Once upon a time aged 16 i stood for 4 days with churning guts
on that stage, sick with fear:
those damn bidding prayers
Here, this was mine, burned into memory - a pity it didn't work
"O God, bless our parents, our teachers and all who have
care of us; they share your authority; give them your grace and
inspiration
Lord hear us"
hmmm...............
There were always 5 pupils reading bidding prayers on the stage. On time it was pupils from year 71 intake and they got a fit of the giggles between them, during Tom Ingrams assembly and he sent 3 of them out.
I think the lads who got the giggles on the stage during bidding prayers included Joey McLaughlin and the legendary Kev Marshall. It was more than just the giggles though, as I recall - they read comedy bidding prayers in comedy voices, each one getting dafter and (amid the tension of assembly and their near open revolt) they were removed for swift and summary justice.
This was one of the top 10 assemblies. I don't think the bidding prayers were intended to be comic! I think the first reader turned 90 degrees to face the second on completing his bid and the second just mangaged to get through his prayer and he also turned 90 degrees. I don't think it got any further than this. Mr Ingram carted the lot of them out at this point.