Boys were Faithful to carol-singing Brigg Grammar School maths master Harold Stinson - recalls Scunthorpe Telegraph columnist Nigel Fisher
WHEN Brigg Grammar School broke up for the Christmas holidays in the late 1960s and early 1970s, we sang Come, All Ye Faithful – but in Latin.
As the boys crowded into what had been the original 18th century schoolroom, some of us would find ourselves near Harold Stinson, the renowned and talented maths master.
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Maths master Harold Stinson (right) with French teachr Vernon Atkin at Brigg Grammar School in the late 1960s
Harold's harmonies were reminiscent of that sketch from Morecambe and Wise.
It seemed to us he was singing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. To be fair, someone who knew a bit about music said he was singing the difficult descant. But that musical nuance was lost on teenage boys whose only thought was to get out of school as quickly as possible that afternoon – hopefully into the snow-clad great outdoors.
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Harold, who lived in Redcombe Lane, was very popular with the boys of Ancholme House. He was our house-master and we always believed it was his protests on our behalf that prompted the addition to our ranks of boys from villages to the south.
These villages included some very talented young sportsmen and it was not long before success started to come our way, notably at senior football level.
Up to then, Ancholme had fewer boys than some other houses and found it a bit of a struggle to hold our own.
Mr H was always there, rain or shine, on the touchline, to spur us on in after-school house matches.
Comments
by Porkmiester
Tuesday, December 18 2012, 7:02PM
“Can a gu-nah suh”
by dellboy1959
Tuesday, December 18 2012, 5:54PM
“Lol pedro,or as one of my teachers used to say,i want two volunteers,you,you and you lol.”
by pedro100
Tuesday, December 18 2012, 4:54PM
“Single file in twos. Famous Stinsonism.”
by kennysenior2
Tuesday, December 18 2012, 12:03PM
“Looks like a scene from Kes !!! CASPER !!!”
by SisterWendy9
Tuesday, December 18 2012, 11:28AM
“Oh dear. For those of us gals who were more accustomed to beating each other black and blue on the hockey pitch than learning our declensions, we never got any further than Adeste fideles, Laeti erm la la la... We got away with it until the whole class (minus a couple of swots) tried it.”
by inspector
Tuesday, December 18 2012, 11:20AM
“I well remember those happy days!
I was the only boy in my year to take Latin at A level under the watchful eye of T.G.Richards (aka Tigger) who sadly died just before my exams. in 1964. Perhaps, inevitably, I won the Latin prize! However, I wish that I hadn't downed a couple of pints in the Dying Gladiator at lunchtime prior to my afternoon exam. since I had to make one or two escorted visits to the loo during the exam. Latin has always been very useful to me as a linguist.
Adeste, fideles, laeti triumphantes, venite, venite in Bethlehem, natum videte....”