Grammar School Recollections
Chris has reminded me that the Grammar School motto 'Lest we should appear ungrateful'
or 'Ne ingrati videamur'
if you prefer, was a recurrent theme for the headmaster's talks at assembly.
Paul Gethen King
"I was at RGS from 1931 to 1939, as a fee payer, starting in J1 and finishing in Middle 4. I was held back one year from U1 into M1, due to ill health.
The headmaster at the Junior school was Selby Johnston, (he was also curate at St Albans Church Wickersley). The headmaster at Senior school was Mr Fields, he ran around in a Fiat car. Names I remember: Miss Reid in Junior school; those in Senior: Miss Hume teaching German: Mr Ellis, Geography: Mr Robertson, Maths: Sam Balin, French: Mr Symonds, PE: Mr Green, Latin: the Physics master had a wooden leg." May 2011
Brian Kendal
"I was at the grammar school from 1940 to 1948 starting in J2 in the junior school.
When I first went there the fees were £3 3s per term. In addition we had to pay for our books. If we passed the Borough Minor Scholarship the following year, we were given our books free, even though boys who passed from other schools received their tuition free as well. I think that this system was scrapped in 1941.
Incidentally, school dinners cost 10d per day at first, but this was later reduced to 6d. School milk was ½d per bottle for 1/3 pint." December 2006
Brent Parkin
"I was at Rotherham Grammar School from September 1965 to July l969 and then carried on at the Thomas Rotherham College. Only four years I can see you thinking! Well in my days the top form was streamed to take their O levels a year early and yours truly was one of them. The last year I was at the Grammar School was the first year of sixth form intake to the TRC and things seemed, to me at least, a bit confused. My first headmaster was 'Geg', or Mr Gunner as he preferred to be known, but he was replaced by another who became TRC head but I have forgotten his name though I was always on the mat for some misdemeanor - not really I WAS a good boy. My sister who was at TRC in the same year couldn't remember him either. Prune is the name that springs to mind but this is not quite right! Got it - Arthur Prust.
There were four houses: Snells which was blue, Bishops which was green, Founders which was yellow, Hooles which was red."