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A few reflections of my early life by Dr. Richard Talbot MBE, M.Phil, F.R.Hist.S.
My father was a foreman baker, mother a housewife – I was one of three children and elder brother Frank by five years and my identical twin brother John. Until the age of eleven we lived in a small terraced rented house number 30, Fielding Street, Stoke and, like everyone else in the street the early post war period in comparison with today can only be described as abstract poverty – food rationing, dolly-tub and mangle, only a cold-water tap, all hot water boiled on the gas stove. Luck would have it that my aunt in Fletcher Road had a bathroom so every Sunday we all went for our weekly bath. When John and I were small we shared the bath together to save hot water as in those days it was heated by back-boiler to a coal fire. The rest of the week was a stand-up wash in a brown vitreous kitchen sink – “don’t come in mam I am having a wash”.
My elder brother Frank and my brother and I in a special twin pram outside our home in Fielding Street. |
We had an outside ducket lavatory at the bottom of the yard. Our Saturday job was to cut up old newspapers and thread them with string to hang on a nail behind the lavatory door and another job was to go to the gas works in Whieldon Road every Saturday morning during the winter months pushing an old pram to fetch a hundredweight of coke to supplement the coal which was on ration. I even used to go to Stoke market to collect wooden apple boxes to chop up into sticks for lighting of fires, then knock at doors nearby in the hope of a sale for a few pence. No doubt in those days, my mother would have gone short so father, the bread winner, and the children were looked after first, and guess mother frequently went without. It was a time of make do and mend; nothing went to waste. The only treat was 6d on a Saturday morning to go to the childrens’ matinee at the Majestic Cinema in Stoke.
I think I am on the right and my twin brother John to the left at the nursery aged four.
My first experience of school was at Field House Nursery in London Road opposite what was All Saint’s Church where John and I were I think I am on the right and my twin brother John to the left at the nursery aged four.baptised, and remarkably I still retain a few memories of those days. From there I attended Boothen Infants School at the top of All Saints Road, Miss Wayte was the head teacher and more than once I would receive a slap at the top of my legs for doing something or another. From there, crossing the playground I attended Boothen Junior School until the age of eleven – gas lighting and one large coal fire in the classroom. The playground was just black cinders. It was here that I took my 11 plus – in fairness I did not really understand what it was all about and failed – no grammar school for me!
After Boothen I went to St. Peters C of E Boys Senior School in Boothen Old Road, situated in the shadow of the old Boothen-End stand of the Victoria Ground. Like all non-grammar school children, we were taught to a reasonable standard where woodwork and gardening was a bonus to the standard academic subjects. I was in the A stream but always found myself in the lower half where results were concerned. I first became a class monitor, then a prefect and became responsible for running around the school with a handbell to notify change of lesson etc. and looked after the school garden during the six weeks’ holiday.
Did I excel – certainly not. Struggled with English comprehension and literature. In fairness, and to my shame probably unable to write a couple of paragraphs without loads of spelling and grammatical errors. At fifteen I left school with my final report consisting of ‘fair’ or ‘average’ and ‘could do better’. I recall I did well in algebra and good in woodwork and gardening. Mr Sims was our teacher for those two subjects and did well under his guidance. Nevertheless, I have so many fond memories of my four years there and was presented on the last prize day with a book called ‘Boys Companion’ for services to the school which were many. The only prize I ever received in my life.
From school, I went to work as an apprentice electrician at Barnett & Soans, electrical contractors in South Wolfe Street, Stoke, then as a showroom assistant at the MEB followed by several other mundane jobs until I became something that I always hoped for to become self-employed as printer in my mid-30s until I retired at the age of fifty-eight. I love being my own boss, but hours were long with only ten days off a year to take my family on holiday in a cherished Morris Minor.
At the age of eleven I became a member of the St. John Ambulance Cadets and at the age of twenty-four became the youngest Divisional Superintendent in the country. Then at the age twenty-five I married Susan, an accomplished pianist, and a leading light in local amateur dramatics from the age of sixteen. We have one daughter, Elizabeth, who has followed in her mother’s footsteps and herself an established musician in her own rite. Later in life I became both Chairman, Business and Publicity Manager of the Stoke Amateur Operatic Society presenting full scale musicals at what is now The Regent Theatre, a building that I gained the status of Grade 11* with English Heritage which ultimately protected it from demolition and worked constantly to have it restored into what we have today. It was during those years, guided by experiences businessmen I learned such a lot about not only life expectations, but importantly how to conduct myself in business of business contracts, and all from A – Z regarding hire of theatres, orchestras and just about everything else connected to presenting a musical as such a large venue as what was the Gaumont cinema where every piece of equipment had to be imported.
At the age of twenty-three I had published by first book, The Church and Ancient Parish of Stoke-upon-Trent and yes via a bank-loan for I think of £270 from the Nat West in Stoke. They must have thought I was worth the risk! A further three or four followed until my last book The Royal Manor of Penkhull which contains over three-hundred thousand words – the largest book ever written in North Staffordshire. I think the total now stands at six books, plus three ninety-minute history videos.
The problem I found was that I was always referred to as an amateur historian which I felt did not accurately reflect all that I knew about history. The only way to change this was to obtain a degree, so in my early forties believing in myself I applied to do a Master’s at Keele. But what chance did I have to be even accepted – only three O Levels, no A levels and no first degree – no chance but by this time I think I had published either three or four history books. At my interview to my surprise, they were all there in front of me being examined by the Head of History. Based on these I was immediately accepted on the course, even without any formal qualifications, and became rather nervous on what I had committed too. Three years later I was awarded a Master of Philosophy degree – ‘what me – unbelievable’ – as I had left school at fifteen where I could hardly put three sentences together and here, I was with a top degree, it was mind-blowing!
Loads of community work followed, in fact all my life including saving the Regent Theatre from certain demolition and helping to create the Cultural Quarter, to promote the best of the Arts in the City. Then two years to my utter surprise was awarded an MBE for ‘Services to the Community of Stoke-on-Trent’. Where did this recognition come from? I had no idea and was almost in a state of shock. I had done nothing special I thought, I just did what I enjoyed being involved working in the community.
So, what has been my driving force, and at what point in my life did I suddenly get this passion to succeed in my chosen subject? There was no flash of lightening, no out of life experience but it was more like there was always something I always wanted to find out and build upon, one little success after another. I see it as finally reaching my goal in life. History became a serious pastime. Like others, I discovered that the fundamental objective of education is to change lives, to empower, to illuminate, to reach a person’s maximum potential and to inspire others. Education, I discovered, enables a far greater appreciation of almost everything around us, a better understanding of life and its intricacies and a far better ability to communicate with one another.
Education.
My Education from the age of four.
Richard was born in an area almost on the edge of Boothen, in Fielding Street, Stoke and as a child he first attended from the age of four, Field House Nursery in London Road, Boothen exactly opposite to where All Saint’s Church once stood.
From there, along with his twin brother John, they just crossed over the road to what was Boothen Infants School under the headship of Miss W. Wayte. Richard can recall several memories of the infants, one of which was Miss. Wayte catching him in one of the old air-raid shelters used as a store for the P.E..equipment for which he received a smack on the top of his leg. Surprisingly later in life when he attended St. Peter’s Church in Stoke, he became friends with Miss Wayte who also attended Stoke church and for years was the parish treasurer.
From the age of seven he crossed over the school playground to All Saint’s Junior School where he would enjoy the next four years of education. Richard has recalled items from his memory of his time at Boothen in a couple of articles first published in The Way We Were appearing in the Sentinel newspaper. Now they are listed on this site for all to read. Following his four years at Boothen Junior School, despite enjoying every minute he managed to retain his position in the A stream. However, results in the annual school reports fell below half-way, and frequently felt embarrassed when handing over the document to his parents.
From there he went to St. Peter’s Boys Secondary Modern School in Boothen Old Road which stood in the shadow of the Boothen End at Stoke FC Victoria Ground. Here, Richard was at his happiest enjoying helping out during the six-weeks holidays looking after the school allotments. He became a class monitor, milk monitor and in charge of ringing the school bell at the end and start of lessons as well as play time. Even found time to put the kettle on the gas stove in the staff room ready for making tea when the staff arrived. In fact, the staff and the head teachers were all remarkable, despite giving out six-strokes of the cain when necessary.
The biggest surprise in his final year was at the annual prize day, with many parents attending. Standing there watching all the academic, sports and other achievement prizes being presented, and Richard regretting that he never had a prize at school. Then his name was called out, he immediately thought “why me, what I have done to warrant a prize”. The staff considered that a new prize should be especially awarded Richard who excelled in so many ways, even giving up his time during the six weeks holidays as well as many services to the school. And there Richard walked proudly to receive his prise following all the others. However, despite this his final school report was the established familiar comment ‘could do better’ with the exception of woodwork, gardening, and a couple of others.
Upon leaving school he became an apprentice electrician at a company in Stoke, Barnett and Soans, in South Wolfe Street. Not too happy there, so after two years he left to find employment at an Electricity Board showroom in Hanley, then moving to Stoke. However, Richard wanted more of a challenge and yet despite changing jobs around every five years, he at last, at the age of around mid-thirty-something happened, he purchased a run-down letterpress printer in London Road, where he immediately modernised the shop and later added litho-offset. Richard ran this company for almost forty years retiring at the age of fifty-eight as printing moved to computers.
Then about the age of eighteen, Richard was loaned a little war-time issue of
the History of Penkhull written by the Vicar Rev. V.G. Aston to celebrate the churches one hundredth anniversary in1942. Here, Aston did not reflect upon 1066, or the Kings or Queens of England but rather on people, the way of life, the local shops etc. Inspired, he became hooked on history for the rest of his life. At last, Richard had found a focus and became determined to lean more. This, he thought was what he wanted to do – research and write history – inspired by Aston himself in the last sentence of his book “some other person must continue my work” – it was as though this was a personalised message just for Richard, a challenge which has remained with him after all these years.
The interest developed further by the year I became a regular weekly historian on BBC Radio Stoke for year in addition to writing on a regular basis for ‘The Way We Were’ in the Sentinel newspaper almost on a weekly basis. I was however referred to ‘amateur historian Richard Talbot, something I considered belittled my wide knowledge of history. The only way to change that was to sign up as a mature student at Keele University, gaining M. Phil three years later.
Following the publication of his major work entitled ‘The Royal Manor of Penkhull’ in 2010, the largest book ever published in North Staffs with over 300,000 words, I felt the need again to once more to take up study again, which then became my greatest challenge in my life and accepted by the University of Leicester to study for his PhD in the Victorian Poor Law. I am immensely proud of after leaving school at fifteen with no ‘O’ levels. I know that my parents would be if they were still here to see me graduate.
Richard through so many activities has also made significant contributions to the local community of Stoke-on-Trent especially with his campaign to restore and re-open the 1929 Art Deco Gaumont cinema in Hanley into the Regent Theatre, is original name. It was achievement along with so many other local objectives which were recognised by the award of an MBE. Presented at Buckingham Palace by the then Prince of Wales, who himself is a keen historian.
Despite being retired for over twenty years, Richard still maintains a keen interest in history both in research and writing, giving talks, publishing and teaching to a local history class based in Penkhull for around twelve years.
Published Works
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The Church and Ancient Parish of Stoke – 1969
The History of Penkhull with Boothen – 1971
Stoke Old and New – 1977
Fenton the town Arnold Bennet forgot – 1977
Penkhull Remembered Again – 1980
The Royal Manor of Penkhull 2010
A History of the Newcastle and Potteries Theatre, 1788 – 2023
The Educational journey of Dr. Talbot from Boothen Infants School to gaining a doctorate from Leicester University is a story of the determination to achieve his goals although struggling to achieve good results until his mid-teens when he became enthused as a mature student of history but in fact left Secondary Modern Schools which provided education for pupils between the age of eleven to fifteen with mostly ‘could do better’.