Holy Trinity Memories

This post was made possible by Susan Jaleel.
Sorry you've had to wait so long for it, Susan. I hope all the names are in the correct order now !

Class Of 1951

Back Row: Christine & Mary Blackwell [twins], Sheila Aughton, Joyce Hill, Anne Shaw, Hilary Oldham, Barbara Sinnett

3th Row: Mrs Hibbert, Marlene Bradley, Peter Barton, ?, John Wilde?, Peter Perrin, ?, John Rowland, Brian Bradley, ?Brian Lowndes, Susan Bennett, Mr Birch.

2rd Row: Anne Robinson, Margaret Hallas, Jennifer Greenhough, Susan Ollerenshaw, Barbara Jack, Gail Berry, Jean Ashurst, Pat Hallas

Front Row: Ken Taylor, Norman Hindle, Jack Gilson, Valerie White, Carol Wilde, Gail Pickford, Margaret Wilde, Brian Hewitt, Trevor Buttery, Neil Ingram.

Class Of 1952

Back Row:  Mr Birch, Joyce Bennett, ?, Anne Bardsley, Anne Shaw, Irene Glithero, Norma Bradley, Caroline Simpson, Sylvia Thompson

3rd Row: Terry Groom, Donald Higginbottom, ?, Brian Orpet, ?, Ian Duffy, Brian Roebuck, David Walker, Colin Whittaker, ?, Bobby Lowe

2nd Row: ? ?, Kathleen Gilson, Joyce Moores, Irene Barlow, Brenda Salt, Jean Windebank, Hilary Wilson, Suzanne Gee, ? Sinnett

Front Row: Geoff Hewitt, John Dain, Donald Clough, ?, David Townend, Harry Jack, ?, Ronnie Smith, Harvey Howarth

Class Of 1953

Back Row: Hilary Oldham, Christine Urmson, Brenda Pickersgill, Joyce Hill

4th Row: Miss Armitage, Kathleen Moss, Susan Bennett, Sheila Aughton, Margaret Wilde, Jennifer Greenhough, Anne Shaw, Mr Birch

3rd Row: Sheila Salt, Valerie White, Anne Walker, Eric Higginbottom, Roy McDermott, Barbara Sinnett, Gail Pickford, Barbara Jack

2nd Row: Beryl Hewitt, Jean Ashurst, Carol Wilde, Susan Ollerenshaw, June Custance, Marlene Bradley, Gail Berry, Pat Hallas

Front Row: Jack Gilson, Brian Hewitt, John Higginbottom, Peter Lees, Ken Taylor, Trevor Buttery, Neil Ingram

Class Of 1954

Back Row: Gail Pickford, Margaret Wilde, Barbara Sinnett, Susan Bennett, Brenda Pickersgill, Joyce Hill, Jennifer Greenhough, Hilary Oldham, Kathleen Moss

3rd Row: Anne Robinson, Sheila Salt, Peter Lees, Frank Goddard, Christopher Douglas, Eric Higginbottom, Brian Bradley, Marlene Bradley, Barbara Jack

2nd Row: Carol Wilde, Pat Hallas, Gail Berry, Anne Shaw, Susan Ollerenshaw, Margaret Hallas, Dorothy Ward, Beryl Hewitt

Front Row: Trevor Buttery, Brian Hewitt, John Higginbottom, Ken Taylor, Peter Barton, Neil Ingram, Jack Gilson

Class Of 1955

Back Row: Daphne Harker, Iris Wilde, Eileen Walls, Linda Greenhalgh, ?, Brenda Pickersgill

4th Row: Anne Shaw, Hilary Oldham, Deanna Burgess, ?, ?, Pam Sim, Hazel Sharpe, Jennifer Greenhough, Miss Bennett

3rd Row: Anne Walker, June Custance, Margaret Wilde, Barbara Jack, Eric Higginbottom, ?, Sheila Aughton, Valerie White, Barbara Sinnett,  Sandra Hallas

2nd Row:  Carol Wilde, Adrienne Jolly, Susan Ollerenshaw, Marlene Bradley, ?, Sheila Salt, Gail Pickford, Margaret Hallas, Beryl Hewitt

Front Row: Roy McDermott, Stuart Bradley, Christopher Douglas, Keith Duffy, David Aspinall, ?, Ken Taylor

Class Of 1956

Back Row: Susan Ollerenshaw, Barbara Jack, Marlene Bradley, Jennifer Jackson, Brenda Pickersgill, Carol Whitehead, Joyce Hill, Jennifer Greenhough, Sheila Aughton, Margaret Hallas

3rd Row:  Miss Rawlinson,  Hilary Oldham, Margaret Wilde, Brian Bradley, Peter Perrin, Frank Goddard, Kathleen Moss, Susan Bennett

2nd Row: Beryl Hewitt, Pat Hallas, Carol Wilde, Gail Berry, Anne Robinson, Anne Shaw, Gail Pickford, Sheila Salt, Vina Shaw

Front Row: Peter Barton, Jack Gilson, Trevor Buttery, David Aspinall, Garth Pennington, Ken Taylor, Neil Ingram, Brian Hewitt

The two teachers at the Reunion are L-R  Mrs Sheila Mellor [nee Worrall] and Miss Doris Bennett. The Reunion took place at the school in August 2002.

  Holy Trinity must be one of the oldest schools in Hyde, if not the oldest.  My father, born in 1903, and his older brother [1895] both attended, and a room in the school was used for worship services prior to the opening of the church in 1874.  Incidentally, Uncle William Ollerenshaw was killed in France in 1917, aged 22, and his name appears on the Roll of Honour memorial in the school hall, as well as the one inside Holy Trinity church.  Holy Trinity was chosen as the school for me because of the family connection although, living in Kensington Street, I was the only kid in our neighbourhood who went there.

When I started at Holy Trinity at Easter 1950, the school was very much controlled by the church, and religious instruction was a priority for all pupils - the then vicar, Mr Boulton, visited the school at least once a week and we recited the catechism, 10 commandments and various psalms parrot-fashion every day after assembly.  On Ascension Day [always a Thursday] Mr Boulton would come down to the school and we all walked back up to the church with him for a worship service, after which we were allowed the rest of the day off!

Looking back, the school buildings were then quite antiquated.  The room which housed the "babies class" [reception as it is now] was a huge, dividable space, situated on the Higham Lane side and which had been used originally for worship services prior to the opening of the church in 1874.  Most memorable of all though were the toilets. Situated at the top of the playground was a single storey stone building which was divided into two on the inside and which housed 5 cubicles on either side, one for the girls and one for the boys. There was no flushing mechanism from within - the caretaker, Mr Swindells, operated that from his den in the school cellar and woe betide anyone who was occupying the throne at the time of the great flush!  Similarly, toilet paper was not available in the cubicles - the roll hung on a hook in the cloakroom and you had to remember to take your supply with you before leaving the building. 

The teachers were quite a mixed bunch - all six of them.  Mrs Lowe had the reception class, then Mrs Hibbert, Miss Armitage, Mrs Mellor, Miss Bennett and Mr Birch, the head, who later left and went to be head of St George's. He was replaced by Mr Bentley, who didn't stay very long and who was succeeded by the school's very first headmistress, Miss Joyce Rawlinson.  She was a lady not to be messed with, and the level of discipline in the school improved almost from day of her arrival. 

In 2002 we held a reunion in the school which was a great success.  Several former teachers attended, including Miss Bennett and Mrs Mellor from my era.  

Susan Jaleel

Thank you very much for the photos and information, Susan !