[wrangler50]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

Looks like I am the last onr standing... ( switch off the lights?) I did go back in the 80's when it was a boarding school, and all the old Nissan huts had long gone, and it was all grassed over. Quite an eerie feeling.

For the record , the boys in 12 Dorm were Alex Loveday; Peter Lightbody; Jack Wesson; Mick Mann, yours truly, and a few others.

Hi Alan,My name is Leonard Attwood,I joined LNSW on 6/9/48.I was in Foretop Div.The furthest Nissen hut from the school in the front row. There were eight if my memory serves me right,two rows of four.I remember Commander Wiseman,always immaculate,Mr Mathews,Palliser he of the very heavy hand/fist!.Mr Croot,could pick up a football in one hand.Mr Young took woodwork classes,vaguely remember our Navigating instructor was Scandinavian,Mr Jones did inspections after showers!.Memories!.Bleaching blue collars,stretching lanyards,proper Jackmatickler papers weren't we?.Ganges patrols in Ipswich were not too happy with our uniforms!.This will do for a start.Cheers

[wrangler50]

[quote=Alan Rawlinson;574152]Yes, Jim, remember them well. I never managed to win one, but got a huge kick out of starting at the back with all the fatties and secret smokers, and then working my way through the field to end up in the top 5 or so.[/Q


I can't remember the name of the sports master in 1948,but because of my age ,though smallish in stature,I had to run in the senior class of the cross country.The previous years winner was named Slee.The sports master had a bet with Mr Croot that between Slee and myself,one of us should win it.I did a lot of running when games were on,so was pretty fit.Anyway it was my time to win,with Slee coming in second.I think the distance was about three and a half miles approx.As it turned out after the sports day in 1949,I was lucky enough to win all the other events I entered,so was Victor Ludorum,winning a cup,and a
£1 postal order.Naturally the cup was returned.I keep trying to remember the Captain Superintendant's name.Sorry to bore you al!.

[jimthehat]

cant remember if it was LNS or woolverstone hall,but i remember representing the school at the area and district championships .I then went on to the county championship which was held in Bury St edmonds,and thats where I met my match as i came forth in both the 880 yards and the mile.

Alan ,dont know if we had a table tennis team when you were still there?We also had a basketball team and we were quite good ,but always got beat when we played the ganges divisions.

jim

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by wrangler50

Hi Alan,My name is Leonard Attwood,I joined LNSW on 6/9/48.I was in Foretop Div.The furthest Nissen hut from the school in the front row. There were eight if my memory serves me right,two rows of four.I remember Commander Wiseman,always immaculate,Mr Mathews,Palliser he of the very heavy hand/fist!.Mr Croot,could pick up a football in one hand.Mr Young took woodwork classes,vaguely remember our Navigating instructor was Scandinavian,Mr Jones did inspections after showers!.Memories!.Bleaching blue collars,stretching lanyards,proper Jackmatickler papers weren't we?.Ganges patrols in Ipswich were not too happy with our uniforms!.This will do for a start.Cheers

Hi Leonard,

Great to read your post... Seems there are a few of us still ticking, and I notice we joined on the same day 6.9.48 ( carved it on the well scarred desk top!) You were in the Dorm opposite (almost) 12 dorm, and your name seems familiar. The Nav instructor was Johannsson. The Capt Superintendent was it Smethwick or similar?

Did you go to Ganges for the RN or an apprenticeship?

I wasn't particularly academic or athletic, come to that, but you may remember me as the guy that hauled the flag up every morning at Divisions. Also sported the advanced signals chevron - Oh fame!

In the dormitory there were 10 boys and their names were:

Keanon
Mann
Loveday
Lightbody
Wesson
McCarthy?
Ringwood
Rawlinson
Manning
plus 1

When the younger set came in, I recall

Gilbert
Day
There was a cheeky ginger headed lad - think his name was Edwards or similar

The instructors I recall were Mathews, (Snaky)Pamphlin, and Denton.

I guess we were very impressionable at that age, so the memories are strong.

[Alan Rawlinson]

[quote=jimthehat;586908]cant remember if it was LNS or woolverstone hall,but i remember representing the school at the area and district championships .I then went on to the county championship which was held in Bury St edmonds,and thats where I met my match as i came forth in both the 880 yards and the mile.

Alan ,dont know if we had a table tennis team when you were still there?We also had a basketball team and we were quite good ,but always got beat when we played the ganges divisions.

Jim

Don't recall table tennis or basket ball. Was always in awe of the Ganges boys and the tough regime they had.

[2newfie]

Originally Posted by jimthehat

cant remember if it was LNS or woolverstone hall,but i remember representing the school at the area and district championships .I then went on to the county championship which was held in Bury St edmonds,and thats where I met my match as i came forth in both the 880 yards and the mile.

Alan ,dont know if we had a table tennis team when you were still there?We also had a basketball team and we were quite good ,but always got beat when we played the ganges divisions.

jim

I think the basketball happened at Woolverstone Hall and was started by Shuttleworth the Maths Master and was frowned on by Taffy Evans the Sports Master because they wore ,in his words,inappropriate gear.

[wrangler50]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

Hi Leonard,

Great to read your post... Seems there are a few of us still ticking, and I notice we joined on the same day 6.9.48 ( carved it on the well scarred desk top!) You were in the Dorm opposite (almost) 12 dorm, and your name seems familiar. The Nav instructor was Johannsson. The Capt Superintendent was it Smethwick or similar?

Did you go to Ganges for the RN or an apprenticeship?

I wasn't particularly academic or athletic, come to that, but you may remember me as the guy that hauled the flag up every morning at Divisions. Also sported the advanced signals chevron - Oh fame!

In the dormitory there were 10 boys and their names were:

Keanon
Mann
Loveday
Lightbody
Wesson
McCarthy?
Ringwood
Rawlinson
Manning
plus 1

When the younger set came in, I recall

Gilbert
Day
There was a cheeky ginger headed lad - think his name was Edwards or similar

The instructors I recall were Mathews, (Snaky)Pamphlin, and Denton.

I guess we were very impressionable at that age, so the memories are strong.

Hi Alan,
As I was Fostered,and came under the LCC,I lived near Ashford Kent,I actually wanted to join the Merchant Navy.I had to go to County Hall,London,for a medical and Maths/English exams.Passed ok,but was told,I Quote,you want security,you should join the RN,so
that's why I joined LNS.I actually joined Ganges 6/9/49,strange it was exactly a year later.Yes the Captain superintendent's name was Smethwick.We had lad named Pike in our hut,he snored terribly,one
night we carried him and his bed outside,it was quite peaceful,for a while!.Then he came screaming in,and all hell broke loose!.I remember a bugler named Hunt,and marching to church behind the band.Pamplin,I think he was the one who could fetch you a right wallop,if you upset him!.I remember daily divisions,with colours,sorry
Alan,can't picture your face.I'll have to bring up some more memories.
Leonard.

[wrangler50]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

Hi Leonard,

Great to read your post... Seems there are a few of us still ticking, and I notice we joined on the same day 6.9.48 ( carved it on the well scarred desk top!) You were in the Dorm opposite (almost) 12 dorm, and your name seems familiar. The Nav instructor was Johannsson. The Capt Superintendent was it Smethwick or similar?

Did you go to Ganges for the RN or an apprenticeship?

I wasn't particularly academic or athletic, come to that, but you may remember me as the guy that hauled the flag up every morning at Divisions. Also sported the advanced signals chevron - Oh fame!

In the dormitory there were 10 boys and their names were:

Keanon
Mann
Loveday
Lightbody
Wesson
McCarthy?
Ringwood
Rawlinson
Manning
plus 1

When the younger set came in, I recall

Gilbert
Day
There was a cheeky ginger headed lad - think his name was Edwards or similar

The instructors I recall were Mathews, (Snaky)Pamphlin, and Denton.

I guess we were very impressionable at that age, so the memories are strong.

Originally Posted by jimthehat

cant remember if it was LNS or woolverstone hall,but i remember representing the school at the area and district championships .I then went on to the county championship which was held in Bury St edmonds,and thats where I met my match as i came forth in both the 880 yards and the mile.

Alan ,dont know if we had a table tennis team when you were still there?We also had a basketball team and we were quite good ,but always got beat when we played the ganges divisions.

jim

Hi Jim,
There was a very good cricket table,but we only played by huts,nothing against any local sides.I also was entered for the 100
yards sprint in the East Suffolk Championships held in Felixstowe,it was Bit of an anticlimax really,my opponents turned up with spikes,all
I had was a pair of plimsoles!.Needless to say I came in last.Though to be honest,I was not in their league.
Leonard.

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by wrangler50

Hi Jim,
There was a very good cricket table,but we only played by huts,nothing against any local sides.I also was entered for the 100
yards sprint in the East Suffolk Championships held in Felixstowe,it was Bit of an anticlimax really,my opponents turned up with spikes,all
I had was a pair of plimsoles!.Needless to say I came in last.Though to be honest,I was not in their league.
Leonard.

being a true Scot I never played(or was invited to play) cricket but did play for the first 15.
I also remember that we used to get taken down to ganges to use the swimming pool,but i dont think it was very frequent.
can anyone rember the twin dolphins that held the ships bell and which stood by the flag pole,it was presented by one of the Ganges divisions.

jim

[2newfie]

Originally Posted by jimthehat

being a true Scot I never played(or was invited to play) cricket but did play for the first 15.
I also remember that we used to get taken down to ganges to use the swimming pool,but i dont think it was very frequent.
can anyone rember the twin dolphins that held the ships bell and which stood by the flag pole,it was presented by one of the Ganges divisions.

jim

Remember them well,but can't remember where they went when LNS ended although I seem to remember an RN lorry taking them away

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by jimthehat

being a true Scot I never played(or was invited to play) cricket but did play for the first 15.
I also remember that we used to get taken down to ganges to use the swimming pool,but i dont think it was very frequent.
can anyone rember the twin dolphins that held the ships bell and which stood by the flag pole,it was presented by one of the Ganges divisions.

jim

I remember the Dolphins being chiselled into shape in Mr Young's woodwork shop. They were of a light coloured wood and were then varnished. Somewhere I have a photo of the cheeky ginger haired kid from 12 Dorm posing next to them when they were installed. He came from Lambeth, but can't recall his name. Edwards, maybe? ( Managed to dredge up his name - It was Evans)

Re sports - Not my strong point, but did captain the 2nd XI at cricket a few times. Remember being criticised by the umpire ( one of the Masters) for taking off a successful bowler to make way for one of my chums!

[jimthehat]

on the way down to the mess hall just passed the main building there was a wooden hut,cant for the life of me remember what it was used for,but it was there that I remember getting the news that Scotland gor thrashed 54-0 by the Boks,dot think it was the tuck shop as I think that was down in the dip behind the messhall.

Now if you were good at sports you would get an extra portion of vermacilli pudding twice a week,and if you were hopeless you got an extra portion every day.

jim

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by jimthehat

on the way down to the mess hall just passed the main building there was a wooden hut,cant for the life of me remember what it was used for,but it was there that I remember getting the news that Scotland gor thrashed 54-0 by the Boks,dot think it was the tuck shop as I think that was down in the dip behind the messhall.

Now if you were good at sports you would get an extra portion of vermacilli pudding twice a week,and if you were hopeless you got an extra portion every day.

jim

Jim,

Do you remember the occasional rabbit pie, with lead pellets still in it? Also the slab cake. Mine went over the wire to the chickens that were outside for a while.

I remember the hut you mentioned. I think it was used as a tuck shop at some stage.

Another memory - some of us wandered down to the river bank at the weekends, and enjoyed a rope swing out over the water...

[ron vizard]

There is ,as far as I know, something of a Rift Valley between generations, or even decades, of WH attendees.
The Facebook group consists of younger souls. The Whoba site, www.whoba.co.uk
is open to all, but seems to consist of those from the '50s into the '70s. There are links in this site to a photo site run by Chris Snuggs which is worth a view.

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by ron vizard

There is ,as far as I know, something of a Rift Valley between generations, or even decades, of WH attendees.
The Facebook group consists of younger souls. The Whoba site, www.whoba.co.uk
is open to all, but seems to consist of those from the '50s into the '70s. There are links in this site to a photo site run by Chris Snuggs which is worth a view.

Hi Ron,

Agree with your comments, and came to the conclusion that there is not much we have in common. Comes about partly because of the status of the school which changed considerably. I thing we were all ' rough arses ' in the late 40's! A few years ago a kind Gent took the trouble to send me lots of information ( through the post) about Woolverstone history and about WHOBA. Several old boys have made their mark in sport and politics with MP's and an English Rugby player etc etc.

Then there was a lull online, and now WHOBA seems to be thriving - but mainly with the 60's and 70's boys who recently enjoyed a reunion at the Butt and Oyster pub in Pinmill. They were celebrating the 40 year anniversary, but here comes the gap, because it would have been a 60 year one if there had been enough of us alive and kicking and willing and able to organise such a reunion. It all seemed a bit posh to me when I read it, old Git that I am!

[ron vizard]

I'm not too sure about the posh bit. Certainly the base line changed, in the sense that the original ship ( the Goliath) had boys like Charlie Chaplin's brother as 'pupils', i.e recruits to training ships came from poor law institutions. In the early 1930's the LCC took these over and closed them down, but via the Essex still recruited from, as you say , the ragged end.
This recruiting policy continued through from 1951 when the boarding grammar school started, the difference being that until the school went comprehensive, boys from serving personnel of the BAOTR (British Army of the Rhine) attended.
So the thing that changed the most, I think, was the base level of poverty as things improved at large, but the priority of recruiting promising boys from a mostly difficult background continued.

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by ron vizard

I'm not too sure about the posh bit. Certainly the base line changed, in the sense that the original ship ( the Goliath) had boys like Charlie Chaplin's brother as 'pupils', i.e recruits to training ships came from poor law institutions. In the early 1930's the LCC took these over and closed them down, but via the Essex still recruited from, as you say , the ragged end.
This recruiting policy continued through from 1951 when the boarding grammar school started, the difference being that until the school went comprehensive, boys from serving personnel of the BAOTR (British Army of the Rhine) attended.
So the thing that changed the most, I think, was the base level of poverty as things improved at large, but the priority of recruiting promising boys from a mostly difficult background continued.

The floating establishment prior to the LNS shore bases, was the Exmouth, latterly at Grays in Essex. The log books were kept in the crypt of Woolverstone Hall, and could be seen by any adventurous boys on a mission out of bounds. There was an entry I remember with physical punishment for the offence of " throwing the post boy overboard " ! Quite recently I managed to get hold of a copy of some of these entries which make interesting reading...

Re the calibre etc of boys - I got into hot water a few years ago for saying online that the Exmouth was a reform type institution, but this is in fact correct. Some of the ex RN instructors were still with us at Woolverstone , and frequently referred proudly to this scenario. The chairman of the existing Exmouth Association took issue with me, but it was all quite good natured. ( I think!)

[2newfie]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

The floating establishment prior to the LNS shore bases, was the Exmouth, latterly at Grays in Essex. The log books were kept in the crypt of Woolverstone Hall, and could be seen by any adventurous boys on a mission out of bounds. There was an entry I remember with physical punishment for the offence of " throwing the post boy overboard " ! Quite recently I managed to get hold of a copy of some of these entries which make interesting reading...

Re the calibre etc of boys - I got into hot water a few years ago for saying online that the Exmouth was a reform type institution, but this is in fact correct. Some of the ex RN instructors were still with us at Woolverstone , and frequently referred proudly to this scenario. The chairman of the existing Exmouth Association took issue with me, but it was all quite good natured. ( I think!)

I remember some years after leaving "Woolvo"sailing up the Orwell as Master of a small bulker and telling the Pilot how proud I was having attended Woolverstone Hall only to be informed it was a school for "difficult" boys from London.

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

I remember some years after leaving "Woolvo"sailing up the Orwell as Master of a small bulker and telling the Pilot how proud I was having attended Woolverstone Hall only to be informed it was a school for "difficult" boys from London.

NOT true I came down from Scotland and got in.
THE Cat house fact or fiction I was always led to believe that smugglers showed a lamp through the eyes of the cat when it was safe to land goods.

jim

[ron vizard]

Did anybody know of Michael Reed who joined LNSW in 1948, after transferring from Bray , where he went in 1947?
Hopefully I have successfully loaded an attachment of a brief resume of his, prior to his joining the ROYAL MARINES BAND.

OK SO THIS TIME I BELIEVE I'VE GOT IT ATTACHED.

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by ron vizard

Did anybody know of Michael Reed who joined LNSW in 1948, after transferring from Bray , where he went in 1947?
Hopefully I have successfully loaded an attachment of a brief resume of his, prior to his joining the ROYAL MARINES BAND.

OK SO THIS TIME I BELIEVE I'VE GOT IT ATTACHED.

Hi Ron,

Interesting attachment. I'm not clear if the name at Woolverstone was Reed or Hutton?

As the dormitories were ' loaded ' alphabetically, Reed would have been in 12 Dorm where I was from 48 to 51 ( we had L's R's and W's) but don't remember him.

[ron vizard]

That was one of a number of blogs/articles etc. which I have assembled under the heading, From Goliath to Woolverstone, a shared History.
I've managed to acquire a few anecdotal reminiscences, but only from Exmouth sources.
That blog is a good example of the sort of thing; bit of home background, impact of Woolverstone, what it led to. Couple of A4 sheets is enough.
Anybody up for it?

The collection will be uploaded on to Chris Snuggs site, and I'll tell you the link when 'tis done.

It should be posted, in its current state, within a month or so. If anybody wants a DVD of the current files, then I'll be happy to send one, with the payment being a blog or contribution.

[2newfie]

Originally Posted by jimthehat

NOT true I came down from Scotland and got in.
THE Cat house fact or fiction I was always led to believe that smugglers showed a lamp through the eyes of the cat when it was safe to land goods.

jim

This may be true of LNS but Woolverstone Hall was run by the LCC so all pupils were from London .

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

This may be true of LNS but Woolverstone Hall was run by the LCC so all pupils were from London .

Brian,maybe I was one of the leftovers,I was also at woolverstone hall and am in the OCT 1951 school photo and i left in the summer of 1952,we Scots can get in anywhere.

jim

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by ron vizard

Did anybody know of Michael Reed who joined LNSW in 1948, after transferring from Bray , where he went in 1947?
Hopefully I have successfully loaded an attachment of a brief resume of his, prior to his joining the ROYAL MARINES BAND.

OK SO THIS TIME I BELIEVE I'VE GOT IT ATTACHED.

Was there a bit more to this resume? I only seem to have got 1 page?