Saint Ziggy Stardust Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Well, after 117 years, that's ye olde Caley School shutting its doors for the last time. I only went there for a couple of years before the primary school at North Muirton opened in 1977(?). Talk about chalk and cheese. The Caley School was not a place I remember with any great fondness. Outdoor lavvies, segregated playground (when did that stop, if ever?). A long, cold walk to the separate gym hall building. They don't build them like the Caley any more. I swear, one time I was at the school dinners and the mashed tatties were honking so I chucked them under the table. Without a word of a lie, the teacher on duty heardthem hitting the deck, that's how hard they were. I got forced to eat them and was later physically sick in the playground. The head teacher was a Mrs Buchan when I was there and she was a right cow. It wasn't all bad though, the janny used to collect all the marbles which were lost in various places and scramble them a couple of times a year. We must have plenty Caley old boys and girls on here. Give us your Caley memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25e Ainslie Place Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Children outside Caledonian Road School, Perth, about 1900. Some of the children carry satchels on their backs. A number have bare feet, though that may simply be because of the warm weather. The boys all wear caps and the girls all wear hats, and aprons to keep their dresses clean. Caledonian Road School was established in 1892 and by 1893 it accommodated 933 pupils. It was originally built to house 1,500 children. It was the largest public school in Perth at that time. Situated next to the Railway Station, many of the pupils were the children of railway employees who lived in the neighbouring tenements. In 1902 an annexe was built onto Caledonian Road School to provide for the teaching of laundry, cookery and woodwork classes. In May of that year, school inspectors reported that the provision for these subjects was the finest of its kind in Scotland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The ghost of Jim Morton Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 I,m a Caley boy. Went there into primary 4 in 1976... Head teacher was Mrs Davidison.. I remember the outside bogs . They we replaced with snazzy new toilets that we like prefabs. The old khazis were locked up. Problem was that when playing football in the playground, the ball sometimes went into the old pissers. You then had to climb up on the roof drop down get the ball then climb back up again. Frowned upon by the staff but it was much quicker than waiting for a janny to unlock the doors. Unfortunately for me , on day I climbed up and managed to fall through the roof:shock:.. Landed on the pan. Hurt like feck but couldnae report it cos I would have got a bollocking for being up there in the first place.. Top teacher in my time was John Ramage..I got someone to pick me up one of the coin/medal things they we selling at the last open day on saturday as a momento.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25e Ainslie Place Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Caledonian Road School, Perth: the washroom The laundry classroom in Caledonian Road School, Perth. Benches are laid out with lengths of linen, flat irons and box irons, ready for a practical session on ironing. In the background is a wash boiler, a wooden clothes horse, a cast iron stove which could be used to heat the flat irons, and a blackboard. On the right is a range of sinks with a small mangle in the distance. The interior walls are finished in glazed brick to give a decorative finish and provide a surface which could be easily cleaned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25e Ainslie Place Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Caledonian Road School, Perth: the domestic science block The cookery classroom at Caledonian Road School, Perth. Work benches with built in cupboards and drawers are in the centre of the room. At the front of the classroom is a large cast iron range with ovens and a hotplate, flanked by pot stands holding iron pans. The back of the range is tiled and the walls are lined with glazed bricks to provide both a decorative finish and a surface which is easy to clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Ziggy Stardust Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 If you were lucky enough to get to watch a schools TV programme you had to go up three flights of stairs to a separate room with no windows. Kids today don't know they're born I tells ye. I've got very vague memories of a wild and probably bullshit school rumour when I was there that some "foreigners" were intent on kidnapping a kid from the playground and everyone was terrified of going out at break for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev Callard Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 What are they doing with the building? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarvie Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 All my family went to the Caley, me personally from 1978. used to live in the houses at Long Causway before the knocked them down and we headed to Letham, but still took the bus to the Caley. Still remember walking through the mart to get to school and always greeted by the ***lypop lady (what was her name?) to cross the road. Many good memories from that school, I am sure I still have my old school tie somewhere with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place badges with stars they used to give on sports day at the south inch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lethamsaintee Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 I went to The Caley from 90 - 93 and after a horrible 5 years at Goodlyburn. Loved it, and the headteacher, Mr Munro was a true gent, who looked about 60 then and apparently is not even that yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingermunkie Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 QUOTE] The bottom half of those cupboards on the left were used right up until half 5 today and I hleped clear the last of them out. Was working at the out of School Club, seemed like a sad day but there was a party in the annex building, for all those who had gone to the out of school club over the last 14-16 years. Was really nice, everyone seemed to have a good time. Last I heard the annex was going to be converted into art space, with recording studio and gallery space and the main gbuilding was getting turned into flats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
208saint Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 (edited) Went to the Caley for all my primary schooling, great times. From sitting under the fire escape pretending it was a tank in primary 1 &2 through to playing for the teams trophy every Friday lunchtime in a P7's only match. Was a prefect in P7 which meant you were to stand and make sure nobody ran down stairs etc but in reality meant you got to the Shanghai and the wee sweetie shop next to the Sports Club before anybody else. Took part in a programme for schools where we had to measure the area of the south inch that was covered by the boating pond P7 teacher was an auld wifey called Mrs Condie, she must have been about 300 by that time, mind she lost the rag with somebody (might have been Ghostie) and grabbed him by the face, fingers tearing at his mouth telling him to shut his mouth and behave, she'd be struck off and jailed for that these days but nobody batted an eyelid! She also lost the rag at me, ghostie and some other miscreant when we wrecked the flag the class had made to support the school in the Perthshire Cup Final against Oakbank Mind the old toilets, there was a porch type thing in the boys playground as well, warm milk was always on the menu and that sinister wee alley that you had to walk through to get from the boys to the girls playground overlooked by flats where it seemed everybody was an alkie. Gutted I missed the open day as myself and my 78 year old grandad both wanted to go back to look around again Edited October 3, 2009 by 208saint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perthsaint1884 Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 I only went to Caley Road for a short while when Craigie Primary was being renovated. Can't rally remember much about it though apart from all the fecking stairs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaf Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Sad to hear that the old place is closing down. I did all my primary schooling at the Calley from the late 1940's (feck, I feel old saying that!). Like most kids I had some great teachers and real bad ones, but I always loved the school. The pictures brought back great memories. Thanks Ainsley. The outdoor lavs were fine by me because if you had to go during class (I once had a doctor's note saying that the teacher had to let me go) you could waste a good ten minutes out of class if things got boring. The headmaster I remember was a Mr. McKinnon, a true gentleman who raised his hat to every woman he passed in the street. Pop Poulson was my fitba coach at the school and I remember him fondly. My last teacher there was a Mrs. Robinson who, rumour had it, wore a wig and she was a stern, stern woman. Thinking of her, I can still feel my fingers tingling from her belt! All in all a great experience and, again, sad to see the old place go. Smudge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mongy Max Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I'm a caley boy too, remember being there when craigie school moved over, the numerous stories of hauntings and miss fothergill!!!! i swear she was teaching on the opening day of that school! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nips Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 I went to the open doors day the Cally had last week and the memories just came flooding back! It's crazy how things looked so big when you went to the school but when you got back ?? years later it's totally different to how you remember it. Apart from Miss Fothergill of course, who looks the exact same as she did in the 80s! And when you see the difference in facilities between the Cally and the new Glenearn Campus, they won't know what to do with themselves! Absolutely fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaf Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 And when you see the difference in facilities between the Cally and the new Glenearn Campus, they won't know what to do with themselves! Absolutely fantastic. Nips Could you fill me in on this? Smudge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nips Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Well for a start it's a brand new facility they're moving into so it's already a step up. Their new gym hall will be more than 3 times the size of the old one and will have basketball nets, volleyball stands (which will suit Mr Munro to a T!), as well as an outside games area which will be lined for tennis, netball, five-a-side and hockey. (These facilities will also be available for public hire from 4pm Monday to Friday and at weekends for anyone interested.) If it's anything like the new school that's opened in Blairgowrie, the classrooms are all open plan and will have brand new state of the art computers, data projectors, etc as well as lots of break out areas the kids can use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlickDT Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Loved that school and didn't know a thing about the open day last week, which I would have loved to attend. (Was on my holidays anyway so wouldn't have made it!) Mr Munro is a true gent and made a great head teacher, especially if you were into sports. In primary 6 and 7 I was able to represent the school in Football, Curling, Cross Country, Badminton, Basketball, Volleyball, Cricket and Grass Bowls for the school. I'd do any sport to get a bit of time away from class!? Trips to Holland were also great memories. I still own a special coin made by the school for any pupil attending over the year 2000. A really nice touch, and something I still look out from time to time today! I'm sure the new school will be great for the kids, but they'll never know what they've missed by not going to Calley! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapleleaf Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Nips Sounds like a great facility. Where is Glenearn? Smudge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterheed Saint Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I only went to Caley Road for a short while when Craigie Primary was being renovated. Can't rally remember much about it though apart from all the fecking stairs! I was only there for primary 1 and the stairs are the only thing I remember too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nips Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 Nips Sounds like a great facility. Where is Glenearn? Smudge The school is situated on Glenearn Road, which is the street opposite Edinburgh Road Tesco and runs towards Craigie Cross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1884 Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 The council had new purpose built premises for the catering/roads department built up at Ruthvenfield which left their Criagiehaugh Depo vacant which is where the new campus was built. St Johnstone FC's Recreation Ground was previously at Craigiehaugh or so I'm told. I wasn't there personally...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dooj Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 The council had new purpose built premises for the catering/roads department built up at Ruthvenfield which left their Criagiehaugh Depo vacant which is where the new campus was built. St Johnstone FC's Recreation Ground was previously at Craigiehaugh or so I'm told. I wasn't there personally...! I thought that the orginal Saints ground was on the site where Tesco's is now - next to the railway line (but the railway line does kind of go behind Glenearn road so I guess that it could have been anywhere along there). You know the world is going wrong somewhere when primary schools have a 'campus'! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Ziggy Stardust Posted October 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 St Johnstone's first (ahem) stadium was across the road from the prison, you can see the buidlings of South Inch Terrace in some photos of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tranmere Saintee Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 I thought that the orginal Saints ground was on the site where Tesco's is now - next to the railway line (but the railway line does kind of go behind Glenearn road so I guess that it could have been anywhere along there). You know the world is going wrong somewhere when primary schools have a 'campus'! ;-) The twenty original members of the Club each gave £1 and following negotiations with Sir Robert Moncrieff over the summer of 1885 a lease was taken out on a strip of land known as Craigie Haugh. Directly opposite Perth prison (itself opened in 1842) the new ground was situated just behind the present-day petrol station on land now occupied by Stephens the housebuilder. Borrowed from Saints history to clarify the actual placement of the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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