MEECHING COUNTY JUNIOR SCHOOL - 1955

Hi, some more teachers I can remember in these photos are, Miss Wheatley, Miss Collins, Mr Parker, Miss Waidson, Mr Burt, Mr Collins, Mr King, Mr Cole and Mr Starr. Will try and remember the other members of the staff.

Great photos - have seen a number of familiar faces including myself.

Photos take me back spotted myself in the front row what memories.

In the bottom picture, 12 in from the right back row, is Martin Hills who later went on to be Head Launcher of the Newhaven Lifeboat.

I am in the second row down, top photo and I think my brother Brian is also there. This school was a great launching pad. I became a Senior Civil Servant, my brother an actuary and my sister Janet a teacher and deputy head.

The teacher on Mr. Parker's right is Miss Collins. Next to her is, I am certain, Joyce Oxley, although I don't remember her at this school. My first teacher at the Juniors in class 1B was Miss Marson (sister to Mr. Marson of the Senior School); she might be the one next to Joyce but I cannot be sure. I don't think Mr. King is in the picture and neither is Mr. Stockwell, the caretaker! Retired teachers who used to help out from time to time were Miss Currie and Mrs Verrall.

The headmistress at this time was Miss Alice Wadeson, an unmarried lady of great character and personality, who ran the school with a very firm hand! When I was a teenage boy my parents moved from Newhaven and I went to live with Alice in Bishopstone Road, Seaford, for nearly two years in 1955-56, just after her mother had died. Lovely to see this picture.

Are you the T. Merchant who lived in South Road by the Prince of Wales?

Is there a photo from the previous year? My sister Elinore and I were there for only a few terms, 1953/54.  Mr.(John) King was our uncle, and taught in the school  -  art and probably other subjects. I think he's in the photo but I've sent the link to Elinore for a casting vote!

Elinore, my sister, assures me that John King is there, in the third photo, second gentleman from the right, with her class teacher Mr Starr on his right. I was only at the school for two terms, I think, aged 7 so I don't recall any faces or names. We commuted by bus from Hawth Hill, Seaford. My particular memory, though, is during the very cold winter, the outside lavatories freezing up, so we were all sent home again....

In the bottom photo on the far right back row is my cousin Roger Howard, he sadly died at the beginning of December last year.

Just trying to see if my brother Chris Chapman is in these photos. He would have been about 8 at the time.