Recollections
As when, and if, interesting anecdotes and recollections are received they will be posted here. If you have any recollections to add please email them to buttlekswick@hotmail.com or post them to the address given on the Contact Page.
The first old boy
I went from Barker Butts to Copthorne when it first opened and left at Xmas. As I was the only leaver I became the school's first old boy....I think there was only about 8 of us in the 4th year and we were all prefects.
Roy Jones, Bedworth
The first caning?
I particularly remember my first day at Copthorne it was in 1951 and it was everybody first day because the school had only just opened that year. Miss Knight was only a very young teacher as I remember and I was a complete nuisance to her and a disruptive clown in her classroom. Eventually she called in Mr Hall to try and subdue me and of course he did, in the way he knew would work most effectively - six of the best with his trusty bamboo cane, well being only eleven years old at the time I can vouch that it definitely had the desired effect, I managed to keep from crying until the other kids had left the classroom, in fact I sat for the rest of the lesson in stunned silence. The other children in the class also got the message loud and clear not to mess with Mr Hall. After the other children left I stayed seated alone and eventually had a good cry, and Miss Knight who I think was as shocked as everyone else at the way things worked in the school system at that time comforted me and we became firm friends. I never played up in her class again, although I did in most other classes and tasted Mr Halls punishments on many other occasions in fact I became quite used to them in time but I will never forget the first one.
James Blumsom
The collapsing classrooms
I recall one lesson ending very quickly after some officials spoke to the teacher who was teaching a class I was in. We were told to go home. Apparently the officials had told the teacher the classroom was in danger of collapsing! - so too was another one next door. They were both in the hostel block. The year was circa 1960. Always when I returned home to Coventry after moving to the north of England I would look to see if those classrooms had collapsed. They never did - they remained standing, as far as I know, until the whole building was demolished.
Paul Buttle, Keswick
Footnote: Seemingly they were never used again even if they didn't collapse. Dawn Rowles who left in 1969 recalls: "(In) the old hostel….There were a couple of rooms that were not used, which were unsafe…one empty room I dared to venture to look into out of devilment."
Copthorne meets Elvis (almost)
I went to Switzerland with in 1958. I remember walking around Lake Thun very early one morning and Elvis Presley was in an open topped car coming towards us. What a pity he never stopped and we could have had our photograph taken. This was when he was in the Army and there were lots of Americans stationed at the end of Lake Thun.
Margaret Allen
A butterfly beating!
We had just gone to Mr Pollard’s class when Jean Spark who sat in front of me found a live butterfly in a jar in a desk. Barbara Davies said it was cruel and they should let it go so they did - only to find out it was a rare one the owner had brought it to show one of the teachers! We were all got kept in but not for long as they both owned up and took their punishment two strokes of the cane from Miss Edwards. I remember my self and Barbara having a laugh about that. Sadly both girls died young Jean at 13yrs and Barbara at 21yrs.
Brenda Hamilton (née Ball) Coventry
The school's most famous pupil?
We had the son of a family that became famous in my first class, Victor Meak's parents won £75000, the then highest ever amount won on the pools. Victor didn't stay too long after that..... I remember he brought a tin of Russian Caviar in, horrible stuff !!
George Rushton
The Copthorne Troika
In my final year (1965/966) only 3 girls chose to stay on, therefore Mr Hall felt it would be unfair to pick one head girl, so if my memory serves me correct the three girls Lesley Brain, Behula Cotton and myself all were head girl for a term.
Jill Brown (née Gardner)
Roy Moore's memories of the school's early days
I remember Mr Mahoney teaching us. It snowed when he was at the school, as he had not seen snow before he came into the boy's playground throwing snow balls......I think I was in Mr Maunds class one day when we had to choose a book to read, I chose Four Men in a Boat and was taken to task for laughing until I read out to him a part of the page I was reading. I have since read that book about 5 times it still makes me laugh......I recall when all the boy's were herded into the hall as some had been caught smoking! There were quite a few lads called up on stage each given 2 strokes of the cane from Mr Hall, one lad who's name I can't remember refused to accept the punishment as he said he had never smoked in his life.
Roy Moore
(The "Mr Mahoney" Roy recalls I've since learnt was actually Baz Maharaj who came on exchange from Trinidad. I'm sure he must have been the same man I recall visiting Whitmore Park when I was a pupil there. I remenbering him saying now is how pleased he was to hear the song "Last train to San Fernando", which was then in the hit parade, as San Fernando in question was in Trinidad. It was sung by Johnny Duncan and the Blue Grass Boys and released on Columbia in 1957. Although Johnny Duncan was American it seems the record was recorded in England. - Paul Buttle)
Ralph's recollections of how things were run
Some of my recollections are - having to show both sides of your hands to the "dinner teacher" of the day standing in the doorway to the canteen before being allowed to enter. "Jammy Dodgers" and "Wagon Wheels" during the morning breaks - sold from the window of Classroom 6 and as a Prefect standing in the corridor ensuring all pupils went one way only.
Ralph Jenns
George's journey to school
I started at the school following the Summer break of 1953. I lived in The Scotchill and used to walk to school by crossing the road at the Shepherd & Shepherdess and going through the prefab buildings that were the hostel. They were not occupied officially then, though there may have been vagrants living there. The buildings were in a state of severe decay. I did venture into several of them. Health and safety not being given the same urgency in those days. Lots of asbestos lagging round the big pipes!!! There also used to be a pond that often froze over in the winter. I can remember the ice giving way a number of times when being walked on. I only went across it once and remember the ice cracking as I reached the centre, but fortunately I was very light in those days, so I didn't get a ducking but I never dared doing a repeat performance.
George Rushton
The last lad to leave
My son Mark's claim to fame is that he made sure he was the very last one in the playgound on the day of its closure (in 1981). He stood in the playground for about 15 minutes until everyone had gone so he can say he was the last one there. Mark obviously knew that myself and my brother went there and that we had fond memories of our school days.
Eleanor Coward
When the annex was annexed
When the annex was first used one large room had a stage in it. I was around when they first opened up underneath the stage - it was full of hats and gas masks. Afterwards it was converted in to two classrooms. The area that the metalwork and woodwork was taught in was first used as a games room - it was ideal for football or gymnastics
David Betts
The school's nissen hut
The nissen hut in the school grounds.was furnished and used for Domestic Science lessons. A rota was set up for sets of 2/3 girls at a time to spend a few days in "the flat" as it was referred to. There we learned how to make a bed, clean, wash and iron and cook. Whenever Mr. Hall the Headmaster had visitors we had to cook and serve them a meal there which I remember was quite scary! At other times though it was great fun playing 'house' and I feel prepared us well for housewifely duties!!. It must have done some good as my husband and I are about to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. I wonder do any of the other girls remember these times?
Carol Chapman
A revolutionary approach to Copthorne
My old school pal Tony Buckle travelled from Brinklow to Copthorne - with no bus pass!! - each day after his parents moved home to a rather gorgeous Tudor cottage in the village during our third year (1963/1964). During our 5th year (1964/1965) he commuted by means of a small BSA motorcycle that his father had bought him once he had reached his 16th birthday - but Tony wasn't allowed to park it on the school's premises!
Les Smithers
A place of safety
Copthorne took pupils from two care homes: a reception centre in Keresley and a house in Charlewood Road in Whitmore Park. While I was attended Copthorne I lived in the Charlewood Road house.
I loved the school. My form teachers were Mr. Bannister, Mr. Caddick (for two years) and Mr, Lamb (known affectionately as Daddy Lamb - he use to stand on the desk which we thought great fun.). For me the school was a safe place. Mr Caddick was a good form teacher and alerted the head mistress when I became withdrawn due to my being bullied by the person in charge of the children’s home I was in.
We were not encouraged in the home but school was different - it developed in me a wonderful curiosity! - though I was told by Mr. Caddick I was the worst speller in the school (I found out afterwards I was dyslexic which wasn’t known about back then.) Later in life I completed a degree and at the age of 48 I qualified for a Master’s.
Irene Holloway (Protheroe)
Attended Copthorne 1963 - 67
A very young worker
Some pupils left Copthorene when they were 14 as they turned 15 between the start of the summer holidays the the commencement of the autumn term. There is a possibility then that some pupils who attended Copthorne began work at 14. Alan Chambers was almost one of them.
I left Copthorne at the start of the school summer holidays 1957,so I was still 14, but had an apprenticeship lined up to commence Jan 1958. I was very much looking forward to having a few months break, but my aunt arranged for me to start at Woolworths Coventry as soon as I became15 (Aug 21st) to fill the gap.
Alan Chambers
The Copthorne Cowboy.
The following information about Tony Maycock was sent to me by Mike Cheyne whose brother, David, was the school's head boy in 1952/53. Tony was friend David's friend and like him lived in Thurlstone Road and attended Copthorne at the same time as David. Mike himself did not attend Copthorne. Tony can be seen as a pupil in the second, third and fourth photographs on the Pupils page.
Tony Maycock moved to the U.S.A. There was an article in the Telegragh along time ago about him working as a real life cowboy working on the last remaining cattle drives I think in Montana. He now lives in Canada.
Mike Cheyne
An early warning circa 1958.
I remember getting cane on first day off Mr Cook. He said no talking in class. We had a maths test and didn't hear the question so I asked Wyn Evans what it was. Had to go and get the cane from the Science Room 10, Mr Ward, and take it back.
Les Owens
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