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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

Woodfield School

8 Comments

Kindergarten and Preparatory Department for Girls and Boys c1947.
Kindergarten and Preparatory Department for Girls and Boys c1947.
Photo: Carol Coates (nee Brown)
Views: 6,713
Item #: 493
The Woodfield school photo is from the History of Wigan High School booklet 1887 - 1947, published in 1947 at Murray's Printing Works Ltd, Ince, Wigan. According to notes of M E Goold (1913 - 1945) and H Forrest (1917 - 1945) Until July 1919 the Preparatory Department was an integral part of Wigan High School, bought by the Education Authority due to shortage of space. It was altered and opened on 12 January 1920 by Dr Brierley, Chairman of the Governors. Miss Watmough was the headteacher. There were 72 pupils who ate dinners cooked on the premises. Although without central heating and cloakroom, the school was set in a beautiful garden with crocuses and daffodils and lovely trees. Garden sports were held in the Summer Term with tea tables laid out under the trees and books and toys given as prizes. Father Christmas attended the Christmas Party and the children enjoyed crackers, jelly and Christmas cake. Senior boys and girls progressed to the High School and Grammar School. When the second World War broke out, Woodfield was closed while an air raid shelter was built and classes continued in parents' houses. In 1940 sirens signalling Liverpool air raids interrupted lessons and dinners. War also prevented Silver Jubilee celebrations for Woodfield as many old pupils were away with the Forces. The Education Act put an end to Woodfield as part of the High School and it became Woodfield County Primary School.

Comment by: Frederick Howarth on 2nd April 2010 at 20:23

I attended Woodfield in 1950. A wonderful school as I remember it. Miss Dunn I will never forget. My contemporaries included Adrian Lace,Geoffrey Holland, Gail Brand, ?... Rathbone , Ian ?...., ?, ?.... Clayton. I have a class photo for 1950 which I will post sometime.

Comment by: John Barbour on 2nd September 2012 at 15:12

I was there about 1946 before graduating to St Michaels.
Very happy days enjoyed the conker tree in the grounds,just down the slope from the main school.Any body remember Janet Taylor in the Brownies whose father was Wigan Grammer School Headmaster's daughter until about 1947.Also Katy Simm whose dad was a dentist...Would love to know of them as my little friends at that time.

Comment by: John Barbour on 8th September 2012 at 22:53

I was there just before 1947 but interested to see the name of Gail Brand there.I knew a girl of that name who lived at the bottom of Harrock Hill. Was it Roger Rathbone the bread people listed there.Also David Morton and Bob Shaw and Janet Taylor anyone with info would be a nice contact.

Comment by: Robin Leigh on 23rd December 2012 at 02:56

Thank you, Fred, for the memory jog- Ian McCann, Graham Clayton, Malcolm Fearn, Judith Harvey, Alan Halsall, Audrey ?, Isobel Prest, Michael Worthington, Martin Edwards,... My cousin Kathleen Leigh was a year later.

Comment by: John Barbour on 17th March 2013 at 22:52

Noticed the name Judith Harvey I believe she came to my 21st party in 1960 think she married Arthur Stevenson from the bottom of Parbold Hill ?

Comment by: Margaret Ellis nee Naylor on 17th September 2013 at 09:43

I was at Woodfield Primary in 1947 - looks like me far left in a dream! Anyone remember Lawrence Bradshaw or Sylvia Garner?

Comment by: Peter Latham on 24th November 2018 at 15:11

I was at Woodfield School between 1943 and 1947 then at its Marylebone School branch until 1951 after taking the 11+ examination to go on to Ashton-in Makerfield Grammar School The headmistress was Miss Goold and the excellent teacher at Marylebone School preparing us for the 11+ exam was Mrs Crawford. My good friends at the school were Murray Dean, David Morton, David Bentley, Judith Partingon and Valerie Pye. When we started at the school we had to take our gas masks. I still have a copy of the school magazine that we edited.

Comment by: julia on 14th July 2020 at 08:53

hi
on my travels i found a coupe of old phot albums from the 50s and 60s .
there was a school photo taken in 1967 from this school and his name was Stephen. in the album there is reference to a Maurice , who is younger(brother) . in an older album maybe a dog called sandy, Whitby ave, 62 carevn road, mick and Kim jean, Susan, Diane . would love to reunite these with someone. they are fab.

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