Mr. Wilson (Physical Education and History)

 

Mr. Wilson looks similar to Ed Straker from TV series UFO

Mr. Wilson taught Physical Education when I arrived at Tulketh and was virtually the Head of the department due to the previous Head of department Mr. Holding, leaving earlier in the year.

I think the school were waiting to make the right appointment at the time. I seem to recall we had a nice trainee teacher from Australia whose name escapes me now to help until the new appointment of Mr. Smith of Head of department in early 1976.

Mr. Wilson in my opinion came across as approachable, very modern teacher who was not like the stereo typical P.E teachers you saw in the films like Kes, and To Sir with Love. He did not have that brash military style of a P.T instructor like other generations of schoolkids had known down the years.

Always very smart, fresh faced with a striking blond hair with a tuft slightly lighter at the front of his forehead He wore a track suit with the words of the college he studied at which was Carnegie College in Leeds and he had arrived at Tulketh in 1973 from there.  I remember once pronouncing Carnegie as Carnage, which he rightly corrected me on the meaning of both words. Back in the first year Mr. Wilson broke his leg playing Football I believe which meant he was absent from the school for a  while. We had a variety of different teachers stood in to help Mr. Smith, the Head of P.E.

I remember Mr. Wilson having us doing the high jump in the gym one rain-swept afternoon which some excelled at better than others I remember him saying my high jump style was similar in style to Dick Fosbury the famous American athlete who won a Gold medal in the 1968  Olympics. We also played Basketball in the gym sometimes which I enjoyed and volleyball. At primary school most of us had only played football and a little cricket now in secondary school we tried various other sports in which Mr. Wilson was always encouraging us to have a go at.  There was talk of us doing some canoeing on the canal but somehow that never got off the ground. To say it would have been interesting with some of our class at that time is an understatement.

In the end of year excitement of Christmas 1976, we at Tulketh always had a talent show or gang show where pupils and teachers would entertain the assembly for the final morning of the school year. The producer of the show was always our Housemaster Mr. Forshaw, who would with his usual enthusiasm give the audience what they wanted with a mixture of music, comedy, dance and novelty acts.  I believe the third-year pupil Steve Flintoff came up with the idea of me answering questions on my favourite subject Football on the show. At first, I wasn’t keen on the idea but with some encouragement took it on. I needed a quizmaster so who better than Mr. Wilson.  I approached Mr. Wilson with the idea which he said he would be delighted to take part.

We were on in the Second half of the show and Mr. Wilson had prepared 20 questions on football which were far from easy and I had no prior knowledge of until we walked out on to the stage. After an enthusiastic introduction by Concert chairman, Mr.Forshaw. I was surprisingly calm considering the audience of at least 900 kids plus teachers. I managed to get a healthy 18 out of 20 right. If only I had the same kind of success in my academic studies! I remember one of the questions was Which First Division midfielder broke his leg while playing for West Ham?  Answer was Graham Paddon. Our act closed the first half of the show before the break.

Afterwards I got quite a lot of credit of the kids and some of the teaching staff for my performance on the show.. I even got a congratulatory pat on the back from our dependable stage manager/Sound technician in the loosest sense Mr.Yates, our Metalwork teacher.

The following term a couple of times I tried to play sick to get off doing P.E. I naively thought that I could get the better of Mr. Wilson’s good nature due to our appearance on the show. I remember he let it go the first time and when I tried it again a few weeks later knowing that there was nothing wrong with me. He made me get changed and rebuked me for trying to pull the wool over his eyes.

In the summer of 1977, Mr. Wilson left Tulketh to join up with Mr. Holding at Walton Le Dale High school who had been with him when he started at Tulketh in 1973 in the P.E department. Many years later our paths crossed again through my job with a local paint company and the account Walton Le Dale High school have with us. Amazingly on the occasions Martin came in for goods for the school he did recognise me after all those years.  

After retirement from teaching Mr. Wilson, now works at the local leisure centre where my son also works. A small world!

Staff  football team

A staff football team photo from 1974. Teachers featured in the stories are Mr. Norris (Mathematics), back row 3^rd from the left, next to him Mr. Sherrington, (History), Mr. Wilson, (P.E), back row far right.

 Mr. Sawyer, (Geography), Front row 3^rd from the left with the ball, Mr. Blackwell, (History), without glasses, 5^th from the left, sat next to him Mr. Dexter, (Science).

Other teachers on the photo who taught me while I was at Tulketh (1975-1980). Mr. Bevan, (Art), back row first on left hand side and Mr. Smith, (Science), front row fourth from the left.

The staff versus the 5^th year football team was traditionally played before the Easter holidays.

Like the annual cross-country final, sports days, inter- house football and cricket matches and Forshaw Follies the traditional Christmas end of term talent/gang show produced by Mr. Forshaw. All these activities were popular amongst the typical 1970’s comprehensive schools. Possibly a tradition which maybe come from Grammar schools or the Private schools  maybe ?.