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Welcome to the Memories of Tamar 1929 - 1969 Please note: Based on Date of Leaving Tamar
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At School During the War - Henry Watson 1938 - 1942 My sister has sent me a cutting from the Evening Herald where you were asking for reminiscences of the old school, here are a few thoughts, sometimes a bit hazy, it was a long time ago. I joined the school at Johnson Terrace, in September 1938, and landed up in Class 2b. Mr. Sandy Wilcox was the headmaster, (Sandy on account of his hair colour), we did a couple of terms there and then moved to the new school building in the old Military Hospital opposite Stoke Dameral church. We were there only a short while, just 3 terms if my memory is correct. W.W.2 having started the military took it back so once again we were back at Johnson Terrace. During one of the air-raids the school received a direct hit and next morning all we saw was a big pile of rubble all one end of the building was gone. After a few days the school restarted at North Prospect on a half - day basis, can't remember who we shared with. That did not last long as the school was evacuated to Truro where St Mary's hall became the school. There were two halls one upstairs one down, the Senior boys upstairs and juniors down. The new head (Mr. Johns?) and Mr. Sanders were the two masters I remember as accompanying us, there may have been others. Public Central girls were also evacuated to Truro they used the Methodist Church as their school. It made for 'interesting' trips on the train on occasional home visits. Henry Joyce was the School Captain during the time we were in Truro, we both left at Christmas 1942 to join Fishgard as Artificer apprentices. Another name I recall from the Truro days was Ivan Price who was billeted near me, being half day school we spent a lot of leisure time exploring the countryside around Truro. Homework was minimal because a lot of the pupils did not have facilities at their billets, my fosterers were just the opposite and were appalled at the lack of homework. Going back to the old school one vivid memory is a new master joining the school at the beginning of the first term coming up the steps from the junior school carrying his case, clearly marked N.J.Smith, to which was attached a menacing looking cane. We young new boys must have looked in awe of this new blonde rugby type as he passed our group he said "And I use it". He was not quite the monster we imagined but he could and did 'use it'! The other masters I recall were 'Stiffy' Whittaker who was the French master, and a Mr. Broderick who replaced Mr. Whittaker who I think must have retired, Mr.'Baldy' Broderick was young and quite bald he did not stay very long before being called up. Sandy Sanders the Math's master who must have been very dedicated, putting up with us all at Truro, Then there was the History Master, 'Herbie' Warren. All the masters wore their Gowns in the those days, and they all wielded a nifty cane. It didn't do any of us any harm, just a bit more careful not to get into the same problem again. Hope this has been of interest, I look forward to the web page. Best of luck Henry Watson |
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Paul Rendle 1959-64 Have just found your site, I found it very interesting. I was at Tamar with Collin Millin and Keith Reed. My name is Paul Rendle nephew of Pop Rendle, who, I can confirm is very much alive and kicking. I have to correct Colin Paul Stone was the scrum half, I was the high class hooker. I am still in touch with many old boys Ray Mitchell, Paul Stone, Tiny Luscombe, Chas Hole and Terry Holden. I still have school mags The Tamaritan and some speechday progs from the 60s plus rugby team photos. When I have more time I'll send some stories of my time at Tamar. Paul Rendle 1959-64 |
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Ray Mitchell - 1959 -1964
I was at Tamar 1959 -1964 and am mentioned by Colin Millin in his article about that period. Have you got any contact email address for him or any others from our year mentioned in his article? I am in contact with Paul Rendle who I have stayed in contact with since school and I often see Brian Howard in the Far Post Club at Argyle. If you can put me in contact with any of those mentioned in Colin's article then please forward them on to me. Thanks, Ray Mitchell |
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The Winslow Boy Wednesday 18th December 1968 Contributed by Ian Phillips PLYMOUTH PUPILS IMPRESSIVE IN “THE
WINSLOW BOY”
The
producer, Howard, Richards chose the play because he thought the topic
would be interesting and reasonably down to earth. "We wanted to
entertain rather than go through an academic exercise." Mr Richards,
the English master said. Western Evening Herald Wednesday 18th December 1968 |
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David Bidgood 1947 - 1953
I have just received this address from Dave
Trethowan and am pleasantly surprised at the content.
As it will be 50 years ago this year that I left
to join the RAF it would be quite an experience to see if some of my old
class mates were to be found to celebrate the occasion. Alas from those
who have visited your site my compatriot's are not to be found.
When I left I was vice School Captain to Roger
Brann. We both went to RAF Halton for selection to the RAF, I went and
joined but Roger if I remember ended up at Malvern in the Radar
business. I've never heard of him since. I often wonder what became of
him.
My one claim to fame was that I was the first ever
recipient of the Phillip Curtis Memorial Medal. I still have it and the
cutting from the Herald reporting our Speech Day in 1954. If I remember
correctly I think that Roger Brann was actually related to Phillip
Curtis in some way.
Seeing all the names of those who put up with us
for those few years it would be a privilege to know more of their
personal lives. I think some of them came back to teaching after they
had done their "bit" during the War. "Bunny" Warren,
Sandy Sanders, "Gobber" Stribley, WAP Parsons. Percy Pierce,
"Minnie" Merton and a very young Jack Trennery not forgetting
"Pop" Rendle.
There was one teacher not mentioned in the list
and that was Geoff Goddard who was the PE man in 1954. He had a blazer
that had the badge of the British Olympic Team of 1952, I think. Discus
I dimly recall was his game. I shall never forget his report for me at
the end of one term. In a year when I was Captain of the school Football
and Cricket 1st xi's, played for Plymouth Schoolboys at football and
cricket, it was his opinion I was lacking in some sort of athletic
ability!!!! God bless him. I would love to take all of them out for a
pint or more.
I haven't told you when I was there have I!! See
that happens when you get over 21.
In 1947 my family returned to Plymouth after being
bombed out in the Blitz. All my grand parents lived in St. Austell so that's
where we remained until things got better. I had only been at North
Prospect School for about 4 months and at the end of the Summer term I
was told that I had passed an exam down in Cornwall that meant that I
could go to a better school. So in September 1947 I arrived at Tamar
Secondary School in the 1st form which was then a part of Devonport High
in the old Military Hospital at Stoke. It wasn't until you reached the
4th Form that one ended up at Durnford Street.
The two people I remember most, at the moment
anyway, because we played a lot of football in the playground, were
Johnny Williams and John Beagahole. Johnny Williams of course became one
of Plymouth Argyle's most famous and loved players. Even making an appearance
for the England team at Home Park. John Beagahole I remember as the
fastest boy over 100 yards in our day.
I have just seen the 1952 picture and I am 5th
from the right in the second row. Next to who I have just remembered
Dave Webster, and on his right is Brian Simms. I've just sent Brian an
e-mail so I hope he replies! Geoff Goddard is 9th from the right and I
am pretty sure that's Johnny Williams sitting on my right. He used to
have his own garage out at Efford the last time I saw him.
Before I get too boring there are two others I'd
like to find and that's Fred Doidge and Peter Buttery.
That's it for now. Just to let you know that after
a career in the RAF and British Airways I am now retired living and
playing golf in Wiltshire.
Regards to you and anyone who knows me. To all
those I would say get in contact.
Best Regards David Bidgood (Les)
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Alexander Wood - Early 1930's I'm a relative stranger to this Internet/Web nonsense but could not resist looking up Tamar Central and I found your entry. I am now 83 years of age and have been in OZ over 26 years. I went to Tamar in the early thirties and can well remember Willcocks, our Headmaster at the time. I can also bring to mind Davies - Maths "Pa" Steer - Science Rickard - English and Music Whittaker - French and Warren - Geography The only boys I can remember are Tait and Loveys I loved my short stay at Tamar, unfortunately I lost my mother and was forced to leave when the family broke up and I had to find work. I do, however, well remember the first Speech Day at Devonport Guildhall. I think that Willcocks put together a remarkable team of teachers, I will forever be grateful to all of them, particularly Davies and Rickard. If you are interested I can send you a copy of a part of my first book which dealt with those memorable days. I would be glad if it was possible to get in touch with anyone else of my generation. Sincerely Alec Wood |
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Peter Trenouth 1942 - 1945 I attended Johnston Terrace Junior School and it was hoped that I would eventually go to Tamar Central. However, events intervened with firstly Tamar being bombed out of their school, soon followed by the bombing of the Junior School. For a short while, there was a glorious freedom with children able to wander at will, no lessons, no cares. The next excitement came when my two sisters, my brother and I were evacuated to St Newlyn East, near Newquay. We had a carefree year there and somehow I managed to take and pass the Scholarship and was thus able to join Tamar which I knew was in Truro, having seen boys in Tamar blazers when visiting that City. I joined the school in August 1942 before the term started, there was a group of Upper School boys who were preparing for the Artificer Apprentice Entrance Examination, they were being coached Mr Sanders, I seem to end up as the errand boy. Among those I remember were Henry Joyce, Henry Watson and Ammo Johns, each of whom I met later as Artificers at Fisgard and Condor, another person was someone called Hockaday, alas I can`t pull a first name out of the mist. When the term started in September, the school led by Mr J E Ellis as Headmaster was organized as follows, Upper School taught by Mr F E Sanders in the first floor of St Mary's Hall, Middle School taught by Mr Skinnard in the ground floor of the hall. We in the Lower School were taught by Mr Gidley in a Baptist Chapel to the rear of St Mary's Hall, among pupils of that year I remember David Westmore, Ken Harkcom, George Prout, John Hext, Eric Harries John? Thompson and David Hooper. Names of older boys that come to mind are Bill Andreoli, Leo Organ, Ted Popplestone, Charles Prout and the elder Harkcom brother. The whole of my time at Truro seemed enjoyable - apart from the digging and weeding of the school allotment - the teachers organized many after school clubs and activities and I still remember Mr Gidley's detention on a Friday, he would choose a long word from a chemistry catalogue and you could leave once you had written 50 words of 4 or more letters from those set, he was very fond of XYZ's and the fewer vowels the better. I have a fond memory of the above four teachers and when Mr Sanders left, he was a hard act to follow, a Mr Uglow succeeded him and seemed to manage without much use of a cane. Ken Lyndon writes of when he shared a bed with David Budd and myself at 28 Richmond Hill and the circumstances are as he said, however I have warm memories of Mr and Mrs Rogers who looked after 3 growing lads with a great deal of kindness and tolerance, we always thought we were in one of the better billets I have few memories of Mount Street apart from a feeling that the teachers who had returned from the war regarded those who had spent a long time at Truro as beyond redemption. It was also a time to get ones nose to the grindstone for the Artificer Apprentice Entrance Examination in November 1945, I'm not sure if we got the results in late December or early January but I did manage to pass and became an Aircraft Artificer Apprentice on 28th January 1946 |
Brian Fifield (1956 - ????) I have been looking at your website on
the school, which is great, but I think that you may have
missed a bit of the history on the moves it has made. I
joined in 1956 as I recall, and the school then was at
the end of Durnsford Street, in Stonehouse. We were there
for sometime before moving to the old military hospital
site, but I cannot remember the dates or even the time of
year I'm afraid. (I've slept a bit since then!) |
Austin Cachia Thanks for making contact. |
Mike Pearce 1961 - 1966 My recollection of Tamar are mainly pleasant memories.
I joined 1B in 1961 (when it was single sex alas!) along
with John Heasman, Knapp (6ft 2 at 12 ), Keith Manion,
Ray Lloyd, Roger Lloyd, Mike Porter, Lake and many others
whose names now escape me. We soon settled down and had a
good year. I remember Bert Cox our form master, Rev
Griffiths the only teacher to give me the cane, and he a
man of the cloth (I must have deserved it) |
Colin Millin - 1959-1964 Dave, Just been looking through your web site and thinking of days gone by. I have mixed memories of my time at Tamar, I wasn't a good mixer in those days, and was rather spoilt as I had two much older sisters (don't tell them that). I remember a lot of the teachers who were around during my time, (1959-1964). Mr. Robb was headmaster, Tony Allen was biology teacher, yes he was different, I remember he used to live in a bedsit near Mutley Plain at one time, and I believe he married a girl who worked as a clerical officer in the Dockyard with my sister Sylvia.. His best mate was Geoff Evans the gym teacher, I remember a time when Geoff Evans was taking a canoeing class down on the lake and someone ran into our biology lesson to tell us that he had nearly drowned whilst doing an Eskimo roll, luckily!!! he only dislocated his shoulder after being rescued by one of the six formers. Tony Allen was very distressed, another memory I have of Tony Allen is the Friday afternoon biology test, one wrong answer and you stood on your stool, two wrong answers and you stood on the table, three wrong answers and you were struck across the knuckles with a ruler. Many were the Fridays I can remember him chasing Brian Howard around the classroom until he could back him into a corner and administer the punishment. Commander Lacey taught maths with Daddy Prior and Benny Goodman was the other gym teacher. Mr. Parsons taught Art, Bobo Atkinson r.e and music, Peter Cox English, George Pennington-Mellor Geography and Bunny Warren History. Pop Rendle taught Tech drawing, and I believe he was our form teacher when Lady Chatterley's Lover was doing the rounds of the classroom, his nephew Paul Rendle was in our class, and an excellent scrum half, along with another member of our year, Paul Stone. I enjoyed all sport whilst at school and played soccer and rugby for the school, I was in Kelvin House. Some of my contempories were Ray Forbes, Michael Jenkins, David Hay, Brian Howard, Paul Rendle, Rex Phare, Ray Mitchell, Dave Baskwill, Bill Smout, John Glazier, a huge Ginger rugby player whose big brother Ron was a player for Albion and if I remember rightly was on the fringes of the England squad. Also numerous others whose names escape me at the moment. One I do remember is a chap called Rogers who played piano by ear, when we had music with Bobo Atkinson we insisted that Rogers be allowed to play the piano, he could do all the Russ Conway numbers which were popular at the time. Anyway if I recall anything else worth a mention, and I'm sure their will be, I'll update this piece, thanks for letting me indulge myself, Colin Millin |
Alan Denley 1963 - 1969 I went to Tamar from 1963-1969 the head at the time was Mr. Rob (I think) a nice old guy, he thrashed me many times but neither of us took it personally. I remember a few of the teachers, ‘WAP’ Parsons the art teacher, Kelly the French teacher, ‘Jack’ Trennery who thrashed me every Friday afternoon for not doing my Physics homework, but all the same was a nice guy. And ‘Bunny’ Warren who for some reason had a hatred for me that bordered on psychopathic, I met him a few years later in Plymouth while walking past the Library with Peter Nicholson (also an old Tamar boy)…..he had a long conversation with Pete then sneered at me and stalked away. I remember Tech drawing lessons with a smile, the teacher (whose name escapes me) would throw blocks of wood and blackboard rubbers at pupils so they bounced off their heads, imagine a teacher trying that now. There was an English master, again I can’t remember his name but he could do perfect copper plate writing, he was my form master for a while, and every morning would get half a dozen of us out the front and fire mental arithmetic and spelling at us, if you got it wrong he’d rap you across the knuckles with his ruler……..but again he was a very nice man. I didn’t like school that much but still managed to get 7 ‘O’ levels, even when a group of us spent much of our time at the Millbridge sinking pints of mild and coming back singing rugby songs in the Quad. I did a year of the ‘A’ level course and got bored, saw a job I fancied and left. The job was with Plymouth Educational TV, making and transmitting programmes to schools in the Plymouth area. We were colour before Westward and BBC southwest. That was the start of my career in TV. After ten years with PETV we moved to London as I had been offered a job with Visnews (Reuters), from there to TVAM and from there to WTN (part of ITN), WTN recently merged with the Associated Press to form the biggest TV news agency in the world (APTN), based at Camden lock in London. In 1975 I married Philippa (Stoke Damerel) we have two children 20 and 16 and have been married for 26 years. In 1989 we bought a farmhouse in Brittany and spend several holidays a year trying to turn it into a house to retire to (the sooner the better). That’s my potted history. Regards Alan. |
Keith Reed 1956 - 1960 Hi Dave, My compliments on a fine site. Boy, does it start to churn the memory cells. My family has a bit of a history with Tamar. Three (pseudo) generations went there. My brother Ken attended the school during the war years in Truro. I was there from 1956, in the Durnford St. building and went onto the hospital buildings, until leaving (under a cloud) in 1960. The family trio is made up with my nephew, Kevin Hiscocks, who has already contributed here. Incidentally, "Bunny" Warren taught all three of us - he should have received a medal for longevity. Memories? If I had known, I could have got together with Mr. Rose and helped him produce several volumes! The incident that changed my whole attitude to life, involved Messrs Pierce and Robb, and concerned the terrace adjoining the two three storey buildings with the smaller, two storey, art and music building. Only teachers and prefects (or is it "perfects"?) were allowed to use the terrace to walk between the buildings, unless we were going to the art class - which could only be reached in that way. As we changed lessons (and locations) every one or two periods, we often found ourselves vacating a room from the top of one building to travel to our next lesson, which was inevitably at the top of the other building (I think the programming was designed by an ex member of the SAS!). Of course, on such occasions we were occasionally tempted to chance our arms and 'nip' over the terrace. Still in my first year, a small group of us were caught by Percy Pierce, read the riot act and instructed to produce two hundred words by the following morning. I had no idea what "words" consisted of and asked more senior boys on my trip home to Ernesettle on the school bus. I was asked who the "words" were for and, upon hearing that they were for Percy, they told me that I could write anything because, "Percy never reads them". Well, full of eleven year old naivety, I duly produced the "words", which comprised of an explanation of the circumstances (in pretty graphic detail), naming all the relevant teachers by nick names and concluded with words to the effect, "..and I know that Percy won't read this", followed by lines of "He, he, he's" , "Ha, ha, ha's" and "Ho, ho, ho's". Just to make matters worse, I didn't put my name to this masterpiece. Of course, with the help of Mr. Griffiths (my English teacher), it was no time before I was found out, equipped with the punishment book in one hand and the cane in the other and accompanying Mr. Robb (the Headmaster of the day) to the top playground, where my form were on a PE lesson. Robb made the form sit in a semi-circle in front of him and proceeded to read the entire "masterpiece" to my peers, whilst I stood next to him holding the tools of my undoing! Of course the caning I received was painful but, I still believe, a pitiful release after the thoughtless mind games that I had been put through. I never forgave either of them. On another occasion, (we were in the third form, I think) sat in the music room, on the ground floor of the small, middle building. The furniture were those old, all-in-one seat and desk jobs, now only seen in "The Little House on The Prairie". I shared one of these "tables made for two" with Laurence Maley, who decided to light a 'banger' firework, with the intention of putting it out before it started to fizz. Of course, it fizzed immediately and he couldn't put it out. I can't remember the name of the music teacher (he was the one who re-wrote the school song), but it nearly blew his wig off!! I have dug out the official school photograph from October 1956 - you know, the long one that you had to wait until the fourth form, until you were big enough to open it completely out, to look at it. It's a bit cracked in places and I'm not sure how to go about having it copied, but if you want the loan of it, you will be more than welcome. Incidentally, it's funny how teachers' nick names change. I've read here of references to "Dad" Prior. It was the same guy, with probably the same tie holding his trousers up, as Kevin mentioned, but to us he was "Bouncer" Prior, because of his habit of bouncing into the air just before the cane was brought down on the offending buttocks! Keep up the good work, Best regards, Keith Reed |
Brian Chanter 1954 - 1959 Having discovered your school site has sent me into a flurry of activity looking for old school magazines that I had ferreted away, and school photographs and press cuttings that have languished for years in boxes on top of cupboards. Reading the stories of former students has led me to think in a more orderly fashion about my school days. Having worked and lived out of UK since I finished my apprenticeship in the Dockyard in 1965 I have often wondered what happened to old school mates. I have been back to Plymouth a number of times over the years and was rather taken aback when I visited a few years ago and my old school was no longer Tamar but part of Devonport High School. I have caught up with a couple of friends several years ago from the school, Chris Lewis and Alan Oakes, but do not correspond. As I am interested in what became of my contemporaries I offer give a brief CV of my own: I joined Tamar at Ernesettle a couple of months before my eleventh birthday in 1954, in my second year we all moved to Durnford St in Stonehouse and in the third year to Devonport. From September 1960 to 1965 I joined a number of ex Tamaritan's as an Apprentice Engine Fitter and Turner in the Royal Naval Dockyard. From 1965 to 1967 I sailed the seven seas as an Engineer Officer with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. On Boxing Day 1997, Andrea my wife, and five month old son Robert set off with me to Perth, Western Australia where we have lived ever since. I then spent the next 12 years working on construction all over Australia and on Bougainvillea Island, Papua New Guinea. For the last 22 years, after restarting my education and gaining a Masters Degree in Educational Administration, I have been working in Education and Training. I am currently working as a management consultant with Alcoa. I have fond memories of Pop Rendall and my mother still has a coffee table I made when I was fourteen in his woodwork class. He went to school with my father Fred Chanter at Johnson Tce and worked with him as a carpenter. I was always Fred in his class. He took us for rugby and was indeed a stern little bugger but very fair and a very good teacher. Minnie Maddox was our music teacher for a number of years, she was a very pleasant elderly lady who wore a very threadbare wig that fell askew when she pounded the piano keys. Bunny Warren helped fire my love of history when he would lovingly hold the little items he had in his small museum and ask us to imagine the histories of them and what they had seen and who had held them. Jack Trennery was also a great favourite for his good humour and good teaching skills. My not so fond memories of Tamar are of the amazing level of violence used as a teaching aid by many of the masters. As I was not a particularly diligent student my hands and backside were the recipient of a lot of remedial education. All the masters wore gowns and many carried their private canes hung over their arms as they went to the classes. I note with the same interest as Keith Reed that "Daddy" Prior was Bouncer when we knew him, he bounced as he walked and bounced numerous times in our Maths "lessons" when he administered his so called "alarm clocks". These were a selection of canes he brought to each session and hung by the hooked end from the chalk board. They were used with vigour at the slightest excuse; for talking out of turn; for not being able to answer a question; for being late to class and mostly just for the pleasure it seemed to give him. It took me years to overcome my dislike and lack of understanding of mathematics. Other great caners in my early days were "Killer Kelly" who frequently caned the whole class for some transgression, for example a few students could not conjugate a French verb so we all copped it. Percy Pierce was the official caner, with some help on special occasions by Headmaster Robb. Messrs Goodman and Evans used the gym shoe but on much rarer occasions and in a much more fair way. A memorable religious instruction lesson conducted in the music room (the old operating theatre) by the Reverend Cyril Atkinson involved the cane. As usual "Bumbley" as we called him was having trouble gaining anyone's attention and decided to use the cane to get some respect. Unfortunately for him he hit an extremely large boy named Burnett across the shoulders with the cane. Burnett stood up very slowly with his face getting redder. He was at least six foot tall at fourteen years of age and I am sure it seemed an eternity to the Rev before he was at full stretch. Burnett picked him up by the lapels of his gown and carried him to the platform at the front of the room on which a piano stood. He sat him on the front of the piano and told him that if he ever did anything like that again he would be put inside the piano. It was a very quiet lesson after that, I don't know if it was taken any further. I noticed Tony Allen's name mentioned in one of the recollections, he was indeed a strange man, and without mentioning some of his particularly distasteful practices I remember, as a 10 year old first former, he believed I threw a snowball at him. He slapped my face so hard that it was bruised for many days after. I told my parents it was the result of skylarking with other boys. There were a number of other offences that attracted a variety of punishments; not wearing your school cap when going to and from the school; long hair; smoking; running in the corridors; walking on the upper colonnade are a few I remember. I see the creek behind the school has been filled in, this was a great source of good exercise and recreation with the kayak club when it was full of water. Other students I remember well are Will Truscott, John Biddle, Dave Malloch, Phil Major, Ray Pomeroy, JAJ Johnstone, Dave Borley, Sid Cholwill, Mike Kunz where did they all end up? I have most of the long school photos with the sea of faces, I am surprised now that I have found them, I have not looked at them for decades, how many people I remember and how young some of the masters look! I know I have a selection of school magazines somewhere but they are hiding from me. Thank you for setting up this site, many people here in Aus talk about their school reunions, I would be fascinated to see some of my old school mates. One of the things that I found very apparent after emigrating here is the importance of school. People send their children to specific schools to ensure they have an extra advantage by meeting the "right" people. Life long liaisons are made that can carry on into employment and furthering the old boys/girls network. I believe that no matter which school you attend, life long friendships and networks can be made that enrich your adult life. School is much more than education and gaining qualifications, it is about creating the framework for your life. The people you meet and the friends made are as important as the curriculum. By leaving England that benefit was lost to my wife and me. These web-sites and communication tools are very much appreciated by expatriates like us. Once again, thank you. Regards Brian Chanter |
David Blackford (1962-1969) After failing my 11+ twice (no mean achievement in and of itself) I opted to travel across town to attend Tamar; I think I like the building. My memories of Tamar are mostly pleasant. Bullying was tolerable and easily avoided after the first two grades. |