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Infants playing c1936

This is a photo of Moulsecoomb Infant School taken about 1936.

The child with the arrow pointing to him is my father, Raymond Barrow.

I do not know who any of the other children are.

Do you think someone you know may be here? Please leave a comment below if you have any ideas.

Do you remember?

Did you go to school in Moulsecoomb? Maybe you lived there once. Maybe you live there now? If you can share memories or contribute, please leave a comment below.

c1936 Moulescoomb Infant School. Click on image to open a larger version in a new window.
From the private collection of Carole Barrow

Comments about this page

  • I was at Moulsecoomb Infants School during the war. One particular memory I have was when the Bismark was sunk in 1941 and the headmistress Miss Tidy stood on a box in the playground , gathered us all round and told us the good news.

    By Ralph Davey (13/08/2015)
  • To Ralph, I went to the same school but many years later in the 60s, I am very interested in knowing a bit more about the air raid shelters that went under the fields at the back of the playground. You obviously must have used them at some point, how far into the fields did they go? What was it like in there? They were bricked up by the time the 60s came along and I’ve often wondered what it must have been like in there.

    By Paul Clarkson (17/08/2015)
  • To Paul. For some months half the children would go to school in the morning and half in the afternoon to make space for the evacuees. So when there was an air raid, all the children in school at time would go into the shelter and sit on wooden benches along the sides (there was even some ‘elsan toilets’.) The teachers would amuse us with stories and sometimes we took our work in there to do. We were not frightened because we went in there so often.

    I am not sure how long the tunnel was but it was set into the bank that went up behind the playground (sloping up to Hodshrove Road) and continued for quite a way. It turned in different directions rather than being straight to deflect the bombs. The entrance was approximately 8 foot square.

    By Ralph Davey (19/08/2015)
  • Thank you for your reply Ralph, I expect it’s all still there and may be opened up some day. It was good that you weren’t frightened and the teachers were in there with you. My parents Dennis Clarkson and Eileen Harrod were at the school at that time, I know it’s so long ago but you may remember them. I also had 2 teachers in the 60s, Mrs Anscombe who was my very first teacher in 1961 and Miss Bannister who also told us stories about being there during the war, do you remember them?

    By Paul Clarkson (20/08/2015)
  • I can remember going to Moulsecoomb infant/junior and senior schools. My sisters Joan,and Janet and also Michael my brother did the same. After coming back from being evacuees near Sheffield in 1944 we lived in Chailey Road, no 61. I can remember the Bennetts, the Fords from Newick Rd, and the Hammonds. Geoff Mead also lived in north Moulsecoomb. Kathy and Dennis Grant were good friends as were Pat Carroll and her two brothers. I remember having the strap across the hands for saying something nasty. We had school dinner while in the juniors. Also when the Canadian soldiers were in the Wild Park and Stanmer Park in 1944 we all had a tin of chocolate. Does anyone else remember this?

    By barry upton (23/01/2016)
  • To Barry Upton. I lived in Newick Road and was amazed to see my late brother’s name mentioned (Geoff Mead). We lived at 136 and I have two other brothers Fred & Arthur  who are sure to know all the names you have mentioned — thanks Barry.

    By Reg Mead (23/11/2016)
  • I remember going to infants, junior and secondary schools from 1962. Names of teachers: Infants - Miss Patterson 1st, Miss Wilson 2nd, Miss Williams 3rd and Mrs Anscombe (Head). Juniors - Miss Tylee, Mrs Robinson, Mr Gallier, Miss Matthews and Mr Quin.

    Secondary Schools – Mr Cowl, Mr Guthrie, Mr Rex, Mr Guthrie, Mr Shackleton, Mrs Merryfield, Mrs Johnson, Mr Catchpole, Mr Bear, Miss Dixon, Miss Hargreaves, Mr Drakeford, Mr Evans (Head), Mr Peskett, Miss Mitchell, Mr Homer, Mrs Hollingsworth, Mr Lechy, Mr Merritt, Mr Tiller, Miss Dawson and Mrs Thompson. The school closed soon after to become a comprehensive school.

    By Sue Garrett (11/09/2017)
  • I think the photo that is described as Moulsecoomb Infants School is actually Moulsecoomb Junior School. The reason I say this is because the canteen (as it was called) for the schools was built on the slope on the other side of the infants school playground. The image on this page just shows a grassy bank with no canteen.

    By Henry Page (07/10/2021)
  • I also think the photo is of the junior school, there was a grass area raised above the playground we called it the girls playground ,we were allowed to play there in good weather .It was a lovely place away from the boys in the playground which as I recall was quite a rough noisy place with numerous children far in excess of todays playgrounds.
    There was a large playing area on the other side of the school known as the field where we played team games .In my early years 1948 there were allotments in part of the field a reminder of wartime shortages .There were no railings to separate the field from the pavement and road as these had been used for war effort.
    There were also 2 air raid shelters in the junior playground which must have gone under the grassy area in the photo .We were not allowed down the steps as the shelters had not been blocked up but boys used to play tabs collected from cigarette packets at the entrance to the shelters .

    By Pam tomkins nee Barnett (24/12/2021)

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