[Alan Rawlinson]

Any old boys from LNS Woolverstone around?

We are all getting on a bit, but the memories are fresh! the uniforms, the discipline, the fences, the ' liberty bus' and the weekly matches against Ganges in cricket or football - not to forget the boating on the river Orwell.

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

Any old boys from LNS Woolverstone around?

We are all getting on a bit, but the memories are fresh! the uniforms, the discipline, the fences, the ' liberty bus' and the weekly matches against Ganges in cricket or football - not to forget the boating on the river Orwell.

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.

[2newfie]

There are a couple of us who were there in 1950 as the forerunners of the LCC boarding school and so were there for the last year of LNS.We were in 6 dorm.

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

There are a couple of us who were there in 1950 as the forerunners of the LCC boarding school and so were there for the last year of LNS.We were in 6 dorm.

Thank goodness for that!

I was getting that feeling like I was all alone - just like a spooky movie!

I am aware of a couple of lads ( now approaching 80) who were there in 1950, and later went into the Bank Line where I was, one of whom was a bugler calling us to that freezing shower block every morning....

cheers
Alan

[2newfie]

Our dorm monitor a chap called "Apples"Hepworth was one of those buglers.We were in Foretop Division.One of us newbies had to get up and open the window by his bed so that he could sound "Reveille" and "Showers" without leaving the warmth of his bed.

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

Our dorm monitor a chap called "Apples"Hepworth was one of those buglers.We were in Foretop Division.One of us newbies had to get up and open the window by his bed so that he could sound "Reveille" and "Showers" without leaving the warmth of his bed.

I remember the name.

I ended up in charge of 12 Dorm and from memory the 'new' lads were 11 yrs old? Can recall some of the names - Gilbert, Day, Evans. Day was a tubby lad.

My claim to fame was the daily task of hoisting the flag at the morning Divisions. and was assisted by a boy called White.

Presumably you had a few years in civilian clothes, and later had a career starting at sea?

Cheers/Alan Rawlinson

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

There are a couple of us who were there in 1950 as the forerunners of the LCC boarding school and so were there for the last year of LNS.We were in 6 dorm.

I wonder if you were there for the first year of woolverstone hall?
I still have the school photo which was taken at the back of the school in October 1951,its one of those old long photos ,and we looked a fine bunch of lads.
I think that 6 dorm was foretop div and the last hut on the front row far left.
I was a buglar,tried for the band but was hopeless.

Jim ferrier(haggis)

[2newfie]

Originally Posted by jimthehat

I wonder if you were there for the first year of woolverstone hall?
I still have the school photo which was taken at the back of the school in October 1951,its one of those old long photos ,and we looked a fine bunch of lads.
I think that 6 dorm was foretop div and the last hut on the front row far left.
I was a buglar,tried for the band but was hopeless.

Jim ferrier(haggis)

I was there for the first year of woolverstone hall 6 dorm was foretop but was all alone by itself near to the shower block.

[2newfie]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

I remember the name.

I ended up in charge of 12 Dorm and from memory the 'new' lads were 11 yrs old? Can recall some of the names - Gilbert, Day, Evans. Day was a tubby lad.

My claim to fame was the daily task of hoisting the flag at the morning Divisions. and was assisted by a boy called White.

Presumably you had a few years in civilian clothes, and later had a career starting at sea?

Cheers/Alan Rawlinson

Those are names that bring back memories.I left to join the MN in 1955

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

Those are names that bring back memories.I left to join the MN in 1955

I expect then that there are quite a few of us around who are standing proud in my photo,I left in summer 52 and i was in Johnstones house.i am not savvy enough to transfer the photo onto the web site,I would have to copy it in two sections and then the difficult part .

jim

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by jimthehat

I wonder if you were there for the first year of woolverstone hall?
I still have the school photo which was taken at the back of the school in October 1951,its one of those old long photos ,and we looked a fine bunch of lads.
I think that 6 dorm was foretop div and the last hut on the front row far left.
I was a buglar,tried for the band but was hopeless.

Jim ferrier(haggis)

Jim

Always wanted to be a drummer, but didn't have the nerve to try!

Loved the band, especially on Divisions, playing " On the Quarterdeck " , and the march down to the church. Can also remember the church services and the boring sermons when we got up to various tricks to pass the time.

On another tack, there was a stocky lad called Tribe in our Dorm, and I seem to remember him getting involved in a punch-up or two. Do you recall the name?

[2newfie]

I was in Corners after LNS closed

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

I was in Corners after LNS closed

We are getting there yes I remember Tribe,one i used to keep clear of.In my dorm there were a couple of twins and we were very good mates they both went on to ganges.
So civvy houses,johnstons,Corners halls and i cant remember the fourth one.

jim

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

Jim

Always wanted to be a drummer, but didn't have the nerve to try!

Loved the band, especially on Divisions, playing " On the Quarterdeck " , and the march down to the church. Can also remember the church services and the boring sermons when we got up to various tricks to pass the time.

On another tack, there was a stocky lad called Tribe in our Dorm, and I seem to remember him getting involved in a punch-up or two. Do you recall the name?

Played the last post down at the church,but got excused church parade being a catholic.

[2newfie]

Originally Posted by jimthehat

We are getting there yes I remember Tribe,one i used to keep clear of.In my dorm there were a couple of twins and we were very good mates they both went on to ganges.
So civvy houses,johnstons,Corners halls and i cant remember the fourth one.

jim

Hansons was the other and they later added Berners for !st years.I always the remember the Divisions on the road and the order that went out"RC'c and Jews fallout".I was quite willing to be one or the otheron a very cold morning.Guess that wouldn't be "politically correct" now(lol)

[Alan Rawlinson]

I often wondered what the regime was like after the nautical school ceased. I left in 51, the last year that the nautical regime operated. How different was it, I wonder? No uniforms, but what about being called to the showers by a bugle call ( 4 blasts for the quarterdeck) Did that stay the same?

Divisions?
Dormitory inspections?
March to church?

I gues the ' liberty bus' into Ipswich at weekends became a plain old minibus!

[2newfie]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

I often wondered what the regime was like after the nautical school ceased. I left in 51, the last year that the nautical regime operated. How different was it, I wonder? No uniforms, but what about being called to the showers by a bugle call ( 4 blasts for the quarterdeck) Did that stay the same?

Divisions?
Dormitory inspections?
March to church?

I gues the ' liberty bus' into Ipswich at weekends became a plain old minibus!

We still had CPO Matthews getting us out of bed but other than that everything nautical disappeared.We kept the sailing dinghys and did eventually get a Sea Cadet Corps going but it mainly became ,whilst I was there,a typical boys boarding school.

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

We still had CPO Matthews getting us out of bed but other than that everything nautical disappeared.We kept the sailing dinghys and did eventually get a Sea Cadet Corps going but it mainly became ,whilst I was there,a typical boys boarding school.

Does anyone remember the crosscountry runs in mid winter?I won the intermediate and senior runs my last two years there,and was captain of the rugby team.

jim

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by jimthehat

Does anyone remember the crosscountry runs in mid winter?I won the intermediate and senior runs my last two years there,and was captain of the rugby team.

jim

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.

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

We still had CPO Matthews getting us out of bed but other than that everything nautical disappeared.We kept the sailing dinghys and did eventually get a Sea Cadet Corps going but it mainly became ,whilst I was there,a typical boys boarding school.

Thanks - was the band kept on?

I remember Mathews ( a great character, who got me on the right track). The other RN types were Pamplin and Denton. Did they stay on?

Do you remember Mr Mathews carried little poems on cards in his top pocket, which he could be induced to read out when he was in the right mood.

A few of us 'old boys' drove to his house to see him in Grays after his retirement, but he cleared off to the pub for a darts match, I think it was.!

[Split]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

Thanks - was the band kept on?

I remember Mathews ( a great character, who got me on the right track). The other RN types were Pamplin and Denton. Did they stay on?

Do you remember Mr Mathews carried little poems on cards in his top pocket, which he could be induced to read out when he was in the right mood.

A few of us 'old boys' drove to his house to see him in Grays after his retirement, but he cleared off to the pub for a darts match, I think it was.!

Why was it called London Nautical? I went to London Nautical School in Stamford Street where it moved from Comber Grove after being evacuated in Wales.

I left in 1948 and realise that the present school bears little resemblence to its nautical past.

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by Split

Why was it called London Nautical? I went to London Nautical School in Stamford Street where it moved from Comber Grove after being evacuated in Wales.

I left in 1948 and realise that the present school bears little resemblence to its nautical past.

It was aschool set up and run by the london county council.
the school was split up into two withe boarding school at woolverstoneand the day school some where in the east end.

re staff the commander as we knew him stayed on and became the school burser and stands(sits) proud in the oct 51 photo as does Mr mathews and taffy Edwards the sports coach.
jim

[2newfie]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

Thanks - was the band kept on?

I remember Mathews ( a great character, who got me on the right track). The other RN types were Pamplin and Denton. Did they stay on?

Do you remember Mr Mathews carried little poems on cards in his top pocket, which he could be induced to read out when he was in the right mood.

A few of us 'old boys' drove to his house to see him in Grays after his retirement, but he cleared off to the pub for a darts match, I think it was.!

It was the first thing you heard as he marched from one Nissen hut to another,and he always took up where he left off as he carried on from one hut to the next.As far as I remember only he and Commander Wiseman remained after the change over.I remember Denton as well.

[Alan Rawlinson]

Originally Posted by 2newfie

It was the first thing you heard as he marched from one Nissen hut to another,and he always took up where he left off as he carried on from one hut to the next.As far as I remember only he and Commander Wiseman remained after the change over.I remember Denton as well.

Interesting - I remember him fondly...

There was a Norwegian Nav teacher called Johannsson. I still have my reports, and one in particular, where he wrote the great slogan " This boy has more enthusiasm than natural ability " !

I'm still getting over it. He did steer me through ' O ' level Navigation, though. Always remember the ' O ' level seamanship, where we had to sail, row, and scull the big heavy whalers down on the Orwell. ( The paper was set by Pangbourne College, if I remember correctly)

[jimthehat]

Originally Posted by Alan Rawlinson

Interesting - I remember him fondly...

There was a Norwegian Nav teacher called Johannsson. I still have my reports, and one in particular, where he wrote the great slogan " This boy has more enthusiasm than natural ability " !

I'm still getting over it. He did steer me through ' O ' level Navigation, though. Always remember the ' O ' level seamanship, where we had to sail, row, and scull the big heavy whalers down on the Orwell. ( The paper was set by Pangbourne College, if I remember correctly)

Now I remember nav and seamanship ,could not remember who set the papers but it was the school certificate and one had to get five subjects to gain the qualification ,

jim