Willowbank Primary School, Photo was taken April, 1959 - Class of primary 10  (approx 6-7th grade) I was just about to turn 11. So that makes this the class that "graduated" 1960? That's me front row  middle.  Just a few years ago I could tell you the first and last name of EVERYONE but I've lost some major synapses recently, it would appear.  Hope my memory doesn't keep going cos this was the happiest time of my life, for sure.     HOVER over faces for names+

Same class 3 years earlier except some of them went to the class below. ( including Sandy Brown,  Jimmy Sanderson) HOVER over pic to find them.

I still have a memory of Miss Wood telling us a magical story. Something about a slide and alighting in different lands. Each stop was a separate adventure. I remember playing in the park and imagining that I was in that story. I don't remember who I was playing with but it was someone from class I think (probably George). It was a vivid story that stayed with me for ages and obviously made a big enuf impression to be remembered after all these years.

There were a few FADS in our time. One was a triangle of cardboard with an embedded triangle of paper inside it. You would swing it fast thru the air the paper inside would jump out and make a cracking sound. Everyone had to have one. Maybe we can make a fortune by re-introducing this?  Then there were conker fights (chestnuts on a string). Marbles. Lucky Bags.  Mexican Beans.  The Dandy, the Beano and the Eagle(Dan Dare) comic magazines. That was the limit of my reading till I was 12. I did not get a television till I was 12. And no homework. How did we ever make it? (Poor "homework-bound" kids of today)
I had never heard of Elvis Priestly till Diana Learmouth told me how she worshiped him. (I couldn't "understand" this till much later).

The rare day when ice formed in the playground and everyone was sliding on it for as far as they could. (Till the janitor threw salt on it). The other rare day when it snowed and we had snowball fights. I remember when they painted the whole school and it was beautiful pastel colours.  Mr Ramsay had that terrible red marking on his face (poor man). The smell of Carbolic soap. Milk every morning break. Steam coming off coats in the cloakroom. "Dinner money" was  4s 7p a week, that would make it 11 pence per lunch.
Sitting in order of "smartness". How did they measure how smart we were? Must have been "stigmatic" for those at the front. Anyone "scarred" because of this?
We all chipped in and bought a broach for Mrs. Nicholson's retirement.

The boys from the whole school made up one (or 2) entire game/s of football in the playground. One game (or 2 at most) with the whole school playing. Don't ask me how we picked players for each side. I remember playing 5 times a day. Before school, after, at lunch and at the 2 breaks. Every possible moment. The girls were from Venus for all we knew what they did in THEIR playground.  GIRLS!  Email me! What DID you do?

Ian Dunlop was the best artist in the class and he made a late appearance in Glasgow University's Engineering Degree Course. I was in 2nd Year (repeating) when he started 1st year. What were you doing for those 2 interim years Ian? And what did you end up doing? Peter Hinder was at Glasgow Uni too.
I flunked out without getting my degree. I still to this day think it was something to do with playing defense in a football team and heading the ball straight after the opponent's goalkeeper had kicked it (too often). I remember I used to get headaches after every game. A bit like boxer's punch drunk?  Cos somehow I just could not study properly like I used to any more. I did not think of this causation till years after (looking back on it). I just thought I was not smart enough. Maybe so but I later went on to write / design some pretty complicated computer programs / systems so I think my brain repaired itself.

Mr Owen, headmaster, gave some of us sample question and answers to fee-paying school's entrance exams. This greatly helped us get into those schools.

I remember the girl 4th from the right - her sister was drowned (or murdered?). Hope you had a happy life despite this. Wish I could remember everyone's name.

Odean Cinema Saturday morning FLICKS for "thruppence".

I remember being the fastest runner in the class until the last year when Colin Morrison beat me, to my disbelief. I thought I was unbeatable of course.

I was madly in love with Gweneth and bought her a bar of chocolate once. Didn't make much of an impression tho. Later I had a crush on Christine Lupian from the class below us. I never told her. I dated Christine Dunsmuir a couple of times when we met at university. She had turned out to be a real cracker. But she dropped me! I should have stayed in touch with Janice Irvine, I bet she turned out to be stunning.

My best friend was Allan Blackley who left our school when he was 9. We continued to meet after school and we were like blood brothers. I feel that friendship was a foundation for the rest of my life.

Some Alumni's websites I found on a search:-

Home
Glasgow 1988/1901
William Corstorphine
William Corstorphine  with daughters
William Corstorphine as a baby
Anna Corstorphine
Catherine Darge & Bible Class
Annie Graham
Annie Graham Millport
Annie Graham Millport Cliffs
James Graham
Millport 1913 Holidaymakers
Annie & May Corstorphine
Father of Ernest Cowan
Ernest Cowan Boyscout
Willowbank Primary School 1959
Family Pics
Cowans
Grahams
Corstorphine/Whyte

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