The teacher in the background Mr Finlay hardly gets a mention on here, but he had one of the risky jobs during the War he was a rear gunner in a Stirling bomber, and he was the most interesting teacher. If we the class managed to get our work done he would tell us about some of the missions he was on during the war, he left when I left and went to another school in Middlesbrough, where Mr Finlay went too I never knew.
Also the only other teacher I came across after I had left and had started working for my father was Pop Showell, he was stuck in the flood water under the railway bridge near to the new school, he asked passerby’s to push him out. I told him to put it in 1st or second gear and drive the car out of the water by using the starter motor, which he did, then I helped him get the car started and he thanked me and drove off on his way to school.
Having just found a photo of my first year at the “big” school – Richard Hind – I was delighted to come across this with all the teachers from my other (junior) school, especially Mr Mallon, Mr Showell and Mrs Dee who I remember for different reasons. Mrs Dee, I believe, only drank coffee and would have a brew perculating outside the classroom. Mr Mallon for his kindness and seemingly endless patience in getting the best out of us – he was the only teacher that I went back to see after leaving school. Mr Showell was a legend in our family as my dad went to school with him and played football with him for Stockton. Both of them went to Oxbridge themselves and I was moved from Hartburn infants to Oxbridge juniors at the first opportunity to re-establish the family tradition.
I remember Mr Mallon from when I attended Oxbridge school in the mid sixties, but does anyone out there remember Mr Ganner? A fine teacher who could hold you captive in his history classes while acting out the lessons, 1558 and all that, and when he got on about Nelson etc,or his beloved RAF I was fortunate enough to have been in 4B, and we had to recite our class numbers in french one week then latin the next – great fun. Also does anyone remember the great ink shortage of 66? In those days it was little dip ink pots at the corner of the desk, the elbows of my jacket were always covered in ink, however I think it was John Wilkinson and myself who came up with idea of diluting the blue powder paint that we had an abundance of, but a shortage of ink, thin enough to be used as not a bad substitute if memory serves. We looked like extras from the film “BRAVEHEART” by the time we had got the (secret formula)just right, happy days indeed. I was, and still am, proud of passing through both infants and junior school at Oxbridge, a long and continuous family tradition to this day.
I was fascinated to see my Uncle Frank on your photo. I hardly remember him although we visited him shortly after the War in Guisborough (I think). I would appreciate anything anyone feels they can pass on to me about him which I would (with permission) pass on to other members of the Showell family. Thank you in advance.
Just seen the picture as doing some family research and saw Mr Mallons name mentioned. He was my favourite teacher when I was in Oxbridge School in late 60″s early 70″s. He was always so kind, never remeber him telling anyone off, I remember him telling me how he had also taught my Uncle”s,(surname Maher), when they had gone to school there, think about 40″s. I missed a re-union there in April 1990 as it was the night before my wedding, must have been the schools centenary i think. I would love to go back in for a look around to see how it has changed, if it has, I think a Miss Guy is the name of the headmistress when i was there, very scary lady if you misbehaved.
I will correct the comment above. The teacher in the dark jacket back row 2nd right is Mr Preston. I last saw him when I visited him at his home in the mid 60s
Kinsman and Alcock did indeed follow Showell to Fairfield Secondary Modern. The chap in the dark jacket back row second from right it called Thompson who must have “defected” to Holy Trinity in the mid-50″s as he was there all all the time I was a pupil.
Although I was at Oxbridge Lane Junior School much later than the time of this photograph, I thought the good folk associated with the school might just like to know that Mr Fred Mallon (front row, second from the left) is alive and well and will be 91 tomorrow, Christmas day 2006. He is still as entertaining, friendly and switched on as ever and loves keeping up with the cricket.
The staff shown are, back row – Frank Kinsman, then Peter Findlay. I do not remember the other three. For the front row, Arnold Knight, Fred Mallon, Frank Showell (head) Mrs Dee and Denis Towlard (later head of Thornaby Church of England Primary School 1956 – 1982). Mr Showell had succeeded Mr H. B. Ward as head. Oxbridge was and is a school where individual pupils were taught citizenship, good social behaviour and to fulfil their potential to the best of their ability.
I remember your mother Mrs. Dee very well. She taught me the 3R”s when I was a seven year old in 1956/1957 in her class Junior 1. The class was made up of over 50 pupils, 54 is the number I recollect at the intake in September 1956, the result of the post-war baby boom years. Undaunted she split the class into 4 sections, A, B, C and D and set a separate programme of work for each section and even found time to give special attention to the needy kids in Section D. I recall the whole classroom reciting the arithmetic times tables and alphabet, parrot fashion. What a noise it made. She taught reading phonetically and not with the modern methods that have failed so miserably. I last heard educationalists are returning to this method as if it were a new invention. I always remember her announcing the prize winners in class prior to the big day in the playground and for some uncanny reason picking me for my section of the class, despite all the time I spent facing the corner or standing in the lazy line (a ten minute stint of standing on a chalked line in the classroom, administered to misbehaved pupils). A donated park bench in Ropner Park would be very fitting to the memory of this remarkable lady who would probably leave her successors standing when it came to drumming in the 3R”s, Victorian/Edwardian style.
The lady in the photo was my mother Madge Dee. She was born in 1901 so must have been about 49 at the time. She taught on into the 60″s and died in 1984. She walked to school from Hartburn through Ropner Park. I hope to fund a bench for her through the Friends of Ropner Park.
I was hoping to see pictures relating to the time I spent in Frank Showell”s classroom: the Wesleyan Chapel across the road from the school. It was the last year of the war and I was one of the evacuees who took shelter in the North. A fine man Frank and “Gaffer Ward”(he lived in the same road as us – Cranbourne Terrace) I”ve written about my time there in my book – which is never likely to be published
1954 – School staff.
Picture Stockton Archive 
The teacher in the background Mr Finlay hardly gets a mention on here, but he had one of the risky jobs during the War he was a rear gunner in a Stirling bomber, and he was the most interesting teacher. If we the class managed to get our work done he would tell us about some of the missions he was on during the war, he left when I left and went to another school in Middlesbrough, where Mr Finlay went too I never knew.
Also the only other teacher I came across after I had left and had started working for my father was Pop Showell, he was stuck in the flood water under the railway bridge near to the new school, he asked passerby’s to push him out. I told him to put it in 1st or second gear and drive the car out of the water by using the starter motor, which he did, then I helped him get the car started and he thanked me and drove off on his way to school.
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I remember Frank (pop) Showell at oxbridge school. He did like the cane…
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Having just found a photo of my first year at the “big” school – Richard Hind – I was delighted to come across this with all the teachers from my other (junior) school, especially Mr Mallon, Mr Showell and Mrs Dee who I remember for different reasons. Mrs Dee, I believe, only drank coffee and would have a brew perculating outside the classroom. Mr Mallon for his kindness and seemingly endless patience in getting the best out of us – he was the only teacher that I went back to see after leaving school. Mr Showell was a legend in our family as my dad went to school with him and played football with him for Stockton. Both of them went to Oxbridge themselves and I was moved from Hartburn infants to Oxbridge juniors at the first opportunity to re-establish the family tradition.
LikeLike
I remember Mr Mallon from when I attended Oxbridge school in the mid sixties, but does anyone out there remember Mr Ganner? A fine teacher who could hold you captive in his history classes while acting out the lessons, 1558 and all that, and when he got on about Nelson etc,or his beloved RAF I was fortunate enough to have been in 4B, and we had to recite our class numbers in french one week then latin the next – great fun. Also does anyone remember the great ink shortage of 66? In those days it was little dip ink pots at the corner of the desk, the elbows of my jacket were always covered in ink, however I think it was John Wilkinson and myself who came up with idea of diluting the blue powder paint that we had an abundance of, but a shortage of ink, thin enough to be used as not a bad substitute if memory serves. We looked like extras from the film “BRAVEHEART” by the time we had got the (secret formula)just right, happy days indeed. I was, and still am, proud of passing through both infants and junior school at Oxbridge, a long and continuous family tradition to this day.
LikeLike
I was fascinated to see my Uncle Frank on your photo. I hardly remember him although we visited him shortly after the War in Guisborough (I think). I would appreciate anything anyone feels they can pass on to me about him which I would (with permission) pass on to other members of the Showell family. Thank you in advance.
LikeLike
Just seen the picture as doing some family research and saw Mr Mallons name mentioned. He was my favourite teacher when I was in Oxbridge School in late 60″s early 70″s. He was always so kind, never remeber him telling anyone off, I remember him telling me how he had also taught my Uncle”s,(surname Maher), when they had gone to school there, think about 40″s. I missed a re-union there in April 1990 as it was the night before my wedding, must have been the schools centenary i think. I would love to go back in for a look around to see how it has changed, if it has, I think a Miss Guy is the name of the headmistress when i was there, very scary lady if you misbehaved.
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I will correct the comment above. The teacher in the dark jacket back row 2nd right is Mr Preston. I last saw him when I visited him at his home in the mid 60s
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Kinsman and Alcock did indeed follow Showell to Fairfield Secondary Modern. The chap in the dark jacket back row second from right it called Thompson who must have “defected” to Holy Trinity in the mid-50″s as he was there all all the time I was a pupil.
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The gentleman immediately behind Mr Showell is Mr Allcock. Mr Allcock relocated to Fairfield Secondary Modern in 1960(?) or 1961(?) when it opened.
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Although I was at Oxbridge Lane Junior School much later than the time of this photograph, I thought the good folk associated with the school might just like to know that Mr Fred Mallon (front row, second from the left) is alive and well and will be 91 tomorrow, Christmas day 2006. He is still as entertaining, friendly and switched on as ever and loves keeping up with the cricket.
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Not 100% sure but the fellow after Peter Findlay looks like A Mr Alcock who I think followed Kinsman and Showell to Fairfied Secondary
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It is and he did!
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The staff shown are, back row – Frank Kinsman, then Peter Findlay. I do not remember the other three. For the front row, Arnold Knight, Fred Mallon, Frank Showell (head) Mrs Dee and Denis Towlard (later head of Thornaby Church of England Primary School 1956 – 1982). Mr Showell had succeeded Mr H. B. Ward as head. Oxbridge was and is a school where individual pupils were taught citizenship, good social behaviour and to fulfil their potential to the best of their ability.
LikeLike
I remember your mother Mrs. Dee very well. She taught me the 3R”s when I was a seven year old in 1956/1957 in her class Junior 1. The class was made up of over 50 pupils, 54 is the number I recollect at the intake in September 1956, the result of the post-war baby boom years. Undaunted she split the class into 4 sections, A, B, C and D and set a separate programme of work for each section and even found time to give special attention to the needy kids in Section D. I recall the whole classroom reciting the arithmetic times tables and alphabet, parrot fashion. What a noise it made. She taught reading phonetically and not with the modern methods that have failed so miserably. I last heard educationalists are returning to this method as if it were a new invention. I always remember her announcing the prize winners in class prior to the big day in the playground and for some uncanny reason picking me for my section of the class, despite all the time I spent facing the corner or standing in the lazy line (a ten minute stint of standing on a chalked line in the classroom, administered to misbehaved pupils). A donated park bench in Ropner Park would be very fitting to the memory of this remarkable lady who would probably leave her successors standing when it came to drumming in the 3R”s, Victorian/Edwardian style.
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The lady in the photo was my mother Madge Dee. She was born in 1901 so must have been about 49 at the time. She taught on into the 60″s and died in 1984. She walked to school from Hartburn through Ropner Park. I hope to fund a bench for her through the Friends of Ropner Park.
LikeLike
I was hoping to see pictures relating to the time I spent in Frank Showell”s classroom: the Wesleyan Chapel across the road from the school. It was the last year of the war and I was one of the evacuees who took shelter in the North. A fine man Frank and “Gaffer Ward”(he lived in the same road as us – Cranbourne Terrace) I”ve written about my time there in my book – which is never likely to be published
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