Visitors on Saturday to the annual social of The Rushden County Council Boot and Shoe School, saw specimens of the new wooden-soled footwear which may solve the war-time leather problem. They found that the school is still doing useful work in spite of difficulties.

Mr. Walter C. Tarry, president of the Rushden and District Boot Manufacturers’ Association, congratulated the students who had won prizes. These awards, he said, had not been gained without hard work and study, and the session had been successful. The teachers at the school could devote time to the boys and girls individually, whereas the foreman in the factory could not. Sometimes the foreman had not the necessary technical knowledge.

The students had the great advantage of studying the complete technique of manufacture, and they owed a great deal to the teachers who had stuck to their job under the most difficult circumstances.

Encouraging the students to keep on plodding, Mr. Tarry said: “The ball is at your feet; you have only to kick it to make progress.” He declared that his own position was due to technical education.

Shy of Factories

In concluding, Mr. Tarry revealed that for some years boys and girls had not been going into the boot and shoe factories at the rate desired. They seemed to fight shy of the factories. He could not see why they should do this, because the opportunities had never been greater than they were to-day. He thought that in the future the classes would be linked up closer with the industry and the factories themselves.

The superintendent, Mr. F. P. Wootton, drew attention to the fact that this year marked the 50th anniversary of the first boot and shoe classes held in the county. The name of the late Mr. E. J. C. Swaysland would always be linked with the pioneer efforts which laid the foundations for technical education in the boot and shoe industry, and the names of early students reminded them that they owed a great deal to their lifelong interest in that work – an interest which had been steadily developed in spite of three wars.

Mr. Wootton revealed that the session 1941-42 was completed under difficult circumstances, for almost everyone had war-time duties to perform in Civil Defence or training units. There were 70 students in attendance, however, for the winter session, and the progress made was most satisfactory. This was reflected in the results of the annual examinations, in which the three County Council first prizes were won by Rushden students, of whom Sydney Mackness, an ex-junior student, was worthy of special mention.

Summer Classes

Once again evening classes were established in the summer for practical instruction, and 42 students completed the ten-week course. “We are continually indebted,” said Mr. Wootton, “to manufacturers and others who assist the work of the school by loaning machinery, paying the fees of students, permitting factory visits, and offering prizes.”

The chairman (Ald. C. W. Horrell, J.P.), said that although they were somewhat depleted in numbers, due to students joining the Forces, they thought it would be a mistake not to have the usual public prize distribution this year. He thought it would be everyone’s wish that they should send the students in the Forces their good wishes and hopes for a speedy return.

As Mrs. Tarry who was to have presented the prizes, was unable to attend, her daughter, Mrs. J. G. Spencer, deputised for her.

Prize List

The prize list was as follows:-

Advanced stage: County Council first prize, silver medal and £2 – Percy Groom (now in H.M. Forces); County Council prizes for practical pattern cutting and homework (value£1) – Edward Beales.

Intermediate Stage: County Council first prize, value £1 – Jack Burgess; County Council prize for homework (value 10/-) – David Henderson; County Council prize for practical machine welting (value 10/-) Roy Daniels.

Elementary Stage: County Council first prize value 15/-, prizes for machine lasting and homework (value 15/-) and first prize for Applied Science (value 10/-) – Sydney Mackness; County Council equal prize for machine lasting – Roy Freestone.

Special proficiency prizes for Evening Class students offered by Mr. W. E. Capon: Intermediate stage (prize value 15/-) – David Henderson; Elementary stage (prize value 12/6) – Sydney Mackness; junior technical evening course (prize value 5/-) – Mr. H. Myrtle.

Special proficiency prizes offered by the Victoria Leather Company to students of the Leather Science Class: A. O. Sanders and T. Kinnear (equal prizes of £1).

Special factory proficiency prize offered by Mr. W. C. Tarry: Sydney Mackness.

Old Students

In moving a vote of thanks to Mr. Tarry and Mrs. Spencer, Mr. F. J. Sharwood, C.C., said that Mr. Horrell and Mr. Tarry were in the position they held to-day because of the foundations they received in the technical classes. “Make up your minds,” he said to the students, “that you are going to be superintendents and manufacturers, because there is no reason why any student who makes up his mind should not be a manufacturer.”

Mr. W. E. Capon, seconding, said the future was full of opportunities and there was always room at the top.

Visitors who inspected the school library room saw an exhibition of all types of Service and civilian footwear.

The most interesting specimens, which are likely to make a “big hit” with the modern girl, were the experimental types of wooden soled shoes. Very attractive and made in several styles and colours, these shoes have been on sale in small quantities in some parts of the country, and have proved very popular. They are under the eye of the Board of Trade in Leicester, and it is most likely that this type of footwear will in time ease the shortage of sole leather. Some licences for manufacture have been issued.