Thrown Down The Bank

A Memory of Bassaleg.

From Machen junior mixed to Bassaleg in 1959 ( I think) this reminds me of being 'initiated' by being chucked down the bank. fond memories of my stay there but not of the then headmaster-Penry-Reese- He was hopeless. Other teachers made a huge impression on my life to come, like Miss Mainwaring (or Mannering) in English and 'Carrots' who was lovely and had red hair. POD( Percy Olwyn Davies) teaching french was not a nice man.
I think Bassaleg Grammar School formed the basis of my whole life to come and I shall never forget it.


Added 25 January 2022

#758683

Comments & Feedback

I must have gone there first in 1954 since we had to pass the 11+ Exam as it was called. My name then was Jones ( !! Not surprising!!). My brother Peter was 4 years ahead of me and my father ( Merlin Jones) taught physics there for many years, but left to become headmaster of the Bassaleg primary school in about 1952. I was there until the end of upper 6th when I went to Uni in Exeter. Worked in Plymouth, married and lived in Dublin, then moved to Australia where I still live in retirement ( from a variety of careers mostly involving education) . I remember the teachers already mentioned, and through my father had personal connections with most of them. In my class I remember Hilary James, Sue Martin, Leila Mellish, Marilyn Thomas ( who sang a wonderful duet with Jillian ? ? called Panis Angelicus.) I still think of them each time I hear it. Boys I remember were Clive ??, Nigel Pearce, Gordon Maslen, Philip Richards. I was a mad hockey player with scarred shins to prove it and was not happy when the new PE teacher tried to get us to play netball. Miss Wainwaring taught me A level English and “ Ducky” Meara geography, which has remained my favourite subject to this day. I even taught it myself in an Australian school.

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