Written Memories

I should probably begin by apologising for my typing and/or computer skills, which are just about 'zip.' So, having gained access to the Internet some time around mid 2000, the question arose 'what to do with it?' For a while, not very much…then I started delving into my past 'haunts' including Wennington. It was quite a few months - actually just around the turn of the year/century/millennium(2001)- before I found this site. I really enjoyed the reminiscences of Robin Sinclair, Dick Jones and Pete Ashmore, and I was soon contacting the site expressing a desire to 'incriminate' myself with my version of events. It took several attempts -usually interrupted by the assorted mundane occurrences that constitute my present life-to come up with this 'two cents worth' -and in the meantime, Chris Perks came forward with his notable contribution………

I was quoted in a 2001 newsletter as saying that I had maintained 'minimal contact with the school and/or anybody in it.' I certainly did have mixed feelings when I left, but I kept in touch with a handful of people for a few years. Since I was a student in Manchester in the late 60's / early 70's there were also several other ex-Wennington people I would 'bump into' fairly often. But there were some 'less than positive' issues involved somewhere amongst all this, and I became a bit over-aggressive in my neglect of the school 'and/or anybody in it'.

After Manchester, my contacts became fewer and farther between, eventually consisting entirely of 'chance encounters'-the most curious and (at the time) interesting of which was with one of the 'other' candidates for the position of Head; the job which went to Fred Sessa! The only time I experienced a large gathering of Wenningtonians was at the'89 reunion in London. Again, I probably only got to go there by chance, since another ex-Wennington pupil had been observing me walking to and from my place of work; rather than accost me, he tipped off the Association! I would not have missed it, but it was full of surprises-the most obvious being the amazing physical transformations of some of the people, set against others who looked more or less exactly as I'd remembered them, only older. My strongest impression was of the seemingly unreliable and inconsistent nature of people's memories (including my own, no doubt) so one hardly knew where to begin….It only came to life (for me at any rate) when talking about the past. I came to the conclusion that, while Wennington was a great equaliser, the pupils really came from far and wide-with some pretty diverse backgrounds, so it would only follow that they would go on to do some pretty diverse things afterwards……… I did have the impression that most of those attending were 'nice people' (compared to the population at large)-including a few who may have got 'under my skin' when I was at the school.

My initial contact with the school was through Kenneth Barnes' sister, who I knew only slightly, as 'Mrs Gyngell.' Wennington had been suggested as a solution to the various educational difficulties I had been experiencing. I may possibly have attended the Junior School had it not closed around 1960; my interview with Kenneth didn't take place till the Whitsun break (as it was then called) - around late May of 1961 when I was 11 years old. I was impressed by the Library, the Workshop (where one of the pupils was turning chessmen on the lathe), the brightly coloured rugs on all the beds, the sight of the tents pitched on the edge of the Playing Field (summer camping was allowed) and the fact that some of the Classrooms had been converted from stables! In other respects, the place might have looked a bit run down, but that didn't bother me unduly; I had no hesitation in accepting a place since I had heard so many positive things about the school already.

My experience of being a pupil probably begins at St. Pancras Station in London, waiting to board the train-and trying to pick out maroon blazers in the crowd. I would not have known at that stage that they were not the most popular item on the clothing list; and I only picked out one other person wearing one! Once on the train, I introduced myself to one of my new classmates, divulging the nickname that would 'dog' me throughout my entire stay at Wennington. The name had previously been thought up by one of the kids I used to play with in my neighbourhood but it only really took off at Wennington.

Arriving at the school, I was to be plunged into an atmosphere of excitement, bewilderment and chaos. When, years later, I saw the movie 'If'-depicting life in an English Public School, the atmosphere they portrayed of the beginning of term-kids, carrying trunks, running around in all directions,-was so realistic to me that it could just as easily have been Wennington. I was keen to know where people were from and also keen to hear some real Northern accents first hand. I was not to be disappointed but generally I had the impression that Wennington speech was fairly 'middle-of-the-road' and that anybody who arrived at the school with a strong regional accent either lost it or toned it down within a fairly short space of time. I remember my first mealtime-perhaps the first few mealtimes; I didn't have too much problem with the food (the food at my primary school had been truly disgusting; Wennington food fared pretty well in my opinion-though I would have welcomed better quality tea to drink!) I was most struck by the amount of 'bad language' I was hearing. I was probably wondering why-in such a 'utopian' kind of a place-did they find it necessary to still use it? I don't really think that the language used was any worse than that found in any other school at the time, however, that's what would have been going through my mind….. One individual, from the middle of the school was a bit excessive and did shock me; when, about three years later -he became my dorm-leader, shock had given way to mild amusement. His motto might well have been 'Why swear only once when four words will do?' Personally, I didn't swear very much in my first year or two-I just made up for it later on!

My biggest shock of all, however, must have been on my first morning. I had been quite a keen swimmer that year and had been eagerly awaiting 'Morning Dip.' At first bell, I arose and started following some of my dorm members to the Swimming Pool, swimming costume in hand……. I was told with some consternation that I would not be needing the costume since everybody swam in the nude! Whatever else I had heard about the school, they had forgotten to tell me about that! I didn't know whether it was a 'wind-up' or maybe some strange kind of initiation - I wasn't about to find out and abandoned the idea for the time being. I started the nude swimming the following summer (1962) but sadly didn't have the courage to continue with it in subsequent years.

Once I had settled into a routine, I perceived that the academic pressure was not going to be too strong to begin with, which was just as well because there were so many activities for an 11 year old that it was impossible to be bored. Most of my free time would be spent either exploring the woods or in the workshop, mostly the woods. I formed one or two short-lived friendships, but I was also content just to wander around by myself. Towards the end of my first term, I found a tree -an evergreen, probably a Yew, in which I felt confident enough to climb all the way to the top. It made a good vantage point, so I 'adopted' it for a while. On one occasion, close to the end of my first term, a 'couple' from the Fourth Form came to visit the tree while I was already up there; I was concerned for my safety in case I was discovered and accused of 'spying'-or worse….I had to maintain my silence until they left, which was probably after about twenty minutes.

After my second term, and after I had made some longer-term friendships, my time down the woods would be spent building dens and engaging in some not-so-friendly rivalry with one of the other 'cliques.' From my second year on, the woods would begin to assume less importance for me. For one thing, I started messing around on the piano and -intermittently- playing table-tennis (ping-pong) in the Common Room.( I always recall the atmosphere there as being good, with few arguments and never any need - in my recollection - for staff intervention.) However, one further episode down the woods, in the summer of 1963, is firmly engraved on my memory. Three of us were just messing around, but one of the other two had an air pistol ( I had been strongly warned not play around with such things; I contrived to keep as low a profile as possible and not appear to be too interested in such an apparently lethal weapon that was obviously not allowed in the school… However, I'm sure that my caution wouldn't have prevented me from 'trying it out' once or twice…). Anyway I was bent over a fallen pine tree (the previous year a severe storm had uprooted several of them) searching for something on the ground and presenting an ideal target. The kid with the air pistol just couldn't resist a shot! I felt a searing pain on my rear end (without the cord shorts it would probably have been worse) but all I could do was laugh. Despite the pain, I couldn't help seeing the funny side of it.

Taken over all, I would count my first year at Wennington as the happiest and my fifth year (O-level year) as the most exciting. The years in between - second, third, fourth - were generally very positive but not without their issues. However I would say that the Sixth Form experience (years six and seven) -despite high initial expectations, was a disappointment……
 I would like at this stage to talk about some of the staff who influenced me interspersed with more anecdotes / further explanations.
Kenneth Barnes

I may not have warmed to him personally as much as I would have expected, but to begin with ,I had enormous respect and admiration for the 'great communicator.' It goes without saying that I had a utopian view of the school at first; I felt privileged to be there; I was not to be disappointed by its founder. In case anybody should think of this as 'sucking up,' it was not a 'put-on.' I felt that way probably for two or three years….. At first I only really experienced him as the 'Sunday Assembly speaker' He had a great ability to awaken the curiosity of an 11-12-13 year-old mind, explaining relatively complex ideas from the fields of psychology and philosophy in terms that could be easily understood by a novice like me.

I well remember the sense of awe and wonderment that he infused into his sex education class, given in the informal surroundings of his flat, when I was still only 11. Although some of his other 'sex talks' (or - more accurately -'personal relationship talks' ) could be tedious at times he was capable of handling the subject with great finesse when he wanted to. On the other end of the scale, however, I also recall his sense of outrage when quite a number of pupils had been wearing the 'Make Love Not War' badges. One Morning Assembly, (in the summer of 1965), he fell very much into the vernacular to make his point, explaining that there were people out there who would take that message literally; to emphasise his point, he invoked an Anglo-Saxon word not normally heard in polite conversation-it had the School's undivided attention anyway!

As I moved up through the school I found that he had a clumsier, more impatient side and learnt to keep out of his way. I also formed the opinion that, as a psychologist he was far better in theory than in practice. That didn't mean that I was no longer interested in what he had to say, but the initial sense of admiration had worn off somewhat. In the Sixth Form he also became the form-master which meant that we got to know him in a more personal way. While I never entirely let my guard down this did amount to probably the greatest privelege of Sixth-Form membership. In the Sixth Form meetings he would hear us out, as if to encourage the 'emerging adult' in each of us. This could also be true of the 'General' class which was basically a discussion group which followed a BBC 'Religion and Philosophy' broadcast. I was no fan of that class-I may have emerged slowly and painfully into adulthood, but it wasn't there, I'm afraid.
Frances Barnes

I wasn't going to write about her at first, but in my younger years I did feel that she had a genuine concern for my welfare although it tended to come across as a series of parental 'don'ts.' In particular she would walk in on my piano playing and tell me, in no uncertain terms, that I should not be wasting my time on the popular stuff, but seriously practising classical pieces, studying harmony and counterpoint etc. It would take a little more persuasion than that before I 'came around,' however.

In my first year, Frances produced the play Toad of Toad Hall by A. A. Milne. She had no difficulty choosing people to play Toad, Ratty and Mole, but the part of Badger was more of a problem. She (somewhat arbitrarily) chose me for the part, based on my ability to do a 'gruff voice' The character was supposed to be like an old man, given to pompous, long-winded and over-complicated explanations. I was to find some problems with the part myself. I had come into the school with some educational difficulties; I was definitely not well-read, had some difficulty with verbal self-expression and was perceived by a certain number of kids as being 'thick.' As far as this part was concerned, I had no difficulty memorising the words, but I didn't have too much idea of their meanings (the word 'narrative' is an example of a word that I did not know the meaning of). All of this would finally get to me on the morning of the final performance. I became very upset, to the point that I didn't think I'd be able to go through with it. I was excused from final rehearsals, given glucose to drink and ordered to rest in a darkened room for an hour or so When I arose, despite feeling a little 'fragile,' my composure was regained, I played the part and I actually regard that day as a personal triumph. (I would not claim any artistic merit for it, however).

I'm sure that Frances must have been interesting as a younger teacher; after all, you don't inspire words such as 'bolshevik' from your peers without having something interesting to say.
Ingeborg Knudsen (1961-62)

I'm not sure that I ever saw her name on any staff lists, but she came to Wennington from Stavanger, Norway as an 18 year old school leaver, to work as a helper (domestic or kitchen) and to practise her English. At the end of my first term, the Junior School (Courtyard Block) Matron left at short notice, so Ingeborg stepped in to look after us,-with certain restrictions due to her age etc. However, she proved to be a 'natural' for the job. If I claim that my first year at Wennington was the happiest, then I'm sure that her influence had a lot to do with it. She probably found her vocation at Wennington.

In my first year, although the Junior School had been closed for a year or two, the 'transition' was not complete. The building known for most of my stay as the 'Courtyard Block' was still being referred to as the 'Junior School' back then. This was also reflected in the layout of the dormitories - with the boys occupying one end of the building and the girls, the other. There were separate entrances at each end, as I recall, but the main boys and girls' dormitories were connected by an adjoining door. This would have been a complete 'non-issue' when the Junior School was operating. I recall that, at certain times of day, there would be some traffic of girls taking a 'short cut' through the boys' dormitory to reach theirs. I was young enough for my years not to be bothered either way, but it must have been a bit of a stretch for some individuals…..In any case, by the beginning of my second year things had changed around. The Girls' Wing was now consolidated in the front part of the Main Building, Kenneth and Frances were given a self-contained flat, with the Boys' Wing occupying the rear part of the Main Building, together with the newly- named Courtyard Block.

Some of the non-teaching staff I remember from my earlier days would include Nicoletta and Tomasso (from Sardinia), Herbert Fox, John Harker and, last but not least, John Swift.

Nicoletta did an excellent job running the kitchen; after she left it was downhill from there on. I really can't remember who succeeded her, though it seems that there could have been quite a high turnover. ( One of the cooks was given the nickname 'Rubberlips' - I can't think why……..) Then there was her husband Tomasso- quite a character as I recall, exuding 'Latin temperament.' He sometimes used to supervise the Coke Shovelling, which was one of the least popular 'Outdoor Work' assignments. It was really too much for most 11 year olds to handle but he sometimes got a bit impatient about that…… Herbert Fox was the 'Groundsman' (I think that's what it was called ) responsible for general maintenance, -- he was later succeeded by Jack, (whose last name I've forgotten), but I remember he had a portable electric organ which he brought up to the school to entertain us with once or twice. John Harker kept bees, - the hives were located near the entrance to the woods-and lived in the small cottage at the entrance to the Drive. He may have also been knowledgeable about 'folk remedies' of some kind, but it's hard to tell because, when I did hear him talking about it, he wasn't being taken as seriously as he might have been… John Swift hardly needs an introduction from me, except to say that he really believed in the school and sacrificed a great deal to be there,.- so it was sad to read, when the school was in its last year, that he had been treated so negligently by the 'regime-in-force' before he left. As I remember him he was highly knowledgeable, nothing was too much trouble for him to explain and that I always felt glad to have asked him a question, no matter how trivial.

Ken Jones - Geography and Games (1962-65)

A rather well-built Welshman who impressed me very much at first. He's probably the only Wennington teacher who I recall turning up for lessons wearing a suit and tie --for the first two weeks or so at any rate. Later, his 'uniform' would more likely be a 'sports' shirt with upturned collar (his trademark) or simply a tracksuit top if he had just been teaching Games. I found him to be a very methodical teacher who made good use of 'film strips' (the 'high tech' of the day). He had a system of 'bonus marks' which he would award for an assignment well-done. It certainly motivated us to try harder. He did rather lose my vote with his periodic temperamental outbursts so I tended to keep my distance. He was also not a bad piano player- playing mainly 'standards' from the Ragtime/Early Jazz era. I would have welcomed some 'meeting of the minds' over this because (although Wennington didn't particularly encourage it) I had aspirations that way myself. However, I didn't make the first move and neither did he.

In the Summer Term of 1965, at the end of my fourth year, we had a mumber of interesting 'field trips' for which Ken Jones would have been responsible; a trip to Rowntree's (chocolate) factory in York, a trip to Manchester Airport / an Aircraft factory in Cheshire and finally a trip down a coalmine in South Yorkshire.

Of the Rowntree's trip, I can remember not being allowed to eat anything they showed us on the tour; most of what I saw put me off, but I wouldn't have minded having a go at the 'reject' (mis-shapen) Kit-Kats! At the end of the tour, they ushered us into a 'sampling room' where we were encouraged to eat what we wanted. They used this to gather information on new products (market research, etc.) and to see which lines were likely to be most popular.

The trip to Manchester Airport went off as planned, but when we arrived at the Aircraft factory we were greeted by the sight of all the workers exiting the building 'en masse' just as we were pulling in…. Clutching at straws, I suggested that they must be 'on strike' which turned out to be the case! The tour of the facility still went ahead, but to a deserted factory floor….

The trip to the coalmine was certainly unique. When we were given the details of this, we were told that there would be an age restriction (15 or older) and that it would be restricted to boys only. One slightly indignant girl brought the house down by asking 'What's the difference between a boy and a girl?' when she really meant 'Why the restriction on girls?' The basic reason was that they only employed men down the pit and consequently only had showers, etc. for men. Since the coal dust got everywhere, it was essential to take a shower (very much a communal arrangement) before we left. I can't imagine the outcry that would have occurred in the Mining Community just at the thought of girls being down there! My strongest memory of the trip was on the coalface. The seam was about five feet (high) -many were much less- but that determined the amount of 'headroom' we had. The 'ceiling' looked a bit temporary and was supported by 'pit-props.' One man would would pass along the 'face' with a huge machine which excavated the coal and allowed it to drop into a conveyor. The coal would then be loaded into railway trucks and brought to the surface. We were taken right along the Coalface-within feet of the lethal-looking machine, all the time having to 'watch our step.' It didn't help to have somebody prodding me, occasionally, from behind, but when our guide mentioned that 'We usually lose a man along here every three months' I had probably heard enough! If I had been making the rules, I don't think I would have allowed so many schoolkids in such an obviously dangerous area, but it was an experience, without a doubt.
Gordon Hughes - Physics and Chemistry (1963-67)

I tend to think of Gordon and Ken together, since they had a mutual interest in sports and jazz music. In the Autumn of 1965, they formed a jazz band, Gordon playing trumpet and Ken playing piano, with Wennington pupils filling the remainig slots. Gordon is perhaps the staff member with whom I identify the most-in retrospect-though I probably wouldn't have suspected that at the time…..

I first remember him as a somewhat raw, slightly unsophisticated Liverpudlian, with a few rough edges. He had a somewhat 'macho' image (not that the word existed back then) but-when he wanted to- he could 'empathise' with the pupils more than most of the other teachers. I remember that he had once been swimming in the Dales,-in one of those natural 'pools' that can be found at the base of a waterfall. By all accounts he got caught up in a current and could have drowned had it not been for one of the pupils jumping in to save him. I wasn't there myself, but I remember how he sought out that pupil to thank him once they were back at school. He was also, incidentally, more perceptive than he appeared and could be counted on to give some of the pupils a 'reality check' whether it was ordered or not; he did me once or twice at any rate…..

He was fortunate to preside over the move into the new Science Block. The facilities were a big improvement, but a lot of the equipment was not new. I remember him conducting an experiment to produce CO (Carbon Monoxide)-the equipment was so leaky that the experiment had to be abandoned and the room evacuated. It was frustrations such as this that could result in some rather 'colourful' outbursts at times. I may have let him down slightly by dropping P/C as an O-level subject only weeks before the exam. I felt that I needed to concentrate my efforts elsewhere.

Lastly, I remember him giving-of all things- a Sunday Assembly talk. At the time, Wennington was trying to involve as many of the staff as possible in this, to get some alternative points of view. Gordon's talk was relatively simple-he related some of the experiences (including industrial experience) that had led him into teaching and concluded by saying that, as a scientist, he couldn't help observing a 'natural order' in things and that it couldn't just be there by accident. He stopped short of offering any possible explanations……Had I ever-hypothetically speaking- been asked to give a Sunday Assembly talk (as an adult, years later of course) it might very well have sounded a bit like Gordon's.
John Chapman - Biology (1962-67)

I remember him as initially rather shy, but a very personable, popular teacher. If a class became too unruly (my year in the third form, for example) he sometimes didn't quite have it under control; usually that meant he could be teaching 'in competition' with the more disrespectful elements in our year. To my surprise, I found that Biology was my strongest subject (alongside Music) under his teaching-I had only done moderately well under Maggie Reese in my first year. He usually kept us up to date with the latest 'Elephant' jokes which were popular at the time, also there were the 'Fred' jokes which may be best left alone after such a long time lapse (they were a bit contrived back then, they might not even be funny now). I should definitely have taken his advice and studied Biology at A-level - I probably shot myself in the foot not doing so.
David Rothwell - History, British Constitution, English. (1963-66)

He was probably about the most entertaining teacher we had. Fresh out of Keele University (where he had been a contemporary of Bamber Gasgoigne -of University Challenge fame), he came across as a bit 'intellectual-waffly' but very contagious nevertheless. It might actually have taken me about 18 months to get used to his style, but once I had done so I was hooked. He tended to focus on the more modern periods of History and part of his secret may well have been that he only taught material that he felt a genuine enthusiasm for himself (for instance, I remember, for O-level, he skipped World War One entirely on the grounds that it was 'boring' even though it was almost guaranteed to come up as a question)

I will always remember his account of working 'freelance' for the BBC World Service-having to assume 2 or 3 different voices in the same programme to create the illusion that the cast was bigger than it really was. He made it sound rather incredible but I can believe it.
Jack Buckley - Music - Religious History (1963-66)

I tend to bracket Jack Buckley and David Rothwell together, since they did make something of a team for a while and their teaching shared one or two traits in common, although they probably wouldn't have agreed about that.

Since I had so many musical traits, it was a great privilege to have Jack as a teacher. He didn't necessarily like or approve of what he found in me (as a pupil) at first, but like many good (music) teachers, he took my technique apart and rebuilt it. The quality he shared with David Rothwell was the boundless enthusiasm of his teaching. He also had composers/topics he preferred not to teach (most notably the music of Beethoven, which he had reservations about at the time) but this was more than made up for by the vitality he felt for the material that he did like to teach.

Jack assembled one of the largest O-level Music classes Wennington had known at that time,-- although that did span two years (i.e. two classes) and did include David Rothwell for the first month or so. The following year-since we weren't allowed to move on to A-level work -we formed a somewhat experimental 'Musical Composition' class (to keep the class alive as much as anything else). Most of the assignments involved setting words to music-which I wasn't particularly good at. One week he asked us to pick any Hymn from the Hymn book and give it a more 'up-beat' setting. I gave it some thought and soon decided that this wasn't going to be that easy for me, but I may as well have some fun! I found a suitable Hymn and set it to music without thinking too hard about it, but introduced it with a well-worn musical 'cliché' suggestive of a 'circus act.' When I played/sang it the following week, it got quite a few laughs from the class, but Jack seemed slightly taken aback by it. In retrospect, I would say that while it may have seemed funny at the time, it probably had too much a ring of 'mockery' about it.

His teaching of Religious History had much the same qualities as his Music teaching; he had obviously thought about the subject in depth. He had me thinking about the 'Sermon on the Mount,' for example, in greater depth than I would otherwise have done. He once played us a record of the satirical revue 'Beyond the Fringe' as a substitute for a lesson and I remember him once asking a question to the class on a subject completely unrelated. When quite a few people protested that this 'wasn't taught,' Jack responded that (the School) couldn't teach us 'everything' and that it was up to us to develop a 'natural curiosity' about things and -if I remember correctly- it was this same curiosity that was responsible for him being where he was.

In his last term, he could be found playing Beatles tracks in Morning Assembly. At the time, I remained indebted to his knowledge of Classical Music (which he knew in depth ) rather than this, which was probably already familiar ground to the great majority of the pupils.

Some of the other Music teachers I had at Wennington included Mary Hunt (part time Strings and Piano) in the first half of 1963. Once she noticed the extent of my musical inclinations, she tended to put me on some pretty advanced stuff; still it was OK to be recognised…..(She could later be found playing Viola in the Halle Orchestra). Then there was John Baker, who didn't have me as a (piano) pupil but would write "Has considerable ability but needs to be kept up to the mark" (late 1962 or early 1963)

There was Reginald Lester (part time Woodwind and Brass) who taught me Clarinet. He normally worked at 'Kitchen's' Music Shop in Leeds and had a military background (as a musician). I think I appreciated this the most in him; it set him apart from most other Wennington teachers and gave me a contact with the 'outside world' at times when Wennington seemed 'claustrophobic.'

There was Ruth Glendenning (Strings and Piano) who, though she never taught me, was a great asset to the musical life of the school and an accomplished Violinist. In the Sixth, I had Brian Sunderland (1966-68) and Alan Cuckston (part time 1967-68).
 Roger Gerhardt - French

I would probably count him as the best teacher Wennington ever had (not that he wasn't without serious competition). His wide ranging interests and his uncanny perception of people were unmatched. In the course of 'wandering about' he would usually find me practising something musical and would offer words of encouragement. Over the years, some of these words would come back to mind and would have me wondering 'which close and intimate friend could have spoken them?.' I'm sure that I wasn't being 'singled out,'-it was just evidence of the way he cared for his pupils.

It wasn't unknown for him to 'blow his top', usually during lessons. Roger was one of the very few people who I could easily forgive for doing so. Actually, his tendency to contradict himself on these occasions only made some of us 'egg him on' in the hope of hearing some 'Roger Logic' (a directly contradictory, or otherwise illogical statement). The phrase 'Bloody Hell'-for which he had been known for years, was contracted into a sort of 'buzzer' sound- 'BRRR' under our watch -- and pretty soon it became a 'catch-phrase' - or at least a 'catch sound' that the whole school would identify with him. Roger must have been aware of all this 'Brrr nonsense' but I never felt any resentment from him over it.

His approach to teaching French was to put the 'spoken language' first. He made good use of tape recorders and much other equipment which were 'high tech' in their day. If I was to have any complaint, this sometimes seemed to be at the expense of 'written work' which seemed 'strangely naïve'-employing coloured crayons etc. When O-level finally came around, I really had my work cut out to keep up with the written (but not the spoken) language, - in fact at one time he was talking about kicking me off the course. However, diligent hard work (for which I was not known at the time) would save the day.

Roger was responsible for many of the cultural trips the school took. He once took two of us to hear an Orchestral Concert at Leeds Town Hall. Twice he organised trips to hear Duke Ellington (I only heard one of them) and once I remember going to York University to hear Roland Kirk whose greatest accomplishment was to play three saxophones simultaneously;- but when you have that much in your mouth, and only one pair of hands, the musical result is nothing memorable…...
Brian Hill - English and Latin

I am aware that a great many of the more literary-minded pupils had a very high opinion of Brian's teaching. Without wishing to sound too 'philistine,' I was not one of them. In a strange sort of way, I did enjoy him as a Fifth Form teacher, more than I had anticipated at any rate. However, I thought that his teaching would be more suited to a University than anything at 'secondary' level.

Brian was an extremely deep, slow-burning and reflective thinker. If a question was asked at Sixth Form level,( I made the big mistake of taking A-level English,-just about the last thing I should have studied) the response could sometimes take as long as it would have taken him to ignite his pipe,-anything from five to twenty seconds.
Dennis Blacklock - Mathematics

I didn't warm up to him personally as much as the other staff and from this vantage point I wonder if I didn't just learn to 'go through the motions' of what he taught, rather than gain any deep understanding of the subject. However, his contributions to school life were considerable. There were the 'Den-camps'-one of the high spots of the school year-and he also had considerable talent, judging by the results, as a Drama producer. As the Fourth Form teacher, he would usually produce a three act play (in our year we did 'Arms and the Man' by George Bernard Shaw ). I was always completely absorbed by his plays which, for my money, were the best ever produced during my time at the school. The only production that would have surpassed Dennis's was-at the end of my time at Wennington. Michael Campbell-fresh from Drama College and a new theatre at his disposal-produced an 'epic,'-largely based on class improvisations and involving practically the whole school-called (if I remember) 'Man, Myth and Magic- Death and Rebirth'.
Frank Burgess - Woodwork, Metalwork, Technical Drawing

I remember Frank as outwardly calm, patient, highly knowledgeable and capable of working his pupils to exacting standards while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere. I was also impressed by his apparent ability to draw a straight line 'freehand'-without the aid of a straightedge. He would often be whistling a classical music theme ( Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto probably was his first choice) as we worked. We would sometimes joke that he didn't 'change the record' often enough, but, since I have spent a good part of my adult life in workshops of one kind or another, I would vote for Frank's whistling over the blaring radio any day of the week.
Louis Jones - Art and Pottery

The fact that the school did Pottery had been a big 'selling point' with me before I came to Wennington, so, for two or three years, with Louis's help, I endeavoured to throw the largest pots I could on the wheel. Many of my efforts remain, but a few have been broken over the years.

As far as Art was concerned, I tended to do my 'own thing' in his class ("He has a forthright style….") and wasn't necessarily ready to receive comments or advice. While painting was usually a 'hit and miss' affair for me, I did once produce a painting that was surprisingly good, and hung up at my home for a few years -on its own merits. However, generally speaking, I did not develop very much as an artist at Wennington, in fact I probably deteriorated and have never touched it since.
David Martin - History (1966-68 and beyond)

David came to Wennington newly qualified (save for a year's voluntary service in Antigua) only to be confronted by a somewhat lively, motley group of A-level History students, which included me. He treated me very fairly considering that my aptitude for the subject was only average and that I was challenged by the vast amounts of reading involved., sometimes on topics that might not have particularly interested me.

His predecessor, David Rothwell had had a 'flamboyant' style and was undoubtedly a difficult act to follow. Although comparisons would have been made, there is no doubt, in my mind, that his knowledge was sound, covered a wide range and that his lessons were well thought out and prepared.

A-level History was not a good choice for me (though not as unfortunate as A-level English). I just 'scraped through' the exam which - in those days - was all I needed to get into University (to study Music). I don't think that it would be that simple now….. Many have been the times when I have wondered how different my life might have been had I failed and - let's face it - if the Examiner had been sneezing as he/she was going through my paper, I may well have done. It was that close…….!
 To return to a (hopefully) brief account of my personal time at Wennington, in my third year , I took up the clarinet. All went pretty well at first, until I encountered some technical difficulties which meant that I'd never be able to develop a good 'attack.'(rapid staccatto etc.). For some inexplicable reason, around the same time, I developed something of an obsession with football (soccer) and sneaked away to Leeds a few times to see some matches. (In trying to analyze this, I can only think that this was during the 'Beatlemania' period. I couldn't get so hyper-excited about their music or the Beatles personally;- maybe I chose football as a kind of a substitute.)

By the beginning of my fourth year this football obsession had become a desire to learn to play the game also. Unfortunately I had just about no talent for it and didn't improve very much (although I did become the Wennington goalkeeper in my last year, after all the 'real' goalkeepers had left…).

Also, at the beginning of my fourth year, we started having unsupervised 'Assignment' (which would probably translate as 'private study') periods in the library. This proved next to impossible for me, since I couldn't concentrate with so much talking/disruptive behavior going on. Basically, at this time, my academic work went 'down the tubes' and most of my energies were being directed into trying to play football.

The Staff were pretty unanimous that I was just being 'lazy.' I disagreed but it was futile arguing with them-especially Kenneth I might add…. No attempt was really made to find out what was really going on with me. This was perhaps my biggest 'crisis' at Wennington, which I was eventually to fight my way out of, but to begin with, I received little support from any of the Staff- apparently they just didn't understand it.

In the Autumn of 1964 Kenneth would write: "His idleness is so serious that even the clarinet………shows little ambition."

It took desperate measures to get out of this, since there was a lot more than laziness involved. To begin with I abandoned the football and found an old fold-down desk which I rigged up next to my bed. For the rest of my fourth year I did all my assignments in my dorm. Nobody came after me (further proof that the fourth year Assignment periods were unsupervised). It took me quite a while to regain any kind of academic 'momentum' and somewhere around the end of my fourth year/beginning of my fifth I came to realise that I had a 'reading difficulty.' Prior to that I had always thought of reading as an 'undesirable chore,' but now I was beginning to recognise it as an actual difficulty. I think that a good half of the Staff thought that I was just making excuses.

At the end of 1965 Kenneth would write: "Academically immature, he is personally maturing into an amiable, gentle person."

I wasn't impressed. Roger Gerhardt came much closer when he wrote: "Andrew has a number of difficulties, which he recognises, without resentment. His effort to overcome them is serious and may soon prove effective."

Maybe a bit too little too late, but at least some recognition. Needless to say, in order to vindicate myself academically, I had to make academic work my highest priority. Much more than the 'Wennington philosophy' would allow for, but I didn't see any other choice at the time. In terms of O-level results this whole 'scuttling operation' worked. I only had to re-take Maths which went OK the second time.

Despite the rather unbalanced emphasis on academic work, I still enjoyed my time at Wennington up until the end of the Fifth form. Most of the positive stimulus would come from Music. In December of 1965, we put on a rather ambitious concert at Boston Spa Parish Church including St. Nicholas by Benjamin Britten. It was a bit beyond the scope of Wennington, but not impossible. (It had actually been written for a much larger school- Lancing College in 1948). In the Spring terms from 1965 till I left, a few of us would be involved in the Harrogate Competitive Music Festival, which was always fun. I will never forget hearing just about the worst singer I've ever heard-way off key, a shrieking voice and very pronounced lisp in the spring of 1966. Two of us were just rolling around trying to contain ourselves; I wish we could have shared that with a few more members of the school. Also, around the same time, the 'jazz band' re-formed for the 'End of Term Dance.' Since Ken Jones had now left, I was asked to play piano. We were fortunate to have as a drummer, one of the temporary Kitchen workers (by that stage, Wennington was relying quite heavily on some kind of Temp. Agency to supply Kitchen Staff). He had been a drummer in a pop group and was probably 'between jobs.' He treated us to a drum solo which had a greater effect on the dancing crowd than the rest of us ever did!

Membership in the Fifth form meant a few more privileges. We got our own form-room;-in my year, that coincided with the move into the new Science labs, so we 'inherited' the old Bio lab-a great location overlooking the Courtyard and very strategically placed. We usually had plenty of warning when Staff were coming. The biggest 'rule-breaking' activity was smoking which was done quite openly at certain times of the day. I also vaguely remember somebody making an alcoholic brew-maybe from potatoes-and nursing 'more-than-just-a-hangover' after he'd drank some of it at the end of term. For me personally, the biggest 'perk' was the newly acquired tea/coffee making privilege. It didn't take much more than that to keep me happy. I was just an observer of any other activities-however I once had the opportunity to observe the effects of some tiny joke explosives which I had inserted into some peoples' cigarettes. It went down quite well, as I recall…..

So what of the Sixth form? Had I left at the end of the Fifth (I came to envy those who had) I would have looked upon my time at Wennington in a very happy and positive light, with maybe a little 'crisis' in mid-term…… Part of the problem for me was the 'culture shock' of narrowing the field of study to just three A-levels (badly picked in my case). We were virtually studying like University students- somewhat more 'on our own' as far as organisation of work was concerned. I can remember 'digressing' in my studies quite a few times, sometimes for several weeks and it passed virtually unnoticed.

The material privileges of being in the Sixth form were not unlike those of the Fifth, except that we now had our own newspapers (The Guardian) which tended to isolate us from the rest of the school. Most of the privileges of the Sixth however hinged on the fact that Kenneth was the Form-master and, by and large treated us well. So all of a sudden we were 'in' with the 'boss.' As far as I was concerned, that was a bit like having 'inside information,' although that was probably not the intention… As I got further in to this experience, I felt that most of what interested me lay 'outside' Wennington, while time spent in the school felt more like 'incarceration.' I did develop a greater disrespect for the school rules than hitherto. There was a certain amount of responsibility that came with the Sixth form privileges-extra duties to perform, etc. However, I didn't feel particularly ready to take them on. It's possible that I might have found it more rewarding had I been more willing or able to do this. What typified the Sixth form so much for me was the excessive time we had to spend together in the 'Hut.' We did practically everything there except eat and sleep! I tend to look back on it, rather cynically as a 'failed communal living experiment.'

My last year at Wennington was also Kenneth's last. He was supposed to be 'winding down' and handing over to Brian. I remember it as a sad time compared to all the other years I spent there. There were a number of deaths that year (Louis Jones' first wife and two pupils,-one taking place in the Sick Bay). Frances' health deteriorated and she suffered two or three strokes. While these events should not have affected the 'handover' they did seem symbolic….. It was also a time of increased turmoil among some of the pupils which would cause Kenneth to write (in one of the School Magazines) "There has been more bloody-mindedness-in a few -than I can remember for a long time." I did stay behind for the only 'Reunion' that I would attend, in the days when they were still being held at the School. I enjoyed the Weekend, but once gone, I wouldn't return for some time!
 To briefly sketch my post-Wennington life, I attended the Royal Manchester College of Music (as it was then called)-full time for the first year, then (supposedly) jointly with the University of Manchester Music Dept. Without going into details, I got into some pretty 'hot water' there, too, except that I probably handled my 'crises' a little better when still at Wennington. I 'salvaged' a Music degree, but probably didn't think it was worth all the aggravation at the time………I moved on to Leeds and eventually found my 'niche' as a Piano Tuner / Technician. Around 1977-8. I was working with somebody who'd been a Wennington pupil in its last year (1975). I tended not to talk about the place on a daily basis, but we talked enough to exchange views etc. A little later on, at the same company, we used to have some visits from Frank Leafhead (Who by then had become a Piano Tuner). I remembered him as a part time Games teacher in the early part of 1962. I have to admit however, that I let the opportunity go to reminisce about Wennington; I just talked 'strictly business.' Later still, I met Roger Gerhardt at the Swarthmore Centre in Leeds. (He was probably close to retirement by then) This time we were both students taking evening classes.

Even later, in London, there might have been yet another Wennington pupil working for the same company as I was. However, his stay was short and sweet (he was in a different location, so I never had a chance to ask; -- as it was, his name was familiar, but I couldn't recognise him). Around the same time ,I attended the June 1989 Reunion (see above).

In 1990 I left England for Minneapolis, (City of Lakes) in Minnesota, (Land of Ten Thousand Lakes) and married a Californian. For such a land-locked place there is quite a bit of water- or ice, depending on the season! I continued with my Piano work on a part-time basis, but had to supplement it with 'other things.' For the last few years, I've been putting Component Packaging Machines together and have returned to playing more in my spare time. My choice of listening remains mainly Classical (if I can find an alternative to the 'Classical McLite' that seems to be all too prevalent here), but from a playing perspective, I prefer Ragtime or Novelty Piano. Apart from the Internet, the only Wennington pupil I have contacted in recent years, is the composer, Nicholas Maw (There. I've named one at last!) His music is played regularly, if not frequently here; One year, he had written a Solo Violin Sonata for an eminent Twin-Cities Violinist, which resulted in an hour-long radio programme about him. The next time he was in Minneapolis, for a performance of one of his works, my wife and I went (somewhat untypically for me) backstage to say 'hello'.

Last thoughts must be about the place itself. I remember travelling South on the A.1. in a bus, around 1973. Eventually I would catch sight of the School; the excitement welled up in me as the building appeared, disappeared then reappeared on the horizon.' Had I been driving (I didn't in those days) I would undoubtedly have 'swung by.' By the time I had got home, however, those feelings had died down. It would be about 26 years before I visited the grounds, about two months after the June 89 Reunion. I was fortunate to catch the place when it was still intact. Though it was obviously still occupied, there didn't seem to be anybody about, so I wandered around, peacefully, trying to remember all the sights. I have to say, I was glad to see that the Sixth Form Hut had gone;-- the Courtyard looked much better for it. Almost six years would pass before I'd go again; this time, I was shocked to see the dilapidation that had occurred (I suppose I should have 'twigged' as I was negotiating the three-foot potholes that were all over the drive). I would make a further visit about three years after that, but found the place in only marginally better shape.

Wennington must have influenced me, directly or indirectly, more than any other factor in my life, although from this standpoint I would say - given the 'melting pot' of life - that the indirect/subtle influences are the more important now. It has been a privilege to share my thoughts with you.

Andrew Barker (Woofer) 1961-68.

Minneapolis August/September 2001.