The "COLIN ROSS" Letter

From: Colin Ross
Date: 7 August 2017
To: Webmaster
Subject: "School Memories"

Dear Webby,

I was trawling through your website in a fit of nostalgia and came upon lots of interesting bits and pieces and came upon a name I know from my time there - "Li Ross" His name appeared in emails attached to the Letter's thread (2013) "The Detonators" and he appears to be your Vice Chairman !!

A Lionel Ross was in my form during my time at the Collegiate . If he is one and the same perhaps you will pass on my email address to him.

Having come to Liverpool from Libya where I passed the 11 plus in an Army school - We settled in Wallasey and I don't know how or why - but my brother
and I attended the Collegiate and we used to travel to school daily on the ferry and number 19 tram .

I am attaching a few pictures I have of the time -

The play was "Servant for Two Masters" and one of the females ( the one to the right ) was played by a boy from my form called Tanklovitch ! I also remember - Alistair Jack, Eric Jackson, and the lead ( black costume in the centre) I think was a sixth former - Lea , the first X1 goalkeeper - but I can't bring to mind the names of others.

The hockey picture is of the first X1 whose captain was Roland Eveleigh - other members of the team that I can remember are Andy Quirk and Alan ( I think) Blore
The masters were... back left ( I think ) Mr. Hulme - back right. Mr. TG Jackson, front left. Mr. W Gillespie and front right. Mr. Hall I remember I got my school colours for hockey well before the 5th form and used to wander around pretending to be a prefect !! ( most prefects had schools colours on their blazers )

The form photo must have been taken at Holly Lodge and may well have been 5B. I remember CR Woodward was our form-master in 5 B

If anyone recognises himself from any of the photos. by all means get in touch.

Kind regards - Colin Ross

Hi Colin - This is just the sort of email that we like to receive from our members and we understand that you have just recently sent in an Application Form for membership of COBA. Your mail includes names and pictures that should encourage other members to send in more comments about these Teachers, Pupils and Topics.

I'm afraid that we can't offer a prize to members who spot the face of an old friend, or even their own faces, but such emails would be very welcome.

I must say that the "Mr. Hall" in the the above picture looks nothing like the teacher that we remember from 1950 - more like his son :-)

Keep wriitng, Colin

BTW - Li does remember you - he has emailled you.

Cheers - Webby

Hi Webby

Your reference to Mr. Hall I think may refer to a different “Hall”

The one in the hockey photo I think joined the school teaching staff whilst I was at the Collegiate 1952/3-56/7.

As I recall he taught English and formed the first naval section of the CCF – he was a nice chap.

My daughter has remonstrated with me and tells me I should have indicated where I was on the photographs – so here is where I am….. (would that I had that volume of hair now !!)

Hockey – front row right ( next the Mr. Hall)

Form photo – Back row 6th. from left in grey jacket ( don’t know why ! ) – standing next to me on my right is Alex Ireland

Play - 5th. from right ( between two “ girls” !!!!!!)

Regards - Colin

Hi Colin - (1952 - 57)

I have never heard of this - naval section of the CCF

Surely there must be some 'Ex- Matelots' among our membership, who have stories to tell, about "Voyages into the unknown" :-)

Isn't there a well known saying about "Worse things happen at sea" ? - I'm sure that also "Better things (also) happen at sea". If not, then there MUST be stories about "Funnier things happen at sea" :-)

I'll stop that before I go too far :-)

I'll be keeping the 'Inbox', of my emails, open ready for a spate of "Sea-mails" - "Keep 'em clean, lads!"

Cheers - Webby

Hi Webby

I can’t remember an awful lot about the sea cadet section –I do remember being in it for a period of time but I don’t remember ever going anywhere near the sea ! – (apart from the Mersey ferry daily). I do recall I intensely disliked the uniform. Ironing it was a mystery I never solved and the neck items of lanyard and silk used to drive me mad. Bell bottom trousers went down like lead balloons with teddy boys in drainpipes and invariably invited confrontation !!!! ……… at that time bell bottoms were hardly a fashion statement, perhaps I should have waited until the 70s.

Mr. Hall was a Lieutenant in the RNVR ( wavy stripes) I think.

I can’t remember any of the other boys in the section although there certainly were other members, neither can I remember anything that we did !!

My brother, Brian Ross, was a year ahead of me at Collegiate and he was in Chalkie’s army. He thoroughly enjoyed it – so much so that he went to Welbeck College (army pre- Sandhurst college) to do his A levels then, to Sandhurst and a lifetime in the Army (REME) completing his service as a full colonel with the MBE for his service in Northern Ireland.

I only remember one of his form-masters – Mr. Gillespie.

He sadly is in the mid stages of Alzheimer’s now. I spoke to him of my contact with COBA but it does not significantly register in his memory. However if any old boy who knew/remembers him wants to get in touch with me I will certainly make efforts to remember them to him – you never know..

regards - Colin

Dear Webbie,

Just read Colin's letter re his brother Brian. I was in the same form as Brian and remember their arrival part way through term.

I was vice captain of the hockey team but do not appear in the photo for some unknown reason. I seem to remember Lionel Ross as being a star player but perhaps I am confusing him with Colin.

Regards, - Brian Whatling

Hi Brian - Thanks for your mail - Though it does make us feel so OOOOOOOld :) :) :)

We wouldn't mind hearing a little more about Brian - Surely someone knew him in the army and can come up with a little "tale that just had to be told" ???

Though we have always considered Li to be a "Footie Person", we have 'got on', to him to hear what he can remember about all this talk about Hockey. (No reply, yet.) The only member that we know, who will confess to playing hockey, is Derek Tasker (1944-54), which is a little bit before your time.

However, keep emailling !!!

Cheers - Webby