Other Items, 1969

Japanese visit, March 1969

A party of six teachers from Osaka, Japan, sponsored by the British Council and accompanied by an interpreter, spent a morning in the school seeing several departments and talking to members of the staff.

St Gregory’s Day

Solemn High Mass was served for the whole school in St Aloysius’ Church, followed by a whole-day holiday.

UMIST visit

A party of twenty sixth formers accompanied by Mr Mulvey attended an Open Day at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

School trips, Easter 1969

A party of 26 boys accompanied by members of staff and the school chaplain went on a school journey to Rome.

A party of 18 cadets accompanied by their officers attended an Easter camp at RAF Oakington, near Cambridge.

Sponsored walk

On Sunday, 20th April 1969, 134 boys, supervised by several members of the staff and the headmaster, conducted a sponsored walk, the aim being to raise funds for a school bus.

St George’s Day

School closed.

ATC parade

On Sunday, 29th June 1969, a contingent of cadets of the school’s ATC squadron attended the annual parade at Chetham’s Hospital School under the command of Mr T. Hainsworth and Mr J. O’Connor, the school being represented at the saluting base by the headmaster and Mrs McGawley.

Parents’ evening, July 1969

Following a meeting of the headmaster and staff committee, a date was arranged for a parents’ evening in July. The school would open at 7.00pm for:

a) the parents of boys expected to join the school in September.

b) the parents of 5th and Lower 6th form boys. (This was possibly the first meeting of its kind.)

Paul Fearon R.I.P., 1969

Paul, who studied at St Gregory’s between 1959 and 1966, died suddenly and unexpectedly at home in September 1969 following a night out with friends to celebrate his 22nd birthday. The tragic news was first disclosed on the front page of the Manchester Evening News, which described Paul as a “soccer wizard”.

A good, all-round sportsman, Paul (nicknamed “Fizzer” by his schoolmates) was especially gifted as a footballer and gave up a promising career in the game to study at university. As well as playing with distinction over many years for the school team, Paul had also earned honours playing for Manchester Boys and the Manchester City youth side and at one point had been selected to play for England. At Leicester University, where he was captain of the first-eleven football team, he had also represented the English U.A.U. (Universities’ Athletic Union) soccer team. 

Having gained an economic history degree earlier in the summer, Paul was awarded a scholarship by Leicester University to study for a master’s degree. He was intending doing research work into eighteenth-century Manchester.

As an amateur footballer he played for Northern Nomads and in the week in which he died he had been asked to sign for Skelmersdale United Football Club.

Paul’s funeral service took place at a packed St Aloysius’ Church where the school chaplain, the Rev. Wm Hunt, said a Requiem Mass.  Among those who attended the service were Mr W.L. McGawley, members of staff and sixth-form students. Also in attendance was the Catholic chaplain of Leicester University and among the pall-bearers were some of Paul’s university friends.

Following the Mass refreshments were served across the road in the school dining-room.

A lasting memorial to Paul’s name is the fact that the Paul Fearon Cup was instituted and competed for by football teams in the Manchester amateur leagues.

Timetable change, October 1969

On the recommendation of HMI, the timetable was revised as follows:

• Morning session, 9.30am to 12 noon.

• Afternoon, 1.15pm to 3.45pm. 

Fire drill

A fire drill, taken at 11.00am on 31st October 1969, resulted in the building being cleared in 4½ minutes.

Catholic reorganisation meeting, 1969

A Diocesan working party had been set up to look into the question of reorganisation of the Roman Catholic secondary schools in Manchester following the state schools becoming comprehensive in 1967. Mr Tony Smith was St Gregory’s representative on this working party and he addressed the staff from time to time to inform them of developments. He made staff aware of the current situation in Catholic primary schools, where pupils and teachers were “still shackled with the preparation for the 11+ whilst their neighbours forge ahead with Nuffield Maths and Science, Modern Languages etc. on a much larger scale”.

Parents’ meeting, 1969

Parents of boys in the sixth form were invited to the school to meet members of the staff who taught their sons. The meeting, held in November, lasted from 7.00pm to 9.00pm and was well attended. Similar meetings were arranged for other year groups and added to the school calendar. Thereafter they became permanent fixtures in the school year.

Promotions to Higher Education

Several teachers had the distinction of gaining lectureships at colleges of education in the north-west. Among these were Mr Michael Callaghan, Mr Denis Brannan, Mr Mike Peers and Mr Bill Connor, who were all appointed to De La Salle College (Hopwood Hall). Mr Gerry Quinn took up an appointment at Christ’s College of Education, Liverpool, and Mr John Collins went to Sedgley Park. Another former teacher, Mr John Farrell, eventually went to Christ’s College from Adelphi.

Mr T. Sheridan, R.I.P.

Mr Terence Sheridan, head of art, died suddenly on 25th December 1969, aged 46. His Requiem Mass, held at St Anthony’s Church, Wythenshawe, was attended by a large number of boys and colleagues.

Mr Sheridan, who was appointed in June 1949, had played a full and active role in the life of the school. He was also one of only a handful of teachers who travelled to school by motorcycle.

Just over 12 months later, in January 1971, Mr Sheridan’s son, Thomas, was appointed to the school as a science teacher. In the mid-1960s, Mr Sheridan’s daughter, Mary, had served at the school for about seven months as a temporary teacher of modern languages.

Previous  Next