Students
Peter Urquhart
I see from Listening to Lorca that Mr Hawkins - I am sorry but that is who he was to me as I was Urquhart to him - came to Liverpool College in May 1946. As he says he was one of a number of recently demobbed servicemen. I can’t remember if he took part in the compulsory Combined Cadet Force but I do have a memory of him in uniform and remember he had been commissioned in the Loyal North Lancs. With National Service ahead of us we were very conscious of these things.
Mr Hawkins taught French and Spanish. I think that Spanish was a comparatively unusual language to be taught in schools at that time. I remember its being said by either him or the Headmaster the Reverend Ronald Lunt, who was his great supporter, that it would be a useful language for us growing up in a mercantile centre like Liverpool with its connections to South America. Liverpool University also had a strong Spanish department. I did Spanish for a term or so before he came to the correct conclusion that given my lack of ability in French I should concentrate on this.
For me Mr Hawkins' greatest achievement was the 1949 exchange trip with the Lycée Henri IV in Poitiers. This was again supported by Ronald Lunt. The war had only been over for 5 years and this was a brave adventure. Poitiers was still very much recovering from the war. I remember being shown a wooden hut in the Lycée and being told that it had been used by the Gestapo. Food was very basic although wine was served at lunchtime which we were encouraged to water down. I suppose that this was the first alcohol that most of us had drunk even though we were aged between 15 and 16.
Initially most of us slept in dormitories marching in to the beat of the drum. Fortunately Mr Hawkins found families for all of us quite quickly. I stayed with a M. and Mme. Rey an accountant and teacher. I think that we were quite an attraction for the people of Poitiers. We played football against a team in the main stadium. As the newspaper said we were "plus rugbymen que footballers" and we lost 4-0.
I found my old notes and see that we were taught courses by the French staff and Mr Hawkins in La Civilisation Française, including la vie du café, geography and music.
Since this piece is about Mr Hawkins I will not go on with my memories of Poitiers but the trip was for me a very important part of my education as were the trips to the Lake District which were organised by Mr Hawkins. Both the Lakes and Poitiers trips are very well described in Listening to Lorca and there is nothing in the descriptions with which I would disagree.
We were all very sorry when Mr Hawkins went to Oldershaw Grammar School and I then lost touch with him completely although I think we went to a performance of something at the school. Fortunately for me a friend who taught languages at Birkenhead School told me of Listening to Lorca. I bought a copy and wrote to Mr Hawkins telling him what had happened to me. I received a quick and friendly reply. I must say to my surprise he remembered me and his letter gave and still gives me real pleasure to read, I only wish I had got myself together to go and see him.
Mr Hawkins giving the freedom of Mossley Hill (the area of Liverpool in which Liverpool College was situated) to the warden of the Longthwaite youth hostel