Michael Shakeshaft - Some memories

Wayne Sullivan - Hansons 72-78: “Michael Shakeshaft taught me both French and German, but more importantly taught me badminton, which I played regularly at Woolverstone and continue to play today with members of my family! A highly-motivated man who was also very athletic and extremely animated on the court.”

Bill Kitchen ????: “Shakeshaft tried teaching us French ….. generally with good humour. Always in classroom at top of main building, and prided himself at throwing exercise books to us ‘Frisbee Style’ at great pace. Great merriment to begin a lesson, especially when these papery missiles flew off of our outstretched fingers and through the ever-beckoning windows.

Michael John O'Leary - Orwell/Hansons 57-61: “I always remember Shakey playing tennis behind the main building. He was forever saying ‘Zut alors!’”

Bill Kitchen: "His words were often somewhat harsher than ‘Zut Alors'”!

Bill Kitchen: “We got into great trouble with Shakes when Hanson allowed us to ‘test drive ‘ our newly-built go-kart on those tennis courts ….. making ferocious skidmarks oiver the white lining!”

Dave Newman - Halls 82-87: “I really enjoyed Shakey’s French lessons. I used to holiday in France so had a bit of a head start at school but I found him an engaging and very supportive teacher. Nothing but good memories of his lessons.”

Nick Brackenbury - Berners 58-65: "Six of my seven years were in Berners House with Shaky & Mini running the place. I think he managed Berners extremely well considering the number of boys to oversee. I was only slippered (6 strokes) once in his 1st floor study. It hurt more than the caning from Bailey but the pain only lasted a few minutes. Ever since I felt a certain pride in being chosen for such occasions. Ha ha!) Yes, Shaky and Mini were good people, honest, kind and fair. He commanded respect even though I hated French more than any other experience at school. Well maybe hated equal with Latin, German and History."

Philip Bennett - Corners/Orwell 67-72: "I remember two of the 1950s school trips he led ; a week cycling in Sussex and a week walking in Snowdonia. We stayed in youth hostels and I also remember a certain number of females (too old for us) asking us about our "handsome" master."

Brian Cooper - Corners/Orwell 67-72: "End of term prank; my friend was climbing the drainpipe up to the roof of the main building in the dark when, nearing the top, an adjacent window opened and Shakey looked out at the climber. 'Do you have your housemaster's permission to be here?' he asked with a straight face. What prevented my mate falling to the ground with the shock I'll never know - true story. Sad to hear about the current situation."

Barry Clark - Hansons 58-65: "Exact same thing happened to me!"

Michael John O'Leary - Orwell/Hansons 57-61: "Hey, Brian Cooper, on the last night of Spring term 1961, for a prank I was climbing down from the roof of the Main Building to the roof of the Biology lab when I looked in a window and saw Shakeshaft and his missus lying in bed! I panicked and jumped down to the lower roof and then made it hotfoot back to Hansons with some others I can't remember. Hanson, in the meantime, had noted our absence and made us see him in the morning where he threatened to keep us back from going home that day, but in the end he let us go."