The front of the school building, little modified since the 1950’s, but much expanded to the rear.
Some Scotforth school photographs of the late 1940’s and 1950’s of myself and my contempories, some regretfully no longer with us, kindly supplied by a sprinkling of the subjects themselves, no arm twisting involved !
(unk = unknown, ? = believed to be.)
Miss Osliffe’s class of 1948. Some faces recognised, but information or names appreciated.
School of 1949: Back row:- Miss Broadfoot, Phillip Grosse, David Reay, Peter Ford, unk, Roger Beck, unk, ? Edwards, Douglas Brockbank, ? Stephenson, unk, Mr Todd.
3rd row: Douglas Pearson, Anthony Johnson, Michael Hunter, Barbara Heaton, unk, Margaret Dunderdale, Elaine Townson, unk, unk, unk, John Pye, John Dyson.
2nd row: unk, unk, unk, Valerie McGregor, unk, unk, unk, Irene Booth, unk, unk, unk.
front row: James Betts, unk, David Henderson, Stuart Barker, ? Timlin, Gerald Palmer, Tony Simpson, Andrew Caukeld.
Other names known to have been in the class, but not positively identified here; Shirley Orange.
Photo, the author: names, the author and John Pye.
Miss Bonnick’s infant Class (average age 6) 1949, taken in the rear playground. Reading names from left to right: = probable; unk = not known.
Mr Todd – headmaster and Miss Bonnick at the rear of the group.
Back row: Dennis Gradwell, Richard Cooper, Grenville Metcalf, unk., Owen Thomas / Robert Shaw? Roger Cass, Douglas Wright, Miss Bonnick, Gordon Passmore, Malcolm Grosse.
Second row: unk., Rodney Brown, unk., Paul Millett, unk., Michael Emmett, Paul Wilson, Peter Lofthouse, Eddie Cornthwaite, Ian Threlfall.
Middle row: Anita Elkin, Christine Middleton, unk., unk., Cecelia Walmsley, Pauline Holmes, unk., unk., unk., Rosemary Varty, Anne Kilgour.
Front row: Elizabeth Shingler, Eve Behrens, Linda Wilson, Judith Coupland, unk., unk., Paula Preston, June Betts.
Photo courtesy of Malcolm Grosse, names by Gordon Passmore.
Miss Milner, Standard 2 Class (average age 8) 1949, taken at the Parish Hall.
Miss Milner was a supply teacher, covering for Mrs Whitehead who was off sick for an extended period.
Back row: Miss Milner, Raymond Carr, Derek Colman, Edward Mills, unk, Stanley Atkinson, unk, unk, John Brydon, unk, Michael Robinson, Alan Kenmure, Mr Lawrence Todd (Headmaster).
2nd row: Irene Marsh, Anthea Brassington, Jean Thompson, Carole Cousins, Betty North, unk, unk, Jacqueline Brennand, unk, Anne Heaton, Wendy McGregor.
3rd row: unk, unk, unk, Rosemary Schofield, Eileen Slinger, unk, Wendy Bilsborough, unk, Ann Byram, Joan Shackleton, unk, unk, June Ingleby.
front row: unk, Duncan Kitchin, Peter Stephenson, Stanley Blacktop, Bill Kitchen, Michael Whalley, David Potter, unk, unk, John Ray.
Photo courtesy of Ray Carr.
Miss Broadfoot’s infants class (average age 7) of 1950, taken in the rear playground.
Back row: Miss Broadfoot, Maureen Highton, Katrina Thewlis, Paula Preston, unk, Judith Coupland, Linda Wilson, Mr Todd (Headmaster).
2nd row: unk, Edgar Birtle, Michael Darke, Dennis Gradwell, Richard Cooper, Derek Redmond, Malcolm Grosse, Gordon Passmore.
3rd row: Sheila Alexander, Roger Cass ?, Michael Holmes ?, Brian ?, Michael Smith, Michael Emmett, Paul Wilson ?, Ian Threlfall, Rodney Brown, Paul Millett ?, unk.
front row: Christine Robinson, Elizabeth Shingler, unk, unk, unk, Ann Wilson, Christine Middleton, June Betts ?, Anita Elkin ?.
front pair: Gloria Gee, Cherith Helme.
On conclusion of summer term July 1950, this class moved to the Parish Hall and split in to two streams under Miss Tooth and Mr Sarginson.
Photo courtesy of Gordon Passmore, Melbourne, Australia.
Back row: Mr Evans, Jean Nicholson, Alma ?, Valerie Stephenson, Kathleen M Taylor, Helen Potter, Mr Todd.
4th row: unk, Rodney Higham, Alan Rogerson, Michael Cooper, Alan Casson, Maurice Cropper, John Threlfall, Trevor Dilworth, Tommy Houghton, Mrs Harvey.
3rd row: Alan Rodriguez, Howard Parkinson, Raymond Harper, Malcolm J Bishop, Barry Hunter, Jimmy Potter, Alan Passmore, Colin Todd, David Whitehead, Harold Johnston, Charles W Parkinson.
2nd row: Marjorie R White, Jean Corless, unk, Gillian Schofield, Connie Wilson?, Hermione Cornthwaite, Aileen Chandler, Margaret Maudsley?, Janet Nichol.
front row: unk, Michael Parkinson, Edward Hodgson, David Meredith Moores.
The two unidentified boys may be Norman Dickinson and Alan Richardson.
Photo courtesy of Alan Passmore, Neston, Wirral.
Girls kneeling at the front are Judith Coupland and Gloria Gee, seen elsewhere on these pages.
An as yet, unidentified class of about 1951. Teacher, Miss Bonnick at 3rd right back row.
Several faces recognised, but not yet ‘named’.
Class of Standard 2b (average age 9) 1952. Taken in the rear playground of the Scotforth Parish Hall, Palatine Avenue, now built on with bungalows. Class teacher believed to have been Miss Hawkins, but not present here.
Back row: Mr Todd – headmaster.
Second row: Edgar Birtle, unk, Dennis Gradwell, Richard Cooper, Peter Lofthouse, Michael Smith, Michael Darke, Gordon Passmore.
Front row: Penny Seddon, June Betts, unk, Judith Coupland, Gloria Gee, unk, Sheila Alexander, unk, Maureen Highton.
Front pair: unk, Grenville Metcalf.
Miss Hawkins class, Std 1A of 1951 (average age 8) at Scotforth Parish Hall.
Back row: Miss Hawkins, unk, unk, Malcolm Grosse, unk, unk.
2nd row: Eddie Cornthwaite, Michael ?, Robert Whiteside, Michael Emmett, Ian Threlfall, Rodney Brown, Michael Holmes, Roger Cass ?, Paul Middleton, Douglas Wright, Derek Redmond, Robert Shaw.
3rd row: unk, unk, Christine Middleton, Elizabeth Shingler, Ann Kilgour, Linda Wilson, Katrina Thewlis, Paula Preston, unk, Cherith Helme, Cecilia Walmsley, Christine Robinson, Anita Elkin ?
front pair: Rosemary Varty, Pauline Holmes.
Class 1B at Scotforth Parish Hall.
Back row: Mr Sarginson, Edgar Birtle, Michael Smith, Peter Lofthouse, Dennis Gradwell, unk.
front row: Penny Seddon, Gordon Passmore, Sheila Alexander, Grenville Metcalf, unk, Michael Darke, June Betts, Brian ?, unk, Richard Cooper, Maureen Heighton.
front pair: Judith Coupland, Gloria Gee.
Standard 3 Class of 47 children (average age 9) taken on the rear playground of Scotforth Parish Hall.
Back row: Mr Todd (Headmaster), Linda Shackleton, unk, unk, unk, Jean Moffatt, Susan Way, Angela Yemm, Maureen Lewis, Brenda Mason, unk, unk, Pat Griffin, Mrs Whitehead.
2nd row: unk, Tony Robinson, Roy Blacktop, Steven Hardy, Raymond Bennett, Roger Edmondson, Michael Wilkinson, Gordon Richardson, David Nicholson, Derek Heydon, Tony Muchall, Brian Corless, Bill Burrows.
3rd row: unk (kneeling), unk, Susan Lamb, Brenda Hill, unk, Fiona Campbell, Jennifer ?, Anita Elkin, unk, Carol Sage, Maureen ?, ? Coleman, Rosalind Pinder.
Front row: Christopher Lawson, unk, Keith McLachlan, Billy Cowan, Arthur Kirkbride, Philip Crowther, unk, Bruce Abbott, unk (kneeling).
Photo courtesy of Mrs Mary Ellen Griffin. Names courtesy of Tony Muchall.
Mr Evans Standard 4 Class (average age 11) 1954, taken in the rear playground, main school.
Back row: Mr Todd (Headmaster), Christine Middleton, unk, Pamela Woods, Cherith Helme, unk, Rosemary Varty, unk, Ann Kilgour, Katrina Thewliss, Mr Evans.
2nd row: unk, Danny Elwood, Douglas Wright, David Bishop, unk, Richard Cooper, unk, Derek Redmond, unk, Eddie Cornthwaite, Robert Shaw, Malcolm Grosse.
3rd row: unk, Cecelia Walmsley ?, unk, unk, Penny Seddon, unk, Elisabeth Shingler, Linda Wilson, unk, Sheila Alexander, Anita Elkin ?.
front row: Michael Brown, Michael Holmes, Michael Emmett, Rodney Brown, Paul Millett, Robert Whiteside, unk.
William Smith Semi Finals. (Taken in the rear playground at Scotforth School, the driveway to Scotforth House was in the trees behind the wall.)
Back Row: Mr Evans, David Potter, “Pop” Stephenson, Alan Kenmure.
Middle row: Ray Carr, Stan Atkinson, Eddie Mills, Michael Robinson.
Front row: Bob (nipper) Cookson, Duncan Kitchin, Stan Blacktop, Bill Kitchen, ? Proctor.
Photo & names supplied by Ray Carr.
Today’s school, not suprisingly, is a different animal from yesteryear. Scotforth Parish Hall is no longer used for classes. The school has expanded on it’s existing site, and spread into the grounds of the adjacent Scotforth House, swallowing up it’s tree lined avenue. The present day school’s web site can be seen here.
Scotforth House in the 1940’s and 50’s was a private Edwardian residence; stepping into it in that period was like going back a generation. It could almost have been used as a film set. I visited the house and family there several times, the surroundings leaving a deep impression on me.
Sadly, under the later ownership of the county council as a residential special school, it went through a dark period. It is no longer possible to to ‘wander’ into the grounds as it once was.
We are happy to accept any amendments to names given here, or to add additional photographs of the period. We would be particularly interested in any pictures containing Miss Tooth, Miss Ossliffe or Mrs Airey.
Initial contact may be made through the contact page.
