Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

Hi JCB, was the teacher, whose name you don't remember, Mrs. Mc Gowan. She was my first teacher there when I started in 1946. My sister started school there but was 3 years younger than me and she was taught by Mrs. McGowan. You may have been in the same class as her. Mrs Edisford's son Jim was in the same class. When I returned to St Oswalds, from St. Annes, I don't remember if Mrs. McGowan was there or not. I think that Mrs. Mitchel was a senior school teacher. I remember the name but I was never taught by her.
Best regards T.

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

Hello Tetti , the name McGowan rings a bell .

I don't remember Jimmy Edsforth at St Oswald's , but he was in the same 11 plus class as me at St Anne's , and his mum was the teacher . Poor lad .

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

His mother always called him James - he was a year ahead of me at St Anne's & St Mary's Blackburn - and suddenly disappeared in the 3rd form - never know what happened to him!

I remember his mother screeching at him "James Edsforth - come here this instant!"

Mrs Edsforth was a good teacher though - got me through 11+ (and I've still got the bruises to prove it! :eek: )

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

Yes that wobbly cane , covered in sellotape to keep it in one piece . She must have had it since she began teaching .

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

No, Jaysay, it was his scowl and he used to stand behind my chair in class and just linger. He knew I was stuck with the geography and I think he enjoyd that so that when I handed in my efforts he could shout at me. Do they call that bullying these days? Loved my English, history, music, composition etc. I think he was just a pig and pigs tend to stick in your memory-well in mine, anyway.

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

I was taught by Miss Mitchell-music and drama-Shakespeare. Strangely I can still remember what I learned, and her face. She taught us to sing-'On a tree by a willow a little Tomtit, Sang willow tit willow tit willow. I've been watching out for those birds ever since but never come across any! I was a very imaginative child!

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

No, I hid it and even though we were kept in after school until somebody told, nobody dobbed me in-great!

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

Thats right!

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

During the war years the older boys at St Oswald's had to "Dig For Victory" and we did our best to grow food which would later be sold at the school.

Anyone remember doing this? George Holden

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

springhill council school did a similar thing but the whole class did the digging springhills garden was a patch taken off farmer nelsons farm field which after the war became richmond road

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

I can remember Nelson's farm , where Slaidburn Drive is now .

Can you recall just where the patch you worked on was ?

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

springhill school garden was very nearly opposite the bottom of moorhouse avenue

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

Hi JCB, No it wasn't Mr Brunseels cane but his manner which scared me. I had a way of dealing with unpleasant things like canes-I hid them! Nobody dobbed me in even under threat of being kept back in class. Apart from that, I loved my school days and cried the day I left! Wish I knew what happened to my old mates though.

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

I remember growing turnips, George. Lovely they were, too!

Re: St Oswald's School-1940-1950
 

I have looked at this topic before but did not recognize any names I think I started in the infants when I was 3 or 4 but that could be wrong so that would be 1948 ish. I remember a Mr Bruynseels mentioned in Stephanie Wallaces post and I can remember Tony Lord who was the same class as I was but this has stretched my one grey cell to the limit