City of Coventry Boarding School: Michael Billings

From his 1995 Visit

Bottom Shower Block 1995. (now gone)

Mick Gajic ‎1st house i think is Junior house,2nd Mortimer i believe.

Paul Starling The first block just before the car was the woodwork class and then the junior block.

1957 - From the Brochure of the time.

Dormitory 1995

The new swimming Pool

1957 - Dining hall

Michael Billings Looks like Chocolate Pudding. John Scrivens on the right of the photo.

Trev Teasdel - Is that Graham Baker in that photo?

Sarah Williams We used to have food for dinner from the canteen during the week. I loved the steamed puddings.

Trev Teasdel We had different table arrangements - square -seating 8 I think with table and deputy table heads. Is the guy in the middle is about to do an Oliver!

Michael Billings The guy in the center was waiting on the table. We had to take it in turns to lay out the cutlery, serve on the table, clear away the dirty plates and when the dining hall was cleared you wiped down the tables so they were spotlessly clean before you had your own dinner. But the good part about waiting on tables was you got seconds and extras of what ever was left when you had your meal.

Trev Teasdel The system had changed a bit by 62

Rosemary Webb Rehill Trev that's because my dad was the bursar! He kept trying to introduce all these weird foods, like chow meins and curries. He couldn't understand why no one liked them....!

Trev Teasdel the steam pudding was lovely - wants some now! The bread pudding however on a friday was .....! Quite the opposite! Although some liked it!

Rosemary Webb Rehill I loathed the school food. No wonder we were all such skinny kids!!

Trev Teasdel Friday lunch was the only one i hated everything on the menu! Instead of mash it was hord boiled and often black potatoes and fish which was a bit naff! Liked fish but not what was served on friday (think fish on friday was a religious idea) and then the bread pudding. After which was 'cheeser washing' - ie socks before returning to lessons!! The only day I was glad to get back to lessons!

Mick Gajic i loved the cheese and potato mash,and the bread and butter pudding(sorry Trev) could not stand the porridge though,so i got my mum to send me the kellogs variety packs of cereal.

Paul Nicholas Williamson I remember the first time we had fish and chips together and we clapped the kitchen staff for doing it, Archie Lambley was in charge that day as he explained it was very difficult to prepare.

Rosemary Webb Rehill I remember the fish and chips and actually it wasn't bad. Dad loved fish so he tried very hard to include it in your diet. Do you remember cod bites? They were little pieces of battered fish. It may well have been after your time though.

Paul Nicholas Williamson I could eat anything after the first term but the one thing I never ever got on with was the porridge and the powder milk, I still don't like porridge after school.My favourite was tomatoes and bacon for breakfast as my mate didn't like tomatoes and he gave me his.he ended up being my best man at my wedding and I still see him most weeks, Stiff Griff was his nickname Bill Griffin. B60.

Michael Billings This was a sepia coloured photo of a Church Parade circa 1957. Note the City of Coventry Boarding School sign. The lanky streak on the right of the photo is yours truly. Happy Days.

Paul Nicholas Williamson CAP, HANKIE AND COLLECTION MONEY.