A FORMER pupil at St Mary’s College, Blackburn, 70-plus years ago, has written a series of short stories about his childhood.

Terry Neville, who went on to teach himself, has changed the names of his pals, but is sure they will all recognise themselves when his work is published.

His tales include letting pal John Ingers take a penalty kick during a school football match, cheating in his Latin exam with the help of Arthur Stephan, the incident of the missing running spikes belonging to Sam Brown and his friend Joe Robson going to the orphanage, after his father was killed in the war and his mum died of a broken heart.

Joe, who had lived in Trinity Street, was known as Sparks by his pals, because as an eight-year-old he had telephoned the police after seeing a man trying to break into the local Co-op.

When the constable arrived on the scene he exclaimed to the youngster: “You’re a bright young spark aren’t you?”

Joe later became an electrician and opened an electrical shop in Brownhill.

Terry first attended St Albans junior school, where he was prepped for two years for the dreaded 11plus exam, in sums, reading, writing and intelligence.

Once a fortnight, though, teacher Mr Kendal, would take them into the playground for drill and twice a term they would go to the football pitch at Roe Lee primary school, where they would play 12 or 13 a side.

At St Alban’s the lads had to play on the concrete playground, usually in their clogs, with trees and jumpers for goals.

Terry also remembers Blackburn Rovers centre half Bob Pryde, living near his home in Cleaver Street – he had married a local hairdresser – who joined them on occasions for kick-abouts in the street.

On the day of the 11 plus, the pupils walked in military fashion from school, known affectionately as The Bonnies to King George’s Hall, where hundreds of youngsters from all over Blackburn sat at the desks laid out in the huge hall.

Terry passed and off he went to St Mary’s in the mid 1940s, where all the new lads had to go through an initiation ceremony – being thrown into a bed of stinging nettles behind the gym. A painful experience when you were still wearing short trousers.

During the war his dad joined the army and his mum worked at Cunliffe and Ward munitions factory near their home.

The lads also played all-day, street-against-street football matches on a field close to Northrop and Philips, fortifying themselves with bottles of water and bags of crisps.

Terry also recalls the selling out shop on the corner of Cleaver Street, run by Mr and Mrs Fish, where customers bought things on tick and settled the bill at the end of the week.

On another corner was Charlie’s chip shop, which was always packed and where a 2d bag of chips was big enough to satisfy Terry and and his brother John.

Shops in the neighbourhood included the Co-op green grocer, the confectioner and his own favourite, Boganio’s ice cream parlour, which had blue and white lettering painted over the window.

In the school holidays Terry cycled to the Hacking boat or Blackpool with his pals on an old policeman’s bike with a cushion tied where the saddle should have been, with a bottle of Tizer, made in a Blackburn factory, in the saddle bag.

He remembers how sports day at St Mary’s was a special day, with the track marked out in colourful flags and benches for the spectators. He took part in throwing the cricket ball and the high jump for Eymard House.