Sale

After taking my 11+ exam at Stamford Park Junior School, I qualified for admission to Sale County Grammar School for boys, at the end of the mile long “Avenue”. I completely failed to adjust to the new school and spent a large proportion of my time “wagging it”. I even managed to get employment at Manchester Airport. I was regularly caned on my return but I thought it was well worth it. Indeed I was significantly disappointed when the headmaster Mr. Paul Norrish decided after one period of absence, NOT to cane me but instead sit me down with a cup of coffee and chat with me about the future and the importance of a good education. Eventually, I left, aged 14, to return to my work at Manchester Airport, with the headmaster’s good wishes. I’ve been back since for a return visit, before the school was converted into luxury apartments.

However I do have much happier memories of Sale as a cadet in the Air Training Corps at 318 (Sale & Altrincham) Squadron. I was extremely proud of my ATC uniform and wore it out to Manchester Airport and hitch-hiked to London Heathrow as well as a weekend visit to RAF Woodvale near Southport, for flying in a De Havilland Chipmunk. As a cadet I was in the Guard of Honour at the Remembrance Day Parade, outside Sale Town Hall, and also represented the ATC at the “Teens and Twenties” exhibition at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. I excelled at shooting and went on to be a marksman in the RAF. I passed my first ATC exam two days after joining, becoming a Leading Cadet, tasked with instructing more senior cadets in aviation skills, shooting and navigation/weather and Air Traffic Control procedures.