– the new school photographs and plans in 1936 with reminiscences of former pupils from the 1940’s to 1990’s
Built in 1936 on a five-acre site in Middle Road, Kingston, where the recreation ground is now but then in land that had largely been used as fruit orchards and nurseries by the Cook’s Jam Factory in Dolphin Road. Initially opened as a boys’ senior elementary school for 360 pupils it included a number of unusual features (for those days) in both design and construction. It was built of reinforced concrete and flat roofs to allow for future extensions to be placed on top of the ground floor building and enabled wider spans for rooms that, with the large Crittall windows also installed gave pupils and teachers a bright and spacious environment.
Covered open-air walkways were also a feature and it was planned to incorporate a health centre for the children in the district including medical and dental services with further possible use as a maternity and ante-natal clinic but there doesn’t seem to be much evidence of it being used as such since the war. Flooring was covered with ‘Ruboleum’ tiles – then an innovative type of surface.
The building was intended to serve the new housing estates that were planned which would eventually surround the new school. An assembly hall also served as the gymnasium subsequently equipped with wall bars, climbing ropes etc., was provided with a proscenium and platform to the rear of which was a sliding partition that opened on to an art room that had large windows for better light and was approached from the main staircase. This art room was on the same level as the platform and the whole arrangement also provided a large stage area.
Classrooms were in a continuous line on the south side with large 20 feet long windows providing good daylight overlooking the four acres of playing fields and tarmac playgrounds. The Geography room had a continuous window around its rounded corner on the south-west of the building and at the eastern end was the dining-room and kitchen. Between the assembly hall and the classrooms was a grassed quadrangle edged by two blocks of buildings – metalwork and woodworking classrooms on the west, cloakrooms and lavatories on the east. A circular, rubber floored staircase led to the first floor containing the staff room, headmaster’s room and science laboratory.
Not so very long after its completion war broke out but the teaching continued and, shortly after, Gerald White a pupil at that time recalls the school, its teachers and pupils:-
Soon after the war the building became the Middle Road Secondary School for boys aged between 11 and 15 from Shoreham and Southwick. I attended the school from 1948 to 1952 in classes, 1 to 4A. My Form teachers were Messrs Parker, Smith, Hansford and Osborne. A large tarmac surface playground was in a square shape. Cycle sheds were provided and outside toilets near the playground avoided having to go into school during play or break periods. Two prefabricated classrooms, had been added after the leaving age was extended from 14 to 15 years.
About ten air raid shelters from the war period still existed on the west of the playing field which were used for storage by the school caretaker. These were removed in 1950 and an extra playing field for football matches became available. To help make the surface safe for playing on the whole school was encouraged to pick up the stones that remained following the shelters’ demolition. One major problem of the time however was the close proximity to the Eversheds soap factory in Dolphin road. The sickening stenches from there were dreadful and caused many to gag with nausea
The school uniform was a wine coloured cap, blazer and tie, white shirt, grey shorts, and knee length socks. Long trousers was a privilege for 4th year pupils only – a rule that was strictly enforced. Satchels were optional but most had one as homework in form 4a was compulsory. The uniform was available from Luckings outfitters in East Street, Shoreham. The boys were divided into three streams – A, B, and C. with approximately 35 pupils in each class making 12 classes in all. Miss Davis taught a special class X for those two or three pupils with learning difficulties. For gym and sport each class had four houses, St David, St George, St Patrick, and St Andrew with yellow, red, green and blue ribbons worn by the pupils to denote which house they belonged to.
The headmaster when I joined was Mr Jeavons who was replaced in 1949 by Mr A Childs and the secretary was Mr Wills. The remainder of the teaching staff included Mr Osborne, who was the senior or head teacher for year 4A. Mr. Childs the headmaster was a very smart man, every inch the ex Royal Naval Officer that he was who would not accept bad behavior in any form at all. Mr Osborne was from Penzance, proud of his Cornish origin, and spoke with a Cornish accent. I remember that as a class project with Mr Osborne we followed (on the radio) a Wynford Vaughan Thomas journey around the world a la Jules Verne – it was an interesting way of improving our knowledge of geographical locations
Mr. Binns taught French but only to the A stream – he had been in the Special Operations during the war and under cover fought the Germans on the streets of Paris. Mr. Smith the English teacher had a volatile temper and would not tolerate talking in the corridor, he once hit a complete class on the buttocks with a shoe. We had to bend over at the door and then ‘whack’…. he was a spiteful person. Mr. Liddell taught Mathematics, Mr. Campbell, Hygiene and Mr. Parker Science. Mr. Davies, Physical Exercise, was always dressed in dark blue athlete’s trousers and a white T- shirt. He selected the school football and cricket teams, and refereed the Masters V Boys annual football match. Mr. Edwards, Woodwork, was a quiet man who often took morning prayers and gave readings from the bible. Mr. Jones, Metalwork, had a very strong Welsh accent, and if the talk in his class, became loud, he would take a metal rod, crack it down on an anvil and shout ‘Now then, if you Boyos don’t shut up you’ll get some of this’ as he waved the metal rod at them.
Mr. Parrot the Art teacher was very Bohemian in the dress he wore – sandals with no socks, unfashionable long hair, unpressed corduroy jackets and trousers. Mr. Flooder and Mr. Nutter were additional teachers. The school had a successful choir that took part in competitions against other school choirs held annually in the Brighton Dome and won the shield and cup in 1952. Mr. Hansford, an excellent music teacher, was choirmaster and accompanied on the piano. He even instilled sufficient enthusiasm for me to recall even now something of the lives of Mozart, Handel, Haydn and others from the world of classical music.
The class register was called each morning and the pupils for my class included Bryan Akehurst, Ronald Baker, Colin Brown, Alan Bennett, Ronald Redford, Bernard Crowhurst, David Boardman, James Dunn, Brian Emery, Michael Guile, Anthony Gratwick, Ivor Harrington, Ronald Hunt Rodney Jackson, Peter Law, John Luxton, John Luchford, Colin Moody, Derek Norris, ? Perrott, Brian Robinson, Brian Bedson, Richard Suter, Roy Stevens, ? Strevens, Alan Still, ? Skinner, Gerald White, Alan White, Colin Walder, David White, David Winter. Charles Tazewell, Kenneth Russell, Terence Wells and Ronald Hill.
Despite the relative newness of the building there were no showers in the gym changing rooms that were adjacent to the toilets. The original concept of a health centre within the school seems to have been discontinued by the 1940’s and like other schools dental checks were made by visiting school dentists (the one for the Shoreham area used a caravan) and the only other health check I recall was the nit nurse who examined the pupils’ hair in the corridor by the toilets whilst another nurse took down the findings of each examination.
Although the school catered for those boys who had failed their eleven plus exams many of them went on to follow professional careers. Some joined the Armed Forces and on leaving school in 1953 most members of my class 4A followed apprenticeships in the building trades. I personally served a five year apprenticeship as a wood machinist with White & Co Shoreham Timber merchants and attended Brighton Technical College before pursuing a 23 year career in the Royal Air Force.
Gerry White
Colin Wadey attended Middle Road in the 1940’s. He recounts:
I remember the large Art room. It was used for Arts and Craft, the craft being “Lino cuts”. Lino cuts were pieces of lino about 3 or 4 inches square on which you drew something and then used a very sharp tool to cut out the surrounding lino and by inking what was left you would have a printing block of what was drawn. I think this was stopped because too many boys were cutting themselves with the tools. Both my sons said they had never heard of lino cuts at school.
I seem to remember Mr. Campbell (class 2A) and Miss Penfold (class 1A) got married after I left school. I do not remember a music room but do the metal working room and science room. Of the teachers Mr. Osborne (class 3A) was my favourite, he had the patience of a saint and was always pleased to go over something which one or more didn’t quite understand. Mr. Campbell could be quite funny at times but was also very strict as was Mr. Parker. (science teacher). Mr. Jones (metal work teacher) was very good but you had to pay attention or he would throw things at you or bang something on a bench to make a loud noise.
At times the smell from the Chemical company (in Bungalow town) or the Glue factory meant the windows had to be closed (in the Summer), at other times there was a very sweet smell coming from the Jam factory.
My first school was the Fishersgate Infants school (no longer a school but still standing), my second the Green school (that was at Southwick Green) and finally Middle Road school. I didn’t enjoy school but managed to stay in the “A” classes and made a point of taking further education classes when in the RAF. Thinking of the above has brought back many happy memories of a very happy childhood.
Colin
Collins, Cherry, Ellis, Dean, Heaster, Aylen, Yarlot, Grimwood, Payne, Kilner, Bishop
Horner, Morris, Lees, Carden, Hobden, Gordon, Bridle, Nash, Wadey
Peter Tillett sent in this photograph from his time in 1946 of the Middle Road teaching and dinner Staff. His recollection of the names is below.
Another ex-pupil records in the 1960’s:-
I never got it (the cane) from Mr Childs only from John West for pulling a face at my cousin in English and from Beak Edwards for playing football in the cycle racks. I got six for that and because he only had one eye the blows would land anywhere between the forearm and the tips of the fingers. Ouch!
And then there was Spud Little. He was very handy with the slipper on bare bottoms in the changing room and known for running through the showers lashing out. I also remember Lenny Jenkins leaving an uncomplimentary note about Spud in the top of the straws (for milk) box. That occasioned the class spending a whole PE period doing chin ups in the Gym but nobody ratted on Lenny!
I remember going up stairs to Len Smith for music on the left going up and on the first floor Mr. Poland for English, Mr. Creccy for French (an experiment that lasted two lessons and was discontinued) and Mr. Slim for Technical Drawing. Don’t recall it was a spiral staircase though. Ah well, lot of water and grey cells gone under the bridge since then!
Old Fanny Barnett was there doing metalwork and I never forget when he was demonstrating flattening a piece of pipe end in the forge. It was a piece of galvanised pipe and he withdrew it white hot from the forge, put it on the anvil and gave it a mighty blow. Whereupon a great flake of galvanize detached itself, flew up in the air landed on his head and set his hair on fire! Priceless. The other Metalwork teacher was Mr Jones a Welsh nutter. I was daydreaming whilst he was addressing the class on the mightiness of the Little John lathe and he noticed this. ‘So boyo where do you engage the back gear on a Little John’……… ‘Ummmm’ I mumbled then ducked as he threw a ball pein hammer at me. Bonkers!
Richard
… another from the 1970’s that reveals some changes in the layout of the school, its rooms and the teaching staff:-
In my day there was an infill to the original building that robbed it of its airiness and there was no longer a playground in the centre. There was a very wide spiral staircase that led to Mrs. DeLacey‘s English classroom half way up – a huge room that must have been something like a gym in a previous time – and then at the top were 2 or 3 classes – one was a history classroom I recall.
Downstairs was the gym that may originally have been the Hall (by 1979 there was a huge wood framed hall on the far west of the original building). The changing rooms were right in the middle – next to a closed courtyard… I guess it used to access the playground. The library was two classrooms knocked into one in the middle of the southern terrace of single storey classes. Mr. Slims’ Technical Drawing classroom was the corner class with curved windows on the SW corner.
There were some old wooden sheds /garages on the far east side, including one locked garage that had a very old black saloon from the mid 50’s era. From memory the metalwork and woodwork classes were to the east. Mr. Barnett ( our metalwork teacher) would bellow “Carry on London” – his catchphrase.
Paul Osborne
… and one from the 1980’s:-
The school building had various bolted on rooms by then and was surrounded by additional classroom huts. The tower was a spiral staircase to the first floor as I recall.
Ad
By the 1980’s the education system was changing. Separate boys and girls schools were no longer deemed necessary added to which the flat roofs of Middle Road school, originally intended to allow for expansion, now required constant repair which, with other deteriorating aspects of a 50 year-old building, sealed its fate and it was demolished around 1992 in favour of King’s Manor school in Kingston Lane.
Roger Bateman
Paul Osborne (additional material)
Martin Brown (demolition photography)
Shoreham April 2012
Illustrations from ‘The Builder’ of 4th December 1936, 1980’s photos courtesy of Martin Brown
My is phillip richard neville i left school in the year of the world cup 66 i am from the neville family of southwickis there anyone out there that remebers
You might want to try this Facebook group Phillip – it has many active Southwick members.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/368180563258971/?ref=bookmarks
Hi Phil. I remember you. I was at middle road school the same time as you.!
Thompson anthony or tony.
I was in the huts, teachers were – sparrow Lindford and then on to Noddy Mitchell next hut along. Years 1B 2B 3B Then 4L1 (leavers)
Tony
Hi Tony this is Bob Morris (Mugget) hope you good. Send a message back if you can. I was at Middle Road Boys School.70 Now
Are you the Tony Thompson whose parents owned the fish & chip shop in Southwick?
hi phil i lived next door to you at no 20 kings road my name is Alan Stringer . Plenty of freedom growing up in kings road i can remember your brothers and sisters and your mum i think she worked in the fish shop opp. the windmill pub. loads of memories of that time only just found this website now we have more time on our hands. keep well happy days.
Loved the article about the school
Attended 1957/67
Remember it as described
Hi David. I remember you so well. At Buckingham Road School we were girlfriend and boyfriend for our last year there. You lived above Buckingham Park with your brother. We had lots of good times and used to meet up in Buckingham Park often. I have never forgotten you. I was then Lynda Davison. I went on to Kings Manor and you to Middle Road… never to see each other again!
I was at Middle Road in 1971/72 , Mrs Delacy was my English teacher and I remember having to read and study Chaucer, so hard for an 11 year old!!
Mr, Poland was also one of my teachers and I remember in art we had to make a ‘gargoyle’ and mine ended up looking like Mr Poland (unintentionally)
Hi Julie, your name does ring a bell – I was at Middle Road 1969-1971 then King’s Manor (mixed then).
Have you an email, and any reminders of those years ? Thank you.
Phill Johnson.
Great photographs. They look like the come from an architectural journal, do you have a source please? (1936?)
Hi David – I thought for one moment we hadn’t recorded the source until I realised it had been mistakenly clipped off the page showing the building plan – our copy shows it to have been taken from ‘The Builder’ of 4th December 1936. Sorry about that.
Was here in for a spell as boys school then mixed sex.
I remember seeing a school produced film that showed a story about a secret tunnel!! I think it ran down to the harbour. Anybody got any info on this.
Regards
Gerald
Secret tunnel? Where from? There is a tunnel from what was Brighton B power station to the other side of the canal that took the main power lines to the grid… would that be it? it was accessed by a door in the embankment.
The secret tunnel went from the Ciaus School under the railway line and came out in the back garden of a house lived in by the Vinn family which was next to Dorrit, opposite the Lifeboat House. The Vinn children were Arthur, Valerie and Eric and one other, I seem to remember. My cousin and I played with them and their mother let us do whatever we liked, including jumping on the beds! I was housed at 8 Brighton Road with Harry and my aunt Nell Philcox and their son, Brian, after my mother died in 1948. We often went through the tunnel into the school grounds. Great fun!p
Hi Pauline
Ah! That was a secret tunnel that was on the Ordnance Survey maps as a footpath under the railway. I think it might still be there and emerges by garages to the rear of thevictorian semis. I am not sure it qualifies as a real secret tunnel.
I remember you twin sister at kings manor .My name then wasSonia Miles, I lived just behind southlands hospital in Hammy way those where the days good and bad
I’d love to get in contact with anyone who attended the school in 1970-76 and that knows me.
Hi Andrew,
Try this Kings Manor facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100568503368152/
Richard Clark, i remember You Andrew Smart contact me at [email protected]
Great memories and many teachers I remember from a great school that launched me into the teaching profession….
The secret tunnel I think is the one that runs from Fishersgate at the south end of Gardener road and starts at the canal bank.
It is now completely blocked by tons of earth.
My brother and I have been into it many times in my younger days (I am now 88 years old).
It was, so I as told by my dad, a smugglers tunnels which emerged near an old inn which we called called “The Crab House”.
This was, apparently, an old coaching inn when the original road run along the edge of the canal and not along the top of the bank as now.
The footings of the old inn might still be seen.
The canal is actually part of the old river Adur when it went out to see at Aldrington and before the harbour entrance was made at Kingston.
I have other information if wanted.
Further to my earlier comment regarding the footings of the “Crab House” I notice that the edging of the canal has been built up.
This means that the footings will no longer be able to be seen.
There is a photo in the Brighton records library taken in the 1930s showing that the tunnel under the coast road had collapsed presumably by the double decker busses and other heavy vehicles using the road.
I attended Middle Road school from 1943 until 1946.
I remember some of my teachers, a Miss Penfold, (class 1A), Mr Campbell , (2A) and Mr. Osbourne, (3A).
I also remember the headmaster, Mr. Jeavons, Mr. Parker, Science teacher, M.r Jones, metal work teacher.
I doubt that not too many of my old school friends are still alive but I do have a photo taken of class 3A with Mr. Jeavons and Mr. Osbourne.
The names of all the school boys are on the back of the photo.
Thanks for that Colin. You have kindly agreed for the photo to be published here: https://www.shorehambysea.com/middle-road-school-1946/
I was in the same class as Colin but moved away from the area shortly before the last term ended. I have not seen or had contact with anyone from the school since then. Can you imagine the surprise at seeing the photograph? I am now 89yrs. of age but remember a lot of my school days. (Good and bad) I was friendly with Ron Sheehan and Eric Willboughy and also remember time with Bob Cherry. The teachers I remember were Redfern? Kimberley, Jones, Campbell, Osbourne, Edwards and Miss Penfold. Mr. Jeavons was the headmaster.
The school uniform in those days was anything that sort of fitted. My jacket was a double breasted gents with padded shoulders!!
Thank you for the picture.
Thanks for the comments Peter.
Hi Peter, so pleased to see and read your reply to the photo. I am glad that one or two of us are still alive. I recently heard that Denis Grimwood and Horace? Firmer were also still alive but Firmer in a nursing home.
Stay safe and well peter, we get lesser by the day. Very best regards, Colin.
I went to middle road school from 1964 to 1968 in class nos. 1b 2b 3c and 4L2 spent a lot of time in the metalwork class with JonesandBarnet as teachers they were hard but fair and it set me up for my working life in engineering . liked tech. drawing with Mr Sim we had english with Parker maths with Linford music with Smith other teachers were Buckly, Fleming, Edwards, Campbell, Little and Mr Childs Headmaster. School of hard knocks !!!!
Hi Alan we must have been in the same class for 1B and 2B Mr Mitchell was our form teacher in the hut and used to read a book a some time during the day to us.
I then meet him again when he was the Bursar at Blatchington Mill school in hove
Hi all,
I found all this information very interesting, many things I still remember my time at this school between the late 1950’s to mid 1960’s. My favourite school Master was Mr Mitchell he was our 2B Form and English Master in the huts. I remember on our last day of school with him we clubbed together and bought him a traveling clock, strange but true. He told us a story of a young boy who went to war, he didn’t read it from a book, all from memory and it took one whole term on a Friday afternoon 2 period English lesson. He was also an artist and drew many things with coloured chalk on the blackboard, I really enjoyed my time in his class.
Mr Child’s was the Head Master and skinny beak Edwards was his 2IC. Another name that springs to mind was Mr Little the Sports Master he use to set the gym up with the gym equipment and we played shipwreck better than just jumping over the wooden horse etc. Mr Campbell was the Science Master, in hindsight not the best, and Mr Parker the Physics Master was also my 3B Form Master. Other Masters were, Mr West, English, Mr West ( 1 arm ) English Poetry and Acting, Mr Flemming, English and Religious Knowldge, Mr Sim, Tech Drawing, his classroom was at the top of the spiral stairs, I can’t for the life of me remember the Maths Master in the western corner with the curved windows, and who could forget Mr (Polly) Parrot the Art Master he was well out of it with his clothing and hair, gee they really were Good Times
I remember you
I was there about the same time. I remember Mr Mitchell fondly as well, a fabulous teacher. Few other names in there that ring bells as well both with good memories and otherwise! Such a shame it’s all gone.
The maths teacher was mr blake
Some great memories in that building, some no so good ones to! Amazing. Left KM in 1990 but still remind my daughter of these day as she now goes to the academy built on the site of the old upper school
I was there from 1965-1971. With the attitude of the teachers we formed a family between us in those days. I was in the fifth year when we joined the girls and that was fun! Anyone remember Mrs Hannay who taught English and was in charge of the library. The names mentioned bring back lots of memories.
I remember you in The Library.l knew Mrs Hannay,in that she went to school with my mother .She went to work in Southwick library,I met her once when I was helping my mother with some shopping I think that was Summer 1977. In the war both her and my mother were playing hockey at Hove County School when they were machine gunned by a German fighter ,amazingly no one was hurt and the match continued.
When I asked if anyone had pictures of Middle Road Secondary school I didn’t expect such a comprehensive response .
I attended the school 1952/3 so the early pictures really brought back some memories ( some good some bad)!
I attended 78/79
I remember Mrs Herbert teaching
English in freezing hut & having trouble trying to control some of the more rebellious pupils
There was Mrs Cleroux who taught science
Mr Beddin nick Jones
Miss Theobald taught metal work
Mr Watson taught maths
Mr Moody was deputy head I think
Also the drunk dinner lady who we would cruely bait when she was on corridor duty
Anyway a big thank you for the memories
I was there at the same time and remember you, Miss Theobold, Mr Moody, BJ, Mr Doyle, Mrs Matthews, Mr Colchester, Mr Bailey… Not the best two years of my life, I sometimes wonder why some of these people became teachers, maybe they just enjoyed humiliating children…
I do rember you paul i think you went on to work in an electrical shop in underdown road Southwick.
I didn’t go to middle road school even tho I lived in shoreham. But I did up working with you Alan, hope your doing ok now
I never expected to hear from you on this website everything is good never worked again that was my choice as i became my wifes carer hope your okay and anybody else you kept in touch with.
cheers Alan
I worked at a cable company, mills,lathes,etc etc. Loved it no pressure and in charge of myself only. Got made redundant end of last yr cos of all this COVID stuff,sales hit rock bottom. Retired now and absolutely love it. All the best al.
Ar middle. Road 1946-50 teacher were Mr Osborn Mr Campbell Mr Binns Mr Jones ( metal work) MR Edwards( woodwork) and Mr Parker science( our neighbour in parkway close south wick. Headmaster Mr Jeavons who took me home in his car when I was knocked off my bike by a lorry in Stoney Lane. I started work in Hove as a gas fitters mate ,now retired and living with my son in France. I am eighty five.
You could not de more wrong, great teatchers . Great school and very good time’s. mr Barnett was my favourite .
Hi
Middle Road accepted my presence during 1963/67. I enjoyed reading the contributions very much.
My pennyworth!
One teacher not named is Mr Mullinder (Maths) who spent most of the time in his cupboard when he was not teaching, He was one of the first to own a Moulton bike (small wheels}.
I recall the one-armed History teacher who was probably Scottish as his nickname was Jock (Mr West?). Also the relatively bohemian Mr (Polly) Parrot once who judged an Art competition set to depict the landscape of the moon. The winner had painted an almost purely white scene . . . the class was never told why this painting won.
Mr Poland’s English lessons on Friday afternoons were a joy. Besides his stories regarding the war he told us Greek legends without the cumbersome names involved. At the end he would then elucidate the details. Later I encountered a Mr West for English, a gentleman who arrived at school one day wearing 2 ties. There was another English teacher with the look of Ted Heath!
I can recall ‘Spud’ Little teaching PE (‘shipwreck’ lessons at ends of terms, wall-bar hanging as class punishments). Also Mr Jones the metalwork teacher (it took me a term to construct a single pair of callipers and then handed in a better constructed pair taken from the dump-box for my assessment), Once, he and the other Metalwork teacher took a busload of us to visit some sort of factory in Swindon. I think that part of the draw was being told that Diana Dors was born in that town and –who knows?- we might meet her! We didn’t actually.
Mr Childs and Mr Edwards were the top dogs, Head/Deputy. A Mr Sim would take Tech Drawing. The designs were of incredibly convoluted engine parts that would never function properly if taken from my drawings. A Mr Campbell took Chemistry, and I recall that the Physics teacher rode a bike to school. Was his name Parker? Puttnam?
Some lessons taken in the hut near the fenced in playground (maths?) were occasionally interrupted by fiery outbursts from the Rural Science teacher. Put me off my logarithms!
Names I can vaguely remember: Ian (?)Fletcher, Richard Tugnutt, Tony Schimmel, Dennis Moses , Nigel Coren, Keith Gatrell, James Young, Robert Lee.
Hopefully more will surface when Nursey re-administers my medications!!!!
Thanks for your post Chris.
I recall that Dennis Moses lived straight over the road from the school and I think that I heard way-way back that Tony Schimmel was a pilot.
Cheers
I was at KM Lower School from 1977-79, form 212, 312. The teachers I remember were:
Form teacher: Miss Dorking (think she also taught English)
Music: Mr Gregson, Mr Matthews
PE: Mr Gain, Mr Brown
English: Mrs DeLacey, Miss Allen, Mr Taege
Maths: Mr Watson
French: Mrs Ball
Religious Ed: Mr Bailey
Geometrical Drawing: Mr Nichol
Geography: Mr Badenoch-Jones
Headmaster was the austere AW Whitehead. I think the appropriately-named Mr Moody was deputy head.
Went on to the upper school in Kingston Lane, remember that the teaching generally got better there.
Happy memories to all!
Peter I agree with your observation ,although some of the teachers were ok such as Slim,Buckley,Edwards Mrs, but a lot of them were not .
I have Just found this page and have spent a pleasant time reading the articles, and enjoying the comments.
Sometime during the mid 60’s the school became a mini-Hollywood. There was an annual national cycle race (The Milk Race?) and for a couple of days Middle Road had it’s own film made, based on this event. A group of would-be stars were selected to participate as contestants and I recall that the whole school was involved at the finale. We lined the path around the back of the school and ‘cheered’ the cyclists over the line. Fame at last ….. though I never got to watch the film so I cannot announce that my performance was stellar.
Mr Blake taught in a hut. As exams loomed, for the last lesson on a Friday he would produce a past examination paper. Whatever was not completed during the lesson was then set as weekend homework. Of course, most of the easier SectionA questions would be completed during the lesson time leaving the (much) more SectionB problems for homework.
I think
that he lived just North of Worthing (I can confirm that the direction was definitely not South!)
I remember Richard Tugnett , Ian Fletcher and Lee ? being able to almost complete most of these old exam questions pretty easily. They were always very popular on the following Monday!
Lee ? went to University, no easy feat in the late 1960’s.