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| The Website for all former pupils of the Prescot Grammar Schools |
| It was sad to
hear of the death of Mike 'Beak' Harvey a few
weeks ago. He once accused me of being a 'character', which was quite an accolade from a man who left so many of us with ever-lasting memories of his own truly eccentric character. Perhaps he would not have appreciated my article about him; but it was written with a strange sort of debatable respect for the time we had in his company. So no excuses for that. He was unique in every sense and despite the cruel humour with which we mimicked his bodily and speech mannerisms I feel that he was tremendously well-liked and respected. And now, er, hey!, even he is history. [Glyn Phillips] |
| I was taught by Mr. Harvey in my first two years at the school. Somehow, he kept control despite being able to be tied up by silly comments. He never had to resort to corporal punishment. The night before I started teaching, my late father said, "You can be as soft as me cap, but you will always gain respect if you are fair!" I think that Mike Harvey was testament to that simple truth. [Trevor Powell] |
| I was sorry to
hear about Mr Harvey. I have just come from
teaching my year 1O GCSE class using methods he
most certainly would not have agreed with.
However, he was my inspiration for History as a
body of knowledge, but his methods were out of
date when he was using them. I wonder how he did
with the comprehensive school intake? He taught me in years 8, 9 and for A Level. I remember him organising a " debate" in our A level group about 1976, and he was out of his comfort zone then. He told ne in the last year of A level that I was "Oxbridge material" Whether he was right or wrong is immaterial, but he was so short on compliments that this one had a powerful effect, and what he said became the truth. I should have told him some of this I suppose! [James Hobson] |
| I am saddened
to hear that Mike Harvey has passed away. Like
Glyn, I have happy memories of the man, even
though he was probably the inventor of the
teaching method of "chalk and talk" and
I remember bumping into him in the Deanes House
about a year after I left, and not knowing what
to call him! "Sit down and shut up" That was his catchphrase. [Ste Greenall] |