Memories from 1950-52 – Alumni Stories, Jack Marsh

Our latest blog comes courtesy of former student Jack Marsh, who shares an insight into life at York St John in the early 1950’s.

I was a student at St John’s Training College during 1950-52 following compulsory National Service with, in my case, the RAF. This was notionally a two-year service period but early release to accommodate the start of the academic year in September often meant as little as 18 months. It did mean however, that the average age of the student body was 2 years older than that of today.

There were about 100 male students in each year, so, it being a two-year course, there would be 200 in residence mainly on the upper floor of the Old College Building in single style study rooms with bathrooms on every corridor. A new building at the back offered more up-to-date rooms usually reserved for student officials, games captains etc. The College had recently started a supplementary one-year course in Physical Education (with about 20 students) who found accommodation out in the town. Some local students were home based.

The layout of the College was modelled on that of the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge with sleeping accommodation on the upper floor and lecture hall, teaching rooms, refectory and common room on the ground floor.

Facing the College from Lord Mayor’s Walk, the Principal’s residence was the wing on the extreme left at that time occupied by Rev. Philip Lamb of croquet fame mentioned elsewhere. The College chapel (detached) on the extreme right was where a daily service began each day with the whole student body attending – not compulsory, but “expected”. The singing was wonderful, including the psalms to Anglican Chants, lead by a choir in four-part harmony which had an extensive practice every Friday morning under the tutelage of the music tutor George Baggley – in fact, the enthusiasm for psalm chants was such that they were sung by sports teams when traveling away to fixtures by coach. This developed my love for choral singing which has been ongoing ever since.

The Porters’ Lodge occupied the central entrance porch and housed students’ pigeon-holes for mail and messages etc. The ground floor wing immediately on the left housed the JCR (Junior Common Room) where snacks were available, meetings were held and a dance was held every Saturday night with local girls invited in from the town. A couple of times each term, coach loads of girls were invited in from “sister” colleges such as Bingley, Rippon and Scarborough for special dances and, for the really big social event of the year – Archbishop’s Night held just before Christmas – girlfriends from home towns would be entertained. This was held in the prestigious De Grey Rooms in the city centre, and originated in 1841 when the then Archbishop donated a barrel of beer to mark the successful conclusion of the College’s first term.

The dances were organised by a very charismatic man called Joe Copping who was responsible for ”Primary Education Tuition”. This took place in the wing to the right of the Porters’ Lodge and took the form of the tutor (Joe) bringing in classes from the neighbouring primary schools and delivering model lessons while a cohort of about 20 students behind, observed. Sometimes a student took the class, followed by a group discussion on “how things went”.

Demonstration lessons were also delivered at secondary level to classes brought in from the Model School which shared the premises behind the College to the right. In charge of this was Chris Chapman, recently appointed as Vice Principal. Here again, the students were seated behind the imported class which gave rise to much mirth when one rather small student (Ron Norcliffe) sitting in the front row (of the students) was seriously reprimanded for not having his book!

Not only did Joe Copping run the weekly dances, he also organised variety shows – about one or two each term – from student talent. Also, one dramatic production each year. Our year it was The Magistrate by Arthur Pinero with female actors imported in. These productions all took place in the lecture theatre which was a steeply tiered lecture room in the right-hand corner of the quad and the only place capable of accommodating all 200 students. I recall the Rev. Lenny Poole, one of the English lecturers, and compere for the night, exhorting the audience to “leave no turn unstoned”!

In addition to witnessing demonstration lessons, every student undertook 3 sessions of School Practice allocated to particular schools – two in year one of about 3 weeks duration and a longer, final one in year two. Mine were at a junior school in Clifton, Rowntree Secondary Modern at New Earswick and the final one at Todmorden (Lancs.) where we were billeted out in digs. Our tutors visited to observe, advise and assess.

We seemed to pack a lot into our two year course and I have fond memories of several fellow students, However to try to keep this of general interest to non-contemporaries, I shall mention just two:

Bill Marsham, ex Hull, who we voted Chairman of the JCR, began his career working in a young offenders’ institution at Aycliffe, Darlington before joining the inspectorate in Tasmania!

The other is Alan Field (ex Dewsbury) our Vice Chairman of the JCR who spent his life working with the physically handicapped, initially at Corney Hill School before becoming Principal at the National Star Centre near Cheltenham (F.E. College for the physically impaired).

Well I hope that has stirred a few memories and will, hopefully, encourage others to recount recollections of this, or other, years.

Regards,

Jack Marsh

How times have changed! Many thanks for sharing these wonderful memories with us Jack! if you have a story or some memories of your own to share please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.