Wigan Album

bottom row second left mr gapes,still well and living in a small block of flats on scarsbrick street in southport circa 2006

Baker thanks for the info. Just spoken to Mr Gates on the phone and have arranged to go and see him next week. FANTASTIC it's made my day...

funnily enough ron when I met him,i was really happy to see him.i always thought in spite of his small size he was a giant amongst the staff.he did not stand any nonsense ,but as fair and honest as they come.i felt lucky to have him as my form master.

baker, if there is one thing that the school taught me it was RESPECT for authority. I enjoyed my time at the school and I was proud to be seen wearing my school blazer around town. My only regret now, in hindsight is I didn't make as much of the opportunity I had.

Ron, Call him Mr. gapes when you meet him not Gates.

I know it's Gapes, it was a typo error. It's the light shining on the keyboard.

I must have viewed school through different glasses. Most of what I was taught did nothing for me in the real world. Maths and English language certainly helped but in almost fifty years of work I never got asked what year the battle of Hastings was, what was the capital of Bolivia and certainly never had to recite from Macbeth.

Broady which school did you attend? Got to say the TLS taught me a Foreigh language, taught me the fundamentals of Woodwork, Engineering,and Engineering Drawing. Chemistry, Physics, History Geography English etc. etc. O.K. I may never have used a lot of the stuff I learned but school taught me how to absorb information and retain it, as well as respect for others.

Just realised Robinson, Gym teacher isn't on this or the 1956 staff photo.?

TLS same as yourself. I went to WGS when they merged..

Ron, somebody probably 'got shut of him' it could have been me.

No idea why Robbo wasn't on the photos. He was certainly still at the school when I left in 1960

mr robinson was still at wgs/tls circa 1963/4.i can only presume sickness for him not being on this photograph.

Quite a few of these teachers taught us when the TLS merged with the WGS in the mid-'60's. "Jasper" Melling 4th from the lt.,back row."Basher", middle, front row, without his bat Cape. Thorpe, Music Teacher, 3rd from rt., back row. 2nd from rt., back row, "Sam Spadge".....always smelled of polo mints, probably because he spent his lunchtime in the Market Tavern. "Daddy" Gapes taught Geography and, (as we often joked), was a part time jockey !

Clarence Thorpe used to "take us" for Music at Primary School in the early 50's. To say he taught us would be stretching it somewhat, he would have been a peripatetic teacher in those days and it was a struggle for him. Scholes was a barren wilderness for musical appreciation in those days.

I was one of the final intake at TLS before the merger, remember Bill Riding (tech drawing) and Mr. Flemming (woodwork) either side of Clarence in picture,Robbo as I remember was a sickly man, off quite frequently, but was off for a long period in 63/64 when a sixthformer who shall remain nameless shattered his leg with a hockey stick on Robin Park.

Been to see Mr Gapes this afternoon. He is looking very well for a man of 88. Obviously he didn't remember me or Tony Bennett, my cousin who came with me, but we had a good chat about the school and the masters etc. He was glad that we made the effort to go and see him, which was nice. I took a photo which I'll put on here when I find out how to download it from my phone<g>

Great photo - brought back many fond, enjoyable memories of my time at TLS. Merged with WGS when I went into 6th form but not the same atmosphere - what a shame!
Remember Mr Gapes - we went on a Geog trip for a week to Devon/Cornwall with him and PE teacher Mr Robinson. All I can remember is Mr Gapes getting up on the coach to tell us about all the Geographic features we passed and the 'hotel' we stayed in serving a different fish every day. Don't think any of us enjoyed the food but trip was good.

Good to hear Mr Gapes is still around.He was house master for Brunel.He rarely missed inter house soccer matches and very vocal supporter , worth an extra man on the field.

Len Smith, physics who was acting headmaster between Bill Brace leaving and the merger with WGS is to the left of Brace. "Noddy" Lee is at the right end of the middle row and "Bert" Sutcliffe is 4th from the right, middle row.
Fleming looks like he is trying to get as far away from Clarence as possible.