St James School Orange Hill Rd Burnt Oak

A Memory of Burnt Oak.

My memory of the area is based on my secondary school days here at the St James Catholic School, I think it was in Orange Hill Rd? I lived in Wembley during the war years and started school at St Josephs Primary in Wembley Hill. In 1951 at age 11, I started at St James in Burnt Oak.
I remember I had to catch 3 buses, not sure about the first one but I know that the 140 and the 52 busses were involved. I remember the large brick wall at the front of the school and the entrance way. Memories of the shopping area like Toni's ice cream shop and Rosins bakers, also the Gaumont, later to become a bingo hall.
Probably my biggest memory is of Sister Catherine, the head of school, it was a convent school run by Dominican nuns who stood no nonsense at all! Sister Catherine ,or "Kate"as she was known, was a formidable figure feared by everyone!! She was apparently a very clever woman and consulted by Cabinet ministers and the like.
I remember the time when James Hanratty was accused of murder, he was an ex pupil at the school, and "KATE"announced it at a morning assembly, you could hear several pins drop! She was not happy!!
I was at the school until 1955 and would love to hear from anyone who was there at the same time.
Brian Telfer, now living in Queensland, Australia.


Added 08 September 2008

#222549

Comments & Feedback

Hello Brian,I think I remember you although you where a year above me.Do you remember George O'Leary and Matthew Quinn? I used to live in Greenford and you had a friend who lived in the same street as me. I now live in Cornwall.Regards Peter Hocking.
I was a pupil at St. James School, Edgware and previously of the notorious St. Thomas School in Marsh Lane, Stanmore. I was overjoyed to see that both buildings had been razed to the ground and replaced by housing. How I detested both these institutions; I wrote to the Headmistress saying that St. James' School was the most God-forsaken place that I had ever been in. She replied saying that the new school in Colindale was much better.

Sister Catherine was gaga and enjoyed strapping boys at every opportunity. I got out as soon as I could to go to Art College. I became a Quaker, as I so detested the way that Catholics treated their children.

It was the Essoldo cinema by the Coop store that went over to bingo. The Gaumont became an Odeon and was demolished to make way for a freezer food shop. The Ritz in Station Road survived the longest and was only demolished because Canon Cinemas had sold the freehold. It was a very popular cinema and could be open now if it were owned by cinema people.
My time at St. James was one of the worst times of my life. It was frightening, cruel, sadistic, dirty and insanitary...
Art School hippies were much nicer.
Well whatever they say is true but I doubt whether anyone complained as to the amount of a levels and o levels they received.A good thrashing never hurt anyone especially when it came from a four foot bombshell you know who you are smiling as you punished me with a piano pedal and enjoying every moment with that wonderful smile on your face.No wonder I was naughty all the time in an attempt to make this a weekly experience enjoyed by all.
I was strapped a few times by Kate. She could sure hit hard! Strapped the Catholicism out of me for sure! I started in 67 and immigrated in 1970 to Australia. It was great to get away from it. My memories were of sheer terror and loneliness. The kids around me were a pack of mad bullies too, I suspect due to the terror regime we had.

I only have fond memories of St. Thomas's and St. James' High School which I attended from 1969 to 1973. It was there that a fantastic history teacher Ms.Furlonge made a history fan of me to this day. My brother Michael I think held the record at that time for O and A levels about 14 I think. He went on to earn a Phd. in History. He adored St. James's and to this day still is in contact with life long friends made. As for myself for the past 30 years have been residing in the Middle East. Ms. Furlonge would have enjoyed my stories of trekking the The Hijaz Railway in Saudi Arabia (Lawrence of Arabia railway) and standing on top of a German 1911 train derailed in the sand. Picked up brass rifle shells. Hats off to St. James's I will never forget the happy days I spent there, so sad to see it go....As for the nuns, I remember a sweet nun Sr. Agatha (Geography teacher), Sr. Veronica Head Mistress, who took over from Sr. Catherine, Sr. Paul, Biology who never minded me bringing my guinea pig Bella to her class and my friend Teresa who brought her pet white mouse Bonny.
Ellen Whelan......p.s. never heard of any child abuse there!!!
I remember Both schools very well as a student who failed 11 Plus my parents sent me from St Benedicts in Ealing to St James where there was standing room only in class. Initially the St James was so over crowded that a percentage of us pupils were sent to Stanmore where scholastically I excelled finishing up with a teacher who left to teach at my old haunts of St Benedicts. Us boys at age 13 were sent back to ST James as I would put it a hell hole. I was always convinced St Catherine had engaged all her cousins to teach. The girls were given privileges whilst us boys had very little opportunity to excel .Travelling as I did from Ealing I would often arrive late for school as a result would encounter the wrath of a teacher who wasn't prepared to see my point of view and especially in winter would belt me even more which brought tears to my frozen hands as I always had poor blood circulation and the hands would turn white due to the cold. A couple of incidents come to mind when our teacher Mr Gibbons left his strap on his desk and us students chopped it up into pieces leaving the remains on his desk. Naturally we all ended up getting the strap as non of us would own up.As there was no playground at the school us boys would after lunch walk down to the park where fights would ensue between us Catholic boys and the Grammar school boys across the road.
my father was educated by the Christian Brothers in India and converted to the Catholic faith and in his belief it was the only school for his children and likewise the faith even though his parents were Anglican and Orthodox. As a fair complexioned individual I w had endless trouble to convince my other school mates I was not Indian.
My ancestry is very complicated and likewise my DNA. I was a naturalised British Subject just like I am now a Citizen of Australia where I have lived since '69 baring 2 plus years when I went on a one way ticket to Vancouver, Canada only to return to Queensland as they call it The Sunshine State. The Commonwealth Games are taking place at Our Gold Coast April 2018. I have travelled exactly round the globe and seen much and now in retirement can only think back and wonder what happened to all my class mates that I never kept in touch with.
Wow yes what lovely schools they were.
My time was 1958 at st Thomas and then on to st James till 1962.
I don't think many people would believe many of what went on.
I for one assisted in building a classroom at st James with others and that was when we Had building lessons.
At st Thomas's I used to make lemon juice and sell that and biscuits from
A pram at playtime and at the end of the week Mr Quin would take all but 2shillings that we shared.
At the end of term Mr Quinn allowed 2 boys from our class to strap him on stage
in front of the whole school, we also asked Mr Kilrane but he declined.
I wonder if anyone remembers these happenings.
Who remembers the chip shop down Deansbrook and the tobacconist who sold
us 1 or 2 fags.
Cole Curran
I remember St James very well and after reading some of the negative comments I wonder if I was at the same school as some other contributors. I was there from 1955 to 1959 and loved nearly every minute of it. I remember a young (in those days) Sister James, Sister Catherine, Sister Rose and her fabulous choir, Mr Etienne the Woodwork teacher who helped me make a guitar. I also remember fellow students Danny O'Mahony, Shaun Whelan and Gloria Wilson, the best looking girl in the school. Great days and I would love to do it all again if I could.
Peter Armstrong..........Perth Western Australia
My grandad John Mccarthy has been telling me all story's of this school he attended in 1960 and had many fond memorys we are currently trying to find out where our uncle is and if anyone knows or speaks to him still his name is Stephan J McCarthy he attended arround 1970 and lived in the hendon area and the goldsmith avenue his mother was called Jenny Strong Who later became Jenny McCarthy no one knows if she kept mccarthy or changed it back
Peter McCarthy (Grandson of John McCarthy) now in swindon England
Hi I was at St Thomas’s in Stanmore 1964 and then St James’s in Burnt oak until I walked out one day in November 1969. Have met up with a few girls in my class Maureen Kelly, Ann Durkin etc. Would love to meet up with more. I was Jackie Mercer then. Can’t say I had good memories of my school life with the nuns and Mrs Kilraine who destroyed any numerical ability I had!
Hi you were there the same time as me. I was Jackie Mercer then.
I remember John MCarthy at St Thomas's and St James's schools, and like him lived in the Hendon area - Babington Road to be precise, and was at these sites from 1960 to 1967. All my brothers attended the school, and my eldest brother, Kevin McSharry, eventually became the school head (1992-2005), whilst my twin brother Patrick became Head of Sixth. I enjoyed my time at St James, despite the strap and classroom building and site gardening. My favourite teachers were Mr Carnie (who went on to become a shoe-shop owner in Tasmania), Sr Agatha, Sr Veronica, Sr Rose and her choir, woodwork teacher Mr Benham and Tom McNicholas. I went on to do a BA, MA and PGCE, and pursued an overseas career in cultural diplomacy with the British Council, living in 13 different countries spread across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America and Europe. I was awarded an OBE in 2012. I am retired now and live in Stuttgart with my partner, who is Mongolian-Chinese. I would love to read more memoirs here, and am thinking of organising an Alumni & Friends of St James reunion. Would anyone here be interested in joining me at such an event?
I went through the whole system, starting at the Annunciation School, onto St. Thomas' at Stanmore around 1959/1960 and then St. James' around 1961/62 until leaving in 1964.
I remember all my friends were what I call today the London Irish Mafia, the Priors, Heafeys, O'Briens, O'Donoghues, Flynns, Hickeys & Barretts to name a few.
I played in the school football teams for both schools during my tenure there and have fond memories. I do remember well the day James Hanratty was hung, there was total silence that morning at the school and we stood in silence for a few minutes.
I now reside in Sydney Australia since 1969 and have been back many times, so sad to see on my journeys both Schools are no longer there especially St. Thomas' which had fantastic grounds and good buildings.
Regards Ray Fanning

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