Wigan Album

i had the other teacher in woodwork , mr milner.

I used to sit at the desk just in view bottom right in the photo I left in 1957. I used to hate this man he had 3 methods of inflicting corporal punishment an 18inch cane a plimsoll and a slipper his voice would boom out to any boy in need of correction "CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON" it didn't matter which you picked they all came down on your backside with same sadistic ferocity

he was our science teacher when I was he was there in the early sixties.and I did not like him he was weird.

' Weird ', now there's another example of this ' i ' before ' e ' except after ' c ' nonsense. Thanks bert. That wouldn't be Bert Thompson by any chance would it ? If it is, then I have only one word. ' Civilisation ! '.

is that eddie. if it is my dad my dad.

Tiddy Bold, Tiddy Bold, Bert. How's it going mate? Long time eh ?

happy new year to you.i am allright afew health problems bu t.we all are getting olderit its nice to hear of you.last time I saw you you were going back to france.

He was my form teacher in th fifties, i delivered his papers for Bill Char nock used to get a 10bob tip at Christmas so no complaints from me

The teacher was indeed Mr Derbyshire or Big D as we called him. He taught maths and physics and was a good teacher. A bit weird would be very understated. I remember him caning me and Colin Selby and we had to choose the cane from a selection he kept in the woodwork room. Despite that I managed to get grade 1 CSE maths and physics and transfered to the grammar school in summer 1971 to do my A levels. I then obtained a Bsc in Civil Engineering. He also used to tell us that he liked the Bash Street Kids as they were always getting flogged!

I remember the flogging bench too!!
This shot nicely captures him going into the pocket of his waistcoat where he kept a supply of pungent breath fresheners that you could almost taste when he pushed his face right up to you. His behaviour would certainly have him in jail today, trust me.
He disliked girls intensely and rarely acknowledged them in class as I recall. A wonder we survived and emerged from the experience as balanced as we did :)

These comments are great. I was there in the early 80s and I can assure you that beatings took place regularly. Mr Leyland and Gillgannon would have no problems hitting kids and twisting ears. Sadistic, but necessary. I also had beatings from Mr Lowe at my junior school, so it was business as usual for me. Good times.

If this photo was taken by bob grundy then it’s 4A about 1964 and the more I look at it I am sure that’s me at the front to the right of Derby and the lad in the foreground is Alan Belch