Memories of the Seventies

Memories of an Old Monovian from the Seventies.
Bryan Daniels 1974-76
Reds under the beds 1975
Orient had failed to get promotion to the top flight by one lousy point, West Ham were in the cup final, England was a second rate football nation for the first (but not last) time in my life. It couldn't get any worse until - Monoux was being infiltrated by communists! Or so the Waltham Forest Guardian would have it believed. Monoux was one of very few schools that had compulsory sociology. In fact we had to stay for an extra lesson every day to allow for it. And the local rag was on a witch hunt to prove that we were all being turned into little lefties by Comrade Barry Clark and his sociology sect. It was a total storm in a tea cup, most of us felt less than indoctrinated and still didn't know the difference between sociology and necrophilia ( both having to do with "dead boring") - but it made life interesting for a week or so. Coincidentally, I've wound up living in what at that time was hardline commyland East Germany. So maybe the indoctrination DID take hold!!!

Monoux in the mid seventies
Have to answer David Gibbs' comments. Although the school had gone a long way downhill from the grammar school days, it can hardly be laid at the foot of Allen Brockman's door that the Labour government of the time was using Waltham Forest schoolchildren as guinea pigs. There was definitely a sloppiness about the school in that kids who didn't want to learn were left to their own devices and we definitely got away with too much (If I'd ever taken a legitimate sick note, it would've been classified as a forgery). So a lot of "problem children" maybe fell through the net. But I definitely don't see that as being any different from the other local schools at the time, it was endemic of the 2 tier secondary system, not of one or other school.
At the end of the day, when I tried and needed help, there was always a teacher there for me. When I didn't try, or didn't know I needed help, there wasn't. The school gate behind the playing fields was often too inviting and always badly policed - so some of our potential definitely disappeared down that road. But isn't that what they call character-building? One thing I definitely learned from those chaotic 2 years was, if you don't ask, you definitely don't get. I met a lot of good people at Monoux and even if I might have wished it to be different, my time there helped shape my life - and I can't see that it caused me to screw up as and when. I'm pretty sure I've managed that without Monoux's help!!!

Barry Clark
Never had him as a teacher but what a pleasure talking to a guy who was so obviously interested in what you had to say. Had the gift of making whoever he was speaking to feel important and would have been a brilliant politician, had he not been slightly to the left of Lenin.
His moment of true fame came, when refereeing an official school rugby match, he awarded an "own try" against a defending player who touched the ball down behind the try line. To non-believers of the oval ball faith it won't mean much, but it was a major cock-up!

Mr Reeves (Economics)
Had a real passion for his subject and actually held my interest for 90 minutes at a time, which was no mean feat at that time of my life for someone who wasn't talking about football or sex. Could out-abuse any pupil who gave him lip ( "Daniels, you don't know you're born. You're a loud-mouthed rebel and can't even find anything proper to rebel against") , probably due to his spending the school holidays working as a porter in Billingsgate (or was it Covent Garden? He didn't smell of fish.)

Mr Farman
Deputy Head, along with Mr Jenkins. Ex boxer with a bulldog stature - one short teacher I didn't mess with. Uncompromising but totally straight and very fair. You always knew exactly where you stood with him - a pleasure to receive your punishment from him!!!

Maud Williams
Whenever I come across Old Monovians there's one name that always rings a bell. I still can't make up my mind if the woman was a genius or totally bonkers. She hated the "modern" methods she was forced to use in teaching and would far sooner have had us all sitting to attention reciting grammar drill. When she corrected mistakes that voice could strip wallpaper at fifty yards and I can still hear her saying "between two, among many" if I try to find a moment of peace on a bad day. She was - either by accident or design - always a centre of attention, if she wasn't weaving her way, sat very unladylike on a little moped along the centre line of Chingford Road, she was clattering up the stairs in her daughter's platform shoes.
She never watched anything on TV that wasn't produced by the BBC and engaging her in conversation about I Claudius or Monty Python was a guarantee for a better mark.
She tried in vain to teach me basic manners, such as not walking down the high street eating pie and chips.
And oh those fishnet stockings - English on an empty stomach was never a good idea! I always imagined she was in a world of her own but when I met her in Sainsburys 7 years after I left school, she remembered me, my good and bad habits - and those of many others in my class too. Who was fooling who? Sorry, Maud - whom!

Mr Darawala
Short Sri Lankan Physics teacher who gave me my only detention and my only refusal for an O Level exam at Monoux. Couldn't make head or tale of his teaching, so complicated were his explanations - but Neal Jolly could, so the failure was maybe mine! The requirement to take at least one science course was always going to make life difficult for me and I never really got out of the starting blocks with Mr D, another in the long line of vertically challenged teachers I couldn't get on with.

Mr Wynward (Sociology)
Sociology teacher who tried countless times in vain to explain to me that my essays based on personal ideology and experience were worth nothing, if they weren't supported by Empirical Studies, which had to be cross referenced, quoted and generally given homage. This subject could have been so damn interesting, if we'd been allowed to discuss our own opinions - but, as no one had thought to carry out an empirical study of what we thought, it never happened. Got a B in the o level by randomly quoting every study I'd ever heard of ...and a few I hadn't. I learned later that there's only a random check of the quoted sources - had I known it at the time, I would've got an A!!!!
Mr W's moment of glory came one day when he wanted to say the word "organism", and out popped the word "orgasm" instead.

Mr Haslam (maths)
He with the stories about Smart Fred. We were forbidden to refer to him by his colour, although there was another Mr Haslam who also taught Maths and the only obvious difference was that one was white and one......... ;..em.........;.....eh........ wasn't. "Don't play clever Dickie with me" was his battle cry in a very disorganised class. I spent most of the time trying to find the true meaning of the Wombles' lyrics with Paul Rose. Pulled myself together just in time to get an undeservedly good B in the o level, much to Mr H's disgust. I met him at the poly in the late seventies and he seemed more at home with students who had passed safely through their puberty.

Mrs Pashley (French)
Statuesque lady who made the most of the very poor raw material at her disposal. Jeff Buggins was fascinated by her Amazonian proportions and never lost an opportunity to let us all hear about it every time he saw her.

Mr Pashby (German)
Poor bloke never got to grips with the basics of human nature and the psychology of taking control in a class was a closed book to him. Gave his heart and soul trying to break the brick wall of resistance - unfortunately he was using his head as the blunt instrument and got absolutely no thanks for his efforts. Had he got a class of willing students, I'm sure he had a mine of information to impart. I now speak fluent German, but it's despite and not because of these tortuous 2 years. When I think we'd all chosen to be there, I can't believe how badly we behaved as a class. But as Robert Barltrop has also said, the onus is on the teacher to take control, not the class to surrender it.

Comprehensive memories

I joined Sir George Monoux School from Chapel End in 1969 as a 4th former along with many school friends that I had known since infant days. I believe my year was only the second intake from the comprehensive schools so the pupils and staff at that time were a mixed bag of grammar school and the 'new kids' from the comprehensive schools. The comprehensive intake was taken from several local schools - if my memory is correct possibly up to 4 different schools. No doubt this was the new bright idea of the Education Minister of the day. Some of the pupils who came into the Monoux 4th form would have left at the end of the 5th year having spent only 2 years in the school - it would be understandable if those people felt no real affinity for the school when compared to someone who had joined at the age of 11 and left at 18 (as I suspect was the norm in your day). I suggest this is the reason for your observation about the lack of involvement from the 70s/80s pupils. There is no doubt that during my time the Grammar School influence was very strong however the school had been changed forever.
At my time the Headmaster was Mr Stirrup to whom I have much to be grateful. I actually left school at the end of 5th form having no aims or idea of what career I should take up. I spent the summer holidays of 1971 working in a menswear shop in Walthamstow High St and after a few weeks I began to realise what a dead end job it was. Towards the end of that summer break I received a letter from Mr Stirrup giving me the option to go back to school if I felt I had made a mistake. I didn't need any time to consider so having formally left school I then rejoined as a 6th former for the 71/72 year. I worked hard that year and although I could never say I had any specific career aspirations I did at least understand the importance of that step from school life to a working life. I left in summer 72 because I got a good offer from the Post Office (later to become BT). To be honest I was no more than average academically so the timing was just right however without the extra school year and exam results the opportunity wouldn't have arisen. I soon realised the importance of academic achievement within my work area and commenced studying for specialist vocational qualifications - something I did for 6 years which provided the springboard for a successful career. I believe Mr Stirrup passed away some years ago and it will always be a regret that I didn't make more effort to seek him out in his retirement years just to say "thanks - you changed the course of my life".
Once I left Monoux I joined the Old Monovians Football Club and spent many happy years with likeminded souls. My playing days are over now but I still manage attend the occasional Annual Dinner.

Regards
Calvin Bobin
.
I joined the school 2 years after the conversion and it was still a mix of pupils from the old Grammar days with the new Comprehensive guys.
The lessons were of the new comprehensive type, but with some old subjects still on the sylabus, such as Greek, Latin and Russian.
We still had "Rag Day" where anything was possible, and the Staff v Boys football match.
The teachers from the old regime still wore their gowns and commanded more respect than the long haired hippie types that were taking over.
The prefects of the "Upper Sixth" were all about 18 or 19 with long hair and beards and I remember the look of fear on the faces of boys from other schools who came to play us at football or cricket, whose pupils were only 15 or 16 years of age.
Sport was very big at the school at that time, and if you were in any way athletic you were encouraged to take part. I believe we got to the final of the All England Schools Football Cup at that time.
I know i made a lot of friends at the school, some of whom I still see regularly, and that I enjoyed being there, even though academically I didn't do so well.
I hope this helps with your research.
Chris Latham (72-75)

I was at Monoux from 1973-77. With hindsight I think the school was going through a bit of an identity crisis at the time with a number of the older teachers still in denial over the change to comprehensive education. I do have warm memories of Mr Chambers (French and Russian), Mr Potter (Biology) and Mr Booth/Crispin (PE). Rather strangely though I remember the teachers from Chapel End better!
All the best
Pete Brown

When I attended the school I had just turned 11yrs in 1968 after the eleven plus, my previous school being Chapel End. I cant remember for sure but I feel the comprehensive system was up and running when I began. It was strange days as most of the older boys ( No girls those days ) were very much the old grammer school chaps and the teachers also, wearing those gowns which flew behind them as they rushed down the stone corridors making crunching noises with the studs in there highly polished shoes. Quite scarry for the new boys who were all labeled as outsiders under the new system, unless you were good at sport or music, I do beleave my name is on some tennis cup during my time at the school. I also remember that the cane was still used and very often in our form, mostly for smoking in the toilets and putting chewing gum into the maths teachers new Ollivette. I believe that not many lasting frendships were forged during this time and the school spirit was lost because of the reluctance on all persons to accept change and accept that the old system would not work with the new comprehensive system.
Having said all that it was the best days of my school life and even after all these years and having lived in many different places, I am still proud to say that I attended St George Monoux. I left in 1972 and joined the Army and lost touch with all my friends from school including my best mate John Pitman ( a very good footballer at that time a boy with Spurs ). I've tried many different ways of finding him but to no avail.
I have many more memories about these great days and in time I am sure I will put them on paper. Nice talking to you Donald keep in touch.
Ian Housham ( housh )

Perhaps the reason why there has been little input from those of us who were there in the early eighties is that it was an appalling school. Not just the sort of place everyone who ever went to school grumbles about but a real shambles, neither a proper inclusive comprehensive nor the old-fashioned grammar that the black-gowned masters obviously thought they were working in. I have fond memories of the rest of my education but none whatsoever of Monoux. BY all accounts it seems to have entered a newly rejuvenated period as a sixth form college after we left, so that is worth being glad about.
Colin Moreton