G.S.T. Memories
 

"The last winter I was at school I was asked by Mr.Herbert to replace the rope ladder in the gym, It was a good skive but I finished the ladder and by all accounts it was still in use when the school was closed,so it lasted from 1962 until the school closed.- that was one of the perks of being Herberts pet!!! "
 
I remember that rope ladder.....not the worst piece of equipment, that wooden horse with the boards to jump on and then look as if we were gymnasts - not my favourite activity! Playing football at Northstead or on the beach if the field was too wet play on was much better! Ahhh...the showers and immaculate changing rooms we had.....sorry, I always did have good imagination! We came away cleaner from Northstead than playing Crab Football in the dusty old gym anyway!.. Rob Welburn
 
Did you play "Pirates" in the gym?....it was one of Vince's favorites. all the gear,horse etc, placed all over the gym, one person it,and he had to catch you on the ground.I think it was the fore-runner of tarzan.swinging from the ropes,anything goes.do you remember in the gym, the wooden slats across the windows?,they were put there when one of my class,can't remember who,went through the window,no harm done.
Also vince had a system of punishment,which saved him the trouble of giving you the cosh,he called it "The Gauntlet",the class would line up on either side of the gym,with plimmies in hand,and the culprit had to run between the lines,you were only allowed one swipe,and the culprit could weave and knock the line over,the best of us could usually get a good thwack in!...... Wilf Taylor
 
Did you ever play "Murder Ball" Throwing a medicine ball (or normally a football ) at each other like tag but with a ball or how about "Crab Football" remember that?
I remember Vince threatening to get the boxing gloves on one day to sort me out .....can't remember why  a stray medicine ball hit him I think! ,however soon changed his mind when I accepted!!!  Perhaps as I was about 15 stone +14/15 years old he thought better of it !... Bob
 
Remember the weekly trips out to Northstead playing fields? Humming or whistling the Dambusters tune (617 Squadron)on the bus ,just to wind Vince Feather up, arriving to get changed in sheds which were generously called "changing rooms", corregated tin roof, bare concrete floors, knackered wooden benches and rusty clothes hanging pegs,not forgetting the dank cold water shower with a ripped piece of tarpaulin as a shower curtain and the all pervading odour of Jeyes fluid masking the smell of damp, sweat and piss.....eee luxury.... Bob
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You forgot to mention the hockey team or No- hopers like me. The hockey team was started to give the smokers something to do other than limp around the changing rooms pretending to have sprained a muscle, thus enabling a crafty fag or two. The inducement to becoming a hockey team player was that we would have games against Raincliffe (what a daft name for a girls school), the Convent or the Girls High School. Many a cross-eyed right-hander would have given up a weeks wanking rights or his position on the back seat of the bus to play with the girls. Alas no team sports were ever arranged. The best I can remember are the long walks back from Northstead to school over the cliff tops ogling the tourists. But the best sport of all was sunbathing in(sorry, bailing out) the dinghys, sculling round the harbour fag in mouth, or getting a trip out on a fishing boat... Derek Whitehead