Open Writing

Some degree of bullying took place but most teachers and parents viewed this as one of the problems of growing up in a large community. There was much talk but little action. Only one teacher was on yard duty for about 400 pupils and while he would stop any scrap-ups (fights) that might develop, rarely was anything done about them. Pupils came from Stanhope, West Harton and Simonside junior schools and this often stimulated playground fights during the first year. As a complete newcomer, I think my height and weight proved a deterrent to any aggressors. There was little 'peer pressure' and in any case, I enjoyed my independence.

During the first term, we had weekly swimming tuition at Derby Street baths, although relatively little instruction took place. We used to meet at the baths at 9 a.m. and return to school all together, in a normal service trolley bus with Charlie Adamson, the Deputy Head in charge. He used to pay the collective fare for the whole class. If individual pupils had been asked to pay the half-penny fare, many would have objected and used it as an excuse not to attend.

The swimming instructor was a Mr Hart – although everybody was sure he never had one. He was well known throughout the town for his extremely loud voice, and his ability to teach pupils to swim while standing on the edge of the pool. In the twelve weeks we went to the baths, we never once saw him in the water.

Although many of the killer diseases were under control by the late nineteen forties, we all still feared poliomyelitis, also known as polio. There were several outbreaks throughout the country, and horrific stories of paralysis and living in an iron lung were common. A rumour went around the town that polio could be caught by attending the swimming baths. This produced a mass of, "please excuse Johnny from swimming" notes at school.

There were no TV's or videos in those days but once a month on a Monday afternoon, the whole school had a film show in the main hall. I believe the idea of these instructional films was to give a wider dimension to the curriculum than could be obtained in the normal classroom. The films were mostly about life overseas and how goods were made and distributed. To make sure we paid attention to the films, we usually had to write an essay on them the following day.

The highlight of my four years at Stanhope from a film aspect, however, must have been two visits to the Gaumont Cinema by the whole school. The local education authority in its wisdom, had decided that educationally, it would benefit all secondary school pupils in the town to see the films 'Great Expectations' and 'Scott of the Antarctic' free of charge and on one occasion, we were lucky enough to get the best upstairs seats in the cinema. The whole school was transported there and back by corporation bus. Sadly again, an essay on the film followed the next day.

At the end of my first year at Stanhope, there was a massive turnover of staff. Many teachers left and were often replaced by recently demobbed service personnel. One of these was an Arthur Yeoman, an art teacher and a keen footballer, who became our form teacher for years 2 and 3. Unlike most teachers, he talked to us as adults. He told us about his war exploits as a navigator in the same R.A.F. squadron as the famous 'Cat's Eyes' Cunningham. Also, during his time with us, one of the class moved to live in Cleadon, but continued to attend Stanhope Road School. He had a much younger sister in the infants and as they finished earlier every afternoon, she used to stand outside our classroom waiting for her brother, with her face glued to the glass door. This caused much amusement and Arthur Yeoman commented, "Don't laugh! In a few years you will be waiting outside her door!"

Not many pupils enjoyed the full morning or afternoon practical metal work periods. Little individual instruction took place and we used to help each other with tasks like setting up the drilling machine etc. Everybody had to make a brass serviette ring and then a brass pin bowl. I wonder how many of these still exist on the sideboards in the west-end of the town? I particularly enjoyed the technical drawing part of metal work and this developed into my initial desire to think about a career as a draughtsman. During the morning and afternoon breaks, most of the teaching staff used to come to the metal work building for tea or coffee, and woe betide the two monitors, if the brew wasn't ready when they arrived.

Several of the teachers who taught at Stanhope just after the war, had outside business interests. Charlie Swainston had a busy tobacconist's at Laygate and just over the road was the Loade's family sweet shop. Jimmy Emmerson, who only stayed at Stanhope for my first year, had a building company at Westoe and 'Killer' Crowell I believe, had a clothes shop in King Street.

Other teachers I remember were local lad Lawrenson, who taught geography, a Mr Bell and later a Mr Plater, who had the terrible job of teaching us music, and a Mr Bonhamme.

In the summer of 1948, for the first time during my schooldays, we had a class photograph taken. Looking back it is incredible to believe that there were so many thirteen-year-olds in short trousers. Perhaps this was due to clothes rationing and the fact that long trousers required coupons and short trousers were exempt.