Mr. Finch- Religious Studies and Physical Education

 

Mr. Finch was the Head of Religious Education in my time at Tulketh. Religious Education I found wasn't take that seriously In my time at Tulketh. I can't remember it being an  final exam subject.  

He was a stout man and was a keen cricketer and coached the second years. I first came across him in the first year. He taught 1N which was the class I started with after the initial first day entrance exams. His classroom was in one of the prefab blocks which was situated to the side of the main hall opposite the English classrooms. Next door at that time was a common room for the fifth years. With such luxuries like a coffee machine and low backed chairs. 

This was only used in breaktimes and lunchtimes and was dropped the following year after problems with the students smoking, playing loud music ,and making a mess of the room much to the Head, Mr. Jones displeasure and subsequently the common room idea was dropped for the start of the 1976 academic year.

 At primary school I had truly little Religious education really. Mr. Finch said he would put this right. I remember most of all the tale he told us of Jonah the prophet and the whale which was fascinating and the Easter story about Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Curiously, we did not have an exam at the Christmas in the subject though however there would be one in the summer. After the Christmas break, I found myself demoted to 1o after some poor results in the end of year exams.  The next time I came across Mr. Finch was in cricket practise in the second year. He was an exceptionally good batsman and regularly hit 4’s from our enthusiastic bowling. He was not bad spin bowler as well. I only played once under Mr. Finch management of the team and we were well thrashed by Blessed John Southworth R.C High School which seem to be over with as quick as it started our performance as a team was that dismal. I was last in and went for a duck and to add insult to injury some of our belongings went missing from the changing rooms. I think  one of us lost a nice watch if I remember rightly.

By the spring of 1980 I was about to leave school and so was Mr. Finch who I believe was emigrating to Australia to take up a church minister job along with a part time teaching post.

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