[Misc] Rumbles between schools

[BN9 BHA]

If you're going to post a chinny reckon on this thread do it properly

See post above

 

[Eeyore]

No love lost between Uckfield Comprehensive and Crowborough Beacon back in the day (The Southdown Stagecoach 729 Derby, as we’d probably have to call it now).

Always rumours that the Beacon boys were going to turn up at Uckfield carnival each year for a mass brawl behind the Waltzers with rolled-up copies of the Friday Ad but inevitably they never showed. Or, thinking about it, maybe they came by train instead and we missed them?

Ah, the A26 derby. Carnage. Dawn at Herons Ghyll

 

[wunt be druv]

Back in the mid 70's in Worthing there were a few clashes between Durrington High and West Tarring, one notable punch up on the roundabout outside the Boulevard entrance had us hauled in assembly and publicly shamed by the headmaster, Mr. MacGregor. Most of the scraps were of the hit and run type where a group of us would ride off on our bikes at lunchtime to West Tarring and find some unfortunate victim, give him a kicking before bravely buggering off before we got caught. It happened both ways with "The Tarring" doing the same to us. Ironically a lot of us became good mates after we left school, happy days...

 

[Eeyore]

Try and tell these stories to the young people of today. Do they believe you? No.

Well, let's face it, most of them are grossly exaggerated. A thread like this turns everyone into juvenile Pretty Pink Fairys.

The most famous story for Deason was the wheel that was rolled down the top of the hill that bounced across the football pitches and into the ice cream van. But the number of folk who claim to have done it, or were there, has risen year on year. I'm not even convinced it happened.

 

[Questions]

I have some lovely stories too. Complete bollox, but they've earn't me a drink or two, and I didn't even have to claim they were my brothers/mates/cousins

I threatened to smack their 2nd X1 cricket captain once. I scored 36 and got a mention in assembly… A good mention

 

[Sirnormangall]

Are you sure about that? I ran for Varndean at a couple of sports days and I think Steve Ovett had moved on to higher things by then.

However, we had a super sprinter called Paul Perry, he wasn't Ovett class, but he was pretty rapid and tore up the 100m. A few Fawcett boys paid him a visit and I'm not sure whether he was due to run again or whether it was just his 'reward'. He wasn't in a good way.

I didn't get the attention of Fawcett but I remember running a cross country past Stringer and someone luzzed half a brick at me, caught me on my knee and forced me to limp the rest of the race. I came 72nd and to compound my misery, I got a detention for finishing so low.

Yes it was Paul Perry who was attacked - hit in the face with running spikes.

 

[astralavi]

As a Varndean boy, I remember that occasionally there would be rumours of Fawcett paying a visit (that particular day), we would be (like Meerkats on the playing fields) filled with fear

 

[Sirnormangall]

The same teacher was rumoured (before I joined Varndean) to have dangled a boy over the quad by his ankles, from the upper floor. He put the boy's life in danger.

There are more episodes that I did witness.

The rumour is absolutely true. Happened in the 1970s and still talked about to this day. Bob Harbour reminded me about it when I bumped into him many years later.

 

[Questions]

I have some lovely stories too. Complete bollox, but they've earn't me a drink or two, and I didn't even have to claim they were my brothers/mates/cousins

It was the only game where we had tea. Good nosh.

 

[Eric the meek]

The rumour is absolutely true. Happened in the 1970s and still talked about to this day. Bob Harbour reminded me about it when I bumped into him many years later.

I never doubted it. Thank you for confirming it.

 

[Perry Milkins]

There were stories about a nun getting a brick to the head, but nothing ever proved.

I remember Mac coming into the classroom and rounding up some of our 'top boys' but the rest of us spent the time doing latin pluperfect verbs.

There was an unsubstantiated theory that the rumble was allegedly contrived by the senior teachers at Newman. That school year saw Fitzherbert close and merge with Newman. It was a rocky partnership to say the least. Hierarchy, territory and Alpha males to the fore.


Anyhow. .


One morning we all strolled up to find "The Pope is a wanker" daubed on the front gate. That triggered the breach of the Grammar school walls as stated before.

After that was settled would you believe it peace and harmony reigned in classroom and playground!! We were as one against a common foe!


Now did I see the same paint on some of the teachers sleeves??

 

[AnotherArch]

Harry Allt, the man, the myth, the legend, has gained superstar status for generations of students at Varndean. He could quite possibly have had superhuman strength.

But having been taught by him, and personally witnessed his temper go from 0-100 in an instant, the dangling episode is eminently believable.

Harry Allt. Wow?
I was in the same class as his son, who definitely was not a 'chip off the old block'. Not that it gave any extra protection.
Today's youngsters probably already need counselling after reading here what he got up to. We saw and experienced him first hand. Nothing reported here so far is exaggerated- it is all true or believable after what we did see ourselves.
Those were the days of physical assaults and hurling of chalk and board rubbers, by several masters. If the wrong person got hit it was just collateral damage - punishment in advance of the next misdemeanor.

 

[Gwylan]

Harry Allt. Wow?
I was in the same class as his son, who definitely was not a 'chip off the old block'. Not that it gave any extra protection.
Today's youngsters probably already need counselling after reading here what he got up to. We saw and experienced him first hand. Nothing reported here so far is exaggerated- it is all true or believable after what we did see ourselves.
Those were the days of physical assaults and hurling of chalk and board rubbers, by several masters. If the wrong person got hit it was just collateral damage - punishment in advance of the next misdemeanor.

Harry Allt was an absolute pyscho - he'd undoubtedly be in chokey if he were teaching in the modern age. And you're right, it wasn't just Harry, although he was by far the worst, there were some borderline nutcases around. Thankfully, today's kids are spared that element at least

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Harry Allt. Wow?
I was in the same class as his son, who definitely was not a 'chip off the old block'. Not that it gave any extra protection.
Today's youngsters probably already need counselling after reading here what he got up to. We saw and experienced him first hand. Nothing reported here so far is exaggerated- it is all true or believable after what we did see ourselves.
Those were the days of physical assaults and hurling of chalk and board rubbers, by several masters. If the wrong person got hit it was just collateral damage - punishment in advance of the next misdemeanor.

Harry Allt once hit the boy behind me, so hard, that his head hit the desk and he was knocked unconscious. Another boy he dragged out of the class by his hair and repeatedly smashed his head against a brick column. Two examples of his insanity that I witnessed. Nothing came of either assault, he just got away with it.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Mr Smith....

is a wan*er

 

[BadFish]

Harry Allt once hit the boy behind me, so hard, that his head hit the desk and he was knocked unconscious. Another boy he dragged out of the class by his hair and repeatedly smashed his head against a brick column. Two examples of his insanity that I witnessed. Nothing came of either assault, he just got away with it.

I expect Sunak will be giving this guy an advisory role in the department of education.

 

[AK74]

While at Balfour Middle in the 1980s, I recall a large group of Fawcett boys heading across the field near the swimming pool one lunchtime, presumably in seek of Stringer. Mr Wedgebury made sure all his pupils were safely in side., but it was a sight to behold.

This was an excellent introduction to the Ladies Mile Road's finest secondary school, as I was a pupil there between 1985 and 1990. The last major confrontation I can remember between Fawcett and Stringer was in my first year there, when most - or possibly all - of the 5th form were spread out across the road by the path leading to The Deeside awaiting the arrival of the enemy.

Fawcett - 'hey, kids....leave those teachers alone"

 

[Taybha]

I spent most of my lunch breaks at Fawcett down the road at Maggie Harder,I'm a lover not a fighter

 

[Baldseagull]

Used to hear things about supposed fights between Holy Trinity and/or Ifield/Hazelwick in late 70’s /early 80’s but never actually saw any myself

There were a few, mostly small but a couple of big ones between Holy Trinity and St. Wilfred in the 80's. I was at Holy Trinity, when we went to them it would happen in the entrance to Goffs Park or on the grass by the Mormon temple, if they came to us it would be Cheals car park. Fights were usually arranged by the lads from both schools that bussed in from Horsham. I had to walk past St.Wilfs on my way to and from Trinity, would sometimes be eventful. I was invited to attend a couple of after school bust ups between St.Wilfs lads, and most of their school would be there, could sometimes get big as quite a few of the kids there had several brothers (Catholic families).
There was a big one between Hazelwick and Ifield mid 80's. Thomas Bennet had a small gang of 7 or 8 lads that would pay visits to all the shopping parades used at lunchtimes by other schools kids, from time to time, and kick something off. No one took a mob to Bennet, too many nutters there.

 

[Eric the meek]

This thread should be renamed the Harry Allt thread. Once experienced, never forgotten. He was a teacher from a bygone era.

Yes he was extremely violent, but he was OUR extremely violent history teacher at Varndean. Nobody will ever take those memories away from us.