Results tagged “education” from Chester Chronicle - Chester Memories

CHESTER'S last city centre school is on the move. St Mary's Nursery School, on St Mary's Hill, will up sticks in December and move from its site within the city walls to a new site in Handbridge.

Past pupils, parents, staff and friends are invited to celebrate the school's history on Thursday, October 23, from 4-7pm at the St Mary's Hill site.

Headteacher Ken Jones said: "We look forward to celebrating the part this building has played in our community and then 162 years of history will be packed into our bags and moved across the river."

From January the nursery school will be rehoused on the site of Overleigh St Mary's CE Primary School in Old Wrexham Road.

The school was established in 1846 to provide religious education for the poor of the large inner city parish of St Mary's. A reorganisation of city schools in 1972 meant St Mary's became a nursery school and it has provided pre-school education for three and four-year-olds across the city since then.

It has an active PTA group, called the Friends of St Mary's Nursery School, which regularly raises money for extra curricular activities including school trips, equipment and the annual Fair Day in May.

In 2002, the group organised a "street" party for parents to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

The celebration will include an exhibition of the history of the school and organisers are keen to hear from anyone with any photographs or memories.

Alternatively visitors on the day will be able to add their memories to a memory book.

There will be light refreshments, provided by the Friends of St Mary's, and at 6pm, there will be speeches, a cake and a toast to mark the past and look forward to the future of this school.

A CHESTER lollipop lady was surprised to see a photograph of herself in a recent Nostalgia feature on Boughton St Paul's School.

Mona Concannon, known as Monica, spotted the photo in our feature on the history of the school which closed in July as part of Cheshire County Council's Transforming Learning Communities.

She was lollipop lady at the school when it was on the corner of Hoole Lane and what was Richmond Terrace.

Monica, who turned 80 in July, has fond memories of her time at the school and of headmistress Miss Cornelia Graham.

"It was a wonderful school and I loved the job," she said. "Every holiday time I would give every child a little present.

"At Easter it would be an Easter egg, at Christmas time a bag of sweets and in the summer a lollipop."
At the time Monica lived in Newton with her husband Michael and three sons.

She now lives in Handbridge and has six grandchildren and great grandchildren, one of which is due mid-August.

"I used to be invited to go on school trips and remember a lovely day out at the zoo," she added.
She even helped the children learn to swim on a Saturday morning at the City Baths.

"Every Friday on the way home from school the children would say: 'Mrs Concannon, will you be at the baths tomorrow?' and I would be there."

Monica originates from County Clare in Ireland and moved to Chester when she was 21. She worked at Williams and Williams on Liverpool Road before getting married.

FORMER Harthill Primary School pupil Karen Wade contacted The Chronicle with her memories of the school after seeing the photos in the recent Nostalgia pages.

Mrs Wade, who now lives in Oldfield Road, Ellesmere Port, said: "Miss Crouch was the headmistress. Mrs Lowe taught the infants, then it was to Mrs Edmunds' class, Mrs Frost's class, finishing in Miss Crouch's class for the last year. Miss Crouch retired soon after we started and the new headmaster was Mr Gilbert who lived in Burwardsley.

"We moved from Tattenhall Primary School to Harthill so my sister started in Mrs Lowe's class in the infants and I went into Mrs Frost's class. This will have been around 1978/79 when I was eight or nine.

"Mrs Frost had actually taught my mum when she was at Holly Bank School as a little girl, and she still lives in Tattenhall!

"The school really supported the local community. Mrs Vaughan from Broxton was 'fortunate' to have a van and brought most of the children in it. I think there were around 84 children in the whole school at that time - although they did not all quite fit in the van.

"I remember the harvest festival service we used to have in Harthill church opposite, which is now also closed.

"Everyone would bring in a selection of food which would all be placed around the altar for the service and then given out to the local community. My mum has a local fruit farm, so I would usually bring a box of apples fresh from that year's harvest.

"We had a netball team and we used to go around the different local schools competing in matches. We had a sports day in the sports field down the bottom of the lane.

"We used to make things to sell on the different stalls that were there. I remember making water bottle covers in school with pretty stitching on them. We also did may pole dancing. Boys and girls danced together around the pole making the ribbons twist into different shapes.

"My nephew and cousin's son recently attended Harthill school but they have now had to move to Saighton school.

"It is sad that these community schools have to close, but unfortunately everything has to be costed out and goes if it is not efficient. Why couldn't the local schools have amalgamated into one? I am sure this was looked into and comes down to how many children will be coming into the schools in the following years.

"I remember my time at Harthill with fond memories and feel sad that the local community do not have access to such schools whose input into the local area brought families together.

"Well I hope you have enjoyed my memories, it has certainly made me think about very happy times."

A service of thanksgiving for the history of Harthill School at Burwardsley Parish Church in March was attended by more than 120 former staff and pupils.

Headteacher Mo Morron said: "It was like friends reunited with Harthill pupils from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s talking about old times. Some had never seen each other since they left school."

Are you researching your family tree? Ask a question about your ancestors for Chronicle readers to answer or send us your memories of past events in Chester, old schools, people or places.

Contact Rebecca Edwards on 01244 606415 or e-mail rebecca.edwards@cheshirenews.co.uk.

An infant school is going full circle in time for its 40th anniversary celebrations.
Belgrave Infant School, Five Ashes Road, Westminster Park, will re-start life as a primary school this September, 40 years after it originally opened its doors.

Headteacher Deanne Garratt said: "We have been through life as a primary school, been a first school then an infant school and now we are going back as a primary school again.
"It just happens to be when it's the school's 40th birthday, there's a nice synergy.

"The Year 3 pupils will be the pioneers. We are making a lot of changes to the building to accommodate it and to make sure we have got everything we need. The staff are all very excited."

To celebrate the school opening in 1968 they will be compiling two books, a book of memories donated by former pupils and staff with photographs and a book looking where former pupils are now.
And an exhibition will be held in September to mark the anniversary.

"We are having a celebratory fun day on Friday, September 12, with entertainment and events for the children at the school.
"Then there will be a tea after school for past pupils and staff, so get in contact if you want to come," added Mrs Garratt.

She added: "The next big project, apart from new toilets and a group room, is to have a new playground. We've also got new signage which the children have been involved in designing the new logo.
"It's a great school to work in and most of the teachers have worked here for their whole careers. We have got a bank of staff who have worked here the whole way through."

The school will be having photo in June to commemorate its last year as an infant school.
Any former staff or pupils that would like to contact the school or make contributions can write to Belgrave Infant School, Five Ashes Road, Westminster Park, Chester CH4 7QS, or e-mail to admin @belgraveinf.cheshire.sch.uk.

GENERATIONS of pupils from a school which has now closed will gather on Sunday to share their memories of days in the classrooms.

Harthill Primary School shut in February after 140 years educating the local community's children.
A service will be held at Burwardsley Church at 2pm on Sunday Mar 16 for anyone associated with the school community.

Headteacher Mo Morron said: "It will be a celebration of the life of Harthill Primary School and all it has contributed to the local community over the last 140 years.
"Some children are coming back to take part in the service and give talks about their memories of the school."

The school was opened in 1868 as a Church of England school and closed under Cheshire County Council's Transforming Learning Communities review due to falling birth rates.

The Chronicle is interested in former pupils and staff's memories of Harthill Primary School. Tell us about your school days by leaving comments.