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SCHOOL DAYS |
Schoolmasters and mistresses were greatly respected. This was very much so at Ketley Bank School, which was the one I attended. Apart from their academic abilities, efforts were made to teach us, especially the boys, self-respect; to keep our bodies clean, to keep our hair tidy; our shoes, no matter how old and worn, always to be clean and shining, if possible; to have a sense of honour among ourselves, to be respectful to our elders.
Wombridge School @ 1900
A party was given a few years ago by the old scholars of Ketley Bank and Ketley to honour the Headmaster of my day, Mr. Percy Dunkey. He died recently, well over the age of 90 years.
A book of poems was regularly used in the school entitled "The Golden Treasury of
Poems" and it was a copy of this book that a past scholar took with him to the last
war. He was an infantry man seeing action in North Africa and Italy, and this together
with his memories that he associated with this particular book, in a way, became his
Bible.
The names of the old school masters, among the people of my age group, that have become
legendary are:-
Percy Dunkey; William Turner; F. Watkiss; (Ketley Bank)
Archie Snow; Frank Vickers; (St. Georges)
Arthur Corbett; Clive Alison; (Oakengates/Wombridge)
Old Fanny Onions will ever be remembered as a dear old soul.
Here is a song attributed to Archie Snow:
The place which is called Oakengates
Where wisdom and wit emanates
Where the wise Urban Council
Grow cabbage and groundsel
And sell it to keep down the rates
Chorus after each verse:
That was a sweet little rhyme
Sing me another one do.
There was an old woman from Trench
Had a thirst she never could quench
She drank Rum in her tea
I should shay show shed she
A very high spirited wench
Now you all know where Snedshill Forge is
Midst the Pit Mound and valleys and gorges
They say the girls there Are uncommonly fair
But they can't beat the girls of St. Georges
A fellow from Wrockwardine Wood
Found the Blackpool air did him no good
So he came back again
Went down Furnace Lane
And he re-oxygenated his blood
The fellow that lived at Old Park
Went rummaging about in the dark
He said "Oh! How pleasant"
When found a cock pheasant
And I only came out for a lark.
Miss Jenks, Mrs. Barratt and Gladys Onions
Wombridge School