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Class photos c1955-1960

I hope these photos will provide some happy memories.

I think they were taken around 1955 – 1960 when I left to go to Varndean Grammar School.

I will try to put names to some of the faces – I can barely recognise myself! Perhaps if you can identify yourself – or even someone else – you can leave a message below.

Stanford Road Junior School (1)
From the private collection of Sue Loveridge
Standford Road Junior School (2)
From the private collection of Sue Loveridge
Stanford Road Junior School (3)
From the private collection of Sue Loveridge
Stanford Road Junior School - Orchestra
From the private collection of Sue Loveridge
Stanford Road Junior School
From the private collection of Sue Loveridge

Comments about this page

  • My eyesight is not so good as it could be, but I was looking for Jacqueline Levett and Robert Bienkowski who were in my class at Patcham County Secondary School. Do the names ring any bells?

    By June Churchill (nee Bates) (22/01/2010)
  • Hi Sue. We were in the same class! I have this picture also and a couple of others. This time last year Margaret Bates (as was) contacted me and we put as many names as we could remember to your photo number 2 with input from a couple of others. From left to right: Top row:John Young?, Carolyn Sims, Deirdre Lloyd, Elaine Mabey, Sally Wilton, Jayne Peckham, Anna Trotman, Jennifer Payne, Louise Walker 2nd row:Robert Edsell, Julian?, Nigel Mountain, ?, Darrel Hughes, ?, Peter Craven, Geoffrey Mead, Robert Mann, Lesley Jane Hankinson 3rd row:Suzanne Shires, Gillian Barnard, Rosalind Croft, Janet Waller, ?,?,Elizabeth Mockett, Linda Saunders Bottom row: Graham Mussard, Peter Kelly,?, David Bamford, David Ward, Neil?, Stephen Leonard?,?

    By Liz Windaybank (nee Mockett) (25/01/2010)
  • Hi, how wonderful to hear from you. I was the second one in from the left in the bottom photograph. I too went back to look at the school – it was great to see it so little changed. Can you remember any of the skipping rhymes or ball games we played?

    By Sue Loveridge (nee Shires) (02/02/2010)
  • Some great photos!

    By Jane Peckham (04/05/2010)
  • I have spotted myself, Loraine Cowton, picture number 3. I am first on the right in the back row. Unfortunately I do not remember anyone’s names.

    By Loraine Braillard (23/09/2010)
  • Hello June, in photo two of Stanford Road Junior classes I am in the 3rd row back and 2nd in from the right. I am now retired, happy and well and living in Crowborough. I have lost all touch with everyone from that time but lovely to see the photos.

    By Robert Bienkowski (25/10/2010)
  • Hello Sue and Liz (and others). What a great set of pictures. It seems you have nearly all the names now, but here are a couple of additions. Julian was Julian Hindson who lived on Dyke Road. Julian, Nigel Mountain and myself were always good friends and kept up contacts until we were about 15 years old. I recently found out that Nigel died some years back very early but I do not know any details. Another good friend was Jonathan (or a variation on that spelling) Craven (not Peter as stated by Liz). One of the missing names is, I think, Graham Watkins. In Liz’s list I suspect he may be the boy between myself and Stephen, front row picture 2, and possibly in the front row of the school orchestra picture – names ? / Jonathon Craven, Graham Mussard, Stephen Leonard, Graham Watkins (?) / David Ward – me – / Mark (?) / ?.  Pictures 2 & 4 appear to be the last year this class was at Stanford 1960/61 – the Smithers year. In picture 3 who was the teacher at the left? – Mr. Maugham or Mr. Manton? Best wishes all.

    By David Ward (15/01/2011)
  • It is possibly Mr Manton, I think my teachers were Miss Burgess, Mr Sheppard (whose daughter Yvonne also attended the school), Mr Manton and Mr Smithers, but at my age …. Best Wishes for 2011

    By Sue Loveridge (22/01/2011)
  • Robert Bienkowski, although I did not know you when I was at Stanford Road school, I did know Stephen Bienkowski who I believe lived in Hamilton Road close to Stanford Road. Is he your brother? I have a feeling he was in my sister Susan’s class. I was looking at that photo with the male teacher and thought it impossible that that was Mr Manton but as I didn’t have him as a class teacher until about 1961 so he could have changed a bit by then. He was certainly tall but also broader by then and if it weren’t for his sweet nature he might have felt intimidating. I actually remember a quote from him to my mum at a parents’ evening. He said “Theresa is the class mum and looks after everyone else”. That has stuck with me for the last 51 years.

    By Theresa Sinclair (nee Elliott) (08/05/2012)
  • Just looked through some comments on this site and noticed the name Jane Peckam. Were you by any chance the daughter of the headmaster, as I mentioned in a previous comment I went to Stanford Road school around 1955/56 and can remember having my photo taken with a girl who I was told was the daughter of the headmaster at the time. I was just talking to my wife about this photo thought the girls name was Jane and then noticed the name Peckam and it rang a bell? If you do read this, I think I might still have the photo! Happy to e mail it to you?

    By Geoff Overton (23/12/2012)
  • I was 10yrs old when I went to Stanford Rd school (we had moved to Claremont Terrace from Crown Gdns) so I was only there for 1yr. I was in Mr Bevans class, I liked him. I used to go home for lunch, I dont know how I walked that distance, had lunch, then walked back again, all in the lunch time. I remembered Jane Peckham, and always wondered, is it a good or bad thing, being at a school that your dad is the headmaster? For me, the jurys still out on that one!

    By kevin theobald (24/03/2013)
  • Sue, do you recall Diana Bentley (my wife) who went to Stamford Rd around 1953 /4 from Preston Primary? John Snelling.

    By John Snelling (09/09/2013)
  • Hi Sue, great looking at these photos, I had not seen the one of the Orchestra previously and glad to say can still play the recorder second row from top, far right at the end. What fantastic memories but sorry to see from David Ward that Nigel Mountain had passed away (I named my first and only goldfish after him – think I must have had a crush on him at the time!) Sadly lost contact with all friends from school but still living in the area. Fond memories of Anna Trotman, Elaine Maybe, Judith Davis, Yvonne Sheppard, Louise Walker and so many more. thanks for sharing the pics. 

    By Linda Warburton (Was Sims) (04/02/2014)
  • What memories! David Ward’s sister, Susan, was my first love [at 9!] and Yvonne Shepperd my second [at 10!]. Wonderful to see all those images and peoples’ remembrance of dear old Stanford Road. I remember when Nigel Mountain died, I think his parents had taken on The Star pub at Steyning and I think that Nigel died quite young [I believe, incredibly, mountain climbing]. Fond memories of being the playground monitor on the big steps of Perrys the bakers famous iced buns and the little Tuck Shop, top of the path in Coventry St. It all stood me in good stead, I just scraped through 11+, went to Brighton Grammar and spent my time mostly in the ‘C’ stream! Left with a barely passed 5 ‘O’ Levels and worked for Sainsburys and later M&S. I eventually got into Sussex as a Mature Unqualified Student, obtained a 2:1 in Geography, then my MA and in 2012 became Geoffrey Mead PhD! [On interwar suburbia in Patcham!]. So well done Mr Smithers, Mr Bevan, Mr Manton et al. Best of all, Mrs Bridges, who gave me a lifelong love of Geography; I can still remember making paper pine trees for her class project on Canadian forests [she was Canadian].

    By Geoffrey Mead (05/02/2014)
  • I was there from 1953 to 1957, then went to Lewes CGS as we’d moved there in my last year (I commuted to Standford Road in my last 2 terms). I’m pretty sure that that’s Mr. Manton and I was also taught by Miss Burgess and Mr. Smithers – Miss Burgess had been one of my father’s teachers there back in the 1920s!

    By Peter Haden (20/04/2014)
  • Hello from Canada! I went to Stanford school in 1972-73. I was wondering if there are any class photos from those two years? I enjoyed my short tenure there and would appreciate any photos to bring me back. Many thanks!

    By Andrew Sierakowski (15/07/2014)
  • My brother Brian and I were at Stanford Road school in the late ’50s. We lived at a flat in No. 32 Stanford Road and Jacqueline Levett, mentioned by June Bates, lived in the same house. Robert Mann, the son of Charlie Mann who taught at Patcham CSS, lived next door to us in No. 30. Liz Windaybank (nee Mockett) has Robert Mann named in photo No. 2, but I think that is me.

    By Robert (Bob) Steer (31/08/2014)
  • Guess I would have started in 1954.  I remember Judith Davis whom I once crowned as Queen of the May. 

    By Alan Sandell (06/09/2014)
  • Hi just accessed this site after a long gap – it was great to read the comments. I’m sorry John but I don’t remember Diane but I do know the time spent at Stanford Road really were the best of times.

    By Sue Loveridge (16/11/2014)
  • This is brilliant, I have never seen these pictures before. I am in the first picture, in the second row from the front, third child from the right. My name was Linda Bovington. I believe that may be Amy Welfare in the back row. I remember Mrs Bridges, Mr Manton, Mr Maugham, Mr Smithers, Mr Bevan, Miss Burgess and Mr Sheppard. Yvonne Sheppard was a friend of mine. Mrs Sheppard (Yvonne’s mum) became Headmistress of Davigdor Infants school in the 1970s.

    By Linda Currie (nee Bovington) (12/12/2014)
  • I have only just found this site and have really enjoyed seeing the photos and reading the comments. I was at Stanford Road, infants and juniors, from 1956 to 1962. Have several photos but I would need to get someone to show me how to get them on here! The photo of the orchestra above – seated in the second row, third, fourth and fifth from the left with violins are Rosemary Oates, Maria Adams and Doreen Goodall. In the front row, second fifth and seventh from the left are Ian Wedge, Bruce Hucklesby and Mark Walters.
    Its amazing how often Mr. Smithers’ name has come up! I got it on the leg once for talking. He would be locked up now for his behaviour! We were all terrified of him but we all passed our 11 plus. I had Mr Manton and Mr Maugham too and really liked them. I was in the choir and Mr Bevan had us doing the Sound of Music at the July concert one year.
    I enjoyed going to Dyke Road Park for rounders. I would love to get in touch with my best friend Astrid Delf.

    By Liz Welfare (nee Drake) (26/02/2015)
  • It is a long time since I visited this page. It was nice to see two comments from old class friends, Geoffrey Mead and Linda Sims. Geoffrey – I never realised that you had a crush on my sister Susan – but then I thought the same about Rosalind Croft (not that she would have had the faintest inkling of the fact!). It is good to see all the comments about the teachers. Mr Smithers was certainly “not to be messed with” but everyone I knew had the greatest respect for him – even if some were a little terrified! 

    By David Ward (22/04/2015)
  • Hi David (Trains) Ward. Rosalind Croft was adored by most small boys! She was an undisputed 10 year old beauty! I think her dad was the dentist at the Seven Dials. I can never drive past the end of Buckingham Road by the fancy restaurant without thinking that Rosalind lived there!
    On Thursday 23rd April I was part of the party at Connaught Road School unveiling a Blue Plaque (I am on the Blue Plaque panel) to Thomas Simpson who designed many Brighton and Hove schools including our dear old Stanford, a fact announced at the unveiling.

    By Geoffrey Mead (26/04/2015)
  • Hi again Geoff. John Croft was an Optician in Buckingham Place (rather than “Road”). I have just come across this obit in the Argus (I have abbreviated it a little):

    “Croft John. Passed away peacefully at home on 12th June 2012. Loving father of Ian, Philip, Rosalind and Graham. Between 1947 and 1986 John was an Ophthalmic Optician at Buckingham Place, Brighton.

    I am not at all surprised by your remarks as to the popularity of Rosalind. Lesley Hankinson was my other “favourite” but as a shorty myself she always seemed so very tall to me.

    By David Ward (29/04/2015)
  • Does anybody remember a Mariann Kareliussen? 

    By Mariann Fallenstein (23/02/2017)
  • Hi Sue, amazing what you dig up just browsing! I’m in the first photo, one line down from the top and seventh from the left; thankfully, the jug ears are not so pronounced now! Remember lots of the names too. I went on to Dorothy Stringer and left at fifteen to start a career in catering at the Metropole Hotel and also spent 22 years in the Army. Some good memories of Stanford and some not so – the name Smithers makes me shiver even now. Would be great to have contact from anybody out there; be nice to shoot the breeze.   

    By Blair Houlette (28/07/2017)
  • I have just found this site. I attended from 1957-1961. I can remember all the names well so wish to add my name + 1 other to the list. Photo 1 2nd row, 1st left, photo 2 front row 1st right, photo 5 front row 1st left. Leon Gunn is photo 1 front row 3rd left, photo 2 front row 3rd left. I have recently come across an old autograph book signed by most of my old class mates on our leaving for the last time, including Lesley, Sally, Rosalind, Linda Saunders (with love!!) Yvonne and my first girlfriend Anna Trotman. Amongst the boys were Ian Wedge, Robert Mann, Steven Leonard, Robert Szymik, Robert Edser, Julian Hindson etc. I was a part of the very successful football team which beat every other school in the last year and was put forward by Mr Maugham to join Brighton Boys F.C. Does anybody remember playing a crazy hockey game in the top hall where we had to push a duster around the floor to score goals. I also remember football in the lower playground and the ball continuously going over the back garden wall and some poor lad being elected to go and retrieve it. Happy days still remembered well. Please feel free to contact me if anybody remembers yours truly.

    By John Ledward (15/09/2017)
  • Lovely memories of what for me was a superb six years. A bit before your time Sue (42-48). My sister Pauline was there earlier. We lived at 21 Stanford Road. I served thirty years in the army, before joining the Treasury for my final twelve years. Stanford Road School for me was an ideal school in which to learn about trying to be good (and getting the important building blocks along the way). Best wishes to all.

    By Tony Hollis (17/02/2018)
  • Best wishes, Tony. Haven’t seen you for well, a good few decades!

    By Brian Dungate (21/02/2018)
  • Jane Peckham (cello layer ) attended Vera Garbutt’s school of dancing. Her mother Mrs Peckham ,  known as Miss Clifford, taught dancing at Vera Garbutt’s  on Wednesdays at Knoyle Hall, Knoyle Road .  Preston. 

    By Margaret Seymour (23/02/2018)
  • Hi Sue. My name is Peter Thompson and I am looking for a photo circa 1961/63 or thereabouts which has also a pupil called Anthony Walker in it. I was in the same class as Anthony in the first and second years in the junior part of the school. My teacher was Miss Hipperson, I think. I also remember, with great fondness, Miss Sweet the school secretary. She was kindness personified. Can you help at all. Thank you.

    By Peter Thompson (01/06/2019)
  • Hi Sue,
    I’ve just stumbled across this site and think that I’ve spotted a picture of myself in the second photo. I’m the sixth one in on the third row next to John Craven. It brought back lots of happy innocent memories – and one or two less pleasant ones of Mr Smithers and his ‘mood swings’. I think that I have a picture of the football team that John Ledward mentions somewhere or other.

    By Chris Whithouse (03/04/2020)
  • Chris Whithouse, your name will be forever associated with a beating Mr Smithers lavished on you. It was the first time I had ever seen welts on the back of your reddened thighs and the image has stayed with me for the rest of my life. How different things were then.

    By Linda Warburton (25/09/2023)
  • Best education ever, Mrs Dunne, Mr Manson,Mr Maugham and Mr Smithers, he was so strict but a brilliant teacher they were all brilliant teachers.

    By Lynne randall nee Linda drummond (11/01/2024)

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