My form teachers at St Peter’s, Church of England controlled, Junior School, Horbury, 1958-1962.
- Miss Andrassy, a relative of the Andrassy family who ran a butcher’s shop on Queen Street. I remember her being keen on art.
- Mr Harker had his classroom in the prefabricated block in the school yard. Organised a class walking group, The Travel Club. Walking must be good for you, because it’s only last autumn, a few weeks before he died, that he managed the two-mile walk around Newmillerdam.
- Mr Thompson, who I’ve written about before in this blog, had his classroom in the Ebenezer Hall, a few hundred yards away from the rest of the school in Ring O’Bells Yard. He was a great storyteller.
- Mr Lindley, back at the lower corner of the main school, encouraged us with drama and making little booklets. I still have my booklets on Bible stories, birds of prey and, from the last weeks of our time at junior school, a short summary of the history and myths of Ancient Rome. I was a bit over ambitious with that one!
- Mr Douglas, our pipe-smoking headmaster, worked from a small office in the main school which he shared with his secretary. Mr Douglas, like Mr Harker, was a keen fellwalker.
Art, walking, storytelling and writing and illustrating booklets: St Peter’s gave me all the basics I needed for my subsequent career!
Hi Richard, love your stuff and got your little book of Horbury. Just wanted to ask are you sure it was Miss Andrassy? I remember Mrs Himsworth who was married to butcher where Anthonys butcher is now. I was at school same time as you .Best wishes Lynne (was Burnell).
I was never in Mrs Himsworth’s class but I remember her well. One of her catch phrases when she came into a noisy classroom was ‘It’s like Briggate in here!’
Barbara has just reminded me that next door to Himsworth’s was the tripe shop. Her mum used to buy tripe there for her grandma. But we can’t remember what was next door to the tiny tripe shop, it was a kind of double little shop, now all one and a cafe.
I think you may be a couple of years older than me. I was in Mrs Himsworths class. I cant remember the tripe shop at all but its very interesting to hear other peoples memories .