The Gym on the Racecourse
Peter Fruish sends this memory of PT in the early days
Peter
was a pupil at the school from 1950 to 1955.
During the 2nd World War the racecourse was turned into a large
army camp. At the end of the war the camp was demolished and the
racecourse returned to the Town. However the army gym and changing
rooms were left intact. (Unfortunately for the pupils of the N.T.H.S.)
The school was given permission to use the gym for PT lesson. It
was a well-equipped gym with ropes, beams, wall bars and various
vaulting apparatus all of which put the fear of God into me.
In the winter, if you were lucky, the gym was heated by large
stoves. No such luxury in the changing rooms. Suffice it to say we
were never visited by brass monkeys.
Eventually my prayers (along with those of many of my class
mates) were answered and the gym was knocked down. But we still had
to suffer.
Double PT lessons became a run round the full perimeter of the
racecourse TWICE, to be followed by a shower in the water torture
room that was sadistically called ‘The Showers’. Luke warm water,
cold draughts and wet benches are an abiding memory.
One boy in our class by the name of John Devos together with his
pal, whose name I cannot recall, used to stop off for a cup of tea
with his grandma whilst the rest of us continued with lap one. As we
approached Nelson Street on lap two, Devos and his mate rejoined the
runners. Needless to say they always led the way home until…………….
On that fateful day the run was halted at the end of lap one. Had
some one blown the whistle? Devos had some explaining to do when he
and his mate came in 30 minutes later. I suspect that there was
much mirth in the staff room.
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