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Mr Smither's class 1957

This photo was sent to me by John Dixon (see names). He managed to name many of the people in the photo and I made a few adjustments.

This is the list so far:
Third Year at Stanford Road Primary Spring 1957. 

Back row from left: David Marsh, David Watkins, Wendy Smith, Robert Beard, ?, ?, Mike McLaren, Graeme Mabey.
Next row: Pete Spencer, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Marquetta Joseph, ?, Brian Hussey, John Burton, Graham Goodyer, John Lambert, Paul Gregory.
Seated: Rosemary ?, Marjorie ?, ?, ?, Lynn Corbyn, ?, Ann Bevan, ?, ?, ?, ?. Front: Mike Clements, John Trory, Geoffrey Mussard, John Dixon, Stewart Maugham, John Stockbridge, Brendan Selby, Graham Smith, Paul English, Michael Joseph, Ian Townsend.

Not bad after 50+ years! Can anyone add some more names?

If you click on the photo it will open in a new window.

Mr Smithers class 1957
From the private collection of Paul Gregory

Comments about this page

  • Further to offering the picture for publication I believe that the boy 8th from the left in the middle row was John Stanistreet – I am not certain on the 1st name or the spelling of the last name.

    By Paul Gregory (16/10/2009)
  • How amazing, I was not in this class but certainly remember some names. Perhaps embarrassing .. but I remember thinking Brian Hussey was “cool” and perhaps John Burton remembers I went to tea on a couple of occasions. I lost contact with everyone from junior school, but I was in the orchestra ( I played the treble and descant recorders ), which I recall was quite unique in a junior school at that time.

    By Simone Walton (18/10/2009)
  • I think Rosemary was Rosemary Raphael, and Marjorie was Marjorie Brooks. Also I think it was Martin Stanistreet… maybe some other names will surface!

    By Stewart Maugham (07/11/2009)
  • I remember Mr Smithers at Stanford Rd school when I was there in 1959. I always thought he was, well, can I say, not handsome. When I went to Dorothy Stringer school, his wife was a teacher there, and I always thought, how did he get a very attractive woman that Mrs Smithers clearly was!

    By kevin theobald (24/03/2013)
  • I was amazed to see this photograph just yesterday, and I am the tall handsome looking fellow fourth from the left in the top row. I was thinking about this last night and came up with three names that are missing.
    Having looked again today, the girl sixth from the left in the second to back row is definitely Linda Hildred who used to live very close to the school in Coventry Street. I believe Pauline Heath is possibly the fourth from the left in the same row, and at a guess Gwyneth Evans is possibly the eighth from the left in the second to front row, next to Ann Bevan.  Also, I believe Marquetta Joseph should be Margarita Joseph, though I could be wrong here.
    Paul, my old friend, are you still in Canada, as would love to get in touch with you? Mac is still around also.

    By Robert Beard (21/04/2014)
  • Further to my comments yesterday, I believe I have identified three more of the missing girls’ names.
    I am not 100% sure, but I believe that the following names and faces are correct. All three are in the second to back row. Second from left next to Pete Spencer is Linda Harrison, then next to her (third from left) is Brenda Butcher, and fifth from left (between Pauline Heath and Linda Hildred) is Jennifer Harris.
    Also, to correct myself from yesterday, Margarita Joseph should be Michaela Joseph, and she of course was the sister of Michael who is in the front row.
    I also believe that the already identified first left in the second to front row Rosemary Raphael is incorrect, and that Rosemary is actually the third from the left in the same row, on the other side of Marjorie Brooks.
    Don’t know if I can identify any others, but have a sneaking suspicion that the girl fifth from the left in the back row, next to yours truly, has the first name of Jill.
    Three of the girls I identified yesterday, Linda Hildred, Pauline Heath and Gwyneth Evans were, as I remember, very good friends. One of them, Gwyneth, suffered an illness which temporarily caused her hair to fall out, which is probably why, in the photo above, it is very short while still being in the process of growing back.
    Maybe soon, as Stuart Maugham indeed expressed above, some more names will indeed surface.

    By Robert Beard (22/04/2014)
  • Apologies Stewart, as I see I misspelled your name yesterday.
    On further reflection, am I right about Brenda Butcher being third from left in the second to back row? Or is it possible she is actually third from right in the second to front row? Also, am I right about Linda Harrison, second from left in the second to back row? Maybe somebody can confirm!

    By Robert Beard (23/04/2014)
  • Possibly one more name, being that the girl first from the right in the second to front row could be Marjorie Sims.

    By Robert Beard (26/04/2014)
  • Have just come back to the photo after three months, to see if any other comments have been added, with the answer being none so far. I am still not able to identify any others, except to say that the name of the girl in my last entry may well be Veronica Sims and not Marjorie. Also, the spelling of her last name could possibly be with a double M, making it Simms!

    By Robert Beard (29/07/2014)
  • Replying to Bob Beard. Gill and I are still in Canada and would love to hear from you at paulg7083@yahoo.com.

    By Paul Gregory (29/09/2014)
  • WOW!  I was in this class, but emigrated to Canada in April 1957, so was not in this class picture.  I just came across this website and this picture because I was googling and google earthing my old school and home in Brighton. It’s mind-boggling to see this picture. My closest friends in the picture were Robert Beard and Michael Clements. Hi guys! (We always called you Beardy, so until today I thought your name was Robert Beardy!)  I used to live at 39 Port Hall Road, close to the school.
    My email address is jimkacki@mymts.net email me if you remember me or have any other memories of Mr. Smither’s class. You might remember me as James instead of Jim, as I think I was called that at that time.  I remember Mr. Smithers vividly, tall thin fellow – very strict and stern, I remember getting turned over his knee for a spanking (these days a teacher may go to jail for that sort of thing). I remember one day when he got furious, the vein in his forehead bulged and he slapped his cane down on a desk and it broke in half and one half spun above his head in the air. We were scared of him because he was so angry but the whole class broke out laughing (which made the vein in his forehead bulge even more). Anyone else remember that? Jim

    By James Kacki (12/10/2014)
  • Trying to get in touch with…..anyone have an e-mail address….?

    Editor’s note: Sorry but we do not publish postings asking for email addresses and we do not facilitate the sharing of them either.

     

    By Frank Demme (04/03/2015)
  • Sitting next to Marjorie is Pauline Bampton and next to her with the white bow is Sonia Christensen. We have remained in touch all these years. I will have to think about the others. Mr Smithers always carried a cane and together with Miss Bland was a good teacher.  Delighted to see the photo at long last.  Best wishes to all

    By Sonia Baker, nee Christensen (18/01/2016)
  • The only Jill I knew was Jill Saunders. Mike Clements was my best man and I only saw him once after that. Is he still alive?

    By John Trory (03/04/2017)
  • Trosser Trory, nice to see your comment and I do believe you are correct in that the girl on my right as you look at the photo is Jill Saunders. I am in touch all the time with Paul Gregory, who may know where Mike Clements is. I will ask him. Mike McLaren from the other end of Tivoli Crescent from your old place is still going strong also. Do you remember the old subbuteo days with John Lambert and are you still supporting Norwich? 

    By Robert Beard (09/04/2017)
  • How well I remember the thrashing you and Paul got for misbehaving on the No. 12 bus. Nice to hear Mike McLaren is OK – his brother tragically committed suicide in his early twenties. I have just sold all my old Subbuteo teams as collectors’ items – it was much better than computer games. I just celebrated (or not) my 70th and, to make a change from running marathons, I am going in for the national veterans championships at 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m (metres, not miles) and also play cricket in the summer, when it does not rain.

    By John Trory (07/06/2017)
  • I think the girl 2nd in 2nd row down is Maria, no idea of the surname.

    By John Trory (07/06/2017)
  • On looking closer, I do not think the girl next to Bob Beard is Jill Saunders who always had straight hair. A new name to consider has sprung to mind – Judy Cornwall.
    Norwich is the Trory family’s ancestral town, even having a Trory Street, so I do keep an interest going there. A few years ago I had several thousand shares in Birmingham City and got David Sullivan to sponsor me in the London Marathon. The shares did better than the football team ever did.

    By John Trory (09/06/2017)
  • Although I was in 4A2 I remember some of you lot.
    I must say though that no one looks ten or eleven years old, was that really 1957……
    I was unlucky enough to be in Mr Bevan’s class in the 3rd and 4th year and hated every minute, I was lucky enough to count Gwyneth Evans as my first girlfriend (aged 6ish).
    My only claim to fame at Stanford Road was being in the boxing team with Barry Goodall.
    We were both Brighton champions in the 4th year.
    I now live in Chichester, West Sussex, having spent most of my working life in the Jewellery Business.
    Thanks for the memories,
    Kenneth Ankers.

    By Kenneth Ankers. (03/03/2020)

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