Underlea Open Air School Aigburth

[jeffro]

Hi Sandynan
sorry so long getting back, it wasn`t me it was my wife who was there in the 50`s.
her name was Bernadette Dean what was yours?

[Sandynan]

Hi Jeffro
My name then was Sandra Hanagan I doubt if your wife will remember me I was only there 6months if that, I was suffering from what they call nowadays School Phobia in those days it was called "nerves" but I was ten times worse going to that school. Ask your wife if she remembers having to have a shower I remember that as if it was yesterday that was because the Headmaster used to stand and watch! makes me cringe just thinking about it. We also had to have a sleep on little camp beds, anyway as I said I wasn't there very long Mum and Dad moved house so that I could leave but I suffered from that phobia all my school days.
Regards
Sandra 

[jeffro]

Hi Sandra
it`s jeffro`s wife here. Yes i do remember being watched whle having a shower but by woman teacher. I also remember the camp beds. I was there for about 5 years and I was friends with Brenda Evans, Florence -------, and Sally -----.

Bernie

[Sandynan]

Hi Bernie
I think it was 1953 when I went I really dont remember anyone I think I must have been in a state of shock lol Yes I remember a female teacher at the other end of the shower do you remember those hats we had to wear like what they used to call Pixie hoods? I have never liked showers since lol It is nice to talk to someone who went there I did ring the Education Department about the school about 15 years ago to find out if it was still open and I told this story to a lady there and she was absolutely appalled but let's face it in those day's nothing was out of bounds.
Lovely of you to reply Bernie
Regards
Sandra

[David Roberts]

hi all I went to underlea early sixteys to 1977 have you got any info on anyone that went around that time.

[garstonite]

Hi David - we are not allowed to put names of living people on here - but I can say I know a lad aged 65 - named *** Pollard - from Speke - do you remember him ??...by the way - a warm welcome to Rootschat

[Steve Clynch]

Hi David Roberts,

I attended Underlea from 1968-73. I was known as Clynchy. The headteacher was a great guy named Jeffrey Ashcroft. I have nothing but great memories of this school. I believe we cannot mention names of people living. I have been in contact with quite a few ex-pupils from this period. One of them moved to Perth, Australia and he is getting on well - although he misses Liverpool at times. On this site, somebody was talking about allotments being on the land Underlea was built. I don't think this was quite correct. Next door to the school was a recuperation hospital for cardiac patients. The allotments were at the back of this building. Regards.

[leffrey]

I was bussed in from the edge lane area in the early 60's  people who went their had lots of different disabilities. I had asthma and although it seems strange now to have to go to a special needs school because of it until the introduction of the inhaler in the early sixties  I couldn't do much without having an attack of asthma.Once I had an inhaler it meant I could do most things physically so was able to go to a ordinary state school!

[seerman]

Hi Jeffro
I went to Underlea School in the 1950's I have horrible memories about it how about you?
Sandynan

I would like to know if their is a list of pupils for the 1950s for this school.

Thanks for any help.

I went to Underlea from the age of seven (1953) until I left in 1962 at the age of 16. I loved the school. Mr McMennamin was the headmaster. Mr Bell was our teacher and the woodwork teacher was Mr Jones. But when I started at the school, the woodwork teacher was Mr Morgan. My teacher then was Miss Critchley. She got married and became Mrs Morgan, no relation to the woodwork teacher. Some of the pupils, my friends, were Mick Dwyer, Len Ginley, Alfie McKeown, Tony Kirkham, Jimmy Woods, Terence Rankin, John Freeman, Norman Jensen, John Benbow, and later, from Margaret Bevan School, Tony Lynch. We used to go to Southport every June. The local taxi driver gave their time free.  After we had luch, we used to go in to the rest shed and lie for an hour on folding beds. This was a magical time for me, and for many others I am sure. Some of the classrooms were Swiss-like chalets. In the summer the sides would open up to allow us to enjoy the fresh air. Miss Eaton was the assistant head. When I first started at the school my teachers were Mrs Quinn and Miss Goalen. I've posted some picks of the school, the chalets and a shot of the our class on the front lawn. I am on the back row far right. Mr Melia was the teacher. The school was primarily for kists with respiratory problems, some extremely serious and many passed away during my time at the school. The garden was Mr Fox and the caretaker was Mr Sharp. We used to collected from different parts of Liverpool at around 9am by a double Decker bus. I've read some extremely negative posts about Underlea, but as i attended there for most of my school life, I can honestly say it was a great school. It was demolished in the early eighties and was allegedly going to be shipped brick by brick to California to be the home of a millionaire. However, this never happened, and today it lies in a scrap yard somewhere in Japan. Billy Roberts