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| J. Richard
Poyser stirs the memories From Abbey Street to Darley Abbey: 1937-41 |
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Richard has been contributing to this site over the weeks. Here is his material gathered into one place.
Pictures of Richard sent Sept '05 after a trip |
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Richard Poyser - More meat to the bones April 11th, 2005 I have only just received details of the website via Arthur Redsall but a preliminary examination tells me I can probably add more meat to the bones. I attended Central School from 1937 to 1941 i.e. that is two years at Abbey St. and two years at Darley Abbey, and can point you in the direction of photographs of the early war years. The Derby Evening Telegraph published two relevant photographs:
I also appear on this photo and could probably identify some of them. I also have in my possession a copy of the school magazine "The Centaur" which I have kept because it contains a very modest contribution from me. I also kept several other copies of that vintage until a less than honest Centaur borrowed them and omitted to return them. Somewhere in my archives I have the paperwork issued when I first passed the scholarship but now I am a disabled old blighter I am not sure I can retrieve same. I of course have several anecdotes from my years there should you be interested. Richard has now supplied names for the lads in Darley Park, dated 1939.
Richard Poyser: ANECDOTES and
MEMORIES
I remember “Moggie” Morris, bass singer in Boulton St. Marys Church, with his stentorian voice. Among his favourite sayings: “You little lion tamer,” and if he thought you were untruthful, “Blood and bacca spit.” The dread words “step into the balance room” - the site for the administration of the cane - came from “Slogger” Westwood, a thickset man with cropped, sandy hair, small moustache and glasses. He was, in my view, a sadist as exemplified by the occasion when he set Maths homework without previous instruction and next day when three quarters of the form failed to hand any in, he proceeded to cane the lot. Since there were too many to deal with at the front of the class he went to each desk in turn, mine included. His technique was to start with the cane back over his shoulder and bring it over, gathering momentum, until it reached the recipients hand. The amusing thing to the boys was that (one day) part way round, he positioned himself under the light and proceeded to smash the bulb! |
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“Dickie” Bryden had a
favourite saying: “Don't speak to me till you are twenty-one."
We were often sent on so-called cross country runs out along the Back Lane leading from the stable block to Darley Village. Sometimes it was a case of out of sight out of mind. He had a Morgan three-wheeler which could not make it up the hill and could often seen being boosted by three or four boy power. |
An Old Aero Morgan |
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“Haj” Elsey took singing lessons in the Lecture Theatre which often comprised choruses from Musicals. In particular I can remember singing with gusto “and to HELL with Burgundy,” from the Vagabond King. Another tale concerning Haj refers to an unannounced visit of the Assistant Director of Education, Mr.Gresham-Taylor into “Hajs”class. At this, “Haj” asked one of the boys to fetch a chair for Mr. Gresham and another one for Mr. Taylor. Whilst I cannot personally vouch for the veracity of this tale, remembering “Haj” I can easily imagine it to be true. “Froggie” Levy. The dexterity with which he whipped out his truncheon from his gown has already been described, but as a recipient I can add a little more in that he would add “show me the other side.” A rap over the knuckles would follow. He also produced a French play about a court case in which I participated one Speech Day in the Central Hall. “Piggy” Prior - my form master (form IVa) during my last year at school. Fellow classmate names I remember are Vic Steadman, Walter Humpstone, Cecil Rhodes, Three Clarkes - including Reg, F.A [known as Fanny due to his initials], "Tiger” Lionel Summerfield, Ken Hilton, Dennis Warren, Bill Ellis, ? Layton, Bill Taylor, Frank?, Paget, Derek?, Rooksby, “Trigger” Selby, and Sid Potter. “Treth” Trethewey was a Devonian whose speech had an easy to listen to West Country burr. Mr. Pritchard, a rather florid gentleman, bald with ginger hair who gave fair warning of his rising temper with his facial colour change. Mr. Ridgewell, left to join the Army. Geography master a subject I loved and in which I excelled. “Squeak” Weston has already been referred to elsewhere. I have nothing to add. “Tufty” Harris - a lame but excellent physics teacher. “Hawkeye” Hawksby - art master: a subject in which I did not excel. Nuff said! “Robbo" Robson, remembered for his self-catering in the woodwork room with gas and teapot to hand. During my time at the Central School there was some turnover of staff. The newcomers included “Pongo" Molineaux who suffered from an unfortunate nervous twitch which did not affect his teaching. The second newcomer was “Jasper” Jarvis, a tall bespectacled, formidable man. The third newcomer was “Proddy" Smith, a ginger-haired man replacing “Tufty” in physics. I was later to encounter him at Derby Tech. I did not encounter the remainder of the staff comprising Miss Wood, Messrs. Allen, and Astle and so can add nothing to Arthur's recollections. On a personal note my father was caretaker of Gerard St. School and we lived next door. During the period when we went back to Abbey St. one day a week for Physics, Chemistry and Woodwork a Prefect was posted at the door to apprehend latecomers. Since the school was just around the corner there was a great temptation to leave things to the last minute. I could always nip over the wall into Gerard St. yard through the gate into Abbey St .yard and avoid the Prefects. This worked well until the day I fell off and knocked myself out. My parents then banned me from this little dodge.
Richard Poyser: School
Houses Richard revealed the fascinating information that while he was at Central from 1937-41 the School Houses were as follows: TROJANS - CORINTHIANS - OLYMPIANS - GREEKS He adds: I have been in touch with an ex form mate, Ken Hilton, who confirms the house names. He was a Trojan - the top dogs in my time. That’s why I remember. He put me in touch with his younger brother Donald, a Centaur two years later than us, who believes that the name changes came with the advent of Mr. G. Swaine. The house captain of the Trojans was Eric Nutt, a superb swimmer, and this was partly the reason for them being top dogs. The captain of my house (Corinthians) was Reg Wibberly who was also School Captain. Ken reminded me that the captain of the Greeks was Don Kemp with whom I had slight dealings at Rolls Royce. As for the Olympians ??? Richard suggests that the earlier house names were of the Homeric era whilst the later names were of the Classical Greek times. Fred Clark and
Plonks Sweet Shop |
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| Browsing through the Derby telephone directory for possible old Centaurs I lit upon F. A. Clark who turned out to be Fred Clark on the Darley Park photograph. During our telecon he reminded me of "Plonks", the sweet shop adjacent to the school, which was effectively the school tuck shop. |
 Fred Clark, far right. See also. |
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Mrs
"Plonk" was a good natured soul who, when the lads could not afford a full
bottle of pop, had a special shelf to keep partly drunk bottles suitably
labelled for consumption another day. He also told me that after vacating
the premises the school was used as a temporary warehouse for foodstuffs. I
hope that this info is suitable for inclusion.
Trip to Lille |
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Richard contacts his old friend By email, Jan 7th, 2006. Richard wrote to say he had mailed printouts from this website to old Centaur friend Raymond Bull in Natal, South Africa. Raymond was very moved by what he read and offered to pen his memories. He suffers from cancer which, at present, is in remission. Email: Jan 14th, 2006. Richard forwarded the following contribution from Raymond which he transcribed from a handwritten MS. He adds that Raymond was with the Derby fire brigade for a while after leaving school. He then emigrated to South Rhodesia and became a fire officer in Bulawayo for some until the turmoil that preceded the change to Zimbabwe. He then migrated south to Durban in South Africa where he presently lives. "He and I both enjoyed hiking and youth hostelling and on his last visit now many years ago we both enjoyed a bevvy at the Watts Russell pub near Alstonfield, a familiar watering hole in days of yore." RAYMOND BULL'S LETTER Dear Richard and all ”Old Centaurs” As you see the spider has unleashed its feet (a reference to his handwriting) so hope that you will be able interpret this epistle. Firstly, thank you very much for the very nostalgic literature on our late school of learning. I do admit to a certain moisture around the old eyeballs of which I am not ashamed of at all. You have obviously gone to lot of trouble over the facts that you've sent and I do really appreciate it. Never having thought of memoirs I don't really know how to start but I guess that start at the beginning is the answer. |
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| At the age
of eleven I sat what was a preliminary exam at Normanton school. This
was to ascertain whether the incumbent had enough savvy to sit for a
scholarship. I think that the marker must have had a fly in his eye
whilst marking and in frustration must have ticked my name as positive.
Anyway I then followed through sitting the scholarship which again I
scraped through. Boy, was my mum proud her little boy was now going to
go to the No. 1 school - CENTRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
Here my memory becomes a little hazy I believe it was late summer, i.e. September. It wasn't raining or snowing and I duly pitched up at Darley Park and entered the school with another crowd of apprehensive young students watching the cap and gowned darting hither and thither over the hallway and up and down stairs. |
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Slowly from the pandemonium a form of discipline arose and the students were allotted classrooms. At that time we were all in awe of these “cap and gowned super beings. But as time went on we all accepted they were human and without exception they all gave me the respect and pride of being a Central School scholar. I would like now to proceed naming a few of the masters and of course starting with Mr. Horace Hainsworth who, as you aware, was the leader of a great company of ladies and gentlemen who graced the school halls. Perhaps the next to be mentioned was Dickie Bryden. This gentleman had a never ending story to tell of life in India under the British Raj and his humour was unsurpassed and kept us entertained for many times during the sports period when the weather was inclement. During his boxing classes I remember one of his phrases was ”hit harder; draw his claret”. I don't think teachers or masters are made of the same calibre as they were 60 - 70 years ago. The next on my list is Pasty Astle who was my English instructor. A very nice, well spoken gentleman who if my memory serves me well, left for a second class school - BEMROSE!. That was in my second year. I remember he introduced me to ”The Wind in the Willows“, for which I will for ever be grateful. He also was writing, or wrote, a book when he left and I remember it was called Erewhon which is Nowhere backwards. Does anybody remember what happened? This would never be complete without a mention of Polly Wood, our French teacher; and I still remember Je suis, Tu et, etc. Other teachers such as Froggy Levi, Squeak Weston, Haj Elsey, Messrs Morris, Pritchard, Robson all deserve stories but I know you would like a quick return from your letters of school information so I will salute all Centaurs. And my favourite colours are still light and dark blue. May we all meet again in ”Centaurland “ With best wishes Ray Bull |
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