Portobello High School

[felix]

I was there 86-90 and yes Mr dempster was mad but very entertaining. I played a wee bit of basketball and Mr szifris was a great coach. The old annex was the best bit about being at porty for 1st & 2nd year.

 

Used to methodically rip up his Scotsman into tiny bits at the end of double music, saying :- " I paid for it - no-one else is reading it for free " !!    

[chester copperpot]

YPF ya bams

[chester copperpot]

YPF ya bams

Should read YPR

 

Young, Porty, Rebels

[Taffin]

Should read YPR

 

Young, Porty, Rebels

YPISS - young porty independent shotgun squad

[Craig Herbertson]

Porty had its fair share of surreal memories -

Ken Buchanan, undisputed boxing world champion's speech - about the only useful thing ever said at assembly.

The square go between a janitor and one of the pupils. Janitor lost

Every day someone sneaking out the illegal back way because the main gate had an enemy waiting

The time one of the boys knocked on the window on the tiny outside ledge on the art floor eight floors up - got expelled.

Sitting at the dinner table in a hierarchy stretching from no food at the bottom to nearly all of it at the top

Carrying all of the chairs out of the music room at the end of the lesson - poor probationary teacher.

The 'I dropped my desk routine' in the RE class which had a large hole in it where a lead figure had narrowly missed killing the teacher (who had also survived a brick dropped from the top floor of the building through the roof his car)

Attempting to blow up the school in chemistry when the teacher said 'whatever you do don't put any flames back down the gas taps'.

The opening lines of the geography class teacher after he played the reveille on his gramophone record  'Who wants to join the army?'

Surreptitious sounds of whiskey being drunk in the cupboard by various teachers whose lunch hours seem to extend forever

The film club where Barbarella was premiered - repeatedly slowing down the intro with Jane Fonda removing her spacesuit.

Lads building go-karts in metal work

Drinking at the Sheep Heid with the teachers most fridays

 

And this says nothing about the annexe which was like something out of a Dicken's novel.

 

Overall it made for a decent survival course. I wrote a collection of horror stories mostly based on Portobello Comprehensive and genuinely didn't have to change much to make it horrible

 

 

 

 

[Wee Mikey]

Anyone remember Yogi whipping young lads with his 'Tawse'? I do. Evil.

[ri Alban]

Chess team

[TwigTheWonderKid]

I was there 89-95. TF was then and remains a rocket 

[Blackford Hearts]

The football and rugby teams at the time Robbo and Bowman were at school were both pretty unbeatable. I was in year below, Still had 2-3 who went professional. Combined football, hockey and rugby tour to Holland was interesting! The Hammie Lodge was our under age place of choice by then, and then of course Misties

[planetjamie]

I went to Porty left 2006 what a mental experience haha could probs write a book on the place.

 

Also did ye know at Orlando Bloom (aye him fae Lord of the Rings n that) went to porty for a brief spell.

[EastSideJambo]

I had 6 years in the place. It really was a shit hole 

[chester copperpot]

1 minute ago, EastSideJambo said:

I had 6 years in the place. It really was a shit hole 

Nonsense.

 

magic school

[DarthVodka]

Mr Tulloch the English teacher used to put the robbo story video on at the end of each year. Tremendous viewing 

[argyjambo]

Spelling error

[scott herbertson]

1 hour ago, EastSideJambo said:

I had 6 years in the place. It really was a shit hole 

 

 

But it was our shit hole

[EastSideJambo]

3 minutes ago, scott herbertson said:

 

 

But it was our shit hole

It was 

 

Trying to remember the name of the Chemistry teacher who smoked senior service. Was there around 92 and a long while before that. 

 

Edit: chemistry teacher might have been Mr Cadden 

Edited November 3, 2018 by EastSideJambo

[scott herbertson]

11 minutes ago, EastSideJambo said:

It was 

 

Trying to remember the name of the Chemistry teacher who smoked senior service. Was there around 92 and a long while before that. 

 

Edit: chemistry teacher might have been Mr Cadden 

 

 

You were too late for Mr Dow, the sadistic physic teacher

 

He had three belts hanging on the wall - any nonsense and you could choose 6 of the small one , 3 of the medium or one of 'Big Bertha'

 

For the full effect he made you kneel in the corner for up to an hour thinking about it before he asked you for your choice. While you thought about it he asked the rest of the class which marker pen he would sniff (invariably the pink one , which he announced in a very camp voice) 

 

 

[Rodger Mellie]

1 hour ago, DarthVodka said:

Mr Tulloch the English teacher used to put the robbo story video on at the end of each year. Tremendous viewing 

 

Used to enjoy Mr Tulloch's classes. Good guy. So was Mr Hood, if you mind him?!

[argyjambo]

I didn't go to Porty,  my twins did so did my missus. I went to Broughton 66-72. . 

My kids thrived there after a good grounding at Tower bank . Yes a few bams in the early years where my son was targeted for being bright. Fortunately he played football in a very Good porty team 2000 -2006. Lots of Good lads there who we still see. Both my kids got very good degrees and are following careers in their chosen paths. I don't think they'd have done any better at a fèe paying school ( if I could have afforded to pay fees x 2) incidentally over 5 years Tower bank provided 3 head boys and 2 head girls at porty 

As an aside I was at Broughton with Tony szifris who I still see at the gym ay the king's manor hotel.

Edited November 3, 2018 by argyjambo

[scott herbertson]

9 minutes ago, Rodger Mellie said:

 

Used to enjoy Mr Tulloch's classes. Good guy. So was Mr Hood, if you mind him?!

 

 

Mr |Hood was a good guy, so was 'Dannie' Kaye - despite being a Hibbbie.At a Hearts New years day game while wew were at School (maybe 1970) we were on the east terracing and Kaye rolled down the walkway past us "hey. that's our English teacher!" his best mate was Kellagher (another Hibbie) who was also a good guy - he got arrested for Drunk and Disorderly down Leith and when one of the class produced an Evening News clipping to demonstrate it blamed it on his (imaginary) twin brother.

[Rodger Mellie]

Mr Kaye was a teacher when I was there but he never taught me. Was Mr Pratt (Modern Studies) a teacher when you were there? Good Jambo, really nice guy. Sadly, died very young, from MS I think?

Edited November 3, 2018 by Rodger Mellie

[scott herbertson]

24 minutes ago, Rodger Mellie said:

Mr Kaye was a teacher when I was there but he never taught me. Was Mr Pratt (Modern Studies) a teacher when you were there? Good Jambo, really nice guy. Sadly, died very young, from MS I think?

 

 

Yes Pratt was there, though I never had him as a teacher , don't remember much about him - maybe Craig will.

[scott herbertson]

I met Kellagher in the Abbotsford year after I left school and he told me about his graduation from Edinburgh university. He woke up in George Square and realised it was daylight and he had a humungous hangover. Then he realised he was stark bollocks naked and under a bush. He had to whisper to people passing for an hour before someone took pity on him and loaned him an overcoat to get home in

Edited November 4, 2018 by scott herbertson

[chester copperpot]

9 hours ago, Rodger Mellie said:

Mr Kaye was a teacher when I was there but he never taught me. Was Mr Pratt (Modern Studies) a teacher when you were there? Good Jambo, really nice guy. Sadly, died very young, from MS I think?

  Mr Pratt was a great guy. Took our class to see Boys in the hood as part of our higher Modern Studies course.

 

Mr Kaye? Alan Kaye who was fond of the Bevvy. couldnae make that shit up.

[MacDonald Jardine]

9 hours ago, scott herbertson said:

I met Kellagher in the Abbotsford year after I left school and he told me about his graduation from Edinburgh university. He woke up in George Square and realised it was daylight and he had a humungous hangover. Then he realised he was stark bollocks naked and under a bush. He had to whisper to people passing for an hour before someone took pity on him and loaned him an overcoat to get home in

Off topic a bit but I was friendly with the Connartys.

I'm sure Brian used to mention you.

[Blackford Hearts]

Met Stevie Roy recently who was a teacher when I was there early 80’s. Very good rugby player and black belt in one of the martial arts. Looked the same as he did back then and amazingly had just retired this year. Great guy! 

[scott herbertson]

3 hours ago, MacDonald Jardine said:

Off topic a bit but I was friendly with the Connartys.

I'm sure Brian used to mention you.

 

 

 

Think Brian was a friend of my brother Craig

[MacDonald Jardine]

35 minutes ago, scott herbertson said:

 

 

 

Think Brian was a friend of my brother Craig

That would figure. He played guitar too.

[Scnorthedinburgh]

On 30/10/2018 at 19:21, Craig Herbertson said:

Porty had its fair share of surreal memories -

Ken Buchanan, undisputed boxing world champion's speech - about the only useful thing ever said at assembly.

The square go between a janitor and one of the pupils. Janitor lost

Every day someone sneaking out the illegal back way because the main gate had an enemy waiting

The time one of the boys knocked on the window on the tiny outside ledge on the art floor eight floors up - got expelled.

Sitting at the dinner table in a hierarchy stretching from no food at the bottom to nearly all of it at the top

Carrying all of the chairs out of the music room at the end of the lesson - poor probationary teacher.

The 'I dropped my desk routine' in the RE class which had a large hole in it where a lead figure had narrowly missed killing the teacher (who had also survived a brick dropped from the top floor of the building through the roof his car)

Attempting to blow up the school in chemistry when the teacher said 'whatever you do don't put any flames back down the gas taps'.

The opening lines of the geography class teacher after he played the reveille on his gramophone record  'Who wants to join the army?'

Surreptitious sounds of whiskey being drunk in the cupboard by various teachers whose lunch hours seem to extend forever

The film club where Barbarella was premiered - repeatedly slowing down the intro with Jane Fonda removing her spacesuit.

Lads building go-karts in metal work

Drinking at the Sheep Heid with the teachers most fridays

 

And this says nothing about the annexe which was like something out of a Dicken's novel.

 

Overall it made for a decent survival course. I wrote a collection of horror stories mostly based on Portobello Comprehensive and genuinely didn't have to change much to make it horrible

 

 

 

 

That could have been trinity academy as well.

[TwigTheWonderKid]

22 hours ago, Rodger Mellie said:

Mr Kaye was a teacher when I was there but he never taught me. Was Mr Pratt (Modern Studies) a teacher when you were there? Good Jambo, really nice guy. Sadly, died very young, from MS I think?

Mr Pratt was a great guy. Stayed in the houses of West Bank St. Used to see him at Tynie all the time, he would take his dad (I think). Died really young. 

 

What was the name of the teacher who used to play for St Mirren (supposedly)?Either maths or modern studies maybe geography

[EastSideJambo]

Colin Pratt is still alive. Suffered from MS for over 20 years now but still going

 

A great Hearts man 

[EastSideJambo]

13 hours ago, Blackford Hearts said:

Met Stevie Roy recently who was a teacher when I was there early 80’s. Very good rugby player and black belt in one of the martial arts. Looked the same as he did back then and amazingly had just retired this year. Great guy! 

He was there when I was at Porty.  Did he not leave the school during the early 90's to take on a department head role at Ross High in Tranent 

[Blackford Hearts]

1 hour ago, EastSideJambo said:

He was there when I was at Porty.  Did he not leave the school during the early 90's to take on a department head role at Ross High in Tranent 

You may be right. I think he did leave but maybe came back as department head at Porty? 

[DarthVodka]

French teacher Mr Turnbull used to freak me out

[mrcrisps]

14 hours ago, Blackford Hearts said:

You may be right. I think he did leave but maybe came back as department head at Porty? 

Was at Ross High as head of CDT (techie) from late 90s to early noughties before returning.

[Blackford Hearts]

8 hours ago, mrcrisps said:

Was at Ross High as head of CDT (techie) from late 90s to early noughties before returning.

Definitive reply. Thanks 

[Keith Talent]

On 03/11/2018 at 23:19, Rodger Mellie said:

 

Used to enjoy Mr Tulloch's classes. Good guy. So was Mr Hood, if you mind him?!

 

On 03/11/2018 at 23:19, Rodger Mellie said:

 

Used to enjoy Mr Tulloch's classes. Good guy. So was Mr Hood, if you mind him?!

Mr Hood gave me about 20 detentions. However he was a quality guy, always had a lot of time for him despite that. 

[Keith Talent]

7 minutes ago, BarneyBattles said:

Stevie Roy had that look in his eye. Simmering under the surface, although to be fair I didn’t know him too well. Mr Ford the PE teacher was the same. Bammers just like Graeme the jannie. 

 

Al Kay somehow persuaded The very tidy miss Johnston to get engaged although it fizzled out like a cheap pomagne. 

 

Captain dow of physics was indeed a bit strange but harmless I think.

 

There was rumours about a maths teacher, Sanahan I think his name was, seemed to leave very suddenly. 

 

Mrs Noble the mad old music teacher. 

 

Porty was a great school, a healthy mix of normal kids, posh kids, niddrons and binghamites. 

Totally. A good grounding for life. Some posh kids fi Duddingston, mixed Northfield/ Willowbrae/ Porty kids from Parsy/ RH/ Towerbank & rougher bits from  Niddrie/ Bingham at Lismore/ Bruntstane. A great place.

[Craig Herbertson]

Brian was a good pal.  We'd all pile round to his house churning out Bowie, Stones and Beatles songs.  Phil Cunningham popped in sometimes, playing folkie instruments we didn't understand. In the computer age this all sounds like tales my granny would tell.

 

Mr Kilpatrick was a great man. Tough as nails. Only used the belt once a year. When the new class came in he'd state the rules, wait for the first idiot to break them and hit them once. Never had to do it again. 

 

Have to put a word in for Miss Moonie the Art teacher with her long leather boots. She helped set up the Museum of Childhood which used to be rooms full of old toys. 

 

[davemclaren]

1 hour ago, Craig Herbertson said:

Brian was a good pal.  We'd all pile round to his house churning out Bowie, Stones and Beatles songs.  Phil Cunningham popped in sometimes, playing folkie instruments we didn't understand. In the computer age this all sounds like tales my granny would tell.

 

Mr Kilpatrick was a great man. Tough as nails. Only used the belt once a year. When the new class came in he'd state the rules, wait for the first idiot to break them and hit them once. Never had to do it again. 

 

Have to put a word in for Miss Moonie the Art teacher with her long leather boots. She helped set up the Museum of Childhood which used to be rooms full of old toys. 

 

Is it not still rooms full of old toys? ??‍♂️

[Craig Herbertson]

1 hour ago, davemclaren said:

Is it not still rooms full of old toys? ??‍♂️

Touche.

 

She told us that originally it was just a disorganised collection of toys in every room like some scary horror film and she helped Patrick Murray set it all up.

[davemclaren]

1 hour ago, Craig Herbertson said:

Touche.

 

She told us that originally it was just a disorganised collection of toys in every room like some scary horror film and she helped Patrick Murray set it all up.

??

[EastSideJambo]

On 06/11/2018 at 00:26, Keith Talent said:

 

Mr Hood gave me about 20 detentions. However he was a quality guy, always had a lot of time for him despite that. 

Hood was a character. Did he not stay in Port Seton area 

 

Sideburns were majestic 

[Craig Herbertson]

He

On 22/11/2018 at 16:54, EastSideJambo said:

Hood was a character. Did he not stay in Port Seton area 

 

Sideburns were majestic 

I'd forgotten the sideburns.

[1874robbo]

I remember mr Lauder the geography teacher, he also took our football team.

mr Laurie modern studies was a prick!! Thankfully I eventually got dunnigan(sp)who was a good laugh.

went back years later for my daughters parents night and mr Laurie was there with a total bald head, looked like the kurgan out of Highlander.  

[Craig Herbertson]

On 22/11/2018 at 12:55, davemclaren said:

??

 

Sorry Dave. I just realised I didn't answer the question. Miss Moonie, the Porty art teacher, worked with the original guy who started the Museum of Childhood. All those toys were in his house, mainly in the attic and she helped to organise them and, I believe, set up exhibitions which eventually became the Museum. She said it was like a horror movie in the attic with all the dolls and mannequins staring at her as she worked.... I think his house became the museum.

 

 

 

[davemclaren]

1 minute ago, Craig Herbertson said:

 

Sorry Dave. I just realised I didn't answer the question. Miss Moonie, the Porty art teacher, worked with the original guy who started the Museum of Childhood. All those toys were in his house, mainly in the attic and she helped to organise them and, I believe, set up exhibitions which eventually became the Museum. She said it was like a horror movie in the attic with all the dolls and mannequins staring at her as she worked.... I think his house became the museum.

 

 

 

Not sure how you stumbled on that over two years later?  😄

[Craig Herbertson]

17 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

Not sure how you stumbled on that over two years later?  😄

I was searching Porty and Jamboskickback came up.

 

Rereading the thread brought back a few memories. Colin Pratt teaching Modern Studies which was a revolutionary subject then. He wore a leather jacket which really impressed us. We were easily impressed then. Brian Connarty's guitar sessions at Mountcastle with his old Triumph Spitfire's on the drive. (He had three at one time).  Hot Summer of 76 drinking cider with the girls in the Figgate park. One of our pals getting a gold studded earing to horrendous abuse. David Bowie, Roxie Music. Bellbottoms, platform shoes and wrangler jackets. Carrying LP's into school. Square goes at the back gate and the front gate.

 

With the pandemic kicking in all that's left is reminisces.

[davemclaren]

15 minutes ago, Craig Herbertson said:

I was searching Porty and Jamboskickback came up.

 

Rereading the thread brought back a few memories. Colin Pratt teaching Modern Studies which was a revolutionary subject then. He wore a leather jacket which really impressed us. We were easily impressed then. Brian Connarty's guitar sessions at Mountcastle with his old Triumph Spitfire's on the drive. (He had three at one time).  Hot Summer of 76 drinking cider with the girls in the Figgate park. One of our pals getting a gold studded earing to horrendous abuse. David Bowie, Roxie Music. Bellbottoms, platform shoes and wrangler jackets. Carrying LP's into school. Square goes at the back gate and the front gate.

 

With the pandemic kicking in all that's left is reminisces.

Sounds a familiar tale of Scottish comprehensive schools in the ‘70s. 😎

[Boof]

On 03/11/2018 at 10:01, Blackford Hearts said:

The football and rugby teams at the time Robbo and Bowman were at school were both pretty unbeatable. I was in year below, Still had 2-3 who went professional. Combined football, hockey and rugby tour to Holland was interesting! The Hammie Lodge was our under age place of choice by then, and then of course Misties

 

A former techy teacher (and then colleague) ofmine told me he helped coach the rugby team when Dave Bowman used to play when he wasn't supposed to.

 

Mr Alan Rorie, a wee, round, hairy Orcadian. Great guy. Passed on a year or two back.