Teachers from Kenton Bar School old days – Mr. Brownlaw

Mr. Brownlaw was my teacher for 2 years in Kenton Bar Primary School. He was a piano playing genius who I am sure modelled his hairstyle on Ludwig Van Beethoven – see picture to the right of Mr. Brownlaw. I particularly remember him as a firm but fair teacher who I actually liked a lot even though he belted me across the backside with a sandshoe one time – but even this was a funny tail which I shall now recount…… oh dear readers for your delectation.

We were supposed to be doing something in the class, painting an egg or something and I was messing about and chatting loudly with someone. I did something naughty with the paint and someone grassed me up to Mr. Brownlaw….. who was so furious for some reason (probably because what I was doing was dangerous – I cannot remember exactly what but I DO remember what happened next….) that I was given 6 of the best with a sandshoe (plimsole – see picture to the left) across the buttocks. The “grasser” was sniggering in the background at my pain and humiliation when Mr. Brownlaw looked up and said “You too sonny for telling on your mate” and proceeded to sandshoe the grasser too. Serves him right eh?

Anyway – as I said he was a great teacher and, if your reading Mr. Brownlaw, it didn’t hurt – ha ha.

Factoids about Mr. Brownlaw:-

• He carried a piece of wood in his pocket at all times, a kind of small cylinder shaped block. He told us it was a small block of oak carved by his uncle who had passed away. He told us how – his uncle was standing at a Pelican Crossing (traffic lights for those uneducated folks) and crossed the road as soon as the green man light came on. He failed to check that the traffic had actually stopped and was mown down and killed. I still remember this tale to this day almost 38 years later and always tell my own kids to check the traffic even IF the traffic light is red and the green man says go.
• He played the double bass too and also the trombone and the trumpet I seem to recollect. He had a Renault 5 car in Deep Blue. Somehow he manage to squeeze the double bass into this car to transport it.

This above factoid reminds me of another topic we should cover – visits by the police community officers to the school to teach the “Green Cross Code” and other elements of being a law abiding citizen

Kenton Bar Pyramid Appreciation Society