Brian Gayner an early pupil of Bath Tech School

Dear Bill
Many thanks for your response. I did in fact make the connection but
obviously forgot to alter my profile.I have visited the site The Tech site a
few times and looked at the various photographs. Bill Hayman always looks
magnificent I think. He lived a few doors away from me at The Oval. He lived
in an ordinary council house at the top of Oak Avenue.

Most people including professional people like Bill did in those days
because despite their status in the community they were not particularly
well off. He had one son called Peter I belieive.

I started at the Tech in the Engineering department in September 1945 Having
obtained a scholarship at thirteen years of age from West Twerton Boys
School.We were housed in wooden hutments on the east side of Brougham Hayes
for the first year. The Building department was housed in the Old Goal (jail)
at the rear of Dorset Street in East Twerton and the Commerce section which
was mixed was at Weymouth House near Abbey Green.

The second year we were all reunited at the Old Hospital building in Beau
Street. I left in June 1947. Major Castle was the principle in those days
and was followed by Mr Toft. Billy Boxall was head of Engineering and Bill
Hayman was his understudy as head of Mathematics.

Amongst others I remember is Gummy Freeman who took us for chemistry and he
could easily be distracted by talking about Portsmouth FC as he was an avid
supporter of them. We`d have him talking about them for a great deal of the
lasson and in the end we all knew practically everything about every player
that had ever signed for the club. I also recall that Mr Parker took us for
technical drawing, Miss Corrigle for english and a young guy called Mainwood
for history.
Mr Sharman was the PT guy and a Ray Jones took us for woodwork but thats
another story.

These were great days but corporal punishment was strong with plenty of
caning and a smack behind the ear from some too.

I would indeed be interested in any social get togethers but I haven`t found
many of my contempories on the site. Despite that I still know a load of
guys who were at school with me who might also be interested in getting
together sometime.

Anyway thanks again for contacting me and keep in touch

Best wishes

Brian

 

A further Communication received from Brian

 

Former company manager and group technical consultant (retired) aged 69.I was at South Twerton School before and including part of World War 2. The headmaster was Mr Sperrey. I was taught for a time by Miss Wilkinson, a wonderful techer and lady. Mr Marks was also there and I recall one of our masters,Mr Pope who was killed on active service during the war.I think Miss Abbott was also there at this time.

My time at Bishops Nympton School during the war was because I was evacuated to Devonshire from Bristol.I had relatives that lived in Bish Nym. Their family names were Westacott and Bowdon. The head master as I recall was named Mr Haskins. One local boys name I remember was Charles Bawden. Another local boy was surnamed Blake whose family owned a farm a couple of miles out of Bish Nym.Do any of you out there know of them ? They would now be around 70 years of age. Maybe they had children or grandchildren that attended the school who you might have known.I suspect the school site has changed since my days. During the war we were at the bottom of the village on the left and opposite the church. There was also a hall near the post office for the overspill of children caused by the avacuues. I lived at Furze Hill Farm for two years with a load of East End London evacuees which is about three miles from Bish Nym and we were transported by coach each day by a coach firm from Molland,called Gardiners and his premises were just behind Bishps Nympton and Molland railway station just past the Black Cock public hotel.

I returned to Bath and went to West Twerton Senior School.The headmaster was Mr Reg Dann. I was in Allen house and our house head was Miss Benjafield. Other techers I recall very well for her fierce reputation with the cane was Miss Elms who left her mark on most of us with six of the best if we misbehaved. Mr Rowell was our gym master and I recall a Mr Babbacombe.

I left West Twerton in 1945 on a 2 year scholarship to Bath Technical College (Engineering Dept:) which is not listed on this site, leaving in 1947. However our maths teacher was Bill Hayman who was a brilliant teacher who I drove to distraction because of my inability to get to grips with the subject. Mr Parker was our technical drawing guru and Mr Freeman nicknamed " Gummy" was our science teacher. Mr Mainwaring was our english teacher and Ray Jones taught woodwork and metalwork at the Old Jail which was the headquarters of the Building department. My first year was spent at the end of the war in Brougham Hayes where we were housed in wooden hutments and we were then transferred to the the Old Hospital in Lower Borough Walls in Bath for our second year. In those days the scolarship was taken at thirteen years of age for the Tech College. There was three departments. Engineering,Building and Commerce who were at Weymouth House and consisted of boys and girls educated together.