Memories of Stanmore - living through the air raids
I started attending Stanmore School in 1937 aged 4. I loved every minute of my school life there.
Unfortunately in 1939 World War 2 was declared! Gradually as air raids started we were taught to listen when there was a siren sounding because our teacher would blow a whistle. At the sound of that we had to put everything on top of our desk inside the desk & picked up our gas mask by the string around the box. We then had to stand QUIETLY in line until our teacher gave us the order to MARCH (not run) up the playground until we reaches the shelters.
One day we were in class and a german plane dropped bombs on an army camp behind the school. There was no air raid warning so we were in great danger, our teacher told us to get under the desks. I was very frightened but so grateful to my teacher who looked after me so well.
Five of my six children also attended Stanmore School. (Hazel Lane formally West)
Inter-school sports - 1950s
These photos are from the Winchester and District Primary School Sports Day held at Weeke Junior School
Memories of Stanmore - Ernie Nunn
Ernie joined the school in 1929 at the age of 5. In this video he shares some of his memories of being in school.
1950s educational books
Here are a selection of the books we have in our archives from around the 1950s.
My First Atlas - W. & A.K. Johnston & G.W. Bacon Ltd
Timothy’s Book of Trains
Wonder Ways Activity Readers - The Doll’s House
The Other Children by Margaret Harding
A book of handy words by James Hemming
Mr N Lovell - Headteacher from 1932 to 1949
Extracts from the school log book
31 August 1949 - Mr Lovell died at his home … early this morning.
3 September 1949 - The funeral of the late Headmaster, Mr Lovell, took place today in St Cross Church.
15 September 1049 - A short memorial service for the late Headmaster, Mr Norman Lovell, was conducted in the hall today at 9:15am, by the Rev. O. Hunt, Minister of St. Cross, assisted by the Rev. Beechey, Alderman W. W. Perkins, Chairman of the Managers, and Mr E H Littlecott, the Deputy County Education Officer attended. The whole staff and children of classes 2B upwards, were present.
Mr Tweedley
Mr Tweedly was Chair of the Managers (later Governors) of the school for around 30 years. He was also a Baptist Minister in Winchester
Staff photos - with Mr King
Do you recognise any of these teachers or when the photo was taken?
Mr King in the centre with Miss Glover second from the right in the back row.
A school exchange with Kensal Rise School - June 1958
In June 1958 the boys of Kendal Rise School visited Stanmore Junior School. From the welcome note it appears that the Stanmore pupils had visited Kendal Rise School earlier in the year.
The booklet has a variety of activities for the boys to complete including visits to the Cathedral, St Cross and Southampton Docks.
Memories of Stanmore 1955 - 1959
In this memoire, Paul describes the school, lunch and teachers. He recalls a time when lightning struck the school grounds,
“because there was a flash and a thunderbolt struck the grassed area next to the netball pitch adjacent to the wooden class rooms and left a small hole where it had struck!'“
The school swimming pool
In 1959, the Parent Teacher Association wanted to build a swimming pool for the Juniors and a paddling pool for the Infants on the site of the old air raid shelters. It doesn’t look like the proposal was acted upon.
Royal connections - The Queen
The children of Stanmore have had a couple of occasions to see The Queen whilst in Winchester.
Coronation Pageant Souvenir Programme
June 153
A photo of the Coronation Pageant June 1953 stuck at the back of the programme
The Queen visiting Winchester on 26 July 1955
Pupils from the school also went to see The Queen on 13th April 1979, after presenting Maundy Money in Winchester Cathedral in accordance with the ancient ceremony.
The Mayfair
In the late 1950s the school celebrated May Day with a fair. We have tickets and photographs from 1959 and 1957. Were you there - do you remember these events?
The sheep is carved by the Deputy Mayor watched by the Mayoress, The Headmaster, and Mr Evans, the butcher, who was responsible for the barbecue.
Stanmore Mayfair 1957
Radio celebrity “Grace Archer” crowns the May Queen.
This picture appeared in the newspaper in 1956(?) with the headline “Stanmore’s pretty May Queen”
The caption read: “The Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Miss E. M. Barnes, crowns the May Queen after opening Stanmore Fete. The pretty May Queen is Miss Penelope Hudd and her attendants are Ann Mason, Angela Martin, Amanda Trigg and Glenis Sommerbell; and the two pages, Anthony Stride and Richard Bramley.
Staff photos - donated by the family of Mrs Molly Cooper
These photos were dontated by the family of Mrs Molly Cooper after she died. Can you identify the missing names and can you help us date these photos? We know Mr King became Headteacher on 11 September 1950 and Miss Glover retired in July 1968.
Staff photo
Back row - ?, ?, ?, ?, Miss Clarke, Mr Wolloughby, Mr Chipperfield
Front row - Mrs Blake, Miss Glover, Miss Percival, Mr King, Mrs Cooper, Miss Brown, Mrs Green
Memories of Stanmore School 1944 - 1948 by Mollie Orwell
In this account, Mollie talks about being happy, but that discipline was strict, the curriculum they covered, marching into the hall, school dinners and some of her teachers.
Memories of Stanmore School 1944 - 1948 by Mollie Orwell (now Court)
Memories of Stanmore School 1949 - 1951 by Rod Youngman
Rod came to the school between 1949 and 1951. In this detailed account of life at the school he talks about the challenges of spelling, uniform, equipment, being ink monitor, milk monitor or even bell monitor. He talks of occasionally coming to school by bus, teachers throwing board dusters, listening to the wireless, assembly, playtime, nick-names, tricks and getting into trouble!
Education Committee minutes relating to Stanmore School
These are extracts from the Education Committee meetings that relate to Stanmore School. You can see that Mr G. H. Barker (later to become Headteacher of the Senior School) was heavily involved in education in the 1920s.
A tiny shovel to make a big school
This commemorative spade, measuring 16.5cm in length is dated Feb 1st 1928 to mark the date that the first turf was turned in the building of Stanmore School.
Stanmore School
The first turf was turned by Alderman Edmeades C.B.E., D.L.
The stone laying ceremony - 16 May 1928
Trowel presented to the Mayor of Winchester to commemorate the Stone Laying ceremony on Stanmore School on 16th May 1928.
“City of Winchester, Stanmore School, May 16th 1928, F. Webb Manley. Mayor”
THE NEW STANMORE SCHOOLS, WINCHESTER.
STONE-LAYING CEREMONY BY THE MAYOR.
Another "lap " in the direction of providing adequate educational facilities for the district of Stanmore, Winchester, was completed on Wednesday afternoon when the Mayor (Councillor F. Webb Manley), in the presence of a numerous gathering, including the senior children from the elementary schools of the city laid the commemoration stone in a position immediately over the main entrance to the schools. For this purpose it was necessary for those actually taking part to ascend the scaffolding.
The proceedings were presided over by Alderman A. Edmeades, C.B.E., D.L., with whom was the Mayor, the Rev. J. Glass (Vicar of Christ Church), the Rev. P. Luker (Rector of Weeke), the Rev. J. H. B. Mace (Rector of Holy Trinity), the Rev. R. Sirhowy Jones, Mr. B. D. Cancellor and Mr. H. Sawyer (Messrs. Cancellor and Sawyer, architects), Mr J. A. Peart (Director of Education), Mr. Goodall (builder), &c. Those present below included the Mayoress (Mrs. Webb Manley), Councillor Miss Firmstone, Councillor Ludford, Councillor E. B. Holdaway, Dr. P. T. Freeman, the Rev. H. A. Collins, and many others.
Following the singing of a hymn, Alderman Edmeades presented the architects and builders to the Mayor and, his Worship having formally requested to see the plans of the school, these were produced and explained by Mr. Cancellor, who, on behalf of his partner and himself, expressed gratification that the Mayor should have taken such an interest in that, an important piece of work on behalf of the city. The commemorative stone which he would be asked to lay recorded that not only was it laid in the year 1928, but also that the school, was the work of the city itself. The stone occupied position immediately over the main entrance to the schools on the right and let which would be staff rooms, next to which were the cookery and laundry rooms and the woodcarving, &c., and behind them the class rooms. They had asked the Mayor to come not only to lay the stone, but also to complete what he might aptly describe as the most important part of the buildimg.
Mr. SAWYER next presented the Mayor with a trowel wherewith to lay the stone, and, in doing so, said he should like to take the opportunity of saying, on behall of Mr. Cancellor and himself, that they hoped he would treasure the trowel, so that in years to come it might serve as a memento of what he hoped the Mayor would consider to be a not unimportant occasion during his Mayoralty.
The Mayor, having thanked the architects for their gift, proceeded to lay the stone, and, having applied the spirit level declared the stone to be well and truly laid.
Addressing the gathering, the MAYOR said he had just declared the commemorative stone to be well and truly laid, and he thought it might be regarded as a sign or seal of the superstructure which had already been raised upon foundations strongly and carefully completed. They could already judge of the size of the school, which was simply but severely practicably planned and designed specifically for the furthering of that essential factor demanded by civilisation, viz., education. It was only by education that a civilised people could live, rule, and be ruled in harmony, in comfort, and in enjoyment. Education was such a vast subject that he would not now enter into it. The stone had the city arms indelibly carved upon it, as they would see, and he trusted that it would be the emblem and badge for all the activities of that splendid, institution, which was the pioneer in the South of England of open-air schools, so desirable for the health of their boys and girls and so beneficial to those who were of weaker health. The city arms would also remind people that they were citizens of an illustrious city that they were vitally concerned in civic problems, and must know something of the duties of which later on they would themselves be called upon to bear a part. They must educate the young child into a knowledge of his or her city, and into the performance of his or her duty. There was no motto for the city, as mottoes did not exist when Winchester was founded; but he should like to suggest a motto for that school, and that was "Truth and sincerity in work and in play." There they had closed, comfortable rooms for bad weather, and light and airy shelters for fine weather. There would be a system of heating the room from the ceiling. That had proved most effective and successful in other places. There were to be 10 classrooms, which would accommodate 460 children, of whom two thirds were waiting on the present registers of Stanmore School. There was room to expand as and when necessary, and the school could, if required, be divided into two long wings, one for infants and children under 11, and the other for children over 11. There were several rooms, including one for medical inspection, another for art and science lessons, and also two centres, respectively for cookery and laundry for girls and wood-carving and modelling for boys. Between the two large wings would be an open court, giving the buildings dignity and quietude. Besides facilities for mental and spiritual training, they would have a large playing field, in which the development of the growing body might he helped by their having physical exercises and sports. They all realised that every child born into this world was of a triple nature physical, mental, and spiritual and nothing could be successfully accomplished on one of those planes which did not take into consideration the other two. To each of those planes the Director of Education had given, earnest study. He realised their duty to the child not merely by instructing him, but by training the body, mind, and character into all-finished whole. His policy was that such should obtain a knowledge of his own ability and of the field of opportunity open to him. They must remember that in a child there was not merely the body to bring up and not merely the child, but the man, and the aim of his department was to give attention to their development physically, mentally, and spiritually. He (the Mayor) could only say in conclusion that might that school, which they hoped would be opened in January next, be a centre of activity, life, and vigour and a source of real benefit to thousands of children who would pass through its doors (applause).
The Doxology having been sung, the proceedings were brought to a conclusion with the Blessing, offered by the Rev. P. Luker.
The commemoration stone is of Portland stone, and weighs nearly 4cwt. The carving of the city arms was the work of Mr. A. Beck, of Winchester.
The ceremonial trowel came back into the school’s possession in 1996 after the school received this letter offering to sell it to us.