I started at Ecclesfield Grammar School in 1957. I remember getting off the bus, along with fellow new starter
Kathryn Ellis, like me an ex-pupil of High Green Primary School. We walked up the drive, having no idea where to
go. Luckily we saw an older girl we knew, who pointed out the Lady Mabel Hall.
After the assembly, the new first year pupils remained in the hall and the senior master, Mr Clay, read out the
form lists. We were allocated into forms according to the initial letter of our surnames. Having a surname near
the beginning of the alphabet I was in 1A, whilst those near the end found themselves in 1E.
There were three girls from High Green Primary, Judith Steele, Kathryn and myself, and we were all in different
forms. As 1A filed into room 21, I did not know any of the other girls. A girl from Ecclesfield, Patricia Coe,
did not know anybody either, so we paired up and sat together. All five first forms followed the same curriculum.
"Streaming" did not occur until the second year, following the results of the end of first year exams. Consequently,
friends were split up and we all had to start again in new groups at the beginning of the second year.
I remember most of the teachers from our first year. Miss Shaw was our form mistress and also taught us general
science. She was also a new starter, in her first teaching post, so she probably felt as nervous as most of her
pupils. Miss Challen was the English mistress. She was small and strict and always seemed to be dashing about. Mr
Fidgin taught us French. He was a tall heavily built man, and I was rather scared of him. Good teacher though. I
always enjoyed French lessons. The lady who taught us mathematics, Mrs Francis, had some kind of neurological
disability. One hand and arm did not function properly, and she spoke with a stammer. It must have been dreadful
for her, trying to cope with a classful of unkind, sniggering eleven year olds. Any episode of unruly behaviour in
maths lessons would result in Mrs Francis informing us that at the end of every school year there was always
somebody from the first year who got thrown out. Whenever she made this ominous prediction, Mrs Francis always
seemed to be looking at one particular boy -- who shall remain anonymous but had fair hair, wore glasses and lived
in Stannington.
I do not recall anybody getting thrown out at the end of our first year but this boy certainly did not. Further up
the school he became entirely respectable and hard working, obtained his 'A' levels and, I believe, went on to
college. Mr Mann, a youngish pleasant chap taught us history. A few years later he married another of the history
teachers - Miss Stone, and they both then left Ecclesfield.
The late, great Harry Birkby was our geography master. Nobody fooled around in Mr Birkby's lessons, but in no way
could he have been described as particularly strict. Looking back, I think he must have been one of those 'natural
born' schoolmasters who instinctively get it right. He was fair, friendly and, I suppose, fatherly. We respected
and liked him. Consequently he got the best out of most of his pupils. I remember Mr Birkby's particular punishment
for anyone caught eating sweets in geography lessons. He would confiscate the rest of the packet -- and promptly
hand them round the class. Consequently you lost the lot. Not many people risked it.
Mr Birkby's wife was our religious education teacher and she also taught needlework to the girls. The boys had
woodwork with Mr Wardle. After a few months Mrs Birkby left and Mrs Gouge, the wife of the vicar of
Chapeltown, took her place. We later found out the reason for Mrs Birkby's departure - an addition to her family was expected.
Miss Mallinder was the art mistress. I was hopeless and disliked the subject. Fortunately we had only two 'double'
art lessons each week. I hated PE lessons. Netball was not so bad, at least the courts were sheltered -- but only
slightly! - by the buildings. We always seemed to be out on the hockey field and it was always freezing cold. The
wind howled down from Greno woods and did not stop until it hit us. Occaisionally - perhaps when the field was
covered with snow, we would have PE in the gym. Here it was not so cold but I still hated it. I could not run fast
enough, or jump high enough to cope with any of the equipment and my one and only attempt at rope climbing ended in
disaster. I somehow manged to get about half way up, looked down - and 'froze'. I was rescued by Mr Helliwell, the
boys' PE master, who climbed an adjacent rope and talked me down.
The headmaster, Mr Harrison, lived in High Green and usually travelled on the school bus. No matter how full the
bus became, nobody ever had the nerve to sit by him. Once in school Mr Harrison, Mr Clay and the senior mistress,
Miss Cross were only seen in assembly. I do not think they taught any of the younger age groups. Further up the
school Miss Cross was to be avoided. I always seemed to be lacking some item of uniform, and Miss Cross missed
nothing. 'Forgotten' tie, belt too wide, skirt too short/tight, ridiculous ankle socks left off by a vain 15 year
old were all noticed and reprimands given. We avoided her but did not dislike her. Miss Cross was a carer - in the
true sense of the word, and she helped many people in many different ways. You could take your troubles to Miss
Cross, and quite a few of us did.
Since leaving EGS in the mid 1960s I have visited the place only once, when I attended the Diamond Jubilee reunion
in 1991. A group of 'old girls' from my year did our own tour of the old main building. The girls' cloakroom,
where a few of us sometimes hid to avoid PE and games lessons, received a howl of recognition from everyone.
Absolutely nothing had changed. The wash basins and even the cubicle doors were the same. One of the group -- not
me! even claimed to recognise her own initials, still discernible on the back of one of the doors after more than
30 years.
I understand the buildings have undergone much change and modernisation in recent years. I wonder if they've
changed the cubicle doors in the girls' cloakroom?
