[Dave Smith]

So, Barry, you are the Senior member. I was 55th ( Entry rep), Grandarog was 86th - a mere sprog! We had a Chatham Tech. (was that called Holcombe in my day?) lad, Jack Knell, came from Rainham. My main secondary schooling was at Gillingham County but as an apprentice at Shorts, - 1 day, 1 evening - at Medway Tech., Gillingham: Aug.1945 - Jan. 1947.

[Barry 5X]

There were many Sheerness Tech boys who joined the RAF Apprentices or Boy Entrant schemes.  I was one

By chance I found the following information online:

Kent Technical School Boys who became RAF Aircraft Apprentices.

252 boys arrived at RAF Halton, Wendover on the 21st August 1945 to join the 51st Entry.  They graduated on the 28th July 1948.  Among them were the pupils from the:

Sheerness Technical School
Ken Savage, Vic Nodder & Al Richardson   

Within the 51st entry were also boys from the:

Chatham Technical School
Jimmy Manington, Vic Fairbrother & Len Atkinson

Full details can be found on the following link:

http://www.51stentry.co.uk/entdet.htm

[CDP]

A few years before the Sheerness Tech school shut down in 1970 and became part of the new Sheppey Comprehensive school, the teachers at the Tech were invited to take part in a new scheme for 6th form teachers, who were invited to take part in various projects to try to give the pupils a different interest subject to study from their main study subject.
These were studied at The Teacher Training  Eversley College at Folkestone. I chose Amateur Radio, understanding how to build and maintain a one valve and two valve radio set.
When I returned to the Tech I.started up an after-school class in amatuer radio and also passed the C & G radios at Rochester on listening and transmitting and my call sign is G7IAU.
At one stage we had to erect  an antenna  as high and as long as possible for the maximum effect. After a long survey of the surroudings we decided on a very high and long wire running from the Tech to the Old Broadway School, which was very, very high .Two of the strongest, fearless, keenest  6th formers then climbed on to the roof of the Broadway School and set up our antenna.
We then watched this long wire during the playtime but no one from the school noticed it and any work on it had to be carried out when the school was closed as we thought if the wire was spotted, the lads would throw anything and everything at it to try to bring it down .

There was of course no 'elf & Safety in those days

[CDP]

Approximately in 1967, some of the sixth formers decided that for a laugh (for the whole school) that when they came back after the long summer holiday they would appear as young lookalike Mr. Barnetts with a hair and moustache similar to the Heads`.
The whole school thought it was very good and very funny BUT, when the head eventually spotted it he really went beserk and told the lads in no uncertain terms that they were boys and not men in his school and if they were men they should leave the building.
Needless to say the next day they were boys again.

[CDP]

TEACHERS AT THE SHEERNESS  TECH' 1962 TO 1970 .

JIM  B HUTLEY   JOHN BEATTIE   LES V BRYANT   ALAN C SAYER
TONY A CLENAGHEN    COLIN D PENNEY    ERIC A WRIGHT
ALAN C SAYER   NORMAN H BROMHAM   GEORGE A BROWN
LES G MILLEN      BRIAN L PALMER         TERRY E A SPICE
ALGY (LG) WELLAND     SULTAN ASHRAFI   CHARLES DUDDLE
GEORGE(JAKE) JACKSON    MRS F R NEWBY        OWEN J RYDER   

TREVOR N COSTIN   F G M EVANS   WILLIAM J A RALPH
M HAYNES-SMALLBONE              J P BERTRAM         P BOYCE
ARTHUR CASTLE   JOHN MULLET  JOHN THOMPSON
L D LISGARTEN   CHRIS SEARS

[CDP]

This is as I remember one of my days as a pupil at the Tech .
During the war some of the older, more sensible boys were asked to be volunteers and act as Fire Wardens in the School from about 6 pm to10 pm, etc., in four hour watches, with a schoolmaster in charge. I, of course, was not selected, but I and two or three friends would arrive at the school to keep our `Watcher` company. It never occured to us that the teacher on watch never mentioned, complained that one lad would play the piano another would try to play the set of bells (used to notify the change of lesson time) and the other lads would roam the school to investigate cupboards, etc.

[conan]

Reading in the news about the mass fainting fit in a Ripon school assembly I was reminded of the many times boys would faint during the assemblies at the Tech.It seemed to happen fairly often and the outcome was always the same the poor lad would be carried outside whilst the rest of us would be exhorted from the stage to get "up on your toes boys, up on your toes." What good this instruction did we never did work out, but there was a tinge of jealousy that the faintee had got out of what we regarded as a very boring part of the day.

[CDP]

Thursday, February 2016 at 2pm at Bluetown Heritage Centre. The subject is "The Technical School for Boys". Come along and share your memories.
For more data contact The Heritage Centre,  phone or see web page.

[CDP]

The only time that Mr. Barnett grumbled at me was in 1966 .This day he came into my classroom and asked me to go to his office and he looked a little cross. He then sat in his large chair and said that everyone should have an ambition in life, something to always aim for, and I have now ruined his life. He said his ambition was to get one of his Tech boys not only into Imperial College but also on a Scholarship and he just heard that Melvin Ward had achieved this and so I had ruined Mr.Barnett`s life ambition. He then laughed and said I would have to help him find another life ambition.
The Scholarship was (only) worth £50 but it did guarantee a place in the Hall of Residence for the student. Melvin was very pleased with this.

[conan]

With regard to the scout pictures; Sorry, but I can only definitely recognise 2 of the lads. 2nd from left back row with glasses is Albert Port who was the troop leader and 1st right also back row is Dave Harris. The chap middle back row I believe is a lad called Howland? I also have a suspicion that the lad 3rd from right front row is me.

Here's a photo of me and a Dutch exchange scout who stayed with me in, I believe, 1968.  There's another photo at reply 117 of this thread.



The scout troop was the 9th Sheppey and met in the school gym. We had a store shed in the old air raid shelters. Brian Palmer was the Scout master and both 'Biffo' Jackson and Terry Spice were assistants.

[CDP]

Sheerness Technical High School Scouts approximately 1968
Scoutmaster was Brian Palmer .
Can you help with naming these lads please

[conan]

I would love to try and help you CDP but unfortunately there's no photograph showing.

[CDP]

Sheerness Technical High School Scouts approximately 1968
Scoutmaster was Brian Palmer .
Can you help with naming these lads please

[CDP]

When I first thought about becoming a Teacher, it was also the same year that  the Teaching Qualification changed from two years to a three year college course. So when I applied very few teachers were out on the market, mainly those who were changing schools etc.
So when I applied for a teaching post, instead of an applicant going to all the various schools to be interviewed I had to sit in the centre of a very large hall in Maidstone with all of the Head Teachers and Heads of Department sitting on the outside looking in to me and asking me questions about my CV, qualifications, ambitions, etc. etc., and then dropping out when they had decided if they did not want me.
This method did not appeal to me so I  decided to rethink my approach.

[CDP]

O.R. was a very good considerate teacher and thought the world of the children and when he was thinking about his retirement I was able to offer him promotion in the Mathematics Department (which would of course increase his pension) .
This was refused by the head and at a meeting with the head he said at the Technical School, where OR was the woodwork teacher, there was an error in the stock costing for his wood.

The reason was, when a lad had completed his little woodworking task, O.R would ask the lad for, say 2d, to pay for the wood if the boy wanted to buy it, take it home and and proudly show his parents. Often the boy would sadly say that he had no money, to which OR would say to the lad "Take it home son but don't tell anyone you did not pay for it".
Hence at stock taking it was always short and would never balance up.

And after explaining this to the head OR received his well earned promotion.