tvsx.co.uk - for tvs ex-pats

Memories!

We would love to publish your memories and anecdotes of TVS. Don't forget that they must not be capable of offending anyone though. Please do email us your memory or anecdote.

We reserve the right not to publish any memory which in our view may offend others.

From Doreen Dillon:

"A lot of funny (and strange) things happened during my years at TVS, particularly in the Sylvia Goodall years.
One day Mr Mathers came across Sylvia agreeing with a parent about a teacher's dealing with their child. As she came off the phone, he stroked his beard and said "Mother, we will have them parading with placards up and down Thong Lane".
I thought when I left Gordon School behind where horses imprisoned me in the office that TVS would be much more genteel - Wrong - message from staff on duty "A horse and trap is just galloping round the perimeter road". Still, they did not imprison anyone and just had a trot round and left by the main gate.
I remember Red Nose Day, with Sylvia persuading JRS to put on the nose. I did join in though. She was so funny, even though the work did not really get done. Those were the days! "

From Heather Barnes:

"I remember Wendy Briley telling me that every school she'd worked in, was closed down after she left. It made it hard to give her a reference, and to actually say goodbye! It was a struggle at times Wendy, but we broke the mould!"
In 2004 a Year 7 student sidled up to me and asked if I remembered Karen ******. I said I did, and asked if she was his mother. "No," he smiled, "she's my granny. You taught my granny" It made the retirement decision easier.

From Malcom Gilbey:

Many Wonderful things ought to be said about Sean Mathers, he was a wonderful man.
Shortly after I began teaching, he took me to one side, after another of the many altercations I used to have with almost everyone and said, " Cub, you really are an angry young man, but one day you'll be old. From that day on he always called me Cub and kept me more or less on the straight and narrow.

From Denise Paris:

Being one of the many LSA's at TSV for a good few years I had the pleasure of working with many talented staff. We only had one male LSA, Graham and he always kept us sane when things were starting to get us down. One day whilst we were discussing a particular student who was giving us all grief, he looked up from his book (he was always reading!) and said "The wheel's still spinning but the Hamster's dead".
And that is how we used refer to certain pupils from then on.
I loved my time working in Tech with Mark Cooper, we had a lot of very funny times. He always used to go over the top in demonstrations with the students and one day we were going through joining wood together for the bird houses. Mark in his usual way stood at the front with all the students round him. He had the glue and started to put this on the piece of wood. It went everywhere. He just looked up laughed and said "Mrs Parris always says I use too much glue".
Chris Crocker would always come into the staff room looking for any LSA who would "like" to spend a lesson helping out with one of her groups. The way this was done was by coming over and with a big smile she would say "Bourbon Biscuits in the filing cabinet if anyone is interested". She knew just where the weak spot of the support staff was (our stomachs)!

From Neil Judges

As teacher in charge of the wheelchair users I worked very closely with Peggy Whiffen, Pat Westrup and Eve French. These ladies not only lavished care on the disabled students but were often to be found giving tea and understanding to other students in need of a shoulder to cry on. Wonderful ladies with whom I shared many funny moments I can remember very clearly going with Pat on a visit to Churchtown Farm in Cornwall. Many of the activities involved outdoor pursuits or field trips which continued despite the vagries of the Cornish weather. One day we were canoeing up the Fowey estuary in rain which would have drowned a duck. The tutor, in order to 'keep our spirits up' kept enthusing about the wonders of the estuary and repeating the phrase 'It's lovely up here when the weathers fine' After the third or fourth time Pat turned to me and glared from under a dripping wet Sou'Wester commenting 'If he say's that once more I'm going to smack him so hard his teeth will drop out'. Just one of many memorable moments from those trips.

From Sue Counsell

Have looked at website. Very impressive and a great reminder of many good times.

From John Roberts

Fearnley and I pushing Doreen down the main corridor on her wheeled office chair - she went 30 yards with feed 1' off the ground!

Sue Scott

I had my best conversations in the old smoke room: it kept me sane

From Heather Wanstall

Many years since our eldest son (Matt) was in a creche in the school whilst I worked there (teacher shortages!)