It’s now fifty years this summer since I left Batley School of Art and it must now be twenty since I attended a one-off reunion there so I couldn’t resist taking a look at the old place while Barbara made a start on the shopping at Tesco’s this morning. I was hoping that I might find it open for this year’s final show but the art school moved to Dewsbury some years ago and the building now houses the Cambridge Street Muslim boys only secondary school.
The upstairs room on the left with the huge east-facing window and the skylight running along the apex of the roof was the life room. Below that, immediately to the left of the main entrance, was the office of the principal, Mr Smethurst, and, to the right of the entrance, the admin office for essentials such as buying your ticket for dinner (plus a separate ‘SWEET’ ticket for the pudding!) in the college canteen.
The annexe to the left, the Stubley Memorial Wing, was Fred Sergeant’s photography department. It now houses the Al-Hashim Academy which offers a ‘Path to Peace and Paradise’ through community work and spiritual development (see link below). For me, after O-levels at Ossett Grammar School, being in a bustling art school where I could indulge in creative activities day in, day out, came pretty close to my idea of paradise.
The large dormer window on the right was the natural form room and the room with dormer in the middle above the main entrance was where the ‘Indian girls’ (as we knew them) seemed to do a lot of needlework.
I was never able to discover the significance the name the Indian girls gave me when they wanted to ask me something. I think it was something that ended in ‘kobrah’.
“What does that mean?” I asked them.
“Oh, it’s just a name we’ve given you,” was all that the chatty young woman who seemed to act as their student rep would tell me.
Final Show
My final show at the end of the summer term in 1969 included an interior design project for a pub, The Century, which I approached in typically theatrical Victorian style.
There were posters that I’d designed, hand-lettered and printed for local drama groups and for an art exhibition that I’d organised in Horbury. The photographs of the brass microscope demonstrated every special effect that I could create in the darkroom, including solarisation, reticulation and bas-relief: the sort of thing that you can do at the touch of a button in Photoshop today.
On the shelf below, my current reading at that time, King Jesus by Robert Graves. I’d read I, Claudius in the previous year and Graves became my favourite author right through college.
In the late 1960s Batley had a dour, grimy look, blackened by a hundred years of coal smoke, as you can see from my drawing of the public baths as seen from the life room.
Around the back of the school, the hut that was originally Mr McAdam’s pottery studio is long gone. During my second year he moved kiln and potter’s wheels across the road into the top end of a range of buildings, alongside Barry Howgate’s textile screen-printing department and Jack Ismay’s painting and decorating department. A large studio at the lower end, used for exhibitions, was fitted out so that exhibition design students could practice creating shop window displays.
This entire range of buildings has now been demolished and a newer brick building at the top corner is itself now partly boarded and bricked up, with someone camping out in a pop-up tent alongside it.
I wondered if the pile of rubble and the workbench were the last remnants of the old building but the maker’s stamp on the bricks ‘ELIZABETH II, ARMITAGE’ and a date that looks like 1968 suggests that this is random demolition debris from elsewhere.
Batley Library
As I walked back to Tesco, I had time for a quick visit to Batley’s magnificent Carnegie Library. In my college days, during the couple of hours between the end of the afternoon session and the start of the evening class, this was a favourite place for me to shelter.
The reference library has now been stripped of its bookshelves but I remember sitting at one of the tables – I think that they were great oak tables then, rather than formica – and browsing through the science books to learn about fungi. I enjoyed dipping into the local studies box files as you never knew what you’d come across. I was fascinated by a collection of dialect almanacks, including the Bark o’ t’ Moon series, which featured unlikely tales from Batley, Ossett and Shaw Cross.
I’d also sit there doing a bit of drawing for fun rather than for coursework, including this self-portrait, which seems to have absorbed something of my surroundings in Victorian Batley. Although fortunately on my morning commute I never found myself stranded on a double-decker bus on a collapsing viaduct.
Links
Batley School of Art, now located in Dewsbury and in Huddersfield
Hi Richard, just left a message on your Facebook page. The above really is interesting and brings back so many memories. Bobby Beswick, Gerry French, Colin Wood and Jessie in the canteen are other people I remember.
If you have any other bits please contact me…
Kind regards
Kevin Whittell.
hello richard. have just read this, after looking for archive photos of the time i was at batley. i was there from 65 – 68, but all of the names are familiar. i studied graphics under mr ludlum, and joe lee. i worked full time and freelanced around yorkshire as a designer until 84 when i moved to north devon. i’m now painting full time, after retiring from the graphics side of things. the funny thing is i’m sure you knew my father, frank lindley, when you did some work on waterton hall, wakefield. he was working as an illustrator with the local authority at the time, early to mid 70s i think. as ive got older ive always wondered about my fellow students and the path they took. the only one i’m now in contact with is graham lockwood, who started on the same day as me, but packed in after the first year, only to return at a later date. hes a professional musician in australia now. ive tried to find pictures from that era but have been unsuccessful. best wishes gerrard lindley
Great to hear from you. By coincidence, I’ve also heard today from someone who is researching the painting and decorating tutor at Batley, Jack Ismay. I’m still in the area and I can think of four former students who I’ve bumped into during the last year: John, who runs the Art of Oak picture framers in Wakefield and Paul who worked there years ago. Also a calligrapher who I think has recently retired from running the gift shop at Blacker Hall Farm – I think they would all be from before your time – and a graphic designer from my year. I remember your father, but I think that he retired through ill-health shortly after the failed plan to restore Walton Park as a nature reserve? I remember his watercolour of a suggested scheme for restoring the Grotto, which instead was quarried for stone during the conversion of the farm buildings for flats.
From your year, I knew the late Stephen Battye, who went on to set up Skopos textile design and had a hand – well really he seemed to be the main guy behind it – in setting up the Redbrick Mill in Batley.
Hi, just wanted to leave a message here as I was a Student at Batley School of Art and Design and I read above some tutors names I suddenly remembered upon reading them Bobby Beswick, Gerry French, Colin Wood Mr Ludlum. I was there 76 – 79 and a few other names that sprang to mind were Terry Sutton, Dave Chapman and Mr Dean, I think affectionally known as Dicksie Dean. I’m in my 60’s now and followed a work path of Graphics, Design and Marketing. I too often wonder about fellow students and where they are now and what kind of careers they’ve had, sadly not seen any of them since leaving.
They were good old days for sure.
I can think of five students who I’ve come across since and they all went into the business – and did pretty well at it – which I think shows how practical the Batley approach was. Other courses might have been more innovative (I’m thinking of Bretton or of the fine art dept at Leeds at that time) but I can’t imagine anywhere better than Batley for allowing you to get familiar with the nuts and bolts of the business. I feel that they gave me a survival kit.
Hi Richard, I have just come across this wonderful trip down memory lane. I was at Batley Art College from 1968-71 starting off doing a Foundation Course then ending up in the Fashion department, which run by Diane Bloom and headed up by Barry Howgate. I was called Liz Smith back then. I met my husband at Batley Art College who was in Graphics, Chris Reekie 1968-70 (we have been married for almost 50 years now!!!) Names I recall from the Fashion dept are Helen Scott & Angela Mary Man. There was also just one guy called Gary in the midst of all us females. Helen went on to The Royal College of Art and I went off to St Martins School of Art, both of us to continue in Fashion. They were such great days at Batley. Then there were the end of term disco’s at The Pentagon in Batley!!! Do you remember Mr Batty who called everyone “a waart”?
Happy Days!
Great to hear from you and glad that Batley proved such a good starting point getting into fashion. I’m afraid that I went through college in a fashion-free zone. For my interview at the Royal I went for a black turtle-neck jumper knitted by my friend’s mum, while another student from Leeds turned up in a natty striped blazer. But he didn’t get in and I managed to scrape my way in after a second interview, so perhaps I got it right.
I remember Barry Howgate because I did some textile printing in his studio. His wife took a copywriting class in the library. I’d forgotten Mr Batty’s term of endearment (if this was the same tutor, he was near retirement). Mr Bartle once said that Mr Batty had kept some wartime sketchbooks, he particularly mentioned a drawing of a line of soldiers, each one an individual character. I’d have loved to have had a browse through those.
Hi
I went to the textile course..1965..1969.haviing a year off due to serious car accident.
Barrie Howgate was our tutor.a fellow student Jane is my daughter’s godmother
I went onto to lecture in further education and became a public speaker.At 73years old I have just retired.Jenny
Hi Richard, thank you for sharing your story and these amazing pictures, what nostalgia they bring! I was at Batley school of Art 1985-1987, I did a year’s foundation and then enrolled in the photographic course, headed by a Mr. Keith Orange. I had a family upheaval and we all relocated to Dorset where a pursued a different career path. Met my first “serious” boyfriend at this school and many friends, lots of parties at the Xclusiv nightclub! Thanks again
Great to hear from you. I feel so lucky to have got the chance to spend a couple of years there.
HI
I too am a product of Batley art college. I was there in 1963 t0 1967.
I remember Mr Beswick and French, and Mr Joe Lee, indeed i possess a painting of Whitby by him. I was interviewed by Mr Smethurst who seemed vey scary to me. I recall Mr Batty and his habit of calling recalcitrant students a Whaaart!
Mr Ludlam took me under his wing even lending me his car to go look for a job. i even taught one night a week to the year that followed me when i had left.
I worked in advertising and design all my life and ran an agency called Charles Walls in Calverley for thirty years. retired and worked as a director of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising in London for twenty years and retired to come and live in Australia.
I rember the extra ticket if you wanted a sweet in the refectory!
I’d forgotten Mr Batty’s ‘Whaaart!’ but I can just imagine him saying it. Mr Smethurst thought that I couldn’t draw ankles, but who can draw ankles? Years later I went to an exhibition of Joe Lee’s work at the Education Gallery at Bretton Hall Colleges. I remember Wilf Lunn-type satirical constructions, precursors of the Wallace & Grommit style, I guess. He escaped from Batley in my second year but he brought some students in from wherever his subsequent college was, must have been foundation, as to look around Graphic Design (which styled itself as the Department of Communication Design) at Leeds.
I also remember Jack Ismay who operated out of rooms above a shop in the market square as an annex. I hated the wet sanding to prepare the panels
He’d moved into the workshops on the road behind the college by my time. I loved his old school craftsmanship, but luckily never had to do much wet sanding 🙂
Hi Richard ..
Just to say I enjoyed your shared memories of Batley A College. I did a foundation year 1973-74 which has stood me in good stead one way and another all my life. I went to Wheelwright in Dewsbury and remember the Headmaster looking aghast at my desire to go to art college instead of uni!
I loved the rigour of the foundation course and the way it was designed to introduce me to as many disciplines as possible in the year. I remember Peter Ludlum with fondness .. he suggested that I should study graphics but I wanted the freedom of a fine art course which I followed at Exeter . Looking back I don’t think I would have survived the free wheeling Fine Art course without the grounding Batley gave me! I am now retired but I spent pretty much the whole of my working life in Art Education which was so enjoyable. So I have much to thank Batley for!
A few names that have stuck .. Hugh Lammie .. life drawing .. Gerald French who take me and two others up to Malham Cove for a spot of landscape drawing .. Hazel Kennedy/ Harris printmaking .. David Platts Textiles.
Good to hear all the comments, I accidentally came to become a member of staff in 1967 working with Mr Wermold in the workshop. I enjoyed working for Barrie Howgate, developing the printed textile workshop. I married a fashion student Janet Mc Pherson.
After doing a Cert in Ed I moved on to the Graphics / Foundation printmaking and then Course Coordinator for the new GNVQ level 2 Art and Design, set up by the very hard working and enthusiastic Tony Summers.
It was a great place to work.
Thanks for writing David. The other Wood I remember from that time was Colin Wood our graphic design tutor, himself recently qualified from Leeds.
Hello,
It is nice to read some of the comments, I am Peter Ludlams grandson.
Oliver
There was once an exhibition of tutors work in the basement room at the back of the main building. I was interested to see some of Mr Ludlam’s illustration for advertising. It was in the regular format for magazines of the day: main illustration, paragraph of copy and packshot in the bottom right corner. He might have contributed whimsical illustrations to Schweppes’ long running ‘Schweppeshire’ series. Something along those lines. Would love to see an example if you happened to have any of his work!
He once said he gave up on illustration because, in his opinion, the job always went to ‘young Nigel who does those lovely drawings’. i.e. there was an element of nepotism in choosing illustrators.
I knew your Grandfather very well. I remember enjoying a lovely holiday with him, Barbara and my parents in Denia Spain .. a holiday that inspired him to buy a place out there!
Hi Oliver
I started at Batley in September 1963 Peter started one year later and was a fantastic breath of fresh air. Generous with his advice and highly motivating.
He had a small studio under his house which he let me use and even let me borrow his brand new Vauxhall cresta to attend an interview! Great guy, many fond memories and much gratitude
John
Hi Richard I went to Batley in the summer of love 1969 it was a wonderful time for me I was one of the first students to do Photography other students doing photography included John Idle (Jay) David Baker ( George ) who sadly passed a few years ago Vince Chapman who I worked with some years later I remember most if not all of the tutors mentioned
Thanks for reminding me of one of the best times of my life
Hi Mark, Thank you for you memories. I remember a (red-haired?) Vince who played a guitar. By 1969 I’d moved on to ‘Communication Design’ (i.e. graphics) at Leeds which was great but I’m so glad that I had such a wide-ranging start at Batley. Saw Fred Sargent’s daughter-in-law Jenny a few weeks ago.
Hi Richard you must have left the year I started The kid who played guitar was called Jocks’a god knows why Vince started a company
With Jim Harris called The photography & Design Group who I would do freelance work for from time to time Jim married Hazel Kennedy
she did graphics and went on to teach art . When you look at the comments a lot of people went on to have good careers Fred Sargent was a character to say the least I would love to hear from any one who was around at the time I was
Best Regards Mark
I did some illustration for Jim for a proposed housing development, ‘Galtres Village’ near York. Last saw Hazel at an adventurous photographer’s talk at Wakefield Opera House.
I attended in 1990 to 1992
Am I right in thinking Robert Palmer and Patrick Stewart attended research for my granddaughter
Thankyou
Louise
Hi Margaret, well certainly not my year, but it’s possible. I feel so lucky to have spent two totally immersive years studying there.
Terry – were you at a concert in Wakefield last night? Talk of pencils and Batley is buzzing in my head – it could have been you!
A lovely blog. My late father went to Batley Art College but it would have been earlier days that you Richard. I love your sketch of the public baths from the life room, which gives a sense of the place. I’ve got a great impression if the College from your recount which I really enjoyed reading.