Who Remembers.......

[Caz]

Main thing I remember about woollies as a kid is the "I Spy" books...used to get one every week with spending money.

[West Ender]

Oh God, Fred Van Dome! I remember him as a very young teacher at St Mary's. He once caned me on the hand for forgetting to take a pencil to his Art class (I was 8 years old at the time) but we accepted that sort of discipline in those days. I actually liked the man.

I had been at Paddock House for over a year, about 1955, when St Mary's school had a trip to Europe, which was open to past pupils, and I went. Fred was in charge and supervised a group of about 20 of us all the way from Accrington to Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Germany - overland and by ferry across the Channel. He urged us to call him Fred but none of us could. It was my first trip abroad and I'll never forget it. I owe a lot to that man and his fellow-teachers.

[joaner3]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I knew Mr. Vandome as a bank customer. Really nice man.

I remember Woollies before it was on Broadway, those counter which had the servers in the middle. Does anybody else remember the peanut roasting machine they had? Mmmm hot roasted salted peanuts in a paper bag with all the grease coming through the paper onto your hands!

Wasn't Woollies across from the Town Hall originally? I remember the Steam Engines on the railway, I used to sit on the wall up above the "Underground" and watch the trains pass with my older brother. I remember Thwaites Road has having houses on, probably before my time.

[cashman]

yep ya got woolies near as dammit joaner it was slightly off the town hall, facing the market hall.

[West Ender]

Originally Posted by joaner3

Wasn't Woollies across from the Town Hall originally? I remember the Steam Engines on the railway, I used to sit on the wall up above the "Underground" and watch the trains pass with my older brother. I remember Thwaites Road has having houses on, probably before my time.

Woolworths was almost opposite theTown Hall when the steam trains were running.

Thwaites Rd had housing, mainly flats, after the middle 50s. Before that there were only fields, apart from Central Avenue, and it was a link between 2 very seperate communities.

[BERNADETTE]

Was it on the corner of Dutton Street?

[Gayle]

Mr Vandome was headteacher when I arrived but I think I must have been in Infant 3 when he died and Mr Robinson took over. Totally different style - Mr Vandome was still in the 50's with his very strict regime, Mr Robinson was definitely a product of the late 60s.

Do you remember the really strange class system that still operates today i.e. four infant classes but you only actually go in three of the classes - they don't work on Year 1, 2, 3 etc - you're in a mixed year class with people of similar abilities. It's really hard to explain but it does work.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

Was it on the corner of Dutton Street?

yep where macdonalds was bernie.

[BERNADETTE]

Originally Posted by cashman

yep where macdonalds was bernie.

Thought it was the old brain was questioning if I was right

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by Gayle

Do you remember the really strange class system that still operates today i.e. four infant classes but you only actually go in three of the classes - they don't work on Year 1, 2, 3 etc - you're in a mixed year class with people of similar abilities. It's really hard to explain but it does work.

What's all that about?

I've never heard of that.

[WillowTheWhisp]

I remember the steam trains and the old railway station which used to have buildings, waiting rooms and fireplaces with real fires. There was a railway line up to Manchester in those days too. I used to be scared of the steam trains. I thought they were dragons.

[pipinfort]

Originally Posted by Lilly

What's all that about?

I've never heard of that.

Lost me too..............

[Gayle]

Originally Posted by Gayle

Do you remember the really strange class system that still operates today i.e. four infant classes but you only actually go in three of the classes - they don't work on Year 1, 2, 3 etc - you're in a mixed year class with people of similar abilities. It's really hard to explain but it does work.

I'll try to explain it better.

Example - Junior Classes - there are 5 Junior Classes but children only do 4 Junior years. There are up to 40 children in any year group but a maximum of 30 in any class.

So when they move up from infants to juniors they could go into Junior1 or Junior 2. The 10 oldest or brightest go into Junior 2 leaving 30 in Junior 1. Each child will do four years in Juniors so for example Maddie, who's birthday is in October is one of the oldest, headed into Junior 2 so she'll do classes 2, 3, 4, and 5. She's now in 3.

Her friend is actually in the year group ahead of her but her birthday is in August so she's one of the youngest in her year group. She is now in the same class because she did Junior 1, 2 and is now in 3 with Maddie.

I probably still haven't explained it very well but what it means is that children are working with children of similar abilities. If you think about it, a year is a long time in the development of a child and someone born on September 1st can have a whole year of development ahead of someone born on the following August 31st. Because of the system at St Mary's the maximum age gap between the oldest and youngest in a class is around 8 months and not a full year and it can cross over a year group.

No, probably still haven't explained it well but it works, thinking back I remember it - just wondered if anyone else did as it is unusual.

[BERNADETTE]

They used to use this method at Peel Park don't know if they still do as I am talking years back when my kids were there. Agree it is a good system that gives a better chance to all the kids IMHO

[Ber999T]

Well can re-call the trains, woolies, stanhill mill (me mam sis and aunites worked there) also recall the dairy at west end and the milk floats rolling out. Also recall redmans shop (in another thread) mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm brain hurting now LOL will see what else I can recall :-)