WHAT NEW BRIGG GRAMMAR PUPILS WERE WARNED TO EXPECT HALF-A-CENTURY AGO

Seeing a new media post earlier this week about the start of the new school year reminded us of the sense of trepidation  our age group felt when we entered Brigg Grammar School as first years for the first time back almost half-a-century ago.
We'd been fed stories for weeks about that first break time when we could expect to have heads flushed down toilets by older pupils or be rolled in the sand of the long jump or high jump pits out on the school field, making a mess of our brand new uniform.
This proved to be false in our case. An urban myth we would call it today.
However, it was like being a squaddie on the parade ground for the first time as we were lined up in the quadrangle to be formed into classes and marched off to what would be our prefabricated base until the following July (Saturday morning lessons included!).
Boys in the first three years were not allocated classrooms in the main school building, but housed in overspill acccommodation near the bike sheds.
A and B forms had just been phased out when we arrived and we were allocated a place in 3A rather than 3 Alpha.
Second years were the Lower Fourth (always written using Latin numerals as LIV).
Third years were in the Upper Fourth (UIV).
Fourth years became LV (Lower Fifth) and enjoyed a move into the main school block, some seniority having been gained.
'O' levels were tackled as members of the Upper Fifth (UV) before most boys moved into the sixth form (LVI and finally UVI).
First years had to wear short trousers - something that identified your lowly status in the pecking order. Caps needed to be worn at all times when in school uniform - even off the premises.
How times have changed - for the better, in this case!

The above picture shows the front cover of the school magazine recording the reopening of the old main school door, which had been bricked up for many decades, during the Tercentenary celebrations held in 1969 - 300 years after Sir John Nelthorpe's will made provision for a seat of learning to be established in Brigg on this site.

Various views of cricket on the school field. Included is the scorer's box, accessed via a wooden ladder at the front of the wooden pavilion (now demolished).