Some time back, Sue Pidford sent us a photo from New
Zealand that caused more reaction amongst our lady readers than any
other item on the site. It was, of course, the "Whole School"
photo of 1953 - taken in the playground at the rear of Regent and King
Edward Streets. For ease of publication, we have divided
the photo up into seven sections and labelled them A-G below. For each
section we have summarised the names provided by our readership. Rows
have been numbered from the front and positions counted from the left.
After 50 years, it is possible that there may be a
misspelling or two. We may also have confused things with regard to the
marital status of the occasional teacher. If so, we would like to
apologise. If you can add or correct any names, please let us know.
SECTION A
*
Row
6
(Back) |
Position
1 from left: Marion Money, Pos 3: Edna
Hinkley, Pos 5: Yunita Ovenden,
Pos 6: Jane Tomlinson, Pos 8: Wendy
Simpson, Pos 10: Jill Leggatt,
Pos 13: Ann Fisher, Pos 15: Vivienne
Phillips. |
| Row
5 |
Postion
11 from left: Janet Yeatman |
| Row
4 |
Position
1 from left: Patricia Patterson,
Pos 2: Margaret Lang, Pos 3: Gillian
Wilson, Pos 5: Frances Heche,
Pos 6: Judy Nurse, Pos 8: Penny
Childs, Pos 10: Susan Baxter, Pos
11: Gillian Ovenden, Pos 12: Caroline
Knight. |
| Row
3 |
Position
2 from left: Jean Furness, Pos 3: Jean
Allen, Pos 4: Madeline Orping, Pos
5:Brenda Hermitage/Bristow (now
Sydney, Australia), Pos 6: Sue
Pidford/Dancer (New Zealand), Pos
8: Wendy Partridge,
Pos 13: Carol Renn/Parker
(Canada), Pos
15: Jackie Mitchell. |
| Row
2 |
Position
1 from left: Pat Revell, Pos 3: Audrey
Harrison, Pos 12: Pat Dewhurst |
Row
1
(Front) |
Position
1 from left: Patricia Hobbs, Pos
4: Maureen Harley, Pos 5:
Mary Bartlett, Pos 6: Jacqui
Whorlow/Whatson (Dover)
Pos 7: Georgina Yeatman, Pos 8:
Sandra Taylor, Pos 9: Judy Haswell,
Pos 12: Maureen Saunders. |
Please Note: Row 3 starts two
heads in from the left!
SECTION B
Row 7
(Extra) |
|
Row 6
(Back) |
Position
3 from left: Diane Pierce, Pos 5:
Elizabeth Tom, Pos 6: Stephanie
Ward, Pos 7: Heather Smith, Pos:
9: Glennis Crooks/ McCaughey/ Harwig . Pos
11: Jennifer Foster, Pos 12: Bronwyn
Hill Evans. |
| Row 5 |
Position
1 from left: Diane Russell, Pos
3: Marion Fulsar, Pos 6:
Dorothy Harvey. |
| Row 4 |
|
| Row 3 |
Position
3 from left: Kathleen Allen, Pos
4: Diane Webster, Pos 5: Margaret
Nash, Pos 6: Gillian Eldridge,
Pos 8: Audrey Norris, Pos 9 : Miss
Tucker, Pos 10: Mrs Conley, Pos
11: Mrs Benyon. |
| Row 2 |
Position
3 from left: Susan Thundow, Pos
8: Gloria Martin, Pos 10:
Maureen Smith |
Row 1
(Front) |
Position
2 from left: Patricia Harman, Pos
5: Carol Keen, Pos 7: Jean
Goodban, Pos 10: Jean McGillivray. |
SECTION C
Row 6
(Back) |
|
| Row 5 |
Position
2 from left: Marion Proctor, Pos
3: Daphne Philpott, Pos 4: Christine
De Lenkirk, Pos 6: Judith Fuggle,
Pos 7: Ann Gower, Pos 9: Jennifer
Dalby, Pos 10: Janetta Stone. |
| Row 4 |
Position
1 from left: Helen Wilson, Pos 2:
Jill Henson, Pos 5: Rosemary
Lindridge, Pos 7: Valerie Stroud,
Pos 8: Sarah Carlton, Pos
9: Sally Phillips, Pos 10: Hilary
Foster, Pos 11: Kathleen Leas |
| Row 3 |
Position
1 from left: Mrs Benyon, Pos 2: Miss
Selwood, Pos 3: Miss Hall,
Pos 4: Miss Pearce, Pos 5: Miss
Jarman (Headmistress), Pos
6: Mrs Haxby, Pos 7: Miss
Mexted. |
| Row 2 |
Position
2 from left: Carol Lukehurst, Pos
4: Frances West, Pos 6: Veronica
Webb, Pos 8: Janet Ashcroft. |
Row 1
(Front) |
Position
1 from left: Jean McGillivray, Pos
3: Mary Grimes, Pos 4:
Josephine Coe, Pos 5: Mary
Browning |
SECTION D
Row 6
(Back) |
Position
6 from left: Brenda Morseman. |
| Row 5 |
Position
1 from left: Janetta Stone, Pos
2: Judith Baldwin, Pos 3: Sarah
Gallop, Pos 6: Ann Jacobs, Pos
7: Stephanie Saunders, Pos 3: Jill
Seath. |
| Row 4 |
Position
1 from left: Sally Phillips, Pos
2: Hilary Foster, Pos 3:
Marion West, Pos: 4: Julia
Stewart (now Seath), Pos 6: Corinne
Cavender, Pos 7: Suzanne Birch,
Pos 8: Hazel Rawkins, Pos 9: Jill
Wiggins. |
| Row 3 |
Position
1 from left: Miss Mexted, Pos 3: Miss
Pierie, Pos 4: Miss Jenner, Pos
5: Miss Hewitt, Pos 6: Miss
Lodder, |
| Row 2 |
Position
2 from left: Jackie Ryan, Pos 3: Geraldine
Foreman, Pos 6:Sally Castle |
Row 1
(Front) |
Position
1 from left: June Collar, Pos 2: Sandra
Taylor |
SECTION E
Row
6
(Back) |
Position
4 from left: Hazel Mew |
| Row
5 |
|
| Row
4 |
Position
4 from left: Susan Collins, Pos
5: Janice Laker, Pos 7: Susan
Gilpin. |
| Row
3 |
Position
1 from left: Miss Lodder, Pos 2: Pat
Martin, Pos 3: Janet Friend,
Pos 7: Janet Davies |
| Row
2 |
Position
7 from left: Bonnie Smithers |
Row
1
(Front) |
Position
2 from left: Eileen Monk, Pos 3:
Denise Lewis, Pos 4: Erica
Browning. |
SECTION F
Row 6
(Back) |
Position
4 from left: Josephine Pullen, Pos
5: Rosemary Moore, Pos 6: Hazel
Allen |
| Row 5 |
Position
1 from left: Yvonne Gambrill |
| Row 4 |
Position
4 from left: Wendy Wraight, Pos
5: Hilary Hutchings, Pos 7: Mary
Neame, Pos 8: Susan Breading. |
| Row 3 |
|
| Row 2 |
Position
1 from left: Bonnie Smithers |
Row 1
(Front) |
|
SECTION G
Row 6
(Back) |
Position
6 from left: Sylvia Triton, Pos
12: Marion Petts, Pos 16: Yvonne
Harman |
| Rows 4/5 |
Position
1 from left: Hilary Hutchings,
Pos 2: Pam Jordan/Steward Pos 3: Ann
London Pos 4: Susan Breading |
| Row 3 |
Position
8 from left: Annette Marsh,
Pos 9: Margarett Darby/Emery (Whitstable),
Pos 11: Christina Smith, Pos 12: Pamela
Alderman. |
| Row 2 |
Position
5 from left: Barbara Snachel, Pos
9: Pamela Monk |
Row 1
(Front) |
Position
4 from left: Ann Barker, Pos 5: Sonya
Pritchard |
Many thanks to Sue Pidford for taking the time to scan
such a substantial photo and email it to Simply Whistable. Having
experienced some trouble in fitting it all onto a web change, I promise
you it was no easy task. Thanks also to all those who have contributed
names.
Reaction to School
Photo...
In Section C of the photo, someone identified Miss Haxby
(second teacher from the right in the third row from the front)....
This produced an interesting message from Woodford
Green.....
| Jessica Haxby, the teacher shown in section C, was my
grandmother.
I briefly attended Miss Lamb's nursery school. My
recollection is that we were taught in the drawing room of her
home.
Julian Haxby
Woodford Green
Essex
|
Many thanks, Julian. Mrs Lamb's nursery school is a much
loved and frequently recalled memory amongst Whitstable Natives. It was,
of course, located in that wonderful old cottage close to the Monument
pub in Church Street.... allowing the pupils to slip out for a swift
half at lunch break.
Where's
Jacky?...
Well, many publications have a "Spot the Ball"
competition... but we have to be different... by having a "Spot the
Jacky" contest.
Yes, it's very sad but our Jackie (Evans née Ferrell)
has been sitting up in Digswell (Hertfordshire) unable to find herself
in the photo.... but we think she ought to be there and we want you to
help. So, we asked Jackie for a couple of other school ID pictures so
that our visitors can help with the search. Jacky has included some
background information that you may need to complete the task....
|
Dear Dave,
Well, you asked for a 1950s photo of me! Now,
promise that you won't laugh out loud when you see it.....
Above: Wanted Poster
I think it was probably taken in 1955/6 as I had
long hair in plaits when I first started at the Endowed. I've
attached a photo taken at Miss Lamb's Nursery School (Church
Street) to prove it...
This was in the final year (early 1953) when the oldest
pupils sat at a big table to work. The girl on the left was Pat
Wells who also went to the Endowed but eventually moved away to
go to a specialist music school.
If you can spot anyone looking remotely like either of my two
pics on Sue Pidford's school photo, you're a better man than I
am!
Jackie |
In the meantime, we've taken Jacky's ID mug shot and
used it to add a provisional Jacky to the main photo in Section
A.....
..... but, it will have to come out if it is proved that
she shouldn't be there. One key issue is whether the school photo was
taken before or after the summer holiday when a new intake of Jackies
would have been delivered.
In The Final
Analysis....
As we build up the list of names to accompany the
photograph, I find myself analysing the forenames of Whitstable Native
girls in 1953 to discover which were the most popular.
Any guesses?
Well, here are the top names emerging from the
analysis....
| Name |
Number |
| Jill/Gillian |
7 |
| Patricia |
6 |
| Marion |
5 |
| Susan |
5 |
| Ann/Anne |
4 |
| Carol/Caroline |
4 |
| Jacky/Jacqui |
4 |
| Jean |
4 |
| Judy/Judith |
4 |
| Mary |
4 |
A large number of timeless favourites achieved a count
of 3. However, amongst these, were two less common names - Wendy and
Hazel.
Sharons, Traceys and Tabathas? None whatsoever! Things
have obviously moved on.
We know that kids names are often taken from famous
people of the time (particularly film and pop stars). However, apart
from Judy (which may have been influenced by Judy Garland of
"Wizard of Oz" fame), I am certainly struggling to think of a
famous Jill, Patricia, Marion or Susan from the 1950s.
Of course, it's not a scientific piece of deduction and
we don't yet have the names of all the pupils. However, from my own
experience of the time, I reckon that it could prove to be a pretty
reasonable interim assessment .
So, if you're approaching 60 with the name Jill or Pat,
please don't despair. You're not alone.
Now I'll run along.... before all those Jills and Pats
turn up on the site!
|
