On three occasions there was extra medical activity in addition to routine inspections and innoculation sessions. In 1975 and twice in 1976, tuberculosis cases were detected, and without any cause for alarm, form contacts, and in one case, most of the Lower School, as well as staff involved, were screened. Accident prevention lectures were given each year to the 1st year, and from 1975, there was a Highway Code Quiz team in both Lower and Upper Schools, ied by Mr. Sayer and Mr. Corry. In 1976, the former team reached the semi-final stage of the competition against a Stockport school.

The 6th form continued to organise parties at appropriate times in their Centre, generally at Christmas and at the end of the Summer term, and these were always well supported by the Staff. The Staff pantomime, produced by Mrs Griffiths and staged each December for the Lower School continued to be a tremendous success. The Christmas Fayre was arranged each year for the first Saturday in December and Mr. Gerald Kaufmann, M.P. always visited to open the event. In December 1976, the total profit was £483, all of which went into school funds to help maintain many activities. December 1977 saw the last Christmas Fayre, however, after which it was felt that the time had come for a change, with some other schemes of fund raising. By this time too, the mini bus was coming to the end of its life, and, as it became unserviceable, the cost of replacement was a matter for concern. To many sections of the school, the vehicle had been a great asset.

There was no decline in enthusiasm for games, with 1974 and 1975 particularly successful years for many teams and individuals. In 1974, school won the Manchester Schools under 14 Badminton singles (Stephen Smith) and doubles (Stephen Smith and Lebert Sherwood), with the runners up also from school. In 1975, the 3rd year team won their league. Weston Samuels won the City under 16 Singles title and played for the u-16 City Boys team. Also in 1974, the U.13 Cricket team won their league and then the cup in an exciting final. Their opponents were all out for 64. School made 38 for 9, and then slowly built up that total, eventually wanting

4 runs off the last ball and scoring 5! Graham Keeley and Stephen Ellis both played for South Lancashire Senior Boys Football team, and the former, with Thomas Kelly, also playing for Manchester Senior boys team. In 1974, the 1st year Netball team won the schools knock-out tournament. In the following year, as the 2nd team they were runners-up in their year competition, as were the 3rd year team.

An Under 15 Girls Athletic team won their area championship and came 4th in the Manchester Championships. 3 Rounders teams won their leagues, and two won tournaments in the next year. In 1975, the 1st and 3rd year Cricket teams and the 1st and 4th year Soccer teams ail won their respective leagues, and Susan Rowland and Belinda Carrington had the distinction of playing for Lancashire Schools Netball team. Each year visiting football teams from Northern Ireland were entertained, and the P.E. staff always took some 5th year girls who were leaving to organised sports rallies at the Ardwick Sports Centre. In March 1976, Mrs Easby, Mr. Sutton and Mr. Barnes took 60 boys and girls from the Upper School to give displays at the official opening of Moss Side Leisure Centre.

The House system gave opportunities for many to take part in competitive games. Swimming galas continued on an Upper and Lower School basis; a Sports afternoon on the field was held each May, often with trials and some field events held earlier. Table tennis, a still lively activity and organised now by Mrs Stretch, followed Basketball as a new sport in the system. Yet by 1976, it was clear that declining numbers in school made it hard to maintain the original 6 houses. Consequently,4 new houses were set up, with names selected by staff ballot. These houses were led by staff who volunteered for the task, and Mr. Harper continued as organiser, re-allocating all scholars to new houses. The new houses and original staff were:-

Dalton House - Mrs K. T. Bailey and Mr. R. M. Crowe

Gaskell House - Mrs P. P. Morecroft and Mr. J. P. Corry

Lowry House - Mrs C. Griffiths and Mr. B. R. Bedford

Owens House - Mrs J. M. Levine and Mr. N. G. Donnan

The scheme, with its assemblies, competitions and merit mark system continued as before, although by this time the craft competition was discontinued. There were, of course, many members of staff who enjoyed participating in some way in activities at either house or school level. The staff were almost always able to field a football team, a cricket team and often a mixed netball team against the school-matches which ensured lively participation and encouragement.

Outdoor pursuits continued in various ways. Mr. Crowe took 14 4th year boys to Hollingworth Lake on a sailing course for 5 successive Thursday mornings, and Mr. Moloney took two groups of 5th year boys out walking. From September 1974, two days each week were set aside for Mr. C. R. Etherden to take out groups from each form in turn on an outdoor exercise, together with another member of staff. In November 1974, with Mrs L. Lewis, he took 30 from the 1st and 2nd years to Birch Lodge at Hope for one week, parents paying part of the cost. With Mrs Etherden he organised a camp for 4th and 5th years for a few days in July 1975. The M.E.C. camp at Ludworth was used for a week in September 1975, and he took a 2nd year group there with Mr. Riley and Mrs Moorcroft in September 1976, and on two occasions a small group of seniors went with him to Ghyll Head Outdoor Pursuits Centre for a weekend's activity. In February 1977, with Miss Morris, another group had a 14 day stay at that centre. A small 4th year outdoor pursuits experimental group, working within the timetable, used the former rural studies room as a centre, and on one occasion in April 1977, a night camp was arranged for them as one of their exercises. Sailing opportunities were used as they became available. Some boys took part in an M.E.C. sailing competition at Fairfield reservoir in October 1976, and Mr. Etherden and Mr. Crowe continued to take 4th and 5th year boys to the Hollingworth Lake Courses.

Mr. Johnson,with his colleagues Mr. Crowe, Mr. Jones and Miss Grundy held regular fieldwork days for 4th and 5th years in the Goyt and Tame Valleys and the Castleton area, and Mr. Johnson took his 6th form groups out for both day and weekend visits to Penrith, Scarborough, S. Wales and Snowdonia. Mr. Bygrave regularly visited the Rostherne and Martin Mere areas with various Biology groups, at times accompanied by Mrs O'Malley, who occasionally took her own groups out. Mr. Lees continued these activities from September 1977. Dance groups were taken by Mrs Easby, Miss Morris and later Mrs A.V. Smith to other schools to give displays or take part in "afternoons of dance", which occasionally were held in "N" Hall. In April 1976, a special display was given one evening for staff, parents and invited guests. On another occasion, Longsight Library was the centre for display and when the Manchester Dance Centre was established, school groups took advantage of the opportunities available.

Either 1st or 2nd year forms were the ones chosen to attend Halle Concerts, together with music groups from the Upper School, who were frequently taken to recitals and midday concerts by Mrs Bailey and Mr. Riley. In December 1973, a senior choir group joined a larger group in performing a schools' concert; the band participated in Altrincham and Heaton Mersey Musical Festivals in 1974 and played at the Ideal Homes Exhibition in Manchester (1974); Ducie High School (1974); in Gorton (1976) and in Hulme (1977) and at several church or chapel concerts. Each year until 1979, they played by invitation in Deans Court, Crown Square, as part of a summer week of midday schools' music. From 1975 this brass band slowly became converted into a wind band by the addition of a wider range of instruments, and band and choir continued to hold the annual Carol Concert, with the usual gifts for old folks as arranged by Miss Irlam, and led the Carol Service at the end of the year in St. Thomas's Church. Sadly this service had to be discontinued after 1976 because the Church was no longer available, or rather, unusable. End of term musical concerts were often arranged with items by band, choirs and guitar and instrumental groups, wit much help coming from M.E.C. peripatetic instrument teachers. There was a lively Music and Dance evening in April 1974, a concert which included Dance routines performed with modern visual effects. The Manchester Stage Youth Band gave a stimulating concert in June 1974. The Baccolean Singers-a Male Voice Quartet-gave a recital to Junior forms in January 1975; and in June of that year 200 boys and girls from several secondary schools attended in "H" Hall for a schools' choral afternoon; in March 1976 "N" Hall was used for the rehearsal and presentation of an East Manchester Centre Concert for Primary Schools and an M.E.C. music afternoon was held there in July 1977. From September 1977, a steel band was developed and soon began to make its presence heard.