Wigan Album
Wigan Grammar Schools
9 Comments
Photo: Brian Elsey
Item #: 14554
In charge of a Manchester school for ten years, Mr W. G. Merriman is now Headmaster of Wigan Grammar School. In a big city, he always felt on the fringe of things, in Wigan - "the town has always given a high priority to education" - he likes the feeling of being in the centre of activities.
Taken from Lancashire Life magazine, April 1964.
My old headmaster saw him last at a Christmas recital at St.John on Standisgate,about 12 years ago, first time I'd seen him since I'd left school in 1973.
He turned up many years after I had left the Grammar School as a teacher at the school my children went to near Ormskirk. Heard he'd passed away a few years ago. Quite a decent chap. Hadn't quite got the "flog em once a day " attitude held by many at the Grammar School in time before he arrived.
A thoroughly decent bloke, but he did once say to me "if I was you Batho, I'd put my head in a bucket of water and drown myself!!!"
I met Mr Merriman when I went to Linacre Hall to watch my eldest child in some sort of Carol Festival almost twenty years ago. When I said hello I could not have imagined him remembering me despite my many visits to his office for bad behaviour. To my complete surprise he remembered my name without any prompting whatsoever, and went on to chat with me for quite a while about how I had made my way in life.
An earlier comment sums up how I felt about him - he was a thoroughly nice man who used corporal punishment as a last resort.
God bless him.
mr merriman was headmaster when it was mesnes high school in 73 . . he was lovely . . remember the speech days at queens hall and when he used yo take part in the plays at thomas linacre theatre , iop teacher and great headmaster
very talented leader at .chorlton grammar school. No recollection of a hanger and flogger
I got to know Mr Merriman well years after school, through his involvement in the musical life of the town.
He was a thoroughly decent man who preferred to see the best in people and who walked the walk and tried to encourage it.
Decent bloke who was a people’s person. You always felt in a given situation, that you’d get the benefit of any doubt with him - which certainly wasn’t always the prevailing attitude with others !
Mr Merriman hardly knew me as I was ex - Thomas Linacre but he went the extra mile to get me an interview at Salford RCAT well after the closing date for entries in 1965. I have appreciated that ever since.