Class 1 of Hadleigh Infants School

Class photograph in 1945.

It is April 2011 and Mr Pearce (who was born in 1937) is looking at his photo of Class 1 Hadleigh Infants taken 19th June 1945.

Mr Pearce’s clocks are ticking comfortably in the background and we relax as he describes the children he knew in that class.   The photo shows 53 very healthy eight year olds posed in semi shade to one side of the school;  the windows are taped against glass splinters from bomb damage.

To the left of the group is their teacher,  Mrs Lockwood, who lived in Beech Road at the time. (The Headmaster,  Mr Tutt, is not in this picture.)

Along the back row from the left we see, Alan Hudson,  Johnny August,  Leslie Millbank, Tony Coleman, Brian Cornwall, Michael Buick,  Frank Alway, Brian Pearce, a girl, Pamela Wayland and Ivy Anderson.

2nd row from back:  Mavis Jenkins, Shirley Cole perhaps, (if it is Shirley, she had 4 brothers: Joe, Derek, Lenny and Terry,)  three girls to be identified, Sidney Shaw,  possibly either Peter Coop or Colin Herbert;  either Jeffrey Burrows or Barry Jeffries;  a girl, Michael L Nicholls.

3rd row: Trevor Jenkins, Michael Cooke, John Robinson, Margaret Whitock, Roy Neagus, John Wheatley,  either Peter Coop or Colin Herbert, Shirley Sibley, Evonne Edney,  John Cowley, Michael T Nicholls.

4th row: Pauline Matthews, David Allison, Derek Hanson, Eileen Sargent, girl, Teddy Land, Valerie Pounds, Brian George,  a girl, Rita Little, Jean Everitt.

5th row: Gladis Ballard, Muriel Wilkinson,  Daphnie Polly, Emily Bullock, Eileen Bashford, Sheila Hancock, Brenda Theabald,  Rosemary Lowe, Hazel White, Carol Mathias.

Remarkably, Mr Pearce runs through the names as though the class was yesterday.  On the back of the photo is the list of known names in alphabetical order, with a neat side list of those not yet matched with the picture.

The above spellings have been aligned with those shown on the back.

Class 1, June 1945
Mr Brian Pearce
Class 1 listing, June 1945
Mr B Pearce

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  • Would anybody have a class photo or class register of students that attended Hadleigh Junior School around 1939 please? I believe my mum moved to Hadleigh and began attending the school around 1939 at the age of 7 years old. Her name was Phyllis Florence Flicker. Thank you to anybody that can help.

    By Gary Wilkinson (30/11/2020)
  • A question to John Cockbain:

    John, would your sister, Sheila Cockbain, have been a Royal Navy Wren in Malta in 1958/59?

    Sam Clinton

    Vienna, Austria

    By Sam Clinton (08/02/2014)
  • Note that the school’s windows have been taped up to help counter the effects of bomb blast. There is a well-advanced plan afoot to demolish our old school, build a new one on the playing field and sell the Church Road site for housing. What a shame someone with “political clout” can’t find a new use for this much-loved old building but, as ever, “money” talks loudest.

    By David Hurrell (02/09/2013)
  • I have a copy of this picture, and I attended the Centenary Anniversary Day a few years ago. I met up with several old friends, but later learned that Coral Bidgood was there. We obviously didn’t recognise each other, but if she is in touch, I’d love to hear from her. I now live on a farm in Devon, and am 75 years old – doesn’t seem possible when I look at the picture!

    By Val Pounds (18/08/2013)
  • Oh wow. I’ve been trying to get this photo for years. I was Eileen Bashford in the front row with the class 1 board. The only names I recalled from back then are Trevor Jenkins, who I have already been in contact with and a Georgina Polly. Thank you Brian. You have made my day. Eileen now living in Pitsea.

    By Eileen Scott (Bashford) (08/07/2012)
  • Hi Brian. Great pic. The girl named Sheila Hancock (between Eileen and Brenda in 5th row) I think is my younger sister Sheila Cockbain. I may be wrong because she was born Nov 1938 and may be a little young for this class. I’ll check with her. Lives in Church Rd, Hadleigh. John Cockbain; Canada.

    By John Cockbain (03/10/2011)

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