Hunstanton Secondary Modern

[8 boston square]

I arrived here via our move from the east midlands to Heacham, had a good fruit garden and the fish and chip shop, Peggs were two bonus's.
An old Eastern Counties double decker used to take us to Hunstanton Secondary Modern, up stairs was a walk way on the right and you them stepped up onto platform that supported the bench seats, dont see that these days! The bus was often down to 1st gear to get up the hill and I always hoped it would brak down and we could all go home for the day, ther buses from Birds and Stainsby's brought other in from the surrounding villages. At the end of the day everyone lined up in the playground and waited to be called for your bus, unless you lived in Hunstanton, you waited til everyone else had gone before being released. After 6 months in Heacham we moved to Hunstanton, must have been1958/59?
The headmaster was a Mr Bolton, used walk round with university cape on and with his mustache and austere haircut I thought he looked like a cross between Adolf Hitler and Batman.
It certainly was a modern looking school I think it must have been built in the early/mid 50's.
I used to like the end of the summer term when the boys played the teachers at cricket, that was good.
I also remember passing the exam to go to the Tech in Lynn and the day when someone came in, a teacher dont remember wheich one and asked a question I was not prepared for and I suspect I was not alone because no one had ever mentioned it whilst at school, the teachers taught their subject and that was that.
So the question was this. " in order to put you on the right course at the Tech we need to know what you want to do when you leave, what job are you looking to do?" It was like being clean bowled! I said I wanted to be a policeman just because they got £1000 a year which was not bad money in those days but no one ever talked about life after school which I thought was a big mistake at the time, no one ever came and told us about their company, what it was like to work there and it was the same at the Tech, just leave and find a job.
Enough for now.

[8 boston square]

No comments or memories then?
The teachers I remember apart form the aloof headmaster. Eddie Pendle ( had a run in with him- for another time) but a nice bloke, Mr Atkinson-PE, Mr Willox- 4th year, Mr Timothy- Gardening, Mr Dawson-Metalwork, Jim Moffat-History and a local football referee, Mr Bocking-Science ( I remember coming top one term and bottom next, he said this not make sense, did to me I hated it), Mr Walden-History....................time for another beer, help me out whilst I have a drink.

[8 boston square]

Another couple of teachers I remember was Walden and that gruff Yorkshireman Eddie Gee, his wife ran a guest house in Northgate called Boston View I think. Eddie was a rugby man who occassionally took football, whenever anyone had the ball he would shout "shoot" no matter where you were, a character to be sure.
Winter time there on the field was bleak esp when the wind blew.
I can remember one time when the potato crop failed and school lunches had 2 slices of Wagg's bread instead of the potatoes, not really the same is it.
The tuck shop was a funny little affair on the ground floor but we were lucky to have the option I guess.

[EWW]

No comments or memories then?

Dunno, but do not think many members, if any, (yourself apart)
went to that school Boston.

Hope you do get replies as its all interesting, but have my doubts.
Lets hope former pupils sign up that can relate to the teachers you
talk of.

[georgegloomy57]

Back row from the left: Phillip Woods, Adrian Fryatt, David Ireson, Alan Capper.
Middle row from the left: Peter Knight, Steve Owen, Graham Collinson, Garry Compton, Adrian Wallace, Unknown, Phillip Smith.
Front row from the left: Frank Lockey, Roy Garner, Chris Burgess, Colin Bix, Robert Thirwell.



Back row from the left: Danny Whelkes, Unknown, Chris Knight, Unknown, Michael Large, Unknown, Peter Richardson.
Middle row from the left: Unknown, Keith Dennis, Peter Baker, Alan Blanch, Steve Owen, Unknown, Graham Collinson.
Front row from the left: Richard Smith, Billy Burton, John Gregory, P.E Master Tim Aldous, Unknown, Unknown, Robert Hines.

[georgegloomy57]

I agree with your description of Mr Bolton.You could not understand a word he said during morning assembly.I was at the school later than you 1969 to 1974 and the teachers that I remember are Deputy Head Mr Turner who would shout MOOOOVE like he was in the army.Mr Pendle,Mr Shorten ( my number one due to his dry wit)Miss Orbell, Mr Mayhew, Mr Brock,Miss Shaw.Mr Dawson,Mr Hall,Mr Tuck,Miss Meadows, Mr Gee, Miss Howard,Mr Timothy,Mr Chips Thomas,Mr Calderwood.Mr Davies, Mrs Johnson,Mrs Reynolds,Mrs Dixon.Tim Aldous Mr Yellup. Mr Maiden.

Happy days

[Boxman]

I started at Hunstanton Sec Mod in 1956,it had only been opened a few years . it was built by F.W. Shanks based in Hill st. Hunstanton. My dad worked for them.Teachers were Mr Atkinson PE. Mr Shorten,Mr Timothy, Miss Nash Music, Miss Walker Dep Head and History, Mr Bolton Head, Mr Wilcox, Mr Pendle, Mr Thomas, Miss Bennion. Mr Bocking science, Eddie Gee who slippered our entire class one day, Eddie Gee also introduced Rugby to the school, I remember playing against Lakenham school.

[Dig]

The Architects Journal in 1951, carried an interview with the schools architects, the Simthsons. The brief for the building was for a modern the school specializing in gardening and as an evening institute. The school would be sized for a three form intake.

This is consistent with the post-war social settlement, of (secondary) modern schools preparing working-class boys for working life. Girls would be schooled for domesticity, able to cook and to sew. One girl made national news by getting engaged at 14. Another married on her 16th birthday. Missing from the curriculum for married life was sexual technique, but a few girls reputedly instituted their own on-the-job training.

Challenges in the curriculum were few and opportunities beyond it limited. This lack of stimulation fuelled the violence in the boys’ playground and the flirting with male passers-by from the girls’.

The blazer badge matched the limited educational objectives and employment opportunities. A stylised ear of barley for agriculture; the setting sun of a seaside resort offering seasonal work.

September 1964 brought one of the Williams family to my class. The Williams had been denied entry to Britain in March and shuttled between Britain and South Africa before finally being admitted. Mrs Sutton, the deputy head, frequently absent through what I would now recognise as mental health issues, assumed that I was one of the Williams family. A piece written by me was so badly spelt she assumeI was not British. That, after failing to teach me history for three years she still could not link my name to my face.

In December 1964, during the boys annual cross-country run a large number of runners took shortcuts. One cheat being the head-boy and was consequently stripped of his rank. The headmaster, Kenneth Bolton made an aggressive speech on the cheating in assembly inferring he was only interested in winners. This was grossly inappropriate for an audience of 11+ failures.

The head boy was later re-instated after his replacement was found entertaining girls in the “drying room” used as the prefects common room.

In the last weeks of my schooling George Timothy, the rural science teacher, told my class of his experience in the war as air gunner and prisoner of war. In the prison camp every day the food was a lump of black bread and cabbage soup. The “soup” being the water left over from boiling cabbage for the guards . Mr Timothy also tried to tell us about the concentration camp he had seen. He started to describe the condition of the inmates as skin stretched over skeletons. He stopped, stared into the distance and moments later started another yarn.

About two years earlier a boy collapsed in the morning assembly, crumpling like a concertina. The teacher who rushed in with surprising speed to carry him away was George Timothy. I recall this boy as small, thin, always in a tweed jacket, never in a school blazer. Looking back it is probable that he had collapsed from hunger. Something George Timothy must have experienced as a POW.

James H B Moffat coached a small group of us to take O-level Maths at 15. We all failed, I wish I could have passed, not for my sake but for his. It was not lack of Maths knowledge that failed me but exam technique. I learned from it and never failed another exam. Mr Moffat assured me that H B stood for Hard Boiled.

Nearly all the teachers were committed to giving a good education the conditions of time limited their efforts. The restrains imposed by the interpretation of the law by Norfolk education committee, the location of the school, and attitude of the headmaster meant Hunstanton Secondary Modern provided a third class education in a World class building.

[littleoldboy]

The competition to design the school was won in 1950 by two young architects Alison and Peter Smithson who were supporters of Brutalist Architecture. It used large areas of glass and a galvanised steel framework, and due to the shortage of steel post war was not built till 1954. The design was naïve in failing to provide adequate movement joints and thermal movement caused cracking of glass and leaks. It was also hot in summer and cold in winter and had poor sound insulation between classrooms. Despite this it won many awards and I think is now a listed building. It would be interesting to know what students and teachers thought of the building

Little Old Boy

[Dig]

If you want to know what teachers thought of the building read David Kynaston's history of post-war Britian, Family Britain, 1951-1957 (Tales of a New Jerusalem) . There is a several pages devoted to an invteriew with Mr Shorten, who was my geography teacher. It was Mr Shorten who suggested the current name of the school, Smithdon High.
As an pupil at the school in the early 60s, I remember the heat in summer, cold in winter and the leaks at the expansion joints. I don't recall any broken windows.
If you want to know what the locals thought of the school; they called it the Glasshouse. In the age of National Service the glasshouse was any military prison, prisons noted for their brutality.

[Dig]

The photo is one of a selection of found during renovation summer 2020 and published in the Lynn News and the Eastern Daily Press. It is preparation for a ski trip in the Easter hoilday, using the most advance simulation technology of the 1960s.
The teachers are Edward Gee (science) and Ms Howard? (handicraft).
Does any one recognise the pupils or can given and exact date? I am relatively sure the date is not 1964.

Preparation for a ski trip in the Easter holiday 196?

[EWW]

Brilliant. Thats how Eddie the Eagle started out

[Formerscopie]

I agree with your description of Mr Bolton.You could not understand a word he said during morning assembly.I was at the school later than you 1969 to 1974 and the teachers that I remember are Deputy Head Mr Turner who would shout MOOOOVE like he was in the army.Mr Pendle,Mr Shorten ( my number one due to his dry wit)Miss Orbell, Mr Mayhew, Mr Brock,Miss Shaw.Mr Dawson,Mr Hall,Mr Tuck,Miss Meadows, Mr Gee, Miss Howard,Mr Timothy,Mr Chips Thomas,Mr Calderwood.Mr Davies, Mrs Johnson,Mrs Reynolds,Mrs Dixon.Tim Aldous Mr Yellup. Mr Maiden.

Happy days

Wow, we were there at the same time! I recognise all the names mentioned. The photos of the football and rugby teams brought back great memories, Stephen Owen was one of my best mates.

I thought Mr Bolton was a great bloke but I am bias, he knew I planned on joining the RAF and was always very encouraging. It worked as I did join and spent 25 in the RAF.