Forum 2.1

1. End of an Era
	My last memory of RWH was seeing him at the top of the stairs by room 10. It was the last day of the Christmas term 1967 and everyone had gone home. I think I may have been the last person to see him looking down over what had been his pride and joy for 30 years. I suspect he was thinking how it had been and not how it was at that time. Terry McCroakam Comments are invited on this topic.

2. Team Games
	The photo shows Mr. Tate, PE teacher and Sports Master from 1956 to 1964.
►1. The Athletics Team was selected by the Team Captain meeting with Mr. Tate in the Lecture Theatre and discussing the merits of the available athletes. Did this apply in other sports or did the team manager select the team without consulting the relevant Captain? ►2. Who remembers "The Drying Room". This was a room off the New Gym Changing Room. Was that just for towels or were team shirts kept there? Who washed the team shirts? Did we take them home or were they washed at school? What was the procedure before the New Gym Changing Rooms were available? ►3. Were showers compulsory/available after P.E. lessons and matches prior to 1957? If my memory from nearly 50 years ago serves me correct, it was highly unlikely that anyone (boys at least) got a shower before the new Gym was built. The changing rooms were two wooden huts (one for boys, the other for girls) on the right before reaching the New Block. (Maybe adjoining the stable block) The milk crates were on a table outside these huts. They weren't so big, even when there were only about 30 boys doing PT, but when the whole year group got in for Games, there was certainly no room for showering - worse still when it was 5th and 6th form games, which were joint in those days. There were open shower cubicles, but every bit of space, even in the cubicles, was taken with boys clothing. There were some filthy kids going home on the buses after games lessons!! Frank Morley, HGS 1953-60 See the article on Forum 12 ►4. With regard to the standards of dress/kit expected of team members, was it demanding or lax? Who policed the standards: Team Manager, Captain or individuals? ►5. Who collected the Match Fees and how much were those fees? What were the fees used for? When did matches take place. Was Wednesday afternoon ever used for Inter-School Fixtures? ►6. Were refreshments of any sort provided at Half-Time - a communal bottle of water or sliced oranges? Refreshments were provided after the matches in the Dining Room - pop, crisps, tea, sandwiches &c - but who prepared them? I seem to remember "potted meat" sandwiches as being frequently provided. ►7. Who prepared the Fixture Lists and coordinated them between sports? ►8. Who refereed/umpired the Home games? Was this the Team Manager or a Society Referee? Who were the linesmen? Who were the scorers at Cricket? Who marked out the pitches or took out the corner flags. Who was responsible for the necessary equipment? Did Hockey players have their own sticks? ►9. Colours were awarded each year. What were the criteria which had to be satisfied before they could be awarded? Colours were presented to the team members on stage in the Main Hall by Mr. Hamilton. Was this at a General Morning Assembly or a special End of Term Assembly? Was the Team Manager required to be present on stage? The Memorabilia Section of the site has an example of the Athletics colours. Does anyone have an example of Colours from any other sport? Dave McKenzie (1955-62)

3. Team Games comment from Sheila
	►Question 2 The washing of team kits - speaking for the girls' netball, rounders, tennis and athletics teams - I think we used to use our own white tennis outfits, or our own PT uniforms of an aertex top and black or navy shorts, and launder them at home when required. The way we used to identify ourselves as HGS teams was by use of coloured cotton bibs, or coloured bands of one-inch wide webbing, which were returned to the Games teacher after use.
►Question 3 I wonder just exactly where did the pupils take a shower after PT lessons and Games before the 'New' Gym was built? ►Question 5 I don't ever remember any match fees being required from the girls. ►Question 6 During half-time at rounders and netball matches, and probably hockey also, we were served with slices of orange, or sometimes drinks of still orange. This was arranged between the captain and the attending teacher, and we all used to contribute a few pence to defray the expense. We made sure that the visiting team was offered the refreshments before the home team, and I can't recall there being anything to eat during this break or afterwards. ►Question 7 The fixture lists were never circulated to us as an actual 'list'. News of the next match would be circulated by word of mouth in the PT lessons or via the team captain. ►Question 8 Either the HGS member of Staff or the one from the visiting team would umpire the netball or rounders games - or sometimes they would share the role. There was a rack of hockey sticks and tennis racquets in a store room at the side of the Games Teacher's room which was at the far end of the Girls' changing room. Most of the Lower School used those for their games, and even had their favourites. That meant an urgent scramble of selection before any undressing was done! Older girls who took the team games seriously owned their own sticks, shin pads, boots and other equipment, but they were in the minority. ►Question 9 The awarding of team colours came 'out of the blue' to me. I never knew of any strict criteria for their presentation other than the high opinion of the Games Teacher. They were given out at the end of term, which may have coincided with the end of the season for that particular sport. I only ever saw Athletics colours. The netball, rounders and hockey colours may just have been 'honorary' ones, or maybe not? Sheila Kelsall, HGS 1955-62 If you can add anything to this topic, please send it in.

4. Leighton Smith comments about Esperanto.
	Esperanto was certainly going strong in the late 1940s. I had the privilege of being in a group of about fourteen Esperanto Club pupils and two staff (Mr Hamilton and a female staff member whose name I cannot recall) who went to France for about three weeks in August 1949.
We first attended the International Esperanto Conference in Paris. This lasted three or four days, then we went to Grenoble where we were billeted with families from a school there. I think that we were there for more than a week. Then we went back to Paris for a few days sightseeing, Palace of Versailles, the Louvre etc. I am not sure now how it happened, but at one stage I found myself on my own with Mr Hamilton for a couple hours, wandering around Paris. At one street cafe/bar he introduced me to Pernod." Leighton Smith, HGS 1945-50

5. Miss. Metcalfe's Cook Book
	Look what I found in the bottom of a drawer at my Mother's! It's a recipe book which Miss. Metcalfe issued to her first and second form girls for the sum of half a crown (22½ p). Inside the blue linen cover is a list of the sixteen editions of the book, dating from June 1914 to the eighth reprint in May 1955, when 25,000 books were printed. As you see from the front cover, it was only available from the Secretary, Battersea Polytechnic, and this instruction is repeated on the flyleaf inside. I wonder, did Miss Metcalfe have any connection with Battersea Poly. or was the book on a West Riding Education Committee list? There is a Contents reference page at the front, and a fairly comprehensive Index at the back of the book. One of the recipes in the "Broth" section caught my eye. Sheep's Head Broth requires 1 Sheep's head, 1 turnip, 2 carrots, 2 leeks, 2oz barley, 1 dessertspoonful chopped parsley, pepper and salt and 3 quarts water. Full instructions are given for the preparation of the broth, and after 2 hours' cooking when the head is tender, we are instructed to lift out the head and reserve it for Sheep's Head Stew. Other long-forgotten items include the making of Calf's Foot Jelly, Wine Whey, Peptonised Gruel and on the same page as the Rock Cakes - Vinegar Cake.
My book falls open at pages 136-137, which are stained with the inexpert splashings of an 11 year old's attempts at cake-making. The stitches in the centre of the pages even have traces of flour in them, and I can see my pencilled alterations, as instructed by Miss. Metcalfe, on the Rock Cakes and the Raspberry Buns recipes. I suspect that during the war years, when lard, sugar and margarine were rationed, recipes used these ingredients sparingly. Rationing ended in 1952, and so by 1955, Miss. Metcalfe probably felt more inclined to increase the amounts of these staples in her recipes. Rock Cakes ½lb flour, ½ teaspoonful salt, 1½teaspoonfuls (changed to 2) baking powder, Pinch ginger or mixed spice, 1 egg, Milk to mix, 3oz (changed to 4oz) fat, 3oz (changed to 4oz) sugar, 4oz currants, 1oz candied peel. In pencil I wrote coconut or cocoa as variations in place of fruit.. 1. Follow the rubbing in method. 2. Pile in rough heaps on a greased baking tray. 3. Bake in a hot oven for about 20mins. Reg. 8 or 450 degrees F. (At the side of the Rock Cakes recipe I had written, "This makes 16. Cost 1/6d. Bring a tin to take them home in.") Raspberry Buns ½lb flour, 2oz (changed to 4oz) castor sugar, ½ gill milk, 2 to 3oz (changed to 4oz) margarine, Pinch of salt, 1 small egg, 1½ teaspoonfuls (changed to 2 tsp.) baking powder, Raspberry jam. 1. Sieve the flour and salt into a basin. Rub in the fat and add the sugar and baking powder. 2. Beat the egg, add the milk and mix into the flour to form a stiff paste. 3. Cut into 6 or 8 pieces. Form each into a ball, make a small hole in the centre, and in this put a ¼ teaspoonful of raspberry jam. 4. Close the opening, turn the bun over and place it on a greased baking tray. 5. Brush the top with water and sprinkle with castor sugar. 6. Bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. Reg. 7 or 430 degrees F. I recall that between step 2 and step 3 in the making of our Raspberry Buns, we were shown how to make a sausage-shape of about 2" diameter, with flat ends. With a knife we lightly marked out 6 or 8 sections of the stiff paste, and then when we were satisfied they were equal, we cut into the mixture to form each bun. Well, that was the theory. In practice they turned out to be far from equal, and when taken from the oven, a lot of the jam had escaped during cooking, to form a crisp brown crust on the baking tray. Still, they smelled good! Elsewhere in the book I found the recipe for Shortbread, and when we made this, the mixture cooked on a very low heat for over an hour. I remember having a double lesson of Domestic Science, and having to leave my tin of cooked shortbread cooling on a wire rack while we progressed to our next lesson. At the end of the day I collected my shortbread, put it into my wicker basket, covered it with a tea towel, and took it home for tea. Next year my book will be half a century old! Does anyone else have this book lying in the bottom of a drawer? Sheila Kelsall, HGS 1955-62

6. Two memories from Fred Johnson
	Dear Dave, I've just spent a good hour or so having another look through the site and discovering things I hadn't seen before. When I went to the Class pages and 1958/59 to see my sister's class photo I noticed your comment to Richard Hancock about removing the Blue Lady from Room10. It reminded me of an occasion when I was one of the stage crew for a school play or staff play, some of my stage crew colleagues and myself decided we would hunt the Blue Lady.
We decided we would start looking inside the room that we thought was most associated with her from the tales we had heard. We chose the one opposite the sick bay halfway down the 'down staircase' and up some steps. I think we had English lessons in there during the day where it always seemed dark and shadowy. Was this room 10? Anyway, one dark night during the interval for the play, without the aid of torches we boldly entered the room and on reaching the front we opened a tall cupboard door. As we did so a large pile of paper came tumbling out from the top shelf, looking bright white from the moonlight coming through the windows. At that moment we didn't know it was just paper and we shot off, running like blazes back to the safety of the main hall. We laughed about it afterwards but we still gave up ghost hunting. I was sorry to hear that Mr Burnell had died recently. It was nice to see that someone kept in contact with him, Tony Senior I think it was. Also it would appear that Mr. Wilkinson has died too. I think I read that from his brother on one of the website pages. I mention it because although he was my PE teacher after Mr. Tate left and I didn't really get to know him because I wasn't much of a sportsman. I did meet him years later when he came as a supply teacher to Castleford High. I found him to be a really nice, friendly bloke with a wry sense of humour. He didn't remember me and I didn't tell him that he used to teach me but we chatted quite often at Break and Lunch Times. Sadly he was stopped from "supplying" by Wakefield Met because it was at a time when they had a policy of no redundancies etc and wouldn't employ people who had already retired from the Met. How things changed not so many years later when there was a shortage of supply teachers. All the best Fred Johnson (HGS 1961-68)

7. The School Rules
	1. Any offence against common sense is an offence against School Rules. 2. Absence a) No pupil may be absent from school except for illness unless the Headmaster's permission has been previously obtained. b) If a pupil is ill an absence note must be sent or brought to the Form Teacher within three days. c) Cases of infectious diseases are to be reported to school immediately, and a doctor's clearance certificate must be brought on pupil's return to school.
3. Homework Homework not done may be excused only by a written permit from Headmaster or Senior Mistress. 4. Leaving School Premises a) Dinner Time - only Prefects and pupils who normally have dinner at home will leave school premises. Permission to leave the premises during dinner hour will be granted by the Master or Mistress on duty ONLY if a written request from parent is produced. b) All pupils must be off the premises by 4.30 p.m., unless they are under direct supervision of a member of Staff. 5. Uniform To be worn when travelling to and from school, for all school attendances and for organised school outings. No jewellery may be worn. Every item of uniform must be clearly named and the owner is responsible for its safe-keeping. 6. Conduct Orderly behaviour is expected at all times. 7. School Grounds Walk on the recognised paths. The riding of bicycles is forbidden. 8. Lockers Must be kept locked and lost keys replaced by owners. 9. Heels and soles of footwear must not contain hobnails, boot protectors or other metal protectors of any kind. Rubber soles and heels are recommended but are not compulsory. 10. Pupils must walk along corridors quietly, in single file and must keep to the right. This information comes from Ruth Ashley. Thank you, Ruth.

8. Reflections on the change from HGS to HHS
	Dear Dave, Some time ago you asked me about my reflections on the change from HGS to HHS. At last, here are some thoughts. As a pupil I had no knowledge of the internal wranglings which went on - I imagine that Terry McCroakam's memories reflect his experience as a teacher. On the other hand, I have to say that my memories are of much greater opportunities and facilities than in the HGS days.
At last we gained decent library facilities, excellent Sixth Form accommodation, superb music and drama provision and much more. And of course, many of the old staff remained joined by some excellent new colleagues. HGS wasn't just a traditional school (I was taught the progressive 'Modern Maths' from 1964 onwards) and this openness to new developments continued in the new era. My years at HHS were very fulfilled. Ken Walsh and others were behind drama productions of the highest quality which made full use of the new staging and seating. 'Our Town', 'Mother Courage and Her Children', 'The Stirrings in Sheffield on Saturday Night' (the first amateur production of this Sheffield Crucible play, I believe) and a staff production of 'Oh What a Lovely War' are just a few which spring to mind. Les Cooling and Vernon Hoyle encouraged the musical talents of many, and not just the extremely able. Dennis Bavister continued his imaginative and time consuming outdoor pursuits work (home made kagools to save money!) whilst supporting and encouraging the Christian Fellowship. My involvement in that group is something which has had a profound impact on my life and professional work. For me at least HHS was a time of great opportunity and enjoyment. What was lost were some pleasant but honestly not very important traditions. The School Song is imprinted on my memory and it creates great hilarity amongst any colleagues on whom I choose to inflict it. Speech Day in the Hippodrome went, together with (as I recall) unfulfilled requests from visiting speakers for a half day holiday! Perhaps the biggest change however, was that what we had enjoyed at HGS (and I'm not trying to set HGS against HHS - they were both good experiences) became available to so many more pupils from the area. HGS may have been good, but it was only a relatively small proportion of pupils who could go there. Whether all of the pupils who now came to HHS made the most of the opportunity is another matter, but let's not forget those who dropped out of HGS at 15. Grammar school was not a universally successful or popular experience. So, in the end it's probably a mixed bag. Let's celebrate the good things about HGS but not be tempted to dismiss all the changes as bad - they weren't! Emlyn Williams (1964-71)

9. Some things recalled from HGS
	Dear Dave, Some things I recall from HGS: 1. The uniform list. Can anyone confirm my recollection that swimming costume was listed under 'optional'? And did anyone put it to the test?! 2. Mimi, the French Assistant (see 1966/7 staff photo) appeared in a Sunday newspaper. The following morning the photo was attached to the front of the lectern in assembly.
Dave Howdle was on duty, realised from the reaction of pupils that something was afoot and calmly walked to the front of the lectern, removed the photo, carefully folded it and put it in his wallet. Am I right, or is my memory really going awry? 3. The probably apocryphal story of the 6th formers who got at the PA system and played the Housewife's Choice theme music as Mr Hamilton strode to the platform! Finally, a suggestion for the site. Many memories are of teachers. It would be interesting to know of what happened to them. I know that Ken Walsh subsequently became a head of a school in Melton Mowbray, and there is quite a bit of news about Kath Ward. That kind of information would be interesting for former pupils, who owe teachers so much. Thanks for all you're doing. Emlyn Williams (1964-71)

11. A hidden trap door
	Sheila Kelsall writes: "Isn't it amazing how when one starts thinking about times and events gone by, something long forgotten, and not necessarily to do with the immediate train of thought, spontaneously surfaces! I asked Irene if she remembered anything about the fund-raising and presentation of the Memorial Lectern with which we are so familiar. She could not help with this matter, but it must have triggered other memories as follows..."
This image comes from the book Hemsworth High Hall and is published with the permission of the author Mr. G. Holdsworth. "By the way Sheila, did I ever tell you about the day I discovered the steps down to the wine cellars? Myself and another pupil were detailed to clean and tidy up the games cupboard, which in my time was the cupboard under the main staircase in the old part of the building. Hockey sticks, balls, netballs and numerous other things were stored there. We emptied everything out, and were washing the lino on the floor, when we noticed that there was a square shape showing through. We investigated and found a trap door, then we got hold of a male Prefect who had a lighter - he must have smoked!!! He ventured down a flight of steps but soon returned saying it was dirty and smelly. I did not go down." Irene Wright, HGS 1944-51 Is anyone able to add further detail?

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