According to Thomas Middletons "History of Hyde" the cost of the building and site and furnishing was £18,230 12s. 7d
It was a school that comprised of Infant , Junior and Senior buildings.
It replaced St Thomas C of E School which was located on Thomas Street.
My Grandma was in the first intake when it opened and was in the same class as Harry Rutherford - Hydes own esteemed Artist!
The Junior and Senior buildings were joined by a door in the hall - This door was behind the stage. I once had a go at opening it but was disappointed to find it was locked. Probably for the best! If I had been caught by the Senior headmistress ,Miss Knowles or "Fang" as she was nicknamed ,I would have been in a lot of trouble!
The Infant building was in grounds of its own. The little infants used to gaze through the raiIings at the "big" junior kids in the playground next door in wide eyed wonderment.I have strong memories of the first year class - Miss Shaws - It had a coal fire burning in it - that definitely wouldn't be allowed today! We used to sit round this fire for story time in the afternoon. We were also made to have a little nap in the day where all the little kids used to put their head on their hands on the desk and shut their eyes....great stuff!
In a council leaflet from 1983 there was an announcement that Leigh Street, Greenfield and Flowery Field High Schools were planned to be closed at the end of the summer term 1983. A new High School was planned to be open in September 1983 on the site of the existing Flowery Field School, at the time no name had been chosen for the new High School. High Technology School was the name they eventually decided on.
Leigh Street School closed due to old buildings and being on a cramped site with no room for expansion.
Aerial View of Leigh Street from the 1970's.
Thanks to Carl Rogerson and Beryl and Dave Williams for these photos - Appreciated, as always :) Also thanks to Sarah Lamb for additional info.
Excellent post Nancy... I hope this get some interest going... it would be nice to see some class photo's... and sports teams as well... I would like to see another picture of the stone work in the first pictures.. where it says the school name..
ReplyDeleteMy sister went to Leigh Street which at that time I thought it was an all girls school? This was back in 1967. Don't know why but she doesn't have any Class photos. Great post and photographs:) Linda
ReplyDeleteLeigh Street seniors was always an all girls school in my lifetime.I'm not sure whether it always was?
ReplyDeleteI also went to Leigh Street from 1955-1961. I was there when Mr. Drewitt was there. Mr. Drewitt had an interesting walk with his head always cocked to one side. I was friends with his son Christopher Drewitt. I wonder where he is? There was also a teacher there called Mr. Renshaw who introduced me to classical music playing the 1812 overture. Soon after hearing it in his classroom my dad Dennis Grimshaw took me to Free Trade Hall in Manchester and listened to the Halle Orchestra play it live. What a great experience that was. In Mr. Renshaw's class we also listened to The Wind in the Willows, I think on the BBC. I can still those pictures that listening to the story brought up in my imagination, Toad Hall, The river and of course Mr. Toad driving his car. Great times.
ReplyDeleteI attended Leigh Street S.M.S.in the 60,s the Headmistress was Miss Richards and her deputy was Miss Stoller,I enjoyed my time there particularly when our class was in the gym,I played netball for the 2nd senior team,prob was,nt good enough for 1st,I remember Miss French our history teacher and Miss Classic our music teacher,I found most of the teachers nice but the Head and Deputy put the fear of god up me.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Angela Di Libero and I attended Leigh Street School too. I was born in 1961 in Hyde by Italian parents.I also had Mr. Drewitt, Mr Renshaw and Miss French as my teachers. I'm now living in Italy and very happy to have found this blog, it brings back lots of memories.
ReplyDeleteHi Anon.. and Angela thank you for comment and glad to know you are enjoying your visits here.. feel free to send in any pictures of Hyde you might have and we can get them posted.
ReplyDeleteTom
Hi, My Grandfather when to secondary school there, he was born around 1911, my Mum & myself also attended. Have been seaching for pictures of the building for ages, thank you for posting them.
ReplyDeleteAnon:
ReplyDeleteGlad you found the pictures and thank you for letting us know we have been of help..
Hello, My name is Julia Izatt (Britton) and I went to Leigh Street Infants, Juniors and Seniors for all of my schooling from 1961 until I left at 16 in 1971. I remember Mrs Shaw's class where we went to play on the climbing frame and in the house corner. I remember frozen bottles of milk in the winter and being milk monitor and having to give out paper straws that went soggy after a few sips of the milk. I lived near Miss French and she walked us to school in a crocodile chain. The other teachers names I remember were Mrs Jackson, Mrs Woodley, Mr Drewitt, Mr Renshaw and in the senior school Miss Classic, Mr Stephens, Miss Floyd and a lovely teacher Miss Morris who got married and became Mrs Byatt. Miss Knowles the head teacher left in my last year at secondary and we had a nice man instead called Mr Taylor.
ReplyDeleteHi Julia
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting and supplying more information to this post.
My aunt designed the school shield for Leigh Street Senior school. Her name is Nancy POGSON, was ROBERTS. She's nostalgic for the old days. If anyone has a copy of the school crest or shield, I would love to see what it looked like and maybe get her a print in a frame. Thanks.
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