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The Boldon Buke
The Magazizne of Bolodon Secondary School

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BOLDON BUKE                        the magazine of Boldon Secondary School

 

JULY 1969                                  Issue Number Five

                                                    Price 6d


Committee                                   

Editor                                          Wendy Rouse   G4

                                                   Clive Bulmer   G3

                                                   Lyn Millar   G3  

                                                  Kenneth Waugh  3A

Contributors

Editorial

         The committee and myself take great pleasure in presenting the fifth issue of the School Magazine.

Every year the number of contributions increases, and once more we have the difficult, but enjoyable task of sorting out the articles to be included.  We thank everybody who submitted an entry, unfortunately lack of space limits the number of contributions published.

We have tried to include articles to suit everybody and we hope you will enjoy reading them as much as we have done.

 

HEAD MASTER'S NOTES

I am very pleased to realise that the First Phase of building in connection with the school's becoming Comprehensive is nearly at an end.. With any luck, we should be able to call the school our own again very early nest term and forget all the dirt, noise and inconvenience that we have endured over the past year.  I think we could have two years of peace before the process commences once again and all the other necessary buildings are erected.  In addition to the Second Phase, we hope to have a Community Centre, with a 25 metre Swimming Pool, Squash Courts. a Bowls, Archery and Golf indoor area, besides facilities for adults in the way of lounges, bars and rooms for other leisure pursuits.  This will be the first of its kind in County Durham, except for the Billingham Forum, and a Centre of which Boldon can justly feel proud.

In September 1970, all the children from the Junior Schools in Boldon will be coming to this school.  The initial facilities will include a new Woodwork Room, two Metalwork Rooms, two new domestic Science Rooms, five Science laboratories, a special Technical Drawing room, extra Art and Music accommodation and also the new House blocks with dining facilities and the new School hall and the Games hall.  With the gradual increase in numbers then additional staff will be required so that the best use is made of all the improvements included in the first Phase.

Everything is new, clean and tidy and this brings me to pride in personal appearance.  This helps towards pride in work, the opposite being also true.  The aim in uniformity in dress is to give the school a proper corporate spirit and to avoid appearance giving away the different home backgrounds.  Clothes must be purchased, and to buy a black blazer and blue or grey cardigans, blouses etc., is no more expensive than buying other articles.  Please ask your parents to help in this matter so that visitors to the school my be impressed by the general appearance of all pupils.

I am delighted that through the efforts of all concerned the standard of this magazine is being maintained and my special thanks go out to them.. This also includes those whose work has not been published.  The credit is there for the effort you have made.Again it is "au revoir" and best wishes to the pupils who are leaving.  I do not say "Good bye" as that implies not meeting again, and believe me. The staff and I area interested in your future wellbeing.  You cease to be girls and boys and become ladies and gentlemen, with all that those words imply.. Good fortune to you all.

I cannot let this opportunity pass without congratulating Mr Tarbitt on his appointment as Headmaster of Whitburn Secondary School.  We were, of course, very sorry to lose him from our staff and thank him for the excellent work he did for the school..  It is with deep regret too that we say farewell to Miss Pierce.  No school has ever had a more conscientious mistress and no Headmaster could ever have had such excellent support.  Thousands of children have passed through her hands and they have gained nothing but good as a result.  Please join with me in wishing her a long and happy retirement and saying an extra big THANK YOU  for services rendered.

 

ESSAY TROPHY.

The Winning entry for the Robert McDarmont Cup

The Kind and Book I like to Read

My taste in reading is to varied that it is difficult to specify one particular type of book which I prefer.  If I begin to read something which I find interesting. I become so engrossed in it that my sense of time is lost.  Among the many types of books which I read. one is predominant, and that is stories of the supernatural, more commonly called ghost stories.

Although I say I do not believe in ghosts, these spectre-stricken stories infested with haunted buildings and blood-curdling sounds hold a certain fascination for me which I cannot explain.  Recantations of the horrific rites of satanic power and appalling apparitions too terrible to relate are, to my mind, the essence of a good, terrifying ghost story.

My favourite reading time for these books is about eleven or twelve o'clock at night, just before I go to sleep.  The same sensational excitement is not experienced if these books are read during the day, as it all seems too impossible to believe and there must be some belief or at least some lurking doubt before one enjoys these stories.  A complete disbeliever in the supernatural would probably not enjoy this type of reading as I do.  A complete disbeliever does not read these stories anyway, because he does not need convincing.  An agnostic would probably enjoy these books and would gain full satisfaction of being  terrified, which is why these books are read in the first place. Whether I am reading of ghostly apparitions, favourite hauntings of phantoms, or merely peculiar and inexplicable phenomena , my imagination becomes so carried away, that I am half afraid to look up from the book in case some frightful, fiend-like spectre is standing over me with a mocking expression on its face.  A hasty retreat under the blankets is a sure cure for this.

Because ghosts are usually associated with evil doings, I am half afraid to admit belief in the expectation that I may be "whipped away" by Clootie (old name for the Devil) himself, so until I am firmly convinced one way or the other, I will continue to read in enjoyable fear and 'laugh it off' afterwards.

Linda Hamilton G5

 

Her First Frilly Panties.

After school I usually get changed and go over to my cousin's house.  It just so happened that when I went over, Alison Muir, from Form 4 Arts, was writing an article for a girls' comic.  Alan and I asked if we could read it, she gave it to us, and this is what we read.

When my mother was a child she was used to wearing navy "panties", and she utterly  hated them.  Her mother found out that she hated the school panties so she went out and bought her some pink frilly "panties".  She was so pleased with these that she would not let anyone but herself iron them.  One day she had ironed the "panties", she folded them neatly and wrapped them up in a towel for safekeeping, and left them to dry on the table.  Just at that moment her father came in and picked up the towel, thinking it had been left there for him to take to the pit showers.

After a hard day's work, the miners retreated up the shaft to the showers, so they could get cleaned uyp and go off home.  After the showers they sll come out to get dry! They picked up their towels and gave them a wuick shake to get all the dust off the towels, because of their having been in their dirty rucksacks.  You can imagine the look on the miners' faces when her father flicked from his towel a pair of frilly "panties".

George Hunter  G.1.

 

Whitburn' Fishing Boats.

Whitburn is a quiet town,
Upon the English coast,
Where many people gather,
To see the fishing boats.

The fishing boats are on the beach,
All dismal and alone,
At three o'clock they begin to move,
Upon the coloured stones.

The water is so nice and calm,
The moonbeams, it reflects,
The boat soon reaches the sea,
And wakes it from its rest.

The vessel is now afloat,
With oars all unattended,
Heading towards the open sea,
Still but quite contented.

The lobster pots are dropped,
Beneath the black seaweed,
Where crabs and lobsters lurk
All hidden and unseen.

As soon as these are dropped,
We now all head for home,
I for my old lonesome beach,
And you for your warm home.

At ten o'clock,we go oncemore,
To the lonely spot,
o take the ill fated crabs and lobsters,
And reset all the pots.

And now my ork is over,
For one more day at least.
While people watch and wonder "Why?"
As I lie here asleep.

Richard Duncan  G. 3.

Early Football.

Many things are enjoyable to watch or do; one of these is football which has a long history as it was played before the Middle Ages.  In the early days, it was illegal to play football and men could be put in prison for breaking the law.

The early football was not like the football we play today.  In those days goal posts were just chalked on a wall or a fence.  Men did not play on a field but in the streets, so the pitches were not straight.  When they played, hundreds of them were running around the streets kicking the ball as in those days anyone joined in.  After a while, they started to play on fields and so come about the goal posts which did not have a crossbar, only a piece of string.  When this came about, they started to cut down the number of players as they knew too many were playing.  They decided on eleven players a side as it is today.

After a short space of time, professional football clubs started to "pop up" all over England, so some important men got together and thought of a contest in which the  winner would receive a cup, the F.A. cup, which means the Football Association Cup.  All the clubs which wanted to enter for this contest had to give some money toward the buying of the cup.  I think it was the Wanderers against the Royal Engineers in the final and Wanderers won 1 - 0.

After this they started to play better as more cups, like the League Cup and the World Cup later on, could be won.

In 1938 when England went to play in Germany the English team were made to salute Hitler which they did not like to do , so they said they would beat the German team which they did.  They won 6 - 3 which made Hitler angry as he thought his team were invincible, which they were not.

So we see football was played form the Middle Ages and before to today and it is improving all the time.  It is becoming more interesting and is played better as the conditions in which is played are improving.

Gerard Brown.  G.3.

Boldon Secondary School

 

To look at BoldonSecondary school today one would hardly think it possible that in a matter of a few years the whole character of the school has been changed.  The school is no longer a dull brick building surrounded by fields butt a bright atmosphere has arrived with the construction of new prefabricated school halls and classrooms.

If one's parents were to attend the school today, they would observe an enormous change.  No longer is the school separated into a boys' and a girls' school, and the old rule that girls must come and go be the girls/ entrance, and likewise for the boys, has also been dissolved.

One does not say "I am going to room 1" but "I am going to House Block 1 and to the Administration Block".

Many new changes like this have been for the better.  In a morning one goes straight to the Assembly Hall, which now with its great capacity holds all the school.  There is more contact between pupils and teachers, and the day is started off in the morning by Br. Armstrong wishing all a "Good Morning".  It must also be very pleasant for him when all six hundred pupils join in the chorus of "Good Morning"  Teachers also take part in this with the men teachers on the right of Mr. Armstrong and the ladies to the left.  It sets an example to the pupils that, if teachers can attend the service and hoin in regularly, then there is no reason for pupils to grumble.

Mr. Armstrong tries very hard to make each service as interesting as possible, and if you think that it is boring and you make it obvious, one must also think that Mr Armstrong who has to face six hundred bored pupils, and that too is not easy. But, with joint effort, assembly can go with a 'swing'.

These new buildings have also introduced many facilities.  A new sports hall has just been built which is large enough for four badminton courses across.  Now Mr Storey can have night classes which before was impossible.  Also the new hall in the Administration Block has the up-to-date equipment of spot lights and a control panel for fading lights.  This can allow much more professional plays and concert to be performed.  If such an occasion should happen, the hall is large enough to hold about five hundred as an audience.

All pupils should be proud of their new school and help to keep it new for future pupils to have as much pleasure out of it as we have.

Linda Gilroy. G.5.

 

Self Defence.

 

People differ in their opinions about which is the best, boxing or judo.  With judo you are less likely to hurt and it is suitable for both boys and girls.  One well-known boxer said, "If a judo expert grabs me before I punch him hard, he wins, but if I punch him hard before he grabs me, I win".  If a Judoha is attacked he is restricted in the amount of force he is allowed to use.  He must not inflict more pain than necessary on his adversary.  A simple wrist-lock will show your attacker that you are not to be toyed with.  In judo we use our opponent's clothing and his own weight against him.  This is useful for women.  If they are attacked they can throw a full-grown man and subdue him.  But don’t think that if you know judo you are invincible.  You are not.  But you have a better chance.

 

Most people's idea of karate is a Japanese expert breaking tiles with his head, large planks of wood with his hand, bricks with his elbow and boards with his feet.  This is mostly due to publicity given to the more spectacular parts of the sport which are usually only demonstrations.  I prefer Judo to the other arts of self defence because it works as a means of self defence and not as attack.

Tom Bromley 4Sc.

 

Our Shore

 

Often on a sunny day I go down to the beach.  As soon as you get off the bus, a slight breeze gushes up and hits you in your face.  With it comes the smell of the sea, freshness and cleanliness.  The wind whistles and the sea wraps its great white surf and its spray around itself.

 

You walk along, thinking or the lands the water has touched, the disasters it has seen and the changes in plants, people and animals it has seen since creation.  Think, too, that this great expanse of water covers two-thirds of the earth's millions of square miles.  It washes up the fish and mammals that live there.  They spend their whole lives under the water.  The beautiful plant life dances with the movements of the oceans.  Their colours are brilliant.  The life under there (the creatures, the waves, the sea) must be fantastic.  Back up here on land there is much to see.

 

As the sea comes up the shore, it brings with it its  "harvest", its "crop", or, if hyou prefer it,"its manufacture".  By this I mean its shells, pebbles and plants.

 

The water looks fresh and clean as it rolls up the beach, its white surf rattling the pebbles and making a whispering sound as it sis "sucked " back towards the sea.  It is like someone struggling somewhere, but being forced back.

 

As the sea rises, the people "retreat" and slowly but surely the water "creeps" up the beach.  Its line starts to move up the pier until the place looks empty.

 

The people now are hurrying for 'buses or sitting down looking at the sea, or merely walking, as I am, looking and thinking of the wonders of the sea.

 

Now I come here to compare the winter with the summer.  As soon as I get off the 'bus, an icy, cold wind coming off the sea hits me bitterly in the face.  The spray is also sensed but not seen.  I can also sense my face and cheeks turning red with the cold.  The people are not here and miles upon miles of empty coastline lie taking great batterings from the weather.

 

Once again I see the great waves and surf but it is not on the pebbles.  It is coming in, in big waves, and battering the pier, causing massive sixteen foot waves and welting people who are unfortunate enough to be nearby.

 

Various objects, (weeds, sea-weed, old shoes and balls), are hurled onto the pier.  What a mess the place is in.  passers-bys' hair is blown and they are tormented by the unmerciful gales.

 

Yes, definitely the summer is the best - the brilliant sun-shine throwing off terrific heat, the people enjoying themselves.  All together, the summer at the beach is surely the best time and the best place.

 

Barry Dryden.  3A.

 

How Good is Your Memory?

 

  1. How many stripes does a Sergeant wear when he is in the army?

  2. Name the mammal which lays eggs and lives in Austria and Tasmania.

  3. Who are the Bedouins?

  4. Name the founder of the Boy Scouts.

  5. Is the Sun a planet?

  6. Where is Timbuktu?

  7. Is there gas in coal?

  8. What is the "Spirit of St Louis"?

  9. What is the most famous stamp in Great Britain?

  10. Who is to follow the Queen on to the throne?

(Solution on page 37)

Maureen Tindle G.2.

 

The Prince of Wales' Investiture.

 

A full year of careful planning, design and research went into the stamps for the Prince of Wales' Investiture on July 1st.

Invitations were sent in March 1968 to eight artists, including Welsh artists Roy Morgan and David Jones, and Cardiff and Newport colleges of Art.  Many fine desighns were sent to the Tight Honourable john Stonehouse (British Postmaster General) but the most outstanding was a set sent by David Gentleman.

The artist and printers, Harrisons, spent many months perfecting the designs, guided by the Advisory Committee and Harrisons did great deal of research on metallic inks for the fine silver and gold backgrounds of the fivepenny and ninepenny stamps.

The Investiture stamps were the second series to show Caernarvon Castle, the first being the high value definitive (five shillings), which was replaced on March 5th. this year by a new stamp showing only the Queen's head.

This was the first time that Welsh had appeared on every stamp in the set.  It had previously appeared on the one shilling and sixpenny bridge stamp depiction the Menai suspension Bridge.  About one hundred and thirty million stamps were on sale in Britain.  A special philatelic office in Caernarvon handled orders for first day covers with the local postmark in English and Welsh.

The strip of three fivepenny stamps, called a Triptych, the nine penny stamp and the one shilling stamp which comprised the set, bear the words "Prince of Wales" in English and Welsh, "Tywysog Cymru".

The Triptych depicts three of the gates at Caermarvon Castle, King's gate, Eagle tower and Queen Eleanor's gate.

A Celtic Cross, from Margam Abbey, Glamorgan, is shown on the nine penny stamp, and, in my opinion, the worst stamp is a threequarter face portrait of Prince Charles.  This is because it is a dull stamp and the Prince is not a very handsome person really.

Douglas Owens.  G.4.

 

Across the Irish Sea.

 

In between drinks, sandwiches and being stuck on a sandbank in the Mersey Estuary, the school trip to  Ireland got off to a good start.  The boat, or a rather overgrown tub, arrived at Dublin two hours late.  When we reached the Guest House, it looked fantastic,  White lace net and red velvet curtains were in all the windows.  The boy, whose mother owned the Guest House, showed us to our different rooms.  The room my two friends and I were in was on the ground floor facing the sea.  When we walked into the room our eyes were filled with disappointment. There was a huge old fashioned marble fireplace with a fireguard; which when lifted, the handle and one of the legs were shown to be fastened on by only one screw.  The dressing table was something out of the ark or a sales room.  The wardrobe, with its hangers from the Crown Hotel, (a totally different hotel altogether), was infested with mothballs.  The two armchairs were so close to the ground that you could almost use the floor as a table while writing cards.  But the best was yet to come.  My friend decided to try out the single bed for size and as she lay full stretch on the bed, the head board dropped off.

After a couple of days, the teacher decided to take us on a trip.  The first place we went to was a park, it was lovely.  There were trees, trees and trees, big and small and different shades of green.  Then we had our lunch by a lake.  The meat sandwiches were covered in fat, and the bank of the lake was crawling with long legged spiders.  One boy lost his shoe and had to sit in the coach while we all got covered in bog water.  The teacher wanted us to see a view of a lake from a hill, so we eagerly got out of the coach to see the lake.  We climbed over weeds, were stung by nettles and nearly broke our necks on the boulders that lay in our path.  When we hit the bog, it looked like black soil.  And then when we were all standing on the soil, we began to sink and the water oozed up into our shoes.

Although the trip had its bad faults, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  It was "Great" and if anyone wants fun on a holiday you could not have any more than the fun I had "Across the Irish Sea".

 

Ann Lambert.  G3

 

A School Dinner Hour.

 

At twelve o'clock exactly a loud, consistent buzzing vibrated noisily for three times, and faded away into the silence form which it had emerged.  The sudden transformation in our classroom was shattering.

 

Suddenly all the studious, quiet, pupils who had been working away like proverbial angels literally threw away their wings and halos and sprouted wings and tails.  Hated textbooks were crammed haphazardly into already bulging haversacks and the volume of noise increased as if it had been turned on ht a radio.  The teacher, however, seemed quite unperturbed by all the turmoil, and after qu8etly and methodically putting away his books, he glared at the impatient class, and growled softy, ""Go on, Gerrout!"

 

Theses words had the desired effect and the room was suddenly emptied of thirty three scholars, who vacated the class in a fantastic time.  Some, apparently trying to beat the four minute mile, dashed along the crowded corridors for home, but other stupid fools (including myself) found ourselves outside the dining quarter.  A strong, pungent aroma, promising cabbage or fish, greeted me a I reached the door, so taking one last deep breath I walked into the crowded hall, and secured a seat on one of the wobbling forms provided.  As other people joined me I watched in horror as the form creaked protestingly on its hinges, and sank slowly down.  Although told (by my neighbour) that it was safe, I was not reassured , and prepared for an undignified descent onto the floor, at the some time making a mental note to keep as much weight as possible off it.

 

By this time the hall was full, so the harassed teacher on duty mumbled a short grace (ignoring other versions hissed at him from various tables) and gave the command, "Right, Servers!"

 

The daily stampede began.  The "dinner ladies" were almost hidden from view as crowds of famished pupils rushed towards them from all directions.

 

Soon the clashing and banging of cutlery against plates (or tables) could be distinguished above the din, but the noise soon became less noticeable as pupils received their dinners and began endeavouring to cram as much food in their mouths as possible without choking.

 

I received my dinner and after the first initial shock sat looking at it for quite some time, before deciding that it was edible.

 

On the large, whjite, china plate, reposed two potatoes, looking very much the worse for wear, one undersized, pale, anaemic sausage, some stringy of -white leaves (cabbage ) and. Serving to hide the rest, some brown, lumpy dishwater (later defined as gravy).  I waded through this, carefully avoiding the cabbage, as I am not partial to seaweed dyed white,, and ordered my sweet.

 

This was slightly better, although a hammer and chisel would have been better than a spoon, because the cornflake pie was rock solid.  After fishing out the last piece from the frothy, yellow sea of custard, I placed my plate on the appropriate pile, and walked out of the hall, ignoring my stomach which, unused to such treatment , was reacting violently.

I sauntered up the empty corridor and decided to spend the remaining time of the dinner hour in the classroom, attempting to do some of our ever-increasing homework, which all teachers delight in handing out "Just to keep us busy"

Crossing the yard to the new block was something resembling a crazy obstacle race, because I had to avoid such menaces as cement mixers, holes, loose wire, piles of newly mixed cement, sand and mud, all waiting to trip up or bog down the unwary pupil.  This accomplished, I flopped down in the large classroom, and began a terrible struggle with irregular French verbs and mathematical horrors.

Finally the buzzer vibrated once more, driving all thoughts of Pythag. and his delightful theory from my befuddled head,  I selected my books for the afternoon's lessons and walked slowly down the crowded corridor , at the end of a typical school dinner hour.

 

Frank O'Neill.   G4

 

A Graveyard 'Ghost'.

A small boy and girl were walking through a graveyard.  It was a dark, cold night by the children were not afraid, that is until something happened ……..
…."Who's that?" said the girl when she heard a twig beak behind them.

"Don't be silly", said the boy, "it's only your imagination", but then he heard something which sounded like somebody tripping over a stone.

"There", said the girl "Now do you believe me?"

"No, that was me" said the boy trying to hide the fact that he was frightened.

Now, both children were afraid but neither would admit it until they saw a shadow behind them, and then they both said together that they were afraid.  The shadow followed them around the graveyard.

"Go away" said the girl.  "We haven't done anything to you."

"I've just realised something ," said the boy, "shadows can't exist in the dark".

It could be a supernatural shadow, like a ghost or something," said the girl.

There seemed to be no way out of the thought of the shadow except that it was a ghost, and so both children walked along, hoping that the 'ghost'; would not do anything to them.  Then it seemed to take off its head and put it under its arm.

"Run" said the boy, but before they could the 'ghost' leapt in front of them.

"Boo!" it said, frightening them even more than before, and then it began to laugh and took off its disguise.  It turned out to be their brother playing a practical joke on them.

"You frightened us," said the girl.

"I know," said her brother, "I meant to."

"How did you make yourself look like a shadow?" said the boy.  "I wore a dark coat said his brother, "and to make myself look as though I had lost my head I really had a ball on my head and I had my collar turned up".

"Come on" said the boy.

Then the girl heard something.  "Who's that?" she said, "I thought I heard a twig break behind us"

 

 

Frank O'Neill  G. 2.

 

An Ode to the Don

 

 

That rippling stream, singing with gentle tone,

Dancing over rocks such beauty has never been known.

Fragrance divine overpowering with perfume,

The mighty Don is singing out of tune.

 

 

As it winds its way over hill and though dale,

Attracting many people to come and hail.

The mighty Don's beauty can not be told,

People must come for themselves to behold.

 

 

To see such cleanness it does one' heart proud,

The so pure water so clean and without cloud.

What nature had hone it can not redeem,

As the mighty Don, winds its way downstream.

 

 

Birds can be seen doing things to the stream,

Things which add colour, a colour none could dream.

A raggy mattress rounds the bend,

An oddity nature didn't send.

 

 

The banks are frequented by rats galore,

One comes, two comes and then more and more.

But how can these things keep people away,

From the mighty Don, still flowing gracefully, through night and day.

 

 

Well shat more can we say that hasn't been said,

The Don is a place where rubbish can bed.

To see such things gracing the smell,

Are not necessary,  just a sniff will tell.

That is enough to be said, and we must go,

The Don's song is calling and as you will know,

No one resists going to see where

The Don flows onwards without a care.

 

Michael Emms    G.  4.

 

"Labour saving" devices.

 

Once upon a time there was an inventor called Mr. Wilson.  He had an enemy called Mr. Heath who was a Con. man.  Mr Wilson did not like Mr. Heath and he was frightened because he thought Mr. heath might take his place as chief inventor and storyteller.  Quite often they would go and have a talk in the Houses of Talkiment or, as they say in France, "Parlement".  All day they would argue and talk.  Sometimes Mr. Wilson would invent some very good fairy stories called promises.  He then went around and told all the people in the country the stories because he thought it would make them all love him.  Quite a number of people liked his stories so they voted and elected him "Chief fairy story teller" or Prime Minister.  He was so pleased that he got a new house with a policeman outside the door to help him across the road and scare would-be Coon. men away, because they might throw stink-bombs or break in and steal his stories.  All Mr. Wilson's helpers were pleased because he had saved Labour with his devices so the Most Popular ones, (M.P.'s for short) had a Labour Party to celebrate.

After a while he started to do nasty things to the people.  He froze their wages till they were so cold they dropped them, and a little animal called Tax devoured the wages.  Mr. Wilson became Mr. Almighty and made prices heavenly, very high.  The people did not like this and they began to hate Mr. Almighty just as they hated Mr. Brown Ale and Mr. Jenkins.  Many people began to like Mr. Heath and his Con. Men which made him happy.  Nr. Almighty was cross because the people liked Mr. Heath or Smiler as he was called and Mr. Almighty became very jealous.  All over the country people voted for Mr. Heath and his Con. men in mini-elections.  Mr. Almighty;s devices were failing fast.  Nobody liked his fairy stories any more and did not listen to him.  Even comedians (real ones not the politician ones) made fun of him and people thought that that was funny.

Mr. Almighty had to think so he went to the Scilly Isles to think up "scilly" stories.  He was worried because hardly anybody liked him, even his castle at Bar-Bara was no longer his home.  So he is going to think for a while and was heard to say, "Well, there's quite a while until the next election so I've time to find a way of getting rid of the Con. Men and finding some new Labour saving devices."

Shirley Swaine G. 5.

 

An attempted rescue

One night during the Easter holidays we caught a wild duck.  It was covered in oil.  We took it home and put it in the old rabbit hutch for the night.

The next morning Mum sent me out for it.  I took it in and gave it some bread, soaked in hot milk, and a bowl of water.  It ate the food we gave it and then drank the water; then it started to walk round the kitchen and found a piece of string.  It began to play with the string.  After about ten minutes it got tired of playing with the string and started to follow Judy our dog around.

After dinner we took it to the P.D.S.A. in South Shields.  The man said that the oil had been absorbed into its lungs and given it pneumonia and he would have to put it down.

Catherine Colman. 1. C.

 

Our School Night-class.

As many people know, our school will soon become Boldon Comprehensive School and not Boldon Secondary.  This of course will make a huge difference to Boldon, one of the reasons being that there will be more things to do, not only for pupils of the school but also for the teenagers who have left school.  Many people have complained about there being nothing to do at Boldon.  Well, this new school and its new equipment has enabled something to be done about this.  In fact, some thing has been done already.

Mr. Storey, the boys' P.E. teacher, has started night classes at the school.  These are P.E. night classes for both boys and girls of the ages of fifteen to eighteen.  Every Thursday, for four till seven thirty, Nr. Storey takes this night class.  He has the girls from four till six, and then the boys, from six till seven thirty.  The cost for this night class is seven shillings and sixpence per year.

All types of sport are included in this; netball, basketball, football, cricket, badminton, table tennis, tennis and all athletics.  When the new gym is finished, we hope to play most of the games in there, that is, tennis, badminton, table tennis and netball.

Everyone can join in at any game or sport for as long as wished, there is nothing one must do.

This is a very good idea as not only dies it fill in a little time byut also it enables them tomeet new friends, learn new sports and at the some time keep fit.

Marianne Cook  G. 5.

 

My Family as I seeThem

The transistor radio blares out the latest songs in the Hit Parade, the baby cries, Robin shouts to dad about some tool or other, and I try to concentrate on my homework.  This is the Angus family on a Saturday.  Heather, my sister, has brought her baby, Paula, and herself to East Boldon to see us because Frank, her husband, is working.  Robin, my brother, has taken his car apart and has now found, after cleaning all the engine, that it will not go back together again.  Dad sits calmly reading he paper, telling anyone who cares to listen about football, while my Mam goes around asking everyone what they want for dinner and receiving no reply.  This is how it is normally and I do not think that one of us would want to change it, except perhaps Heather who would probably want Frank with her instead of being in a complete stranger's house telling the owners what was wrong with their gas fire.

My parents are two entirely different people with exactly opposite characters.  My mam is about five foot three with fair hair and grey eyes, she has a marvellous way of looking on the bright side of things, even if she does have a quick temper.  She is very thin and although she worries, you would not think so by looking at her.  Mam has recently been in hospital and she gets terrible pains in her back, she always seems as if she has not a care in the world though.  Dad, as I said before, is entirely different, he is about five foot seven with dark curly air and a bald patch in the centre of his head,  He is getting rather fat, to look at you would think he had all the cares of the world upon his shoulders, except when he laughs - in truth he never lets anything worry him.  When he wants to be, and I don't want him to be, he can be as deaf as a doorpost but when I do not want him to hear, he generally does.  My dad can be awfully pessimistic when he puts his mind to it and it takes quite a bit to change his mind. He hardly ever gets into a temper because he hardly ever hears what one says to him.

Both my brothers are like one or other of their parents, Malcolm, the eldest, twenty-nine, looks like dad, the only difference being that Malcolm was ill and in hospital for three years, thus gaining his bald patch, while dad got his through old age.  Robin, the younger, twenty-four, has his mam's fair hair and grey eyes but he is much taller, broader and stronger than mam.  Malcolm has my mother's character and my father's intelligence.  He is an architect in Warrington, Lancashire, so we rarely see him.  Robin, my other brother, is a motor mechanic in South Shields, to look at his car one would not think so.  It looks as if a puff of wind would demolish it utterly.  In actual fact, it is a very good car.  Malcolm's car is an Austin Sprite and is in the best of condition.  My brother, though, being the person he is, is still not satisfied with it.  He wants a car which will drive over the roughest conditions and still look as if it has just been driven out of the show-room.  Robin does not mind whether a car is in perfect condition or not as long as it gets him where he is going in much the same condition as he set out in.

My sister is like neither of my parents.  She is twenty six, has been married to Frank, thirty, for six years and they have a sixteen-month-old daughter Paula.  They live in Jarrow.  Heather has always been determined to get what she wanted and what she has always wanted is what she has, a family and a house of her own.

So that is my family.  Heather happily settled down ,Malcolm an architect which was always his ambition, Robin the mechanic who never had any particular ambition, except to live, and both of them declaring that they are not going to marry until they are thirty-two.  Then my parents, mam, still worrying about Robin and me in particular because she thinks we should have a fixed aim in life, and dad who is content to go on as he is but not content to let Robin or myself go on as we are.  That is the Angus family and despite all our faults, I think that we are all of us happy as we are.

Joan Angus  G3.

 

Shoes.

 

Man started out with feet all bare,


But soon he learnt his shoes to wear.


For tramping round on stones and rocks,


Was just playing havoc with his socks.


 

Just leather soles tied on with thongs,


These were mankind's early ones.


But now he has them made of plastic


Kept on with inserts of elastic.

 

He buys them all colours and shapes,


Some are not fit for Stone Age apes.


But if he buys them that don't fit,


His corns are bound to hart a bit.

 

There are laces and buckles and buttons and bows,


some have zips as everyone knows.


Most children's shoes have them in rows and rows.


The teenagers have them with peeping toes.

 

The fashion of shoes is all going back


To the day when the egg first began to crack.


So you never know, by the end of the year,


We may be walking with feet all bare.

Elizabeth Burton  G3.

 

Crossword

1

 

 

2

 

 

 

3

 

 

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

 

 

7

 

 

8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

12

 

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

 

16

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

200

 

 

21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across                                                                      Down

 1. Dutch, Welsh, English, Irish                                  2.  Opposite of 20 across


 6. Young sheep                                                        3.  Capital of Peru

 7.  Hide and ****                                          4.  A light sailing boat


10.  Opposite of stand                                               5.  Sea god


12.  Winners of F.A. Cup in 1936-7 season              8.  To set fire to


17.  Cloth worn round neck                                       11.  A place "down under"


18.  Colour of a ruby                                                 13.  Snakes are


19.  Old word for cows                                             14.  A tree which loses its leaves in Winter

20.  Opposite of in                                                    15.  A Chinese vessel


21.  Part of a Highland dress                                     16.  '+' this is a ?

   (Solution on last page)

Peter Naylor  G2

 

Winning the badge.

Last year I entered a competition to win a trip to London to meet Val, John and Pete of 'Blue Peter'.  The competitors had to find as many words as they could from the words 'Blue Peter'.  I found seventy-five , which I thought good.

About a  month after I had sent in my entry, I received a letter saying I had not won the competition, but as I had found so many words,  I had won a blue Peter badge.  This was the size of a penny and on it were the words 'Blue Peter Winner'.

Anne Goudie G1.

A Terrifying Moment.

It was on April 18th. 1969, that a strange thing happened. I was going to the shop for some "pop" and sweets but I had to go along a dark alley. It was terrifying and pitch black. A cold wind suddenly started, not very stromg though. I ran up the alley as fast as I had ever done before. My heart was beating like a hammer. I thought I would collapse. I went to the shops and was returning. I didn't want to ge down the alley again but I had to. I thought, "It's only my imagination," and plucked up my courage and went. As I walked I kept telling myself it was my imagination -- byt was it? I heard footsteps behind me. There was a tall, dark, black figure behind me!

Sue Kain 3C

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

What is the Duke of Edinburgh's Award? Well, I think that most people would agree with me and say that it is for young people to try their hand at something, not beyond their power, but something that he or she has not done or perhaps thought of before: a hobby sush as archery, rifle-shooting, judo or joining the Ted Cross. If you learned how to tackle and dothese things, then you might be avle to bring it into practice some day!

The three standards are divided by age; the Bronze, Silver and Gold. In each of these sections are separate groups: Design for Living, Pursuits and Interests, Service and Adventure or Expedition.

The Expedition, or if you wish, Adventure, is to me themost interesting. If you are starting on the Bronze, as I am, then you will go on a one-day hike, over seven miles long. In Silver, it is a two-day hike and so on. To begin with you are trained in as much as the instructor thinks that it is necessary for your hike. Mr massey, our instructor, says that it is the worst job of all.

The Design for Living is, as the name suggests, is about you and your surroundings, decorating and brightening up your home. This section has not many subjects but they range from flower-arranging to buying your house. Pursuits and interests is another interestion one. I have not decided what I am going to do but I would very much like to do archery.

The Service section is the most educational (do not let that put you off) and serious one.This section deals with service to your country and to other people. You can join the Red Cross, St John's Ambulance Brigade or work with the W.R.V.S., help the blind, deaf or dumb, old people or the physically - handicapped. Two friends of mine are doing a police course. At the end of these, you take an examination but that should be easy if you have 'learnt you stuff'.

What do you think of the Duke about Edinburgh's Award'? I think that it is a jolly good thing. If you complete the gold Award, then you go down to Buckingham Palace and receive the award from the Duke himself. I hope I succeed. If you want to start something new and are fourteen or over, why not "have a bash" at it and see what you can accomplish?

Gillian Eales G3

A Visit tothe Dentist's.

It came at last, spoiling a lovely spring morning, - my appointment card for the dentist. I was on my holiday and this bad news dampened my thoughts about going out somewhere. I went downstairs in a mood in which I could hit anyone who mentioned the word dentist. I dragged my feet along he floor and went into the dining-room drowsily.

"What's the matter with you?" my mother asked.
"Have you forgotten," I replied rather viciously, "I have to go to the dentist's today? No-one seemed tosympathise with me. I ate no breakfast and while I waited for the 'bus my stomach was rolling over and over.

All too soon I arrived at the big, old-fashioned doorof the dentist's surgery. I had to open it then go up some stairs. I started to think of a way to evade seeing the dentist. I could walk around the town and then go home and say that I had seen him. But I soon crossed that off my mind because he would send a letter saying that I had not been. Before going in, I pulled my handkerchief out of my pocket and gave my teeth a polish. I opened the door and my heart beat faster.

Inside the waiting room there were six other people who all looked at me. I felt my face go scarlet and sat down. I picked up a magazine but put it down because I could not concentrate. I started sweating and became all sticky. I even started praying for my teeth to be all right. My heart seemed to stop as the recepionist came in and called someone in. A cold sweat ran down my back but I sighed with relief when she called someone else. The other people must have been early because I was called in next.

Iwastold to sit on a wlll-worn, green leather chair.
"How are you?" he asked me.
"All right," I answered. My nerves were on edge, my hands shook. I relazed when a yellow light was shone in my face. On my left was a drawer of needles and a big stand that loomed over me was the drill. On my right was a machine which washed the cavity.

The dentist decided I needed a filling; my heart sank when I saw him come over with a syringe. I became tense, my muscles tightend. "Just relax," he told me. As he was going to numb my gum. I gripped the chair so tightly no-one could have moved me. I felt the needle go in and could have brought the roof down. The cavity was cleaned out then some opal was fixed into it and pressed in firmly. I rinsed my mouth and then he told me he would send for me in six months.

When I waalked out of the dentist's, I felt like shouting "Hooray!" but was dreading the next time I had to go.

Barry Shuttleworth G4.

What it is like being in G5.

When you are in G5, the other 'kids' in the school think you are 'dead' lucky because you are allowed certain privileges. What are these privileges? Do they make all that much difference? You are allowed into the school while the others are not. Big deal,- we still have to obey all the school rules. They think we do not have to obey the rules - how wrong they are! We have to obey them even more as we are supposed to set anexample to the rest of the scool. We are still punished like everyone else if we misbehave, which is frequently. Why do we do daft things? I do not really know. Perhaps all the work we have to do tenses us up and we feel we have to unwind. Some of the kids might not think us so lucky if they saw the homework we have to get through. I remember when I first came into G1, I use to boast that we got homework and nobody else did. When I think back, I just laugh at this and get on with my homework. it is no laugh having to do homework every night. Then apart from all the homework we are expected to revise for our exams. Our exams! -- I will be glad when these exams are over. Every day we are reminded continually about our exams not being very far away, and we should waken up and get some work done so that we will pass the exam. Every time we do something wrong , we are told about the exam. We are reminded so often that we get sick, very sick of hearing the word exam. Even though it is for our own good, we somehow seem to resent the exams.

Then outside of school, our mates who have left school begin to mock us about still being school kids or pen-pushers. even though we are told that once we pass the exam we will be much better off than our mates, What if I fail my exams?-- it will be a year of my life wasted. By the time we leave school, we might b too old to get an apprenticeship.

Returning to being in G5, it is worse still if you happen to be a prefect. The whole school seems to resent you, the teachers for not carrying out our duty, and the 'kids' for carrying out our duty.

All I can say is that I will be glad when I am in G5 no longer and I will be starting to work, but I suppose I will miss being in G5. Despite all the hard work, it has been fun; the teachers seem to respect you more, and you can take more liberties with them, and when the exams are over you can relax and look back on all the hard work you have done and pity G4 because it will be their turn next.

Dennis G. Brown G5

A Ghost in theHouse.

It was quite peculiar. I was sitting in our lounge when I heard a clinking sound. At first, I looked around, but did not move from my chair. I did not know what it was but nevertheless, I did nothing about it.. Then the noise came again, so I decided to do somehthing. My mother and I were the only people in the house at the time and it was daytime,-- a very beautiful day in fact, as the sun's rays were shining through the window-pane and reflecting off a jug we kept on the television set. I found it hard to read with the sun's reflection and the noise did not improve matters. A little anger came over me and I stood up to see what "It" was.

Recently I had been reading many ghost stories, one of which was "The Christmas Carol". In this was a man tied almost head to foot in chains, and when he walked he made a clinking noise. I said to myself, "Could this be a ghost?" but then thought, of course it was not, in broad daylight. But what if it was? Then, my jaw dropped as I cought a glimpse of a white figure in the kitchen. I ran upstairs and dived under my bed.

A little later I removed myself from the room and crept slowly downstairs. Then I heard a drilling sound and rushed upstairs, but stopped. What was it? I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. There I saw a man, dressed in a dirty white working jacket and a dirty white pair of trousers, leaning over the sink with a peculiar bit of equipment. He was drilling in our taps, blocked as they must be; the clinking must have been when he set up this equipment.

I should have used my initiative,-- there is no such thing as a ghost.

David Proud G1

 

My Contribution?

Every year about this time
We must write an essay or a rhyme,
A contribution for the magazine
Doing which every pupil is not keen.

One of them of course is me.
The point of this I cannot see.
I haven't had one chosen yet,
Because with fate mine's always met

I can never find a thing to write
Although I think both day and night.
Then a sudden flash of brilliance dawns,
To which I receive many scorns.

My friends laugh at this poem
But I'm not going to take it home.
Though to me it is very plain,
Perhaps it will do just the same.

Doroth Robinson and
Linda Goodchild. G4.

Man on the Moon.

Minus ten seconds. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three two, one, ignition!
There was a surge of flame from the bottom of the rocket and we were up. I felt as if I was being turned inside out. Suddenly, there was relief; I felt light, just wanting to float about. The journey there was no special thing but as we were about to leave the rocket in our moon probe, big, tearlike sweatdrops started to fall from me. My helmet steamed up and I could hardly see. When we left the main rocket, my job was to land the moon probe. But how was I to manage with my helmet steamed up so that I could barely see? The moon was getting nearer. I couldn't pull just anything. The fear of death came over me and I told my co-pilot to prepare for crash-landing. As I stood up I stumbled and pressed something; as I did so, the rocket righted itself and we make a soft landing. When my mask was cleaned I went outside the spaceship. Terror gripped me as I stepped outside. The clumsy suit made walking difficult. I had a feeling that I was being watched. It was strange to walk and not hear a sound, not event the crunch of my feet as they sank into the lunar dust. I made my way back to the ship. As I climbed aboard my co-pilot got out. He too, looked round the returned to the rocket.

On the way down to "splashdown" I prepared myself for impact. I could feel the capsule gently swaying, then a mighty crack as the capsutle hit the water. We heard the chop of the helicopter and knew we were safe.

Martin Russel 3B.

My Dog

I love all kinds of dogs, but there is one especially with which I would never part, and that is my Goldon Retriever. I must admit the name retriever is misleading. he will not retrieve anything, unless it happens to be a piece of chocolate.

Everybody will agree with me that it is lovely to lie in bed on a Saturday or Sunday morning,after getting up early during the week to go to school but, if you have a dog as mad as I have, then you will never know the joys of staying in bed. Every Saturday a "great hairy form" leaps on my bed about half past seven, and starts to lick my face and chew my feet. Once he is on the bed, nobody, not even myself, dares to disturb his "Lordship". I have to lie as quietly as a mouse and practically stop breathing, because, if I move, he growls and humps off the bed indisgust. That is not all that I have to endure. I cannot even eat a sweet without him sitting in front of me "drooling", and turning big brown sad eyes on me. I simply melt. So in the end he eats all my sweets, then moves about the room to find more, while I sit and watch others enjoying sweets.

It is like the "secret service" when I want to go out. I have to hide my coat, put on my shoes at the door, rush out of the house and put on my coat outside, only to find the dog standing with his two front paws on the coffee-table, looking out of the window at me. At the same time he is probably thinking that I am mad. Once I have seen him looking at me with those sad eyes, his whole face looking so mournful, I have to go back and take him with me. No-one has a dog as obedient as mine; if so, then I give all my sympathy. If he sees a dog, he chases after it if he is off the lead. That is a daft thing to say; he still chases after it even if he is on the leader, with me holding on to the other end, hoping I will not fall over and make myself look a bigger fool. Of course, I have not the sense to let go. If he does chase another dog, I sand giving myself tonsillitis while I shout for him. When he does eventually decide to come back, I cannot be angry with him. I suppose you have already guessed why, it;'s those eyes. I cannot looi at hime without feeling sorry for him.

That dog rules me. I thought it was supposed to be the other way round, buy in this case it is not. Never mind, perhaps I will learn not to look at his face and feel sorry for him; otherwise, I will never eat any sweets, and I will probably lose my voice shouting at him when he is chasing other dogs.

Pauline Ellis G5

School!

School! What is it? A place to go during the day, a place to learn, or a place to have fun.

Lessons! What are they? Do they help us to gain knowledge, or should I say try to teach us knowledge? I think some lessons are a waste of time. Take French as an example. Who wants to learn French? I am sure half the school does not want to learn it. I mean, it is all right if you plan to live in France or go to France for a holiday, but otherwise it is a complete waste of time, because we could be learning something useful, like maths, or English.

Sometime the thought of school makes me sick. I have to be up at half past seven every morning just to go to schooll, but if someone was to change the time form nine o'clock to ten o'clock, I could have a longer sleep. I am sure a few others would agree with me on this fact.

School Uniform! What is a school uniform? A grey skirt, a grey jumper, a blouse, a tie, blazer, white socks and black shoes. That is our school uniform. I sometimes wonder where they got it. Day in and day out, the same old dreary uniform. Why can we not wear nice bright colours. At least it might cheer us up a little and take our minds off the same boring lessons.

Homework! I do not think it is right the way we are made to do homework. We do take the trouble to come to school and work hard and then the teachers make us do homework. I am really sickof homework, because I think that after school we should enjoy ourselves instead of staying in and doing homework. This applies to week-ends and, with the exception of holidays, I do not think I have gone home on a Friday night without a pile of homework. What good does it do, anyway: I bet everybody copies from their friends' books or they ask one of the family to do it.

Exams! I think they are a waste of time, like everything else at school, and one of these days I will not do my homework because it is a wste of time.

Ennyway, I have not lurnt very much at skool and it will take more tha n ten teatchers to mak me spel rite.

Linda Douglas G3.

Judo

Judo is a very useful sport. If you know judo well enough, you would be able to tackle a grown man. It does not matter how heavy or light you are, you can still throw or be thrown. When you are on a judo mat, you are supposed to wear a white suit with a belt to match. The trousers are short and fairly tight, but the jacket is slack so that you can be held and thrown about quite easily.

The mat has several mattresses underneath it, so that if you are thrown you are not hurt. You learn how to land properly and also three throws which are: tiotoshi, ogoshi and iponseonargi.

The suit cost 30/- to 35/- (seond-hand), ot £5 to £6 (new). If you want to obtain any gradings, or "mons" you need a licence which now consts 15/-.

Colin Kain G1

Fishermen

Fishermen sailing on the sea,
Catching fish for everyone's tea,
Risking their lives by day and night
Catching fish in the dawning light.

Smiling faces as they return,
Unloading fish as the winches turn,
Boxes of cod and haddock and skate,
Safely home and they do feel great.

Chris Wood G2.

A Jazz Band - The Burnside Highlanders

There is only one jazz band in Boldon and that is the Burnside Highlanders, a very popular band.

We have several cups and go away during the summer months. Mrs. Newrick, the organiser, has a lot on her hands in the winter months, as she has about 60 uniforms to make before we start the season again.

The uniform consists of a Stuart Tartan kilt, a black velvet jacket trimmed with yetllow ribbon, black velvet hat trimmed with tartan and two black ribbons dangling from the back of the hat, white cuffs and cravat, sand shoes, belt and tartan plaid.

I am one of the two leading side-drummers. There are also another six side-drummers in the band. My job with the other leading side-drummer is to help in the training of the drummers. All the drummers must help to clean and polish the drums on a Friday, so that all is in order for an early start on Saturday morning. Whe we go away, we travel in a double-decker by or two coaches. naturally we hope to win, but, even when we don't win, the band always feel the effort has been worthwhile.

Our band was formed in 1961 and we are still ging strong after nearly nine years. The best visits last year were to Halifax and Driffield. We were the only band performing at Halifax as we had been invited there to entertain, We had a first-class lunch provided and we also had free rides at the fair. We had a similar outing to Driffield. This time we had tea.

Newcastle Exhibition was a good carnival. They had cookery displays, parachutists, army exhibitions, flower shows and the Jazz Bands' display. There is a trophy of solid silver to be won, the George Ridley Tropy. When a band wins, they are allowed to keep the Tropy for twelve months.

The Tropy is in the form of a statue of a man wearing a top-hat and an old-fashioned coat and carrying a walking-stick.

Anne Cutting 4A.

From Dawn to Dusk

Slowly the moon rose over the hill,
Filling the earth with silvery light.
It sparkled through branches and glinted through leaves,
And continued to do so throughout the night.

Along in its path darkened shadows it cast,
As it swiftly and silently rode through the sky.
Somewhere in the distance a cock gently crowed,
A sign that dawn was drawing nigh.

The cotton-wool clouds hid the moon from view.
Silver stars gave way to pale light of dawn.
The birds sang in chorus to welcome the day -----
A sign that a new day was born.

Margaret Beaty G4

Teacher' Top Thirty.
(Guess Who!)

1. The Magical History Tour R . . . .
2. Boxer B . . . . .
3. Behind a painted smile T . . . . . . .
4. What's New, Pussycat? C . . . . . . .
5. Israelites E . . . . . . . .
6. How Much is that Doggy in the Window? B . . . . .
7. I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman S . . . . . . . . .
8. The Best of Folk W . . . . .
9. Goodbye P . . . . .
10. Man of the World O . . .
11. I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten R . . . . . . . . .
12. Toot, Toot, Tooty, Goodbye M . . . . . .
13. Strange Brew C . . . . .
14. I Can Hear Music T . . .
15. Distant Drums P . . . . .
16. Little Arrows L . .
17. Wonderful World A . . . . . . . .
18. Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! M . . . . .
19. When You're Smiling G . . . . .
20. Needles and Pins S . . . . .
21. Keep Running S . . . . .
22. 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 W . . . . . . .
23. If I Were a Carpenter D . . . . . . .
24. An English Country Garden R . . . . .
25. We are the Diddymen D . . . .
26. Knees Up, Mother Brown M . .
27. Anyone for Tennis? F . . . . . .
28. Walk Tall P . . . . .
29. Mac The Knife S . . . . .
30. Monsieur Dupont R . . .

John Moralee & Clive Douglass - 4 Arts

 

The Best Programme on the Television

At five forty every night, except Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I, along with thousands of others from the younger generation, sit glued to the screen to watch the programme that brings joy to us all: The 'Magic Roundabout'. If possible, I try not to miss it, I love the sound of Zebedee's spring as he takes off and lands to take Florence to the garden to see Dougal, Brian and Dylan. Florence's friends, two boys and a girl , are nameless and if they say anything it is just one of the boys, no name.

It amazes me how Eric Thomson, the writer, thinks of the five minute stories which are all entirely different. The characters are the most lovable things I have ever seen. Dylan, the sleepy rabbit, has the most gorgeous eyes, like those one sees at school on Monday mornings.

The work that goes into each story must take a long time as each picture is a 'still' and a series of following actions are speeded up to be shown as if the characters were really moving.

It really needs skill to produce a film of this standard and, although it is for children, it has subtle comments and wit that are not comprehensible for children; so, in a way, it is meant for older people. The sarcastic comments made by Dougal for Brian, who understands very little, are on the same bases as an older person commenting on the young. One phrase that makes me laugh is :"You mollusc", when Brian looks so simple and lost for words.

For a real programme to take one to the 'world of make-believe', 'Magic Roundabout' comes out top. My congratulations to Eric Thomson and long live the 'Magic Roundabout'.

Iris Kelsey G 5.

The Buying and Training of a Dog

When buying a dog, always go to a reputaele deatler. also check to see that it is in good condition; and six weeks after the dog has been bought, it is essential tha the dog should have injections against hardpad and distemper. Allways check the state of the dog's teeth and legs and eyes. also note the state of the cage where the dog has been kept whilst in the care of the pet-shop owner.

take into conse=ideration the collar and lead for your dog. Never pick a collar with fancy stare=s or sharp pieces of metal as this could injure the dog, paricularly if it is a pupppy. the best type of lead for a dog is a leather one or a chain lead.

The Training: When the dog is sex to fifteen months, it will need a considrable amount of exercise, whereas adult dogs should not need more than three miles walk each day.

Training should vb egin in a park or on a common where there is plenty of open space and where rhe dog cannot be frightened by traffic. Sooner or later the dog must become accustomed to this and so, after traing it to sit by the command of one word and to heel etc., taheit out on a lead to a fairly bysy main road. always keep it to the insede of the pavement, holding he lead in the left hand.

Whilst trainign the dog to become accustomed to these noises of carsk etc., you must train it not to run away form you when itiesnot on the lead, as dogs can be a menace to motorists. This is where the commands of 'sit' and 'heet' come in.

Susan Ashdown 4 Arts.

The School Choir

The School Choir, consisting of about forty girls, is now run by Mr. Todd, the History teacher, who conducts the girls, and Mr. Lee, the pianist, who is a Maths. teacher. The choir was first taken by Mr. Tarbitt, but he has now left. Since then, the choir, the girls and Mr. Lee, have won two of the festivals they entered. at Ryton the girls won a large shield for the eighth time. At Hexham, they won a cup in the hymn-singing and also a cup for having the highest mark out of a hundred.

The Choir often give concerts for may different people and organisations. Not long ago they gave a concert for the Over-Sixties' eighteenth birthday party. They have also helped to raise the school funds.

The Choir are now learning two new songs for the International Eisteddfod at Wales that they hopefully try to win each year.

Christine Winship 2A.

A Cousin of Mine

Raymond is my youngest relative, although he is fine yearsa ofler than I. he lives in Manchester and is the only male cousen that I have. I enjoy seeing him whn in manchester as he is the only realtion I have who ins't married. .....byt he is thinking avout it.

Ray is a lunatic manchester City supporter. He follows them to the end of the world, and if they fell over, he would dive after them. He's not one of the hooligans who spoil the game, by a respectavble follower of the the 'cCity'. I often ge with him to the match and I have to wear a city scartf. of course, it's not half as good as my Sundrland scarf!F He becomes very emotional at the matches and spends most Saturday nights complainging of a sore throat. At the last match he flung his arms wide with joy and gave me a beautiful black eye whn 'City' scored the winning goal in the last minutes.

We ususallay vbisit him on a Saturday night except when the 'City' hjave been b3eaten by a good team like sunderland, for hw is dreadful company. He just sits there sulking , regarding us as though we are at fault for them losiing. If they have won however, he is the life and soul of the party. He gives everyone an on-the-spot account of the match,getting up and showing how the goal was scored with the help of and imaginary ball.

On the whole, he's quite a good relative, although he does support a poor team. He''s the only one O can get on with, the rest just bore me. I sppose he can't h elpnot supporting a good team like Sunderland. he is rather thick.

John Potts G5

Peace Destroyed

The shore is deserted.
All people are gone.
The black clouds have gathered,
Have chased off the sun.
The calm, gentle breeze is felt no more.
A rushing wind now crosses the shore,

And the sea is no longer a swimmer's delight,
The waves are too high, too strong to fight.
The foam that forms is flung far away
By the wind that surges into the bay.

How long must the sea-birds challenge the storm,
How long before all is peaceful onde more,
And the sun can be seen above in the sky?
"How long, how long?" one heard the birds cry.

Louise Nixon G5.

Spring Cleaning

Every year at the same time our house is a hive of activity. Everyone has a weapon and armour (in Mother's case a vacuum cleaner and an apron) ready to attack the advancing army. It is the start of spring cleaning, "the was against dirt".

Each person has his or her own area to clean. My area is my bedroom. What a mess! Every Sunday I have to give my room a dust and tidy up ( the dust is swept under the bed and the rubbish shoved behind the dressing table), my excuse being "Well, it is nearly time for spring cleaning". That is why, when spring cleaning comes round, the thought of all the dust and rubbish which has multiplied every Sunday, turns me a horrible colour.

Spring cleaning here again. first all the dust under the bed has to be swept into a corner ready for my turn with the vacuum cleaner. Then all the furniture is dusted and polished (moving all the ornaments, a quick rub with the duster, and putting them back again).

The worst thing is the 'tidy up', all the books and paper lying on the floor has to be put away or thown out (in the case of school books I wish it could be the latter). Boxes full of junk have to be emptied (all over the floor) and tidied. It is about this time Mother comes up to see how I am getting on. My sister then arrives on the scene, eager to lend a helping hand. I put something away in a box and she takes it out again saying, "I never knew you had this, can I play with it?"

By dinner time she has more to play with than I have to put away. Linda takes everything down stairs and is sent straight back up again with a message, "Anything you don't want, throw away, don't give to Linda to bring down stairs."

But Linda is nothing campared to having a dog. The lady next door had just washed the floor and polished the furniture when the dog ran in, pranced around the floor with muddy paws and then sharpened his teeth on her furniture.

When I was a baby my Mother and Father decided they would wallpaper the dining room before starting the spring cleaning. It was finished and looked lovely until I came along to see. I was sitting in my high-chair and decided I did not like tomato soup, so I threw it at the wall. The wall had to be papered again, the floor washed and me put outside for my meals.

Dust is the worst thing to get rid of, but my Gran has a bigger problem and that is feathers. her budgerigar gets bored just sitting in its cage, so it pulls out its feathers. Gran was going away on holiday and she asked us to look after Nipper (I found he was not just called this for fun). Mother had finished spring cleaning the dining room and had gone into the front room to clean. When she came back into the dining room, there was the budgie nearly bald and feathers all over the place. lYou just cannot win!

Even with all these setbacks the house usually looks much cleaner than it did. Even my bedroom looks fit to be slept in, you do not have to hunt high and low before you find the bed floating on a cloud of dust.

Grace Robinson G3

Stuck in the Mud

One day when I was going to my friend's house I had to cross muddy field. I thought I would manage to cross the mud even though I was wearing soft shoes. I was half way across where the mud was softer and then I suddenly realised I was stuck in the mud. Every time I tried to move, my shoes just would not budge. I then began to panic and shout for help. A workman heard my cry and came to the rescue. He carried me across the mud and stood me on the pavement in my stocking feet. The workman then went for my shoes? He tried to clean them as best he could. My stockings were also covered in mud.

I went the long way round to my friend's house and her mother washed my socks and cleaned my shoes. Ater my experience I had a good laugh when I thought about how funny I must have looked, stuck in the mud.

Janice Porter G1

Domestic Science

After Form 5 had finished their C.S.E. Examinations in May, they still had eight weeks before the end of term. The teachers collected their thoughts and decided we deserved to suffer. The decision was that the boys would spend one afternoon a week 'cooped' up in a room of steam and funny smells. Yes, you've guessed it, Form 5 boys would take Domestic Science (Cookery to the common First Year).

After all possible funny remarks had been said, we entered the D.S. Room on May 28th armed with the Jimmy Young Cook Book, a fire extinguisher, an apron and an article of Clement Freud on cutting bananas under water (taken from a well-know newspaper).

Our first task was to make a Beef Casserole.. After making funny faces at the huge audience pressed up agains the window, we started on our Beef Catastrophe. When the 'mixture' was lightly simmering in the oven we found our task of the day. Different benches are allotted different activities i.e. washing cookers, cleaning the staff cups, washing sinks and washing tea towels and dish cloths in the washing machine. When the dish was removed from the oven, we sat around waiting for it to cool. To reduce sarcastic comments by the girls, we were allowed out at one minute to four, long enough to be out of the way of the jeering crowds of pupils.

Since then we have made Shepherd's Pie, Toad in the Hole, and Fruit Crumble, all of which ( except the Toad in the Hole, which I would rather not talk about ) came out beautifully. We all found it great fun and very useful and rewarding.

Gordon Fairley F5.

The Fisherman

The fisherman fishes all day long,
He catches nothing but still geis on.
He fishes all day, he fishes all might,
He waits for all the fish to bite.

When one bites he strikes with his rod,
It may be a haddock, it may be a cod.
I may be a flat-fish round and thin,
Or even an eel or a strong little ling.

The fish struggles frantically to get away,
But the hook is in where it will stay.
It dives, it turns, it struggles on the reel
But before it knows, it is in the creel.

It's getting late and he hasn't muych bait
He thinks his catch is rather great,
But he'll come back another day
To catch one bigger in the bay.

David Murray 2B

Bonnie Scotland

One of the most enjoyable holidays I have spent was in Scotland last year. As we passed dense forest on either side of the road we noted with interest the fire-beaters at intervals by the road-side and notices which showed how great the risk of fire was. On one occasion we took a wrong turning along a quiet road and saw trees being felled. We ended up in a lumber yard. After getting back onto the right road we picked up a hiker who put his gear on top of the tent lying on the roof rack of our car. The car went down quite noticeable on one side. I'd never before realised just how much weight a hiker must carry.

We passed lakes and heather covered hills, we saw climbers and noted the little path that the sheep had made going in search of grass. We passed the border sign which said, "Scotland greets you" and there was a red line marking the boundary across the road.

We moved on to Peebles where we occasionally heard the fire warning siren from the neighbouring forest. From there we moved on the Inverrary. We encountered scores of baby sheep lying at the roadside killed by cars. We passed a pheasant which must have thought we were going to try and catch it as it stuck its head down a hole in the ground and its posterior up in the air. At Melrose we pitched our tent by a stream and we went fishing a few times.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the trip came as a resultof being caught in a sudden downpour. A Scotsman whom my father met, invited us to his home to dry out our clothes. We passed bulls, beehives, sheep and horses along the road to his home which turned out to be a mansion. Inside there were three corgis and a glass case full of guns, and on the walls were heads of deer and other animals just staring at us. There were also shields and swords and a set of pipes hanging on the walls. We later discovered that he owned three cars.

The last place of historical interest that we visisted was a castle, said to have belonged to Sir Walter Scott. Inside were magnificent suits of armour and kilts and tartan plaid hanging on the walls. Outside I found a cannon which I just managed to lift off the ground. There was also; what must have been the tallest thistle in Scotland beside the castle steps. It was10 feet tall. We saw a marble replica a Mary Queen of Scots' head all painted black.

After this last visit we set off on our journeyhnome after a most glorious an enjoyable fortnight north of the border.

Paul Johnson 4A

Trawling

It was six o'clock in the morning, the vaves wrapped round the jetty legs like a snake crushing its prey. The wind was howling and sweeping across the small harbour, as we set sail for the Arctic. It was bitterly cold.

We were out at sea riding the waves and on board sorting out the nets. All was prepared and ready to drop into the crystal like water. It was a ten hours' journey form the shetlands and seemed to pass in no time. As we entered the dark, deep waters round Iceland, the skipper stopped the engine and the nets were thrown out. We watched them sink slowy down, like a skin diver after his prey.

The engines were started again and we moved slowly off further into the Arctic. The temperature was well below zero. As we moved on at a steady pace, we hit a mist which moved round us quite unexpectedly. It was black ice. The beams had thin layers of ice round them, which thickened every second and we were afraid if it got too heavy the boat would go under. We chipped the ice off, trying our best to help one another. It was impossible to move. The decks were slippery, it was freezing cold. Then, as if a great wind had blown the mist away, we emerged, still iced up, into a sea of calm and glistening sunshime.

We travelled round in a semi-circle back to the net, seeing other trawlers in the distance bobbing up and down like small, unwanted pieces of wood on the high waves.The skipper stopped the boat by the end of the net, and all hands were on deck heaving in the catch. As it came through the water, fish were fighting to get loose, and their silver skins glistened in the water like pieces of silver paper. The net was soon on board and the fish shovelled down into the hatch which swallowed them up like a great whale. Down in the hatch, blocks of ice were spread over the fish to keep them fresh.

It was time to return home with our catch. The sea was like a conveyor belt rolling and tossing the boat around as if it was a small piece of wood. The hours soon passed by and the port was in sight. After docking, the fish were taen out of our hull and sent all over. Some fish would go to the fishmongers, people would buy it and not realise all the bother men have to go to just so that you and I can have rfish for dinner and supper.

Neil Hartis 3A

What will they find?

Will they find green men, yellow ones too?
Will they find people like me and like you?

Will thee be monsters, fierce, green and tall?
Will they find nothing - nothing at all?

The men in Apollo, what will they find?
Will they come back in their right mind?

Jane Harley 1B

The Library Week Competition

It was around the end of January when we were told about a competition for the best book jacket for the National Library Week. Well, we started, and I decided to do a picture for a horror book.

At first I thought of a graveyard but decided to drop the idea as being too common. For a while racked by brains until I remembered a fantastic story about a vampire in a book called ,"I Can't Sleep at Night". This I decided to be my title for the competition. Next lesson I brought the book and started. For the picture I had a vampire bat with large blood-stained fangs in front of a full moon. (You can see this in Mr Thompson's Room) I entered it without hope, but the next thing I knew I had won first prize in the 11 - 13 year old section.

Next Monday, during Woodwork, I was told to go to Mr. Thompson's room, to see some newspaper reporters. When I got there, Steven Welsh, the other winner, was being interviewed. We had our pictures taken after our interview and we went back to our lessongs. On Tuesday night we received a book token for 10/- in East Boldon Library, and so I decided to go to the town of Saturday for a book.

When I did go to Sunderland I went to Hills' bookshop and after about an hour of looking I chose a book on figure drawing for 7/6 and a "Check Your Change" book for half a crown. These made up my ten shillings so I caught the next bus home.

Ray Chilley 2A

Sport in 1969

Athletics
At the Area Sports which were held at Seaham, Boldon teams did exceptionally well, being place second in five of the six sections. Five boys and four girls represented the area in the county championships at Houghton-le-Spring, all doing well but not being successful in gaining any 'firsts' .........................................................................................Raymond Mouter 4 Sc

Basket Ball
Although this was the first time we have played Basket Ball in the South Shields League, we had a very successful season. We played eleven league games, winning eight, and two friendlies against Whitburn which resulted in a draw and a win. Unfortunately, in the League Cup we were narrowly beaten by Cleadon. ........................................Colin Gilhespy 4Sc

Table Tennis
The first game of the season was against Murton Secondary who always field three good sides. True to form, they produced some excellent players, beating the staff's and boys' teams, but being beaten by the girls' team.
The next game against Red House Comprehensive was much easier, our three teams winning, as Red House are fairly new to the game and lacked the experience of our team................................................................................Keith Nixon F5

Soccer
The First Team had a very successful season, finishing second in the League, and being beaten in the Final of the League Cup by Sourh Shields Grammar Technical School.
Three boys played for South Shields Boys, and Two of them, Robert Ford and Antony Curnow ended a fine season by being selected for the County Team.
................................................................................ ............... Robert Ford 4 Sc

The Second Team has not had a very good season, losing the majority of the games. However, all the team enjoyed playing throughout, and hope to improve next season. ................................................................................... George Howe 3A

The Third Team had a fairly successful season,winning ten of the sexteen league games, and finisshing third in the league. Inthe League Cup, we managed to force a draw against South Shields Grammar Technical, but lost the re-play. We were not successful in the other cup games. ..................................................................................................... Alan Robinson G2

'Five-a-side' Cup Competition
We qualified for the first round of the cup by beating Hedworthfield B team in the preliminary round.
Having reached to Final by beating Brinkburn, Whitburn A, and St. Joseph's, we knew we had to win - which we did by beating Hedworthfield A team.
......................................................................................................... Tom Mort 4Sc

Cricket
This season we have joined the South Shields Schools' Cricket league. So far, because of unfavourable weather, we have only played three matches, winning two in the league against Hedworthfield and chuter Ede, and losing in the Coulson Cup against Stanhope.
C. Young, with 5 for 12, M. Emms, 5 for 8, aand R. Mouter, 26 n.o. in the Hedworhtfield match and R. Ford, 36 n.o. in the Chuter Ede match have produced noteworthy performances.
............................................................ Robert Ford 4 Sc

The School Camp

The bus left school on 23rd. June at 12.30 p.m. in dull, rainy weather and travelled to Coniston with no stops. We arrived at the camp site at 4.30 p.m. and erected the tents.

The campers were divided into four groups, each group having three days on one course. The first was "Canoeing and Sailing". This taught the pupil the basic parts of a dinghy, how to sail one and the principal ideas of canoeing. We had two canoes and two dinghies, and when the group had obtained some knowledge aout each, an expedition was made to Peel Island which lay some ten miles to the south of the camp.

"Fell Walking " consisted of a walk up a mountain or around a tarn. The walk lasted a few hours so a packed lunch and a primus to make tea were taken. "Light Weight Camping" was similar to Fell Walking but a tent and food to cook were taken as the group camped out over night and returned the next day. The group at Base Camp prepared and cooked meals and washed up. They rose earlier in the morning to cook the breakfast.

The weather was generally unsettled throughout our stay. Even when Mr. Sharpe took a group of boys up Helvellyn it rained, but this did not deter them and they accomplished their task as planned. The sailing and lightweight camping were not favourites. Base camp was not really disliked as it was a break in routine.

The two weeks soon flew and Sunday came. The bus left Coniston at 11.25 a.m. July 6th, but an hour or so later stopped again as the exhaust had dropped off. It was tied up with a piece of wire at a garage, an we returned safe, but late, at 5.15 p.m.

Kenneth Atkinson and Keith Roberts F5.

The Boys' Brigade

I joined the Boys' Brigade about three and a half years ago after spending three months in the Junior Boys' Brigade. I joined because nearly all my friends were members. I found it was interesting so I kept on going. The Leaders are Mr. Churchman and Mr. Carr.

When I first started the B. B., we just played football and other games, and had about half an hour's drill. Since then we have been learning how to read maps for when we go camping. Sometimes we do club swinging, sometimes we help with plays that the juniors or Girls' Brigade are presenting. Every two months we clean the loft above the church.

We used to have band practice one a week, until the instruments broke. We used to play in parades and after parade attend the service in the church.

There are two sections in the Boys' Brigade, the Juniors who have just come up from the Lifeboys' section, and the Senior section for the boys who have been in the regiment for a long time, for four years or more. The name of the regiment is the 22nd South Shields, but it is going to be changed to the 1st East Boldon as there have been a lot of mix ups. The admission is sixpence for two days, Monday and Friday.

I think it is a good thing to have clubs such as the Boys' Brigade, Scouts and other clubs as you learn things and you don't stand idling about corners all the time or just walking the streets.

Ian Langley 4B

The Bluebird's Song

I love to hear the bluebird sing,
For I know he sings for me.
He sings for the God in heaven
And everyu bird ad bee.

Terrena Stephenson 1D

The Snow Flakes

The snow flakes fall and hit the ground.
They fall very slowly and don't make a sound.
Soft and white,
As they foalltheough the night.

A white carpet covers the ground,
Sometimes it makes a very big mound.
I think it a delight,
To see the snow so white.

Norma Lemon 1C

 


Notices

Parent - Teacher Association

All parents will be invited to a meeting early next term to form a Parent - Teacher Association.

SCHOOL LEAVING DATES

Easter 1970 .......... Only those pupils whose birhtday falls before 1st February, 1970.

Summer 1970 ....... All pupils whose 15th birthday si after 1st February,1970.

............................. Any pupil may stay on until summer or for an extra year if advised to do so.

 


Answers to "How good is your memory"
1. Three - 2. Duck-billed plataypus 3- . A tribe of people who, inhabit the Sahara Desert - 4. Lord Baden Powell - 5. No, it is a star - 6. French West Africa - 7. Yes - 8. An aeroplalne - 9. Penny black - 10. Prince Charles. -

10 Excellent
7 to 9 good
5 to 7 fair
under 5 well, there is always a next time.

Answers to "Crossword".
Across

1. Nationality - 6. Lamb - 7. Seek - 9. Inch - 10. Sit - 12. Sunderland - 17. Tie - 18. Red - 19. Kine - 20. Out - 21. Kilt.

Down
2. In - 3. Lim - 4. Yacht - 5. Neptune - 8. Kindle - 1l Canberra - 13. Reptiles - 14. Deciduous - 15. Junk - 16. Sign.

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