Lenton Times - Margaret Glen-Bott

Trevor Jones - Holmfirth, Yorkshire
Sorting through some files I recently came across my report book for Margaret Glen Bott School. I noticed I had the honour of being admission number 87 and so became one of the first ever pupils to attend this school. We spent the previous school year at Cottesmore Boys School as our new school had not been completed on time for the 1954 September intake. So we all started a year later on the 8th September 1955. I was in Trent House and our house colour was green and I seem to recall that we held our daily assemblies in the entrance foyer. I have various memories of the school but I wasn't all that interested in lessons other than P.E. and games. I do remember the cross country runs around the lake in all sorts of conditions and as a new school in a park we had amazing sports facilities. Miss Lovet was the Head and she was ably supported by a host of great teachers. Miss Lobel, Mr Tomkinson, Miss Goode, Mr Farrow and many more whose names escape me now (probably old age) but then I never had a very good memory. I do recall meeting Margaret Glen Bott when she came to the dedication of the school sometime in early 1956. She was quite a small lady but had a powerful message for us that day. When I first went to the School we still lived on Elvaston Road, but moved to Park Lane, Basford in 1958 so I used to cycle to school every day along the ring road. The education I received must have been very good, for although I left school without formal qualifications, I rose to the level of general manager/director of the company I worked for. I also qualified as a local preacher in the Methodist Church in 1991. Currently I am enjoying my retirement in Holmfirth after moving there in 1978.

If anyone else remembers those early years at old Glen Bott please get in touch with me.

Steve Woodhead - Portishead, North Somerset
Reading Charles Twigger's recollections of the school listed below, I realised that I had forgotten that there were actually pupils in forms below the grammar stream!

I was in grammar stream Y and it was immediately apparent that those in the X level were, by and large, achievers and destined for succes of some sort. I had a very cavalier attitude to my schooling and, consequently, was passed over by many teachers after their many attempts to instill in me the importance of academia. Margaret Glen Bott school was a large comprehensive but had a grammar school influence and was quite strict with regard to dress code, punctuality etc. and woe betide any pupil caught within shouting distance NOT wearing their cap . In fact I recall bumping into a science master named Hopkinson on my way to my Saturday job at Suggs on King Street and freezing, except for a frantic hand movement to my head to check for my cap! Happy, heady days which I remember with fondness and although I have had 'an eventful life', I now wish I had managed to achieve more during my time at secondary school between 1960 and 1965.

Charles Twigger - Stratford upon Avon
Margaret Glen-Bott Bilateral School was a very good educational institution which I attended between the years 1960-65. It was intended as an experiment to place grammar school pupils [the X and Y streams] alongside the secondary modern [the A B C D streams] and so was a precursor to the comprehensive system. It was set in the beautiful surroundings of Wollaton Park and took students from quite diverse backgrounds both social and geographical - for instance pupils came from Radford and from the Park. The uniform was smart and rigorously insisted upon. There were 'cap checks' at the end of school to make sure you were wearing them. The blazer had striped braiding and prefects had tassels on their hats.

I remember it as a very pleasant and happy place The rather formidable Miss Lovett was the Headmistress for most of my time there and her staff were, in the main, dedicated and inspirational. My English teacher, Mr Alcock, gave me a life time love of English Language and Literature He took us to Stratford upon Avon [where I now live] to see a production of Henry IV part one which I still vividly remember and we also did it as a school play. One of the cast, David Dixon, later became a professional actor. The school provided an excellent preparation for life and although it had no sixth form enabled me to go on to Bramcote Hills Grammar School. From there I went on to university, eventually emerging with an MA. I subsequently taught English and Drama in the north of England, Hertfordshire and in the United States. One of my great friends, Dave Nunn, also became a teacher (although he swore he never would) and is at present [2008] completing his PhD. I often think how much happier and fulfilled we were at Margaret Glen-Bott than many of the other students I subsequently came across.

Vladimir Akinin - Basildon, Essex
My name is Vladimir Akinin and I used to live at 21 Lenton Boulevard, along with my younger brothers, Viktor and Nikolia and younger sister Lydia. We all went to the Lenton Infants and Juniors Schools. I left Lenton Juniors for Margaret Glen-Bott in 1957 and was in the same year as Harry Ley. The class shown in the Margaret Glen-Bott Gallery is 2G2 (1G2 being the first year and then 3Y,4Y and 5Y as the years progressed). We were the vanguard of the Bilateral (or Secondary Modern) school system. Both classes (1G1 and 1G2) were made up of kids from all over Nottingham - Carlton, the Meadows, Mapperley etc.
I cannot remember specifically who went from Lenton Juniors to MGB but there was about 5 of us. I remember quite a few of this class and most are on the Friends Reunited site for the schools.

I understand that Harry now lives in Derby. I now live in Basildon, Essex.

Do you have any photographs or information about this school? If so, email us with the details

Lenton Times
The Magazine of Lenton Local History Society



	1959