More Rock Ferry High Memories (Wirral Memories)

Kevin Sharkey wrote...

I attended Rock Ferry High between 1959-1964 and I believe that the master on the left of the Rugby team photo of 1955-56 is Mr. Sid Kerry who taught English Language and Literature during my time at Rock Ferry. During the '63-'64 season the 5th year Rugby team with Lois Ttofa and Alan Rixon was unbeaten during the whole season. The main rivals to Rock Ferry at that time were Park High school and such were the epic encounters between the two teams that the whole school at 4pm, (going home time), came to a stop just to watch the end of another close and enthralling game.
Your correspondent,(Paul Natton), talked of his trepidation upon walking down Ravenswood Avenue but he won't remember the 'one cap wonders' of that time. When you started as a new 1st year your school cap was like a Guardsman's, peak just touching the nose etc. When you got to the 5th year the, (same), cap was perched upon the back of one's head like a Cardinal's biretta having survived all 5 years intact.
Memories of names come to mind such as masters Joe Egg, Joe Soap, Wogga and 'Eddy' Turner, fellow classmates in Form 5T such as Kenny Davies, Dave Owen, Steedy, Scotty, Paul Wikberg, Ian Boote, Col Pleavin and many others, I wonder where they are now.
It was a very good Grammar school at that time with a photograph, and the shirt worn, by George Hancock who played Rugby for England, hanging in the Main Hall, I presume that it was lost during the fire some time ago.
Final feature was the Annual School photograph where all of the school including the Janitor, lined up in a semi-circle whilst the cameraman swivelled around to take everyone's group photo, until the year that Stan I------ appeared at both ends of the photo for that year ???
Thanks Rocky High for some very pleasant memories.

Posted by: Kevin Sharkey | May 16, 2008 3:12 PM

Graham Lowther wrote...

I am Hon.Secretary of the Old Rockferrians Association having attended the School from 1958 to 1963.The people in the 1stXV-1955-56 are:-
Back Row:Mrs S F Kerry, Brian Patrick Davies, Ralph Parsons, W A D Griffiths,A.J.Jones,Marsden,P.Davies,P. Griffiths,Jamie White,Mr.R E P Wright.
Front Row:Johnson,N. Lacey,Smellie, Tex Murray(Capt),Pete Burgess,Flynn, Harrison.
If any Old Rockferrian would like information about the Old Rockferrians Association, please contact me.We have an Annual Reunion Dinner and publish a Newsletter every year.

Posted by: Graham Lowther | May 16, 2008 7:27 PM

George Benson wrote...

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Bronze Level – Failed – George Benson

When Roy (Wogga) Williams and Arthur Beedles, two of the Physical Education teachers at Rock Ferry High School in the late 1950’s/early 60’s, decided to organise a facility at the School so that pupils could participate in the Award, I was one of those lucky enough to be selected. So in1960, Barry Gardner, Graham Telford, Nev Tilley and I were picked to attempt the Bronze Level and we joined Sam Hoarder, Billy McLachlan and Peter Lloyd who, as they were a year older were entered for the Silver Level.

I remember my Mother buying me a green anorak, the sort that was made of waterproofed canvas and you had to put it on like a sweater. In addition, a pair of army boots was purchased from the Army & Navy store. During the following two years, we undertook various tasks, which included walking up and down Levers Causeway three times in a blizzard in order to achieve a standard of walking three miles in (I think) 40 minutes. Another standard was to pass the St John’s Ambulance Service exam for basic first aid. The lessons and the exam were held in a building near Hamilton Square Birkenhead. I can remember the instructor as a tubby little man who took great pride, and quite rightly so, in his St John’s Ambulance uniform. The room was always freezing and all of us tried to avoid being the injured patient as it invariably required us to lie on the floor.

We were also expected to demonstrate skills in respect of a hobby/interest. Mine was photography and with a Kodak Box camera I took photos of animals etc. I can only remember one other candidate’s hobby. Bill McLachlan was the Michael Fish of Rock Ferry High School, although his skills did not stretch to forecasting, but he could tell you how much rain had fallen in the previous 24 hours. (For those overseas readers, Michael Fish is a well-known weather forecaster in the UK).

However, the highlights of participation in the Scheme were the two trips away which comprised a week-end in Snowdonia and a week at Lakeside in the Lake District. Before leaving on these excursions we were all provided with a small pocket folder, which explained that we were taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and asking that we be given any assistance that we required. The folder was signed by the Headmaster, J.E. Reynolds. This was the one of the rare contacts I had with Mr Reynolds as I left after my obtaining my G.C.E.

Snowdonia

We set off from school in a hired mini-bus on a Friday in March and under the supervision of Arthur Beedles, Wogga and another teacher, John Tait, we were driven to our base, which was a stone dormitory building near Llanberis containing tiered sleeping bunks and heated by an open log-burning fire. The program for the week-end was to climb Snowdon on the Saturday and Tryfan on the Sunday. I can recall that on the Sunday, I was required to pretend to be injured whilst climbing in order to test the initiative of the other members of the party. Happily, they realised that I was missing and returned to find me with an alleged broken ankle. However, despite my pleas they refused me the luxury of being carried down the mountain.

Lakeside

The same three teachers undertook our supervision during this week, but the difference was that we were expected to make our own way to and from Lakeside, which is situated at the southerly end of Lake Windermere. Having been seldom away from home on my own, my parents decided to purchase a return bus ticket from Liverpool to Windermere, but others in the party decided to hitch-hike. I can recall seeing Sam Hoarder on the road hitching on the outskirts of Maghull.

On arrival at Lakeside, we discovered that it was a YMCA facility and we were allocated bunks in the timber huts that were dotted around the grounds. During the week, we went on expeditions of fell-walking, dinghy sailing and also simple rock climbing. It was during the dinghy sailing that I discovered that you can be seasick, even on an inland lake (although I have since discovered that because of its size Lake Windermere is also subject to tides). Later that same evening, an overnight expedition had been organised and still suffering the effects of the seasickness, I was excused and remained in the comfort of my bunk.

However, much to my chagrin my comfortable night’s sleep was to be paid for. The following morning, I was handed a steel bucket and a map reference and instructed to fill the bucket with water and then carry it to the overnight campsite in order to ensure that the camp fire had been properly extinguished. After completing this assignment, I returned to Lakeside where I was then required to crawl through a concrete water pipe and met at the opening with a barrier of brambles and other obstructions. I suspect that those in charge felt that this latter task was supposed to be character building but I have never understood their reasoning.

Another incident that sticks in the memory is when one of the Instructors at Lakeside was demonstrating the art of abseiling. He donned leather gloves and somewhat of a show-off, showed us how quick he could descend the rock face. John Tait then completed the same task, without gloves and rather quicker. The instructor was obviously taken aback at this and it was only when John explained that he had climbed in the Himalayas that the instructor realised that he had an accomplished mountaineer in the group.

At the end of the week, we all set off to return home and encouraged by the other participants I decided to try my hand at hitchhiking. I was lucky as I was soon offered a lift by a chap in a Morris van who was travelling to Ormskirk. I recall that we drove along the Preston By-Pass which was the first stretch of motorway standard road ever built in the UK. He dropped me off on the outskirts of Ormskirk and being ever the one for an easy ride, I decided to make use of the bus ticket that I had.

I arrived home tired but having thoroughly enjoyed my week away.

Sadly, when the time of the assessments arrived, it was decided that I had not achieved the required standard in my hobby/interest and so I did not qualify to receive the Award. I accepted the decision as a fair one, but I hope that my photographic ability has improved since then.

Despite the fact that I never achieved the Bronze level of the Award, I have always looked back on the experience I gained taking part as one of the highlights of my school days.

Posted by: George Benson | May 18, 2008 10:57 AM

George Benson wrote...

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Bronze Level – Failed – George Benson

I attended Rock Ferry High School from 1956-1961. When Roy (Wogga) Williams and Arthur Beedles, two of the Physical Education teachers at Rock Ferry High School in the late 1950’s/early 60’s, decided to organise a facility at the School so that pupils could participate in the Award, I was one of those lucky enough to be selected. So in 1960, Barry Gardner, Graham Telford, Nev Tilley and I were picked to attempt the Bronze Level and we joined Sam Hoarder, Billy McLachlan and Peter Lloyd who, as they were a year older were entered for the Silver Level.

I remember my Mum & Dad buying me a green anorak, the sort that was made of waterproofed canvas and you had to put it on like a sweater. In addition, a pair of army boots was purchased from the Army & Navy store. During the following two years, we undertook various tasks, which included walking up and down Levers Causeway three times in a blizzard in order to achieve a standard of walking three miles in (I think) 40 minutes. Another standard was to pass the St John’s Ambulance Service exam for basic first aid. The lessons and the exam were held in a building near Hamilton Square, Birkenhead. I can remember the instructor as a tubby little man who took great pride, and quite rightly so, in his St John’s Ambulance uniform. The room was always freezing and all of us tried to avoid being the injured patient as it invariably required us to lie on the floor.

We were also expected to demonstrate skills in respect of a hobby/interest. Mine was photography and with a Kodak Box camera I took photos of animals etc. I can only remember one other candidate’s hobby. Bill McLachlan was the Michael Fish of Rock Ferry High School, although his skills did not stretch to forecasting, but he could tell you how much rain had fallen in the previous 24 hours. (For those overseas readers, Michael Fish is a well-known weather forecaster in the UK).

However, the highlights of participation in the Scheme were the two trips away, which comprised a week-end in Snowdonia and a week at Lakeside, Windermere in the Lake District. Before leaving on these excursions we were all provided with a small pocket folder, which explained that we were taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and asking that we be given any assistance that we required. The folder was signed by the Headmaster, J.E. Reynolds. This was one of the rare contacts I had with Mr Reynolds as I left after my obtaining my G.C.E.