Open Writing

"The first year of the school is full." That was the Headmaster of Dean Road Secondary Modern School speaking in early September 1946.

He was talking to my mother and me on the first morning of the autumn term. We had arrived at the school just after 9 a.m. and, in the age before school secretaries or receptionists, a passing member of staff said, "The Headmaster will be with you as soon as possible." He did eventually see us but our meeting was extremely brief. As soon as he found out I was a potential first year pupil – rather like a bank manager refusing a loan – he said, "We are full – try Westoe, Mortimer or Stanhope." – other secondary schools in the town. This was something for which we were unprepared. It was not that I knew anybody at Dean Road School because I had lost contact with friends I used to have in the Reed Street area. It was mainly that the other schools were further away. After a quick consultation, we chose Stanhope.

Looking back, I think the Headteacher's decision that day had a significant long term effect on my development. If the truth were known, I also believe that my mother was more than pleased about me not attending Dean Road School. If I had gone there it would have meant mixing with lads my age from the Reed Street area and I'm sure she didn't want that. She knew the Stanhope Road area well and believed I would have "a better chance", in her words by, "mixing with lads from the other end of West Park".

As we walked up past the Scout Hut and through the park towards the school, I also recall her saying in the true northeast family tradition, "Anyway, it will be nearer to where your Aunt Kate and Jenny live."

Our reception at Stanhope was different again. A prefect of about fourteen years of age sat outside the Headmaster's room and was acting as receptionist. He politely asked our name and showed us into the Headmaster's room. A small mature gentleman in a brown suit sat behind the desk in a room surrounded by bookcases and notice boards. He told us his name was Mr Wilson. My mother explained the situation and he confirmed that the school could accept me. He however raised another problem.

The school had about 120 pupils in my year and they were graded into three classes – A, B and C according to academic ability and reports from their junior schools. He asked if we had a report from my school and as we had no such report, he said he was going to ask me some questions. I remember his one and only question. He said, "How clever are you Robert?" I replied, "I was third top out of 35 in my last school and I had passed the preliminary part of the 11 plus examination." He must have been satisfied because he sent my mother on her way and I went straight into the 'A' form.

Stanhope Road School was built in the 1890's and was part of a 2½ acre campus overlooking the West Park. In reality, it was five separate schools: infants, junior boys and girls, and senior boys and girls. According to Hodgson (1903) it was built to accommodate 1770 pupils and was amongst the finest in the country when opened by Sir William S Robson in 1896. Thirty-eight years later, on Monday 12th February 1934 the Gazette reported that "One of the most disastrous fires in the history of South Shields occurred, when a big block of school buildings comprising Stanhope Road Senior School, was practically destroyed. Crowds watched as firemen fought the fire for seven and a half hours."

The senior school then had over a thousand pupils. For the next two years, until the school was rebuilt, they experienced only part-time education at Cleadon Park Junior School, the boys going in the morning and the girls in the afternoon. The only section of the senior school undamaged was the metalwork and woodwork building, which former male pupils will remember was a separate construction about 30 yards away from the main block. Years later, Mr Charlton the metalwork teacher, still had many photographs of the fire on the wall of his office.

The school may have been one of the finest in the country in 1896, but fifty years later it was very ordinary with outdoor toilets and no sports field. The toilets were an absolute disgrace and I can't recall ever using them during my four years at Stanhope. The lack of a sports field did not stop the school producing some good football teams and excellent footballers, during the early years of the twentieth century. An unnamed article in the Gazette on 21st March 1932 headed, 'When Warney Creswell was a Forward' tells of the school's proud championship habit, and lists the fifteen players who had won county, international honours and/or who graduated to play senior professional football. The most famous was undoubtedly Warney Cresswell (1908-11), who played for the Country's Schoolboys, Sunderland, Everton and England at a full international level. Forty years later, he returned to his former school and I was one of the lucky ones to be selected for coaching by the 'Great Man' in the school gymnasium.