A Medley of Memories

Batting practice for ten minutes each morning during the summer term on the bootroom lawn.

Playing rugger and cricket before a late lunch.

Swims at Dancing Ledge - also in the morning.

Frequently being called a "silly arse" by Geoffrey.

Athletics being classed as a "game for girls" and not for Spyway boys.

Being made to walk back to school fom Forres after being beaten at rugger.

The dreaded Datecard and Tables Test at the end of term.

Being made to sit in the dining room all afternoon until I had finished up the congealed white fat from the beef at lunch.

Taking the odd chocolate bar from Eric's store of school sweets.

Consuming, like most boys, the entire week's ration of two sweets a day on the Sunday afternoon walk.

On Fridays, the wonderful fish pie flavoured with garlic (from the Drove).

Being repeatedly reminded that to be a Spyway boy: "It's what you do that matters, not whether you get caught".

Shades of Gray

Audley Gray taught Classics in the library and I remember the bowl of Fox's Glacier Mints and the wooden spoon he kept on his desk – one as an incentive, the other as a punishment. I received neither!

Gray was kind and gentle but rather like Brougham (see blog entry below), he had a real temper.

He lived at ‘Gypshayes’ in the Drove and was a typical old-fashioned bachelor schoolmaster.

Mrs Cockle's Muscle

Mrs Dora Cockle of Langton was a big and formidable lady and I think the housekeeper. She certainly worked on the cleaning of the school and may have organised the food in conjunction with the cook (Don Summers).

One day we were playing cricket on the lower field and Geoffrey was umpiring, when suddenly an angry Mrs Cockle approached in her large apron. She started shouting at Geoffrey and delivered a "roasting" he probably never forgot: low wages, hours worked and staffing problems came into the tirade. She then stormed off and Geoffrey calmly said "Play on".

M.C. Bailey MC

The master who taught in the "Eyrie" classroom was M.C. Bailey MC. He seemed much younger than the other masters and was a good teacher. We often asked him about the war and his Military Cross but I can't remember what brave act he carried out to win such a prestigious medal.

Bailey had been a tank commander in Italy during WWII and I seem to remember the story of how a German soldier jumped onto his tank and attacked him with a knife. Maybe this is how he got the scar on his nose.

After leaving Spyway, he taught at Clayesmore prep school before retiring to Swanage, where he lived in the old water tower in Taunton Road.

Teacher with an Austin 7 - Mr Brougham Brougham

The masters during the 50s were Bailey, Gray and Brougham (pronounced Broom). Eric and Geoffrey always referred to and called them by their surnames. This seemed strange to me and made the assistant masters sound rather inferior.

Mr Brougham was the Maths master and taught in the main room where "Double” was held. He was a very fat man and wore dark horn-rimmed glasses. He lived in the Drove and came to school each day in his ancient Austin 7 with a soft top. 

The little car used to bounce along over the rough Drove track and park at the back of the school. No masters were allowed to use the main driveway at the front.

During meals, Mr Brougham sat at the end of the middle table near the door and at breakfast he kindly gave one piece from his rack of toast to the person sitting on his left (we used to move places every day). 

We copied his habit of slitting the toast open with a knife and filling the centre with lots of butter and marmalade. He seemed a very gentle and kind man but was grossly overweight and the blue veins on his face were very noticeable when he lost his temper.

I think he died soon after I left.