I wish I did . When I started at Sommerville infant it was the old red brick school , this was knocked down & re-built during the summer of 1967 , I remember watching the wrecking ball from my bedroom window in Park Avenue . I think we had an extra week at the beginning & end of the school holidays to allow the completion of the works . When we did return the playgrounds hadn't been laid & there were tarmac tarmac paths from the school gates to the various buildings , one of which was a 'temporary' classroom block which is still there 40 odd years later .
I was there from 1944 to 1950..[then went to the Tech]........When I was in the infants we used to march around the playground on Empire Day ! ! ! I got into trouble because one of the bigger boys lifted me over the wall of the new Nursary School, which was attached to the school, so I could play in the sandpit.
Found out later when I was at teacher training college that the nursary was the first of its kind built in England. I was studying a book that had a picture of my brother in his overall with the picture of an apple on it .####### each child had a symbol on their overalls, coat hangers, seats and sleeping beds that all used to lined up in the playground when tney had their rest.
I was chosen with 2 or 3 other children to travel to a Blackburn school to demonstrate our dancing to the new movement to music radio programme . when we arrived the children presented us all with knitted socks - they were shocked to find that the dancing was to done in bare feet.
So Somerville had always been a progressive school
The junior school had been bomb damaged and lost its top story, but you could still go up the staircase to the flat roof.I was always finding injured birds and was allowed to keep them on the roof and feed them,,,,only a couple ever survived
Where the new playground is there used to be a church, I only know this because as 5-6 year olds we used to go and dance on the tiling that must of been where the alter was located..
We used to love to play out in the street after school, and would whisper which games we would play........I was so excited when I knew that we were going to play :Grandmother Grandmother Grey:, but alas I cannot remember what the rule of the game was.
I was there from 1944 to 1950..[then went to the Tech]........When I was in the infants we used to march around the playground on Empire Day ! ! ! I got into trouble because one of the bigger boys lifted me over the wall of the new Nursary School, which was attached to the school, so I could play in the sandpit.
Found out later when I was at teacher training college that the nursary was the first of its kind built in England. I was studying a book that had a picture of my brother in his overall with the picture of an apple on it .####### each child had a symbol on their overalls, coat hangers, seats and sleeping beds that all used to lined up in the playground when tney had their rest.
I was chosen with 2 or 3 other children to travel to a Blackburn school to demonstrate our dancing to the new movement to music radio programme . when we arrived the children presented us all with knitted socks - they were shocked to find that the dancing was to done in bare feet.
So Somerville had always been a progressive school
The junior school had been bomb damaged and lost its top story, but you could still go up the staircase to the flat roof.I was always finding injured birds and was allowed to keep them on the roof and feed them,,,,only a couple ever survived
Where the new playground is there used to be a church, I only know this because as 5-6 year olds we used to go and dance on the tiling that must of been where the alter was located..
We used to love to play out in the street after school, and would whisper which games we would play........I was so excited when I knew that we were going to play :Grandmother Grandmother Grey:, but alas I cannot remember what the rule of the game was.
Love these stories. This is the way to remember history! You should write more, even if only short stories like these.
When I was there in the 60's,it was the old building's final year as the new Sommerville was about to be built. I rememeber daring each other to go up the stairs were the 'unexploded bomb'was! Just as if the school would be opperating with an unexploded bomb in the loft!
Good photo's, I can even see my old bedroom window on the last one!! Anyone remember teachers here in the '60's ? My memory for names isn't great , Mrs Lloyd Mrs Ellison Miss Curry Mrs Elm Mr Harry Miss Singleton(?) I'm sure someone will remember more.
Some of the teachers at Sommerville Middle School were ;
Mr. Dunn - Headmaster. Mrs. Kirk - History. Mrs. Allen - Music. Mr. Davies - English. Mr. Fox - Science. Miss Sharp - Maths. Miss Pugh - Religion.
These are the teachers when i was there 71 onwards we where the first boys to go there, as originally girls only school. Gorsedale was the local boys school not to far away
