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Year photo c1953

This is my class at Stanford Road Juniors and was taken c1953.

Can you recognise yourself – or anyone else? If you can help identify anyone, please leave a comment below.

Stanford Road Juniors c1953
From the private collection of Valerie Manchee nee Rodda

Comments about this page

  • Too early for me – but I remember the hall. It was a heck of a walk from West Hill Street. I was there 1955-57 and went on to Benfield in Portslade.

    By Chris Edwards - Brisbane, Oz (03/01/2010)
  • Did any of you know Miss Gunn? She now lives in my care home Meadowcroft in Shoreham-by-Sea, and will be reaching the grand age of 100 on the 22nd February. I was trying to get some of her past pupils to attend a birthday party on the day at 3pm. Anyone who would remember her and would like to come, please email me on rachel@meadowcroftcarehome.co.uk. Thank you.

    By Rachel Mohidin (12/01/2010)
  • I have the very same photo. I am 4th from the right in the 2nd row. I remember you very well Valerie.

    By Non Edwards (Rhys) (09/04/2010)
  • I remember you too Nona! I hope you have had a happy life – are still having a happy life. What a long time ago. Jane and I are still friends all these decades later.

    By Val Manchee nee Rodda (02/08/2010)
  • I remember you Val, and I recently had a message from Jane, she directed me to this page. I am trying to track down a picture that was taken of Miss Tinson (Tinsell?) and her class, in the nursery classroom in 1949 or 1950. It’s so long ago. Nice to see there are so many of us about still. I live in Thailand now, but anybody can contact me through Friends Reunited or (rikirwin@hotmail.com).

    By Richard Irwin (15/10/2010)
  • I remember you too Rik. What a long time ago it was eh? I am afraid I wasn’t in the nursery or infants – didn’t start there until I was 7 and don’t remember the teacher you are on about. Thailand – a long way from home. Hope you are happy. I’ve moved as far as Worthing.

    By Valerie Manchee Nee Rodda (09/11/2010)
  • In reply to Richard Irwin, I think the nursery teacher was Miss Tindall. I was in her class in 1947.

    By Iris Taylor (Panther) (27/07/2011)
  • Dear Val, I don’t know if you can remember me, I am Jane’s younger sister by three years. I live in Australia on the sunshine coast in Queensland. Jane came over last year for a holiday. I must have left Stanford Road school in 1959. My last year at school I was in Mrs Bradford’s [ fuzzy hair ] class. What ever became of Mr Bevan? He was a kind man with a lovely wife and two daughters. The one amazing thing about Stanford Road was having a orchestra and a full choir. The concerts were always packed out, the kids so talented and Mrs Verner had such dedication. But I can’t say I was happy in Mr Maugham’s class. I had to sit next to a boy called Leslie Beal, he always did boxing in the hall after school. One day he used my arm as a punching bag. Jane’s birthday is coming up this Sunday- the 23rd [she will love me for this] so I’ll go and catch the post. By the way I picked you and Jane out in the photo. You’re 3rd row down 2nd in from the left. Jane is in the same row but 3rd in from the right. Got to fly.

    By Sally Tregellis nee Kershaw (18/10/2011)
  • 1951 to 1957: 1st teacher Miss Gunn, then Mr Manton; friend Rosemary Daltrey.

    By Rosemary Thomson (05/03/2012)
  • Hi Sally Yes, of course I remember you. I remember all Jane’s sisters and mum and dad. I see Jane fairly regularly and she has often spoken about you. For many years I was very friendly with Jennifer Taylor nee Bradford, and my late husband was friendly with her elder brother David, so I saw a lot of Mrs Bradford over the years. Mr Bradford taught at Fawcett if I remember rightly. Haven’t seen Jenny for a while now though so don’t know the latest on the family. You picked right. I am the one with the unruly hair. At my senior school the headmistress, Miss Warmington, said she was going to tie it up with string if I didn’t get it under control. Do hope you are happy and well. Best regards Val

    By Val Manchee nee Rodda (20/03/2012)
  • Thought I would just add some names to the picture. Those (I think) I remember. Apologies if I get any wrong, for wrong spellings and for those I have forgotten. Top row left to right Michael Absolam, ? , ? , ? , Loreli Cooper, ? , Marion Bennett, Susan Winston, Valerie Atkins, Judith Wilkinson, Ruth Mockford. Third row l to r ?, ? , ? , John Holman, ? , James McWhirter, Elizabeth Hildreth, Margaret Vane, ? , Gloria Thaxter, ? , ? , ? , ? Second row l to r ?, me, Lesley ?, Sandra Howard, Pauline Humphrey, Jennifer Dench, Nona Rhys, Jane Kershaw, Irene Pope, ? Front row l to r not sure which is which. Some other names I remember – John Willis, Graham Reynolds, Peter Davis, Richard Irwin, Rodney Young, William Lyons, Graham Sweet, Jeffrey Tutt, Angela Sharp, Tony Prince, Anyone willing to correct those I’ve got wrong and maybe identify a few more?

    By Val Manchee nee Rodda (20/03/2012)
  • Hi Val. I have just found this page after using the main site for answering some queries I have about my family in 19th century Brighton. I certainly remember your name V.Rodda. Did you live in somewhere like Compton Road area? I lived just off the Dyke Road, near the Good Shepherd Church. My name is John Willis…first on the left in the front row. I now live in Henfield. Anyone else also please contact me.

    By John Willis (18/01/2013)
  • My wife, then Diana Bentley, attended from 1950 age 5, to 1953 when she went to Carden School, Hollingbury. The only staff member she can recall is Mr Peckham who evidently, was a bit of a masochist! Please contact if you knew her. Thanks

    By John Snelling (05/06/2013)
  • I can add 1 name to the photo above. 2nd row, third from left is my aunt Lesley Scott. My mum(Gail/Josephine Scott) followed a couple of years later.

    By David Johnson (08/09/2013)
  • Hi John (Willis) – I remember you very well and have had a guilty conscience about you all these years. I blackmailed you into giving me a sweet – seems funny now but was bullying all the same. Sorry – and if ever I see you I’ll repay you. I did live in Compton Road and now I am in Worthing. I hope you have had a nice life. Sorry I didn’t reply before – I forgot all about this page.

    By Val Manchee née Rodda (25/10/2013)
  • I am in the front row, third from left. 

    By Terence Regan (03/02/2017)
  • The shield on the wall at the back of the picture is the schools of Brighton boxing champion champions. I was a member of the team and won the Tubby Edlin cup that year, I think the picture is of the year below mine. I was born in 1943, the only person I knew in the pic was Elizabeth Hildreth who lived in Port Hall Place round the corner from me. On the teacher mentiond in other posts it was Miss Tinson who took the first year infants .

    By Terry Hyde (05/02/2017)
  • I was at Stanford from 1954 and the last post mentioned Miss Tinson whom I vividly recall. In a Class One infants’ session, I was building a wooden brick house, we had to put our stuff away later and I was carefully taking down the house brick by brick when one of my classmates gave my house a resounding kick and the whole lot tumbled down. He shouted, “Miss said put it away!”. I was distraught! He was one of the boys from the local Barnado’s home and was obviously a tougher character than me! 62 years on and it is still imprinted on my mind [A Sherriff…whatever became of you?]!

    By Geoffrey Mead (06/02/2017)
  • There are bullies in every school Geoffrey, as well as my school Fitzherbert. Funny thing is I found out when you see these bullies later on in life and show them that you are no longer afraid of them they respect you and steer clear of you. There was a bloke at Fitzherbert that always looked at his shoulders left and right as he was walking along, his head was so big, but he was a coward later on when I met him and reminded him of his bullying days at school.

    By Mick Peirson (08/02/2017)
  • Mick, I never thought of that ‘bricks’ incident as bullying, rather that there was another way to accomplish something other than my safe approach, rather a more direct method as employed by my 5 year old class-mate. I am sure an upbringing in Barnados did not come without some dramatic and rapid learning curves!

    By Geoffrey Mead (11/02/2017)

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