S H OUT

3 9

LOCAL STORIES, POEMS, HISTORY, ARTICLES AND MEMORIES.

THIS EDITION OF “SHOUT” MAGAZINE HAS BEEN PRODUCED IN COLLABORATION WITH QUARRYDALE SCHOOL WHOSE STAFF AND PUPILS HAVE PROVIDED HELP WITH CONTENT, LAYOUT, DISTRIBUTION AND ADMINISTRATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY “SHOUT” IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE AT: www.stantonhill.co.uk THE CONTENT OF THIS MAGAZINE REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF THE AUTHORS AND MAY NOT BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE CONTRIBUTOR AND THE EDITORIAL TEAM. THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS MAGAZINE DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE EDITORIAL TEAM. FROM CLARET TO A RUSTY DUDLEY

PART THREE

Next morning Steve was woken from a restless sleep by a soft tap on his door he hurried to open it and found his Mother standing there, ‘Come in Mum’ he said. She came into the room and gave Steve a gentle smile. ‘This is it then, all those years together and here we are alone in a strange house’ ‘It will be alright Mum’ replied Steve ‘I quite like it here it is a humble sort of life but the people are not bad, in fact I believe they are really good and kind’ ‘Well that’s as may be’ said Evelyn ‘It just seems such a change after what we have always known. To be thrust into all this and you have not even thought about the work yet! What will it be like, down in those dungeon like mines with people that you don’t know at all well, it just seems too scary to even contemplate.’ ‘Well I shall find out about that tomorrow when I go to see the manager Mr.Moncur, so Tom tells me, I have no idea how I shall get there I’ll probably ask Tom if he will take me down. What would you like to do?’ ‘Well I could stay here or go and catch the train home’ ‘Mum, it breaks my heart to see you go, but I think that it would be the best thing, if you stay tonight you will only be more and more worried especially if you meet more people who you feel are not your sort. There is a lot for you to do in London, the house needs looking after, Robert can’t manage long without you, he will have forgotten his orders and goodness knows what Betty will be up to. They need you there and the house needs you! I have looked up the train timetable and there is a train at six thirty from here it gets into Nottingham at half past seven and from there, there is a direct train to St Pancras.’ ‘I suppose that you are right Steven’ Evelyn sighed ‘It’s just that you and I have never been parted since you were born and it is so difficult for me to abandon you amongst these strangers.’ ‘Are you alright up there? ‘Grandma’s voice broke the silence that had descended after Evelyn’s last remark. ‘We are just sorting out our plans for the day’. ‘Right ho’ called Grandma ‘Goodness that woman!! If they are all like her.. She just never stops and when she laughs, the house seems to rock! ‘She’s fine, a very good hearted soul I think’ ‘Yes but she’s..’ ‘Mum’ Steve interrupted her, ‘She understands you perfectly, she is wise in her way and sees more than she lets on, she knows how uncomfortable you are feeling in these surroundings’ ‘ I am uncomfortable Steve’ cried Evelyn ‘I’m uncomfortable with the whole situation, I am uncomfortable that a chance ballot has brought you to this, it would almost feel better if you had been sent to the front line!! ‘Well Mum it doesn’t matter now, what has to be has to be. Let’s go downstairs and see what’s happening.’ Together they went down the steep staircase and joined Tom and the family in the dining room. ‘Now lad what’s it to be tonight, Pictures or t’Miners?’ asked Tom (CONTINUED OVER)

2 (CONTINUED) ‘Sorry?’ ‘For a drink wi t’lads’ ‘No thanks I am taking Mum out for the morning to have a look at the local sights and then to the station ‘said Steve ‘after that I think I’ll have an early night’ Barbara kindly made up a picnic with some of the food left over from the previous night and although his mother eyed it dubiously, Steve smiled and thanked her. ‘Are you ready Mum?’ Evelyn and Steven spent the day wandering through the country lanes that surrounded the Hill. Even her Ladyship had to admit that beyond the terraced houses that made up the village, there was a great natural beauty and when they walked past the pit yard she was delighted by a glimpse of Hardwick Hall standing high on its hill, the many windows glinting in the sunlight. Returning to the Andersons, Steve picked up his mother’s luggage. ‘Well good bye then gal ‘said Gran and Tom shook Evelyn by the hand ‘He will be fine with us you know and I will look after him’ he said gently ‘Yes and we’ll make sure we feed him well so he won’t be as thin as a rake when you get him back!’ Grandma announced Tom’s wife was washing pots in the kitchen, she dried her hands and sensing the others distress, put out her hand to Evelyn. ‘He will be fine you know don’t worry, it could be a lot worse, you can come and stay here any time you want to, just drop us a line to let us know’ ‘I do not even know the proper address’ muttered Evelyn ‘Well that’s easy enough to put right, I’ll write it down and give you the telephone number of Mr. Miller who lives up the road, you can also get him through the Union box at the pit, Tom will give you that number.’ ‘Thank you that will be good’ Barbara gave Evelyn a quick hug feeling the woman trembling and knowing that at any moment she could break down in tears. ‘Have you got all your luggage then?’ ‘Yes thank you so much’ said Evelyn Steve opened the door and they stepped out into the street. ‘Seems like a nice evening’ ‘Doesn’t it’ said Evelyn ‘I still don’t understand why everyone has to sit outside though!’ ‘Well it’s probably a custom’ replied Steve Evelyn could feel all eyes on them both and Steven noticed a girl walking down the street, she had bright red hair, for a moment their eyes met, hers were the brightest blue he had ever seen. She knocked sharply on the Anderson’s door and went inside. The piano on the end cart was still playing away despite most of the children having gone indoors. The operator was still hoping for a few more customers before he packed up for the night. ‘Any jingle guv?’ He asked ‘I’ve a fair selection of melodies from all times anything you fancy.’ ‘No thanks’ Steve said, but he felt in his pocket and found a couple of pennies to put in the man’s bucket. ‘Thanks very much’ the man cried ‘And that’s without even playing a note!!’ They walked slowly to the top of the street. ‘Are you hungry Mum?’ asked Steve ‘Even if I am, there doesn’t seem to be an abundance of good restaurants around here!’ (CONTINUED OVER) Arden Foot Care Foot Care in the Privacy of your own Home, foot Soak, Toe nails, hard skin smoothed & Foot massage £20 Calluses and Corns removed £25 Reflexology £25 phone numberCall: - Sally 07543063599 Facebook: - Arden Body Beautiful

3 (CONTINUED) ‘There is the Fish and Chip shop over the road.’ ‘No thank you I will wait and get some sandwiches on the train, I don’t want to be bothersome,’ An uncomfortable silence enveloped them as they walked down past the pit cottages, reached the bottom of the hill and turned into the station yard. Sitting on a seat on the platform Evelyn turned to Steve ’It’s strange that we have to wait to say goodbye before we can say anything of consequence to each other.’ she said ’I know Mum ‘It’s not just about you being comfortable, it’s about you being somewhere that you belong Steven and I feel as if,,,,.’ She faltered ‘What do you feel Mum’ Steve asked ‘I feel that I am losing you, that you will not be the Steven that I have known when I see you again. The people here are so different and this is bound to have an effect on you. ‘The tears started in her eyes and she blinked them away hastily. ‘Well whatever the effect it doesn’t change the fact that you are my Mother and always will be, nothing will ever change that.’ said Steve grasping her hand tightly in his. The train pulled into the station. ‘Nottingham Victoria’ called the guard. Evelyn climbed aboard and smiled a watery smile at her son. ‘I’ll write every day with all my news’ said Steve. ‘See that you do’ said his mother. ‘Come and visit when you can, don’t stay in London dwelling on things! Oh and get Betty to write too.’ ‘But she’s not family she won’t be able to’ ‘Mother she has been with us so long that she feels like family.’ ‘Well we will see’ Evelyn said as she gave her son a gentle kiss on the cheek. The whistle blew and Steve watched as the train pulled away and out of sight, he felt totally bereft, as if everything he had ever known in life had just left on that train. ‘She’s gone back then lad’ the porter remarked as the young man walked slowly from the platform. Steven went up to bed but lay awake; he could hear the clinking and clanging of the wagons at the pit head. He fell into a disturbed sleep and was awoken by the wailing of an air raid siren in the distance. No one stirred to answer its call only the dog downstairs gave three muffled growls. Above the sound of the twin stroke engines of the Heinkels drove on into the night to make their appointment with terror. The village settled once again into silence, Steven thought about his mother and how he had to persuade her to go to the air raid shelter. He looked at the clock at the side of his bed it was 4.20 and over the rooftops, a rim of light broke the nights gloom. CONTINUED IN THE NEXT EDITION

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4 THE SINKING OF SILVERHILL COLLIERY 1874-1879

We have been loaned an account of the sinking of Silverhill Colliery between the years of 1874 - 1879, the problems facing those pioneers were daunting and the record of the event provides us with a priceless documentation of the times. The coal measures lay beneath the magnesium limestone and we cannot possibly fully appreciate the enormity of the problem without some knowledge of the engineering technique of the day. Steam power was still the only viable alternative to the brute strength of men. The eminent mining consultant Ebenezer Boot had been contracted to take charge of the sinking and development of the project, however the confidence in Boots ability was on the wane mainly because of the difficulties encountered during the sinking of Butcher wood (Teversal) Colliery and also the implications of the disaster at the Molyneaux collier)' which was still very much in the memory of the Cromptons and in particular the Methodist John Longden. When the Silverhill sinkers first erected their winches it was two decades before steel was manufactured on an industrial basis this limited the power that could be transmitted from the steam engines to the pumps. The pumps themselves consisted of a barrel and piston mechanism, similar to huge bicycle pumps and were constructed almost entirely of wood, these huge wooden tubes were lowered down the shafts in a series of sections known as lifts, each section equal to the height of water that could be supported by the piston. At one end of each lift the barrel would fill into a cast iron cistern mounted in the shaft, acting as a staging post foi the next lift. The piston of each lift was connected by a rod to the beam of a steam engine at the surface. A critical part of the pump was the seal between the piston and the inside of the barrel. These seals were made of leather, and were called buckets. It was the corrosive action of the sand and water on these buckets, and also the misplaced geology that was to prove the bane of the lives for the Silverhill Sinkers. After a number of preliminary holes had been drilled to determine the nature of the strata it was discovered that there was a difficulty because a downturn fault lay shaped like a horse shoe between Teversal colliery (Butcher Wood) and the proposed sinking.This made access to the deep seams difficult if not impossible, how far the outer reaches of the fault lay, no one knew, but it seems safe to presume from the testing that the fault lay further east to the proposed shaft than had been previously thought. They chose a site a short distance from the Dunsal Cottages, the land sloped to the gradient on the Brim-mingham anticline, were a number of shallow collieries had been previously sunk as early as the sixteenth century. A small village was erected to house the sinkers many of whom brought their wives and families from as faraway as Walsall Staffordshire, they were placed under the direction of the sultry Boot for whom there seemed a general dislike.

(CONTINUED OVER)

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5 (CONTINUED) The first sod was cut on February 10* 1878 The colliery was planned to have two shafts 15ft in diameter and the second shaft (downcast) was started on April 10th of the same year. These two main shafts were encircled by a number of smaller shafts connected to the mains shafts by stentons. This was to allow water to be evacuated from the main shafts by pumps in the satellites shafts. Two further shafts were to be sunk to take the counter balance weight of the winding engine. These shafts were also fitted with pumps, the steam power amassed at the surface consisted of three 120 hp wining engines, a 250 horse power pumping engine and seven smaller engines were also erected which took place of jacks and Jims, these engines were cleverly arranged so that in the event of one failing another could take over its work. The first thirty-five fathoms was completed without difficulty but as the ingress developed the water that ran into the shaft rose to fifty gallons per minute, it became necessary to tub the shaft to hold back the water. For this purpose curved sections of cast were used, each section was bolted together and corked by hammering lead between the joints to force the tubing against the walls of the shaft to complete this, it was necessary to construct a metal wedging crib in the shaft against which the cast iron section could be raised, at this point the counter balance shafts were sunk and the stentons driven to the main shafts. With the pumps now in place the sinkers gingerly approached the lower part of the lime stone were the sand and water had accumulated. Suddenly and without warning the bottom of the shaft exploded throwing a pillow of water back up the shaft forcing the sinkers to abandon it in haste. As the pumps were short of this level nothing could be done but to let the water rise to reach the pumps. Then the pumps had to work at 585 gallons per minute to make any impression of the water level. The No2 pit was sunk around one of the bore- holes in which water was being held back by the means of a long plug. Before the shaft reached a point within 70ft of the sand the plug bolt threw the sand 300 ft in the air, now the sinkers were locked in a desperate struggle to save the project, they had to negotiate 24 ft of sand and water by tubing the shaft as they proceeded with each foot the pressure of the water increased testing their skills and the durability of their Victorian machinery. Boot was reaching the limits of his experience leaving George Crompton with no alternative, he employed the mining engineers Cooper and Johnson and also employed the eminent geologist Dr Richard Smith. Smith was a wayward genius, who immediately toured the area picking up and testing with his hammer every stone he found. He went down Butcherwood Colliery taking samples from the bottom of the shallow shafts. He stopped the pumps at No 2 shaft, and by taking measurements of water he concluded that that the water was settling without finding its own level. He advised the Cromptons that the shaft had been sunk on a fault and it would take months if not years to get through the impenetrable mill stone, he put Rudyard Cooper in charge of the shaft and advised the Cromptons that they must sink a new shaft to the east of the downcast shaft. (CONTINUED OVER)

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6 (CONTINUED) They were fortunate that an old abandoned shaft known locally as the 'Old Wharkey' was situated by the side of the road. When they excavated the shaft they found to their surprise that it was open and dry, because of the time limit and the increasing expenditure it was decided to sink the shaft to the deep hard horizon. Meanwhile the sand and water were creating problems by attacking the insides of the pumps with a vengeance eroding them at an alarming rate. Each time one of the leather buckets had to be changed it required a major operation to lift the barrel out of the shaft and dismantle the shaft. It took the combined efforts of three tanneries including the Carnarvon blacksmiths to supply the Silverhill sinking with leather, and in a desperate effort to slow down the rate of destruction of the buckets, substitutes were tried including buffalo, and hippopotamus hide. Even caoutchone, a crude form of rubber, was used. On June the 1st 1878 Smith recorded in his diary that water feeders in both shafts was producing 3, 285 gallons a minute. The pumps were occupying all the available space in the No 1 shaft and these were incapable of stemming the flow of water, twin 450 hp engines were brought from Hawk and company to arrest the flow in the new No 2 shaft, these were high pressure engines and were supplied with steam from 18 cylindrical boilers constructed in a formidable line and flanked by two 80 ft chimneys. The pumping stations were in operation by August 10th and the sinking was resumed, a boring hole was drilled between the shafts to release the pressure of the water, (these roadways were used to supply the headers, in the dash for coal after No 2 shaft was brought into use and were still open into the 1970s when they were sealed up to prevent air from escaping) the water level in No 2 shaft rose to that of the No 1 shaft and then rose and fell in unison, as Smith said it was as though the laws and motion of the tides was having an effect. Then in September 1878, the east shaft was successfully tubbed after having been strengthened with a layer of Elm deals shod and hooped with iron, reached the blackshale level at 419 yards. The No 2 shaft was driven in great haste to the low Main horizon at 358 yards in depth was reached in January 1879. The developers then drove roadways to connect an air source to develop the coal bounty, this roadway was the No2 plain road and reversed itself through the stone head jig. It had taken the best part of four years of heartbreaking toil to sink the shafts at Silverhill, the sinkers had been to hell and back and suffered major disappointments, they had spent in some cases up to 21 hours a day fighting back the elements. The development also ushered in the new methods and technological advances in geology and mining technology the link had been broken with the past. As the flag was raised and the pig roasted to celebrate the event, Cromptons and Clarke the first Manager at the Colliery, the exhausted sinkers raised their glasses to Dr Smith the geologist who saved the project by his craft. It is to them that we should thank for the years of prosperity and for the opportunity of moulding the Miner off the hill but that is another story.

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7 MY BROTHER DANIEL

We were always a close family; spent time together; fought with each other; but ultimately loved each other dearly. My mother was the queen of our lives and we did everything to make her happy, as she was a single parent, and myself and Daniel weren't exactly the easiest kids at times. She gave us everything we could wish for and made sure we were sporty and active to keep ourselves healthy, but nothing could stop what was to happen. It began when we were on a Beaver camp. My mum's a Beaver leader and as we knew the person who was holding the camp, we were invited to help. It was a huge piece of land and we'd go exploring in our free time. (when the Beavers were doing activities we weren’t allowed to join in) I was with another of the Beaver leaders daughters, playing a game instead of hanging out with the guys because they always pushed the limits on forbidden activities, when Daniel came rushing into the barn, his hand over his face and his nose bleeding badly. Immediately he was handed tissues and stripped of his bloody top and calmed down as he was crying and in pain. My mum thought that he'd fell, but in fact, he'd had something different happen to him. A pigeon flew into his nose. A pigeon! How ridiculous. It must've been powerful because it broke his nose and made it wonky. • .. •: , After this debacle, Daniels nose was constantly bad. He would get nose bleeds constantly or a bunged-up nose, making disgusting gunk come out of it whenever it was blown. After several doctors and hospital appointments later, he went to have his nose freezed, a painful procedure. However, during this, the doctors noticed an abnormality in his nose and sent for a biopsy. On that day in December, 2012, I remember going to my dad's house after school, like I usually did, and seeing Daniel already there because he'd finished earlier as he was in secondary school. Everything was normal, we played, we fought over the TV, we ate jacket potatoes and then my mum came. I could tell something was wrong with her. She's my mum, the woman I was with every day, the woman we both loved so much. I could tell she'd been crying but she refused to tell me what was wrong, claiming it was nothing. We both felt a bit offended that she was keeping something, but since she was so upset, we didn't push it. We also noticed that my dad had wet eyes; from crying but he also denied anything. We piled out of my dad's and into the car to go back home. Then the bombshell hit. I don't know why but I knew something was wrong. And before my mum could even finish the sentence I called it. He had cancer. I remember remaining strong in the car; no tears were allowed. Daniel was so positive, immediately saying he'd fight it and be fine and I remember the pride in my mum at his words. I, on the other hand, was a negative wreck. Immediately all the bad things that could happen ran through my head. I may have cursed him a lot and fought with him every day, but I didn't want to live a life without him. He couldn't die. Once we got home, the tears finally came. From all three of us. We sat on the chair, in each other's arms and cried, clinging to each other. But then my mum had more news. Daniel had to go to Nottingham for treatment and I wasn't allowed to go. Imagine being told that the person you're closest with is sick/dying and you couldn't be with them through the journey. It was hard and horrible, but we had no other choice. I stayed at my nans whilst he journeyed to Notts, beginning his treatment. Throughout the entire thing he remained positive. Of course, there were days when his mood was in the gutter, but you couldn't blame him. He was weak and tired, but it wasn't too bad at the beginning. Until his hair began to fall out. He was embarrassed and hated it, tears often with it. He didn't enjoy going to people's houses because he was too worried that it would fall out when he was there. He was also constantly tired, having no energy to really do anything, but he still had a smile on his face when he met new people. (CONTINUED OVER)

8 (CONTINUED) He was embarrassed and hated it, tears often with it. He didn't enjoy going to people's houses because he was too worried that it would fall out when he was there. He was also constantly tired, having no energy to really do anything, but he still had a smile on his face when he met new people. After a long months 12 months, he was finally cleared. It was such a great day! We'd suffered for so long and although it wasn't the worst scenario, it was bad enough that none of us took anything for granted anymore. Ever since he's beaten cancer, Daniel's done several fundraisers for different charities. His biggest would be his bungee jump and sky dive. These were for his friends that he'd made in hospital. Daniel always had a great way with kids, earning their trust quickly and not worrying about dignity as he played with them, letting them do as they wished with him. In particular he grew a bond with two boys in particular, both younger than him: Ethan and Eddie. Unfortunately, they aren't with us anymore today, which was a very painful blow to Daniel and a harsh reminder of what he'd been through and luckily survived: this is what spurred him on to do those big fundraisers. He's such a giving person and never expected anything from anyone, just support and love, whilst he gives his all out to everyone. This journey gave him the strength to be fearless.

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9 MY VISIT TO AUSCHWITZ

As part of the LFA project, I visited Auschwitz I, Auschwitz-Birkenau and The Auschwitz Jewish Centre in Oświęcim on the 8th of March this year. Auschwitz I is a concentration camp whereas Auschwitz II (Birkenau) is a death camp. At the seminar I attended before the visit, I was also given the incredible opportunity to hear a Holocaust survivor speak about her experiences and was given the chance to ask her questions about her experiences. The purpose of this project is to educate young people on the Holocaust as there are many lessons we can learn from it in order to better humanity today and ensure that such atrocities committed by Nazi Germany are never repeated. The LFA project takes 2 students from each sixth form in the East Midlands every year on this trip with help from the Holocaust Educational Trust. This work is vital to our community as well as having a lasting impact on many young people’s lives every year. Auschwitz I was a concentration camp in Poland. In Auschwitz I, there is currently a museum like set up. As you walk in you see a gate with the words ‘arbeit macht frei’ which translates to ‘work sets you free’. This is a slogan known for appearing on the gates of many other Nazi concentration camps. For me personally, this camp had the greater impact. Within this camp there are rooms where you can see the personal belongings of those who were sent to either Auschwitz I or Auschwitz-Birkenau. This included people’s hair, prosthetics, children’s clothes and suitcases. This bought the fact that each and every victim lived a whole life of their own to the forefront of my mind. There was a newer exhibit when I visited Auschwitz I which showed many pictures and videos of Jewish people pre-war who would be caught and sent to Auschwitz within a few months. There was also a book of names as part of this exhibit, it stretched across the entire room and within it were the names of each and every Jewish person killed during the Holocaust. Auschwitz Birkenau is located around 10 minutes from Auschwitz I. There are no exact figures of those who died at Auschwitz-Birkenau, though it is estimated to be around 1.2 million. Prisoners would arrive in cattle carts on the railway and, upon arrival, be sent one of two ways. Those who were seen as fit enough to work were sent into the huts in Birkenau to live in forced labour. Those who were seen as unfit to work (mostly women, children, the elderly, the sick and those who were disabled) were sent down some steps to their death. Although prisoners had poor clothing and no means of keeping warm in the harsh Polish winters, prisoners found survival easier in the winter. This was because they were so underfed and had so little water that at least in the winter they would be able to get water from the snow and ice that fell. Whilst in Birkenau I attended a memorial service at the ruins of Crematoria II. This was conducted by a Rabbi that had come on the trip with us, during this he told us the story of how his own family had suffered during the Holocaust and we participated in a prayer in respect to those who lost their lives in Auschwitz II. (CONTINUED OVER)

10 (CONTINUED) 3 million Polish Jews were murdered during the war, only a few thousand Jews from Poland who survived the Holocaust returned to their former homes. Some of those who returned to their homes in Poland after the war still faced persecution for their faith. In 1946, in Kielce, over 60 Jews who had survived the Holocaust were murdered after being accused of taking part in a ‘blood libel’. ‘Blood libel’ was an accusation that Jewish people used the blood of Christians in religious rituals, especially in the preparation of Passover bread, that was perpetrated throughout the Middle Ages and until the early 20th century. On the 27th of January 1945, the Red Army (Russia) liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau. They found 7 650 prisoners, the sick and weak who had been left behind by the Nazis to die as they were too ill to be forced into death marches. This wasn’t before it was ordered that the crematoria were to be destroyed in an attempt to hide any evidence of the mass murder that took place in Auschwitz. After the camps were shut down, the prisoners didn’t stop suffering. Due to lack of medical knowledge many of them were not treated right for the malnutrition they had experienced and died as a result of this. Some of the camp was dismantled by the Red Army to prevent the spread of disease. In June 1947, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial was created and run by a committee of survivors as a memorial to those who had suffered there. In the early years after the war, the focus remained largely on non-Jewish Polish prisoners. There was little mention of the fact that the majority of those who died were Jewish. From the trip to Auschwitz, what struck me most was seeing the children’s clothes and learning that the prisoners found it easier to survive in the winter because – regardless of the harsh winter – at least in the winter they could drink the water from the snow. I was also shocked to learn that the prisoners of the camps were forced to play a role in disposing of their fellow prisoners’ bodies. The part of the project that affected me most was the visit to Auschwitz I. This is because within this part of the project I was able to see the personal belongings of those who had been sent to the camps and this had a huge impact on my ability to understand the selfishness and disregard for human life and emotions it must have took the Nazis to take these belongings from people upon their arrival. The memorial service also had a huge impact on the way I thought about the Jewish religion as the Rabbi with us was describing how much it had meant to him and his family. I also found it very interesting to find out that prisoners would set up prayers within the huts in mornings where they were least likely to get caught, although they would have been killed or beaten if they were caught doing this. This shows that even within times of such difficulty, such as during the Holocaust, the Jewish people could still find comfort in their religion and still stayed loyal to their beliefs in God, regardless of the consequences they could have faced for this.

Lauren Caunt

11 INTERVIEW WITH MR HOLLAND:

On Wednesday, November I4lh, I sat down with Mr John Holland (the ex-English teacher who did 41 years at Quarrydale teaching students of all ages), for an interview. I won't go through why Mr Holland was (and still is) the best teacher I've ever had, but I was honoured when I was given the task of interviewing the teacher who opened the door for me to the world of English. After the pleasantry's, we sat down and spoke about things ranging from his career to his retirement. To start off, I asked 'what are the biggest changes you/ve witnessed from your childhood until present in the local area?' In response to this, Mr Holland said, “The biggest thing I've witnessed since I grew up was the Ml motorway and the amount of traffic and change in the area. When I grew up, I was surrounded by five pits; everyone was a miner! I related to this and found it very interesting as my granddad was a minor himself.” Mr Holland continued “In terms of the community at large, the biggest change I've noticed is the amount of people. When I was a child, there were two families who had a car and three families who had a television yet nobody worried about theft, because nobody had anything. Mr Holland said that the biggest change he saw was 'The amount of people', and I extended this point by saying, “I've never seen any person twice.” He agreed and told a story of his wife's brother coming to see him and he'd say, “I love it because people around here would stop you and say "morning" or "hello"” I don't know about you, but I've never had that. However, Mr Holland did say that he loved working at Quarrydale because the students, staff and parents were very approachable. “The most horrific thing that happened was the minor's strike and the closer of the pits because it destroyed the mining community.” he said, extending on his previous point. Moving on to Mr Holland's career, I asked, “What made you want to become a teacher in the first place?' Mr Holland said, “My mum to be honest. My mum was a teacher and she'd take me into school and I'd love it. I'd love the atmosphere, I Think, really, it's about the people. And, when I got a little bit older, I decided that that's what I wanted to do, despite all the careers advice at school. They wanted me to do this and that, but I was adamant that I wanted to teach.” He told me that one teacher said to him, "Really, Holland? You really want to teach?" Even now, his old teacher still doesn't believe he went into teaching. Mr Holland said, “I don't regret it. Not for a second,” but he also said, “When people say, "do you miss it?" I'd have to say, "No i don't" Which shows that he loved what he did, but he got his lot in life, He was satisfied. He said to me that he's glad he doesn't miss it because it would have been tragic if he retired and thought, “I really miss it.” After asking Mr Holland about a certain incident with my class he remembered it, but he also said, 'Out of 41 years of working, I tend to remember the naughty boys and girls. They usually aren't too terrible, but you remember those incidents and those people.” To that I asked, “Do you feel like students are getting worse, or are they getting better?” He replied, “I don't believe bad behaviour gets worse Iike that. I believe it's very much down to situation. I think a lot of bad behaviour can be put down to the environment and how a person's bought up. I think it's a dangerous road to go down by saying people's behaviour is getting worse. I think there's more opportunities now for people to mis-behave. There's more pressure on people to adhere to norms.” (CONTINUED OVER)

12 (CONTINUED) I agree very much with what was said there, and other people may act up because of there Friends or peers. Again, I had more questions about his long-lasting career “What were the biggest changes you saw whilst working at Quarrydale?” He told me he had thought a bout this and he said, “Right, the biggest change, in my mind was the National Curriculum. On the whole, I think it was an excellent idea, I would say that was the biggest change. In 41 years, I saw no end of innovations, but it was the National Curriculum which was the biggest change for me, for the positive.' I told my teacher, Mr Holland, that I've got into writing and that I've published short stories and made short films and he humbly said, “Yes, teachers can be inspirational but, if you're born with that drive, that hunger, you'll find a way to be inspired.' Speaking on his retirement Mr Holland said, “I think there's magic in the written word. I put an area aside for reading everyday now I'm retired I also play golf every day and I have a friend at golf and we both read and discuss what we've read. My top three are ‘Catch 22’ by Joseph Heller, ‘Persuasion’ by Jane Austen and ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck.' After being asked, “What makes a good teacher?” Mr Holland had this to say: “Try and adapt quickly. If I was to give any advice to a new teacher I'd say, try and think on your feet. Try and sense how things are going in class, rather than just sticking to lesson plan. Because each child's behaving in different ways, that was the biggest thing for me. You have to try and adapt and sense your students as they came into lessons. I think one of the most difficult times in a lesson is the first five to ten minutes, and if a class comes in from another lesson and something's happened; might have been Games/PE to get a class settled correctly is very very difficult sometimes.' “What was one of your fondest memories at Quarrydale?' I asked, Mr Holland replied with, “Back in the early eighties, we did a whole session where the whole group had to speak on something which was important to them, including me. So, we had a session where (for ten minutes) you stood up and spoke about what was important to you. They really loved it, and they asked for something else. At that time, the latest thing was Time Capsules. I told them we'll do one, everyone produced something, and I found this chest and we buried it and I said, "dig it up when you're in year eleven." We went to where it was, but the pitch had been changed. So, that is still there somewhere in that field.' Changing the topic, I wanted to speak about today's world and what a retired man like him would think of it. I asked, “What do you think of today's world?” Mr Holland thought about it for a moment and said, “Part of me is very positive about it; great advances in medicine. It's the old double-edged sword with human beings. I think the world's a wonderful place and most people forget about nature. We over-estimate ourselves, I think.' Mr Holland also had this to say about teaching; “I asked my mother why she taught. And, she'd say, "to give young people some time in their life where they feel safe and valued and secure." I still think that's one of the biggest reasons why good schools should exist because young people deserve a time in their life where they feel safe.' If you, the reader, ever had Mr Holland for a teacher, you'd know yourself that he carried this with him throughout his career. I had him for two years and he taught me more than just English. (CONTINUED OVER) WHY NOT WRITE A STORY FOR THE NEXT EDITION OF “SHOUT”? SEND YOUR STORIES, POEMS, ARTICLES TO [email protected]

13 (CONTINUED) Moving on, I spoke about his retirement and he had this to say; “I wake up fairly early still, I go and play golf, and I'll go out with my wife in the afternoon. I go and have holidays and things, but I'm not huge on holidays.” “Do you think you could have been an author or a writer?” I asked. Why wouldn't I? Mr Holland said, “Well, I've written odd little poems, but never thought about writing, and maybe I should. When I retired, I said, "Right, I'm going to start writing, start painting." But I've not touched it. I think I would enjoy writing.' Mr Holland ended this interview with saying, “Thing's like this [interview] can be really thought provoking, and I think it's good for the community.' To end this, Mr Holland told me that someone on a parent's evening came to him and said, “It'll be a sad day for this school when you leave, Mr Holland.” For me it was.

THANK YOU FOR READING MY INTERVIEW WITH MR JOHN HOLLAND. Craig Perry

A SKEGBY HERO

Elizabeth Hooton stepped off her carriage, her shoes lightly hitting the cobblestone of the streets of Skegby. On a bright autumn's morning, though the weather itself was rather chilly, Elizabeth intended to visit her home for her usual meetings with “the Children of Light”, a group she had decided to pull together after meeting George Fox, a brilliant man of interest she thought. He was a religious man, but encountered religion differently, believing everyone, men and women alike, could encounter God themselves, through Jesus, so that priests were not needed. Churches did not need to be used, and Elizabeth found the entire belief to be brilliant. She had even taken up preaching at the idea of it, now an infamous staple in her community for both her beliefs and meetings. Of course, her husband blamed George, their arguments never quite settling. He had accused her of unsavoury actions among many other things. Elizabeth would change the meeting setting if she could, but she also wanted to see her children, of which she had seven. They were all fantastic in their own way, and Elizabeth hoped to have them grow up with her own beliefs. Perhaps exposing them to her meetings at their age would bring good tidings. Elizabeth turned to the coach driver and thanked him for taking her to her home, reaching to pay him. With a snap of the reins and a neigh of the horses, he was off, and she watched him go down the streets back towards the entrance of her town. She had recently come back from a meeting with the other 'Friends of Truth', believers of George's ideology. It was as enlightening as ever, yet she wished to return home after a couple of days stay. Picking up the many layers of her dress as Elizabeth didn't trust the streets enough for them not to ruin her dress, her eyes looked over the winding streets of Skegby, it's twisting turns and head-turning beauty. It was always less busy than London, thankfully. Though she enjoyed hustle and excitement of the Big Smoke, she also enjoyed the idea of coming home to a quiet place now and again. The streets were made of ancient cobblestone and lined with men who called out with various offers. People hurried by her, even some she could recognize, either going off to work or merely their duties. The houses were built in stone and some even loomed over her, but she could never find such a simple town intimidating. At this early morning it was merely busy. She walked past a couple of the market stalls and even smiled to herself when she walked past a tavern, a deep, rich golden glow coming from its small windows within and bathing the street outside of it in a warm light. (CONTINUED OVER)

14 (CONTINUED) Elizabeth could hear the laughter beyond its walls, and every time she walked past such a place, she found that she could not stop herself from smiling. When she passed the church, Elizabeth found herself pausing to stare at it. Recently, Elizabeth had stopped going to the church, not through her own choice however. It had been the choice of their priest after she spoke to him about introducing George's beliefs into his daily sermons. She missed going to it she had found: to stare at its beautiful ceiling and wander among the gravestones with an understanding expression. Her heart ached at the sight of it, though she now believed in different things from the main religion itself, like how every being could encounter God themselves and she did not in fact need a Church for her prayers, it was strange not to go. Elizabeth enjoyed listening to the reciting of the bible, singing hymns along with her children. Maybe any other woman would conform to the ideals of her community; there was an expectation that she should just shove her beliefs aside and merely go back to being part of her local Baptist group. But this bold woman could do no such a thing, and even if spreading her beliefs would lead to a life of mistrust and suspicion, that was something she would have to accept. With a last, forlorn look at the church, Elizabeth carried on towards her home. She avoided the narrowed eyes of people she once knew well, and even ignored the way people would side-step her in the street, her head held high. After turning a couple of corners and walking down an empty street, Elizabeth could see her home. It was a home she deeply loved, even more so than her church, and found herself always to be safe in it, surrounded by the happy faces of her children and the praises of her ‘Children of Light;’ and if that was a simple life, it was enjoyable. But Elizabeth had bigger plans for her beliefs, and much like George Fox, intended to get people to see the 'truth' of their cause. A beautiful cause in her eyes, and a faith she could do nothing but appreciate. And with assurance, a faith she would find that held her strong during hard times. To be continued…

It’s all still there, But we don’t look any more It’s not hiding we just close our eyes

What can WE do? A lone voice has no power And we all think that way

Which is why we don’t look Because when we do look we are on our own

But what if we all opened our eyes? What if we all looked? maybe that’s the answer

WE could achieve great things I can’t, not when it matters And it really does matter

Inequities, inequality, poverty I can do nothing But we can

15 THE FOLLOWING POEMS WERE PRODUCED BY PUPILS OF QUARRYDALE SCHOOL AS AS PART OF THEIR YEAR WORK

TRUTH TRUTH

Just because your life is full of hate Libra, the constellation of the scales Reshiram, Doesn't mean it has to be your fate The white fire dragon that's not male Get yourself out the grate Not having falseness, where you tell no lies, And make your life jump out the gate. All of these have one thing in common: The truth. Don't stay behind the wall Get up and stand tall A truth that's told with bad intent, Don't stay down and fall Is better than all the lies you may invent Make the right call. So when you lie, don't forget That which you seek, won't come, I bet. Get yourself out the dumps Go stand high on tree stumps. Nellie-Jo Meakin-TYoke (12) Quarrydale Academy, Sutton-ln-Ashfield You've got more than a shell So don't let your life turn into hell Let this ring a bell l've got so much more to tell. Joseph Lewis (15) Quarrydale Academy, Sutton-ln-Ashfield

TRUTH

When you're scrolling through some rapacious comments On a post you might find it boring, But for the person on the other side, Their tears could be pouring.

Even when you get a disheartening message you might be able to keep yourself calm, But someone else in their mind, could be contemplating self-harm.

If you see bullying happen Make sure to clear the air

Because scrolling past and ignoring it Is the same as commenting back, applauding it.

Kirsty Walker (12) Quarrydale Academy, Sutton-ln-Ashfield

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16 GROWING UP AS A FOREIGNER IN SUTTON

I came to with my mum when I was seven years old. We moved from Slough, to Mansfield, and finally Sutton – where, aside from a few weeks in London, we would live up to this very day. I went to Croft Primary School, then to Quarrydale Academy. Right now, I’m a Sixth Former, still going to Quarrydale. Sutton made me who I am today, so when I heard about Shout magazine, of course I wanted to contribute. And so, I’ve decided to write an article about what growing up in Sutton was like for me, as a Polish immigrant. Right now, my life is a fusion of Polish and British culture. With two Polish shops within walking distance of where I live, I’ve had no trouble finding Polish food. At the same time, fish and chips is now my second favourite meal, right after pierogi. My shelves have English and Polish books on them, and Doctor Who is one of my favourite television shows. All in all, I’d say I’m fitting in well. It wasn’t always so easy: it took me three years to become fluent enough in English to follow what people were saying, and I didn’t get the hang of slang until Year Eight! I wasn’t much of a social child, which is probably why it took me so long. I still wasn’t very social after I adjusted either, but what I lacked in that area I made up for in schoolwork. That said, I did make friends – at first, I’d have a handful of close friends and be on good terms with most everybody else, but during secondary school I got to the point where I was friends with most of the year. It could have been much worse. I was ten years old when I found out that there are people who don’t like immigrants. Not because of any personal experience or because my mum was worried I’d need to be prepared for it – no, we had an assembly at school, given by some organization that I don’t remember the name of. What I do remember is that it was the kind of assembly that might as well have been a play without costumes, that the topic was discrimination and how to deal with it, and that the main character was Polish. So I have known for a while that, as a Polish person and an immigrant, I could face prejudice at some point. And yet I haven’t. In all my time here in Sutton, I have never been discriminated against for being Polish, or foreign in general. I’m thankful for that. I’m also thankful for how welcomed I’ve felt since I got here. I’ve had more than one teacher mention that they’d visited Poland at some point, and how much they enjoyed it. My Year Five teacher was fascinated with Polish music. And a lot of the English kids I went to school with wanted to know more about Poland. (And some just wanted to know how to make fun of each other in Polish. That’s probably the best way to get kids interested in learning a foreign language, isn’t it?) Me being foreign didn’t really seem to matter much to the teachers or to the other kids – I was just another student. Just another friend, who just happened to be different. I’ve lived here for nine years so far, and I’ve never felt unwelcome. For that, I will always be grateful to this community.

Thank you.

Greg Jaworek, S

WHY NOT WRITE A STORY FOR THE NEXT EDITION OF “SHOUT”? SEND YOUR STORIES, POEMS, ARTICLES TO [email protected] “SHOUT” IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE AT: www.stantonhill.co.uk

17 The wolf in the snow at midnight, Trying to hide from the light, The snow glitters like a blanket, But the wolf’s the formidable sight.

The wolf in the snow at midnight, Padding through the softness, Winter calls, The wolf won’t fall, Stronger than it could be.

The wold in the snow around midnight, Howling at the moon, The snow it falls, As people hear the call, The wolf watching from a height.

The wolf in the snow around midnight, Deep joy swells within, Happily playing in the snow, As the whole village is aglow.

In a house not far away, People sit to eat, Meagre rationings for the night, But the wolf has a feast and glows in the backlight.

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18 Hometown talk with Mrs Wheatman; what it's really like to live in Sutton-in-Ashfield. By Mackenzie Shaw and Erica Brown

Lifelong Sutton-in-Ashfield resident Mrs Wheatman, discusses her time at Quarrydale school and her life living in the area. Mrs Wheatman has played a key role in the development of Quarrydale school over the years. Her journey at the school began as a pupil in 1970. She then attended the Quarrydale Sixth Form until 1976. After that, she went to university in Stoke-on-Trent but later returned as a home-economics teacher in 1979, which she did for 35 years! Mrs Wheatman then became a head of year which she enjoyed greatly- she called it "the best" due to her positive relations with the students. Following this, Mrs Wheatman attained the job of assistant headteacher where she was responsible for many things, such as attendance, behaviour and student welfare. During the interview, we asked Mrs Wheatman about how her career began in Sutton-in- Ashfield. In her response, she mentioned that she had a boyfriend at the time who had a job in the coal mines and, since there were few coal mines across the UK, her aspiration as a teacher appeared as more flexible. Therefore, she looked for work in and Derbyshire and successfully landed a job at Quarrydale school (as a home economic teacher). We then asked Mrs Wheatman, "how was your experience at Quarrydale, as a teacher?" in which she replied, "I had a wonderful career and I could not have wished for any better". She told us that she "loved the students, the parents and the community as a whole". She talked about her stages at Quarrydale, at which point we asked her why she applied for a position as assistant headteacher and she said, "I felt that I could offer more to the school". We wanted to know Mrs Wheatman's opinion of Sutton-in-Ashfield as she had been living here for so long. She told us about the great changes that have occurred as time has gone by. Mrs Wheatman spoke about how Carsic estate had just been built when she was a child; how Sutton used to have two railway stations (which was a significant transport system at the time); and how as a teenager, she felt she had everything in Sutton and that it was not necessary to travel to Mansfield as much as it is nowadays in order to purchase everything you need. Mrs Wheatman told us that in her opinion, the greatest changes in Sutton are work-related. She reckons that nowadays, once we have left school, there is a fear of if and how we will find work. In comparison, when she was younger, there was a lot of employment. There were three coal mines, located around Teversal, Stanton Hill and Sutton which employed around 1000 men each and the women would work in factories (making lots of clothing such as tights and socks). Mrs Wheatman also mentioned that there used to be regular markets on Fridays and Saturdays in Sutton and they were highly popular. Our following question was, "would you like to live elsewhere and if so, where?" Mrs Wheatman answered with, "I would like to live in Lincoln as it is close to my heart however, if not Lincoln, then I really like it here (because of the area and the people) so I'd stay here". This led onto the question, "what is it that you like about Lincoln?" in which she told us that it is the medieval cathedral, the castle and the shopping that attracts her to Lincoln. Additionally, she talked about how she saw Lincoln as not a city but a large town, and that she likes the old, almost vintage feel the city has to it. Our final question to Mrs Wheatman was, "have you had any difficulties to overcome during your time at Quarrydale?" She had some struggle in answering this, in that her answer would really be a "no". However, she did tell us that maintaining composure was a great challenge when the school had experienced a loss- such as a beloved colleague or pupil. She said that since she had been working with Quarrydale for so long, experiencing this was rare but it did occur and it was distressing because, it was usually somebody she was very close to and saw as a good friend. Mrs Wheatman would also see that the students would find it difficult to comprehend the situation of losing someone they perhaps know from their year group. The reason for this she says is that, "as an adult, you understand that you don't live forever, but as a child, you think you're invincible and so rarely or never think that a loss of a fellow student for whatever reason is a possibility". "Because of this, the students need a lot of support at the time in order to get through the situation and the community as a whole needs to come together and support one another" Mrs Wheatman added.

19 THIS MAGAZINE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED BY: INCLUSIONSOCIAL

AFFILIATED TO: CHILD POVERTY ACTION GROUP We are a non-profit unincorporated charity staffed exclusively by volunteers for the benefit of the community Holding free surgeries for welfare rights and benefits advice EDITORIAL TEAM:

EDITOR: JACK BURROWS (Local Actor, Dramatist, Playwright and Teacher) SUB-EDITOR: TIN-CHI LEE (Born on High Street, works in Administration) EXECUTIVE MEMBER: RON COX (Retired ex sales, Welfare Rights and Benefits volunteer) e-mail: [email protected]

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