CHARNEY HALL John Cranna’s Finds


The Hazelmere Café
 I’m sure that this must have been here well before 1973
as it has a bakery attached
Credit : Google Earth

John has been in contact several times in the last few years. Indeed we met up about 2 years ago when he was visiting Grange and had an enjoyable morning over coffee and cakes, talking CH, in the Hazelmere Bakery and Teahouse which is tucked under the glazed arcade, opposite the Duck Pond.

Having checked through some of his emails I have extracted some of his ‘finds’ (and yes it does remind me of the processes normally associated with archeology and metal detecting!). 

‘Schools in Grange-over-Sands and Kent’s Bank’ credit : Cartmel Peninsula Local History Society.


Letters from abroad…Roger Beaumont (abt 1957/60)




John’s Book Prize

John’s prize for winning the Charney Hall Junior Singing Competition in 1968. He says that it was the only prize that he ever got but he values it for the writing of the music teacher, Mr Fairlough and Maxwell Duncan’s signature. John has not divulged whether this talent progressed to even greater things after Charney…!


Mr Fairclough

A Book for Sale with an intriguing history
A Charney Hall boy’s prize from 1912

The Craig School, Windermere

http://www.whoisgeorgemills.com/2010/04/craig-school-in-windermere.html?m=1


We played them regularly at Cricket and Football

Charney Hall Notes

John has also sourced some early CH School Notes whose School Lists I have already included in our collection. I am now hoping to post the CH Notes as follows already in our possession:

CH 1929-30
CH 1930-31
CH 1931-32
CH Oct 1948
CH Nov1960

Tilak has also been in contact with John Ogden (CH and St Bees) who has the CH Notes scheduled below. Tilak has very kindly undertaken to have them copied this summer:

CH 1946
CH 1947
CH 1950
CH 1951
CH 1952
CH 1953





















Comments

Tilak Paul said…
John (John Cranna) had a great singing voice and richly deserved and was worthy of the School Prize but he is too modest to confirm as far as I was aware that he was the only Charney Hall Old Boy who the Boys would mischievously sing about in our Singing Lessons with Mr Fairclough.

There is a wonderful and famous Welsh Hymn and Carol called “Ar Hyd y Nos” and the English Translation is “”All Through the Night”. The Chorus and Lyrics would end at the end of each verse with the words “All Through the Night”

As many Charney Hall Old Boys will be aware at that time we had a lovely Welsh Matron / Nurse called Mair or Myra Hughes and also Old Boys will be know of the Old English word for a Cow Shed is “Byre”

Accordingly we would all sing with gusto and as loud as possible when we sang the above Hymn / Carol in the Singing Lesson with Mr Fairclough and change the last two lyrics and lines of each verse to implicate the innocent John with a slanderous and untrue allegation as follows!

“John and Myra in the Byre
All Through the Night”

This would result in much mirth smiles laughter and amusement and sadly John’s face would turn a red beetroot colour with embarrassment as a result! Poor Boy.
john cranna said…
I thought, Tilak, that you couldn't remember all that much! Yes, I very much remember the trading that I got from that which was I suppose low key compared to how teasing/bullying could get and it was quite nice in a way that the boys in effect recognised this special connection between me and Mair. When you are away from you mum for a long time then it's important to have a female figure that looks after your emotional side. The teachers and Maxwell Dunan were fair but did not even approach minimally being aware or considering a boys nature or sensitivity. And Duncan's wife was very remote except to the gin bottle! Mair did what would be conspired inappropriate nowadays by sitting on a boys bed at night whilst reading a story and she did this in rotation so each boy got their turn. I also remember sitting next to Mair when we had a film and held her hand through the film!! I just happened to be Mair's favourite and she did look out for me. I suppose she recognised a greater sensitivity in me and someone that missed their mum. I do remember on exeat day being traumatised that only Dad could visit as Mum had to look after her Mum.

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