Tangential to KBGS, but...what on earth were dentists doing in the 30s, 40s and 50s? I remember my father having teeth removed, and a plate fitted at my current age. Whereas I still have all my teeth (except the wisdoms) and no fillings.

Schools here schedule eye tests and dental checks for their students. Guess that concept was not even conceived of in KBGS' days.

I don't recall any dental checks in school in the fifties and early sixties. We had to go to the clinic (somewhere off Skipton Road, I believe - but Brian Moate will be able to be more precise).
We did have eyesight checks in school. I recall one such check being carried out when we were at the town centre site - all done in the day. As we walked back to class after break, with our class's eye tests to be next, we passed the designated room, which was empty. Pete Binns, son of the mayor pictured in one of Chris' latest photos, nipped into the room, had a good look at the chart and continued to class. He was almost first on the register so was back in the room a couple of minutes later. He "read" the whole chart perfectly including "Printed and published by ....". It caused some amusement, but not for the optician.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

Current location (optional) leeds

I don't recall having eyesight tests but we did have dental checks at a dentist at the bottom of Spring Gardens Lane, just a few yards up on the right. I can't remember too much about the dentists involved.Cheers.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 47-51

Current location (optional) Auckland NZ

There were two in the '50s - one a Mr Clay, the more pleasant of the two, but they both used the slow grinding drills that took an age to prepare a filling.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln

I went to the opticians just the other day, he asked me how long it had been since my eyes were checked, I said, 'never, they've always been round with a little, blue bit' - haha!!

There were two school dentists in our era, based on Skipton Road at the Scholl Clinic, entrance round the back in Spring Gardens Road.
They were the aforementioned B C Clay, and E S Midgley (Edwin I think) whos wife was also his assistant, and who's son Richard was in our year at KBGS. Indeed I sat by him in first year because Percy arranged us alphabetically (though I also got Murgatroyd for part of the years as well)
The slow grinding drills run by rubber bands were horrendous. I always had Midgley because each of them had a list of schools allocated to him, and he did both Ingrow Juniors and KBGS. Occasionally they would visit primary schools and check out everybody. I recall after one school visit being given an appointment on a card as I needed some treatment, but I hid it under my mattress. Mum found it a few weeks later when she decided to turn my mattress. I got a good spanking !
I also remember having to go to the clinic for some exercise classes with a Mr Skinner, because I was perceived to have feet, and on another occasion for an eye test when they put something in to dilate the pupils, and it stung like mad !

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

In th your father's day,the 30's and 40's,a Mr.Young had a dental surgery in Devonshire St. He had two sons at School who left and went to Sedbergh at 14.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 41/46

Current location (optional) IOM

By gum Brian. They were pretty shrewd in those days spotting that you had feet.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

Current location (optional) leeds

Aye, nowt got past Mr.Skinner!
I too was diagnosed as having feet (in my case of the flat variety), and attended weekly sessions at the clinic in the company of three other first year pupils (Brian Entwhistle, Jim Hall and ? Biggins). I don't remember the physio's name, so it may well have been Skinner who treated us.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

It was Billy Biggins, Brian. But I must have been there as well because Jim was at Mr Skinners with me.
I am in occasional contact with Jim , he lives in Clapham , N Yorks

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

I remember the Schools Dentist coming to Silsden School, working in a scary battleship grey trailer with frosted windows and, according to rumour, soundproofing to muffle the screams. My mother, a qualified nurse, regarded school dentists as the dregs of the profession, and wouldn't let us near. "No child of mine," she said "is going to be treated by a butcher in a caravan." She had a handy turn of phrase, my mum. We went to one on the Grove in Ilkley. A far from pain-free experience. However, I never ended up with a plate at the age of 10, unlike a couple of my friends.

In 1939 I had 13 teeth out in one session by a dentist in Devonshire Street. The anaesthetic was Nitrous Oxide , [Laughing Gas] . Not that it was a laughing matter. I came round as he was pulling the last two and remember the clatter as they hit the window. Later in 1945 I had three teeth out at the front leaving just one of the two centre ones standing ,and had 3 false teeth from then to this day. I was known as "Lone Fang " for a while. I agree with a previous entry about the belt driven drills , how I hated them.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 43-46

Current location (optional) Sassafras , Tasmania

Snap, Mike. Or very nearly. I had a Yorkshire Junior Member's ticket and in 1953 spent 4 days watching the Headingley Test v the Ozzies. On my last day I developed bad toothache and went as an emergency to a dentist in Devonshire Street who pulled out 5 under general anaesthetic. I too came round before the job was done. I was pinned down in the chair with my arms through the sides. I struggled and something metallic hit the deck. I remember the dentist shouting "Pick that bloody thing up." I don't know why but I went back to him until I left Keighley.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln

Hard for me to imagine what would require 5, let alone 13, teeth removed in one session. Were these dentists paid by how many teeth they removed!? It seems barbaric.

Current location (optional) Singapore

Can't remember the name of the dentist in Devonshire Street but not far away, in an upper room opposite the Yorkshire Bank on North Street, was another butcher by the name of Platt. I too suffered teeth being pulled after the anaesthetic (injection) had worn off (or not taken). By comparison, Clay the School Dentist, along North Street, was brilliant.

Chris, after false teeth became free on the NHS (early fifties) many people went and had all their teeth removed in one go - from choice!! My parents among them - no wonder the NHS was in crisis right from the start. There was the same sort of rush for specs too. I think it wasn't just a matter of teeth etc being free so grab 'em while you can. Many working class people in the thirties and forties simply couldn't afford dentists and so their teeth were in pretty bad shape, often beyond repair, so it made a kind of grizzly sense to replace them... free!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 51-58

Current location (optional) Cottingham

Afterthought. In my time at KBGS Neville Hind's last words at every end of term assembly were: "Read a good book, and get your teeth seen to! mm m...".

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 51-58

Current location (optional) Cottingham

The dentist in Devonshire must have been Young, whose sons went on to Sedbergh from KBGS, at your expense!!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 41/46

Current location (optional) IOM

No, Peter, not the dentist you named. A young surgeon in Scotland has been suspended for making unwise comments on a doctors' blog so, retaining dentistry parlance, I will not be drawn.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln

I went to a Mr Spore in Devonshire Street. I had one or two crooked teeth,so he fitted me with a brace.
He decided to take out 2 teeth to fit the brace, but did the whole operation in one sitting. So when I came round from the anesthetic I had a mouth full of brace and lots of blood. However it eventually did the trick and my teeth ain't crooked no more. Why do dentists wait until your mouth is "opened wide" before asking you questions, and further more how do they understand your answers?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1959-64

Current location (optional) Keighley

Ther was indeed a Mr Spoor (I think that was the spelling) in Devonshire St, but my parents went to Mr Tomlinson, also in Dveonshire Street.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

Still Monday morning, Brian?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln

The School Clinic was at 147 Skipton Road. The main entrance was around the back in Spring Gardens Lane. The ground floor was medical with an admin office at the rear.
The first floor had two dental surgeries and a physiotherapy dept, together with a 'sunray' room for ultra-violet light treatments.

Brian Clay had the front surgery, looking out onto Skipton Road. He left in 1960 and went to Lowestoft.
He died in the late seventies or early eighties

Edwin Midgley had the back surgery facing Spring Gardens Lane. he worked there from 1948 until finally retiring in 1982, being part time from 1977. He died in 1997.

John Skinner had the physio dept from 1955 until he retired. (?early 90's) He remains alive and well.

The Skipton Road premises were closed and services transferred to the new Keighley Health Centre when it opened in Oakworth Road.

Dentistry, like all other aspects of life, has changed out of all recognition over the last 30 years, as both the technology and materials have become ever more advanced. There is now no reason why teeth should not last a lifetime if looked after and not subjected to physical trauma.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Thornton in Lonsdale

Thanks for that Richard, good to see you posting on here. I recall sitting next to you in our first days at KBGS, when Percy Peart arranged us alphabetically.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

In about 1961 I got a kick in the teeth playing rugby. Apart from lots of blood there was no obvious damage. However the blow must have caused the enamel to become crazed (much like the rest of me my wife would claim). By the time I was 19 my 4 front teeth at the top resembled blue cheese. The Student Health dentist in Sheffield carved the teeth down to stumps and fitted 4 crowns. Two have had to be replaced over the years but the other two are still going strong after 43 years.
Given that I came close to needing 4 false teeth when I was still at kbgs I wondered - did any of our contemporaries have false teeth when they were still at school?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

Current location (optional) leeds

I refer to the fact that I have had 3 false teeth since 1943 in my entry under this heading, 14 down on page 1. I am now on my second set , the mouth doesn't seem to alter at all although I have 3 more teeth on the dentures now !

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1943-6

Current location (optional) Sassafras, Tasmania

I think Dave Harrison had a couple on a plate - the originals lost in the cause of valour.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln