I mentioned “Geogga” Johnson, the Geogga being Geography, as opposed to “Metalwork” Johnson. That brought back a few memories and some knowledge via the Interweb.

Our first class with him, he disappeared into the stock room and re-emerged with his Cape, Mortar and Cane (or was it Strap?) and read us the riot act.

After that, he was as nice as pie, although I had been chatting to my mate Les one lesson and he banged our heads together for not paying attention!

A couple of lessons in to the term, he took us onto the roof of the lower school (which had a viewing platform), pointing out the contours of the land and the beautiful Cheviot Hills to the north.

At the end of the first year, he took us on a field trip. It was very misty walking to school and I worried that our trip might have been cancelled, but it was on. The morning was spent at the Newcastle University teaching Farm and I only have three memories of that- having to wash our wellies in dip (Foot & Mouth threats), seeing the milking parlour and being charged at by a huge herd of stampeding cows which just stopped and ambled about once they got close. (We were eyeing up the stile by then!)

In the afternoon, we had the fun bit. The weather had cleared and the sun came out. Our coach dropped us off and we had a pleasant two mile ramble to a waterfall the Linhope Spout where we swam, splashed and frolicked in the water. It was freezing under the waterfall! (The teachers had brought a tent so that the girls didn’t have to show their navy blue knickers getting changed, unless they wanted to…)

I haven’t found any copyright free photos of the Spout but there are lots of images on Google & Flickr. The Northumbrian also has an article on it, I must go back one day, it isn’t too far from Alnwick.