Photos and articles about Brighton and Hove in the time of coronavirus. See our collection and add your own!

Class photograph circa 1940s

I have just been looking at your page on Finsbury Road, although I didn’t go to Finsbury Road School myself my elder brother & sister did.

These photos were taken during the 1940s. One was takenin the school classroom, and the other I believe may have been at Queen’s Park on one of the school outings.

Class c1940s Finsbury Road School
From the private collection of Marion Goodwin
Class c1940s Finsbury Road School
From the private collection of Marion Goodwin

Comments about this page

  • I was most surprised to see the two photos of Finsbury Road School as I have both of these in my collection. Unfortunately the first one is not Finsbury Road but Richmond Street infants School. I was Sheila Hayward and I am 4th from the left in back row. The picture was taken at Bramber Castle on an outing I think it was 1948. The second picture is Finsbury Road and I am 7th from the left in the front row. I can remember most children in both of these pictures and still keep in touch with some. Thanks for the memories.

    By Sheila Barclay (14/03/2008)
  • I went to Finsbury Rd School too. I’ve just looked and saw my friend from then, Janis Sheldon. I’ve got some photos too. I used to go and call for her and go to school. I remember her brother Bertie Sheldon, it must be her.

    By Pamela Carpenter now Mellish (14/04/2008)
  • I started at Finsbury Road School in 1942, Miss Fanstone was the Head Mistress and Mr Brown Headmaster in the Junior School. I remember Mr Bowyer, he returned to teaching after being in the army, and was always pinging pieces of chalk at us if we were inattentive. He stood one boy in the wastebasket in the corner of the room for the duration of the lesson. Such happy days – ha ha!

    By Violet Hammond (12/08/2008)
  • Hi Val. I may have the wrong person but were you friendly with Rita Clark while I was friends with her sister Jean? The Clarks actually lived in Finsbury Road with brothers Brian & Michael.

    By Sheila Barclay (nee Hayward) (25/08/2010)
  • It was a joy to find Marrion Goodwin’s photos on this page. I went to both Richmond St Infants School and Finsbury Road Junior School in the mid forties/early fifties. I lived in Ashton Street, now long gone. In the Bramber photo I was third from the right in the front row and in the school picture was fifth from the left in the middle row. I left school in the mid fifties and took an apprenticeship at Allen West & Co. At 21 I joined the army, was finally commissioned and retired ten years ago with the rank of Lt. Col. Would love to hear from other pupils who remember me.

    By Robert Munro (23/01/2011)
  • Hi Val, I remember the Clark family- they used to live right next to the side entrance in Finsbury Road and I remember I had a crush on Jean. She was the prettiest girl in the school. Do you remember the name of the teacher who was always on playground patrol and used to flush us out of the toilets and used to come down into the air-raid shelter? What happy days

    By Mick Hussey (14/01/2013)
  • Hi Micheal, I know your name well from school. Do you remember Terry Langford, and Hazel South? We keep in touch on FB. How are you? I lived in Ewart Street not far from Micheal Mason. Hope you are well, byeee

    By Pamela Carpenter that was (15/01/2013)
  • Hi Pam. Thanks for getting in touch. Yes I do remember Terry and Hazel, and also Phill Marshall, Do you remember the name of the family who owned the fish and chip shop on the corner of Ewaet St? I live in Ireland now. I lost my wife Sus in October after 50 years together. I’m on Facebook or you can email me on mickhussey41@hotmail.com. I would like to chat about old times.

    By Mick Hussey (18/01/2013)
  • Hi Pamela, pleased to hear from you. Yes I do remember all three of you. There was also Bonzo Connerly, Phil and Roman Marshall, the Pipers and Smith families from Jackson street, and the Finemores from Grant Street Do you remember the chip shop on the corner of Ewert Street, best lot of scratchings in Brighton and old ma Kelly Saleing- her winkles on a Sunday. I’m in Ireland now. I lost my wife Sue last Oct after 50 years of marriage. I’m on Facebook. You can e me at mickhussey41@hotmail.

    By Mick Hussey (18/01/2013)
  • I am just re reading the comments on this site and saw the name of one of my old friends Bobby Munro. If you are still about Bob get in touch. I’m on Facebook.

    By Mick Hussey (16/02/2013)
  • Hi, this is a long shot but I see that Pamela Carpenter above has mentioned Janis and Bertie Sheldon who went to Finsbury Road School.  I just wondered if by any chance you knew their parents’ names?  I’ve been doing my late Mum’s family tree and her Paternal Aunt Margaret married a Bertie Sheldon in 1938 in Scotland but I can find no trace of them in Scotland after that.

    By Caroline Bain (01/01/2015)
  • Message for Mick Hussey. Saw your comment but am not on Facebook. My e-mail is ……. mnrrobert@aol.com

    By Bob Munro (01/01/2015)
  • Hi Caroline: the Bertie Sheldon I knew must have been born in 1939 as Janis was born in 1941, does that help?  We went to school together. Get back if you need more.

    By Pamela Carpenter (03/01/2015)
  • Hi Pamela, I’ve sent you a private message on facebook (well I hope it’s you!) as I didn’t know how to do that on here and perhaps I shouldn’t really discuss people on a public forum. I hope this is ok? I don’t want to offend anyone.

    By Caroline Bain (06/01/2015)
  • Hi Caroline, you must have sent to wrong fb name – still waiting, can you try again? Ok, I live in Portsmouth and went to MOULSECOOMB, if helps. Await to hear, Pam.

    By Pam Carpenter (13/02/2015)
  • I went to Finsbury Street school just before the 11 + exam. Our family was given a council house in the Hollingbury Estate. I have a class photograph, I think just before we moved in 1950. I do not know the names of children in this photo but I guess there will be many how do.

    By William McWhirter (14/03/2015)
  • In the Finsbury Rd. classroom photo: my sister Valerie Russell is 1st from left in front row.

    By Leslie Russell (08/01/2017)
  • I went to Finsbury Road school infants and juniors from 1944 to 1949. My final master was Mr Bowyer, then I went to Fawcett until 1955 with my 0 levels. I spent 40 odd years as an accountant.

    By William Procter (12/02/2017)
  • Hi to all you kids that went to ‘Finso school’ back in the 40s and 50s I have only just found the site and and discovered that the Clark family were often mentioned sorry to have to tell you Mick Hussey but my sister Jean the prettiest girl in the class so you said has been happily married for 50 odd years to Eddy Mason another Finso old boy. He was in Rita’s class – you missed your chance Mick, we could have been related. Seems like yesterday but as the saying goes time flies. Although our parents are no longer with us and apart from me (I live in Spain)Rita Jean and Michael all still live in Sussex.I have mentioned the site to all so they may be adding a few items as time goes by.Sorry this is short but the pool is calling me I am not bragging it’s just my way of life these days and the main way to keep cool.Thank you all for sharing your memories.

    By Brian Clark (03/07/2017)
  • Brian Clark, hi can you get in touch with Micky Hussey or Micko as he calls himself? He’s on FB and he’s asked me to text this message. Any problems get in touch on FB with Pamela Mellish. I was Pam Carpenter at school, byeee.

    By Pam Mellish (10/07/2017)
  • Hello, I’m trying to find out more about my Mother Lillian May Violet Phillips who may have attended this school. Mum was born 27 Oct 1919 around the corner. I’m not sure when or if she attended this school but her brother and perhaps her sisters did. Mum died the day after Easter Monday aged 97. She never in the 65 years I knew her said anything about her school days. So if anybody has any leads I could follow please let me know. Her nick name would have been Winnie. Thank you.

     

    By Timothy Winn (27/08/2017)
  • My sister Cecily, brother John, and myself Micky started in Finsbury Rad. We lived in Coleman Street, it was about 1943/4 that Cec started, John about 12 months later and myself about 46. I have been able to contact a couple from my class, it is so nice to be in touch. I went on to St Lukes until 1959, Cec went to Elm Grove, and John went to Fawcett. It would be so nice to catch up with some others. I  moved around a lot after school but have been in Cornwall for about 40yrs but my heart still belongs in Brighton.

    By Michael Rumble (11/04/2018)
  • Hi Brian, had a day with Mike Graysmark on Thursday taking in the old days.

    I was told you had moved to Spain. I lived their for 9 years had a great time. My brother Micheal went to a party the other day and Tony Thompson was there. Do you remember our days with petrol pump installations and when we both worked on a garage in Lincolnshire near Grantham where we first saw the concord test flight?

    Hope you are well, take care and enjoy the pool.

    By Colin Taylor (09/09/2018)
  • I attended Finsbury Rd School from 1934 to 1941 I lived in Lincoln St. Not many of us left ! Anybody remembers the toy shop in Southover St opposite Southampton St I think it was run by two ladies Miss Foote and her sister.

    By Arthur Harris (24/05/2020)
  • The 1940’s picture is definitely from that period because I started at Finsbury in 1938 and was a student there until 1944. I was pleased, very surprised and indebted to Marion Goodwin because I am in the back row, one place to the right of the globe. It was probably taken at the time of the “phoney war”– just before the Blitz, — but there were occasional air raids when we were ushered to the basement to wait things out. For a while during the war classrooms were half days.

    By David Redgrave (17/04/2023)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.