by George Pulley (1944-49)
“I have to respond to the article in the July Newsletter No 8 by Mike Brogden
This could have been written by me of my experiences and feelings when at school in the forties (1944-9). I went, as I failed the 11 plus, as a paying scholar!, and my parents paid for me, for only two terms, I think when the government of the day decided to scrap that and they no longer paid. I felt as this group we were looked down upon and got the worst teachers, although I do not know if there were many good ones then. Most of our classes we had “Solar’, who “taught” us everything, or was it nothing? His speciality I believe was Latin, after one year it was dropped from our syllabus.
One of the teachers was younger and a right charlatan. How he missed being in the forces I do not know, probably on medical grounds, having nothing between his ears. A few anecdotes about this “teacher”. That being a horse racing addict from one year old (my grandfather being a jockey, I was 6 feet and 16 stone – believe that if you will), I often ran a book for big races i.e. Derby?, Grand National, with another boy Pat Forrest. Pat had the list of odds and was taking bets, probably a penny or sixpence max, when he came into class and caught him. “What is this?” he asked Pat. “Nothing Sir” as was the standard reply. He removed the document from Pat and said “This is odds for The Derby, let’s see what the price is …….?”, and promptly gave Pat a sixpence to wager on the horse, which incidentally lost.
Another time he threw a hard blackboard duster at me, I ducked and it hit and broke a picture behind me; he thereafter stopped this practice. As it was wartime, things were hard to get, and he would often bribe boys to get things he wanted in return for letting them off detention etc. My speciality was Brylcream, which he liked, and I had a tame hairdresser who would supply me. I got a lot of detention and lines so he could bribe me. A lovely man! (A prize for guessing his name)
Although now I revere Ian “Spud” Taylor, I learnt little of physics, except those which related to Rugby football, a game I hated and still do. Luckily I wore glasses from age one and still do, so managed to avoid being a Hooker!
I never aspired to School Cert, as it was then, and at just under 16 Lay told my father perhaps he should find a job for me.. This was done, and although I hated Maths, most of my early working life was with figures. I spent 18 years at Pressed Steel in Accounts and Research, where figures were the order of the day. For all its faults I made my way successfully and for over thirty years, from age 38, ran my own Private Detective business, becoming President of my trade Association. I have since written a book of my memoirs, now out of print.
I was never interested in old boys club etc, until I heard that some old boys were getting together to form a new one. I went to the inaugural meeting at The Greyhound and the rest is history.
So, did things ever change at School after the forties and fifties? I wonder.”