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Junior School: Class 4a c1949/50

The photograph here is of class 4a Moulsecoomb Junior School, 1949/50.

Can you recognise yourself or anyone else? Please leave a comment below.

Class 4A c1949/50
From the private collection of Valerie Woodward

Comments about this page

  • Remembered classmates, back row: Barbara Owen, Daphne Jacqumar, Marian Davies, Jean Roser, Ann Paine, Sheila Piercy, Carol Stevens, Evelyn Lyons, Christine Smith.
    3rd Row: Margaret White, Maureen and Vanda Cragg, (twins) John Wilkins, Eileen–, Marie Bryant, Valerie Fuszard, Brenda Imms.
    2nd Row: Jeanette Brown, Barbara Ward, Josephine Tume, Maureen Parrot, Pip Hill, Barbara Rennie, Tonia Payne, Ann Farquhar, Maxine–, Elaine Trussell.
    1st Row: Les Swallow, Robin Nutley, Paul Thomsett, John Barden, Melvyn Phillips, Franki Gates, Kenneth–, Colin Brooker. There are a few gaps, but it would be nice to know that someone will see this.

    By Valerie (03/03/2010)
  • What strikes me as a former teacher is the unfair ratio of boys to girls and the sheer size of the class. About 45 of them. Keeping order and marking books has always been a time consuming task, but that must have been a seriously unfair workload.

    By Roy Grant (22/03/2010)
  • Hi Roy, Glad that somone has seen my photo of a schoolclass in the 50s. It does seem rather large but we were all very well behaved and the teachers were very dedicated people. My son is a teacher in Chepstow, and has to deal with 23 children each day, and finds it exhausting. The kids are so much more aware of their world these days and demand so much more of their teachers. I haven’t shown him this picture yet. The number did go down when the boys moved over to the Senior school and the Bright ones went on the Grammar schools, but then there was an intake from Lower Bevendean, so there was a steady 35+ always. We all had our own class room and desks and the teachers specialised in more subjects, and they came to our room and we stayed put. I am sure that it made more sense!

    By Valerie Woodward (31/03/2010)
  • I was pleasantly surprised to find this picture of 4a – I am sure that I am the person 2nd from left back row, unless my memory fails me. I cannot remember when this photo was taken as a mixed group as we only had girls and boys in seperate schools.

    By Eunice Hayward (nee Pickett) (08/05/2010)
  • Hi Eunice, I remember your name well, and your face only vaguely. The photo was taken in the last year of the Junior school before the clever ones passed the 11+ and went off to their various new schools, and then we went to the seniors school on the Lewes Road. You are right, the boys were then separate from the girls, each a different side of the main hall. Then there was an intake from Lower Bevendean. I still write to Virginia Moody, maybe you remember a few girls from then. It’s sad that after the juniors school all class photos were stopped, and individual ones were taken, so we have lost any record of old chums. It would be nice to hear any memories from you.

    By Valerie Woodward/Fuszard (18/05/2010)
  • Hello Valerie, I chanced to find this website yesterday and your photo today. Such a pleasant surprise. Thank you. I think I can help with a few more names: 3rd row 8th from left – David Banks; extreme right – Derek Moore; front row 3rd from left Roy (Bunny) Richardson; 4th John Pelling; 8th Melville Phillips; 10th Kenneth Waine. I left UK and lived in Italy from 1965 through 1970, and have lived in Canada since then. Refreshing to see those faces, wonder where they all went off too. I know Derek Moore is in Atlanta, Georgia, but that’s all.

    By Colin Brooker (17/06/2010)
  • I went to Moulsecoomb Secondary School from 1954 to 1958. Is there anyone still in the area who was there at that time? I would love to know as I left Brighton in 1964. Also, if anyone happens to know Lawrence Howel or his wherabouts; he went to the boys school at the same time. I live in the Manchester area, so would be grateful for any information.

    By Pamela (nee Gooch) (21/10/2010)
  • Hi Eunice, did you live at Lower Bevendean and Mary was your sister? I used to go to your house a lot, you had this massive great dog which scared me witless until I found out he was as gentle as a lamb. I think it was a bull mastive. I remember when Mary’s older sister moved to Ipswich she was real sad it was such a long way away – was that you? When Mary worked at Coxes pill factory she opened the lift and pushed a loaded trolley in and it went to the bottom of the shaft – good job she let go of it. She said the lifts were really old. Give her my best and please ask her to get in touch.

    By Pam Mellish (nee Smith) (28/04/2011)
  • I have been looking at the school photo of class 4a and noticed you have put the person 6th from the left 2nd row (next to Tonia Payne) as Barbara Rennie when it is my sister Barbara Ransom. I hope you don’t mind me pointing this out.

    By Irene Lott (nee Ransom) (17/06/2014)
  • I’m afraid I was not in that class, but in 3c and 4c those years. We had the most fabulous teacher for both years, Miss Carpenter. She used to take us out at weekends on long nature walks spotting foxes, and the like. I kept in touch with her for many years, and used to visit her in Tonbridge with my mate Alan Smith on our scooters (she had by this time married and become Mrs Bird). I went on to the senior school where I was in 1b, 2b, 3a, 4a. Six of us stayed on to form the first Fifth year, then I went on to work for a firm of Hove solicitors.

    By Michael Coleman (09/10/2014)
  • Hi Irene Lott [nee Ransom], I too spotted the name error in the school photo. I knew the Ransom family fairly well. When I was around about 13-14 years of age your sister Pat was my first girlfriend, your mum invited me to your house for tea at one time. Your dad used to work with my Mum at Allen West. There were four children, all girls in your family, the other one I believe was Mary. I was so sorry when I heard of of Pats passing at such a young age, I think of her often. 

    I now live in South Australia and have lived here since 1974.  I’m just feeling around this modern technology and discovered this site. I will be 78 in July so I have a bit of time on my hands. I’m glad I found this site it brought back a lot of memories of long ago and a lot of names that I’d forgotten. If you read this and it makes sense, I’m glad I made a comment.

    By Rodney Lawrence (08/02/2015)
  • Came across this site by chance, so many people in the photo I remember. I am the third one in the back row. Wasn’t our teacher Mr Burroughs? I went on to the new Stanmer Park School. I have lived in South Australia for the past 50 years

    By Christine Stratton (nee Beany) (26/07/2016)
  • I was in the year behind. If anyone was in 3A and was in Mrs Horton’s 4a, please send an email if you were in that year. I am still in contact with Dave Egginton.

    By Alan Winchester (15/01/2017)
  • Hi All, I attended this school from  1945 to 1950, I think the teachers name was Mr Hibberd? I lived in Bevendean Crescent, my dad like many others worked for Allen West, I can remember 2 other names I think Brian Shoesmith and Donald Dunkerton of the removal company. I left in 1950 as we moved to Southampton.

    By Ron Norris (01/01/2018)
  • Have just discovered this site and am wondering if anyone from class 4a (1952-53 Moulsecoomb Senior Girl’s School) has any “update ” on anyone who was in that class. My “best friend” at that time was Rita Pollard who lived in North Moulsecoomb……I lived in East Moulsecoomb….at 41 Birdham Road.

    I have very fond memories of those days and the older I get…..the fonder they become!.

    Would love to receive any news!.

    Ann Maryan. (my two older brothers were Tom and Stan (Ginger) Maryan.

    By Ann Littleton (Maryan) (10/04/2020)

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