大象传媒

I attended Heron Cross School during the Second World War. (Heron Cross was, and still is, a small district near Fenton in the heart of the industrial area of Stoke on Trent).
I don't think anyone who went there will ever forget that remarkable faculty, which was then under the watchful eye of Headmaster Thomas Lowe. My sister also attended. In fact, she was the one who urged me to go.

My first day's indoctrination was not all that unpleasant - really. We were forewarned of running "Mugger's Alley," which was between two buildings in the main playground, and next to the (then segregated) girls' playground. Freshmen were pushed into the alley by the older boys and then told to run out - as they pelted you with gym shoes and satchels.

Hard Taskmaster

Woodwork under Mr. Braddock was a full hands on approach. He was a tough master, but also one great gym instructor. When things got tiresome he'd whip out a pair of dumbbells with tiny lights and treat us to a dazzling display of whirling lights.
His classes included the building of an automobile, and a huge 'Doll's House', which won many prizes. The uniqueness of this structure was that everyone worked on its completely functional plumbing - water and toilets. The cut-away gave one an amazing perspective of home building. A crafts class even made tiny books for the shelves, with actual pages that turned. The piping was made with chemistry class tubing.
Mr. Braddock also staged some exciting gymnastic events in the auditorium, livening up the end of the term schooling.

The teachers though were very much akin to their headmaster, in that they reached out rather than stood as dictators in front of a class of young people.

Education

Headmaster Lowe, for all that I can imagine, attempted to put the young 'graduates' out in the field at 14 or 15 with a little more than a standard education afforded by most area schools.
He was a strong believer in audio-visual education, years ahead of his time. One boy, who was chosen to be his projectionist,听 went on to become a professional projectionist in one of the area's many cinemas. It was as though Mr Lowe was trying to tap into the other area of a child's brain, to reach in and bring out hidden talent, that otherwise might be lost amid the job offers at the time from the profusion of coal mines and pottery factories, and then also to sharpen the creative talents of painting, engineering, and mechanical prowess, which could later be applied in the pottery industry, or, other local trades.

I wasn't surprised later to learn that Mr. Lowe had been awarded the M.B.E. apparently for his contribution to education. He shared knowledge, as did his staff, in the most intriguing and informative manner.

Years ahead

Amazingly, one room at Heron Cross was a virtual space museum. Replicas of the Moon, Saturn, and the galaxies, created by students under the careful guidance of teachers, all hung in their correct orbit. It gave us all an opportunity to look at the universe, years ahead of space flight and Man's voyage to the Moon.
The stage, in the auditorium, was Thomas Lowe's real workshop. Here, seated behind the piano he would lead the entire school in song, and encourage student musicians onto the stage. One took his challenge and when asked by Lowe what he would play, he replied: "Just what you played." Lowe extended his palm to the piano, and the young boy sat down and played exactly what the headmaster played. A beaming student was then encouraged by Mr. Lowe to learn music, as playing by ear was not the way to go in those days. We were for the most part a bit puzzled.

Mr. Lowe loved photography and his annual Christmas Card was comprised of students, several of whom would put their heads through cut-outs as Mr. Lowe drew a big smile from them. Budding showmanship got its start on that stage! I well remember Sandy Deacon, a real comedian-magician, headlining some of the events, and then, with other students, staging a highly successful benefit for our Prisoners of War at Trentham Parish Hall, accompanied by an Army band from Trentham Park.

Standards

Mr. Lowe and his staff certainly set a standard for education in the Potteries, and I for one was forever grateful for an experience in learning and teaching that had no par. In particular one of the best things about it, that most of us liked, was: no corporal punishment. Heron Cross was the only school without it. Mr. Lowe would not tolerate it.
Instead, a record, similar to an employment record, was kept by an apprentice student office clerk. If late to school, you received an appropriate "back mark." Your final report would reflect your attendance record, and your punctuality, and of course your studies.

Heron Cross was a standout, amid all of the smoke, stench, and unpleasantness of the Potteries. For myself, and perhaps for my lifelong friend Ken Faulkner, a school buddy, Heron Cross was the best.

In 1950 I emigrated to the States. Amazingly, many of the littler skills taught at Heron Cross helped me in many of the jobs I had to take to make a living. Believe me, I did a lot of jobs before becoming a newspaper reporter, TV announcer, then editor, and in retirement, even my own newspaper.

Motto

Thomas Lowe liked to insert a little Latin, Spanish and French into his curriculum. Anyone who ever attended Thomas Lowe's school will never forget: "Astra Petas, Christum Petas." Well, it sounded like that. And even if I haven't spelt it right, I still treasure what it means: "Seek thou the stars.""听 It was the school motto.
It was an outstanding school, with an even more outstanding individual, standing tall amid the plains of bottle ovens, mine shafts, and factories, and that interminable black cloud of pollution shrouding the Five Towns.
Ken Buckley