Mayflower School – the gap in the foreground has now been filled with a new school main entrance.
Looking through our family photograph albums I was amazed to find this old photograph of Mayflower School. I have no idea exactly which year or who took it, but it looks like it could be 1960s or 1970s. However, Mayflower looks as I remember it, so could be anytime mid to late 1960s? I remember on the top 3rd floor on the corner nearest us having RE with Mr Melton? I think on the 2nd floor left room on our side having History with Mr Glanville then waiting at the end of the lesson for Dave Cliff our Jazz guitar teacher from London. Dave Cliff asked me to invent a new arpeggio chord (playing a chord as single notes) on the bass guitar and I played the most basic three bar chord there was, but he still thought it was great. Happy days
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Have just come across this thread, and it revived a few memories of familiar names. I was at Mayflower 1972-79 and, amongst many others, was taught English by Mr Gaggs, Maths by the terrifying but ultimately excellent Mrs Broom and Drama by Mr (“Call me Reg”) Templar. Poor Miss Fox had the misfortune of teaching me needlework for a term. I, too, had a lot of respect for Mr Garood and the bulk of the staff. Yes, I recall rumours about Mr Hope-Simpson but nothing was ever proven. I don’t remember any culture of bullying at the school, either by pupils or teachers.
I go back to the start, our first terms were in Pitsea as school not ready. Mr Bickerstaff was headmaster. Mr Bob Melton RE. Mr Metcalf history geography. Mrs Parker my form teacher did Art. There were 2 Mr Price, 1 metal work other PE. I wonder is school moto still used “We from our ancient heritage with body soul and mind”? Well I hope who ever reads this it brings back memories my name Michael Hirst I’m 70 years young.
I started school in Billericay for one term, I believe in Sept 1971, just before my 5th birthday in November that year. I believe the school I attended was called Mayflower yet I cant find any record of a Mayflower Junior school. We lived on Foxhunter Walk and I only remember one kid named Rupert. We moved away to High Wycombe within the first term at some point. I was born in 1966. Anyone else recall a Mayflower Junior School?
I remember you too Roz. Interesting to see old names popping up here
I started Mayflower in 1969. I remember being totally overwhelmed by the size of the school and number of students.
My favourite teacher was Mr. Gaggs (English), who used to wear an old fashioned waist coat and pocket watch. I remember Miss. Fox, she looked like she was floating, her Cambridge gown trailing behind. She’d give you a dirty look if she caught you looking!
I remember boys getting the cane from Mr. Bickerstaff in the early 70s.
They couldn’t sit down by the time he’d finished with them.
William (as above), I remember you too!
Aint it strange ,
I can remember things from the 60’s like yesterday, yet what I did last week !! But alas my spelling has not improved, and my memory of peoples names is still terrible. So Hi to any one that does remember us.
Mr Garude, Biology for me as well as I think what we would now call head of lower years. Respected and liked him.
Mr Hope Simpson. I disliked. Would not want to be caught in the changing rooms with him around, Creeps me out even almost 50 years later. Also dislike him cause he “personally” took us away form being taught maths by Miss Simmonds, or was it Mrs Susman’s? And meant I had to change sports in the last two years from badminton which I like (indoors and warm) to football, which I hated (and still do) with a vengeance. Not that I hold a grudge.
Funny that in later years I taught outdoor survival techniques for a while.
Mr Roolf, metal work, along with teacher we always called “rivet”, I guess she was small. Great teachers.
I was always in front of the head, a troubled time at school. I’ve seen it with my own kids, schools tend to not punish those doing the bullying, but isolate those being bullied “for there own good”. Generally, good memories of school, I even went in on the first day of the exams revision period, as I had forgotten that we were off… Ended up sat in class room on own till teacher came in to remind me! Dah..
It was drama and stage work that got me through the last years at school, gave me some where to be in a team, thank you to the guys who were in the 6th form who looked after us youngsters.
Reg, bless you for putting up with us, and you will be interested to hear that my son also ended up back stage at school, as the Stage manager in a big school.
I wonder if the PA system I put in the hall is still there?
The one thing I want to do is to pop back and have a nose around on one of the “open” evenings, when they restart.
I started here in 1969 and the school must have doubled in size over the five years I was there. I remember some teachers very well, Mr Garude for biology, Mrs Broom for maths and in my last year Mr Spencer got me through my English exams. Mr Bickerstaff was the head and Mr Hope Simpson was the head of upper school. I generally hated this place and have never been back. The school had an ethos of fear and bullying. It has, however, played a major role in how I treat my students…..not like I was treated at mayflower.
Just as I remember it, even the shape of the waste bin. I remember being taught Longmans Audio Visual French by Mr. Read (just before he left to “go to Leicester”) in one the top floor corner class rooms. And when I went there in Sept. 1968 the language laboratory had just been opened – cutting edge stuff indeed back then. I think the “maths room” was in one of the classrooms overlooking the walkway – it had a giant slide rule on the wall!!
Wow, totally agree and nice to hear mention of teachers from the past. I was the first head girl of Mayflower School after we were being taught in schools in and around Basildon, eventually finding our promised home at the present school, whilst contractors finished the new school.
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