I missed the first two terms of the 1st Form because we had been living in Malta where my dad was serving in a cruiser. When I did arrive at DHS Wilf Nash had already selected the chosen few for his school teams and so, on games afternoons, I became one of the plebs who were bussed out to a dreadful Council playing field at Ham estate. Here we ran about in the mud and dog poo for an hour or two playing very bad rugby before going home all mucky because there were no showers. By the time I reached the 4th Form we had moved to an equally awful playing field at the bottom of Crownhill. Its claim to fame were the filthy Nissan hut changing rooms; but in other respects it had the same dismal hallmarks as Ham. Interestingly everyone had to find their own way home when the afternoon's excitement was over.

Anyone else remember being bussed to games?

I certainly remember playing at the Ham Fields,from 1949 onwards but I thought we played cricket at Ham and played rugby on the field in front of the school, we also organised inter-form cricket matches for Saturday mornings and played them at Central Park quite close to the paddling pool. Considering there were not many families with cars I think we somehow moved the kit by bus and we were trusted with it!

I remember going there (the Ham playing fields) for the first couple of years for rugby.

What sticks most in my mind about the whole period is that the kids from the local school (South Trelawney?) hated us, so we had to get out of there quick after games and onto the bus before they got out of school because they wanted to kick the s**t out of us. I can guess why (class envy? what a joke), but it was never confirmed.

One lad a year up from me ended up in hospital as a result, and someone in my 2W got a beating as well.

For the first term I practised rugby skills on my own as Wilf wouldn't let me wear glasses (understandably). After that I somehow managed without them, though my eyesight's been poor since primary school.

John Davies wrote:
[quote]I missed the first two terms of the 1st Form because we had been living in Malta where my dad was serving in a cruiser. [/quote

John, your father and mine must have been on the same cruiser, HMS Gambia. Part of my 2nd form was spent at Talhandak Grammar School. Great school hours, 7.30 - 1.30, from memory. The rest of the day was spent swimming off the rocks. Not much schoolwork, so had some swatting to do on return. Great fodder for essays and the like.
It made a change to be in the sea scouts where I had the luck to 'pipe' Lord Louis aboard our permanent camp, a converted MTB moored alongside at Manoel Is.
My main claim to fame there was to just about burn (raze) same Island by seeing what would happen if I lit one of those little combustibles that propelled 'jet' cars while the combustible was sitting on the grass. Not a good idea.

A couple of interesting memories have been introduced by the last two contributors.
1. I remember a bit of the treatment from the Trelawney school members but because I lived in Ham Drive and this was also our local playing field they treated me as one of the locals.
2. The comment about HMS Gambia, although directed to another "John" reminded me that my brother in law served on her from 1948 to 51, that's what you call being away from home, not a three month trip with frequent telephone calls which I think is the present day experience.

Wilf Nash used to utter my six favourite words in assembly on a wet winter's morning:

"Ham Fields are unfit for play ..."

Were they ever fit for play?

John Yates wrote:
[quote]John Davies wrote:
[quote]I missed the first two terms of the 1st Form because we had been living in Malta where my dad was serving in a cruiser. [/quote

John, your father and mine must have been on the same cruiser, HMS Gambia. Part of my 2nd form was spent at Talhandak Grammar School. Great school hours, 7.30 - 1.30, from memory. The rest of the day was spent swimming off the rocks. Not much schoolwork, so had some swatting to do on return. Great fodder for essays and the like.
It made a change to be in the sea scouts where I had the luck to 'pipe' Lord Louis aboard our permanent camp, a converted MTB moored alongside at Manoel Is.
My main claim to fame there was to just about burn (raze) same Island by seeing what would happen if I lit one of those little combustibles that propelled 'jet' cars while the combustible was sitting on the grass. Not a good idea. [/quote]

John,

I have replied on the subject of Malta and HMS Gambia, via private message in order to leave this thread to winter games afternoons.

Yes John, thank you. I am just a little tied up at the present with a new kitchen being installed at our "beach house". I will get round to posting asap, although, I suspect I may start a new thread to encompass living away from School and, perhaps, to explore where all of us have been over the years.
Watch a space near here.

Yes I remember being bussed to Ham Playing fields (slope 1 in 30) to play soccer and oh god help me rugby in all that shit.

However what has not been noted was the idylic summer term when in the 40s/50s we played cricket at home in the rather salubrious surroundings of Collings Park in Hartley/Egg Buckland and, if selected, played away matches at, for instance, Plymouth College's beautiful ground, Tavistock Grammar's, Kelly College and other equally up market school cricket pitches (complete with pavilions!!)

Sadly Collings Park is no more as a cricket pitch, last time I passed by it was a "overgrown rubbish tip".

Any other cricketers out there.

Also I seem to remember an athletics track.

Arthur Trice wrote:
Yes I remember being bussed to Ham Playing fields (slope 1 in 30) to play soccer and oh god help me rugby in all that shit.

However what has not been noted was the idylic summer term when in the 40s/50s we played cricket at home in the rather salubrious surroundings of Collings Park in Hartley/Egg Buckland and, if selected, played away matches at, for instance, Plymouth College's beautiful ground, Tavistock Grammar's, Kelly College and other equally up market school cricket pitches (complete with pavilions!!)

Sadly Collings Park is no more as a cricket pitch, last time I passed by it was a "overgrown rubbish tip".

Any other cricketers out there.

Also I seem to remember an athletics track.

Yes, I have fond memories of Collings Park as I played a house cricket match there in May '73 (blimey was it that long ago?). I got bowled out first ball as I wasn't allowed to wear my glasses to bat and the bowler was good (though I got revenge on a guy who laughed at me for this by getting him out first ball when I was fielding - one of my favourite memories of DHS!).

Sad if it's gone, but it seems to be the way of the world now; sports pitches are being sold off or falling into desuetude everywhere.