My education started aged five at Reevy Road Junior School, Reevy Road, Buttershaw. (now demolished).
I remember when I was about 10 yo asked to copy from the chalk board several sums the teacher had written. Then add, subtract or times them to find the answer. The teacher checked my answers and found I had got all of them wrong. As I had done well in arithmetic previously the teacher was concerned. On further analysis it was found that I had copied the sums incorrectly from the board. I was sent to the opticians for an eye test which found I required glasses and I have worn a pair ever since. I stayed there till eleven years old failing my Eleven plus exam I went to Wibsey Secondary School (demolished).
At Wibsey the Headmaster was Mr Ball. He ruled with a flexible cane.
In early 1956 Mum heard about a brand new comprehensive type school to be built in Buttershaw opposite the prefabs where we used to live. I passed the entry exam and went to the shiny new Buttershaw Secondary School on September 3rd 1956. This was the start of my teenage years.
The school was to become the first school in Bradford to become a comprehensive. So to set the high standard of anticipation that this new type of education was intended to become all the best teachers in Bradford were recruited. All the senior teachers were university trained. This had been unknown up to now for secondary education.
Anyway for the next three years I had an excellent education. I was made Head Boy in 1958 and in 1959 I became the first pupil to pass a GCE exam.
The school was to have a fundamental impact on my life. The friends I made at school are still friends to this day We still meet on the second Wednesday every month at Noon in the Old Dolphin, Queensbury, Bradford. Nowadays we are known as the Buttershaw Raconteurs.
