Open Writing

Although good at football I soon realised cricket was my first love. In earlier years I had developed a family trait of being left-handed. This was not a problem, but when batting I was more comfortable batting right-handed. This ambidextrous skill amazed some of my team mates.
Unlike football, we had a fairly good cricket team at Mortimer Road School. Most games were played at Cleadon Recreation Ground on concrete wickets where at least the ball came through true as compared to the more dangerous grass wickets.

We beat Ocean Road in the final of the Coulson Cup. Our opponents were all out for 51, with the lad from the Marlborough Street prefab taking 7 wickets (all bowled) for 20 runs. We then passed their total for 3 wickets with the same lad scoring 29 not out.

Reporting on the match in the "With the Youngsters" column in the Gazette the write-up said "Mortimer Road School who have never been outstanding appear to have found a youngster who will trouble the best at football or cricket, his name is Malcolm Scott."

Also, after the annual School's Swimming Gala I got another mention in the Green Sports Gazette which read - "One of the evening's successes was Mortimer Road's Malcolm Scott who won the breast stroke event. I am told this boy is a brilliant sportsman. He has represented Shields schoolboys at left-back and is a proficient batsman and bowler for his school cricket XI; with such boys as Malcolm in our schools the future of sport in South Shields looks secure."

Some lads at school claimed I must have known the Editor of the' Shields Gazette'! The publicity had little effect on me and I continued as my normal self, rather quiet and reserved.

At Mortimer Road School - unlike other schools apart from the High School (Grammar) - we also had a rugby team. The metalwork teacher George Wyatt of the "Old School" ran the team. What a character he was! He loved the game passionately and I understand he played for Westoe Rugby Club in his youth. He was always telling us about a Willie Hudson - an old Mortimer Road lad who played for England Boys as a hooker.

George Wyatt was quick to recognise my skill at kicking and handling a rugby ball and before I knew it he had me playing rugby for the school. I had a few games but my love of soccer made this my first choice. There was, however, another reason. Playing full-back at the well-to-do Sunderland Bede Grammar School I 'accidentally' tripped one of their enormous forwards as he came yet again through our miniature defence. I was given a good dressing down as to the expected code of rugby players.

We all knew that Mr. Wyatt used to love to talk about rugby, so at the first opportunity during a metalwork lesson someone would deliberately ask, "How did Westoe do on Saturday?" In reply George was away telling us about the virtues of the game, at the expense of the often disliked metalwork lesson.

Another Mortimer Road School adventure was the Annual Camp. David de Hart, a fellow pupil of the time, describes in the Gazette how every summer we would board a huge lorry with tents and camping equipment, with a few teachers in charge and enjoy a week camping at Warden, near Hexham. It was adventurous and fun and, of course, I knew the town because I was evacuated there.

The old school building has long gone and the large vacated area is now used as a staff car park for the renamed Mortimer Community College. In my day teachers travelled by bus, bike or walked to school!