Manchester Xaverian in the Sixties
Life in a Manchester Catholic grammar school
Mr Lackey taught me geography at Xaverian and it was no small feat to actually get me a GCE ‘o’ level as a result. He was an intelligent mentor and had the key to success in exams. His particular method was to produce mnemonics for all the facts that we would need to regurgitate to be successful in … Read more
Now this might sound a bit odd at first glance but I can assure you it’s true – another side to the enigmatic Brother Cyril Birtles. Brother Cyril occasionally took my class for music. There was an old piano in the conservatory attached to the back of St Anne’s Prep. We would gather round the piano … Read more
Mr Charles Sellars was our music teacher. For some reason he didn’t like me. This sometimes happens and I don’t remember the phenomenon mentioned in any of my further education teaching manuals when I eventually became one myself. I really tried to get myself liked but it was no use and I dropped music as … Read more
Probably the most painful experience I can remember from all my time at Xaverian is the one relating to Mr Archdeacon. It probably contributed more to the reason my academic achievements slid off the scale and my earlier promise evaporated. It still fills me with mixed emotions over fifty years later. I enjoyed being taught … Read more
Pete Burrows took me for physics and maths in Lower Five Three. He was a great guy, an all round sportsman and occasionally took us for football. As a result of his recommendation I played for a cricket team called The Crusaders based round the Longsight area for a short period until we had a … Read more
Mr Newton took us for Physical Education. I suppose he was in his mid forties although I have often been surprised that teachers were inevitably much younger than the age we would imagine. My mental image of him always includes a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth and a dark blue track suit. … Read more
Mr Crotty took me for Geography at Ward Hall, my first year at Xaverian. His teaching technique was, shall we be kind and say, somewhat old fashioned. As far as I can recall it consisted entirely of dictation. He would write some headlines on the blackboard and then proceed to dictate to the class so … Read more
Because I was having doubts about many of the beliefs of the catholic church, I thought seriously about questions I was having genuine difficulties with and was not shy in coming forward with these to my R.I. teachers. My one remaining Xaverian report shows that this was well known. My teacher in 1962 was Brother … Read more
Mr Connolly was a big man, tall, somewhat stout and wore glasses. I think he may have taken English but for a time he was our Religious Instruction teacher. For what ever reason, he and I did not get on. At that time I was questioning the whole religion thing, not because I didn’t believe … Read more
I remember at the Prep School Brother Cyril set us a maths homework and told us that he was going to allow us to mark our own efforts. In retrospect we should have seen the trap that was being set – I am sure he did it to every new intake. After we had marked … Read more