All the names – bar three
Our story about the class of 1947 at North Borough School, Maidstone, which included the BBC’s science and moon landings correspondent James Burke, has certainly prompted some memories.
John Snellgrove who was in the class in Peel Street – and in the photograph submitted by Audrey Bigley (nee Meek) – recalls the children never called Mr Burke “James”, he was always known as Jack.
Mr Snellgrove, who like others from the class, is now aged 80 and lives in Plains Avenue, Maidstone.
He said: “I remember Audrey well. Her dad used to clean our windows and he and my mum had a big row once when he missed a corner!
“I’m the boy standing next to the teacher, Miss Rootes, but I remember many of the others. There was Edna Buckle, a blonde girl, whose parents had a butchers shop in Sandling Road.
“Donald Dillon, who became an ambulanceman. David Berger-North, who became a pilot of the V-bombers and who now lives in Canada, and Judith Slater, whose father ran an ironmongers shop in Sandling Road. I remember Colin Biggs. He lived in Willington Street and for a long time was a sub-postmaster. He now lives in Menorca.
“There’s Angela Davey, whose father was the vicar at St Luke’s Church, and Geoffrey Bishop, who went into the Navy and became a chief petty officer. Wilfred Oxley, who preferred to be called John, went into the submarine service and Jack Burke of course – his father was a bus conductor in Ringlestone.
A few of us passed the 11-plus and went to grammar school – Jack Burke, David BergerNorth and Christopher Moore. The rest of us all moved on together to East Borough School.”
Christopher Moore was another in the class of ‘47. Mr Moore from Ashford Road, Bearsted, said: “I went on to Maidstone Grammar School with Jack Burke. And funny enough I remember going back to a speech day at the school some years later, when Jack, who by then had become a bit of a celebrity, was the guest of honour.” Rita Crouch, (nee Hall), from Coxheath, also called in to help put names to faces. Combining everyone’s memories, this is what we have: Back row from left: Michael Hibbens, Mary Jessup, Roy Gilbert, Hilary Marefield, unknown, Georgina Bartholomew, Roy Foreman, Edna Buckle, Ted Emery, Jill Spencer, Wilfred Oxley, Hazel Sutton, Donald Dillon and Mary Jenner.
Second row from back, from left: Brian Marks, Pamela Beaney, Colin Biggs, Gwendoline Webb, David Berger-North, Judith Slater, Christopher Moore, Betty Edwards, unknown, unknown, Geoffery Bishop, Angela Davey, John Snellgrove, Miss Roots
Sitting, from left: Peter Woods, Pat Farrant, Derek Crips, Joyce Haywood, Brian Woreledge, Audrey Meek, Colin Sedge, Anne Mitchell, Tony Bolton, Rita Hall, Brian Parsons, Jean Whibley.
Front row, from left: Jack Burke, Peter Henderson, Barry Durling, Robert Abrahams, Derek Woolford, Leslie Baker
That still leaves three faces unaccounted for. Suggestions to Alan Smith on 01622 695666.