Wigan Album

"Progrediamur"

That doesn't look right to me!!! Were you in the same year as Tony Dean??

May we progress?

According to Wiki it is !! - yes same year

Got to say I was as "Proud as Punch" to wear that badge on my blazer.

What do the three motifs' signify?

I didn,t do Wiki Chuff, that was from my memory box, having started at TLS in 1953, 60 years next September!!!

Correct Roy. Now, how about this:

Linacre whose name we proudly bear,
whose coat of arms we wear,
beckons us to follow in his steps,
In science and service we shall strive,
his heritage to keep alive,

Good old Clarence Thorpe.

What a pleasant surprise to see this old school badge. I went to Linacre 1956 straight from Wrightington Hospital School, follwing two of my former teachers from Highfield, St Mattjews.
I would love to hook up with old friend from that time, I kow some are scattered all over the place.
My class mate/neighbour Gordon Brown is in Austin, Texas. we're still in contact but I had a bunch of other pals that I long ago lost touch with.

I am sure I was in Crompton House (Light Blue)

Here is a list of the TLS houses:-RUTHERFORD. NEWTON. DALTON. BRUNEL. WREN. STEPHENSON. HARVEY. FARADAY.

David are you back in Wigan? I have a scrapbook, school mags, the Opening Brochure. and other items from the school if you would like to borrow them.

I am positive I wasn't in any of those. However time does play tricks with the memory.

These were the houses when I was there 1957-62.

As you say Chuff, good old Clarence Thorpe. Those house names are bang on Ron, i was a Stephenson man myself.

I was in newton and sure we were light blue,as far as athletics my exercise was a walk at lunch to Fanny Orgills

There were eight original houses at TLS as described in previous posts but these were cut down to four around 1962. The new houses were Arkwright, Bridgewater, Crompton and Peel. I was originally in Harvey House which was amalgamated with Rutherford to become Peel.

Thank goodness. I was beginning to think I had lost my marbles.

Very interesting Brandon, this is news to me and probably to many other ex TLS boys as it would appear from previous posts, i was long gone in 1962 so therefore new nothing about the changes.

I started in September 1961 and am almost certain I went straight into Crompton House. When I have been reading about these houses I was almost convinced I must have been wrong.

From memory Rutherford and Harvey became Peel, colour red. Brunel and Wren became Bridgewater, Colour Yellow, Faraday and Newton became Crompton, colour blue and Dalton and Stevenson became Arkwright Colour green. Although I am not 100 percent sure of the last two could be the other way round with the colours and house names.

Can anyone enlighten me, relating to my earlier question, regarding the three motifs. I believe it is quite interesting to know why such motifs are chosen.

The Thomas Linacre house always numbered 8 but when they amalgamed, were taken over by, the Wigan Grammar School the Grammar School Houses were kept and the Linacre Houses were assimulated into them. This happened in 1983. I know because i was the House captain of Farady and we joined into Bridgewater. I was made the House captain of bridgewater. Nothing that part of the Linacre was taken up by the new school. All school records which discarded also, so the first magaine of the new school apologises for there being no record of an events or awards at the Linacre.
Re the awarding of school colours to so called outstanding sports people, there were half colours, ie a cap badge for 16 year olds and full colours, blazer badges, at 18. I was fortunatr to be awarded both full and half colours for football, cricket and athletics. At the amalgamed school I was awarded full rugby colours, a sport not played at the Linacre but the sport I played most at for Orrell RUFC colts.

I was always in Crompton at TLS. I started in 1961. The amalgamation was in 1963. I went into Bridgeman at WGS. Read the reply regarding only four houses at TLS.

I started at Thomas Linacre Sept.1962.We where the last intake.As Broady says all houses changed in 1963,for the life of me I cannot remember what house I was in at Linacre.I was in Crawford at W.G.S.

Hi Albert, apologies if you already know the folowing info. The school was named after Thomas Linacre 1460- 1524. He was a humanist scholar and a physician. He became Rector of Wigan in 1520. The school badge is part of the Linacre family coat of arms. It would appear that the 3 scallops are a common occurence in heraldry. According to Wiki it is thought that the 3 scallops have some bearing to "The way of St. James" which is a pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. Apparently there are some scallop shells marking some of the route, and a lot of scallops are farmed on the Galicean coast which is in the region of the cathedral. Sorry I am unable to find any more positive info. We were never told anything about it when I was at the school.

Carl. I am very much obliged for such a knowledgeable answer. In case any old boys' didn't know what you know,at least, they know it now.

Re scallop shells on the Linacre coat of arms being related to the Camino De Santiago. I was fortunate enough to walk nearly 200 miles of this pilgramage two years ago. The scallop shell was carried in days gone by by the pilgrim as a vessel to drink from and a plate to eat off. Pilgrims were fed by locals each morning and each night and it is only 20 years this custom was stopped. The scallop shell is used on some signs but this is rare and is a modern thing. You still see the walking pilgrims with the shell hanging from their rucksack. Today the pilgrimage is carried out by cyclist and tourists on a coach. All Shout Bon Camino to each other as they pass. It was a truely remarkable experience and one I would recommend.

Brandon, i do believe your father was my favourite teacher of my favourite subject and was also my first form master 2A in 1953 the year the scool opened, he also encouraged me to play rugby, a game which i took up and enjoyed and still do enjoy but from a sittng position now, he was a smashing fellow Brandon.

In all of these wonderful ramblings through the passage of time I have only seen one mention of a TLS institution Fanny Orgils ... Where lunch was a pie, bottle of orange juice and a woodbine !!!

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03057875680000081

An interesting article for any TLS old boy.

As I remember it in the first year or two the house names were Drake, Frobisher, Rayleigh, and so on. I was in Drake. Then it was decided that these names weren't appropriate for a technical school and they were changed to Newton etc as mentioned above. Does anyone else remember these early house names?

I still have a pristine blazer badge as above that never got sewn on. I was in 2E to 5E with Carl Fairclough. After 4 years of listening to morning registration: Arrowsmith, Aspey, Baldry, Baldwin, Brown, Clark, Clucas, Connelly, Dean, Eckersley, Fairclough, Fairclough, Gaskell, Gasser, Goulden, Grey, Hart, Hilton, Holland, Johnson, Jones, Kenyon, Roberts, Savage, Shepherd, Smith G., Smith S., Webster, Wilding, Winstanley. (30 in class). Can't believe it's over 50 years since I left. Was only thinking about Clarence Thorpe (music) last week. Lovely guy.

Yes I agree Mr Thorpe was a great mild mannered teacher..............until you got on the wrong side of him and he took you behind the curtain to meet 'His Friend'......a very whippy cane !!!.