I was in the GCE stream of Ardwick Secondary Modern Girls School which joined onto ATHS, so I am trying to remember one or two of the most memorable experiences that happened to me and the other 30+ girls of the class known in the closing episode of ASMGS as "4E" until we joined ATHS for our fifth year.

We were a real "mixed" group of girls from all different types of backgrounds: the majority of us I guess, like yours truly, from a mix of Scottish - Irish stock, plus we had an Italian; a Pakistani, a couple of Indian girls, a Chinese girl, an American - Joanna that joined us for one year; a Nigerian - Claudine[?] , a Polish girl and a Welsh girl. For those days quite an assortment of different nationalities I'd say.

My personal favorite teacher for the entire period and who also joined us at ATHS was our Religious Education teacher - Miss Derbyshire. Miss Derbyshire will never know, although I may have appeared bored in her classes, just how much of her knowledge she passed on to me and has stood me in fine stead studying Judaism and other religions of the Middle East and for living in the Holy Land. Today, when walking or strolling somewhere I will see a name and it will all flow back to me (I can hear her words ringing through my ears with the stories of Jesus and the Sea of Galilee). When I won, yes won, a kayaking competition at the fine age of 42 in the area called the Galilee which is in the North of Israel -- as I looked upon the sea of Galilee -- I remembered her stories and of reading the bible with her for 5 whole years. I say to all my old teachers "Thank you" -- I enjoyed every minute of it. History -- a "special thank you" to our beloved Mr. Boyer - the information that you passed on to us have stuck with me (more or less) to date. I remember most vividly the Xmas party where Miss Derbyshire and Mr. Boyer donned in "hippy gear and long wigs" sang "I Got You Babe"! 

I remember in the cookery classes when one day a huge explosion was heard and Stephanie ended up with no eyebrows to one and all's amusement (apart from Stephanie that is). I hated with a deep true hate needlework classes, in fact, I think it took me 3 years to sew a blouse that was originally the height of fashion and in the end I gave it to the cat to use as a bed!! I still hate sewing. The scariest memory I am sure all ex-girls will remember is the sound of Miss McCraig [?] (the headmistress) 's cane as she walked down the length of the hall for morning prayers every morning. If you weren't standing erect and god forbid you should have a grin on your face (after all praying is a serious business right...?) then the headmistress stopped in her tracks and the "tap" of her cane stopped along with it! If Miss McCraig got angry a vivid red hot flush would start at her neck and work its way up to the top of her head -- I remember my life flashing before my eyes on one occasion at least! Talk about Freddy Kruger -- I think Miss McCraig was definitely way ahead of her time!

But for the year that I joined ATHS was almost as memorable in one year than I'd had in my four previous years. It was great instead of having to stare at the opposite sex from the inside of the school gates to be actually in class with males. I remember feeling it was a wee bit embarrassing to be sat in class with boys again -- remember we were now 16 years old and hadn't sat in a class with boys for 5 years!!! What a cultural shock for us girls, suddenly to be sat in class with boys again. Along with every other girl in our class I too had a real crush on Mr. Sayer the science teacher and I have to admit he's still "a looker". What's the secret?

Anyhow, yours truly did not waste much time and Jim Pollard and I "hooked up" pretty quickly and went out together for the whole of the time up until Jim left for Aussie land where he still is and very happy so it seems! My vividest memories of Jim Pollard is what a bloody great card player he was. Every day after school and homework we would sit down and play cards -- he won every time without fail and each time won a pack of money which he would use in order to take me out to the pics or somewhere. All the money my mum gave me (which was plenty) went into Jim's pocket which, in turn, went to cover the expenses of taking me out. I remember saying to my mum -- "I never win, he just win's every time" and she would say "Well its a good job - you'd never go out anywhere if he didn't win cos he never got any money!!" Anyhow, Jim and I are in touch again after 30 years and I bet anything that he's still probably winning at cards!!!

Linda (Collins) Robinson Ardwick Tech Class of 58 e-mail

I know I left Ardwick after my fourth year - I'm afraid I became terribly bored and wanted to start earning. Because of the subjects I wanted to take in the GCSE it meant I could not take commercial subjects, only typing. I decided to get my self a junior secretarial post and then went to night school where I gained my RSA in typing and Shorthand. I progressed from there and eventually ended my full-time career as Accounts Manager for a Danish Multi National Company - I retired three years ago when my husband and I came to the Isle of Wight. The estate agent who we purchased our house from offered me a part time job as Lettings Manager so I have been doing this now on a three day week basis.

Going back to Ardwick, something that stands out in my mind is the Manchester United plane crash in 1958 - I remember several of us were walking down Chancery Lane (now Chancellor) and when we approached the Station someone there told us about the crash. We were all devastated at the time.

This was going round the school at the time and has stuck in my mind ever since.

I remember Mr. Martin the Maths teacher - I was in his form 3M and 4M and quite frankly I didn't like him - I found him very intimidating - perhaps he was a mouse really - I've toughened up since then.

Mr. Noble I remember being a very gentle man teaching History although this was not a subject I was particularly interested in. Its strange really because now I find history tremendously interesting and we often have the History Channel on in the evening.

I was in the school choir which was conducted by Miss Greenhalgh and we performed at Manchester Free Trade Hall. I felt quite important!!!

I used to enjoy the school dinners surprisingly enough. We dined in the Gym downstairs and we often had Potato Pie and beetroot or red cabbage. Lovely puddings - spotted dick, treacle sponge, pink custard etc.etc.

I used to be quite embarrassed at having to do gym in our large green knickers with our blouses tucked in them, even worse playing netball in the school playground.

I can't remember anything else that would be of interest - the fact that I left school earlier than I should have done (my parents had to pay £10 to release me from school) - on reflection, I wish now that I had stayed on and took my GSE's.