This is the story of my school. St Mary’s R.C. Primary School, Boys and Infants.(At the age of 7 girls moved onto a different site.) My school was nothing special; in fact it was probably unlike many other schools built for a mainly rural community at the end of the Victorian era. To us it was just school, we knew no different, it was a school we were and still are proud to be associated with.  

 

Background

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St Mary’s school was built for the Catholic children who were parishioners of St Mary’s Blackbrook Roman Catholic Church in St Helens, Lancashire. Blackbrook was a Catholic mission dating back to 1674, the sixth oldest mission in the Liverpool Archdiocese.

 

In that year Mr Humphrey Orrell, a prosperous yeoman and tanner, came here from Pemberton with his wife Anne having bought Blackbrook Hall and the surrounding estate from the Byroms, lords of the manor of Parr, they brought with them their chaplain, the newly ordained Rev. Mr William Barton, who would serve the people of Blackbrook until his death in 1728. Later Orrells would acquire the rest of the Parr Hall estate. There was coal under the land, and it was on this that the fortune was founded that enabled the last of the Orrell line to build the present church. In 1692 Mr Barton was helped by Humphrey Orrell’s younger brother Bryan, who took over the mission on his death in 1728. The Orrells had been selling coal from about 1750 and within 30 years were significant coal owners. Humphrey’s grandson James Jnr was an astute businessman who extended his business into glassmaking; He acquired the whole of the Parr Hall estate including another colliery.

 

In 1778 James married Anne Marie Comes of Warrington. They had at least 11 children. Of the seven who survived into adulthood, Charles succeeded to the estate in 1824 but never married. Another son John (the black sheep of the family) died in exile, while James and Philip became priests. It was the three daughters, Ann Barbara, Winifred and Elizabeth who finally inherited the estate. They too remained unmarried.

It was the three sisters who caused the church to be built. The Orrell line died out with them it was a fitting memorial. Winifred the last to die is the one sometimes referred to as Lady Orrell, thought by many to be the local ghost.

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The members of the Orrell family are buried in a vault under the Lady Chapel. When the last of the Orrell family died (Elizabeth Orrell) in 1861 the whole of the estate was passed over to the Diocese of Liverpool and Blackbrook House, home to the Orrell family was given to the Sisters of Mercy.

The new church was consecrated on December 8th 1845. A church was only consecrated when it had no outstanding debts. (It has been said that Blackbrook was the first Catholic Church to be consecrated after the Reformation.)

 

The Schools

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The first school at Blackbrook was opened by Sister Elizabeth Prout in 1855 at Parr Hall. Miss Orrell had promised a school for the poor of Blackbrook, but as this was not yet ready, Sister Elizabeth opened a school for 25 poor children at Parr Hall. She also worked at St Anne’s School in Sutton, St Helens where she now lies buried alongside Blessed Dominic Barberi and Fr Ignatius Spencer (Son of Earl Spencer, ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales)

 

The school I attended was built in 1871 and extended in 1882 by Fr O’Sullivan. The Infant’s school was built at the same time. I am assuming that the girls’ school situated next to the canal on Blackbrook Road was built around the same time. Fr O’Sullivan built an extension to the girl’s school in 1916. (The site of the Girls’ school is now occupied as a garage)

 

The Boys’ and Infants schools occupied what is now the car park outside the church. It is hard to visualise that on that small car park stood the Infants’ School, The Boys’ School, two playgrounds and outside toilets.

 

In the early 1950’s a pre-fabricated building was erected below the existing school and backing onto the canal. These were known as ‘The Huts’.  Half were used for woodwork for boys and half for cookery for girls.

 

A further change was made in 1957 when, due to an increase in numbers, part of the parish hall was converted into a classroom and continued to be used until the boys school closed in 1959.

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Catchment Area

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When the school was built Blackbrook bore little resemblance to the area as it is today. It only consisted of West End Road (then known as Blackbrook Road), Park Street and several side streets in Haydock. Several cottages and farms existed around the Chain Lane area.  Terraced houses ran for the length of Park Road, leading to Fingerpost.

 

Later the area expanded between the wars with the building of the housing estates around Old Whint Road and Folds Road in Haydock, and the estate around O’Sullivan Crescent on Blackbrook Road was built in 1929. (O’Sullivan Crescent was named after Canon O’Sullivan, Parish Priest of Blackbrook from 1881 until 1929. Whiteside Avenue named after Archbishop Whiteside, first Archbishop of Liverpool.) New houses were built in Ashurst Drive and Callon Avenue, and Blackbrook Road in the late 1920’s. New houses were built in Link Avenue and Chain Lane around 1938.

 

Following the Second World War Ashust Drive was expanded with the erection of single storey pre-fabricated houses in 1948 followed by the estate behind Ashurst Drive (known as the Wimpey Estate) in 1955.

 

All the above houses were built during the lifetime of St Mary’s Blackbrook Boys and Infants School. Further expansion was to take place later but only after new Secondary and Primary schools had been built.

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What makes a good school?

 

In these times we may list the following:-

• Sports facilities?

• Science laboratories?

• Specialist teachers?

• Well stocked library?

• Computer facilities?

• Well stocked kitchen and canteen facilities?

• Fully equipped staff room and Head’s Room

• Active PTA?

• Good Location?

• Modern buildings?

• Acceptable school uniform?

 

I am sure I could add many more to the above, but we at Blackbrook had none of the above but what we did have was the following:-

• A strong Catholic ethos

• Discipline

• Respect

• Belief in the four R’s (Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Religion)

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What did the school look like?

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The school was entered through two large gates situated at what is now the corner of the car park near the grotto. The path slopes up to the infants’ playground. On the immediate left as we proceed through the gates is the boiler house. The school was heated with a coal fired boiler; the caretaker would have been at school from around 7.00 am to fire up the boiler. The boiler house was underneath the classroom used as Standard 5 and 6 when I attended. Continuing round the school, the infants’ playground and infant’s school is on the right hand side.

 

The infants’ school consisted of three classrooms and a small cloakroom. It had two outside toilets. As with the boys school, there was no electricity in the school and the classrooms were lit by gaslight.

Continuing past the infants’ school a doorway led into the boys’ school. On the right were two cold bare WC’s, on the left was a porch with two doors, the left one took you into Standard 8, the right one into Standards 3 and 4. (At that time each year group in the senior school had a ‘standard number’ from 1 to 8). Continuing along the next door led into the cloakroom and Standards 1 and 2. The cloakroom consisted of a series of pegs for clothes, a deep washbasin with a cold water tap only, tin enamelled cups for drinking water, red carbolic soap (which caused your eyes to smart,) and a towel.

 

Continuing past the cloakroom was the boys’ playground and the urinals. The boundary wall to the back of the playground still remains as the wall around the convent garden.

 

The school did extend for several feet beyond the boundary of the present car park because part of the playground boundary overlooked Stringman’s farm which was behind the wall which presently divides the lawn by the church entrance.

 

On the outside of the school facing the presbytery were two concrete stairways, the one nearest the church leading to Standard 4 (It had the date 1871 above the doorway), the lower stairway led to Standards 5, 6 and 7 (1881 inscribed over this doorway).

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Inside the Boys’ School

The whole school consisted of only five classrooms (This was extended from 1955 but more about that later.)

 

Each classroom consisted of rows of double desks, each pair of desks had a sloping top which lifted up, below was a compartment used to store books and pens. In the top of each desk were two inkwells, one for each pupil.   In front of each class was a blackboard and chalk, a cupboard for books and the teacher’s desk. Also at the front of each class was the dreaded cane.

Classrooms were lit by gas mantels hung in the centre of the room. Additional mantels were situated around the walls. As the days got darker the teacher of each class would light the mantel by match.

Several classes had large maps of the world hanging on the wall. At that time the maps indicated the British Empire in red, which included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Large parts of Central Africa including Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, North and South Rhodesia and several other smaller areas.

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The Huts

As mentioned earlier, pre-fabricated huts were built away from the main body of the school and were used for woodwork for the boys, and cookery for the girls (no equal opportunities in those days)

The woodwork room was well equipped as was the cookery. (They also had electricity)  Woodwork was taught by Mr Weekly until he left in 1957, cookery taught my Miss Yearsley. These facilities were shared by pupils from Blackbrook School and St. Vincent’s School in Parr.

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Other Facilities

Looking at the list of what a good school should have I have made comparisons with my own school:-

Sport Facilities

 

Our sports equipment consisted of a few leather footballs which required inflation before each use. Several wooden hoops (similar to the hoola hoop of the 1970’s) used for exercises. Bean bags also used for exercises, and sashes of different colours used to distinguish team members at football.

I have never worn a football or rugby kit and have never worn football boots. We had no school playing fields and once a week we would walk as a class to the field now used by Blackbrook Recs. Rugby team. Once there we would spend 30 minutes chasing a leather ball round a field, not unlike a swarm of bees following the queen, the goal posts being pupils’ coats. On our feet was whatever we had gone to school in that day, could be wellingtons, shoes, plimsolls and in one case clogs.

 

No gymnasium or sports hall, any exercise was carried out in the playground, no matter what the weather.

 

Science Laboratories

The only items that could vaguely be considered ‘scientific’ were six or seven Bunsen burners and several test tubes on the bottom shelf of Standard Eight (that was the only classroom with gas connections on the desk). I have no recollections of any of the above being used. I don’t remember experiments ever being on the curriculum. My first experience with anything science based was years later when I attended college.

 

Specialist Teachers

Throughout my time in the boys school (excluding the infants), I had only four teachers. This was partly due to teachers changing years when the head retired. Although I only had those teachers, the school did have two further teachers but neither of them taught me. The teachers who taught me in the Boys’ School were as follows:-

Standard 1:                       Mr Heneberry

Standard 2:                       Mr Fairhurst

Standard 3 and 4:            Mr Atherton

Standard 5, 6, 7 and 8:    Mr Heneghan.

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Well Stocked Library

We had no library, what few books were available were given out and returned for each lesson.

Computer Facilities

 

Computers were things of science fiction to be read about in the futuristic comics of the time. The only item with moving parts in the school were the large wall clocks in Standard  2 and Standard 8 which required winding up daily.

 

Well Stocked Kitchen and Canteen Facilities

Lunch time was the only time when infants, boys and girls came together. None of the schools had kitchen or canteen facilities, so school meals were cooked at Merton Bank School one mile away, sealed in lead containers and transported daily to the Parish Hall close to the schools. (As the hall was only built in 1928, I am unaware if any dining facilities were available prior to that date).

 

There were no choices of food. Everyone got exactly the same meal and everyone had to eat whatever was on the plate. If you did not like cabbage or rice pudding, Tough!

 

Staff Room and Head’s Room

There was no staff room, nowhere for members of staff to prepare or mark work, and pupils could not be sent to the headmaster’s room as there wasn’t one. The headmaster worked from a desk in front of Standard 7 (he also taught the class as well

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Active PTA

Parent Teachers Associations were unheard of in those days, parents and teachers never met unless they called in school to make a complaint, which as far as I remember was an infrequent occurrence. (It was in around 1980 that the first PTA was set up in the junior school which replaced my school for pupils aged 7 to 11)

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Good location

In those days good location meant the school was within walking distance of home. There was no school run in those days, as most parents did not own cars in the 1950’s

 

Acceptable school uniform

Although clothing rationing ended in March 1949, many parents of Blackbrook pupils had a make do and mend philosophy for many years. I never had a school uniform and, like all the other pupils, wore whatever was available at the time. Many wore ‘hand me downs’ where they would wear clothes previously worn by an older brother or friend. It was not unusual to wear trousers or coats that had been patched or mended several times over. Shoes had often been re-soled or heeled many times over. In my class we had the last pupils in the school (as far as I can remember) to wear clogs. Ten years earlier the majority of pupils would have worn clogs. My favourite coat at school was a duffle coat with a hood and toggles; I wore this for several years until I outgrew it.

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My Time at the School

Infants’ School

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My class in Infants’ School with Mrs McGarry

I started at the School in September 1948 in Mrs McGarry’s class in the Infants’. I mustn’t have been very impressed, because at playtime on my first day I walked out of the school and walked the half mile to my home. My mother, shocked to see me returned me to the school. (If that had happened today there would have been an enquiry and heads may have rolled, but not then.) My only other memories of the first year, was that we had a sleep in the afternoon, and there was a large sandpit in the classroom.

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My second year was in Mrs Ludden’s class, Mrs Ludden was my father’s cousin, and later she would teach my own children in the new Junior School. It was during this year that we started to write. Writing was done on slate with a piece of chalk. We each had our own slate and had to clean it at the end of the day.

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The third year was in Mrs Wilson’s class. Mrs Wilson was a stern looking woman and a daughter of a previous head teacher of the boys’ school. It was during this year, at the age of seven that we made our First Holy Communion. This was a very important day in our short lives and one that most of us would remember for the rest of our lives. It was custom that after making your communion, a group photograph would be taken with the Parish Priest (in our case it was Fr Ellison) and we would each receive a shilling (now 5 pence) and a hard-boiled egg.

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The head teacher of the Infants’ School was Sr. Imelda. The Infants and girls schools had nuns as head teacher for many years, In the Infants it was Sr. Imelda followed Sr. Winifred and Sr. Baptist who was Head of the Junior School until she retired in the 1990’s. Head of the girls’ school was Sr. Pascal.

My only other recollections of the Infant’s school were being scolded for the quality of my handwriting on my slate; being visited by Fr. Christmas and seeing an airship fly over the school. It is difficult to imagine now just how small the Infants’ School was.

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The Boys’ School

Standard 1

My teacher in Standard 1 was Mr Heneberry, (Son of a local councillor and future Mayor of St. Helens)

When I first started in the class we used pencils, but soon converted to using pen and ink. The pens consisted of a wooden handle with a detachable nib. Ink was kept in a small inkwell sunk in the top of the desk. The use of fountain pens and any type of ball point pen was forbidden. It was in this class that we made our first introduction to ‘double writing’. We had to practice and practice getting the angle of the letters correct plus ensuring that each letter was of the correct height. (This unfortunately is a skill that appears to be out of fashion). It was also during this year that we were giving the opportunity to visit the local swimming baths at Boundary Road Baths in St. Helens. This was my first experience of swimming and I loved the experience and looked forward to our weekly visit. It was because of Mr Heneberry that I don’t sing (but that’s a different story).

 

Standard 2

My teacher for this year was a Mr Fairhurst.  A young teacher recently out of college, he was a fun teacher and also a good teacher and it was a pleasure to be in his class. The fun side was about to change as we moved into Standard 3

 

Standard 3 and 4

 

Standard 3 My class with Mr Tom Atherton

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The next two years were taught by Mr Tom Atherton (known throughout the school as owd Athy). Many pupils shook with fear at the thought of moving into his class. When we were in Standard 2 we were separated from Standard 3 by a partition, the top part glass and the bottom part wood. Many are the times when the partition would shake as a pupil was smashed into it by Mr Atherton. He was a very clever man and a very good teacher. Our main concern, as far as we were concerned was that apart from his cane, he would use any means available to punish pupils. This would include: the flat of hi hand to the nape of the neck, his elbow to the middle of ones back, and other attacks which in this day would be considered assault for which he would be dismissed, and possibly be in court on criminal charges. In those days it was acceptable and considered part of everyday life. If you reported it to your parents you could possibly receive another clout. ‘He wouldn’t hit you for nothing’ was the universal reply from parents.

Apart from the above, Mr Atherton was well liked and looked up to, not only by the pupils but the rest of the staff. If a teacher was unable to provide an answer to a particular problem or query, they would always go to Mr Atherton for an answer. The last time I saw Mr Atherton, he was dying in Providence Hospital when I was visiting my late father.

 

It was during my time in Mr Atherton’s class that I sat for my 11+ exam. In those days the town had two Grammar Schools for boys, West Park Catholic School for boys and Cowley Boys’ School.  For girls there was Notre Dame Catholic School and Cowley Girls’ School. Below those schools was Grange Park School, whilst not being a Grammar School, it offered a higher standard of education than other schools within the town. In those days only two or three pupils out of a class of 30+ could hope to pass with sufficient marks to elevate them to Grammar School (the only place one would get the opportunity to obtain an ‘O’ level).

I remember well attending Alanson Street School for my 11+ exam. The exam consisted of maths (both arithmetic and problems) and English comprehension as far as I remember. Following the exam I was marked as a ‘border line’ which meant that although I had not obtained an automatic place into West Park, I was to join lots of other boys from around the Borough for the last remaining places.

 

On the day of the selection I attended an interview with the head of West Park (who was a teaching Brother), a member of the local authority and two others. I remember well sitting opposite the panel, so nervous that I tore open my school cap. I remember being given an excerpt to read from Robinson Crusoe, and then answering questions from the panel. One particular question I remember was “In the excerpt you have just read what does the word ‘viz’ mean”. I sat there dumbfounded not knowing what to say (typing this I note that the computer had never heard of the word either). From there I fell to pieces and was unsuccessful. There would be no ‘O’ levels for me. I asked many people the meaning of that word and received blank stares from them all.

 

(n.b. ‘viz’ means ‘namely’ e.g. we bought vegetables viz potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage).

Accepting that I would remain at Blackbrook I stayed in Mr Atherton’s class for two years (Standard 3 and Standard 4) I clearly remember feeling the wrath of Mr Atherton one day because I was unable to tell him were the Queen had gone on an official visit. Today it would be on television, but in those days we did not have television, radio was a small box in the corner with a choice of three stations (none of the interesting to an 11 year old) and I did not read my dad’s copy of the Daily Herald. For not knowing, I received a sharp slap to the back of the head. (You don’t forget these things).

 

Standard 5, 6, 7 and 8

For the next four years I would have the same teacher, but in 3 separate classrooms.

My teacher was Mr Heneghan, born and brought up within 100 yards of the school he was to have a greater influence on my life than I could have imagined (a decision he made directly moulded how my future progress, but more about that later.)

 

Mr Heneghan also provided much of the research that I have used at the start of this work and included in his booklet for the 150th Anniversary of St Mary’s Church, Blackbrook.

 

For Standard 5 I was in the end classroom at the old school, but for the following two years I was to move to the Parish Hall. From the early 1950’s the population of the parish had increased meaning that the capacity of my old school was no longer adequate.

 

Within the Parish Hall was the men’s social club on two floors. On the upper floor was the main area of the club with a bar whilst below it was a games room with two snooker tables.  

To accommodate a classroom, the snooker tables were put in storage and the lower room converted into a classroom (the tables were never to return).

 

It was within this environment that I spent the following two years. A room with electricity, but unfortunately it had a separate antiquated coal fired boiler at the other end of the hall, and the school caretaker only lit the boiler after finishing his duties at the school. Consequently it was often late morning before the pipes and radiator within the classroom began to get warm. In winter we often spent part of the morning running round inside the hall to get warm. In addition I also took a small Ovaltine tin filled with hot water to keep my hands warm.

 

I had a very happy two years in this room, with good memories of my time there. One not so happy moment was the time that Terry Allen, who sat next to me decided to play a prank on me. As I have previously stated each desk had an inkwell set into the top of each desk, and if anyone got an ink blot on their work, the punishment was one stroke of the cane per blot.

 

It was springtime, and each classroom would have a fish tank in which we would follow the development of frogs from frog spawn, through the tadpole stage to fully developed frogs, at which stage we would return them to the canal close to the school. They were at the tadpole stage when Terry decided, as a joke, to catch a tadpole and place it in my inkwell. The result was that as I dipped my pen into the well, it came out with an ink covered tadpole which discarded the ink all over the page of my book. The result being that I received five strokes of the cane (which warmed up my hands on this occasion).

As I mentioned earlier, a decision made in this year, small at the time,  in which Mr Heneghan was involved, was to change my life forever and forge my career for the next 35 years and ultimately result in my meeting Joan who was to become my wife.

 

It was all the result of a visit to a coal mine.

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The Visit

At the age of fourteen, Mr Heneghan arranged a visit to Lyme Colliery in Haydock for the class of Standard 7.

 

Up until that day I had never considered a career in coal mining. Although my Grandfather and two uncles worked below ground, I had never considered it as any type of option.

 

I can still clearly remember the visit, the exhilaration of dropping down into the earth at over 30 miles an hour, the smell of the coal and dust, the darkness, being shown around by my own uncle who was District Deputy for the coal face we visited in the Ince 6 feet coal seam, crawling along the coal face. All of these left an indelible mark on a young boy.

 

Following this visit, I made my mind up that if possible I would seek a job within the mining industry.

Many years later as a Training Officer arranging visits at Sutton Manor Colliery I had arranged a visit for several College Lecturers from St Helens College. Among the lecturers due to attend was Mr Heneghan, unfortunately he decided not to attend, so I was unable at that time to inform him of how he had influenced my life in mining.

 

I did, however get the opportunity to speak to him at the funeral of his brother in law, where I told him of my decision made many years previously.

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Christmas Party

It may be appropriate at this time to mention the annual Christmas Party held for the whole school in the Parish Hall, where the party consisted of a concert where each class gave a show, individuals gave their own ‘turn’ and this was followed by cakes and jellies and presents to each of the pupils.

Standard 1 always gave a Nativity Play, while the rest of the school gave their own renditions.  Each year I would give my monologue entitled ‘Micky Plum’ which always went down well, and I was reminded of some thirty years later when I met Mr Heneberry in the local swimming baths and he remembered by rendition.

 

Mr Heneghan’s class offering was always eagerly awaited, as he often produced entirely in rhyme. I particularly remember one play he produced called ‘A day in Hell’ in which the devil (known as Nasty Nick) sent his bad angel (Wily Willy)(played by me), to earth and took pupils to Hell for misdemeanours such as using a catapult or an elastic gun,  smoking in the toilet or copying. It was such a good play that I can still remember snippets of the script after nearly sixty years.

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For the party each pupil had to bring their own plate, cup, saucer and spoon. Each item of crockery would have the name of the pupil written underneath, on a piece of sticky paper. Ironically each spoon would have a piece of blue cotton tied around the handle.

 

It was the highlight of the year, and although the final presents were often free advertising items given to the school, they were often treasured. One item I received was called the ‘Vimto Book of Learning’ and contained lots of tables and useful information. I carried that small pink book through my first few years at college. I found it invaluable.

 

School Dance

The only other social gathering was the school dance. This was held once per year, and with the boys and girls schools being on separate sites, apart from lunchtime, the two never met. When the school dance came around, the boys would sit on one side of the hall and the girls on other. Dancing in those days was of the ‘Old Time’ style, for example Barn Dance, St Bernard’s Waltz and Veleta.

 

The dancing was always started by Mr Heneberry and his wife who were accomplished dancers. After they started the proceedings, a teacher would come around, collect the boys and couple them up with the girls. This would continue for the first few dances when both sides would be more relaxed and dance without being forced to do.

 

School Outing

It was while in this class that I went on my one and only school outing. These were extremely rare and did not visit the exotic destinations enjoyed by today’s pupils.

 

Our one day out was to Chester and was to include a visit to the zoo followed be a boat ride down the River Dee. It was held on 29th June; Feast of St Peter and Paul, and at that time a Holy Day and not a school day.

 

I can still remember that day out, but what I remember most were the large flocks of Mute Swans on the river. I was disappointed years later when visiting the River Dee at Chester to see that the numbers of swans had dwindled appreciably.

 

Standard 8

At this time changes occurred within the school. Mr Hennesey, the Head retired, and his position was taken up by Mr Miller (previously teacher of Standard 8), the school took on two new teachers, Mr Hankinson (who had previously taught in the school before living in Egypt) and Mr Waring (whose wife taught in the infants school).

 

Mr Heneghan took charge of Standard 8 meaning that I had the same teacher for the fourth successive year.

 

At that time pupils left school at Christmas, Easter and summer depending on when their fifteenth birthday was. As my birthday was in June, I left on 18th July 1958.

Woodwork

 

As mentioned previously, woodwork classes were held in the huts by Mr Weekly. This was a well-designed modern (for its time) woodwork room. The workbench was kept clean and clear at all times. All tools were held in a store cupboard under each bench. During my time doing woodwork I remember making an ironing board (I was lucky that my mother was only five feet tall, as I made several attempts to make the ironing board level by sawing the bottom of each leg. Although this was a subject of fun, my mother continued to use the ironing board for many years.

 

Another item I remember making (and was proud of) was a stool with a woven top? This also was in pride of place in my home and used for many years.

 

Mr Weekly left the school at the end of the summer term in 1957 and was not replaced. For my final year at school I and the rest of my class travelled to Parr Mount School about a mile away. One morning a week, after registration, we would have to make our own way to Parr Mount, either on foot or by bus.

The woodwork class as Parr Mount was older than we had been used to. The tools were of poor quality, and chisels, files etc. were placed in holes on the top of the benches. I cannot remember what I made whilst there, the one thing I can remember is the smell of the glue used as it was heated in a cauldron prior to use.

 

School Gala

Every year on the Saturday in the week before the summer break, the boy’s, girl’s and infant’s schools came together for the annual school gala.

 

The gala was held either on Hurst’s farm (at Stanley Bank), or on Stringman’s field behind the huts.

This consisted of races for all ages, including egg and spoon, sack, obstacle and flat races. The day also included stalls with various games.

 

The highlight of the day was always the boy’s half mile race. This was only open to Standard 8 and was the pinnacle of each boy’s final year.

 

I still clearly remember my final race, which was held on Stringman’s field. Prior to the big day, several heats were held to decide who would run in the final on Gala Day.

 

In my heat I won easily, my tactic being to start well and maintain a leading position.

Prior to the day I was feeling confident that I could win, and then the evening before the race disaster struck. Playing on the local swings, and showing off, I fell and sprained my ankle.

On the morning of the race my ankle was black and blue and swollen, even so I was determined to, if at all possible, run in the race. I decided to forego the 100 yards and obstacle race and attempt only the 800 yards.

 

As the race started, and although my ankle was sore, I decided to take off at the start to try and open an unassailable lead. The race was over five laps, and for four of those laps I was out in front. During the fifth lap could hear the other runners closing the lead. Despite the calls of encouragement from the crowd I knew I was spent. I was slowly being overtaken; I had used too much energy in the opening laps. I finished in fourth place, the race being won by Peter Twist. As only the first three were given prizes, I left deeply disappointed.

 

One week later on Friday 18th July 1958, I was to leave the school, my school friends to remain friends for life. We were members of an elite small band, learning by gas light, no O levels, no great scientific knowledge, no elite sporting opportunities, but lots of good memories.

 

New School

We were all aware whilst at the school that it was nearing the end of its nearly 80 year life. Throughout my time at school (and for several years earlier) collections had taken place each week to help pay for the ‘New School’. Being a Catholic school, part of the cost of the new school had to be borne by the church, so every Monday; each pupil would bring in a few pennies.

 

By the time that I left school the building of the new school had commenced.

 

The new school was being built on a plot of land on the corner of Boardmans Lane and Blackbrook Road.

The land was bordered by Blackbrook Road to the west, the St Helens Canal (part of the Sankey Navigation) to the south and two railway lines to the north and east. The railway to the north was a raised embankment carrying the old St Helens Central line which ran from St Helens Central (where Birchley Street car park now stands) to Manchester Central. The line went Via Haydock (Station Road) and Haydock Park. It carried passengers until 1949. The line was finally closed in 1965.The railway crossed Blackbrook Road close to the new school, the bridge being known locally as ‘The Cephos Bridge’ because of an advert for a well-known medicine advertised on the bridge. The embankment was finally taken down in the late 1970’s. That was over 130 years after James Orrell of Blackbrook objected to its building because it restricted his view from Blackbrook House.

 

The railway to the east of the new school carried freight from Sutton and St Helens Junction and joined the St Helens to Wigan line at Carr Mill. To the rear of the old school was a swing bridge on the railway line over the canal. Underneath were large wheels used to turn the bridge, and provided an adventure playground for the children at that time.

 

The canal was filled in and the completed school was opened in July 1959 under the name of St Anselms, the head teacher being Mr Barrow.

 

St Anselms opened as a co-educational secondary school for pupils 11 to 15 years of age rising to 16 in 1972.

In 1988 following reorganisation of Secondary Education in St Helens, the school was closed as St Anselms and reopened as St Augustine of Canterbury.

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The Old School

With the opening of St Anselms in 1959, the boys and infants schools were demolished. The infants and juniors were rehoused in the old girls school and the huts until November 1968 when a new infants and junior schools were opened on Chain Lane. The girls’ school was then demolished. The land is currently used as a garage for the repair of cars and MOT centre.