Dear Mark I'm sorry to contact you out of the blue, but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your account of your time at Hind Leys High School in Shepshed. I was born in Loughborough in 1960 and grew up in Shepshed where I lived on Charnwood Road. I attended Thorpe Road infants and St. Botolph's Juniors and Hind Leys between 1971-1975. George Mallory was Headmaster when I was there and I particularly remember the metalwork/technical drawing teacher who was called Mr Durden was was fond of getting any lippy lad out to the front, bending him over and giving him a few whacks with a ruler - those were the days! What you write rang many bells with me, particularly the horrors of games and PE! I was hopeless and hated it! The games master was called Mr Saley and he also taught Geography. If you forgot your games/PE kit you got whacked with a slipper. I also remember the chemistry teacher, who's name I've forgotten, who was great and made chemistry lesson really interesting by showing us how to make explosions etc. He would give us a task to perform and then go off into his little room to have a smoke. As he was out of sight the mucking about and chattering inevitably increased until he would emerge from his room brandishing a cane, he would whack this on the desk and shout 'Shut up you 'orrible lot' and there was instant silence in the classroom. He would then go back to his cigarette. He never actually whacked anyone with his cane, but it was enough to sort of keep us in order! The best teachers in my day were Mr Burkett who taught history and Mr Pilbeam who taught English. They were great and inspired a love of history and English literature in me for which I will always be grateful. When we left Hind Leys in 1975 we went to Burleigh Community College in Loughborough to do 'O' Levels and 'A' Levels. I have to say, I was quite relieved when 1979 came around and I was able to leave school! Anyway, I'm sure I've bored to long enough! Best wishes, Andrew Lacey