CHAPTER 11 The Ardwick Central School (1939 - 1942)

Continued......

This "holiday" period details were as follows: - "the full daily time was occupied in Games, indoor and outdoor, wireless, films (new films loaned from M.E.C. film library were shown every day), dancing and other physical exercises, table tennis, card games, word squares, chess, draughts, visits to baths, typewriting (seniors), knitting, embroidery, etc. etc.". In spite of this liberal timetable, however, numbers fell steadily from 212 on July 22nd to 105 present on August 16th. I n contrast to these arrangements, the mid-term holiday was extended a few days in November. When the new school year began on August 19th,1940, there were 129 new entrants. Air raids at night began to affect attendance later in the month. On one occasion, !\/lr. Peake noted "As a result of last night's air raids in the North West area, many children were absent this morning. As so many children looked jaded after their disturbed night, the usual Thursday games at Debdale Park were cancelled". By By September 2nd all games at Debdale Park were cancelled for the time being. On the 4th September, the first air raid warning to be sounded whilst school was in session was heard about 10.30 a.m. A raid occurred on 19th September, when the checking of registers by an officer from the Education Committee was done in the shelter area. Another warning occurred when H.M.I. Miss Dewey was seeing the girls P.E. About this time, the Committee decided that when there had been an air raid during the night, children need not come to school until 10.00 a.m.

Evening school had re-opened in December 1939, and Mr. Peake had responsibilities there. On the 28th November, when he was in attendance with the classes, a raid warning was sounded at 7.30 p.m. and he "left at 4.15 a.m. when the "raiders passed" signal was given." In December, the Education Committee agreed that, unless there had been an air-raid during the night, causing a 10.0 a.m. start, schooi sessions should be from 9.15 to 12 and 1.30 to 3.30. Over the next months, these were amended as follows:- From 13.1.41 - 9.30 to 12 and 1.45 to 4.15; from 5.5.41 - 9.30 to 12.30 and 2 to 4.30 and from 4.11.41 - 9.30 to 12.30 and 1.45 to 4.15. The Junior Christmas Party on 17th December was interrupted by a raid which lasted for 1 hour and 20 minutes, but was completed the following morning, with the senior party in the afternoon and early evening.

Understandably, there were not as many visitors, although the Chairman of the Education Committee, Alderman Miss Mary Kingsmill Jones, visited on September 23rd. There were also visits from Miss Hayes, Headmistress of Armitage Street Girls School to offer surplus stock and Mr. R.D. Walker, Hon. Secretary of the Regional Council for Adult Education in H.M. Forces, to see about facilities in Evening school for those serving in the Forces. Both visitors recalled their days as pupils in Ardwick. The whole school, in two audiences, saw 3 Ministry of Information films and generous response was given to necessary causes. On hearing that some London evacuees in Bacup needed assistance, 40 parcels of assorted clothing were sent. A cheque for £10 was donated to the Manchester Aircraft Fund for the City "Spitfire" effort and £11 was raised by special efforts during "Battleship Week" to encourage National Savings. This contribution meant that 44 boys and girls, selected from forms by ballot, each received National Savings Stamps to the value of 5 shillings. They became their own property when the full amount of 15 shillings was completed. Later, a donation of 4 guineas was given to the Lord Mayor's "Aid to Russia" appeal.

Gradually, the war bit more deeply. To the best of available information, the first old scholar on a casualty list was 2nd Lt. T. Turner, nephew of Miss Turner. He was killed in action in June 1940. Another old scholar, Dr. M.D. Merriman was awarded the George Cross for work connected with bomb disposal. With a good deal of satisfaction, Mr. Peake recorded on 25th October,1940, "It is certain that, in spite of disturbed nights, due to enemy activity, the spirit of the school, evidenced by the manner in which the recent special efforts for "Spitfire" and "Battleship" funds and the collecting of clothing have been carried out, as well as the determination of boys and girls to be at school if at all possible, has been splendid".

Early in the Christmas Holiday of 1940, Manchester endured two very severe air raids and "teaching staffs were instructed, mainly by wireless, to report to school today, Saturday (28th December) from 9.30 a.rn. to 3.30 p.m. to register for a second general evacuation all school children whose parents desired them to go". As a result of this, 30 boys and girls (out of a total roll of 436) registered. School re-opened one week earlier on 30th December with 57% in attendance. This dropped to 30% on New Years Day. Evacuation was ordered for Friday, January 3rd, 1941 to a new reception area-Brierfield. The maximum number of places allowed there was 44; and on the appointed day, 41 children, led by Mr. Peake and Messrs. Smith, Hirst and Mrs Owen, Miss M. Williams and Mrs Cropper were evacuated according to plan, with Mr. Hirst and Miss Williams remaining in the reception area. School resumed in Manchester on Monday, 6th January, 1941 with 315 in attendance. 41 were at Brierfield, 4 still at Bacup, 4 evacuated with other schools,14 evacuated privately and 63 were absent. On that day, it was learnt that one of those absentees, Betty West, aged 13 had been killed in the raids of December 22nd/23rd and interred in Southern Cemetery in the mass burial of December 28th.

Brierfield was situated in Lancashire, midway between Burnley and Nelson. On 9th January,1941, Mr. Peake went there with Mr. W. L. Marsland, Headmaster of St. Mary's Road, Central School, Manchester, who had 21 boys and girls evacuated there. Together they made arrangements with Mr. Morton of Mansfield Senior School for some accommodation there. Mansfield School was in a new building fairly centrally situated, so that no very long journeys were entailed in going from billets to school. For half of the week two rooms were vacant for the Ardwick use. Mansfield worked on a six day timetable for the whole of January, and Ardwick and St. Mary's Road combined and worked as a separate entity. Prayers were held each morning with the Mansfield children, then a separate timetable operated, with all the evacuees in 3 groups-a 1st year, 2nd year and 3rd year. Most subjects were covered by the two staff for each school-apart from Boys P.E. which was taken by a Mansfield teacher. After January, St. Mary's Road worked as a separate unit, their staff having been reduced to one. Therefore, the two Ardwick teachers worked the whole timetable in two groups, except for Boys P.E. and Girls Music. A good deal depended on teachers' initiative, yet records of work done were well kept and Mr. Peake visited frequently. Boys and girls wrote a monthly letter to him, and staff there frequently wrote asking for advice or reporting progress, there being no telephonic communication. After a month, Mr. Hirst and Miss Williams were replaced by two others; and changes continued each month, with only minor complications such as different hol iday periods. By April, 1941, the number of evacuees had dropped to 30; by October it was 16. This meant that only one member of staff could be kept at Brierfield. At the beginning of December, 1941, agreement was reached that the 10 boys, 5 girls and 1 boy (attached from Ducie Avenue Central School) should combine with 6 St. Mary's Road children, and form one group, under Miss Jackson, a supply teacher from Lancashire and Miss Lord, the last Ardwick teacher on duty there, was able to return. Mr. Peake continued to visit, although the number had dropped to 10 in March, 1942. Finally, by agreement, the 9 evacuees remaining there on 25th August, 1942 were merged into the Mansfield school. It is tempting to suggest that this could have been done earlier, but that would fail to take into consideration the obligations of the evacuation system and the dire shortage of teachers at that time.

To complete the story of evacuation, plans were made by Manchester Education Committee for supplementary or "trickle" evacuation. This catered for late applications and individual cases. The reception area was Macclesfield, where Miss Brown of Fallowfield Central School, Manchester, was in charge of a group of Central School girls. Two girls from Ardwick went on 24th August, 1941, being conducted to the station and put on the train according to the procedure.On occasions, there were severe air raids-On 11th March,1941, there was an evening raid which did considerable damage in the vicinity, although the only damage to the school building was a small hole in the roof. Next evening's raid kept Mr. Peake and Mr, Willatt, with members of a newly opened Youth Centre of which he was Warden, in the shelter area until 4 a.m. May 5th,1941 was the sixth night in succession for air raid alerts; yet the attendance in the morning of the 6th May was 90%. The possibility of using the school as an Emergency Feeding Centre was considered in April, 1941. In the same month, a City Fire Brigade senior officer cailed to consider the suitability of the basement for storing 100,000 gallons of static water. In March the 4th year boys were given a demonstration of fire fighting by the father of one of the boys. A system of using older boys as a Raid Messenger Service was used, and Mr. Willatt had a squad from school through the new Youth Centre. Under the Fire Prevention Order of 1941, 3 male members of staff began fire watching duties for twelve hours during the night on 5th May, 1941, A rota was worked out to cover each night of each ordinary school day from eligible men and volunteer lady members of staff from the Central School and the adjacent Municipal Schools.

On 23rd March, 1941, school meals were provided for the first time, with the opening of a canteen in St. Matthew's Hall for the Central and Municipal Schools. The prepared food came from Mill Street Meals Centre and on the first day 200 meals were served at a charge of 4d. (except for those entitled to a free meal) and 8d. to staff. H.M. Inspectors visited the new canteen, and the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress came in December whilst the meal was in progress. Clothing was not always easily obtainable, particularly for over-sized children, and, according to the records, on 27th November 1941, "By the kindness of the managers of the local branch of Boots (Chemists) between 40 and 50 children who claimed to be, or over the stipulated weight of 7 stone 12 Ibs. to qualify for supplementary clothing cards on other grounds than age or height, were weighed. 1 f'3 applications founded on age (born 14.7.25 to 31.8.27 inclusive) weight as above, height (5 ft. 3 inches or more) were sent forward to the Education Offices". A dental inspection of those present was carried out in January,1941, and on August 11th steps were taken to catch up on medical inspections by examining all the new entrants of 1940. Diphtheria immunisation was given in Ross Place School building to those who applied, in April 1941. Sadly, a 4th form boy died of meningitis in Monsall Hospital in December.

For the 1st year intake of 1941,129 places were offered and almost all were taken up. From 1941 onwards there was a conscious effort to make things proceed as normally as possible. Summer games resumed at Debdale Park-an offer of facilities at the Burnage Babies Hospital Sports Ground being turned down. Gradually, school visits were arranged again. In March,1942, 40 boys and girls went to the High School of Art Exhibition with Mrs Moxon (Art) and Mr. Slater. In June of the same year, 40 boys and girls, with two staff saw "Twelfth Night" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in Platt Fields. Open afternoons for parents were held in June, and the annual Juvenile Employment Bureau discussions with leavers and parents continued. Employment prospects were good, because of the absence of many on military service, and, by June, 1942 Mr. Peake could note "Boys and girls in the fourth year began to go for interviews in response to the many applications made by firms in the city to the School".

The summer holidays in 1941 took place without interruption, but for the summer holiday of 1942, there was a "stay at home holiday scheme", presumably to encourage non-travel because so many coastal areas were closed. The school was to provide activities for children and it meant that each member of staff was on duty in school for one week out of four. Just before that summer holiday, the school had again been broken into but the damage and loss were negligible. The caretaker, Mr. Little, had joined the Royal Air Force in September,1941 and his successor showed his enthusiasm by over-heating the school, necessitating the delivery of extra keys to enable radiators to be brought under control.

Schools broadcasts were claiming attention. In October,1941, a representative from the BBC came "to listen with the children concerned, to the broadcast in the Orchestral Concert series". Again in November,1941, Miss Dorothy Davison, one of the compilers of the BBC serial ' How things Began" visited at 11.40 to listen to the week's instalment. The 4th form boys had a lecture in April 1942 on schemes of entry into the Royal Navy. There was an organisation called the Ship Adoption Society, whereby schools adopted a particular ship and a two-way communication was established, with charitable and educational advantages. Mr. S.E. Britten, Secretary for the Society visited the school in May and June, 1942, and no doubt arranged for a ship to be adopted.

The Central Schools Certificate examination results showed that confidence was restored after the disorganisation caused by the early months of the war. In July 1941, 58 certificates were awarded (7 failures) and in 1942, 69 were awarded (6 failures). Occasionally, H.M.i's Blackie and Pullen visited and in September,1941, Mr. H. Lester of Manchester Education Committee Inspectorate called for his last time prior to retirement. He had been a frequent visitor since 1909.

During these years, it was becoming difficult to maintain adequate staffing. Men were moving into the Forces, replacement teachers were not always immediately available, and evacuation caused problems. On one occasion, the school was seven teachers short-2 absent, 2 in the reception area,1 on sick leave and 2 who had left and not been replaced. Difficulties like these caused the term examinations for Christmas 1941, to be postponed until late January. Only one in-service course was possible during 1941/2, a Craft course for one week for Mrs Moxon. Miss Teggin retired in February 1941, after almost 38 years of outstanding service-the last four years as Senior Mistress. In this latter capacity she was succeeded by Miss Turner. Mrs A.V. Owen left the service in August 1941 (23 years) and Miss M. Williams in January 1941. She was succeeded by Mrs Moxon as Art Teacher in March. Miss I. Barnett also began in March, 1941. An old scholar, Miss H. Lord came in May 1941 as English teacher (29 years), Miss I. G. Sweating and Miss G.A. Jones both began in October,1941 and Miss Kellett (Geography) in December 1941, (21 years). Mrs Cropper returned in April 1942, after 6 months leave and an offer by the Inspectorate of the services of Mr. F. Whaite, P.E. Instructor on a part time basis, late in 1941 was accepted. Mr. F. Gill and Mr. J. Roscoe were called to R.A.F. service in April and December,1941 and Mr. L. Holding volunteered and joined the same service in July,1941. Mr. G. Wilson, a Book-keeping teacher, was loaned from St. Margaret's Central School for Tuesdays and Thursdays. Very sadly Mr. T. Gerrard died in hospital during the summer holiday of 1941. In 1939, he had the distinction of being elected President of the Manchester Teachers'Association for that year.

The Headmaster himself was actively engaged in teacher-politics. For many years he had been a well-respected and experienced member of the Manchester Teachers' Association Committee. In 1941, following the customary election, he became Teacher Representative on Manchester Education Committee, an office which he continued to hold with distinction for the next ten years.

The first three years of the war had been hard. Yet, by 1941, the situation had changed. Although the war had intensified, yet school was functioning on its own base again. Physical danger receded, but yet shortages and restrictions increased. Times continued to be hard, but in spite of challenges, the school continued to make noteworthy progress.