South Shields Sanddancers Forum

Watcher what a great picture.

Those kids would have been 11 years old, leaving to go to comprehensive school.

Few faces i reconise Johhny McCrae, Mark Dykes and I think Mark Common are some of the boys. Going to have a closer look.

Fantastic.

Barnes Road was falling down when I was a kid back in the early fifties. Although it was near to where we lived there was no way I was going to send my kids there. They went to St Mary's school same as me. Although the school was old enough for both my mam and grandma to have gone there it had been updated with new indoor toilets and new hall and classrooms.
I used to go into Barnes Road at election time as it was our polling station and think our kids deserved better.

Barnes Road did me no harm! I got a good education there and had a very happy time at the school.

I don't remember any part of Barnes Road "falling down" in the 1950s. Perhaps as kids you don't notice things like that, the worst I can remember is the toilets freezing up in the winter. Like Kellan and probably Curly I had a very happy time there.

I did not mean to offend any old boys and girls of Barnes Road School. My granny lived in two rooms sharing a backyard with six other families. Outside toilet and a tap in the yard for water. Didn't do her any harm but it doesn't mean I want to live like that.
We would be up in arms if our children/grandchildren had to use outside toilets in their schools.

Delilahcat I don't think any offence has been taken. Despite the fixtures and fittings at the school the education was first class - I was one of many that passed the 11 plus from the junior school. Of course we would have liked new buildings with all of the most up to date equipment. Until recently I worked in a hospital built in 1829 - some parts of it were dire but I learnt quickly that the people that worked in the buildings were more important than the buildings themselves. Some very important medical advances were made in those buildings. I am very thankful that I went to Barnes Road school.

Who does Deliah think she is? "I'm not sending my kids there" shades of hypocrisy just like Dianne Abbott.

Now I seem to remember someone who did not want his daughter to go to a certain school because it was full of ethnics...can't for the life of me recall his name.

I went to the Barnes. I only have good memories of the school.We were a few hundred kids all in the same boat all living in the same area with outside toilets and 2 to a room and no fridges or washing machines.Once a month we,d collect our rags and woolies and go down to Hanrattys scapyard to get some pocket money.When it snowed it really snowed but the kids and the teachers were still in the assembly hall at 9 am prompt.The school football team had to play home games at Whiteleas school because we didnt have a pitch.We had to learn to swim at Stanhope coz we didnt have a pool.We didnt have much but what most of us who experienced those times would agree is that we had a community spirit second to none and the knowledge that in later life we,d be better able to appreciate the good things in life because of our ''hard times''and not take anything for granted.Would,nt have swapped it for the world but its ok Delilahcat,no offence taken.

german john what years were you there?

Delilahcat wrote:Now I seem to remember someone who did not want his daughter to go to a certain school because it was full of ethnics...can't for the life of me recall his name.

The difference being, you say everything in England is ok, and how proud you are of your working class roots. Then all of a sudden you're behaving like a snob.
You don't half slip up at times Deliah, just like all those Labour parasites.

Mr Angry if it was not for the red nose i could almost believe you.

Couldnt agree more about the school and the feeling of community and belonging. I think I knew, or was known by all the kids in the school and area through my parents, siblings or other friends. Never had any bother with anyone. Just had a good childhood, without x boxes and dvds etc all I needed was a football and somebody to kick it with. Learning how to climb into the yards for me ball. Wedging yourself in the door frame and grabbing for the top unless there was glass on wall.

I have great memories of having bonfires in the backlane and having to pour water on the back doors as the paint was blistering with the heat. Health and safety what was that.

Briliant.

I was there from 1959 'till 1963.Great days!

I was there from 1955 to 1962 infants and juniors. Here is the football team from 1961/62 season.

Brilliant photo,Pooter.Some of the names I remember are,Trev Auty,Barry Carr, Alan Green,Mal Newman,Brian Hunter,Kenny Bentham,Lenny Whale and Ray Malcom.Not fogetting Mr.Galley and Mr Hurst.I played for the teem the following year.

Trevor Auty lived a few doors along from us in South Eldon Street

homesick wrote:Brilliant photo,Pooter.Some of the names I remember are,Trev Auty,Barry Carr, Alan Green,Mal Newman,Brian Hunter,Kenny Bentham,Lenny Whale and Ray Malcom.Not fogetting Mr.Galley and Mr Hurst.I played for the teem the following year.

That must be the team that got relegated after one season

AAHHH. Memories. Jumpers for goalposts, Last goal the winner, Balls with laces in, Oranges at half-time.

Some great pairs of pit boots and Knobbly Knees. Must have been a good team as there is a trophy there.

The primary schools played in two leagues. That's the Second Division winners trophy, we beat Laygate into second place (Ithink). In the cup competition for primary school teams in Shields we lost to a team who were in the First Division, their name escapes me. They looked bigger and fitter probably something to do with them having their own pitch and coming from a more affluent part of Shields.