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Memories of the Boys' School in the 1940's [+]
Please share your memories of your time at the Boys' School in the 1940s
I was aged 11 when the bomb fell in the School Playground.
Our family was bombed out of Orchard Square, Redcliffe, in October 1940 and moved, for 18 weeks, into the skittle alley in the old Parish Hall in Guinea Street; we slept on straw mattresses. During the air raids Betty sheltered in the cellars below Redcliffe Boys School. Late in the evening of Friday 11th April 1941 there was a large air raid. One of the incendiary bombs hit Mullets Garage behind the Lead Shot Tower and caught it on fire.
The flames were reflected in the window of the school and the Fire Warden evacuated the shelter because it was though that the school was on fire and we were being moved to surface shelters in the school playground. White crossing the playground a bomb fell on the school’s Mervyn King Gym that had only just been built and had never been used. There was a massive explosion and the blast scattered the people who were heading towards the shelter.
A gentleman who was crossing the playground with Betty heard the whistling of the bomb falling and he threw Betty to the ground and fell on top of her to protect her. Unfortunately onto broken grass and Betty’s leg was cut and she still bears the scar today. She was the only one injured. Her brother, Ray, was also crossing the playground when he was thrown to the ground by the blast and lost his brand new school cap which he treasured.
The blast destroyed the front half of the gym and a week or so later when the gym was being made safe the school cap was found sitting on top of the chimney completely undamaged.
The school houses then were Colston , Proctor, Chatterton and Canyege. Although the Gym was bombed the excellent Woodwork rooms were intact with two first class teachers Mr. Wakeford and Mr. Turner from whom I learnt excellent skills which I still use today.
We were the first group of children to stay at school for the extra year up to the age of 15. Due to the lack of classrooms we were taught in the church hall and in the winter of 1947 there was very little heat in there so we sat at our tables (no desks available) in our topcoats scarves and gloves.
The headteacher was Mr. Fryer, other teachers were Mr. Vaughan,Grant,Wyn Davies,Dai Davies,Williams. I'm Brian Sage some of my contemporaries were Ron Cole, Joe Norley,Arthur Shepard.
At the time I lived at Keynsham and commuted by train to Bristol as I attended Redcliffe Hill Senior School.
On the Monday after the raid, as usual I went to school. The entrance to the playground was actually on the hill. When I walked through the doorway a huge bomb crater confronted me. The gymnasium roof was gone, and every window shattered into the art centre. Anyway we went into assembly and the headmaster Mr Cecil Fryer told us that as the place was rather a mess with shattered glass all over, therefore school was abandoned.
He advised all the pupils who came from wherever to look for schooling nearer home. I finished my last one and a half years of Broadlands School Keynsham.
I attended St Mary Redcliff Primary School and then the secondary school both on the same site from about November 1942 until Christmas 1950.
I was given a Certificate of Character (see it on site's main page), which was written a couple of months before I left, I presume to present at job interviews. I only had one interview and got a job and a trade that set me up for life and advancement.
Although I didn’t live in the parish or local area, I think my grandfather being an old boy must have helped. As he was born in 1860 he would have attended the school in the 1870’s.
With reference to the rebuilding of the school hall I have a few memories. The bomb that damaged the hall, but not the woodworking and metalwork classrooms, had also penetrated Redcliffe Caves below. The hall couldn’t be rebuilt until the caves were repaired. I remember a convoy of men with wheelbarrows full of building materials leaving the school yard to restore the cave walls.
The rebuilding of the hall was completed before I left the school, as I remember playing the violin very badly, at the grand opening event.
I wouldn’t say that discipline was over strict, but because I was late for school three time in three years I was rewarded with six of the best by Mr Fryer, and as the the certificate shows my punctuality was only very satisfactory. I don’t think I did badly as I had to wall from the top of Windmill Hill each day.
I was aged 11 when the bomb fell in the School Playground.
ReplyDeleteOur family was bombed out of Orchard Square, Redcliffe, in October 1940 and moved, for 18 weeks, into the skittle alley in the old Parish Hall in Guinea Street; we slept on straw mattresses. During the air raids Betty sheltered in the cellars below Redcliffe Boys School. Late in the evening of Friday 11th April 1941 there was a large air raid. One of the incendiary bombs hit Mullets Garage behind the Lead Shot Tower and caught it on fire.
The flames were reflected in the window of the school and the Fire Warden evacuated the shelter because it was though that the school was on fire and we were being moved to surface shelters in the school playground. White crossing the playground a bomb fell on the school’s Mervyn King Gym that had only just been built and had never been used. There was a massive explosion and the blast scattered the people who were heading towards the shelter.
A gentleman who was crossing the playground with Betty heard the whistling of the bomb falling and he threw Betty to the ground and fell on top of her to protect her. Unfortunately onto broken grass and Betty’s leg was cut and she still bears the scar today. She was the only one injured. Her brother, Ray, was also crossing the playground when he was thrown to the ground by the blast and lost his brand new school cap which he treasured.
The blast destroyed the front half of the gym and a week or so later when the gym was being made safe the school cap was found sitting on top of the chimney completely undamaged.
[imported from Wikidot website]
I attended the school from 1944 to 1948.
ReplyDeleteThe school houses then were Colston , Proctor, Chatterton and Canyege. Although the Gym was bombed the excellent Woodwork rooms were intact with two first class teachers Mr. Wakeford and Mr. Turner from whom I learnt excellent skills which I still use today.
We were the first group of children to stay at school for the extra year up to the age of 15. Due to the lack of classrooms we were taught in the church hall and in the winter of 1947 there was very little heat in there so we sat at our tables (no desks available) in our topcoats scarves and gloves.
The headteacher was Mr. Fryer, other teachers were Mr. Vaughan,Grant,Wyn Davies,Dai Davies,Williams. I'm Brian Sage some of my contemporaries were Ron Cole, Joe Norley,Arthur Shepard.
Brian Sage
[imported comment from Bygone Bristol]
Redcliffe School bombed in 1941
ReplyDeleteAt the time I lived at Keynsham and commuted by train to Bristol as I attended Redcliffe Hill Senior School.
On the Monday after the raid, as usual I went to school. The entrance to the playground was actually on the hill. When I walked through the doorway a huge bomb crater confronted me. The gymnasium roof was gone, and every window shattered into the art centre. Anyway we went into assembly and the headmaster Mr Cecil Fryer told us that as the place was rather a mess with shattered glass all over, therefore school was abandoned.
He advised all the pupils who came from wherever to look for schooling nearer home. I finished my last one and a half years of Broadlands School Keynsham.
[imported from BBC website]
ReplyDeleteI attended St Mary Redcliff Primary School and then the secondary school both on the same site from about November 1942 until Christmas 1950.
I was given a Certificate of Character (see it on site's main page), which was written a couple of months before I left, I presume to present at job interviews. I only had one interview and got a job and a trade that set me up for life and advancement.
Although I didn’t live in the parish or local area, I think my grandfather being an old boy must have helped. As he was born in 1860 he would have attended the school in the 1870’s.
With reference to the rebuilding of the school hall I have a few memories. The bomb that damaged the hall, but not the woodworking and metalwork classrooms, had also penetrated Redcliffe Caves below. The hall couldn’t be rebuilt until the caves were repaired. I remember a convoy of men with wheelbarrows full of building materials leaving the school yard to restore the cave walls.
The rebuilding of the hall was completed before I left the school, as I remember playing the violin very badly, at the grand opening event.
I wouldn’t say that discipline was over strict, but because I was late for school three time in three years I was rewarded with six of the best by Mr Fryer, and as the the certificate shows my punctuality was only very satisfactory. I don’t think I did badly as I had to wall from the top of Windmill Hill each day.
I hope the above was of some interest.
[Edited / abridged email received from D Nelson]