I knew a couple of students who were expelled from Xaverian and at least one from the prep school. The boy who quietly disappeared from St Anne’s had a name similar to Morensky and was the son of the chemist who had a shop on Wilmslow Road. This boy had a head which was definitely egg shaped which caused merriment among some of the more insensitive of his fellow students, most of whom had their own distinguishing features but life was ever thus. However, his most remarkable characteristic was his total lack of fear of authority. He just laughed when given any kind of instruction which made him unteachable as well as disruptive. After less than one term he quietly disappeared. Another prep expulsion has just occurred to me. There was a boy called Bowyer who was supposed to be connected to the meat pie family. His father turned up to the prep one day in a Rolls Royce which naturally caused quite a stir. Again, the boy was apparently unteachable and once driven off in the Rolls was never to be seen again.
Two boys who were expelled from Xaverian were Chris Bean and a Londoner named Matthews. I later became friends with Chris who ended up working for Chubb the safe and security company who had premises on the far end of Deansgate. His father was a trade union official. In both cases the boys refused to take corporal punishment which led to their removal. Today they would be seen as class warriors no doubt!
Chris started going to the Twisted Wheel club on Brazennose Street and the Whitworth Street when it moved location. He seemed to have access to the company van at weekends – whether this was officially sanctioned I have my doubts. We lost touch many years ago which is probably just as well as I know there were times when we were sailing much to close to the wind but therein lies another story for another day…
Yes, the Twisted Wheel. I too frequented it (them) between 1963 and 1967, along with a few select ex-Xavs types. Many many stories there and from that time for another day and perhaps not to be committed to writing, but what a fantastic time to be into music. There’s a website devoted to the club’s latter (‘northern soul’) incarnation but I also remember so many of the American bluesmen and the British bands at the old club. Much of it was down to Roger Eagle who DJed the all-nighters and opened all our ears to so many great sounds. Sadly he passed away in 1999.
T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker and of course, Sonny Boy just to name three.
Roger is virtually written out of the history of Manchester Soul but probably the most influential DJ of them all. Cheers John.
I went to Xavs on a Catholic scholarship. I sadly didn’t fit in.
In later times i got to know Roger Eagle although many years after The Twisted Wheel. An inspiration and a giant both in stature and in soul education for the working class masses of the North of England.
Nice to hear from you Vincent. See my Roger page on soulbot.uk
Bob
https://soulbot.uk/roger-eagle.htm