| John Tyers |
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Was an SMB from '41 to '46 after St John's. Headmaster was Mr Richmond then briefly Mrs Grundy and finally Mr Mitchell later principal of Stamford Tech. He was a great man, firm but fair! Those of us who lived North of the river used to get into trouble for being late back after
dinner as we used to loiter about watching the Army trucks crossing the river from Wharf Road and up the ramp into Water Street; they were practising for D Day! There was always one that got stuck halfway across and then had to be winched out!
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| Jim Tyers |
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I was also an old boy of St. Martin's, but in the fifties. I recall the teachers then were Miss Fox-Browne, 'Pop' Sylvester (one of the great story-tellers), Mr Conrad (a Polish exile, whose son John was immensely clever and went on to read Maths. at Oxford or Cambridge) and the Headmaster 'Gaffer' Mitchell (an old style gentleman). We always seemed like poor relations compared with the 'Bluecoat', who thrashed us regularly at every sport we competed in against them ! We were like a big family - even having our own allotments across and slightly further down Kettering Road. All run on a shoestring, but a lovely old place.
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| a t goodchild |
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hi john. re st martins school. yes i remember the school dinners very well. you mentioned you used to help the dinner lady who was my aunt mrs milly smithand the chum who helped you was my cousin stan. sometimes i would get roped in to dry the plates but did my best to get out of it. i remembe r a few teachers mr conrad miss cooke miss pemberton mr mitchell the rest have gone in the mists of time. i am trying to remember some of my school pals but alas the memory like the body deteriorates with age.
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| John Tyers |
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Tony I remember helping Stan to dry up the dinner pots for his mother at good old St Martin's just as if it was yesterday but ask me something that happened yesterday and I probably would'nt remember! All the boys had a crush on Mrs Pemberton (nee Palmer), she was a lovely lady and taught Class Two. Twenty years after I left there, I played bowls in the same team as her father Fred Palmer who I think, formerly led the boys in the old Church Lads Club at gymnastics, he was very fit even as an old gentleman. Recall him telling me his daughter sadly lost her husband in the war and later remarried, her second husband became one of the world's leading oculists and they lived in Canada. Also remember Miss Johnson in Class One and Miss Fenney in Class Three.
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| A.T. Goodchild |
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Hello John, yes,as you say, the memory is a funny thing. In my minds eye I am visualising St., Martins as it was in the late fortiies and early fifties. I am writing to you as a very senior citizen but see you in my minds eye as you were over half a century ago. As you mentioned, Mrs Pemberton was quite attractive. Last saw Stan at my mothers funeral in 99. If you run across him please give him my regards . Remember the Yanks and the question "Any gum chum? " In those days High Street St. Martins was like downtown L.A.
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| John Tyers |
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If you recall Tony, when we were in St Martin's church choir, one of the lady members was Miss Taylor, Manageress of the George Hotel towards the end of the war. She would at oft times invite the choir members down for refreshments etc. The place seemed to swarm with American Officers; one Major in particular who resembled the contemporary film star Don Ameche used to drop the odd two bob bit in one's grubby hand! I vividly remember him as he always seemed to be wearing carpet slippers with his uniform. On one particular visit we were given American Red Cross gift parcels. Those wrapped in green paper were for the St Martin's Sunday School girls and those in red paper for the choirboys. I feverishly tore mine open envisaging chocolate or sweets only to find it crammed full of scrubbing soap lol! Perhaps the generous Yankee donors thought we all needed a good wash. IThere again, perhaps we did!).
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| a t goodchild |
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Yes John I remember the lady at the George,but thanks for reminding me of Her name. If iI remember correctly I think we had quite a few refreshments there. With regards to thechoir, we coldntwait for choir pay every few weeks, I think it amounted to five bob old money. Mostly spent in Warners or Woolies The last time I was in St. Martins Church was atmy fathers funeral in 75 but have seen it on tele and it hasnt changed a bit. Do you rememer the the mobile American doughnut takeaway especially for the Yanks but we managed to get a feed or two out of it. Never tasted doughnuts as good since. It was situated at back of the George.
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