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Lingard's Locker |
The story so far ...
In February 2005 Brian Skeldon wrote to say that Jim Lingard had come to one of the gatherings of Old Centaurs with a pile of Central School photos and an endless string of stories. Jim Lingard, many will know, was the PE teacher at Darley from the early 50s and onwards with HCS for many years thereafter. As I was on his gymnastic team for several years her remembered me well and before long we were writing to each other.
In November 2005 I flew over to see my elderly mother in Bournemouth and grabbed the chance to drive to Derby to meet with Jim, Brian Skeldon and Roger Finney. The result? Six hours of Jim's stories on tape and a huge pile of photos which Brian is heroically scanning and emailing to me for inclusion on the website.
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Reunion Left to right:
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This will be a big project as we piece together Lingard's locker! It will be filled with hilarious and touching stories about Boss Swaine and pictures of swimming, gymnastic and athletic achievements. You may well find yourself depicted here. So watch this space.
| Pictured in his home Jim holds a precious
treasure - rescued from being tossed in the trash by mindless staff at Henry
Cavendish School. This centaur statue once belonged to Boss Swaine. Who
remembers seeing it in his office?
The figure appears to be porcelain and the base made of wood. The javelin is clearly not original. |
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The fate of the organ
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As the plaque makes clear, the electronic organ was a gift to the new Henry Cavendish School from the Old Boys and the parent teacher association - the Centaurians. It became Fred Peake's pride and joy and in time Fred got Bert Fossey to perform also. When nobody else was around the 'boys' flipped a lever at the back so that the organ sounded more like the theater organ in Blackpool! |
| In time the organ wore out, the manufacturer
went out of business and no other organ maker would touch it. One day the
headmaster (Frank Bridge) had the organ dragged into the school yard and
asked the metal work master to get a group of boys outside with 7lb
sledgehammers. A lorry would arrive to drag the debris away later. The
woodwork master was horrified and at least saved the organ case. He mounted
the plaque on an old piece of pine and gave it to Jim - the sole remaining
Central School master at HCS. |
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Form 2a, 1957, with Jim Lingard |
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NOT in a track suit for once, Jim sits proudly with his
boys. Form 2a in 1957. Back row: Barry Stanley, ? Hague, Paul George,
Jonathan Pope, David Hindle, Ian Wheildon, Kevin O'Donnell, NK, Any amendments - let us know.
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[Home] Page updated: Saturday, 04 August 2007