Could the girl in the first, (top), picture, centre of third row from front, have been called Doreen?. She has a remarkable resemblance to the wife of someone I knew who lived in Lower Bevendean and then Coldean. Regards

Jeremy, I don't think the girl in the photo is called Doreen although I can't remember her name for the moment. I do remember a lot of the other people though and they are, starting from top row, left; Dear old Mr Roberts, remember the face but not the name of the next two- then Roger Scrivens, Sidney (Jimmy) Hopper, Graham Cooper, John Williamson, Michael ? and Vernon Stunt (he who put this photo on the site). Next row down; Sheila Roddis, can't remember the next two, Jackie Fox, can't recall, Brenda Campbell (my best friend), Gillian Parsons, bNorma Hislam, then can't remember. Next row down is me, Lawrence Farey (his mum was lollipop lady), Terry Lawrence, don't know next two, Cynthia Duke, Marion? Seymour Mathews, Victor Marriot and Brian Fowler. Bottom row; Colin Montgomery (his mum put a grip in his hair), Ian ?, Roger ?, Kenneth White, David Redford, can't remember and Trevor Scrase. Not bad, considering I have to go through all my children's and grandchildren's names before I get the right one. I left Coombe Road School fifty odd years ago in 1957 and remember it well. So why can't I remember what I was doing yesterday.

I tripped over this page and am grateful for the superior memory of Linda Keats for being able to recite most of the names and for Vernon who posted the two photos which I don't think I have seen before. I used to live in Canfield Road where my Mum had lived from 1928 when her Dad bought the place (£350) until she died in September 2006. My sister Geraldine and I eventually sold the place and Mum got her wish for it to stay in the family; it was sold, uncannily, to another Mr Cooper. When we checked some of Mum's documents we discovered she was a tailoress, and used to make suits for Radclyffe-Hall a famous lesbian and whose scandal rocked society in the 1930's. Dad was in charge of maintenance at Dentsply, I guess what one would now call the Works Engineer. He died in 1964 at St Thomass's following a second operation for the removal of a brain tumour. I ended up following Dad's footsteps as an Engineer, but in waste management and recycling, and now live in Harlington, Beds.

Next to Vernon Stunt is Michael Roser with whom I was always having fights I recall. Subsequently (in the mid 60s) he and I met up through a friend as we shared a passion for motorbikes. He had got his Institute of Advanced Motorists Award for bikes by then. After that we lost touch.

Hello, have just come across this site. Great.

In the photo with the male teacher I am in the back row, second from the right. Was recently told about this site by a friend who lives in Peacehaven and is a few years older than myself but a Coombe Road pupil too! Many thanks to Graham Cooper for reminding me of the fights! I remember them well and most of the names mentioned but not necessarily the faces. Yes, I recall that both Graham and myself were passionate about motorbikes in our teenage years particularly although I didn't have an I.A.M. for bikes but do now have one for cars for the last 16 odd years. My passion for bikes lasted until age and the climate went against me! I lived in Southall Avenue with my parents and older sister for many years and attended C.R. from there, moving onto Fawcett. I moved to Gloucester in 1976 with my wife and son and daughter and we now have five Grandchildren. Am now semi-retired (65 next month) and run my own fire consultancy business having been in engineering for the majority of my working life. Regards to those classmates in the photo, especially Vernon and Graham. Sorry, I can't date the photos either. Would love to hear from anyone else who remembers me.

It was good to see Michael Roser's comments. Best Wishes Mike. I have had a think about the year in which the photo with Mr Roberts was taken. I reckon it was 1954 or 1955, because I had as teachers from 1951 (age 6) to 1957 when I left aged 12, Miss Rigby (or was she headmistress?), Miss Connolly, Miss Goldsmith, Mr Roberts (all in Infants) and Mr Bear and Miss Yorke (both in Juniors). If someone else who has given up the aluminium saucepans can refine my estimate, please do so...

Hi Michael, I used to live next door to you in Southall Avenue with my 2 brothers and 1 sister, David, Trevor and Elaine, and of course we all went to Coombe Road.

Jenny, lovely to hear from you! Fond memories of those years long ago and you and your family on our one side and Mr. Pousland and his son Bill on the other side of us. I particularly remember you in your smart, new M &S uniform going off to work with my Mother - who died at the end of 2009, aged 97. Best wishes, Mike Roser.

I and my two brothers went to Coombe Road School in the 1930s but none of us can remember the school clock. Has anybody any idea when it was installed?

Hi Graham - I would say you are right about the date of the photo being around about 1954 - I left Coombe Road at the age of 11years. Miss Walters was my teacher in the top class, Miss York in the third class and Mr Roberts in class two (he was a junior teacher, not an infant teacher as you thought), Miss Goldsmith in class one. Before that it was Miss Page in the infants and Mrs Ridley in the first two classes. She wasn't headmistress and the name of the person who was escapes me at the moment - it will come back randomly in the middle of one night when I least expect it. Best wishes all

I've just remembered the name of the Headmistress; it was Miss Maids/Maydes? Can't remember the spelling though.

I was born in 1946 and attended several schools as my father was a soldier. We lived at Preston Barracks during some of the 1950s and I remember Mr Roberts as a favourite teacher and really enjoyed my time at Coombe Road. I seem to remember an eclipse of the sun whilst I was at school there. I passed the 11plus whilst in Hereford and then came back to Hove Grammar. My mum was a local girl.

So many names, remembered or half-remembered. I lived at 92 Milner Road and must have been at Coombe Road from '55 to '63. Was it Mr Yardley that used to have a wristwatch with a stretch bracelet that he used to hold around his hand throughout the whole lesson? Miss York was lovely. My perception was that Miss Connolly was quite old but I bet she wasn't. Air-raid shelters in the playground; (red?) tiled verandas; Assembly in the massive (I bet it's tiny) hall; Carol services (next door) at St Alban's Church; home to dinner (lunch) - I only had to cross Milner Road; Grout's the baker, Colin's grocers on the corner of Nesbit Road; four fruit salad or blackjack chew for 1d in the sweet shop; steam trains sounding their whistles at 11:59 on New Years Eve; the 'hooter' (Dentsply) sounding to call the workers; the air-raid siren being sounded occasionally as a civil defence test; and the occasional boom-boom of an aeroplane breaking the sound barrier. Because we lived in Milner Road and I used that entrance to go in to school, I remember thinking that anything the other side of Coombe Road was a foreign country! It was another world - not all good but one that those under 40 could learn a useful lesson from.

Are you all coming to our 100th birthday reunion in May? Please get in touch and come along - call on 01273 707878 or contact Janice Dykes on coomberoad@hotmail.com