St Mary's March 2018 Magazine

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Memories of a Finedon Schoolboy Some years ago, 20 years plus, I asked Eric Chapman, Bryan’s Father, to write a few reminisces of his school days in Finedon as an interest to our school children at the time. I found the article recently and would like to share it with readers. Jane Read Memories of my childhood days during my four years at Finedon Junior School Boys School 1923 – 27. First of all may I begin by stating when and where I was born, being Saturday 13 th November 1915 at 4-10am at 54 Well Street, opposite the ‘Pam’, The Waterloo Club, later a Tannery run by Messer’s Sexton and Cox. Having jumped out of bed, sometimes later than others, a quick breakfast then off to school, which was a good mile from the top of Well Street. The Finedon Junior Boys School was situated at the top of Church Hill, now a home occupied by Mr and Mrs Philip Powis, (now occupied by Mr and Mrs Phillips). The headmaster at the time was Mr William Taylor with Mr Harry Hinton as deputy. How did we go to school in those days. We had to walk or leap frog or with a dicky stick, some of us had a steel hoop with a hook made by Mr George York the towns blacksmith, price 3 pence in old money. No bicycles or cars in those days, parents could not afford those luxuries. Having arrived at school at about 8.45am, stopping half way down the High Street, run up the Old Post Office steps, peer through the windows to look at the clock on the wall opposite to see how much time we had left to get to school. It is now probably about 10 minutes to nine, out comes Mr Hinton with the school bell, one ring and we all stood still motionless, second ring and we all line up in our classes order in single files, right turn into the classrooms we go. Many amusing incidents occurred during my Junior School days. I very well remember one, when I was a little naughty in Mr Taylors class. He called me out in front of the class for talking, laid me across his knee and it seemed ages before his hand came down to slap my bottom, yes! All the boys were laughing and giggling, what for? Just because I had about five inches of shirt showing through a hole in my short trousers! I remember one boy sliding down an icy surface of the playground on a cold winters day. He couldn’t stop and slid into the wall at the bottom of the playground and made a nasty gash in his forehead. Another incident that happened in the class room was when Mr Taylor left the class for a few minutes to go to his house which is now occupied by Mr Margaret Pettitt. Well between the classroom and the cloakroom was a wooden partition with cracks in it that Mr Taylor could peep through and it was one of those days when he did peep, most of the boys were throwing blotting paper soaked in ink at one another when all of a sudden Mr Taylor’s voice rang out. ‘Stop it! Stop it! at once Smith, Jones, Brown come out to the front’. Mr Taylor enters with the cane and a stroke across each hand for each of these boys. Oh yes the cane was used often in those days. Well one of 8
my very satisfying moments happened in Mr Hinton’s class. He was of course the music teacher. He auditioned me to sing for the Parish Church choir. Chapman, he said, you have a voice as clear as a bell, go to choir practice in church on Friday and tell Mr Cuttell you want to join the choir; which I did and am still there today. Happy days never to return. (Eric remained in the choir and also as a bell ringer for the rest of his life and died aged 84 in 1999.) RIP Eric. By kind permission of Bryan Chapman (Anyone know what a Dickey Stick is? Answers to the editor please) St Mary's Thursday Club This months meeting will be on the 26th April 2018. We are holding a curry evening at The Koh-i-noor. Please arrive at 7.30pm. Anyone wishing to join us who is not a member would be made very welcome but you will need to get in touch with us so that we can cater for you. If you are interested in becoming a member please call Louise on 07581556417 for further details. We usually meet once a month on the 4th Thursday (evening). We also run a mums and tots group during school term time. The group meets on a Thursday afternoon at The Mission Room from 1.30pm - 3.00pm. If you have a Childrens Society Box our collectors will be coming to collect them from you. Thank you for your continued support, it really is appreciated. FINEDON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY FARMING IN FINEDON The first two batches are all sold and we are in the happy position of having to order more so as to fulfil demand. We hope to take delivery of the third batch by the end of April. You can still obtain a copy of Farming in Finedon if you place your order by Saturday April 8th The cost remains at £20, but where postage is necessary we shall need to add a further £5 to cover our costs. To place your order, contact Malcolm Peet at 13 Rockleigh Close, or telephone on 01933 680773. A deposit of £5 will reserve your copy. 9
Page 1 and 2: Church of St. Mary the Virgin Fined
Page 3 and 4: From the Vicarage, April 2018. I’
Page 5 and 6: Floodlight Sponsorship 4th March Da
Page 7: Vive la musique! Local writer and b
Page 11 and 12: Now that the tree maintenance is co
Page 13 and 14: A pril. Easter. Resurrection. "Fles
Page 15: April Town Diary July 5th 9th 7.30

St Mary's March 2018 Magazine

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