Mrs. Heaney- Maths

 

Mrs. Heaney, formerly known as Miss. Clitheroe, when I started at Tulketh back in September 1975. Mrs. Heaney taught Mathematics and was a former pupil at Tulketh, from the first year it opened in 1964.

Tall lady, not long out of teacher training school with an almost aquiline look about her. She always reminded me of the actress Jenny Agutter or Princess Anne, and she had spent some time in her early life in Australia, so the legend has it. Mrs. Heaney, occupied room 32, in the Maths block which faced Tag Lane and, in the summer, got no shield from the sun with the many windows in the block, which had been built in the summer 1970.  In fact, Tulketh the school had many windows and was nicknamed, the glasshouse by some pupils in the early years of its existence. In my time at Tulketh, Mrs. Heaney, did not teach me Maths because she generally taught a higher set in our year. Our paths did cross though in the 4^th year at Tulketh back in the autumn of 1978.

Mrs. Heaney, with the help of Miss Langer had organised lunchtime discos normally on Friday in the hall up until the Christmas break with a view of it being a permanent arrangement depending on certain conditions being met. The discos were for only the 4^th and 5^th years with Mrs. Heaney and Miss. Langer being an earlier version of Smashie and Nicey, later made famous by comedians Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse stood together at the front of the stage looking down on the throng of teenagers. The discos were very organic in nature there were no double decked turntables, sound bins, cordless mics or flashing strobe lights. In fact, in was a Pioneer record player with fidelity speakers. In the cavernous hall the sound did get somewhat lost with the dodgy acoustics and the makeshift door- men were usually some of the younger teachers like, Mr. Murray or Mr. Campbell who kept any rabble out. 

Like a lot of things at that time it was mainly prefects in the 5^th year and select personal from the 4^th year depending on the doormen with a nominal entrance fee of 20 pence. Were this money was going to I do not know but with at least 60 kids going not bad in 1978/79.

 The chart sounds of the day from the likes of-Abba, Blondie, Boney M. and Darts, reverberated out around the hall as the mix of teenage girls and boys initiated some very dodgy dance-moves across the parkee floor. A lad from the 5^th year called Andrew Lawrence managed to sneak in a couple of Boomtown rats and Clash singles for Mrs. Heaney, to spin on the turntables that was as near to anarchy that we came. There were always the last dance number normally, Heatwave, Always and Forever. This give the couples chance for a snog. One time I got a last dance with a girl called Mandy Kenyon, a nice girl but  she really didn't really want to be their . The discos normally only lasted about 45 minutes and were only once a week and the turnout were sometimes low if the lunches were good in the canteen. Especially on the Fridays when it was Fish and chips, with jam sponge and mint custard for afters washed down with either a glass of water or insipid tea. 

These ad hoc discos lasted for a few months and then in the awful winter of discontent of 1979 were cancelled due to the forthcoming exams and an incident of illicit hooch which was brought into one dinnertime allegedly , by a 5th year who was apprehended by Miss Langer and marched off to Mr. Jones , who was none too happy being disturbed in his lunchbreak.  

As for Mrs. Heaney, she left Tulketh in the mid-1980’s I believe, and Miss Langer left the school in 2006.  I did bump into Miss. Heaney at a quiz at the Sherwood pub in Fulwood in 2010. I do not think she remembered who I was but did recall my brother from time he was at Tulketh between 1978 and 1983.