Middle Road Secondary School 1936-1992

MR1

– the new school photographs and plans in 1936 with reminiscences of former pupils from the 1940’s to 1990’s

Built in 1936 on a five-acre site in Middle Road, Kingston, where the recreation ground is now but then in land that had largely been used as fruit orchards and nurseries by the Cook’s Jam Factory in Dolphin Road. Initially opened as a boys’ senior elementary school for 360 pupils it included a number of unusual features (for those days) in both design and construction. It was built of reinforced concrete and flat roofs to allow for future extensions to be placed on top of the ground floor building and enabled wider spans for rooms that, with the large Crittall windows also installed gave pupils and teachers a bright and spacious environment.

Looking from Middle Road 1992
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Victoria Road School 1950’s

Following on from the popularity of the 1946 class group photograph from Middle Road School, we now have wonderful images from Victoria Road School in 1949 and and 1953. These were given to us by Jenny Elton who lived up the road in Mill Lane. Can you put a name to any of the children?

1953: Victoria Road School upper playground. Click to expand.

Jenny can remember some of the names and recounts: “First left Brian McIntyre who in later life was the school caretaker. 2nd from right Tom Blundell, now Sir Tom, Professor of Chemistry, Oxford Fellow of the Royal Society etc. Interestingly his younger  brother Roger is also a Sir (Economics). The tallest boy in the back row, Roger Brann was a St. Wilfrid boy and together with Tom were the class brain boxes.

Photo of the 1949 Percussion band at Victoria Road. (Jenny is in the back row 1st left)

You’ll find a detailed article on Victoria Road Infants and Junior Schools here.

Shoreham Grammar School

Grammar School 1955

SHOREHAM GRAMMAR SCHOOL 1944-50

THE PREMISES

Grammar School 1955
Shoreham Grammar School at Pond Road in 1955 with the chapel opposite, and Westover with the bicycle sheds just behind

I started at the school in 1944, shortly after the Allied invasion of German-occupied France. The school buildings were centred in Pond Road, and covered the whole block, that is to say, the area of the present community centre, citizens’ advice bureau and car park. The school had its own chapel, with pews, choir stall and organ, on the opposite side of Pond Road, about where the grass mound in front of the health centre is now. The large house facing you as you look south down Pond Road is called Westover, and provided residential accommodation for single masters and a room for piano tuition.

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