died. I believe he used to swim in the open air pool during the summer and Ilford pool in the winter, which he used all year around when they closed the Valentines open air pool. A great character.

Memory No. 57
From:
Ed Davidson
(@WT Left 1964)

Much of my memories are vague but I remember the towering Miss Ferguson, lovely lady but she was tall and of course Mr Davies. He was a man who was handy with the slipper and lined you up for it but he had a sense of humour. The play My Fair Lady what a production that was. No expense spared all played by budding Hollywood stars including myself as Liza's dustman father. The assembly hall which doubled as the 11 plus exam hall (I failed - never did get the bike my dad promised) The school fields and the fishpond by the dining halls. The tree in the corner, kiss chase and girls doing hand stands all memorable. I looked at the photos none with me but so many identified names I recall. Thanks WT for the start you gave us all.

Memory No. 55
From:
John Roper
(@WT 1944>50)

Memories of Mr Mosley who joined the school in 1950. We were a bit frightened of him - he shouted at us and shook us out of our childhood but got us focussed on the Eleven Plus. I remember him as a strict disciplinarian and I seem to remember that a bristling moustache went with his 'sergeant major' manner. He would draw elaborate, (and I thought good) galleons on the blackboard with coloured chalks. Nobody was allowed to rub it off for a long time, and all lessons were drawn around it. I do remember him trying to convince Miss Bryan how good it was.

Memory No. 54
From:
Barbara Roberts
(@WT 1948 - 1954 ?)

I remember the school caretaker coming round with a sort of watering can to fill up the ink wells on the desks. It was pretty awful grey/blue kind of liquid and got all over our fingers from our nib pens. Thank goodness for biros! I also remember Mr Bidgood, during some choir practice or other, saying that he wanted to hear our voices 'ringing out like bells' from the back. This must have made an impression on me as I later went on to train as a singer.