# London nautical school - Woolverstone



## Alan Rawlinson

Any old boys from LNS Woolverstone around?

We are all getting on a bit, but the memories are fresh! the uniforms, the discipline, the fences, the ' liberty bus' and the weekly matches against Ganges in cricket or football - not to forget the boating on the river Orwell.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*last one*



Alan Rawlinson said:


> Any old boys from LNS Woolverstone around?
> 
> We are all getting on a bit, but the memories are fresh! the uniforms, the discipline, the fences, the ' liberty bus' and the weekly matches against Ganges in cricket or football - not to forget the boating on the river Orwell.


Looks like I am the last onr standing... ( switch off the lights?) I did go back in the 80's when it was a boarding school, and all the old Nissan huts had long gone, and it was all grassed over. Quite an eerie feeling.

For the record , the boys in 12 Dorm were Alex Loveday; Peter Lightbody; Jack Wesson; Mick Mann, yours truly, and a few others.


----------



## 2newfie

There are a couple of us who were there in 1950 as the forerunners of the LCC boarding school and so were there for the last year of LNS.We were in 6 dorm.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

2newfie said:


> There are a couple of us who were there in 1950 as the forerunners of the LCC boarding school and so were there for the last year of LNS.We were in 6 dorm.


Thank goodness for that!

I was getting that feeling like I was all alone - just like a spooky movie!

I am aware of a couple of lads ( now approaching 80) who were there in 1950, and later went into the Bank Line where I was, one of whom was a bugler calling us to that freezing shower block every morning....

cheers
Alan


----------



## 2newfie

Our dorm monitor a chap called "Apples"Hepworth was one of those buglers.We were in Foretop Division.One of us newbies had to get up and open the window by his bed so that he could sound "Reveille" and "Showers" without leaving the warmth of his bed.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Woolverstone routines*



2newfie said:


> Our dorm monitor a chap called "Apples"Hepworth was one of those buglers.We were in Foretop Division.One of us newbies had to get up and open the window by his bed so that he could sound "Reveille" and "Showers" without leaving the warmth of his bed.


I remember the name. 

I ended up in charge of 12 Dorm and from memory the 'new' lads were 11 yrs old? Can recall some of the names - Gilbert, Day, Evans. Day was a tubby lad.

My claim to fame was the daily task of hoisting the flag at the morning Divisions. and was assisted by a boy called White.

Presumably you had a few years in civilian clothes, and later had a career starting at sea?

Cheers/Alan Rawlinson


----------



## jimthehat

2newfie said:


> There are a couple of us who were there in 1950 as the forerunners of the LCC boarding school and so were there for the last year of LNS.We were in 6 dorm.


I wonder if you were there for the first year of woolverstone hall?
I still have the school photo which was taken at the back of the school in October 1951,its one of those old long photos ,and we looked a fine bunch of lads.
I think that 6 dorm was foretop div and the last hut on the front row far left.
I was a buglar,tried for the band but was hopeless.

Jim ferrier(haggis)


----------



## 2newfie

jimthehat said:


> I wonder if you were there for the first year of woolverstone hall?
> I still have the school photo which was taken at the back of the school in October 1951,its one of those old long photos ,and we looked a fine bunch of lads.
> I think that 6 dorm was foretop div and the last hut on the front row far left.
> I was a buglar,tried for the band but was hopeless.
> 
> Jim ferrier(haggis)


I was there for the first year of woolverstone hall 6 dorm was foretop but was all alone by itself near to the shower block.


----------



## 2newfie

Alan Rawlinson said:


> I remember the name.
> 
> I ended up in charge of 12 Dorm and from memory the 'new' lads were 11 yrs old? Can recall some of the names - Gilbert, Day, Evans. Day was a tubby lad.
> 
> My claim to fame was the daily task of hoisting the flag at the morning Divisions. and was assisted by a boy called White.
> 
> Presumably you had a few years in civilian clothes, and later had a career starting at sea?
> 
> Cheers/Alan Rawlinson


Those are names that bring back memories.I left to join the MN in 1955


----------



## jimthehat

2newfie said:


> Those are names that bring back memories.I left to join the MN in 1955


I expect then that there are quite a few of us around who are standing proud in my photo,I left in summer 52 and i was in Johnstones house.i am not savvy enough to transfer the photo onto the web site,I would have to copy it in two sections and then the difficult part .

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Woolverstone names*



jimthehat said:


> I wonder if you were there for the first year of woolverstone hall?
> I still have the school photo which was taken at the back of the school in October 1951,its one of those old long photos ,and we looked a fine bunch of lads.
> I think that 6 dorm was foretop div and the last hut on the front row far left.
> I was a buglar,tried for the band but was hopeless.
> 
> Jim ferrier(haggis)


Jim

Always wanted to be a drummer, but didn't have the nerve to try!

Loved the band, especially on Divisions, playing " On the Quarterdeck " , and the march down to the church. Can also remember the church services and the boring sermons when we got up to various tricks to pass the time. 

On another tack, there was a stocky lad called Tribe in our Dorm, and I seem to remember him getting involved in a punch-up or two. Do you recall the name?


----------



## 2newfie

I was in Corners after LNS closed


----------



## jimthehat

2newfie said:


> I was in Corners after LNS closed


We are getting there yes I remember Tribe,one i used to keep clear of.In my dorm there were a couple of twins and we were very good mates they both went on to ganges.
So civvy houses,johnstons,Corners halls and i cant remember the fourth one.

jim


----------



## jimthehat

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Jim
> 
> Always wanted to be a drummer, but didn't have the nerve to try!
> 
> Loved the band, especially on Divisions, playing " On the Quarterdeck " , and the march down to the church. Can also remember the church services and the boring sermons when we got up to various tricks to pass the time.
> 
> On another tack, there was a stocky lad called Tribe in our Dorm, and I seem to remember him getting involved in a punch-up or two. Do you recall the name?


 Played the last post down at the church,but got excused church parade being a catholic.


----------



## 2newfie

jimthehat said:


> We are getting there yes I remember Tribe,one i used to keep clear of.In my dorm there were a couple of twins and we were very good mates they both went on to ganges.
> So civvy houses,johnstons,Corners halls and i cant remember the fourth one.
> 
> jim


Hansons was the other and they later added Berners for !st years.I always the remember the Divisions on the road and the order that went out"RC'c and Jews fallout".I was quite willing to be one or the otheron a very cold morning.Guess that wouldn't be "politically correct" now(lol)


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Life after 'square rig '*

I often wondered what the regime was like after the nautical school ceased. I left in 51, the last year that the nautical regime operated. How different was it, I wonder? No uniforms, but what about being called to the showers by a bugle call ( 4 blasts for the quarterdeck) Did that stay the same?

Divisions?
Dormitory inspections?
March to church?

I gues the ' liberty bus' into Ipswich at weekends became a plain old minibus!


----------



## 2newfie

Alan Rawlinson said:


> I often wondered what the regime was like after the nautical school ceased. I left in 51, the last year that the nautical regime operated. How different was it, I wonder? No uniforms, but what about being called to the showers by a bugle call ( 4 blasts for the quarterdeck) Did that stay the same?
> 
> Divisions?
> Dormitory inspections?
> March to church?
> 
> I gues the ' liberty bus' into Ipswich at weekends became a plain old minibus!


We still had CPO Matthews getting us out of bed but other than that everything nautical disappeared.We kept the sailing dinghys and did eventually get a Sea Cadet Corps going but it mainly became ,whilst I was there,a typical boys boarding school.


----------



## jimthehat

2newfie said:


> We still had CPO Matthews getting us out of bed but other than that everything nautical disappeared.We kept the sailing dinghys and did eventually get a Sea Cadet Corps going but it mainly became ,whilst I was there,a typical boys boarding school.


Does anyone remember the crosscountry runs in mid winter?I won the intermediate and senior runs my last two years there,and was captain of the rugby team.

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*cross country*



jimthehat said:


> Does anyone remember the crosscountry runs in mid winter?I won the intermediate and senior runs my last two years there,and was captain of the rugby team.
> 
> jim


Yes, Jim, remember them well. I never managed to win one, but got a huge kick out of starting at the back with all the fatties and secret smokers, and then working my way through the field to end up in the top 5 or so.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*post nautical*



2newfie said:


> We still had CPO Matthews getting us out of bed but other than that everything nautical disappeared.We kept the sailing dinghys and did eventually get a Sea Cadet Corps going but it mainly became ,whilst I was there,a typical boys boarding school.


Thanks - was the band kept on?

I remember Mathews ( a great character, who got me on the right track). The other RN types were Pamplin and Denton. Did they stay on?

Do you remember Mr Mathews carried little poems on cards in his top pocket, which he could be induced to read out when he was in the right mood.

A few of us 'old boys' drove to his house to see him in Grays after his retirement, but he cleared off to the pub for a darts match, I think it was.!


----------



## Split

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Thanks - was the band kept on?
> 
> I remember Mathews ( a great character, who got me on the right track). The other RN types were Pamplin and Denton. Did they stay on?
> 
> Do you remember Mr Mathews carried little poems on cards in his top pocket, which he could be induced to read out when he was in the right mood.
> 
> A few of us 'old boys' drove to his house to see him in Grays after his retirement, but he cleared off to the pub for a darts match, I think it was.!


Why was it called London Nautical? I went to London Nautical School in Stamford Street where it moved from Comber Grove after being evacuated in Wales.

I left in 1948 and realise that the present school bears little resemblence to its nautical past.


----------



## jimthehat

Split said:


> Why was it called London Nautical? I went to London Nautical School in Stamford Street where it moved from Comber Grove after being evacuated in Wales.
> 
> I left in 1948 and realise that the present school bears little resemblence to its nautical past.


It was aschool set up and run by the london county council.
the school was split up into two withe boarding school at woolverstoneand the day school some where in the east end.

re staff the commander as we knew him stayed on and became the school burser and stands(sits) proud in the oct 51 photo as does Mr mathews and taffy Edwards the sports coach.
jim


----------



## 2newfie

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Thanks - was the band kept on?
> 
> I remember Mathews ( a great character, who got me on the right track). The other RN types were Pamplin and Denton. Did they stay on?
> 
> Do you remember Mr Mathews carried little poems on cards in his top pocket, which he could be induced to read out when he was in the right mood.
> 
> A few of us 'old boys' drove to his house to see him in Grays after his retirement, but he cleared off to the pub for a darts match, I think it was.!


It was the first thing you heard as he marched from one Nissen hut to another,and he always took up where he left off as he carried on from one hut to the next.As far as I remember only he and Commander Wiseman remained after the change over.I remember Denton as well.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

2newfie said:


> It was the first thing you heard as he marched from one Nissen hut to another,and he always took up where he left off as he carried on from one hut to the next.As far as I remember only he and Commander Wiseman remained after the change over.I remember Denton as well.


Interesting - I remember him fondly...

There was a Norwegian Nav teacher called Johannsson. I still have my reports, and one in particular, where he wrote the great slogan " This boy has more enthusiasm than natural ability " !

I'm still getting over it. He did steer me through ' O ' level Navigation, though. Always remember the ' O ' level seamanship, where we had to sail, row, and scull the big heavy whalers down on the Orwell. ( The paper was set by Pangbourne College, if I remember correctly)


----------



## jimthehat

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Interesting - I remember him fondly...
> 
> There was a Norwegian Nav teacher called Johannsson. I still have my reports, and one in particular, where he wrote the great slogan " This boy has more enthusiasm than natural ability " !
> 
> I'm still getting over it. He did steer me through ' O ' level Navigation, though. Always remember the ' O ' level seamanship, where we had to sail, row, and scull the big heavy whalers down on the Orwell. ( The paper was set by Pangbourne College, if I remember correctly)


Now I remember nav and seamanship ,could not remember who set the papers but it was the school certificate and one had to get five subjects to gain the qualification ,

jim


----------



## Joe C

*Capt.Johannsen*



Alan Rawlinson said:


> Interesting - I remember him fondly...
> 
> There was a Norwegian Nav teacher called Johannsson. I still have my reports, and one in particular, where he wrote the great slogan " This boy has more enthusiasm than natural ability " !
> 
> I'm still getting over it. He did steer me through ' O ' level Navigation, though. Always remember the ' O ' level seamanship, where we had to sail, row, and scull the big heavy whalers down on the Orwell. ( The paper was set by Pangbourne College, if I remember correctly)


Excuse the intrusion onto your thread but there was a Capt. Johannsen at KEVII in '53 when I was there, who also had a good line in reports.When I laid out a fellow crewmember when shipping an oar he reported,"Better in charge of a boat than an oar!"I wonder, was it the same Capt.Johannsen?


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Johannson*



Joe C said:


> Excuse the intrusion onto your thread but there was a Capt. Johannsen at KEVII in '53 when I was there, who also had a good line in reports.When I laid out a fellow crewmember when shipping an oar he reported,"Better in charge of a boat than an oar!"I wonder, was it the same Capt.Johannsen?


Hallo Joe,

Could well be the same bloke, as presumably the job at Woolverstone disappeared when they dropped the Nautical theme in 1951.

Even after all these years, I still have an image of him and he was not very tall - maybe about 5'9" or so ?? Trim built, as opposed to some of the lecturers!


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Woolverstone teachers/lecturers*

I can recall a couple.........

Grout (Geography) - A huge bloke with 'club like' hands which he liked to use to cuff us round the head, frequently. ( Not allowed today, of course)

Lidster - Maths, and a bit of a tyrant in my book.

The Head ( name escapes me) appeared some 15 years later on the bridge of the ferry I was on - bombing along in the dark, and he came up the bridge ladder, a bit worse for wear. After a few minutes we had established our common time spent at Woolverstone, and then I had to get him removed as he was draped over the auto pilot.


----------



## jimthehat

Alan Rawlinson said:


> I can recall a couple.........
> 
> Grout (Geography) - A huge bloke with 'club like' hands which he liked to use to cuff us round the head, frequently. ( Not allowed today, of course)
> 
> Lidster - Maths, and a bit of a tyrant in my book.
> 
> The Head ( name escapes me) appeared some 15 years later on the bridge of the ferry I was on - bombing along in the dark, and he came up the bridge ladder, a bit worse for wear. After a few minutes we had established our common time spent at Woolverstone, and then I had to get him removed as he was draped over the auto pilot.


Was that the same maths teacher who used to throw the blackboard wooden duster at anyone he perceived not to being attentive.

jim


----------



## 2newfie

Alan Rawlinson said:


> I can recall a couple.........
> 
> Grout (Geography) - A huge bloke with 'club like' hands which he liked to use to cuff us round the head, frequently. ( Not allowed today, of course)
> 
> Lidster - Maths, and a bit of a tyrant in my book.
> 
> The Head ( name escapes me) appeared some 15 years later on the bridge of the ferry I was on - bombing along in the dark, and he came up the bridge ladder, a bit worse for wear. After a few minutes we had established our common time spent at Woolverstone, and then I had to get him removed as he was draped over the auto pilot.


I remember Crout used to whack peoples desk with the rolled up wall maps if they weren't paying attention and I have known he chase a boy up the stairs walloping him with a golf club for forgetting his Geography books.(O happy days)He also was a bit fanatical about eating fish and woe betide any boy that left any on their plate.(Scribe)


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

2newfie said:


> I remember Crout used to whack peoples desk with the rolled up wall maps if they weren't paying attention and I have known he chase a boy up the stairs walloping him with a golf club for forgetting his Geography books.(O happy days)He also was a bit fanatical about eating fish and woe betide any boy that left any on their plate.(Scribe)


Can recall the woodwork bloke, called Young, and still have an oak stool that I made under his guidance.

Must have been 1950 or 1951 I was in the crew of his yacht when he entered the Harwich Regatta, and we were supposed to race 3 times around the SUNK light vessel ( in those days). Anyway, it got very rough, and the organisers shortened the course to twice round before calling it off. We fell foul of the old wreck outside of the entrance - believe the patch of shoals was called ' The rolling Stones ' ( Jim?) and there was a mast sticking up with shell holes in it. Mr Young's wife was spotted praying on her knees in the cabin! but being boys we thought it was all great fun.

The sequel was that when we finally got back up the Orwell to our moorings, and dug into beans on toast, he later discovered we had won the shortened course, and Young was presented with a cup.

Did he stay on, I wonder?


----------



## Split

Alan Rawlinson said:


> I can recall a couple.........
> 
> Grout (Geography) - A huge bloke with 'club like' hands which he liked to use to cuff us round the head, frequently. ( Not allowed today, of course)
> 
> Lidster - Maths, and a bit of a tyrant in my book.
> 
> The Head ( name escapes me) appeared some 15 years later on the bridge of the ferry I was on - bombing along in the dark, and he came up the bridge ladder, a bit worse for wear. After a few minutes we had established our common time spent at Woolverstone, and then I had to get him removed as he was draped over the auto pilot.


Crikey! What an example!


----------



## jimthehat

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Can recall the woodwork bloke, called Young, and still have an oak stool that I made under his guidance.
> 
> Must have been 1950 or 1951 I was in the crew of his yacht when he entered the Harwich Regatta, and we were supposed to race 3 times around the SUNK light vessel ( in those days). Anyway, it got very rough, and the organisers shortened the course to twice round before calling it off. We fell foul of the old wreck outside of the entrance - believe the patch of shoals was called ' The rolling Stones ' ( Jim?) and there was a mast sticking up with shell holes in it. Mr Young's wife was spotted praying on her knees in the cabin! but being boys we thought it was all great fun.
> 
> 
> The sequel was that when we finally got back up the Orwell to our moorings, and dug into beans on toast, he later discovered we had won the shortened course, and Young was presented with a cup.
> 
> Did he stay on, I wonder?


Alan,
are you thinking of the rolling banks just east of the beach end?/

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*approaches to Harwich*



jimthehat said:


> Alan,
> are you thinking of the rolling banks just east of the beach end?/
> 
> jim


Jim,

That's the place. There used to be a wreck there, with a mast sticking up, back in the 50's - but later removed. Also, the lightship (Sunk?) was also replaced, I think.


----------



## 2newfie

Jim:
On another forum you mentioned getting a chit for kitting out at Monnerys,I to received the same chit and was told there was a fund for boys who entered the Merchant Navy which even carried over after LNS was finished.It included No.1 uniform,battledress,working gear,heavy weather gear and a No.10 uniform(which never saw the light of day.)E#verything a seagoing Apprentice needed.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Jim,
> 
> That's the place. There used to be a wreck there, with a mast sticking up, back in the 50's - but later removed. Also, the lightship (Sunk?) was also replaced, I think.


The lightship we raced round was the ' Cork Lightship '


----------



## 2newfie

There is an ex Marconi/Bank line sparks who was also at Woolverstone named David Harrington.Don't know if you know him?


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

2newfie said:


> There is an ex Marconi/Bank line sparks who was also at Woolverstone named David Harrington.Don't know if you know him?


Don't recall him. The Woolverstone boys that I know went into Bankline were:-

(Mick) Mann- back in 1949
Weston - around 1950
Brian Lucy - Not sure. Brian says he was in 12 Dorm when I was there, but I don't recall it, so this is a complete mystery to me. Does anyone remember him at Woolverstone? 
Jim - 1952

I left in 1951 to join the Forthbank.

I'm sure there were many more.

In my time, Mason went to Union Castle, and Wesson went to BP tankers.


----------



## Ron Stringer

2newfie said:


> There is an ex Marconi/Bank line sparks who was also at Woolverstone named David Harrington.Don't know if you know him?


Member oldmarconiman


----------



## oldmarconiman

Ron Stringer said:


> Member oldmarconiman


Hi Ron, spot on! Went to Woolverstone along with "2newfie" - you running incognito these days Brian? _"You can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time" - LOL!_ (Wave)

Woolverstone Hall Boarding School for Boys, as it was to be known, opened on a trial basis in Sept 1950 and was officially opened the following year, but for that first year we shared the establishment with the remaining members of LNS Woolverstone - complete with buglers and nissan huts!

A prior posting named Taffy Edwards as PE Master, he was of course Taffy Evans, long since departed.

Matt Mathews was a great old character. He signed my autograph book with the quote - "Steer by your own compass!" which I surely did, sometimes through some pretty rough and murky seas though Matt.

I have mentioned it before but my time as an R.O. on the Eskbank and old liberty Corabank are recorded on my web site http://www.oldmarconiman.co.uk should anyone be interested. Both under Captain Sam Withers. Good ships and good memories of both.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Mathews*

Another Mathews story.............

He would occasionally ' lose it ' good time, and I can still see him standing between the 2 dining rooms where everyone could see him, and screaming " Your're just like chickens - you s--- and you jump in it! " This was after we had all been throwing cake around between the tables.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*log book*



oldmarconiman said:


> Hi Ron, spot on! Went to Woolverstone along with "2newfie" - you running incognito these days Brian? _"You can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time" - LOL!_ (Wave)
> 
> Woolverstone Hall Boarding School for Boys, as it was to be known, opened on a trial basis in Sept 1950 and was officially opened the following year, but for that first year we shared the establishment with the remaining members of LNS Woolverstone - complete with buglers and nissan huts!
> 
> A prior posting named Taffy Edwards as PE Master, he was of course Taffy Evans, long since departed.
> 
> Matt Mathews was a great old character. He signed my autograph book with the quote - "Steer by your own compass!" which I surely did, sometimes through some pretty rough and murky seas though Matt.
> 
> I have mentioned it before but my time as an R.O. on the Eskbank and old liberty Corabank are recorded on my web site http://www.oldmarconiman.co.uk should anyone be interested. Both under Captain Sam Withers. Good ships and good memories of both.


Just to mention I enjoyed your website and ' log book ' esp. the pictures of The Samfleet launching.


----------



## jimthehat

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Don't recall him. The Woolverstone boys that I know went into Bankline were:-
> 
> (Mick) Mann- back in 1949
> Weston - around 1950
> Brian Lucy - Not sure. Brian says he was in 12 Dorm when I was there, but I don't recall it, so this is a complete mystery to me. Does anyone remember him at Woolverstone?
> Jim - 1952
> 
> I left in 1951 to join the Forthbank.
> 
> I'm sure there were many more.
> 
> In my time, Mason went to Union Castle, and Wesson went to BP tankers.


cant remember Brian Lucy,but does anyone know pis phone number/cos if he was still at the school when we went into civvies then he is in my copy of the school photo..OCT 1951.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*old boys*



jimthehat said:


> cant remember Brian Lucy,but does anyone know pis phone number/cos if he was still at the school when we went into civvies then he is in my copy of the school photo..OCT 1951.



Hi Jim,

Don't know Lucy's number, but when I was talking to him some years ago, he mentioned a tragic incident when a boy apparantly died in the tuck shop. Certainly didn't happen betwee 48 and 51 to my knowledge. Any ideas?


----------



## oldmarconiman

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Just to mention I enjoyed your website and ' log book ' esp. the pictures of The Samfleet launching.


I was very chuffed to receive those photographs of that launching and permission from Mike Drydens' Grandmother to use them on the web site. Bit of real history.


----------



## ron vizard

My name is ron vizard, and I was one of the tiresome 11 year olds in 1950, and I stayed on till 1955. There is an active WHOBA site.
There was some discussion as to the history of the LNS.
To my knowledge it is briefly as follows.\
London Poor Law districts buy the hulk Goliath from the Admiralty in 1870.
It burns down in 1875.
Admiralty donates Exmouth in 1877.
Declared unseawothy in 1905.
Exmouth ll built by Metropolitan Asylum Board; purpose built.
LCC takes over from Asylum Board.
School goes shore based at Burnham on Croach in 1939.
Exmouth acquired by admiralty for service in Scapa Flow in 1942.
School moves to Lydney Glouc. in 1942.
School moves to Bray in 194?
To Woolverstone 1947?
LNS closes 1951, Boarding school opens.
School closed 1992.

The LNS in Stamford St. shared a governing body with LNSW. There is still some Exmouth paraphernalia there. They used Exmouth for training in the summer holidays pre war.

I was in Forecastle.
Hope this was of use.


----------



## jimthehat

ron vizard said:


> My name is ron vizard, and I was one of the tiresome 11 year olds in 1950, and I stayed on till 1955. There is an active WHOBA site.
> There was some discussion as to the history of the LNS.
> To my knowledge it is briefly as follows.\
> London Poor Law districts buy the hulk Goliath from the Admiralty in 1870.
> It burns down in 1875.
> Admiralty donates Exmouth in 1877.
> Declared unseawothy in 1905.
> Exmouth ll built by Metropolitan Asylum Board; purpose built.
> LCC takes over from Asylum Board.
> School goes shore based at Burnham on Croach in 1939.
> Exmouth acquired by admiralty for service in Scapa Flow in 1942.
> School moves to Lydney Glouc. in 1942.
> School moves to Bray in 194?
> To Woolverstone 1947?
> LNS closes 1951, Boarding school opens.
> School closed 1992.
> 
> The LNS in Stamford St. shared a governing body with LNSW. There is still some Exmouth paraphernalia there. They used Exmouth for training in the summer holidays pre war.
> 
> I was in Forecastle.
> Hope this was of use.


 Hi Ron,I to was in forecastle,no 1 dorm and was a buglar I left in summer 52 so we must have known each other I also have the school photo taken in Oct 51 so you must be standing proud somewhere,
did you go to sea,

jim(haggis)


----------



## ron vizard

Hello Jim

Were you Jim Ferrier?. 

No, I didn't go to sea; I burst my eardrum whilst at WH, and I didn't realise how badly till after I started an apprenticeship, hated it, went to join a special entry to the RN with ONC, signed on for 12years with an option for 18, only to fail the medical.

You must of known Ray Boulding. He has just got in touch with the WHOBA site; I have, I hope, steered him to this. I am on that 1951 photo. I'll have to sort it out. (Just looked; I'm back row, third from right looking at photo., David Harrington is to my right. 

You could try
www.whs-photo-archive.net/
Go to Life at WHS, then look at WHS Archive Photos, there's a list of year photos, plus some early pics I sent in.


----------



## jimthehat

ron vizard said:


> Hello Jim
> 
> Were you Jim Ferrier?.
> 
> No, I didn't go to sea; I burst my eardrum whilst at WH, and I didn't realise how badly till after I started an apprenticeship, hated it, went to join a special entry to the RN with ONC, signed on for 12years with an option for 18, only to fail the medical.
> 
> You must of known Ray Boulding. He has just got in touch with the WHOBA site; I have, I hope, steered him to this. I am on that 1951 photo. I'll have to sort it out. (Just looked; I'm back row, third from right looking at photo., David Harrington is to my right.
> 
> You could try
> www.whs-photo-archive.net/
> Go to Life at WHS, then look at WHS Archive Photos, there's a list of year photos, plus some early pics I sent in.


 Hi Ron, thats me jim ferrier,second back row 14 from left,yes Ray boulding rings a bell will look up your site.
regards
jim


----------



## jimthehat

facebook have just informed me that there a group of chaps on there who were at woolverstone,now i am pretty useless at operating that site so maybe someone can get on there and point them in this direction.

jim


----------



## wrangler50

*Oh no you're not!.*



Alan Rawlinson said:


> Looks like I am the last onr standing... ( switch off the lights?) I did go back in the 80's when it was a boarding school, and all the old Nissan huts had long gone, and it was all grassed over. Quite an eerie feeling.
> 
> For the record , the boys in 12 Dorm were Alex Loveday; Peter Lightbody; Jack Wesson; Mick Mann, yours truly, and a few others.


Hi Alan,My name is Leonard Attwood,I joined LNSW on 6/9/48.I was in Foretop Div.The furthest Nissen hut from the school in the front row. There were eight if my memory serves me right,two rows of four.I remember Commander Wiseman,always immaculate,Mr Mathews,Palliser he of the very heavy hand/fist!.Mr Croot,could pick up a football in one hand.Mr Young took woodwork classes,vaguely remember our Navigating instructor was Scandinavian,Mr Jones did inspections after showers!.Memories!.Bleaching blue collars,stretching lanyards,proper Jackmatickler papers weren't we?.Ganges patrols in Ipswich were not too happy with our uniforms!.This will do for a start.Cheers(Scribe)


----------



## wrangler50

*Cross Country.*



Alan Rawlinson said:


> Yes, Jim, remember them well. I never managed to win one, but got a huge kick out of starting at the back with all the fatties and secret smokers, and then working my way through the field to end up in the top 5 or so.[/Q
> 
> 
> I can't remember the name of the sports master in 1948,but because of my age ,though smallish in stature,I had to run in the senior class of the cross country.The previous years winner was named Slee.The sports master had a bet with Mr Croot that between Slee and myself,one of us should win it.I did a lot of running when games were on,so was pretty fit.Anyway it was my time to win,with Slee coming in second.I think the distance was about three and a half miles approx.As it turned out after the sports day in 1949,I was lucky enough to win all the other events I entered,so was Victor Ludorum,winning a cup,and a
> £1 postal order.Naturally the cup was returned.I keep trying to remember the Captain Superintendant's name.Sorry to bore you al!.


----------



## jimthehat

cant remember if it was LNS or woolverstone hall,but i remember representing the school at the area and district championships .I then went on to the county championship which was held in Bury St edmonds,and thats where I met my match as i came forth in both the 880 yards and the mile.

Alan ,dont know if we had a table tennis team when you were still there?We also had a basketball team and we were quite good ,but always got beat when we played the ganges divisions.

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Woolverstone memories*



wrangler50 said:


> Hi Alan,My name is Leonard Attwood,I joined LNSW on 6/9/48.I was in Foretop Div.The furthest Nissen hut from the school in the front row. There were eight if my memory serves me right,two rows of four.I remember Commander Wiseman,always immaculate,Mr Mathews,Palliser he of the very heavy hand/fist!.Mr Croot,could pick up a football in one hand.Mr Young took woodwork classes,vaguely remember our Navigating instructor was Scandinavian,Mr Jones did inspections after showers!.Memories!.Bleaching blue collars,stretching lanyards,proper Jackmatickler papers weren't we?.Ganges patrols in Ipswich were not too happy with our uniforms!.This will do for a start.Cheers(Scribe)


Hi Leonard,

Great to read your post... Seems there are a few of us still ticking, and I notice we joined on the same day 6.9.48 ( carved it on the well scarred desk top!) You were in the Dorm opposite (almost) 12 dorm, and your name seems familiar. The Nav instructor was Johannsson. The Capt Superintendent was it Smethwick or similar?

Did you go to Ganges for the RN or an apprenticeship?

I wasn't particularly academic or athletic, come to that, but you may remember me as the guy that hauled the flag up every morning at Divisions. Also sported the advanced signals chevron - Oh fame!

In the dormitory there were 10 boys and their names were:

Keanon
Mann
Loveday
Lightbody
Wesson
McCarthy?
Ringwood
Rawlinson
Manning
plus 1

When the younger set came in, I recall

Gilbert
Day
There was a cheeky ginger headed lad - think his name was Edwards or similar

The instructors I recall were Mathews, (Snaky)Pamphlin, and Denton.

I guess we were very impressionable at that age, so the memories are strong.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

jimthehat said:


> cant remember if it was LNS or woolverstone hall,but i remember representing the school at the area and district championships .I then went on to the county championship which was held in Bury St edmonds,and thats where I met my match as i came forth in both the 880 yards and the mile.
> 
> Alan ,dont know if we had a table tennis team when you were still there?We also had a basketball team and we were quite good ,but always got beat when we played the ganges divisions.
> 
> Jim
> 
> Don't recall table tennis or basket ball. Was always in awe of the Ganges boys and the tough regime they had.


----------



## 2newfie

jimthehat said:


> cant remember if it was LNS or woolverstone hall,but i remember representing the school at the area and district championships .I then went on to the county championship which was held in Bury St edmonds,and thats where I met my match as i came forth in both the 880 yards and the mile.
> 
> Alan ,dont know if we had a table tennis team when you were still there?We also had a basketball team and we were quite good ,but always got beat when we played the ganges divisions.
> 
> jim


I think the basketball happened at Woolverstone Hall and was started by Shuttleworth the Maths Master and was frowned on by Taffy Evans the Sports Master because they wore ,in his words,inappropriate gear.


----------



## wrangler50

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Hi Leonard,
> 
> Great to read your post... Seems there are a few of us still ticking, and I notice we joined on the same day 6.9.48 ( carved it on the well scarred desk top!) You were in the Dorm opposite (almost) 12 dorm, and your name seems familiar. The Nav instructor was Johannsson. The Capt Superintendent was it Smethwick or similar?
> 
> Did you go to Ganges for the RN or an apprenticeship?
> 
> I wasn't particularly academic or athletic, come to that, but you may remember me as the guy that hauled the flag up every morning at Divisions. Also sported the advanced signals chevron - Oh fame!
> 
> In the dormitory there were 10 boys and their names were:
> 
> Keanon
> Mann
> Loveday
> Lightbody
> Wesson
> McCarthy?
> Ringwood
> Rawlinson
> Manning
> plus 1
> 
> When the younger set came in, I recall
> 
> Gilbert
> Day
> There was a cheeky ginger headed lad - think his name was Edwards or similar
> 
> The instructors I recall were Mathews, (Snaky)Pamphlin, and Denton.
> 
> I guess we were very impressionable at that age, so the memories are strong.


Hi Alan,
As I was Fostered,and came under the LCC,I lived near Ashford Kent,I actually wanted to join the Merchant Navy.I had to go to County Hall,London,for a medical and Maths/English exams.Passed ok,but was told,I Quote,you want security,you should join the RN,so
that's why I joined LNS.I actually joined Ganges 6/9/49,strange it was exactly a year later.Yes the Captain superintendent's name was Smethwick.We had lad named Pike in our hut,he snored terribly,one
night we carried him and his bed outside,it was quite peaceful,for a while!.Then he came screaming in,and all hell broke loose!.I remember a bugler named Hunt,and marching to church behind the band.Pamplin,I think he was the one who could fetch you a right wallop,if you upset him!.I remember daily divisions,with colours,sorry 
Alan,can't picture your face.I'll have to bring up some more memories. 
Leonard.


----------



## wrangler50

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Hi Leonard,
> 
> Great to read your post... Seems there are a few of us still ticking, and I notice we joined on the same day 6.9.48 ( carved it on the well scarred desk top!) You were in the Dorm opposite (almost) 12 dorm, and your name seems familiar. The Nav instructor was Johannsson. The Capt Superintendent was it Smethwick or similar?
> 
> Did you go to Ganges for the RN or an apprenticeship?
> 
> I wasn't particularly academic or athletic, come to that, but you may remember me as the guy that hauled the flag up every morning at Divisions. Also sported the advanced signals chevron - Oh fame!
> 
> In the dormitory there were 10 boys and their names were:
> 
> Keanon
> Mann
> Loveday
> Lightbody
> Wesson
> McCarthy?
> Ringwood
> Rawlinson
> Manning
> plus 1
> 
> When the younger set came in, I recall
> 
> Gilbert
> Day
> There was a cheeky ginger headed lad - think his name was Edwards or similar
> 
> The instructors I recall were Mathews, (Snaky)Pamphlin, and Denton.
> 
> I guess we were very impressionable at that age, so the memories are strong.





jimthehat said:


> cant remember if it was LNS or woolverstone hall,but i remember representing the school at the area and district championships .I then went on to the county championship which was held in Bury St edmonds,and thats where I met my match as i came forth in both the 880 yards and the mile.
> 
> Alan ,dont know if we had a table tennis team when you were still there?We also had a basketball team and we were quite good ,but always got beat when we played the ganges divisions.
> 
> jim


Hi Jim,
There was a very good cricket table,but we only played by huts,nothing against any local sides.I also was entered for the 100
yards sprint in the East Suffolk Championships held in Felixstowe,it was Bit of an anticlimax really,my opponents turned up with spikes,all
I had was a pair of plimsoles!.Needless to say I came in last.Though to be honest,I was not in their league.
Leonard.


----------



## jimthehat

wrangler50 said:


> Hi Jim,
> There was a very good cricket table,but we only played by huts,nothing against any local sides.I also was entered for the 100
> yards sprint in the East Suffolk Championships held in Felixstowe,it was Bit of an anticlimax really,my opponents turned up with spikes,all
> I had was a pair of plimsoles!.Needless to say I came in last.Though to be honest,I was not in their league.
> Leonard.


 being a true Scot I never played(or was invited to play) cricket but did play for the first 15.
I also remember that we used to get taken down to ganges to use the swimming pool,but i dont think it was very frequent.
can anyone rember the twin dolphins that held the ships bell and which stood by the flag pole,it was presented by one of the Ganges divisions.

jim


----------



## 2newfie

jimthehat said:


> being a true Scot I never played(or was invited to play) cricket but did play for the first 15.
> I also remember that we used to get taken down to ganges to use the swimming pool,but i dont think it was very frequent.
> can anyone rember the twin dolphins that held the ships bell and which stood by the flag pole,it was presented by one of the Ganges divisions.
> 
> jim


Remember them well,but can't remember where they went when LNS ended although I seem to remember an RN lorry taking them away


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

jimthehat said:


> being a true Scot I never played(or was invited to play) cricket but did play for the first 15.
> I also remember that we used to get taken down to ganges to use the swimming pool,but i dont think it was very frequent.
> can anyone rember the twin dolphins that held the ships bell and which stood by the flag pole,it was presented by one of the Ganges divisions.
> 
> jim


I remember the Dolphins being chiselled into shape in Mr Young's woodwork shop. They were of a light coloured wood and were then varnished. Somewhere I have a photo of the cheeky ginger haired kid from 12 Dorm posing next to them when they were installed. He came from Lambeth, but can't recall his name. Edwards, maybe? ( Managed to dredge up his name - It was Evans)

Re sports - Not my strong point, but did captain the 2nd XI at cricket a few times. Remember being criticised by the umpire ( one of the Masters) for taking off a successful bowler to make way for one of my chums!


----------



## jimthehat

on the way down to the mess hall just passed the main building there was a wooden hut,cant for the life of me remember what it was used for,but it was there that I remember getting the news that Scotland gor thrashed 54-0 by the Boks,dot think it was the tuck shop as I think that was down in the dip behind the messhall.

Now if you were good at sports you would get an extra portion of vermacilli pudding twice a week,and if you were hopeless you got an extra portion every day.

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

jimthehat said:


> on the way down to the mess hall just passed the main building there was a wooden hut,cant for the life of me remember what it was used for,but it was there that I remember getting the news that Scotland gor thrashed 54-0 by the Boks,dot think it was the tuck shop as I think that was down in the dip behind the messhall.
> 
> Now if you were good at sports you would get an extra portion of vermacilli pudding twice a week,and if you were hopeless you got an extra portion every day.
> 
> jim


Jim,

Do you remember the occasional rabbit pie, with lead pellets still in it? Also the slab cake. Mine went over the wire to the chickens that were outside for a while.

I remember the hut you mentioned. I think it was used as a tuck shop at some stage.

Another memory - some of us wandered down to the river bank at the weekends, and enjoyed a rope swing out over the water...


----------



## ron vizard

There is ,as far as I know, something of a Rift Valley between generations, or even decades, of WH attendees.
The Facebook group consists of younger souls. The Whoba site, www.whoba.co.uk
is open to all, but seems to consist of those from the '50s into the '70s. There are links in this site to a photo site run by Chris Snuggs which is worth a view.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Generational Gap!*



ron vizard said:


> There is ,as far as I know, something of a Rift Valley between generations, or even decades, of WH attendees.
> The Facebook group consists of younger souls. The Whoba site, www.whoba.co.uk
> is open to all, but seems to consist of those from the '50s into the '70s. There are links in this site to a photo site run by Chris Snuggs which is worth a view.


Hi Ron,

Agree with your comments, and came to the conclusion that there is not much we have in common. Comes about partly because of the status of the school which changed considerably. I thing we were all ' rough ****s ' in the late 40's! A few years ago a kind Gent took the trouble to send me lots of information ( through the post) about Woolverstone history and about WHOBA. Several old boys have made their mark in sport and politics with MP's and an English Rugby player etc etc.

Then there was a lull online, and now WHOBA seems to be thriving - but mainly with the 60's and 70's boys who recently enjoyed a reunion at the Butt and Oyster pub in Pinmill. They were celebrating the 40 year anniversary, but here comes the gap, because it would have been a 60 year one if there had been enough of us alive and kicking and willing and able to organise such a reunion. It all seemed a bit posh to me when I read it, old Git that I am!


----------



## ron vizard

I'm not too sure about the posh bit. Certainly the base line changed, in the sense that the original ship ( the Goliath) had boys like Charlie Chaplin's brother as 'pupils', i.e recruits to training ships came from poor law institutions. In the early 1930's the LCC took these over and closed them down, but via the Essex still recruited from, as you say , the ragged end.
This recruiting policy continued through from 1951 when the boarding grammar school started, the difference being that until the school went comprehensive, boys from serving personnel of the BAOTR (British Army of the Rhine) attended.
So the thing that changed the most, I think, was the base level of poverty as things improved at large, but the priority of recruiting promising boys from a mostly difficult background continued.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Exmouth*



ron vizard said:


> I'm not too sure about the posh bit. Certainly the base line changed, in the sense that the original ship ( the Goliath) had boys like Charlie Chaplin's brother as 'pupils', i.e recruits to training ships came from poor law institutions. In the early 1930's the LCC took these over and closed them down, but via the Essex still recruited from, as you say , the ragged end.
> This recruiting policy continued through from 1951 when the boarding grammar school started, the difference being that until the school went comprehensive, boys from serving personnel of the BAOTR (British Army of the Rhine) attended.
> So the thing that changed the most, I think, was the base level of poverty as things improved at large, but the priority of recruiting promising boys from a mostly difficult background continued.


The floating establishment prior to the LNS shore bases, was the Exmouth, latterly at Grays in Essex. The log books were kept in the crypt of Woolverstone Hall, and could be seen by any adventurous boys on a mission out of bounds. There was an entry I remember with physical punishment for the offence of " throwing the post boy overboard " ! Quite recently I managed to get hold of a copy of some of these entries which make interesting reading...

Re the calibre etc of boys - I got into hot water a few years ago for saying online that the Exmouth was a reform type institution, but this is in fact correct. Some of the ex RN instructors were still with us at Woolverstone , and frequently referred proudly to this scenario. The chairman of the existing Exmouth Association took issue with me, but it was all quite good natured. ( I think!)


----------



## 2newfie

Alan Rawlinson said:


> The floating establishment prior to the LNS shore bases, was the Exmouth, latterly at Grays in Essex. The log books were kept in the crypt of Woolverstone Hall, and could be seen by any adventurous boys on a mission out of bounds. There was an entry I remember with physical punishment for the offence of " throwing the post boy overboard " ! Quite recently I managed to get hold of a copy of some of these entries which make interesting reading...
> 
> Re the calibre etc of boys - I got into hot water a few years ago for saying online that the Exmouth was a reform type institution, but this is in fact correct. Some of the ex RN instructors were still with us at Woolverstone , and frequently referred proudly to this scenario. The chairman of the existing Exmouth Association took issue with me, but it was all quite good natured. ( I think!)


I remember some years after leaving "Woolvo"sailing up the Orwell as Master of a small bulker and telling the Pilot how proud I was having attended Woolverstone Hall only to be informed it was a school for "difficult" boys from London.


----------



## jimthehat

2newfie said:


> I remember some years after leaving "Woolvo"sailing up the Orwell as Master of a small bulker and telling the Pilot how proud I was having attended Woolverstone Hall only to be informed it was a school for "difficult" boys from London.


 NOT true I came down from Scotland and got in.
THE Cat house fact or fiction I was always led to believe that smugglers showed a lamp through the eyes of the cat when it was safe to land goods.

jim


----------



## ron vizard

Did anybody know of Michael Reed who joined LNSW in 1948, after transferring from Bray , where he went in 1947?
Hopefully I have successfully loaded an attachment of a brief resume of his, prior to his joining the ROYAL MARINES BAND.

OK SO THIS TIME I BELIEVE I'VE GOT IT ATTACHED.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

ron vizard said:


> Did anybody know of Michael Reed who joined LNSW in 1948, after transferring from Bray , where he went in 1947?
> Hopefully I have successfully loaded an attachment of a brief resume of his, prior to his joining the ROYAL MARINES BAND.
> 
> OK SO THIS TIME I BELIEVE I'VE GOT IT ATTACHED.


Hi Ron,

Interesting attachment. I'm not clear if the name at Woolverstone was Reed or Hutton? 

As the dormitories were ' loaded ' alphabetically, Reed would have been in 12 Dorm where I was from 48 to 51 ( we had L's R's and W's) but don't remember him.


----------



## ron vizard

That was one of a number of blogs/articles etc. which I have assembled under the heading, From Goliath to Woolverstone, a shared History.
I've managed to acquire a few anecdotal reminiscences, but only from Exmouth sources.
That blog is a good example of the sort of thing; bit of home background, impact of Woolverstone, what it led to. Couple of A4 sheets is enough. 
Anybody up for it?

The collection will be uploaded on to Chris Snuggs site, and I'll tell you the link when 'tis done.

It should be posted, in its current state, within a month or so. If anybody wants a DVD of the current files, then I'll be happy to send one, with the payment being a blog or contribution.


----------



## 2newfie

jimthehat said:


> NOT true I came down from Scotland and got in.
> THE Cat house fact or fiction I was always led to believe that smugglers showed a lamp through the eyes of the cat when it was safe to land goods.
> 
> jim


This may be true of LNS but Woolverstone Hall was run by the LCC so all pupils were from London .


----------



## jimthehat

2newfie said:


> This may be true of LNS but Woolverstone Hall was run by the LCC so all pupils were from London .


 Brian,maybe I was one of the leftovers,I was also at woolverstone hall and am in the OCT 1951 school photo and i left in the summer of 1952,we Scots can get in anywhere.

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

ron vizard said:


> Did anybody know of Michael Reed who joined LNSW in 1948, after transferring from Bray , where he went in 1947?
> Hopefully I have successfully loaded an attachment of a brief resume of his, prior to his joining the ROYAL MARINES BAND.
> 
> OK SO THIS TIME I BELIEVE I'VE GOT IT ATTACHED.


Was there a bit more to this resume? I only seem to have got 1 page?


----------



## Doug Cheney

I went to the school and left to join the RN as a boy artificer in May 1951. My memories are a bit faded now.


----------



## jimthehat

Doug Cheney said:


> I went to the school and left to join the RN as a boy artificer in May 1951. My memories are a bit faded now.


 You must have been there at the same time as I and Alan were there.I was there from 1948 to 1952 the last year after it had changed over to Woolverstone hall.

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*1951 Woolverstone*



Doug Cheney said:


> I went to the school and left to join the RN as a boy artificer in May 1951. My memories are a bit faded now.


Hi Doug,

As Jim says we were all there in 1951 - looks like I left same time as you.

I was in 12 Dorm ( with the surnames later in the alphabet) and guess you were in one of the top ones near the road?

Snaps attached..

Cheers/Alan


----------



## jimthehat

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Hi Doug,
> 
> As Jim says we were all there in 1951 - looks like I left same time as you.
> 
> I was in 12 Dorm ( with the surnames later in the alphabet) and guess you were in one of the top ones near the road?
> 
> Snaps attached..
> 
> Cheers/Alan


Ah yes I remember those dorms well.I wonder if I was the buglar in the photo.
My dorm was no 2 in the front row.

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

Doug/Jim,

It's a long shot, but wonder if you knew, or recognise another Woolverstone cadet shown here??? The lad on the left is Mick Mann ex 12 Dorm, who left around 49/50 and snapped on a Bank Line ship in Colombo circa 1951 by me.

Cheers/Alan


----------



## Doug Cheney

Hi Alan
I could have been there at Colours as I was a bugler, and also played in the Band 3rd cornet


----------



## jimthehat

Doug Cheney said:


> Hi Alan
> I could have been there at Colours as I was a bugler, and also played in the Band 3rd cornet


Hi Doug,as a buglar you will remember getting a shake on dark freezing mornings so as to sound shower calls.As I remember them it was the call followed by the division call ,1 short for foxc'le,2 for foretop ,3 for maintop and 4 for quarterdeck

Never quite made the band as I kept on breaking the reeds on my clarinet.

jim


----------



## Brian Franks

*LNS Woolverstone*

I have only just come across this site, but I see that the last posts were 2008, from Alan Rawlinson.
Is anybody still there?
I also left in 1951, the last of the Naval uniformed pupils.


----------



## Brian Franks

2newfie said:


> This may be true of LNS but Woolverstone Hall was run by the LCC so all pupils were from London .


But LNS was also LCC; and as Alan has quoted, was originally aimed at giving a grammar school education for 'less fortunate' pupils! 
I also tried to attach a photo..how IS it done?
Brian Franks


----------



## Pi R 310

Have just come across this site. Enjoyed reading the various posts, brings back a lot of memories. 
I was at Woolverstone Hall from 1947 - 1949. 
310 Pearce (Reg) and was known as Pi R. (Fore top)
Went into the Merchant Navy on leaving the school.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*shipmates/schoolmates*



Pi R 310 said:


> Have just come across this site. Enjoyed reading the various posts, brings back a lot of memories.
> I was at Woolverstone Hall from 1947 - 1949.
> 310 Pearce (Reg) and was known as Pi R. (Foretop)
> Went into the Merchant on leaving the school.


Hallo Pi R - great to see your post and think there are now a few of us from those long gone days. Can you recall any names of the other lads in your dorm, ot maybe in your class? In 12 dorm we had a Keenan who for some reason was moved to the fore top dorms. He was a friendly sort. His pal was a Mick Mann from our dorm and they both left in 49. Jim Mason was also a leaver in 49. 

The names I recall from 12 Dorm are

Alex Loveday
Peter Lightbody
? Ring wood
? McCarthy

Instructors

Matthews
Pamphlin (snaky)
Denton

Teachers

Lidstone
Young
Grout
Johannson

I'm straining the brain cells here!

Cheers/Alan. 717. ( Rags, at Woolverstone)


----------



## Bill.B

I sailed with a Peter Lightbody as Old Man on Jebsens Sealnes in the 70s. Really good person to work for. I have a nice Husun magnetic compass from Woolverstone Hall sea school. All the nautical equipment was put in the back of the shed built into the river bank below the Cat House. The sailing staff were tasked to get rid of it so I presume a lot of homes on the Shotley peninsular may have given bits a home.


----------



## jimthehat

Bill.B said:


> I sailed with a Peter Lightbody as Old Man on Jebsens Sealnes in the 70s. Really good person to work for. I have a nice Husun magnetic compass from Woolverstone Hall sea school. All the nautical equipment was put in the back of the shed built into the river bank below the Cat House. The sailing staff were tasked to get rid of it so I presume a lot of homes on the Shotley peninsular may have given bits a home.


I was there at the changeover,so why did I not get my hands on any of the equipment/

jim


----------



## Tony Brown

Tony Brown Joined LNS in 1948 and left May 1950 to join up as a Art/app. Have a photo of Pete Lightbody, Alex Loveday and myself taken in Ipswich to send home to Mum!! I was the drum major at the time Bandmaster Jones left and was given the job of running the band, I could throw the Baton but did not have a clue about music, but with the help of all we managed.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*woolverstone memories*



Tony Brown said:


> Tony Brown Joined LNS in 1948 and left May 1950 to join up as a Art/app. Have a photo of Pete Lightbody, Alex Loveday and myself taken in Ipswich to send home to Mum!! I was the drum major at the time Bandmaster Jones left and was given the job of running the band, I could throw the Baton but did not have a clue about music, but with the help of all we managed.


Hallo Tony - brilliant to read your post and news! We must have met up in those days as I joined 1948 and left summer 1951 to go to sea as an MN Apprentice in the Bank Line.

I always loved the band and the music. ( slow marches during inspection). and would like to have been a drummer. Never had the nerve to put myself forward. Can you recall the name of the slow march regularly played by the band? I can hum the first few notes, even today, but can't locate it on Spotify without a name. 

Any chance you can post the photo of my dorm mates - Peter Lightbody and Alex ?

Jim Ferrier is on here, and was a bugler - do you recall him?

Cheers/Alan


----------



## Pi R 310

I recall a lad nicknamed 'Bonce' Chew or Tue
'Blackie' Black a chap with asthma
A very big lad named Salmon who helped us 'out of bounds' gang scare the living daylights out of a group of Pin Mill girls that we regularly hung out with.
Mr Croot - of the large hands (our form master) stands out. I recall him roaming the classroom with a length of 1'' x 3'' timber which he would hold an inch or two above a suspect malingerer's head, to let drop if deserved! 
The Head Master was F Langley, who in my final term report 'other activity ' section wrote 'smoker' which because of his writing , I had read for ages as 'snooker'.
My older brother joined T S Exmouth at Grays Essex in 1939. The school was evacuated to Lydney, Glos. at war outbreak. My brother Ken Pearce (age 16) left in 1941 and served as deck boy on SS Newbury which was torpedoed in September 1941. Ken never came home!
After the war Exmouth moved to Bray and then Woolverstone.

Will try to delve back through the old memory bank for some more 'snippets'! 

Look forward to reading further posts from the original Woolverstone Hall 'old boys' Cheers Reg Pearce.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Mr Langley*



Pi R 310 said:


> I recall a lad nicknamed 'Bonce' Chew or Tue
> 'Blackie' Black a chap with asthma
> A very big lad named Salmon who helped us 'out of bounds' gang scare the living daylights out of a group of Pin Mill girls that we regularly hung out with.
> Mr Croot - of the large hands (our form master) stands out. I recall him roaming the classroom with a length of 1'' x 3'' timber which he would hold an inch or two above a suspect malingerer's head, to let drop if deserved!
> The Head Master was F Langley, who in my final term report 'other activity ' section wrote 'smoker' which because of his writing , I had read for ages as 'snooker'.
> My older brother joined T S Exmouth at Grays Essex in 1939. The school was evacuated to Lydney, Glos. at war outbreak. My brother Ken Pearce (age 16) left in 1941 and served as deck boy on SS Newbury which was torpedoed in September 1941. Ken never came home!
> After the war Exmouth moved to Bray and then Woolverstone.
> 
> Will try to delve back through the old memory bank for some more 'snippets'!
> 
> Look forward to reading further posts from the original Woolverstone Hall 'old boys' Cheers Reg Pearce.


Hi Reg,

Great to read your memories....

Grout I remember well with his big scaly hands. He was a bit too fond of using them - he wouldn't last five minutes today in the classroom!

In 1964 I was on watch on the passenger ship (Heysham/Belfast ferries) Duke of Lancaster, when one of the passengers gate crashed the little barrier and came up on to the bridge in the dark. It was around midnight, and we often had drunks turfed off the bridge on passage. Anyway, we got talking and this chap turned out to be Langley on his way to a conference in Belfast. We got to talking about Woolverstone Hall etc but in the end I had to call the QM to do his duty!!


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Band Music*

The slow march played during the weekly Sunday divisions was called ' By Land and Sea'. It has stayed with me for 67 years!


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*12 Dorm*

Peter Lightbody and self 1950


----------



## jimthehat

Being more athletic than scolaristic I played rugby for the school and represented the district at the county games(half mile and the mile)
We also had a basketball team,does anyone one remember that?

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*sports*



jimthehat said:


> Being more athletic than scolaristic I played rugby for the school and represented the district at the county games(half mile and the mile)
> We also had a basketball team,does anyone one remember that?
> 
> jim


Don't remember basketball - all the tall lads presumably?

do remember Mr Young (woodwork teacher) a keen yachty and crewing for him. We accidentally won a race (3 times round the Cork light vessel) in the Harwich regatta 1951. The race was cancelled halfway through due to rough weather but we were declared the winner for leading after 2 circuits. Got into trouble just outside Felixstowe entrance on a patch of rough shallow ground called - I believe, ' The Rolling Stones'. ? 

Also crewed at weekends for Commander Smethwick and his mates , and remember spending hours stuck on the Orwell mud with him when he misjudged the tide!


----------



## jimthehat

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Don't remember basketball - all the tall lads presumably?
> 
> do remember Mr Young (woodwork teacher) a keen yachty and crewing for him. We accidentally won a race (3 times round the Cork light vessel) in the Harwich regatta 1951. The race was cancelled halfway through due to rough weather but we were declared the winner for leading after 2 circuits. Got into trouble just outside Felixstowe entrance on a patch of rough shallow ground called - I believe, ' The Rolling Stones'. ?
> 
> Also crewed at weekends for Commander Smethwick and his mates , and remember spending hours stuck on the Orwell mud with him when he misjudged the tide!


yes remember that race,not rolling stones but rolling ground,passed that buoy 4 times day whilst sailing with Townsend,,
jim


----------



## Tony Brown

As far as I recall a piece of music played whilst the inspection was going on at divisions was La Paloma (I believe THE DOVE in Spanish) and the march we always played going around the quadrangle in front of the house was Imperial Echo's as it made a might sound bouncing back off the building.
I remember Black the lad with the Asthma as he was in the same dorm as me and it was not good when he got an attack during the night. It has always amazed me that there let him join. 
Lou Armstrong was another, I still have his hair brushes he lent me!!! 
I can't not remember the sports master but a teacher who taught English, Edwards was avery good rugby player and Cout was reputted to have kept goal for the R.N. with hands that size, no wonder!! The cricket ground was first class and that is where Alex Loveday and myself spent a lot of time. The pavilion is still there but I don't thoink the girls are using the square much. I last visit there 4 years ago and what a change in the facilitites available. The old stable block was in a mess and not being used for much, not a sign of a nisen hut!!


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Memories*



Tony Brown said:


> As far as I recall a piece of music played whilst the inspection was going on at divisions was La Paloma (I believe THE DOVE in Spanish) and the march we always played going around the quadrangle in front of the house was Imperial Echo's as it made a might sound bouncing back off the building.
> I remember Black the lad with the Asthma as he was in the same dorm as me and it was not good when he got an attack during the night. It has always amazed me that there let him join.
> Lou Armstrong was another, I still have his hair brushes he lent me!!!
> I can't not remember the sports master but a teacher who taught English, Edwards was avery good rugby player and Cout was reputted to have kept goal for the R.N. with hands that size, no wonder!! The cricket ground was first class and that is where Alex Loveday and myself spent a lot of time. The pavilion is still there but I don't thoink the girls are using the square much. I last visit there 4 years ago and what a change in the facilitites available. The old stable block was in a mess and not being used for much, not a sign of a nisen hut!!


Ah, the memories come flooding back!

Yes, La Paloma, and as mentioned the band regularly played ' By Land and Sea' to a slow march arrangement. I enjoyed those days.

The stable block brings back a lot of memories too . The showers, ( I still stand under the shower pulling an imaginary chain over my shoulder, a la Woolverstone). ( No jokes, please!). Then there was the tray of purple ? that stained your feet and ankles with a purple band - anti-foot rot grunge, wasn't it. Also the sick bay - the less said the better.

Tony, any chance of seeing the photo you mentioned earlier?

Best wishes/Al


----------



## Varley

Good Lord. Even at a proper school they didn't run us through a sheep dip!


----------



## Tony Brown

*Pictures of Woolverstone '1949 Open Day' and 3 Jolly Jacks!!*

Pictures show the band being led by me; the Quadrangle showing the dolphin fittings for the ship's bell and the entire school parading on the grass. Enjoy !! Tony B.


----------



## jimthehat

Tony Brown said:


> Pictures show the band being led by me; the Quadrangle showing the dolphin fittings for the ship's bell and the entire school parading on the grass. Enjoy !! Tony B.


If my memory serves me right the dolphins were presented and carved by the lads at HMS GANGES,stood by them frequently with my bugle blowing colours ,never had far to run as I was in dorm 1 Fox'sle div,

jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Pictures*



Tony Brown said:


> Pictures show the band being led by me; the Quadrangle showing the dolphin fittings for the ship's bell and the entire school parading on the grass. Enjoy !! Tony B.


Brilliant pics Tony - Thanks a million! Was the one of you all taken in a studio? In Ipswich maybe. It looks better than a snap. Looking at Peter L - he was a great fast bowler, who ran up to the crease with his arm raised in a very distinctive way, I recall. Alex went as Apprentice into Hogarth's ( hungry Hogarth's) but according to some second hand news I got years later, he jumped ship in Australia, to try something else. I stand to be corrected on this. He was in charge of 12 dorm very early after his arrival at Woolverstone.

I remember the Dolphins and the Exmouth bell. I had the job of being at the flagstaff and raising the flag each morning ar 0900 divisions . 

Cheers/Al


----------



## Tony Brown

*Lns 619*

The photo of the 3 of us was taken in Ipswich ( date not known)

This photo is the last in my collection. It is taken at HMS Fisgard on top of the shower block adjacent to Anson Division living quarters. I don't remember all the names or why we are up there but the chap on the left is Watkins ( I have reason to believe he was also at Woolverstone) The gentleman holding the ball is Jim Tribe, I am behind him and the chap on the right is Lou Armstrong. I would date it 1950.
For useful info, early in 1948 the London CC offered Middlesex CC 12 places at Woolverstone and I came 13 out the 12 but one failed the medical and I got in( it was certainly lucky, I have the number on my lotto but it has as yet to pay up) I never did find out who the 12 were but Alex and Lou came from Midddlesex.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Entry*



Tony Brown said:


> The photo of the 3 of us was taken in Ipswich ( date not known)
> 
> This photo is the last in my collection. It is taken at HMS Fisgard on top of the shower block adjacent to Anson Division living quarters. I don't remember all the names or why we are up there but the chap on the left is Watkins ( I have reason to believe he was also at Woolverstone) The gentleman holding the ball is Jim Tribe, I am behind him and the chap on the right is Lou Armstrong. I would date it 1950.
> For useful info, early in 1948 the London CC offered Middlesex CC 12 places at Woolverstone and I came 13 out the 12 but one failed the medical and I got in( it was certainly lucky, I have the number on my lotto but it has as yet to pay up) I never did find out who the 12 were but Alex and Lou came from Midddlesex.



Tony,

I arrived in 1948 and came from Stanmore in Middlx, so presumably I was one of the 12. Can still recall the tests and interview. Didn't do well at either, so don't know what happened. I recently found a monthly receipt for Woolverstone Hall contribution in my dead parents papers, and it was for £5.10 which was a significant % of their earnings in those days!

I remember Tribe who was a very big lad. He had an arranged punch up in 12 dorm with another lad whose name escapes me - was it Hepworth or similar? Blood everywhere. 

There are a few not very good quality pics still in my collection. Here is the silverware and prize table at sports day 1950, I believe.


----------



## jimthehat

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Tony,
> 
> I arrived in 1948 and came from Stanmore in Middlx, so presumably I was one of the 12. Can still recall the tests and interview. Didn't do well at either, so don't know what happened. I recently found a monthly receipt for Woolverstone Hall contribution in my dead parents papers, and it was for £5.10 which was a significant % of their earnings in those days!
> 
> I remember Tribe who was a very big lad. He had an arranged punch up in 12 dorm with another lad whose name escapes me - was it Hepworth or similar? Blood everywhere.
> 
> There are a few not very good quality pics still in my collection. Here is the silverware and prize table at sports day 1950, I believe.


 I was at Woolverstone at least 4 years and as i left in AUG 52,I must have been there in 48.

51 was the first full year that we were in civvies and I still have the school [hoto taken at the back of the main building taken in OCT.51,it is one long photo so I must get it in and have fixed before it starts to crack,
jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Pictures*

A snap of the flag raising at 0900. Self and another lad called White.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*More*

12 Dorm in 1950 after the new intake of 11 year olds who stayed in civilian clothes The lad at the end was Day.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Exmouth bell and other items*

In 2007 Patrick J Jones of the Exmouth Assn. kindly sent me a load of papers (copies) relating to Woolverstone and the old Exmouth, including copies from the punishment book. Some lad got 8 strokes of the cane for ' throwing the post boy overboard'!

The bell was inaugurated on Empire day 1959 as shown.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Another page*

Another Woolverstone related page


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Inauguration of the bell 1950*

Another page


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Formation of LNS Woolverstone*

Copy of the LCC notes


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*aerial view*

An aeiral view with PinMill and Felixstowe in the distance


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Bell pic*

I repost this picture of me at the bell because I have just remembered the small lad on the other side - surname Burton, from Lambeth. He was a character, and I wonder if any of the early School intake remember him?


----------



## Exo

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Any old boys from LNS Woolverstone around?
> 
> We are all getting on a bit, but the memories are fresh! the uniforms, the discipline, the fences, the ' liberty bus' and the weekly matches against Ganges in cricket or football - not to forget the boating on the river Orwell.


Yes Alan I was at Bray from 1946 and then Woolverstone until December 1948. Look forward to having what is left of my grey matter being stirred.


----------



## Exo

oldmarconiman said:


> Hi Ron, spot on! Went to Woolverstone along with "2newfie" - you running incognito these days Brian? _"You can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time" - LOL!_ (Wave)
> 
> Woolverstone Hall Boarding School for Boys, as it was to be known, opened on a trial basis in Sept 1950 and was officially opened the following year, but for that first year we shared the establishment with the remaining members of LNS Woolverstone - complete with buglers and nissan huts!
> 
> A prior posting named Taffy Edwards as PE Master, he was of course Taffy Evans, long since departed.
> 
> Matt Mathews was a great old character. He signed my autograph book with the quote - "Steer by your own compass!" which I surely did, sometimes through some pretty rough and murky seas though Matt.
> 
> I have mentioned it before but my time as an R.O. on the Eskbank and old liberty Corabank are recorded on my web site http://www.oldmarconiman.co.uk should anyone be interested. Both under Captain Sam Withers. Good ships and good memories of both.


OMM - Came across this elsewhere, might be of interest?
"Liberty ship S S Corabank ex S S Samfleet, she broke down and drifting in heavy seas 1956, we, on HMS Loch Fada Half the crew were ashore in Aden, when we were rounded up and returned to ship and with all hase left port to the assistance of SS Corabank where we took her in tow, transferred engineers to help solve their problem.Got her safely into port.
Approx 2 years later I was awarded the grand total of £5 -0 7d navy prize (salvage) money. Salvage of S S Corabank 7/8th July 1956."


----------



## Ron Stringer

Regret that "oldmarconiman" (alias of Dave Harrington) died some months ago following a long illness.

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=143210


----------



## Exo

Ron Stringer said:


> Regret that "oldmarconiman" (alias of Dave Harrington) died some months ago following a long illness.


Tks Ron - RIP Dave.


----------



## Exo

Alan Rawlinson said:


> An aeiral view with PinMill and Felixstowe in the distance


How times have changed - this site contains several photos etc.
http://www.ipswichhighschool.co.uk/About

Also a few more names from the past:
The Instructors Mr Officer, Navigation. Dicky Diable (Chauntry House). Bob Murrell. Mr Pawk.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

Ron Stringer said:


> Regret that "oldmarconiman" (alias of Dave Harrington) died some months ago following a long illness.
> 
> http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=143210


Sorry to hear the news - RIP David


----------



## Exo

*Facebook Group*

In case anyone is interested there is a Facebook Group: T.S. Exmouth LNTS at - https://www.facebook.com/groups/98085012092/


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Lns*



Exo said:


> In case anyone is interested there is a Facebook Group: T.S. Exmouth LNTS at - https://www.facebook.com/groups/98085012092/


Exo

Thanks for that - very interesting facebook page with. some new info and fascinating detail. Slightly at a tangent, there is an interesting (free) ebook on Amazon called ' Ganges Boy'. A good account and worth a read. 

Dave Harrington was ex LNS and Bank Line. Not many of us left. 

very best wishes to you. / Alan R


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

Exo said:


> Yes Alan I was at Bray from 1946 and then Woolverstone until December 1948. Look forward to having what is left of my grey matter being stirred.


We were both at Woolverstone for the first term 1948, prior to you leaving. Do you have any recollections of Mick Mann or a lad called Keenan, both in 12 Dorm for that term? Later saw Mick Mann in Colombo in 1951 when we were berthed fore and aft in line in the harbour, Hazelbank and another one of the old timers - name not sure.


----------



## Exo

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Exo
> 
> Thanks for that - very interesting facebook page with. some new info and fascinating detail. Slightly at a tangent, there is an interesting (free) ebook on Amazon called ' Ganges Boy'. A good account and worth a read.
> 
> Dave Harrington was ex LNS and Bank Line. Not many of us left.
> 
> very best wishes to you. / Alan R


Yes there are quite a few books about Ganges Alan once you start looking and its history e.g.: http://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-sear...ed-years-of-training-boys-for-the-royal-navy/
We have a large Association of 2335 members all over the world.
During our last Reunion in April over 400 of us went back for a visit, church service, buffet and tot for the last time before the whole site is redeveloped.
At least some of the buildings are listed and will be restored as should the mast if promises and legal requirments are met.
For any Woolverstone Boys the swimming pool is also to be 'refurbished' and available to all.


----------



## Exo

Alan Rawlinson said:


> We were both at Woolverstone for the first term 1948, prior to you leaving. Do you have any recollections of Mick Mann or a lad called Keenan, both in 12 Dorm for that term? Later saw Mick Mann in Colombo in 1951 when we were berthed fore and aft in line in the harbour, Hazelbank and another one of the old timers - name not sure.


Cannot recall any names Alan except George Fitz-Costa whom I'm in touch with. He also went to Ganges 9 months after me. I went on Christmas leave 1948 and reported to Ganges on 4th January 1949. The only other name I vaguely recall is Needham? Mr Jones tried to teach me the clarinet. Because my hands were so small he even got hold of an 'E' flat one [the size of a piccolo] and wrote all the fingering on the music but unlike morse and all things Comms. I just could not get it so I ended up on the cymbals. Huge things for me, the wrist straps went twice round mine. Real good Turkish ones tho, rang on forever, supposed to have a quarter of a mile of brass wire in each. Arms sure ached by the time we arrived at the church.


----------



## jimthehat

my best friends at woolverstone were a couple of twins(at the moment cannot remember their names)but they both went to Ganges,
jim


----------



## Exo

*T.s. Exmouth.*

Battle of Jutland.
Today's service in Orkney featured the song below.
When I located it on Y.T. its video contained a photo of 'our' ship.
I thought that some of you might like to see it:

Lonely Scapa Flow
Song composed by Allie Windwick of Kirkwall about the scuttling og the German fleet in
Scapa Flow in the Orkney Isles of Scotland. The song was originally sung by the late Angus Findlater
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VU8NGfMURg


----------



## Exo

*T.S. Exmouth.*

Battle of Jutland.
Today's service in Orkney featured the song below.
When I located it on Y.T. its video contained a photo of 'our' ship.
I thought that some of you might like to see it:

Lonely Scapa Flow
Song composed by Allie Windwick of Kirkwall about the scuttling og the German fleet in
Scapa Flow in the Orkney Isles of Scotland. The song was originally sung by the late Angus Findlater
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VU8NGfMURg


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*I remember you*



Brian Franks said:


> I have only just come across this site, but I see that the last posts were 2008, from Alan Rawlinson.
> Is anybody still there?
> I also left in 1951, the last of the Naval uniformed pupils.


Hallo Brian

Your surname rings a loud bell in my memory, but like most of us I could be getting mixed up. Were you a brainy one? I seem to remember a Franks going to Dartmouth... Was it you, perhaps?

Will send a PM s I see you don't access very often here. 

Cheers/Alan R. ( author of 'Any Budding Sailors?' which has a chapter on Woolverstone days between 1948 to 1951.)


----------



## Exo

LEFT WOOLVERSTONE AT:

Just for info I left at Christmas 1948.


----------



## jimthehat

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Hallo Brian
> 
> Your surname rings a loud bell in my memory, but like most of us I could be getting mixed up. Were you a brainy one? I seem to remember a Franks going to Dartmouth... Was it you, perhaps?
> 
> Will send a PM s I see you don't access very often here.
> 
> Cheers/Alan R. ( author of 'Any Budding Sailors?' which has a chapter on Woolverstone days between 1948 to 1951.)


I cannot find Brians original post so Alan i have to tag onto this one.I can also lay claim to being the last of the uniformed pupils,but i also had a year in civvies and left summer term 52,
jim


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*I remember you games!*



jimthehat said:


> I cannot find Brians original post so Alan i have to tag onto this one.I can also lay claim to being the last of the uniformed pupils,but i also had a year in civvies and left summer term 52,
> jim


Jim

Brian Franks was our era and left in the summer of 51 when I also left to join the ' Forthbank ' in Cardiff docks. We don't remember each other but we have been swapping emails in an attempt to find common memories. Brian mentioned that he was in the second dorm down from the road ( 2 dorm?) so he was near you and had the same letter F as the first of his surname. Any recall?

Cheers/Alan


----------



## Exo

*Training ship*

Some might this of interest - http://gcaptain.com/****-school-ships-uk/ - plenty of scrolling.
The site has changed characters in the link so try Googling this - Maritime Monday for October 22nd, 2010: Take Yer **** to School (Ships).uk
Ok so the **** is alfa romeo sierra echo


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Woolverstone Hall plus*



Exo said:


> Some might this of interest - http://gcaptain.com/****-school-ships-uk/ - plenty of scrolling.
> The site has changed characters in the link so try Googling this - Maritime Monday for October 22nd, 2010: Take Yer **** to School (Ships).uk
> Ok so the **** is alfa romeo sierra echo


Hi Exo

Thanks for that - an interesting link, worth exploring...

Reading back through the posts, I see that you left Woolverstone just one term after I joined in Sept. 48. There were a couple of old timers in 12 Dorm on my arrival who also left soon after. They were lads called Mick Mann and Keenan. Do you remember the names or the have any recall? I bumped into Mick Mann 6 months later in Colombo when I was on the coal burning Hazelbank and he was on a Bank Line ship adjacent on the buoys. We took a picture which I still have.


----------



## Exo

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Hi Exo
> 
> Thanks for that - an interesting link, worth exploring...
> 
> Reading back through the posts, I see that you left Woolverstone just one term after I joined in Sept. 48. There were a couple of old timers in 12 Dorm on my arrival who also left soon after. They were lads called Mick Mann and Keenan. Do you remember the names or the have any recall? I bumped into Mick Mann 6 months later in Colombo when I was on the coal burning Hazelbank and he was on a Bank Line ship adjacent on the buoys. We took a picture which I still have.


Sorry Alan cannot remember many names. I am in touch with George Fitz-Costa of that era and Pat Jones who left Exmouth prior to LNTS. Have a look at our Facebook Group and you may spot a couple of names - https://www.facebook.com/groups/98085012092/ -The photos on there may be of interest. I came from Bray to Woolverstone and left at Xmas 1948 to join Ganges.


----------



## Exo

*Woolversone july 1949 prize day*

Please find attached the programme.
'Fitz' - Fitz-Costa is still with us.
We both went to Ganges from Exmouth so hence a couple of pre-war post cards also attached.


----------



## jimthehat

Exo said:


> Please find attached the programme.
> 'Fitz' - Fitz-Costa is still with us.
> We both went to Ganges from Exmouth so hence a couple of pre-war post cards also attached.


I remember the swimming pool we used to go down to ganges on a regular basis for a dip.

Alan,on the woolverstone hall web site they mention thatLNS was for the poor of the east end, well when i moved down from Scotland we moved in with our grandparents up in highbury and i went to st.Aloyiseus college ,I thought that i went to LNS because I wanted to go to sea,


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*1949*



Exo said:


> Please find attached the programme.
> 'Fitz' - Fitz-Costa is still with us.
> We both went to Ganges from Exmouth so hence a couple of pre-war post cards also attached.


Great post! And thanks for the 1949 pic of the prizes etc... my dorm mates and friends Alex Loveday, and Peter Lightbody both mentioned. As I vividly recall, I was still struggling to come to terms with the regime and new life style, so no prizes for me that year.

Jack Wesson was my pal - he went into BP. Alex Loveday was accepted by Hogarths of all companies, and I heard later he had left them in Australia. As a top student and all rounder, it was a mismatch for his talents. 

There was Weston, later i/c 11 Dorm. He went to the Bank Line, and had the misfortune to fall overboard and then to be luckily picked up. I don't know the ship, but he joined us on the Inchanga for a positioning leg on the way back home and told this story. 

Reeve and Manning I also remember. 

Would dearly love to see the 1950 and 51 programmes!

Thanks for posting


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

jimthehat said:


> I remember the swimming pool we used to go down to ganges on a regular basis for a dip.
> 
> Alan,on the woolverstone hall web site they mention thatLNS was for the poor of the east end, well when i moved down from Scotland we moved in with our grandparents up in highbury and i went to st.Aloyiseus college ,I thought that i went to LNS because I wanted to go to sea,


Hi Jim

I remember our trips to Ganges for sports. It was an ' eye opener'!

The tag LNS Woolverstone had was of course a hangover from the old ' Exmouth' days when it was widely regarded as a sort of correction school. Although a lot of the old boys resent being told this, the impression generally was maintained by the RN officers we had like Mr Mathews, Pamphlin, and Denton who enjoyed telling tales about the ' tough' old days and the punishments on offer!


----------



## Exo

*Woolverstone church*

The photo on this link brought back Sunday morning memories:
http://shotleypeninsulanewsandfeatures.com/Woolverstone.php


----------



## Exo

*Some more from pat 310*

Various but they are self explanatory.


----------



## Exo

*SOME MORE FROM PAT 310 Pt. II*

Ditto


----------



## Exo

*Hms exmouth*

Taken when TS Exmouth became HMS and served as a Sub. depot ship and mother whip to minesweepers at Scapa Flow in WW II.

"HMS Exmouth Depot Ship Signalling class on the poop deck."


----------



## Exo

*Woolverstone church*

A couple of recent photos.
Our standard may be on the right hand wall?
The second is a recent exhibition - just to show the interior.
P.S. Following since received from Simon via FB:
Simon Pearce No David, not your banner I’m afraid. Your banner has been removed from the church and we are trying to find out what has happened to it. We are told by the PArochial Church Council that the fabric had deteriorated. However, in eight months since we asked they have not given a clear answer as to where it is, what has happened to it or what the future holds. We hope it’s deterioration can be arrested. Will let you know more when I know more.


----------



## woolvo

Can anyone give me information about Commander Smithwick or Smethwick? He signed a calendar with a photograph of Woolverstone Hall with an observation platform on the roof. I just wanted to know a bit more about him as he is mention in this thread.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Commander Smethwick*



woolvo said:


> Can anyone give me information about Commander Smithwick or Smethwick? He signed a calendar with a photograph of Woolverstone Hall with an observation platform on the roof. I just wanted to know a bit more about him as he is mention in this thread.


He was there during my time 48 to 51, and was a remote figure at the head of the establishment. Gave out a sort of Avuncular image, and left all of the day to day contact with the boys and instructors to Commander Wiseman, who was very involved. Wiseman was a tall, good looking man who had a severe (well earned) image, but he had a softer side and found an overnight bed for my Father who arrived unannounced on a bike one day from London!

Matthews took all of the divisions etc, and Smethwick would appear silently for a few minutes for ceremonies etc.

Langley was the civilian headmaster. ( nicknamed 'Tapper') and one of his rolls appeared to be scouring the countryside in his Morris Major for runaways. This happened a few times a term.


----------



## woolvo

*Cmdr Smithwick*

Is the attached a picture of Cmdr Smithwick?


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Smethwick*



woolvo said:


> Is the attached a picture of Cmdr Smithwick?


Not anything I recognise but the Commander Smethwick of 48/51 was a much older man and heavier. The one you posted could be at an earlier age?


----------



## woolvo

Thanks for the help, Alan. This photo would have been inthe 1960s so he would have been at least 10 years older than when you knew him. Must be two Commander Smithwicks!


----------



## jimthehat

I have the school photo of Oct51 which shows all the staff,BUT I do not know how to transfer it on to this site,

jim


----------



## woolvo

*Attaching a photo*

Hi there, Jim

You can attach a photo by clicking on the paper clip symbol above the text box. Go to browse and you can see the files on your computer. Select the file you want to attach. Click open. The name of the file will appear next to the word browse. Click on "upload" and the attachment will be uploaded to your message.


----------



## Exo

*Woolverstone - large photo taken october 1951*

This is a photo that was taken in October 1951 and supplied by Jim Ferrier.
It is too wide to post as one so here is the middle, left and right hand sections.
The question is - Is that Commander Wiseman in the centre of the first section who is dressed in a light coloured suit and has his arms crossed?
There seems to be a lot of 'dinner ladies' or were they something else?
If you are on the photo please indicate for the benefit of others.
Thank you.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

*Wiseman*

Yes, that is Commander Wiseman in the centre of the photo. Quite a tall distinguished looking gent.


----------



## Exo

TU Alan, I thought it was but never remember seeing him out of uniform so was not 100% sure. 
By the way how was the Capt. Superintendant's name was spelt Smethwick or Smithwick or?
Also was his first name Camden?


----------



## 2newfie

From memory,top row middle section from left-unknown-B.Bass-G.Bicknell-F.Corbett-Harding-Davies-DK-Dk-T.Day-DK-Gordon-Smith-R.Boyce.Will work on the others.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

Exo said:


> TU Alan, I thought it was but never remember seeing him out of uniform so was not 100% sure.
> By the way how was the Capt. Superintendant's name was spelt Smethwick or Smithwick or?
> Also was his first name Camden?


Thanks...

Smethwick, I believe. Wiseman was a severe figure who was not averse to striking the boys, as I witnessed.


----------



## Exo

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Thanks...
> 
> Smethwick, I believe. Wiseman was a severe figure who was not averse to striking the boys, as I witnessed.


Thank you Alan.


----------



## 2newfie

Right section from right-R.Gould-DK-DK-DK-B.Workman-P.Croucher-J.Scarborough-N.Gould-DK-F.Moughton-DK-DK-I.McCulloch. Centre section 2nd row up from right Staff Evans(PT)-I.Bell(English)-DK-DK-Hanson-Johnston(History)-Smitherman(Headmaster)-Wiseman(Bursar)-Corner(Science)-Shuttleworth(Math)-Mudd(Science)

Attached slightly better pictures


----------



## Exo

2newfie said:


> Right section from right-R.Gould-DK-DK-DK-B.Workman-P.Croucher-J.Scarborough-N.Gould-DK-F.Moughton-DK-DK-I.McCulloch. Centre section 2nd row up from right Staff Evans(PT)-I.Bell(English)-DK-DK-Hanson-Johnston(History)-Smitherman(Headmaster)-Wiseman(Bursar)-Corner(Science)-Shuttleworth(Math)-Mudd(Science)
> 
> Attached slightly better pictures


Many thanks Brian, will pass back to those who will be interested.


----------



## jimthehat

Hanson ,Johnson and Corner became housemasters when the school changed over.
Johnson took over Fox,cle div hanson Quarterdeck and Corner Foretop.

left hand photo second row down third in from right is mess small one would not believe that i was full back for the rugby team, my youngest grandson who plays for his school and club under 13s is bigger than I was at 16,

jim


----------



## 2newfie

Hall took over Maintop,thus the Houses became Johnsons,Corners,Halls and Hansons and later Orwell & Berners were added.


----------



## jimthehat

we still all lived in nissan huts in 52,tho when i left they were building a house over on the far side of the main playing fields,

jim


----------



## Len Lawrence

*Hi Len,*

Hi Len,

My father joined LNSW 12.01.48 aged 14.
Are there any photo's available of the boys?
I have often wandered if anyone has photo's from that time period. 

Kind regards
David Lawrence


----------



## jimthehat

Len Lawrence said:


> Hi Len,
> 
> My father joined LNSW 12.01.48 aged 14.
> Are there any photo's available of the boys?
> I have often wandered if anyone has photo's from that time period.
> 
> Kind regards
> David Lawrence


It is just possible that he may be on the 1951 photo which was the first year that we were in civvies, just depends if he left at 16 or stayed on tip 17,

jim


----------



## Exo

*Local news*

For some recent local news about Woolverstone go to - http://shotleypeninsulanewsandfeatu...kyd3kcPeanJanf16j3LMMgkMzSSO6ljbS-t95GGnXaEq0 - and scroll thru - down.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

Len Lawrence said:


> Hi Len,
> 
> My father joined LNSW 12.01.48 aged 14.
> Are there any photo's available of the boys?
> I have often wandered if anyone has photo's from that time period.
> 
> Kind regards
> David Lawrence


Hi David

I joined in 48 and I have posted a few photos on varios sites online like Facebook pages for Woolverstone and LNS. Also they are on SN threads for the sea schools. Don't recall the name Lawrence, but do you have any details like the Dorm he was in? It would have been 11 probably, as we were alphabetically housed, and I was in 12 with a few L's,M's,and R's. but not a Lawrence. We had Loveday and Lightbody. Another friend called Lindley was in 11 Dorm, and he followed me into the Bank Line, last heard of as 3rd Mate of the " Luxmi", a veteran of the line.

cheers/Alan


----------



## Dianne Wood77

Does anyone recall a David John Wood?


----------



## Exo

Exo said:


> For some recent local news about Woolverstone go to - http://shotleypeninsulanewsandfeatu...kyd3kcPeanJanf16j3LMMgkMzSSO6ljbS-t95GGnXaEq0 - and scroll thru - down.


Another Woolverstone update here - scroll down at:
http://shotleypeninsulanewsandfeatu..._-MqMjduQlgScr4RinK56wjNMjVZCGSBsrR1hYjaEhPsQ


----------



## Exo

*T.S. Exmouth*

T.S. EXMOUTH 1930s & 1940s

Pat 310 has kindly forwarded the attached.
Note reference to Cdr. Smethwick and I believe Pat's number was 310 not 311 as in 4 and I took over 104 when L.A. Fitch moved on in 1946.


----------



## Exo

*Woolverstone*

Ello, ello - Wots this?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2044317292447243/


----------



## Exo

*Woolverstone Hall - WW II*

Dame Marion Kettlewell DBE (1914 -2016) served as a WREN on HMS Woolverstone (stone frigate) in the months leading up to D-Day. This was during the period when Bigbobs (dummy landing craft} were being constructed beside the River Orwell and launched from Cat House hard as part of a massive deception plan known as Operation Quicksilver.

Her memories can be listened by following/pasting this link: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80017176

For the sections on HMS Woolverstone you need to go to Reel 3: 20.00 to the end. Then reel 4: 0.00 - 2.43.

Above is from Woolverstone F.B. Group.


----------



## Exo

*Woolverston hall*

From the Facebook Group Woolverstone: Notes and Queries

With the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion fast approaching I thought it would be useful to offer a brief summary of Woolverstone Hall's role in WW2.

As a stone frigate, HMS Woolverstone had an auspicious part to play in the history of Woolverstone Hall, St Michael's Church and village during the Second World War.

After the Hall was sold to Oxford University in December 1937 it lay empty for over a year. It was commandeered by the government in 1939 for the war effort. Initially it housed troops. First there were the Beds and Herts followed by Liverpool Scottish, 2nd battalion in 1940. This was followed up by various groups of both the Royal Artillery and also Engineers regiments.

In October 1942 the concrete road from Main Road down to the river was constructed as well as the concrete hard and pier. Oil storage tanks were installed further up the hill. Also in 1942 staging was erected on the roof of the Hall for the Royal Observer Corps. (See photo). Incidentally, there had been an earlier ROC post in the field behind the Post Office on the Main Road since 1926.

HMS Woolverstone was commissioned by the Admiralty in 1943. The base was commissioned on 1/1/1943, care and maintenance from 9/7/43, re-commissioned on 15/10/43 and paid off on 20/2/46.

HMS Woolverstone was, among other things, a landing craft base and training establishment for Combined Operations. Not only were landing craft anchored here before going south and on to Normandy, but also it was part of the deception force assembled under the auspices of Operation Quicksilver where a fleet of dummy landing craft were assembled before being put out on the river to confuse the Nazis. Officers were housed in the Hall, other ranks in Nissen huts dotted around the grounds. Woolverstone church was used by the Navy for worship.

There were over 1000 personnel present at HMS Woolverstone during the “lock down” month preceding D-Day on 6th June 1944.

In one poignant account from WRNS officer, she described going to Woolverstone church on the morning of Sunday 4th June 1944 and on her return from the service she found the landing craft had slipped off down the Orwell on their way to Normandy.

On the morning of 4th June 30 fully loaded landing craft left the Cat House for the Normandy beaches. These had been loaded with troops and vehicles at Felixstowe on 2nd June and came up the river waiting for the signal to go which had been delayed by a day because of poor weather in the channel.

HMS Woolverstone continued to play a part in Operation Quicksilver and the construction of dummy landing craft after the Normandy landings.

From Simon Pearce.


----------



## Exo

*Woolverstone hall*

Good evening all, may I remind you that those who are interested in Woolverstone Hall of the Facebook Group - Woolverstone: Notes and Queries, at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2044317292447243/

Perhaps of interest is this recent link posted there:
http://www.whs-archives.net/pics/sc...Wwzw5YKx2OEz59ci5QSA_pfuZz3jlMIswG4bo5yT7ZKyc
Personally I don't remember much of the back of the Hall in the late 1940's let alone the statue altho I remember the Nissan huts and being in a classroom for many history lessons and receiving the black board duster many times as I was watching Thames Sailing Barges on the Orwell, one of which is in the link, rather than paying attention. Anyway there is plenty of interesting info within the group which is a Public one so can be followed by anyone. I will not be posting any further 'pointers.'


----------



## Exo

*Ww ii & further back*

From Woolverstone FB Group:

From Steve Williams:
"I am hoping that David Rye & Brian Ives might be interested in seeing these Woolverstone pages that feature the Obelisk recenty shown on these pages. They are in a book that was salvaged from a skip, hence the damp staining and crinkled pages, however, a very interesting book worthy of preservation. As can be seen from the title page it is the East Suffolk Illustrated book dated 1908 /9."

There are 35 wartime photos with explanation, part of explanation:
"I am a Stowmarket historian so I will not be able to contribute much to your site. However, I thought you and your members might be interested in seeing these photos from 1944."

A further 40 - "This is the last sequence of photos from the 'Exercise ATTACK' list from the George Wilden Collection. Are there any reckognisable features from 1944 still visible today?"

All at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2044317292447243/2370006636544972/


----------



## Exo

*The hall - post t.s.exmouth-l.n.t.s.?*

This film may be of interest - 



 - Does anyone know the period it shows?


----------



## Exo

CAPTAIN SUPERINTENENT W.F. SMITHWICK OBE, DSC, RN, RNR, T.S. EXMOUTH & L.N.T.S.
1. Is an extract of the official history of T.S. Exmouth provided by Pat 310.
2. Is an extract from a 1943 handbook given to H.O.s [Hostilities Only recruits to the RN] at HMS Ganges at Shotley.
3. Is an image from the I.W.M. whose caption reads: Commander W F G Smithwick, OBE, DSC, RN, presenting Corporal D Smith, RAF, of Royal Naval Air Station, Henstridge, with a trophy for his win over Able Seaman Butler, of RNB, Chatham.
See:








ROYAL NAVAL AIR STATION BOXING TOURNAMENT. 11 JULY 1945, ROYAL NAVAL AIR STATION, HENSTRIDGE, SOMERSET. DURING THE OPEN-AIR BOXING TOURNAMENT IN AID OF KING GEORGE'S FUND FOR SAILORS.


Commander W F G Smithwick, OBE, DSC, RN, presenting Corporal D Smith, RAF, of Royal Naval Air Station, Henstridge, with a trophy for his win over Able Seaman Butler, of RNB, Chatham.




www.iwm.org.uk


----------



## Exo

Hopefully the intended attachments to the previous.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

Interesting papers... Smethwick was the head Nautical banana in 1948 when I joined. I saw the reference in the papers that he took over from a man called Lidster. I have vivid memories of a Mr Lidster who was the maths teacher from 1948 to 1951. He also managed any stage productions and some sports. Maybe the same person. The only human and kindly person at the school during my time was Mr Matthews, the No 2 and the Seamanship Master.


----------



## Exo

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Interesting papers... Smethwick was the head Nautical banana in 1948 when I joined. I saw the reference in the papers that he took over from a man called Lidster. I have vivid memories of a Mr Lidster who was the maths teacher from 1948 to 1951. He also managed any stage productions and some sports. Maybe the same person. The only human and kindly person at the school during my time was Mr Matthews, the No 2 and the Seamanship Master.


I think that must have been a different Lidster Alan. Yes Mr Matthews was a kindly man. When we were scrubbing the deck at Bray Ct. he always said "don't forget always overlap your chum's work." He taught me fancy ropework, Portugese half hitching etc. Remember the woodwork shop - ah the smell of the old glue pot bubbling away. How about Mr Groot the history teacher. He used to be goalie for Grays Athletic, huge hands and feet, favourite subject was castles. He launched many blackboard dusters at me when I was watching Thames barges on the Orwell instead of. We must have been there together as I left at Christmas '48. Happy days.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

Exo said:


> I think that must have been a different Lidster Alan. Yes Mr Matthews was a kindly man. When we were scrubbing the deck at Bray Ct. he always said "don't forget always overlap your chum's work." He taught me fancy ropework, Portugese half hitching etc. Remember the woodwork shop - ah the smell of the old glue pot bubbling away. How about Mr Groot the history teacher. He used to be goalie for Grays Athletic, huge hands and feet, favourite subject was castles. He launched many blackboard dusters at me when I was watching Thames barges on the Orwell instead of. We must have been there together as I left at Christmas '48. Happy days.



Yes, I can still see Mr Groot in my mind's eye - a big lumbering bloke like someone from a Hollywood horror movie. While we are chatting, I would mention a few names that might ring a bell with you. We had Pamphlin and Denton I remember as nautical officers. senior to me ( your schoolmates, I guess) there was Keenan, (Mick) Mann and Loveday in 12 Dorm where I started. I have had interesting email exchanges with Mason who was a CPO I believe in another dormitory. Cheers/Alan


----------



## Dave57uk

Does anyone know what happened to the bell? My Uncle helped carve the dolphin mounts.



Alan Rawlinson said:


> *Bell pic*
> 
> I repost this picture of me at the bell because I have just remembered the small lad on the other side - surname Burton, from Lambeth. He was a character, and I wonder if any of the early School intake remember him?


----------



## Exo 104

T.S. EXMOUTH
I have posted the following on the T.S. EXMOUTH - L.N.T.S. Facebook Group - T.S Exmouth - L.N.T.S | Facebook
Dear Fellow Exos & Group Members
I have received the attached from Pat J. Jones 310 without covering note.
The envelope is marked on the back April 1944 so that may be the date of the funerals of the 2 Exo Boys killed by an American army lorry at Lydney - see this Group's files.
I have scanned the 2 photos of the model of Exmouth separately so that you can see them better.
If anyone would like the originals please let me know and I will post them to you.
What a lovely model ~ What a waste!

[ I rarely look at this site now so if anyone wishes to get in touch email me at - [email protected] ]


----------



## William Carter

Alan Rawlinson said:


> Any old boys from LNS Woolverstone around?
> 
> We are all getting on a bit, but the memories are fresh! the uniforms, the discipline, the fences, the ' liberty bus' and the weekly matches against Ganges in cricket or football - not to forget the boating on the river Orwell.


My Dad, William Cater was at Woolverstone Hall. I have the Annual Display and Prize distribution leaflet from Wednesday July 20th 1949. He was in 3A. I have his school report for term ending 27th July 1949. Does anyone remember him? I have a picture of him in uniform, and another with an older boy at Woolverstone.


----------



## William Carter

Split said:


> Why was it called London Nautical? I went to London Nautical School in Stamford Street where it moved from Comber Grove after being evacuated in Wales.
> 
> I left in 1948 and realise that the present school bears little resemblence to its nautical past.


Dad may have been there in 1948. William Carter. He was a drummer in the band.


----------



## William Carter

jimthehat said:


> Hi Ron,I to was in forecastle,no 1 dorm and was a buglar I left in summer 52 so we must have known each other I also have the school photo taken in Oct 51 so you must be standing proud somewhere,
> did you go to sea,
> 
> jim(haggis)


Hi Ron

May I have a copy of the school photo from 1951 to see if my dad was in it please? I am using his e mail for this or send to me at [email protected] Thanks very much


----------



## William Carter

Doug Cheney said:


> I went to the school and left to join the RN as a boy artificer in May 1951. My memories are a bit faded now.


HI Doug. My Dad William Alfred Carter probably known to all as Bill was at Woolverstone hall. Not sure when he left he was in form 3A in 1949. He joined the RN as an artificer too.


----------



## William Carter

Tony Brown said:


> Tony Brown Joined LNS in 1948 and left May 1950 to join up as a Art/app. Have a photo of Pete Lightbody, Alex Loveday and myself taken in Ipswich to send home to Mum!! I was the drum major at the time Bandmaster Jones left and was given the job of running the band, I could throw the Baton but did not have a clue about music, but with the help of all we managed.


Hi Tony I wonder if you remember William Carter? I know he was there in 1949 and also that he became an Ord Art app. He was a drummer.


----------



## Exo 104

William Carter said:


> Hi Tony I wonder if you remember William Carter? I know he was there in 1949 and also that he became an Ord Art app. He was a drummer.


----------



## Exo 104

Just for info, I am still hanging on and was at Bray and Woolverstone from 1946 until Winter of 1948.
I then went to HMS Ganges on 4th January 1949.
Originally we were T.S. Exmouth but a few months after arriving at Woolverstone became L.N.T.S. - London Nautical Training School.
My Ship's Book number was 104, Pat Jones 310 who is older than me is still in touch.
The Exmouth 'colours' are still in Woolverstone church but in a poor state and beyond repair.
Does anyone remember marching to church on Sunday mornings - I was the cymbal clasher due I could not learn to read music no matter how much the Bandmaster tried to teach me.
As mentioned we have a Facebook Group and Woolverstone have one too - they welcome memories about the Hall.
Best seasonal wishes to everyone, Cheers! David Rye.


----------



## Alan Rawlinson

Hallo David,

Seasons greetings to you and any (all) the ex Woolverstone Hall readers....

I joined the term before you left to go to Ganges in 1949. So my spell was 1948 to 1951, when I left to join the Bank Line. There are a couple of people that were there and who come on to facebook from time to time. One is John Mason (ex CPO) and Brown, who was a drummer. I remember the march to church very well. Also, the Sunday inspections with rather lovely slow marches being played...

All the very best/Alan Rawlinson ( 717)


----------

