Approve School boy 1950

[mikethebee]

Hi Bill B ?
You must be the youngest staff member?  On a photo I have is 8/10 lads standing in the background with Matron is a tall handsome chap with glasses?  We were on a day out at a Agricultural show - Borlace?.
We are not to write names phone numbers so more info will have to be by PM
If I remember right you were keen on taking photos if you got any copy’s I would love to buy them from you.. It will make you a few bob in your old age? You got to be 80/85.

I keep in touch with a few of the old boys and wives over a meal a pint and good old natter.
Not a lot of lads will admit to being in the approved school.
All the best Mike

[1687.]

Hi All, I worked on the farm [dairy] for most of my time at the CS and got to go to quite a few of the agricultural shows with Mr Borlace, a decent bloke. Sometimes we were used in the show jumping arena putting the fences back up after a horse had knocked it down. I think we even got extra pay for doing the job.  chances are I'm on one or two of the photographs and would love to see them.

[retiredoldie]

Hello again Mike,
Thanks for your reply. Sorry I was the world's worst photographer and have no photos fron my Cotswold days. My memories of 1963 - we were snowed in for about 7 weeks -no football! In the end we set to with a team of boys and cleared the football pitch and marked out with blue lines so that we could run off some of our energy.  I also recall organising the 6 a side football tournaments
The boys chose names for their teams but I cant remember any of the names. Sports day was another memorable occasion. Thetre was always argument between the staff concerning some of the race results particularly the 22 man relay race. The boys took part in House teams with great competitive spirit and ther event was always well attended by parents.
Staff were allowed to have the boys to help with the garden and we were able to provide tea and cakes and also cigarettes. I smoked in those days. I remember once sending a boy back to thje teachers staff room to fetch my cigarettes which I had left in my jac ket pocket. The boy was so pleased that I was prepared to trust him to do that and he told me so.  Is that info helpful to your research ? Indidentally you were correct with my age - I am 81 years old now !!

Kind Regards

Retiredoldie

[mikethebee]

MESSAGE TO ….. ip164jf
 I have tried to contact you though the PM but have been cut off.
 Please try contacting me again.   “Concerned”
Hope your still getting able to walk the road race?
 all the best mike

HI oldie. Nice to have a reply back
Well I think that’s put you in the slot after we left?
We didn’t help the staff we boys had to do everything; we built the roads- sheds- garden /farm it had to be self sufficient.
 There were very few parents ever attend that I know of,
Definitely NO smoking if we got caught smoking we were held over a chare and given 6 of the best.
Us lads in the early /late  1955/9 had the rough end of the stick.
We had to march everywhere left right left right attended by two staff members.
The standard working clothes were boots wool socks jodhpurs gaiters pants vest bomber corduroy green pullover, jacket buttoned .
 “According to the house you were in the pullover were Red St George, green St David’s,  blue St Andrews,
All the best mike from another old un

[retiredoldie]

Hi Mike,
             Yes you were absolutely correct you were at CS before I arrived in late 1962 and worked on St Davids house. I remember the green sports kit and the green pullovers. What you may not know is that the housemaster who hasbeen referred to in other postings was, during my time ,before the court to answer various allegations that had been made by a boy to Police.The housemaster was acquitted of the charges. However he was not allowed to return to the school !!

Kind regards

Retiredoldie

[mikethebee]

Hi old un
Yes he was at it all the time,
The young kids was scared stiff to make a complaint! Talk about top of the pops and Jimmy Saville he had nothing on …Jock And--s—n, he was so brazen.
Putting that aside for a min!! I have had news from an old CS boy “John F” that tells me He asked for his records? “WHAT!!!” unheard of.
He has received a few papers he tells me it don’t explain anything really! He thinks there holding a lot back.
Know more when we meet up again soon that’s if I can get the old bugger away from sleeping in front of the telly. If he ant asleep he’s falling off his bike.

All the best mike     another old un 

[Johnthecon]

Mikethebee.
While you out gallivanting I been doing some research.

I think we ex 'Approved School Boys' (& girls) need our own website. Where we can do our own things. We get no understanding from the 'established control freak sites'. I don't need some DH Magistrate type telling me what I CAN'T do on a site. Mention names!! or "Criticise" criminals like Mr Saville, or even, God forbid, make contacts etc. etc.) More interested in 'controlling' their own sites contributors than enabling contacts and understanding. Bit like the headmasters of the dodgy schools that contributed to all the abuse and nastiness that I experienced. They all the same breed if you ask me.

We need our own space on the internet, I say.

So tonight I see what .com names/TLDs are available for us.
We not too old to sort something for ourselves, are we??
I'm not; )

I don't want pseudo Roots. I want to see some simple, unadulterated truth.


Johnthecon.

[sarah]

Hi Mike,

I spotted that you have been trying to contact 164jfArthur68, but at the moment his emails are currently bouncing back to me as there some problem with his emails  he could have changed address, they could be full I do not know.

Johnthecon, RootsChat is a website for Family History Research our rule has always been no posting details on living people that is why there is the private Message system, there also to protect your email addresses and your own security.

Regards

Sarah

[mikethebee]

Hi Sarah thank you for your email
YOU! Spotted that I have been trying to contact 164jf, "WRONG"
I am hoping to hear from Retiredoldie  he is 80 years old, and you don’t allow personal phone contacts. Or encourage P/M which in turn has upset JTC
Thanks mike