Greetby Hill School.
A Memory of Ormskirk.
I moved to Ormskirk in the 1960s from St Helens. My name was then Whitehead - one not to be forgotten! I remember Mr Henderson, he was a gentle man. I loved my class teacher Mrs Sykes, she read lovely stories at the end of each day - I looked forward to this time, which is maybe why I adore reading now. I wonder if anyone remembers our Christmases there? We'd polish our desks with polish we had bought from home, and we we would have a party - the dinner ladies used to come round to the classes with huge pots of tea and sandwiches and jellies in little paper dishes. After we had eaten our fill we would all go to the hall and watch a film - my favourite was Norman Wisdom, still a favourite! Oh how I would laugh.
We had 'times tables' and spelling tests on Fridays - how I dreaded this, I would always find an excuse to go to the toilet and would try to delay returning until I knew the tests were over! I found numbers so difficult - I discovered much later that I had dyslexia and had significant hearing loss, no wonder that I struggled with things like maths and spellings, when a teacher has their back to you whilst writing on the blackboard it's hard to hear what is being said. Little did I realise that I relied on lip reading to get by. Art and History were subjects that drove me on - they were my favourites! They still are.
I remember having total respect for all the teachers and grown-ups - I would have been in so much trouble if I had been cheeky, I was brought up to be polite and kind, and I only got into trouble once at Greetby Hill - oh, the shame! Mum was so cross when she found out I'd answered Mrs Sykes back (I really am sorry Mrs Sykes!). I liked playing outside and I remember the trains and the wonderful smell. Music was changing and I enjoyed the Beatles and I had a huge crush on the lead singer of 'The Herman Hermits'. One memory involved going swimming to the Victoria Baths in Southport each week. I was a slow dresser and couldn't hear very well, so as I came out of the changing rooms I found that everyone had gone! They had forgotten me. I didn't panic, I thought "Great, time for a cup of oxtail soup" which I got out of the machine in the foyer. I think my mum came to pick me up - what an adventure.
There are names and faces I remember - Kathleen Williams, Kathleen Hore, Gera ldine Huyton, David Skrivvin, Andrew Lee, I'm sure I will remember more.
I failed my 11 plus - no surprises there - and went to Wigan Road School. My memories of Greetby Hill are all good. I adored school meals, and I remember the daisy chains I made in the summer whilst sitting in the field, and at Christmas making wonderful decorations out of crepe paper and glitter, and singing in the parish church with the choir, and visiting Speke Airport and Chester and feeling very grown up in my first pair of tights! If I could pop back just for a day to revisit these times I would be very happy.
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My brother lives on Jersey, Channel Islands, retired as a partner in an international accounting firm; I live in Arizona, retired from a career in offshore banking.
Thank you Greetby Hill..!
Michael Edge - Lindsay Edge
alan stokes Johannesburg S. Africa.
I remember you Kathryn Whitehead, I too was in miss Sykes class, I remember all the other names you mentioned too. Didn't Kathleen Williams have a sister? I think her name was Susan?
I fondly remember most if what you describe, I don't remember polishing my desk though! Other memories I have suddenly recalled was the daily (warm) milk in pyramid cartons delivered to the classroom door in a crate, a milk monitor was allocated to distribute it to the class. I also remember doing times tables. I recall one Christmas miss Sykes entertaining us by playing an accordion she had brought into school. I remember making the crepe paper decorations as well as the gummed strips of coloured paper made into chains. I was actually in the Christmas choir once, I still have that photo somewhere.
I recall one time everyone having to design and produce a picture about cleaning your teeth properly, these were displayed in the hall on parents evening. Parents had to cast a vote for their favourite, I think the winner got a prize. Talking of the hall, I remember slipping on some liquid on the floor, falling backwards banging my head on the floor. I was knocked unconscious and was taken to the nurses room to lie on the bed to recover. The yearly nit nurse inspection took place in here, as well as the sugar cube inoculation.
I too remember the steam trains at the top of the bank at the end of the playground shunting and spewing out black smoke, throwing snowballs in the winter, playing conkers, having to stand as still as a statue without making any noise in the playground when the headmaster or deputy blew the whistle. I think the deputy head was Mr Pennington? I didn't like him from the day I had to visit his classroom at the end of school for 'the cane' which was whacked very hard across my hand ( only once incidentally) and for something I didn't even do.... Such injustice tarred his reputation with me forever, and embarrassingly the act was performed with all his class pupils as an audience.
I recall one playtime hearing a boy screaming, he was at the top of the front grass area... teachers ran to his aid to discover he had his head stuch through the railings! I don't recall the boy's name, everyone was rushed back into the classroom whilst the fire brigade attended to release him. The bent fence bar was actually still there until only a few years ago, I used to look out for it every time I passed that way and point it out (and recall the story) to any unsuspecting passengers I had along ( even though they may have already heard the story many times before).
I lived on burscough road ( in one of the white flat topped roof houses at the bottom where it meets County rd) my route to school was along the school pads, often my mother would give me a lift to school on her scooter, I sat on a jump seat over the back wheel behind her... No crash helmets for either of us in them days, my mum wore a turban style scarf on her head!
I also remember going to Victoria baths in Southport on a coach...I hated it as I hated going in water and couldn't swim. I am still nervous in water, I hate getting my face wet and still can't swim very far. I too loved the oxtail soup from the machine in the foyer.
I actually met your heart throb David Pettitt around 10 years ago when he showed up out of the blue to deliver a parcel to my business. He recognised me from my name on the parcel, I think it was his parcel delivery franchise.
Oh happy times and happy memories.... If I recall any more I will post them on here....thanks Kathryn for taking me on this nostalgic journey.
Regards.
David Scriven