The third year class of Loftus Junior School, pictured in 1964, outside the entrance to Loftus Junior School. The Archive could only identify one pupil and Mr Philpot (his wife was the Librarian at Loftus Library for several years!); having asked for assistance the responses have been wonderful!. Janis Bonner believes: “I think this is later than 1964 probably more like 1968.This class was the year below me. I recognise some of these children.” Terry Shaw adds: “I believe this was 1968.” Terry has memories of Mr Philpot : “He was a good teacher but very strict, quite handy with the slipper, remember nice warm afternoons with him reading Swallows and Amazons.”
Back row: Marcus Burnside, Steven Found, Peter Metcalf, Dave Danby, Brian Fletcher, David Thompson, Matthew Fisher, Howard Birtwhistle, Brian Barrett, Terry Shaw.
Middle row: Martin Walley, David Anderson, Dennis Cowey, Catherine McMasters, Kath Findlay, Katherine Stamford, Pat Puckrin, Denise Conn, Carol Magor, Shirley Greener, Regan Davey, Dave Hodgson, Chris Lindsey.
Front row: Janet Smith, Angela Cook, Julie Harding, Julie Easton, Pauline Dodds Mr Colin Philpott (Teacher), Maureen Thirsk, Judith O’Cain, Julie Wood, Carol Gibson, Lynne Bottomley.
Image courtesy of Marian Toulson, thanks to Janis Bonner, Terry Shaw, and Judith O’Cain for the updates; many thanks to Dave Danby, Martin Walley and Dave Hodgson for finalising the names.
I think this is later than 1964 probably more like 1968.This class was the year below me. I recognise some of these children. First on the front row is Janet Smith ?? Julie Harding?? Pauline Dodds next to Colin Philpot ?? Judith O’Cain ?? Carol Gibson, Lynne Bottomly?(not sure) Middle row 2nd in from the right might be Graham Goodwill The tall lad with green jumper on the back row could be Brian Fletcher
I believe this was 1968, back row, third from left could be Peter Metcalfe, Brian Barritt and Terry Shaw last two on the back row, middle row, second from left Dave Anderson and at the end of the row Chris Lindsey. I’ m unsure but next to Julie Harding could be Christine Easton
Just spoken to Judith (Jude) Stainthorpe (O ‘ Cain), who has helped with more names,
Back Row includes S. Found, G Tyreman, D. Thompson, N Riddiough and H. Birtwhistle.
Middle Row includes K. Findlay, K. Stamford, P. Puckrin, D. Conn and C. Magor.
Front Row includes J. Smith, A. Cook, M. Thirsk and C. Gibson
Thanks to Judith for the names
Anybody remember Mr Philpot? He was a good teacher but very strict, quite handy with the slipper, remember nice warm afternoons with him reading Swallows and Amazons.
I remember Mr. Philpot Terry. That slipper had its own cupboard at the back of the classroom (at the time in the old corrugated metal prefab which was heated with a stove in Winter)It was an adult plimsoll hung on a nail by the laces. That said, he was an excellent teacher and needless to say had our undivided attention. He read us a book called The Sound of the Sea by Leo Walmsley which was a story about a boy’s childhood in Robin Hood’s Bay. Also George Orwell’s Animal Farm. One project was making a hot air balloon out of tissue paper( believe it or not) and he launched it in the boy’s playground.It was actually airborne for a few seconds. Great fun in the days when no one worried too much about health and safety.
Hi Janis, I remember the hot air balloons well, he also made aeroplanes out of polystyrene tiles that also flew for a few seconds, the other book he read to us was Foreigners by Leo Walmsley, another tale of childhood in Robin Hoods Bay.
Another tale of the infamous slipper was anyone from another classroom who went to the outside toilets and ran there hand across the corrugated prefab was ‘nabbed’ on the way back and asked what shoe size they took, they then chose a corresponding slipper and was whacked across the backside with it.
He read Foreigners to us too. Great books where the village of Robin Hood’s Bay was referred to as Bramblewick. You’ve just reminded me of the racket the kids made rattling their hands or a stick against the outside! He told me off for something once when I was in second year, it may well have been for doing that( because we all did it!) but I wasn’t slippered so he must have taken pity on my terrified face because to me he was like a giant.I didn’t go near that building after that, until I went into class 3.I remember Mr. Money, the caretaker, lighting the stove in the cold weather and Mr. Philpot teaching us to sing Widdecombe Fair at the tops of our voices. Those outside toilets were awful weren’t they. What a rude awakening after the luxury of Harry Dack Infants.
Do you remember the fearsome dinner lady Mrs Willis? When she said jump everyone said how high! I was sent to stand outside Mr Oliver’s office on numerous occasions.
I’m struggling to remember Mrs.Willis I’m afraid, I didn’t like the school dinners so I went home for mine, spoiled by the delicious food I’d been used to at Harry Dack Infants cooked on site by Miss Beadon. P. E. lessons in Mr. Philpot’s class were like a military excerise weren’t they. Female teachers had you doing country dancing or throwing bean bags to each other…not him, it was press ups, hanging like a monkey off high apparatus and doing endurance tests. One I remember was holding your arms out at full length and rotating both wrists for as long as you could… sounds easy but believe me, it hurt! Come to think of it, he had you doing press ups in class if you didn’t quite deserve the slipper!
I remember Mrs Willis, she was the dinner lady at the old 1st year building opposite the co-op. She reminded me of Ena Sharples. I was also in Mr. Philpotts class in 1964 – 65 in the temporary building and we were introduced to the music of Pete Seeger (Little boxes) He used to enact the stories he told and I have vivid memories of him flying around the classroom wearing a stetson and firing a cap gun, obviously a cowboy tale.
I remember being in Mr Philpots class in the old junior school, not sure what year it was, very tall man, or was I very short! He taught us the protest song “We shall overcome” quite radical for a bunch of little uns I thought at the time!
Bk row l to r : Marcus Burnside, Steven Found, Peter Metcalf, Dave Danby, Brian Fletcher, David Thompson, Matthew Fisher, Howard Birtwhistle, Brian Barrett, Terry Shaw
Middle row l to r Martin Whalley, David Anderson, Dennis Cowey, Catherine McMasters, Kath Findlay, Katherine Stamford, Pat Puckrin, Denise Conn, Carol Magor, Shirley Greener, Regan Davey, Graham Goodwill, Chris Lindsey
Front row l to r: Janet Smith, Angela Cook, Julie Harding, Julie Easton, Pauline Dodds Mr Philpott, Maureen Thirsk, Judith O’Cain, Julie Wood, Carol Gibson, Lynne Bottomley
Just seen this. My name is spelled wrong – there is no “h”: Martin Walley.
Middle row second from right Dave Hodgson not Graham Goodwill
I still have the exercise book covered in wallpaper from home in which I wrote my autobiography when I was in Mr Philpott’s class. It is hilarious! I loved Mr Philpott in spite of the slipper – he made me want to learn about the world. A great teacher