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Celebrating Pioneers of Lifelong Learning at the Heart of Rural

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Celebrating Pioneers of Lifelong Learning at the Heart of Rural Cambridgeshire's Village Colleges- Celebrating Pioneers of Lifelong Learning at the Heart of Rural Communities Oral History Interview Transcription Interview with Alan Clarke by Rachael Polsom and Emma Sharp 24th February 2019, Soham This is Rachael Polsom and Emma Sharp talking to Alan Clarke who was the first head boy at Soham Village College in 1958. What is your full name? Alan Roy Clarke When were you born? 13th October 1943 Where were you born? I’m not sure but I think my parents they were both working in Gloucestershire. They went down to Gloucestershire, my father- he became an aircraft fitter building aeroplanes and my mother worked in a parachute factory down in Gloucestershire. I think I was ‘made there’ if you like and then I think I was born in Soham. And so where did you go to primary school? The first one was down Clay Street- It was a library. After that I went to The Shade. So you ended up going from The Shade to Soham Village College? That’s right yes So what age were you when you started? I was 15 when I went there. There was only about five or six of us –the late birthdays. All our school friends left in the summer holidays and we had to stay on until the Christmas. At Soham Village College? Yeah- But then of course I stayed on for a year and then I went through to technical college and took O Levels and things Do you think you would have gone on to Technical College had you not gone to Soham Village College? No way, I was down for a bricklayer. All my family are in the building trade Was it your experience at Soham Village College that made you want to further your education? Yes I got lots of encouragement. How did it come about you being selected to be the Head Boy? I don’t know I can’t remember that. There weren’t many of us you see. At that age most of us had left you see. So I don’t think they had much to choose from really Ok, so perhaps you were lucky? I think so yeah. I enjoyed it all. What were your first impressions of the Village College? I think I was very impressed. Totally impressed by the whole thing really. Did you think it was more modern? Certainly. I still had a lot of admiration for the teachers and things at Shade School So in your Primary School it was just people from Soham? Yes And then when you arrived at the Village College suddenly you were meeting people from Wicken.. Isleham, Wicken, Burwell, Fordham… I know a few of them but not as well as the others that we used to know. And had you been taught by a woman before? In the first year at aged 8 Miss Brown her name was So what years were you there? At the college, I was there from 1959. I stayed on for another year I think so it 1960 I went to the Cambridge Technical College. I was quite pleased with having got through to an outward bound course. Mr Percival put me on that so I had a month in the Lake District in January and February- walked all around the Lake District, slept on frozen lakes and done handstands in canoes and things. I think that gave me a bit of a sense of adventure I think. Mr Percival put a bit in the paper and said that was the first feather in many caps for the college. So that’s quite a bold thing for the college to do? Perhaps pioneering? Yes he must have... I think it was pre Duke of Edinburgh otherwise I had probably been on that but it was an adventure. I had to write a book about it and put some photos in for some gentleman who was sponsoring the college – that was more of a challenge, I enjoyed it. I enjoy the physical side of it as well. In that sense the Village College broadened your horizons? I’m sure it did, yeah. Did you feel that a lot was provided for people who were, say, less academic? I think so. When we were at The Shade School there was no difference- we were all in the same class. That was something that we had to adjust to. And girls in the class as well- usually a bit brighter than us! I got a few books for top of the class and that sort of thing. How was life different for boys and girls? Can’t speak for the girls but it was nice. I did find a girlfriend while I was there obviously (laughs) and we had a little talk about it, you know, make sure we behaved ourselves in the playroom. Who talked to you? Mr Jones had a little lecture What did the boys do that the girls didn’t in school? Very little I think. You know I can remember watching the girls playing hockey and stuff like that, ’cause I was a bit sporty, I enjoyed my sport. I know, which was very nice, that we got invited up to the girls’… cooked us a meal and all that sort of thing. That was very nice. So that was in ‘the flat’, they called it… That’s right The girls would spend a week there and they’d learn how to cook… Yeah and we were the guinea pigs (!) And did you have to give them some notes or feedback on what they cooked? If I did I can’t remember. We probably passed a few comments ‘cause we knew them reasonably well Did you tease them? I’m sure we did yeah As you were there when the college opened were there still things that weren’t quite ready? Nothing that I remember, I think it was all very organised and plenty of sporting… tennis courts and that sort of thing. I played lots of sport. Did you think it was quite state of the art or still quite rural? No it was stare of the art obviously-to us. We hadn’t been out of Soham really. (laughs) [5 MINUTES] And the teachers, suddenly you were being taught by different teachers for different lessons… Yes Did you happen to know any of the teachers locally or were they brought in from elsewhere? No two of them came from The Shade, Mr Leech the science teacher and Mr Edmunds the woodwork teacher So they were recruited locally for those two Yes, yes. And what about the warden Mr Percival-do you know where he might have come from? No idea, I know that he passed away. That’s all I know. ‘Course I had a great deal of respect for him. But that’s obvious really. Were you ever in trouble? Certainly not at the... no way! Head Boy! Because you were head boy you had to stay out of trouble? Well I just done my best for them, you know. Why did you want to do your best for them if you had been a bit of a rebel at primary school? I’ve no idea really, maybe the presence of girls maybe made you behave a bit more- I don’t know. Could well be. So did you feel lucky to have gone there? Oh yes. Certainly. I had a great time there; played football for the School County and things like that. Did you find that your education was quite varied? Yes certainly, yes it was a bit more intense than what we were used to certainly, yes. I mean I enjoyed it. Why intense? I think they expected a bit more, the teachers. After you’d finished at school did you ever go back and do any adult education classes or go to any talks? I’m sure I did. Of course most of the time I played sport there. Tennis, badminton, everything. Unless there are any other memorable incidents from your time at the Village College… Not really, not regarding school. I mean I can only say that I enjoyed it and that the school was used for everything. I can remember going there for Trad Jazz’ dances and all that sort of thing and it was, you know, it entertained us a lot What else was going on down there? Ah well they had dance classes I remember that. I always used to go to youth centre and I think they had that at the college so I used to go there and play table tennis and stuff like that. [The Village College] Helped the community in many ways –give us extra things to do really. END .
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