Boyhood and Education in Yorkshire

The local newspaper reported AAD as having attended Huddersfield College from January1908 [aged about 10.5 years] to July 1910 and then on to Ackworth School who later in 1977 wrote to confirm that AAD had been there from 1910 to 1914.


Huddersfield College in 1954
probably unaltered from 1908-1910 when AAD was a student.
"Thanks to The Huddersfield Daily Examiner"

AAD's youngest son remembers AAD telling of getting to Ackworth School using a handsome cab - a horse drawn taxi. He seems to have been reasonably happy there as one of his letters home shows upon entering the VIth Form in 1913:

"Dear Pa + Ma,

I arrived here alright as you will have got to know and I also got my box alright. I got into the sixth alright and the priveliges (sic) are fine. On Friday we had the football election and I was made captain and Taylor vice captain. Mr Reynolds says we are not a good lot at English and most of last year’s lot failed English. Please will you send on the Lamb for my football shirt. I got my own bed but a chap opposite snores something awful, it’s like a gattling gun, three of us take it in turns to wake him but it has no effect, and he is one of those chaps who can get to sleep in about two minutes after the lights are switched off and so it is very rarely I get to sleep before 10-30 and to do so I have to hum like his snore and then you see get into it’s swing, though it is neither melodius (sic) or harmonius. (sic) I expect Gordon would have a nice time at Blackpool. Has that N.U.T catalogue come yet and have you sent the “Cyclecar” to me yet? Mr Cooper says he goes through Wallingford, but not Reading, he goes through Abingdon and says it is a decent road.

I remain
Your Affectionate Son
Allan

P.S. I am sending my socks home do you mind if I do every week as otherwise they get too small"

There were school days out from Ackworth as the photo shows
on a 1910 school visit to Rievaulx Abbey.

Photo. Amos Denison Aged about 13 somewhere near Rievaulx Abbey
Aged about 13 somewhere near Rievaulx Abbey

And also Gym Lessons as the other photo shows.

The original photo states students were on their way to gym instruction

AAD during his last year at Ackworth School - centre,
with his hands in his pockets, again!

Ackworth was a Quaker School and is England's oldest co-educational school although in 1910 there was, evidently, a high wall between the "Girls" section and the "Boys" section. They did all meet on Sundays in the "Friends Meeting House" when - according to accounts related by AAD to his youngest son, boys would often stand and make speeches to the girls "as The Holy Spirit took them".. .....

Being "Elected" Captain of the 1st XI Football (soccer) was the start of his prowess and lifetime interest in sport especially Football & Cricket. His youngest grandson went on to be "Keeper of Football"[Captain 1st XI] at Eton. His second youngest grandson went on to score the winning run on the Hampshire County Cricket Ground in the Prep.-Schools Championship and then on to Harrow whose school song was also, evidently, Ackworth's school song whilst AAD was there. Sadly, AAD had died before being able to watch either of his grandsons play. AAD later went on to be in the winning Army Football Team in a WWI Brigade Tournament in April 1916 and then between the World Wars was, evidently, one of the early founders of the Penguin Cricket Club [more research needed for accuracy] in Scarborough. AAD also mentioned having been selected for net trials to play for Yorkshire Gentlemen.


The prize
awarded to AAD as a member
of the winning team at a Brigade Football tournament in 1916
This pewter tankard is now a useful pen holder
for his grandson living 11 miles from Yeadon/Guiseley in 2018

AAD then left Ackworth School in 1914 and following the outbreak of the ✸ First World War on 28th July 1914 and by March 1915 had joined the Army.

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Copyright 2018: Andrey Chaley of History Houses ®
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