School teams

A little help is needed from someone, anyone. I have recollection of being in a school team, Drake, after Sir Francis and that the team colour was blue. Three other teams existed, Clive (of India) colour yellow, Nelson (Admiral) red and Wellington (Duke of) colour green. My problem is that the name Plainsman and the colour blue also spring to mind but WHY ? What am I missing ? What have I forgotten ? Where have I gone wrong ?

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  • I’m delighted that my question generated such a response. It’s satisfying to think that my thoughts can be shared by so many and that I can share others thoughts and memories with them.  Thanks to all. 

    By Donald Joy (15/06/2017)
  • Nina, I didn’t know about the names of sports day winners being in the local papers. This would be fascinating research as I would love to see the results pages for 1959, 60, 61, 62 and 63. Would this be in the Basildon Standard or the Laindon Recorder, shouldn’t be too hard to research I guess. Actually Laindon High Road School keenly encouraged their pupils to do well in sports. I can recall some boys in my year, including Jimmy Bird, Derek Higgs, Martin Graves and others going for trials at West Ham United. I believe Jimmy went on to play for Southend United at some stage. Brilliant times, we were all so fortunate.

    By Richard Haines (14/06/2017)
  • I know the results were in the Times & Recorder.  I have a photocopy of the 1959 results and also the 1961 year as my name was in it.  I will try to locate where I have stored them.

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (14/06/2017)
  • Proceeding from LHR to Chelmsford Tech, the colours were the same but the names of the houses changed of course. Chelmsford Tech chose the names of local industries: Crompton, Marconi, French, and Hoffman (which was my house).

    By Alan Davies (13/06/2017)
  • I was blue all the way through the Laindon schools. At Laindon Park I was in Drake (Blue) and the others were Wellington (Green) Nelson (Red) and Clive (Yellow). At LHR I was in Plainsmen (Blue) and the others were as stated here, Shoresmen (Green), Townsmen (Red) and Hillsmen (Yellow). The best ever sports day was in July 1959. The results were shown by flags flying from a pole at the top of the field with the top flag on the pole being the winner. Plainsmen and Hillsmen were first and second respectively that year and I can remember an exciting 1 mile race which was slogged out between Terry Venner and Alan Castle. Fabulous times.

    By Richard Haines (12/06/2017)
  • Wonderful memories from Richard.  In those days the results of all the school sports were published in the local paper, including the names of those who came 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each event.  The best sports day for me was 1961 because I won a medal for coming first in the discus throwing event. 

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (12/06/2017)
  • Nina.  Perhaps I was thinking of the group as a whole therefore using the plural—being Townsmen etc.etc.

    By Eric Pasco (10/06/2017)
  • Well done Eric. What you say does make sense and you are correct.  I’ve just looked at my School Report and my Honour Certificates. They all state that I was in Shoremen with an ‘e’.   

    I have been told that LHR school no longer had four ’houses’ or teams in the eighties.  Sport activities were on an individual basis.

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (10/06/2017)
  • Now was it Man or Men, the memory cells need recharging.

    I was in Townsmen/man 

    Nina. Did we have houses at Markhams?

    By Eric Pasco (09/06/2017)
  • I’m feel certain it was ‘man’, i.e. any member of the red team was a Townsman.

    We did have red, blue, green and yellow teams at Markham’s Chase.  I don’t think they had any special names.  I can’t recall which colour team I was in.

    My younger brother recalls that Markham’s Chase’ four teams were North, East, South and West. He thinks he was in West which was Red. 

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (09/06/2017)
  • Hi Donald.  The Nelson, Drake etc., teams were used at Laindon Park. I was in Nelson between 1955 and 1962.

    By Paul Stickland (09/06/2017)
  • Nina, Eric. Townsmen or Townsman? Surely in today’s world that would not be allowed. (What about all those of the fairer sex?) The Politically Correct police would be on it like a shot. Gender specific! Not allowed! Today it would have to be Townperson or is it Townspeople?

    By Alan Davies (09/06/2017)
  • A very good point Alan.  As we were aged 11 – 16, maybe Townschildren, Townsyoungsters or Townsteenagers?

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (09/06/2017)
  • Donald.  You are thinking of Laindon High Road School’s teams.  Plainsman was Blue.  Townsman was Red.  Hillsman was Yellow and Shoresman was Green.  We were all given the name of our team when we started at the school and issued with a band in the colour of our team which we had to wear while doing PE. I was in Shoresman – Green. 

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (08/06/2017)
  • Yes Donald, Nina is correct. The same system was in place when I was at LHR for two years. I was Hillsman.

    By Alan Davies (08/06/2017)

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