Wigan Album

My grandma once told me about these' wappin ont yed 'lessons but l never believed her until now.

St.Trinian's it's not and that Gym Mistress is no Alistair Sim or Margaret Rutherford- they wouldn't dare put a toe out of place!

Are those manacles on the back wall?

I remember that hall so well, (and NO, Veronica, I wasn't one of those "gels"!). I left school in 1969 but the hall looked just the same. There was a separate gym by then!

At least they didn't have to wear horrible bottle green shorts made in the first class that lasted to the last year in school. We had to make our own in the sewing lessons! Irene as you are mmmm a tad younger than me I never for a moment ...,,,,,,

Is that a ball and chain they are all holding ?

Er, Veronica you don't happen to have a photo of you in those horrible bottle green shorts do you?

Poet: This scene does favour an early dungeon.
Alas wielded nay more
Mysterious apparatus of yore
Gymnastic instruction strict mistress
Score of damsels in distress
Cranium cracked grimacing faces
Lesson learned juggling maces
Elongated arms broad shoulders
Duel reinforced bolder holders
Female specific ancient tooling
What joy Granma skoolin.

Irene, as you may remember from previous posts, I left H.A. G.S the year that you were born and I would suggest that the gymnastics hall pictured here was where the library was when we attended the Grammar Svchool. The assembly hall was an extension , probably built when the gym block was built.

You wouldn't have liked those 'shorts' one bit Dtease they were more like a long skirt down to the knees- come to think of it they were still down to the knees when I left school! We didn't have nuns for nothing at St Pat's y'know!!!

Nice one TD. I shudder to think what they're going to do with that rope.

I am sure this photo is where the Library was when I was at H.A.G.S.I remember that plaque on the wall. You are right, Irene we had Gym in the newer part.

Alan, I'm pretty sure the hall pictured is where we had assembly each morning; it certainly didn't house a library when I was there, but memory plays tricks. I can remember singing "Lord Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing" in that hall on my last day at school. The Gym was across the schoolyard from the main school in my day.

Veronica, think of the selfies you could have taken if you had turned up wearing your bottle green shorts for the cruise of "The Chocolate Bounty". At least you would have matched the Pea Green Boat.

I can't help thinking that these poor girls look like a punishment squad from Chairman Mao's China.

'Fraid GDub would have soon bunked ship
Me wearing bottle green 'shorts' to me knees, pretty double quick!

Were they long green shorts or short green longs, Veronica?

The Granada school is still there Irene went past it the other week , think they do something to do with music there now.may be wrong but thought I saw a sighn with words to that effect.

If you remember "It Ain't Half Hot" with little Don Estelle - but instead of Khaki the long short shorts were 'bottle green'! Not a pretty sight to behold GDub!

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"Mi shorts er too long" Veronica cries
"With legs ter mi knees and waist ter mi eyes"
"I can't do P.E. Sister I don't want to be seen"
"The colour is 'orrible and i'm not very keen"
"The Lord ath provided" the good Sister said
"Just pull the waistband over your head"

Serves me right for mentioning the unmentionables! Bottle green bloomers!

A delightful verse DTease, which also evokes thoughts of Wilfred Wimble - remember him?

Philip, I remember Wilfred very well. As a kid I had a paper round and one of the perks of the job was that I got to read all the comics. Dandy, Beano etc but my favourite was The Eagle with Dan Dare and his sidekick, Digby from Wigan.

DTease: You've certainly done all of the best-sellers. I never did The Eagle, and preferred the others that you mention, instead. But dependable Digby from Wigan ... there you go again shipmate; you've educated me.

This picture is similar to something out of 'School Friend' my favourite comic -' The Four Marys ' I recall three of the surnames: Mary Field, Mary Simpson and Mary Cotterell the other one escapes me-not bad though after 60 years!

I would imagine this is where my mother would have done her PE exercises in the 1930’s, thanks for posting Ron.

I think it was Mary Radley or Radcliffe, Veronica. xx.

That sounds right Irene -Radcliffe! Spot on !

Was it Mary Cotter, in the 4 Mary's? Or am I getting confused with the ladies in waiting of Mary Queen of Scot's?

Yes you are right it was Mary Cotter and I now think it was Bunty that they were in. Mary Queen of Scots did have the 4 Mary's who attended her. They may have been loosely based on them -not sure Granniannie.