Mike writes:

I'm putting together something of a life story and I thought I'd get some input from others about our days at TRA. Here's some of the responses I got, and also a couple of excerpts from my diary which I kept at the time. Pathetic and embarrassing to read now, they give some insights into the poor sod who was struggling to become something way back in the 50s. Maybe they'll stimulate some more thoughts?

More input welcome, folks...

Verbatim extracts from Mike's diary

Thursday Dec 19, 1957
Went to the social (it was pouring), and entered the gym about 7.30 or so.
They started the social with a quickstep and Roger (the announcer) Shivas was the only one up. Likewise with the next one, a St Bernard Waltz. Then ­ a Paul Jones. Most people went up for that and we never looked back. All told I danced with Angela Thomson, Linda Stenhouse, Mary, Lily, Isobel, Frankie, Christine Morris, Christean Vass, Cath Joan and a few others whose names I still don't know. I went up for two Paul Jones, waltzes, foxtrots, quicksteps, etc. In one Paul Jones I found myself with Miss Young. It was a polka and she taught me how to do it, 1-2-3-hop, etc. Gitch was there dressed like a teddy boy, and a pretty sozzled one at that. Jim Mike and Blackall were allowed in (just because Jim Ol was at the door) even though they were never in Tain Royal Academy in their lives. On the whole the social was very good.

[Mike: who was Gitch? Jim Mike? Blackall? Jim Ol? Christine Morris?]

Wednesday, Feb 19, 1958
Ructions in singing. TRA mutiny 1958. Rebellion.
It all started like this:
Mrs Weir put on a couple of records and we were all giggling and cracking jokes, then, half way through the second one she lost the rag and slammed the lid of the gramophone and stalked out of the room. A minute later she came back with a pile of books to do homework from. Handed them out, and we settled down to start. Then the 3.45 bell rang. Willie Matheson got up and started for the door. Dialogue:
Mrs W: "Matheson, why aren't you taking your book?"
Willie: "I'm not going to do it, miss."
Mrs W: "You're not going to do your homework?"
Willie: "No, miss."
Mrs W: "Right then, you'll come to see Mr Hay with me on Monday".
Willie walks out.
Mrs W (to rest of class): "Will all those who are not going to do their homework put their books on the front desk."
At this a grunt goes around the class. Mrs Weir storms out of the class to fetch Bob. Everyone in the class puts their book on the front desk. Bob comes in, lips set and grim.
"I understand that some boys refuse to do their homework. Will those boys stand up?"
Everyone rises. Follows a lecture in which he said he could suspend us all, there's discipline in this school, etc. He then told Mrs Weir to hand out the books (the bell had rung by then) and departed thence.
Just as we were going out, Mrs Weir said: "I'll make life hell for you boys for doing this to me!"

[Mike: and who was Willie Matheson???]

Thursday Feb 20, 1958
Aftermath of the '58 Mutiny. Bob summoned all the boys of IV, V and VI to room 14 at prayers. We went over and he gave us a good lecture about things like: he'd have to give us a reference when we leave school and if he said we wouldn't take any heed of discipline we'd never get a job. Also he said that, on the whole we were 100% decent, but there were one or two bad lots that would put us all wrong. Very thrilling!

June writes:

Mike, You used to get on to the bus at Geanies and lie on the floor of the dirty, crowded bus and do your homework with a leaky blotchy fountain pen. You also did amazing Harry Secombe & assorted Goon performances on the long trip to Tain. I have no memories of the school part but you were wonderfully different on the bus. You were not exactly a shit but your upbringing was less conservative than ours. Your parents had actually left Easter Ross for an extended period.

Donald writes:

I like the idea -The life of Mike . Sounds like a good title for a book or tv show .I think I remember something about a diary, was it not the activity highlight of a summertime evacuation to Lewis? Anyway it seems a good reason to pour a dram of Glenmorangie, sit back and think.
Was'nt there a project to improve TRA , by digging a big hole in the back wall of the gym as a first step to demolition? I think I remember us taking turns to haul out big chunks of stone from an ever increasing hole in the wall.Were we not taken on a visit to Glenmorangie by Gardiner? Did we not go complete with empty half bottles in the vain hope of scrounging some amber liquid? [Mike: yes we did, but they wouldn't fill them up!]

Walter writes:

Mike: The incidents I recall all seem rather innocent.
(i) A prank I feel sure you must have been involved in comes to mind. We used to have Science last period in the day and would wait, bags packed, ready as soon as the bell rang, to rush out to secure one of the best seats in the bus. ["Dan Mackay's buses were all tied up wi' string, a pair o' rusty mudguards and a bell that wudna ring"] In the chemistry lab were retort stands with heavy rectangular metal bases into which were screwed upright rods. While some victim was distracted the rods were unscrewed and the heavy bases were packed into his school bag. Thus as he grabbed his
bag to rush out he was pulled up short.
(ii) In a related prank one could attach retort clamps to the bottom of some victim's jacket just before the end of class.
(iii) I remember an incident in art class. We were studying the human form and had first to draw a stick person to proportion, then fill out the flesh. I had drawn a sprinter on the race track. Just before Pussyfoot came by to view progress, and while my back was turned, you gave my runner very hairy legs.
(iv) Do you remember the music teacher, a James MacLennan from Invergordon (quite effeminate), whom we called Rudolph. He had no class discipline whatsoever. He used to wait at Garrick junction for the Invergordon bus and as we passed by we would roll down the windows and yell out in unison "Rudolph".
(v) In French you will no doubt recall that Beefy used to retreat into his corner cupboard, which had a window that opened to the outside, and have a smoke.
(vi) In Geography, out in the annex, we would deliberately scrape our desks on the concrete floor and drive "the Shark" crazy.
(vii) In English (Aunt Kate's class) we brought in plastic lemons filled with water to spray the board so she could not write on it.
(viii) There must be amusing incidents relating to canteen lunches but I do not recall much. We all had to recite grace: "For what we are about to receive .." and we would continue, " O Lord, may we truly recover!"

Once you have anecdotes from others how about sharing the best ones with the rest of us?

Gay writes:

We were all in a class taken by Beefy (don't remember the subject) but it was in 5th year not long before your departure for Australia. In those days none of us would dare to question a teacher and teachers were like demi-gods. On this particular day you became stirred up about something and a fairly vitriolic argument ensued. The room was deathly quiet while we held our collective breaths in disbelief at your temerity, a disbelief that held admiration for your courage in doing what none of the rest of us would dare do. You refused to back down and we all had visions of the most awful of punishments being meted out. In the end, however, it was Beefy who gave up the struggle as the bell finally rang and, to my memory, no further action was taken. Needless to say, the episode was the talking point of the entire school for quite some time afterwards. It obviously made quite an impression on me as I've remembered it 44 years later!!

[Mike: some time later Beefy gave me a lift in his car and told me he'd been expelled ffrom school for insubordination -- maybe he recognised a kindred spirit!]