Other Aspects

Death of Mr W. Holmes, 1955

Following his retirement in January 1951, Mr Holmes, although a widower, was destined to carry on teaching. He was welcomed as a member of the teaching staff of Harrytown Convent, Romiley. Once again, his talent for teaching was to be of benefit to both pupils and colleagues.

One Saturday morning in 1955, he set off from his home for the bank. It was approaching lunch-time. Crossing Princess Road at the junction with Wilbraham Road, he was knocked down and taken to Withington Hospital.

He died there on Wednesday, 23rd November 1955. A Requiem Mass was offered in the Church of the English Martyrs, Alexandra Road, five days later. Mr Ambrose Rocca, accompanied by Mr Tony Smith and forty boys, attended the Requiem.

It was written of St Gregory the Great, the school’s patron, that he excelled in learning, yet remained humble, and gave himself to prayer and contemplation; a eulogy that could also be applied to Wilfrid Holmes.

Effects of the weather

Throughout the pre-smokeless fuel years of the Fifties and Sixties, the heavily industrialised area of central Manchester could be a very grim place indeed, especially in the winter months. Fog and smog were common and frequently caused major problems by disrupting life in the city by seriously restricting visibility.  Public transport was disrupted and schools, offices and work places had to close. Air pollution at the time not only affected the health of thousands of people but damaged buildings as a black, tarry, sooty deposit settled on walls. Blowing one’s nose resulted in a black, sooty smudge being left on one’s handkerchief. The word “smog” was first coined in the early 1900s as a portmanteau of the words ‘smoke’ and ‘fog’. Throughout the century Manchester suffered from smog as smoke continued to bellow from coal-fired factory chimneys and home coal fires, combining with fog, atmospheric pollutants and poor weather to turn day into night – quite literally as a darkening of the city’s skies occurred by midday. When the weather was cold and still these emissions were not dispersed, thus giving rise to smog.

On numerous occasions the school was closed early owing to smog and pupils were dismissed on a staggered basis, usually in the mid-afternoon with the younger boys first to leave. Sometimes a blanket of thick fog or smog would descend quickly. At other times thick fog lingered on and off for days and the school might finish early on consecutive days. 

The Clean Air Act was passed in 1956 to reduce air pollution, but it took some years to reach its full effect. As late as December 1965, the Beatles were famously photographed wearing smog masks as they arrived to give a performance at the Ardwick Theatre (Apollo).

The cold also caused disruption. The old school seemed permanently to suffer from the effects of cold weather. Freezing temperatures outside were reflected in cold classrooms inside, often as a result of a faulty boiler or defective radiators. The whole of one wing could be unheated, resulting in serious discomfort to pupils and staff alike. The timetable would be altered and classes doubled up, making working conditions extremely cramped and unsatisfactory. Again, some classes were dismissed early. Following hasty phone calls to the Education Offices, relief was sometimes sent in the form of oil heaters which were loaned to the school. Even these sometimes made very little difference, with classrooms temperatures still failing to reach even 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Flooding was another problem especially after a heavy overnight snowfall. On occasions it led to water running down the walls of several rooms and into the hall (of the south wing). It was noted that “boys were continually mopping the floors”, with “water pouring through the ceilings”. Again, a consequence of this was the disruption to life in the school and the early dismissal of some classes. 

Heavy and persistent rain also caused similar flooding. The lack of proper maintenance to the building, and especially to the old roofs, resulted in frequent leakages through the loose and worn slates and rotting timbers. The south wing, facing the park, was built in 1858 and was particularly vulnerable to leakages. The damage to roofs, timbers, walls, ceilings, floors, classrooms and stock was ongoing. What remained also, of course, was the odious smell of dampness, which lingered for some time.

Blizzards also caused problems, beginning with disrupting the public transport system and leading to pupils and staff arriving late; some pupils did not turn up at all. Afternoon blizzards resulted in an early finish to ensure that boys arrived home in good time.

Severe storms consisting of strong winds and heavy rain damaged the school building and sometimes dislodged loose slates and gutters, again causing problems.

Liverpool trip, June 1955

Ninety-four boys and five teachers joined the Cooperative Travel Association day-trip to Liverpool, the original intention being to travel there by train from Manchester Central and return by canal. However, a strike by ASLEF caused widespread disruption to rail travel and was the cause of the school party having to travel to Liverpool by coach, much to the chagrin of some of the boys.

One of the pupils on that trip – Eddie Johnson, a first-year boy and railway enthusiast who would later write acclaimed books on local railways – had this to say:

“So we journeyed by coach to the centre of Liverpool. I don’t remember a tour of the city as such, only that we travelled the length of the Liverpool Overhead Railway. Known locally as ‘The Dockers’ Umbrella’, the seven-mile system opened in 1893. It extended from Herculean Dock to Seaforth and the trains could travel also on to Aintree, although this was only accessed on Grand National day.

Our return to Manchester, or rather Salford, was via the Manchester Ship Canal, a leisurely trip that took some several hours to complete. However, it was broad daylight and we were blessed with a lovely evening. It was a memorable trip, certainly for me. I think our parents collected us at Salford docks and we would have travelled home from there by bus.” 

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