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Feel free to add messages relating to the site and the school. The only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).

It would be appreciated if you gave an email address, where you now live and said when you were at the school, but you don't have to.

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There are 500 messages in the guestbook
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Viewing messages 41 to 50

Alex Patterson, VUA, 1946-1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike, Neale et al
What an intriguing story, Neale, and completely understandable.These people with their 500cc Triumph Tigers thought they were the ‘Wild One’ when they were 18 or 19. It just shows how sensible Liz must have been to opt for the un-ogre like Backhouse over the devilishly handsome Fothergill. I don’t know whether he was handsome or not, but I presume he was handsome even to be in contention with you. Before I met Marjorie, I was dumped by three different girl friends because I couldn’t dance!!, (two of whom subsequently divorced their dancing partners) and Jean Heilbron’s was a sobering chapter in my life. However Marjorie and Gilbert Daniels had the forbearance to show me how to ‘strut my stuff’ at the Hedworth…and the rest is history (married 63 years in July) Actually it was at Jean Heilbron’s that Marjorie first heard my name, because some girl was slagging me off as a terrible person. Marjorie was with her friend Maureen, who informed her that I was a ‘canny lad’ and by chance we all happened to meet up at St. Michael’s Christmas dance the following week and that was it!!!
I wonder how many of our classmates have been married as long with their original spouses?… I wonder how many of our classmates are still around with unpopped clogs? I’d like to read a potted history of our contemporaries, to see what they all got up to. If any of you are still out there and read this, send a couple of paragraphs to Mike so we can read your story. I know I would enjoy reading about your life.
Write something, write anything and keep the Guestbook alive.
Best wishes and a Happy Victoria Day to all from a cool(19C) North York.
Alex Patterson

Mon 22-May-2023 22:12 - North York, Ontario, Canada

Steve | billionsteve~AT~hotmail~DOT~com

That other outfitters, Woods of Ocean Road, was where my grandfather worked.

Wed 5-Apr-2023 20:53 - London

Neale Backhouse | nealebackh~AT~gmail~DOT~com

I must apologise Alex for my flippant request. The result of a lifetime of jealousy and intrigue about a rival for Liz's attention. I'm guessing that the Ken Fothergill connection runs through Andy Kinlato, who was in S2 math class with us at night school and Derek Calthorpe, who was a fellow apprentice in the drawing office at Readheads and who may have played soccer with you in the JOC League. Both Andy and Derek knew Ken.
Why jealousy at 87, that no one but me could care a jot about. Well, Ken made a move on Liz way back when, attended by his 500cc Triumph Tiger motorbike. After being initially dazzled by the attention, (to quote the iron Duke at waterloo, "It was near run thing" for a while) but Liz finally decided that she preferred an ogre like me rather than to the flambuoyant fitter.
liz caught sight of this effort today and blew up, so I must refrain from any Prince Harry type revelations. I'll just leave it there and let it simmer in the irrelevance it deserves.
My God. still jealous at 87! Sorry to draw you in to all this Alex.
Cheers, Neale.

Thu 26-Jan-2023 01:51 - Victoria BC.

Alex Patterson 1946 - 1951 VUA | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello All, (Neale in particular)
Ken Fothergill is a name I recognize but I know nothing about him and have no memory of him. I knew Andy Kinelato very well having played on the same team as him for South Shields Boys’ Brigade for a few years approx. 1957-1960 in the J.O.C. League. We must have had a pretty good team because in the Saturday Sports edition of the Gazette (Green pages) the whole team was charicatured by Dodge, the sports cartoonist for the Gazette. I have a copy of it somewhere and sent it to Janis Blower who printed it in her column, ‘Cookson Country’.
But back to Andy Kinelato. How did you think I would know him? I think he died in his twenties shortly after we played on the same team. He was a great player and could certainly thump the ball around and he was a nice guy too…I think his parents had a grocery store on Bertram Street.
So what’s the story? I’m intrigued, to say the least, and surprised that Andy Kinelato’s name is part of it. Please tell the tale of Fothergill/Kinelato.
Waiting with bated breath.
Alex Patterson,
From a snowy, cold and windy North York.

Wed 25-Jan-2023 06:03 - North York, Ontario, Canada

Eric Moyse | eric~DOT~moyse~AT~sky~DOT~com

So much to cover:
T&G Allan, Glasburg the furrier, M&S bombed, Grants the Jewellers Binns (don't remember the dog) all gone from a time when Shields could boast some quality shops. The reference to seamen's clothing surely refers to Barbours, now an international firm of tremendous reputation and still claiming correctly to be a South Shields firm.( There was another Mechant Navy outfitters, Woods of Ocean Road.
PS Glad to learn of your improved health, Mike

Wed 18-Jan-2023 12:40 - Reading, Berkshire

Eric Moyse | eric~DOT~moyse~AT~sky~DOT~com

A rather late Happy New Year to all of my fellow-contributors.
Anyone who follows the online Gazette "South Tyneside Today," will be aware of the renowned artist, Sheila Graber. For this year she has produced a calendar of local drawings,which Doreen and I bought and which we can thoroughly recommend. As it happens, Doreen taught with Sheila for a while and so I asked Sheila for a favour. If you walk along th path by the North Beach (all right, Littlehaven) there you will find the complete words of "Blow the Wind Southerly." The last time I was along there the paintwork was badly faded and so I have asked Sheila to use her good offices to get the feature restored: of course she agreed. Have a look for yourselves next time you are in the town. If you want a calendar, google Sheila and take it from there.
Regards
Eric

Wed 18-Jan-2023 12:25 - Reading, Berkshire

Backhouse.

My God Alex!! That memory of yours!!
Did you ever run across, or know a Ken Fothergill,a fitter at Readheads,probably friend of Kinlato's. If so I have a story.

Mon 16-Jan-2023 17:04 - Vic BC

Alex Patterson VUA 1946-1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike and the thousands of readers/contributors, including Alan Whittaker,
Yes Alan I remember that dog at Binns, but I can’t remember whether the slot for donations was on the top of its head or in the box/plinth that it was sitting on. I’m getting it mixed up with one that was outside a pharmacy when I was in the RAF in Scotland. Apart from that I remember it being moved from entrance to entrance but mainly on the King Street entrances.
Speaking of Binns,I used to buy all my suits, shirts, shoes etc. at Binns when I started work, and I bought Cavalry Twills and Chukka boots there when they came back into popularity as they did now and again. I liked Binns; when I was courting Marjorie we would meet at Binns on Saturday mornings and go for coffees etc., at The Buttery (I think that was its name) on the third (?) floor, and often met with friends there to catch up on all the news of our contemporaries. I wonder if there is another meeting place like that anymore for young adults.
When we got married we also bought much of our furniture and appliances there, we had a G-Plan sideboard and sectional settee…wish we still had them…I just saw a 1958 sideboard for $6,700 (C.)!! EEeeeeeek!!
I am completely reminisced for the time being and it’s time for “All Creatures Great and Small” so I have to dash off to relax for an hour or two.
Regards,
Alex
From a sunny but cold North York!!

Sat 14-Jan-2023 22:38 - North York, Ontario, Canada

Alan Whittaker(53-59) | alan~DOT~diwhittaker~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hi All,
Reflecting back does anyone remember the charity model of a black labrador which sat in the entrance to Binns store for many years? I think its name was "Hobo" and any donations were for guidedogs for the blind

Thu 12-Jan-2023 15:29 - Langford Budville, Somerset

Alex Patterson VUA 1946 - 1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike and all readers,
Apropos of T & G Allan’s and fountain pens, the discussion inspired me to checkout my old fountain pens and one newer version. I still have my Parker Junior, and my Esterbrook from High School days, both from T and G Allan’s in King Street I’m not 100% sure about my Schaeffer although it is a close contemporary of that period.
I used my Esterbrook filled with green ink on an history homework submission in my newly adopted leaning to the left handwriting. I got a decent mark from ‘Piggy’ Wade but a terse comment, “Straighten up your writing, use traditional ink. Unmitigated swank!!”
More recently, my eldest daughter, Katherine, bought me a Mont-Blanc fountain pen with a calligraphy tip so I can continue my ‘unmitigated swanky’ writing. She didn’t buy it at T & G A’s but at some store in Toronto and my writing doesn’t seem to lean to the left anymore.
My Parker Junior was a gift from my Mum before I entered High School and I was surprised to find that I wasn’t the only boy with a fountain pen, in fact I was a bit disappointed. One of my favourite pens was my Biro which was frowned upon by Charlie Constable. It was an early model, which tended to leave blobs of ink at any place in a sentence and was quite messy. My Aunt had a convenience store opposite Swan Hunter’s in Wallsend and she would often get unusual things, such as the Biro, in exchange for ciggies from foreign crew members of ships in for repair. She got the Biro from one such customer. She also got me a leather bomber jacket which I wore when I was still in High School until I was in my twenties. Sorry about wandering off topic…I do that frequently these days.
Anyhow, I’ll talk to you soon,
Regards,
Alex

Sun 8-Jan-2023 06:03 - North York, Ontario, Canada

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