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Heanor Schooldays
This book deals with the
last hundred years but majors on the author's personal
experience of the 1950's and 1960's in which he recreates
the optimistic social atmosphere of teenagers enjoying the
popular culture of the day. You will also gain insights
into the gritty, unpretentious, honest character of Heanor
folk.
It is a graphic, colourful and emotional
journey from the depths of despair to the heights of
happiness. Along the way, Narvel Annable honours the
memory of teachers, headmasters and headmistresses who
have shaped the lives of countless Heanorians. Disquiet is
expressed, as discredited modern teaching methods are
contrasted to the successful tried and trusted methods of
past years.
Forty-five photographs and fifteen
documents will rekindle memories. The work is supported by
a foreword from His Honour
Judge Keith Matthewman QC and
contains first-hand accounts from many contributors,
including the one-time local lad,
The Rt. Hon. Kenneth
Clarke QC, MP, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer from
1993 to 1997. 205 pages.
"I was enthralled. A
cracking collection of tales."
John Holmes, BBC Radio
Derby
On an iron cold grey day in December 1963, I
was trying to hitch a lift southbound on Telegraph Road,
Dearborn, Michigan USA. Eventually a large white Chevrolet
Impala smoothly floated to my side. The driver took an
interest in the English teenager with his thick Derbyshire
accent. This man told me that he was a doctor. I was
impressed. Some time later I found out that this was not
true. His real profession was that of a teacher at the
local High School.
Here is a paradox. Yes, I was
impressed to meet a respected doctor. A prestigious job
with a high salary. But if he had told me the simple truth
of being a teacher, he would have gained even more esteem
and kudos from the young passenger who dreamed of one day
becoming a schoolmaster.
A fascination of teachers
and education led me to enter the profession. Even now
after retirement, that same drive has caused me to go back
through my own schooldays analysing and examining the
experiences and relationships of 40 years back. Education
today is the subject of much heated political debate and
it is to be hoped that this book will generate some local
interest in Heanor.
This is a sequel to my first
book - Miss Calder's Children - A Social History of
Belper, Biography and Critique on Modern Education, ISBN 0
9530419 0 5. 'Heanor' will follow a similar format to
'Calder', in that some of the critique will be duplicated
where appropriate; most chapters tracing the experiences
of myself and contemporaries, and the early chapters going
back to previous decades as much as living memory will
allow. Like the first, this book reflects a desire to
recapture a world I once knew and loved, with values which
now sometimes seem long lost. We of a certain age have
seen a half century of change, not all of which is for the
better. The decline of respect for adults and authority is
set out and documented in these pages.
For the most
part, the following is a history of two schools -
Mundy
Street Church of England Boys School (1891 to 1958) and
Loscoe Road School, which eventually became William Howitt
Secondary Modern (1915 to 1960).
My personal
experience of these two schools is just a five year span,
but from the boyish age of ten years up to the adolescent
manly achievement of fifteen years is a huge leap. It
seemed like a great age of time, encompassing a journey
from the depths of despair to the heights of blissful
happiness. Most of the period from September 1958 to July
1960 were the best days of my life, completely unequalled
since. These extreme emotions were generated by the
violent contrasts of the two very different schools and
the sensitivities of childhood.
To me, Mundy Street
Boys School was claustrophobic, hateful, cruel, ugly, dark
and despairing; whilst William Howitt Secondary Modern
School was open, sunny, kind, loving, leafy green and
hopeful. In the Howitt days I jumped out of bed in the
morning, eager to taste life and cycle to school. At Mundy
Street Boys School it was as Shakespeare said in "As You
Like It" -
".....the whining school boy....creeping
like snail, unwillingly to school."
Every day at Mundy
Street was very much a case of the 'Monday morning' blues.
In exploring these two schools I will frequently refer
to a third, the large comprehensive where I taught history
for the last part of my career (1978 to 1995) at the sharp
edge of the chalk face. Contrasting the standards,
practices, atmosphere and perspectives of both pupil and
teacher in the 1950's and 1990's, on both sides of the
Atlantic, should make for interesting reading. As a
teacher I carried within myself the idealised models of
best practice in the form of - Miss Florence Calder, Mr
Peter Crofts, Mr Leonard Smith, Miss Mary McLening, Mr
Maurice Brentnall, Mrs Doris Cook and Mrs Maud Buxcey.
This book will express a deep sense of disquiet in
examining the ever creeping poison of progressive
child-centred practice which has undermined the high
standards of these excellent teachers.
The story
of my comprehensive school is typical of many since the
1960's. The name and town will not be disclosed since this
is not a criticism of a school, but rather a 'school of
thought'. After seventeen years of service, I have respect
and affection for some of my conscientious ex-colleagues
and would not wish to hurt them with the expression of
sharp philosophical differences.
The Howitt days
are remembered with affection by most of its pupils as
will be amply demonstrated here in the following pages,
and by the annual reunions kindly organised by Brian
Brailsford. It was a magical time of youthful hope and
happiness reflected by constant cheer and laughter. The
school gates will not limit the depth of this book. I hope
to recreate the optimistic social atmosphere of teenagers
taking their leisure, enjoying the popular culture of the
day, and for the record, to explore the gritty,
unpretentious, honest character of Heanor folk.
The
scope of this work will also attempt to include a wider
history of the two Heanor schools well before my time, and
also after, up to the present day. I am grateful to a
number of elderly Heanorians who have given evidence, and
shared their anecdotes and experiences to be preserved in
the following pages. It has been important to talk to them
before it is too late and thus gives this work the
authenticity of primary evidence.
Articles in the
local press together with a BBC Radio Derby interview have
produced a reasonable response from former pupils who came
forward with a mixture of memories of life in Heanor, in
and out of school. I apologise to those people (of which
there must be many) who have been unable to furnish
information, because they could not be contacted
personally and were never reached by the media or word of
mouth.
The following has been verified as far as
time and money will allow, but the story of Heanor
Schooldays, inevitably will remain incomplete. Even now
after publication, I invite readers to contact me with
further information or clarifications they may wish to
offer, and could be useful in a second edition. I shall be
pleased to hear from you.
Contributors to this work
have expressed a wide variety of views about the social
apartheid created by the 11+ Exam, and this has given me
an opportunity to look at the Heanor Grammar School which
has its own proud and interesting history.
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