New Pupil At A New Grammar School

A Memory of Corby.

I was one of the first pupils through the door at Corby Grammar School in 1955. I'd spent my first year at Kettering High School so was in the second year at CGS and I loved every minute from the day I first walked in. John Kempe the Head Master started off the school with no rules. He told us that if we did something silly or stupid he'd make a rule to cover it. We eventually were give rule books which included a list of every pupil in every form. The first school photo taken in the summer of 1956, which I still have, showed only about 150-200 pupils as it was such a new school. Then it grew year by year. They were collecting for the swimming pool when I left in 1960. I remember so many of the staff, all wearing their black graduation gowns, some dusty with white chalk and billowing in the breeze. Miss Sharpe was Deputy Head Mistress who seemed stern, but really she wasn't. Neville Dilkes, Director of Music no less, arrived in 1955 aged 25 and all the girls swooned as he walked by as he was so handsome. You can find him on Wikipedia. He was a distinguished musician and conductor, but only the one photo where he's still recognisable. Now (April 2019) he's 88 and living in France. John Kempe died last year at 92. The teachers I remember are Miss McMillan, the flirty games mistress who loved the 6th form lads, Mr MacIntosh (Maths & Geography), Colin Dexter who died last year (Latin & the Classics) and who later became a famous author. This came about as he was going deaf and couldn't teach any more so resorted to writing his famous Morse detective novels. He also appeared in the first scenes of the TV series of his books like Hitchcock used to and walked very self-consciously across the scene. Mr Wall (Art). Tiny Miss Merritt (Latin) who surprised us all and got married when she seemed to be in her 50s - she probably wasn't. Miss Shirkey (Domestic Science) who was the daughter of one of the local doctors. Now the building has been demolished and a sparkling new Tresham College stands there Now there are only photos and memories of our lovely old grammar school. Such wonderful and happy memories. Pat (Carlyle) Aldaya

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