Last week 8V had a brilliant visitor come into their English lesson. Whilst it wasn’t the real Mickey Johnstone from Blood Brothers, the play all of Year 8 are studying as part of their ‘It’s Grim Up North’ scheme of work, the class got the next best thing. Sam, a lifelong member of the Hyde community, grew up in post-war Britain and his working-class upbringing resembles closely that of Mickey, one of the main characters of Willy Russell’s play.
Prior to Sam’s session, 8V came up with some incredible questions to ask their guest so they could learn from first-hand experience what life was like growing up in Hyde seven decades ago – and they’d like to share with you some of Sam’s incredible answers.
Riley asked, “What was school like?”
Sam said, “School was very strict. If you were naughty, you got given the cane! We didn’t have to wear uniform in primary school but when we got to secondary school I had to wear a blazer much like yours. We were never given homework so after school me and my friends would play with wooden soldiers.”
Kyron asked, “Do you remember anything about the war?
Sam said, “I remember hearing sirens and homes still having air-raid shelters. Food was still rationed.”
But what about his family? Was it anything like Mickey Johnstone’s? Luckily Izzy was there to ask Sam that question.
Sam responded by telling “My dad was a cobbler in Dukinfield. I had six siblings, but we only lived in a house with three bedrooms. So, as you can imagine, it was a really busy household and the toilet was even outside in those days!”
8V enjoyed Sam’s visit and gained so much knowledge from his life experience being a working-class kid with connections very close to Mickey’s. They are now able to understand Mickey’s character in Blood Brothers so much more and why him and his family act in certain ways throughout the text. So much in fact, they’ve all just written a fantastic report about the visit and each of them loved learning about Sam’s life.
Sam is now 81 and is still such much-loved member of our community here in Hyde. We want to say a huge thank you to Sam for coming to visit 8V here at Alder and we forward to welcoming you to our school again very soon!
