Moorland House School

Ah Mr. Sweeney I do. In fact I was the last head boy (highlight of my career). I even have a photo of you, me and the inestimable Miss Pettit!

Simon sent you quite a long response to you comment but not sure it sent correctly. Please contact me on p.sweeney@btinternet.com or 07971190524. Would love to hear from you. P.Sweeney

I was a pupil at this school from 1958 to 1961 or 1962. Does anyone remember Mr Newsam, the headteacher when I was there? Or Mr Southall? Or Colonel Toker?

I was Assistant Matron for a year September 1966--July 1967. Yes remember the Newsome's, Colonel and Mrs Toker and Mr or Dr Fox. A few of the boys also. Went back to look for it about 40 years ago and was surprised to find it gone. Thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

How nice to get a message from someone who remembers the school as I do and the staff. I have been contacted by a number of ex pupils. You may remember Michael Tanner Simon Tetlow NICHOLAS Redwood Christian CAROE perhaps. I too very much enjoyed my short time (2years) there and it was so sad that it closed. There were two matrons in my time(1968 to 1970) Jean Austin followed by Sue Pettit. I still occasionally return and walk on the moors behind the school. So many memories! It would be good to hear of some of your experiences there. My email is p.sweeney@btinternet.com . Now an pap and retired after a lifetime in teaching!!! Best wishes Phil Sweeney

Hi. Could not read your comment. Would be great to here from you after all these years.

I was at MH from 1966 to when the school closed. Many memories from that time and yes, I recall many of the names you mention. Mr Sweeney and his Riley Elf, Mr Duxfield, Mr Fox, the Tokers, Mr Foster who taught English, Mr Newsom whose signature (AHN) most boys could forge!!! Playing on the "moors" behind the school was huge fun, and the residents who now reside on our old sports field have know knowledge of how much pleasure and pain (chilblains from the winters cold) we got. I'm now in Asia and rarely get to England but it would be great to hear from anyone from those times - ndaltry@hotmail.com

I was at Moorland House, Heswall from 1961 (?) till 1967, with Andrew Strawson and Alastair Jones in my year, being taught by Miss Marriott (on entry) who wrote so closely to the blackboard, as she had 'huge' contact lenses … and her 'friend' Bob would bring and take her from school. Other teachers I recall included Mr Dyke, and Mr Foster who in our second or third year walked into our brand new science lab (previously the carpentry class) with a Swedish science teaching box and proceeded to teach science whilst reading out of the instruction book! Mr Southam did gym and swimming in the indoor swimming pool, and Mr Newsom showed films every Saturday in the gym. I recall doing boxing lessons in the gym, which then switched to ballroom dancing … and luckily I learnt the male dancing positions! Mr Toker the Bursar (?) and either his wife or Mrs Newsom taught those interested, or not doing sports, gardening. Other boys there in my time were the Bridgfords (whose family had estate agencies in Cheshire), Ian Carmichael's nephews, and Andy Pownall - a very fast bowler! So sad to hear of the school building being demolished and the playing fields now a housing development … but I had heard that the Newsoms couldn't get their adult children to take over, so sold it on retirement. What happy times I had there before going to Uppingham. Spitfire Squadron!

Takes me back. I’m Michael Tanner and was at the school for the last 3 years of its existence. Happy memories o a small school with slightly eccentric staff. We lived a nomadic life with lots of sport and running wild on the moors. There were no Ofsted in those days. Our teams were always trashed by bigger neighbouring schools like Mostyn. Remember Alexander, John Kendal, Cliff Hodkinson and Craig Howel Williams. At 13 I went to Caldy grammar and no live in Yorkshire repairing antiques. Be good to hear more news from anyone still living!!!

Sonic the Head would patrol the sidelines at sports matches bellowing Come-on Moorland House. The memory will never leave me.! Also desks withe marble slides within, if you were there you know what I mean

do you recall a girl with the name Miss Craven ? from Buxton area
she attended in 1958 and was part of the netball team.

I was at Moorland House Summer term 1966 and left Summer term 1967 and had arrived directly after my 7th Birthday. I reduced my mother to tears as when entering Moorland house i enquired whether my parents would send my Christmas Presents on! But there were happy times too with Caring staff! It must have had a profound effect upon me as I can recall intimate details 50 years plus on. Mr Newsom he was proud of his Bedford Minibus (The Bat Mobile ) the indoor swimming pool were you got extra marks if you did a victory roll ! My Dormitory was up in the 3rd floor wing with the school hand swung copying machine next door. The Gym had all our tuck boxes around its sides, this where the 2 billard tables were and we would roller skate too, Films were shown here and i remeber on one occasion we were all given matchbox Lighting Jet fighter Planes. I was taught by Miss Marriot and she and he friend Bob (who had VW Beetle ) did come and visit us at home once as they had a cottage near us in Pwllheli. There was also Matron who had a son in my year too. We ould go down to the playing fields passing our Gardening plots with radish, cress and lettuce being grown. On one occasion the whole school was brought down to walk in line up and down the fields as a vital part had been lost off the gang mowers. We never did find it! The Cricket Pavilion was very substantial with a flagpole too. There were the crochide walk walks to church or down to the coast or morning walks on the moorland where looked across to the North Wales Coast of Mostyn. When I left to go to the Dragon School (entry aged 8 ) my younger brother Christopher joined. I did go back 25 years ago and i have met other boys who were at Moorland House since. Very Happy days.

I should have added my name of Jonathan Williams-Ellis to the comment below.

Hi
Have just come across your comments on Moorland House and thought it may be of interest that I boarded at the school from 1950 to 1956. Mr Newsome was the headmaster and owner and I also remember the maths master "Cui" Driver and Mr Southam (prob not spelt correctly). I was in the football team for three years and played against Mostyn House In Parkgate and a school between Hoylake and Meols.
Would be interested hear from anyone from my years. After MH I went to a public school near Hertford and during my last year was joined by Newsome's son and Harold Chaplain, who was the nephew of Newsome and whose parents worked at MH school
I worked in London but visited the Wirral area with my wife in 2019. It was a good time in my life.
If you still live in the Wirral drop me a line anytime.

All the best John Snowden

I became five years old in September 1939 and was signed up to attend Riverside Infants School, Wallasey. On or about August 29 1939 I , kkkkkkkmy older brother and most of my soon to be school mates, a few teachers and volunteer parents, walked to Seacombe RR Station, boarded a train to Heswall as War was about to be declared against Germany and immediate bombing was anticipated. Heswall families opened their doors to many of our group but my brother refused to let me go without him so we walked the streets with a teacher in a group looking for a home and ended up occupying the already evacuated Moreland House School. By Christmas I was taken in by a Heswall family and think I attended Puddydale Infants School. My brother remained as a boarder at Moreland House School.
I am attempting to locate attendance records for both schools for 1939-40 school year to confirm my movements and the home address. They had a newborn baby girl who would be 82 now as I am in my 86th year (2020) .
Wirral Archives apparently did not have the school registers when I attended there in 2018. Any help would be appreciated. Keith Adams

Hi Philip I joined Moorland House School in September 1961 having just turned 8 years . I have somehow very substantial memories of the school and now as I turn 67 shortly remember my 5 years there with huge nostalgia and I am in the school photo shown with a number of the teachers and pupils of the time in about 1964 . My memories would certainly provide a chapter to the history and joys of being at the school . My memory although a bit partitioned and piecemeal March with some of the comments I have seen in this Frith page . I woke up one night during Covid19 lockdown and the names, scenes and experiences came flooding back in full technicolour !! Thank you for setting up this page . The schools on the Wirral were a model of post-war boarding school life as in so many cases our parents has experienced the hardships of WWII and I guess in many cases were highly aspirational for their children and equally put every penny they could into schooling . I have a plethora of memories and remember the Newsom’s well . They cared for me well although I remember a lot of carrot and stick methodology . To give you a taster , Mr Newson has a collection of slippers in his study for meting out corporal punishment , and the harshness was indicated by the colour of the slipper . The punishments ranged from 3 strokes with a soft slipper with spongy sole to a leather slipper and if you were a repeat offender or the offence was particularly crass , you could be subjected to 6 with the cane ! We always had our worsted shorts on so the marks were not serious but boy did it sting for an hour or two ! Once , after an incident when a Persian carpet outside his study was trimmed of its tassels overnight by some prankster , who didn’t fuss up , Mr Newson beat every single one of 60+ students and it took him all morning to get through the queue outside his study . The more daring of us actually stuffed newspapers down our trousers ! But it’s unfair perhaps to start with that as the memories of Moorland House School remain warm and frankly wonderous overall ! Mrs Newson taught art in the attic classroom which was dominated by a magnificent and somewhat moth-eaten rhino head with tusk intact ! I see a number of comments from peers at the time . How can I relay my memories to all of them through you ? I remember roller skating on alternate Saturdays and ballroom dancing classes, trips to the limestone caves in Denbeighshire during blissful summers, Colonel Tucker teaching Maths, ‘Bomber’ Dyke with the wooden leg which creaked, my first flush of hormones with Ann Holgate our gorgeous matron , sports and cricket with Ian Cunningham who was a brilliant teacher and used to place Mars bars on the stumps instead of bails in the nets to get the best out of the 1st XI bowlers , the magnificent marble runs cut out of sandstone rock on the Moors , strawberries and cream on match days in the summer, the allotments where we each had a little plot for our own garden, Mr Pickles , an English teacher who went to Giggleswick School and could not have been 20 years old at the time he taught us. The outdoor swimming pool where we all wore prescribed black swimmer and if I recall they had a white circular patch on the backside if you were a learner? An inside pool where I learned to dive and smelled so strongly of chlorine . We learned so much there about how to be independent and look after ourselves , have clean shoes, tie our own ties, blanco our cricket boots , deal with all weathers and how to handle howselves among a range of social-economic backgrounds . I remember Simon Tetlow, Michael Milligan ( the nephew of Sir Peter Scott who treated us to a day out at his wildfowl sanctuary ) , (Chris?) Eccles and brilliant runner and spin bowler to my wicket keeping, Paul Nichols another excellent sports all rounder , Peter Cookson who sadly died of a brain tumour in 1962, ‘Porky’ Richards who came from Mold I think as and was the most warm and generous of characters - if I recall he had flat feet and he has both feet ‘broken’ and reset and was in plaster for months . (Peter?) Ribeck and other names will come back to me . Life was almost Swallows and Amazons style - we had ‘dens’ made from the abundant fern leaves on the Moors . We had the Moors run. We learned athletics . We did PE every morning on the hard surface tennis courts . We played marbles down the corridors and had ‘lobs’ , we made and played conkers all through the winter term, we had ‘tuck’ and liquorice . We had 1/3 pint of milk morning and night . We had tapioca and semolina with jam ! We drank cherryade and limeade until we were sick on school trips and away matches . Spam or cheese sandwiches and cherries in our packed lunches. I’m sure I have a catalogue of tales of of interest to you and fellow readers . I returned to Heswall to take a girlfriend to see the school in 1976 and was so upset to see it had been replaced by housing developments both side of the road and down across those magnificent cherished playing fields . And one memory comes back to me afresh ... we used to have flour cakes and duck apple on Halloween and so often it was a clear night sky - it made for a bewitching hour which was so real in our young minds . I remember listening to Telstar while watching the satellite itself cross the night sky ! And the 45 records of the Beatles ! Wow what a set of memories ! It would be brilliant to hear from you, albeit you arrived a couple of years after I left . I’m sure the school didn’t change right up until. It’s closure . Incidentally I arrived from a primary school, Dormie House in West Kirby, and as a 12 year old went on to Tonbridge School in Kent . Warm regards Bill Dixon

Max, I was just joining Moorland House when you were leaving, however if I recall correctly your younger brother may have followed after you ? Am I right ? Do you recall the Bibby brothers (as in soap - Runcorn - Unilever ?)

kind regards
Bill Dixon

Hi Paul,
I have added as mishmash of comments below, but now I recall you and I think you will find that we are in the same school photo in about 1964. I am partially hidden behind Ann Holgate's left shoulder , who had Ian Cunningham on her right . She drove a convertable racing green Spitfire or similar if I remember ?!

best wishes
Bill

On reading the comments from Keith Adams re his war time evacuation. My mother (Rose Hannaway) was a young Primary School Teacher at Gorsedale School in Wallasey - not long out of teacher training. She volunteered for "evacuation duty" and was based at Moorland House from 1/9/1939 to 25/1/1943. In a letter from the head master Mr F Hughes he wrote "While here Miss Hannaway had charge of different groups in the lower junior school and gained valuable experience in junior school method. Her previous infant training and experience coupled with her talent for illustration and her gifts in the sphere of art and craft should make her a valuable member of a junior school staff".

I was at Moorland House from 1965 to 1970 when it closed. I can still remember the lay out of the school; the art on the passage way to the TV room (Miss Marriot's class room), the stage with the snooker tables, the alcove with the 3d map of the Wirral, the red passage way floors and the red soap in the wash basins in the cloakroom, the squadrons (Spitfires, Hurricanes and Blenheim's), the Flag game we would play instead of a lesson if we earned enough good results, learning to dance ballroom and then taking part in a dance with the local girl's school, playing marbles, crocodile walks around Heswall and on some Sundays walks to the Church of the Good Shepherd or to the church in the lower village and films in the gym. I can remember the names of the following boys; Bentham, Fraser, Martins, Holiday, Brandon, Wright, Shaw, Alexander Byers just to name a few.

Hi Charles I was there at the same time and remember you my brother John was there too I have been reading all the posts and they brought back a lot of memories.

Hi Simon I remember you well you used to come to our bonfire parties in Cilcain you will remember my brother John who was two years older than me I was in the second form one below you when the school closed sad day.hope your keeping well

Hi James, I remember you and your brother. Your family I seem to remember had some petrol stations and a car sales business. I live outside Chester and now and work for Waitrose. My family had a Builders Merchants outside Chester which we closed in 1994. I can also remember other pupils names like Crothell, Holiday, Littler and Farrar.

Am fascinated to find this page and read the comments. I attended Moorland House up until my fanning moved to South Africa in Feb 1969 at the age of 10. My memories of it are patchy. I was a day scholar so was on the fringe I suppose. I returned to the UK 6 years ago, wish we'd never left. Great to be Home. Whew, a real blast from the past

Cilcain I do James. I remember Sonic used to read from his Roman Empire book (not Gibbons I think), and at the point that some breathless centurion arrived in Rome and declared "Triumph" Sonic said "Oh Mr. Wright would have been pleased".

The book was the Story of Rome.

Best school I ever went to. Was there from 1959/60 to end of 1963. My contemporaries were .... Hardy x2,Holliday x2 ,Hunter,Horswill,Duff,Robb,Stoppard, Mears,Hopley. Earlam awarded me my football co!ours on my first game for first 11...I scored a hat trick against Mostyn House..it was the only time we ever beat them. Such happy days. Peter Anderson.

I was on the staff at Moorland House School from 1950 till 1952. Teachers I remember apart from
Mr Newsom included ?Felix ROSE and ?Don SOUTHAM. One had a motorbyke and I recall going down to Gloucestershire on a trip out. There was also a young matron but I don't remember her name.

I was a pupil 1949 - 1953 and quite a naughty one. I remember 'getting the slipper'' for taking part in a raid on 'Mounbatten' the top floor dormitory. It was well worth it and part of the essential discipline of my upbringing. So sorry it was demolished, it has always been part of my life.