The Forum
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"I have so many memories of the school and it is nice to be able to write them down in a place where other people will read them with interest and where they may evoke other memories." |
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Mr. R.W. Hamilton |
The Forum Index (Click here for the topics) In this section you will find anecdotes and personal views about the school. Please contribute whatever you can. | |||
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September 1937 |
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This term began on September 15th., when we welcomed our new Head, Mr. R.W. Hamilton, who comes to us from Bishop Auckland. We would offer to him our best wishes for his happiness here with us, and we hope his reign may be marked by years of successful progress in all the real things for which our School stands.
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I recall quite clearly that Mr. Leonard would administer lines with a boring regularity to pupils despite their protestations of innocence ("It wasn't me, Sir."). His favourite saying was: 'A wise old owl sat on an oak. The more he heard the less he spoke. The less he spoke the more he heard. Wasn't he a wise old bird?' I was that innocent child!!! |
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. |
When war started the Metalwork Room was taken over for the manufacture of munitions, and we were not allowed into it. Certain ladies came each day to work on munitions as part of the war effort. |
At my interview Mr. Hamilton took me through my particulars and when it came to where I was going to live, the answer being some 19 to 20 miles away, travelling to and fro by car, one of the gentlemen behind me jumped in with, "Tha mun not forget to put plenty or oil in thi engine!", at which the whole room fell about with laughter. Mr. Hamilton apologised for any embarrassment caused by a private joke, and the meeting quickly decided, in the absence of anybody else, I suppose, to give me the job. |
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From the School Magazine |
Keith Twigg 1955-62 |
Terry McCroakam 1949-57 |
Stuart Walker 1935-40 |
Mr. Hodson Staff member from 1956 for 33 years |
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In April 1923 Hetty Littlewood and Barker E.J. successfully produced the first issue of the School Magazine. It contained "a comprehensive survey of the history and various activities of the school." Miss D.L. Prince, one of the teachers, designed the artistic cover, and a featured article was "Scout's Corner". Mr. Sydney Clift, also a member of staff, submitted some very smart sketches, and there were many original contributions by the scholars, including an amusing description in blank verse of the final rehearsal of the school play. It was felt that a high standard had been set by this first issue, an example of which would have great rarity value today! |
In the February of 1922 the Governors decided to adopt the white rose as the emblem of the school (perhaps as a result of the lack of progress about the requested coat of arms from Barnsley?) and plans had appeared for the building of the Headmaster's house which the Governors decided to recommend to the County Authority for approval, with the suggestion that a reasonable rent should be fixed. A sum of £1,530 was allocated for the erection of the house. |
A room upstairs was set aside for PE and country dancing. One day, as we were in the middle of 'Gathering Peascods', an urgent knocking could be heard on the door, the floor rocked with our dancing and the messenger said that the ceiling was in danger of collapsing on to the floor below. This put an end to dancing upstairs. |
The children from South Elmsall came by train to Hemsworth Station and entered the school grounds from the Station Road end. They also stayed for dinner. The local pupils went home for their midday meal. This new school was a God-send for the district. It provided opportunities for children who would have otherwise been denied. The cost for fee paying pupils was 2 guineas per term, rising later to 3 guineas. This enabled my parents to send more of the family as soon as they were old enough. At one time, I think there were five sisters, including me, from our family attending the Hemsworth Secondary School. |
A hot two-course mid-day meal of good quality and generous quantity is served in the School Dining Room. The cost is 3/- per week, or 8d. per single dinner. |
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School History |
School History |
Marion Finch, HGS 1921-25 |
Marion Finch, HGS 1921-25 |
School Prospectus Late 1930s |
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I want to bring to your attention the meticulous coverage by RWH of events, incidents, Staff, games, pupils, and games results that he had tabulated for each year of his 'reign' in the exercise books of the day. I know he did that as I went to him about a subsidy to take the lower sixth to Malham Tarn which of course he granted, and waiting for him to enter the Saturday results in one of his games books for the year. This is why he was able to churn out a wondrous mass of data at the annual Speech Day where school prizes were distributed by 'famous' personalities at the time. He returned the book to a cupboard behind his desk to the right of the chair where I was sitting to discuss with him. There on various shelves he had amassed a mighty archive of information. What would be interesting is to inquire if such books are still around on a dusty shelf somewhere in the school. It is only a thought but he knew, believe it or not, all his pupils individually, where they lived, their parents, addresses, when they entered the school, their individual successes and achievements - including the Staff, and external examinations. He had an enormous database even before computers all written by hand. For me he was an object lesson which I never forgot. No pupil was allowed to be anonymous. To permit him to perform the enormous admin role that he had, people like Les Collette and Cyril Owen constructed the mighty tasks of timetable admin after being instructed by him of the criteria that were to be followed. | ||||
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Ken Sale, HGS Staff 1955-61 | ||||
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Mr. Hamilton (and his Family) treated me with a sensitivity and kindness that I have never forgotten and organised my journey home (from Camp) immediately. I was treated as though I was his own son, and it wasn't until many years later that it dawned on me that we were his Family and were treated accordingly. A truly remarkable man.” | ||||
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Geoff Booth HGS 1939-45 | ||||
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Review the basics about grammar schools: |
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►"Memories are never ending. Obviously I haven't yet seen all the site-sections. The sight of seeing myself in pigtails certainly made me wonder "What Next?!" I cannot wait to discover more. I will keep in touch .............." |
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►"The site is a wonderful evocation of those days of my youth (where did it go?) done with just the right mix of sentiment and history." |
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►"I have so many memories of the school and it is nice to be able to write them down in a place where other people will read them with interest and where they may evoke other memories." |
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►"I remember Mr Leonard doing his dinner patrol. I was sat next to Dave Law (1d 1955) when he was eating with just a fork. Mr Leonard said, "We will put yours in a trough tomorrow, Law." To which Dave replied, "Ok, so long as it's full, sir." Was that a faint smile we got from Mr Leonard?" |
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►"I remember all my teachers, all the classrooms even the smell of the different classrooms. I know I am proud to have attended Hemsworth Grammar School, and the education I received there has stood me in good stead all my life." |
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►As I re-examine the records of my schooldays at HGS, I can't help noting the number of times I see the thanks of team captains for the support and encouragement of differing members of staff who gave their time freely to advise and coach the inexperienced but enthusiastic participants in Sports. Other areas of encouragement included Drama, Travels Abroad, Debating and Music. I don't maintain that those who did not participate in these activities were in danger of becoming Moonies or the like, but everyone at School was surrounded by the philosophy of caring about things other than learning facts in order to reproduce them for exams. Each person seemed to take on board what they would or could, and I suppose we can only appreciate how much was on offer with the benefit of hindsight. |
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►I had the great fortune to be a pupil at the school throughout the 50's, commencing in Sept 1950 and finishing in July 1959. Moreover, I was also one of that 'selected band', along with people like Les Tate, George Pacy, Dick Whittaker, Peter Wall, Derek Wilkinson, Terry McCroakam, Wendy Jennings, Frank Morley and Albert Parkin, who were both pupils and teachers at the school. In my case, in the last year of the 'grammar school era', in the academic year 1967/8. Sid Kenningham (1950-59) |