Thirty six pupils sat for a school photograph in July 1960. It was a time of hope after the two previous decades had brought war and bleak austerity.
These children were on the cusp of embracing the brave new world previous generations had fought and suffered for. In the same month that the picture was taken, a youthful John F Kennedy won the nomination to stand for the Democratic Party in the US elections. He would become President aged just 43.
The pupils were in their final year at Park View Primary in Prestwich. Now, one of their group aims to find them all - and write their story. What happened to them, what did they become, did they fulfil their dreams? "Occasionally we would reminisce about school days and I would pick up that picture and show it to the camera. It wasn't a blinding flash, but I thought there is something more to this picture than just the boys I still know. The other side of it is that I have been looking for a book to write which is a close of career. Because that started with 'Manchester United Ruined my Life' and the first few chapters are about Park View, this was a wonderful, circular way of doing that.
Colin intends to weave 36 lives into his narrative of social history - starting at a Prestwich Primary School in 1960 and spanning 63 years. An influence for the book is the Granada, and later BBC television series Seven Up; 14 Up; 21 Up, etc which followed the development of ten boys and four girls from 1964 to 2019.
"I want to tell their stories not because those 36 children were unique but because they weren’t unique. We were just like everyone else." Colin sees his 'inspirational' teacher at Park View, Mrs Newlands, who took his class for two years, as a key element in his development. "She was a fantastic teacher for me because I was the sort of boy that responded to the teaching that she did. For me this was the school that made it all possible."
"The story of how their lives panned out will be the story of the country and of Manchester as well. The school shaped me, by the time I was eleven I was the person that I am now, pretty much formed." "Then nobody felt embarrassment at wearing hand-me-down clothes. It was long before the days of designer trainers. The past is a different country.
"There was no bullying, but I do remember being approached by a girl who offered me some sweets if I hit someone - I do remember taking the bribe, but don't remember fulfilling the contract." "But my mother had a different idea. She was very aspirational and wanted me to fulfill my potential. My previous teacher had said I would sail through my Eleven Plus, but clearly I didn't."
Anne passed her Eleven Plus re-take with ease and went to Stand Grammar School a year late. "When it came to the end of my five years at Stand Grammar I should have gone on to do A-levels but I was more interested in running around Manchester chasing boys having a great time. He hopes, having found the 36, to take another picture of them at the school to use as the front and back dust cover images for the book.
Commenting on the children of 1960 picture he said: "It was really interesting. Despite the difference in attire and hairstyles, I can still see great synergy between the children back then and those of today. I think there is a wonderful richness in revisiting local history and learning valuable lessons from previous generations."
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