THE REGIS "INSIGNIA"

ABOUT REGIS SCHOOL.
The Regis school opened in the mid 50's, a dictate of the social engineering schemes that followed ww2 and was championed by the government following the war.  The headmaster, Godfrey Cretney (later knighted), a pioneer of the comprehensive education system, was brought in from the Ilsle of Man to oversee the running of Regis.  Despite its "comprehensive" tag, many of the teachers still wore their gowns, a symbol of the then private education system.  Many of these teachers came from the private system although many were fresh out of teachers training college.  there were some very excellent teachers although it must be said that there were some real evil ones.  Fortunately these were few and far between.  Whatever they may have been, it helped shape our view of the world.

During the 60's, the social highlight was the dance (only for 4th year and above).   I remember one year when we had an up and coming new band, the N'betweens, who later changed the name to Slade and the rest, as they say, is history.  Anyone below the 4th got to see old Wm Shakespear films such as Henry IV starring Larry Olivier.

In the 60's a packet of 10 cigarettes cost 1/9p, a pint 1/8p and most bus journeys cost around 6p.  if your old enough to remember this, i don't need to explain the coinage.  

Wolverhampton had 2 railway stations, high & low level.
The low level had remnants of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's broad gage rails. 

The "in" place was the "mil" or milano coffee bar in Darlington street.

We had mods & rockers

you could dance at the Queens during the week but saturday belonged to the civic hall.

Wolverhampton market was held on the civic car park where the Kremlin Whoops the civic centre now stands.

We had many cinemas including the Gaumont, the Odeon, the Penn, the ABC and the Clifton to name just some.

Wolverhampton was an open town without the ring road, you could drive down Dudley street.

Tettenhall was an "urban district" which was swallowed up by Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton wanderers were the Man inited of their day with many top name European and south American teams taking them on at the Molyneaux.  

During the 60's Wolverhampton had several major industries including motor cycles, steelworking and was still a major railway repair centre.

television & Radio.
In the late 50's and early 60's television was in its infancy with a 405 line black and white, one channel system.

notable tv series included Wagon train, Rawhide, Boots & saddles, the army game, Whats my line?, Highway patrol, Dragnet, Dixon of dock green and No hiding place. You could also "Keep fit" with Eileen Fowler. And there was Z-cars.

On radio there were The Huggets, The Navy lark, The Goon show, the Archers, Mrs Dale & her diary as well as Workers playtime and the 
Edmundo Ross show.

Once ITV started there were shows like Department S, The Champions, Jason King and The Prisoner.