I think this was the occasion of either a music festival in some part of the Royal Pavilion and Dome complex, or St. Lukes’ contribution to a mass Brighton Schools choir, celebrating what? – I don’t remember!
Names run left to right
Back row: Terry Webb, John Padfield, John Browning, Michael Taylor, Andrea Murray, Mr Emmons, Yvonne Catt ?, pupil A, John Bignall, Brian Matthews, Denise Bignall ? or Maureen Durrell?.
Middle row: Diana Hayman, Heather Beard, pupil B, Gwen Cole, Alan Prior, Harold Haspby, Pamela Taylor, Carolyn Howard, Brenda Blackman, Eileen Price.
Front row: pupil C, pupil D, pupil E, pupil F, Pupil G, Michael Tribe ?, Rodney Wheeler, Douglas Brewer, pupil H, Richard Clarke, George Hearn.
Can you help?
I hope that many are still around and recognise themselves from some seventy years ago, as all in the picture will now be in the 80 to 82 age group – and also that any sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces or nephews might recognise a family name. Any clarification of the actual date and event would be most welcome, together with names of the unnamed pupils ‘A to H’, and any corrections to already placed names. I’ll apologise in advance for any glaring errors.
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I think this may have been for a performance of Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten. Each school was given a different part to rehearse and we all come together at the Dome for the complete performance.
My name is David Pierce, now almost 82. I was at St Lukes Junior School from 1947 to 1948. I was in Mr Tampkin’s class 3A and then downgraded to Mr (Fatty)Evans in 4B. I lived in Southover Street and later in Queens Park Road, corner of St Lukes Terrace.
Miss Edgel was head teacher.
I remember many of the children. Harold Hasby was in the choir at St Peters Church and often asked to sing to the school but generally refused because he said that “he had a frog in his throat”. Alan Prior used to dress in a fancy blazer with straw boater hat and stick and was a good singer. He lived in Freshfield Road. Front row 3rd from right is Gordon Brooks, his father was manager at Henekeys pub in Ship Street and was considered quite posh, he was probably my best pal. He lived in George Street Brighton. John Bignel lived in Queens Park Road. I also remember George Hearn. Douglas Brewer joined me at the Building School and later became a Methodist Minister.
I still live in Brighton and would love to hear from any survivors!
I was in the same year. I was at St Luke’s Terrace Junior school from 1946 to 1949, and in the infants before that in 1945. Yes, I remember you David, you sat next to me when you joined St Luke’s in 1947, you lived in the Fish and Chip shop on the corner of St Luke’s Terrace. I will be 82 in June this year.
Why I am not in the photo of the class in front of the Pavilion I do not know. I was not picked out to go I suppose. Like you Dave, I went to the Building School, only I went when I was 11 years old in 1949.
I lived in Brighton, first in Holland St, then in Sussex Square, and after that in ‘The Limes’ flats at the end of Bromley Rd at the bottom of Ditchling Rd; two of our Building School teachers lived in the blocks of flats there, Mr Hargreaves and Mr McKinley. It was 1953 when we went to live there, I had left school that year and had a five year electrical engineering apprenticeship in Hove, repairing and rewinding electric motors. I finished that apprenticeship in 1958 and was called up to do my National Service which was deferred. I signed up in the RAF for three years as a regular, more money and more leave than a National Serviceman. I managed to be an electrician in the RAF because of my apprentice training and the teaching I had at Preston Rd Technical College, instead of nine years for raw recruits.
After a short RAF electrical course I was posted to RAF Bicester in Oxfordshire, during that time there in 1959 I met my future wife. In 1960 I was posted overseas to RAF Gan Island in the Maldives Islands, which were unknown to anybody at that time; it was a one year posting, I got married in 0ctober 1961 soon after I arrived home, then was demobbed in early December of that year.
I needed a job, and found one as an electrical technician with UKAEA at AERE Harwell in the Research Reactors Division. As accommodation was available for married personnel, my wife and I were given a council house in Abingdon, which we were able to purchase due to Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. We eventually sold that for a new built house in Abingdon in 1980, I was working Saudi Arabia at that time. I am now a widower and still live in that house, I have a daughter who lives a ten minute walk away.
I do like Brighton, and often visit family I have there in the area, some in Hove and one cousin in Lewes, whose husband was Mayor of Lewes on two occasions. I expect I will give my visit during this year.
Hello Vic, I’m pleased that you are still about, I think that you are an old cycling friend of John Wallace who became a Quantity Surveyor He has recently moved to Steyning. I’m still in touch with Alan(Ernest) Lofty Scales and speak regularly on the phone. I would love to meet up give me ring on 01273 559141.
All the best David Pierce
My mum is pupil A, Diana Jeffery, she lived in Rochester Street at the time. She is a very fit and healthy 82 year old great grandmother to 8 living in Portslade these days.
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