LETTERS FROM JILL HARDING (NEE DREW)2nd July 2012
Dear Pauline
I was very interested to read your letter in the Mercury regarding Northgate Junior school at Runham Vauxhall. I attended until 1951 when we took the 11+ exam, having come from Northgate infants school on Rampart Road. The head mistress was Miss Thacker who had taught my brother 12 years earlier. It was after the war and we used to line up for our weekly spoonful of cod liver oil and orange juice.
Living just off Northgate Street I had to cross the old Suspension Bridge four times a day to get to Runham which gave me nightmares and I still recall it with a shudder. After school my friends and I used to play by the river, a spot we called "The Foundry" This was forbidden by my mother, so the day we decided to get in a rowing boat with one friend holding a rope to keep us going down river was my undoing. The tide took the boat so that only the front was by the landing stage. We all started screaming and clamber out of the boat but unfortunately for me I got pushed by the girl behind and I fell into the river. Clinging on to the landing stage my best friend ran for help and a kind chap named Mr Attridge, who worked on the railway,pulled me to safety and took me home sitting, dripping wet, in the basket of his trade bike. My mother had bought me a new winter outfit and was not best pleased when she saw me.
Our head master was Mr. George Platten and I remember he had a glass eye.
There was a young lady teacher who I believe was a Miss Grice and a Mr Arthur Selby who had a 6 foot cane he used to wave about and hit pupils at the back of the class. he used to cane boys uncontrollably and they used to rub onion on their palms so that it didn't hurt so much ( I don't know if it worked).
We had a coal heater in the classroom with a five guard surround and he used to spit into it and it used to dangle off the fire guard. UGH!
We had to walk past Liffen's Wood yard on the way to school and often saw rats running across the path.
I should mention that every Christmas Mr Selby turned into "Mr Nice Guy" and we were invited to his house on Marine Parade for a party with his wife and two daughters.
Every summer a family of travelling children used to attend the school. They were the O'Connors: John,Elija,Kathleen and Charlie. Kathleen used to befriend me and Elija said he loved me!
later the school became a weaving shed for Ungar fabrics.
I have enclosed a copy of a photo* I have of a prize giving after a sports day. I've named as Many pupils as I THINK I can remember.
(You will find this photograph on the photograph page)
Hope you find this interesting will look forward to your web site.
Yours sincerely
Jill Harding nee Drew.
9th July 2012
Dear Pauline
Thank you for your letter I am so pleased that you enjoyed my letter and photograph.
I was trying to remember a Pauline and believe it or not a Pauline Tuttle came to mind. Perhaps it's because I have a class photo taken at Northgate Infants* and you are on it. I think it was taken about 1946 and a sadder bunch would be hard to find! I was born in 1940 so we must be about the same age.
The girls who saved me from a watery grave was my best friend, June Simmons, the sister of Benny Simmons (PFD Benny is the person who started all this off!) and on the front row of the photo I sent is a Brian Simmons, He is Benny's brother!
Margaret Ward is now Margaret Barnard. She had two brothers, John and Monty. They lived at runham Vauxhall.
I remember Phyllis (Holmes) and sadly her brother Frank passed away who, incidentally, is on the Northgate Infants photo. I did remember George Noble on the front row but couldn't recall his name.
If you would like a copy of the 1946 photo I will send it to you via e-mail.
Look forward to your e-mail.
Kind regards
Jill
*
Letter from Janet Roberts 22nd February 2014
Hello Pauline,
In clearing through some old papers I came across your article in the Yarmouth Mercury regarding Runham Vauxhall School. I have attached an old photograph which shows my late mother, Doris May Cregan, possibly at the age of five when attending this School. She was born in 1917. I have just come off your web site and found a number of names I recognised. Benny Simmons was my Mum's cousin. Margaret Barnard nee Ward was a neighbour of ours - she lived at 34 North River Road and I was brought up at No. 31. Thought this might be of interest to you.
Kind regards,
Janet
Hello Pauline,
In clearing through some old papers I came across your article in the Yarmouth Mercury regarding Runham Vauxhall School. I have attached an old photograph which shows my late mother, Doris May Cregan, possibly at the age of five when attending this School. She was born in 1917. I have just come off your web site and found a number of names I recognised. Benny Simmons was my Mum's cousin. Margaret Barnard nee Ward was a neighbour of ours - she lived at 34 North River Road and I was brought up at No. 31. Thought this might be of interest to you.
Kind regards,
Janet
Follow up letter from Janet 22nd February 2014
Hello Pauline,
Thank you for your e-mail. My Mum is on the second row from the back and is the sixth person in from the left.
I forgot to mention that I knew the travelling family the O'Connors well as they lived on land adjoining us. I remember a lovely blond little girl who had a great singing voice and she used to come in our home and sing the Slim Whitman songs. I also knew John Ward and Monty Ward who both unfortunately are no longer with us.
I lost my Mum in 2010 and I am at present sorting through all her papers, etc. I know at one time she did name the people on the photograph but at the moment I cannot put my hands on that piece of paper. If I come across anything else I will e-mail a copy to you.
Email From Rosemary Jordan (nee Read)
June 2019
Hi Pauline,
Thank you so much for sending me the lovely photo from Northgate Infants. My Mother used to have a copy but after her death in 1986 I haven't seen it since.
It was my first school from aged 4 and a bit until I was 7, then I moved to the Priory school until I took the scholarship at 11 then on to the High School in 1955.
My memories of the school are of two long narrow prefab type buildings each divided into 2 classrooms with a folding half glass and wood partition between them. I remember a black pot bellied stove inside a protective railing. When the milkman delivered our one third bottles of milk in a crate each day, they were sometimes frozen. The teacher would get him to put the crate inside the railings by the stove so they would thaw out.. I also remember lining up each morning to have our teaspoon of cod liver oil quickly followed by a much nicer teaspoon of concentrated orange juice.
I remember a headteacher lady who I think was called Miss Thacker. She always wore bright red lipstick and had a fur coat which looks like it was made from cat skins.
In those days we celebrated Empire Day. The children all marched around the playground waving Union Jack flags.
It was so sweet of you Pauline to send me that photo, it has made me go back in time and remember things I thought I had long forgotten.
Kind Regards
Rosemary Jordan ( Read )
Kind regards,
