Memories of the 1960s

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St Margaret's School Queensbury Mews, just behind Regency Square. Built in 1837 as a memorial to the late Revd. Edmund Clay, the minister at the Church. Photographed in July 1962; dmolished after the end of that summer's term.

Image reproduced with kind permission of The Regency Society and The James Gray Collection

Miss Watts was my favourite

I was at St Paul’s from 1959/60 till 1965 when I moved onto Queen’s Park Road for a year, after 11 plus, then moving up to Scotland with my mum. Miss Watts was smashing, she always pronounced my name Leon with a French style. I missed the first two years there as I was at St Margaret’s in Queensberry Mews, before moving to St Paul’s. My Mum was the blonde haired dinner lady at St Paul’s if anyone remembers her.

Shakespeare in the park

I remember Mrs Shough and Mr and Mrs Donaldson. The Donaldsons stayed out somewhere in Peacehaven; I seem to remember he had a little blue Fiat car. Mr Donaldson was our teacher and he used to smoke an old pipe all the time. At one time we all got special costumes made up and Mr Donaldson took us all up to St Ann’s Well Park where he made a home movie of us all performing ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in the park. It’s something that always stuck in my memory.

Demolished for redevelopment

Mrs Donaldson was a bit scarey; she was blonde and wore her hair up in a bun. I got into trouble once or twice for talking in class. When it was too wet outside in the playground we would use the assembly hall as a playground; we would play British bulldog and stuff. The school was knocked down to make way for the new Churchill Square shopping centre at that time.

Do you remember?

Did you attend St Paul’s School? When were you there? Which teachers do you remember? Maybe you remember Leon’s Mum the dinner lady? If you can share your memories with us, please leave a comment below.