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We had our own swimming pool at our school


Real porsh!

The tv was at a fairly new school in Northwich Cheshire, ca 1965-67 ........ had all mod cons that school did!


Classes actually were really disrupted at that time of term ..... it was the time when Northern Universities Joint Board O and A levels were being sat, and certainly with the older years, we never knew how many students would be in school, writing exam or home studying.

In addition, all the other years not stiing O and A levels had to be kept as quiet as possible ........ the lab was at the other end of the school from the school hall, so ............................


it was the same at the school I went to in Lancashire.


s
xxx

No Ginny,. They fooled you, that was the River Don.

we got a new headmistress at the Northwich school for the beginnning of my 2nd year there.

She was a Londoner, come to the north, and the country


Northwich was a market town, most of our students lived in the surrounding small villages and on farms


sooooooooooooooooooooooo


Miss D decides that a Young Farmers Club would be a good idea, because it had been very successful at her last school in London


Therefore, we should keep


white mice

white rats

and bunnies



try selling that to kids who had their own dogs, cats horses, cows, pigs etc etc etc




The Biology staff were put in charge of said mice rats, etc


............. which had to be kept in the garage built specifically for the Head Teacher's car, after being banished from the lab .............. because they kept escaping. The Home Ec room was across the landing, and the Home Ec teacher made it very apparent that she did not appreciate even the thought of visitors.


Miss D arranged for a hut to be built and erected on the school grounds .......... about 50' from the school, and at the junction of 3 playing fields. Right out in the open, no shade from any trees or anything


Then came the summer ....... fortunately this was the summer that I left, and I was in the US by the time this happened.


The school closed for summer, the staff went home or on holidays, got married, whatever. The girls all went and did their thing for the summer.

The rats, mice etc stayed at school ........ a rota had to be set up for them to be looked after ........ cleaned out, watered, fed etc.

Somehow, the system fell apart, and the animals weren't visited it for at least several days. The RSPCA were called in by someone living on the estate nearby




and I'm not sure what happened after that!




s
xxx

lol!!


good one Jonesey!!

I only remember the tv for sex eduction programs, Videos had'nt been invented then so they must have been on bbc2 or something

We had a public swimming pool next to the school which was handy me being a champion swimmer in my day lol

ja...x

ja...x


there was something preceding video



we use to show sex education tapes to the kids ... some the shcool owned others were rented


That was really why we had the tv, to show these tapes which were available on anything and everything.

Some tapes were easy to use, but others came on huge reels, and you had to load them onto a spindle, and use them with a special machine


That machine usually had to be placed on a stool that had been placed on top of one of the lab tables or benches. Teacher had to clamber up there to load, unload and unstick the tape.



s
xx

You are probably right there sylv...just dont remember them loading anything, but then was too busy sniggering at the back of the class at the time

ja...x

We had TV in school to Wimbledon and the odd school programme.

At the time I was sitting my "O" levels there were only 2 lads in my class who could not swim and I was one of them. Instead of using the time between exams to revise for those still to be taken Roger, the other non-swimmer and myself spent all our time going to the local baths and goaded one another into learning how to swim. On some days we would go to the baths 3 times a day, morning, afternoon and evening sessions. At the end of the exams both of us could swim. Classic swimming style it wasn't but providing there was a handrail or something similar to grab within 30 yards we were no longer liable to drown if we fell in.

My 3 children on the other hand could all swim before they started school. My youngest son got his 400 mtrs SWTA badge when aged only 4. My daughter had cancer when she was 6 and my wife got heavily involved with raising money for cancer research. One of the events she organised was a sponsored swim and she solicited sponsors for my eldest son who at the time was 5 years old. When asked by likely sponsors how far he could swim she had told them that he might manage a couple of lengths or so and in several cases people agreed to sponsor him at £1 a length. In the event he completed 14 lengths which was a bit embarrassing.

P.S. Tv had only just become available when I was still at school. My school did not have one, they had only just got rid of the slates and thought that pencil and paper to write on was a real novelty. (lol)

good for him Jonesy!

They built a swimming pool the year after I left one school in 1972 and they built a swimming pool the year after I left the next school in 1974...

I was not meant to learn more than doggie paddle in a deep bath of water obviously..

Good one Jonesey on the Gins one and well done your children..

Once I learnt to swim at 11 I picked the rest up pretty quickly, within a month of learning I was put up against the best swimmer in the school to see who would compete in the school gala for breast stroke. I found my old certificates a little while ago have one for 25yards in march and a mile by june.

Really enjoyed swimming shame I cant do it now along with the springboard diving...............ahh well

Anyway the money was going to a good cause Jonesy so nothing to be embarressed about


ja...x

Just as a follow up, my daughter who had cancer (Wilms tumour) when aged 6 survived after undergoing major surgery (She lost one kidney, part of her spleen and part of her diaphragm), radio therapy and 12 months of chemo therapy. After all of that we were told that it was extremely unlikely that she would ever be able to have children. Obviously my daughter wasn't listening because she had 2 daughters. She is now as pleased as punch because she is due to become a grandmother in the summer. Whilst I should also be delighted I have mixed feelings because it means that I will become a great grandfather.

My grandmother did not learn to swim till she was 80. She was around 23 stone so not an easy feat. her consultant then said now go to learn to ride a bike. she did not make that one.

I made my grandad a Great grandad at 61 Jonesey...Sorry you have had to wait until you are 99 to become one..;0)

But wonderful your daughter helped to make you one...

I love all your company but I think that I have had enough of it for today so I'm off to bed for some beauty sleep. God knows I need it. (lol)

Nighty night.

P.S. FBG: I didn't realise that you were 61, better change your photo on Facebook, you don't look a day over 60 in that picture.

You are Soooooooooo lucky you have gone to get your very much needed beauty sleep Jonesey...
Plus the extra slap I would have added for you being a peeping tom on FB..!

Congratulations Jonesey!
xxxx

Sorry Jonesey
mind on other things.

congratulations.
wonderful when they defy the odds to achieve.