Two Rooms And A View: 48 - The Hayden Twins
...Our fight was the last on the programme and seen as the highlight of the tournament! The only reason I lasted the three rounds was because I retreated so quickly he couldn't catch me! He was easily adjudged the winner. When the bout was over, my seconder sarcastically said, "Don't worry, you were definitely second." I nearly hit him. When I got home my mother remarked on my red face. I characteristically offered no explanation...
Robert Owen recalls the day of the school boxing tournament.
For earlier chapters of Robert's life story please click on Two Rooms And A View in the menu on this page.
The Olympic Games were held in London in 1948, and this seemed to stimulate the School to hold a sports day. Not having a sports ground did not stop Charlie Swainston and Jack Shipley, our enthusiastic P.E. teachers attempting a limited sports event in the school playground. Unfortunately it was marred by a number of accidents with runners falling on the concrete ground and it was not repeated.
Instead, the following year it was transferred to Cleadon Park Recreation Ground. Many pupils said they did not know where this was, and others said they could not afford the bus fare, with the result that many took the afternoon off for a variety of illegal reasons. It also rained!
After that, they gave up on sports days, but the same year attempted a Boxing Tournament, again in the school yard.
A square 'ring' was rigged up in the playground with ropes and cork matting used as a base. Ten fights of three one-minute rounds were organised to reflect the whole school.
Because I was one of the tallest pupils in my year, I allowed myself to be persuaded to take part. I was soon to rue that decision. It was not until I had 'volunteered' that I was told whom I would be fighting. It turned out to be someone called Potts from 4C, a year older than me. Not only that, but he had boxed for the local Y.M.C.A. and was certainly not a novice. I felt like having a day off.
Our fight was the last on the programme and seen as the highlight of the tournament! The only reason I lasted the three rounds was because I retreated so quickly he couldn't catch me! He was easily adjudged the winner. When the bout was over, my seconder sarcastically said, "Don't worry, you were definitely second." I nearly hit him. When I got home my mother remarked on my red face. I characteristically offered no explanation.
During my years at Stanhope Road School, I mixed superficially with my classmates but had few good friends. Upon reflection, there were a number of valid reasons for this.
First, I was the only outsider/newcomer in the whole class. Everyone else lived in the normal catchment area. This in turn isolated me at Reed Street, because our neighbour's children attended a different school and I did not mix with them.
Secondly, I was becoming increasingly conscious of my family circumstances, with no apparent father, an older-than-average mother and a much older sister, with whom I temporarily lived at times. The outcome was an academic, quiet, shy young lad, with a serious personality and with few good friends.
One of those friends was Jimmy Hayden who lived near the top of Stanhope Road. Unlike me, he was an excellent swimmer and had an exceptional ability in art, going to the town's Art College one day a week.
He also had a twin sister. Christine was tall and fair and to some extent was my first girl friend. I met her when visiting their house and displayed my shyness by partly hiding behind the open living room door while waiting for Jimmy.
We met again at the school Christmas Dance in December 1949 when she teased me about 'not having a door to hide behind.' We enjoyed dancing together and I remember her headteacher pointing to us as we shuffled around the floor and saying, "What a lovely couple they make."
Perhaps we did, because Christine was an attractive young girl. As I walked her home after the dance I tried to build up courage to ask her out, but in the end my confidence failed me. Anyway, I thought afterwards, "Where am I going to get the money to take a young girl out?"
Christine didn't forget that night. About twenty years later, when she was working in Harton Hospital, my mother (whom she hadn't met) was admitted due to her troublesome diabetes. Coincidence brought them together on the same ward. I'm told she asked my mother, "Have you a son called Robert who went to Stanhope School?"
When the reply was affirmative, Christine proudly said, "He was my first boyfriend!" I believe my shocked mother replied, "You must be mistaken. Robert didn't have any girlfriends at school." But Christine knew otherwise!
About another twenty years later, I went with Jimmy to South Shields Cricket Club's Annual Dinner. One of the first things he said was, "My sister wants to know if you are still hiding behind doors!"
