SCHOOL RULES, CUSTOMS
Reviewing the two library Year Books of my time at RLS, I
note that the school rules of Newth's era 1960-61
amount to just over a page, but in Coles new era 1965-66 they have grown to
just over two pages. These include half
a page of "It is forbidden:" This greatly reflects the style of
management of the two heads, hands off compared with control. (John Hawkins)
1960 blue book school rules state that, "No mechanically-propelled
vehicles are to be brought to School except by the express permission of the
Headmaster." Did anyone ever seek the express permission of the
Headmaster? (John Hawkins)
...in Year 5 or 6. I had a moped!
There was no problems at all, although it was a bit of
a wreck and didn't survive long - I could not even get the cycle/motor cycle
shop at the bottom of
The only incident was one evening (musical concert or something else) when some fellow students took it in turns to have a burn-up down the alley-way by the Chemistry Lab (well about 15 mph). I had to visit Jake the next morning for a telling off. (Chris Fribbins)
Members of the teaching staff were addressed as 'Mr X' because of the formality of the relationship. Jack Maddocks was addressed as 'Jack' because he was treated as a friend. Other non-teaching staff was generally not addressed as anything: I think addressing Bert Peade as 'Bert' would have invited a hostile response. (Alan)
I cannot recall anyone addressing any master by anything other than "SIR". We did have some female teachers and we called them Miss "Whatever". I always called Miss Coucher "gorgeous", but only in my head! Miss Bibby (Latin and R.I.) was an old crab, the epitome of a dried up spinster in my view. I doubt she ever shared her bed with anything other than a cat (and I love cats). (Geoffrey Styles)
Luckily perhaps, I and others of my vintage were accustomed to the discipline of those masters that instilled it, and laughed with those that did not. I do not remember any students being struck in class. I do remember Gussie Hartley as being a super person. At any lunch hour we could walk across the playing field to his house on Edwards Close, knock on the rear door and ask for a cricket bat and ball. He seemed to have an endless supply. (Geoffrey Styles)
John Hawkins wrote: "Then the tables & benches were organised for school dinners - were there two sittings? A prefect to keep order with the use of a ladle! They would nominate tables to join the queues at the serving area. To keep the noise down they would thump tables with their ladle, sometimes bending the handle to our amusement. The masters also sat at tables in the hall for their dinner and generally allowed the prefects to carry out their dinner duties. However, occasionally things got out of hand and one of the masters would intervene and take control. (Peter Cowling)
I recall that the masters sat at one of two long tables in the dining room by the canteen, and took no part in control. In fact, I don't think there was need for control in this smaller room for older boys, who queued to get in to the room via the serving area. The tables in this area were left in place at all times. The bulk of the school occupied the large area of the school hall that was set out for lunch, and then packed away. (John Hawkins)
Did the HM ever enter the Staff Room, or was it one of those things that just wasn't done in those days? When I first got to the RLS I had the impression that the Staff Room was for the Staff - not the Head! I did not recall seeing Newth in the Staff Room very often - he usually sent Sid Graham is deputy to deliver his news. JPC did visit us more often - and you were not the only people who got the rough edge of his tongue! (Bill Broderick)
The bell used to ring at
Dave Maltby wrote about
Now that the fashion amongst the young is for almost shaven heads, I wonder if
Jake would have taken dislike to this and tried to implement a minimum hair
length policy? I think that the answer is
"probably". That idiot was always a contrary b*gg*r.
Still, he taught me maths and I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't got a
decent A Level in maths. Semper procedens
(John Mac McCarthy)
John McCarthy wrote: "Did ancient teachers have a thing about hair? I have a recollection that Jake once decided that he didn't like long hair". Understatement of the year, John. He was obsessed with the stuff. The continual sendings home for "You'll have to trim it again, Mac!" broke my cool for quite a while until I learned to handle it, and until I learned to make up for it with an even more extreme clothes style. I was sent home for a week once, after repeated hair hassles. I had a great time with Ian Porter, Graeme Sprattley, Albert Wood and Phil Morton playing the latest Ten Years After and Faces albums.
I'm sure I was the absolute worst hair rebel, taking the cause to one Councillor Michael Ward to try to get Jake stopped. (I'm trying to get a scan of his daughter, Alison, just to complete that recent revelation). This worked to some degree, but I left after the 5th to go to normality, girls and long hair at Rush Green. A much better solution. It was you other guys that benefited, as witnessed on the '71 photos.
And he also sent home guys for too short hair! There were a couple of "pinheads" in the year below me that were sent home. I remember trying to sharpen my pencil on their new No. 1 crops. Looking back, wasn't the whole thing silly? We should have just left the place and joined a decent school with girls and normality. (anon)
GAL wrote of the convention that boys should not leave the
school grounds during lunch or break. In later years however observing from our
family home in
The copy of the Blue Book in force during my time in VIB states in rule 10 'Boys must not leave the school premises during morning or afternoon school.' Just as we uncovered a change in another of the rules a few months ago, perhaps this one was rewritten? Graham - you used the word 'convention.' As an upholder of law and order, was it a rule, or convention during your reign of terror? (Vince Leatt)
I remember something on this subject during George's reign - if you did not have school lunches or bring a packed lunch then you WERE allowed out of school at lunchtime (never let it be said that inhumanity rooled OK in the Newth era!) but if you fed in school then you were NOT allowed to leave the premises. I can't recall ever seeing this written down but then, it would have been totally impossible to police - even with the quality of the vigilant pr*f*cts of the 55-62 years!!! It was probably more in the way of a disclaimer from the school which, being translated, read "Your son has no business being off the site at lunchtime therefore any accident befalling him or any mischief or criminal activity perpetrated by him whilst off site at such time cannot be considered the responsibility of the school." Although the "sue culture" phenomenon had not yet raised its head the school needed a reasonable line of cover given the nature of the lunchtime activities we've read recently. Me? I played basketball every single lunchtime - winter, summer, springtime or fall! (DGM)
Our library contains The School Rules (from the 1959-60 Year Book): 11. Boys who take school dinner are not allowed to leave the School premises between morning and afternoon school unless special permission has been granted. It also contains: 6. Only boys who live one and a half miles from the School are allowed to bring bicycles.
Presumably this was to ration cycle rack space, which was in great demand in those days, although provided in all available locations. It also implies that it was acceptable for other boys to walk one and a half miles to/from school. What would today's pupils think of that? (John Hawkins)
I think the restriction on leaving school grounds during
lunch break was ended on Coles’ arrival.
We would often visit the new
I remember something on this subject during George's reign - if you did not have school lunches or bring a packed lunch then you WERE allowed out of school at lunchtime (never let it be said that inhumanity rooled OK in the Newth era!) but if you fed in school then you were NOT allowed to leave the premises. I can't recall ever seeing this written down but then, it would have been totally impossible to police - even with the quality of the vigilant pr*f*cts of the 55-62 years!!! It was probably more in the way of a disclaimer from the school which, being translated, read "Your son has no business being off the site at lunchtime therefore any accident befalling him or any mischief or criminal activity perpetrated by him whilst off site at such time cannot be considered the responsibility of the school." Although the "sue culture" phenomenon had not yet raised its head the school needed a reasonable line of cover given the nature of the lunchtime activities we've read recently. Me? I played basketball every single lunchtime - winter, summer, springtime or fall! (DGM)
Presumably if you lived further than 2641 yards or less than
2639 yards from the school then cycling was a "no-no". What accuracy
of measurement was used? What was the origin? Was this a direct, as-the-crow
flies or a meandering around
Note that you were "allowed to bring bicycles", not necessarily ride them. And why would you want more than one anyway? Pedant hat off. Walk? To school? Further than across the pavement from mummy's 4x4? Cough! Splutter! Are you 'avin' a larff?
'65 or so to '68, always went for a walk at lunchtime to replenish nicotine levels.
(Ad John Hawkins post on boys who lived 1 1/2 miles from School being allowed to bring bicycles) It also implies that it was acceptable for other boys to walk one and a half miles to/from school. What would today's pupils think of that? (Chris Broadbridge)
I lived about half a
mile form the school and in my final few months in the Upper 6th I managed to
get permission from Jake to park my 650 BSA in the staff car park. The excuse
was that I was helping an old lady with her gardening as part of a social
awareness programme, and I needed the bike to get me to her house. I think this
lady knew Bongo Benson. Before that a few of us used to park
outside the school in